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alpaca-clouds · 2 years ago

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The Hot & the Cold

Fandom: YURI!! On Ice

Shipping: Victor/Yuri

Genre: Fluff & Smut

Length: 1489 words

Given the fact he was an ice skater, one should believe that Yuri was fine with the cold. But in fact he wasn't. Especially not with the icy cold that would reign over St. Petersburg this late December. It would cut his skin almost like knifes, as he shivered.

“You should've warned me it is this cold,” he complained to Victor, while the other man put an arm around him.

“It is not that could.”

“It is literally freezing.”

Victor laughed. He indeed seemed to be immune against the cold, even when he was not on the ice. But that was Victor for you. He was a wunderkind in each and every way. Not only was he still skating, even though he would be 30 next year, he seemed too often be immune against the cold, the heat or exhaustion. “Let's just get a cab,” he said. “Once we are home you can take a hot bath.”

Yuri sighed. A hot bath would probably do wonders. Because even after just those 10 minutes it took them to get a taxi, he felt already frozen through. It was always those moments when he missed Japan and the onsen. Of course, he knew that he was in a way quite lucky, having grown up in a ryokan, being able to bath in the hot springs every day, but he still missed it whenever he was abroad.

The cold was really bad, given that he was already wearing a thick winter coat and a scarf and yet was shivering, when they were sitting in the taxi.

The cab driver looked in the rear-view mirror. “Aren't you…” he started, but Victor just grinned.

“I am nobody,” he replied and named their address.

It was a 20-minutes-drive, but in the end Yuri was quite relieved when the cab stopped in front of the rather old building that had been constructed before the soviet era.

“How do you do it?” he asked, when Victor – who was just wearing a normal jacket – easily caried his suitcase over to the door.

“What?”

“How do you not freeze to death?”

Victor gave him the kind of suggestive grin he would show quite often. “I think hot thoughts.” He opened the door to let Yuri inside.

It being an old building that had been renovated had some upsides. The thick walls were keeping the cold mostly outside. Though there was a downside, too. As their apartment was on the third floor and the building did not have an elevator.

“See,” Victor teased, when they finally reached their apartment door, “now you are no longer freezing.”

Yuri half laughed, half grunted, looking at him while he got out his own keys. “Just great.” It was of course the reason, they would not freeze on the ice, as the skating was just physically exhausting. The movement would keep them warm.

Their apartment was thankfully heated, though only as much to keep the temperatures around 20°C. It was nice. Not too hot – even though Yuri could use a few degrees more.

Once the door was closed behind them, Victor wrapped his arms around Yuri. “Welcome home,” he whispered and now even his tone was suggestive.

“I have only just arrived,” Yuri commented dryly.

“Well, you have been gone for almost a month. So of course I've missed you.”

Yuri sighed, though he could not help a slight smile. “Let me at least shower, first.” Sitting in a pressurized metal tube for 10 hours just did not make you feel very sexy. Especially as around this time a year one could always be certain, that there was a sniffling child in one's general vicinity.

“A kiss, at least?” Victor asked, making Yuri turn around to him.

“Fine. A kiss.” He put his hand into Victor's hair, pulling him into what was meant to be a short kiss. Victor, however, would not allow for the kiss to stay short. Kissing him deeper, more demanding.

“Shower, first.” Yuri said, breaking away from his fiancé with a chuckle.

All of this still seemed to be like a dream. The two of them together. Him living here. With him together.

Yuri was tired. It had been a 10-hour flight and there was of course the jet lag. Normally he was able to sleep well during flights, but there was the aforementioned sniffling child, that had decided after about three hours to start whining – and would not stop for another 2 hours. After that sleep had simply evaded him.

Still, he sighed with relief, once he had stripped off his clothing and turned on the shower. He shot the bathtub a long gaze, but frankly: He was almost certain that if he had a bath now, he would just fall asleep inside the tub. So, he decided for a shower, giving another sigh as the hot water was running over his skin. It felt heavenly. For two or three minutes he just allowed the water to run over him, as he closed his eyes and enjoyed. Only to find Victor standing in front of the cabin, once he opened his eyes again.

Grinning, Yuri just shook his head, as his eyes drifted over their soaps. He was about to pick up some shampoo, when the glass door was opened.

Victor always had had the uncanny ability to strip in what seemed to be the blink of an eye and now he stepped behind him. “You know that is my shampoo, right?” he asked softly, looking at the bottle Yuri was about to grip.

“I know,” he replied. “But… It smells like you.”

“Of course it does.” Once again Victor put his arms around Yuri, pulling him close, their skin now touching, while the hot water was running over them. He kissed Yuri's neck, while Yuri could feel his cheeks flush, as they would always do. “Let me do this,” Victor then said, taking the shampoo bottle.

[It gets steamy for the last like 400 words, so those will have to stay on Ao3.]

#yuri on ice #victor x yuuri #yuuri katsuki #victor nikiforov #fluff #yoi fanfic #mlm #soft smut

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zashamalkin · 5 years ago

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Translation of Anna Kasterova’s live interview on 5/29/20.

Thanks to my amazing Gino Anon, the entire interview is translated below the cut. Final word count, btw, is 2405 so like, send big thanks their way. Holy shit!

youtube

Anna got sick few days before the interview. Not covid, just a cold, that later turned into otitis. It was very painful, but now she’s feeling way better, though she still has some trouble hearing with her left ear. They talk a bit about the weather in Miami (it’s been raining there for a few days, but it’s still pretty hot). Igor asks if they’re allowed to swim during the quarantine. Anna says that the 1/

beaches were recently open, but there are obviously rules about keeping the safe distance. “Is Zhenya a good swimmer?” “Yeah, he’s great. He’s spending a lot of time with Nikita, teaching him how to swim. More in the pool though, than in the ocean.” “How do you and Zhenya feel about the latest news in NHL?” “I think, the idea is pretty good. Everyone has been waiting on some news about this season. I asked Zhenya if he preferred for the season to be cancelled. He said, he wanted to finish it 2/

properly. This season has been great for him, he’s in a great shape. And even though he hasn’t been skating for 2 months, he’s still been training pretty hard, running, roller skating and he didn’t lose his shape.” She thinks everything is turning pretty good so far and it’s great that the teams will have a time for training camps and a chance to go to playoffs.“In your opinion, were the players mentally prepared to continue the season?” “I think, those, who genuinely want to go to playoffs, 3/

have been working very hard to be ready, when the time comes. But, for sure, there are some players, who spent more time relaxing, rather than training. A lot of teams are asking their players to come back and start training on the ice and not all of the players follow their instructions.” “What are the rules about practice right now? Are they allowed to train in groups or…?” “There are no details about it yet. It haven’t even been decided yet, what cities will be chosen as Hub cities. So far 4/

the coaches are asking players to stay in shape. They have video calls together, where they go through different footage every time. But, as far as I understand, the organization and the coaching staff are ready for the players to come back.” “How do the players feel about the new rules for playoffs this season?” “No negative feelings. They’ve been under a lot of mental pressure, not knowing anything about the season and the playoffs. Everything seems pretty logical and they’re very happy to 5/

get back on ice and to have a chance to fight for SC.” “Is there any inside information about what cities will be chosen as Hubs?” “No one knows anything for sure. But I know that they’re very carefully considering epidemiological situation in the cities and will choose the safest options. ” *I SUCK at translating hockey terminology from Russian to English, so I’m sorry if anything is incorrect.* “Do you think it would’ve been fairer to include the numbers of “play-in” (I have no idea what he 6/

means by “play-in”) as well as the Robin Rounds into the statistics of regular season? Because it would give the players, like Ovechkin and Panarin, and Malkin to gain more points.” “It’s a very difficult question. But I’m sure NHL and NHLPA have gone over all the possible scenarios and have chosen the best one.” “How has Geno been handling the quarantine?” “He’s been very calm and collected. He’s been doing great mentally, smiling and cracking jokes, and keeping us safe and happy.” “Why did 7/

your family (meaning Geno, Anna and Nikita) decide to do a covid testing in early April?” “I had a pneumonia in November and wanted to find out for myself, if it was covid-induced, if I had any antibodies for the virus. But all the testing came back negative. None of us had it.” “What books did you and Zhenya read during the quarantine?” “Zhenya likes to read fantasy books. He’s been reading “Quantum Warrior: The Future of the Mind” by John Kehoe.” “Does he read in English?” “No, in English 8/

he’s mostly watching TV shows.” “I was very impressed by the story, that after his 1st season in NHL, Zhenya hired Russian language and literature teacher.” “He’s had a lot of free time these past 2 months and he’s hired 2 tutors: English language tutor to work on his grammar and Russian language tutor. (*Sorry, I don’t know if I need to explain this, but Geno obviously knows how to speak Russian. What I think Anna means here, is that the pronunciation of the words in Russian changes depending9/

on where the person is from. Every region has its own accent. I think, what Geno is trying to do, is lose his Magnitogorsk accent and start to speak clearer Russian, like ppl in Moscow of St. Petersburg do.*) He has classes with his tutors Monday to Friday. I’m very happy for him.” One of Geno’s friends in Russia has been robbed recently. Igor is asking Anna, if they ever considered buying a gun, since it’s allowed in US. Anna says no, they feel safe and they live a good neighborhood. She 10/

doesn’t think it necessary or appropriate. They talk a bit about Ovi’s second child being born recently and if Geno and Anna are planning on having a second child any time soon. “Of course, we wouldn’t mind having another child. If it happens, we’ll be very happy. I would like to have a girl, though.” “What’s the best way to describe Zhenya’s and Ovechkin’s relationships today? Are they friends or rivals” “Both. And healthy rivalry is very important in order to reach their personal goals.” 11/

“When Caps and Pens play each other, is it possible for them to go have dinner after.” “No.” “What can you say about the relationships between Zhenya and Sidney Crosby? When we talked with Zhenya last year, he said very nice and kind things about him. Even though Zhenya is in Sid’s shadow a lot of the time.” “I can talk about it for hours. They push each other and make each other stronger. But they also can step in and do more than anyone, when the other is hurt and not playing. Off the ice, 12/

they are very good friends and they support each other. Have I ever thought about what his life would be like, if he was the only star player in a team? I think, he’d be the best player in the whole NHL. He’s very intelligent in terms of building a game, always plans 2-3 steps ahead. He’s very fearless in his game, very talented and vey multilateral player. He’s very unique. They won together THREE STANLEY CUPS! No one's saying Crosby is less talented. He’s an incredible player, he works very13/

hard every day. They are 2 number 1 players in this team. If Zhenya ever asked me if I’d like him to play in New York, f/e, I’d say, no. Pittsburgh is his city, his home. And management and coaching staff are also a very important part of team success. The relationship inside the team is very important. And Pens are the best in that, imo.” “You two watched Super Bowl at Sid’s place. What’s it like there?” “It’s a tradition. Every year Sid invites the team with their wifes/gfs/kids to watch 14/

Super Bowl. His gf Kathy does all the cooking. She’s a very geart person, very hospitable. *omg, this is the first time I hear any1 talking about Sid’s gf 😀, aww* Everyone on the team is very open, very kind, they are great guys. It’s the best thing about Pens. So we’re always happy to accept Sid’s invitation and we always have a great time.” “Do you want Nikita to become a hockey player?” “We’re not gonna push him to it. If it’s something he wants, sure. But I have big plans for his 15/

education. I’d like him to know 2 languages, (English) and Russian, especially grammar, not just being able to speak it freely. I’m studying with him and for an almost 4 yo he already knows quite a lot. And it’s always very hard for a child of a parent, who has achieved so much, to surpass that kind of success. And I don’t want my son to have this kind of pressure on him. I don’t want him to be known solely as “Malkin’s son”. For me it’s very important for him to get a good education and to 16/

choose his path in life.” “Talking about the tv series about Michael Jordan, would you like a bio series to be shot about Zhenya?” “I know he wants to act, in a tv series or in a movie. He talked about it many times. As for a biopic, of course I would like that. He has a huge success story. A man from a simple, working class family. It’s very expensive to play hockey. And he was so talented even in a young age, that his coaches would sometimes bring him a puck, or a stick, or a uniform, for 17/

free. Add to that a story about him finally getting to NHL.” “Zhenya said once in an interview, that you fight sometimes about him not being open enough w/ you, not sharing his problems etc. Has it changed during the quarantine?” “Everything’s been great during quarantine. During the season, he’s under a lot of pressure and always takes it hard if the team loses or if he doesn’t score. Right now he’s very calm and happy, and everything is great.” A question about a conflict around Geno having18/

a USA passport (a lot of people in Russia, his celebrity friends especially, weren’t happy with that, and judged him for that). What does Anna think about it? “He’s a patriot. He loves his country and his city. We were in a hopeless situation, when I needed to get all the documents ready ASAP, and we needed to get married, and him having a US passport would speed that up. You could say, he did it for me. On the other hand, America is his 2nd home. He spends here more time than in Russia. He’s19/

been working here for years. Why is that such a big problem? It’s not like he turned his back on Russia or anything.” Then she talked about Geno’s donation to families in Magnitogorsk, who suffered bc of explosion that happened there in December 2018, and how much he gives to his community in Russia, that ppl don’t know about, bc he prefers not to advertise it. Then Igor keeps asking political questions and Anna is getting more and more irritated by them. Geno publicly supported Putin’s 20/

reelection whenever that was, and interviewer is asking whether him having an American passport is appropriate, considering that he’s a part of Putin team? “Why is it inappropriate? America and Russia are not enemies. Yes, there are some unresolved political issues. They are 2 huge countries, of course they will always feel threatened by each other. But I don’t see any serious political confrontation. Maybe bc we’re in US right now. But Zhenya has a great respect for his president. *bleh, I 21/

don’t like Putin. I know, she has to say nice things about him, bc as long as Geno is a part of Team Russia and wants to have a life in Russia, they can’t be openly against him. But both Geno and Anna don’t strike me as ppl, who will support Putin’s ideals. Sorry for me butting in w/ my opinion*” Question about Geno’s new diet after 18-19 season. “He never drinks alcohol during season. He doesn’t eat potatoes anymore. It’s very hard to cook him a soup w/o any potatoes in it. No sweet things,22/

no gluten. Now before games, he eats gluten-free pasta.” “Is he very superstitious? Do you try to wean him off some of them?” “No, if it makes him feel comfortable, why would I do that?” She declined to name any of them, bc it’s a personal thing for Geno. “Do you put in any work in Zhenya’s image and style?” “I think so, a bit. His sense of style has become better, his taste in literature.” “Zhenya’s favorite music?” “Russian pop-music mostly.” Question about Geno’s gaming habits. Anna 23/

doesn’t try to control him or tell him not to play, bc for him these computer games are a way to relax. She doesn’t mind. It’s his personal time. He doesn’t have his computer in Miami, so he found another way to spend time – studying with his tutors. Question about Olympics. “Yes, he’d like to win a gold medal with Team Russia, when the time comes.” He doesn’t feel jealous about Datsyuk or Kovalchuk, who have an Olympic gold. “Do you think, Zhenya’s last hockey season before retirement will 24/

be in Magnitogorsk?” “Sure, I don’t see why not. He’s very grateful for everything Metallurg gave him and it would seem logical for him to come back there before retiring.” “What is Zhenya’s biggest motivation right now?” “He’s very self-critical (she means Geno’s words about his skills in 18-19 season). He always has a high bar for himself and je always tries to reach it.” Question about Geno reaching 1000 pts. “It was a very big moment for us and a big win for him. He was very inspired 25/

by it and it gave him a lot of self-confidence.” ‘Was Zhenya mad about not making NHL’s 100 players list?” “I was. I was very angry. But he knows his value and what he’s achieved as a player. But it was very strange for me.” “Who do you think Zhenya wil be after his career ends? And how will your life together change? Will you spend more time in Russia or in US?” “It’s a tough question. I imagine a house by the lake, in Russia, with kids and, later, grandkids. With a big fireplace. I think, 26/

after finishing his career, we’d like to travel a bit. But I don’t know. It’s something you should ask him.”

#Anna Kasterova #Evgeni Malkin #Gino Anon #You're a freaking saint omg #This thing is massive

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the-deeds-to-shibden · 4 years ago

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Wednesday 18th September 1839

[Anne and Ann engage an Englishman living in St. Petersburg as their local guide and general fixer, and start to make plans not only for what they need to see in and around the city, but also to learn Russian, and get a watch repaired. The guide is immediately, and predictably, discovered to be useless at the job (Miss Lister can sure pick ‘em), but has a colourful history. Anne’s banker thinks the “language too difficult to learn, the winter palace too difficult to be seen and the mines too far off to be gone to!” – ooh, is that a challenge, do you think? Anne gets to grips with the two kinds of Russian money, then visits Pushkin’s bookseller, and finally is fascinated by a “very fine” church (cathedral in fact), standing “as if riveted to the spot”.]

[up at] 6 1/2

[to bed at] 11 50/”

rain all night and rainy morning – breakfast had our valet Whitaker to speak to – engaged him – breakfast at 9 everything very nice – had Mrs. Wilson – then inked over the last 18 lines of yesterday and calculating differences of silver and paper money etc. till now 11 20/” – should ask our banker for ticket to see (difficult) he ought to help us says Mrs. Wilson the Winter Palace – and must have ticket for

the mining corps, or college, }

the mint }

museum }

academy of arts }

watch maker Nelson

Bookseller Dixon

Fahrenheit 61º and fair but damp now at 11 1/2 a.m. –

out at 11 3/4 – i.e. 12 by Mrs. Wilson’s clock – to the bank i.e. to Messrs. Thomson Bonar and Company the head of the firm being now according to our valet’s pronunciation Mr. Hodgson – very civil – he had received Mr. Hammersley’s letter making particular mention of me – said his wife had not recovered from her confinement or would call – seemed to think the language too difficult to learn, the winter palace too difficult to be seen and the mines too far off to be gone to! – However recommended Mr. Nouvel a Frenchman as Russian master – would see if anything could be done about the winter palace (under repair and therefore ordered not to be shewn) and would give us a letter that would be of use to us in Moscow – and will get us a ticket for seeing the École des mines – changed on circular number 8588 £25 = 531.40 paper money but given to me as = 531.65 at 39 1/2d per silver Ruble and 350 a. B N per silver Ruble why this double exchange into Silver Rubles and back in paper ditto, I know not the a. B N must stand for assignations Bank Notes – and at 39 1/2d per silver Ruble £1 = 6 6/79 silver Rubles and 21 266/1000 paper Rubles

An 1838 10-ruble note, like the ones Anne and Ann would have been paying with for the rest of their trip (image source):

from the bank to Dixon English bookseller – nothing about Moscow – he never sees an English newspaper from year end to year end – not allowed here – yes! certainly the Morning post and I do not wish to see any other – bought 2 little maps of St. Petersburg and Moscow published in London by the society for useful knowledge

The map of St. Petersburg Anne bought, and no doubt used extensively during the three weeks she and Ann spent in the city (image source – zoomable):

knows nothing of the mines, or road to Moscow – showed me an English Russian grammar by Mr. Head, master of the Lancastrian school here – the road map of Russia by the Etat major the best but old – a new one coming out this Christmas or with the new year – therefore did not buy the Weimar map in 4 sheets price 12 Rubels paper always count in paper except chez mon banquier –

Luke Dixon’s bookshop was popular with the denizens of St. Petersburg, and the poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, the giant of Russian literature, had been among his customers; Dixon allowed him to buy foreign books on credit, and the poet ran up a debt to the bookseller which was paid off after his death in a duel in 1837. The building shown below (image source) is where Dixon’s shop was, at Bol’shaya morskaya ulitsa 24, but it looked different when Anne and Ann were there; in 1900 it was completely remodelled by the then owner, the famous jeweller Carl Fabergé:

Nelson the watch maker not at home – then to the Nevskoi Prospekt drive slowly – soon alighted and walked to beyond the [crossed out, F…ka visible] F . . . * canal then drove forwards to the Alexander Nevski church – Whitaker knows nothing of being laquais de Place – came over here as an English groom – set up as a livery stable keeper and letter of carriages – did well – drank – thrown into prison for debt for six months – out some little time ago – has given up drinking – an altered man says Mrs. Wilson who recommended him and no other! – the church under repair – saw 2 or 3 little churches under repair, an unintelligible mass – then the pretty little eglise separée – then walked and drove down the Nevskoi prospekt to the Cazan Church and there about 1/2 hour –

Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt by Karl Beggrow (1799-1875) (image source)

service – very fine dimly lighted church – stood as if riveted to the spot in front of priest and chancel – then left my watch for a week chez Nelson – drove along the English quai and home at 5 1/2 – dinner at 5 3/4 – afterwards coffee and tea at 9 as yesterday – tired of the dining business – must alter this – sat talking and calculating about the money – rainy till between 10 and 11 a.m. afterwards fair but damp from about noon to 5 1/2 or rather before when it began to rain again Fahrenheit 62º at 11 p.m.

Marginal notes:

visible in pencil:

Rainy till between 10 and 11

and afterwards from about noon

to 5 fair but damp Fahrenheit 62º at 11 p.m.

Marginal notes:

£1 = 6 6/79 silver Rubles

£1 = 21 266/1000 paper Rubles

Notes:

*This is almost certainly the Fontanka.

WYAS pages: SH:7/ML/TR/14/0015 SH:7/ML/TR/14/0016

#anne lister #ann walker #gentleman jack #anne lister code breaker #travelnotes1839 #russia1839 #russianempire1839 #annelister #annwalker

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falling-feuilles · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter 1

CW/TW: Physical Abuse

1805 St Petersburg

The air outside was brisk and cool, not enough to warrant a thick coat, but enough to remind the citizens of the approaching winter. The daytime ambience of the party offered a sense of dissociation from reality, a distraction from the impending forces of Napoleon and his army. Despite the approach of such a powerful adversary, the usual fear and anxiety associated with such situations was missing from the faces of the guests. Most of the guests, that is. Two young women talked quietly in the corner, both around 20 years of age. The ladies were recognizable by those in society as the two daughters of Prince Karlov Meininov; Princess Elisabeta Bolkonskaya, the younger, and Princess Y/N Zhudova, the elder, by a year and a half.

“Sister,” began Y/N, “It will be alright, you’ll be with myself, Marya, and-”

“I know, I know, but… I worry for Andrei, N/N. You of all people know he hasn’t been himself as of late, even Pierre has-”

A small commotion interrupted the woman’s words, drawing the attention of the two, as well as the attention of the surrounding guests. A young man, no more than 20, argued with a small number of other, older men. Y/N sighed, knowing the likely cause for the debate. The man in question was Pierre Bezukhov, an old friend and stalwart companion. He was just over two and a half cubits tall, stout, and bespectacled. Lise gave her a knowing look, nudging her in his direction. She gave her sister a gentle pat on the arm, moving swiftly over to Pierre just as another man caught his attention.

“Pierre, old friend,” greeted the man.

“Andrei, it’s so good to see you here” he sighed. The two embraced, breaking apart, not aware of Y/N standing nearby, smiling softly at the two.

“Getting a taste of high society?”

“Yes, and making a fool of myself, as usual…”

Pierre turned, finally noticing the woman standing off to the side; he broke out into a wide grin, moving quickly to kiss her outstretched hand. Andrei did the same, greeting her with a small smile.

“How are you two enjoying the salon of our dearest Anna Pavlovna?” Y/N asked, smiling playfully.

Pierre chuckled, looking nervously around for the woman in question before continuing.

“She thinks me some sort of ill-mannered beast, but considering the conversation I just had she is not the only one.”

“Think nothing of it, I find it endearing.” He blushed, smiling a little, “But, you are right, you know,” she continued, seeing the confused looks on the men’s faces, “Russia is in need of a revolution of its own, although preferably one with fewer beheadings.”

Pierre smiled, making to continue before something caught his eye. That something being a beautiful, dark-haired woman in a Grecian dress; Helene Kuragina.

“She’s ravishing… No hope for me though. I see her every day and she hardly notices I’m there.”

Y/N sighed, looking upon the woman disdainfully. Helene was a cruel, snake of a woman; she had been immeasurably hateful towards Y/N in the past, calling her mother a “ruble-seeking gypsy of a woman” on more than one occasion. Y/N’s mother was a peasant girl of English descent who had fallen in love with a wealthy Prince, her father. They married in secret, but after Y/N’s grandparents discovered the union, they immediately broke it off, marrying him off to a wealthy Princess from the Capitol. Little did they know, Y/N’s mother was already with child and was forced to care for the child with no help from the Prince, who had no knowledge of his previous wife’s condition. When Y/N was 12 years old, her mother became ill with consumption and passed soon after. Before she died, she sent word to the girl’s father, begging him to take her in and care for her. Her father was more than happy to, welcoming his child with open arms.

“But your lovely wife? Is she well?” Pierre directed his and Y/N’s attention away from Helene, back to Andrei and each other.

“See for yourself,” Andrei gestured to where Lise stood, making small talk with a group of other women.

“She’s enchanting,” Y/N nodded, agreeing with Pierre.

“She brings happiness wherever she goes, you’re a lucky man Andrei, and my sister is lucky to have you.”

“You think?”

“I know, she cares for you deeply.”

After some time, and a number of enlightening conversations regarding the politics of modern Russia, Lise beckoned Y/N over, reminding her to be at her house at the appropriate time the following morning.

“Lise, I’ve already told you I’m attending Natasha Rostova’s name day ceremony tomorrow, I’ll arrive the day after you do.”

“Oh yes, my mistake. Wish her a happy name day for me.”

“I’ll be sure to.”

“Where are the two of you off to?” Pierre questioned, adjusting his spectacles. Y/N lifted her hand from his arm, moving to assist her sister down the stairs.

“Hasn’t he told you? He’s going off to the war and sending me away to the country to have my baby all alone. That’s the sort of husband I’ve got.”

“Are you really?” Questioned Pierre, turning to await Andrei’s answer.

“She won’t be alone,” he began, “She’ll be with my sister as well as her own.”

“But to have my baby in that bleak place, with people I hardly know?”

“Lise, we have been through all this, it’s for the best.” he continued, “Now, take the carriage home, the doctor said you should rest. We’ll walk with Pierre.”

Lise huffed, looking towards Pierre and her sister.

“You see? He treats me like a child.”

“Lise…”

“No, I don’t care if they hear. You have no pity for me; you were never like this before.” she stopped, noticing Andrei’s irritation, “You see? I don’t believe he loves me anymore.”

Y/N sighed, she could tell Andrei off and she knew he would listen to her; he had always valued her opinion very highly. Alas, they were in public, in front of a number of people. She decided against it, as there were reputations at risk; not that she herself had much of a reputation to maintain, it was more for the sake of Andrei and Lise.

Pierre tried, desperately, to comfort Lise, as was his nature. He quickly abandoned that attempt, realizing his inexperience and lack of tact would, undoubtedly, do nothing to ease her mind. Y/N could tell, however, that the attempt was appreciated by Lise, nonetheless.

“No, no, don’t. I’ll be good,” Lise chuckled, “I know Andrei wishes to speak with you. You won’t be too long?”

“No, my love.”

“Goodnight Pierre. I’ll see you soon, Y/N.”

Y/N moved forward, pressing a kiss to each of her sister’s cheeks before the two men began once again to walk down the final few stairs. Pierre offered Y/N his arm, her gloved hand resting upon the dark wool of his coat.

The trio walked along the street, passing beneath street lamps and small trees. The silence was comfortable, familiar. They crossed a small, cobbled bridge before any of them dared to speak.

“You’re really going to the war? You don’t think Napoleon’s the antichrist like the rest of them?” Pierre asked, looking to Andrei.

“It’s got nothing to do with Napoleon.”

“Then why, Andrei?” Y/N interjected, stopping to face him. Her face was calm and retained all the composure expected of a woman of her standing; save for her eyes. The E/C orbs were hard as iron, unafraid to stare him in the eye. Despite looking upon Andrei as a brother, her sister came first. Always. Lise had always been her first priority, since they had first met she was always responsible for her well-being, despite being older by a mere year and a half. In all honesty, she wasn’t angry at Andrei, as Lise was, or concerned for his safety, as Pierre was, although that was certainly a priority. Pierre stood beside her, looking at her face. He recognized the disappointment and confusion in her eyes. The three of them had been close long before Andrei and Lise had begun courting. It was an unconventional friendship, but it had lasted for far longer than any of them had expected.

Andrei took a moment before replying, formulating his words

“Because I can’t bear any more of this life. Drawing rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, night after night.”

Y/N continued walking, shaking her head. Her hand began to tremble lightly as it rested on Pierre’s wrist. At this slight shaking, Pierre looked down, noticing the movement and the distress palpable on her face. He rested his other hand on hers, gently squeezing it. She looked up at him, gratefully. Her body pressed closer to his, as though he was a rock, anchoring her in the sea of frustration and distress that was closing in around her.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s the truth,” he continued, swiveling to face Pierre, muttering under his breath, “Never marry, Pierre. Don’t make my mistake.”

Y/N turned to face him, face distorted in anger. Never had she expected that Andrei would say such a thing in front of her, Pierre clearly felt similarly. She lifted her hand gently from beneath Pierre’s, and promptly slapped Andrei across the face.

“You will NEVER refer to my sister as a mistake!”

Pierre was shocked, he had never seen Y/N this furious before. She had always been very well-mannered and calm, even when people insulted her heritage, choices, or her appearance, but this was nothing like he had seen from her before. Andrei lifted a hand to his face, cupping the now-reddening mark upon his cheek.

“Honestly Andrei, you don’t want to fight because you can’t bear any more of your life as it is, you want to fight because you can’t bear yourself any longer. You think no one loves you, or cares for you, or gives a damn about your well-being. We do! You are stuck in such a state of self-pity and self-hatred that you no longer recognize when people, your friends and wife for a start, are concerned for you. I just…” she paused, calming herself before continuing in a quiet voice,”You have so much Andrei… more than so many will ever have, and you’re willing to throw it all away for… for nothing.”

“Y/N, that’s not fair-” Pierre began, but she held up a hand.

“Life’s not fair, Pierre. You and I know better than most, it’s time he knows. Until then, I must take my leave.” She turned to leave, head held high despite the sadness in her eyes. Pierre grabbed her arm, she paused for a moment. Their eyes locked, solid E/C meeting deep brown. Pierre himself knew that life wasn’t easy. He was the bastard son of a Count, but he had been raised as close to a legitimate child as a natural son could be. Y/N, on the other hand, was raised in a poor town, by a woman whose only source of income after her father’s departure was the sale of her own body; while Pierre and Andrei wanted for nothing, she wanted for everything and it had showed.

He could see it in her eyes; the anger at Andrei’s willingness to abandon his family for a cause he didn’t believe him. The envy of his early life, and the ease with which he had lived it. And finally, the sadness that he couldn’t appreciate the life and opportunities he had been given. He released her arm, allowing her to walk away.

She reached the end of the street, making her way back to the salon to retrieve her carriage. Her feet travelled the familiar streets, easily carrying her back to the event, which was winding down. Guests wandered steadily out, the women escorted by the men into their carriages. Y/N made her way through the crowd alone, searching for the familiar carriage she had arrived in.

A hand on her back distracted her from this pursuit, causing her shoulders to clench as she whirled around. A man stood behind her, tall and dark. Y/N recognized him as Prince Anatole Kuragin, standing beside him was his father, Prince Vassily Kuragin. She curtsied, offering up her hand as was customary. Both men took it, the younger Prince lingering far longer than she would’ve liked.

“Princess Y/N, you look as lovely as ever. I have been trying to get into contact with your father in the hopes that we, meaning my son and I, could visit with you and your father. Unfortunately, he hasn’t returned my letters.” He paused, allowing her the chance to respond.

“As much as I appreciate your interest in the lives of myself and of my father, we don’t often receive guests; much less guests who we haven’t personally invited. If my father was interested in meeting with you, he would have done so already. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am rather tired and would like to return home, have a lovely evening gentlemen.” She moved back to her carriage, noticing her driver standing near it, waiting to assist her.

“Dear Princess-” started Anatole, only to be cut off by his father.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t be able to squeeze us into your busy schedule? We are rather eager to visit.” she sighed, turning back to face

“Prince Vassily, forgive me, but even if I was available, I can assure you neither my father nor myself are interested in whatever proposal you may have for either of us. Good day.”

This time, she was allowed to walk uninterrupted back to her carriage, stepping in with the help of her driver.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

“Yes, Sergei, I am. Thank you for your concern.”

As soon as the door was shut, she placed her head in her hands. She undid the pins keeping her plaits in place, allowing them to fall past her shoulders to her lower back. As she slowly unravelled the braids, her mind began to wander; back to the argument. Had she overreacted? Probably. Had she ruined her friendship with the two men? Most likely. But, was she right? Most definitely.

She resolved to draft two letters when she returned home, addressed to Andrei and Pierre. As she neared the gates of her house, she noticed the lamps were lit in the Western-most Room of the building. Father was still awake, despite the late hour. After exiting the carriage, she began to hear the distant melody of a piano. As she approached the double doors, she recognized the familiar tune of Dussek’s Piano Sonata No.18, Op. 44. It had been a long while since she’d heard her Father play the piano.

Her Father suffered from not only the early onset of the memory loss and confusion associated with old age, but also a failing heart. Thus, he had lost much of his knowledge and ability to read music, but was physically unable to do much else. Her Father had always valued music very highly, considering it a necessary part of a child’s education. Following this ideal, he had enrolled both Lise and Y/N in piano lessons, as well as the flute and the violin, respectively. While Lise was competent at playing the flute, Y/N was considered by many to be a very talented violinist, even at a young age. This was one of her few talents deemed recognizable and praiseworthy by the upper members of society.

She entered the doors, quickly hanging her cloak and heading into the parlor. Her ailing father sat on the bench, arthritic fingers moving across the keys to the best of his ability. The sheet music in front of him was haphazardly placed on the stand in front of him, distracting him from her presence. She looked around for her violin case, noticing it sitting, open, on the sofa.

The sound of the violin was a frequent one in the Meininov household, and a welcome one at that. Very rarely, however, was it accompanied by another instrument. This was one of those rare times. While there was no true accompaniment to the piece being played, Y/N certainly made it sound like there was. Her movements were sure and precise, easily providing a more prominent melody to the piece.

This continued for the next couple minutes, until her Father, while turning the sheet music, knocked the papers onto the ground. He did not seem to recognize that fact and continued playing, if one could call it that. His piece of the music became more and more discordant; his memory of the piece having faded as quickly and abruptly as it had fallen on the floor. Y/N set her violin down quickly, moving to restrain her Father. At this rate, he was going to damage his fingers and the piano. He became still, opting to grab her wrist in his hand and stare at her, showing no recognition in his face. While the pressure started out light, it quickly became unbearable.

“Father, you’re hurting my arm… Father, let go…” she let out a hiss of pain, feeling his iron grip continue to grow tighter. “Alexei! Mikhail!”

The two men came into the room, noticing her struggling in his grip. They moved forward and grabbed his arm, attempting to pry his fingers off her. After a minute of this struggle, he calmed down, released her, and walked out of the room as if nothing had happened. Y/N cradled her arm to her chest, noticing the mark already beginning to bloom red beneath her skin.

“Are you alright, mistress?” asked Alexei, moving to her side.

“Yes, yes,” she pulled her sleeve over the marks, “Thank you for your help.”

They nodded, leaving the room. She could hear whispers emanating from behind the doors they had left from. As her footsteps drew near the door, the whispers stopped and hurried feet moved quietly away from the doors, back to their respective positions within the household.

When she reached her chambers, a young woman was waiting inside to help her prepare for bed. She made to dismiss her, but the maid, a girl named Alexandra, approached her, taking her hand gently. She pushed up the sleeve of Y/N’s dress, exposing the injury. Despite being newly made, it was already painfully red and extremely tender to the touch. Alexandra led her over to the pair of chairs residing in the corner of the room.

“What are you-?” Y/N began, but a sharp pain in her arm cut her off. She grimaced, looking to where Alexandra was carefully prodding the bruise, feeling the area around the mark.

“I think you might have sprained it, my lady,” she answered quietly, tucking her hand into the pocket of her apron, drawing out a roll of clean cotton. The two sat in silence while Alexandra deftly wrapped the bandages around the bruise, obscuring it from sight. After tucking the end of the bandage into itself, finishing the task with ease.

Y/N lifted her newly wrapped appendage to her face, noticing the skill with which it was bound.

“Who taught you medicine?”

“My mother, she was a nurse before… before she got sick.”

“I see; is that why you came to work in our household?”

“Yes she has been suffering from consumption for the past few months and we don’t-” she hesitated, voice breaking. After a moment, she continued. “We don’t have the money for her medicine so my sisters and I had to find work.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, where is she being treated?”

“At our aunt’s house, she was a nurse too, but we can only do so much without the proper medication.”

Y/N nodded, moving quickly over to the desk seated in the adjacent corner. She withdrew from one of its drawers, a sheet of paper and a small box. The box contained a quill and an inkpot, as well as a wax imprint with which to seal letters. She quickly drafted a note to her family’s doctor, instructing him to provide all necessary medications and assistance to Alexandra’s mother, and to charge all costs to her personal account.

After a few short minutes, Alexandra was given the letter, now sealed and addressed to the physician. The girl examined the letter, clearly struggling with the words on the outside.

“Can you read?”

“I… no, I can’t.”

“This letter is addressed to my physician. I’ve instructed him to provide your mother with the necessary medical care. I’ll inform the carriage driver to bring you there tomorrow morning.”

“But, I can’t afford it, we-”

“You won’t be paying, he will be charging it to my account.”

Tears brimmed at the edge of her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks.

“Thank you so much, you’ve no idea how grateful I am,” she placed her arms around Y/N, hugging her tightly. She smiled softly, patting Alexandra’s back gently.

“Now,” she released the girl, wiping the tears from her face, “Run along, you should be getting to bed soon.”

Alexandra nodded, holding the letter close to her heart as she left, closing the door behind her.

Y/N brought her hand closer to her face, tracing the bandage with the tip of her finger; writing the letter had been painful, far more than she would have imagined. So, her apologies would have to wait for the time being.

A/N: If you find any spelling mistakes, please message me the part, chapter, and sentence. I’ll do my best to fix it, thank you!

#war and peace #bbc war and peace #pierre bezukhov

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rabbitmarrow · 4 years ago

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Gailen Eugene (Gene) Thurnau (left) was an outgoing, extremely devout, air traffic controller, who after 20 years of marriage divorced his wife and moved to Florida in hopes of starting over.

He began working at the St-Petersburg/Clearwater Airport, sharing an office space with Robert (Bob) Dean Peterson. (right) Peterson was the opposite of Thurnau. He was introverted, and while he was well liked found it hard to fit in with most people.

While working Thurnau met a woman, Jaye-Jaye, who was also ending a 20 year marriage. The two hit it off. However, Thurnau's religious views put a strain on the relationship becoming sexual. So, after two years, Thurnau proposed to Jaye-Jaye.

Over the years Peterson and Thurnau became friends. Most notably, they had worked together at the same airport where Thurnau had orginally transfered from. Once he had left, Peterson had put in a transfer request so that he could follow Thurneau to their current control station.

Peterson was always very friendly, making conversation about Thurnau's dogs. Peterson then went on to buy a dog of the same breed. He even bought Gene and Jaye-Jaye an expensive crystal vase as an early wedding gift.

Thurnau and Jaye-Jaye decided to move from their current house and start building their dream home.

When the new house was finally complete, Peterson decided to buy the previous one from them. He even insisted it be fully furnished, resulting in Jaye-Jaye and Thurnau leaving everything.

Peterson then invited himself over for dinner. He brought the couple a house warming gift, a photo album containing pictures of their house in different stages of construction. They both were shocked he had been to there so many times without them being aware, to which Peterson informed them he's been to the homes of everyone from work.

Towards the end of the dinner Jaye-Jaye's daughter arrived, and they then left to run errands.

Once alone, Peterson told Thurnau he had a special house warming present for him. It was a "love letter" explaining Peterson's feelings for Thurnau, but "chickened out" everytime he gained the courage to tell him.

“I have already asked God’s forgiveness. I have had sex with 25 men in my life. I want to have sex with you. I am not leaving until you place your manhood in my mouth.” read part of the letter.

Details of events after Thurnau read the letter cannot be confirmed.

Much to her annoyance, when Jaye-Jaye returned home she saw that Petersons car was still there. On the porch she saw what appeared to be red paint, when she then went inside her confusion turned to fear as she saw more “red paint” on the walls and floor.

Two days later both men were found in a house rented by Peterson. Peterson had shot and killed Thurnau and then cut off Thurnaus genitals. Peterson then killed himself.

"I don’t hate Bob. How can you hate someone who is mentally disturbed?” said Jaye-Jaye

《 source krazykillers.wordpress & ID show "Stranger in my Home" 》

#true crime #tcc #true crime community #murder

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iwaswritingmywayout · 4 years ago

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BTMH: Chapter 20: Seagulls

Back in St. Petersburg, Jongho was practicing a spin while Lilia observed him.

“No! No! Not like that at all!” Lilia said.

Jongho gritted his teeth. He was very irritated. He had been practicing all day, and he was exhausted. Even though he was in the senior division, he was still a child, and he needed breaks. Lilia was pushing him to his breaking point.

“Through yourself away! Your past self is dead! People who can be reborn as many times as necessary are the strong ones,” Lilia said.

Jongho nodded before leaping.

Back at Ice Castle, Y/N was standing on the ice, very sweaty. Seonghwa stood across from her, outside the rink.

“What? You still haven’t chosen the music? Why can’t you trust your own decisions? Just try to remember something like when a boyfriend loved you,” Seonghwa said.

“Huh?” Y/N said harshly. Y/N realized how she reacted and immediately became embarrassed. She had the worst habit of getting snappy when she was nervous, and unfortunately it happened while she was talking with Seonghwa. Her hands started to shake out of pure nervousness. “S-sorry! Right now, it’s just that I-.” Y/N put her hands on her head.

“Oh, right. You’ve never had a boyfriend,” Seonghwa said.

Y/N looked down at her feet out of embarrassment.

For a while, the nervousness Y/N was experiencing caused her to be distant from everyone.

“Y/N, let’s go somewhere today,” Seonghwa said.

“No, it’s okay,” Y/N said.

“Y/N, let’s go take a bath,” Seonghwa said.

“I’m going to sleep,” Y/N said.

“Alright, let’s go to sleep together,” Seonghwa said as he stood in the doorway of Y/N’s room

Y/N’s face was void of emotion as she got up from the bed and shut the door.

Eventually, Y/N hid under the covers of her bed as Seonghwa waited at Ice Castle Hasetsu. She sat up and let out a loud sigh. “I can’t stand this guilt!” She said.

She heard the door open and looked up. Seonghwa stood in the doorway, a shadow making it hard to see the look he had on his face.

“Good morning, Y/N. Let’s go to the ocean,” Seonghwa said.

Y/N turned around hesitantly to look at him. “Okay…” She said.

The two made their way to the beach. Seagulls cries echoed throughout the beach as they flew overhead. It was cloudy, but small rays of sunlight managed to peak through the clouds, which prevented it from being as cold as you would expect it to be. Y/N had brought a towel to sit on and placed it on the ground. She sat on one side while Seonghwa sat next to her.

Seonghwa had on his signature brown trench coat and a scarf, while Y/N had on a blue sweatshirt with the words “Japan” between two red lines, and a japan flag in the top left corner. It was one of the items she’d wear to a competition to show what team she was with.

She got the sweatshirt when she was 20 since she was competing in the Winter Olympics as a figure skater for Japan. She competed in the Women’s Singles category and won first place. People believed this was due to her including jumps not normally used in women’s figure skating. There was a lot of controversy surrounding her win because of the fact she used jumps only done by male skaters. People believed it wasn’t fair for her to win since she was a co-ed competitive skater and was used to doing jumps primarily done by the male skaters. Of course, nothing came from the controversy and she brought home a gold medal for Japan. This was why she was still competing even after the normal skating season ended for her that year.

Makkachin was sitting between Seonghwa and Y/N, while Y/N hugged her knees to her chest. Every now and then the wind caused their hair to go all over the place.

“Oh, seagulls. Black-tailed gulls. Ever since I came here, I’m reminded of St. Petersburg when I hear seagulls in the early morning. I never thought I’d leave that city, so I never used to notice the seagulls’ cries. Do you ever have times like that?” Seonghwa asked.

Y/N gazed out at the ocean, nodding as she did so. “Yes. Before I moved to Detroit, I never noticed how pretty the snow was here when it would come during winter. Once I got to Detroit and saw the snow not looking as nice as it did here, I realized I never noticed how beautiful the snow here was.”

“When people don’t think they’ll leave what they know, they don’t take a time to appreciate the things there, and then when they finally realize they never appreciated them, it’s too late,” Seonghwa said.

“There was a guy in Detroit who was really pushy and kept talking to me. One time, a rink mate got into an accident. I was pretty torn up with worry… I was in the hospital waiting room with that guy. When he hugged me to comfort me, I shoved him away without thinking about it,” Y/N said.

Seonghwa looked over at her and saw her gazing at the ocean. Seonghwa had so much admiration in his eyes it was almost dripping, but Y/N never noticed since she wasn’t looking at him. He had always thought she was the best of the best. The cream of the crop. That is also part of the reason why he decided to come and be her coach. She had so much potential, and he didn’t want it to go to waste.

“Wow, why?” He asked.

“I didn’t want him to think I was feeling unsettled. I felt like he was intruding on my feelings or something, and I hated it. But then I realized Minako, Nishigori, Yuuko, and my family never treated me like a weakling. They all had faith that I’d keep growing as a person, and they never stepped over the line,” Y/N said.

Seonghwa finally understand. Y/N hated losing. She hated people thinking she was weak. No wonder she had been so upset when she lost. She absolutely hated it. She knew she could do better and the fact that she didn’t was what upset her. This was the girl that had won a gold medal at the Olympics. Losing at the Grand Prix Final must’ve been the straw that broke the camels back and led to her almost retiring.

“Y/N, you’re not weak. No one else thinks that, either,” Seonghwa said. He rested his hand on her shoulder in a way meant to comfort her. “What do you want me to be to you? A father figure?”

“No,” Y/N said, shaking her head.

“A brother, then? A friend?” Seonghwa said.

Y/N murmured, making a noise that sounded like she was disagreeing.

“Then, your boyfriend, I guess,” Seonghwa said.

Y/N’s face turned bright red and she practically jumped into the air.

“I can try my best,” Seonghwa said. He took in a deep breath and decided now was the perfect time to address what had happened when she was drunk. “Before you say anything, I need to say something.”

#born to make history #park seonghwa #seonghwa x reader #ateez x reader #yuri!!! on ice #seonghwa #ateez #xreader #x reader #seonghwaxreader #ateezxreader

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scni · 5 years ago

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chicago’s very own addison sani has been spotted on madison avenue driving a rolls-royce wraith , welcome ! your resemblance to greta onieogou is unreal . according to tmz , you just had your twenty fourth birthday bash . your chance of surviving new york is uncertain because you’re reactive , but being tenderhearted might help you . i think being a virgo explains that . 3 things that would paint a better picture of you would be walking out of a casino with double the money you walked in with, sunkissed skin all year round, drunkenly dancing on a table . ( my dad has ties to the mafia and when things started getting out of hand my mom forced him out of our lives what she doesn’t know is that i meet him for lunch every week ) & ( cisfemale + she/her ) + ( taylor , twenty , she/her , est )

wow ok guys , this took me alot longer than i expected ? i’m TIRED , lol . i’m taylor though , hi legends ! i’m 20 and live in the est + go by she / her pronouns . a little about me before we get to my lil baby — i spend too much time in the timewrap that is youtube where i’ll watch a ricky thompson video one minute then daily vlogs of a raccoon to mgk’s kelly vision vlogs true story , this MAY have happened while i was supposed to be getting this intro up 🥺 i’m a total music whore and love everything that has a good flow idc if it’s rap or country if it’s good it’s lit ! also heads up i have the attention span of a squirrel so if i don’t respond to a thread or ims it’s because im a dumb hoe , i still love ya . anyways , enough about me lets get this intro rolling ! give this a like if you’d like to plot . ALSO ? i know the background is a lil long it was honestly mostly for me to really flesh addison out and give me something to look back to , so if you wanna get to the point of the intro just skip the background ? there is a tl;dr after it followed by her personality / secret / stats + some basic wcs toward the end of the post !

* 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 !

addison mikhailovna sani , was born in saint petersburg , russia where she grew up in a home too big to even be referred to as a house . she wasn’t the first child of ivanka and mikhail but she definitely was their first planned child . a couple that met early in their twenties , had their moments but at the end of the day they loved one another . both extremely traditional and their beliefs , they were given no choice but to accelerate their love story when they turned up pregnant with their son . he was a beautiful and happy little boy , but posed a threat the ivanka and mikhail’s pretty storybook life they wanted to set up for themselves . obsessed with staying on some sort of timeline , ivanka began her campaign for her budding political career . then she turned up pregnant again , with their second child , a daughter this time . in their eyes their daughter was just another bump in their perfect life . they held a sort of resentment against the kids for that , especially given that ivanka had lost her window of political popularity . she’d resigned to the life of a socialite and stay at home mom and they decided the best way to fill her time up was with another child . this time , one they truly wanted . her parents would never admit it , but they hadn’t seen the true “ sani potential “ in their children that wasn’t until they had addison . her parents truly doted on her . from her point of view life was perfect . silver spoon life did her well . that was until the perfect facade the sani’s held up was beginning to crumble before their eyes . her father , a wealthy international real estate investor comes from a crime family , it was a world he hid in the shadows but things grew rather messy and the family was posed with a choice (a) leave russia and start up life somewhere else or (b) stay in russia and chance mikhail going to jail for the entirety of the kids childhood . of course they chose to leave russia , on the one promise to ivanka that mikhail was done with the life of organized crime .

they made the move to chicago , illinois when addison was just ten years old . luckily for her she’d grown up speaking three languages russian , nigerian , and english and so coming to america was made just a bit easier for her as she wasn’t completely fluent but was able to get by and converse with others . her parents quickly integrated themselves into the elite society within chicago’s wealthiest families , which wasn’t too hard with her father’s up - and - up line of work of real estate investing and her mother’s status as an heiress . the same could be said for the kids at school , each one integrating fairly well into their own friend groups . like at home stayed the same , they may have been in a new country but her parents love or obsession with addison knew no borders . she had everything a little girl could ask for and more , plus her busy parents actually made time for her - that was much more than her siblings could say . addison knew the dynamic , she was a smart girl and picked up on it quickly . often apologizing to her older siblings and offering up her own support for their lives in place of their parents . as she grew older the pressure from her family started taking it’s toll . when ivanka and mikhail sani thought you were destined to be great , they really pushed you and placed the highest of expectations on you . addison carried around the fear that one day they’d look at her the same way they did her siblings and so she worked herself in all aspects of her life to be the perfect daughter . she excelled at everything she did - academics , ballet , student government , and even becoming a debutante .

it wasn’t until she was sixteen that the toll really started chipping away at addison . she’d spent a month on a downward spiral; popping pills , drowning herself in alcohol , losing her virginity , and throwing parties . it all came to a head when she stole millions from her father’s secret stash and booked a private jet with a couple friends . the three went missing for nearly two weeks before they were spotted at a resort in ibiza . her parents brought her home only to send her away to an inpatient program for a little over a month . addison spent that month really digging deep , finding out who she was and what she actually wanted . her therapist had told her for her to get out of the dark place she was in she’d need to separate her thinking from her parents and let go of the perfectionist act . when she came back home it was like the last few months had never happened , her parents ignored it all . to them , the issue was fixed and now it was time to sweep it under the rug but for addison it broke her heart . she realized over that next year that her parents didn’t see her as a person with her own choices but instead some sort of maniquin for them to play some weird version of real life sims with . despite this realization she couldn’t help but to fall back in line .

senior year of high school came quick and the four years of student government , mock trial , equestrian , and perfect grades was nearly over but not before addison’s whole world crumbled before her . no matter how perfect she tried to be the sani’s could never run from the truth . they weren’t this perfect family , when her mom caught her dad tied up with the russian mafia within the city of chicago it was over . by the end of the night ivanka was kicking him out of the house , with the threat that if he so much as looked in the direction of her and the kids she’d have him sent to jail for the rest of his natural life . the threat was enough to spook him , he’d known her well enough to know she wasn’t bluffing . just a few months later he moved out of the state leaving secret letters for the children to let them know he loved them . but of course , addison wasn’t allowed to so much as miss a beat . ivanka was still on her like some crazed momager and when she landed multiple acceptances in some of the top schools across the country the two inevitably made the decision for addison to attend yale . secretly she wanted stanford but bit the bullet . she studied finance with a major in philosophy . joined a sorority and mock trial . in truth she took a liking to connecticut and the change of scenery helped her forget about everything happening back in chicago .

during her senior year at yale , her mom broke the news of the family making the big move to new york city . which really just meant addison and her mom were moving to new york city because her brother had started a family in his college town of durham , north carolina + was also playing for the carolina panthers while her sister traveling the world on some sort of instagram model high . her mom rambled on for week about how the move was perfect since addison would be attending columbia for law school so now the two could see one another more often . even at twenty two addison couldn’t put her foot down when it came to her mom and so for the millionth time in her life she held back what she really wanted to do ( finally going to stanford , for law school ) and committed to columbia law .

* 𝐭𝐥;𝐝𝐫 !

basically , addison is the baby of three kids . born in st petersburg , russia but grew up in chicago . she was always the favorite of her parents ivanka ( a russian heiress + philanthropist ) and mikhail ( a international real estate investor ) as she grew older she realized their love was more of a obsession with control + perpetuating a picture of a perfect family + daughter . the pressure to a toll on addison during highschool and she had a break down that led to a major downward spiral landing her in an inpatient facility for a month . when she got out , her parents ignored all the issues within the family and went back to treating addison like some sort of puppet + addison continued to go along with it , as she didn’t really know how else to be . today she struggles with being who she wants to be and who her mom wants her to be . she and her siblings have always gotten along , even though their parents never treated them all the same they were all able to see the struggle in how each one was treated and able to bond through their messy parent situation . as of now addison’s trying to play up a double life sort of situation . having fun + being the perfect daughter . she’s also on the path to becoming a big time lawyer . she’s in her 2L of law school at columbia + also works as a paid intern at the district attorney’s office .

* 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 !

addison has always been full of love and unlike her parents her love isn’t conditional maybe delusional sometimes but never conditional . don’t worry , after a nation wide search i’ve found the first girl who doesn’t suffer from resting bitch face . instead you’ll always see a smile on her face , to the point where if you ever see her not smiling be worried . something life shattering has happened . she’s the type to say she “ hates drama “ but perk up the minute she hears about drama going on in some else’s life . don’t worry though , after she done being nosy she’ll do all she can to help fix the issue even if you don’t want her too . hey , she may make things worse in the process but atleast she cares , right ? maybe not , i don’t know . incredibly loyal and loves to have a good laugh , she’s incredibly witty and a lover of corny jokes . very talkative . wants everyone to like her and if you don’t like her get ready for her to try at every chance to win you over . very much so the “ pardon me , but you really hurt my feelings “ type . she’s really just a soft , smart rich girl trying to navigate through this big world . also she falls in love quick , although she’d never had a real relationship . not because she’s a T H O T , she’s not , well , she doesn’t mean to be atleast . she just finds her befriending guys more than becoming their girlfriend . despite her naturally affectionate behavior , she just has this weird “ no boyfriend “ curse going on . maybe she’s pushing them away when things get close to serious in fear of losing the guy from her life . on a negative note , addisons hands down worst quality is her inability to control a situation she is incredibly reactive / volatile . she’ll easily fall into a screaming match or crying fit . never the type to walk away . a true virgo , y’all , the girl can and will argue until you’re blue in the face .

* 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 !

so basically , her dad is apart of the russian mafia . he was heavily involved while they lived in russia but when the government was catching onto his actions the family fled the country before they could dig any deeper into the case . he was supposed to cut ties when they moved to chicago but it was a way of life he simply couldn’t let go of . when addison’s mom found out she forced him out of their lives threatening to turn him in if he so much of looks at his children . despite this when addison and her mom moved to new york he reached out to addison . they’ve been meeting for lunch once a week for almost a year and a half behind her moms back . absolutely no one but those involved with the mafia know about her dad being within the mafia , which is exactly how he’s always wanted it , which is why her mom could never find out addison and he are continuing their relationship .

* 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

full name : addison mikhailovna sani age : twenty - four date of birth : september 7th place of birth : saint petersburg , russia zodiac : virgo label : the facade pronouns : she/her gender : cisfemale orientation : bisexual , biromantic height : 5′8″ weight : 132 lbs ethnicity : nigerian , russian hometown : chicago , illinois occupation : law student , intern @ the district attorney’s office more : allergic to apples , hates takeout food , has an affinity for adult cartoons and stand up comedy, lives for alternative music , believes cuddling is a natural human interaction , loves video games , graduated valedictorian of her high school , loves painting .

* 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 !

soooo i know these are pretty basic but im just throwing things at the wall here and hoping they stick , okay ? im down for really anything so we can take inspo from these ideas ? expand more on them ? or just brainstorm something completely different ? whatever works ! , best friends , GIRL squad , drinking/party buddies , we’re just friend or at least that what we say but i always bring you as my date to big events type of deal , flirtationship , sibling like friendship , someone who has a crush on her , they don’t like her and she’s always trying to get them to change their mind , someone who tries to talk her into standing up to her mom , a confidant , someone she has a crush on , booty call maybe she initially wanted something serious from them but just fell into this booty call dynamic and she wont say anything otherwise because she likes having them around , someone she has a crush on , an ex friend who probably broke her trust .

#wealthyhq:intro #( 🍒 ) a look 𝓫𝓮𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓭 the mask — ooc #rehab tw

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late-stagechosen · 5 years ago

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Muse Meme

Stole from: @twistedstarlitspirits

Tagging: @notsobubbly (well, you two have known each other longer, so provided you haven't already done this)

Name: Ichijouji Ken

Aliases: none he can even stand to be called anymore.

Gender: male (trans)

Age: 21 at blog default

Date of birth: 17 January 1991

Place of birth: funny story, Papa Ichijouji used to develop weapons with Oikawa (per the clipping he kept in his desk in the final arc of 02). Per me, it was a private firm that pretty much sold to any country with an active military (so all international sales) Ken was born in St. Petersburg, which was still legally in the Soviet Union at the time. Japanese citizenship is de sanguis, so there were no citizenship problems, but he was born in a place he's otherwise never been, in a country he doesn't even remember the existence of. His family register always brings up awkward conversation, but at least it can deflect from his deadname being on there.

Hometown: 江戸っ子 www mun is a history nut. Toukyou. Everyone ever knows what Toukyou is, at least.

Spoken languages: Japanese (native) Spanish (conversational), English (conversational, albeit with frequent pausing), Mandarin (fluent, native-level), Hindi (fluent, near-native) (why yes, I did just pick most spoken languages)

Sexual Preference: Um, you mean "orientation"? Pansexual. Otherwise I'm not sure I know what this question means.

Occupation: at default, flunking out of being a full time student at Toukyou University. Due to depression. Same reason makes it hard to hold a job. Eventually, planned: nurse.

Eye Colour: Blue

Hair Colour: Black

Height: 180 cm. Even without regular access to T, this isn't implausible. I once knew a Yamato Japanese cis woman who was about this tall. And Ken has had *some* T. (Yeah, it's hormone dependent as well as inherited traits, specifically hormones during growing years)

Scars: He's got a fair bit from Digital World activities, as well as sports. That one from his first game against Daisuke Did scar thanks to not getting it treated and being deep enough to bleed so long, bit it's pretty faint. He's got newer ones here and there, though.

Burns: Er,well, I think that'd be a type of scar for this purpose

Overweight: no

Underweight: unfortunately

Favourite colour: I don't think all adults have this (I think most all kids do) Ken kinda...he has a lot of trouble connecting to things that make him happy.

Favourite hair colour: This seems like a strange question, because different colours look good with different other colours and face types and so on.

Favourite eye colour: Same

Favourite song: I do have a character for a fic project that has a favourite song, but only because he spent most of his life captive, and so only knows under 20 songs. I kinda can't imagine having a favourite single song otherwise.

Favourite movie: Explained below. Ken's only begun to explore non-instructional media. None yet.

Favourite TV Show: Star Trek. When he was his parents' invisible inconvenience, he stumbled on Enterprise one day. He was since restricted from any media that wasn't educational/instructional, and finally living on his own in college, he hasn't been able to get a TV (though he has been able to get a record player to explore music) Star Trek was the only thing he even had that was something he just genuinely liked once he'd firmly grown out of Anpanman and Gachapin and Mukku. It's a great show, sure, but it's also something that's his thing.

Favourite drink: Can vary by verse. If he associates something with a loved one, it would be that. Otherwise, he's pretty copacetic towards food and drink.

Favourite book: non-fiction, he owns everything trans advocate since1995 and former Congress rep Kamikawa Aya has written to date. Fiction: He did really like the historical tech romp of Mori Hiroshi's "The Strange World of Dr. Kisima"

Passed university: At default, he's got no way left to pass. He's toast. He got to year three, though. Mun dropped out of junior college and considers that pretty good, even had Ken's studies not been at Japan's most elite science school

Had sex: verse dependent. Probably with Daisuke, if I had a Daisuke RPer.

Had sex in public: Nope. Nope, never. Dysphoria, and on top of that, former child celebrity trying to get away from catching notice of tabloids and fans.

Gotten pregnant: could be verse dependant. Planned digimon project, he does at 17, miscarries, which is bad because he and his partners, Daisuke and Miyako,were really looking forward to being parents, even despite their ages. I was a teenager during the teen pregnancy boom in the '90s, and saw parents do horrible things to their kids in a time of need. Deny abortion, toss out on the streets, rehouse with abusive relatives. I work social issues into my play. So sue me.

Kissed a boy: I really just should write my own stuff with an offscreen Daisuke, shouldn't I?

Kissed a girl: well, the project is slated to have Daisuke, Ken, and Miyako as a triad, so I can see Miyako with enough build up.

Gotten tattoos: No

Gotten piercings: Earlobes. He has worn tiny pearl dot earrings in the past.

Been in love: Daisuke

Had a broken heart: Does it have to be romantic? His parents' disregard for him unless he could be a cash cow counts. And also coming home after the Dark Seed's influence was broken and realising how much he hurt his brother.

Virgin: Verse dependent

Cuddler: Yup, and not only romantic. He loves nuzzling Wormmon or being hugged by Osamu.

Kisser: I guess. I mean most people who aren't asexual like that. (Some asexuals also do, it varies. I'm just thinking of five minute kissing scenes in movies being everywhere)

Scared Easily: He's a Chosen Child. Little is scarier than what he's been through. The only things that scare him are potential harm to loved ones. I headcanon that the difficulty in opening the Dark Sea portal was actually really bad physical pain from something something Dark Seed, not fear.

Jealous Easily: If he thinks you've found a new friend or something, he'll be glad you "did better than" him. He has horribly low self-esteem

Trustworthy: In all but actually telling you something is wrong with him. One day, this'll probably wind him hospitalised or permanently physically damaged

Submissive: Fandom, so this probably means sex, but I'm gonna take it outside of that. He doesn't have the confidence to lead anything. Intelligence, yes he could be a great team leader at some kind of academic or sciencey type of work. Sports-wise, he still has the muscle memory of his Dark Seed days. (That being said, the underweight problem hampers his stamina in sports critically) he'd pass rather than take the shot. He could lead, but he just doesn't have the confidence.

Dominant: See above

In Love: Daisuke, willing to also consider Miyako, But that'd be a slow burn

Single: Verse dependent

Siblings: Osamu

Parents: That he really needs to cut off because they're pretty toxic.

Children: I guess this could be verse dependent. None at default

Pets: None. I know some might put Wormmon here, but digimon have the minds of humans, and most are like playmates to their partners in canon. Wormmon in particular canonically comes across as traumatised little brother put into big brother role.

#ask meme #musings #about muse #was not tagged and invited to do this hashtag party crasher

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winstonhcomedy · 5 years ago

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“Dope A-F” - 7/30-8/11 - “Smiley Frown Live, Lady and the Tramp, a trip to Durham, and the Asheville Comedy Festival”

Let’s catch up you big sassy loves! Time to go over a nice little run of nine shows. So let’s not waste any more time!

7/30

I was excited about the prospect of doing three shows in one night. I was hanging out with a friend and then got the message that Mojos was cancelled and going forward was going to be moved to every other Sunday. I think it has something to do with scheduling and which bartenders enjoy comedy and which ones hate it.

So I head down to City Dogs for the Witty Dogs showcase. ben Braman usually runs this room, but he had just gotten kidney transplant so Jason Kusterer was hosting this one. The showcase was going to be Mu, Nate Izquierdo, Bryan Williams, Tom Hall, and then I was closing out. I messaged Jarvis at Fallout for a spot, and got ready for the show.

There were people here, but I got the vibe they weren’t going to be there for long. I have never had a great set in this room. It just is set up weird and the people there don’t usually seem to enjoy comedy at all.

Kusterer gets the show started and it is pretty packed compared to usual. He gets some laughs, and a few people walk out who just don’t want comedy. Then Mu goes up and does pretty well for the room. People are leaving and coming in. So it is like a constantly shifting audience. Nate goes up and does fine, as does Bryan. Tom goes up and you can tell he is not enjoying his set at all. This is definitely one of those nights where it just hurts.

I go up and try to do my act. I get halfway through and hate it so much I just started talking about my dad passing away. I use those jokes and they work pretty well. Honestly this set felt awful. Felt like I was bomibng but people said I did as well as I could have. Which always hurts to hear. I’d give this set a D-. I did not dig it at all.

I then headed to Fallout. I was lucky to get to go up in only a few people. There was a small crowd and I was ready for my set. I go up and work on some new stuff. I do much better here, but not as well as I want. I’d give this set a C+. I grabbed my stuff and headed home.

7/31

The next day there was two mics. The first was at Canon and Draw. I was going to do a new episode of my podcast there. I asked in the RVA comedy page if anyone could meet me. I ended taking down the request because someone hit me up and said I should have run it by them first, or called the venue. It wasn’t a big deal. I just only do my podcast because it is easy to do and I decided to pass on it instead of asking someone if I could. I didn’t want to start any problems, but also didn’t think it was that big of a deal so I left it alone.

I went to Canon and Draw and no one was there right after work. So I got to get a lot of video editing done. I also did some writing. I had some newer stuff I wanted to try at the mic so I was stoked for it to start.

People started to show up and file in. Paige, Jack Gerow, Dylan, Ry Mather, Taylor O’Sullivan, and Jesse Jarvis amongst others. We got a super good hang going before the show started. There was a nice crowd.

The show starts and Paige, Taylor, and Jesse are the featured acts. They all do well. The crowd is digging it. I think everyone is pretty happy with their sets. I am up first on the open mic portion. Before I am brought up Melissa tells everyone that’s the end of the showcase, but now it is time for the open mic.

I do not like when hosts do this. Legit not a fan. I think it opens the room up for people to leave. I honestly believe if you have an open mic after a showcase you shouldn’t even tell the audience which is which. You should just roll right into the next comic. This would help with audience retention, and would make a smoother show.

I go up and do some new materia. People had left, but I had a fun time. My stuff got laughs and I was able to sell some jokes in a different way. This was a super productive set. I’d give it a C+/B-.

After my set I grab my stuff and drive Paige over to Home Sweet Home for the open mic. I find out I am up pretty early. I hang with all of the comics, and Kusterer runs the comics meeting. He tells everyone if you’re going to be there in time for signup to not do presignup. Which is a fair rule.

The show starts and people are into it. A good crowd for HSH. I am up like second and I have a pretty fun set. My new stuff is working in most places. I’d give this set a B. I then grab my stuff and head home and pass out.

8/1

The next day after work I got to hop in my car and head directly up to DC. I was going to be on Ross Benoit’s live podcast at DC Comedy Loft. I met up with TJ and Chris at Tj’s place and we all rode in together.

We had a chill ride up and got a parking spot right at the venue. We head inside and Ross is already there. No one is at the venue yet, but it is set up beautifully. I set my camera up and we get ready.

We have a good hang going, but as it gets closer to show time we realize that no one is going to show up. I mean nobody. We start the podcast and just get right into it. Since it is a podcast we don’t really need an audience to do it.

The podcast is legit hilarious. There are some super duper funny moments, and I was stoked to be a part of it. About 20 minutes in one dude walks in and it turns out he runs shows all over. So he was just coming to support which was dope.

The rest of the show went great. Honestly one of the best podcasts I have ever been on. I felt like I was on fire and had some really good lines to go with everyone else. I love doing podcasts. It really plays to my strengths. I’d give my performance an A.

After this we headed back to Tjs and I hopped in the car and headed home. I needed to get a little sleep before work.

8/2

After work the next day I headed to Petersburg. I was on Wabi Sabi and it was going to be a killer lineup. I wanted to make sure I murdered. I also always just love hanging with these guys.

The lineup was going to be Klingman, Dylan, Wingle, Besiwck, Jaye, Paige, and myself. I get there and we are all hanging out and having an absolutely blast.

The show starts and the audience is super rowdy . It is pretty packed but they are super loud. Everybody has a pretty good set. They finally settled down when Dylan went up. He had a super hot one. After him people were paying attention and then it was my turn.

I went up and went right into crowd work. I did about 16 minutes and didn't do a single joke. I just wanted to have fun. It was absolutely killing. All of the crowd work was really hitting. I got everybody involved and had them from the get go. I had some good lines about the dj playing like 3 songs at once when I got on stage.

It was truly a super special set. I didn’t even have to close with a joke to get off stage. I had a killer callback to the first joke I made just from crowd work and I got off on that. It was dope. I’d give this set an A.

After Kenny went next we had Sex With Me is Like. It went really well. I’ve been doing great at this game lately. Everybody got some big laughs and Paige ended it on a really good one.

After The Who we hung out for a little while, and I headed over to my brother’s to spend the night.

8/3

I woke up the next morning and hung out with my niece for a while. After this I headed down to Durham, North Carolina for the Liquor House Comedy Festival. It is the first one, and honestly seemed like it was more of a showcase over two days than a festival.

I went down early with a friend and it was a wonderful day. We went to eat at the Blue Note Grill, and went to a killer barcade and played games. Then we walked around Durham for a while and found an ice cream place called The Parlour. I went into a gift shop and bought some homemade salsa for my brother.

We then walked to the venue which was Durty Bull Brewing Co. It is a pretty cool space. The lighting is really cool, and their beers looked delicious. I got ready for the show. I was waiting to someone to check in with to show up. A comic named Robert Schenider (usually runs the open mic at Durty Bull) showed up to put together the PA. I met him for a bit, and he told me who to check in with. Other comics showed up and people started to come in, but honestly I am not great with ingratiating myself with other comics when they don’t know me. I don’t want to come across like a douche, and I assume they’re going to hate me or wonder who I am.

I meet the host who performs under the name Ghettorauchi. He wears a bathrobe, and has this whole character thing he does. I tell him I am checking in and he tells me that he will put me in early. He had me going in the three spot which I was ready for. That is definitely one of the sweet spots in a show. I am told I am doing 10 minutes and right away I know what material I am going to do.

I had another friend who lives in Durham come out to the show. She used to be really good friend’s with my brother, and I knew her when I was just a little kid. It was so nice to be able to talk to her and meet her husband. We had a wonderful time chatting before the show.

The show starts and the microphone doesn’t work. Well it works, but there is a short in the cable. So they work on it for a while. Eventually the host just holds it like a sword and does his entire set not moving at all. He gets laughs, but this looks like an incredibly uncomfortable way to do standup.

In-between the host and the next comic they work on it some more and try to tape it. I go to my car to get my cables to try and help, but they use a different cable not a standard XLR which sucks. This is when they tell me that they are bumping me up to 2nd and putting a local in the three spot. I am assuming this is because I’m just a no name person and the local was like come on you’re going to put me up after whoever this is. This is fine with me. I tell myself I am going to try and bury everyone after me. I want to prove myself, and I want to destroy.

The first comic does ok. He doesn’t really project, and his jokes are on the edgier side. His mic keeps cutting out until he just decides he is going to stand in one spot. He has an ok set, but I know this crowd is ready to crack. There is about 80 people jammed into the room. It is packed, and more people are trying to file in.

I go up and since I’ve dealt with microphone shorts before I know exactly how to hold the mic/cord. I am able to move around and do my normal act. I do about a couple minutes of crowd work and then go into the jokes. I absolutely killed. It was an amazing feeling to have all those laughs wash over me. I did all stuff that always works, and was able to call back to my crowd work when I needed to. The mic only cut out 3 times and it didn’t affect my set at all. I’d give this set an A.

When I got off stage everyone was way more willing to talk to me and was super supportive. I wish I had recorded it, but honestly it was so packed there was nowhere to set my camera up. I talked and met some people. I handed out some business cards, and got a few IG followers. Said goodbye and headed home. I had a long drive back to my brother’s.

I get there and hang with my mom a bit before passing out. I was exhausted from such a fun day.

8/4

I spent all day with my mom and niece. I then had dinner with my whole family when my brother and his wife got home. It was a super fun and special day. It was also great because I got to head over to Mojo’s and do the new Sunday night show that got moved. I was excited to get a set in kind of early before heading out.

I get to Mojos and Ryan Mather was hosting. He was going to get there pretty late so he asked me to help set up the PA. So I did. I put it mostly together and let him do the finishing touches once he got there.

it is pretty much just comics there. There is a pretty good sized list and I am up second. I am so happy to be able to get up and get out. Mather does a few new things before starting the show, and bringing Mike Engle up.

After Mike I go up and only do stuff that is in progress. I try one brand new thing that gets a pretty good response for the room. I usually like to do newer material if I’m performing for comics. Some stuff didn’t work at all, and I was pretty exhausted from yesterday. I’d give this set a C-.

After my set I think Ryan and talked to Dylan about some comedy business stuff. We discuss middling/featuring for the Funny Bone, and some other stuff. It was a good talk. I say goodbye to everybody and head home to pass out.

8/5

The next night after work I headed up to The Southern. I set everything up at the venue, and did a little writing. I was having a pretty tough day. I had been missing my dad a lot and those feelings finally hit me a little bit.

It was nice to meet up and record an episode of my podcast The Winstmas Games. I had made up my mind to do a release schedule for content each week and the first thing is get back to doing The Winstmas Games weekly. I was able to get John Marg, Keaton Ray, Samantha Padgett, and JR.

The show ended up pretty good and hopefully people dig it! After this I went back in and waited for the show to start.

There was an ok crowd. Nothing too crazy big, but they were into it. Everyone was doing ok but no one was really killing.

I went up in the middle of the show and had an ok set. Some of the new I worked on came out ok. I got a couple good laughs on a few new bits, and I ended ok. All in all definitely very pleased. I’d give my set a C+.

The rest of the show went well and Paige went up last and had the set of the night. He seemed loose and comfortable. He was connecting, and even did some crowd work. It was nice to see. After this I said goodbye and headed home.

8/7

This was my last day of work for the week. As soon as it was over I hopped in my car and headed up to Arlington to close out Ragtime. This is Rahmein’s show and I always have a blast doing it.

This week Michael Summers is hosting and there is a lineup consisting of a few of the student’s from Rahmein’s comedy class, a dude named Jamal Russell and then myself.

I get there super early and get some video editing done. I am really trying to get stuff ready for my new release schedule. While I am doing this Gigi Modrich (dc comedian) shows up. She is there to support her boyfriend Eric Koucheravy (comedian and the guy who designed The Winstmas Games logo). We have a nice conversation about comedy, and how she’d been. Then Eric showed up and I was able to talk to him for a bit as well.

After Michael got there we got to catch up and shoot the shit as well. There was two huge tables full of people who had been there since like 5 who just wouldn’t leave. So we knew when comedy started it would thin out. We figured we’d probably have no crowd tonight due to how nice the weather was.

The show started and people had actually came in. As the night went on more and more came in and it was actually almost completely full. This was going to be an awesome time. Michael had a really good hosting set. His material was working, and he did some crowd work as well.

Then he started bringing up the students. The first was a girl and she did ok. She was super new, and she had a few things hit. Then Eric went up and he had a killer set. He broke that crowd wide open. They loved him. Then after him Jamal Russell killed for 20. Like destroyed. All of his stuff worked. You could tell this was a dude who had 20 and was finally getting a chance to showcase it. The audience loved him.

Then I went up. I had a really strong set. I had a few lulls but for the most part I was very happy with it. I tried some dad stuff in the middle and it didn’t really work the way I wanted it to, but this is what this show is for. I opened super strong, and honestly did about 2/3 new stuff. The other 1/3 was stuff I hadn’t done in a while. I am still struggling to find a way to really build a tight 25 minute set. I get too bored and always want to do new stuff, and I really think in the short run that is going to hurt me.

I had a few things hit incredibly hard and a few things stink up the room. The dad stuff really brought them down. Thankfully I was able to bring them back up and close strong, but still it is disheartening for material I have worked really hard on to not get what it deserves because I legit think the dad material is great. I’d give this set a B.

I said goodbye and talked to Michael for a few minutes after before I hopped in the car and headed home. I wanted to pass out since tomorrow I was leaving for Asheville for my first real comedy festival. I was nervous and wanted a good night’s sleep.

8/8

I woke up at around 9 and got ready. I then hopped in my car and started the 6 hour drive down to Asheville for the 13th annual Asheville Comedy Festival. It actually isn’t that bad of a drive.

I get there and unload my stuff at the airbnb. It’s my first time using it and its a cute cozy little house. I walk around downtown for a few hours and do a little window shopping.

After walking around I tell Dylan to meet me at Buxton Hall bbq for dinner before the show starts. I get there and just by surprise the only other comedian I know at the festival is at the bar. It is Natalie McGill (redacted tonight). Her, Dylan, and I have dinner together. It is nice to catch up while they meet each other.

After dinner we head to the Diana Wortham Theatre for the early show. We get there and start to introduce ourselves. I meet Rafe Williams, Nat Baimel, Carter Deems (KOTD), David Sitrick, and Dan Carney. We get a pretty good hang going on before the show starts.

The show starts and I get to watch a little bit of it. It was at about 400 people for the Thursday night show. There were some really funny comics on this show. Zach Chapaloni had a super dope set, and I was a big fan of his. After watching a few comics I went back to the green room to hang.

Dylan was on the late night show at the Lazoom Room a few blocks away. So after a while I went over to meet him over there. I get there and meet a few other people including Chris Flanagan, and Aviva Siegel. The show gets started and Dylan is up third. The crowd was super tight when he went up. It was lightly attended and they weren’t really enjoying the show. He worked really hard and cracked them a bit, but they were just pretty dead.

After he was done we headed down to this place called Ben’s Tune Up which is a bar that was having an open mic. We put our names on the list and we were going to be going up crazy late. Dylan didn’t really want to do it, and was ready to leave but I had to get up so he stayed.

David Sitrick comes as well and is hanging out. Along with Ben Bryant. The setup is wild. There are like 9 chairs at the front, the stage is outside, and there is like 70 people loudly talking around the show. There was also two giant jenga games in the back that luckily no one was playing.

The show goes on and the host told us it was the most sign ups he has ever had there, but he was still letting everyone do 8 minutes. So I just ended up shooting the shit, busting balls, riffing, while we waited for like an hour or so to go up.

Everybody who is going up is doing ok. No one is paying attention and the people in the front were wasted. When it was my turn to go up I feel like I did fine. I got people to pay attention and actually got some laughs on the stuff about my dad. I worked out some new stuff at the end and it really helped my anxiety about the festival by being able to get up. I’d give this set a C-.

After this Dylan and I headed to the after party. I got to meet Dro Knows, Max Rosenblum, Zach Chapaloni, and a few others. We had a good riff session going until late at night. At around 2:15 Natalie offered to give me a ride back to my place which I took and was very appreciative of. We had some panels the next day so I wanted to get some sleep.

8/9

The next day I woke up and walked to the Diana Wortham Theatre. We had two panels this day. The first was a podcast panel with Joe Kiely who runs a podcast studio in LA.

It was a super helpful and informative panel. All of this made me realize I have to start putting my podcast out regularly. I have to be consistent. He also gave me some ideas about what to do with my podcast differently.

After this panel Natalie and I go grab tacos at the place next door. Then Max Rosenblum and Carter Deems joined us. We have a good conversation about comedy before heading back for the writing in Hollywood panel featuring M. Dickson (Disenchantment, Superstore).

This was a super eye opening one. I honestly learned a lot, but the biggest thing I learned was I have absolutely no interest in writing for a television show. I just want to do standup, and make my own stuff. I could write for my own show, but the thought of being in a writer’s room for someone else’s show sounded like dogshit and I really hope I can avoid it. It just doesn’t sound rewarding or fun. I know one day I might have to to make ends meet, but I hope I can just make it on standup.

After this Natalie and I went to 12 bones bbq. It was some of the bet ribs I have ever had. After stuffing our faces she dropped me back off at my place and I took a nice long nap.

I then woke up and headed back down to the Theatre to watch a bit. This is where I met Scott Eason, Kyle Mara, Mike Feeney, and Ian Aber. The hang was pretty fun. The show was also sold out tonight so about 500 people were there. The show started with a. bang, and everything I saw and heard was absolutely destroying.

I left halfway through to get to the Lazoom Room because I was on the late show. While waiting one of my brother’s really good friends from high school Scott Carson showed up. We got to catch up and talk for a while. It was a lot of fun to just chat it up and it meant the world he came out to the show.

I found out I was next to last so I will be going up crazy late. I am not excited about this, but I am just happy to be there. The show starts and it ends up being. good crowd. They are awesome for about 3/4 of the show. I keep pacing, and walking in and out just waiting to go up.

A few people in front of me struggle quite a bit. People start to leave, and it was incredibly hot in the room. There is no AC and it is brutal in the summer. I finally get ready to go up.

I start selling everything. I do as well as I can. I am not killing, but all of my jokes are working for the few people that are left. I didn’t do anything I am going to do at the theatre. I’d give this set a C, but I am pretty proud of how I rose to the occasion.

After the final comic and everybody cleared out I got to talk to Scott some more. It was a lot of fun and then he headed out. Dylan and I went to the after party again and it was a fun hang. Then I got another ride back and passed out.

8/10

I woke up and headed down to the theatre for the panels for the day. The two panels were pretty interesting.

The first was a social media presentation from Jay Vega (runs DL Hughley’s social media). He definitely did a great job explaining how to use social media to get a following. I definitely took a lot of it to heart, and am glad I got to sit through it.

The next panel was with Jeff Tully(Joel Mchale Show, Chelsea Lately) and about how to audition for panel shows. He had 16 questions he was gong to ask us and wanted to audition us in front of a camera. I was up 10th. We all auditioned in the room and answered a few of the questions. We had no clue which one he was going to ask. So I used the time I had to come up with jokes no matter what he asked me.

When it was my turn I went up and did really well. He said I was super funny, called me a “joke ninja” (no idea what that means), and said if he was going to cast me it’d be as a “voice of a generation type” like I could speak for people in my age range. He then said his only note for me was since I was so interesting that I should be on more podcasts. That would be great but there is nothing I can do about that.

I stick around for the end and then a group of us go eat at Tupelo Honey. Natalie, Hobert Thompson, Lucia Whalen, Caitlin Checkeroski, Maddie Weiner, and myself. The lunch was great but I was nervous.

I went to the theatre to take a nap. After my nap I found out I was going next to last again tonight. Honestly if I’m being frank this kind of upset me. Like having to go late on both of the shows made me feel pretty bummed out. Like I have been looking forward to this for a while. I also got to meet Courtney Gilmour who had to go up last on both of her shows so she had it even worse than me.

The shows have 15 comics and everyone is doing 10. So if no one runs the light then I will get to go up at the 2 hour 30 minute mark. So even though it is sold out in my mind by the time I go up I am going to have to work my ass off to do well.

The show starts and it is fire from the top. Mike Feeney is hosting and everyone does well. Dylan has an amazing set. He is a great comic, and was at the 2 spot. So he was able to hook them and just absolutely destroy it was good to see.

I spent the next two hours just pacing, and being in my head. Listening to music, and freaking out. I was trying not to be self defeating, but it was hard. Chris Alan sent me a motivational thing to watch and it really pumped me up. It is just a spot. Who cares? I can do this. It doesn’t matter when I go up.

When it is finally my turn almost all of the comics are standing at the wings. All the people I had met and gotten to know were there waiting for the final curtain call at the end of the night. I go out on stage and I could tell from the last few comics that the audience was tired. They were 525 strong, but still exhausted audience members. So I just went for it.

I sold everything I could. I did my material with no crowd work. It started ok but slowly started to build. By the 5 minute mark of my set I had them. After that everything was hitting incredibly hard. I didn’t kill the way I wanted to. I didn’t slaughter from beginning to end, but I put in work. I showed I deserved to be there. I closed incredibly strong, and got a few applause breaks. This was the kind of set that reminded me I deserve to be doing this and I have a chance to make this a career. I’d give this set a B+/A-

After the show there was a final after party. I got to hang and talk to everybody one last time for like 4 hours. I thanks Melissa Hahn and Ryan Folks for putting it all together. Ryan told me he put me in that spot on purpose. He said he had seen my video and knew I could handle it. This made me feel really good. It is a small compliment and honestly could have been bullshit, but just hearing it made me feel like a million bucks and put the whole set into context.

The hang was great. Made a lot of connections and friends. These were some incredibly funny and awesome performers. So glad I got to meet everybody. I was sad it was coming to an end. I really enjoyed every minute of this even when I was having panic attacks about my order in the show. This goes to show it doesn’t matter when you go up. You can do it.

I walked back to my place and passed out, before waking up and driving home so I can get ready for work the next day.

That’s it everybody. Another #cutecomedy blog in the books. I was able to catch up laydees and baybees. I am ashamed I was so upset about my order in the show. Like that is so dumb. I just wanted to do well, and I was contemplating not saying I was upset in the blog. Except I don’t want to lie to y’all. It is ok to feel those things sometimes, but never hold onto them.

I freaked out for a bit, but realized that I was going to have fun anyway. If I want to make it in comedy I have to be able to rise to the occasion. I have to become undeniable. I just want to get to that point, and these type of things are what gets you there.

I WILL BE BACK ON THURSDAY WITH A NEW BLOG POST! EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SUNDAY I WILL HAVE A NEW ONE! I love you all so much and thank you for taking the time to read! xoxo laydees!

#comedy #jokes #standup #nc #asheville #comedy fest #improv #friend #bomb #heckler #fest #comedyrva #richmond #virginia #charlottesville

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minervastation · 5 years ago

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AGE: 20 FACECLAIM: Ashton Sanders

Eric doesn’t think there’s any point in hanging around on a dying planet. When he realized that Project Minerva actually seems to be working and isn’t about to blow up anytime soon, he decided it might be worth a shot. Out with the old, in with new!

Eric was raised by his single mom, an American so passionate about Russian language and culture that she decided to uproot her entire life in pursuit of it. When he was six, he and his mother moved to St. Petersburg, where his mother became an English teacher. Despite spending most of his life in Russia, Eric never really felt like he fit in. As a child, he struggled to make friends, and he ended up feeling incredibly isolated in his new home.

He was nine when he met Val, a classmate, and it was like meeting a kindred spirit. They both stuck out, saying things they shouldn’t and too smart for their own good. If they were normal kids, this similarity might have driven them together and spark a lifelong friendship. But Eric was not normal and neither was Val, so instead, it just created a weird rivalry, with each trying to outdo the other, academically and socially. Most other people avoided them.

It was through his rivalry with Val that he discovered his passion for science, but while she was obsessed with space, Eric grew to love environmental sciences. He’d always been outdoorsy, and he was fascinated with the earth and the way it worked. He knew it was what he wanted to study for the rest of his life. When he went off to university, there was no doubt in his mind what he’d study.

Then, it was announced that the Earth would only be habitable for twenty more years. The reality of climate change came crashing down, and Eric felt lost. If the Earth was past the point of saving, he couldn’t see the point of trying anymore. He read report after report about climate change, and everything just felt useless. Eventually, the feeling of powerlessness became overwhelming, and Eric dropped out of university.

Since then, he’s been struggling to find a direction, but everywhere he turned, he heard news about the Minerva project. Going to space. Eric had dismissed it as some nutjob rich person’s pet project at first, but it began to seem more and more like a viable option. Finally, he gave in and applied to join the project.

Eric is clever, sarcastic, and daring. He’s known to be a loudmouth, talkative and a bit tactless. He’s self-centered and has a tendency to disregard others’ feelings. He struggles to be considerate. He’s rather arrogant, always assuming himself to be the smartest person in the room. Despite his flaws, he’s by no means cruel. He’s outgoing, optimistic, and, although he struggles to be compassionate, he is well-intentioned. He wants to help and befriend people, he simply doesn’t always understand how to. He tries to be charming, though he can come off as obnoxious. He loves attention, and will do whatever he can to get it. Though a bit dumb when it comes to interpersonal relationships, Eric is quite intelligent, and he loves to learn whatever he can. He loves to take risks and try new things, and he hates being controlled.

Eric is planning to bring his cat, Waffle with him. He loves theater and plays the piano.

#group rp #space rp #discord rp #rp #roleplay #characterbios #malecharacter #ericbio

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ivanstarenkome-blog · 6 years ago

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Post #15

1. I think we should be able to appreciate Wagner’s music while still acknowledging his shortcomings as a person-- those don’t have to be mutually exclusive. One shouldn’t have to be friends with someone to be able to appreciate their art, although there’s certainly a line that should be drawn there. Wagner had extremely problematic views, but these views weren’t reflected in his art and I don’t think he caused the world such harm that his art can’t be enjoyed. If the likes of Hitler made art, then I wouldn’t be interested in supporting that in any way. Wagner’s art should be able to be enjoyed, but people have to come to terms with his Antisemitism with that. I think we grow as a society from both of those initiatives, and making Wagner’s work taboo removes the opportunity for either. Professor HaCohen, from the Hebrew University of Israel, outlined this when she spoke to the Times of Israel, saying, “when it is performed in public, it always needs to be embedded in a framework that critically discusses the worldview of its composer in relation to the works performed and their reception and impact.” The other controversial issue surrounding Wagner’s works is their appropriation by Hitler. Although that is an unfortunate part of their history that should absolutely be reckoned with, I think Wagner’s works are much larger than only that aspect. Daniel Barenboim writes in “Wagner, Israel and the Palestinians,” “ When one continues to uphold the Wagner taboo today in Israel, it means in a certain respect that we are giving Hitler the last word.” The legacy of Wagner’s works belongs to the world now and I don’t think we should let that end with Hitler.

1. In the documentary “Wagner and Me,” Wagner’s Antisemitism is discussed by the academics and musicians that Steven Fry talks to. Professor Chris Walton, for instance, voices the notion that Wagner seemed to need an enemy or some disturbance to motivate his art and that this makes confronting Wagner very unpleasant and far from easy. Still, he says that this doesn’t take away the greatness of Wagner’s music. Valery Gergiev, Artistic and General Director at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, says that Wagner is an international artist and his stories are stories of the world with themes larger than any single country. The Ring shouldn’t simply be associated with the Nazis and, if it can be performed in Saint Petersburg aftter WWII, then it could be performed anywhere. Stephen Fry says Wagner was very important to Hitler’s vision for the world but Hitler only saw one side of Wagner and that that’s the side that most people look at today as well. It’s also Wagner’s descendants’, like his daughter-in-law Winifred, welcoming and revering Hitler (long before the rest of Germany) which taints Wagner for many today. His remaining descendants today, however, are launching an independent investigation into their family’s links with Hitler to settle the matter. A recent production of “Parsifal” at Bayreuth also adapted the story to incorporate the Holocaust. Finally, Steven Fry talks to Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who survived Auschwitz at the age of 18 because she was a gifted cellist who performed Wagner for Dr. Mengele. Still, music is holy to her and this experience didn’t ruin Wagner for her.

2. Wagner was banished for being a left-wing nationalist revolutionary (he was liberal but Antisemitic) and lived on Lake Lucerne for 12 years, from when he was 35 to 47 from 1849 to 1861. It was here that he wrote about the Gesamtkunswerk, started writing the Ring, and wrote his Antisemitic essay on Jews in music. The Ring took over 20 years before it was finished and performed. Wagner’s Antisemitism may have been partially due to his jealousy of the success of Jewish composers like Mendelssohn and Meyerbeer.

Wagner’s forbidden love for the wife of his patron family, Mathilde Wesendonck, inspired his opera “Tristan und Isolde.” Wagner wrote and dedicated a song “Traeume” to Mathilde, which became the love duet in act II of “Tristan und Isolde.”

The Tristan Chord creates tension because it doesn’t perfectly resolve and it’s simultaneously uplifting and depressing, since some of the voices resolve upwards and others resolve down.

Wagner was the first composer to compose with his back to the audience.

Hitler’s rallies in Nuremberg may have been inspired by a rally scene in the third act of Wagner’s opera “die Meistersinger von Nuremberg.” The music from the opera, which Hitler loved and would often whistle, was performed at the Nazi rallies.

1. “Lohengrin” is loosely based off of events in 933 A.D., in which King Henry the Fowler of Saxony united various German principalities to defend their lands against Hungarian invaders. The opera, however, also includes fantasy tropes like an evil witch and a knight in shining armor saving a damsel in distress.

2. The description of Lohengrin as “an artist, somewhat above the world but not above needing love” certainly fits my impression of Wagner’s self image and I wouldn’t put it past him to depict himself in one of his operas as a holy knight in shining armor.

3. An overture contains themes from the music of the opera, whereas a prelude doesn’t as much.

4. Elsa is accused of killing her brother Gottfried and for having a secret lover.

5. After being banished at the end of Act I, Telramund is in the courtyard of Antwerp Castle at the start of Act II.

6. Ortrud is Pagan and worships old Norse and Germanic gods like Woden and Freia.

7. Elsa feels unworthy of being with Lohengrin and feels like he will leave her and go back to the holy and glorious place he’s from that she can’t compete with. Eventually she can’t help herself and she asks him his name.

8. Lohengrin kills Telramund when he attacks him in his honeymoon suite and Ortrud dies as Lohengrin’s swan transforms into Gottfried (?). Elsa dies from sadness (?) as Lohengrin sails away at the very end.

9. eh.

10. Since, after Thomas Mann said the score to Lohengrin reminded him of blue and silver, it’s been a tradition for the production to be in blue and silver and I think that would be interesting to see. I hope Lohengrin’s entrance on the swan-drawn boat is as ridiculous as possible and that the costumes are really over-the-top and fantastical and not understated, more contemporary costumes that are sometimes used in recent opera productions.

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eplreport · 3 years ago

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UEFA Champions League Power Rankings: Liverpool, PSG on the up as Chelsea slide down after loss to Juventus

It has been a dramatic week in the Champions League and beyond with shock results and clashes between some of the continent's biggest teams. Now with a second of the group stage games in the can we are now at the stage where we can start to make a realistic assessment of who is likely to be in the business end of the competition. As such, don't consider these power rankings to be necessarily indicative of the best teams in Europe but instead of those most likely to reach the business end of the Champions League. In other words, sorry AC Milan. Here's how the teams are shaping up ahead of the international break:

The top tier: Title or bust

These teams should be disappointed with anything less than a semi final berth and frankly even that might not be enough, such is their talent profile. 1. Manchester City (--) Their brutal week of away games against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool may have yielded only four points and yet their status as Europe's top team has probably been enhanced. In each match there were spells where their opponents simply could not live with Pep Guardiola's side even if the familiar issues of chance conversion raised their ugly head. Still across those three matches City created shots worth 5.49 expected goals (xG) and allowed three star-studded attacks just 1.76 xG. That bodes well for the business end of the season. 2. Liverpool (+1) Mohamed Salah might be Europe's form forward right now with Sadio Mane not far behind him. Both look back to their best with a stable foundation behind them. If there is a scintilla of doubt over Jurgen Klopp's side at the moment it is that they can be guilty of letting teams back into games they seem to be dominating; even though City upped their game dramatically on Sunday at Anfield the first 15 minutes felt rather similar to games against AC Milan and Brentford where Liverpool let a moment slip by. 3. Bayern Munich (+1) A 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt spoiled their impressive start to the season but the sort of robust treatment the visitors meted out on Bayern probably is not a practical response to dealing with this all conquering attack. On Sunday a combination of loose final passes and excellent goalkeeping from Kevin Trapp denied them but the eight goals of evidence they have from the Champions League suggests those sorts of days will be few and far between.

Serious contenders: If things go right, why not us?

It certainly is not beyond the realm of imagination that any of these teams could be lifting the European Cup in Istanbul come May, though it may require a few fortunate breaks for the tournament to go their way. 4. Paris Saint-Germain (+1) PSG's simultaneously underwhelming and impressive season continued in that fashion last week as moments of magic from Lionel Messi and Idrissa Gueye took them to a win over a Manchester City side to whom they gave plenty of routes back into the match. Then they failed to muster a single shot on target in the second half of a 2-0 loss to Rennes. Their defense looks like it needs a lot more time to coalesce whilst we are still yet to see all the big three click at the same time. Craving even more coverage of the world's game? Listen below and follow ¡Qué Golazo! A Daily CBS Soccer Podcast where we take you beyond the pitch and around the globe for commentary, previews, recaps and more. 5. Chelsea (-3) While a 3-1 win over Southampton eased any murmurs of disaffection there are still real causes for concern at Chelsea, who struggled to create any meaningful chances when all square with Manchester City and Juventus. Their defense is giving up good chances far more frequently than it did last season and that has so far not been balanced out by greater attacking impetus at the other end.

Dark horses: Unlikely contenders, but contenders all the same

These teams are unlikely champions, but then so were Chelsea this time a year ago. It may take a change of circumstances like the Blues had when they appointed Thomas Tuchel, perhaps a new signing or the unearthing of a new tactical plan. It's possible, but certainly not probable. 6. Borussia Dortmund (-2) A slightly clunky 1-0 win over Sporting and a 2-1 victory against Augsburg might not normally be such cause for optimism at Dortmund but the fact that they were earned without Erling Haaland (and in the former case Julian Brandt) is encouraging for Marco Rose. There are few downsides to having one of the best young strikers in the world but Dortmund had on occasion been looking a little too reliant on Haaland, not least because his understudy Donyell Malen had started slowly in the Bundesliga. A goal in the Champions League offers hope that that might be about to change. 7. Ajax (+2) No team has a higher xG through two group stage games than Ajax, who pummeled both Sporting and Besiktas into submission. Erik ten Hag's side seems to have options all over the pitch in what looks to be a relatively orthodox 4-3-3 executed to aplomb with players who might not be the most heralded of stars but click excellently together. In particular Steven Berghuis' late runs from midfield could well pose a problem deep into this tournament. 8. Sevilla (-1) It has been a rather underwhelming week for Julen Lopetegui's side but crucially they came back from Wolfsburg with a point after Ivan Rakitic's late goal. Their 1-0 defeat against Granada was something of a forgivable result, they only allowed three shots for their opponents though they themselves went nearly an hour between shots that drew a save from Luis Maximiano. 9. Real Madrid (-3) A horrendous week for Carlo Ancelotti saw his side follow one of the greatest upsets in Champions League group stage history -- their 2-1 defeat at home to Sheriff -- with a loss by the same scoreline against Espanyol. On both occasions they created the chances to win the game but they are perhaps overly reliant on the scoring form of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, who account for over half of Madrid's shots on target in the Champions League and La Liga. 10. Atletico Madrid (+1) Though wins over AC Milan and Barcelona have them sitting pretty in both major competitions it is worth reflecting on how much of the first of those games passed by before Atleti really looked like exploiting their man advantage following Franck Kessie's red card. In Europe in particular it feels like Diego Simeone's side need an awful lot of time, fortune and high grade attacking talent on the pitch just to test their opponents. 11. Manchester United (-1) Though Cristiano Ronaldo's late goal against Villarreal kept them firmly in the mix in Group F each successive game seems to be proving the limitations of United's hero ball approach. Against Everton they looked devoid of ideas to carve open two banks of four and for a team whose best attacking moments seem to come on the counter they have precious little idea how to stop other teams doing it to them. If they do not develop a plan soon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be out of a job and there are no guarantees the team will get out of their group.

Knockout stage contenders

You will note here that there are slightly more contenders for the knockout stages than there will be teams in there. Welcome to the wonder of those teams battling for second spot in the groups. There will always be someone disappointed. 12. Juventus (+1) 13. Inter Milan (-1) One might make a convincing case that Inter, still unbeaten in Serie A and averaging three goals per game, are the better of the two Italian sides in 12th and 13th but after picking up just a point from their first two group fixtures they are firmly behind the eight ball in the Champions League and can ill afford further slip ups against Sheriff in the coming matches. Meanwhile Juventus' resilient victory over Chelsea was perhaps not the sort they could repeat on a regular basis. But then they won't need to for a while yet with favorable meetings with Zenit Saint Petersburg and Malmo to come. It probably will not be long until Massimiliano Allegri's side reach the last 16. 14. Benfica (+3) 15. Red Bull Salzburg (+4) 16. Atalanta (-1) 17. Wolfsburg (-3) 18. Villarreal (--) 19. Sheriff Tiraspol (+7) Their 2-1 win over Real Madrid was hardly vintage football from Sheriff, who gave up all the chances their opponents needed and more after their opening goal in the Santiago Bernabeu, but there were moments that showed why the Moldovan champions have proven to be such a tough out for seasoned European sides. In the 24 minutes before their opener Yuriy Vernydub's side kept the 13-time European champions to four shots worth a combined 0.24 xG. This is a defense that can hold out the best of them, though perhaps not under the pressure that Madrid put on them. 20. Barcelona (-4)

In the mix

A few fortunate breaks and they may find themselves extending their Champions League involvement beyond Christmas. Don't bet on it though. 21. Porto (+1) 22. Club Brugge (+9) 23. Shakhtar Donetsk (+4) 24. Dynamo Kyiv (+1) 25. Zenit Saint Petersburg (+4) 26. RB Leipzig (-7) Jesse Marsch's task of pipping one of Manchester City and PSG to the post in Group A seemed herculean from the outset. It might just be beyond them after their loss to Club Brugge. Their league form is beginning to turn a corner but one cannot help but feel that their best prospect now is to play catch up with the Belgians and hope they can steal in to earn a Europa League spot. Considering they would then rank among the favorites for that competition it may not be the worst of consolations. 27. Young Boys (+3) 28. AC Milan (-7) 29. Sporting (-3) 30. Besiktas (-3) When the draw was made Group C seemed to offer the most intrigue with no obvious front runner. Everyone seemed to be in the mix for qualifying but now it would appear that Ajax and Borussia Dortmund are streaking ahead. For Sporting or Besiktas to have any real chance of reaching the top two they will have to take four points from their back to back fixtures over the coming weeks.

Slipping out of Europe

There are no bad teams in the Champions League but these will do well to extend their involvement in European football beyond Christmas. 31. Lille (-3) 32. Malmo (--) Source link Read the full article

#champions #Chelsea #Juventus #League #Liverpool #loss #Power #PSG #Rankings #slide #UEFA

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