#family: sokolov

[itxithingsrp]

KUWT SOKOLOV : cast.

CHILDRENS EDITION, PART I.

“ Podemos pelearnos hasta la muerte, pero al final del día seguimos siendo familia y eso es lo que prevalece sobre todo. ”

[honeyscovet]

Gareth: Do you think your family likes me?

Kayden: My mom literally begged you to marry me.

[too-pretty-for-this-mess]

When Nikolai was a kid—

Kyle: This giant box is Niko's gift for me?

Rai: Yep.

Kyle: He's inside it, isn't he?

Rai: Yep.

[bihanshiz]

Kyle : Well there's book smart and there's street smart.

Rai : Yeah, and then there's Niko.

Kyle : He's just curious, that's all. He's got this almost scientific mind, with a thirst for knowledge. He's like this little Einstein. Some people ask "Why" Niko asks "Why not?

Rai : I ask why alot 😗

[larkingame]

it's been beautiful following Larkin's growth and im pumped for the format changes and these cool new characters. it feels more developed somehow. mostly i cannot wait to fight wyatt (wih love) all over again.

now please forgive me for brain lag, but were the sokolov/as ever vampires in an earlier version of the game? i can't tell if it was real or if i lived a fever dream.

thank you for your kind message! as for your question….wouldn’t you like to know…🤫

[no-light-left-on]

hi I am still not normal about how we never get much of an epilogue for Emily and Corvo in the second game we are told how the rule turned out and that Emily is the beloved empress now but nothing beyond that and I get that the entire game is very much built on that I get that the first game we have close relationship with Emily and become fond of the staff that work with the Loyalists so we feel alone because we do not quite see eye to eye with our allies and all we have left is this little innocent child that sees Corvo as someone who can do no wrong in this world which is strongly contrasted with the second game where Emily (or Corvo) has few trusted allies that they can actually rely on and it feels like a group of almost-friends working to dismantle the conspiracy but at the very end of it all Emily is all alone, even her return to the Tower is so much more grim, her taking down Delilah, the entirety of Dunwall- it all feels so incredibly and thoroughly isolating, she is all Alone now, and maybe that's why it bothers me so much to see the story end so abrupty.

it would've been so, so poetic if both the first and the second game ended with Corvo and Emily embracing

[nade2308]

Part 1 || Part 2

[roses-of-the-romanovs]

I think you're overthinking this. The fact that these were found in a box to me suggests it was maybe just for fun, or as a keepsake. And why not a few regular trims?

On the image: from the left to roight Tatyana Nikolaevna and example of her hair colour; Anastasia Nikoalevna and example fo her hair; Maria Nikolaevna and example of her hair: and Olga nikolaevna and example of her hair.

The Mystery of the Grand Duchesses' Hair

Almost a year ago, when I started looking into the circumstances of the Nicolas II and his family 'murder' or rather disappearance, I noticed a certain detail that caught my attention - the box with four types of hair found in the Ipatievsky House on 2 August 1918 by the investigator Nametkin.

[…] a box with the hair of four colours, belonging, as per words of the present Terenti Ivanovich Chemodurov, to the former Grand Duchesses: Tatyana, Olga, Maria, and Anastasia Nikolaevna. […] - from the report produced by the investigator Nametkin on 2 August 1918.

This 'evidence' caught my attention because something seemed very odd about the finding.

Nametkin noted that the hair was of the four colours. This means that the hair in the panniers was long enough to identify the colours, as if it had been short then it simply would have mixed together and it would have been difficult to distinguish the types.

2. The Grand Duchesses had very similar to each other hair colour (see the image) and if their hair was mixed in one box it would be difficult to distinguish their colours. So, it means that the colours of the hair differed enough to distinguish them.

3. The Grand Duchesses could not have had too long hair in July 1918, as in July 1917 they shaved their heads. The hair grows slowly - approximately 1 cm per month, and even it it was 2 cm per month, by July 1918 they would have their hair no longer than slightly above their shoulders or even shorter. The point here is - there was no need to cut the hair even shorter. If it was done there was a reason for that.

4. Nowhere in the diaries of Nicolas II or Alexandra Fedorovna it is mentioned that the hair of their daughters was 'trimmed' in July 1918.

5. The priest who came to do the service couple of days before 16 July 1918 confirmed that the hair of the Grand Duchesses was slightly above their shoulders. This means that their hair was not cut. But if so, then why to cut it on the 16 July 1918?

6. Chemodurov was not in Ipatievsky House in May-July 1918 as Nicolas II let him go and kept Trupps as his valet instead. So he could not have known how long the hair of the Grand Duchesses was in the months of his absence.

7. Chemodurov in a conversation with Gibbs admitted that he did not tell the truth to the investigators as he wanted to make sure that the Family was safe.

Now the question is 'Whose hair was found in the box and why these four people needed to cut their hair?'

The hair colour of the Grand Duchesses was reconstructed based on the testimony of A. A. Tegleva given on 5-6 July 1919 to the investigator Sokolov.

[vintage-russia]

An artist and a nun from the Sokolov family,Murom (1900s)

From the Myazdrikovs Archive.

[itxithingsrp]

KUWT SOKOLOV : cast.

CHILDRENS EDITION, PART II.

“ Todos estamos partidos por un mismo patrón, moldeados por una misma persona y, aún así, no podemos ser más diferentes. ”

[williamverse]

Jayce in my dishonored au! I’ll leave a few more sketches and wip pics under the cut, along with his lore for anyone curious)

Jayce is an immigrant from Serkonos — he’s a part of an impoverished noble family. They move to Dunwall after Jayce’s father dies. During their voyage, the ship gets lost at sea, caught up in a storm. Death seems inevitable, until a mark-bearer aboard uses his magic to call the whales, who get the ship on their backs and bring it to safety. The mark-bearer than hands Jayce a rune and that’s when his fascination with void begins.

So, he starts studying the void, magic, different runes, their meanings, trying to harness magic and make it do good. At some point he even meets Sokolov, who shares his fascination, but they part ways soon because of moral differences. Once, when looking for new material for study, he makes his way to the Brigmore mansion, but is quickly stopped by a certain someone. “They will eat you alive if you set foot there, boy,” the stranger says.

That stranger is none other than Viktor, of course. He’s from an industrial district. Dirty air, constantly filled with toxic fumes from the factories never served him well and worsened his already weak health. Still, he has a sharp mind, and is known and respected among workers. They know: if something doesn’t work right, he knows how to fix it. However, his genius was never satiated, so when he learned about Jayce’s research he was intrigued to say the least.

The two had to work in shadow as to not get caught by the overseers, spreading their little successes among the poor, in total secret. Then, during one of their experiments, something went wrong, and Viktor touched the void — maybe a bit too deeply for a regular human being. It scarred him, making the two stop their research.

When, the plague comes. Viktor falls victim to it and soon dies. Jayce, however, can’t accept a truth like that and strives to return him no matter the cost. He believes: Viktor’s soul is somewhere within the void and he only needs to find a way to pull it out and tie it back to his body. And so, he looks for an answer, nearly goes crazy, sees visions from the void, while Viktor’s body starts to rot.

Nonetheless, he finally finds a way to accomplish what he had in mind, tying Viktor’s soul back to his body. But Viktor is different. He’s already dead and he’d spent too long in the void — so, even with his soul back in his body, he’s not at home in the real world anymore

[nopanamaman]

Q&A: Nikita Reizner

Character interview. January 2024

Well, well, well, if it isn't everyone's most behated teacher. Today Nikita Danilovich will answer some of your most popular questions. The interview is image based, but you can find a transcript at the bottom.

Let's get to it!

TRANSCRIPT

VIOLET_GALAXIE asks: What’s your favorite artefact you’ve found in the Zone?

Nikita: I don't have an impressive resume in that regard. My job wasn't to collect artefacts, it was to keep those who do alive. I guess dropping my glasses that one time made for a useful trinket…

MOONPATCH asks: So, off the record, how tempted were you to try and kill/disappear Yura when he blackmailed you? Even if you decided against it, did the thought cross your mind at any point?

Nikita: Of course. That would be the easiest solution. Ah, but I’d prefer not to resort to that. I do not like violence. Regardless, I couldn’t do much after being seen by Sokolov. 

At the end of the day, threats to the family are just more practical.

DYMESTL asks: What is your relationship to the Kazarins? What made you want to work with them?

Nikita: Kolya knew the group Victor was part of first, I joined later. Had I not, that scatterbrain would bite the dust a decade earlier. 

The Kazarins are good folks. All of them. Victor was great. Maria, too. Their relationship, not so much. (She hated us. Really.) 

Well, even if both of them were still here with us, Sasha and Serozha would never grow up… normal. In the plainest sense of that word. But it’s only natural. People like us, stalkers - we’re poison to our families.

BRANDON ONTAMA asks: What's your relationship with Sanya? Any fond memories with her?

Nikita: Oh, Sashka? She ran to me whenever she and Serozha had arguments. Which was great, because I got her to check lab works for me.

Ah, and her cultural development is entirely my achievement. Books, films, documentaries. Scary to think what she’d become if she grew up watching nothing but those… animes.

REKANOCHI asks: Tell us about your daughters!

Nikita: I’m aware they exist. Two girls, apparently. But I was never stated as the father. I cannot contact them.

WALNUT: Do you know how Nadya’s doing these days?

Nikita: …She is dead.

[shosty-we-understand]

Above is a portrait of Dmitri Shostakovich painted by a friend of his and famous artist, Nikolai Sokolov.

Sokolov was among the many people Shostakovich knew aboard the infamous “Railcar No. 7”, which evacuated some of the Soviet Union’s greatest composers, musicians, artists, and dancers out of Moscow in October of 1941. For six days, an uncomfortable amount of people were packed into the railway car, which moved painfully slowly eastward across the Russian countryside away from the advancing Wehrmacht. During the night, the men would stand and let the women and children sleep. During the day, they would switch, and let the men sleep. This was life aboard their carriage.

At one point, after they’d left the station in Moscow, Shostakovich realized that two of his family’s bags were missing, including all of his clothing and his children’s clothing. Not only that, but a certain third bundle was also missing: the unfinished manuscript for his seventh symphony. While those around him, including his friend Sokolov, managed to spare some clothing for him and his children, they couldn’t quite as easily replace the manuscript. Forlorn, Shostakovich had no choice but to wait on the carriage until they reached their intended destination of Kuibyshev (now known as Samara).

It’s almost a miracle that the Shostakovich family didn’t depart the train sooner like many of those on board had, because on the fourth day, while taking a trip to the toilet, Shostakovich and his wife Nina discovered a familiar looking blanket in a puddle on the floor. Upon unwrapping it, they discovered the manuscript for Shostakovich’s seventh symphony, almost completely untouched despite the conditions in which it was found (they didn’t keep the blanket). Their suitcases, on the other hand, were never found, and were believed to have been left behind on the platform in Moscow during the chaos of evacuation.

That bundle of music would become the most famous piece of music to be composed during the Second World War, and would launch Dmitri Shostakovich into global fame. How incredibly lucky for Shostakovich that the bundle wasn’t thrown out before he had a chance to recover it, or else the world may have never heard his Symphony No. 7.

[larkingame]

play the demo | patreon | larkin is rated 18+

someone is after you.

for over a decade and a half now, you’ve traveled up, down and across the country--running schemes and hunting fiends with your mentor, con-man-by-day, vampire-hunter-by-night, Wyatt Abrams--the prolific vampire slayer and the living descendant of Gregory Abrams, founder and prophet of the Abrams Family, the nomadic vampire-hunting cult that raised you--and was wiped out years ago.

carrying the abrams name means also means carrying on it's enemies--but that isn't to say you haven't forged a couple of your own along the way. now, it seems someone is trying to make good on old threats and promises. they've placed a bounty on your head.

so you and wyatt do what you do best: you run away. to some little town, out nevada ways, where the title of town preacher is unexpectedly thrust upon you--bringing back years of trauma you thought long tucked away.

as if that wasn't enough, on your first day in town the local mine up and explodes--leaving the reclusive family that runs the town--and owns the mine--to suspect you as the main culprit.

now you're left with the responsibility of investigating the disaster to clear your name, looking into the mysterious cult just south of town, the gang of outlaws who've been wrapped up deep in a feud with larkin's patriarchal family--a group of people which you suspect to be hiding a secret most monstrous--all while dealing with the ghosts of your past, and the roots your family left behind.

larkin is a vampire western choose-your-own adventure game, with focuses on romance, religion, horror and complicated family dynamics.

play a fully customizable character [[decide upon their physical appearance, gender identity, sexuality, customize their pronouns]]

dictate a unique relationship with your mentor-turned-father-figure and his former appentice

romance any of twelve characters, five male, three female, one non-binary and three gender selectable characters.

define your characters skillset and scheming tactics, select their weapons and fighting style, elect their feelings on religion, vampires and the cult that raised them.

the doctor [male] cyrus sokolov - the quasi-mayor of larkin, cyrus sokolov also operates as the town's doctor and mortician. he's immeadiately suspicious of you, the new preacher and the reputation you comes with. even though he doesn't like it, he needs your help.

the princess [female] celina sokolova - despite the misconceptions among the townsfolk, the reclusive third sibling of the sokolov family, celina, is actually the family’s eldest. hardly leaving the sokolov mansion, it’s rumored around town that she’s been struck with some sort of sun-related illness, others seem to hold the opinion that miss sokolova simply sees herself as too good to linger amongst the common folk. whatever the case may truly be doesn’t much matter to the people of larkin, after all, it's much more fun to gossip. she's very suddenly developed a fascination with the preacher, a hunger almost. but will she eat you whole?

the mortician's assistant [male] dominic sokolov - the youngest scion of the sokolov family, dominic works as assistant mortician in larkin, though he’s much more interested in larkin’s living townsfolk then the dead ones he’s been charged with taking care of. with seemingly endless information on everyone and everything that goes on in larkin, mister sokolov might not be the worst friend to have.

the lawyer [male] jacob nash -  larkin’s only practicing attorney and resident do-gooder. after passing the bar exam, nash headed out west in the hopes of making a real difference for the people there, only to spend most of his days settling petty disputes and notarizing documents. despite his disappointment, however, nash has managed to keep a level head and his fondness for the people of larkin, even though he’s not so sure the sokolovs have the townsfolk’s best interest in mind.

the bartender [female] rose holloway - larkin’s most recent transplant, that was, until the preacher showed up. former city-girl, rose has adapted to both life out west and on her own, the only way she knows how--by pushing through it. the owner and bartender of larkin’s only saloon, the emerald, rose is a popular figure around larkin whether she likes it or not, but whether that has more to do with her occupation or the fact she also happens to be larkin’s youngest widow is still a topic up for debate.

the lieutenant [male/female/non-binary] hollis - an enigmatic figure around larkin, hollis serves as a lieutenant for the mysterious rateliff fellowship. one of the cult’s few members to make the long trek from their encampment in the desert to town more than once. talked to by few, hated by most, hollis bears the reputation of the people they represent to the town of larkin--one, that isn’t particularly favorable.

the vampire hunter [male/female/non-binary] ace zhang - vampire-hunting-mercenary extraordinaire, the last the preacher knew of ace, they were the young hot-shot on san francisco’s hunting scene. once upon a time ace was a prominent figure in the preacher’s life, the first real acquaintance they managed to make on their own, someone outside of wyatt’s sphere. growing up a member of the guild, their life is one that’s mirrored the preacher’s. maybe that’s why the two seemed to be linked so closely during the preacher’s time in california, whether that was as friends, rivals or something more, their presence is one that remains prominent in the preacher's mind.

the outlaw [male] cassidy alan ward - cowboy, outlaw, bandit, cassidy goes by many names and titles, but the one he prides himself on most is leader. protector of his people, the ward gang hides out somewhere in the hills outside larkin, looming over the townsfolk as an ever-present threat, cassidy finds the sokolovs personally responsible for the death of his sister, caroline, and he is out for blood.

the gunslinger [female] ethel jackson - cassidy's right hand, ethel is a gunslinger through and through. fancying herself the robinhood type, she's got a personal hatred for the family that looms over larkin.  with the fastest gun in all of nevada, maybe even all of the west--ethel could prove to be a valuable friend--or a deadly adversary.

the stranger [non-binary] reyes - the newest addition to ward's gang, not much is known about them or their past--what everyone is well aware of, however, is the fact that nobody whose ever decided to cross reyes has ever come out of it alive.

the vampire [male/female/non-binary] montero moreau - you've hunted down their coven, debilitating any hopes for growth they had in terms of advancing in the cut-throat world of Vampires. you've made montero look like a fool, and they hate looking like a fool. They're determined to hunt you down and take revenge.

the first man [male] - adam - he believes himself to be the mirrored man mentioned in the abrams family book of genesis--the first vampire, plagued to walk the earth--and he has long been in search of his eve.

play the demo | patreon | itch.io

[xoxoskai]

RKVERSE BRATVA HEADCANNONS

that no one really asked for, but everyone needs<3

Damien Orlov is Nikolai Sokolov's Godfather.

The one-slightly related to the mafia- kid that all the second-generation mafia kids are scared respect is Sebastian and Naomi's firstborn (I said what I said)

In the Morozov household, all arguments are solved through uno.

Ironically, the one with the best accuracy while firing a gun is the one with the least bloodlust in him, Gareth.

Annika is closest to Lidiya Morozova and the Orlov Princess.

Naomi and Sebastian are Gareth Carson's Godparents.

Adrian tries to homeschool his kids, but it backfires when neither of his kids let him work in peace as a sign of protest. He reluctantly lets them attend a private school with an army of bodyguards.

Kai Takeda becomes the next head of the Yakuza.

Vaughn is very good at playing video games to the point that he gets invited to play at events.

Maya and Gareth are the best at cheating while playing any kinds of board games and often defeat the rest (Killian loses because he's in a team with Nikolai who gets bored midway and tries to sabotage the game instead).

Damien is good at cooking while Kirill has a hidden talent for baking. Adrian finds the prospect of both of them wearing aprons funny until he is put on duty for washing the dishes. Wearing his daughter's purple, floral apron.

Jeremy becomes really good at lip-reading while he's trying to figure out what his parents are talking about over his head and as an adult, he's desperately trying to lose the habit around them.

The one who taught all the boys to drive a bike is Mio Orlov.

She also taught Sasha who nearly gives the Pakhan of the Bratva a heart attack when she figures out how to do wheelies with Rai cheering her on.

Kyle Hunter is exceptionally good at hide and seek and the kids could never find him whenever the Sokolovs were hosting sleepovers.

Annika has knocked endlessly and tirelessly on Adrian's office door till he let her in so she could demonstrate her pirouette the first time she had perfectly done it (Adrian had made Yan, Kolya and Boris give her a standing ovation).

Rai Sokolov is everyone's go-to Aunt for anything their own parents aren't letting them do. Asher and Reina won't send their sons to another continent for college? Enrolls her own son to go with them. The girls want to go to a concert? Sends an army of disguised bodyguards with them. One of the kids is drunk and needs to be picked up? She's already buckling into her car.

Adrian and Lia are Vaughn's Godparents.

Mia Sokolov starts giving plants as birthday presents and nearly makes Kirill and Damien bust a lung from laughter when she gives Adrian a cactus.

Karina Morozova has the reputation for giving the most bizarre gifts that the kids end up loving. Rents out an entire theater for Annika's birthday party. Buys all the game-machines in an arcade for Vaughn. Tells Maya they are going shopping for her birthday and flies her to Paris for it. Sees Jeremy reading bl when he's home from college one time and buys him an entire boxful of yaoi comics with a "I dog earmarked some of my favorites" note. She's extra that way and they all love it.

Damien, Adrian, Kyle and Kirill also have a group chat that Adrian has tried leaving multiple times. When Annika and Mia get boyfriends, Damien is laughing so hard at their predicament that Adrian reveals his daughter's secret relationship with the Pakhan's eldest son and then leaves the group. Again.

Lidiya Morozova becomes the first woman Pakhan after her uncle dares anyone to oppose her crowning with her getting backed up by four of the strongest Bratva families.

Vaughn and Kirill bond over making castles out of playing cards. They've spent lots of days, sitting cross-legged on the floor and stacking one card after another, using multiple decks. It's how he discovers his love for architecture.

Maya Sokolov is a natural at coding and hacking, but she finds it boring and even refuses Adrian's attempt to teach her to hone her skills.

Kyle is really good at magic tricks. Almost all the kids (minus natural cheaters, Maya and Gareth) fall for it even though some of them don't want to (Jeremy and Killian, they know it's a trick, but they can't prove it).

Naomi is not approving of Damien until she actually talks to him and realizes he's just a bakayaro.

Mia Sokolov is really good at escape rooms while Nikolai spends half the time going "That was a clue?"

Ilya Levitsky is only accepted into the family after he goes through extensive torture and lives on to say, "You can't keep me from her". He wins Kyle's respect with that.

Lia discovers that she's really good at drinking games when she's having a girl's night out with Sasha, Mio and Rai. She can throw darts with her eyes blindfolded.

The Volkovs have movie nights on Thursdays where the movies are decided based on a game of jenga. Annika swears she's not shaking the table (she is).

The Morozovs host the best sleepovers. We're talking Princess Diaries level of sleepovers with mattress surfing, vending and claw machines in the house and treasure hunts across the entire property.

The Orlovs are the best at throwing parties and love any occasion to do so. Cherry blossoms are blooming? Throw a party. His daughter got an A on her dictation? Throw a party. Someone bumped into Damien and he didn't kill them? Throw. A. Party.

The Carsons are the best at pretending they have no ties to the Bratva. You saw an army of bodyguards leaving their house? Must be the new interns Asher is hiring. Their oldest nephew has tattoos at the age of 11? But he loves drawings. Reina's twin is AWOL the whole time? She's just shy.

The Weavers are horrible at pretending they aren't related into some shady business.

The Sokolovs' house is synonymous with a common playground. Especially after Mia's kidnapping. If she's scared to go out and meet anyone else, ofcourse the rest of them are gonna come over at all times and spend time with her, it's only natural.

_______________

Don't even wanna promise a part two when I know I never commit but here's to hoping?

[otmaaromanovas]

A dress belonging to Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, made in the workshop of August Brizak circa 1912-1914

Made of satin, silk, and lace, the dress is a delicate embroidered gown, reaching 140cm (55 inches) long. In photographs the dress appears slightly green, whilst those who have seen it in person describe it as very light blue. 

August Brizak was a particular favourite designer of the Romanov family, making several gowns for the four Grand Duchesses and Tsarina Alexandra. By 1914, the bill for the year sent to the Brizak was over 19,000 roubles. Originating from France, August and his family established a successful business in 1855 creating tailored gowns. The House of Brizak also made the miniature sailor suits worn by the four Grand Duchesses.

Olga is pictured wearing a very similar dress whilst holidaying at the Livadia Palace in 1913. Whilst this is *not* the exact dress preserved here, it demonstrates the popular style of the period and aristocratic fashion tastes. Olga’s English Tutor, Sydney Gibbes, recalled that “Olga was very modest. She liked simplicity and did not pay much attention to dress.”

The dress entered the Hermitage Museum’s collection in 1950. It has been exhibited multiple times, including internationally in Amsterdam, and was most recently exhibited at the ‘ОТМА + Алексей’ exhibition at the Hermitage.

Sources and photograph credits, click ‘keep reading’

📍📷 St. Petersburg, The Hermitage Museum, ЭРТ-12863, Dress of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna; Lamanova, Precedents and Competitors: Brizak August Lazarevich

📍Svpetrova via BlogSpot, ‘House of Brizak’, 16 January 2016 

📍 George Gustav Telberg, Robert Wilton, Nikolai Sokolov, ‘The Last Days of the Romanovs’, (London: Thornton Butterwork Limited, 1920), ch. Examination of Mr. Gibbes

📷 Eugenia (@ atsubor), ‘Blue gauze dress’, Flickr, 26 September 2023

📷 elenatsimbalistaia, ‘Восхитимся созданной красотой…’ Instagram, 23 May 2023 

📷 marinamaral2, ‘Went to see the amazing Romanov's exhibition in Amsterdam today…’, Twitter, 3 August 2017

📷 ivettainart, ‘ОТМА и Алексей…’, Instagram, 14 August 2023

📷 anne-white-star, ‘Dress that belonged…’, tumblr, 15 June 2021

📍= historical source that informed my writing📷 = photograph credits