#his name was Vasiliev

[ratstuckinamarble]

Wuppi? @a-dauntless-daffodil sorry to break it to you... Your mom was actually a baked treat 😔

💀 MANKIND IS DEAD 💀

🩸 BLOOD IS FUEL 🩸

🔥 HELL IS FULL 🔥

🦐 SHRIMP IS BUGS 🐛

[stargazer-sims]

TLC (3)

previous

Nikolai: Look, Sasha, who's that? Is it Grandma?

Alexander: *squeals*

Elena: You used to make that same noise whenever your Grandpa came home from work, Kolya. You always got excited to see him.

Nikolai: I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed or amused by that

Elena: Amused. It's much better for your mental health.

Alexander: *happy noises*

Elena: Come here, Sasha. Let Grandma give you a cuddle.

Nikolai: Thanks for agreeing to take him.

Elena: I should be thanking you. I get to close the shop tomorrow and spend the entire day with my grandbaby.

Nikolai: You're going to close the shop? Where are Deb and Rose?

Elena: Debbie is on holiday with her husband, and Rose had dental surgery yesterday, so she's taking a few days off. I do give my employees personal time, you know.

Nikolai: I never assumed you didn't. This is going to inconvenience your customers though, isn't it?

Elena: Any more than you staying home tomorrow is going to inconvenience everyone at the rink? They'll survive a little inconvenience.

Nikolai: Okay, point made.

Elena: Silly Daddy, worrying about inconveniencing people. Everyone knows the world revolves around you, don't they, Sasha?

Nikolai: I'm pretty sure he does think that, actually.

Elena: As he should. Have you packed his bag yet?

Nikolai: No, not yet. I kinda had my hands full with Mishka, and I was busy making Sasha's formula for you. Oh, he should eat before he goes, speaking of that. When I got home, he and Mishka were both passed out on the couch, so I have no idea when Mishka last fed him. He's probably starving.

Elena: I'll feed him.

Nikolai: Thanks. Would you mind packing his bag too?

Elena: Of course.

Nikolai: Mishka made you a list, although you probably don't need it.

Elena: I'll look at it, since he went to the trouble of making it. Then you can tell him I checked off everything on it.

Nikolai: Thank you. He'll appreciate that. He's really worried about being away from Sasha for the night.

Elena: That's not surprising. I was beside myself the first time I left you and your sister overnight. Grandpa took good care of you, but that didn't stop me from wanting to burst into tears every time I thought about how much you might be missing me.

Nikolai: So, it's normal? Mishka isn't overreacting because of his anxiety?

Elena: Well, I can't say if he's overreacting or not since I haven't seen him, but if you're asking if it's scary to leave your baby with your in-laws overnight for the first time, then the answer is yes. No matter how much you love and trust them, they're not your parents and there's bound to be a tiny bit of doubt.

Nikolai: I never thought of it like that. I guess that explains why I'm not as worried as him.

Elena: That, and you've always been fairly unflappable. It must be hard for little Mishka, not having his own mother here.

Nikolai: I think so. He talks to her almost every day, but it's not the same as being close by. She's coming to see us before the end of the summer though, and I think Vika is coming with her too, so that'll be good for him.

Elena: And for this little one as well. Your babushka is going to travel a very long way to meet you, Sasha, and I know she's going to fall in love with you.

Nikolai: I hope she does. I got the impression she's really coming for Mishka, not for Sasha or me. She's not a huge fan of mine, and neither her nor Dr. Vasiliev are particularly thrilled by the whole science baby situation.

Elena: Dr. Vasiliev? You don't call your father-in-law by his name?

Nikolai: You met him at our wedding. Would you call him Ivan?

Elena: You're asking the wrong person. You know I would, if for no other reason than to knock some of the pride out of him.

Nikolai: I don't think I'm as brave as you. The man intimidates me.

Elena: Don't let him do that. He may not like you, but he doesn't have the right to intrude on your happiness, or to impose his opinions on your family. If he's not pleased with Mishka's choices, that's entirely his problem. You and Mishka are grown men, and you don't need anyone's permission or approval to create the life you want for yourselves.

Nikolai: I... yeah. I'm not going to tell him that.

Elena: If I ever see him in person again, I might. If we can embrace little Mishka and welcome him as part of our family, the least your father-in-law can do for you is have the courtesy to respect you.

Nikolai: Remind me never to get on your bad side.

Elena: Don't worry. I can't even imagine what you'd have to do for that to happen.

Nikolai: I know I don't say this enough, but I'm really glad you're my mother.

Elena:That goes both ways, and it goes for Mishka too. I'm honestly glad to call him my bonus child, and I'm especially glad we have this little man. Your father and I don't even care about that science lab business. As far as we're concerned, Sasha is perfect. How you and Mishka had him doesn't change anything.

Nikolai: That means a lot.

Elena: It's the truth.

Elena: There we go, little man. You're all done with your late dinner. Can you burp?

Nikolai: You should probably have a towel or something. He spits up a lot.

Elena: Grandma doesn't mind a little spit. That's what the washing machine is for.

Nikolai: You think Grandma can teach Daddy how to have a stronger stomach? The first time he spit up on me, let's just say he wasn't the only one doing it.

Elena: *laughing* You didn't tell me that before.

Nikolai: It was a little embarrassing to admit. Mishka's like you, though. It doesn't seem to bother him, and he doesn't use a towel on his shoulder either.

Elena: It gets easier, I promise. Here, why don't you wash his face, and then maybe you can hang out with your father for a bit while I pack his bag.

Nikolai: Okay.

Mike: You were in there for a long time.

Nikolai: Sorry about that. Sasha had to eat, and Mama wanted to feed him, so I just stayed in there to talk. You could've came in too, if you wanted to.

Mike: It's fine. The cats were keeping me entertained.

Nikolai: They're not very good conversationalists.

Mike: Neither am I, so it worked out.

Nikolai: You shouldn't underestimate yourself. Being shy doesn't mean you have nothing to talk about.

Mike: Have I ever told you how much like your grandfather you are? That sounds like something he'd tell me.

Nikolai: Being told I'm like Grandpa is a compliment.

Mike: That's how I meant it. What's your mother still doing in Sasha's room, by the way? I thought you'd both be done in there.

Nikolai: She's putting some stuff together for him. I didn't have a chance to do it before you guys got here. Mishka needed me, and I was kind of frazzled trying to figure out how to do all the things by myself.

Mike: I guess it's a good thing that we're running off with the grandbaby, then.

Nikolai: As long as you bring him back.

Mike: You know your mother. She'd keep him forever if she thought she could get away with it.

Nikolai: She could, but then she'd have to keep Mishka too. It took some convincing for him to let you take Sasha for the night. If you don't bring him back tomorrow afternoon, I wouldn't put it past Mishka to come looking for him, sick or not.

Mike: We'll bring him back. If Mishka isn't feeling better by tomorrow evening, maybe your mother can stay here with you for a couple of days instead.

Nikolai: Could you manage by yourself? Like, with meals and everything?

Mike: Probably not, but you have a kitchen. I'd just come here to eat.

Nikolai: Why don't you just come and stay as well? That'd make more sense.

Mike: Well, if you insist...

Nikolai: *laughing*

Alexander: *giggling*

Mike: Did he just laugh too?

Nikolai: Yeah, he's been doing that for about a week now. He does it when he sees somebody he likes. Mishka, me, Beth-Anne... He goes wild when he sees Beth-Anne.

Elena: *from the doorway* Look what Grandma has, Sasha! It's your overnight bag.

Alexander: *excited squeaking*

Mike: I guess the sleepover is already off to a good start.

Nikolai: Sasha, you be good for Grandma and Grandpa, okay? Don't give them too much trouble. Papa and I will see you tomorrow.

Mike: Don't worry. We'll look after him, and I'm sure he won't give us any problems.

Nikolai: I know you'll take good care of him. We're going to miss him, that's all.

Elena: We'll call you in the morning so you can say hello. And you tell Mishka not to worry. He can FaceTime me as much as he wants.

Nikolai: I'll suggest he tries to keep the FaceTime calls to a reasonable amount.

Elena: What did I just say, Nikolai? As often as he wants. I don't want him to feel like he can't check in. That's not going to help him learn to trust us, is it? Better for him to call me twenty times to assure himself I'm taking care of his baby as well as he could than to give him a reason to think we don't want him to know what we're up to.

Nikolai: I guess you're right.

Elena: Of course I'm right. Eventually, Mishka won't be so upset about being away from Sasha, but you have to let him work up to that point. You shouldn’t rush him into anything.

Mike: Like all those kids you teach. You wouldn’t rush them.

Nikolai: Mishka isn’t a kid.

Elena: No, but all of this is new to him.

Nikolai: It’s new to me too.

Elena: It is, but he’s not as resilient as you. I think you imagine risks are like speed bumps. For him, I’d say he sees them more like mountains, and you’re going to need to let him climb at his own pace.

[orthodoxydaily]

SAINTS&READING: MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2024

october 1_october 14

THE PROTECTION OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY, THE THEOTOKOS, AND EVER VIRGIN MARY.

This miraculous appearance of the Mother of God occurred in the mid-tenth century in Constantinople, in the Blachernae church, where her robe, veil, and part of her belt were preserved after being transferred from Palestine in the fifth century.

On Sunday, October 1, during the All-Night Vigil, when the church was overflowing with those at prayer, the Fool-for-Christ Saint Andrew (October 2), at the fourth hour, lifted up his eyes towards the heavens and beheld our most Holy Lady Theotokos coming through the air, resplendent with heavenly light and surrounded by an assembly of the Saints. Saint John the Baptist and the holy Apostle John the Theologian accompanied the Queen of Heaven. On bended knees, the Most Holy Virgin tearfully prayed for Christians for a long time. Then, coming near the Bishop’s Throne, she continued her prayer.

After completing her prayer, she took her veil and spread it over the people praying in church, protecting them from visible and invisible enemies. The Most Holy Lady Theotokos was resplendent with heavenly glory, and the protecting veil in her hands gleamed “more than the rays of the sun.” Saint Andrew gazed trembling at the miraculous vision and asked his disciple, the blessed Epiphanius standing beside him, “Do you see, brother, the Holy Theotokos, praying for all the world?” Epiphanius answered, “I do see, holy Father, and I am in awe.”

The Ever-Blessed Mother of God implored the Lord Jesus Christ to accept the prayers of all the people calling on His Most Holy Name, and to respond speedily to her intercession, “O Heavenly King, accept all those who pray to You and call on my name for help. Do not let them go away from my icon unheard.”

Saints Andrew and Epiphanius were worthy to see the Mother of God at prayer, and “for a long time observed the Protecting Veil spread over the people and shining with flashes of glory. As long as the Most Holy Theotokos was there, the Protecting Veil was also visible, but with her departure it also became invisible. After taking it with her, she left behind the grace of her visitation.”

At the Blachernae church, the memory of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God was remembered. In the fourteenth century, the Russian pilgrim and clerk Alexander, saw in the church an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos praying for the world, depicting Saint Andrew in contemplation of her.

The Primary Chronicle of Saint Nestor reflects that the protective intercession of the Mother of God was needed because an attack of a large pagan Russian fleet under the leadership of Askole and Dir. The feast celebrates the divine destruction of the fleet which threatened Constantinople itself, sometime in the years 864-867 or according to the Russian historian Vasiliev, on June 18, 860. Ironically, this Feast is considered more important by the Slavs then by the Greeks.

The Primary Chronicle of Saint Nestor also notes the miraculous deliverance followed an all-night Vigil and the dipping of the garment of the Mother of God into the waters of the sea at the Blachernae church, but does not mention Saints Andrew and Epiphanius and their vision of the Mother of God at prayer. These latter elements, and the beginnings of the celebrating of the Feast of the Protection, seem to postdate Saint Nestor and the Chronicle. A further historical complication might be noted under (October 2) dating Saint Andrew’s death to the year 936.

The year of death might not be quite reliable, or the assertion that he survived to a ripe old age after the vision of his youth, or that his vision involved some later pagan Russian raid which met with the same fate. The suggestion that Saint Andrew was a Slav (or a Scythian according to other sources, such as S. V. Bulgakov) is interesting, but not necessarily accurate. The extent of Slavic expansion and repopulation into Greece is the topic of scholarly disputes.

In the Prologue, a Russian book of the twelfth century, a description of the establishment of the special Feast marking this event states, “For when we heard, we realized how wondrous and merciful was the vision... and it transpired that Your holy Protection should not remain without festal celebration, O Ever-Blessed One!”

Therefore, in the festal celebration of the Protection of the Mother of God, the Russian Church sings, “With the choirs of the Angels, O Sovereign Lady, with the venerable and glorious prophets, with the First-Ranked Apostles and with the Hieromartyrs and Hierarchs, pray for us sinners, glorifying the Feast of your Protection in the Russian Land.” Moreover, it would seem that Saint Andrew, contemplating the miraculous vision was a Slav, was taken captive, and became the slave of the local inhabitant of Constantinople named Theognostus.

Churches in honor of the Protection of the Mother of God began to appear in Russia in the twelfth century. Widely known for its architectural merit is the temple of the Protection at Nerl, which was built in the year 1165 by holy Prince Andrew Bogoliubsky. The efforts of this holy prince also established in the Russian Church the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, about the year 1164.

At Novgorod in the twelfth century there was a monastery of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (the so-called Zverin monastery) In Moscow also under Tsar Ivan the Terrible the cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God was built at the church of the Holy Trinity (known as the church of Saint Basil the Blessed).

On the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos we implore the defense and assistance of the Queen of Heaven, “Remember us in your prayers, O Lady Virgin Mother of God, that we not perish by the increase of our sins. Protect us from every evil and from grievous woes, for in you do we hope, and venerating the Feast of your Protection, we magnify you.”

St RÉMI OF REIMS, APOSTLE OF THE FRANKS (533)

Our father among the saints, Remigius of Rheims (French: Saint Rémi or Saint Rémy), Apostle to the Franks (437–533), was Bishop of Rheims from 459 to 533. During the seventy-four years that he was bishop, he was the most influential prelate in Gaul, with the culminating event of his life (according to Gregory of Tours),[note 1] being the baptism in 496 AD of Clovis, King of the Franks, and over 3000 of his warriors. This mass baptism led to the conversion of the Frankish people to Nicene Christianity, a momentous success for the Orthodox Church and a seminal event in European history. His feast day is celebrated on January 13, and the translation of his relics is on October 1.

Remigius was born in 437, traditionally at Cerny-en-Laonnois, near Laon, Picardy, in northern Gaul, into the highest levels of Gallo-Roman society. He is said to have been the son of Emilius, count of Laon (who is not otherwise attested), and Celina, daughter of the Bishop of Soissons, which Clovis had conquered in 486.

After studying at Rheims for a while and devoting himself to secular and sacred learning, he withdrew to a small house near Laon to live in reclusion and prayer. However, when a bishop was needed in Rheims, the clergy and people, having noted Remigius for his learning and sanctity, in addition to his high status, carried him off from his hermitage and made him their bishop in his twenty-second year in 459 AD, though he was still a layman.

The holy bishop soon became renowned throughout northern Gaul. He converted heretics, brought Arian heretics back to the Orthodox Faith, and cared for the many who suffered at the hands of barbarian marauders. Wherever he went, miracles attended him. He healed the sick and once, when a town was on fire, threw himself into the flames and quenched them. Birds would come to his table whenever he ate, and he would share his meal with them.

In 482, the young warrior Clovis became the leader of the Frankish tribes in that region. Though a pagan, he knew and admired St. Remigius and married a Christian, St. Clotilde (June 3). Once, when his army faced defeat by the Alemanii, Clovis prayed to "the God of Clotilde and Remigius" and won a great victory. This answer to his prayers convinced him of the truth of the Christian Faith, and he asked St. Remigius to instruct him. Two years later, he gathered all his chieftains in Rheims to attend his baptism. The baptism was accompanied by many miracles, seen by all in attendance. Two of the king's sisters and three thousand lords and soldiers were baptized at the ceremony. This event is considered the birth of France as a Christian nation.[[note 2]]

St. Remigius also zealously opposed Arianism. Though Remigius never attended any of the church councils, in 517, he held a synod at Rheims, at which, after a heated discussion, he converted a bishop of Arian views.

In his grand old age, St Remigius went blind but miraculously recovered his sight. He reposed in peace at age 105, immediately after serving the Divine Liturgy.

St. Remigius' relics were kept in the Cathedral of Rheims, from where Archbishop Hincmar had them translated to Épernay during the Viking invasions and, in 1099, to the Abbey of Saint-Remi.

Hebrews 9:1-7

1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance;

Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. 27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" 28 But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

[arielbeaumont]

A letter was handed to Ariel Beaumont by one of the Withermore Husk’s appearing as a baphomet at the conclusion of the event announcing the new Council members, his name written in elegant script on cold stark white paper.

Ariel Beaumont, We were pleased to see you were able to deliver us not one but two applications and that both individuals were elected. We are glad both seem capable of taking a life when required and that magic on both their parts is not a prevalent strength. We were aware of your closeness to the Chevalier girl when you both resided at court however, and hope you will make sure she releases any anger she may potentially be holding onto for our court. How close are you with the other candidates? With the first meeting approaching it is important that you make sure the Chevalier girl accepts the offer we made to her. The council should know that Withermore residents should receive a higher standard of care than those from the other courts. We would also like for you to reach out to Kaitoa Rotbringer and suggest perhaps one of the best ways to limit law breaking within the city is to ban or, at the very least, limit magic, it is a dangerous thing that can ruin us. We trust you can get this done. King Alistar Vasiliev

An additional paper is attached to the first note from the King, penned instead by his younger sister, the smaller paper hidden within the larger.

Dearest Ariel, You are working well at doing what should be done to bring me to power. The young Chevalier girl with her distain for those of the court and the chaotic jester are wonderful additions. I will be sending you a gift shortly, once my brother is not watching me so often, but for now, inform both that they have my unyielding support without letting your co-hort Leopold Dawson discover your words. Do not take my brother’s advice. Do not inform Kaitoa Rotbringer that magic should be banned within the city. Myself and the women of the other courts were also able to convince leadership that the council held too masculine an energy and have instated a Herald of the Divine Feminine to aid the council with advice, you should make sure my letter was clear that she too has my personal support. Princess Royal Olesechka Vasiliev

Ariel read over both letters twice on the carriage ride home, a muscle jumping in his jaw each time he read the line about his friendship with Bellamy. It irked him that the king had noticed his fondness for her--and to suggest he ought to be working at her somehow, convincing her to forgive a court that had used her and then abandoned her.

This was why he did not often care to make friends. Ariel found himself less and less inclined to help the King keep his throne every day.

He went directly to his desk on arrival home to craft his replies; it would not do to keep the royals waiting, after all.

To His Most Gracious Majesty, King Alistar Vasiliev, King of Withermore, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Realm, I thank you for your letter, and your generous advice. I am most gratified that my work thus far has pleased Your Majesty. As far as my relationships with the candidates, I am little acquainted with any of our new council--excepting, of course, Miss Chevalier, who Your Majesty so astutely remembers was quite dear to me at court. I will, of course, do all in my power to soothe any anger she still holds and remind her of Your Majesty's benevolence. I confess though, it has been many years since Miss Chevalier and I were acquainted, and I do not know how much sway I may hold. I will seek out Rotbringer with all haste, and seek to improve my relationships with the rest of the council, that I may better serve your will. I remain, with all devotion, Your Majesty's most humble, obedient, and faithful servant, Ariel Beaumont, Emissary to the Court of Withermore.

His lip curled slightly in distaste as he sealed the letter and all it's obsequiousness with wax and pressed his ring into it. At least now that he was away from court, he only had to lie to Alistair with his pen, and not his expressions.

To Her Royal Highness, Princess Royal Olesechka Vasiliev, You do me great honor with your kind words. I am most pleased that you approve of my candidates. It is my humble opinion that both could be valuable in pursuit of your goals. The jester, I think, could be quite... malleable. I wonder, Princess, if an olive branch of a sort might be offered to Miss Chevalier. May it please Your Highness, a reminder of what Withermore might be under your rule could go far. We blood drinkers are vengeful creatures, you understand. Your word is my command. It is, as ever, a privilege to serve the true Crown of Withermore. I remain your steadfast ally and friend, Ariel Beaumont

Another seal, and he sent them off. The second letter, at least, was not quite so nauseating to write. He would pass on the Princess Royal's support, he thought. Why not? Coups did not exactly lend themselves to peace time.

Mentioned: @bellamychevalier @merrymockthejester @leopold--dawson

[llittletingoddess]

WHERE THE WILD ROSES GROW 🥀

«When the night comes, the stars begin to shine and the greatest crimes begin to come into life»

part 2 of multiply

°•○ warnings: age gap, slow burn, original character, cursing, smoking, drinking, mentions of death, mentions of murder, mentions of abduction, manipulation, abuse, national hate, politics mention, discrimination

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

II. Too Far Gone?

Moscow, Russia

Leah sat in the dark room, watching her boss playing with papers. What was interesting in lots of documents? She always thought it was pretty boring, like bureaucracy at all. Why do they need to make everything way more complicated than it actually was? Instead of just giving an answer, your application should’ve been passed through at least three different departments. She stared at the grey-haired man signing some papers, stamping others - and giving not a single word about what he wanted from her.

“Konstantin”, Leah finally went out of her patience, kicking his table with her boot to make him pay attention to her. “Ya zhe znayu, zachem ya zdes'. Zachem ty tyanesh vremya? (I know why I'm here. Why are you wasting time?)”, she asked him with a cold tone, looking under her brows. She was a beast in a cage and he knew it. He always made her wait. Konstantin Vasiliev was too much into his friends and money than in the people who did the dirty work. Especially that stubborn American that thought she was special. Pathetic little bitch that was getting too good and too dangerous. Konstantin looked at Leah under his brows and sighed loudly, his facial expression showing all the contempt he had for her. Even if she would support everything russian and speak their language - they would still treat her like an American - an enemy, Pentagon’s spy and obviously connected to LGBTQ+. 

He left one more sign on the papers and leaned on his chair, crossing his arms and looking at Leah. “Ya ne obyazan otchytivatsya pered toboy, Leah. Tvoya zadacha - ubivat', a ne vmeshivatsya v dela tvoey kormyashchey ruki (I don't have to answer to you, Leah. Your task is to kill, not to interfere with the affairs of your feeding hand.)”, he said with a husky voice and reached for his table to take a pack of surprisingly cheap cigarettes for such a rich man - old-fashioned Soviet “Prima” in a red box. He lit it up with a way more expensive lighter - probably a gift - and leaned back on his squeaky chair, smirking to his guest. Leah hated him… she should have been obedient to a man with Soviet standards and a heavy hand. 

“The Wild Rose..”, Konstantin chuckled. He did this all the time he saw Leah in his cabinet. She didn’t understand what was so funny about her nickname. Truthfully, she loved it - it perfectly described her. Bennett was loved by her soft appearance but she has thorns that could kill someone who will reach too close. That’s why she never had a real lover. She was afraid that she would hurt her loved one with skeletons in her closet and preferred to stay alone, never letting her feelings be victorious. “It’s time”, Konstantin continued, placing a Los Angeles postcard on his desk. 

Leah gasped, looking at the colourful postcard of the west coast view. She can finally go home.. Breathe the salty air and see smiling people everywhere. She sighed in relief, pulling the postcard closer with her finger and turned it, looking for hints. In the right corner she saw a logo which made her hum. “Blackened LTD..”, she hummed, thinking what it could mean for her. Would the victim be some big boss or she’d need to destroy this business? 

“My bosses want you to kill the president of this company”, Konstantin said with a strong russian accent, lazily smoking his cigarette. He didn’t care how she would do it at all. “His name is James Hetfield and he decided to play some tricks with us. But you will show him that he better not mess with russians”, Konstantin continued, getting up from his seat. He slowly walked around Leah, watching her looking at the postcard and grabbed her neck, slightly choking her. “And it affects you too. If you’ll try to do something against the plan you will be dead with him, american bitch”, he said with a harsh voice, letting Leah’s neck off. 

Bennett coughed, rubbing her neck and stared at Konstantin with contempt. He’s not even her main boss and he hated her so much, then what The chain thought about her? If only she could’ve done something against them.. But what could she do? They stole everything from her to use her like a puppet - her documents, her life, her whole personality and they didn’t plan to stop. Leah travelled on her missions with a fake ID, each time it was different, but she couldn’t live like that. She didn’t want to have someone’s name or life, she wanted to be herself, she needed to be herself. 

Konstantin hummed in her silence, exhaling a big cloud of smoke with a smell of cheap tobacco before he sat back on his seat. “You won’t even say a word?”, he asked curiously, staring at Leah. She sighed, turning the postcard in her hands and looked at her boss with a cold look. “How much?”, she asked, laying the postcard back on Konstantine’s desk. He smirked and nodded, definitely liking Leah’s cheeky question. “Five. If you will do everything quietly and clearly they are ready to double the price. Your main task is to kill him quickly-”, “..and make everything to make tabloids think it was an accident and there is no Russia’s hand”, Bennett ended quickly instead of Vasiliev, making him chuckle. “Yes, you know everything, Leah. Do the job - and money is yours. They are believing in you, better not lose such big support on your side”, he advised her, relaxing on his chair.

Deep inside Leah knew that Konstantin didn’t care. She was just pretty useful for him and his friends, and his “advice” is nothing more than a cheap lie. After years of working under his guidance Leah learned that man. All he ever cared about was his dog, a german shepherd named Rem. He had his photo on his desk, told about his achievements and how he would kill his enemies using them. Somehow Leah found it pretty cute. “Khorosho (Alright)”, she said, taking the postcard in her bag. “When is my flight?”, she asked, watching Konstantine throwing his cigarette in the ashtray. He exhaled the smoke and sighed, coughing from the nicotine in his lungs. “Tomorrow at 4AM. You’ll get your ID in your post box”, he said emotionlessly, watching Leah get up. “You have three days for your flights and the kill, The Wild Rose”, Konstantin said with a chuckle. Bennett kept her face; Will this ever end? She sighed and nodded. “Not a big deal”, she said, walking to the door. Vasiliev held the door closed for a moment, looking at Marie with a warning look. “And don’t forget, Leah.. you’re working on Russia. Every American deserves to die, every one of them. But you’re not like this. I can guarantee Russian citizenship after this kill if you’re gonna be an obedient girl”, he said seriously, taking his hand off the door. “Do vstrechy cherez tri dnya (See you in three days)”, Leah said reluctantly, leaving her boss’ office. She took a deep breath and sighed in relief, a short smile appearing on her face. It was her chance.. One last chance to break her chains and escape this russian nightmare she spent years in. She will kill that stupid businessman and disappear from Russian radar, once and forever. She had enough money to buy herself a villa somewhere on the quiet island, far away from criminal’s eyes and start to live her life like she always wanted to. She would probably change her name, appearance and body to make everyone forget about her existence. She will never be Leah Bennett anymore.. Leah Bennett will die as a stray dog in three days and someone new will be born instead.

She walked out of the office that was hidden in the mall and sighed. Leah was so excited.. Definitely not an option that she will miss.. She put on her headphones, turned on her favourite heavy metal album and hid her smile, walking out from the building. Russians didn’t like your smile. If you’re smiling it means that you’re most likely a psychopath or under the drugs, and society will bully you easily. Bennett switched her looks with an attractive guy in the crowd and put on her hood, making herself invisible in the crowd. 

Who knows what all these people think of her.. Leah was curious - was at least one suggestion right? Probably they thought she was some hipster girl from the block or some shy girl walking from her workout? Maybe a hopeless romantic or a geek? If only they would know who Leah Bennett was.. a heartless killer who murdered her parents, hid from police, had some serious net connection with the government and was a slave for some big russian men.. Leah sighed from the thought but kept her head up. It will end in a few days.. She might not end the national hate but she will save herself from being the victim of russian nationalism. She walked down to the underground tunnel and leaned onto the wall, waiting for her train to come. Life has given her an opportunity to change something and Leah wanted to squeeze everything out of it. She was too far gone and she needed to be saved.

***

Los Angeles, California

James felt himself on cloud nine when he saw all his friends celebrating him. He was so confident after his little victory when he fooled everyone in the Russian monopoly, giving free access to their people secretly. Some promotion from russian bloggers, advertisements in the popular social networks and voila - his music platform got almost ten million new followers! And thankfully, most of them bought a premium subscription. 

Of course he would’ve made it that far! Why would he do this one clean? It was obvious that he’d go another way. Business was all about the audience and this move made James get a confident and powerful position on the Russian market. He was so damn proud and he threw a party to celebrate his success. Whilst his partners read the contract -  James already made money behind their backs, smiling them to their faces and shaking their hands. 

And what surprised him the most - there was no reaction! His actions were rough and fast, so they most likely were caught by surprise. Was it bad? James didn’t think so. Instead, it was his chance to show them that Americans aren’t that dumb as they thought they were. Turns out, the real losers here were Russians who missed such a big hit in their balls. Scary Russians aren’t that scary anymore. They are dumb. Grumpy, dumb and have no critical mind to prevent such attacks on his industry. Maybe their president had, but not the ones that were responsible for the music market. 

“Congratulations, buddy, it’s a big hit! Blackened rules the whole world now!”, Lars, his fellow buddy said. He was all the way there back in time. If it wasn’t Lars James might never make it in the business. They met each other in their teenage days, when James just tried his luck in music, teaching guitar playing and just thought about having a music market. Truthfully, it was Lars who pushed him to act. James smiled, hugging him and nodded. “It is. Ten million followers from Russia, this is incredible!”, he said, being visibly surprised by the results of his cheeky campaign. He looked around, looking for his wife and sighed, watching her flirting with some guy in the crowd. And who needs love when you have money? James made his choice and for now - he wasn’t too needy in being loved. Why would he? A couple of Benjamin’s can always solve this problem. 

Lars sipped his drink, looking in the same way James did. He didn’t say a word about what he saw, giving James some space for his personal life. “And what if they will react?”, Lars asked him, watching James’ wife sitting on the lap of the guy. Hetfield hummed with a smirk. “They better think about how to get back their audience. Our conditions are too comfortable for such a poor country as Russia. We have every big star’s music catalogues, and what do they have? Some stolen songs and demos? It’s they who have problems, not us”, James said with a sassy tone, finishing his drink in one shot. Lars hummed, watching him with a judging look. Lars might be younger than James and he wasn’t such a big man like James (in all meanings), but there was something in this man that always surprised him - and that’s his ability to think two steps earlier. 

“You’re too calm”, he said seriously, asking the waiter for another shot of whiskey. James looked at him with a questionable look whilst watching for the amber-coloured drink to be poured in the glass, covering the crystal clean ice cube. Lars grabbed his glass and turned to James, staring at him. “You might think that they are fools, but look at the political situation. They don’t hesitate to kill their own people, so you think they will stop because of a wealthy man from America?”, he asked, looking at Hetfield. “No money will save you if they will decide to have their revenge, James. Think about it”, 

James hummed, looking at his buddy. Truthfully, his words made sense at some point. He sipped his drink, gently spinning it in his glass and sighed, watching his wife coming closer to them. She took off her wedding ring from her fingers and placed it in James’ glass. “Can you keep it for me please? Thank you”, she smiled, walking back to the guy she definitely enjoyed more than James’ company. He chuckled, looking at the shiny ring in his glass, taking it away and looked at Lars. “If they would have wanted to kill me, they would’ve done it ages ago. But as you see - I’m still alive, still with you all and still the owner of the biggest music heist in history”, he said with a grin, taking a cigar from his pocket to enjoy.

“But now - it makes zero sense”, James said confidently, lighting up his cigar. “First of all, this is gonna be too suspicious for them, don’t you think so? We will announce the increase of price on our stocks and then the next day they will do something with me? They are dumb, but even Russians are clever enough to avoid such suspicious actions”, James assured his buddy with a relaxing tone, enjoying how nicotine poisoned his lungs. “It’s gonna be a big scandal if they do it. We are all approaching the third World War.. and my neutralisation is gonna be one more step to the start. I bet my wife that they won’t do anything about it”, James said with a grin, watching his significant other being caressed by the guy in the crowd.

Lars frowned, definitely disliking his friend’s point of view. He shook his head, sipping his whiskey and tapped on the glass, thinking. He was sure that James wouldn't listen to him or even won’t take his words as advice, so he needed a plan B. Just in case he will be right and James’ ass will need some protection. It happened pretty rare but sometimes he needed help, though he never admitted it. James was from that type of man that would never admit their mistakes - just like it was happening with his wife on his own eyes. He watched her cheating with a stone cold look and joked that she looked better from the side. Lars didn’t understand why he acted so light-headed with important decisions, but he knew that deep inside, under this shell of a successful man James hid his feelings from the world. 

Soon James took him back to reality with his sweet chuckle, making Lars look up at him and at the direction he looked at. “What’s up?”, he asked him with a confused tone, though he definitely was curious what could make a rich man laugh. Was he drunk? Did he meet a nice chick to spend his night with? His wife wasn’t made for this anyway.. “Have you seen how much Blackened raised in price after a new wave of customers?”, he said with a grin, pointing into the screen of his phone, on the little graph with a green line that rises up incredibly high. Lars whistled, looking at the price. “Wow. Is it after Russia?”, he questioned, making James nod. “I think we need to celebrate it. Remind me to call my assistant and organise a meeting in honour of our success. Maybe in three days? Gonna be nice”, James thought with a corporate grin he used for his diplomatic meetings. He was so damn proud of himself.. Finally, after years of hard work it took a big risky step to reach the top of this monopoly game. Was he too far gone? Oh damn he was, but how good it felt to watch everyone fail in their attempts to get as high as he was. “We need to announce the new Russian department and increase the salary of that SMM guy. He did his job really well”, James said with a happy smirk, texting his assistant. 

If only he knew how wrong he was.

[merrillapologist]

finally getting around to playing a nossie 💕🐝 his name is henry vasiliev and he was a peppy entomology professor pre-embrace!

[ID: Digital bust of a Nosferatu. His skin is grey, and the right half of his face is covered with yellow growths. His right eye is an enlarged compound eye, and his left is an empty socket. He has three additional eyes on his forehead similar to a bee. His face is covered in hexagonal holes, and maggots are visible inside of them. He wears an earring depicting a figure in Keith Haring’s style and a brown sweater vest with a bee on it. He is smiling and small hearts are drawn beside him.]

[flickerfankids]

The kids! Here’s a list of them and their parents by row

Maria Ribeiro - Dashawn and Thiago

Shea Cruz - Alab and Jamila

Irene Vasiliev - Rosalie and Nikolai

Melati Tujang - Indah and Alicia

October Zhao - Liling and Quinn

Wren Briggs - Marley and Eduardo

Owen Liam - Fayola and Adanna

Jamie Soto - Seungho and Mateo

Sylvie Garcia - John and Bailey

Halley Raymond - Albert and Ally

Castor Raymond - Albert and Ally

Naomi Cecil - Ezra and William

Ethan Hayashi - Kiryomi and Melodie

Anika Sharma - Amethyst and Prasiddhi 

Ana Calimeris - Elizabeth and Veronica  

Leo Rahimi - Miguel and Reza

below is a brief description of each character: (to be added)

Maria (She/Her) is a very ambitious and passionate artist. Her chosen media is painting, whether in liquid or spray form. She aspires to paint murals all over her city someday. Maria also has a pet praying mantis she named Rocket. She’s also bisexual.

Shea (He/Him) is more quiet. He’s very by the rules at some points and tries to be polite. He enjoyed doing Scouts and often tries to apply those skills to conversation. Shea also loves to help his mom bake. He has a rat named Strudel (which his parents adopted.) He is asexual but heteroromantic

Irene (She/They) is a very loud and brass person at times. She and Maria’s personalities just amplify each other. The two had been best friends since elementary. They are the kind of person who’d immediately yell at and fight anyone that you say was mean, even with not knowing them. She enjoys dancing. Irene is a demisexual demigirl.

Melati (she/her) is a kind girl with strange interests. She adores the dark and mysterious and writes stories about it. Once you ask her about it, she’ll never stop. Melati hopes to write popular best sellers of her ideas someday. She always is practicing her knowing smile to prepare for that photo. Melati is a lesbian.

October (he/him) is very introverted. He doesn’t really talk to a lot of people but he’s respectful. A lot of people are put off by his very distant attitude but if you warm up to him, you find he’s really caring. He is generally aroace. October enjoys walking around more by hiking and going trapshooting with the school’s team.

Wren (They/Them) is a wildcard. Generally impulsively doing things that are either a threat to themself or to others (like trying to pet a raccoon.) hence the various bandages. They love to do track and took up a hobby of woodworking. They have a cat named Misa and love her so much. Wren is nonbinary and pansexual.

Owen (He/Him) is the calmest out of his friend group between him, Wren, Sylvia, and Jamie, which is sort of like being the tallest dwarf. Usually being the empathetic one to listen and to tell everyone to shut up so Sylvia can speak. Owen enjoys 2000s movies and drafting up designs of all sorts. He’s also a connoisseur of gum. Owen is gay.

Sylvia (She/Her) is very.. non-talkative. She really can. Everyone’s heard her a few times. It’s just that she has moments of not wanting to talk. Her parents had issues growing up and didn’t want her to feel like her wants didn’t matter, so they told her she didn’t ever have to talk if she didn’t want to. Sylvia took this to heart. She spends more time writing poetry and ice skating than talking. Her parents are also friends with Maria and Irene’s parents so sometimes they’ll have her come with. She is bi-curious. (Fun fact: Owen designed her hat)

Jamie (He/Him) is the last member of the friend group. He is fired up most of the time. Jamie has an affinity about baseball. When he’s not playing ball, he’s usually hanging out with the three of them, probably at a restaurant. Probably staring across the table for too long and- Anyway. Jamie is a raging bisexual but has a fem pref.

Halley (She/Her) is sarcastic. Always having to have the last word, she often finds herself fighting with Irene, though they just play it up for entertainment but nobody knows. She and her twin brother are actually new to town so they are trying to settle in. Halley loves astrology partially because it bothers her dad to no end, but she also actually loves learning about astronomy and physics. Halley has a ferret named Dynamite. Halley is unlabeled as of now, so she just tells people she’s straight when they ask.

Castor (He/They) is very much opposite to his sister’s flaming personality. When she’s riling up a crowd, they often just standing by to walk her away and back to class before a teacher gets involved. He loves inventing and experimenting, having a bunch of machinery in his room from his mom’s job. Castor often finds themself a nervous wreck, even more so after realizing he has a crush on their neighbor in the apartment complex he lives in. Castor is bisexual with a masc pref.

Naomi (She/Her) is an upbeat and optimistic ray of sunshine. She enjoys playing her drums and decorating her prosthetic leg with stickers. With one of her parents’ streaming careers helping fund pay for it, she was ecstatic about it. Naomi is part of a band with two other people, Ana and Leo. They’re called Absent July Delta. Naomi is pansexual.

Ethan (He/Him) focuses more about the other people around him than himself. He is often afraid to share his interests, but he’s a huge fan of filmmaking and programming. Ethan is working on a series that he, Melati, and Shea are all in. He’d love to invite Wren to work on it too, he just can’t muster up to ask though. Ethan is demisexual.

Anika (She/He) is a gentle and listening person. She tries his best to help everyone and be there for people. After all, he’s trying to be a therapist in the future. Psychology is one of her biggest interests, alongside dying his hair different colors) Often, he will be sitting in a chair listening to people’s problems while finishing up crocheting. She finds it’s easier to listen while her hands are busy. He is aroace and transfem.

Ana (She/Her) is a “go with the flow” type person. She really finds that anything was meant to happen for a reason. She is the one usually bringing snacks for Leo and Naomi. She’s a guitarist fanatic. Always. Naomi’s family friend even offered to give her lessons. Ana has posters all over her room and was the first one to suggest starting a band. Ana is also Castor and Halley’s cousin, has a border collie named Ruthie, and wears bright green contacts for fun. She is asexual.

Leo (He/Him) finds it interesting to debate people. Doing good is something he’s always an advocate for. Leo cares about the environment and often signs up for roadside cleaning. He also does a lot of performing activities, like singing in the band, which Ana caught him doing once and dragged him into the idea, and doing competitive speech. After a lot of this, he often just curls up on his bed and takes a nap. He is straight as far as he knows.

[unholycourier]

SPILL THE LORE

ANON I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED. I AM SITTING YOU DOWN AND SITTING ACROSS FROM YOU.

OKAY SO. the priest dogman: his full name is wolf von bluth, though he insists people just call him “von” rather than his first name. he’s an old demon, a hellhound to be exact, who used to be a human back in the 1850’s and was formerly known as nikolai vasiliev-sovetsky, then. able to shift between both hound and human forms; he terrorizes people in many ways throughout the centuries, his most recent method being that of disguising himself as a priest. he finds religious people to be easier to manipulate, and thus, pushing them to sin and eventual, large scale crimes that leaves the town he’s in in a panic.

authorities are, of course, quick to get on the case and determine there might be a serial killer on the loose but nothing concrete on the killer’s identity because all victims so far appear as if no one had actually killed them. and this is where the second player of the story comes in: having recently gotten his degree in criminology and given an opportunity to work under the wing of a to-be-named detective, kind-hearted but slightly odd oliver jr. wright is tasked with investigation. he’s an upcoming bright man sorta type, and because the elder authorities couldn’t piece together the puzzle thanks to von being a tricky little demon, they figured they needed a fresh pair of eyes and a new mind on the field.

this was both a good thing and a bad thing for everyone involved. while authorities interrogated everyone who knew the murder victims even just a little bit, von was always marked off without real suspicion. oliver, however, felt that something was off about von. his visits to von were professional at first, asking him about the murder victims and von would simply manage worm his way out of concrete suspicion.

regardless, despite still doubting von was entirely 100% innocent he started to turn to him for advice as the pressure to solve the murders built. von offered him shelter, care and affection in the form of friendship.

a fourth victim pops up, and this one’s murder is a little different from the other two. this one is sloppier, and not made to look like someone didn’t kill them. a couple of montbs went by like this, each day starting to feel more stressed and worse. this is where i still need to figure out the details but basically: the last two victims were sloppy murders on purpose. a man was murdered, and some form of evidence left behind that was groundbreaking as prior, there was nothing left behind which upped the weird factor on the cases. the last victim, this husband’s wife, who is murdered roughly a week or so later, is shot outside the bar and the killer is caught on camera.

the killer is indeed oliver: he pulled the trigger, and he is quickly under arrest by the man who was responsible for him. but he swears up and down that he didn’t kill her. the theory they have on him is that he on purpose went into the field of criminology to cover up his crimes, thus the lack of evidence. he is soon looked at for not only the murder of this lady’s husband, but the others that have happened over the last few months.

the truth is: he did commit those last two murders, but the first three were von’s doing. due to the nature of oliver being more gullible and kind hearted, welcoming von into his life, made him more susceptible to his influence: aka possession. von took great interest in oliver, something about him was special in the manner that oliver seemed to crave the approval and kindness of a parental figure and von noticed he seemed to fill that role for him. so, he was able to quite literally pull the wool over his eyes and send him off to do his bidding for a short time.

the only reason he did this was as a means to ostracize him. the other three victims were part of something else entirely; some messy situation von just wanted to stick his nose in. in the end, they played no part to the bigger picture. this lady and her husband were just causalities for von along the way.

well, one thing leads to another, von entirely disappears off oliver radar for that time while he’s preoccupied trying to prove his innocence despite the fact that his gun was connected to the bullet that killed the lady. the detective who was watching over him wants to believe he didn’t do it, that there’s something else afoot here, and brings him back to the agency against all better judgement so he can try and look at evidence to build a case. no matter how illegal that was, he wanted to try and see what was up.

one thing leads to another and oliver blacks out; it’s like a dream, where von talks to him and reveals to him all of what’s gone up until now. and when he wakes up, the building is on fire, his boss is dead, and von is cradling his dying, broken body.

“there is only one way i can save you, oliver,” von tells him. “god doesn’t care if you die, but i do, so here i offer you survival under one condition.”

“that is?” oliver weakly responds.

“you are to be bound to me for the rest of time,” he explains. “you will have freedom, but you will work for me. simply do as i say; and you will be just fine.”

and oliver is far too disoriented to really think about that. he’d rather be dead than help the man who ruined his life; but in the embrace of someone who seemingly cares for his well being, he agrees, and essentially sells his soul to von.

and that’s that; oliver disappears from the public and he’s framed as a serial killer. von remains within the public eye, completely free of his crimes. oliver lives with him, does von’s bidding as his proxy. basically, he either kills or finds people for von sorta deal. tracks them down, all that fun stuff.

the two of them overall very much hate each other but oliver has this dependent nature on von. again, he sought for someone’s approval and he found it in von and that costed him literally everything. von, surprisingly, does care a little bit for oliver. they would still very much kill each other if they could tho ❤️

[starfishlikestoread]

aaaaa genuinely cannot believe I've found this, look: witnesses on the husband's side for a marriage license in 1891 Moscow, and the second man is my ggg-grandfather - Aleksandr Vasiliev Savin (for non-Russian readers, his name is the last three words on the page). So far pretty normal, but! the handwriting of all the witnesses differs dramatically from each other and the priest - they were writing their own names and addresses, that is his handwriting!

Like I have other records of him - his birth, marriage, children's births - but all written by the priest from his local village church, nothing in his own hand. But here he is, clearly literate even if his hand is a bit uncertain - don't worry my guy, I also struggle with ц sometimes.

[barovianbitches]

Constantin Vasiliev

Art by @chroncruik and @sh4rkb0y-004

Full Name: Constantin Nikolaevich Vasiliev

Age: 24

Birthday: April 27

Zodiac: Taurus

Myers Brigs: Logistician, ISTJ-T

Race: Constantin is a pale-skinned human, and a native of Barovia. Hailing from Elektrostal, a village near Argynvostholt, he has spent his life in the misty forests, and his adulthood wandering the country looking for work.

Height: A respectable 6'4".

Weight: 230lbs of pure Barovian beef. The man's got a muscle to fat ratio that would make Baldur's Gate bodybuilders cry.

Hair: Constantin's hair is a dark, raven black, but in certain light can appear almost dark blue, according to Yvan.

Eyes: One, a strikingly icy blue. The other, pure gleaming gold.

Class: Paladin, Oath of Vengeance

Parents: Nikolai Vasiliev is Constantin's father, who he thought to be deceased around the time Constantin was 16 years of age. Recent discoveries have lead him to the knowledge that his father was in fact, as punishment for his revolt against Strahd, turned into a Vampire Spawn, a slave to the Dark Lord. Constantin's mother, Anastasia Vasiliev, was a wandering woman with a flair for the abnormal, gaining the scorn of the village, but that did not stop her from falling in love with Nikolai, the preacher, and bringing Constantin into the world. After Nikolai's death, they set out for a nomadic lifestyle, to escape the wrath of Strahd. Once eighteen, tired of the secrecy and running, Constantin defied his mother and struck out on his own, and now searches for ghosts of her presence in his quest to reunite with her.

Siblings: Constantin supposedly has no blood siblings, but he has one brother in the form of Yvan Alvanja, the Vistana man with whom he met and bonded early in his travels in solitude. Yvan's kindness and welcoming generosity quickly warmed Constantin to him, and as they grew closer, their bond forged itself in iron, earning Constantin a place as a welcome face among the Vistani with whom Yvan traveled, and a mark of brotherhood to Yvan scarring his right palm.

Heritage: Constantin is the son of a preacher, and the last in a long line of men who have rose up against Strahd in violent defiance. The weapons and duties of his ancestors have fallen to him, and he carries the weight of the Vasiliev name as a mighty burden.

Religion: Constantin worships the Morninglord, but like his ancestors before him, has entered into a contract with Sancus, swearing an oath of vengeance against Strahd von Zarovich, only free of it in glory or death.

Hobbies: Constantin carries a small handful of journals with him. In one is a handmade catalogue of the flora of Barovia, pressed into the pages and categorized, named and described in fine Barovian cursive, with surprising dexterity given the man's large, clumsy hands. He also carries a book full of musical compositions, blends of Vistani musical stylings with traditional Barovian cultural music, all penned by the Paladin himself, but most never performed.

Likes: The peace and solitude of nature, the comfort of a well-fitted suit of heavy armor, the warmth of a bonfire. Home-cooked meals from Elektrostal's kitchens and the security of traveling with a party that trusts him.

Dislikes: Constantin has an extreme distaste and contempt for Vampires and the undead, going so far as to call it outright hatred. He also holds the Barovian hatred of Vistani in deep contempt, as he calls them family, to a distant extent.

Strengths: Constantin's greatest strength is just that, his strength. The strapping young man's muscles are not just for show, as he is known to lift and carry great weight, as well as carrying around his large elderly bloodhound, Lancelot. He is also a well-read and analytical mind, though it is often hidden in favor of simple brutishness, but this analytical skill, combined with certain holy magic make him more in-the-know than he may seem. Combat Style: Constantin Vasiliev is a self-sustaining armored behemoth, a tank in every sense of the term. In concert with the crushing sweeps from his brutal Greatsword, Constantin uses a variety of holy magic to lock enemies in direct challenges with him, support his allies and sustain himself in long brawls with holy healing to continue the fight beyond his normal limits. The Paladin finds his greatest potential charging headlong into an overwhelming opposing force, acting as the steel-clad spearhead from which his allies can follow through and back him up, or recover his body from atop the mountain of dead.

Weaknesses: Quick to anger, Constantin has some pretty significant issues stemming from a… Difficult family life, and the weight of his father's expectations, and the tasks set before him. He is stubborn, hard-headed, and not one to back down from a fight, especially if he finds it righteous. Constantin also struggles to relate to others, presenting an awkward and often asocial personality, one which the Vistani and few others have managed to break through to discover the true content of his character, behind his social barrier.

Goals: The death of Strahd von Zarovich is an objective that weighs heavily on Constantin's head, and has cemented itself as the endpoint of his journey. In the interim, Constantin's goal is to keep the small band of adventurers Yvan deposited with him alive and free of the worst of Barovia's influences. Background/Lore: Training Day Barroom Blitz Crisis of Faith Rest and Relaxation The Price of Defiance The Sins of the Father Vuk and Voron Of Snow and Song From Silver Mist He Comes Mother Bear sicut pluit

In-Campaign Shorts; Haunted Nights Big Bear, Little Bear Pick Your Battles Stasis Amity

AU Stories; Tyyran-y (Villain AU)

[findyourrp]

🌶️

Hi! My name is Kas, and I’m an 18yo male looking for an RP partner. I’ve been roleplaying since I was 15 (12 if you count roleplaying on Halo lol). I’m looking for NSFW but I’m happy with and comfortable doing more. 18+ only please!!

More than anything, I’m looking for versatility- people comfortable with lots of things, playing doms and subs of both genders and having multiple characters. On top of that, being comfortable with variety and experimenting. When it comes to SFW plot themes, I’m a huge fan of militaristic/societal corruption themes, and heavy drama and tragedy. Particularly The Boys, Breaking Bad and the Evillious Chronicles are things I love.

I’m most experienced with OCRP, but if I somehow run into an Evillious fan I’m willing to RP Evillious characters and/or an Evillious themed/inspired universe. I’m also up to do a Halo universe RP, but with OCs.

When it comes to RP experience, I’m quite experienced in everything but NSFW. I’m looking for more experience in that field, and looking to try things out. My schedule is something that constantly changes, and although I may consistently talk to you it will be difficult to consistently rp.

I have a lot of characters! Like, a lot, I’ll list them categorized by gender

Male - Alexander Arisumi, Talon Burke, Jonas Blanke, Emygdio Guerra, Andres Galarza, Ramiro Gallego, Epsilon (I have a lot more but I’m drawing blanks)

Female - Asuka Akinaga, Hiraoka Arisumi, Kubota Tomoko, Zoya Vasiliev, Eta, Bonnie Lyons, Natalya Beale (Also more here, these are my favorites)

My biggest boundary is our relationship OOC will not become sexual, I’m not comfortable with that. Other boundaries, as well as anything here can be discussed!!

CDT (GMT-5)

Friend me on discord if you wanna discuss at all!! I’ll be quick to respond usually

discord: kastion

.

[stargazer-sims]

OC Questions Tag

Oh, this is a good one! Thanks for the tag @honeybeenrw !

I'm going to do Nikolai (green) and Mishka (blue), since they had a little photo shoot together this weekend and are feeling more inseparable than usual. 😉

Mishka & Nikolai

__________

NAME: Mikhail Petrovich Vasiliev

NICKNAME: Mishka (only for family and close friends)

GENDER: male

STAR SIGN: Aquarius (10 February)

HEIGHT: 196cm

ORIENTATION: bisexual

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Russian / white

FAVOURITE FRUIT: apple

FAVOURITE SEASON: summer

FAVOURITE FLOWER: white clover, roses

FAVOURITE SCENT: freshly-cut grass

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: coffee is his hot drink of choice, but he likes both tea and hot chocolate as well.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: 8 hours is his average, but don’t underestimate Mishka’s ability to sleep. Left unsupervised or without setting an alarm, he can sleep for 10-11 hours.

DOGS or CATS: If he had to choose between only those two, it’d be cats. But Mishka is an animal lover and has an affinity for most creatures.

DREAM TRIP: He’d want to go to Chestnut Ridge because he’s fascinated by the desert and he loves to ride.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: Usually just one. He doesn’t tend to get cold easily.

RANDOM FACT: He has a terrible sense of direction and has extreme anxiety about getting lost anywhere. This is the reason he doesn’t like going to new places by himself. His anxiety about his poor sense of direction makes his ability to navigate even worse, and he’s occasionally been known to full-on panic and even cry during a panic attack when he gets mixed up and finds himself somewhere he didn’t intend to be or can’t find his way back. A situation like this is actually how he and Nikolai met.

__________

NAME: Nikolai Mikhailovich Pavlenko

NICKNAME: Kolya (only for family and close friends); Nik (only for close English-speaking friends)

GENDER: male

STAR SIGN: Sagittarius (18 December)

HEIGHT: 173cm

ORIENTATION: bisexual

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: first-generation Canadian (his parents are Russian-Canadians) / white

FAVOURITE FRUIT: blueberries

FAVOURITE SEASON: autumn and winter

FAVOURITE FLOWER: chrysanthemums

FAVOURITE SCENT: peppermint

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: His preference is coffee, but he also likes tea. He’s not a fan of chocolate in general.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: He usually gets between 6.5 and 7 hours of sleep a night

DOGS or CATS: He likes most animals but definitely considers himself a cat person.

DREAM TRIP: Nikolai doesn’t like to travel. If he can’t get there by car or bicycle in less than two hours, he’d rather not go. His “dream trip” is just getting far enough away to say he’s out of town, and going camping with Mishka.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: Usually only one. Mishka is very cuddly in bed and keeps him sufficiently warm. He might use a second blanket if he were sleeping alone.

RANDOM FACT: He’s gifted when it comes to languages. He’s fluent in three languages; Russian, English and French. He also has functional Korean, which he learned from his student Eden’s family, and basic Japanese, which he learned while living in Japan with Eden for nearly a year.

—————

I’ll tag @changingplumbob @ljfoxie @igotsnothing @akitasimblr @holocene-sims @dandylion240 @papermint-airplane and @honeyjars-sims

Feel free to ignore if you’ve already done it or don’t want to. (Also, I don’t mind being tagged more than once 😆)

[rp-partnerfinder]

🌶️

Hi! My name is Kas, and I’m an 18yo male looking for an RP partner. I’ve been roleplaying since I was 15 (12 if you count roleplaying on Halo lol). I’m looking for NSFW but I’m happy with and comfortable doing more. 18+ only please!!

More than anything, I’m looking for versatility- people comfortable with lots of things, playing doms and subs of both genders and having multiple characters. On top of that, being comfortable with variety and experimenting. When it comes to SFW plot themes, I’m a huge fan of militaristic/societal corruption themes, and heavy drama and tragedy. Particularly The Boys, Breaking Bad and the Evillious Chronicles are things I love.

I’m most experienced with OCRP, but if I somehow run into an Evillious fan I’m willing to RP Evillious characters and/or an Evillious themed/inspired universe. I’m also up to do a Halo universe RP, but with OCs.

When it comes to RP experience, I’m quite experienced in everything but NSFW. I’m looking for more experience in that field, and looking to try things out. My schedule is something that constantly changes, and although I may consistently talk to you it will be difficult to consistently rp.

I have a lot of characters! Like, a lot, I’ll list them categorized by gender

Male - Alexander Arisumi, Talon Burke, Jonas Blanke, Emygdio Guerra, Andres Galarza, Ramiro Gallego, Epsilon (I have a lot more but I’m drawing blanks)

Female - Asuka Akinaga, Hiraoka Arisumi, Kubota Tomoko, Zoya Vasiliev, Eta, Bonnie Lyons, Natalya Beale (Also more here, these are my favorites)

My biggest boundary is our relationship OOC will not become sexual, I’m not comfortable with that. Other boundaries, as well as anything here can be discussed!!

CDT (GMT-5)

Friend me on discord if you wanna discuss at all!! I’ll be quick to respond usually

discord: kastion

.

[gemsofgreece]

Hi! 😁

Sorry to bother you, but I like your blog very much and I was hoping you could help me: I studied Ancient Greece (a lot) and Byzantine (very little) history in highschool and then in Uni, but now that I'm learning modern Greek I realized just how ignorant I am of any other period of Greek History.😅

I was wondering if you could recommend any history books that cover the others periods (possibly in English, although I'm Italian... Unfortunately my Greek is still very elementary 😓)?

Everything I found seems to start in 1821 when searching for Modern Greece History books, so my biggest gap is between 1492 and 1821 😕 (so Ottomans and Venetians invasions, I guess).

Hiya! I struggled a lot with this ask. I want to help so bad but one problem is that the books I have read and can have an opinion on are 99% by Greek writers. Another issue is that I am often suspicious of western books on Byzantine and Modern Greek history because it is almost impossible to find objective perspectives - the west has been traditionally opposed to Byzantium (this only now starts changing slowly) and Modern History is 99% explored through an “and here’s where we step in, woooohoooo” lens. The third issue is that the period you are most interested in, is a period known to us Greeks as Dark Ages (not to be confused with the Homeric Age, also known as such). The reason it is called so is because there is so little information about it through a Greek perspective, because between Ottoman rule and Venetian protectorates, Greeks lacked agency almost entirely. There are more chances to learn about this period through books about Ottoman history or the Venetian and Frankish history in the East Mediterranean , however obviously you can’t expect an emphasis on the Greek experience let alone an understanding of them through such books. So, in short, it’s quite tough to find English books to recommend.

However, I have two works in mind about the Byzantine Empire in specific.

One is the work of French historian Charles Diehl (1859 - 1944). This is a bit of a problem because in Greece there is a special edition that is like an Encyclopaedia series about the Byzantine Empire which features almost all of his work in a very reader-friendly way. But in English such editions do not exist.

So I found a part of his work (History of the Byzantine Empire) in kindle in English but it is a small ancient book of a hundred fifty something pages, and it is the original old stuff, while the Greek edition by the same name is illustrated, remastered and includes all his work which is about 880 pages as a whole. This is to explain to you why it’s pretty hard for me to recommend books in foreign editions. Your experience reading the English edition, if you find it at all, will definitely not be the same as my experience reading the Greek edition.

I also realised I own another book series (of two thick volumes) that I have never read. It’s also called History of the Byzantine Empire by Alexander Vasiliev. This is another old work (1928). It gets decent reviews but, again, I haven’t read it, I just recommend it because I saw it in my bookcase 👀 and I know it is a famous work with many translations so you will be able to find this one easily, quite possibly in Italian too. But perhaps it is going to be a little dense and old fashioned.

I have been hearing of a new hopeful approach regarding Greek history lately even in western academia, that of exploring Greek history throughout the ages in a wholistic fashion, but to my understanding, judging from Greek reviews of such books, while noble and long-awaited as an intent, it is still too new to be perfect in its execution. Books by Roderick Beaton come to mind, trying to present Greek history throughout time but since I haven’t read any yet, I am just throwing it in here as a “better than nothing” idea, but not as a personal recommendation.

It is fascinating though how much desire there is in the west to (to quote somebody else) pin down the Greeks and figure them out, as if they are one of the biggest mysteries of the world. It is one of the reasons it often makes such books so inaccurate in the end. I was in one of the largest book-and-media stores in Greece the other day (I mean Public) and as I was looking through the bookstands I realised that Greek historiography has been slowly fighting its low self-esteem and sense of defeat the recent years. I saw many bookstands, a lot of new Greek writers and historians, books for kids, for adults, about many different eras of Greek history and culture. Here’s hoping that one day Western academia will cease marginalising Greek input on Greek things and that day I will be able to offer better recs.

In any case, if anybody has read good and accurate English or Italian editions especially on Byzantine, post-Byzantine and Modern Greek history, please comment!

[hitogeki]

Portrait of a Viera Hoplomachus, 1570 -Sirius cen Juventus, b. 1528, Sixth Astral Era

An interesting subject. The Garlean army recruits from its conquered nations, certainly, but viera make up very, very few of its numbers. This viera, who I am under good authority is named Pasha, was dragged out of the Golmorre Jungle kicking and screaming. Thankfully, cohort II of the IVth Legion proved their excellency in breaking savages. Now he's a productive, talented soldier- though reports say he can still be disagreeable one on one. Further attempts to recruit other viera resulted in expeditions returning only with genuine volunteers, if they returned at all, all female; considering the nature of his acquisition, Pasha was likely a young buck when pressed into serving our glorious Garlemald. Any older, and he may have proven too much for his captors. He serves mainly in Ala Mhigo, as per the tradition of sending recruits to countries outside their home to prevent fomenting rebellion.

Incidentally, Pasha aan Golmorre is reported to have been one of many who died or disappeared during the Battle of Carteneau. Recent reports say a viera matching his description has been spotted back in Ala Mhigo, now calling himself Minka Vasiliev. It is uncertain if these are the same person.

[cw violence, sexual assault implications; endwalker spoilers]

Dmitri eyed the portrait. It hung in the slightly squalid home, the frame damaged, but considering the end of the world was rapidly approaching, it was amazing its artist had hung onto it at all.

The artist, Sirius cen Juventus, sat before him then. Older- the painting was easily twenty years old at least, and he hadn't been young when he did it- hunched under a blanket to ward off the chill. Dalmasca could be cold at night, being a desert, and the ruins of Rabanastre were no different.

Dmitri paid no heed. He was used to it, even if Golmorre was better at keeping in the heat. "You met him, then?" he asked, voice low, rumbling.

Sirius nodded thoughtfully. His eyes, too, were fixed on it, eyes going over the brushstrokes, the way the lights seemed to catch at the eyes. "We didn't talk- he barely spoke, and I was told that was normal. He just stared. It was quite captivating, really- I couldn't tell if he was staring at me or just through me."

"Did they treat him well?"

"As well as they treated any savage- no offense." Sirius must have caught how his lip curled. Dmitri kept himself quiet, waiting for him to continue. "They were fond of him, certainly. Like a mascot. When I told his manipulus I wanted to paint him, they were excited but explained they couldn't pay. Not with money, anyways."

The old man took a deep breath, letting the sound of the fire (tiresome, overdone, just made the room stink of smoke in such close quarters and made him sweat) breathe life into the silence. "A very talented boy, that one."

The only sign of Dmitri's current mood was the grit of his teeth. He kept himself composed otherwise. "I see. You said he disappeared?"

"Aye, at Carteneau. I got ahold of some witnesses. They say he saw the meteors, saw Bahamut, and went mad. Took over some magitek armor and started firing on his own. Guess you can't completely civilize them." This time, Sirius didn't apologize, just reached over to the endstand nestled next to the chair he sat on to take a sip of his tea. "There've been sightings of him recently, too, or-"

"Someone who might be him," Dmitri finished. "Minka Vasiliev."

"Aye. Gridania first, I heard, then he made quite a name for himself at Ishgard. If Minka is Pasha, then he certainly was brave coming back to Ala Mhigo, considering everything he was personally responsible for there." The man laughed. "Recently he was seen at Radz-at-Han. That's when my contacts dried up. Since, you know."

"The end of the world."

"The Final Days."

The reason he was out of the jungle, after twenty years of his cousin being missing. After a nearby clan was almost entirely wiped out- nearby on their terms, considering the viera liked to stretch themselves out. After one of the survivors, a young girl, had turned into- into-

He couldn't even think about it without his gut churning.

The sky in the jungle was red and burning. The sky in Rabanastre wasn't entirely dissimilar. From what he had understood, they were dealing with much the same- as was the world, which was cold comfort to him, that the viera weren't alone. But they were strong. Together, they could hunker down and weather this, tend to the Wood and remain strong. They just needed their matriarch, his- and his cousin's- grandmother, Vilmenja, to remain steadfast.

(And as much as he hated her, had hated being raised by her, seeing how she turned his cousin into a warped version of her that he'd spent far too little time trying to iron out, it was still bizarre to see her refuse to get out of bed. To hear her only mumble his cousin's name, her favourite grandchild, the one she'd always lamented turning out as a buck.)

(And it was his fault, really. For not dragging his cousin back from the interlopers, for not coming back quickly enough. So it was only right if he fixed this, even if it seemed like his cousin had no desire to return home.)

(Even if the Green Word would now no longer be theirs to follow. Even if the jungle would reject them, in all probability.)

"Old Sharlayan, too," the old man added in afterthought. "A lot there, though I don't know if that will stay true."

None of these names meant anything to him. Dmitri nodded and turned to the door, where his spear was resting.

"Now, can I ask why you barged into an old man's home? Surely not just to ask questions about one of his many portraits."

He paused as he reached for his spear, contemplating for a few moments the heft of it in his hands. "Hm. I'd been asking around for this viera. Someone said you might have information. Isn't that obvious?"

"Truly? Seems an odd time to be looking." Sirius laughed again, this time harsh, bitter. "We're all going to be dead here soon, the way this-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, of course. Dmitri spun around, hurled the spear- and, gloriously, it found its mark in the man's chest. Through a lung, if the strangled, wheezed cry he let out said anything. White hot fury, barely held back through the entire encounter, surged through him; he watched rather than felt as he stomped forwards, grabbed the haft and used it as leverage to throw the man out of the chair onto the ground. Mechanically, almost dispassionately, he ripped it out and stabbed down, again, again, until his pants were spattered with blood and the old man, while twitching, was silent past low groans.

There must have been noise. He didn't hear it; the blood had been rushing in his ears too loudly. Ordinarily, he loathed violence, abhorred taking a life if he could drive off the person instead.

There were always exceptions.

'A very talented boy, that one.'

Dmitri felt his stomach heave, though he swallowed it down. Turning again on his heels, he walked out of the house, quickly as he could, hoping that he could either leave before anyone came to investigate or that the dark of night and how dark his own clothes were hid the gore. (If anyone did care to still investigate such disturbances; they feared the monsters- blasphemies, they were apparently being called- quite a bit)

Minka Vasiliev. His cousin, Minka Vasiliev. He’d changed a lot since he’d last seen him in that portrait alone- that was the shortest he’d ever seen his baby cousin’s hair, and even in portrait form, there was something off in how those eyes looked- but it was him. It was undeniably, unmistakably him.

Radz-at-Han.

Gridania.

Ishgard.

Old Sharlayan.

Wherever these were, whatever blasphemies they were besieged by, Dmitri Vasiliev would go there. He would find Minka and drag him back to the safety of the Wood's embrace, and even if they were the last people still on earth, there, the viera would be safe.

He just had to find him.

[canvas texture overlay courtesy of here]

[medicinelost-a]

hc dump ??? hc dump, these are in no particular order, so! <3

>was visiting extended family w/ their parents in nebraska when the apocalypse hit. holed up in the house until the military safe zones were set up a few weeks in. met vitali and buricko there. >unfortunately, arvo and natasha were separated from their family during a raid a month or so later, eventually escaping with the aforementioned duo, plus a few others. namely, a pregnant mother, her teenaged son, and another man. >the man left fairly early on with an armful of their supplies, the teenaged son ending up getting bit, and his mother, not able to handle it, went soon after.

>is sick, along with his sister. he has type 3 ehlers-danlos syndrome, hence the leg brace, obviously, and natasha has sickle cell anemia. ‎‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ >burnt out gifted kid. his parents, particularly his dad, was a determined overachiever, and pushed arvo to be perfect. he always held him to an un -reachable standards, esp when it came to school + extracurricular activities. his older sister grew up much differently, and came out fairly rebellious and free-spirited, which their dad didn't like, hence the sudden shift in parenting. >basically, he has 'i speak six languages' from putnam spelling bee energy. ㅤㅤ >was in the chess club, and the science club at school, partly due to his dad's influences, partly due to a genuine interest in both things. >his specialty in science is robotics, able to make different little contraptions, which does come in handy at times, even nowadays. plus general biology, making him team medic, most of the time. >also has an interest in gardening, and collecting/studying insects. ㅤㅤㅤㅤ >dungeons and dragon nerd……… points and laughs………. (affectionate)

more about his family, and old friends, pre apocalypse:

- iiris izmaylov, maiden name 'võsu', mid-40s, a jewish estonian woman who moved to russia with her family when she was a teen. she works as a wedding planner, and sometimes helps out in the small old-school bakery her sister and her sister's husband opened. - mikhail izmaylov, late 40s, a russian man, a traditional homebody who has never left the town he was born and raised in, he owned a car repair shop, and has since his twenties. always wanted arvo to turn out 'better then him'. - roza and pyotr, arvo's aunt and uncle, and their two kids, zia and luka, they were the family that they were visiting when everything went down/started.

- zakhar vasiliev, d&d club, arvo's childhood / family friend, them practically being like siblings, but also like arvo was this close to strangling him at any given time, asdfghjkl (friendship!) - tamara alekseyeva, science club, met in middle school when they were paired up for a science project which almost blew up the classroom. they, of course, got detention together. - veronika petrova, science club, yearbook club, fellow stressed overachiever and group mom-friend (bonding!)

ok back to misc headcanons:

>arvo's childhood nickname was 'bambi', along w/ being called referred to as rebenok (child), teasingly by the rest of his group. which he disliked. >another song that has him vibes is 'top of my school' by katherine lynn-rose. >arvo may seem like he had his shit together pre-apocalypse, but really, he was a big dumb disaster (affectionate)--some examples:

-snorted the powder from caffeine pills in a attempt to stay awake for a test. -went to make coffee while half asleep and forgot to put the coffee mix in, drinking half of a cup of just hot water before he realized his mistake. -got rlly stressed one time while studying, and not being able to find his glasses made him almost burst into frustrated tears (they ended up just being on his head) -forgot to eat / drink anything other then one (1) singular muffin and like 646954 cups of coffee for like, a week and got confused when he almost passed the fuck out in class.

>due to his fondness for insects/arachnids/bugs in general, instead of a normal pet, arvo had a pet tarantula as a child/pre-apocalypse, her name was zoya. natasha also had a pet, a in-training service dog, a rough collie named bolshoi, and lost him fairly early on. >i totally forgot to add these last time i drew him, so. whoops, but arvo has braces, with rubberbands, too. yes, he is tempted to go at them with pilers somedays. >at one point, arvo found a old journal, and he still uses it tbh, basically using it like a diary. he also tends to doodle in it a lot, nothing rlly good just bored scribbles. he'll also sometimes draw on his arms/skin in general. sometimes when hes bored enough, he’ll ‘doodle' math and science shit in his journal too, like catch him filling up pages with long ass polynomial problems and calculus. he finds it calming, its like second nature to him and he doesn’t have to rlly think about it. >carries around a tape recorder + tapes, he uses alongside his journal to document his days and keep track of things. >though he technically wasn’t supposed to watch them growing up, arvo is kind of a horror junkie ?? like horror movies/books/games are his kinda thing, ok. sometimes his old group used to tell stories to pass the time while traveling, or at night, and arvo highkey got banned from participating bc his stories were always scary. arvo vc: u guys are nooooo fun smh !! >a big reason arvo is into botany/plants and gardening as much as he is, is partly because he was a kid he used to help his mom garden and stuff, which sparked his interest in it. >used to take a bunch of different music lessons when he was a kid, but the only one that really stuck was piano. tho hes a lot better with copying music (playing by ear, sight reading) then he is making some thing new, or making stuff up on the spot. he tends to always think of it more logically / math-like, almost bc that's just what he finds easier. >arvo has a really bad nail biting/picking habit! it’s an anxious tic, he’ll bite/pick them down super short until they start bleeding, and will probs continue to bite them anyway bc hes stupid, asdfghjkl? he’ll also bite/pick at his cuticles until the same shit happens, (someone pls yell @ him 4 it).

>is autistic, because i said so.