#like dolokhov and Anatole…close friends..

[imsomentallystable]

Wait, wait..hear me out..total drama x the great comet of 1812 AU…

Natasha-Lindsay

Sonya-Gwen or Bridgette

Pierre-Trent

Helene-Heather

Dolokhov-Noah or Duncan

Mary-Ezekiel??noah??

Balaga-Izzy

Andrey-??

Prince bolkonsky-Chris

Marya-Blainley

Anatole- Alejandro

[helenekuragina]

motivated mostly by boredom, i decided to make a chart of the extremely complicated relationships between the main bunch of the younger crowd of war and peace. details and variations below!

i used draw.io to make the chart and decided to make the little character images using makowka's picrew.

first, only the family connections:

upon planning for this chart, i really did underestimate just how many people's cousin boris really is... anna mikhailovna is related to the bezukhovs on her mother's side and the rostovs presumably on her father's side, making boris almost everyone's cousin. based on the way prince vassily and anna mikhailovna talk about count rostov and her closeness with countess natalya, i assumed that anna's relation was to the shinshin family, hence why i didn't list boris as sonya's cousin, since she is stated as being count rostov's niece. in a previous edition boris was also stated as being andrei's cousin, so... truly the people's cousin.

regarding the kuragin-bolkonsky connection, anna pavlovna refers to marya as "a relation of ours" when speaking to prince vassily, so i assume that they're also some sort of distant convoluted cousins of some kind. in previous drafts it seems like their connection was more obvious, with andrei even spending time living with the kuragins when he was a child. sorry to the maryatole and andretole crowds, but also it's war and peace, what do you expect.

additionally, in previous editions of war and peace, berg was countess natalya's cousin, meaning he would also be related to the rostovs and boris. sorry to the verg crowd.

onto the romantic connections:

dashed pink lines indicate one-sided feelings (such as with dolokhov and sonya) or mostly insignificant courtships/flirtations (like boris and marya). i considered putting anatole/natasha and hélène/dolokhov in that category, but i figured they were plot significant enough to warrant a solid line. dashed purple lines indicated previous marriages.

and for fun, the non-familial nor romantic dynamics:

this one was probably the most fun to make. again, dashed lines are primarily for one-sided beef, lmao, like vera's bitterness towards hélène for not coming to her party or sonya being angry at every woman who ever looked at nikolai. i almost put a dashed line between julie and marya's friendship due to them growing apart after julie's brothers die, but i couldn't bring myself to :( plus doing that for them would open a can of worms in relation to the back and forth in the friendships between dolokhov and nikolai and pierre that i was frankly too lazy for.

i didn't mark characters who become friends after becoming in-laws, like lise and marya or natasha and marya, because those seemed like they were straddling the line between familial and friendship and i felt like marking in-laws would make the chart even more crowded and chaotic than it already was. however, this was fun enough that i'm considering doing it for all of the main characters (a.k.a. adding in marya dmitrievna, prince vassily, anna mikhailovna, etc.) so maybe i'll do it that time around.

[madwickedawesome]

So basically the plot is based on one section of War and Peace, where Natasha Rostova and her best friend (who she calls cousin) Sonya Alexandrova go to Moscow + live with Natasha's godmother Marya Dmitrievna. I'm going to vague some character relations so you know who they all are to each other because I understand how it can be confusing hsjdjsfjsk.

Natasha is engaged to Andrei Bolkonsky, who is currently away fighting in the war. Andrei is close friends with Pierre (you know pierre). Pierre is unhappily married to Hélène Kuragina, who is sister to Anatole Kuragin. Anatole, Fedya Dolokhov and Pierre are friends. Andrei's sister is Mary, and his father is Prince Bolkonsky. Sorry this is probably really confusing HELP

But yeah it's pretty centric around Natasha, Pierre and Anatole and their part of the plot. I'm not going to like. Spoil the entire story but if you're having a hard time working out a certain part!! I can help!!!!

NO THAT MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE THANK U 😭😭😭😭😭 i think ir was the relationships that was throwinf me off just. so bad. also i love the (you know pierre) i feel like ive been given a little medal i do know pierre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dolokhoded]

hi I am about to be so annoying but that’s what you get for rbing those Great Comet asks. 2, 5, 17, 26, 34, 42, 44 and 50?

oooogh holds these in my hands like a handful of numbers ooooogh ty kap >:)))

2. favorite natasha

denee. i love all natashas. they're all incredibly talented. but to me nobody does it like denee benton she's just mindblowing.

5. favorite understudy

HHGGG I WANNA BE VERY BIASED AND SAY BLAINE ALDEN KRAUSS BUT IM NOT GONNA cause that's just shoba narayan erasure, what a natasha.

17. if you could play any character who would you play?

i think about this all the time and i've concluded to i'd be happy playing literally any role in this show. any of them. but realistically, as in people who are actually in my vocal range i'd love to have a go at mary, maybe ? (the secret answer to this though is always natasha i wanna be a STAR !!!! I WANNA DO NO ONE ELSE IN THAT GORGEOUS BLUE LIGHTING !!!! )

26. song you love to sing

no one else is the one i do best cause i sing it like. all the time. nonstop. less now cause i dont have time to do anything but like before september it was all i ever sang i used to sing almost every day and every time i did you bet i had a couple dozen runs of no one else. but the most fun one is private and intimate life of the house. which is ironic. cause that song's whole concept is very much not fun but it's just SOOOOO oogh i love it.

34. favorite costume

(in tears) ANATOLE COAT ??!???

42. character you’d kill

oh i know this one !!!! :DDD but i'm not actually gonna answer anatole cause it's very predictable i'm gonna go with his dumbass friend the dueller instead so then moscow can maybe have One people getting shot free day. which. i realize nnow dolokhov's probably just as predictable of an answer but ://

50. one thing you miss about comet

well i never really,, actually sense that there's that big of a difference when a show's closed due to. y'know living on the other side of the planet and having zero touch with what's actually happening on broadway outside of my phone. but whenever a show closes i always miss seeing the cast all together. which y'know isn't that much of an issue with dave's shows cause he and his actors are pretty tight they're together in like half of his projects, the other day half the comet cast was in his hermes thing, but still. i miss seeing the cast post pictures backstage and be stupid about this show like we are.

[officialleotolstoy]

Great Comet fans who ship Danatole in an “omg they’re boyfriends they’re so in love” way are SO funny to me because like ok sure live your best life i guess but the book canon dynamic is more like

Anatole: Hey guys this is my best friend Fedya!! He lives in my house and we’re really close intimate bros and he’s gonna help me elope :))

Dolokhov:

[lovetornnatasha]

Queen songs that remind me of characters of The Great Comet of 1812 and why

Pierre Bezukhov

All Dead, All Dead: "of course i don't believe you're dead, and gone" this one reminds me of him because of Andrey's death, they were really really close and Pierre admired Andrey way too much and his death would have affected him a lot but he learns to just live with it and remember his friend with love

Jealousy: "i wasn't mad enough to let you hurt my pride, now I'm only left with my own jealousy" The consequences of the duel. Not really that hard to explain but y'know that moment where he gets back from the duel to think about it and Hélène is (RIGHTFULLY) very mad at him and all that? yeah.

Natasha Rostova

Dreamer's ball: "You'll love me when you see me, I won't have to worry" i mean i think it's really obvious <33 it's a song about a ball and all of it and ball's are Natasha's thing, i imagine her dancing to it with a pretty dress BUT ALSO it's a song about a something like a break up? so it reminds me of her and Andrey too, between while he was away to after his death.

In the lap of the gods: "i touch your lips with mine, but in the end, i leave it to the gods" no specific reason besides how it reminds me of the way she loves and stuff she says

Anatole Kuragin

Let me entertain you: This one is more about the kind of life he has with all the parties and all the women and all the alcohol and stuff. His job is being pretty and stupid.

Dragon attack: "gonna get me on the track, got my dragon on the back" It's mostly the vibes tbh, same as above while i feel it's something that would sound on the background while he's walking with his usual jaunty step™

Fedya Dolokhov

Liar: "Liar, Liar, they never ever let you win, Liar, Liar, everything you do is sin" I'VE SEEN @/dolokhoded SAY IT BEFORE BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE EXACT SAME THING TOO, besides is my favorite song ever so i shall assign it to my favorite character. The whole song is so Dolokhov coded, the part about promising a mother to pray all day long, about asking for forgiveness, about sinning and at the end not really caring, i love it, it's Dolokhov's song.

Flick of the wrist: "Mesmerize you when he's tongue tied, simply with those eyes, synchronize your minds and see the beast within him rise" this is more of a war and peace thing but it's about the part of the book where Dolokhov makes Nikolai lose all his money? yeah. The flick of the wrist would be a reference to the cards and just generally the song lyrics give so many vibes of Dolokhov and Nikolai's relationship you could tell me it was written about them and i wouldn't doubt you

Andrey Bolkonsky

39': "your mother's eyes, from your eyes cry to me" Though the song is about a science fiction story, it reminds me of him and Nikolushka and somehow also how he felt after Lise died, which was very guilty.

Death on two legs: "you suck my blood like a leeck, you break the law and you preach" ABSOLUTELY NO REASON BESIDES HOW HE CONSTANTLY TALKS ABOUT HOW BE HATES EVERYONE AND UNDIAGNOSED NPD.

[abacus-and-paper-money]

GC characters as random fuckin lyrics from songs I like because I make QUALITY CONTENT on this here blog and don't just milk the same 'x as y' format over and over again no siree

Andrey: "There will come a soldier, who carries a mighty sword. He will tear your city down, oh lei, oh lai, oh lord." -Soldier, Poet, King, The Oh Hellos

Natasha: "My youth is yours, trippin' on skies, sippin' waterfalls. My youth is yours, run away now, and forever more." -YOUTH, Troye Sivan

Sonya: "As the world comes to an end, I'll be there to hold your hand." -King and Lionheart, Of Monsters And Men

Marya: "I chIMED IN WITH A 'HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE EVER HEARD OF CLOSING A GODDAMN DOOR?" -I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Panic! At The Disco

Anatole: "if 'I love you' was a promise, would you break it, if you're honest?" -idontwannabeyouanymore, Billie Eilish

Helene: "We're lost somewhere in outer space, in a hotel room where demons play. They run around beneath our feet, we roll around beneath these sheets." -Coming Down, Halsey

Dolokhov: "This is for the snakes and the people they bite. For the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights. For the warning signs I've completely ignored, there's an amount to take, reasons to take more." -Twin Size Mattress, The Front Bottoms

Bolkonsky: *screaming* -Every Twenty One Pilots song ever

Mary: "Saint Calvin told me not to worry about you, but he's got his own things to deal with. There's really just one thing that we have in common; neither of us will be missed." -Saint Bernard, Lincoln

Pierre: "she's a lady, and I am just a line without a hook." -Line Without A Hook, Ricky Montgomery

[queerperchperkins]

great comet vocal type analysis- mostly pierre and anatole

okay so as we all know anatole is a tenor and pierre is a baritone. which is very unusual for their kind of characters. anatole is usually the kind of character that we would see as a baritone or a bass, he manipulates and gets what he wants and is ultimately the antagonist of the great comet. and pierre is the kind of character that we would expect to be a tenor. he is kind and compassionate and kind of a love interest for natasha (and actually is in war and peace but that’s a different post). 

i think dave malloy did this to warp our perception of them because even though natasha isn’t present for a good chunk of the show, she’s our protagonist. we see the show through her eyes. we really do. pierre being a baritone over a bass gives him the ability to not be villainized on the spot. the first thing we are told about him in “prolouge” is that he’s a sweet, unhappy man. in “pierre” we are told that his marriage is not good, he isn’t particularily rich but gives money to whoever needs it. when we actually meet his character and are told things by people close to him, we are told that he is a long time friend of natasha. he’s in love with natasha. but  he’s the narrator to natasha and anatole’s story. not a love interest or a best friend or an antagonist or a protagonist. just a narrator. 

the audience is told immediately to not trust anatole. that he sleeps around. the adjective “prologue” gives us is to summarize the character. anatole is attractive; he spends his money on women and alcohol. we aren’t supposed to like him. but natasha doesn’t know about these rumours or him at all. she’s a young girl (sixteen at the time in the novel i believe). she’s impressionable. she is engaged to andrey, a higher baritone role. anatole is a tenor though. he is the classic musical theatre and opera voice type for a love interest. natasha upon meeting him, trusts him. and part of the audience is supposed to as well. we don’t know his full intentions yet but we know that he doesn’t particularily care about people. he uses pierre’s “open purse” to his advantage and asks for money from him every time they are on stage together within one scene. but natasha wants to trust him and love him and so part of the audience trusts him because she does. 

in “letters”, at the beginning of act two, everyone is writing letters. pierre writes to his best friend andrey, who has been at war for a while. we aren’t told exactly how long in the show but a while. pierre’s whole letter is about grief, guilt, and regret. he tells his friend that he feels guilty for hurting dolokhov. he also tells us he’s been in love with natasha for a long time, but still wishes them the best. this is the biggest example of him as a character. that even though he wants to be with natasha, he hopes that she and andrey are happy together. he spends his days drinking and reading and he regrets this because he thinks he should be out with andrey fighting in the war. 

anatole writes to natasha in “letters”. however, no he doesn’t dolokhov writes to natasha as anatole in “letters”. natasha at the end of act one told us she’s in love with him. anatole clearly doesn’t feel the same way, he doesn’t even write to this girl but is planning to elope with her. if you as an audience member had trusted him, you definitely shouldn’t trust him now. but natasha doesn’t know it’s him and so she still trusts him. even when she gets caught by marya, she trusts him. even after she stops trusting him, she defends him. in “natasha & pierre”, pierre says “why did you trust that bad man?” and natasha’s response? “don’t call him bad, but i don’t know”. in natasha’s eyes anatole was her love interest and was the tenor knight in shining armour that she probably was grown up to believe in. pierre in her eyes was just a good friend until the end of the show.

idk i just think that dave malloy breaking these roles to fit into natasha’s perception of them instead of how the audience should perceive them is really cool

[vinatintasupernovita]

Not historical figures but GO x Great Comet crossover, War meets Helene and Pollution/Pestilence meets Balaga. What chaos ensues? War would duel Pierre, I know it already (and maybe Anatole too). And omg Death hanging around Natasha after her attempted suicide and kind of looking after her? "Natasha you can do better than him. Trust me I literally know everything."

No but I know for a fact War is beating up Anatole like guns thrown out she’s got fists and he can’t run that fast. She’s absolutely dueling Pierre maybe in a “respect your wife you dickhead” way maybe in a “man lighten the fuck up and have a good time this’ll be fun” sort of way. either way she’s missing on purpose to make a point bc if she didn’t.. there’d be a funeral. Also she and Dolokhov got war stories (badumtss) to tell while like playing chicken w their guns

Pollution has tried drag racing (cart racing?) with Balaga and Pestilence went along for the ride- He learned how awful it is to vomit for the first time after that. Also Balaga totally won, but Pollution came in close even when one of their cart’s wheels like rotted off bc Pollution.

Pestilence likes to torment old man Bolkonsky bc he’s a dick and tormenting the elderly is funny when they’re dicks but he does it under the guise that he was some fellow dignitary and everytime he visits Bolkonsky comes down w something. He’s always kind to Mary, who he knows that bastard father of hers runs ragged- he can see it in her eyes. Mary has to admit, out of all of their guests, “Duke Wyn of House.. which house is it now again?” as she calls him, has to be one of the nicest they have. Even if her father thinks otherwise.

Helené and War... GOD almighty the flirting. They’d flirt a lot a lot. (I actually think Helene and Famine would be really good friends cus they’re both high society types but Helene would absolutely be like “full disclosure, your sisters hot, is 1812 bro code invoked?” and even if Famine said yes, that’s not stopping War nor Helene.)

also my brain thought was War was definitely dressing in like suits and shit at this time period so i immediately went:

Helene: your sister’s gnc af

Famine: YOURE INSANE

And YES! Natasha, poor sweet incredibly naive Natasha sits with Death a lot during her recovery. They’re somber and quiet but after the adventure she’s had she prefers that. She talks and they listen a lot of the times. She feels like she’s let everyone down for being foolish and even worse she’s so heart broken because she lost the man she really loved all because she couldn’t see through another man’s deception and hurt her family in the process. She feels as if she’s doomed the family name and everyone would see her as a disgrace or an embarrassment now. More so, she feels like that reputation will live with her now, and bc its 1812 the societal expectations hang over her, so maybe she’ll never find another man who truly cared about her. Maybe she never did in the first place.

And Death, who’s presence was rarely ever considered comforting, would just sit and listen as they wrapped a starry wing around her and when she was finally done talking they’d tell her that she’d be just fine. It wasn’t her fault someone tried to take advantage of her and her family knew that- even if the whole situation was messy. But she’ll be ok and she will be loved. They’re Death, they’d know.

And Natasha just has this weak smile when she looks up at them but one full of hope all the same.

[jakegardiner]

I haven't read war and peace so take this with a grain of salt BUT I think helene being a villain is more vital to natasha's characterization than pierre's - I really love the way Natasha is written because she IS a typical ingenue type, but everything she does makes sense for her and she's so much more fleshed out than someone like Cosette or Johanna, without losing any of the "traits" that they share. The audience watches her get manipulated by Anatole & Helene, and if Helene hadn't set the example of being with Dolokhov publicly, Natasha would never have been willing to even entertain the idea of talking to Anatole; it's only when he kisses her that she begins to rationalize that her breaking faith with Andre means she MUST love Anatole, and they MUST be together - if not, her guilt would destroy her completely (as it does at the end of the show). If Helene hadn't manipulated her in The Opera & Charming, the audience probably wouldn't be willing to understand her motivations and this would make her much more unlikeable.

So first of all hello I love you. And you are absolutely right— in the context of the musical! Adding the duel for context and making the affair legit definitely allowed for Natasha (and Pierre) to be more sympathetic and likeable characters, which is needed much more in a modern musical than a philosophical tirade or whatever Tolstoy called it. I’ve actually lost track of the number of times I’ve scribbled “Natasha you dumb bitch” in the margins of my copy just she’s just like that in the book. But somewhere on this site (i think it’s buried under thousands of ducks in my likes) someone wrote a beautiful beautiful post on why the Rostovs and Kuragins (and the Bolkonskys and Pierre) are the way they are because of the way their parents showed them love and it’s just *chefs kiss*. I think it was either andryushas or officialleotolstoy I will try to find it to link here. But that’s basically where all of Natasha’s motivations come from— she expects to be loved. And with Andrei away and only her father and Sonya in Moscow with her, it makes sense that she accepts Anatole’s love. It’s just like. She’s completely naïve to even the upper class society she was born into because of her parents’ approach to raising her.

But enough about Natasha I am here for my girl Helene because Tolstoy and Dave (and Carpi) did her dirty. Musical Helene is characterized as a villain because the show was already so long without devolving into her motivations.

I really feel for Helene because she’s just chilling with some guy when her father bursts out and congratulates the two of them on their engagement, like what? Not to mention everything Helene had heard about Pierre was about how he was a bastard, he was unable to conduct himself in society, but suddenly he becomes the most eligible bachelor in Russia? Press x to doubt. 

And Pierre’s always off being depressed or doing cult stuff with the Masons, and I think it’s fair to say someone who grew up closely with her brother would need more close companionship then you could get from chatting with guests at parties. And Boris might have brought companionship and interesting conversations to the table, but it’s fairly obvious his only intent is to climb the social ladder. Dolokhov also wants some of the social capital that comes with being well acquainted with the queen of society, though it’s plain to see he only wants enough to ensure his mother and sister will be taken care of should something happen to him. And Dolokhov is a friend of Anatole’s, and Pierre clearly finds him a decent enough man to open his home to him. I certainly understand Dave’s purpose in making the affair legitimate, but it simply being a figment of Pierre’s imagination adds another layer to his character I think.

Anyways this is a hot mess but I love Helene and stan this catholic icon. /j

Also here is a link to zip file of War and Peace (1965-1967) with subtitles because Irina Skobtseva did an AMAZING performance as Helene

[irreplaceable-ecstasyy]

For the two AUs, 15 and 51 for Marlene?

15- Criminal AU & 51- Accidentally Married (I’ve never written anything related to being accidentally married so this should be interesting! Also, lots of holes in between because I’m just going to write the relevant plot points that include the two AUs. Feel free to fill in the blanks or if you wanna know the lil things I’ve got in between, feel free to spam my DMs or ask box xD

i. (Some exposition) In the modern era, Marya is a well known criminal from the lower class who often went by the alias, The Terrible Dragon. She is fierce in combat as she was in using fire as her weapon of choice (from handmade flamethrowers strapped to her wrists). She manipulates shadow and light to conceal herself as she proceeds with her acts of crime, and it’s hard to believe that she’s just some ordinary woman. She’s agile, skilled and a very very dangerous woman. Many people have commisioned her to do their dirty jobs for a good price which she very willingly does. However, she does not kill. The most she would do is break-in and steal for her benefit as well as her goddaughters. Hélène, simply being a curious woman, finds herself hunting Marya down and she eventually runs into the woman on the streets, and their first meeting is, well, rather steamy with tension. 

ii.  How they find themselves accidentally married? Much later into the friendship they created, Marya is finally comfortable enough to attend the events Hélène hosts with her brother and best friend, Anatole and Dolokhov. They’ve all already developed some form of knowing one another so Marya is highly aware of who the two of them are. Anatole and Dolokhov can literally smell the chemistry off of them and so there’s some lingering scheme at the back of their heads that only they would find funny. Eventually, Marya becomes far too comfortable. A lot of drinks were passed around to both Marya and Hélène by Anatole’s own hand and Dolokhov prepares for the scheme. Once Hélène and Marya are intoxicated enough, the two men thought it would be funny if they orchestrated some wedding for them with actual certificates. With Anatole, he had resources to anything and so this was how it happened.

iii.  Upon discovery that they were accidentally married, Marya begins to push Hélène away for so many reasons. One of them is because she does not want Hélène getting involved with her criminal business for the sake of her safety and most importantly, Hélène certainly deserved someone better. Sure, they could have gotten a divorce but it’s the marriage that makes Marya realize that she’s caught feelings too. When Marya vanishes, Hélène is heartbroken. At first she doesn’t understand why she’s all heartbroken until she realizes, ‘Hey, I actually do love her...’ And why does she love Marya? She’s brought her more thrill in her life than anyone in her 28 years of living, and her presence (no matter how snarky Marya can be) is so very comforting. With no word from Marya for months, Hélène returns to her old boring life but she can’t get married. After checking in with the papers, they’ve been registered and she’s officially married. It’s just surprising that Marya hasn’t done anything yet to break it off.

iv.  They meet again under much worse circumstances almost a year later. Marya falls into a trap when she follows a false lead that brought her into an empty house where she’s caught. She’s caught by other criminals who were commissioned by the police to get her with the reward of being excused of all their charges. It becomes a rather violent scene since Marya has to try to escape from a group of skilled men and women. The whole thing ends in a mess and Marya loses this battle, horribly. Locked up, Marya is informed that her spouse has been notified about her arrest and Marya takes that as a joke, even boldly laughing at the news.. She hasn’t forgotten Hélène but some part of her wonders if she will actually come. She thinks Hélène won’t come since she abandoned her months ago and she thinks she’s right because Hélène doesn’t show up that day. However, she does the next day with bail money. Hélène’s rich enough, please, and since Marya hasn’t done anything too severe besides steal A LOT OF THINGS, she’s free to go.

v.   Hélène even voluntarily drives Marya back to wherever her home is but it’s awfully quiet. There is something in Hélène’s demeanor that gives away her inward sadness and distress, despite how composed she is, They have not even exchanged a single word since Hélène arrived, unless you counted Hélène’s offer to drive her back then maybe just around 6 words from one end. When they reach Marya’s home, neither one of them moves or speaks until Hélène asks Marya why she isn’t getting out of the car. Marya tries to apologize but Hélène doesn’t want to hear it, saying that she’s gotten past it already and that Marya would be apologizing for nothing. Hélène hardly makes any eye contact either which distresses Marya because it just seems like she’s become an unbearable sight. DRAMATIC EFFECT. Hélène whips out the divorce papers that she’s already signed stating that once this was signed, they’d have no more reason to see each other and they could move on with their lives. Marya, who’s bewildered, admits why she ran and she didn’t think it would affect Hélène so badly. Hélène doesn’t respond and Marya takes that as her cue to leave.

vi.  Did you think there was going to be a happy ending? :) Nope. The divorce papers are finalized and they do go about their lives without each other’s involvement. The only thing that brings them together? Hélène and Pierre’s wedding. Since Pierre and Marya are close friends, they have monthly visits. There is no love in their marriage but it’s funny to see how they’re happy. Pierre certainly is no match for Hélène but they made it work, and it was something Marya could have done long ago had she not been a coward. 

[alleyskywalker]

Sonya, Dolokhov, Anatole for the meme x)

Sonya

What I love about them: Sweet and selfless and a really good friend? I mean, IDK, what am I supposed to not like about her?

What I hate about them: I don’t hate anything about her, but I do wish she would have realized that she doesn’t owe her whole life to the Rostovs, who don’t even really treat her that well.

Favorite Moment/Quote: ...ok frankly I’m not sure that I have one specific one.

What I would like to see more focus on: ....I feel like Sonya doesn’t really get much focus, especially in like fanfic, so I don’t even know. But in canon I would have loved to see something of her life outside of the Rostovs, although arguably there wasn’t much, but I imagine she must have spoken with other people outside of them sometimes, had other interior interests. I get why that didn’t come up, but as like a nice wish...

What I would like to see less focus on: Again, I’m not sure what fandom would necessarily hyperfixate on if she was a more prominent subject of fic.

Favorite pairing with: Dolokhov

Favorite friendship: fgfj You know what I’m gonna say Petya, ‘cause Natasha doesn’t deserve her :p

NOTP: None that I can think of that I’ve seen anyone actually ship or talk about?

Favorite headcanon: Her mother died in childbirth and her father committed suicide (not as a direct reaction to her mother’s death or anything like that - although it likely didn’t help).

Dolokhov

What I love about them: The self-respect and will power in the face of disadvantage; the determination to be independent and get what he wants/needs on his own terms/through his own worth (as opposed to being a by-any-means type of social climber like Boris).

What I hate about them: He’s not the warm and fuzzy kind, you know? Will ruin a bitch without a second thought.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Paraphrasing slightly, but, “General, I must follow orders by I am not obligated to endure insults.” With the added bonus that the general in question backs off.

What I would like to see more focus on: More Dolokhov/Nikolai fic pls :)

What I would like to see less focus on: gfnjd IDK I feel like I don’t have any specific complaints atm.

Favorite pairing with: Anatole

Favorite friendship: Anatole & Helene (when not shipped with either or with one when shipped with the other)

NOTP: I don’t think it rises to NOTP levels, but Pierre. Also, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen this actually shipped, Natasha.

Favorite headcanon: His dad died in a duel with Prince Bolkonsky when Dolokhov was 13, which was the start of the family’s financial decline and contributed a lot to Dolokhov’s cynicism and world views.

Anatole

What I love about them: IDK how to explain it but with Anatole there this sense of like...joy. He’s so free and genuine about and easygoing about everything. And especially in a book/society where most other people are so uptight in one way (or many ways) it’s extremely attractive.

What I hate about them: He could def learn to be more thoughtful about the kinds of consequences his actions have/could have. I don’t think he means to be selfish, but comes off as such sometimes due to thoughtlessness.

Favorite Moment/Quote: hngjdl IDK that I have one favorite. Anatole is a...whole picture/general feeling he gives off sort of fave xD

What I would like to see more focus on: IDK to be honest...but I’d like some more focus on on family as usual I guess, and like outside of just Helene. Maybe some more stuff about his and Pierre’s ill-fated friendship?

What I would like to see less focus on: Not so much less focus but less exaggeration I guess, because like, yes, he’s a dumbass but some people really take it to weird caricature levels. 

Favorite pairing with: Dolokhov

Favorite friendship: Helene

NOTP: Andrey Bolkonsky (although, again, probably doesn’t rise to NOTP levels as such, but close enough).

Favorite headcanon: He lived and studied in Paris from ~12 to ~17 and it’s where he met Pierre toward the very end of his stay and where they had their dumb teenage love affair.

[dolokhov-is-fierce-and-important]

Why "Pierre & Andrey" is the most complex and emotionally charged song of the entire musical

When I first heard this song, I didn't think too much of it. But when I watched the scene in a bootleg, I got 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠. Once I fully soaked it all in, I was absolutely astounded and obsessed with this one, three minute long scene. Here's why.

Everything that's happened thus far has been leading to this point. It's repeated again and again throughout the musical; ANDREY ISN'T HERE. Malloy makes sure to really drive home how important that detail is as the story progresses. It's the first line we hear in Prologue, and its repeated another TEN TIMES in that song. And while that line itself isnt repeated again after that, it's still painfully obvious.

Natasha is waiting for Andrey to come home so they can be together again. She and Sonya go to Moscow because Andrey isn't here and they have to wait for him. She goes to the ball and meets Anatole because Andrey isn't here to stop Anatole. Pierre goes out drinking with Anatole and Dolokhov, two men he doesn't really like, because Andrey isn't here to occupy his time or stop him, which leads to the duel. Natasha goes to the ball because Andrey isn't here to stop her or keep her busy. Natasha kisses Anatole because Andrey isn't here. Natasha breaks up with Andrey because Andrey isn't here. Anatole attempts to abduct Natasha because Andrey isn't here. Natasha tries to kill herself because Andrey isn't here.

Andrey isn't here, and that one detail is the reason we have this story at all. If Andrey hadn't gone off to the war, Pierre wouldn't be having (as much) of an existential crisis and Natasha wouldn't have had the affair with Anatole. But instead his absence causes a chain of unfortunate events.

And all throughout this, we still don't know exactly 𝑤ℎ𝑜 Andrey even is. We don't get to know him like all the other characters; all we have to go off of is how the characters feel about him.

Natasha is in love with him (for a little while, at least), and she sings an entire song about how deeply she loves him in "No One Else". Marya talks about how great it is the two of them are getting married in "Moscow" and how good it will be for the family. Pierre talks about how much he admires Andrey, his good friend, for fighting in the war in "Letters".

Everyone who talks about Andrey, talks about him in a positive light.

And then, we get to "Pierre & Andrey", and we get to see the 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 Andrey, and it completely shatters the way we saw him.

When he enters, light fills the room, and he walks through the large door we saw him leave through at the very beginning. All of the cast sits down except for Pierre and Andrey as the light returns to normal. And we're faced with that dawning realization;

Andrey is here.

For the first time, we actually see him fully, we hear his voice. No longer is he the name mentioned time and time again, the looming background force driving the story. No, now he is a tangible and very real character in this plot. And he is appearing right in the midst of all the chaos.

The scene begins with Andrey and Pierre jokingly insulting each other, as bros do, but the mood is far from what the lines suggest. There is obvious tension in both of their voices. They are trying to seem casual to one another, but both of them know it isn't a conversation that they're going to enjoy. No, shit's gone down, and they stand in the rubble face-to-face for the first time and have to deal with the consequences.

Pierre addresses the tension first, and Andrey brushes him off for a moment. Then we get then line.

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑟 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛.

Now I could go on for fucking hours about this one, single line because of how powerful it is and what it implies, but I'll try not to take too long.

It's the line we heard again and again in the first song, along with Andrey isn't here, but theres one other key change to it; it doesn't end with "out there, somewhere." And that's the most important part.

By not adding in that ending, it tells us that the war isnt something far away anymore. It isn't something can can just be brushed off or ignored anymore. No, Andrey has seen the war, he's fought in it, he's seen the harsh reality. But he's not only talking about the war between the French and the Russians. Now, theres a new war, the war between the characters.

Similar to Andrey being absent is a looming force in the story, the war is one too, though much more subtle. All of the characters didn't need to pay attention to it; it was something that could be ignored because it didn't affect them. They could stay ignorant to the horrors because of their wealth and turn a blind eye to what has been going on.

But now, the war isn't far away anymore; a new war is here, and it is affecting each and every one of them personally. With his return, Andrey has metaphorically brought the war back with him. It can't be ignored anymore.

After basking in that line for a moment, Andrey gets to business. He asks Pierre if what he had heard about Natasha and Anatole's affair was true, but there is more going on here than just trying to get the information. Firstly, Andrey refers to Natasha not by her name, but by her formal title, "Countess Rostova". This emphasizes how wounded her refusal was and how he is trying to save face by distancing himself from her personally. But another thing, he calls Anatole not by his name, and not even by his title, but instead refers to him as Pierre's brother-in-law. He directly calls out the connection between Pierre and Anatole, and by this we can start to see that Andrey holds a seed of resentment towards Pierre. Pierre is close with Anatole, so Andrey is questioning how something like this could have happened without Pierre's noticing.

Moving on, Andrey gives up the letters that Natasha had sent him, breaking all ties with her and giving them to Pierre to deliver so he wouldn't have to see her. He again refers to her only as "the Countess".

Pierre tells Andrey that Natasha is sick, near death. You can hear the tenderness and worry in his voice, showing how he cares for Natasha. And how does Andrey respond?

"I much regret her illness."

Andrey has to force out the words. He doesn't actually feel bad, and this is shown even more by the next lines; "Pierre: And he smiled like his father / Coldly, maliciously / Andrey: Well, it doesnt matter." Andrey isn't just unbothered by Natasha's illness, he's ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 about it. He is happy that after her betrayal Natasha is getting what he feels she deserves.

And this is the point where we really see him. No longer is he this great guy, this heroic figure, this savior. Now we see him for who he is, and it's not a pleasant person. He is compared to his father by Pierre, a vile and abusive old man.

(This similarity is also emphasized in the last line of the song, where the actor slips into his voice for Old Prince Bolkonsky to show how Andrey is becoming like his father. It's also extra emphasized when he walks away and pushes away Mary, instead sitting down in the chair we see Old Prince Bolkonsky sitting in during "The Private and Intimate Life of the House".)

Pierre is confused at this point as his view of Andrey as his hero begins to crumble. He says, "You told me once / A fallen woman should be forgiven." He's frustrated and confused, and you can hear it in his voice. He wants to support his friend but he's starting to realize that his friend isnt who he thought he was. He starts siding with Natasha over Andrey.

"But I didn't say that I could forgive. / I can't." Fuck, this line hurts every time I hear it. This is the point where the carefully constructed image that is Andrey The Good Guy completely dissolves. He is a hypocrite. He preaches about being good and forgiving those who have wronged you, but he himself cannot forgive Natasha for what she has done. She has hurt him and embarrassed him, and he can not forgive her, even if she is on the verge of death.

This isn't only a turning point for our view of Andrey, but for Pierre as well. This is his good friend, best friend, even. This is the man he's thought so highly of and looked up to for the longest time. But now he sees the reality, and he sees Andrey for who he is. His whole mindset built around Andrey and who he is comes crashing down.

But oh ho ho, it gets worse.

"If you wish to be my friend / Never speak of that again."

Andrey gets right up in Pierres face during this part, jabbing him in the chest and looming over him, essentially threatening him. You can see the fear and confusion in Pierre's face, and the way he stumbles back, the way he stares after Andrey long after he's left. Pierre is completely shocked by his behavior because he would have never imagined Andrey to do anything like that. His view has been permanently anc irreversibly shaken, and that's what drives him away from Andrey and to Natasha.

In just three minutes, this scene not only shows us the character that had driven the plot of the musical for the first time, but also manages to shake our foundations of who he is as a person. It changes Pierre's entire view of his hero and friend and drives him to reconsider everything he'd known about Andrey, and turns him against him and to Natasha.

This is the best climax one could hope for in a story, but if you don't pay attention, it could go completely over your head.

Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk. I'm very sleepy. This took 3 hours to write. Goodnight.

[azure-firecracker]

Mutuals as great comet :)

Yep knew this one was coming:)

This is about personality. It is not about physical appearance, and it is not a casting.

Natasha: @its-totes-gods-will idk if you’re a Great Comet fan but Natasha is a little bit naïve and is a sweetheart who believes in the power of love and shows affection easily. I don’t know if you’re naïve or not, but those other things definitely sound like you!

Sonya: @much-brighter-ink you’re just soft and a really really good friend and I really love you💙

Marya: @colorfulregret-21 you’re by no means this harsh but Marya’s fierce love and protective nature definitely remind me of you. Also she’d be a great writer.

Anatole: No one here is like Anatole. I’m sorry and also not sorry at all.

Hélène: @panicatthelafayette now obviously you don’t share some of Hélène’s...traits that are usually more common in people OVER 18, but I do think that she cares very deeply about those she allows to get close to her, and often puts on a tough exterior for their sake even when she’s having a hard time, and that does remind me of you.

Dolokhov: @deniem-supreme you just seem like you would be that one friend who’s just there for all the chaos. « My friend wants to do something insane? Oh well, here we go again. »

Mary: @captain-hero-and-tiger you may not know Great Comet but you’re just soft and lovely and I want to give you a hug.

Pierre: @oh-bright-new-day you have very « I have been through some things and therefore I’m a little sad but also wise and I want to help everyone » vibes.

[dolokhoded]

i know sonya and dolokhov aren't supposed to get along because sonya turned him down but god what a power duo would that be????

i imagine sonya would approach him some time after the opera, because she has eyes, she's not dumb, and she knows she can't keep a whole anatole kuragin away from any girl he's set his eye on.

dolokhov possibly could, though, right? dolokhov and anatole are close, and the last thing she wants is to encourage any conversation with fyodor dolokhov, but this concerns natasha. she managed to get through a very stiff and awkward chat with dolokhov, for natasha, letting him know she'd appreciate it if he kept the kuragins and their scandals to himself, as he'd so successfully done this far.

of course, dolokhov barely has any self control, never mind the ability to keep the kuragins in place. we already know how all of this escalates.

they don't speak again, until after sonya & natasha. dolokhov certainly is surprised to hear sonya rostova has come looking for him, and sonya was never by any means scary, but in that exact moment hélène bursts in announcing her, he feels his blood go freezing cold because he knows very well he'll rightfully get dragged along when this entire plan inevitably crashes and burns, and oh, sweet mother of jesus sonya looks like she's fuming.

this visit of hers is what causes anatole and dolokhov’s argument in preparations because she's right, he knows she was right when she told him that this could cost anatole everything and, yeah, admittedly he barely cared about countess natalya and did hold a slight grudge against the rostovs that didn't allow him to sympathize with her or her family, but marya dmitrievna wasn't exactly a small influence in moscow's society and, damn it, she was right, and she knew damn well what she was doing, bringing anatole into this. so, this is where dolokhov's mental red light went off on this entire plan.

he couldn't fight anatole on it, he wasn't dense. the most power he had at this point was to advise him against it, as a friend, but as soon as he fought him on it anatole would completely rule his opinion out, he knew him well enough to know he wasn't going to listen to anyone who wasn't on his side. so he told sonya everything. the whole plan, from start to finish, and then he was only left to stand by anatole and spending every minute of it wishing sonya would use that information wisely.

you know how the rest of it goes.

when after the abduction sonya sees anatole, frozen on the spot, get dragged away by his friend, she makes sure to not let any word of dolokhov’s help get away from her, because if she did anatole would find out and there is no way in hell that stupid child would see it as anything but a betrayal and recognize any of dolokhov’s efforts to keep him out of trouble. as for natasha, she doesn’t need to know sonya was the one who told dolokhov what the worst possible time to strike would be, while marya dmitrievna said her prayers right by the window.

[officialleotolstoy]

Oh Danatole Brainrot We’re Really In It Now, aka Danatole playlist annotations!

I am NOT going apologize for making this. I’m not. But know I am feeling shame.

Nobody - Hozier

“I wouldn’t fall for someone I thought couldn’t misbehave”

This is a bit of a best-case-scenario song, but I really feel like the vibes are encapsulated here. It’s got the energy of “i love you because we sin together and it’s fun” and also “I have a lot of lovers but lowkey.... you’re my fave 😳” which is, as I said, the best I could ever see them getting to.

Bad Decisions - Bastille

“So we’ll make the same mistakes til the morning breaks”

This song is about being idiots together and also knowing it’s not good for you which is the vibe. Also the refusal to have an Actual Relationship in “love me, leave me, rhythm of the evening” pops off. This song GETS that it’s a more casual thing but also weirdly important to them. Oh and “maybe this is where it ends” can be interpreted to be about the elopement plan if you want to stretch it.

Quarter Past Midnight - Bastille

“Good times, bad decisions”

“Let’s go be stupid together in public and also maybe hold hands uwu”

Glory - Bastille

“Passing the drink from hand to hand, we admit we really know nothing at all”

“Let’s go get drunk together in private and also maybe hold hands uwu”

Nocturnal Creatures - Bastille

“We’ve only got ourselves to blame, again and again and again”

The whole deal with this song is like. We’re in love kind of I guess but like only when in certain situations when our guard is down. Does that make sense?? It does in my head. And the idea of it being something stupid that they both keep coming back to despite being aware of it really fits. Disclaimer I’m not trying to suggest these two are Deeply In Love I’m just bad at wording things

Nicotine - Panic! At The Disco

“I taste you on my lips and I can’t get rid of you”

“You’re bad for me but we keep coming back to each other” vibes again. I don’t think Anatole is aware of how bad this actually is, he canonically has no idea he’s being manipulated, but I do think Dolokhov has a much better perspective on it. In my mind, Dolokhov really wishes he did not feel Anything for Anatole but. That is not working out the way he planned it, so a lot of these “why do I keep doing this :/“ songs are more from Dolokhov’s side than Anatole’s.

The Waves - Bastille

“Oh what would your mother say if she could see what we’re doing now?”

Look I added this for the Dolokhov’s mom jokes okay. That was the whole reason. I could very much see Anatole saying this exact thing to him.

Hell and You - Amigo the Devil

“Live with me in this sin forever”

Man the ENERGY of this song. The admittance and focus on them both being terrible people but enjoying being terrible together...yeah that’s them.

4am - Bastille

“You are my familiar”

The idea of just accepting something maybe not so great because it’s familiar which becomes easy which becomes fun...I very much think that’s how their relationship progressed, at least from Dolokhov’s end (You’re probably thinking “wow Wren, this playlist is super skewed toward Dolokhov’s feelings on the matter” and you’re right it’s because I hate Anatole 🥰). It’s definitely too forthcoming about actually enjoying the experience but oh well. Oh, and I stole a line from it for a fic once so it gets a permanent spot.

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

“You and me could write a bad romance”

It is objectively a bad romance, but the real reason this song is on here is that I always forget it is and it makes me laugh every time

It Will Come Back - Hozier

“Don’t let it in with no intention to keep it”

Man Dolokhov really said ok I will manipulate this kid for a lil bit for money and then seven years later he’s helping him plan some illicit elopement for no personal gain huh. Life is crazy. Basically this song covers the “you were not intending for me to stick around but I’m a fixture of your life now!” thing. I wholeheartedly believe Dolokhov never planned to spend this much time with the Kuragins he just accidentally got attached.

Mamma Mia - ABBA

“You know you won’t be away too long”

It doesnt work super well but it makes me laugh okay!!! The concept of being bad for each other and not really working well but coming back to each other for some reason anyway is there.

No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine

“No light in your bright blue eyes”

I heard the phrase bright blue eyes and smashed the add to playlist button, that’s it. But the more I listened to it the more I decided it could work post-elopement if you stretch it. “I’d do anything to make you stay” is obviously intended to be a romantic don’t-leave-me thing in the song but you can take it as the preparations scene if you really want. Not to suggest preparations is a romantic don’t-leave-me thing, that is very much not what I mean. “You cant choose what stays and what fades away” We all know Anatole wanted to flounce off with Natasha but in the end he was left eating dinner with Dolokhov 😔✌🏻 Dolokhov stayed and Natasha faded away hmmmm. Yes, purposely misinterpreting media is one of my favorite pastimes, why do you ask?

A Little Party Never Killed Nobody - Fergie

I don’t even have a lyric for this this is straight up just there for the hedonism/partying energy

We Are Young - fun.

“Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart”

This is mostly also just here for the friends/lovers at bars and parties living it up type beat. But the line “I know that I’m not all that you’ve got/I guess that I just thought maybe we could find new ways to fall apart” bit does kinda hit. It’s by no means exclusive but they do kinda have fun yknow? Also the awareness that they are falling apart rather than doing anything worthwhile or loving is pretty fun.

Fine Line - Harry Styles

“You’ve got my devotion, but man I can hate you sometimes”

Obviously Dolokhov would not admit to being devoted to Anatole, and I don’t think I can in good conscience say that he is, but I think he’s definitely more devoted than he wants to be. It’s more about the hate line anyway. I initially just added it because I was like oh it works as a fine line between love and...not love, but honestly some of the lyrics work pretty well. Now that I’m armed with the knowledge that Anatole’s name means sunrise, I can say “you sunshine, you temptress” fits too.

I Dare You - The Regrettes

“I never wanted to get too close to you but now it looks like I’m getting too close to you”

RIGHT OFF THE BAT this one gets it. That lyric is The Vibe. “You’re gonna fall but I’ll catch you” is reminiscent of Dolokhov helping Anatole get out of (and into) messes constantly, although in an ideal world it would be a lot more grudging. And not to harp on about this but “you’re the one that brings the sun” 🔈ANATOLE MEANS SUNRISE🔈

Nine in the Afternoon - Panic! At The Disco

“Your eyes are the size of the moon”

I did warn you guys there would be several songs on here that are only there because they mention eyes, right? I definitely said that somewhere. I am going to use Dolokhov’s bright blue orbs for my nefarious Danatole playlist purposes and there’s nothing you can do about it. “You could cause you can so you do” does encapsulate Anatole’s thought process pretty well though, I think.

The Mighty Fall - Fall Out Boy

“Your crooked love is just a pyramid scheme”

Not Dolokhov constantly using Anatole for money 🙄✋🏻 MLM in more ways than one. But also the idea of falling for someone being a kind of defeat works well. Admit you like him, Dolokhov. I dare you.

Bromance - Chester See & Ryan Higa

“Bromance, nothing really gay about it”

Historians will say they were roommates. I’m sorry this song just makes me laugh and I refuse to remove it.

Sarah Smiles - Panic! At The Disco

“You fooled me once with your eyes now, honey, you fooled me twice with your lies”

Rhyming eyes with lies is peak Dolokhovcore! And the “Sarah doesn’t care, she lives in her world so unaware” is Anatolecore because he’s stupid. The bit about “my destiny lies with her” or whatever is irrelevant ignore that.

Fred Astaire - Jukebox the Ghost

“Those eyes, they get me every time”

The entire rest of this song is someone being blind to the other person’s flaws and initially I was like wow this doesn’t work at all and then I realized it could be stretched to mean Anatole being super oblivious to Dolokhov’s manipulation. But when it comes down to it, it’s about the eye lyric.

I Don’t Know Why I Like You But I Do - The Wombats

The title says it all. Literally that’s the whole explanation.

Daft Pretty Boys - Bad Suns

“I don’t like you, you look so pretty from afar”

If you don’t think Dolokhov calls Anatole a pretty boy (derogatory) you’re so wrong and I cannot help you. That was why I added it but the vibes of “you’re hot but wow your personality is terrible and I hate you” are there so. Enjoy! Oh and the bit about wasting your time works too, I can think of like sixty three better things off the top of my head Dolokhov could be doing than hanging out with Anatole, including but not limited to stapling his own fingers together and arson.

Rich Friends - Portugal. The Man

“I could really really really use a rich rich friend like you”

Do I HAVE to explain this one? I also like “Hey man I’m cool to lean on but I’m not your property” for them, if you stretch it it gets across the way Anatole thinks Dolokhov is His Friend but in reality. He’s using him HDHHSHDHDHBS Also the chorus has hedonism vibes, which ALWAYS works with these two.