#poor antonina

[wolframpant]

"It's hard for you, I know. But in the end we all go over the river."

The Death of Drusus (Domina 2x08 "Control")

[mrsmaxwelllord]

DELÍRIO

Pairing: Dark!Baron Zemo x reader.

Summary: Your tenant, Baron Zemo, have always been benevolent and kind to you. That is, until the day you denied something he wanted.

Word Count: 7k

Warnings: explicit (18+ MINORS DNI) shit husband. owing/borrowing money. mother issue. parental manipulation and disdain. delusional thoughts and acts. lying. coercion. gambling. anxiety. unprotected sex. domestic violence and passive aggression. misogyny. stalking. DUBCON.

A/N: Ok, so. The last part of this fic is heavily inspired by that one scene of The Zookeeper's Wife when Antonina goes to Lutz asking for help to find her husband. Anyone who watched the movie knows what almost happens — here they go way further than what was portrayed in the movie.

PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS!

and let me know if there's something i should have included.

Helmut Zemo had always considered himself a patient man.

It wasn't easy to make him really angry and he made sure to never act on these feelings without considering his options first. He wouldn’t still be alive if he wasn't thoughtful, systematic. A Baron, simply the person he was raised to be.

This changed when he first laid eyes on you.

The moment his eyes met yours he knew what he had to do. All it took was a glance across the room.

He was talking with his tenant, your husband, about rent. Well, that’s what he was supposed to be doing, yet all your dear Mr Bernotas was talking about was nonsense, made up excuses. Zemo didn’t like him; perhaps it was the lack of rationality... or the fact that he didn’t try to hide his insufferable vices: it was no secret that Mr Bernotas was a lying bastard who liked to spend his wife’s money on casinos.

Which usually meant that the rent was going to be late.

Zemo himself wasn’t sure why he allowed any of this: if it was some kind of twisted charity because he pitied the rich wife that lost her lifestyle by marrying an idiot or if it was because he never really had any time left to properly deal with this bulshit — what wasn’t the case anymore. After months out of the country, dealing with bigger problems than one bad tenant, Baron Helmut was back to business.

The casino where Mr Bernotas liked to spend his money was also where he always insisted on meeting: a breathtaking high maintenance hotel Zemo knew all too well — a very poor idea. Pretty stupid place to try to kill the landlord to whom you owe an immeasurable amount of money, was Zemo opinion.

Although knowing the intention of the meeting, Baron Zemo was, above all, fair and the sole purpose of turning a blind eye was to test him.

It is, until he saw you.

Sitting by the bar stool, idly chatting with a friend.

Ravishing, bewitching you, on formal attire and an undoubtedly family heirloom, looking just as gracious as Grace Kelly herself. When he learned who you were, he made his decision.

He would make sure you were forever safe. And he would make sure you were his. But first he’d have to gain your trust and kill your incompetent husband.

And what better way to gain someone's trust if not being properly introduced? Before following Mr Bernota to his office, where he suggested that was a better place to deal with big money, he insisted on meeting the lovely wife. Zemo made sure to be extra polite, bowing and kissing your hand, but with your husband hushing to get Zemo alone it didn’t last long.

His first impression of you was that you were very sweet. Smiling and calling him either by his last name or baron (which swept Zemo off his feet) despite the fact that he asked you to call him Helmut. He couldn’t know for sure if it was because he was a total stranger to you, yet he had a gut feeling it wasn’t that. He acted on this feeling by kissing your cheek in goodbye.

You didn’t seem to mind it a bit. Your husband only made a face and urged Zemo to have the meeting in the other room.

Zemo followed.

However, they didn’t guide him to a more private room; instead, they ended up at the very back of the Hotel, where all was dark and had a pungent smell - to put the cherry on top of it, the room also led to a dead-end street.

Oh, right. The intention of the visit was to find out the true nature of his tenant.

...

You only met again ​two weeks later at your birthday party.

Well, it wasn’t a party per say, you had gathered a few friends for dinner at the little excuse of a house where you lived with your husband. Zemo wasn’t invited, by all means he was not supposed to know of it, he just came in to hand business-related documents to your Mr.

The truth was that he didn’t need to deliver the paper himself, he could very well send someone to do it instead, but he needed reasons to give you the pearl earrings he had bought thinking of you.

And he wished to see you again.

Properly see you.

Sure, he has been following you around the past week — just in case anything happened to you, he told himself — yet he wished to be seen as well, he realised the night at the casino that being perceived by you was strangely pleasant. Something he wasn’t used to and even the mere minutes he got with you in the penthouse was enough to give him butterflies in the stomach for the days following.

His scheme followed exactly as he had anticipated: he gave you a sincere smile and promised to present you, even if delayed. Zemo held your hand and kissed you goodbye again, just to be delighted with you laughing and your comment on how gallant he was.

He noted the soft spicy scent of your perfume — he made sure to memorize all the notes he could identify to create a fragrance for himself, if he didn't find the exact cologne you wore.

The very first thing he did the morning after was turn in the present wrapped in an expensive looking box.

...

You were no fool.

Baron Zemo was known worldwide and had a bad reputation. You weren't aware, however, that your husband had anything in comum with him besides living in one of his buildings. You saw yourself having to do a little research on the Baron to understand how his visit could affect you. It wasn’t pleasant.

Mr Bernota had it pretty bad. You knew Zemo had been a pretty benevolent landlord, forgiving the unpaid rent and allowing you to live in the house while your husband tried to gain money, yet it was clear that it wouldn’t go on forever. Not with the Baron back in the city.

Your husband was a liar and an idiot, but he enjoyed his lifestyle too much to risk getting murdered for owing money to the wrong people, he wasn’t this stupid. He probably was in charge of some task the Baron wanted to get done with in exchange for the rent.

However, your darling had changed from water to wine in the last weeks — he was way too sober and barely had gone to the casino, something he did daily for as long as you could remember since marrying you. It was clear that this unexpected change wasn’t good news, still you couldn’t quite place it.

You couldn’t say if the matter was purely financial. The lack of money was old news, if he was ever bothered with it he never showed it, always looking for the next thousand to waste.

Perhaps he cheated in the game or deceived someone he shouldn’t have? He certainly wasn’t above that.

The unanswered question bugged you more than you liked to admit, so you did your best and schemed a plan to resolve it.

Getting Bernota to give you the Baron’s number was tiring, he couldn’t fathom the reason why you’d need it for. He could thank the man for the earrings himself the next time they met, he assured you; it wasn’t enough, so you stole it and invited the Baron to a breakfast.

Eight in the morning sharp you met at the Grand Hotel.

Just him and you. Zemo was delighted to see you with the shining gift and the matching pearl necklace.

...

Your husband was an excellent actor. You knew this intimately.

Mr. Bernota was an expert when it came to allure crowds and make people love him, he knew exactly what to do and how to read people. First, because he simply loved all the attention people gave him when he got that handsome smile on his face; second, because the lying made an adrenaline rush run through his veins - but it was fated to end, he had no quality other than deceiving and people lose interest fast.

You thought it was very ironic that he couldn't find out how to use this ability of his to win card games.

The shine of his eyes was the first thing that got your attention, his smooth voice and the sweet tone he liked to fake was ridiculously easy to fall for. Yet you couldn't bring yourself to pay any attention to his words, unlike the people around you. You could only focus on his calloused hand in your waist lovingly holding you close.

Unfortunately, you were very different from your husband: acting was something you worked hard to master. It took a while, yes. But you learned how to do it just as well.

Controlling your breath to not gasp for air had become so natural that you did it with perfection, no single eye on you suspected a thing. You could hide even the incessant need to fiddle with your wedding ring.

Yet, you weren't a natural and you could only pretend for so long. The champagne wasn't working anymore, you desperately needed a moment alone.

Mr Bernota kept his monologue, the guests happily listening to what he had to say. You looked at his face and observed his lips move, yet the noise didn't make any sense to you in your dizziness.

You were used to it, of course. But that didn't make anything less awkward. Not when someone had to repeat your name louder to get your attention back to reality, not when your sweet husband joked about it and made everyone laugh. Not at you, dear, don't be silly, laugh at the situation.

Although the situation made you feel humiliated, after answering the question you finally were allowed to excuse yourself and walk away.

You usually ran to the nearest restroom whenever the situation felt too much to bear and that was exactly what you intended to do, but a strong hand got a hold of your wrist before you could open the door.

“Are you alright, Mrs?” the pleasant voice asked.

You turned around with a smile on your face.

Baron Zemo was surprisingly good news.

In the last weeks he made sure to make acquaintances with your husband and you, always meeting with your husband and inviting you to dinner at his house. At first the simpaties felt like a plan to make you more pliable to negotiate rent, since it was you the one supposed to live with a comfortable inheritance, however, time made it clear he was just a sweet man willing to make friends.

Helmut, as he insisted to be called, was always very polite with you, a true gentleman: opening doors, standing whenever you walked into a room, paying your bill the morning you had breakfast together. Exactly the type of men you were used to before moving out of your parents house. Yet, deep down, you felt something was up; you couldn’t place what exactly was wrong and it infuriated you, but there was a little voice telling you to be careful around him. The fact was that you had no reason to mistrust him other than the late rent you owed him, and not even once had he brought this subject up.

A part of you suspected that it was just the years of abuse telling you lies. You decided to ignore it for the time being.

“Baron! I wasn't sure if you would come!”

“Sorry, dear” without looking away, he kissed your hand. “I should have told you.”

“Oh, it's no bother. I’m happy you came after all.”

He smiled. The smile you realised he reserved for when you were alone. With an intensity you could feel in your gut, he looked at you passionately enough to make you shiver. It wasn’t by any means proper to allow a man to look at you like that, it was even more inappropriate to enjoy the thrilling feeling. But it has been so long since the last time you felt truly wanted and cherished… You welcome Baron’s light flirting with open arms, you just hoped to not lead him anywhere. You have no intention of going any further with it.

It almost made you forget about the nausea you felt. Almost.

“You must be looking for my husband” you assumed, turning around to point the way. “He is by the barstool.”

“Not at all. I'm actually worried about you, Dear.”

“Oh?”

You faced him, curious as of why. He had his usual expression on again, with shining eyes and mischievous smirk. “If you allow me to say, you don’t look very well.”

You felt your cheeks and neck burn under his gaze, looking away sheepishly.

“Sharp eyes, Baron” you forced yourself to look back at him, fiddling with your hand behind your back. “I feel a little dizzy.”

“Allow me to help you.” It wasn’t clear if he was making a request or demand.

“Oh, no need to wor…'' before you could finish the sentence, he guided you inside the restroom with a hand on your back.

...

You didn’t know he smoked.

And you didn’t exactly approve of it.

The smell of it made you think of your mother’s disapproving expression, always finding something to complain about, which led you to think of her fury whenever someone dared to disagree with her or do something she didn’t approve of. It also made you think of your husband, dear Mr Bernota, only a few meters away, unaware of this indecency, and his own smoking habits.

But with Helmut it was different. There was no guilt, no shame. Only a peaceful feeling spreading in your chest. The only worry was at the very back of your head.

At first, when he led you there and pushed you to sit on the sink, you didn’t like his persistence. You refused to stay put until he took his suit off and lit up the cigarette, the eroticism of his motion made you feel way too pliable for your liking.

Despite that, you kept the uneasiness to yourself. And when he settled beside you and offered the already lit cigarette, you accepted it.

For a long time, you shared it in silence.

His slow breathing was easy to mimic and very calming. Although, you did your best to not glance at him, focusing instead on the light noise of the party outside the restroom and the smoke burning your lungs and throat.

Because Helmut had locked the door, rationally you knew no one could get inside and see you in such a compromising situation — smoking with a man that wasn’t your husband, alone — however, a small part of you still worried. Again, that part of you was fogged at the back of your head.

The cigarette was working marvelously well: you felt relaxed after only a few minutes. It was natural for you to lean back and rest your shoulders and head in the mirror, closing your eyes.

Yet, you could feel Helmut’s eyes on you and the questions coming up.

“How do you feel now, darling?” the concern in his voice was clear, you wished he had any right to feel this way. “Any better?”

You smiled before answering him, then reached out to hand the cigarette back. He held your hands between his own, kissing your knuckles gently, but it had the complete opposite reaction he expected. You yanked your hand from his, suddenly startled.

“Darling?” he asked you, the confusion plain on his face.

“Don’t call me that!”

You jumped out of the sink, running away to the door. Helmut was faster than you imagined and reached you before you could touch the handle, he turned you so you could face him and held your chin high.

You tried to fight and push him, doing your best to get rid of his grip and it worked to a point: his hold on your chin had to move so he could hold both of your wrists and use his body strength to secure you against the door, preventing you from moving.

He said your name with such a ferocity you felt scared and stopped for a moment.

“What was that about?” he questioned you when your anger attack seemed to finally cease. You were out of breath and he used it in his favor and rested his forehead against yours.

It wasn’t clear what had possessed you, not to him, but you knew it for what it was. A sense of wrongness took over you the moment you realised you had taken it a few steps too further, the things with Helmut wasn’t only innocent flirting anymore and you felt incredibly remorseful for doing it to your husband.

That such a caring, vulnerable moment was shared with someone that wasn't your spouse. How could you do it with a complete stranger and never with Mr. Bernota?

“Tell me what it is so I can help you, my love” in your moment of stupor, you haven’t realised that tears started running down your face or that Helmut was kissing them away.

You said his name in such a broken whisper that made him whimper, but you weren’t sure if it was to get him closer or away, and grabbed his shirt with all the strength you had left.

“I don’t… I don’t know…” I don’t know if this is right.

However, Helmut didn’t allow you to finish the sentence, instead he held you by the neck and pulled you into a kiss.

It was intense. His lips were demanding, forcing you to whine and slightly turn your head so he could have a better access to your open mouth. You followed his lead with hesitation, but kissing him back just as eager, even if a bit unsure.

He pulled you to himself and leaned against the door — you could feel all his curves though the layers of clothing. It was suffocating. Yet you couldn’t stop the kiss, you didn’t have the strength to. Not when he was such a good kisser. Not with his iron grip on your waist keeping you close.

You sneaked your arms around his neck and, to your surprise, when you tugged it with your nails he stopped the kiss with a low moan.

Helmut kissed you with a kind of longing that you could understand too well. Starving for a feeling you had been deprived of for a very long time; denied of it, really.

And you wanted to grab it and take it yourself like he was doing. You really did. But it felt like you couldn’t really let go of it just yet. Helmut sensed something was wrong.

However, he did not stop the kiss.

...

Your husband was annoyed.

Even though he was a reserved man and didn’t really like to share his thoughts with you or anyone else, you have been married to him for some years now and it was very clear when he was in a bad mood.

He shut you completely off the minute the eyes on you two wandered away and it was exactly that what he did when the car’s door closed, but that wasn’t what gave it away. It was only when his leg began to rock you realised something was off. Mr. Bernota was above all a calm man, he wasn’t anxious or unsure of himself; you knew this very well because it was the first thing that pulled you into him and he rarely had any vice other than gambling. He didn’t fidget, he didn’t stutter.

The little fiddling could go unnoticed by someone less attentive, but no small detail could escape your eyes. Especially not when it came to your husband — not anymore, at least.

The rocking of his leg endured the whole ride to your shared house. However, not once he voiced his complaint, he kept looking through the glass the entire route.

When Zemo’s driver stopped at a traffic light that seemed to shine red for an eternity you thought he was about to break, but the green light came first and the ride went its way without so much as a word from him.

You were used to his silence, but it didn’t feel like it usually did. The vibe was tense with his discontent and you dread coming home, but it didn’t last long and soon enough you were passing through the gates to your little vegetable garden.

Mr. Bernota shut the front door with a loud noise that made you immediately worry about waking up your neighbours. You turned around to face him and ask what’s going on, yet before you could open your mouth he marched in your direction prompting you to walk back.

“What’s wrong with you tonight?”

“What’s wrong with me…?” he mimics, cornering you at the dinner table. “Where did you go? You disappeared. Then came back with none other than Baron Zemo himself!”

You realised what it was about then.

“Is that what it is about?” you decide to play dumb, praying to the moon for this to work “I was taking a break.”

He huffs, walking to the mini bar at the very corner of the room.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? You may like being the center of everybody's attention, but I don’t. I need some time off”

“I’M NOT AN IDIOT” he throws a glass at the wall near you. You try to turn away to protect yourself, but some shrapnel still scrape your arm and get on your hair.

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?”

In a moment of fury he chases you around the table. You do your best, but running away in high heels isn’t easy. He gets a hold of your arm and pushes you against the wall.

"Don't play dumb, my dear. It doesn’t suit you.”

You try to get away from him but, just like Zemo’s hold, his doesn't loosen with your attempts. “Let go of me.”

“No” He shoves you harder. “Listen to me: HE. IS. DANGEROUS.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He’s threatening me. He…” he tries to reason, looking for words to explain what happened at the casino the night he came back.

“Oh, it is no wonder. How many months late are we, husband?”

“You’re not understanding!” he lets go of you to run his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath in. He’s out of shape, you realise, with dark bags under his eyes and fair skin.

“What’s to not understand?” you ask, following him when he walks back to the mini bar. “You lying to me? You going to that damn casino almost every fucking night? You throwing my money away? Leaving me without a single penny left?”

“It ain't my fault we don’t have any money left. Your dear mother doesn’t give you anything anymore! That is not what I was promised!” he turned around, a new glass with hard liquor in hand.

“AND WHO’S FAULT IS THAT?”

“SHE IS RICH! SHE DOES NOT NEED ALL THAT MONEY TO HERSELF!”

“SHE DON’T GIVE ME ANY MORE MONEY BECAUSE SHE KNOWS THAT I’M MARRIED TO A BASTARD WHO WILL SPEND IT ALL WITH THE FIRST PRETTY FACE HE SEES INSTEAD OF BEING HOME WITH HIS FUCKING WIFE!”

He hits you.

Hard.

With the back of his hand.

Then you gasp for air. But it is too late because he once again pushes you to the wall, this time his hold is at your throat. You claw his fists but he doesn't let you go.

“I’m going to say this only once more: Zemo is dangerous. He isn’t our friend and he doesn’t want our well being. He’s been following us. He won’t stop untill he have his fucking money.”

When he drops your neck, your knees give in and you fall. Finally realizing the depth of reality.

...

You’re fidgeting again.

It is hard to let go of old habits, you wanted to say. But I’m getting over it, I rarely want to these days.

Instead, you nodded and remained silent. Indeed it’s hard to let go of old habits.

When your mother left the room to ask for tea, you couldn't help but wonder about the short interaction. How it always seemed she had something to complain about, even if you didn’t visit in weeks, and how she always ended up as the one simply trying to help.

She was right, of course, your hand couldn’t stop playing with the rem of your clothes, but the endless effort to get you to be the best version of yourself she put you under was a burden you never truly learned how to deal with. It was simply too heavy to carry and, even now, it made you much more aware of the imperfection than you normally would.

When you were younger you dreamed of it stopping once you married.

However, you didn’t have time to weigh it for long, she came back smiling and sat at the end of the table. The maids followed her with trays of food and tea.

“So, darling” she started, adjusting her dress, but waited for the maids to go back to finally ask: “What were you grumbling about?” The usual.

Well, the pleasantries lasted longer than expected.

You took a deep breath.

“I was telling you about my landlord, Baron Zemo…”

“Oh, yes, yes…” She didn’t even bother to pretend giving you her total attention, looking for a perfect biscuit to eat. “Excellent family. I visited Sokovia when I was pregnant with you, then he was just a boy, not much older than 10… Lovely. Very polite.”

“That’s not… the point” you murmured, taking a sip of your tea.

She faced you, clearly unhappy with a frown. “What’s that, dear? You know better than to whisper. That is not proper and nobody can understand you this way.”

“I’m sorry” you apologised, letting go of the teacup and looking down.

“Hm” she drank her tea, not facing away. You could almost feel her eyes burning you, looking for a flaw to fix, but you didn’t have the strength to confirm it — you tried to fix your posture or lift your face, in case that's the reason she didn't look away.

It didn’t work. It never did.

You were feeling unease, unsure if you should just keep drinking or do something when she finally said something.

“Go on. The Zemo family.”

“Ah!” you breathed. “Of course. It’s just the new Baron now, I’m afraid. He…”

“He…. what?” he asked, impatient.

"It 's just… He’s back in town now, you must have heard.”

“I did. Mary, bring us more biscuits.”

The maid left, leaving the two of you alone.

That is it. You wouldn’t have a better opportunity than this for a private meeting and you needed it to be discreet.

“He is our landlord, Mother. And now that he’s in the city… I was wondering if you could…” you cleared your throat. “If you could lend me money to pay the rent.”

Your mother put the teacup loudly into the table, then the room fell silent. You faced her and her icy eyes.

It wasn’t like you expected an understanding reaction — you've been through this exact same situation before and her reaction has always been the same — cold, displeased, angry. Even the first time you didn’t find any kindness in her eyes.

She was, after all, right not to, although. Time after time you asked for money and time after time you didn’t pay her back. How could you? You didn’t have any income and your husband's salary, the petty weekly allowance he gave you, had to go all to the grocery or else you’d starve.

You felt humiliated. But what else could you do? The situation, the almost poverty you find yourself in, didn't leave any space for pride. You couldn’t afford it anymore.

The repetition never made it any better, but you were indeed used to it. Because, before begging for her money, you used to beg for affection.

Some would think that after repeating the same situation for so long it could make you feel famility in it, but it was the complete appost — each time it got worse, like a nightmare repeating itself, but you never wake up from this one.

“I knew it,” she said, getting up and walking to the door.

You followed her up to the living room, then upstairs.

“Mama, wait for me.”

“I knew it from the beginning” you could tell she wasn’t running from you only because she took great satisfaction from appointing your past mistakes. That didn’t prevent you from feeling sick. Losing your breath.

“What are you talking about?”

She didn’t turn around, she didn’t feel the need to look into your eyes or to acknowledge you at all.

“You’re just like your father, incapable of taking care of yourself!”

With that, you stopped. You couldn’t move.

Yet, she kept walking down the corridor, to her room.

Your eyes were burning with tears, but you forced yourself to swallow it. After years and years of practice it wasn’t so hard. Instead of crying and showing her how much it hurted, you walked to the balcony and waited for her.

She would come for you. After all, she never left you with just one insult.

As you expected, it didn’t take much for her to come back. You managed to cry only a few tears and clean your face before she faced you.

When you looked up, you saw the thick manilla envelope she was carrying .

“There it is,” she threw it. “I don’t know exactly how you owe him, but I think that’s enough.”

“Mom…” you tried to reason.

“Don’t” she put her disheveled hair in place behind her ear. “I don’t know what I expected from you, but I’m still disappointed.”

“This will be the last time…”

“The last time?” She laughed. “You have been telling me that since you married. Don’t waste your time lying to me.”

“I…”

“You what?” She scoffed.

“But I will tell you this: this money will be the last thing I’ll ever give you.”

You accept it, a lump in your throat, because you don’t know what else to do. The envelope is heavy on your hand and you can’t look away, like it’ll fire if you don’t pay the right attention to it.

“Your husband and you are ruining the family name. If you don’t fix it, don’t bother coming back” she says before turning around to leave. However, she changes her mind and stop to face you.

"One last advice from a mother that cares: let your husband be the one that pays the debt and never again contact him.

Rumor has it that the Baron is accepting something else as rent from you."

...

You look deep into the reflection of your eyes in the elevator mirror. You feel exhausted and you still kinda look like it even though the hours you spend in the bathroom this morning getting ready.

But it’s no wonder. You didn’t sleep well last night, or any night prior — you couldn’t. Not with your husband missing. Not knowing you’re walking to the lion’s nest. However, you have no other choice.

You have no other choice.

The only solace you have is that this whole mess is finally about to end — part of it anyway, you still have to find a solution for the problem that is your spouse.

So you do your best to put things in place and look respectable in the short minutes the elevator takes to lift you to the penthouse. You take a deep breath in — you have to make him listen to you.

Thee doors open sooner than expected.

The hall is quiet and you have to force yourself to walk. You tighten the coat around yourself, looking for the little comfort you can have before facing him. The walk, though, is short and you see yourself at his door.

You pull your shoulders back, fixing your posture, and lift your chin.

You take a deep breath again and, before you can knock, the door open. Zemo’s figure looms behind the door and sweetly smile, tall and inviting as always, but now all you can feel is threat. Yet, because you decided to play his game, you pretend to not fear him, smiling back.

The less he knows you know the better. You need an advantage. Any.

He asks you to come in and you follow him throughout the living room, to his office. All the furniture is in place, clean of his decoration, you realise.

“I’m sorry,” he started, putting some papers on the table. “The room is a mess.”

The room is filled with luggage, most of them already closed and set near the door. Hope fires in your chest. It can’t be, can it?

You dust the seat near the window, looking for a moving truck on the street. You wonder what are the chances of this really happening, this is the last floor and your eyes are not that good anymore.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mind” you look back at him. “But I must ask: why do you have so many bags here?”

He’s already fitting you, the smile he reserves for you in his lips.

“I’m moving back to Sokovia.”

“Oh,” you have to look away to not display the bliss that suddenly filled you. However, Zemo reads your tears wrong, taking your joy for hurt, and comes to you, kneeling in the ground — you don’t try to correct him.

“No, Darling. There’s no reason to cry” he says, caressing your hand. You feel disgusted, but let him comfort you anyway. The more pliable he is, the best.

You use the hand he isn’t holding to clean the tears and look down at him.

"It's just… I enjoy your company so much” it is not a lie, though. You really used to love his company.

“I know, darling. Believe me, I know” he’s smiling again, squeezing your hand. There’s something in his eyes you can’t quite understand: it’s like he’s hoping for something. But what could he possibly want from you, besides the money?

“Now, let’s not cry,” he says, getting up and gathering the papers and a book to fit into a suitcase. “To what I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“Actually... I came here to pay off my debt” you say with a firm tone. Zemo is taken aback, turning around with a furrowed brow. You look him dead in the eyes, flexing your hand before reaching inside your coat. “And to... to... look for my husband”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Instead of properly answering him, you put the manila envelope on his desk. And it almost feels like a weight is lifted from your shoulders, like you can breathe again. Zemo, however, doesn't look so satisfied anymore.

The frown gets darker when he counts the money and it has the exact amount you owe him.

“I don’t understand,” he says, reaching for a cigarrete in his pocket,

“My husband” you simply say, choosing to ignore him light the damn cigarrete. "Have you seen him? He was supposed to come here and pay for his debts as well... But he didn't come back..."

It's been a week since you've seen your husband to be exact, a week since he was sent to pay what was due and nobody knew of him, not even his friends from the damn casino.

“You cannot expect me to believe that you're actually worried about him” he comes in your direction, but, when you flinch, he stops. Runs his fingers through his hair and exhales the smoke through his nose. “And I’ll not accept your money either.”

You get up.

“Why not?”

“That’s not right” he uses the same tone as you did before, like it explained everything. He turns to put the cigar in the ashtray, you follow him. “I don’t need your money.”

“‘That’s not right’? What do you mean..?” you hold his arm to try to get his attention or make him turn back — it doesn't work, instead, he pours whisky for himself. “I live in one of your buildings. You’re my landlord and I’m your tenant. It is right.”

“You know that isn’t what I’m talking about”

“Helmut, please” you try. “For the friendship we once had, if that too wasn’t pretend, please.”

It makes him stare at you.

“What do you mean? What did he told you about me?”

You try to hold the tear, but that’s futile, they already run down your face. Your grip on his waistcoat tightens.

"Does that... does that mean what he said is true? Do you pretend to leave?"

“He...? So he was here...? Did he pay you?”

Zemo grabs your shoulders and corners you into his desk, letting go of the glass. His eyes lit up with pure hatred and rancor, his hands were unforgiving, hurting you.

“With what lies did your husband fill your mind with? Why would you want to leave me?”

You sobbed.

“Please...don't kill me” he immediately sobered up. His eyes widened, he shook his head.

“What?” he asks and even in your panic you can tell he sounds startled for the second time tonight. “What are you saying, dummy?”

You try to get away from his arms, but he managed to get a better grip of yourself, bringing you closer. He uses an arm to hold your back and the other in your cheeks to try to face him.

“No. No…”

“Darling, don’t you see?” he asks, chuckling. “To hurt you is the last thing I want.”

Zemo kisses your lips. When you don’t respond to his advances, he kisses down your neck. Biting and licking your sensitive skin with a ferocity of a hungry beast, he moans when you whimper — your reaction only fuels the fire inside him. He wants you. He wants you.

And now, with your husband away, he can finally have you properly. But you're not kissing him back.

"Can't you see that I only want the very best for you?"

His kisses are hot against your skin, making you burn deliriously. He seems to know exactly where to kiss and suck to make you melt, but with the unrequired pleasure comes the fear. And you try your best to push him; it works against you, like he gets eager each time.

"You don't need to resist me anymore."

Zemo lifts and lays you on his desk, forcing your legs to part.

“You’re so warm, so warm” he spits in his left hand fingers and sneaks them in your pants, shamelessly moaning when the fingertips find your underwear. “Oh, Darling."

Zemo plays and pinches with your folds for good minutes before focusing on your clit, circling it with his middle and ring finger. You try to resist it, but he touch you just in the right places. He tries to kiss you again, but you turn around, pressing your head into the wood surface and away from him; so he kisses your collarbone instead. When your blouse gets in the way, he tears it apart and resumes his kisses on your breasts.

He left you with awaking love bites and hickeys.

His breath loses rhythm when he finally forces his finger inside you and you clench.

“Helmut” you try to reason. “Helmut, please” but he can only focus on the way your voice sweetly sings his name.

So he opened his flies. You’re too weak to even realise that before he takes off your pants and feels his bulge against your sensitive core, by then you don’t even have strength to try to fight it. You just let it happen.

"I know you desired it too, since the beginning. Why won't you let go even now, when you're clearly enjoying yourself?"

When he rut on your folds to gather wetness, you only voice a faint whimper. You feel so overwhelmed. His touch is the only thing keeping you awake.

“Oh, look at you. So sensitive” he whispers, his voice a tone deeper and rougher. “So wet. If I only knew you'd react so well and pliant, I’d get on it before. In the restroom, remember?”

Your eyes feel so heavy, you don’t have any force left to keep them open. However, Zemo has other plans.

“No, no, no, no. Keep them open, I want you to look at me when I enter you” He holds your face, forcing it to turn his way. You comply.

When he does push inside, Zemo takes his time. It is slow, savoring each second of it. His eyes only leave yours to look down where he fucks you open and, when he sets fully inside you, he moans loudly.

You couldn’t remember the last time you had sex with your husband, or with anyone else, and the stretch feels foreign. Zemos isn’t by any means average and, despite being still inside of you, you suppose it'll be hard to get used to it, it still burns.

He lies all his weight on you and bites your neck, humming something. Savoring the moment.

Then he moves. Deep, hard thrust that makes you see white with each push. You can’t help but moan, scratching the skin of his shoulder and neck — looking for leverage. Zemo wasn’t going fast, but you couldn’t catch your breath.

“You’re so tight,” he breathes on your face, looking for your lips. “How long did you wait for me, my love?”

“You’re delusional.”

“What?” he thrust especially hard and you whimpered. “Is that the sound of an unsatisfied woman? I don’t think so.”

He resumes his rhythm.

When he tries to kiss you again, you comply. Unlike the way he fucks you, his kiss is messy: it's sloopy, with teeth and tongue and he moans as soon as you kiss him back. Using his grip on your neck to force you to move together.

It doesn’t take long for Zemo to lose his composure once he is near his orgasm, you realise it when he breaks the kiss to gasp for air. He force your leg around his hips and tighten his grip on your waist, pulling you to find each of his thrusts midway. He bites your pulsepoint to hold the moans.

“Zemo” you call for him.

“HMM” is the only answer you get.

“Please” you beg, pulling his hair. He has to listen to you. “Please! Don’t come inside me.”

He chuckled and faced you.

“Where else would I come?”

“Anywhere else!” you whine. “Just, please. Not inside…”

“There’s no need to be afraid” he interrupts you, not stopping or losing rhythm of his movement. “Your husband isn’t going to be in our way. You don’t have to worry anymore.”

“What?”

“Shh, shh” he silences you, moving back to your neck. His moans get louder and thrust deeper, you can feel yourself getting closer with his ministrations. You clench around him, but you refuse to let go.

He knows exactly where to suck and kiss. And you bite your lips to hide your pleasure, yet your eyes roll and your legs tremble.

“Zemo!” you shout when he bites down hard and releases. He groans between his teeth and thrust a few more weak times before keeping still.

He doesn’t move for a good pair of minutes, getting comfortable above you. Hugging you.

When he does move, he gets up on his elbow to have a good look at you. A big smile on his face. He doesn't say a thing and you just look back at him, incapable of muttering anything as well. Feeling mortified. Weak to your knees.

Zemo lifts you with the holds on the back of your neck so he can kiss you. This one is sweet. Chaste. And it ends quickly.

However, he hasn’t had enough of you yet. He gets up, then takes you in his arms and walks to his suite.

You wonder what your future holds for you when he lays you on his mattress.

“Here” he whispers. “Let me help you.”

He takes what was left of your cloth off, covers you with a golden yellow blanket and joins you.

Zemos holds you close, running his fingertips on your back.

“Everything will be fine now, darling,” he says. “Soon, your husband will have a funeral and we’ll be able to move to Sokovia.”

You gasp for air, looking up at him.

“Yes,” he goes on with a smile. “You didn’t think I’d forget anything, did you? Once we settle there, we will get married in the same cathedral my parents did.”

“We will finally be happy” he concludes.

...

"But I want it. It's a crime that she's not around most of the time. (...) Open hand or closed fist would be fine. Blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine." cherry wine, hozier.

[sovietorphan]

@ojczyznska​ / starter . 

“ I didn't mean to get kicked out of the class , antonina . I just get really sweaty when I’m nervous and so I took off all my clothes --- can I borrow $3 and go to work with you ? ”

[loomisbear]

"Chillin' Like A Villain"

(from "Descendants 2" soundtrack)

Let me tell you something you can really trust

Everybody's got a wicked side

I know you think that you could never be like us

Watch and learn so you can get it right

You need to drag your feet

You need to nod your head

You need to lean back

Slip through the cracks

You need to not care

Uh, you need to not stare

You need a whole lot of help

(You need to not be yourself)

You wanna be cool?

Let me show you how

Need to break the rules

I can show you how

And once you catch this feeling

Yeah, once you catch this feeling

You'll be chillin', chillin', oh

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain (hey)

Chillin' like a, chillin' like a (hey), villain

You draw attention when you act like that

Let us teach you how to disappear

You look like you would lose a fight to an alley cat

You gotta be wrong to get it right 'round here

You need to watch your back

You need to creep around

You need to slide real smooth

Don't make a sound

And if you want it, take it

And if you can't take it, break it

If you care about your health

(Seriously, you need to not be yourself)

You wanna be cool?

Let me show you how

Need to break the rules

I can show you how

And once you catch this feeling

Yeah, once you catch this feeling

You'll be chillin', chillin', oh

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a

I really wanna be bad a lot

And I'm giving it my best shot

But it's hard being what I'm not

Well if you don't, you're gonna get us caught

He's right we gotta stay low-key

Now show us how bad you can be

Like this? (yeah, yeah, yeah)

Like this? (yeah, yeah)

Oh yeah, I think I got this

Let's go, I'm ready to rock this

And I ain't gonna thank you for your help

I think I found the worst in myself

You wanna be cool?

Let me show you how

You don't break the rules

I can show you how

And once you catch this feeling

Yeah, once you catch this feeling

You'll be chillin', chillin', oh

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain (chillin')

Chillin' like a villain

Submit Corrections

Thanks to Jam for correcting these lyrics.

Play "Chillin' Like A…"

on Apple Music

Writer(s): Thomas Armato Sturges, Tim James, Antonina Armato, Adam Schmalholz

AZLyrics S Sofia Carson Lyrics

soundtrack: "Descendants 2" (2017)

Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, Cameron Boyce & Mitchell Hope - Descendants 2 soundtrack cover

Ways To Be Wicked

What's My Name

(from "Descendants 2" soundtrack)

Chillin' Like A Villain

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You And Me

Kiss The Girl

Poor Unfortunate Souls

Better Together

Evil

Rather Be With You

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lottie what?

[auroras-blend]

I'm curious about the easter eggs in these recent chapters 👀

*rubs hands together like an evil little fly* I’ve been waiting for this & have been keeping notes 😂 

Chapter 15 (You Should’ve Just Listened)

Leo remembers Silvio forcing him to eat the food he messed up until the point of vomiting…well Marilyn will remember vomiting after she messed up her math.

In another history repeating itself scenario, Leo flung Snowbell outside and considers himself quite generous given Silvio flung Antonina’s cat down a well.

Leo really doesn’t want to be Silvio as a father, but…he’s too damaged to see that he is.

Chapter 18 (Buon Natale)-

Marilyn remembers the song Hard Times Come Again No More, that Patience’s mom sang to her and would sing to herself when she needed comfort. She overheard Patience sing it to herself because Patience never thought to sing it to her own daughter.

Leo made a jab at Patience and “mistakingly” said, “I’m sure she’s looking up at us,” implying she’s in hell.

Like Patience’s first Christmas at the mansion, Sawyer is also there to ruin Marilyn’s mood.

Petty Patience still exists in her daughter who released the ants into Sawyer’s coat.

Chapter 19 (Operation Be My Valentine)-

I love the Disney movie references (if you can't tell) so Pinocchio gets a brief mention between Leo & Marilyn

Referenced the time Leo arrived in Italy & his upcoming 40th birthday 😓

Silvio and Vittoria are brought up, even though their names aren't said.

Chapter 20 (Boys are the Worst)-

Leo referred to the dress with the diamond bodice and 12 ft. train he was making Patience when he was describing their “wedding” to Vittoria.

Did you see all of the Andrea references? Yeah, that hurt me to write 😢.

Legit took this joke from an ask that you received. I couldn’t help it, because it was so funny 😂. I changed a couple of lines around though.

Vittoria followed in Leo’s footsteps and went for the ankles to keep Emilio from getting away.

Aww, look at little Marilyn swear like a sailor and make her Mama proud by wounding mens’ pride. So proud of her!

Chapter 21 (Girl Time)-

Her name via Leo is revealed as Vittoria Maria Charlotte Antonina Borghese. He named her after his mom and Antonina who has died by this point 😢

Last time (at least for now) she’ll be referred to as Marilyn

Nixon expunged Leo’s crimes, which will allow him to apply for citizenship. Since the story is told from Marilyn’s POV, she won’t know exactly what happened and it won’t be stated explicitly to her.

Chapter 23 (There Goes My Innocence)-

"I know I'm named after Mama's mommy." Oh, honey, you're named after your father's too. Her family has a mommy fixation.

Family photo of her, Patience, Leo, & Principessa Snowbell. Someone's obviously missing 😢 But she drew the opera house scene with her parents in front of it.

About the last line, ooooof! She's got the Winslow luck. It's laughably bad.

Chapter 25 (When Will it Stop Hurting?)-

“Well, I think it’d be easier to get to the moon,” Mrs. Palmer corrected. This flashback takes place in 1967-1968, a few years prior to the moon landing.

And there's Marilyn's homophobia, courtesy of Patience.

Chapter 26 (The Funeral)-

“Angel, you wound me. And I’m sure your father wouldn’t like to hear that,” he [Costa] tutted. Costa refers to her as Angel, a reference to her father being the Angel Don.

Leo going into overprotective dad mode and demonstrating his vicious streak in his heart-to-heart with Marilyn.

The little Patience in her is ready to shoot Costa. Her Mama would be proud.

Leo’s gained some weight. It’s not an easter egg but I think it’s funny 😂 

Like Sal, Nicolletta's parent's have fun sniffing "flour"

Her fear of communists & Russians is courtesy of Patience

Chapter 27 (Playdate)-

Awww, little Marilyn found one of her Papa's torture devices and used it as a jump rope. How cute!

Marilyn says, “Put on your smile, Papa,” which is a direct callback to what Leo said to her in Chapter 20 (Boys are the Worst), “Put on your smile,” he instructed. This time, she was the one who was looking forward to the playdate.

Leo gets to suffer the long-winded conversations with the talkative Sig. Mazzeo, the high-pitched squealing of little girls and nursery rhymes playing on repeat. Again, not an easter egg by I think it’s funny 😂 

I've never known anyone who's been in jail before! 😂 😂 Oh, Marilyn, he's in the next room.

Sig. Mazzeo is mentioned to have known Silvio & worked with him.

My favorite reference: Little sleuth Marilyn Flora Winslow sneaks into her father's office to make a call & gets caught. This is supposed to pay homage to Patience's sleuthing skills and when Patience called Michael in Ragnatela but got caught.

Marilyn looks through her father's address book to find Charles Sawyer's name (she looks under 'C' for Charles) and finds names like Bianconi and Cardinale, two of the four dons from Ragnatela. Their numbers aren't quite useful anymore 😬

Chapter 28 (Trust)-

Leo spills the tea about his mom & his trauma regarding asylums shines through

Leo kept her ornament and hangs it in his office 🥺

Leo left her because he’s waking up early to work out, because of Sig. Mazzeo’s comment about his weight really got to him.

Chapter 29 (Art Date)-

This chapter marks the first time Silvio’s name is dropped into the story

Silvio’s appearance and likeness to Leonardo is mentioned, as well as his work as a tailor

Leo mentions that he studied photography and sculpture, and there are several points where you can see his studies paid off. Yes, he also mentions he was good in “all areas” at school 🙄 

“Did you make the statues in our garden?” she asked is a direct reference to what Patience asked him when she was there in his mansion in Chapter 36 of Ragnatela. Leo notices it and is unsettled by it.

Patience burned him beyond the grave by saying artists are poor and useless.

Garland City is name-dropped as the place they’ll be moving back to. She confuses it with the Emerald City/Wizard of Oz Reference.

Another callback to chapter 36 with their “art date” taking place in the rock gardens, which was Patience’s favorite place in the mansion.

Short Patience reference

I wanted to contrast the appearance of the mansion from when Patience first went there and it looked like a model home to what it is now with Marilyn living there. It’s a lot more “homey” and it’s evident that people live there with the personal touches.

Thank you for this ask and sorry it’s so extra! 

[automatictidalwavepeach-blog1]

Why do young women prefer mature men?

Age difference

Why do young women prefer mature men? How can you find a younger lady yourself? Why Slavic girls are so popular when it comes to age gap relationships? We've interviewed Antonina Grant, a Ukrainian woman who've created one of the biggest international dating sites for mature men and young ladies, and she has answered all our questions. Interested? Then continue reading!

What was your goal when you started JollyRom***.com? What’s your story?

It’s not a secret. I was born in Ukraine and spent 25 years of my life in this Eastern European country. I’ve always wanted to find a foreign man, a knight in shining armor, you know, who would take me to his country and make me happy. I’ve always dreamt of being a wife, a mother, but I didn’t want to live in Ukraine, of course.

But it wasn’t that easy to find a foreigner, actually. I tried mail bride services, but the absolute majority of them were real trash — I spend a year trying to find a man online, but it didn’t work out at all. After all, I met Brandon — he was on a business trip to Kyiv, we’ve met at the conference, and then things just kind of happened. And yes, he was 45 then (I was 26 years old). Now, I’m a happy wife of the best man in the world — and that’s the main reason why I’ve created JollyRom***.com

I wanted to help Ukrainian, Russian, and other girls from Eastern Europe to find a good man from the United States. I’ve traveled that road, that’s what I’m talking about — and if there was a good dating service for the girls like me at that time, I wouldn’t have gone through all that hassle.

Can you explain why young ladies prefer older men?

I’m a young lady who prefers older men, so yes, I think I can. The thing is, older men are just... great. I can name at least 3 reasons why young girls from Slavic countries search for mature Western men.

First of all, they are patient. The more you live, the more patient, and therefore, the less stressed and overwhelmed you become. With Brandon, I have no stress at all — and that's a completely different experience. We girls love when a man is patient and when he takes time to consider his actions instead of immediately reacting. Unfortunately, lots of Slavic men are not patient at all.

Older men show respect. They won't tell their friends that you're good in bed, they will always treat a girl with respect, and they will never refuse to compromise. Every woman loves when her man respects her and her family, there are no exceptions here.

And of course, they are stable. I don't want to say that it's all about money, of course. But it's always great when a man has a good job, earns money, and pays his bills — and almost all the mature men in the US have a good job and earn money. Slavic girls definitely know what is it to live in a poor country. So, for them, it's always better to build a family with someone financially stable.

How can you describe the audience of your website?

Three words: real, beautiful, intelligent.

At first, they all are real. I know that it’s a serious problem with modern dating sites — they have lots of fake profiles. JollyRom***.com doesn’t have such problems at all. All the profiles here are verified by ID (women must upload the scans of their passports), so it’s impossible to create a fake profile here.

And beauty, of course. There are thousands of women between 25 and 35 on JollyRom***.com, and they all are fantastically beautiful. You’ve heard about Slavic beauty, right?

And intelligence, yes. They all are very educated and smart, and what’s even more important, they all know English well. So, you will not have to solve that language barrier problem here.

Who should try JollyRom***.com?

Literally every man who wants to find a beautiful, family-oriented, and intelligent young lady. Sounds like ads, right? Well, maybe. If you want me to be more detailed, I’ll be more detailed.

All men who are looking for a young, beautiful, and smart woman from Ukraine, Belarus, or Russia, should try JollyRom***.com. There are thousands of Slavic women on this website, so it’s not a chance to be missed.

All men who are tired of fake dating sites should try JollyRom***.com, too. All the women are real here, all the profiles are verified, and it’s impossible for a scammer to create an account here.

All men who want to create a family should try it. Don’t get me wrong, not all of the ladies here are looking for a husband, but all of them are very family-oriented, that’s one of the most prominent features of Slavic girls.

All men who want to save money should try JollyRom***.com. International dating sites are often quite expensive, but not my website. You’ll be happy with the price.

I know what you’re thinking about. “Sounds too sweet”, you might think, or “there must be a pitfall somewhere”. No, there are no pitfalls here — but you don’t have to believe my words. Instead, try JollyRom***.com  yourself, make sure that this is a great dating service, and find your love!

[nanshe-of-nina]

Wizarding Russian Empire and USSR || Members of the Sovet Koldunov, part III

Velizariy Romanovich Bolgarsky (14 May 1890 – 21 December 1977) Bolgarsky was born into a poor, but Pureblood family in what is now the Kursky oblast. He did not attend school, but instead moved to Lysaya Gora at 14 and found menial work in restaurants. He first joined the BK in 1908 and married fellow party member, Antonina Afinskiyevna Skomorokhova, in 1913, by whom he had three daughters and a son.

After the Revolution, Bolgarsky was based in Rostov-on-Don and Kursky. From the early 1920s, he became part of the circle of followers of Afanasiy Anastasovich Kostov and joined the SK in 1926. During the 1930s, he oversaw massive operations meant to break perceived continued resistance by Goblins, Kladenets, Mavka, and other non-humans against the Soviet regime. During the Great Harvest, he traveled frequently and oversaw the process of mass arrests and executions. He was responsible, particularly, for the arrests of the Zhnets, Izmail Yakovlevich Arkhipienka (who had helped batter Zaria Kresnikovna Krasavkina and Yefrem Iosifovich Levandovsky into submission) and his fellow SK member, Yelisaveta Ivanovna Lisitsyna.

By the 1940s, Bolgarsky was becoming increasingly marginalized in favor of newcomers like Rodion Feodorovich Gornostaev, Bereginia Forkiyevna Rechenko, Nane Barsaminovna Aslanyan, Dmitry Romanovich Knorozov, and Dobrynya Nikitich Porozov. In increasingly poor health, he played a minor role during the Global Wizarding War. Afterwards, in 1947, he probably help Aslanyan and Knorozov fabricate charges of treason against Porozov and the married couple, Zhiva Yarilovna Chereshkova and Kresnik Perunovich Chereshkov. Afterwards, he went into semi-retirement.

In 1948, however, his own daughter, Yanina Velizariyevna, and her husband, Anastas Feodorovich Fedorenchuk, were both arrested and sent to Vyraj in unclear circumstances. The excuse was that they were implicated in corruption, but it was suspected that Kostov had actually ordered their arrest because Yanina was a long-time friend of his second daughter, Yuliya. Once clever and fun-loving, if imperious, Yuliya had become a full-blown alcoholic by the late 1940s and was notorious for her many love affairs. Unwilling to think that he himself might have had some effect on his daughter’s behavior, Kostov was eager to find scapegoats, of which the unfortunate Yanina was one. Antonina was disgusted with her husband’s refusal to lift a finger to assist his own child, demanded a divorce not long after, and devoted herself to looking after Yanina’s four sons, who ranged in age from 14 to 8. Undaunted, Bolgarsky became a relationship with his eldest daughter’s school friend, Radmila Miloslavovna Vishnova, and had two further daughters by her.

After Kostov’s death in June 1953, Yanina and Anastas were both released from Vyraj. Yanina showed little signs of bitterness of what had happened to her and instead devoted herself to looking after the increasingly sick and unhappy Yuliya Afanasiyevna. Bolgarsky died in obscurity in 1977.

Rodion Feodorovich Gornostaev (28 February 1890 – 29 September 1948) Gornostaev was born into a minor Old Pureblood family in Lysaya Gora and attended Koldovstoretz from 1900 until 1908. His father died when he was 14 and after finishing his studies, tried to make a career as a poet and musician, but found that little success in either area. He joined the BK only in 1917 and began work in the Commissariat of Magical Culture and Education, where he was often mocked behind his back for regularly boring people to death with his bad poetry. In 1929, he came to the attention of Afanasiy Kostov by helping him in his endeavor to sack the then-Commissar of Magical Culture and Education, Aglaonika Ptolemeyevna Zvezdova, ostensibly on charges of that she was too ill, but actually she was too much of a soft touch and cosmopolitan for Kostov’s liking.

Following the suicide of Dariy Kserksovich Mironov in 1934, Gornostaev became the Vedmak of Ledenets and devoted himself to rooting out mostly imaginary conspiracies of Lutsenkoists and Krasavkinans during the Great Harvest. That same year, his son, Vadim, married Yuliya Afanasiyevna Kostova, in a marriage than neither really wanted. After the fall of Valery Medvednikov, Gornostaev blamed him for the Great Harvest’s excesses and called for its end, with Kostov’s approval.

During the Global Wizarding War, he spent much of his time ostensibly defending Ledenets from Grindelwald and his army, but was little seen in public, leaving most of the dangerous work to his deputy, Zhiva Yarilovna Chereshkova. After the end of the the war, Gornostaev insisted on purism in policy rather than the pragmatism championed by Dmitri Romanovich Knorozov, but this proved to be unworkable so instead he spent most of his time policing art, literature, and music.

Increasingly ill since the GWW, he died in 1948 as a result of his alcohol abuse. Not long after his death, Vadim and Yuliya divorced and happily went their separate ways. In the fall of 1951, his death from natural causes was instead blamed on a vast conspiracy of non-humans—primarily goblins, Mavka, vampires, werewolves, and Domovoy— working to destroy the USSR from within. 

Lutomir Vlasiyevich Korovchenko (27 April 1885 – 28 March 1939) Born into a moderately prosperous Pureblood Ukrainian family, Korovchenko attended Koldovstortez from 1895 until 1903. He joined the BK in 1904 and became more fully involved in revolutionary activities after completing his studies. After the Revolution, he was became active in the governing of the Ukraine, holding various minor posts. After the sacking of Kyrylo Hryhoriyovych Vovchuk in 1928, Korovchenko became the deputy of the new Vedmak, Zdeslav Mrozhek. In 1932, however, he was sacked as Mrozhek in favor of Yelisaveta Lisitsyna and sent back to Lysaya Gora.

In July 1938, he came under suspicion to the testimony of the recently arrested former SK members, Ledus, Mrozhek, and Vakarine Sidabraite. Miroslava Vseslav’yevna Volkova, a close friend and former colleague of his (as well as the namesake of his only daughter) was upset by the arrest and halfheartedly protested that it had it to be a mistake, but backed down when challenged. He was executed 28 March 1939. Korovchenko’s wife, Maria Yoakimovna Kobylenko, and two eldest sons, Vladimir and Vlasiy, aged 25 and 23, was also arrested and executed when he was. The youngest son, Yaromir, aged 18, was sent to Vyraj and the only daughter, Miroslava, aged 16, was sent to an orphanage, only to be arrested the following year and also sent to Vyraj. They were freed in 1954, shortly before the convictions of their parents and older brothers were overturned. 

Agrafena Yuliyevna Lebesheva (10 July 1887 – 20 October 1937) Lebesheva was an ethnic Russian halfblood from Rostov-on-Don where her father was a minor official for the Volshebnyi Duma. She attended Koldovstortez from 1897, but was expelled in 1904 for her politics.

During the Civil War, she helped crush the rebel aurors in Koldovstoretz and the incident made her rethink some of her political ideals. She became a member of the SK in 1929. In 1930, however, Lebesheva and Ripsimiya Sarkisovna Nazarian were both accused of forming a group bitterly opposed to Kostov’s policies. If Lebesheva and Nazarian were plotting to remove him from power, they went about in the stupidest way possible, but it still terrified him and excited his paranoia.

Both women were expelled from the BK along with their apparent third co-conspirator, Vlasiy Ivanovich Dvorkin. After her expulsion, Lebesheva went to work in the production of cauldrons and was not reinstated. However, during the Great Harvest, she was arrested 12 May 1937 and executed 29 October 1937.

Vasily Vsevolodovich Ledus (9 September 1885 – 6 March 1940) A Latvian rozhdennyy zemley from northwestern Courland, Ledus joined the BK in 1899 and was arrested twice. In 1905, he fled to Norway and found menial work there, but secretly returned to Latvia in 1913. Due to the German invasion of Latvia during World War I, he removed himself to Siberia and did not return to Latvia until 1917.

He was assigned to Siberia in 1924 and spent the rest of his career there. During the Great Harvest, he and the Zhnetsy, Viktor Arkhipovich Baltais and Ksantip Kiprianovich Zelinsky, were given the responsibility of rooting out suspected spies and traitors. However, he roused Kostov’s wrath in 1935 by telling the truth about the state of Vyraj, after which Kostov decided that Ledus and Vyraj’s first two overseers, Velonia Volosovna Kukulka and Olivera Lazarevna Kargina, were lazy and incompetent morons.

Ledus’ own downfall came about in 1938, due his Latvian origins and the fact that his former colleague, Vakarine Sidabraite, had been tortured into denouncing him. He was tortured repeatedly by Nataliya Valeryevna Voronova at the orders of Nane Aslanyan, but constantly refused to confess. His wife, Aina Vladimirovna Sniegs, was executed shortly after him.

Yelisaveta Ivanovna Lisitsyna (8 August 1881 – 13 March 1939) Lisitsyna was born in what is now Novosibirsk Oblast, one of the daughters of a traveling merchant who was often accused of scams and fraud. Lacking in formal education, in 1898, she and her older sister, Melissa, born joined the Brátstvo and were arrested numerous times.

In the 1920s, she became a fanatical supporter of Afanasiy Kostov. In 1932, she was sent to the Ukraine as Deputy Vedma to crush Lutsenkoists and recalcitrant Ukrainians, as Kostov believed that the Vedmak of the region, Zdeslav Mrozhek, was being too lenient. Her scapegoat of choice was the Ukraine’s former Vedmak, Kyrylo Hryhoriyovych Vovchuk, whom she drove to suicide with her vitriolic attacks. Afterwards, she spent the Great Harvest in the Ukraine overseeing arrests and executions and became an object of undying hatred to Ukrainians.

For unclear reasons, she was denounced as a Lutsenkoist herself and arrested on 15 March 1938 and executed 5 March 1939. The circumstances of her arrest are not entirely clear, but it probably had something to do with her close associations with Korovchenko and Mrozhek. Also executed were her sister; her husband, Ivan Vladislavovich Voronin; and two of her sons, Vladislav and Matias. The third son, Timofey; Melissa’s two children; and Matias’ wife, Yekaterina Aleksandrovna Tarasenko, and young daughter, Yelisaveta, were all sent to Vyraj. They were released in 1956, the same year that the convictions of Lisitsyna and her executed relatives were overturned.

Arseniy Viktorovich Lushnikov (16 June 1889 – 8 May 1977) Lushnikov was born in the Volga region into a lower middle class Halfblood family. As a teenager, he moved to Nizhny Novgorod in search of work, married in 1912 and had two sons and a daughter. He joined the BK in 1917 and the Zhnetsy in 1918. During the Civil War, he helped Miroslava Volkova to suppress dissidents in the Volga region. After the end of the war, he quit the Zhnetsy and was transferred to Lysaya Gora. Lushnikov rose rapidly in strength during the Great Harvest and during the Global Wizarding War, he served as a financial manager in the Aurors’ Office.

After the end of the GWW, he was appointed the head of the Auror Office, even though he’d never served on the front lines, and a member of the Sovet Kuldonov. After the death of Kostov, Lushnikov initially supported Bereginia Rechenko, but later sided with Svarog Volosevich Zhelezov and Volkova and was removed from power, living out the rest of his life in obscurity. His younger son, Akhilles, married Kirena Artyomovna Lovtsevich, the daughter of the future head of the Zhnetsy, Artyom Akteonovich Lovtsevich, in 1948. 

Zdeslav Kasimirovich Mrozhek (27 January 1883 – 9 March 1939) Born into a poor Polish family, Mrozhek was a Halfblood who moved to Kiev in the Ukraine in search of work in 1900 an joined the Brátstvo in 1901. In 1905, he married a Ukrainian rozhdennyy zemley named Maria Aleksandrovna Bohdanenko and ultimately had two daughters by her. During World War I, he and his brothers were deported to Siberia on account of their agitations against the Volshebny Duma. In 1917, he returned to Lysaya Gora, before being sent to work in the Ukraine.

In 1928, Mrozhek became the Vedmak of the entire Ukraine and ordered the the extermination and deportation of renegade Goblins, Mavka, Rusalki, Skarbnik, and Vodyanoy and became a member of the SK in 1930. In 1932, however, he made the fatal mistake of asking Kostov and the other members of the Sovet Koldunov about the possibility of intervening to help the starving Zemlyane in the Ukraine. Because this was something that a number of Opposition groups around the same time had discussed, Kostov came to believe that Mrozhek might harbor such sympathies himself. Shortly after, Yelisaveta Lisitsyna was sent to the region, ostensibly as his deputy in place of Korovchenko, but actually to spy on him.

Though the circumstances that led up to it are obscure, Mrozhek fell under suspicion during the Great Harvest. He was arrested 6 June 1938 and tortured extensively for six months before finally cracking when his daughters were threatened. He was executed 9 March 1939. His wife and daughters were sent to Vyraj. Maria died there in 1943, but his daughters were released in the 1950s.

Avrelia Artyomovna Olenenko (31 January 1872 – 6 January 1961) Olenenko was born in the Ukraine to a halfblood family. She only attended four years at Koldovstortez before being expelled due to her family’s inability to pay after her father’s death. At 15, Olenenko moved to Odessa and got a job as a seamstress in a ladies' robes shop. In 1890, she married fellow revolutionary, Astrey Ippolitovich Zubrenko, by whom she had two sons and two daughters. In 1891, she and her husband joined the BK and was arrested in 1897 and 1902. In 1905, they were forced to flee to Austria and only returned in 1910, taking up residence in Kiev. In 1914, she and her husband were arrested again and sentenced to permanent exile in Siberia and was only freed in 1917.

After the Revolution, Olenenko became one of the earliest members of the Zhnetsy, but grew critical of the organization’s excesses and the tendency of Marena Volosovna Kulchytskaya and the Black Crones to constantly downplay and apologize for atrocities. She quit the Zhnetsy in 1922 and instead worked under Kyrylo Hryhoriyovych Vovchuk in the Ukraine. After her disposing, she then moved to working under Volkova and Mrozhek and alongside Lisitsyna and Korovchenko. A loyalist of Afanasiy Kostov, she became a member of the SK in 1926.

During the Great Harvest, however, Olenenko was expelled from the SK and all her posts, but unlike Mrozhek, Lisitsyna, and Korovchenko, she was merely put under house arrest. Why Olenenko was spared is unclear, especially since her elder son, Anatoly; her daughters; and her daughters' husbands were all arrested in 1937. Anatoly and Olenenko’s sons-in-law were all executed, but her daughters were released in 1942, after Memnon (Olenenko’ younger son) was murdered by followers of Grindelwald. (The release of the two daughters was possibly due to the intervention of the Auror, Kreusa Vasilyevna Morozenko.)

In 1940, Olenenko was appointed as the librarian of Koldovstortez, to replace Gekata Tserberovna Akanitova, the second cousin of Zaria Krasavkina and sister-in-law of Yefrem Levandovsky, who had been arrested in 1936 and executed the following year. She died in 1961 at the age of 88.

Dobrynya Nikitich Porozov (30 July 1897 – 31 October 1950) One of the protégés of Rodion Gornostaev in Ledenets, Porozov became the front-runner for Kostov’s successor after Gornostaev’s death. Unfortunately, his arrogance and smugness won him the undying hatred of Knorozov, Aslanyan, and Zabel Lvovna Sargsyan, who moved to destroy him. He was arrested 17 September 1949 and executed 31 October 1950.

Also arrested and executed were his brother, Mikula Nikitich, and his sister, Zabava Nikitina Porozova while Zabava’s husband, Přemysl Sedlak, was sent to Vyraj. However, his sister-in-law, Serafina Mikhailovna Zherebtsova, was spared, possibly because she was a fanatical Kostovist and the daughter of the Auror, Mikhail Zherebtsov.

[theanticool]

Fixing Women's Bantamweight Part 2

Back in 2015 I took a look over the women’s bantamweight division, talking about how the UFC was neglecting the long term health of the division in favor of making a conveyor belt for Ronda Rousey’s title challengers. And we know how that turned out.

Just over two years later: Tate is retired, Rousey is in the WWE talking about never coming back, and Holly Holm is teetering. And now the UFC has with a champion (Amanda Nunes) they are openly unhappy with, whose contenders list is running short. Their reluctance to even attempt to build a featherweight division drives talent at 135lbs up a weight class to get fed to Cris Cyborg, derailing any momentum or potential buzz they might have created for themselves competing at 135lbs.

There are currently 23 fighters in the Women’s bantamweight division according to Wiki (I’m including Tonya Evinger and Yana Kunitskaya who are listed at 145lbs). But then there’s Amanda Lemos was suspended by USADA after her debut, who’s probably going to be a flyweight if/when she returns. She’s gone for 2 years. GDR, Correia, and Evinger are all hurt with no clear indication of return. Pena is on maternity leave. Evans-Smith is moving to flyweight - don’t see that being permanent. All of a sudden, the division has about 17-18 active fighters. But active is a word I use very loosely - of the 18 active fighters, 11 WBW have 4 or fewer fights in the UFC.

And until the UFC and major MMA gyms start going to the international women’s wrestling/judo/TKD competition and the WCWA championships and sign every woman who comes off the mat looking sad, we’re going to have to do some digging to find talent.

So in honor of Women’s History Month - here are 21 women the UFC should consider signing to jump start this division. Read after the jump

1. Sarah Kaufman (19-4) - Former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion - For the life of me, I’ll never get the logic behind letting the Sarah Kaufman go. Yeah, I get that she isn’t the kind of fighter that is gonna make a card a must see. But she’s dependable. You know what you’re going to get out of her every time out. She’s a top ten quality women’s bantamweight that could be in interesting fights. She’s too good not be in the UFC. And I don’t buy that she’s going to be knocking off prospects in the UFC as a reason to leave her on the out because she’s already doing that on the regional scene where it’s honestly more damaging imo. Plus it’s not like there isn’t a circuit for her - fights with Cat Zingano, Tonya Evinger, Julianna Pena, GDR, and Holly Holm make all the sense in the world. She’s the best Canadian fighter available to the UFC at the moment with GSP in injury induced hiatus and RoryMac going for double gold in Bellator. She’s currently penciled in to fight for the Invicta FC bantamweight title against Katharina Lehner in May at Invicta FC 29.

2. Kelly Faszholz (4-2) - Faszholz was a victim of the UFC’s 135lb division having like 10 fighters in it. You get to the UFC with only 3 pro fights worth of experience and all of a sudden you’re fighting former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Lauren Murphy and fellow up and comer Ketlen Vieira. With some proper matchmaking, I think Faszholz would be a top 10-15 fighter right now. She’s a good sized bantamweight at 5’8 and she’s an exceptional striker (in development). Instead she went 0-2 and got the boot. She has since rebounded from her UFC stint by beating fellow UFC veteran Elizabeth Phillips. Hopefully with a good active 2018, she gets the call again.

3. Larissa Pacheco (11-2) - Pacheco’s first UFC run was terrible. She got stopped twice in completely one sided affairs, BUT her first two fights in the UFC were REDONKULOUSLY strong (even at 135lbs) Jessica Andrade and elite kickboxer Germaine De Randamie. Also, she was only 20 years old during her first run. I might have missed my mark on her potential back in the day but I still think she’s going to be a solid fighter at 135lbs and it’s insane to think she’ll never be anything good. She very recently returned to competition, submitting another top Brazilian bantamweight prospect in Karollina Rosa.

4. Antonina Shevchenko (3-0) - World Champion Muay Thai fighter - The older sister of former title challenger Valentina Shevchenko, Antonina is a stand out Muay Thai-kickboxer in her own right. A former Lion Fight Champion, she has breezed to an easy 3-0 in MMA so far. While I have no idea if she has the credentials in judo and wrestling like her younger sister, her understanding of the striking game leave her miles ahead of 97% of the women’s 135lb division. Like three others in this category, she lacks experience with credible opponents but the bottom of 135lbs isn’t short on women who I think she could beat. The 33 year old will be fighting on the Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series this Summer. Helwani has hinted she’ll compete at 125lbs but I can’t see her making the weight consistently.

5. Luz Vazquez (2-0) - Olympic Freestyle Wrestler - There are two women on this list that I believe are genuine blue chip, potentially elite fighters. 29 year old Luz Vazquez is one of them. An Olympic freestyle wrestler, Vazquez is one of the more well credentialed women floating on the regional scene. Vazquez has only had two fights (and one was from 2010), but even those short samples it’s pretty clear she is a next level athlete. She’s out here knocking women down on spinning back kicks. She’s picking other women up above her head with ease for slams. She’s so much faster, stronger, and more dynamic than most women’s talent at 135lbs, it’s kind of hard not seeing her as an eventual contender with more experience. Hopefully the UFC signs her soon (and their upcoming show in Chile could be the perfect place for her to debut), or at the very least Hector Castro gets her on a regional show here in North America.

6. Marina Mokhnatkina (4-1) - 5x Sport Sambo World Champion - The other blue chip prospect on this list is Marina Mokhnatkina. A 5x time champion in sport sambo, Mokhnatkina brings a completely unique martial arts background to the women’s bantamweight division. She is an absolute force on the mat, racking up submissions in both MMA and sport sambo competition. She’s particularly fond of leg locks, winning repeatedly across the two sports with an array of knee bars, heel hooks, and ankle locks. Mokhnatkina could send a shock through the a division that is made of primarily strikers. The only thing stopping her is she signed a six fight deal with Fight Nights Global back in January. I’m not sure of FIght Nights Global’s current relationship with the UFC. She would be great for the UFC’s debut show in Russia in September if they could get her. As demonstrated in her loss to Liana Jojua, she’s got a lot of problems with her game: high risk style of grappling based entirely around leg locks and armbars, fundamentally poor striking, not a positional grappler, questions about wrestling/judo game, etc.

7. Morgane Ribout (2-0) - Judo World Champion - Next up we have a Judo World Champion in Morgane Ribout. Now while Ribout is a very accomplished judoka, it’s important to note she won a world title at about 125lbs. She’s likely to drop to flyweight should she ever make it to a big organization, and I’ve read people who follow judo say she could probably make strawweight. The reason I’m including her at all is because her two fights so far in MMA have been at bantamweight (one for the CEF bantamweight title). With French fighters like Ngannou, Duquesnoy, and Taleb finding recent success here in the States, it is time we see more women make the jump. And we’ve already seen what a good judoka can accomplish in this division. While I worry more about how here abilities transfer over than I am Vazquez and Mokhnatkina (I haven’t seen any of her fight footage outside of judo), she’s got a decade of training at the highest levels of her combat sport - a sport we’ve seen another woman enter from to great success. She seems to be taking the jump to MMA very seriously. And with how well respected Judo is in France, Ribout’s success could be the next step to getting the sport legalized in France.

8. Rizlen Zouak (3-0) - Judo Olympian - Rizlen Zouak is the first woman to ever represent Morrocco in the Olympic for judo. She’s medaled in numerous international competitions in Judo all over the world. She trains out of the MMA Factory in France, home of UFC fighters Francis Ngannou and Tom Duquesnoy. There is a lot to like about Zouak. At 31 years old, she’s still got time to develop into a really good fighter. Women’s bantamweight is weird like that. I’ve only seen her fight with Leah McCourt in Cage Warriors (her debut) so it’s hard to know for sure if she’s ready for the UFC, but based on the small sample size she probably needs the most time out of this category to get there. Hopefully she takes a few fights in 2018 and is ready for a call up by next year.

9. Liana Jojua (7-2)  - The 22 year old Georgian has a lot of Pennington/Pudilova in her. She’s dogged, will fight you in every position, and seems to have a natural comfort and pose in a tough, grueling fight. It’s what carried her to a win over 5x world Sambo Champion Marina Mokhnatkina to capture the Fight Nights Global BW title. She’s doesn’t have a standout skill set like many of the pedigreed fighters, but she does everything well enough and with enough physicality to never really be out of a fight. At only 22, she’s got a lot of time and room to grow. She’s also only been fighting since 2015, so she’s not shopworn yet. She wouldn’t be an instant shot in the arm of the division, but she is young talent that 135lbs desperately needs. Don’t let the number fool you, she should be high on Maynard’s “to sign” list.

10. Katharina Lehner (7-0) - Katharina Lehner is a 27 year old fighting out of Germany. A four year veteran as a pro, Lehner has gone 7-0 in MMA including a successful debut in Invicta that involved her knocking out Alexa Conners. Oddly enough, that’s Lehner’s only finish though. The best comparison I have for her is a more aggressive Sarah Kaufman. She’s not a fast fighter. At all. She’s a hittable target but her pace, brute strength on the inside, and combinations make her someone who’s really hard to keep at bay. Despite not being a big KO artist, she’s got some pop on her hands and her arsenal is pretty solid with the elbows she uses to close distance. I can’t help but feel she benefited a lot from Invicta’s tiny cage in her debut and I’m curious to see how her style would fare in the much bigger UFC cage. She’s going to fight Sarah Kaufman for the Invicta FC bantamweight title at Invicta FC 29 in May.

11. Julia Avila (4-0) - Julia Avila is undefeated through her short MMA career so far with wins on her resume over currently ranked bantamweight Marion Reneau and current UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano. You’d figure with a resume like that, she would have been signed already. At 5’7, she’s a pretty long 135lber that makes pretty good use of her size. She’s a pretty darn good kicker that can stay on the outside and score points with a variety of well timed kicks. I don’t think her boxing game is quite there yet but Avila’s long reach makes helps her to get the better of long exchanges at times. Does a good job of catching people at the end of her crosses (She fights both orthodox and southpaw from what I can tell). Plus she can throw a wicked knee up the middle when she’s got her timing down.

12. Shanna “Shannimal” Young (4-0) - Shannimal is a good nickname for Shanna Young. Young is a former wrestler for King College, where she did well enough to earn 6th place at the championships and get herself ranked with Team USA. She’s also got a deep background in Karate. The 27 year old really gets after the takedown. While she hasn’t rounded out many of the other parts of her grappling game, she is a dogged chaser of the takedown. Her biggest win to date was probably beating Invicta featherweight Pam Sorenson. Honestly, the edge her wrestling and raw strength gives her would make her a solid fit at the bottom of the division. I think she should be getting the call up.

13. Pannie “Sexy Scramble” Kianzad (8-3) - 26 year old Swede Pannie Kianzad has hit a really rough patch in her career. She’s already been fighting for 5 years, so she should in theory be nearing her peak as a fighter. Not a good look than that she’s lost her last three to admittedly strong competition (Kaufman, Evinger, and Pa'aluhi). Still her youth and size (5’7) make her a good fit for the UFC division which currently needs young 135lbers who won’t (can’t) drop to 125lbs when things go south. Hopefully she can rebound to grab a couple of wins in 2018 and get a call to the UFC.

14. Marciea “Black Widow” Allen (6-2) - Despite some early career setbacks, Allen has rattled off three straight victories. I do think she has Reneau-esque run to the top of the division but she’s 36, she’s on a good run, and she’s one of the more experienced 135lb woman on the local circuit. Bring her in to test a fellow UFC debutant. And if she ends up actually looking good, all the more power to her.

15. Gisele Moreira (7-3) - 37 year old Brazilian Gisele Moreira is similar to Marcia Allen. She came to the sport very late, not really starting until she was 33-34 years old. She’s racked up a record fighting who she can on the regional scene while losing to some of the better prospects on the Brazilian regional scene (Talia Santos, UFC vet Bernardo, and Bianca Daimoni). Again, I doubt she ever becomes a contender but she’s still early enough in her career where she should be improving, she’s got experience a lot of women on the regional scene don’t have, and even if she doesn’t pan out she should still be the right test for someone is making her UFC debut.  

16. Maiju Suotama (8-3) - Suotama is the type of fighter you need in building a division - a strong, come forward grappler veteran. While she may “only” have 11 fights to her resume, Suotama is has been fighting as a pro since for almost a decade. She took off for 6 years in the middle, but according to her she was training the entire time she was away. Hopefully, she’s avoided the wear and tear that comes with a decade of professional sports training by taking a hiatus. At 32, she’s probably not going to get a ton better or take off athletically but she can be a solid addition to the middle of the division in ways 135 needs right now.

17. Raquel Pa'aluhi (6-6) - At 27, it might seem like Pa’aluhi got another gear in her but she’s probably right about where she’s going to be for the rest of her career. And despite her .500 record, I don’t think that’s an indictment against her skills as a fighter. 4 of the women that Pa’aluhi has lost to have gone on to fight for UFC titles (McMann, Nunes, Kunitskaya, and Pennington). She might not be more than a journeywoman, but those are valuable when a division only has a handful of fighters. Fights need to get booked, younger fighters need a bridge between fighting some local Jane Doe and getting tossed to a Tonya Evinger. Pa’aluhi serves as the perfect bridge. Who knows? Maybe she gets some of that UFC money, can afford to train full time and hits a corner like Magny did.

18. Taila Santos (14-0) - A can crushing record but winning 14 in a row is still something in the depleted global women’s bantamweight scene. Plus she’s only 24 years old.  Took 2017 off because of pregnancy, but she’ll be back soon. Recently won a regional BJJ competition in Brazil.

19. Alexa Conners (4-2) - The two losses on her record aren’t as telling as it seems. One was a robbery in her debut and the other was a TKO loss to Lehner who came in 4lbs over weight. Conners is a powerful puncher with a decent kickboxing game. Hopefully she gets some wins in 2018 and gets the call up.

20. Mayana Kellem (7-0) - Kellem is a Brazilian bantamweight fighting out of Manaus. Has fought more than a couple of women with .500 records but has managed to win 7 straight to start career. That’s a good sign.

21. Karolline Rosa (8-2) - Recently suffered a submission loss to Larissa Pacheco but is otherwise a talented young bantamweight.

[bgallen]

A Friday list for you to peruse

Here’s a list of ideas, books, music, hope, etc. that has been on my mind lately. I hope that you’re able to find something to enjoy and even to grow from. I’ve also included some pictures below. In one you will see a driveway, do you see the nice yellow hue? It is pollen season in MS and when I say everything outside has taken that nice yellow hue, I mean everything.

Books I am wanting to read:

·      Zora and Langston by Yuval Taylor

·      My Hermitage: How the Hermitage Survived Tsars, Wars, and Revolutions to Become the Greatest Museum in the World by  Mikhail Borisovich Dr. Piotrovsky (Author), Antonina W. Bouis (Translator)

·      Brother & Sister by Diane Keaton

Products to purchase:

·      Smeg Coffee Grinder, 50’s Retro Style (it’s never good when you’re unable to find a price listed)

·      Moonman M8 Fountain Pen, Black & Gold – Fine Nib

Ideas to check out:

·      The Daily Dozen fitness program It was created during WWI after finding that draftees were unsuited to fighting in battle, then after the war adapted for busy office workers.

·      A guerilla gardener in South Central LA. Yes to giving people health and power!

Beautiful art:

·      Chickasaw Map Blanket. Handmade in the USA, this map blanket based on The Chickasaw Map of 1723 “is an illustration of how the Chickasaw people visualized relationships with other tribes at the time. The map delineates an adept understanding of population, power, influence, and diplomacy within a 700,000 square mile area.”

Plans:

·      When to plant Forget-Me-Nots. There is a sweetness in old style flowers.

Show to watch:

·      Arthur & George. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a real-life case tracing a string of crimes involving an attorney named George.

Hope:

·      Tajik Couple Leaves Free Bread in a ‘Magic Box’ for the Poor

·      We don’t “move on” from grief. We move forward with it.

·      We need to keep dreaming, even when it feels impossible. Here’s why.

Pay attention to:

·      After Fleeing China, An Ethnic Kazakh Works to Expose Xinjiang ‘Reeducation Camps’

·      The Starfish Throwers. I really, really like people. Check out the documentary website here.

Fascinating:

·      Old Believer Agafya Lykova moves into new house in the remote area of Western Sayan mountains. Agafya is a fascinating woman, with a strange and unbelievable story. I am glad that she has a new home.

People:

·      Remembering Allan McDonald: He Refused to Approve Challenger Launch, Exposed Cover-Up. “Do the right thing for the right reason at the right time with the right people; And you will have no regrets for the rest of your life.”

·      Akbar the Great – the ultimate Renaissance ruler. “… the possibility of ascertaining the truth, which is the noblest aim of the human intellect… Therefore we associate at convenient seasons with learned men of all religions, thus deriving profit from their exquisite discourses and exalted aspirations.”

·      Pete McBride. A photographer, filmmaker, writer, and public speaker with National Geographic. See some of his work here.

Music:

·      Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony. I don’t know that I can convey the actual grandness of this video. The 7th symphony was written during the Siege of Leningrad, whilst being sieged by the German army. This orchestra in the video playing the symphony is German. The Finnish composer is a 25 year old man that looks strikingly similar to the Russian composer of the piece, Shostakovich.

·      The Temptations. Papa Was A Rolling Stone, My Girl, and one of my favorites….I Wish It Would Rain.

[my-life-insider-blog]

Why do young women prefer mature men?

Age difference

Why do young women prefer mature men? How can you find a younger lady yourself? Why Slavic girls are so popular when it comes to age gap relationships? We've interviewed Antonina Grant, a Ukrainian woman who've created one of the biggest international dating sites for mature men and young ladies, and she has answered all our questions. Interested? Then continue reading!

What was your goal when you started JollyRom***.com? What’s your story?

It’s not a secret. I was born in Ukraine and spent 25 years of my life in this Eastern European country. I’ve always wanted to find a foreign man, a knight in shining armor, you know, who would take me to his country and make me happy. I’ve always dreamt of being a wife, a mother, but I didn’t want to live in Ukraine, of course.

But it wasn’t that easy to find a foreigner, actually. I tried mail bride services, but the absolute majority of them were real trash — I spend a year trying to find a man online, but it didn’t work out at all. After all, I met Brandon — he was on a business trip to Kyiv, we’ve met at the conference, and then things just kind of happened. And yes, he was 45 then (I was 26 years old). Now, I’m a happy wife of the best man in the world — and that’s the main reason why I’ve created JollyRom***.com

I wanted to help Ukrainian, Russian, and other girls from Eastern Europe to find a good man from the United States. I’ve traveled that road, that’s what I’m talking about — and if there was a good dating service for the girls like me at that time, I wouldn’t have gone through all that hassle.

Can you explain why young ladies prefer older men?

I’m a young lady who prefers older men, so yes, I think I can. The thing is, older men are just... great. I can name at least 3 reasons why young girls from Slavic countries search for mature Western men.

First of all, they are patient. The more you live, the more patient, and therefore, the less stressed and overwhelmed you become. With Brandon, I have no stress at all — and that's a completely different experience. We girls love when a man is patient and when he takes time to consider his actions instead of immediately reacting. Unfortunately, lots of Slavic men are not patient at all.

Older men show respect. They won't tell their friends that you're good in bed, they will always treat a girl with respect, and they will never refuse to compromise. Every woman loves when her man respects her and her family, there are no exceptions here.

And of course, they are stable. I don't want to say that it's all about money, of course. But it's always great when a man has a good job, earns money, and pays his bills — and almost all the mature men in the US have a good job and earn money. Slavic girls definitely know what is it to live in a poor country. So, for them, it's always better to build a family with someone financially stable.

How can you describe the audience of your website?

Three words: real, beautiful, intelligent.

At first, they all are real. I know that it’s a serious problem with modern dating sites — they have lots of fake profiles. JollyRom***.com doesn’t have such problems at all. All the profiles here are verified by ID (women must upload the scans of their passports), so it’s impossible to create a fake profile here.

And beauty, of course. There are thousands of women between 25 and 35 on JollyRom***.com, and they all are fantastically beautiful. You’ve heard about Slavic beauty, right?

And intelligence, yes. They all are very educated and smart, and what’s even more important, they all know English well. So, you will not have to solve that language barrier problem here.

Who should try JollyRom***.com?

Literally every man who wants to find a beautiful, family-oriented, and intelligent young lady. Sounds like ads, right? Well, maybe. If you want me to be more detailed, I’ll be more detailed.

All men who are looking for a young, beautiful, and smart woman from Ukraine, Belarus, or Russia, should try JollyRom***.com. There are thousands of Slavic women on this website, so it’s not a chance to be missed.

All men who are tired of fake dating sites should try JollyRom***.com, too. All the women are real here, all the profiles are verified, and it’s impossible for a scammer to create an account here.

All men who want to create a family should try it. Don’t get me wrong, not all of the ladies here are looking for a husband, but all of them are very family-oriented, that’s one of the most prominent features of Slavic girls.

All men who want to save money should try JollyRom***.com. International dating sites are often quite expensive, but not my website. You’ll be happy with the price.

I know what you’re thinking about. “Sounds too sweet”, you might think, or “there must be a pitfall somewhere”. No, there are no pitfalls here — but you don’t have to believe my words. Instead, try JollyRom***.com  yourself, make sure that this is a great dating service, and find your love!

[gothealed-arc]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓  ,

Repost, don’t reblog.

BASICS.

full name.   antonina genevieve gothel nickname.   nina gender.   cis female  ( she / her ) height.   5′4″ age.   17 (post-d3) zodiac.   scorpio sun ,  aquarius moon ,  libra rising spoken languages.   english

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair color.   naturally dark brown, currently sandy brown eye color.   green skin tone.   fair, almost sickly accent.   isle of the lost voice.   carries an air of indifference, but when emotional is tense and tight dominant hand.   left-handed posture.   she’s got great posture.   it just sorta happens when you’re learning to Behave in a castle,  learning combat all the time,  and working for royalty.   even when she’s relaxed,  she’s not prone to slumping unless she’s upset.   i’d say the only verse where her posture’s not quite as good is thief verse,  but verses where she’s raised in the tower or the cottage,  y’all can bet ur asses she’s getting scolded every time she slumps  :/ scars.   a variety from training,  needlework  ( while still working in the castle ),  etc.  had a pretty intense burn scar on her withered right hand,  but it was amputated. tattoos.   none birthmarks.   none most noticeable feature(s).   piercing eyes,  big messy curls

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.   isle of the lost birth weight.   n/a birth height.   n/a manner of birth.   born in mother gothel’s meager home on the isle, was tended to immediately upon birth and left to be watched by her older sister. first words.   ginn (aka her sister) siblings.    ginny gothel (older half-sister), cassandra of corona (older half-sister), rapunzel kinda??? i mean they can certainly vibe to being raised by gothel parents.   mother gothel (mother), unknown father parental involvement.   since she had no way to get away from gothel, and gothel had no way to abandon her, they were essentially stuck together out of circumstance. though gothel made nina the ‘scapegoat’ in the family, she was still extremely possessive of her and will go to drastic measures to keep nina under her control.

ADULT LIFE.

occupation.   traumatized teenager current residence.   iauradon prep close friends.   ??? herself relationship status.   single financial status.   grows up starving and dirt poor, but upon moving to auradon and boarding at the school, has not really gained much money on her own but is provided funds by the government. driver’s license.   she barely knows where the pedals are bruv criminal record.   theft, vandalism, assault and battery, mild arson vices.   jealousy, self-hatred, self-preservation

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation.   bisexual romantic orientation.   biromantic preferred emotional role.   submissive  |  dominant |  switch libido.   low  /  average turn on’s.   being treated like a human being turn off’s.    emotional detachment love language.   linking pinkies until you’re full-on holding hands, sitting or standing close to them in public, extremely affectionate behind closed doors relationship tendencies.   falling for an asshole who used her so now she is no longer allowed to catch feelings, and if she does, repress that shit until it disappears!

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song.   liability by lorde hobbies to pass time.   drinking her pain away mental illnesses.   depression, ptsd, alcoholism physical illnesses.   anorexia. not only has she been starving for years while surviving off garbage her whole life, her mother’s mind-games are extremely difficult to get around. her mother’s obsession with vanity and looks is what drives nina to believe that perhaps she will be loved or approved if she were more beautiful, and mother always makes the ‘chubby’ comments when she’s in a bad mood. fears.   rapunzel and her family, drowning in the wharf, being killed by her own mother self-confidence level.   it doesn’t exist! there is literally nothing there! vulnerabilities.   she’s weak because of hunger, emotionally vulnerable, so afraid of being manipulated or used that she shuts everyone out of her life

TAGGED BY.   me TAGGING.   you!

[invri]

She could have recognized the raven haired girl anywhere, just the back of her head was enough to make Inari come to a halt. She absolutely detested these kind of situations: she was certain that she could not just walk past the girl and ignore her --- that would have been extremely rude, but on the other hand putting on a dashing smile and greeting Antonina would have been weird. Her palms were getting sweaty as she tried to make a decision. She must have been far too deep in her thoughts because she did not notice the approaching bellboy. A loud bang echoed in the corridor when she accidentally elbowed the tray and it came flying down. She hid her face in her hands and kept apologizing to the poor worker. She stole a glance at the princess, just to check if she had turned to look at the mess.

( ** @antoninacela )

[wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog]

Jessica Chastain's Fairytale Fashion Moment Isn't What You Think

Photo: Getty Images

Some women fantasize about their bridal gowns and having that fairy-tale princess moment, swathed in layers of tulle and lace. Jessica Chastain is not one of them.

Ask her about her most life-changing style statement, and she doesn’t hesitate. It’s the Alexander McQueen embroidered, strapless dress she wore to her first Academy Awards in 2012, which she worked on with the brand’s creative director.

Jessica Chastain in McQueen at the 2012 Academy Awards. (Photo: Getty Images)

“It was magical. It was very different from what other people were wearing,” Chastain tells Yahoo Style. “I told Sarah Burton at my first fitting that I never dreamed about a wedding dress, but I always dreamed about an Oscar dress. And we both got kind of emotional. That was a big, wonderful thing for me.”

Jessica Chastain at the Oscars in 2013 and 2015. (Photo: Getty Images)

The two-time Oscar nominee, who broke out as a misunderstood housewife in 2011’s The Help, owns her femininity. She specializes in playing powerful women, like her formidable lobbyist in last year’s Miss Sloane, and Antonina Zabinski in The Zookeeper’s Wife — the tale of an ordinary woman who saved hundreds of Jews during World War II by smuggling them out of Poland. It’s based on the bestselling book by Diane Ackerman.

“She’s an unlikely hero who risked her life to do what is right. I’m excited to explore women who have done great things and have forged paths for all of us today,” says Chastain, 40. “I choose roles with female characters that go against what society expects of them or tells them is possible.”

Where other celebrities parse words and try to play it safe, Chastain comes out and says it: She’s a feminist. Those who follow her on social media know she’s vocal about equal pay for equal work, and for broadening how society views women.

Photo: Jessica Chastain via Instagram

“In the past, we’ve defined power and strength as masculine traits. This is 2017. The idea of gender is being blurred. We need to stop saying that being powerful or ambitious or a leader is inherently a male quality. We need to look at gender stereotypes and blow the whole thing up,” says Chastain.

She’s doing it, one role at a time, pursuing parts that have depth and nuance. Yes, she hunted Osama Bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty, and yes, she’s immersing herself in country music history to play Tammy Wynette, in the biopic George and Tammy (co-starring Josh Brolin as George Jones). But, says Chastain, “I wouldn’t have sex on camera. I wouldn’t take drugs on camera. I’m an actor, so I’m interested in acting and not being part of a documentary. Anything that blurs the line — there are a lot of things I wouldn’t do. My personal life is very valuable to me; so is my health, the people that I love. I would never do anything that sacrificed any of that for my profession.”

She sums it up: “I don’t want to sell my personal life for fame.”

She’ll share shots of her very cute dog and simultaneously praise women protesting in Russia. One thing you won’t find up for grabs: intimate moments from her personal life.

“I found success later, so I was able to look at the careers I really admired. Cate Blanchett is someone I adore. I didn’t know what her kids looked like. It’s important for me, with social media, to use it as a positive thing. What am I putting out into the world?” she says.

Money isn’t what drives Chastain. Never has, never will, she says.

“I grew up very poor. I grew up in a single-parent household. My mom was raising three kids by herself. I know that money is not what brings you happiness. I never went into my life thinking I had to make money. My life now is very different from what I imagined it to be. I was never like, ‘I have to be successful. I have to make money.’ I didn’t have those expectations,” she says.

She graduated from the Juilliard School, and remains close to classmate and sometime co-star Oscar Isaac, otherwise known as Poe Dameron from Star Wars. She’s been vegan for 11 years and swears by coconut ice cream. And if you’re in her inner circle, Chastain has your back.

“They can write whatever they want about my job. But I’m not there to let them criticize my life. So I’m not making that available for people to throw darts at,” she says.

Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:

Rebecca Ferguson Can Change a Tire and Rock a Cavalli Pirate Suit

Kristen Bell’s Physical Transformation for Husband Dax Shepard’s Movie, ‘CHiPS’

Jane Fonda’s Secret to Looking Sexy at 79: Genes, Money, Martinis, in That Order

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.

[giacarangiphotos-blog1]

You'll feel pain

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[auroras-blend]

Were there any plot twists, side arcs and character details, and interactions you had to cut out?

Oh my gosh there were so many and I don't think I got them all, but here are the big ones!

There was going to be a home invasion from Costa's men while Alessia was babysitting overnight. She was going to gun down the intruders and Leonardo was going to come home just in time. He was going to lose a finger or two 😬 I cut it out because I decided Marilyn could realistically only handle two traumatic events: Mr. Bianchi's death and the kidnapping attempt.

Originally there was a "romantic" subplot between Alessia & Leo where he wanted to marry her for citizenship perks. Unfortunately, she was as greedy as ever and was always going to try and kidnap Marilyn to manipulate Leonardo, and ultimately she died doing so.

The whole fiasco with the Gagliardi family. I had to cut it because there was only going to be that one interaction and besides trauma, wouldn't have a ton of payoff in the main arc. It ended up being a bonus chapter though!

The kidnapping scene was almost WAY different! It was going to be a standoff between Leonardo and Alessia but there was so much talking and by the time she was cornered you knew she was going to die. Originally, she took her own life but I wanted to show Leonardo's trauma through his aggressive overkill of her. I like the final version because it really didn't give away whether or not she'd be successful in kidnapping Marilyn until the very end where Alessia got shot.

Another Alessia detail is that she was going to be a lot more sympathetic but I loved her more as a villain.

Snowbell was going to survive 😢

Alessia was going to call Vittoria her real name: Marilyn.

The Bianchi twins were going to die but @thewritingamateur convinced me not to kill them off

Marilyn was going to meet Sg.ra Giordano's grandson but that character morphed into Emilio Mazzeo instead!

Costa was going to reveal that Leonardo had been in prison to Marilyn: "Well between the two of us, only one has been in a prison cell." I cut it because that was too big of a plot twist & reaction that'd carry on for a long time and due to pacing, I had to can it. She'll find out eventually, but just not in her childhood arc.

Antonina was going to be alive and meet Marilyn. She was going to ask about the baby boy and "young girl"/Patience. After a lot of time contemplating, I decided Andrea would never be mentioned again. Poor Antonina, she knew too much so I killed her off prior to the story...

Marilyn was going to catch her father and Ms. Sagesse doing the devil's tango 🍋

Her first communion was going to be in Italy but I postponed it for NYC, because Leonardo's partly using it as a publicity stunt

Thanks for this ask! I can't believe how much has changed since starting it!

[drangsaldrangsal]

Recreating A Task in Advance Can Boost Prospective Memory

A new study finds that pretending in advance to carry out a needed task, in as much detail as possible, can increase the likelihood you will remember to do it.

Whether it is picking up something at the grocery store or remembering to take medication, prospective memory is a regular feature of daily life. And when prospective memory fails, it can be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers.

“Poor prospective memory can range from the vaguely annoying to life threatening, depending on the circumstances,” said Dr. Antonina Pereira from the University of Chichester, who led the study. “We wanted to confirm two things — that prospective memory deteriorates with age and that enactment techniques might support those with a poor prospective memory.”

In research published in the journal Neuropsychology, researchers studied the prospective memory performance of 96 participants, including patients with mild cognitive impairment between the ages of 64 and 87, healthy older adults between the ages of 62 to 84, and younger adults between the ages of 18 and 22.

The study, which also included researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of Lisbon in Portugal, looked at prospective memory performance before the introduction of an enhancement technique. They then compared it with performance after enhancement.

The technique used was encoded enactment, where subjects were encouraged to act out in their minds the activity they must remember to do, the researchers said.

Participants in all age groups reported improvement in prospective memory, but it was particularly marked in those older subjects with mild cognitive impairment, the study discovered.

The study’s findings suggests that encouraging people in this category to adopt enactment as a way to enhance prospective memory could result in them leading independent, autonomous lives for longer, the researchers say.

“We did indeed find that prospective memory erodes as we get older, and our early findings in this little researched area would suggest that enactment techniques are effective in improving prospective memory,” Pereira said. “We were heartened to see that there was improvement in our group with mild cognitive impairment.

“Enactment techniques offer the potential for a cost-effective and widely applicable method that can support independent living. This contributes to an individual’s health, well-being and social relationships while reducing the burden of care.”

Pereira offered a tip for overcoming poor prospective memory. “The next time you would like to remember to pick up a pint of milk from the store on your way home, do not wait until you have got home to realize you have forgotten to do it. Instead, recreate the action you would like to remember, pretending that you are actually doing it, in as much vivid detail as possible.

“This might feel awkward to begin with, but it has been identified as an optimal technique to enhance prospective memory. It can have very long-lasting effects and work even for people with cognitive impairment. Acting is the key.”

Source: University of Chichester

Photo: University of Chichester psychologists have studied prospective memory to accurately diagnose diseases of cognitive impairment. Credit: University of Chichester.

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