#soviet writings

[soviets-writing-shenanigans]

Prayer to the Fury

Just a little drabble with Shinomi before she left for Eorzea. Nothing too fancy.

It was a cold night on the steppe. The moon was high in the sky, surrounded by the sea of stars. Shinomi didn't see any of this. She knelt upon the ridge that rose above Reunion, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. Her hands were clasped together, holding the blue pendant her father had bought in Kugane years ago. Once, it had been a curious trinket of a faraway land. Now... now... She sighed, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. "Lady Halone," she said, the name still sounding strange. "Mighty Fury... I... am not one of Yours." "I am not from Ishgard... much less Eorzea. I am half the world away. I do not know much of either. But... I know of You." The words were slow. Hesitant. Shinomi had never been religious or spiritual. Prayer was unknown to her. "I know You are a great warrior. A fighter. Like me. Like the Xaela. I... think You would like us." She paused. Her hands began to shake. "I... I had a friend. His name was Kotawa. He... was a healer. But still a fighter. Still Xaela. He wanted to help people, protect them. No matter who they were, or where they were from. He was good, and kind, and he... he... I-i...." Her breathing grew louder, ragged, and sob racked her chest. She lowered her head to her clasped hands, and for what felt like a lifetime, quietly vented her grief. Shinomi had lost count of the times she cried since hearing the news. She wondered how she could have tears left. Once she had finished, still sniffling, she resumed her prayer. "I don't want You to smite what killed him," she whispered, "it's dead anyway. I don't want to be all powerful, or to have great fame and fortune. All I want... is to fulfill his dream. Our dream. To be a shield for those who cannot protect themselves. To stand between the innocent and whatever would do them harm." "Lady Halone, I only ask... for a little of Your strength and courage. To help me see that dream fulfilled." The moon and stars shone down upon the Au Ra as silence answered her.

[justablix]

WAIT wait I figured it out. the reason every single modern adaptation fucks up irene adler by giving her romantic feelings for holmes (and vice versa) even though SCAN is about her trying to live a quiet live with the (non-holmes) man she loves and acd basically put a giant NO HETERO HE ADMIRED HER SKILL HE DIDNT LOVE HER warning sign at the beginning of SCAN is that not a single male director could imagine a man respecting a woman for her intelligence and skill without having romantic feelings for her. In this essay I will SCREAM

[daftydill]

I actually can’t remember how many times he was seen actually writing an article…

[mel-0n-earth]

Thinking about how Durgetash-coded this scene is

Like, Gortash would absolutely say this to a post-memory loss Durge.

[sciderman]

How do you feel about the increase in really weird NSFW ads on here (advertising panels that look like sexual encounters, and AI art apps that pride themselves on porn) but will take down NSFW posts from their users, even if it isn't technically sexual.

i hate all social media and it's consistent prioritising the advertisers over the users and the internet simply was a better place before capitalism sunk its hooks into it

[quatregats]

By the way, apropos of nothing, but when I say "heigho it'll go without these oddments" I am in fact referencing this panel in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets which 12-year-old me decided to adopt as a catchphrase before I knew what a meme was:

[super-ion]

Aug-UST Day 17 - From rival factions

Some original fiction of character ideas that have been rattling around in my brain for a while now, based on a prompt from @thepromptfoundry

---

I heave against the barn door and in a horrible cacophony, it grinds closed. It's still cold as hell, but at least we're out of the wind and snow.

I should probably place wards on the doors... and windows... and...

I glance up at the roof of the barn where wind whistles through more than a few holes that need patching. Yeah, no amount of warding is going to make this place defensible. Honestly, it's probably better not to use any magic at all, lest we give away our position.

That and I'm completely exhausted, I very much doubt I have any effort to spare for a half decent ward.

Getting eaten by zombies on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain was not how I imagined myself going out.

A hiss of a match brings my attention back to the here and now. Katerina is stooped over a glass lantern that shortly casts a sickly yellow light over the room. For a moment, I get that same brief impression of too many shadows around her. Spending a week with her has done little at temper the strangeness of her magic to my senses, that blend of traditional Eastern European craft and whatever the hell the Soviets have been dreaming up.

She straightens, bearing the lantern aloft and peering around the room as she carelessly brushes the curtain of her dark hair behind her ear. The flickering lamplight casts her bony features in sharp relief, and it really isn't that hard to imagine her as some witch living in a hut in the woods that walks around on chicken legs. There's something hard yet beautiful about her. She's...

"Elizabeth, you are bleeding," she says cutting through my thoughts.

I raise a hand to the wet spot on my temple.

"It's just a scratch," I reply. "It looks worse than it is."

She frowns and strides towards me.

"Let me see," she demands.

"It's nothing," I insist, probably sounding petulant, which is not at all my intent.

"It is not nothing if those beasts hunt by smell."

Damn, she's got me there.

She sets the lantern on the ground and takes my head in her hands. Her touch is surprisingly gentle as she makes her examination.

My heart speeds up at the touch.

Get it together Liz, I tell myself. She's the enemy.

Is she though?

Only a few months ago, our two nations were bearing down on one another in the waters between Cuba and Florida. Even the mundane world understood how close everything had come to all going to hell.

Right now though? Here in this barn in the East German countryside? We are just two witches, just two women united against a common enemy.

She murmurs something in a language I don't recognize and a blessed warmth flows through me, centering on the cut on my scalp.

Her eyes meet mine, those dark pools of intensity captivating me. The gaze lingers. The gentle touch of her fingers against my cheek linger. Her eyes flicker to my lips briefly, erasing any doubt that she hasn't felt the exact same feelings that had been haunting me.

Unbidden, my breath hitches. We are so close, it would be the easiest thing in the world to close that distance between us.

This is...

This is a terrible idea. At the end of the day, common enemy or no, we are still agents of rival governments.

I watch as the exact same thought plays out in her head. Something in her expression closes off and she jerks her hands away.

"We should get some rest," she mutters. "We will both need all our strength in the morning."

"Yeah..." I agree reluctantly.

[maribellablack]

"My tenderness, my happiness, what words can I write for you? How strange that although my life’s work is moving a pen over paper, I don’t know how to tell you how I love, how I desire you. Such agitation — and such divine peace: melting clouds immersed in sunshine — mounds of happiness. And I am floating with you, in you, aflame and melting — and a whole life with you is like the movement of clouds, their airy, quiet falls, their lightness and smoothness, and the heavenly variety of outline and tint — my inexplicable love. I cannot express these cirrus-cumulus sensations."

- Vladimir Nabokov's love letter to his wife, Véra ❤️

[thesovietonion77]

wrote a song y'all

i wrote a song about Perderé in the RH!AU and its cool, methinks it's called It Shows

(Verse 1) At first when it started I thought that it was all real how exactly did i feel When i never had departed

(Prechorus) found myself in a depression I learned it was all a sham After you forced me into submission Like the dog you think i am

(Chorus) And it's not fair, i know But theres nowhere i can go And forever to you, i'm tied I just wish that i had died And you don't care, i know I'm punished if i don't show And you use me and abuse me Just to order me to keep a ruse… And it shows

(Verse 2) I'm performing on a stage If i fall, i'm met with rage And it takes a while to gauge Just how much that i can take

(Prechorus) my feathers fall to the ground But you tell me to go back down And you're pulling on my tail Like i chose to enter this jail

(Chorus) And it's not fair, i know But theres nowhere i can go When they banished me, put me through strife I wish that they'd ended my life And you don't care, i know I'm punished if i don't show And i simply cannot break these chains My wings are clipped, you have the reins… And it shows

(Verse 3) And this little hotel noticed These nice ladies took me in Gave me a place that was free from sin I felt i could uncuff my shins

(Prechorus) And it's funny, really now All those years that i had bowed I realized that you're just some 12 foot tall french piece of sentient metal that i could stab if i wanted to

(Chorus) (Emotionally) I'll make things fair, you know And there's nowhere you can go As i laugh at all your cries see the terror in your eyes And I don't care anymore That you called me a little whore et je vais te tuer, espèce de salaud et je m'assurerai qu'ils ne trouvent pas ton cadavre rouillé-!…

(Outro) So it shows How i was treated Like a pet for you to beat and fight finally it all came back to bite you And now they all know That you were defeated I did it in a frenzy From you I'm finally free

And it shows

[jeanclamence]

White Nights (1959) - Directed by Pyryev Ivan

[deadpresidents]

I've had these books sitting around for a couple of years now, but I finally picked up Erika Fatland's Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) yesterday and I am burning through it and didn't even want to put it down long enough to post this. It's a good bet that any book that starts with a chapter about endlessly fascinating Turkmenistan and its crazy post-Soviet dictators -- the late, utterly ridiculous "Turkmenbashi" and the horse-obsessed dentist now in power -- is going to immediately capture my attention. The bizarre personality cults built around the dictators of Turkmenistan might actually be the one thing to shame Donald Trump because he'd be so envious of their audacity.

While I don't want my journey with Sovietistan to end as quickly as it's going to, I'm glad I also have Erika Fatland's book The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage (BOOK | KINDLE) ready to immediately dive into afterwards. I'm also going to need to get her newest book High: A Journey Across the Himalaya Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and China (BOOK | KINDLE) to follow The Border. The author, Erika Fatland, is from Norway and speaks eight languages, so she's not completely lost in these wildly different and remote former Soviet satellite republics and her writing is vivid and funny (all three books are translated into English by Kari Dickson, so cheers to her, as well). I don't read a ton of books that fall in the genre of travel writing, but I might have to if there are more like this!

[soviets-writing-shenanigans]

Minoshi Drabble

Had an idea and went with it.

"Your Goddess is real... and She hates you." The priest shook his head in denial... but Minoshi could see the look in his eyes. He knew it was true. By the Void... was it delicious... She strode closer to the fallen Elezen, blood dripping from her armor and her greatsword. The rest of the fanatics were dead. None of them stood a chance. "She will strike you down!" The priest yelled at her, his voice shaking with doubt. "She will protect the r-righteous!" "The Fury has fought my better half, lost... and enjoyed it," Minoshi replied with a vindictive sneer. "How could you, a murderous fucking coward, ever compare to her?" "My life's work is in Her name!" "Your life's work... makes Her puke." The priest tried to crawl away... only for her sabaton to rest on his gut. The darkside took her blade in a two-handed grip, the tip aimed at his heart. "Halone despises everything you do... everything you have done," she continued, relishing the the despair filling his eyes. "All you stand for goes against what She believes in. And She hates you for it." She saw the moment his soul broke... and it was beautiful. "She will always hate you." Minoshi drove her blade down, piercing his heart.

[pierog]

after a bath, a play with her trainer’s child, and a kiss on the nose, laika was sent up to orbit in sputnik 2.

"Laika was quiet and charming ... I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live." -Vladimir Yazdovsky, medical scientist

her satellite transmitted for 7 days on the frequencies 20.005 MHz and 40.010 MHz. enclosed is the recording of Laika’s heartbeat before passing away from overheating. 

did she die for her country, for the progress of humanity and space exploration? some say she did. it made no difference to little Laika, floating in the great expanse of space above, peering down through the satellite’s single window, built just for her; the shaggiest, lonesomest, goodest girl in the world.

“Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it ... We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog.”  -Oleg Gazenko, leading scientist, and Laika’s trainer

[straight-to-the-pain]

I know I haven’t posted any original fic in ages, I’ve been a little burnt out from uni and placement and also all the scenes I’ve been wanting to write either need research (historical fiction) or require too many emotions (everyone is traumatised) but please do bear with me there will be content… eventually… I hope

[meowlenkov]

[anyaeras]

Red Room take down || The widow family 

Pairing || Melina vostokoff x Daughter!Reader

Natasha Romanoff x Sister!Reader Yelena Belova x Sister!Reader + Alexi is there

Warnings || The red room, vodka.

Summary || y/n was paired with Melina for a widow mission yet was set free by the "family" and now it was time to take down the red room, and get a family.

Master list ||

───────────────

File #042216

Y/n L/n

DOB- ##/##/07

Relatives- locked

Status- Active

Time In estate- 2007- present

Training 2010-Present

───────────────

The red room was the only place y/n had ever know, yes they were stationed outside of the red room sometimes, but the red room became their home. Y/n remembers everything that has ever happened inside these walls the original Academy in Belarus was compromised. They rounded up all of the widows, as they prepared for transporting the girls, late at night in the dark men, screaming, guns pointed, the girls were moved into trucks, which is only the beginning. Most people, but the red room what destroyed, the famous black widow taken had down the red room, but that's not true.

It's been years, every day, wake up train, do his bidding and then sleep. It's an ever going cycle. No "family" no love, that was for the week, y/n was one of the youngest, but the greatest widows. Y/n was a black widow, and never once did they act out of line, nor did they fail a mission, they became a killing machine.

Sometimes thought a small message that y/n remember from their mother, was

"don't worry cause my little ones are the strongest little ones" y/n couldn't put a face to the words, the statement never left their memories, but they could not remember their mother for the life of them. Y/n i'm starting to believe they didn't have one, that it was all in their head, cause who would love a widow, clearly they didn't want them, that's why they are here, they were left.

"Y/n. Dreykov would like to see you." Was announced to your surroundings by another widow. Causing anyone near to look directly at you as you made your way to his office.

"Ahh y/n моя вдова (my widow), you have a mission. You will attend the gala in Saint Petersburg, Melina will go with you, pose as mother and daughter, you're just going undercover, the rest is Melina's job. Are we clear" Dreykov finished his explanation as you nodded in agreement, before being dismissed to go, prepare for the mission.

Later Melina met up with you and your cell, you were already suited up. It was nice to see her again. You both worked well together but we're always paired as a mother daughter duo. Yet other than missions, you didn't see much of her.

"We're heading to the safe house outside Saint Petersburg, my farm to be exact we will prepare there, let's go" and like that, she already was walking away. You were quick to follow, heading towards a red room ship to be taken directly and guarded to the farm.

You didn't move once during the flight, something felt off, this mission was different the most and you knew it.

Upon arriving to the farm, you both grabbed your travel bags and headed into the home, and like that the ship was gone, both widows left alone to their own bidding, for now. You were both sent early to have time to get everything planed out, meaning you had some time at the farm, it was honestly nice, getting to see outside, and seeing animals well at least pigs.

The day went on as normal, it wasn't until the early evening that changed, a plane was incoming.

"Y/n to the safe room. NOW" Melina ordered, and you followed running to hide as you heard a bit of ruckus, Melina on the other hand had already got a sniper and was out the door.

"Honey I'm home" a loud man's voice boomed, you looked at the cameras, shocked to see on the screen her hugging a man outdoors, while you stayed in the safe/panic room. You saw two other women in the group standing of the side, yet you recognized one of them, Yelena Belova, escaped widow. Y/n knew protocol, not that y/n wanted to follow it. They don't have a choice, punching in the code, and picking up their weapons, y/n bolted outside.

"YELENA BELOVE DECEIVER" was all you got out before your attack, only to be stoped by Melina.

"Y/n ignore protocol." She muttered to you, causing you to freeze in shock.

"Agent vostokoff, Dreykov wouldn't allow-" yet once's again you were cut off, this time by the red headed women.

"Y/n you want out don't you? Your struggling so are all the other widows, even if you don't know it" The black widow explained yet it set you off, you had orders, you were nothing if not following orders, and like that you went to attack, straight after the blonde deceiving widow, Yelena.

You barely got a grab on her, before Red mist was shot at your face, and just then it was like everything clicked, locked out memories came flooding back, every kill, every mission, every moment replayed in your mind, you were evil, unloved and lost. You were a week young girl who had become the red rooms best weapon...

"Y/n? Come back to us" Melina asked, as you've been zoning out.

"Sorry." Was all you said before feeling embarrassed, you were surrounded 4 adults and even thought the red room doesn't see it, your only a kid.

Melina reached out to your hand, as everyone walked into the dinning room of the small house finally, Melina guiding you was comforting.

The dark haired women holding your hand bent down to your level, not that you were much shorter...

"We are gonna get out." Was all she said, yet it was enough.

At that moment you realized Melina has been playing along for a while she wasn't under the same chemical control that you were, she was just the scientist, Dreykov's brains, so she was able to think for herself, she witnessed everything felt everything, yet was so strong.

Sitting down at the table it was silent at first, until the older man spoke up

"So it's like a family reunion!" He laughed out brining a smirk to Melina's face while Yelena just reached for the vodka in the center of the table.

"Family?" Y/n wondered aloud. Yet Natasha was the one to snap back in responses

"Before yelena went threw the red room we were stationed to pose as a family in ohio. That's all it was a silly mission"

It made sense, that's what happened to you, you were some other widows mission, that widow didn't care about you, but it was a pre-red room mission?

You tried to brush it off, you were one of the best trained widows, so acting wasn't a challenge.

"So, what are we doing here" y/n asked honestly not getting the point of this little meeting, I mean they are free why not just run away, start a new life cause starting a new life as a teen would work great I guess.

Yelena chose to chime in, going back to Natasha stamens "we were family...this is the only family I have...Natasha, don't say that! Cause it was real, it was real to me!" Yelena about cried out taking the vodka with her when she stormed out.

Surprisingly it was the man whom you know now as Alexi whom followed her. Now it was just Melina, Natasha and you sitting at the table.

"So Tasha, you'll pose as me, go in get to dreykov with a mission report, Y/n will go with you and act as if she is still fully under his control, you got that y/n?" Melina asked now turning her attention to you, which you just nodded in response.

"Good, Natasha you know what to do, and y/n just head back to training and do what you do best" was the final thing Melina said before getting some era pieces, and some tech to make this plan work, and just like that, there was a red room ship flying into the farm ready to collect the "prisoners"

You walked quickly onto the ship, and stood in your same spot, you knew how this would go, you watched them load yelena, Alexi and "Natasha" up into the ship, before taking your seat. You watched as "Melina" took the drivers seat and started the trip back to the red room. You didn't speak a word the entire trip, upon landing you were greeted by Madame B, she ordered you two head to the 3rd floor for a mission run down, nothing new.

Heading off you got a glimpse in the hallways of them locking up "Natasha" and Alexi yet Yelena wasn't with them. Yet soon you'd find her....

Going threw the mission report was fine for you, until they ran a test and you reacted incorrectly, and like that you were swept off to the medical wing, and strapped to a table, no pulling or twisting could get you out, as eventually you gave in. Turning over to see "doctors" drawing out a line on Yelena's head as she was strapped next to you.

"This is a way less cool way to die" Yelena stated with no emotion, causing you to have to fight back a laugh, not that it mattered your cover with clearly blown.

The team of doctors I have left to grab some thing for a moment when yelena got the message that there was a knife located on her side, she was able to cut herself free and then going to cut you free. As the staff came rolling back into the room, both the now ex widows fought and easily overpowered the team leaving to go find Natasha, as she needed the red mist.

Rushing to the elevator to get into Dreykovs office, as y/n lead Yelena, it was Melina's message that this place was about to blow, pushing threw the doors Yelena threw the casket of the mist, freeing the other widows as y/n and Yelena tan to Natasha's Aid, helping her to her feet.

"Nat we've got to go, get the widows we have to get out of here!" Yelena yelled out

"Take the widows I'll get there soon" and like that Yelena took the widows, yet you didn't follow running for your old cell, you couldn't leave without something.

Running up the steps to get to your blocks hunting down for the small box, it was locked but you knew it was important and you knew it was all you had from your mother she was who gave it to you. Yet you've never opened it, you couldn't it was pretty much impossible to break open.

Natasha and Yelena met up with Melina and Alexi quickly heading onto a ship, to get out of the red room, along with all of the widows, well almost all.

"Shit where is Y/n?" Yelena asked

"Lena I thought she was with you, MELINA IS Y/N WITH YOU?" Natasha called out in a small panic, y/n was new to them yet they have a connect with the very young widow, y/n was just a kid.

Melina shot up. "Natasha take over driving" and like that the older dark haired women was heading towards the back of the of the ship, seeing y/n running with a box in their arms.

"Y/N!" Melina reached for a parachute before jumping out of the ship, the whole Red Room was about to go up in flames and the ship with the widows had to go, so this was her plan. Lunging at y/n, Melina threw them both over the red room, free falling temporarily.

"It's okay i got you" and like that the parachute was pulled, quickly but safely reaching the grounds.

Still holding onto the box, Melina took a look at it, pulling her necklaces out from under her suit which held a key, she was able to open the box for y/n before the other made there way over.

"ты всегда был моим маленьким (you were always my little one) even from a distance, I would never leave you детка (baby)" Melina spoke softly to you before standing up to great her other "daughters".

Realization poured into y/n's mind, they were never left, taken yes, but their mother stayed close, even if she couldn't really act as y/n's mother Melina was there, she was all y/n had.

"Mission success?" Yelena joked earning a silly glare from the others.

"It can only go up from here" y/n laughed leaning closer to Melina

"Right мама (mom)?"