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#russian musical theater
curiouselleth · 3 months
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Made some DM reaction gifs from Skazki’s Last Trial!
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mairontheabhorred · 11 months
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Tolkien Musical Fans Reblog with your favorite Finrod and Sauron!! I’ll go first
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Seraphim as Finrod
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Mikhail Sidorenko as Sauron
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Voices of unknown origin appearing on radio frequencies were first noticed in Scandinavia by the military in the 30s and were put down at the time to secret Nazi transmitters...
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laferelady · 1 year
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Athos & Milady - Russian Theater (Russian Academic Youth Theater / Comtesse de la Fere musical / V. Kachesov's The Three Musketeers musical)
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thephantomofanastasia · 4 months
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A concept trailer I edited for my AO3 Anastasia fic
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Here's THE masterpost of free and full adaptations, by which I mean that it's a post made by the master.
Anthony and Cleopatra: here's the BBC version, here's a 2017 version.
As you like it: you'll find here an outdoor stage adaptation and here the BBC version. Here's Kenneth Brannagh's 2006 one.
Coriolanus: Here's a college play, here's the 1984 telefilm, here's the 2014 one with tom hiddleston. Here's the Ralph Fiennes 2011 one.
Cymbelline: Here's the 2014 one.
Hamlet: the 1948 Laurence Olivier one is here. The 1964 russian version is here and the 1964 american version is here. The 1964 Broadway production is here, the 1969 Williamson-Parfitt-Hopkins one is there, and the 1980 version is here. Here are part 1 and 2 of the 1990 BBC adaptation, the Kenneth Branagh 1996 Hamlet is here, the 2000 Ethan Hawke one is here. 2009 Tennant's here. And have the 2018 Almeida version here. On a sidenote, here's A Midwinter's Tale, about a man trying to make Hamlet. Andrew Scott's Hamlet is here.
Henry IV: part 1 and part 2 of the BBC 1989 version. And here's part 1 of a corwall school version.
Henry V: Laurence Olivier (who would have guessed) 1944 version. The 1989 Branagh version here. The BBC version is here.
Julius Caesar: here's the 1979 BBC adaptation, here the 1970 John Gielgud one. A theater Live from the late 2010's here.
King Lear: Laurence Olivier once again plays in here. And Gregory Kozintsev, who was I think in charge of the russian hamlet, has a king lear here. The 1975 BBC version is here. The Royal Shakespeare Compagny's 2008 version is here. The 1974 version with James Earl Jones is here. The 1953 Orson Wells one is here.
Macbeth: Here's the 1948 one, there the 1955 Joe McBeth. Here's the 1961 one with Sean Connery, and the 1966 BBC version is here. The 1969 radio one with Ian McKellen and Judi Dench is here, here's the 1971 by Roman Polanski, with spanish subtitles. The 1988 BBC one with portugese subtitles, and here the 2001 one). Here's Scotland, PA, the 2001 modern retelling. Rave Macbeth for anyone interested is here. And 2017 brings you this.
Measure for Measure: BBC version here. Hugo Weaving here.
The Merchant of Venice: here's a stage version, here's the 1980 movie, here the 1973 Lawrence Olivier movie, here's the 2004 movie with Al Pacino. The 2001 movie is here.
The Merry Wives of Windsor: the Royal Shakespeare Compagny gives you this movie.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: have this sponsored by the City of Columbia, and here the BBC version. Have the 1986 Duncan-Jennings version here. 2019 Live Theater version? Have it here!
Much Ado About Nothing: Here is the kenneth branagh version and here the Tennant and Tate 2011 version. Here's the 1984 version.
Othello: A Massachussets Performance here, the 2001 movie her is the Orson Wells movie with portuguese subtitles theree, and a fifteen minutes long lego adaptation here. THen if you want more good ole reliable you've got the BBC version here and there.
Richard II: here is the BBC version. If you want a more meta approach, here's the commentary for the Tennant version. 1997 one here.
Richard III: here's the 1955 one with Laurence Olivier. The 1995 one with Ian McKellen is no longer available at the previous link but I found it HERE.
Romeo and Juliet: here's the 1988 BBC version. Here's a stage production. 1954 brings you this. The french musical with english subtitles is here!
The Taming of the Shrew: the 1980 BBC version here and the 1988 one is here, sorry for the prior confusion. The 1929 version here, some Ontario stuff here, and here is the 1967 one with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. This one is the Shakespeare Retold modern retelling.
The Tempest: the 1979 one is here, the 2010 is here. Here is the 1988 one. Theater Live did a show of it in the late 2010's too.
Timon of Athens: here is the 1981 movie with Jonathan Pryce,
Troilus and Cressida can be found here
Titus Andronicus: the 1999 movie with Anthony Hopkins here
Twelfth night: here for the BBC, here for the 1970 version with Alec Guinness, Joan Plowright and Ralph Richardson.
Two Gentlemen of Verona: have the 2018 one here. The BBC version is here.
The Winter's Tale: the BBC version is here
Please do contribute if you find more. This is far from exhaustive.
(also look up the original post from time to time for more plays)
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tetsuskei · 21 days
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⟣ tartaglia
notes: based off the fact that i am indeed a sleepy drunk, and also inspired by diluc’s lore with firewater, also childe lore. he can smell when something is done cooking?
warnings: self indulgent, childe is referred to by his birth name, russian pet names, suggestive themes, fluff
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it’s always a beautiful sight to see your boyfriend, ajax, when he cooks in the kitchen.
second to the battlefield, this place is his domain. the sound of soft music plays in the background, and he’s completely in his element. the ginger moves his hips to the rhythm, swaying ever so gracefully while mumbling the lyrics to the current song under his breath. he’s always been a great dancer, so you’re not surprised. it makes you wonder if there’s anything he’s not good at.
you always adore seeing him in atmospheres such as this one, especially with how much he loves to cook. his lips are pursed in concentration, a cute crinkle to his nose on display from the small frown on his face. all of his movements are skilled and dexterous. his knife abilities—albeit ignoring the fact that he’s a harbinger—are precise and quick, almost like everything he’s doing is a second thought.
it may be the alcohol you had talking, or the everlasting love you have for him—or maybe both that gets you feeling extremely soft. the urge to kiss away the expression on his face is high, but you hold back on distracting him and starting something else entirely.
and speaking of distractions, your handsome boyfriend is sporting a v-neck crew shirt and some sweatpants. much different from his sharp work attire. and although loose, the material of his clothes are still somewhat form fitting. his back muscles had been flexing every so often in a way that makes it hard to peel your eyes away. you silently curse his lean muscular self for looking so soft and domestic. just really, how shameless—
“hey! you’re supposed to be helping, not slacking off!” ajax scolds, pointing a wooden spoon at you in a chastising way. but the playful lit to his tone suggests otherwise as he cocks his head, smiling. “mila, what are you daydreaming about from over there?”
you giggle, “sorry, i’m just admiring the view.”
he hums, his smile growing. “and is the view to your liking?”
“it’s likely.” you answering padding over to him.
“i hope so. i don’t look this good for nothing.”
once in his radius, he pulls you into his side, swaying you both as he stirs the food. he quietly tells you it’s his mother’s recipe and his favorite thing to make.
“may i try some?” you ask.
wordlessly, your boyfriend holds out a spoonful for you, and you happily eat off of the utensil. the juices and flavors evade your mouth, beating the rich aroma you’ve succumbed to long ago.
you close your eyes in bliss, blinking them open happily. “wow! it’s delicious, ‘jax!”
“it’s not done yet.” he explains, humbly. “almost, but not quite.”
“okay, perfectionist.” you laugh, going back for more. “still good enough to me.”
he pushes your hand back. “you’ll spoil your appetite.” he warns, frowning.
“i promise i don’t want a lot. just a smidge more. please?” you look up at him with the biggest doe eyes you can muster, and he falters, trying to look away and focus back on what he’s doing.
as uncharacteristic as it may seem, ajax does not put up very much of a fight. not that he could ever say no to you anyways.
he sighs, “alright…fine.”
while you sit and eat (after clearly giving up on helping), your boyfriend starts to ramble about some theater performance he wants to take you to in fontaine.
“so what do you think?”
you hum quietly in response, your cheek on your hand. “mmh that sounds nice…”
ajax glances over at you, concerned. you had grown awfully quiet.
“are you alright?” he asks, inspecting the rest of you for any strange signs. “we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“i want to, yes!” your thoughts are jumbled. “and m’fine. why?” you add to reassure him, “just tired.”
‘tired? you were fine just fifteen minutes ago. so full of energy, actually’ he thinks, watching the way your eyes are suddenly drooping.
“well don’t worry, i’m almost done.” ajax assures.
“hey. did you put this in the food?” you hold up the open bottle of white wine, and some of the contents spill out. however, your boyfriend is quick to grab it once seeing how you’re swaying.
suddenly it all clicks in his brain. “ahh, i might’ve put in too much.” he chuckles, now noting the smell of the food a little bit different than usual. stronger and sharper like the wine. “that explains things. plus the firewater we had from earlier.” he recalls you taking an impressive amount of shots, trying to out beat him.
“didn’t you once say something about sharing firewater with someone in the cold makes them trustworthy? i’ve done half the battle!” you say with pride, albeit wobbling a little. “let’s go sit outside later! we’ll see who freezes first!”
ajax stares at you in awe before laughing—loudly.
“milaya, you always surprise me with just how cute you can be.” he pinches your cheeks before moving his hand to your lower back, steering you towards the couch. “now come on, sit down. you’re going to fall over at this rate.”
“‘kay.” you mumble, letting him guide you. you don’t really feel yourself moving until the plush cushion under you meets your bottom.
“i’m just going to clean up and i’ll be right back. i promise.” he reassures, squeezing your hand before releasing it.
you jump back up eagerly, “i’ll help!”
“no, you’ll stay here.” he pushes you back down gently before standing up himself. there’s a stern look on his face as he says, “you’ve had too much to drink. that’s my fault.”
a small huff leaves your mouth and you pout. your eyes start to water. “then…at least sit with me!”
“the kitchen has to be cleaned up, lisichka.” he reminds gently.
your eyes grow wetter. “the kitchen is more important than me?”
he gives you a look. “nothing could ever be more important than you. you know that.”
“then…you’ll stay. it is your fault after all.”
he laughs, scratching the back of his head, “alright then. but only for a little bit.”
the minute he sits down, you promptly slide yourself onto his lap, wordlessly making yourself comfortable.
“oh? what’s this?” his heart swells. you’re usually too shy to initiate something like this, often leading him to pulling you onto him.
there’s a confused look on your face. “you said to sit down and stay here, so i’m doing that.” you blink slowly, head tilting. “did i sit wrong?”
“no, of course not.” he answers, kissing your forehead. thankfully you’re too out of it to tease him, or he’d never hear the end of it.
he shifts you so your legs straddle his lap. your face is buried in his neck, breathing in the smell of his aftershave and the pinewood scent of him. one hand reaches up towards his soft locks and mindlessly plays with it.
ajax feels his entire being burning with exhilaration. while he knows how to handle his alcohol way better than you do, he is not immune to your touches. he could get intoxicated and drunk on any little thing you do.
a satisfied exhale leaves the man and he closes his eyes for moment, his nose nuzzling your cheek. the feeling of your warm palms sliding across his face pull him out of the moment before your eyes meet.
you hum, staring at him closely. “have your eyes always looked like this?” you ask.
he blinks. “like what? and why?”
“they’re so blue. i’ve never seen eyes like yours before.”
“no, they haven’t.” he answers honestly. he tries to avert his attention away from you, but your hands grab his face again.
“they’re so pretty…like the ocean…” you breathe, now poking at his freckles. “you’re so pretty…”
the man is pretty sure he’s blushing right now when you speak, rambling and comparing him like the sea. of the comforting warmth and unpredictability of the weather, all comparable to his nature—which you love.
you must be trying to kill him, because what he doesn’t expect next is for you to kiss him on the nose, and then his cheeks.
by the time he’s chasing your lips with his own, you’re pulling back, giggling quietly.
“hey, you can’t just tease like that—“ you slump against him, and he freezes, eyes widening.
“milaya?”
“…”
pulling your face back from his chest, he notes that you’ve passed out.
ajax tugs you tight in his hold, tucking your face in the crook of his neck. the smell of your hair makes his heart grow even bigger and fonder.
“by the tsaritsa, my cute girlfriend can’t hold her alcohol well,” he laughs to himself, absently tracing shapes into your lower back, “i’m sure glad this happened at home, or god knows what would happen out in public.”
he doesn’t really know if he’d be more worried about your own safety, or the things he’d do if someone dared to take advantage of you.
either way, his endless vow to protect you couldn’t be broken anyway anyhow. not even in death. he’d be loyal to you for a thousand life times.
bonus:
waking up groggily, you rub your eyes, shield them from from the unavoidable brightness of the sun.
while warm light hits your face, it only makes you feel hot and cold all at the same time. a feeling that should be welcoming only suffocates you instead as an ache converges the nerve points in your head.
“rise and shine sleeping beauty.”
you turn limply, eyes widening at the sight of ajax standing in the doorway.
“i was really hoping on you waking up soon.” he says pushing the door open further. he holds a tray of food in his hands. padding over to you he nods to the water and ibuprofen on the bedside table. “once you eat some, you should really take that.”
maybe its the sleep in your eyes or the fact that you’re not fully awake yet, but you tear up. “you’re always taking care of me.”
“yep, that is my job.” he places the food down, leaning over to kiss away any stray tears.
“thank you.”
he clicks his tongue. “what did i tell you about thanking me for things like this?”
you roll your eyes. such a stubborn man.
you quietly tell him that your brain is foggy, and while you partially don’t want to know, wish that he recall what last happened when you were awake.
“you should’ve seen how cute you were while drunk. i don’t think i could ever forget it.” he laughs once he’s done recapping.
blood rushes to your cheeks, your face aflame. “i’m not going to be able to live this down, am i?”
ajax laughs again, “don’t think so! although, being passed out for pretty much the whole day is alarming, so i don’t think we will be letting you near any alcohol anytime soon.”
your shoulders droop, “i guess that’s fair…”
“don’t be so sad! here, let me feed you!” he moves behind you, sitting down on the bed so his legs are on either side of you. his chest presses into your backside as he reaches for the food.
“‘jax i can feed myself just fine.” you say, going for the spoon, but his reflexes are faster.
“please?” he looks down at you, hoping his ocean hues favor him.
you sigh. “fine.”
the two of you sit in comfortable silence as he feeds you, and you being hungrier than you realize, finish everything quickly.
“i almost forgot! you owe me something.” he says coyly.
you frown, “huh?”
“after all that teasing yesterday…you left me high and dry…” he sniffs.
you blink, and suddenly it’s clear what he’s insinuating. “a kiss?”
“so you remember?” he asks.
you shrug, “just barely…”
“well, know that you’re aware—“ he scoots towards you, knees bumping your own before he’s pulling you towards him.
a yelp leaves you. “b-but i just ate food! and…and i need to brush my teeth!” you protest, but he’s still hovering close over you.
“so?”
there’s no use, because the minute you open your mouth to reply, ajax swoops down, kissing you wordlessly and hungrily. his tongue brief swipes over yours before he soon pulls back.
there’s a mild grimace on his face, “yeah, go brush your teeth.”
you shove him back on the bed, making him holler with laughter, “i told you!”
“it was still worth it, mila!” he shouts after you.
“fuck you.” you spit.
“with pleasure.” he smiles.
notes: my mom added too much white wine to food she made, so she’s the running inspiration for this. shout out to her!
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dodger-chan · 4 months
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Based off of this idea, originating with @rogueddie (also on ao3)
Steve was looking at Eddie. He had to. There wasn’t anything else worth looking at in the theater.
That sounded weird.
Steve was looking at Eddie. Because unlike Steve, Eddie was not bored out of his skull by the music, the overacting, the complete absence of story.
That last complaint was unfair. There was a story. Eddie’d summed it up for him on the drive over. Steve just couldn’t follow the story with all the singing being in Italian. Or German. Maybe.
He’d gotten used to hearing a bunch of different languages living with Robin, and being able to tell them apart, but everything sounded different when sung. And everything was sung.
Eddie, who only spoke English and nerd, didn’t seem to have any trouble following the opera. Or if he wasn’t following it, he didn’t care. He was clearly having the time of his life, his joy reflected in the smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes.
So yeah, Steve was looking at Eddie.
Steve looked away quickly when the music stopped and the lights went up. It would be weird if Eddie caught him staring.
“Is it over?” he asked hopefully. It sure felt like they’d been sitting there for several hours.
“It’s intermission.” Right. Halftime. Or, no, the program said there were two intermissions. So one third of the way. “You’re not enjoying it?”
“It’s not my thing, but it isn’t so bad.” Steve lied. He could get through this. He’d survived worse.
It was a good thing no one had told the Russians about Wagner.
“Want to walk around for a bit? Stretch our legs?”
----
Walking around made Steve feel like he was doing something. Something other than staring at Eddie. Though with Eddie bouncing on his toes and excited hand gestures as he gushed about what they’d just seen Steve couldn’t keep from staring a little.
“Is this your first opera?” An older woman in evening wear asked Eddie. She was smiling kindly, but Steve knew how fake those kind smiles could be. He took note of the wrinkles around her eyes, the graying roots of her hair, any flaws she might be sensitive to, in case she was about to bring up the worn knee in Eddie’s best jeans.
Not everyone could afford a tux like her escort.
“Second, actually. Steve and I saw Don Giovanni here about four, five months ago.” That had been boring, too. But Eddie had loved it, even though he’d been a little embarrassed at enjoying a snobby, rich person kind of thing. So Steve had bought tickets to another opera as soon as he’d saved up enough for two. “I’ve heard Tristan und Isolde before, but it’s different live.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
And then the two of them started talking way, way above Steve’s head, with musical terms he’d have sworn were made up. Like, harmonic was a music thing, sure, but suspension had to do with cars.
It was so much like when Dustin and Eddie talked about Dungeons and Dragons that Steve had to smile.
“And they’re off.” The woman’s escort was smiling, too. He jerked his head in the direction of the bar. “C’mon. Let’s you and I get drinks while my wife and your boyfriend talk shop.”
Steve took three full steps before the words sank in.
“Shit,” he breathed. That was why he’d spent months setting aside money for opera tickets. And why he’d needed two. And why he’d spent all of act one entertaining himself with Eddie’s facial expressions. He was in love with Eddie.
Steve turned around.
“I’m very sorry,” he interrupted the woman. He was a little sorry; Eddie seemed to be enjoying her conversation. “I need to borrow this guy for ten seconds.”
“What the hell?” Eddie asked as Steve pulled him away from any potential eavesdroppers.
“Do you want this to be a date?”
“Um, what?”
“Tonight. This. A date.” Maybe Steve wasn’t making a lot of sense. He tried again. “That woman you were talking to, her husband called you my boyfriend-”
“Oh, shit, Steve, I’m sorry- '' Eddie started.
“Don’t be. Unless, you don’t want to be. My boyfriend, that is.” Steve looked directly into Eddie’s eyes. “Because I’d really like it if you’d be my boyfriend.”
“I’d like that, too.”
They couldn’t kiss in such a public place. But once they were back in their seats and the lights went down, no one would be able to see if they were holding hands.
Steve was suddenly looking forward to act two.
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shewhoworshipscarlin · 4 months
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Olga (Ollie) Burgoyne
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Olga “Ollie” Burgoyne, also known as Ollie Burgoyne-Calloway, was a singer and dancer specializing in Russian and other ethnic dances. She was also an actress and businesswoman who gained popularity during the Harlem Renaissance and left her mark as one of the most influential African American dancers and choreographers of that time.
Ollie Burgoyne was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 13, 1879. She was part Russian and part Creole. Ollie’s cousin, Ida Forsain, toured Russia and specialized in Cossack dancing. Influenced by Forsain, Burgoyne debuted at age 17 in John Isham’s Oriental America nightclub in Chicago in 1896. In 1901, at age 22, she embarked on an eight-year tour of Europe (Germany, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary, and Russia) with seven singing and dancing girls known as the Louisiana Amazon Guards.
In 1903, Burgoyne briefly returned to the United States and joined the cast of the operetta In Dahomey, which was the first African American musical to be performed on Broadway. After her performance, Burgoyne formed Duo Eclatant with partner Asher Watts. She also founded the Burgoyne Musical Company.
During her years in Russia (1904-1914), Burgoyne performed in many prestigious venues, including the Krestovskiy Garden Amusement Park (St. Petersburg) and the Aumont Theater (Moscow). She also made side trips to Odessa in what is now Ukraine, Athens, Greece, Istanbul, Turkey, and Cairo, Egypt. She opened the Maison Creole lingerie store in downtown St. Petersburg (Russia), where she employed a staff of 27. In August 1914, while Burgoyne was vacationing in Marienbad, Austria, World War I broke out, and she was unable to return to Russia and thus lost her businesses and properties there.
Between 1914 and 1929, Burgoyne continued to tour mainly in western Europe. Her specialties were Brazilian, Spanish, and Russian dances, which she mastered while traveling. She briefly returned to the United States during this period, where she performed in New York City, Chicago nightclubs, and Harlem’s Lafayette Theater. In 1925, Burgoyne produced two dance revues, Darktown Strutters, and Harlem Strutters, in New York. She also appeared in ten Broadway productions between 1926 and 1937.
In 1931, Ollie Burgoyne was named one of the eight major dancers and choreographers of the Harlem Renaissance, part of an elite group that also included Hemsley Winfield, Edna Guy, Randolph Sawyer, Asadata Dafora, Katherine Dunham, Charles Williams, and Pearl Primus. In April 1936, when Burgoyne was 57 years old, she appeared in the play Mississippi Rainbow, performed at the Lafayette Theater. In the later years of her life, Burgoyne taught dance and worked periodically in the film industry, starring in movies such as Laughing (1930) and The Timid Ghost (1937). With a career spanning nearly 50 years, Ollie Burgoyne died on April 2, 1974, in Oxnard, California, at the age of 95.
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theanticool · 2 months
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Libraries and Adult Lonliness
As we all know, making friends as adults is hard. And while the internet has made it easier to make friends with people around the world, actually meeting people you can meet with on a regular basis and just hang out with us tough. The common answer to meeting new people is to find people who are interested in the same stuff as you. As such, finding places to meet new people who may have similar interests to you is important. And that’s why I think the library is a great resource!
As a children’s librarian, one of the things I try to point out to parents when they come in to sign their kids up for the library is that we offer adult programs too. Obviously we have book clubs - my library has 4 different book clubs for people who read different types of books. I’ve posted about it before with knitting/crochet circles. But for people who have or want to explore different interests, and meet new people via that new interest, you may want to check your local library to see their programming. For example:
Hiking: Many libraries offer things like hiking kits. These can be things such as maps for local trails, hiking sticks, a water resistant backpack, binoculars, bird guides, and the like. But some libraries having hiking clubs, such as the Poughkeepsie Public Library Distruct in NY.
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Language Learning: Many libraries have access to language learning platforms such as Rosetta Stone or Mango Languages. But many other have dedicated classes where adults can come and learn languages. If you’re in L.A. county, the public library offers classes in beginner Russian, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Armenian, etc!
Music: there are many libraries that have maker spaces where you can go and record music. There’s one in the Newark Library and at a branch of the Brooklyn library. There are also ones that allow you to check out instruments. But there are also ones where you can receive free music lessons, such as the Dallas Public Library (this program was online during the pandemic but is now also offered in person!)
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I could keep going.
Singing, dancing, theater, yoga, sketch comedy, creative writing, RC Cars, foraging, cemetery tour groups, jewelry making, baking, woodworking, painting, etc. If you have a niche interest or would like to get into a niche interest, there is a chance your library has had or will have a program about it. And if you’re looking to meet new people, it is a great place to start.
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mairontheabhorred · 1 year
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Russian musicals my beloveds,,,,
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fandomtrumpshate · 4 months
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By the Numbers! With Bonus Fan Labor info -
Signups close later this evening … shall we see where things stand with just hours to go?
At present, there are 686 creators signed up with 928 auctions in 295 fandoms, PLUS 116 creators willing to work in ANY fandom.
Guys. GUYS. That's more than 100 offers more than last year!
Offers break down as follows: 598 Written fanwork (fic, fan poetry, etc) 136 Fan art 105 Fan labor (beta services, translation, Brit-picking, typesetting, etc) 60 Podfic 18 Other Digital Fanwork 7 Video
A bit of info on our fan labor offers —
Among our fan laborers are folks offering assistance with cultures in: various US states South Asia Russia Mexico England Germany France Canada Italy as well as with: Catholicism Judaism
Additionally, there are offers for specialist knowledge or sensitivity reading for: Disability LGBTQIA Sports Autism non-combat PTSD Emergency Services Blindness Accounting and taxes Medical equipment Engineering Sex work Law and court procedure Medicine (trauma and general surgery) Scientific knowledge Teaching Tea and Coffee History Art history (generally European) Asexuality Libraries BDSM Leather/kink Forensics Funerary services Shibari Type 1 Diabetes Choir and theater Musical instruments Chronic pain/illness Knitting Dance Hiking Immigration/Xenophobia Familial abuse Sexual abuse Bookstores Alpaca and sheep management Smallholding
AND we have various translation offers for: Catalan Chinese Filipino French German Italian Portugese Russian Spanish Vietmanese
In our supported orgs, most creators are opting to leave the choice to their bidders. Those who are specifying orgs are most often selecting MECA, Sherlock's Homes, In Our Own Voice, and Never Again Action. Orgs that could use more love are Together Bay Area, Deploy/US, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Bellingcat, and Pollinator Partnership.
Stay tuned for a last look at both listed and unlisted fandom rankings in the last hours before signups close … which is SOON!
But for now — signups are OPEN!
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frozen10fanzine · 3 months
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Frozen Through the Years
Yearly Spotlight: 2018
Written by @secretsofthestorymakers
For the Frozen Fandom, 2018 was mostly a year of looking forward to Frozen II. From casting announcements to character leaks, 2018 was the first time fans were actually given more information about the long-awaited sequel!
To name a few examples...
~There were several announcements of new cast members that excited fans as they tried to work out who the new actors would play. ~On Instagram, one of the animators announced that the character designs for Frozen II were finalized. ~In an interview with Variety, Jennifer Lee said that Frozen II would focus on Elsa and Anna again, but would be “bigger (and) more epic,” as they were “going to go far out of Arendelle.” ~There was the appearance of a new image on Instagram that showed Elsa and Anna in new outfits in front of an autumnal forest along with text that translated from Russian to “Frozen Heart II.” This particularly excited fans, but many people also dismissed it as fanart at first. Luckily, it was eventually revealed to be a leak from a Russian 2019 calendar where each month featured a Disney film that was scheduled to be released that month.
In addition to all the Frozen II excitement, Frozen: The Broadway Musical premiered in March! It featured 21 songs, 13 of which were not in the original film. The show ran for 26 previews and 825 regular shows on Broadway before closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Several new books and comics came out throughout this year as well. They expanded the lore of the Frozen universe, particularly with stories about the kingdoms surrounding Arendelle.
Lastly, in November, Ralph Breaks the Internet was released in theaters. It featured Elsa and Anna in modern attire along with all of the Disney Princesses! After the credits of the movie, there was a screen that promised a sneak peek of Frozen II. It played a second of footage from the beginning of Frozen before Ralph took over the screen again, singing Rick Astley’s "Never Gonna Give You Up," effectively Rickrolling the viewers.
Overall 2018 was a big year for the Frozen fandom as fans looked forward to 2019 and the release of Frozen II.
Stay Tuned For More
👆🏻 Click above if you want to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Frozen. The due date is April 12, 2024.
We look forward to seeing your memories ❄️
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equallyshaw · 27 days
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The friend group | little lion au - au masterlist. - also the nicknames for them are in good fun lol
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☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
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liona 'lion' kai ovekchin: russian mob boss - more on her here.
orange cat
studying fashion and minoring in marketing at nyu
1/3 of greenwhich village roommates
only child (+ younger half sister - sasha from moms ex fiance)
geno malkin worshiper
scorpio
part time nanny and part time barista/book shop clerk at an historic bookshop/coffee house
avid reader
huge star wars fan
used to have a crush on david..before her and chris got together..😚
tolerates hockey, big alex o fan if you didn't know
huge traveler
hamptons lovaaaaa
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
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rainn spencer: miss grump
liona's bff
second half
partner in crime always
1/3 of Greenwich village roommates
secretly has a thing for jack.
early supporter of #Hoveckhin
social work student at NYU, with a minor in Womens Studies
thinks of alex as a father figure because she does not have the best relationship with her own father, as her parents are divorced.
alum of Georgetown prep
works at a local coffee shop, and a record store on the weekend.
pisces
incredibly creative and extremely smart
middle child (syndrome) of three, with two brothers.
avid reader and painter
coffee connoisseur
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
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chris briney: trust fund kid
liona's ex and friend
columbia student, grad in 2025. (year early)
got accepted into harvard, attended one semester before transferring to new york.
oldest of 2, has a younger sister
aries
still is in love with liona..
is incredibly close to alex still
huge fan of the capitals
grew up next to liona, next door
studying political science and international relations
lives with gavin off-campus
enjoys playing the guitar, writing and reading
tea addict
used to be: grumpy bf x sunshine gf or black cat x orange cat
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
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gavin casalegno: top dog
golden retriever
closest to chris
columbia student
studying anthropology
bisexual
virgo
avid movie watcher/goer
youngest of four, with one brother and two sisters
night owl
down for a good time, always.
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
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sean kaufman: shakespeare
1/3 (part time) greenwich roommates
originally got into princeton but declared to go to nyu
studies playwriting with a minor in musical theater
cancer
oldest of 3, has 2 sisters
first generation student
first generation, parents are both from asia
has Korean citizenship through parents
musical goer (will bring lion every. single. time.)
huge traveler (along with gavin)
has had a crush on rain for years (but once he saw the ending to liona and chris he decided to not pursue anything)
second half of liona, male version of her (we'll see that soon!)
will drag her out of bed at obscene hours to dance, bake and ofcourse, get some pizza
coffee addict (connoisseur)
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
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david iacono: pink whitney
went to georgetown prep with the group
year older than the group
reunited in london, summer 2025 before he moves back to the states
studied liberal arts at university of cambridge
only child
liona and him were close because they did musicals and plays together at school + in the community
moves to nyc to pursue his masters at columbia
golden retriever energy
had a crush on liona during highschool but then once her and chris got together, he pushed it away
avid fan of the capitals
literally starstruck of alex but not geno (lmao)
really likes luke when he meets him when they get back from europe in the Hamptons
the two of them get along really well
along with sean, the two of them get liona out and about always
loves to do photography
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
+ ensemble members.
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jack hughes: frat president
follows luke around like a lost puppy when he joins luke and liona for stuff with the group
shy af (ironic lol)
really likes rainn
him and gavin get on really well
gavin brings jack out of his shell, and the two are thick as thieves
down for a good time, always.
middle child syndrome ofc
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dylan duke: the slut (not literally lmao)
summer buddies with the group when everybody visits michigan
ring leader for the michigan trips (that now include the friend group)
him + david = pink whitney lovers
karaoke fanatic
# 2 fan of Hoveckchin (behind rainn & just because he likes the ship name, has to enunciate HO)
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quinn hughes: the dictator
keeps everybody in line during the summers (doesn't need unnecessary injuries or drama)
they call him the dictator because of it
enjoys the friend group, thinks they are all sound people and glad luke has a good group when he's in jersey and people away from the league
treats lion like his little sister
+
ethan edwards
nico hischier
Alex holtz
Rutger mcgroarty
adam fantilli
simon nemec
andrei svechnikov (her russian brat)
+ more ofc
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
hope you all enjoyed!!!
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A Fairy Tale Rabbit Hole
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the movie that it started it all for Disney Animation and it's the most influential fairy tale movie ever. Its tropes and its tone still inspires fairy tale media to this day, either as parodies, or homages.
But what less people know is that Walt Disney was inspired to make this movie because of a peculiar silent movie that he watched when he was a teenager.
That movie was Snow White from 1916. Its writer, Winthrop Ames, adapted it from his own Broadway play. An example of American fairy tale theater.
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This kept me thinking.
The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic fantasy films of all time, and it was made in direct response to Snow White. What people don't know is that the scene where Glinda saves the gang from the deadly poppies with a snowstorm came straight from a fairy tale musical from 1902. It came from The Wizard of Oz, a fairy tale musical "extravaganza", with direct input from L. Frank Baum, only two years after the original novel.
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Actually, stage musicals seem to take a slight part in the creation of Oz. The Marvellous Land of Oz, the sequel, seems to be inspired by this stage culture. General Jinjur and her army dresses like chorus girls, Ozma/Tip may be inspired by the crossdressing in children roles, and this was the book's dedication:
"To those excellent good fellows and comedians David C. Montgomery and Frank A. Stone whose clever personations of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow have delighted thousands of children throughout the land, this book is gratefully dedicated by THE AUTHOR"
These were actors of the 1902 stage show.
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Two years later, on 1904 Peter and Wendy premiered. This play is also one of the most famous children stories ever. Walt Disney himself acted as Peter in a local production of it and Tinkerbell quickly became a mascot for the studio.
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This all led me to think more about fairy tale theater specifically.
Since the ending of the 18th century and through the 19th century, a genre of stage show developed through Europe. It was mostly comedic and light-hearted, mainly inspired by fairy tales, and it was geared towards children and families. It involved lavish fantasy spectacles told through operas, ballets, and what we today would call "musical theater".
It had many different names and variations depending on the country.
On England, it evolved through the pantomimes and it became a Christmas tradition.
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In Russian, it was mainly through ballet, called the ballet-féerie, often considered a lower-class, more commercialized entertainment than traditional ballet. Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker are among some of them. Sleeping Beauty would later inspire Disney's telling of the story.
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In France they were called Féerie, and it was a mix of music, dancing, pantomime, acrobatics, and stage effects. It influenced the development of burlesque, musical comedy and film.
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From Wikipedia:
With his 1899 film version of Cinderella, Georges Méliès brought the féerie into the newly developing world of motion pictures. The féerie quickly became one of film's most popular and lavishly mounted genres in the early years of the twentieth century, with such pioneers as Edwin S. Porter, Cecil Hepworth, Ferdinand Zecca, and Albert Capellani contributing fairy-tale adaptations in the féerie style or filming versions of popular stage féeries like Le Pied de mouton, Les Sept Châteaux du diable, and La Biche au bois. The leader in the genre, however, remained Méliès,[37] who designed many of his major films as féeries and whose work as a whole is intensely suffused with the genre's influence.[38]
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Once you realize a huge chunk of fairy tale media has roots in family friendly stage shows from 19th century, a lot of it started making sense.
The focus on romance, the focus on damsels in distress, prevalence of lighter tones, the everlasting connection to music and dance.
They may be the main reason why some fairy tales are more famous than others. Some became source material for a continuous stream of operas, operettas, musical extravaganzas, ballets, plays, and others simply not.
And besides the Victorian Era storybooks that bowdlerized fairy tales for children, I think this whole genre of the theater was responsible to firmly establish fairy tales as a child friendly media, decades before Disney ever released Snow White to cash in that nostalgia.
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If you have something to add or if I just got something wrong, feel free to correct me.
@ariel-seagull-wings @princesssarisa @adarkrainbow @the-blue-fairie @theancientvaleofsoulmaking @natache @tamisdava2 @thealmightyemprex
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mirrorsblogs · 9 months
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𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞? 𝐥. 𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧
𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙩, 𝙨𝙢𝙪𝙩!! 𝙮𝙚𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜
“Be nice,” her agent whispered on the elevator ride up. Vera glanced half-heartedly at the woman standing next to her, they both knew she would be anything but. She had a more rigid exterior than most of her female contemporaries who preferred to play into the fantasy of female composers. 
She respected their choices to do so as it resulted in their own surmountable success but her path differed, her nature would never allow for a hollow choice. Sure it gained her a reputation for being harsh but all that mattered was creating music that mattered, that could be shared.
The elevator dinged to indicate they reached the top floor of the conservatory, right above the theater where the house orchestra was practicing. They played well enough though not to her standards, those in the third and fourth seats slacked far too much for her liking.
“Ms. Shcherbatskaya, it is lovely to meet you.” Vera looked startled that someone without a present Eastern European accent had been able to pronounce her last name. He had thin-rimmed glasses that most young male composers wore to appeal to the masses, the same could be said of his style. This man though verbally different looked to be another nameless composer destined to be lost to time.
“Likewise, Mr…” She replied. The man smirked at her clear jab to his ego but had no look of annoyance or hurt.
“Ackerman. Levi Ackerman.”
“German?”
“Yes, Berlin specifically.” He paused and inspected her face closely. “Russian?”
“Petersburg,” she muttered, more focused on the mosaic painted on the ceiling. It depicted a scene all too familiar in High-Renaissance pieces, biblical iconography splattered all over. What a sight to behold.
“Your English is amazing,” Ackerman said, interrupting her daydreaming.
“So is yours. Did you learn in school?”
“Yes, along with Russian.”
“How good were your lessons?” She asked in her native tongue, the syllables easily rolling off her tongue as they had done for her forefathers for centuries. 
“Good enough.”
She smiled, it had been a long while since she had conversed with someone in her own language. Forever subjected to being held back by speaking a language she was only beginning to learn. 
“Could we converse in Russian then?”
“Da.” Levi stood there with his hands in his pockets, he was amused but respectful nonetheless.
“Our agents want us to meet so we can collaborate on a piece.”
“Yes, we should hold on to this because I will be in the countryside to help my Mother for a few weeks.”
“And what shall I do in the meantime? Stay here in this god-awful city waiting for you?”
Vera’s agent placed a warning hand on her shoulder signaling for her to dial back on her tone even though she knew none of their conversation. Levi laughed a little at her antics and walked a little closer to her, he rubbed his hands together before dropping them by his side. 
It had felt like years since he was this amused, the days seemed so gray before. He wondered at that moment how he had lived in that muteness for so long now that he was confronted with something starkly different.
“London is not that bad, you’ll be fine.”
“Say that to my lungs! This city will give me cancer I swear!” 
Her noticeably dark humor that turned away many potential partners made him laugh even harder. Though she remained noticeably neutral she was shocked internally at someone who had a sense of humor. Her face cracked a smile that Levi took to heart, her reputation had preceded her of course.
The man had expected an old hag rather than a lively young woman, he almost wished it was the former as it would have been easier to leave a hag. Now he was almost considering staying in London for a few weeks and put off visiting his mother. The thought of his mother wondering where he was only to be disappointed once again put him off. He had a duty as a son to care for his mother, a duty he would fulfill.
“I do not want to abandon my mother. You’ll have to wait here. Get to know the orchestra better in the meantime.”
“I could join you?” Both were slightly startled at the impulsivity of the statement but neither expressed rejection over it. 
“Forward, are you?”
“No. Dedicated.”
The ride to the Schweinfurt consisted of approximately four train rides with a short walk intermittently after the second. Levi talked little in English and mostly in Russian which greatly comforted Vera. She enjoyed the journey, using it to review some works they could base their piece on and things to do in the area. 
“It’s mostly new tech shit there but my mother likes the area.”
“There is a Church to visit.”
“Every town in Germany has a church with a niche significance, it isn’t worthwhile.”
“Then why does this brochure mention it?”
“A tourism scam.”
Vera laughs and closes the brochure, finding more comfort in conversing with Levi than reading. The subject shifted but the attention remained the same as words effortlessly flowed between the two. This is how talking should be, he thought.
The train abruptly stopped near Rottendorf, she gasped at the jolt and lurched forward. He grasped her hand without realizing it and caressed it. The feeling of a calloused thumb over her knuckles felt foreign but nice. She blushed at his gesture and chalked it up to fear.
It took him a few more moments to realize his actions, his hand quickly withdrew.
“Sorry.”
“Why do you apologize when I never raised an issue?”
He opened his mouth a few times to retort but each answer was worse than the last. She grasped his hand again to alleviate her own worries about the train, neither complained. It was only for anxiety, to help her anxiety.
“Apologies, we are experiencing technical issues. At the next station please exit shortly with your items whilst we repair the train.”
He cursed at being so close to his mother but far enough that they could not walk. He glanced down at Vera who took to holding his hand even tighter, she was not faring better than him. 
“It won’t be too much for a taxi,” Levi muttered.
“We can split the cost.”
She moved to take some money from her purse only for him to stop her with the hand she caressed.
“What kind of person am I if I let you pay?”
“A cheap one.”
“But not a considerate one.”
“Fine then, be considerate.” Vera waved her hand off in the distance, mocking anger at that moment. He caught on quickly and smirked.
“You are a funny woman, Vera.”
“You would be the first to say that.”
They unloaded their backpacks that held all of their items for the trips and began walking to the area for taxis. Some drivers smoked outside their vehicles and leaned against their cars, a clear sign to avoid them. Vera and Levi settled on a Russian man who sat inside his car patiently reading a Turgenev novel.
“How much to Schweinfurt?” Levi asked the man in Russian. 
“I will discount for you, my friend.”
She let Levi handle the haggling for a good fare and hopped into the backseat when they reached a happy mid-point. The driver set aside his novel on the passenger seat and turned the engine on. It was an average day in Germany with fairly normal weather.
“Do you like Turgenev?” Vera asked the driver.
“He is too obscure for my liking but his writing is good.”
“Are you a Tolstoy fan then?”
“Who isn’t?” The driver gestured wildly with one of his hands but kept his eyes on the road. “To be an enthusiast of literature is to be an enthusiast of Tolstoy!”
Levi sat back silently and watched how animatedly Vera talked of Russian authors, almost like she knew them personally. Instead of referring to them as Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, it was Leo and Fyodor. He commented on it as they waited for his mother to answer the door.
“I think of all creative Russians as my brothers and sisters. You don’t do the same with Germans?”
“I’m far too critical to act as though I am on a personal level with them.” Levi knocked once more, checking his watch to see how long they were waiting in the heat. “Besides it would be weird to call Nietzche, Friedrich.”
He blushed in embarrassment as his own native accent slipped out when saying the last part. 
“Your accent is cute.”
The door opened with Kutchel standing there, curious as to who the delightful woman her son had brought with him. 
“Mother, this is Vera. I told you about her over the phone, remember?”
“You didn’t tell me she was so pretty.” Kutchel took Vera by the arm inside to the dining table where food was already set out. “Are you a composer as well, dear?”
“Yes, I work more in Vienna though.”
“Oh, do tell me about life there.”
“It’s rich with history and the people are good enough…”  Vera stumbled over her words slightly when speaking in English, she felt like a five-year-old telling her mother about her school day.  “The conservatory is far nicer than any London has.”
“I heard that!” Levi yelled from the kitchen, he came into the room balancing three glasses of water. Vera held herself back from gulping the entire glass and instead sipped politely while Kutchel asked her son a thousand questions on his travels.
“How are your new pieces coming along?” The mother knew well enough of her son’s struggle to compose as of late. His motivation dried up just as he got comfortable in finally living in something other than impoverished.
“That’s what Vera is here for, we are meant to compose together.”
“The room upstairs still has everything where you left it. I’m sure music stores in town should have anything you need too.”
“Thanks, mom.” 
Vera thought she might feel like an unwelcome outsider in that moment but it was more akin to the feeling of a silent spectator. Neither shunned nor encouraged to participate, choosing instead to delve into the food in front of her. It was a simple dish of rice and a strange gravy substance but it tasted divine.
“Do you like it?” Kutchel asked when Vera had her mouth full. The girl could only smile until she finally got the food down.
“Yes, it’s fantastic.” Her Russian accent slipped slightly out on the last word.
“Where in Russia are you from?”
“Saint Petersburg.”
“You know Levi’s father, god rest his soul, was from there.”
“Mom-” Kutchel shut him up with a wave of her hand.
“How did he find it?”
“Cold. Said that once he learned of German summers he never wanted to return.”
“Understandable though not forgivable.” They all laughed together, it was clear where Levi got his humor from.
They began the attempt to compose a singular piece the next day, each taking a seat next to one another on the piano bench situated on the far side of the room. The window in front of them shined the sun brightly onto them.
Vera’s pinky hit the ‘b’ key, it felt off to her, not the key itself but its place in this piece. She scratched the blank sheet music which up until this point only held that one note.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect, only concert audiences are going to hear.”
“You don’t plan on distributing it?”
“Why would we?”
“Isn’t that what music is for?” Levi stopped his reply when he saw the pure vulnerability in Vera’s eyes, this was not a simple spew from her mouth but from the heart. “People learn how to play, then they improve and make it their own. Keeps it fresh and lively.”
“But it's more intimate when enjoyed by a few. A singular meaning holds far more value than thousands of different ones.”
“Why did you learn how to play music? Why did you learn how to compose?”
He sat there silent for a moment, trying to drudge the earliest memory of him behind the piano.
“I was good at it and it earned my mother enough money to focus on getting an education rather than sticking to life as a sex worker.”
“You did it out of necessity, yes?” The simplification, though accurate, felt ingenuine.
“It was more than that. Playing in front of crowds made me feel as though I was more than just a poor boy from the slums of Berlin. I kept composing for more people to understand the life I lived.”
Vera heard in passing stories of a young German prodigy coming from nowhere and was soon to be heard everywhere. His pieces were an experience, a mutual friend, Hange, shared. He never published his compositions and kept them close, collecting the sheet music from musicians after each performance. Forcing each to sign a non-disclosure agreement to never share his intellectual property. 
“I was similar in my reasoning then.” She splayed her fingers on the piano, playing the part to a familiar Spanish allegro. Levi pushed one of her hands aside and began to play the piece alongside her. “The only reason to learn music is…to share it with others.”
She stopped playing abruptly and walked away from the piano to fetch a glass of water. Levi continued where she had left off, the piece flawlessly transitioning into a somber part. Granados had always been a favorite of his, though the feelings of passion Granados tried to convey always fell short of him as a boy. Now, it was different.
His fingers strummed against the keys perfectly at poco andante, the thought of her forced his fingers to play at a faster pace. He moved to play at an allegro pace, the noise from the piano strengthened in volume. The man failed to see Vera leaning against the doorframe, taking big gulps of the water in her hand.
The last note played at fortississimo caused her to jump slightly, Levi panted in exhaustion from rushing the piece. He rested his fingers on the keys but not with enough pressure to push them, energy flowed out from him.
“We should end the piece in a fortississimo,” Vera said, walking up to sketch something in the last line of the sheet. 
fff
Levi glanced over her arms, he took the paper from her hands and sketched a couple more notes out for the end. He played it on the piano and she nodded.
“Work our way backwards, then?”
--
The next few days were spent either in the composing room or the dining table where Kutchel asked them profusely about their progress. She looked to be happier when hearing of their substantial progress in finishing. 
“When you do play the piece, could I come to listen?” Kutchel asked. “I know you don’t like to publish your pieces but I want to hear this one.”
“Of course, mom. I’ll save a seat for you in one of the boxes, and invite whoever you want.” Levi ate another piece of his food, Vera was somewhat shocked by how easy he made it all sound. Compared to the conservatories where she worked, trying to get a seat for family members was nearly impossible. Maybe it was different in London. 
“It’ll be nice to see you play Vera since I assume Levi will be playing next to you?”
“Yes, I look forward to it.” Her smile was stiff, he noticed the change in her posture as well. Levi asked about it right before she headed into her bedroom.
“You seemed uncomfortable at dinner. Everything alright?”
Vera contemplated for a moment, she jutted her head into her room, and he followed dutifully behind her. It seemed barely lived in despite them being here for more than three weeks. He saw her clothes in some drawers though no toiletries were even unpacked on the vanity or the sink.
“We still haven’t talked about distribution.” She sat on the windowsill, faintly illuminated by the moonlight.
“I prefer to keep it private.”
“Music is meant to be shared. It is meant for children to clamber over and for young adults to froth at. I think we have a masterpiece on our hands. I don't want it to rot somewhere on your shelves.”
“If we keep it private, it’ll be intimate, draw in more crowds.”
“You care too much about the money and not the people.”
“That’s all music has been about for me, appeal to the most and go from there.”
“But what do you want?”
Levi took the seat next to her on the window sill, his hand fell on top of hers. His mind felt clearer than it had in years.
“I want…” Vera perked up at his drawl. “I want to keep it private.”
“I don’t want to fight you right now.”
Her thumb caressed his knuckles in slow circles like it had on the train, it was more intimate now. They were alone, only the moon was a witness to their actions. 
“Then we don’t fight.” Levi tilted her chin away from the window and to his eyes, he neared closer to her face. She subconsciously leaned in closer.
“What should we do instead?”
The calloused fingers she had seen so often playing the piano pressed against her hips and effortlessly lifted her figure onto his lap. She let out a small moan when his lips kissed against her jaw and neck, sucking at her pulse point.
“Levi,” she muttered, angling her head down to finally kiss him. It was less consuming than her past lovers and intoxicating if anything. He knew her weak points and exploited them to the full extent, she almost wished he was bad at this. It would be easier to forget him once the night finished but with the way his lips pressed against her sternum, there would be no forgetting.
“You alright, liebling ?” The German accent strengthened the growing feeling between her legs, pelvis rutting against Levi.
“Da.” Forgetting nearly all of her prior knowledge of any other language she could only compute her one objective: Levi. “Take off my shift.”
“No bra?” If his fingers against her hands were enough then his fingers grazing along her bare body was to die for. He pressed kisses along her nude body that men prior had ignored. Sex was average, this was more.
“You complaining?”
Levi shook his head and bit lightly at the skin along her neck, making sure to leave as many marks as possible. She palmed at his shirt, he discarded it on the ground shortly thereafter. Levi brought her in for another kiss, not letting it go this time. The rutting from her hips stalled as his hands gripped her hips, forcing her to stay stationary. She whined against his lips, and he smirked.
“Something wrong?”
“Hurry up and fuck me already.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Instead of dignifying that with a response, Vera kissed him again. She took some control, resuming her stimulation against his thigh. Her head fell against his shoulder when he lifted his leg slightly to match the pace of her hips dragging.
“Feels good, liebling? ” he cooed, biting lightly at her earlobe.
“Levi, please,” she rasped.
His hands traveled down to the bottom of her backside, he gripped the skin he could.
“Jump.”
She followed his command, deepening the kiss in the process. He easily supported her weight and laid her across the bed, using the time to admire her and shed the last of his clothing. She was left in her panties which he happily took and threw to the ground. 
“Are you good so far?”
“Very good.” Vera let her fingernails graze his shoulders, light scratch marks left behind. He groaned at the intense feeling, hand grasping at her chest. The stimulation between both of them causes them to moan.  
Levi moved his hand to her slit, inserting one of his fingers. He was the first composer she had slept with, she supposes that this is the reason his fingers reach places no man ever has. Vera cries out at the feeling. 
“You’re so tight,” he grunted, adding one more finger to her slit. He worked his way into her for the next few moments, utterly entranced by the sounds she made. When he curled his fingers she whined, and a feeling in his own body grew.
Caught off guard, he barely noticed Vera nearing the edge and eventually climaxing with a loud moan. He tried to commit all the features of her orgasmic face to his mind, to him it was the best picture in the world. Something only a select few had seen.
“Still good?” He purred.
“Hurry up!” She pleaded, wishing that he finished already and became another regrettable one nightstand. Levi did not do that, he focused on his pleasure just as much as hers. He made sure that she would never forget that night. 
“There,” he whispered, in pure bliss. Together they were connected.
He took his time to start a slow and punishing pace which inevitably pissed Vera off more who resorted to begging him. 
“Please, please, I need more, give me more!”
He relented as his own human instincts took over. The pace was faster now, he leaned down and began pressing kisses around her breasts. She pressed her nails further into his back and dragged them down, Levi groaned from the mix of pleasure and pain.
“You’ll be the death of me. Won’t you?”
“Yes!” Vera gasped, too lost in the throes of passion. When her second climax arrived it came with a newfound force that she had never experienced, it was addicting. 
“Vera, fuck!” He moaned, pushing into her one last time. She moaned at the sensation and met him there. They panted in the afterglow, struggling to find their own breath. Levi collapsed next to her and made his way into the bathroom. 
She watched as he wiped down the excess cum working its way down her legs and then himself before discarding the rag in the hamper. He sat back down on the bed, pulling her close.
“Have a thing for cleanliness, do you?”
“It’s healthy to clean.”
She missed the way he stared at her sleeping figure, in love with the sight.
--
They finished the piece shortly thereafter, choosing to take a unique approach to playing. In the beginning, it was a battle for whose notes would make it through but they each had trust in one another to play. The time is used instead to understand the weaknesses of each player and hide them expertly. 
Vera left the next week back to London to prepare the conservatory for their event. Tickets had already sold out so now it was the waiting game. She practiced the piece in the upper room she met Levi in, failing to see Hange walk in.
“How was composing with shortie?”
“He’s easy to work with.”
“First time I’ve ever heard someone say that.”
“You’d be surprised.” She put the cover over the keys and turned around to face Hange. “How’s your mother?”
“Still dead.” A beat. “So good.”
They laughed together, Hange took the seat next to Vera.
“That’s lovely to hear.”
“Can I play it?” They asked, glancing over the sheet music and putting the piano cover-up.
“I don’t see an issue, as long as you don’t share it.”
“You relented then? Let Levi’s secrecy dominate?”
“One day he’ll see my side and then we’ll publish it. For now, we can keep it private.” 
“But doesn’t that go against your own teachings?” Hange played the first few notes, already loving the tempo and key. “You always tell people that music is meant for sharing.”
“We are sharing but to a smaller audience.”
“To an elite audience. Vera, you love to play your pieces in the streets so even beggars could hear. What changed?”
To play for the rich and poor was a novel concept. Children from all classes had their pick of contemporary pieces like Mozart but access to modern pieces were limited. Composers guarded their pieces in the confines of overpriced sheet music. Vera differed somewhat, maintaining a moral high ground, by posting her pieces publically. Allowing anybody to find and play it.
“If I publish it, then I betray Levi. I don’t want to do that.”
“But to not betray him compromises your values.”
She was left silent as Hange played what was meant to be a happier part in a different manner, it sounded more depressing if anything. Vera leaned her head against Hange’s shoulder, the wool was soft against her head.
“I love him, Hange.” The piano stopped abruptly. “I don’t want to see him hurt by my actions.”
“Levi’s my friend but he is too stubborn to realize his actions are hurting others,” Hange sighed.
Vera left the conservatory and emailed her agent the music, the publishing date was set the day after opening night.
The crowd gathered at the opening night hailed from across Europe, predominantly Eastern and Central. It was comforting to be among crowds who spoke the same language as her. A hand on her shoulder signaled that it was time to head backstage. She caught sight of Kutchel in the box but was only able to wave before being ushered away.
“You ready?” Levi asked, attempting to tie his bowtie in the mirror.
“Of course.” Vera walked over and began focusing on tying his bowtie for him, failing to see the look of admiration he shot her way.  “We go out there and prove you’re not washed up and I’m nice.”
“Who would ever believe that last part?” He joked.
“You have. At least I hope.” Vera finished his bowtie and stepped away, not letting her touch linger for even a second. It would risk it all if she did. 
“You’re right and if I can believe it then so can they.”  
He grasped her hands, sensing the invisible worry in her system. She was good at hiding her anxieties but not to him, never to him. It was Levi who knew when she was mentally exhausted, who knew when she needed a break, who knew when to simply hold her. He knew it all, it frightened her slightly.
“You’re too good for me.”
“No, I’m what you need.”
A stagehand knocked on the door and they both silently followed him to the stage, reveling in the applause from the audience. She heard some hushed whispers but they quieted down when they took their seats at the piano bench.
The piece was simple enough to play with one person but they added so many intricacies when played with two that it required perfect harmony. Complete trust for the other to play their part beautifully, to know when to hit the keys, to know when to reach, and to be patient. You had to truly know the other person to play this.
“Let’s play,” he muttered, starting his hands on the keys.
“Let’s.”
Kutchel had known her son for not much of his adult life, she was a passing face in his grand mission to be the best composer out there. She learned of how he prioritized his own success over others, always focused on his own progress over any other person. She worried for him as any mother would, she worried her son was one of those egotistical musicians they wrote about in the papers.
She was terrified at the possibility of her son being a rich snob. 
The man playing on that stage, however, was a different man entirely. She saw even from her seat him waiting patiently for Vera to play at a slower speed while he stormed through his parts. They were opposites but somehow managed to blend. It might have looked chaotic, it was anything but.
Levi did not play like a rich snob, he played like a man in love. 
When it ended she anticipated Levi ending on a loud note but his last note was soft, barely audible to those in the higher seats. Vera picked up where he left off and played in the manner Levi had previously, each switching roles effortlessly. She ended harshly, as most loves do.
The crowd roared with applause, it faded into the background. Levi’s hand on the small of her back guided her to the front of the stage. Flowers were thrown, shouts of appreciation. This is what she dreamed of. 
Levi bowed first like he had in practice, then she followed. What they had not planned was bowing together which he promptly forced her into. He brought her near after they bowed as most piano partners would.
“I love you.”
Vera recoiled at the suddenness, glancing at the crowd who stared at both of them.
“Not here.”
She left the stage with Levi in tow to the backroom, he pushed the door closed.
“You don’t feel the same?”
“Levi, I do.”
“Then say it.” He took a step closer. “Say it back to me.”
“I-” Vera gulped down a nervous exhale. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Levi, I did something unforgivable.”
“What did you do?” The coldness of his tone sent shivers throughout her body.
“They’re distributing the piece tomorrow across Europe.” Vera took a step back to the door. “We share the profits equally-”
“You think I care about that? You honestly think I care about my side of the profits when you went behind my back and published it?”
“Levi, people deserve to hear this, the music it’s incredible. I don't want it to be only heard in these four walls!”
“And I told you that it was for a reason!”
“A reason that wasn’t good enough!” Levi was shocked at this. “You want it to feel more intimate? What is that? With publishing more kids that grew up like you can experience it. Have you thought about that?”
“Do not bring up my childhood right now when all you are doing is spitting on my legacy!”
“Fine, then I’ll just head back to Vienna. Call me if you want to apologize!”
“What about the rest of the shows?”
“They were doomed anyway. Better no show than a mediocre one.”
She opened the door after already having collected her belongings and rushed out. Some backstage workers tried to stop her for interviews but she turned them away. Her rental car was down the street, she easily made it without looking back.
Vera always failed to see many things about Levi, seeing him rushing out of the conservatory after her would be one of them.
--
A New Era for Pianist Vera Shcherbatskaya amidst the publishing of her new piece: Friends of Youth
Levi Ackerman publishes his first piece with Vera Shcherbatskaya here’s what we think!
The headlines from small newspaper outlets from across Europe became larger than she anticipated. The two lived in their bubble together when composing and even before but in the aftermath they were exposed to the world.
“The sales on your music books are amazing!” Her agent yelled over the phone. Vera was sweeping her apartment, trying to get rid of the dust that had accumulated in less than a day.
“That’s good. Anything else?” Vera’s voice was as dull as her heart. 
“Anything else? Vera, you are the most popular pianist in Europe! This is what we dreamed of!”
“Let me know if Levi or his agent calls.”
She hung up the phone and threw it on the couch. Outside in Vienna was no longer a safe haven as fans swarmed her every move. The only sanctuary was her apartment but even that was a landmine, signs of Levi’s presence were everywhere. The lack of dust in cabinets, organized bookshelves by author's last name, and so much more.
Her next few performances held a significantly darker tone, people theorized it was about a heartbroken lover. Nevertheless, she played with a multitude of partners but each was less satisfying than the last. Nothing matched when they had played in London, critics even noticed.
“You were lovely, Antoine. Just not what I need.” She tried to let the man down gently but he stormed off, writing in the papers that her time with Levi had made her more heartless. 
Hange visited when the news started dying down.
“You followed my advice?”
“It was shit advice.” 
They shared a bottle of wine while watching old reruns of sitcoms. None of the jokes were remotely funny but it was good background noise.
“You’re still heartbroken that Levi left you.” It was harsh but accurate.
“He hasn’t even tried to call!”
“He talked to me.” Hange chuckled when Vera crawled over to them.
“What did he say?”
“Settle down, I’ll tell you.” They put their glass down and moved closer to the woman. “He said he was sad that he never considered your side but equally mad that you went behind his back.”
“That’s it? I already knew that! Come on, Hange, he had to have told you more!”
“Talk to him to figure it out!”
She did not in fact talk to Levi and instead chose to continue playing their shared music across Europe. His parts were stark silence, leaving it incomplete.
Concert Pianist Vera Shcherbatskaya entering a mournful period
That was spot on. Crowds across the continent noted the far-off look in her eyes in those loud moments of silence. When the last note was played they all clapped the same as that night but with more reproach. 
“Ms. Vera!” She turned and found a little girl waving with a marker and paper. “Could you sign this?”
The woman obliged, kneeling to the girl’s level.
“What’s your name?”
“Vera! Like yours!” 
“Then you’ll grow up to be a fine piano player, yes?”
“I want to play violin!”
“Then we’ll have to play together one time.”
She finished the message on the sheet and handed it back to the girl, her mother had a tired smile on her face.
“Thank you,” the mother whispered. “I saved up to take her to this concert, thank you for making it special!”
“If you want her career to grow, take her to a conservatory in Budapest. Tell them I sent you and they will give you room and board for free if you work there.” Vera pressed a warm hand into the mother’s shoulders.
“I can’t thank you enough!”
“Thank me when she gets to play on the big stage.”
Playing to massive audiences grew meaningless after a while, people blended together. None resembling who she actually wanted to see in a crowd. Vera left her concert after playing one night in Vienna, choosing to head to a local dive bar. It was packed to the brim for the open-mic night.
They had a piano, it looked out of tune and needed some work but it would do.
“Can I play?”
“You go on in five minutes.”
She stretched her hands out and followed a drunk man who sang a Mariah Carey song, he hit the high notes which surprised the crowd. Performers were meant to introduce themselves but she chose instead to test the keys out.
Most were fine, just the higher ones were a tinge too headache-inducing.
The first part was Levi’s, she never knew how to play it even if she tried. Vera strummed her own slow part in the quiet bar, not nearly drunk enough to not feel the nerves from playing in front of such a judgemental crowd. She paused again.
“Why are you stopping?”
“Keep playing!”
The shouts hurt her slightly but she continued through to the middle, tears fell down her face as feelings of heartbreak came rushing back. A hush fell over the crowd when someone from the audience made their way to the stage. He took the seat next to her, stretching his hands out.
“Let’s start over.” Levi’s familiar voice hummed. She smiled through her tears and leaned closer.
“Let's.”
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