Meet The Author!

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Pose reference from "Whole House Mad meme", except I don't use the meme word "Damn bro you got the whole house laughing" inside. I draw them wearing post-1945 uniform, as I want to see the alternate universe if they are still alive after 1945, or the alternate universe where they are all reuniting after death.

I also feel like that's how my 12 OCs react if they see the one who wrote the entire tragedies 😅

In other words, "Dark Tears in Red Music" blog finally comes to the end. For those who follow my journey since February/March (my first time to publish the blog), I thank you all and hope you enjoying the stories :)

And for the newcomers, feel free to visit! The main stories has finished, so there is a lot of time to explore... There might be side stories added later, but I cannot promise would be frequent like in the past.

P.S: Don't worry, I am still continue making fanmade MVs, shitpost and other worldbuilding story. And I open the comment section here, so feel free to ask related to worldbuilding :)

Adieu To The Past

EPILOGUE

Some Alternate Universes That Make Me Giggle

Author Notes: This section may be updated sometimes whenever I find any incorrect quotes sounds good for my OCs lol.

AU Pretend we worked in a hospital but none of us are medically trained

Vasily: "Here comes the anesthesia!" (lift a steel chair)
Anatoli: "Hey Anton, take my photo! The light behind me looking good!" (Pose in front of x-ray light)
Oleg: "A schizophrenic patient asked me to help fighting their demons. Thankfully I am black belted so here we go."
Dmitry: "Ok so I have writing the tutorial of how to heart transplant. Sorry, it's my first time..."
Stepan: (Playing dead in the morgue to scare everyone who try to enter)
Maxim: "Don't forget to shake the medicine bottle syrup before consuming. And do it like this!" (starts to twerk while holding the medicine bottle)
Andrei: "Guys, I can't read this next tutorial that Dima wrote. What should we do next after taking out the aorta???"
Semyon: "Internal bleeding, nurse? I thought that's how supposed to be?"
Ivan: "Whoa, you have cancer? That's good! I have Virgo!"
Vadim: "Their heart rate is down!" (taking out tequila from stash)
Alexei/Vitaly: "Hey I just got your test result, sir. Congrats, your results are all positive!" (yes, both will answer the same)
Fyodor: "Huh? Patient's temperature suddenly dropping? Move outta my way." (bringing a large bowl of boiling water)

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P.S: Don't tell Elena Ostrucheskaya

To Be Or Not To Be Conscripted

(Taken from my 2013 Archive. Originally, the story was about Alexandrov Ensemble artists are getting conscripted in Belarus just for the drama. But I decided to change and edited it as normal concert tour)

[Particle 1]

[January 1936]

After hours of composing for the choir, Alexandrov rose from the piano bench upon seeing the clock hands pointing to twelve. "Alright, let's take a break for lunch. See you later!"

Before the choir members could ask a single question, Alexandrov smiled in farewell and left the room, carrying his yellow folder. Instinctively, they all shrugged in unison before filing out of the rehearsal room.

Messy Sketches and Drawing Part 4

These are the rest of messy sketches and drawings that I think it needed to be explained or addressed.

Because it's mostly clashed with the canon story I wrote in here.

Cat Burial

[1949]

It's been a long day for Fyodor, despite it's a summer holiday and no concert held for the rest of 3 weeks. He spend much time to renovate his communal, making sure his 7 cats are safe enough with surroundings and not messing with neighbor's communal. He always successfully trained all of his cats to poop at toilet, so he only need to flush and not worrying about smelly and dirty surroundings. Pretty much a divine skill, as Fyodor thought to himself.

Wanted, Arrested

Just imagining if NKVD are bored enough and wants to capture my OCs.

Religion

I know religion usually the most absent thing whenever the story revolves in Soviet Union. But when remembering Alexandrov family are devoted Orthodox who has to hid their belief forever, I think religion is still worth to be explored among my OCs. Just as reminder that each people has their own religious (or non-religious) journey... but I'm not planning to make it as full personality since they still live in Soviet Union. Therefore, the list below was only based on my 2013 imagination that transliterated.

The Last Apology

[June 1945]

It's been more than a month after the war ended. And just a week ago, the surviving ensemble members are back to their work again in CSKA building. It's not a common view of several men are still look solemn during break time, remembering the hardship and loss over the dead colleagues or... friends.

CSKA Receptionist's Guide in 1930s

1. Who can go out in the middle of work without need permission slip or ID card?

A: Ivan, Dmitry and/or Fyodor.

2. Who must need permission slip for going out in the middle of work but no need ID card?

A: Stepan, Vadim and/or Alexei

3. Who must need permission slip for going out in the middle of work, and had to leave their ID card at receptionist?

A: Vasily, Oleg, Semyon, Anatoli, Maxim, Andrei.

4. In case #1 go with #2 or #3, it means #1 must also need permission slip (but no ID card). 

5. Please pay attention if suddenly #1 and #2 went alone but their satchel looked larger. It could be #3's belongings are there and they are try exiting through back door. Call the guards to check there.

Languages

Back when first time writing in 2013, I imagine what languages that my OCs can speak in real life. Of course in the story, it will be fully written in English. I am not a polyglot, hehe.

Dmitry Petronov - Russian

Alexei Mikhailov / Vitaly Bodenko - Russian, Ukrainian

Vadim Oktyuchev - Russian, German

Vasily Nandev - Russian

Fyodor Rokossovsky - Russian, English

Oleg Sepnenko - Russian, Ukrainian

Anatoli Cheyko - Russian, Belarussian

Semyon Isayev - Russian, German, Polish, French

Andrei Fatanov - Russian

Stepan Tabanin - Russian, Sakha-Tyla

Ivan Koshchin - Russian

Maxim Laruskiy - Russian

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Additional Notes:

1. Fyodor speaks English because he reads a lot of English book too. Usually from the thrift store or black market store, where he can get old worn out book that nobody looks for. His coping mechanism when smoking is not allowed... is by buying all kind of newspapers available and read nonstop. To make himself busy and invisible from his family (unless he has to shield his brothers).

2. Semyon speaks 4 languages because... he's been living for hundred years and travel a lot as a nobleman with magic power. If someone had long lifespan, wealth and magic but cannot even speak more than native language, it's... pathetic. Also Semyon mostly use that language to blend better with locals and get lovers in the past (before settled in 1919 with Veronika and become widower in 1928)

3. The letters between Stepan and his family members are always written in Sakha-Tyla, and it was the only thing that makes him remember his roots.

4. Vadim speaks German because his family used to speak German as second language. Despite he was neglected and abused by his father, he still demanded to learn German just like the other siblings. He never used it in his adult life and ensemble life, until only in 1943 when meeting Wilhelm.

5. Anatoli also speaks Belarussian because his fiancée was a Belarussian.

Interview

"Why were you not stepping up as soloist?"

DMITRY

Dmitry: "Because... I'm already content. Singing in the middle row, with friends between my shoulders. I can see other people instead just at audience. And I don't want to sing alone. It feels intimidating when I sing alone while my friends behind me."

Interviewer: "But the fame, the salary, and better connection!"

Dmitry: "As long the flour and yeast price not skyrocketing, I am content. As long I can still send money to Stalingrad, I am content."

Interviewer: "What, you have family?"

Dmitry: "...Just a neighbor who used to caring me while my mom working."

Interviewer: (jot down the notes)

VASILY

Vasily: "Because I heard there's a rule about reduce smoking and drinking habit to maintain good voice. I am not going to bent by such rules!"

Interviewer: "But soloist Georgy Vinogradov was popular as alcoholic wine drinker and heavy smoker."

Vasily: "BUT HE IS HANDSOME AND TALL LIKE ELF. I AM SHORTY BALD WITH EYEBAGS!!"

Interviewer: "Okay calm down! Yeah fair enough."

OLEG

Oleg: "I'm already a tenor coordinator. It's already multitasking as chorist too while maintaining my colleagues."

Interviewer: "Well, you can... pass your role to someone else, right?"

Oleg: "My colleagues trusted me more. I am crowd controller and mediator for every conflict among chorists."

Interviewer: "But I got information from Alexander Vasilyevich, you were kept thrown out of the bus because your pranks towards your peers?"

Oleg: "It's their love language. Because of me, they are staying in harmony without hostility. And so, they thanked me by make sure I don't leave them for a such isolating position."

Interviewer: "What."

ANATOLI

Anatoli: "Well, I would love to... but the position already taken by better singers than me. And I don't mad because they do talented! As example... Razumovsky, Nikitin, Laut, Vinogradov, Tverdokhlebov, Verkhulevsky, Kuznetsov, Babayev, Pankov, Lyagin, Shilov, Tolstov, Glazov, Ustinov, Fedorov, Bycheev...."

Interview: (slowly tune down the mic and stepped away)

FYODOR

Fyodor: "I don't need more unnecessary pressure from too much people, I guess."

Interviewer: "But the fame, the salary, and better connection! Moreover you have same surname like a military figure, Konstantin Rokossovsky!"

Fyodor: "Fun fact: tenor soloist Tverdokhlebov literally caught by NKVD three times and sent to Siberia, and somehow he always managed to escape, come back to the ensemble, and finally spared just because Commissars finds it funny."

Interviewer: "What—"

Fyodor: "Another fun fact: our Maestro's subordinate Shulman who usually managing the venues, were caught and kept in Siberia for years. Cannot escape until now."

Interviewer: "That's not connected at all—"

Fyodor: "It does. Having popular surname will make my life harder if I become too popular. So no thank you." (leaves the room)

Interviewer: (Speechless)

Fyodor's Mercy

[1940]

After Fyodor got the cats from Oleg, he decided to naming them:

Mila for the white queen

Khleb for the orange kitten

Chai for the grey kitten

Koka for the brown kitten

But he knew those old hags would try to ruin his happiness. How to kept these cats without known by them?

For the first time, Fyodor asked his father if the father can craft a special crate as the cat's house. The crate would be filled with lots of blankets and covered with pot plants, so people thought it was just gardening tools. The father happily fulfil it, and put that crate on the balcony. The cats are still kept outside, since Fyodor can't risk the cats abused by the old hags. The cats also sometimes escaped to streets since sometimes the old hags will check on balcony.

Since that moment, Fyodor, his father and two now-adult brothers are taking turns in caring the cats secretly. He trusted them to help caring the cats whenever Fyodor cannot arrive home (due to concert tour or overtime at the ensemble). He still doesn't trust his mother, as he still wounded by her choice to bring back those old hags.

Little did Fyodor know... the mother actually cat lover too. And the mother has making sure the abusive old hags won't come near balcony too often.

Longest Concert Ever

Alexandrov Ensemble used to perform concert tour around Far Eastern and Mongolia from 3 May until 26 September 1938. It was claimed to be the longest concert tour they've ever done in lifetime.

And so when looking at the calendar... it's interesting that it means some artists' birthdays are celebrated during the tour.

Tickle

 [1933]

Oleg: "Hello, I'm Oleg Sepnenko. Feel free to call me Olya immediately. So you are the new guy from Stalingrad?" 😏 (shake hand with Dmitry)

Dmitry: "Well, actually from Stavropol, but I moved to Stalingrad" 😅 (shyly shake hand with Oleg)

Messy Sketches and Drawing Part 3

These are messy sketches and prototype drawings related to minor characters (and some of 4 main characters). I know the proportions and anatomy looked wrong, so does the lore is clashed with the one I have published. After all, these drawings are the reason why the characters stayed exist.

Dynamics

 

Condolence

 [July 1946]

The funeral of Alexander Vasilyevich has ended. But some of ensemble artists stayed outside of the cemetery. To calming themselves down. To support each other through hugs. To talk whatever needed to be pour out for today.

Na Fronte?

Page 1

  Alexander Alexandrovich who held the gun from behind, staring at the ruined Moscow streets.

Page 2

  [Somewhere near outskirts of Moscow, 1942]

  Box1: The steel for garrisons in the street

  Box2: Ruins of building.

  Box3: Some soldier gathered in one of the ruins

  Box4: Group 4 performing a song. Real life soloist Georgy Vinogradov singing a song as Alexandrov conducting.

Khor

Choir Rehearsal Room, 1935

The entire choir artists are chilling inside the room, including Dmitry, Vasily, Oleg, Anatoli who read newspaper that Fyodor held.

The door opened. Vasily shushed everyone "Comrade Alexandrov is here!". Fyodor fold the newspaper calmly.

Alexandrov entered the room and placed his notebook on music stand.