info | permissions

[defamiliarizations]

BASICS

• current timeframe: 1931-1932, Paris, France
• born January 1906 to Dimitri Tchernov and Anastasia Tchernova as the youngest of 3 children
• Dimitri was a well-off travelling merchant who had married prestigious ballerina, Anastasia, and when the unrest began in Russia, in 1911 the two emigrated to France with their young sons and one daughter
• his older brother, 7 years older than him, is called Ivan and his sister, 4 years Misha's senior, Katerina
• as the only one of his siblings, he would take up ballet like his mother, training with her and other expat Russian ballet dancers in France while growing up
• in 1922, his father died suddenly of a stroke, leaving his wife to support herself by her ballet tutorage and with the help of newly started shop-keeper Ivan as well as Katerina's husband, an expat aristocrat now owning a salon
• in 1924, Misha joined the popular Ballets Russes as a company dancer where he would work until the death of Diaghilev in 1929 and the decontinuation of the troupe
• a year later, despite his Russian heritage and training, he managed to land a position as corps dancer with the Paris Opéra and soon caught the interest of the ballet master thanks to his strong physique and athleticism
• was promoted to star of the company to renew the dwindling interest in the arts and began attracting substantial sponsors and fans, among them the rich Armand Dubois
• Armand, although married, showed romantic interest in him as they began getting to know each other and Misha initiated an affair with him
• eventually, he would be introduced to Armand's whole family and network, having to choose what part to play in the other man's life, while navigating his own feelings and professional popularity



PERMISSIONS

• backtagging is good
• no ooc triggers or warnings
• warning for period-appropriate homophobia etc.
• open to timey-whimey jamjar interaction, historical scenarios and, to some degree, straight-up modern au
• shipping should be m/m, always open to gen interaction and especially friendship!
• pm for contact, cest/cet time zone


BACKGROUND

Mikhail Tchernov, called Misha by most...