Find your tribe in a Sea of Creativity
I feel like in the rusame club, rus' best attributes are thrown to the wayside. as an AMERICAN [EAGLE SCREECH] rusame enjoyer,,, I am here to set the record straight. here are the many hc's I've got on Al's admirations of Ivan:
he is so well-read. russian lit is truly a genre of its own, and Ivan got his writing talents from it. he could write a poem about dirt and make someone cry. while he is a reserved and intimidating person face-to-face, he can write everything he feels and sees so stunningly and concisely. I hc that during the height of their initial alliance (1850s-1900s) he would write Al letters about his day, how much he enjoyed seeing him last, about what he liked about him, and about how much he cares for him (he kept them all).
he will spend weeks, months, making something for the people he loves because it's fun to him, especially because he includes the little details. that one time in 1887 when they walked along the Sochi shore and found a rock that resembled Alfred's eyes (that he later lost)? well he looked all over Sochi beach and found another one just like it and made Al a ring with it. why? just because!
his appearance. man, if Alfred wasn't so prideful, he'd tell Ivan straightforwardly just how attractive he is and how attracted he is to him (he absolutely talks his ear off abt it when he's shtfaced lol). he is tall, broad, ethereally pallid- his skin is calloused and scarred in such a lovely way. he sees it as his skin being struck by lightning. his hair is light and soft in a way unachievable even by the best hair care. just looking at the man gives him frisson (and deep within his mind he feels others see it too, the jealous baby).
his hands
his nose. it's such a beautiful inheritance passed down from his first peoples to him, and Ivan wears it well. it makes him look all the more regal, and as an ndn man, Alfred sees large noses as a symbol of power. also, what doja cat said-
he's a damn-good dancer. waltz, paso doble, troika, but soviet tango guys- seriously, soviet tango.
elizabeth taylor eyes
he is a goddamn chef. pirozhkis, stroganoff, shchi- SCRUMPTIOUS. "hey, we're having a potluck and braginsky didn't bring anything again-" IT'S CAUSE AJ STASHED IVAN'S TRAY IN HIS CAR AGAIN
his sweaters (he's stolen approximately 122 sweaters from him and counting- ivan now hides his clothes when he visits)