oc monday #1: 06/15/26

[nautastellaris]

borrowing this idea from asuraid! the activity can be found here! i'll be writing using mihkel, who is a very personal and important character to me. he's honestly my soul child and i'm very protective of him, so all of this information will remain public, but some info is for access only.

1. Can Mihkel dance? Is he good at any particular styles?

mihkel can absolutely dance. he attends estonia's national song festival every year and has been ever since 1869. he doesn't dance very often, but he enjoys participating as a singer. you'll often see mihkel performing the kaerajaan, a traditional group dance. mihkel isn't very comfortable with groups, unless it's an activity involving music, dance, or singing.

2. Can Mihkel play any musical instruments?

yes, mihkel can play multiple. his favorite is the hiiukannel (called a talhapra in swedish), which is a bowed lyre from northern europe. historically it's been played by estonian swedes and the western regions of estonia. mihkel can also play the kannel, which is estonia's most iconic instrument.

3. Has Mihkel ever considered getting married? What are his thoughts on it?

this is a bit of a personal question, but to keep it brief: mihkel never thought he would romantically love somebody as much as he does. mihkel is asexual, and for the longest time identified himself as aromantic. however in recent years as queer identity becomes more and more common in estonia, mihkel considers himself asexual and achillean, though mihkel also finds himself interested in nonbinary and gender-nonconforming folks.

4. Does Mihkel have any siblings? Do they get along?

mihkel has a few siblings, but i won't list their names. he has an older sister and two younger brothers. he also has a lot of children that he adopted or took in over the years.

5. How many meals was Mihkel raised to expect in a day? How many does he actually eat?

oh boy. brace yourself for a yap-a-thon.

food is basically in mihkel's blood and dna. he typically eats about three meals a day, with breakfast consisting of some fresh rye bread, sprats and herring topped with dill, and a cup of hot tea. for lunch, mihkel very rarely has the same meal once a week. he home cooks all of his food, especially soups, so his favorite lunch would be a bowl of hernesupp suitsulihaga (a split pea soup with smoked pork hock), some saltine crackers to dip into the soup, a bottle of fresh spring water, and for a snack he'll usually bring an apple or banana.

for dinner, it typically depends on what ingredients mihkel has (he loves to cook for his neighbors, and has run out of ingredients before a few times!), but off the top of his head, he'll usually prepare a dish of mulgikapsad, or estonian sauerkraut with pork and barley. mihkel usually prefers pork over beef and chicken products. and finally, for snacks around the clock: saltine crackers, kirju koer (spotted dog, which is made of crushed cookies and gummy orange slices), and strawberry shortcake when he can get some (either in a local store or outside the country).

6. Does Mihkel have any aristocratic or academic titles?

sort of. in the 1950's, mihkel was a fencing instructor. he is currently studying for a master's degree in mycology, and he used to teach piano as well. he doesn't have any titles, but a lot of his old students refer to him by härra professor, even though mihkel has never received his doctoral degree (and i don't think he intends to).

7. Does Mihkel exercise regularly? Does he enjoy it?

mihkel exercises very often, almost every day really. he bikes or walks everywhere he goes, refusing to drive a car. he hasn't driven one since 1991, and the only time he'll take public transportation is around old town where the bus fare is free and all busses are electric powered. mihkel does take the ELRON train down to tartu at least two times a week for school (mondays and fridays), which is about a two hour trip.

Comments

[asuraid]

that split pea soup looks SO GOOD, i feel mikhel on food being in the blood and dna, id kill to try those dishes at some point LOOOL. the instruments look cool as hell too!!!!

[nautastellaris]

if i wasn't so picky i'd honestly love to try cooking it some day! and food is a really crucial part of estonian culture and mihkel's personal history. i want to honestly try making blueberry kissel one day since it's not only a summertime dish but it's one of mihkel's favorite desserts and also one of my first estonian recipes i've stumbled across during my god knows how long years of researching this little ass country. (i love estonia... scream if you love estonia.)