The"McBrega/Strangers in Moscow" Character Summary
A summary of the characters depicted in the McBrega/Strangers in Moscow stories by @Oculusfluffy.
Summary by Carpdime
Introduction
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The “McBrega” and “Strangers in Moscow” story series written by @Oculusfluffy depicts the origins of Fluffy Ponies set against a world with an alternative history (where advances in genetic engineering happened a hundred years earlier and Hasbio does not exist).
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Please note that is an unofficial character summary that was not written by Oculus, they did however generously provided valuable insights and answers to the many question that I had. Please excuse any mistakes or inaccuracies that I may have made.
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There is also a Story Timeline of the series that I have put together.
Links to the Stories in Order
- The links to the stories themselves are below:
The Character Summary
American
McBrega family
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Henry McBrega:
- Born 1905.
- Eldest brother, born 2 years before Maurice and Irving.
- Serious personality, not interested in science.
- Joined the navy in 1929. Fought in the Big War, Formosan War where he lived briefly in Taipei, getting the idea of a cat cafe.
- Passed away in 2001.
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Maurice ‘Mac’ McBrega:
- Born 1906.
- Middle brother.
- Skilled in animatronics, worked in New York at Afton’s Automat.
- Thought up the concept of the Golden Arches.
- Responsible for managing the restaurant in general.
- Passed away in 1971.
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Irving McBrega:
- Born 1907
- Youngest brother.
- Has a quiet personality compared to his brothers.
- A talented artist as well as a genius biologist.
- Familiar with taxidermy.
- Studied bioengineering degree at UCLA.
- Well versed in biomedical science, bioengineering and biobots.
- Worked for the Allies during the Formosan War in developing biobots which were not productized before the war was over.
- Only had a masters degree by the end of WW2 whereas Fievel already had a doctorate. Greatly looked up to Fievel as a result.
- Worked as a technician working on creating fluffies during the early restaurant years.
- Passed away in 2001.
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Roy McBrega:
- Born around 1962, son of Irving McBrega.
- Trained at an early age in creating fluffy bio-toys by Irving himself.
- In 1983 at age 21, is interviewed by Gerry Vannevar who is the CEO of McBrega corp and joins the McBrega corp.
- Proposed a return to the old, created bio-toy ways of fluffy creation. Creating the MES console in 1990.
- Subsequently led the development of new games and fluffies for McBrega.
- Undertook designer surgery to improve his own body.
- Takes to using drugs to handle stress.
- After a while, he sits on the board of directors at McBrega corp.
- Loses the “McBrega v Belyayev” which results in a downturn in McBrega corp’s fortunes.
Other
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Will Kroc:
- Born in Prague
- Parents had died of old age by the time he met the McBrega brothers.
- Wife had died around 1945 shortly after the Big War.
- Started his own BBQ restaurant with Jeb.
- At some point selling bone density scanners.
- Developed the McBrega franchising business.
- After meeting and partnering with Jeb, he took effective control of the McBrega organization through real estate.
- Bought out the McBrega name from the brothers.
- Became “founder” and senior chairman of McBrega corp.
- Retires as McBrega chairman and hands over to Nolan Turner.
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May “Friday”:
- Will Kroc’s assistant during the 1950’s during the early franchising years.
- Looked after Will Kroc’s finances and pointed out to him his lack of capital.
- Supported Will Kroc and was present in 1963 when Will Kroc revealed the character Marty McBrega.
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Tina (full name Athena) the fluffy:
- Made by McBrega and worked at the main restaurant.
- Knows a few songs, particularly Pennies from Heaven which is Will Kroc’s favorite.
- Bought by Will Kroc after opening his first franchise in Des Plaines.
- Tina enjoys playing simple games with blocks.
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Marty (aka Martin) (Will Kroc’s Marty):
- Bred by Fievel at his fluffy farm.
- Has a 5 year lifespan, but eventually lived 20 years.
- Bought by Will Kroc after visiting Fievel at his farm.
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Nolan Turner:
- Nolan grew up on a farm as did generations of Turner’s before him.
- Nolan’s father wanted to achieve something more so entered in the bio-toy business. This was a few years before Nolan started working as a cook for Will Kroc’s McBrega franchise.
- Nolan’s father had committed suicide from the debt and financial stress from trying to make it in the bio-toy business.
- Nolan’s mother had taught Nolan how to cook.
- Looking for a job as a fry cook and was hired by Will Kroc at the first McBrega franchise in Des Plaines.
- Becomes Senior Chairman after Will Kroc, oversees the international expansion of McBrega to over 100 countries (including personally overseeing the expansion to Russia).
- During the court case, he reveals to Wayne the findings of an independent research group that were able to demonstrate that once sexual organs were introduced to manufactured McBrega fluffies, they were able to breed and were very much like their naturally bred cousins.
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Hermes (the fluffy pony):
- Hermes, a fluffy experiment in the new McBrega R&D department now headed by Fievel Belyayev, becomes the first fluffy to receive gene therapy that removes its genetic deficiencies.
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Jeb Berenstain:
- Born to a Minnesotan family.
- Similar age to Will Kroc.
- Old friend of Will Kroc.
- Opened a BBQ business in earlier years.
- Had a pet fox previously, the result of the domestication of foxes achieved by Dmitry Belyayev.
- Becomes friends with Fievel after meeting him at Fievel’s farm.
- Later leaves McBrega corp and founded his own bio-toy company: Jeb Bear’s Pizzeria which features the “Jeb Bear”.
- Hired Wayne Belyayev to work at Jeb Bear’s Pizzeria, later fires Wayne.
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Gert Van Evre, aka Gert Vannevar, Gerry Vannevar:
- 10 years younger than Will Kroc.
- Vice president of finance at Bush Biochemical.
- After Will Kroc’s proposal to use breedable fluffies like the ones created by Fievel is turned down by the McBregas, he works with Will Kroc advises him on how to take over the McBrega organisation.
- Gerry becomes the first CEO and president of the McBrega corp.
- Under his leadership, McBrega expanded into the entertainment industry and opened the first McBregaLand in Cleveland Ohio.
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George Jepsen:
- A McBrega franchise operator in Sacramento. He reported receiving the first shipment of the Belyayev fluffy to the McBrega brothers.
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Walt Iwerks:
- A young cartoonist who designed the Marty McBrega character in 1963.
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Yuri Lily:
- Yuri fought in the frontlines of WW2.
- He later became a bio-tech researcher colleague of Irving McBrega during WW2 but he was unaware of the work done by Fievel to introduce speech to fluffy ponies.
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Suzy (1):
- A fluffy alive around 1945, part of the herd that Fievel kept in developing the fluffy pony.
- A descendant of Alex.
- A blue female fluffy.
- Suffering from osteoarthritis.
- Has an intelligence and charisma that Irving desired.
- Bought by Irving for studying her brain and intelligence.
- Irving could not bear to dissect Suzy as he grew attached to her.
- Fortunately for Irving, Suzy died soon after by accident, ran over by a car.
- As Irving is a taxidermist, he repaired Suzy’s body and gave her a proper burial afterwards.
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Suzy (2), Irvings version:
- Created by Irving McBrega some time after Suzy 1 died.
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Suzy (2), Roy’s version:
- Created by Roy McBrega around 1983.
- Her body was cloned from the original Gadget fluffy but her vocal chores and brain were from another fluffy.
- Her husk was created from a blemished husk on the McBrega production line, destined to be recycled. Roy handcrafted Suzy 2 personally himself, he decided to also name it Suzy 2 as it was his version of Suzy’s successor.
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Samuel Adams:
- One of the founders of the Association of Welfare for Fluffy Ponies (AWFP), along with Fievel.
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Agent Alois Hiedler:
- An FBI agent, he raided Fievel’s farm in 1952 for harboring workers who turned out to be spies.
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Senator Nelson:
- An American senator who was present at the 1990 opening of the first McBrega restaurant in Pushkin Square Moscow.
- In the late 50s, he was an American diplomat in USSR and he received a fluffy pony as a gift.
Russian
Belyayev Family
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Dmitry Belyayev:
- Born sometime in the 1800’s.
- Inspired by the collaboration between Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel.
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Isaac Belyayev:
- Born sometime in the 1850’s.
- Also a genetic scientist like Dmitry. Supported by the Tsar of Russia, conducts research with his brother Isaac to domesticate foxes which the succeed in doing.
- They begin work on domesticating a horse.
- Converted to Judaism.
- Escaped the anti-Jewish Russian Empire of the time and immigrated to America to continue his research and experiments.
- Great grandfather of Fievel Belyayev.
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Isaac’s brother:
- Likewise interested in genetic engineering. Conducts research with his brother Isaac to domesticate foxes and begins work on domesticating a horse.
- Disagreed with his brother, preferred to sell the Dandy product as it was without speech. Stayed in Russia while Isaac and his part of the family moved to America.
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Fievel’s father:
- Continued work on Isaac’s Dandy product.
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Fievel Belyayev:
- Fievel’s great grandfather Isaac migrated from Russia to America.
- Also a bioengineer.
- Fievel already had a doctorate. Greatly looked up to by Irving as a result.
- Continued work on the family Dandy product and kept a herd for breeding to develop the features he wanted from a fluffy pony bio-toy.
- During WW2, he worked for the US Marines in their research department, developing a fluffy that could talk.
- Owned Alex, Suzy as part of his herd.
- Was offered by Will to join McBrega and to provide his stock of breedable fluffies to supplement the McBrega fluffy supply.
- He ends up joining McBrega and headed their research, mainly because it allowed him to continue his work after his previous funding and momentum hit a slump after investigations from the FBI. Partly to get back at Irving for stealing his research and becoming successful off his work.
- After finding out about the conditions in the McBrega fluffy mills, he leaves the McBrega corp.
- Founded Association of Welfare for Fluffy Ponies (AWFP), along with Samuel Adams.
- Fievel has always wanted to find out what happened to the Belyayevs in Russia. He decides to travel to Russia to find out.
- He compiles information on Dendies and also his family in Russia. He intended to write a book detailing his findings but he died and all his research was lost in the accident.
- While in Russia, he dies in 1995 after the flight he was on crashes.
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Miriam:
- Fievel’s wife.
- Supported Wayne during his HIV treatment in 1995.
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Wayne Belayayev:
- Born 1952, son of Fievel and Miriam.
- Is a hippy and a flower child.
- In 1977, age 25: he left his father’s Belyayev farm when he was after falling out with his father over his interest in creating artificial replacement parts for injured fluffies.
- In 1985, age 33: was broke and divorced.
- In 1995, age 43: receiving breakthrough treatment for HIV supported by an emotional support fluffy and his mother.
- After recovering from HIV he was a new man:
- He receives financial aid from his mother and assistance with financial responsibility from Samuel Adams.
- He takes over from Fievel in managing the Belyayev farm.
- He continues as a doctor that provides replacement parts for fluffies.
Other
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Alex (early fluffy prototype 1920s):
- Fourth descendant of the original fancy dandy horses brought to America by Isaac Belyayev.
- Due to a more advanced mind, can recognize different materials and colors as well as vocalize answers.
- He is also self aware and recognizes himself in the mirror.
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Sergei Leonov:
- Born during the Soviet era.
- Was a test pilot.
- Was a cosmonaut during Soviet era, he landed on the moon with an N1 kerosine launcher.
- Host of the show that ran after Fluff Tales, selling fluffies. Новая реальность, or the New Reality TV show.
- His catchphrase that inspires Mikhail is:
- “Never give up. It may be frustrating, and you may have to try again, and again. But that’s the spirit! You get back up and try again. And you never give up.”
- Owner of Mowgli the McBrega fluffy.
- He died in a ski accident some time before 2022.
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Piter:
- Born around 1984.
- Mikhail’s classmate.
- Bought one of Nikita’s new series of Dendies.
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Onegin Ivanovich:
- An abusive alcoholic.
- Passed away in 1996 due to brain damage caused by his alcoholism.
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Tatyana Ivanovich:
- Her father was from Ukraine. He did not approve of Onegin Ivanovich and preferred she married a Ukrainian.
- After her husband’s (Mikhail’s father) death, she went to Ukraine with Mikhail and lived there for a year.
- Not happy about Mikhail’s situation. Considers his interests and hobbies wasteful of his time.
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Mrs Trevelyana:
- Neighbor of Mikhail and his mother.
- Her son is going with the Russian military to the war in Ukraine.
- Her son dies in the war.
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Alec:
- Mikhail’s neighbor who harasses him.
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Mikhail Ivanovich:
- Born in 1983.
- Raised in the outskirts of Chelyabinsk.
- Always wanted a genuine Marty McBrega fluffy as a child because of the better compatibility with games.
- 8 years old when he got his first Dendy (Martin 1) for his birthday.
- 12 years old when he kills Martin 1. His father also dies on the same day after seeing him kill Martin 1.
- Went to primary school.
- High school.
- After his father’s death, he moved to Ukraine to live with his grandfather. He met Yakiv in Ukraine and also received therapy.
- At Technicum (vocational school), he bought an old MES.
- Served in Army for compulsory duty but was assigned to do only clerical duties due to his psychiatric history.
- Dropped out of University.
- Has a bad attitude to work, slacking off and failing to complete his responsibilities.
- Moved to Moscow with his mother from Chelyabinsk and worked in Mir Fluffy Daycare.
*Meets Barbara at Gorky Park, Barbara takes an interest in his fluffy and video game hobby and wishes to write about him. - Disagrees with the Russian war in Ukraine.
- Dismissed from his work at the Daycare due to him lashing out in frustration about the war in Ukraine.
- Goes on a trip on the trans-Siberian railway with Martin 2.
- On his return, he is murdered in Gorky Park while defending stray Dendies from hooligans.
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Martin (1):
- His first Dendy
- Played games like Fluff Tales.
- Killed by Mikhail.
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Martin (2):
- Bought by Mikhail when he bought his second MES around the time he was in university.
- He made videos with Mikhail.
- Traveled with Mikhail on the tran-Siberian railroad trip.
- Adopted by Barbara after Mikhail’s death and taken to America.
- Learned English and attended daycare in America.
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Dr. Pavlova:
- Therapist assigned to assess Mikhail after he was suspended from the daycare.
- Has a brown bob cut and wore large glasses.
- She encouraged Mikhail to write a journal as a form of therapy by Mikhail did not trust her, fearing she would report him to the authorities for dissension.
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Barbara Devushkina:
- Born in 1984 In Moscow, same age as Mikhail.
- Daughter of Fyodor Devushkin, a diplomat.
- In 1990 she attended the opening of McBrega in Moscow and received a Marty biotoy fluffy she names Old Major and an MES.
- She raised Old Major but didn’t play much with the games.
- She was busy with study and didn’t have much time for play.
- Studied in an American university.
- Worked in different places around the world with news outlets.
- A travel writer.
- In May 2022, she comments and laments on the closing of McBrega in Russia.
- Lived in an apartment in Podsolnukh Towers, Moscow in 2022.
- Dislikes the President of Russia but interviews him at a new hospital in 2022.
- She meets and befriends Mikhail at Gorky Park, she wishes to write articles about his interests in fluffies and video games.
- After Mikhail’s death and the death of her father, she escapes Russia with Martin 2 to New York.
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Fyodor Devushkin:
- Born around 1950.
- Barbara’s father.
- During the late 1980’s at age 30, he worked as a Soviet diplomat in America.
- Afterwards, he went into business and became a Russian oligarch with connections to the President of Russia.
- As a child he had a fluffy called Laika who was a Shaffer and Boop cross breed. He was adopted from the pound and looked like a regular Shaffer Dendy but was happy and intelligent.
- Killed by a bomb in his penthouse near the time of Mikhail’s death.
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Laika (Fyodor’s fluffy):
- A male fluffy, a mix of Shaffer and Boop type Dendy.
- Named after the cosmonaut fluffy.
- Adopted from the by Fyodor when he was around Mikhail’s age.
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Laika (the original):
- A female Dendy sent to space.
- She was a street fluffy who had genetics of a Dendy mixed with the more primitive fancy dandy horses.
- She was a quiet fluffy but could bark as a self learnt defense mechanism as a street fluffy. Hence she was given the name Laika for her barking.
- Returned alive from her space mission but she became withdrawn afterwards and changed and died a month later.
- She was a hero of the Soviet Union.
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Old Major:
- Created in 1990, Old Major was a McBrega fluffy gifted to Barbara on the opening of the first McBrega in Russia.
- He has orange fluff much like the Marty McBrega character.
- Barbara originally called him Marty but after visiting a nostalgic restaurant where fluffies could be dressed in military uniform, he was given the name of Major to distinguish him from the other Marty clones.
- He has a favorite hugtoy that he loved to hug while sleeping before he reached old age.
- Is a manufactured fluffy who is pre-programmed.
- In 1996 aged 6, received gene therapy and various changes from Wayne Belyayev that fixes the built in flaws that limited the lifespan of McBrega fluffies hence he lives much longer than expected.
- In 2022 when Barbara returned to Moscow for work, he attended Mir Daycare along with Mikhail’s Martin.
- Lives for 30+ years although lifespan is expected to be 10 years.
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Yakiv Simonic:
- Born and lived in Ukraine
- Mikhail’s boyfriend who he met as a teenager when he lived in Ukraine for a year.
- He was a volunteer at Mir Daycare and had introduced Mikhail to the daycare.
- He left for America, studying for a Masters degree in cognitive psychology and philosophy.
- He has an interest in the nature of fluffy intelligence.
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Nadia:
- A Dendy attending Mir Daycare along with Old Major and Martin.
- In awe of Old Major’s age.
- A female yellow Dendy foal who enthusiastically participates in the Russian ‘Z’ propaganda.
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Yelena:
- Another teacher at Mir Daycare.
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The Principal of Mir Daycare:
- An older man who lived through the soviet days.
- Supports the Russian special operation.
- Disapproves of western influence in Russian culture.
- Loves fluffies but prefers the local Dendies compared to the McBregas and does not approve of fluffy toys.
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President of Russia:
- Favors the Russian Dendies over the imported McBrega fluffies.
- Owns a black AK breed Dendy named Pasha.
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Pasha:
- A black AK breed Dendy owned by the President of Russia.
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Valery:
- Head of the Russian Army in 2022.
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Lyudmila Poyarkova:
- Researcher during the soviet era who was developing fluffies as pets.
- Her research was canceled in the mid 80’s and she began instead studying the Metro fluffies.
- Her work is featured in Barbara’s story, “Anya of the Moscow Metro”.
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Anya (and Artyom her pet dog):
- Fluffy living on the Moscow Metro, written about by Barbara.
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Alexandra Romanova:
- 22 year old top fashion model in 2001.
- Owned a custom made McBrega brand Carpdime fluffy.
- She stabs and kills Malchik, a metro Dendy.
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Malchik:
- A metro fluffy who was killed by Romanova.
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Ivy Novozhilova:
- 2005: Fluffy rights activist in Russia who commented on the unveiling of Malchik’s memorial statue.
- 2015: Heads the local chapter of the Association for Welfare of Fluffy Ponies (AWFP) in Chelyabinsk.
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Khamzat Degtyarev:
- In 1990 he was the manager of the first McBrega store in Pushkin Square.
- In 2010 he is the president of McBrega Russia.
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Prokhor Zakharov:
- BBC Russia journalist in 2022.
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Rita + Homer:
- Students in Moscow during 2022
- They are engaged to each other.
- Adopted owners of Krasny and Sinyaya after they rescue them from the streets.
- They meet Mikhail and Barbara during their last visit to McBregas in Russia before it closes.
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Krasny:
- Fluffies adopted by Homer and Rita.
- Krasny is blue and the older brother of the two siblings.
- He doesn’t have a bioport.
- Their parents were killed by hooligans.
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Sinyaya:
- Sinyaya is red and the younger sister of the two siblings.
- Their parents were killed by hooligans.
- She has a bioport.
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Alessia:
- Member of the Ukrainian anti-bomb squad. Detailed in the story: “Be The One - By Oculus”.
- She is assisted by:
- Fluffy with a knights helmet
- Pink fluffy
Other
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Wing Han Tsing:
- Taiwanese living in Taipei during 1950s. Owner of a cat cafe that Henry visited during the Formosan War in the 1950s. The concept of which was later “stolen/expanded” upon by the brothers in America.
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Denise Heineken:
- In 2010, she is the president of McBrega Europe.
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