#also tiny opera diva

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

to me, LND proves what the '04 movie suggests: Webber cannot imagine Christine as a grown ass woman. She can be of child bearing age, so she can give the gift of a male heir, and then she dies. Not out of authorial malice, I think, not even subconsciously. But as an expression of a truly fuckin baffled "well, what else can a woman do?" kind of cluelessness.

see also: the kind of evo psych guy who literally goes around wondering out loud what "purpose" women over 50 serve, wondering why evolution "allows" this to happen when it's clearly (to them) suboptimal.

but ANYWAY.

Gaston Leroux's Christine would never. You just know she ends up being like 90 something in some Northern village somewhere giving cryptic one liners about her mysterious and romantic past to wide eyed children and swooning teenagers and envious and yearning younger adults. probably had like five other weird as shit scandals happen to her before settling down, honestly.

It will always bug me that Christine died relatively young, outlived by Raoul and seemingly the Phantom. Even without LND, she’s dies like late 50s, early 60s. And yeah people didn’t live long back in the day, but she was a wealthy woman who I’m sure had the resources to live a longer life than others.

There’s so many characters that are alive and kicking that are around the same age that Christine died: The managers, Madame Giry, the music conductor, the old owner. So I don’t buy that it’s just “old age”.

She should’ve been in her 80s, the last one out of the three, giving cryptic interviews to the press on “The Strange Affair of the Phantom of The Opera”. She should’ve been a consultant on movies based on the tragedy and fuck with the directors so nobody ever knows the real truth.

How is it that the center of this massive story was never able to share her POV? She doesn’t live long enough to tell her story and instead we have to figure it out based on the perspectives of the men who loved her but also never fully understood her.

[barbielore]

I have never seen any of the Barbie animated films before. But it’s Christmas, and even though I don’t really celebrate the holiday, I love the book A Christmas Carol; and I love A Muppet Christmas Carol. So Barbie in A Christmas Carol seemed like the obvious way to dip my toe in.

My notes from watching are below!

In the framing device scenes of Barbie telling the story to Kelly, Barbie is wearing a silver dress that looks like pretty much the same dress as 2008 Holiday Barbie, even though that wasn’t an official tie in doll for the film.

Instead of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly businessman, we have Eden Starling, an opera singing diva. Her childhood friend Catherine seems to play the role of Scrooge’s nephew but given she also works for the theatre there’s a dash of Cratchitt in there too?

Eden tells everyone not to bother coming back if they don’t come in to rehearse for the new show on Christmas. Even Scrooge only told Cratchitt to be there all the earlier the next morning. 

Aunt Marie (the stand in for Marley) is draped in chains - but these chains have mirrors on the ends instead of cash boxes and ledgers. I presume to represent her sins of vanity instead of financial greed.

The spirit of Christmas past is really cute, like an excitable little elf. 

Little Eden wants to spend time with friends but Aunt Marie makes her rehearse all Christmas instead of seeing other people. Eden sneaks out to go to a party instead of practicing. 

I’m sure it’s in the interests of streamlining the story for Barbie audiences, but I’m a little disappointed the spirit of Christmas past only takes Eden to one place. 

Christmas Present shows the theatre workers throwing tomatoes at a picture of Eden. That’s pretty funny but it’s not much of a lesson. That’s okay - Christmas Present takes her to a second location, presumably so we can meet our Tiny Tim. In this case it’s the reveal that Catherine is working for another theatre as well; or so Eden thinks. Actually it’s an orphanage putting on a Christmas pageant, and our Tiny Tim is a little girl who walks with a crutch and idealises Eden. Catherine lies to her and says Eden is very sorry she can’t come in person but is so proud of all of them. I don’t know why but I got a little emotional about that!

Anyway the orphanage is about to close due to lack of funds. This doesn’t strike me as quite as resonant because Eden is a diva and selfish but none of her sins we’ve seen so far are related to finances.

Alright, time for Christmas Future. The show is a shambles because she fires all her staff for coming in late and their replacements are rubbish so the show is an embarrassment. This means Eden lives in squalor because she lost her career. Her best friend Catherine is now a famous fashion designer, but has got there by being as selfish as Eden is. The orphanage closed down because Catherine had to go out of town to find new work and she never found out what happened to the children.

Catherine indicates she would have adopted Tammy if she had known, but didn't get the chance. The other kids can just miss out I guess?

We the audience don’t find out what became of Tammy, so we don’t know if she died like Tiny Tim. We can assume it wasn’t a great outcome for her, but it’s left to our imagination. 

The red dress Eden is wearing at the end is the one from the tie in dolls! 

Eden adopts (by which I assume she means financially support) the whole orphanage which doesn’t seem really like it suits the arc but sure I’ll allow it. 

At the end of the movie I finally realise that Catherine was supposed to be Barbie’s friend Nikki. Apparently there was a doll prototype for Catherine, but I don't think she ever got released.

That doll I shared above wasn't the only tie-in doll though! There was also a giftset with Kelly dolls dressed as the spirits. Missed opportunity because the spirits were of different ages. I would have liked to see a doll of the Spirit of Christmas Present as seen in the movie!

I looked up some reviews of the novelisation to see if there were any changes, and only then did I realise I missed something -- Catherine isn't supposed to represent nephew Fred at all. The magician who has a crush on Catherine is Fred, leaving Catherine in just the Cratchitt role. That in hindsight makes a little more sense.

I'm not sure if I'll watch any more of the Barbie movies, but that was a good start. (If you think I should watch more, by all means tell me so, and recommend some!)

[herstoriies]

Now onto the better wedding discussion! :D

The Aristide x Priscilla wedding in Joie de Paris!The Diva is finally tying the knot with who was at one time her former significant annoyance & archrival, discovered to be her soulmate ❤️❤️ (rotfl autocorrect almost wrote soup-mate 🤣!) It is still a fairytale <3 and perhaps better yet a love story in honest reality, a fitting compatibility, companionship, and mutual devotion. As well as their special mutual attraction of course ;)

Anyways! Perhaps one thing that stands out to me is Pris’ surprising want for simplicity & practicality in a wedding (nothing to get stressed over). Perhaps another way to phrase it is, quality over quantity.

Which on the surface seems ironic for Pris who in the pinnacle of her career as an opera starlet always lived life in Paris to its fullest to near exaggeration and kept up with an expensive lifestyle and living off gifts from dandies & stage-door johnies. Then again, it’s a new chapter, and she’s matured & character developed, and I mean, who she’s marrying has certainly rubbed off on her xD ! She is by no means to be mistaken to be miserly, but certainly a more responsible, conscious, and decisive economist xD (plus there’s honeymoon and general married life future things considerations worth spending etc etc all dandy~)

So what are these quality over quantity priorities? Pris’ personal pick would be fashion, food, & flowers (This is Paris, after all!). Everything else can be ‘humble’ xD! The location for the ceremony, the parish, and the reception, are something she is agreeable and open to suggestions. Be it in the country or shining lights of Paris both sound lovely. Surprisingly for someone with a larger than life personality and demands to be is frequently the center of attention, if you asked her, she’d prefer not being one for anything grandiose with numerous attendees. Rather, something more personal and intimate.

Memorable, yes. A great time, for sure. Entertaining & dancing? These are theatre folk, what did you expect. A full page in the newspaper and the talk of the town? No thank you. Whether she wants/likes it or not Pris does find herself in the gossip column often enough, so if there’s a tiny blurb… uhhh fine.

Rather than a spectacle this is a celebration <3

A warm celebration of celebrations she would want spent with those closest to the bride & groom and a most joyous celebration it will be ❤️

Ok some more into the fashion, food, and flowers tidbit!

Naturally, the dress is a statement piece. Of course, the dress will be designed by the House of Worth. Not so much for the status symbol but because she loves their work. Priscilla is a flashy peacock (& let’s face it, she’s a beauty and doesn’t shy to flaunt it!), and she always dresses spectacularly for the occasion and her wedding will be no different. Dressing for herself, and her significant other. And! One of my favorite historic tidbits I’ve learned is wedding dresses in that era would be repurposed afterwards.

That said also there will be something different to this gown’s details & construction compared to her past/everyday “peacock” attire, that’s fitting with her character development and the occasion and elegance. I found something that’s basically it :D might create a collage or something maybe draw it someday <3

The food must also be spectacular. Again, this is Paris. And a most special occasion. Be it for the private dinner, or guest hors d’oeuvres. The exact meal and food courses and cake (who cares about the Victorian tradition of fruit cake here, they can do better than that! xD), again she’s open to, so long as it’s excellent.

Ah yes and flowers too. It’s still being decided, but the bouquet will be fitting. perhaps including white roses & lilies of the valley. Garlands, tiny bouquets for decoration, etc at the wedding will also be present. Here it’s not so much as how exquisite or ornate or rare the flowers are, but that there are flowers. Even if it’s generously buying everything from the local flower girl & making someone’s day.

Oh yes and of course the photograph! (Was it still that era the daguerreotype?)

So! This is what I have so far, always room for revisions :3 more to come soon!

[dankusner]

Jolie dazzles Venice festival with biopic on opera legend

Angelina Jolie arrives for the premiere of the film “Maria” on Aug. 29 at the Venice film festival.

For Angelina Jolie, portraying the famed opera singer Maria Callas meant more to her than she can put into words.

“I felt such a privilege to feel like I got to know this woman and got to be inside her skin a moment. I really care for her deeply,” Jolie said a few hours before the film’s world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

“I think I’ll carry that like a friend.”

Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín called on Jolie to take on the role as the legendary soprano in “Maria,” which was recently acquired by Netflix for distribution.

The film focuses on the final week of her life in 1977 in Paris.

She is deeply isolated, with only her butler (Pierfrancesco Favino) and housemaid (Alba Rohrwacher) looking after her — concerned about her health, the drugs and the devastating effects of her diminished voice.

Larraín continues to explore the lives of very famous women with tragic narratives attached to them.

In 2016, he came to the festival with his Jackie Kennedy portrait, “Jackie,” starring Natalie Portman as the first lady in the aftermath of her husband’s assassination.

In 2021, he returned with Kristen Stewart playing Princess Diana as she considered divorce over the Christmas holiday in “Spencer.”

Both films earned their lead actors Oscar nominations.

“Maria” is the conclusion to this trilogy of historical women, though Callas may be a bit less known to younger generations who weren’t around for the headlines and scandals.

Born Maria Kalogeropoulos to Greek parents in New York, the singer made her professional debut in Athens as a 17-year-old.

During her brief life she became one of the greatest opera singers of all time with her unparalleled voice and stage presence.

But the accolades also came with the intense scrutiny of her life in the public eye, whether it was her exacting demands and “diva” behavior, her weight or her romantic life.

Callas famously had a relationship with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis who left her for Jackie Kennedy.

She died in Paris at age 53 after a heart attack.

“When I put her big glasses on and her Greek hair, and I sat in my little robe as an older lady, I felt a (Maria) that felt like the private (Maria) that the world didn’t know,” Jolie said.

“And I connected to her first and kind of loved her.”

Jolie trained for nearly seven months to prepare for the role.

The singing in the film is a blend of actor and the real thing.

“My first days, (Larraín) was very good to me in that we started in a more intimate first with very few crew members,” Jolie said.

“And we ended at La Scala with everyone. So I had a little time to get my nerve. But this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was terrified.” Larraín said it was “the only way to do it.”

“Opera requires a very particular style of singing — in the pitch, the color, the breathing, the posture,” he said.

“Sometimes it’s a tiny bit of Angie and mostly Maria and then sometimes it’s more, but it’s always there. We needed to do that because it’s the only way that she could properly prepare the character, play it right and then create the right illusion.”

Jolie has twice been nominated for acting Oscars.

She won for her supporting role in “Girl, Interrupted,” and was last nominated for her leading role in Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling.”

Netflix has not announced specific release plans for “Maria,” but Jolie’s performance already has awards buzz.

In a news conference at Venice, Jolie was asked if there were surprising ways she related to Callas.

“There’s a lot I won’t say in this room that you probably know, or assume,” Jolie said.

But, she feels they do both share a softness and a vulnerability. It’s been three years since Angelina Jolie appeared in a movie, though she’s been making a retreat from stardom for a lot longer than that, pulling back pieces of herself from the public sphere as well as from the persona she projects onscreen.

Gone are the days of the blood-vial-wearing wild child or the bombshell whose chemistry with co-star Brad Pitt in Mr. & Mrs. Smith made their coupling up feel inevitable.

As a celebrity, she has stripped sex from her image entirely, emphasizing instead her identity as a filmmaker, a human-rights activist, and a mother of six.

As an actor, she has voiced a tiger in the Kung Fu Panda franchise as often as she’s actually appeared onscreen over the past decade, and in the live-action films she has taken on, her roles have increasingly been defined by her character’s aloof beauty and elegant suffering.

I can’t begrudge Jolie her desire to armor up and put more layers between herself and a public that’s been ingesting the intimate details of her life since she was scarcely old enough to legally drink.

But I also can’t deny that I’ve found this Madonna-martyr phase of her career less than compelling.

At her best, Jolie is thrilling, a talent capable of bursting into the frame and making you believe she’s about to devour the world whole.

In her more recent roles, even when running headlong through a raging forest fire, she feels only half there.

[loosealcina]

GIACOMO PUCCINI’S LA BOHÈME AT LA SCALA, MARCH 22, 2023

According to the annals of La Scala, Franco Zeffirelli’s production of La bohème has been a fan favorite in this venue for like… sixty years? Scaling it down to personal memories, I’m positive it crossed paths with me more than once; if you’re interested in how it all went down the last couple of times, you can hit the Archive button and browse back as far as September 2015 and June 2017. (This parenthesis is meant to let you check those previous reports if you want to. [Off the top of my head: you’ll find the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel, and Sonya Yoncheva in there]). As for now, it’ll be three quick observations. Just think of some carnival toss game where the player has three shots to try and tear down a pyramid of tin cans. (That would be consistent with the festive mood of the Latin Quarter scene [Act II], which is packed with a great crowd, vendors, yelling children, Parpignol the toy seller, etc.). First, I need to put on record that this Bohème makes for a strange experience. If we focus on the very nature of theater as an art form—your work cannot outlive you. In other words: you can’t have Director X’s production of Play/Opera/Whatever Y when Director X is no longer with us.

(I also need to point out that this supremely fragile, ephemeral quality shouldn’t be seen as a flaw, or as a steep price we must pay: it’s one of the superpowers that theater happens to have). Second—it has to concern the orchestra conducted by Eun Sun Kim. Their rendition of the score was generally on the loud side, both forceful and crisp. You could hear just about anything, and appreciate many tiny details of Giacomo Puccini’s virtuoso orchestration: harp, percussion, the occasional solo played by the concertmaster… Yet a significant part of the musical potential seemed to remain unrealized—especially in terms of nuances, organic phrasing, and emotional layers. The third and final shot at the cans will consist in nothing but praise for Irina Lungu. Her take on Mimì (fueled by a sweet, luminous, invariably effortless timbre) was truly subtle. At times, you’d say she was effectively disappearing into the character—humble, subdued, the epitome of delicacy. But there was a little ironic shade, a sort of disconnection; it was as though she were uttering an aside to the audience like, I am a diva and I’m fully aware of it. I don’t have to let these ordinary friends of mine know it, that’s all.

[jonnyparable]

Cottage Hills : A Winter Tale, Part XX

A Night with Shalabar!

Hello again avid readers, we here at Echo Dela Mode continue to be your number one source for all the latest news about the fascinating lives of the rich and famous! Following Gourmand Swindleton's surprising announcement a few days ago, we are certain you must all be eager to know what is in store for the quiet little town of Cottage Hills! Wait no more, as we bring you all the latest news from the heart of it all!

Anticipation certainly is mounting here in the wintry cold, as we await the stupendous Lady Contestina Divadonna, the splendid soprano's Midwinter opera performance tonight, where she will serenade us with some of her most popular songs from the hit musical of the season, "Shalabar".

Shalabar follows the historical love affair between the Maharaja of Sri Vama, and Shalabar, the handmaiden of the Queen, who herself rises up the ranks to become Queen, before taking her own life in the end. Tonight's very special performance is the doing of none other than Gourmand Swindleton, the new Mayor of Cottage Hills, who has put together a private show in the town's beautiful centuries old church for the who's who of the region, as part of his plans to rejuvenate the region! Speaking of which, read on as we say hello to a few of tonight's esteemed guests!

It will soon be time! As we wait patiently outside the town's church, the first guests start streaming in as their cars fill the road in front of the church, and wowza, its definitely an illustrious guest list for tonight! First in attendance is the ever punctual Baron and Baroness Cobbles of Cobbleton! Followed by the Duke and Duchess Hildegarde of Windenburg, in all their ceremonial finery.

Echo:

"Good evening Duchess Hildegarde! What stunning attire! You look like you sprang to life from the pages of Shalabar itself!"

Duchess Hildeharde:

"Then the dressmaker was successful! This dress was designed by my palace. They drew inspiration from traditional Sri Vamian sarees, which are very beautiful. It's truly a work of art. I'm very lucky to be wearing it."

Duke Hildegarde:

"And we're all lucky to see it!"

That we are! Tonight is truly an event fit for royalty, and without a doubt, a historical night for the tiny town of Cottage Hills!

Next to arrive is Studio Town's newest and brightest star, Ruby Valore! She shows up in emerald, and unaccompanied tonight, following rumours of a messy, drunken breakup with fellow young actor Sydney Starr, but as usual, she's happy to see us!

Echo:

"Hello, Ruby, you look amazing! Simply stunning! Flying solo at the opera tonight?"

Ruby:

"Hey, it's you honey! Hicc! Thank you, its an original Johan Strauss! Hicc! Oh excuse me, I must have had one too many Martinis! But ol' Ruby is free as a bird tonight! Just the way I like it! Ooh but look you brought me so many handsome cameramen! My favourite kind of man! You guys always make me look fabulous!"

Strike a pose, Ruby! The absolute darling of the cinema firmament! What a card!

Right behind her is none other than wealthy businessman, Mickey Landgraab and his wife, artist and philanthropist Tiffany Zarubin, who also runs an exclusive garden club. Up next and fashionably late, is of course celebrity power couple, Kennedy Cox and Astrid May!

Astrid:

"Why if it isn't Echo Dela Mode! Now I definitely know we're in the right place! That, plus all the fancy cars! How do you do?"

Echo :

"Hello Astrid! Kennedy, you look sharp as ever. Astrid, darling, you're truly a vision in red, don't upstage the diva now! Excited to watch the soprano tonight you two?"

Astrid:

"Well aren't you a doll? Oh absolutely, I'm a huge fan of the diva, and she can never be upstaged by little old me, don't you worry about that. I'm certain tonight will be more than worth the trip here. Aren't you fellas chilly? I'm freezing! Come on Kenny baby, let's head on inside!"

Good idea, Astrid! As the rest of the guests arrive and make their way inside, we, dear readers, will follow them in and bring to you all the excitement and spectacle within, courtesy of Gourmand Swindleton, who has invited Echo Dela Mode, and a select few members of the press to join our esteemed guests in the town's historic church!

Inside the church, Gourmand himself greets us all in front of a large red velvet curtain. There are rows of pews in the cavernous space, and wintry moonlight shines through the large stained windows on either side. The guests are all seated in the church's pews, and Gourmand is greeted by roaring applause.

Gourmand :

"Good evening! Friends! Esteemed guests from near and far, members of the press, and welcome to Cottage Hills! The building we are in is a historic church, hundreds of years old! A truly worthy backdrop for tonight's performance! Thank you for coming today, to this beautiful town, it is an honour to be in the midst of you all! It is my hope that tonight's performance will usher in a new era of fame and prosperity for this town, that as you know, I now run, and that tonight will be a glorious, historic event!"

Gourmand:

"I have spared no expense in recreating the dazzling beauty, the colours, the sounds of Sri Vama, and we shall all be magically transported tonight to the Indian coast by not only the gorgeous set, but by the music, the dancing, and the unbeatable voice of the Angel of Song, the minstrel of heaven herself, our Lady Contestina Divadonna! Now, we all know you're not here to hear me! So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you..... SHALABAR!"

The gathered dignitaries erupt in applause! The curtains go up and a mystifying purple light washes over our guests, as the sound of a lone flute fills the hall and rings out in the silence. Shalabar has begun!

[indigowallbreaker]

LISTEN I’m gonna send you two characters who should have supports and I’m gonna send my proof to go along with it. Dorothea and Ashe. Their upbringings are so similar, having grown up on the streets. It would be interesting to see their different points of views on that time in their lives, especially since Ashe has siblings and remembers his parents, meanwhile Dorothea never mentions her parents (that I recall). They also both deal with some self loathing and I would love to see them work that out together. I also think, with Ashe being from the kingdom and a peasant, he isn’t familiar with the opera. But once he gets his hands on some scripts that involve knights? You know he’s gonna be obsessed. I’d love to see those two geeking out over some opera together. That’s the end of my Ted talk

The only thing I’m gonna add before I sing your praises is that Dorothea does talk about her parents a tiny bit in her B Support with Hanneman. She mentions her mother used to work in a noble house, got kicked out, had Dorothea, fell ill, then died. After Dorothea became a diva, she thinks she met a man who could be her father: “He'd had a child with a maid, but the child didn't have a Crest... So he threw them both away. Those were his very words.” Unaware of their possible connection, the man flirted with Dorothea, which made her both furious and dumbfounded. 

This doesn’t change your proof at all-- and in fact it helps, I think. Ashe can look back on his past with his parents and siblings fondly even if it’s tainted by bad memories. Dorothea can’t look back at her past without pain and anger. She never had that strong foundation.

With that out of the way--

I AM SO ON BOARD WITH THIS SUPPORT I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW HAPPY IT MAKES ME!!!

Growing up on the streets, getting ‘saved’ by people in higher positions (Manuela/the Opera, Lonato), their experiences with nobility, the differences between the Empire and the Kingdom, their concern throughout the plot for the common folk-- There is A LOT they could talk about!! They are both quite hard on themselves, as you pointed out, and that could be a good subject for like a B or B+ Support. Something that could come up once they establish trust, or once the war gets going.

Looking over her support list, it doesn’t actually look like Dorothea HAS any supports with Fódlan commoners?! The closest we get is Yuri, but that has a highly different vibe.

I adore your idea of Ashe getting a taste of the opera and becoming a big fan of seeing his favorite knight stories ACTED OUT! It would be amazing if he tried to write his own operas based on his favorite books and he gives the scripts to Dorothea to look over and she does edit and give advice, but she also picks out the role SHE would want to play. She gets so into it. That would be a great end card actually lol.

Belle, I cannot express enough how fantastic this support is and I’m delighted you sent it in to me!! I’ve been thinking about it since last night! I am sold completely on this!

[monotonous-minutia]

Julie: An Opera Film (Camerata, 2020), review

just a few thoughts as I’m watching:

-I thought it was odd that they’re filming in what looks like a parking garage, but given the circumstances it makes sense they had to, but at the same time it also kind of works? Like the juxtaposition of the obviously modern set with the period costumes matches the combination of classic and modern elements in the music and the text.  -"We pay the price for bending time, but it's ours to bend, if we are willing” is such a great line. -two divas kissing is practically the first thing we see omg -I really love this music -referring to the mysterious challenger with gender-neutral pronouns??? I know it’s a tiny detail but still. -I’m in love with every line in this libretto, especially the way Julie and Marie talk to each other. why can’t anyone talk to me like that

I really enjoyed this a lot! I think it would be so cool if it was expended upon and put onstage once the pandemic chills out, but I also think it’s really awesome exactly the way it is.

some of my favorite moments:

(this opera is a miracle)

[theninjamouse]

Ocean on Fire Phantom of the Opera AU Master List (To be added to as I see fit)

Strap in, this is gonna get long. Big thanks to @thaylepo for indulging me and sending many brilliant ideas. 

This is a basic rundown and ideas that would happen at some point in the story. Obviously some things could change or be added but I’ve just got to get this down before I go nuts

Shore and Grillby were childhood friends.

Shore is the child of a wealthy business man, taught from childhood that the arts are to be treasured and appreciated

However, while she may learn instruments and dance and music, she is to take over the family business, not run away to star in the opera like she wants

Grillby's father (he has parents in this au) was a famous violinist who often was called by Shore's father to perform for parties. He wound up teaching Shore fundamentals of music

Little Grillby was a shy flame. Always trailed along behind his father, clutching his tailcoats

Shore saw the tiny elemental and decided instantly: I'm going to be his BEST FRIEND

Queue stuttering, hesitant Grillby being dragged around the manor, getting into all sorts of trouble and adventures. He's a lot more hardy than Shore is, so he rather often found himself acting as a sort of guard dog. He was utterly distraught when Shore fell and broke her arm. Shore teased him about crying because she couldn’t stand to see him so upset

They also learn music together from Grillby's father. First time Shore hears Grillby sing, she grabs his face and screams with delight until the poor little guy is fully bright blue with blushing

Then Grillby's father dies. A family friend takes Grillby away to one of the opera houses to work. Grillby and Shore are 13 and 10 at this point and have spent the last 6 years together. Shore makes Grillby promise to keep singing, to keep the spark of his father alive through music. He promises

They both wait until they are out of sight of the other to cry

Grillby cries every night for the first 3 months in the opera house. As a monster, he is bullied by many of the other students. He mourns his father's passing and he misses Shore to a near unbearable level. The only comfort he has is when he sings quietly to himself in those few moments when he is alone doing his chores

Then he hears a voice, a soft and gentle voice that asks him why such a bright flame weeps. He runs away in fear and hides in his bed

But the voice asks him again and again. 'Why does such a bright flame weep?' Slowly, over the course of a year, Grillby tells the voice his story

The voice says he is the Phantom of the opera house. Grillby thinks he sounds rather young to be a Phantom

The Phantom replies that Grillby is rather young to have such a lovely voice. He offers to teach Grillby. The fire monster agrees upon hearing the Phantom's beautiful and haunting voice

After all, he did promise

15 years pass. Shore has taken over her family business and is finally able to offer herself as a patron to an opera house that has shown remarkable growth over the years, becoming well known in the arts circles

Partially thanks to the star of the show, a humanoid robot named Mettaton. Most of the monsters we know work the show behind the scenes, so having a monster in the lead is a new leap in gaining treatment that is more fair for monster kind as performers

But Mettaton is also a diva. The day Shore arrives with new managers, he throws his tantrum and quits after a rather suspicious accident.

Shore only has eyes for the fire elemental standing frozen with the rest of the crew. She suggests letting him take the lead role. Promising that she knows he can sing.

Grillby is so quiet most assumed he couldn't even talk so naturally protests break out and Shore maybe uses her power as a patron to insist. 'He promised me,' is all she says, looking right at him

So he sings and everyone is stunned at the strength and grace of his voice. The managers instantly whisk him away to prepare for the show

After the show, Shore goes to his new dressing room and they fall into each other's arms. They speak of times past, of the loneliness of being apart. But when Shore says that she wants to take him out to celebrate, he hesitates. The Phantom will not be happy if he leaves, he knows this

But he agrees and she leaves to let him change

Enter in The Phantom. Showing himself for the first time, a figure in black wearing a simple white mask over his face. White hands punched through the palms. Grillby is enchanted, dazed and follows The Phantom into the tunnels under the opera house

*Music of the Night noises*

Grillby has a bit of a Crisis because he genuinely cares about Phantom and they became very close friends as much as teacher and student but this is kind of odd?? A little frightening?

Phantom sees this, backpedals real hard but hides it and sends Grillby back upstairs before falling into bed and screaming into his pillow

When Shore finds Grillby vaguely wandering back into the theater, she goes, uh??? What happened?? Were you kidnapped? I kind of stayed up all night looking for you??

Grillby, still a little in shock because what the heck just happened "Kind of?"

Now that won't STAND

Shore starts digging to find out everything she can about this opera ghost, keeping a close eye on Grillby. There is no gaslighting here folks like in versions of the story that to this day drive me crazy

As Shore digs, accidents start happening. Loose floorboards, unlatched equipment, a falling sandbag or two. Shore catches on pretty quickly what’s happening when she catches just a flash of shadow more than once right before or after these little ‘incidents’ 

Finally plants herself down in the middle of the stage and calls for the Phantom to show his face. It takes a while then she sees a shadow just barely move. He’s up in the rafters, crouched like some kind of bat

“What is your freaking deal?” 

“Why are you trying to take what’s mine?” 

“Yours? He belongs to himself you dingbat”

That makes him laugh for reasons Shore doesn’t get

Conversation happens, a lot of dodging questions, shifting blame. Phantom is oddly charming. For being an attempted murdering/kidnapping jerk

“Are you the one who keeps trying to kill me? The sandbag dropped on my head, the broken trapdoor, the spiders in my hat??”

“Oh my God, I’m not responsible for every little thing that goes wrong in this place. It’s an old building, accidents do happen. 

“The sandbag was me though.”

Grillby materializes just to smack him in the head for that

And so it goes, Grillby and Shore trying to reconnect, Grillby trying to maintain a level of friendship (and maybe more?) with Phantom and Phantom attempting various levels of accidents to get Shore to leave the theater

Until one day he finds Shore on the stage. She’s singing to an empty theater. She’s not...good exactly but...rather unpracticed. He’s startled enough that he stops his evil giggling and untwisting of the hidden trapdoor in the stage to listen. 

He comes up silently, creeping on the edges just out of sight. When he speaks, Shore shrieks and nearly falls off the stage anyway. Her blushing does a weird thing to his Soul. Like a sort of flip flopping squeeze. 

“Well, if you’re going to think yourself worthy of my Flame, you’d better have a voice to match. Let me hear you sing again.”  

Many ‘threat’ filled lessons later-

“Hmm. Maybe there’s hope for you after all” 

“Maybe there’s more to you than a creepy stalker personality.” 

Past the Point of No Return scene happens at some point. I don’t make the rules

Also Phantom and Shore have a sword fight that maybe starts out as anger fueled but rather quickly changes to a pent up Feelings kind of deal

Grillby’s concern is quick to fade and he watches the two idiots dance around each other, wondering why exactly they don’t see how much they actually do like each other. 

It’s also at this moment he realizes fully that he loves them both

“Well shoot, I love these two morons and they love each other but won’t admit it. This is going to be very ‘fun’ to sort out”

Eventually, Shore asks for Phantom’s name. 

“My name...died with the person I was long ago.” 

“Maybe it’s time you reclaim it.” 

His name is Wing Dings Gaster and for countless years he was held by the Void. He doesn’t fully remember how he escaped, nor what he looked like before. All he knows is that his face is broken with terrible cracks and skeletal in only the vaguest sense with a body that ebbs and flows with darkness. When he first stumbled back into the light after the darkness of the Void, people screamed and ran from him. Or worse, they chased him, calling him an omen of death. So he retreated down below the theater and resigned himself to always be a watcher and made a mask to cover his face. 

He was alone for years until he heard young Grillby crying in a corner and sat as close as he dared. It took a while for him to gain the courage to speak to the elemental

Given the fluid nature of his body, it’s easy for him to change his voice to sing. It’s the only part of himself that he can see as holding any worth. 

Grillby was his only source of socialization and he’s terrified of losing him, which makes Phantom a tad bit clingy with some pretty severe separation anxiety 

Phantom is a sad, sad boy who needs a lot of hugs and therapy

Shore is kind to him despite it all (and despite the irritation at the ‘death threats’) 

Phantom finally admits that she was never in any actual danger because he might be a messed up guy but he’s not a murderer. He might have even nudged her out of the way with blue magic a few times to make sure she wasn’t hurt.

Eventually Phantom realizes he no longer wants her to leave. He wants to stand with her and Grillby. He wants to be a better monster but he doesn’t know how to do that so kind of retreats into his lair 

Grillby and Shore have to track him down. And queue the heart to heart, the great Crying Session, the Unmasking or whatever you wanna call it

And they all live an OT3 happy ending, the end

[andormeddows]

A night at the opera ::: John Deacon (I)

Pairing: Fem!Reader x John Deacon

Requested: Yes! Anon, if you’re reading this, I would love to know if you liked it or not!

Summary: The reader is a very talented opera singer, but the company she’s at makes her feel bad about her weight, because she has a bigger bust than most others do. She gets fitted for a dress which causes her to feel insecure about its extreme cleavage and John reminds her how perfect she is and how much he loves her frame. Fluff!

Word count: 3432

Warnings: None, I guess?

Notes: See what I did with the title? Sorry, it just had to be done! Also, guys, I know nothing about how Freddie and John walked around London, so I tried to picture… I don’t even know if people would run for then if they ever saw them on the streets. Sorry, I don’t know. I also had to do some research about opera in general, hope I could get its essence. I pictured 80′s Deacy while writing this one. Anyway, I hope you like it! I loved this request! Feedback is always appreciated!

Part 2 is here!

Masterlist is here!

The scenery changed on the upstage as the opera overture rehearsal ended. The screeching of the sheaves echoed as ropes were fiercely pulled. Musicians, accommodated in the orchestra pit below the stage, hurriedly reorganized sheet music. Artists packed the offspring wings, including you, awaiting the orchestra cue for their entrance.

However, as soon as you noticed your colleagues looking sideways at your costume, you timidly hurried away from the crowded offspring to the backstage. As always, they weren’t exactly admiring your costume, but vilifying you for the extreme cleavage made visible by it.

“It seems costume designers measured YN’s bust wrongly once again,” Tina murmured to Dermot, simpering at her own ruthless words.

Being an utterly talented opera singer had never characterized you amongst your colleagues. In fact, it had always been unimportant after being hired by the company. Since the first day, comments have been whispered regarding your bust, bigger than average, causing you to feel insecure about your weight. It had never been a preoccupation, but, after accidentally listening to ballerinas shrieking with laughter backstage while teasing your presentation because of your costume, doubts emerged.

“YN! It’s your cue!”

Astoundingly blinking, the director’s voice dragged you back to your senses. The artists on the stage silently whined, rolling eyes at the director’s command to restart the act. Once again, people gathered on the offspring wings.

“Can you get this right?” Tina questioned irritated, voice exploding with sarcasm. “We’re debuting tonight, love.”

As the orchestra restarted the music, people reached the stage. Ballerinas moved across the upstage according to the choreography as extras reached their positions, silently acting. Gulping, you obliged your legs to move, dragging your body to the stage center, where a spotlight had been focused. Your hands tightly gripped at the skirt, slightly pulling it upwards.

In his apartment, at the very time your voice echoed around the theatre, John sighed. His luggage lay untouched by the apartment door. The Game Tour had been over for five days. He refused to unpack until his mind accepted the fact that the chaotic, but marvelous, months spent playing bass around the world were over.

Drafts of unfinished songs lay over the coffee table, whether being written on tour or during boredom-filled hours at his apartment. Underneath the mess, lay two tickets accompanied by a short letter. Your letter. John smiled, sitting on the leather armchair and pulling it towards him. He would never mistake your slanting handwriting for any other on Earth.

God, he had missed you. Being away from home for such a long time without being able to call you for weeks in a row had its effect on him. He missed spending afternoons with you listening to old records. He missed the nights you would spend at his apartment as he wrote songs, bass propped on his laps while he repeatedly played melodies. He missed going for late night walks around the city, stopping by coffee shops to buy any hot beverage. He missed visiting you on the opera house, where he would explore its backstage and all its magical, yet slightly messy, environment. He missed hearing your angelic singing around your apartment. He missed seeing your laugh, how your face would lovely contort into a smile and lit up with such happiness.

He missed you. Absentmindedly chuckling at his thoughts, he took a sip from a steaming mug of tea in one of his hands as he reread the letter. He couldn’t wait to see you.

Deacy,

I could have called you, but it would definitely spoil the surprise. Since I already had to send the tickets, I decided to write a letter as well. Honestly, I wish I could pay you a visit and hand you them myself, but we have been rehearsing non-top for the past two weeks. A new opera, in which I got the leading role, will be debuting a few days after you’re back from tour. It would mean the world to me if you came to watch it! The problem is I only got two tickets, so I cannot invite all of the boys, which is rather shitty .Would you, please, apologize to them in the name of myself? I’m sending both of the tickets anyway in case one of them wishes to come along. I miss you! Love you.

Yours always,

YN.

Hurriedly drinking the remaining tea, John winced as the hot beverage burned his throat. He abandoned the mug on the coffee table, reaching for the telephone table. He dialed Freddie’s number, anxiously listening to the telephone beeping.

“That’s Freddie. Yes?”

“It’s Deacy, Freddie,” John excitedly answered, fiercely gripping at the handset and pressing it against his ear. “Would you fancy accompanying me to an opera tonight? YN’s debuting in it as leading role and sent me two tickets.”

“Is she?” Freddie smiled at John’s words. “God, I would love to.”

When the starry sky shone above London, John giddily pulled his black leather jacket hanging by the apartment door before leaving his apartment, tickets held tightly in his hands. Freddie’s Rolls Royce parked by the sidewalk on the other side of the street. John’s body shivered, buffeted by the wintry wind as he crossed the street.

“Hurry up, Deacy! We should never be late for the rise of a star.”

John got in the car, putting the seatbelt on and receiving a gleeful smile from Freddie. The city lights shone as they crossed London. John observed people on the sidewalks, overcoats and boots packed the streets as winter approached, showing its first signs.

The driver pulled by the opera house, cars parked in front of it. Occasionally, horns would echo accompanied by the shouting of irritated drivers. Freddie’s Rolls Royce lost between many other cars parked by the other side of the large street.

John and Freddie hurriedly crossed the street as people gathered at the opera house entrance, tickets held tight between their fingers. John pulled the pink tickets out of his jacket pocket, reading them in order to find the right section entrance.

“She got box five reserved for us,” John mused, heart inexplicably racing at his own words.

“She must love us, then. I mean, you. I’m just your humble guest, dear,” Freddie answered pressing his lips in a thin line to prevent a smile from crossing his lips as John absentmindedly stopped walking, mesmerized by your gesture. “Shall we get inside?”

After entering the vast theatre and accommodating himself in box five beside Freddie, his eyes wandered to the stage. The heavy red and gold curtains were closed, revealing a tiny stripe of the dark wooden floor. Several musicians sat in the orchestra pit tuning their instrument so that it sounded perfectly. The painted ceiling bore a gigantic chandelier. John’s eyes focused on it, mesmerized by its beauty as though bewitched by it. Its excessive golden details shone magically under its bright tiny yellow lamps. His peripheral vision registered painted naked angels around it, holding harpies as though praising the chandelier.

“This is marvelous,” he whispered.

“Everything about an opera house is marvelous, dear. I’m actually glad to be here,” Freddie answered, observing his surroundings.

John watched the people moving below, crossing the theater looking for the correct seats before averting his gaze to the leaflet received at the entrance in his hands. It presented information about the opera, listing its acts. The following pages announced every artist participating in it along with their roles. A black and white picture of you in one of your costumes of the show occupied a whole page, a brief text present you, your career as an opera singer and your role in the debuting show.

The constant noise of conversation reached their ears as the seats were gradually being taken by the public. John couldn’t suppress the smile that crossed his lips. He felt proud of you it would actually be an understatement to say it. A full house would witness the rise of a star.

After the sounding of the alarm, a masculine voice politely asked for people to accommodate themselves before warning that any recordings of the show were strictly prohibited. The lights slightly diminished, the lamps of the chandelier shone feebly as a spotlight focused in the middle of the apron. The opera director announced its start, presenting you as the opera diva. John whistled loudly as the roar of people clapping filled his ears. He felt his heart would burst in pride.

The heavy red and gold curtains were slowly opened, revealing a magnificent scenario as the orchestra started playing, the classic music echoing in the perfect acoustic arrangement of the theater. As earlier during the last rehearsal, artists packed the offspring wings, including you, awaiting the orchestra cue for their entrance. The costumes were now properly worn, the makeup and different hairstyles done meticulously.

You exhaled in nervousness,   averting your gaze up to the stage ceiling packed with ropes and sheaves. Your voice would certainly fail. Where you good enough for the leading role, anyway? You would certainly stumble over the dress skirt. People would laugh at your costume for showing too much.

The sudden thought of John witnessing your failure caused you to feel dizzy. Should you have invited him? Your cheeks acquired a light shade of red underneath the makeup, shame creeping up your veins. A mirror stood beside your anxious figure. Your eyes unwillingly averted to your reflection on it. That costume was ridiculously tight. Had costume designers measured your bust wrongly as Tina had suggested? The extreme cleavage made visible by that dress utterly annoyed you.

“Don’t lose your cue, YN,” Dermot teased, being followed by some other artists.

“Oh, shut up, loser,” you mumbled irritated, crossing your arms over your chest and rolling your eyes at his strutting to the edge of the offspring.

“We shall see who the loser is at the end of the performance, yeah?”

“Prick,” you whispered at him.

The overture was over, the scenery changed on the upstage. Music still played as people reached the stage. At a particular high note reached by the violinists, you obliged your legs to move, managing to straighten up your face. The nervous expression was replaced by an adorable smile as you graciously reached the stage center. A spotlight shone above you, illuminating your figure in an angelic manner.

John’s eyes accompanied your movement through the stage. Your willowy figure angelic illuminated by the spotlight caused his heart to miss a beat. No other goddess would be as stunning as you. God, he could admire your costume for the rest of life.

“Oh, fuck, John,” Freddie murmured beside John, mesmerized by your figure. “She’s a goddess.”

“She’s more than a goddess, Freddie,” John replied, hanging on the edge of his seat, intending to stand near the box handrail.

On the stage, you obliged the negative thoughts filling your mind to hit the back of it. No benefit would be gained by dwelling on them. Taking a discrete deep breath, moving in a regal manner, you opened your mouth intending to start singing as the orchestra hit another cue.

John’s eyes brimmed with tears of joy as your magnificent singing filled the theater, engulfing it in a magical moment. He gripped the velvety box handrail as he watched you transform the whole atmosphere of the place. Intense shivers wandered through his body, causing him to smile at the sensation.

Freddie excitedly watched your figure. His eyes attentively recorded every move of your hands and arms. He had never seen a more pleasing body language. He, then, averted his gaze to your mouth and throat. He could practically see your vocal chords working to produce those angelic sounds.

Ballerinas surrounded you. Your dress shone below the spotlight, sparkles occasionally reaching people’s eyes. Your hair combed into an elegant bun, filled with minuscule silver flowers, caught John’s attention in a second. A few strands of hair framed your features. Oh, what a marvelous sight.

After two hours of incredible singing, acting and dancing, applauses exploded through the theater as people eagerly stood up. The cast bowed, smiles all over their faces. John whistled loudly once again, clapping non-stop.

The artists left the stage, leaving you alone. A spotlight focused in the middle of the apron, to where you paced. Another round of applauses exploded. A genuine smile crossed your lips as tears gathered in the corners of your eyes. After the amount of whistles, applauses and praising at your debut in a leading role, you wished your talent would be recognized by the company, who, up to that moment, vilified you for the extreme cleavage made visible by the dresses you wore.

Your eyes observed the crowd, averting to the right of the theater, where box five could be seen. You had obliged yourself not to glance at it during the whole show, afraid that John would have given up on you. But there you saw him, smiling and clapping eagerly. A silent laugh escaped from your lips as your eyes landed on him. Freddie stood beside John, equally clapping. A few tears streamed down your cheeks at their reaction towards your performance.

“Magnifica!” Freddie bellowed at you.

The director reached the stage once again, taking your hand in his and flashing you a proud smile. Both of you bowed together, earning another round of applauses. You stepped back as the red and gold curtains started to be pulled closed by the staff. The roar of the crowd was muffled by it, the applauses never seemed to cease.

Once Freddie and John reached the agitated street, John pulled Freddie to the staff entrance intending to wait for you to leave the theater. It took a while until you managed to shimmy out of your costume. Your dressing room had been filled with bouquets, a flowery smell filled the air as Harper helped you undress.

Quickly thanking him for helping, you left the dressing room, crossing the theater corridors in order to reach the staff exit. You smiled at the security guard at the door, who kindly opened the door for you. As soon as the cold night air buffeted your body, your eyes wandered through the street.

“YN! YN!”John’s voice echoed from a few meters on the grey sidewalk.

You ran to his arms, letting your body collapse against his. His arms embraced you in a tight lasting hug as he pressed kisses to the side of your head. Strands of your hair hit his face because of the wind, but he smiled. You were there.

“God, I missed you!” you mumbled against John’s shirt. “I missed you so much! Where’s Freddie?”

“Hm, he left already. He apologized for having to leave without complimenting you, tough,” John nervously answered, Freddie’s words echoing in his mind before leaving — “I guess I’m leaving, John. I’m sure you both need some time alone, yeah?”

You timidly smiled. “Hm… This is actually…” you gulped, averting your eyes to your hands propped on his chest, almost reaching his shoulders. “What do you think of spending the night at my apartment, John?”

He chuckled nervously. “Wouldn’t you like to rest? I mean… I’d love to, but…”

“Don’t worry. It wouldn’t bother me at all, you know?”

John nodded, fingers anxiously pressing against your waist. Your eyes bore into his, another timid smile plastered over your lips. You blinked a few times as strands of your hair hit your face. “Thank you.”

John asked for a taxi, opening the door for you with a gentle smile. The ride was silent, but John’s fingers timidly crossed the leather seat looking for yours. Your heart missed a beat as he hesitantly tangled them together, causing you to press your lips in a thin line as anticipation hit your body. It was a normal gesture for a friend, wasn’t it?

“You looked like an angel tonight, YN,” John murmured. You shook your head, smiling at his kind words. However, they weren’t enough to erase your insecurities.

“John…” you started unsure. “I actually need to talk to you about something.”

John gulped, the gentle grip on your fingers momentarily faltering as the taxi driver pulled by your apartment. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No. No, of course not,” you rushed to reply. “This is actually about me.”

You quickly handed the taxi driver the money, thanking him before leaving the car. John followed you, a concerned look on his features.

“What’s wrong, YN?” he anxiously asked while closing the backseat door.

You shook your head, reaching the sidewalk. You both entered the block of apartments as you fumbled with the keys inside your overcoat pocket. You unlocked the door to your apartment and entered first, turning some of the lights on. John couldn’t help but smile at the sight of your apartment. He missed it.

“I… I don’t know how I should start this,” you admitted, reaching the kitchen and pulling the fridge door open. “It’s actually ridiculous, but it’s been bugging me for a while.”

John anxiously waited for you to continue as he followed you into the kitchen. You offered him a beer bottle before resting against one of the counters and chugging a glass of cold water down. You tried to work out the words inside your mind. Nervousness filled your body. Should you talk about how insecure you felt towards it? By talking about it, you would oblige him to notice your body if he had never done that before. Wouldn’t it be awkward?

“Hm, YN…” John started, crossing the narrow kitchen towards you. He propped the beer bottle on the counter, next to your empty glass of water. “You know you can tell me anything, right? I know I spent a long time away, but I hope it didn’t change our friendship?”

You could notice an insecure tone in his voice, desperately shaking your head. “No, God. John, it would never happen. Nothing can change our friendship. It’s just that… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable talking about it.”

He shook his head, pressing his lips together in a thin line. “Go on, try me.”

You chuckled at his words, fondly gazing at him. However, you soon averted your gazed to his chest. “I haven’t been feeling comfortable with my body lately. I joined this opera company probably a month after you left for the tour, you know? Since then, I’m feeling self-conscious about my image. They fit me into tight dresses that end up showing too much.”

“Too much, YN? It’s a dress, nothing more than a costume.”

You sighed frustrated. “That’s exactly the problem. It’s a dress! Most of them make extreme cleavage, John… It actually makes me feel uncomfortable. I see other girls walking around the stage in similar costumes and I… I feel I’m overweight. They fit perfectly into their dresses…”

“Look at me, YN…” John whispered, taking another sip from his beer. A loving gaze lit his features as his hands slowly caressed your upper arms. “You’re perfect.”

“John, cut the bullshit,” you retorted, sighing in frustration once again.

“YN, I mean it,” he replied. “Why would compare yourself to those other girls? Weren’t you the one who admired all shapes and forms, praising people for being who they are? Why don’t you celebrate yourself either?”

“John…”

“No, wait,” he whispered, pacing closer towards you. His delicate fingers reached for your chin. “I mean every single word. What’s wrong with having a bigger bust than others do? Did it ever prevent you from following your dreams? Did it stop you from achieving the bloody leading role in an opera? For God’s sake, YN… Do you how proud I am of you? I almost collapsed in tears seeing you on that stage. Please, listen to me when I say you’re perfect. I believe these words don’t dictate beauty patterns in no circumstances: how many different people say these words to other different ones? Believe in me when they leave my lips.”

You gulped, blinking fast as your eyes brimmed with tears. “God…”

John silently laughed, pressing a kiss to your cheek. Your hands reached for his, still on your chin. Your eyes bore into his. For a moment, both of you silently stood close to each other. Your mind still absorbed his meaningful words, which, honestly, were the only ones that mattered.

“You’re perfect, YN,” he repeated it, pressing kisses all over your face while murmuring the words against your skin, causing you to laugh and squeal under his touch. “I’m repeating it until you believe in its meaning.”

Part 2 is here!

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1, Chapter 3

• I'm hoping that if I have this chapter out early enough (doubtful, because compiling and organizing my screenshots takes time, and my drafts often don't save which means there are times I will have to replicate whole paragraphs from scratch. But fingers crossed!), I might try and do revisits of the first book. I did four of those chapters last year, and I think now - when we're looking at some of the stories told to us in Book 1 from a new lens - is a good time to explore that first book again.

• I hope the read more issue is resolved by now. It made posting quite hard the last time. In the meantime these are the tags you can block: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs.

• Thanks a lot to @pixieferry for her Hana playthrough, @thefirstcourtesan for her Drake playthrough screenshots and the Abhirio YouTube channel for the Maxwell playthrough screenshots. Not much of those are up, because of lack of space to put up the pictures and the fact that this particular chapter wasn't specifically LI centric.

• Title: Your Kingdom Awaits.

Alternative Title: Tell Me What's Gestating in My Womb Today, Cordonia! A Cordonian Ruby? An Autumn Glory? A Granny Smith?

• Three chapters in and I'm getting more and more baffled by this story by the day. There's stuff I like. Some of the characters I still love. I have fun looking at the little hints, the bits of symbolism, the callbacks. I love theorizing what we'll be doing next! But all of this needs to be glued together by a coherent storyline and this just isn't it.

• Even if we push aside the gross inequalities in balance (re: character development), there's still so much that just doesn't make sense. Why is there so much rush. Why is everyone in this country (and outside) so invasive and entitled over this one noble's child? Why are we doing such insane scales of prep over a process that is in itself is so unpredictable? Why am I learning about Cordonia's allies/potential enemies in such a vague and shoddy fashion? And most of all what kind of bullshit Royal Council is this???

• But I'll elaborate on all those questions later. For now let's move on to the chapter!

• If you didn't buy the corgi in Book 2, they ask you if you'd like to buy it now at the beginning of the chapter. Possibly that may affect the entry of the second corgi in some way? Idk. 

• Esther, the Queen of Cordonia is also still the queen of winging it. You'd think they'd have planned a look for her (esp given the amount of time they could spend on the train) and gotten her ready by the time they reached there, not scrambled around for an outfit the minute they reached Valtoria.

• The LI tells the MC that they're fixed an appointment with the best obstetrician they could find, and we will be going there to ask our preliminary questions plus get a check up. I was wondering if in Hana's case they would be going to a fertility specialist instead.

• In any case, Bertrand volunteers to help us with an outfit for the last time in a short while, because he's traveling to Texas to prepare for their wedding. (we're going there too, but later. I'm not looking forward to another round of Savannah-worship - possibly with an added side of Bianca-worship - no thank you).

• Bianca's ranch is called the Walker Ranch, after Jackson's last name. Why Jackson's?

• Our OOTD!

Electric blue with a gold belt and a black and white border on the neckline, accessorized with a necklace (I think it's pearls set in gold?) and a brooch pin in the shape of a crown.

I kinda like this one and knowing the way this team operates when it comes to outfits most of the time, I'm pretty sure the colour scheme was chosen on purpose. With this outfit, the MC is presenting herself in the national colours, with a tiny signifier of what her future role might be. Either as Queen or as mother of the future heir to the Crown. This is an outfit that would send a message during Liam's announcement, whether she is (symbolically) wearing that crown or not.

• I'm obviously not very comfortable with the implications that would go with that outfit (esp if she is not the Queen), but I can't deny it does its job.

• The MC can opt to go for either being poised, acting like a diva or being very casual in her approach. Whatever she does the crowd pretty much worships her.

•

So everyone except Liam has someone (media, a fan, common people) approaching them as a way of showing how famous and revered the entire group has become in Cordonia. Liam doesn't need one coz he's anyway getting his moment with his big speech in front of the Valtoria manor.

Drake - Donnie Brine from the CBC speaks to Drake, positioning him as a man of the masses, the person that the Cordonian people see as their representative. Drake is woefully unprepared and freezes, blurting out that "things are great" which probably might end up becoming a meme on Cordonian internet later. Random Cordonian Woman from Applewood saves him by confirming this statement even though her trees have yet to grow and the tax problems are pretty much making her life "not great".

Maxwell - Where are Jiro and Camellia from Applewood? I like little Marco and Valerie but I hope they're not the only kids PB is going to be showing every time they need to show children. Marco approaches Maxwell and the MC both to sign his copy of Maxwell's book, and Maxwell takes care to do a dramatic signature that will not "obscure the picture of his face". I'm giggling at that image.

Hana - Valerie approaches Hana with a handmade flower necklace, presumably with a pattern made from "the Lee family crest". Now either Lorelai's family in Cordonia have the same surname as Xinghai, or Xinghai got himself a house crest for some reason. Either way, to toss out a detail like that so casually (a family crest is something that passes down through generations, esp in noble families) without even thinking of the logistics of it...(when an entire book of yours has been dedicated to sigils and crests) is pretty lazy.

BUT. In good news this means that my longtime speculation that Hana's mother's house had flowers as part of their court of arms is correct! (I was also right about a couple other things, like Maxwell's ancestors and Liam's mother being alive when Olivia was brought to the palace. YAY! 😁)

• We now move on to Liam's public announcement. Which sounds kinda weird whichever way you look at it. A married Liam announces that he and his wife are on a mission to enjoy babymaking and a single Liam announces this:

(Screenshots from a Hana playthrough by @pixieferry)

I will translate what both Liams are saying into Cordonian:

Married Liam: We don't have an apple cinnamon bun in the oven yet, but we're definitely having fun kneading that dough nudge nudge wink wink.

Single Liam: I'm neither making apple buns nor kneading dough. I'll leave that to my friends the bun-making experts here. I'm just gonna park my butt outside the oven door along with the rest of Cordonia.

Sounds weird? You're welcome. It was meant to sound weird.

• Esther finally reunites with her corgi Joy! I wonder if at some point she'll meet up with her horse Celestia and red pandas Hansel and Gretel too xD

• Mara tells me safety checks have been done, but...it's Mara saying that, so I'm not sure I'm quite convinced. The alternative is Bastien, so...we're kinda screwed I guess.

• The group then discusses the future foetus, and Liam takes this opportunity to hint at their childhood history. You know what that means? DIAMOND SCENE!!

•

(Screenshots for Asian Liam from my playthrough, Black Liam from @pixieferry and White Liam from @thefirstcourtesan)

LOOK AT THE WEE LITTLE KIDDIES AND LIAM'S MOM OMG AAAAAA.

As far as I can tell, among the kids the sprites for all three Liams and Drake are very much new, and the rest come from variations and changes to different faces. Maxwell's face is a copy of Simon from THoBM (only the mouth is slightly different), Hana's has a lot of similarities to young Kenna in TCaTF, but with pigtails instead of tiny buns. Olivia's is a little harder to place but I think there are plenty similarities between hers and RoE Camellia's face. For Queen Eleanor they used Young Mary's (MC's mother) sprite from D&D in accordance to whichever Liam you chose. Perhaps the only Mary sprite not used here would be the brown/Indian one, because Liam's ethnicities mainly feature White, Black and Asian. She even wears Mary's opera outfit (that incidentally Mary also ended up wearing to her wedding lol).

• Somehow they forgot that Maxwell was supposed to be a cute chubby little hippo who was loved by his mother.

• I'd like for Black Liam to grow more hair on his head because the curls on his younger self are lovely 😍

• Since most of the childhood tales revolve around the experience of growing up in the palace, this build up to the diamond scene begins with the MC asking questions about each of the boys (Liam, Drake, Maxwell).

- Little Liam and His Crown: Liam claims he only wore those during state occasions, but Maxwell (who admittedly didn't see Liam as much as Drake did but saw him often nonetheless) saw him practically sleep in the thing, and Drake has pictures to prove it lol.

- Grumpy Drake: Maxwell and Liam agree on Drake becoming grumpier as he grew older, but disagree on what metaphors to use to describe it. Maxwell favours "scratchy bark on a secretly loveable tree", and Liam claims he is "whiskey maturing in its barrell". ("oh", I want to ask Drake, "so that's what they call 'old grain mash' these days?" 🤣 This is my revenge for him referring to wine as old grape juice back in Book 2). No prizes for guessing which metaphor Drake liked better.

- Banning Maxwell from Palace Rooms: Maxwell's lucky he has a king for a friend because apparently before Liam jokingly and unwisely decided to give the man a royal pardon Maxwell was banned from all the good rooms 😅

• Hana clearly hasn't lost her touch when it comes to epic savagery. "I imagined you guys like the Three Musketeers, only...less French". 😅😅

• This diamond scene is split into three parts. You have the fun 'adventures' of the little boys (and later Olivia) at the palace, split in between by a slightly more sombre tale of little Hana's loneliness. The narrative voice in all three is very much that of a child, and focuses on Liam's and Hana's imaginations, so as to make their childhood stories more real to us while still providing us background information about the country's recent history (the "recent history" bit doesn't apply to Hana, though, since she is in China at the time).

- Pirate Adventures at The Palace Courtyard: Liam, Drake and Maxwell pretend to be pirate kings, battling rivals on the palace courtyard. After rescuing Maxwell from being stuck on the branches of a tree, the trio decide to continue their adventures on the gardens that are his mother's brainchild, but are stopped by a palace guard. Liam is briefly saddened by this, but is comforted by Drake and Maxwell. The boys then decide to continue playing in the palace kitchens. This scene begins by focusing on the antics of the little ones, but is really about the changed atmosphere in the palace that the boys themselves were too young to notice at the time.

(We also find out which place in TCaTF the Beaumonts originated from, since young Maxwell refers to himself as a pirate from Panrion in both scenes that he is in *cue Lizzy looking very very smug because I've been saying the Beaumonts were from Panrion/someplace in Ebrimel since way back in Book 2*)

The MC has options to respond to this tale (either about whether they were always this naughty, or about the increased security in the palace). In response to her question about the three of them, the boys tell us that Liam was known for being a free spirit and would skip many diplomacy meetings before he even met the other two (again, Constantine, Liam was A CHILD). If you ask the question they want you to be asking, however, about the increased security in the palace, Drake and Maxwell will tell you the security wasn't as strict earlier, and Liam will explain that the royal family had recently received threats at the time, and his parents were a lot more tense and on-edge than usual. Either way, you either get to know a bit about the political atmosphere at the time, or realize that little Liam wasn't the heavily burdened one we met on that first night in New York.

- Pretend-Teatime with a Young Hana: Hana continues on this thread of conversation by focusing on the bond between the boys, commenting on how she never grew up with that kind of experience. To which Drake and Maxwell have these reactions:

@Drake, pls fall on a cactus.

@Maxwell. Honey. She said this to you yesterday. She's probably said this more than once. You've seen her parents!! Wtf kind of friend are you if you can't even take what she said seriously the first time?

@Hana pls get yourself better friends 😭

Like @callmetippytumbles said in her response to this scene, I have no patience for this kind of selective stupidity.

So Hana's scene is technically a call-back to something she once told the MC back in Book 1 Chapter 6, when they were on their way to the post-Derby tea party with Queen Regina. At the time, Hana spoke of her parents not allowing her toys because they thought them frivolous, and how she had to make do with whatever was lying around instead. We actually see this happen in reality here. We see her PoV of what her inanimate objects do, we see her practicing court etiquette on these objects with her tea set, and we see her leave space for her asshole mother even though Lorelai doesn't deserve that much respect or consideration. There is a lot to unpack in this scene and I want to do that in my General Thoughts section later on...but for now I'll just say that it broke my heart, and not just in an "oh poor Hana" way.

- The Attack from Lythikos: I love this sequence too, not only because it shows us Olivia, a younger Constantine and Liam's mother Eleanor, but because the narrative framing in itself alludes to what happened between Lythikos and the Capitol earlier through the pirate story. Liam and Olivia still speak in the language of their story, but the sequence actually plays out what happens in their real lives. Olivia attacks the pirates, but is left desolate, sword broken, at the end of it (just like her parents tried to, and died in the process - leaving an innocent Olivia alone without support). Liam offers her terms that would give her safety and protection, and in return, she asks to be Pirate Queen and for Drake's sword - which he reluctantly gives.

Constantine mistrusts Olivia and attempts to limit her natural abilities and instincts, but it is Liam's empathy, support and validation of her pain, that eventually makes her the steadfast ally that she becomes as an adult - not Constantine's paranoia. Had Liam followed Constantine's lead, the chances of Olivia falling into the trap of subscribing to her aunt's beliefs would have been much much higher, and Constantine would have found himself at the receiving end of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The narrative may also be implying how deep Eleanor's own impact on her son must be, long after her death, since the narrative frames him as adopting her way of dealing with situations often.

In any case the narrative allows us to see the children as they were before their individual tragedies changed them (except in Olivia's and Hana's cases - where they were still struggling to survive the situations they were in), and allows us to see what shaped them into the adults they are today.

The MC then gets to ask one of two questions: either why Constantine treated Olivia so badly, or about the arguments his parents were having. We learn from these that this incident was shortly after Liam became friends with her and his parents brought her to the palace (this references both Liam's conversation about Olivia to the MC in Book 1 Chapter 7, and Lucretia's complaints about Constantine "keeping Olivia hostage" in her diamond scene in Book 3).

• Possibly this may not be the only scene of its kind we will see. Possibly the next few may be Drake-centric, since we may actually meet Bianca in a few chapters. But these scenes may definitely have an impact on dialogue later, just like how learning of the assassination attempt in Drake's Italian Restaurant Scene and Eleanor's death in Liam's Fydelia Balcony Scene in Book 2 are referred to later (if bought) in the hospital scene with Constantine.

• In any case, we leave the past in the past (for now), and move towards Valtoria's throne room. Where we meet Penelope, just back from her first canine fashion show, Kiara who tells us she has everything kept under control (you always do boo 😍) and Madeleine who is all up our uterus.

• She mentions King Bradshaw from Auvernal and his "impossible to control" wife, then mentions a Queen Amalas immediately after without bothering to tell us where this person is from. WTF? At least tell me the name of her goddamn country if she's another person!! You'd just have to say Queen Amalas of ChickenFeetonia and I would understand.

• ...you're telling me the Queen of this country (in my playthrough) has barely looked at a map of the place she's ruling or checked out who rules what?? You're telling me that the Royal Communications Director is STILL going to give her a gazillion flash cards to read something that she could sum up in five minutes, at the very last minute? Bitch what have you been doing this entire time? Touching up your manicure??

•

@Penelope: No you're not.

@Kiara: STOP ENABLING HER, KIKI, AND GET YOURSELF BETTER FRIENDS.

@Madeleine: Pls fall on a cactus.

• Madeleine hasn't been here for even five minutes and already I've had enough of her entitled ass. "Little apple gestating in your womb"...just...I can't. Ugh. Get your nosy nose out of my oven!!

• Remember how I told you guys about how apple analogies may be used to denote fertility? (mostly because RoE spoke of this apple cutting ceremony and it was a very obvious indicator towards apple metaphors being used to describe pregnancy and childbirth).

• I facepalmed when Kiara agreed with her but she's also probably thinking "well see this is why they call me the smart courtier. I don't have to deal with this shit anymore and now you do" (she isn't wrong).

• WELL HELLO OLIVIA.

• She informs us that we're expected at the solarium. I have a solarium?

• Apparently it was Mara's honeymoon gift to us. More like her "sorry Bastien and I screwed up last book" gift, I'd say.

• So wait where was this roster Liam was speaking about in the last book's epilogue? I see one Cordonian noble and one Englishman who until my wedding wanted to have nothing to do with Cordonia, and who's now bleating "our country, our kingdom, we're under attack" like a panicking patriotic nanny goat.

• Why can I not see Emmeline here, who is clearly the expert on her duchy? (I mean like. Landon is nice, but I'd really like to see more women in this Council too). Also does Kiara's inclusion into the Council cancel out the presence of her father Hakim, who is a seasoned diplomat and might possibly have some really good suggestions for dealing with these foreign powers (and seriously he'd be a better option than Godfrey anyway).

• Now Esther has a suggestion! Let's see what it is...

• A royal ball, apparently. Which...given the company, I'm sure it probably would be appropriate but I'm pretty sure we'll need to have more than that in place. I'm pretty sure the people in this council should either be finding out whether the person making these suggestions knows anything about these issues or whether she is simply talking out of her ass. This was a problem last book as well. The MC rarely feels the need on her own to explore these situations more, is okay with just learning things last minute and rolling with it and has the same solution to everything. It's either tours or balls but very little actual exploration of the situation. (I mean there is even a point where she barely shows any empathy at Portavira - even though they're still reeling from a bunch of natural calamities - and thinks it's appropriate to tell them to come for her wedding anyway. No wonder Liam panicked and started giving her diplomacy lessons, stat!) I'd actually take the MC seriously if she were doing her research and her suggestions weren't so shallow and one-note.

• Hana is grinning and giving justifications like this suggestion makes sense. STOP. ENABLING. HER. HANA.

• I especially want to know what Liam's experiences with these dignitaries have been. Both last chapter and this one, I'm seeing him in a position where he is defiant and digging his heels into whatever ideas he is having, but I don't know the context yet and would like to make sense of that. From whatever I've read so far...Liam took the year following Leo's abdication to familiarize himself with taking the front seat in negotiations, and probably may have been familiar with this kind of situation and the kind of people involved even before he became Crown Prince. It makes me wonder how difficult negotiating with them has been, and I want to see why Liam is so done with these people, so fed up. We're missing some context here and I think learning at least a little more than these scraps would have been better for everyone.

• I like that they remember Kiara as the only one outside of the charmed six to get a seat in this council (Kiki deserves the best). I also liked how succintly she summed up Drake and Hana's points about what the heightened taxes are doing to the people as "a reminder that we're not just here for ourselves".

• I find the entire idea of Drake Walker being the sole commoner representative in the Council laughable, especially in a narrative where every other commoner barely has a face, hardly has a name, and almost never has a voice. A man who has spent a huge chunk of his life in a palace, and who I've hardly seen even interacting with a commoner in the story...I'm expected to believe he will have great insights on commoner issues?? Even in this meeting, it's Hana who does a better job explaining this situation (she's the one highlighting the tax issues) than he does. Then again this Council also somehow gave a seat to Duke Karlington - a man who literally never had Cordonia's best interests in mind last book, and who only ended up attending our wedding because we had to be brought in as family counselors to settle HIS family disputes (I mean lol Godfrey how can you call this wedding a disaster when it caused you to magically become so "patriotic"!)

For God's sake, I want to see other commoners on this council. I want people who are actually living these experiences highlighting their issues. This is an issue I have with the MC too. She started out a commoner herself a waitress who wouldn't even flinch at the sight of rats in a dumpster. For someone of that background and who has possibly lived under the worse circumstances than some Cordinians themselves, you'd think that she'd have questions and show interest in how the people who aren't owning lands and are regular individuals on the street live their lives, and whether things are okay for them. But she's so immersed in the world of nobility that she rarely ever even tries to come out.

• Before Liam takes into account everyone's points and comes to a conclusion, the MC has the opportunity to give them her opinion. She can either say that we can't trust anyone, which Godfrey agrees with, or that an alliance would be good for Cordonia, which Godfrey views as naive, OR (and I didn't expect to like this response but I actually do) that she's a waitress from the States, and wouldn't know all that much about this situation. To which there isn't much of a reaction as such, but that's kind of what seems different about this book compared to the others.

• Once the meeting is wrapped up, our LI and Maxwell/Hana whisper in a corner about a surprise they have in store, and take us upstairs to show us what it is. If you're marrying any of the other three, Maxwell is the one who has arranged and picked out themes and colour schemes for the nursery. If you're married to Maxwell, Hana takes over this role.

• Ooooh. New (I think!) baby music! Nice. Very lullaby-like.

• Every design has these basic components:

a crib with a pillow (which I think will be updated later)

a couch nearby, likely for comfort when the mother wants to breastfeed (the updated versions seem to have a footrest)

a table with a lamp

three empty frames (also to be updated. I'm guessing for one of those "my first hand/foot impression" kind of thing and maybe even photoshoots etc)

a ceiling lamp/chandelier

a hook, also on the ceiling.

The two updated versions have footrests, updated lamps and ceiling decorations, additional carpet and customized designs (except for the crib and the pictures and the hook, which I think will be updated later). The Royal Glam theme is all reds and golds, very luxurious and very Valtoria. The Fairytale Forest theme has more whimsy, with bears, foxes, leaves, flowers and apples on the wallpaper, wood paneling, a beautiful golden lamp. Very pretty. Both seem to reference the MC's journey in TRR: her being either a Royal and the closest thing to one, and her journey being very fairytale-like (remember, the same logic was used for Hana's "something blue" gift for the MC's - where she views her as Cinderella).

• Only problem is...who exactly buys a nursery before they have a baby! Especially considering how unpredictable pregnancy and childbirth can be.

• We now meet Dr Ramirez for an appointment. I'm not sure about her suggestion that prenatal vitamins etc they will deal with after she has conceived. I know a number of people who did pre-pregnancy appointments and vitamins and folic acid were on the top of the list of things they'd start a routine with.

• As expected, all the appointments go roughly the same, with the usual answers to the usual questions (one about sushi, another about morning sickness and a last one about potential complications). The MC and LI are in the clear, and can start preparing - but apparently shouldn't stress. LMAO. Thank you doctor, I'm sure that will be easy to do in this country 😂

• Hana's goes differently, and it's clear this doctor's visit was primarily written to address her situation with the MC. The tests go differently, the suggestions given to them are different, the questions the MC asks (one about choosing donors, when they should start, and who should carry the child). The bombshell that immediately follows this is:

Wow. Seriously. Wow. You couldn't find a more temporary reason for why the MC has to be the one conceiving? It has to be something that would make her overall ability to conceive almost impossible?? (and this we find after one test? No follow ups?) I recall someone putting up/reblogging these screenshots with a caption about how the narrative pretty much took Hana's entire ability to conceive from her, and it's so true - and so disturbing when you place it in the context of how they've dealt with her issues so far (more on this later).

• In Hana's playthrough, she struggles with implications of this news, but constantly tries to veer the focus back to "well at least one of us can is able to have this baby". Twice, she is shown moving away from her pain to ask about the other possibilities for the MC.

• Anyway...we now move to the next morning, when the couple wake up to bad news - and it's concerning the pictures taken during their honeymoon. Given that Maxwell/Hana is holding a magazine when they tell the MC they found out who was responsible...I wonder if it's one of our news outlets. Or whether it's a foreign media rep.

• So I guess this complicates things at our Ball, since we're already on thin ice and this news would have spread to those other dignitaries as well. So we're going to have to deal with whatever implications come with those pictures (perhaps a spin on the royal gang having fun while Cordonia is in a national crisis? Who knows. It would be hypocritical of Cordonians and people from other neighbouring countries to judge the couple over the babymaking that they themselves were enforcing on these two!)

• In any case...royal ball this week. And in the universe of PB's stories that usually means some shit will go down.

General Thoughts and Observations:

• The funny thing about the MC's responses now is that her heightened position now seems to allow her to get away with a lot more than she used to. Now if she gives a joke response, the media and people laugh with her rather than at her. If she is a diva, the crowd will lap it up. I'm guessing what the book is trying to imply is that these are the people she has won over and doesn't exactly need to worry about, and now the ones she will have to convince are from other, more powerful countries - ready to back Cordonia into a corner anytime.

• As you can tell by now, I absolutely loved the childhood sequences. They sounded like children, most of the narrative lines up with what was already said in the previous series, and there were some interesting narrative devices used here.

• I think the third sequence especially drives home the point about what Liam did right, even as a young boy, and what Constantine refusing to look past Olivia's lineage to see her as an individual could have cost him. Constantine's ruthlessness and lack of genuine care for his bonds/friendships (eg. Hakim) had him in a position where he was unable to relate to anyone beyond his own tiny bubble (even his own wife Regina was taking countermeasures to make the best of his horrid plan), and had him make decisions that did more harm than good. For instance, take what he did to the MC, for no fault of her own other than that he didn't think she'd be a good Queen. Not only was what he did utterly disgusting, but it also would have made his own family a subject of shame in the country (which is why Constantine practically begs her never to expose him, because then Liam would be paying the price). Imagine what would have happened if Constantine didn't agree with Liam and perhaps Eleanor, never brought Olivia to the palace, and Liam had never shown her his constant support. Liam's genuine empathy in this case pretty much ensured the safety of his own line.

• I also love the implications of that sequence. Constantine is so wrapped up in his fear that he tries to break what Olivia considers most precious (Zenobia the sword in this case, but this could allude to her parents' deaths and later, her possible marriage to Liam at his Coronation). Liam attempts to fill that gap by taking her in, caring for her, and giving her the tools to continue being the Lythikos fighter she has always been.

• There are a few TCaTF references in the palace scenes: Maxwell mentions Panrion twice, and Olivia calls her sword "Zenobia" in honour of her historical hero (she still speaks of Zenobia with something akin to worship during the Winter Festival in Lythikos).

• Olivia's dress is also modelled on Zenobia's, with the same colour and bodice embroidery. In fact most of the clothes are very similar to their adult garments: Drake still wears denim, Maxwell favours dark colours (still should have been chubby though), Liam's clothes are similar to his casual wear minus the ascot, and Hana wears pink, with flower designs on the skirt.

• What I like most are the narrative voices for both Liam and Hana, who are the ones narrating these stories, and how rooted in their imaginations the scenes themselves sound. But there are significant, heartbreaking differences in how we see their imaginations play out:

Here are a few samples of narration I've managed to save from Liam's PoV. Notice how Liam and his friends are so into their little game that they find adventure in everything? Notice the language they use to describe themselves and what they are doing? Once-defiant topiaries shaking in fear at their antics. "Liberating" chocolate tarts. "Conquering" the upper floors. These boys are playing out their dreams and showing us the kind of men they would want to be. The heroes. The victors. The ones everyone looks at with awe and reverence.

This is also not a story Liam is creating alone. Drake and Maxwell happily join in, sink into their characters and display their heroics alongside him. Olivia also joins in and holds her own, and when Liam's father tries to break her spirit, Olivia shows Liam her trust and faith in him by using the language of the game.

On the other hand, here is what the narration technique in Hana's tea scene looks like:

There is a lot to unpack here. A lot. There is perhaps more in this one scene of Hana's than there is in all of Book 3, where she was pretty much pushed to the sidelines.

We were told in Book 1 that Hana had to get creative because she wasn't allowed toys. This was told to us in a rather matter-of-fact way, by a person who was normalized in this way of life and who hadn't yet realized just wrong her upbringing was or how damaged her self of self was. It's perhaps easy to forget this bit of dialogue if you were reading it for the first time because at the end of the day it's spoken of without much gravity.

It's when you see it play out in front of you, in little Hana's voice, from an adult Hana who will now view this entire sequence very, very differently, that the tragedy of it all really hits you. At such a young age she is forced to make do with the little she has: the little she has in terms of things to play with, the little she has in terms of relationships. What the MC says after that sequence is half-right, it's sweet how Hana used her imagination in spite of her parents' rules and strict lifestyle. But what that misses is the burden experiences like that would place on a child in her earliest, more formative years. What stand out to me the most in this sequence are these:

- The most obvious: the use of a 'tea party' to teach herself etiquette and diplomacy. In the present, Hana tells the group that "a lot of what I learned about courtly negotiations, I learned from the tea table". This is the level Hana chooses to focus on after telling her tale, to soften the blow of the story itself.

- The fact that despite her mother's treatment of her, Hana still leaves space for Lorelai. Still wants to believe the best of her, still wants her involved in her life. Lorelai denies her her support and comfort, which is the initial layer to her injustices against Hana. In a lot of ways, even now - Hana is still leaving space for Lorelai, giving her chances to improve, trying to educate her on respecting her boundaries better. It's a long, exhausting process, and Lorelai doesn't deserve the many chances Hana keeps giving her, but Hana is also a person who struggles to completely cut off from the people in her life, controlling and emotionally abusive though they may be.

- At the end of the day, the objects she is giving a life and a personality to, are inanimate objects used for other purposes. Not toys, not real friends. Every last one of them. Miss Doily is kind and caring, Princess Sinckerdoodle is jealous and gives a damn about etiquette (I like how you can see allusions there to Olivia and the MC in the Bakery Ball dialogue!). But they're essentially all objects that cannot move the way her narration describes them as moving. Even dolls and toys, inanimate though they are, are made for the express purpose of allowing a child to participate in pretend play. They can be given a voice, their limbs can be moved, the child can easily turn such a space into an active space with the use of her toys. The doily, the napkin, the sock...these are things Hana will have very little actual control over. They will not be able to move the way she wants them to, do the things she wants them to. Everything has to be happening in her head and there is very little outlet for her other than the few things she has at hand (a similar example of of Hana using scraps we will also find in Book 2, where she draws whiskers on a rock to replicate a toy mouse).

Look again, at the differences in the way Liam narrates his tale and how Hana narrates hers. Liam's is also a fantasy, also uses inanimate objects. But supporting him in building this imaginary universe are his friends, and the parents who both don't stop him from immersing himself in this imaginary world, and have a safe normal (for now) life to return to when those "adventures" are over. On the other hand, Hana has to do the heavy work...in every way. She has to imagine not only the background of what is happening, but also what the objects in front of her are like, what they will do, how they will interact with her, how they will interact with each other.

If I had to replicate such a scene into film, the loneliness of this sequence would perhaps hit harder. A large, empty room. A tiny girl. A tea set and several strange items - and none of them actually move. She is sitting alone, in the dim light, in the silence, talking to these objects that will never respond so she pretends they do, just to chase away that yawning, aching feeling of not having a single friend. All she gets in return is silence. All she finds in front of her is space, and more space. The kind of space that could swallow a child in its emptiness.

And in the center, is a seat left empty. For a mother who doesn't believe her daughter is worth the time.

I think there will be very few who will appreciate the strength it takes to survive a lifetime of that, and that's sad.

• The little Hana sequence reminds me of the animated film Cinderella, particularly in how the main character uses dreams and imagination as an escape from her life of drudgery and the abuse she faces daily. Particularly the song "Sing Sweet Nightingale", where Cinderella's dull world bursts into vivid colour through the soap bubbles that emerge from the washing bucket.

It's a beautiful, soft, almost surreal little sequence...but when you strip it all down to its basics, what you're essentially seeing is a woman so abused by her family and so trapped in this life she does not deserve, that she has to grasp at straws to find joy. Or in this case, soap bubbles.

What Hana faces in her home is perhaps a little more similar to Rapunzel's situation in Tangled than Cinderella's, but there are definite similarities in the way both characters use their imaginations to soothe and comfort themselves. She is forced into a situation where her imagination - and these things that can't respond to her - are all she has, and the only ways she can keep herself safe and happy. That's way too big a burden for a child so young to bear.

• I wonder if there will be more than the memories. Perhaps documents, news clippings, research material that the MC can use to dig further into what's going on in this country. It's possible, but it's also possible that memories will entirely be how we unravel this mess. I was speaking to @thefirstcourtesan the other day and she mentioned that Bianca and Bastien would both be pretty good sources for finding out more - Bastien, after all, had a lot of respect for the second queen and was close to Jackson, and Bianca would have heard certain things from her husband or witnessed something at the very least (and if they were friends, that angle too). I probably would add Lucretia and maybe Anton (if we see them and if they cooperate), Bertrand or someone new who knew Bartamely (if we can find out more about the Beaumont house that would be lovely!), the Lees, and...Francesco? (I still haven't forgotten that Bertrand mentioned him as being a friend of Liam's mother). I also want to see what new information Olivia got from the last time she did her research on any hidden deals or laws that could endanger the kingdom. There are quite a few possibilities in terms of what we could find and how it can be presented, so I'm looking forward to that. This scene was a good start.

• Having said that, this was something they should have been addressing the previous book. If they hadn't spent so much of their focus on all the wrong things, we wouldn't have as much ground to cover as we do now. And I'm not sure they've learned their lesson enough that we will not see the same mistakes repeated this time.

• Why is the system in place to inform and update the MC on what's happening so poor this time. At least earlier, we'd have a fairly good idea of what would be happening next, even if some important stuff was done last minute. Now the explanations themselves are poorly formed and done without proper thought on whether the MC/readers might understand what's going on or not. It doesn't look good on the story, nor does it look good on those characters esp the MC. This is stuff she could have maybe gotten away with as a suitor. But now she is Duchess/Queen, and an influential figure. What looked good in her days as a suitor won't look so good on her now.

• The Royal Council could be a way forward - for the nobility and royalty-heavy narrative to something that shows us more perspectives from the people who really form the backbone of this country - the commoners who actually populate Cordonia's lands and duchies, whose hard work likely keeps the economy running. Just one Drake isn't adequate for that kind of representation - not when he very rarely addresses their issues in the first place. Please tell me there will be more in that Council because the Council as it stands is in no way an improvement on the status quo.

• I've said more than enough about how bizarre and downright OOC Liam sounds, but I do think we should not ignore the context - the fact that every single individual involved is making these demands of the MC and expecting her to save their country through her child without really checking if she has basic knowledge or other resources in place (such as information about the rulers she is meeting). That includes the LIs. It's very easy to make just a character or two a convenient scapegoat, but let's not forget that there isn't a single person in this entire narrative that is bothering to examine the implications. Not a single.

• What really got me angry...was the Hana doctor sequence. Maybe two books ago it would have just hurt - but more on the level of "it hurts to see Hana like this but I have hope for her". Hope that she would have the space to grieve something she had lost before she could ever even have it, hope that the narrative would validate her pain and encourage her healing. But I can't even hope for that anymore.

This is a very very painful, complicated situation to put a person in. And yes, sometimes those are things you want to talk about and finding out you can't have children when you've always wanted to have them is a very real, very difficult situation - and there is a lot you can explore in terms of how a person with these conditions would feel. But the thing is...Hana has already been on the receiving end of multiple tragic storylines. I have already seen enough and more of her in pain. What I'm not seeing is a good - or even adequate - payoff that validates her painful journey and allows for a release of those emotions. I'm constantly seeing more tragedy, less triumph. I'm not seeing enough satisfactory resolution to those many many issues, and I've spent three books just watching her hurt be brushed aside both by the people who bully her AND the people who are supposed to be her friends (let's be real, they're doing it even now). And now is supposed to be a good time to pile up another difficult situation on her???

• Whenever Hana has been forced into situations that hurt her, her emotions and thoughts have always been pushed to the sidelines - unless and until it was to elevate the MC to a pedestal in Hana's eyes. Hana has rarely - if ever - been given the space to speak out against injustices done to her, has rarely been allowed to have an opinion on people who have harmed her.

When the narrative should have been validating what Madeleine put Hana through, they opted to create sympathy for Madeleine instead...and had her completely minimize what she did to Hana ("I'm sure Hana will be willing to let bygones be bygones").

When the narrative should have been allowing her to discover what her sexuality was, they opted not to talk about it at all. They opted to make her MC-sexual instead. Even with the "alternative LI" they planned for her (*pukes*), they focused more on Madeleine's feelings than Hana's.

When the narrative should have allowed her the space to explore what her parents did wrong and arm her against their faulty arguments about her being the "delicate flower" who cannot survive without them, the writers opted to push her into a 'solution' that was still centered around her usefulness, not her emotional state. Her 'happy ending' with her parents involves constantly educating them on how to treat her with respect, a suffocating, draining process for a child with her background.

When the narrative should have - at least - given her a good wedding, after showing us what dreams she had for it, a wedding where she was treated like a bride, not a bridesmaid, her writers did exactly the opposite. She is more skilled than the MC yet it is the MC that gets the duchy. She is the creative one who comes up with the polo moves yet it is the MC that gets the credit. She is the one that didn't have a chance to fully plan her own wedding the way she wanted earlier, yet the same MC still treats her like her wedding planner rather than a bride. In not one of these situations is she ever allowed to vent about or even speak of what this is doing to her.

Maybe they will give her a chance to explore this difficult journey, maybe they won't. But how dare they push another tragic, difficult (to her) truth such as this, when they have barely allowed her to voice discontent or pain on a host of other issues!

Piling more pain on top of the pain a character already has, isn't going to make your character better developed. Allowing them the space to feel and show those feelings to others will. Thinking of worthy resolutions to those issues, will. If you want to be fair to Hana, center her in her story. Expand on her origins. Focus on story not skills. And validate her pain goddammit!!

• Sigh. Until next time, folks.

[peaches-of-1]

Peachtober | Day 22: Ghost (Part 1)

Phantom of the Opera!AU

Phantom!Taehyung x Christine!Reader x Raoul!Chan

This is based off of the film since it is more readily available as a source of reference in regards of scenes and set up. I have never seen the stage play, so there’s that too. Anywhosies, enjoy the not so fictional tale of The Phantom.

Old feeble feet exited the fine carriage with his family coat of arms emblazoned on the side. He had come alone, only a few servants to help bring home whatever he wanted to keep from the old opera house. Now that Chan had gotten older and it was too aged to be enjoyed, he decided to let the public auction off whatever they could salvage. He was helped into his wheelchair and brought inside the opera house.

As he was rolled into a place where he could hear clearly the items being sold, a woman about the same age as him stood tall and regal like her mother always had. She had known Chan for a long time but hadn’t seen him in many years. Of course she’d be here. Their eyes met.

“Soyeon,” his lips silently formed, shocked to see her here.

She had been in America last he knew.

“Lot 665, ladies and gentlemen.” The auctioneer announced as a white gloved man brought it out. “A paper-mache music box in the shape of a barrel organ. Attached, the figure of a monkey is Persian robes playing the cymbals.”

Chan looked away from his old friend Soyeon and to the brown mechanical music box with tarnished cymbals still attached to the poor creature’s hands.

The auctioneer continued to speak as the gloved young man showed it off, “This item was discovered in the theater vaults, still in working order, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Showing here.” The gloved man turned it on.

From the music box played a familiar tune. Chan’s throat tightened, and Soyeon smiled at the memories that the sound brought. It had been a beautiful masquerade…

“2k won. Let’s start at 2k won, anyone?”

A person raised their hand.

“Two thousand, thank you.”

Chan raised his hand slowly, so his maid raised hers to get the attention of the auctioneer for 3k. Soyeon raised her hand. 4k. Then to 5k. 6...7k, sold! To Bang Chan, the former owner of this very theater.

The music box was placed in his elderly hands, A collector’s piece indeed. Every detail exactly as she said. Will you still play when the rest of us are dead? He teared up thinking about her, the one he loved even after all these decades.

“Item 666, then...a chandelier in pieces.”

Silence settled over the small rich crowd. Many of those that were here now were mere babes back then and heard the tale from their parents or perhaps grandparents.

“Some of you may recall the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera, a mystery never fully explained.”

But rather experienced. Soyeon and Chan knew that chandelier very well as they had been there on the very day the auctioneer vaguely described. Perhaps afraid to gain the attention of the old Phantom.

He continued, “We’re told, ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier which features in the famous disaster. Our workshops have repaired and wired it for the new electric light. Perhaps we can frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination.”

Chan scoffed and began a coughing fit. If only he were just a ghost. Soyeon thought to herself why would he be scared now if he wasn’t frightened then?

“Gentlemen.”

The sheet was removed, the lights turned on, and the crystals raised up to the sky. A wave of tumultuous nostalgia rolled over the auction’s patrons.

The shining crystals illuminated the red and golden interior of Korea’s oldest theatre. The halls were alive with the bustling of dancers and singers and actresses and riggers and musicians, etc. of all ages and sizes. Language upon language was spoken whether it be song or native tongue, maybe even learned from another cast or crew member.

Music booklets were handed out by Conductor Himcham as people got ready for the last dress rehearsals before Opening Night in just a few hours. Hair and makeup could be smelled from onstage. Vocals were warmed up and alcoholic drinks were sneakily shared as one of the crew looked through a hole in the wall to see into the ladies’ dressing room.

Junjin and Andy were guided by the former manager, Mir, through the busy halls where they were bowed to since they were new faces but obviously older than much of the cast, a sign of respect. You and Soyeon raced down the steps and dusted your pointe slippers while in costume and talking excitedly.

Mir interrupted the music, “Pardon me. Pardon!” and waited for everything to settle down. “As you know, there have been rumors of my imminent retirement for the past few weeks. I can now tell you that these are all true…”

People gasped and chattered and were silent at the same time.

“It is my pleasure to introduce to you the new gentleman who now own the Opera de la Gu: Park Junjin and Lee Andy.”

The performers applauded knowing that the man’s time had come and hoping these men would treat them right.

Mir continued, “I’m sure you’ve read of their recent fortune they’ve gained in the junk business.”

“Scrap metal, actually.” The shorter of the two said.

The taller spoke, “And we are honored to introduce our new patron to Vicomte de Cheongdam.”

More applause as the young blonde entered, but you rushed to the front to see if it really was him. You looked wide eyed with Soyeon at your side.

“It’s Chris.” You said and looked at her. “Before my father died, at the house by the sea. I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts.”

You couldn’t stop staring at him with a bright smile plastered on your face.

“He called me Little Lotte.” You blushed at the memory.

“Y/N, he’s so handsome!” Soyeon exclaimed.

Chan spoke, “My parents and I are happy to support all the arts, especially the world renowned Opera de la Gu.” He looked at all those he’d be paying to perform for the masses.

A beautiful woman in her full bejeweled and bedazzled costume approached the Vicomte with her hand outstretched or him to hold. When he did, she curtised.

The old owner introduced her, “Gentlemen, Miss Jessica Ho, our lead for five seasons.”

“Brava! Brava!” Her maids and men in waiting cheered, knowing they’d get yelled at if they didn’t.

“Call me Jessi.” Her raspy yet squeaky voice replied.

The chubby man with a fake beard cleared his throat.

“Mister Park Jae-sang.” Mir said to introduce the man.

More applause.

Chan then spoke, “An honor, sunbaenim.” He then looked around. “I believe I’m keeping you from your rehearsal. I’ll be here this evening to stare in your triumph of opening night.”

He gave a small bow and left, but not before Andy and Junjin spoke with him for a moment. Everyone applauded at the tiny speech while Jessi told them sweet farewells. She then went to her makeup crew for touch ups saying how much they loved her.

Himcham called for attention, “Once more from the top, Jae-sang-ssi.”

Mir spoke to the Vicomte, “Thank you so much for your inspiring words. So wonderful and encouraging.”

They all passed by right in front of you and Chris didn’t give you so much as a glance despite your heart calling out to him. You looked down out of embarrassment at getting your hopes up, and Soyeon noticed.

“He wouldn’t recognize me.” You said.

“He didn’t see you.” Your bestie assured.

Her mother spoke to Andy and Junjin, “If you please, my good sirs.” and brushed them off to the side of the stage.

You and other dancers flew past them chained to each other in groups of three while Madame CL looked on to give you notes. She wouldn’t accept anything but the best as you knew from living under her roof since you were young.

“We take particular pride in the excellence of our ballet.”

“I see why.” Andy said. “Especially that little blonde angel.”

The blonde leaned down in a way that only years of training could make graceful and came up in a similar manner.

“Soyeon, my daughter.” Madame CL said, shooting them a frightening glace of warning.

The men and woman moved to scan the rest of the dancers.

Junjin stopped her and pointed his cane at you, “And that exceptional beauty. No relation, I trust?”

“Y/N. Promising talent, Park-nim. Very promising.”

You were too busy practicing your routine with the other girls to realize you were being chatted about, doing splits after coming out of a spin.

“Y/L/N) you say? No relation to the famous violinist?” The shorter man asked.

To which CL responded, “His only child. Orphaned at seven when she came to live and train in the ballet dormitories.”

“An orphan, you say~?” The taller one showed interest.

“I think of her as a daughter, also.” She cut off any hope of pursuing her pupil. “Gentleman, please stand to one side.”

As they were singing, Psy stepped on Jessi’s dress, and she scolded him, breaking character. Even though she was the one who was staring at the new managers instead of where she was supposed to be going. The two men continued to chatter about the girls they found attractive as Psy was being helped onto the large paper mache elephant. Jessi turned to smile at Junjin and Andy, but found their attention elsewhere, making her pout even as she sang the last crescendoing note.

The men failed to hoist up their male lead, causing his hat to fall off. All at once, things fell to pieces.

“I can’t believe it!” Jessi complained. “All they watched, all they want is the dancing!”

Mir had returned to the two men to say, “Well, the Vicomte seems very excited about tonight’s gala.”

The diva herself approached and then chuckled, “I hope he is as excited by dancing girls as the new managers because I will NOT BE SINGING!” She marched off to her dressing room cursing in both Korean and English. “Bring my doggie! Give me my doggie, bye bye.”

Andy looked at the past manager who was going through his last headache, “What do we do?”

Mir sighed, “Grovel. Grovel!”

The men also sighed and began to beg and kneel, pleading her to stay. They were able to calm her down...eventually...by persuading her to sing her solo song from Act III. Two seconds ago she was crying and complaining about her headpiece, but now she was all smiled.

“If my managers command it.” She moved center stage. “Conductor?”

Himcham rolled his eyes, “If my diva commands it.”

“I do!” She replied and then told everyone to shut up as she got ready and the conductor got into place. She sprayed her special throat spray that was a home mix and tasted like rotten bananas.

“Madame.”

“Maestro…” She gave a smile to Andy and Junjin and if the Vicomte was there, she would’ve given her biggest one to him.

Staff cleaning up the seating area stuffed their ears with cotton balls. A luxury not afforded to the rest of the cast.

Jessi began to sing, “Think of me, think of me fondlay when we've said goodbye/Remember me, once in a while please promeese me you'll tryyyyyyyyeeee/When you find that, once agayn, you long to take yer heart back—”

Suddenly, one of the painted backdrops fell on top of Jessi, knocking her down. The canvas, along with her heavy dress made it impossible for her to get back up on her own. She squealed and screamed for help.

“Lift it up!” Someone called.

“He’s here.” Soyeon said, grabbing your hands. “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Everyone looked to see if they could find him in the rafters.

“Good God, S, what is going on up there? How could you let this happen?” Mir yelled.

S, as the rigger was called, turned the wheel to lift the backdrop back into place, “Please, sir, don’t look at me for this. I wasn’t even at my post. I promise there’s no one there, sir. Or...if there is...it must be a ghost.”

Just as he said that, a letter with a red wax skull seal landed at CL’s feet. She was looking for him, but hadn’t seen any trace other than the envelope. She picked it up.

“Madame, these things do happen.” Andy said now that Jessi was on her feet.

Jessi spat back, “For the last three years ‘these things do happen’ and did you stop them from happening?” She pointed at Mir, raging. “NO! No you did not!” Then she turned her rage on the new managers. “And you two! You’re as bad as him with your dumbass ‘these things do happen’!”

She picked up her dress and took off her shoes to throw at them, “Until you stop these things from happening, this thing,” She pointed to herself. “Will not be happening!”

Lead singer and local diva Jessi left calling once more for her dog and her box. This time, she really left. The new managers looked at each other, worried because they’d have to cancel tonight’s show without her.

“Gentlemen, good luck. If you need me, I’ll be in Australia.” Said Mir as he quickly got out of there.

“Jessica Ho is...she will be coming back, won’t she?” Andy asked.

Madame CL chuckled, the opened letter in her hand, “Do you think so, Mister?”

They looked at her.

“I have a message from the Opera Ghost.”

Junjin exclaimed, “Oh, God in Heaven, you’re all obsessed!”

“He welcomes you to his opera house.”

“His opera house?”

CL continued, “And commands that you leave box #15 empty for his use. He also reminds you that his salary is due.”

Any grabbed the note, “His salary?”

She nodded, “Mister Mir used to give him 3,900,000 won a month.”

The tall man gasped and took the leader to read, “3 million 900 thousand?”

“Perhaps you can afford more with the Vicomte as your patron?”

“Madame, I was hoping to make that fact public tonight when the vicomte was to join us at the gala.” Junjin said with troubled eyes. “Obviously, we shall now have to cancel as it appears we have lost our star!” He ripped the paper and threw it onto the ground.

Andy piped up, trying to calm the worried faces, “But surely there must be an understudy?”

The conductor scoffed, “Understudy? There is no understudy for THE Jessi.”

“A full house, Andy! We shall have to refund a full house!”

“Y/N could sing it, sir.” CL said with utmost confidence and knowing what he wanted.

You looked up and glanced between the two men.

Andy looked you up and down, “What? A chorus girl? Don’t be silly, Madame CL.”

“She has been taking lessons from a great teacher.”

“Who?” He looked directly at you.

Returning his gaze with softness, you responded, “I don’t know his name, Sir.”

CL placed her hand on your shoulder, “Let her sing for you, Misters. She has been well taught.”

“Alright.” Andy said, knowing they should at least give you a chance. “Come on, don’t be shy.”

You began to walk to center stage with a bundle of nerves in your stomach, doing your utmost to remember what you had been taught. Of course all that the Angel had helped you learn wouldn’t fail you now, or so you hoped.

“From the beginning of the aria then, please, Y/N-ssi.” Mir said, raising his wand.

Junjin grabbed his friend’s arm, “Andy, this is doing nothing for my nerves.”

“Well, she’s very pretty.” He replied.

You sang the song you had heard for months on end from the wings and were now getting a chance to perform it yourself, “Think of me, think of me fondly/When we've said goodbye~/ Remember me, once in a while/Please, promise me you'll try/When you find that, once again, you long/To take your heart back and be free/If you ever find a moment/Spare a thought for me”

People began to come back to the stage, some half undressed, to see the girl Madame CL held so much affection for sing her heart out with a voice they had not expected. How did she gain such a talent? Musical genius must’ve run in the family. Even from the catwalk, crew stopped arguing about being at their given posts to look down at you and hear you sing.

On stage now in the finished dress, star clips cascaded down your hair. You looked into the audience while music played. This was really happening.

“We never said our love was evergreen/Or as unchanging as the sea/But if you can still remember/Stop and think of me/Think of all the things/We've shared and seen/Don't think about the things/Which might have been”

Chan was watching from Box 5 since he had not been there for the warning letter and no one had passed the news onto him. He watched as memories from your shared childhood played in his mind. CL and Soyeon looked on with pride.

“Think of me, think of me waking/Silent and resigned/Imagine me trying too hard/To put you from my mind/Recall those days, look back on all those times/Think of the things we'll never do/There will never be a day/When I won't think of you”

The Phantom listened from the deepest parts of the catacombs to his pupil’s singing. He had wished to see your performing debut but it had been taken from him. It’d be ok. He’d get his revenge soon enough. Just hearing your voice was blessing enough.

Cymbals crashed gently as horns played.

“Can it be?” Chan asked himself. “Can it be (Y/N)?” He stood and applauded. “Bravo!”

What a change! You're really not a bit the gawkish girl that once you were. The blonde young man thought and then raced down the stairs to make his way backstage and continued to think to himself, Long ago. It seemed so long ago, how young and innocent we were. She may not remember me, but I remember her.

He did not noticed CL lurking behind a doorway curtain.

You remembered to breathe on stage as you focused hard on this part, “We never said our love was evergreen/Or as unchanging as the sea/But please promise me that sometimes/You will think…” you began to vocalize as you had been allowed to do via sheet music and the conductor. “—of me!”

The audience exploded in cheers, whistles, and applause as the music finished. Meeting eyes with Conductor Himcham, he gave you a silent, “Bravo.”

You smiled and lived in the moment, scanning the audience of the awed faces. You had done it!

Now backstage, everyone was drinking and mingling even before the gala began. Chan fought through the crowd to where your dressing room was, being stopped halfway by Junjin and Andy who had chorus girls hanging all over them. Soyeon was also looking for you, knowing you’d be at your father’s shrine.

And you were. A picture of him was there as you lit the white candles on either side of it.

The voice you knew so well came through the vents, “Brava. Brava. Bravissima~”

You then heard Soyeon calling your name, “Where in the world have you been hiding? Really, you were perfect. I only wish I knew your secret. Who is this new tutor?”

With a solemn face, you responded, “Father once spoke of an Angel. I used to dream he'd appear. Now as I sing, I can sense him. And I know he's here. Here in this room, he calls me softly. Somewhere inside, hiding. Somehow I know he's always with me. He, the unseen genius.”

Your blonde childhood friend looked at you with a confused and utterly puzzled expression upon her face, prompting you to explain.

You looked up at her, “Soyeon, when your mother brought me to come live with you, whenever I’d come down here alone to light a candle for my father, a voice from above and in my dreams. He was always there.”

She looked at you with attentive and curious eyes.

“You see, when father lay dying, he told me I’d be protected by an angel. An angel of music.”

Soyeon asked, “Y/N, do you believe...do you think the spirit of your father has been coaching you?”

“Who else, Soyeon? Who?” You replied fervently.

She shook her blonde curls, “Y/N, you must have been dreaming. Stories like this can't come true. 친구, you're talking in riddles, and it's not like you.”

Both of you spoke your thoughts out loud with you calling to the one who taught you for so long, “Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your ​glory.”

With your friend asking, “Who is this angel? This Angel of music.”

“Angel of music, hide no longer, secret and strange Angel.” and Soyeon repeated the plea and reached for your hands.

You looked about the halls, “He's with me even now.”

“Your hands are cold!”

“All around ​me.” You did not hear her words.

She gasped, “Your face, Y/N, it’s white!”

Your attention was elsewhere, “It frightens ​me…”

And finally you met Soyeon’s eyes as she comforted you, “Don’t be frightened.”

CL met you two when you were returning to the main area and said she wanted to speak to you in particular. She guided you to your dressing room and shut the door on some men who wanted to have a “private interview” with the female lead, you. Then the woman turned to you and smiled.

“You did very well, my dear.” She touched your face lovingly and then went to your vanity to pick up a red rose with a ribbon tied around it. “He is pleased with you.”

She handed you the rose which you held and looked at, rubbing the black ribbon with your fingers. She left soon after to allow you to be alone with your thoughts.

It had been a while since Chan had seen the excited managers. He had been distracted by other company members, but was finally close to your door when they called out to him once more.

“Seems like we’ve made quite the discovery with Miss Y/L/N.” Junjin grinned.

Andy added, “Perhaps we could present her to you, dear vicomte?”

“If you wouldn’t mind, this is one visit I would like you make...unaccompanied.” He grabbed the bouquet of flowers Junjin was holding. “Oh, thank you.”

And he gave a bow to CL before he went in since she was coming out at the same time, giving him a polite yet cold smile.

“It would appear that they’ve met before.” The tall man said.

“Indeed.” the other replied.

As he opened the door, Chan paused and stared at the now grown up beauty, “‘Little Lotte let her mind wander.’”

You smiled and laughed to yourself, “Remember that poem too?”

“‘Little Lotte thought: Am I fonder of dolls…’”

Both of your voices said in sync, “‘Or of goblins or shoes?’”

“‘Or of riddles of frocks’” You words overlapped with his own nostalgia.

“Those picnics in the attic.” and then the face you knew from the start kept quoting the poem your father read to both of you as children. “‘ of chocolates?’”

You couldn’t hide your pure happiness at seeing him again, “Father playing the violin…”

He crouched in front of you and held your hands, “As we read to each other dark stories of the North.”

You then made a face, “‘No, what I love best, Lotte said is when I'm asleep in my bed and the Angel of Music sings songs in my head!”

He joined you once more to repeat the line, “The Angel of Music sings songs in my head!”

Your old friend gave a sigh and held you for a moment, “You sounded like an angel tonight.”

You thanked him and then told him what had been told to Soyeon not too long ago.

“Father said, ‘When I’m in Heaven, child, I will send the Angel of Music to you.’ Well, Father is dead, Chris, and I have been visited by the Angel of Music.”

His eyes widened in assurance, “Oh, no doubt about it, and now we got to supper.” Chan stood and made his way to the door.

“No, Chris, the Angel of Music is very strict.” I said.

With a dumb smile, he replied, “Well, I won’t keep you up late then.”

“Chris, no.”

“You must change. I’ll order my carriage.” His hand was on the door. “Ten minutes, Little Lotte...and call me Chan.”

You stood from your chair, calling after him, “No, Chris--Chan, wait!”

The door closed behind your childhood love. You sighed. He had changed so much and yet he was still the boy you adored. Even after all these years, you were still his Little Lotte. You began to get out of your dress with the help of the costumers and took the star pins out of your hair. As you did so, you hadn’t realized you were being locked in once the ladies left.

He was silent as a mouse. Not a single click of the lock to warn you as you tied the front of your sheer and lacy robe which rested upon a pale colored silken slip. Soon, a wind caused your candles to go out, the only source of light in your room. A voice came from the vents. One you knew so well and had been expecting.

“Insolent boy! This slave of fashion basking in your glory! Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor sharing in my triumph!”

You looked around for the source of the voice, “Angel! I hear you! Speak, I listen. Stay by my side, guide me!” You placed a hand over your heart as you gazed at the floor. “Angel, my soul was weak, forgive me. Enter at last, Master!”

The husky tone replied, “Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror. I am there inside!”

Following his orders as usual, you faced the mirror and saw a figure cloaked in black, a white mask covering half of a face. What was behind yourself. He was not there, not a reflection but past your own image. Behind the mirror itself is where he stood.

“Angel of Music! Guid and guardian! Grant to me your glory! Angel of Music, hide no longer! Come to me, strange angel.” You sang as the very mirror opening along with the wall.

“I am your Angel…” He held out his hand to you and you approached. “Come to me: Angel of Music”

Even the violent rattling of someone trying to get in did not break the gaze you had on your angel.

It was Chan, with gloves in his hands, who had come to get you. He was worried for your safety, confused as to why the door had been locked in the first place.

“Whose is that voice?” He asked to himself. Then he called through the door. “Who is that in there?” your childhood crush called from outside though you did not hear anything at all.

No sensation did you feel or process other than the alluring figure before you. Even as Chris called your name, all you heard was the voice of the Phantom as you took his outstretched hand, covered in black.

“I am your Angel of Music...Come to me: Angel of Music”

“Y/N!”

You both then travelled the secret halls as he led you down the surprisingly well lit pathway. He kept his hand holding yours firmly and looked back at you to make sure you were still there from time to time. Sometimes, you looked back because you had no idea what was going on. Where you were.

Thoughts flowed through your mind at this sudden reveal, In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came. That voice which calls to me and speaks my name. And do I dream again? For now I find the Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind.

He pulled you forward with motivations of his own passing though his head, Sing once again with me our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet.

“And though you turn from me to glance behind~” Oh he noticed, but assured you that, “The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind.” as if he could read your thoughts.

The two of you went down some steps now. This was a place so very unfamiliar to you although much of your formative years had been spent running the halls of the Opera House. He helped you into a gondola that helped to cross the ever flooded part of the theatre vaults.

A gate rose to reveal what looked like his home. There was a bed. Pianos. Candelabras with intricate detailing. As soon as you hit land, the Phantom threw off his cloak and stared at you as your eyes looked curiously around his lair. The Phantom’s Lair, beneath the Opera House. Music sheets and aged posters for past shows were everywhere.

You let yourself speak aloud, “Those who have seen your face draw back in fear. I am the mask you wear--”

“It's me they hear…”

“Your spirit and my voice in one combined. The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind.” Both of you sang, changing certain possessives respectively.

Something deep inside of you warned to beware the Phantom of the Opera.

He sang as you looked around at his expansive lair, “In all your fantasies, you always knew that both man and mystery--”

“Were both in you…” The words came from your mouth before you could stop them.

They made him smile as you joined voices once again, “And in this labyrinth, where night is blind the Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind…”

He then demanded, “Sing, my Angel of Music!”

As always, you sang out what your heart held, “He's there, the Phantom of the Opera~” followed by a wordless melody since no words in any language that you knew could describe what you felt.

As he goaded you on with “Sing!” you let your voice crescendo and go up an octoave.

“Sing for me! Sing, my Angel of Music!”

Higher still.

“Sing for me!”

You reached the highest part of your register in order to make him proud, to please the mysterious man that gave you your voice in the first place. He seemed to smile behind that half mask of his. A beautiful face from what you could see, hidden behind porcelain.

He then spoke as you walked arm in arm, “I have brought you yo the seat of sweet music's throne. To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music. Music…” he breathed. “You have come here for one purpose and one alone. Since the moment I first heard you sing, I have needed you with me to serve me, to sing for my music. My music…”

With a firm stance, he stilled your movements and met your eyes for a moment, “Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses. Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. ”

He moved your gaze to him and held you so that the two of you were in the perfect position for a waltz. The only sound was his voice. The only feeling was of his hands on your body. The only sight was his face.

“Turn your face away from the garish light of day. Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night. Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams. Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!”

You breathed in his scent of everlasting petrichor.

“And you'll live as you've never lived before.” He promised as the two of you turned in endless circles. “Softly, deftly, music shall surround you. Feel it, hear it closing in around you. Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind in this darkness which you know you cannot fight the darkness of the music of the night.”

You knew you could belong to him fully, but what about Chris? A memory of his blonde hair glowing in the candle’s flame came to mind.

A firm grip on your hand pulled you back to the one in front of you, “Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before, let your soul take you where you long to be.”

Your eyes did not leave his form even as you noticed beautiful busts and commissioned artwork as well. None of them could compare to the striking looks of the Phantom.

His deep voice lulled you as the spinning stopped and he stared intently into your eyes, tan skin and dark eyes persuading you, “Only then can you belong to me.” his hands held your face and slid down to your shoulders. The look in his eyes looked as if they couldn’t believe you were actually in his grasp.

He turned you around, hands gliding across the front of your corset to hold you passionately from behind as he continued to serenade you. “Floating, falling, sweet intoxication.” Gloved hands.

One held your own as you leaned into him. The other on your hip. Eyes closed, you breathed him and his husky melodic voice into yourself.

“Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation.” He placed your hand upon the unmasked side of his face.

Skin to skin contact that made you shiver. You wanted to face him once more, so you did. Opening your eyes, you saw how much he craved you.

“Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write. The power of the music of the night.”

Again, he linked his arm into yours and walking commenced. He took you somewhere else, to behind a curtain where you saw yourself. A 3D version of you head to toe in wedding attire. Seeing such an image made you faint.

Taehyung realized he might have taken things a little too fast, seeing as he was now carrying his affection’s unconscious body in a princess hold all the way to his ben where his love could lay until waking from her exhaustion. Suddenly being the lead in a show to this might have been too much for her.

Y/N had worked so hard tonight with her stage debut as the lead. All the adoration. However, all she needed was him. Taehyung knew she’d come to realize that.

““You alone can make my song take flight. Help me make the music of the night.” he asked as he touched her face, so glad and still unbelieving she was with him.

All he could do was stare at her as the curtains around the bed closed around Y/N who seemed to glow. The Opera Ghost was just a man who had been treated like a monster, who had fallen in love from afar. And he would have his love, and his love would have him. All he had to do was wait.

You awoken to the sound of rhythmic cymbals and a light tune. Where had you woken up? Whose room had such a monkey as a music box? No one that you knew, was it? You saw the box through black lace curtains which you spread apart in order to stand, your white and sheer pull over floating about your feet.

“I remember there was mist,” You said to yourself as you began to walk into the main room. “Swirling mist upon a vast, glassy lake. There were candles all around, and on the lake, there was a boat.”

Emerging from the bedroom, you saw the candles from your hazy memory.

“And in the boat, there was a man.”

Alas, there was the man still in his white mask as he turned towards you. He must’ve heard you talking to yourself above his organ keys. You couldn’t help but give him a smile and find your way towards him though he turned to nervously stare at the ivories before him.

“Who was that shape in the shadows?” You asked him directly. “Whose is the face in the mask?” At his one sided blush, you giggled. “What is your name?”

“Vuh...V, but please, my dear Y/N, call me Taehyung or Tae. Whatever is to your preference.” He kissed your hand which soon traveled to his face.

Your gentle hands caressed his tanned and glistening cheeks while watching him revel in the touch. However, you had always been the curious type and you wanted to see his entire face, what was behind the mask.

“Tae, what a beautiful name. I’m sure you have an even more beautiful face.” As soon as the mask had been removed from his visage, he whipped around in anger.

You gasped.

“Damn you! You little prying Pandora!” He screamed as you saw his face. “You little demon, is this what you wanted to see?”

The man stared at his face, half of which was deformed with scars and large bumps and let sorrow creep in for a moment before returning to chastising the one who revealed such a side.

“Curse you! You little lying Delilah! You little viper!” He hissed, spraying spittle onto your cowering form. “Now you cannot ever be free!”

The man saw the pure fear in your eyes and walked away, knocking down an array of paper weights.

“Damn you...Curse you!” Frustration seeped into his tone as he covered his deformity with one hand.

Was he cursing your or himself at this point? That you could not tell, but tears threatened to spill as you wiped your face and began to sit up in your white corset and undergarments as you still weren’t properly dressed.

Then he began to speak again, Stranger than you dreamt it. Can you even dare to look Or bear to think of me--this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell, but secretly yearns for heaven? Secretly...secretly, Y/N.”

W...H...Heaven? Was he calling you his Heaven? Tae looked at the false figure of you in a wedding gown and floral veil. This glance had seemingly given him an idea as he stated his thoughts aloud.

His eyes seared into yours as he came towards you, “Fear can turn to love. You'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster…”

To call himself a monster, to make all the assumptions wasn’t fair to either of you. Yes, you had taken his mask, but you did not think of his face being worth damnation.

“This repulsive carcass, who seems a beast But secretly dreams of beauty. Secretly, secretly...Oh, Y/N.” He hid his face behind his hand once more now that he was sitting next to you on the floor.

Your tears fell down your face due to pity--no--compassion for all that this man had come to believe about himself. All of these lies...all of his life it seemed. You reached out your hand holding the mask in it, returning it as you felt guilty for what you had done, causing so much of his pain to come to the surface.

The clock tolled as he stuck the mask back onto his affected side.

“Come,” his husky voice said as he offered his hand. “We must return. Those two fools who run my theater will be missing you.”

Junjin read the headline of a paper which echoed the same thing as all the others, “‘Mystery after gala night,’ It says, ‘Mystery of soprano’s flight!’” He scoffed and handed the paper to one of the theatre assistants. “‘Mystified,’ baffled 경찰 say. ;We are mystified. We suspect foul play!’”

The man folded up his sleeves and sighed before he continued walking, “Bad news on soprano scene. First our Jessi, now Y/N. Still at least the seats get sold since gossip's worth its weight in gold.” He smiled in spite of everything. “What a way to run a business, spare me these unending trials. Half your cast disappears, but the crowd still cheers. Opera! To hell with Gluck and Handel It's a scandal that'll pack 'em in the aisles!”

However, Andy had a different view of things, nearly screeching as he saw his business partner, “Damnable! Will they all walk out? This is damnable!”

“Andy, please don't shout. It's publicity, and the take is vast. Free publicity--”

“But we have no cast!” The shorter man hissed.

Junjin motioned to the door outside, “But Andy, have you seen the queue?” and then he noticed familiar handwriting on pristine white paper. “Oh, it seems you've got one, too.”

Andy rolled his eyes and read the bothersome letter:

“Dear Andy, what a charming gala! Y/N enjoyed a great success. We were hardly bereft when that Jessi left. Otherwise, the chorus was entrancing, but the dancing was a lamentable mess.”

The taller man took his turn to read his own note:

“Dear Junjin, just a brief reminder that my salary has not been paid. Send it care of the Ghost by return of post. P.T.O. No one likes a debtor, so it's better if my orders are obeyed!”

Both of the men exclaimed, “Who would have the gall to send this? Someone with a puerile brain!”

Looking at both letters, Junjin noticed, “These are both signed ‘O.G.’”

“Who the hell is he?”

“Opera Ghost!” They immediately realized.

Andy leaned against the bannister, “It's nothing short of shocking.” the two men went back and forth with their comments.

“He's mocking our position--”

“In addition, he wants money--”

“What a funny apparition--”

“To expect a large retainer--”

“Nothing plainer--”

“He is clearly quite insane!” Andy scoffed.

Suddenly, a rather angry and irritated voice called, “Where is she?”

The men looked behind themselves to see it was their patron Bang Chan.

Andy asked, “You mean Jessi?”

The blonde nearly laughed, “I mean Miss Y/N, where is she?”

Junjin shrugged, “Well, how should we know?”

“I want an answer.” Chan said firmly. “I take it that you sent me this note.”

The taller man was puzzled, “What’s all this nonsense?”

“Of course not!” Andy said with his friend replying soon after, “Don’t look at us.”

The young man thought out loud, “She’s not with you, then?”

Both of the older men spoke at the same time having “Of course not!” overlap with “We’re in the dark.”

“Sunbaenim, don’t argue. Isn’t this the letter you wrote?” Chan showed his own note from his jacket pocket.

Junjin brushed his hair back, “And what is is that we're meant to have wrote?..er, written.” he said correcting his grammatical mistake.

Their blonde patron handed the shorter of the two older men the note to read.

“Do not fear for Miss Y/N as The Angel of Music has her under his wing. Make no attempt to see her again.”

The three men looked at each other, mystified.

Chan then broke the stares, “If you didn't write it, who did?”

Jessi and her entourage burst into the room with the singer yelling, “Where is he?”

“Ah, welcome back,” Andy said sarcastically.

“Your precious patron. Where is he?” She said.

He made himself known with a bow towards the woman, “What is it now?”

The overly made up woman squawked, “I have you latter, a letter which I rather resent.” 

“And did you send it?” Junjin asked.

Chan shook his head, “Of course not!”

Andy added, “As if he would…”

“You didn’t send it?” Jessi questioned with disbelief.

“Of course not!” The patron repeated.

“What’s going on?” the taller former scrap metal businessman asked.

Jessi held out the note, “You dare to tell me that this is not the letter you sent?”

“And what is it that I'm meant to have sent?” Bang Chan reached out a gloved hand and read this note.

“Your days at the {Opéra Populaire} are numbered. Y/F/N will be singing on your behalf tonight. Be prepared for a great misfortune should you attempt to take her place.”

Both of the new managers took their star soprano by the arm and spoke in tandem, “Far too many notes for my taste, and most of them about Y/N. All we've heard since we came is Miss Y/L/N's name.”

Madame CL’s voice suddenly came out of nowhere, “Miss Y/N has returned.” she said from behind the gaggle of employees with her daughter Soyeon right beside her.

Chan’s heart nearly lept out of his chest, “I hope no worse for wear--”

“As far as we’re concerned,” Andy added getting a cold glare in return.

Before anything more could happen, Junjin asked, “Where precisely is she now?”

CL responded directly, “I thought it best that she was alone.”

“She needed rest,” Soyeon piped up.

The angelically handsome patron stepped forward, “May I see her?”

A shake of the head as the older woman answered, “No Chan-nim, she will see no one.”

Jessi and her love asked, “Will she sing? Will she sing?”

With a partial smirk, CL said, “Here, I have a note.”

Everyone surged forward demanding that she let them see the note, but Junjin was the only one who added ‘Please’ and so she gave it to him.

“Gentlemen, I have now sent you several notes of the most amiable nature, detailing how my theater is to be run. You have not followed my instructions. .I shall give you one last chance. Y/N has returned to you, and I am anxious her career should progress. In the new production of Il Muto, you will therefore cast Jessi as the pageboy and put Miss Y/N in the role of Countess. The role which Miss Y/N plays calls for charm and appeal. The role of the pageboy is silent which makes my casting--in a word--ideal I shall watch the performance from my normal seat in box 5, which will be kept empty for me. Should these commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant

                                             ~ O.G.”

Jessi scoffed and rolled her eyes while she exclaimed, “Y/N! It's all a ploy to help Y/N! I know who sent this, The Vicomte—her lover!”

Chan feigned surprise, “Indeed?” before looking over at Soyeon. “Can you believe this?”

As Jessi began dramatically lamenting in English, Andy tried to soothe her by saying, “여왕님! This changes nothing. You are our star! 여왕님, we don't take orders .”

Junjin wanted less drama, so he tried to comfort the diva as well, “This is a joke. 여왕님! The man is mad!”

She wasn’t taking any of it, though, “Traitors! Liars! Bitches! Hos! I can’t believe I ever--”

“Miss Y/N will be playing the pageboy—the silent role.” The black haired manager said.

Andy caught on quickly, “Jessi will be playing the lead.”

Although it’s what she wanted, the diva wasn’t going to bend that easily, “It's useless trying to appease me! You're only saying this to please me!”

Madame CL did her best to warn the two men, “Who scorn his word beware to those. The angel sees, the angel knows.”

Jessi packed up all her things with the help of her crew, “You have reviled me! You have rebuked me! You have replaced me!”

Chan literally did not have time for this, so he went to find wherever his love had gone, “Why did Y/N fly from my arms?”

The managers were still grovelling, “여왕님, pardon us. Please 여왕님, we beseech you.”

As the main doors to the theatre opened, there were dozens if not hundreds of men with roses. Before any of them could ask to give their roses to Y/N, the doors were closed and the managers used this to their advantage.

Andy held out his hand to the long haired woman, “Your public needs you~”

Junjin followed suit, doing the same, but on the other side, “We need you, too~”

Still pouting, Jessi replied, “Wouldn't you rather have your precious little ingénue?”

“여왕님, no!” The managers said in unison. “The world wants you.”

After getting Jessi’s dressing room back in order and much practice and constant praises being sung nonstop, the opera was coming soon. Tomorrow in fact. Makeup and rehearsals seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye, all the while Madame CL trying to warn them that this was a bad idea. This would not turn out well, ignoring and blatantly going against the Phantom’s wishes. However, they would not listen.

Andy shrugged, “We get our Opera.”

“She gets her limelight.” Junjin explained away the concerns.

Meanwhile, Chan was worried and thinking very deeply about what all of this could mean, “Y/N spoke of an ​angel. Is this her angel of music...? Angel or madman? Orders, warnings. These lunatic demands! Surely, for her sake…I must see these demands are rejected!”

Madame CL helped clean up stray clothing while the cast was getting dressed, “Heaven help you ​those who doubt. This miscasting will invite damnation. Oh fools, to have flouted his warnings! Think, before ​these demands ​are ​rejected!”

Who'd believe a diva happy to relieve a chorus girl who’s gone and slept with the patron? Chan and the second string entwined in love's duet! Although he may demur, he must have been with her!

Junjin scratched his head, “You'd never get away with all this in a play.” and wiped the sweat from his brow as he himself got dressed for opening night.

Andy offered him a good luck shot of soju, “But if it's loudly sung and in a foreign tongue, it's just the sort of story audiences adore.”

There was no denying that, “In fact ​a perfect opera!”

Chan was dressed in his own formal attire headed towards a certain box as he spoke of his plan to the most trusted Madame CL, “In Box Five a new game will begin…”

Soyeon and the young man spoke their thoughts to the older woman, “Y/N must be protected!”

CL grabbed his arm, “This is a game you cannot hope to win!” but then she sighed. “If his curse is on this opera…Then ​I fear ​the ​outcome should you dare to --”

The play began as a bedazzled and richly dressed crowd gathered in their seats, creating a full house as is always best for a business based on acting and the arts. The intro was great and the actors were so very in character that no one could tell that the lead hated the woman who was playing her male love interest. A comedy. A good laugh or several in fact. It was just that entertaining.

No one knew that vengeance was right around the corner as black gloved hands switched out a certain diva’s throat lubricant with something less helpful.

Jessi as the Countess sang her line, “Serafimo—away with this pretence!” and ripped off a tear away skirt to reveal manly breeches underneath. “You cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence!”

And Jessi spread her fan to hide the false smooch before stepping to the front to sing one of her songs, “Poor fool, he makes me laugh! Hahahahahaha…”

Her vocals very birdlike in tone but more controlled and taught enchanted the audience even more.

“Time I tried to get a better better half!” she gave a large smile.

Countess Jessi sang along with the three person ensemble, “Poor fool, he doesn't know! Hohohohohoho…If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!”

Suddenly, a menacing voice came from above, asking, “Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?”

All music stopped as eyes turned upward and yet unable to see the black cloaked figure which spoke.

Soyeon gasped, “It’s him. It’s the Phantom of the Opera.”

You couldn’t hear her and yet shared the sentiment, “It's him! I know it, it's him!”

Jessi snapped at you out of character, “Your part is silent, little toad!” and then gave a laugh and smile to the audience, fanning herself gracefully.

A dark chuckle reverberated off the walls, “A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad…”

She took this chance to get her voice spray, nagging her assistant for always getting it on her chin and then cleared her throat. Life performances rarely ever had a second take, but it seemed like this was a special occasion.

Countess Jessi repeated, “Serafimo, away with this pretence! You cannot speak, but kiss me in my—!” she wasn’t able to go as high as usual and instead began to croak like a frog in the middle of her line.

The crowd chuckled, and she tried to hide her embarrassment as she continued, “Poor fool, he makes me laugh. Hahahahaha--croak!”

More giggles which grew into full on laughter.

Jessi was so embarrassed that she grabbed her skirt and ran off the stage. Even the curtains closed to signify a much needed break. Junjin and Andy quickly made it on stage and spoke to the very amused crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the performance will continue in ten minutes' time... where the role of the Countess will be sung by, er--” Junjin quickly looked behind the curtain to find you and bring you to the forefront. “By Miss Y/F/N.”

The crowd applauded and you were sent off to go change into the backup dress. There was a sense of dread in your chest, however. This is not what you wanted. Not at all. If he wanted you to sing for him...this was not the way to get you to do so. At least, not very willingly.

Andy smiled, “In the meantime, ladies and gentlemen, we shall be giving you, giving...you the ballet! Yes, the ballet from Act Three of tonight's opera” He made eye contact with Himcham, “Maestro—the ballet, now!”

There was a lot of mess and mishap as the cast quickly moved up and around a bunch of things which seemed to add to the comedy of the show, but it was a mockery. Embarrassing, but it was just one night. Right? Just a small bump in the road. Music played and the dancers did their things, hauling live animals in the scene to make it more realistic and interactive.

However, above it all in the rafters, a chase was going on. An unlucky rigger had been looking for the Phantom ever since he left in the middle of Jessi’s croaking incident. However, now that he had found the ghost, he was looking to escape, to tell anyone that he was real. Yet, one of the ropes used to keep sandbags and set pieces above the stage was being unused, still in the perfect shape to hang someone.

Which it did. Him.

His body went limp and was then tossed over the side to make sure the job was done. Pandemonium! Screaming! Gasps! A few people puking in the audience and backstage. What else was there to do? People began to get up and leave. The poor chorus girls, too. It was as if time froze as a few of the ensemble members got close enough to see if it was him.

Quickly, Chan went to go find his love. You had just gotten into the wings with your makeshift dress under the cloak needed for the next scene when you saw the body fall. There was one of Taehyung’s roses waiting for you in the dressing room, no doubt in your mind that it was him that caused all of this.

“Chan! Chan!” You called as you saw him.

“Y/N, Christine, come with me!” he said as your hands met.

You shook your head, “No, to the roof. We'll be safe there.”

Junjin announced as best he could above the main crowd and over the screams, “Ladies and gentlemen. Please, remain in your seats. Do not panic; it was an accident ... simply an accident! These...these things do happen with uncareful crew.” he said, trying to grasp at anything to calm the viewers.

“Why have you brought me here?” asked Chan once you two made it to the roof.

You were close to tears as fear had stricken your heart, “We can’t go back there!”

He held your hand, “We must return!”

“He'll kill you! His eyes will find us there!” You gripped his hand tightly before walking further onto the roof.

“Y/N, don't say that…”

“Those eyes that burn!”

Chan tried to catch your hands again, “Don't even think it.”

Still, you could not listen. You had seen what he was capable of, murder. You knew it was no accident. How could it be? He was there. Taehyung was there and did not like being seen, so if he had been…you didn’t want the same to happen to the man you loved

“And if he has to kill a thousand men--”

“Forget this waking nightmare.” your childhood crush said.:

“The Phantom ​of the Opera will kill and kill ​again!” You felt close to hysterics, but what else were you to do?

“This Phantom is a fable. Believe me, there is no Phantom of the Opera.”

You knew, though. The way you looked into Chan’s eyes made him start to believe, too. Yet, he could not.

“My God, who is ​this man who hunts to kill? I can't escape ​from him. I never will!” Your voice spoke to the wind and to the man who had returned to you.

My God, who is ​this man--this mask of death--whose is this voice you ​hear, with every breath? He thought to himself, not wanting to add more questions into your already frazzled head.

You turned to him once more, “And in this labyrinth, where night is blind the Phantom of the Opera is here. Inside my mind.”

Chan had begun to speak at the same time as you, “And in this labyrinth where night is blind, The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind.”

Though it was different. He believed it to be part of your imagination where as you knew he was real and he was everywhere you were. Inside and out. This unforgettable man who called himself V...Taehyung.

Finally, Chan made you look at him and let you breathe a moment before saying, “There is no Phantom of the Opera.” and put his hand on your cheek.

You closed your eyes, wishing it were true, “Chan, I've been there to his world of unending night. To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness…Darkness.” Your feet made tracks in the snowy rooftop as you stepped back, “Chan, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face…”

Eyes in the snow, the memory came to you all so vividly, “In that darkness. Darkness,” you turned around and faced the city. “But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound.” The red rose tied with a black ribbon was firmly in your grasp as you couldn’t help but smile at the way he made you feel. “In that night, there was music in my mind, and through music, my soul began to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before…”

The blonde man in his black suit stood where he was, “What you heard was a dream and nothing more.”

“Yet in his eyes, all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes. That both threaten and adore~”

Bang Chan sighed and looked at the ground before looking at your cloak covered back, “Y/N~ Dear Y/N~”

On the wind you heard Taehyung call, “Y/N~~” and looked around to see if he were really there or a part of your imagination.

Chris held you from behind, enveloping your body in his arms as snow fell on the pair of you. If only it were a dream and nothing more. He led you to a spot on the roof in which one of the large pegasus statues would guard against most of the falling snow, making you forget about the rose in your hand, letting it fall into the cold.

He made you feel safe unlike you had felt ever since being enchanted by Tae’s music in his lair beneath the theatre. Still, Chan was there, making himself known and deciding to confess his feelings completely.

“No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you.” He said, turning your body to face him. “Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you. To guard you and to guide you.”

Was he being true to his words or just saying so? Right now, you needed something real. Something light to replace the smog in your mind.

You looked at his shoulder, unable to bring yourself to gaze at his face, “Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you…”

He nodded, “Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light. You're safe, no one will find you. Your fears are far behind you.”

“All I want is freedom, a world with no more night.” You looked into rich brown eyes and smiled. “And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me.”

Chan smiled and led you by the hand back into the main area since it seemed like the snowfall had lightened up a bit, “Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go too. Y/N, that's all I ask of you~”

You felt nothing but the truth within his words, his honesty and passion in every breath, “Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you. Share each day with me, each night, each morning.”

Then you looked up at him shyly as he held you around the waist, “Say you love me--”

To which he gave the swift reply of, “You know I do.”

“Love me—that's all I ask of you~” Both of you spoke your hearts’ deepest desire.

It felt as though you were one person and the way he kissed you, it made you melt into him and him into you. The heat of it enough to melt the snow around your loving embrace. Chan then picked you up and spun you around, making you giggle in pure joy. He held you so tightly and yet so gentle as if you were a treasure. And you were.

His treasure.

Again, you spoke in unison, “Anywhere you go, let me go too! Love me—that's all I ask of you~”

You shared in another loving kiss but had to pull back this time, “I must go. They'll wonder where I am.” Then you smiled brightly, the light even reaching into your eyes to glitter. “Come with me, Chan.”

He stayed still a moment, “Y/N, I love~ you!”

It felt as though your heart skipped a beat. It was just the two of you in the most pristine of settings and confessing your love for one another. You giggled and pulled him along.

“Order your fine horses! Be with them at the door!” You said, opening the door.

“And soon, you'll be beside me!” Chan beamed as well.

“You'll guard me and you'll guide me~” The words came out of your mouth, reciting the promise he gave to you.

The pair of you ran off.

Not knowing that Taehyung had been there the entire time, and that she had broken his heart. Why did Y/N not know that he had been there? Could she not sense him with the other man there? With a tight throat, V picked up the fallen rose and mourned the loss of his heart. His cold tears trickled from underneath his mask. The Phantom crushed the rose beneath his fingers, letting the red petals fall and create red blooms on the white surface.

“I gave you my music…Made your song take wing. And now, how you've repaid me: Denied me and betrayed me…He was bound to love you when he heard you sing.” He sniffled and spoke with a choked voice. “Y/N, oh Y/N…”

In the background, he could hear your joyous love song with someone who was not him.

“Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you. Share each day with me, each night, each morning~...”

Taehyung threw down the remainder of the rose and tossed back his cape before mounting one of the roof chariots to yell at the heavens, “You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you!”

(part 2 on mstrlst)

[roqdoll]

I got an Iplehouse PID in one of their recent auctions, and she’s such a cool tiny doll! Buuuut I’m not sure what kind of style I want for her. She’d make a great fairy queen/opera diva in a ballgown? And also she could be my mori girl? Or she could be steampunk...

Maybe I’ll sew her all of those things and see which suits her best?

[twistednuns]

May 2020

Recording several songs from the Buffy musical episode with people from all over the world (I especially like Amber and Michiel Min, a Dutch physicist with the perfect opera voice) and also a few Tenacious D songs. Collabs are a lot of fun - as long as noone joins uninvited and ruins the whole thing...

Manu calling my out on my gaga-mode. It usually starts when I get tired and act really crazy and childlike. The other night we ordered from Burger King (chili cheese nuggets, hurray), chilled in bed and I watched him record Smule videos.

Babylon Berlin Sundays.

Seeing Sash for the first time in months. Intense cuddle sesh.

Tiny little guilty pleasure: using the llama plushie Lena and Obi gave me for my birthday as a pillow. So soft.

Playing around with my new Apple Stylus in Procreate. I actually got the pen for free (payment for my logo design).

Strawberries and cream. Which were also the main ingredient of my birthday cake. I actually got some little party candles for myself and was able to blow them out and make a wish on my birthday.

The cute illustrated board game I got from Yanch and Sash; it's called Roots.

Learning the cup song chords on the ukulele (I borrowed Manu's uke and called it Justin - now I have to paint the instrument, the theme is Hawaiian Death Metal).

Our summer vacation is going to happen after all! We just booked our flights to Ibiza/Formentera!

Starting my first macrame project (a hanging planter). I also want to make a wall hanging for the balcony.

Watching reality/contest TV shows on Netflix: The Big Flower Fight, The World's Most Extraordinary Homes, Interior Design Masters and Glow Up. I also loved the Enjoy Your Trip documentary about psychonauts.

Lena and Obi making amazing vegetarian burgers. And a Pocky/KitKat blind test. Finally meeting the cat that keeps visiting in the evenings.

Vietnamese food in Manu's bed on my birthday. New Girl episodes. Playing around with the Loopify app. Weed. Laughing and talking until 5am. I got some art supplies as a birthday present (CMYK acrylic paints and hot iron beads).

Making roast beef (Manu) and dumplings! I think I also made pretzel dumplings with creamy mushrooms that week.

My obsession with Adobe Fresco. Digital drawing can be so much fun!

Growing crystals on rocks and stones in my kitchen (yup, I bought one of those crystal growing kits for kids).

Taking sneaky pictures of interesting people on the subway. There was a woman dressed in all red and when she had left another lady sat down in the same seat - dressed in all yellow! Also, there was a girl wearing mismatched socks. A cute dog. A really stylish woman with some kind of kimono coat, a white dress, black studded cowboy boots and a fanny pack.

Playing Role Models with Maike and the others. I love the categories they came up with. And the weird verdict at the end of the game like: Kat, the "not so bumbling musical diva".

Being dry and warm again after getting dirty, cold and wet.

Seeing the famous cat from a few houses down coming out of the garden underneath his very own sign (the kids made a sign with a photo of the cat and a warning - be careful, we have a wild cat!)

I gave money to an old beggar. I don't know why, probably because he was really old. I'm getting softer, eh?

A good talk with my gynecologist and a few helpful recommendations.

The neighbour I dislike surprisingly doesn't mind me singing in the evening.

My kids at school are super chill these days. I haven't been as relaxed in a very long time. Oh, and the lesson about India was a lot of fun I thought.

Getting rid of the ugly mirror tiles in my hallway. This white wall there feels like such an accomplishment now.

Rediscovering music. Somehow my reading phase is over, I listen to music all the time now (something I haven't done ever since I still had a car). Getting a Spotify premium account and bluetooth headphones. Good decision.

The happy feeling I get when I'm singing. And Isi's surprising (and fantastic) voice! Her recording of Little Black Submarines blew our mind.

Luvos Healing Earth face masks.

I usually hear the kids playing in the beergarden next door when I'm in my kitchen and one afternoon there was a girl on the swing yelling: "Schaukeeeeeln, schaukeeeeeln, Apfelschooooorle!" I can totally relate. Two of my favourite things. And I never lack enthusiasm either.

Lena telling me about a dream she had. We were in high school, in the cool-guy tract to be exact. I was standing there shaking my head no, as if I wanted to warn her not to go there. She somehow made out with some really crazy dudes after that? Interesting.

Nothing new here but as always: my urban jungle and the smell of my blankie.

An unvoluntary cold shower. At least drying off after the shower because it had somehow stimulated my bloodflow and really woke me up. Better than coffee.

Aldi macarons (surprisingly), brownie-style Hanuta and really old gouda. Foamy coffee. Rice crackers with cottage cheese, tomato and avocado. Herbal salt. Lemon-basil flavoured Philadelphia cream cheese. Walnut cream cheese. Corn cobs.

Self-care. Eating a little healthier. Using dental floss all the time. Pampering my skin with serums and creams.

Watching a red squirrel climbing up a tree, jumping from branch to branch and finally entering the neighbours' balcony.

The first blush on my very own home-grown tomatoes.

Eating tapas-style for dinner. Olives, some bits of cheese and veggie sausage, hummus, crisp bread, tomatoes and pickles. Preferably in bed watching POSE.

The reflection of my phone display in a glass of white wine. Dark background, psychedelic colours.

[honourablejester]

A space opera idea I'd like to see more of:  ship's bands/choirs.

Because ... okay. You know that scene in Fifth Element where the entire station is listening in as Diva Plavalaguna sings to a backdrop of planet Fhloston drifting serenely below them? There's all these people sitting in this tiny bubble of metal and air up in the void of space, watching the planet out the window, and listening to one woman make magic with her voice.

And then you have ships. Crews. People stuck together on long hauls through the great big black emptiness. Big ships, like the Trek Constitution classes, hundreds of people on this great big armed diplomatic cruise ship in the sky, or little ships, nippy little commercial, scientific or military vessels with ten to forty to eighty people on board. Space stations, orbiting wormholes or planets. You have all these people in all this emptiness. You can't tell me some of them wouldn't want to start making some noise. Out of boredom. For the hell of it. Because Amber in Engineering has a hell of a voice, and Dhrem can do that weird ululating thing that no human could emulate, and Security has a really impressive bass section, and Dr Myers in Medical plays a mean trombone. Because it's a thing you can do together, and it's a thing you can spend a lot of spare hours working on, and it's a thing that sounds (hopefully) good and makes you happy (frustrated) to be a part of. Also, spaceships should hopefully have good soundproofing, just the dampen the engine noises if nothing else.

And then you can have, like, competitions. Recitals. Drydock has amphitheatres, HQ has concert halls. The captains of the EAS Innery and the VSA Shonasi have a longstanding rivalry based on which of their choirs perform better at the triannual Navy Recital on Dragass III. The long range science vessel Therianci got itself mugged by space pirates because their captain decided to broadcast choir practice over the short range communications array on a whim, because they were in the ass end of fucking nowhere with no signs of life in sensor range and what could it hurt, and the three cloaked pirate ships in the nearby nebula thought it was some weird threatening way of saying they'd been made and started firing in a panic. (The choir was practicing a chirpy happy 22nd century pop number at the time. Whether this made it sound more or less accidentally sinister is still a subject of fierce debate).

Following the Therianci Incident, musical psychological warfare becomes a legitimate naval tactic, and there are entire broadcasting channels dedicated purely to singing aggressively at prospective enemies or even just allies you happen not to like very much, like deadly serious versions of football anthem singoffs.

(The Ehilii are unanimously but unofficially considered the reigning champions of this, because they've got this horrible, ethereal, sub-audible crystalline sound that slowly creeps up into audible range just before their ships decloak and it's fucking creepy and you'd swear you can hear them coming but you're never actually sure until it's already too late. Nobody ever buys Ehilii Singers drinks in bars. Or they wouldn't, if anybody actually knew what Ehilii Singers looked like or thought it likely to meet one in a bar).

I just. I would like more musical space adventures, is what I'm saying here. It seems like a thing we would do, you know?

[johannesviii]

The Year of Intelligent Tigers

Some A shit ton of highlights of the last EDA I’ve read (The Year of Intelligent Tigers). Probably my longest post so far.

I took these screens while reading, along with my reactions. As usual, this is full of spoilers.

This book accomplished something unthinkable. It made me want to learn how to play music.

No. Really. That’s a big deal. See, my mother had won a synthetiser in a contest when I was like 7, didn’t care about it, and she decided I should learn the piano ; but the teacher was kind of an asshole and he kept hitting my fingers whenever I got something wrong, so I completely gave up and never tried music ever again. Like, ever. I barely know the notes’ names anymore.

Because of this book, I unearthed that synthetiser (outdated since the mid 90s) from its 18 years-old yellowish plastic sheet, and bought a method to learn how to play the piano. I’m still struggling with the names of the notes and I can barely play a simple four-notes chord without hurting my hands.

This book made me do that.

It’s about identity, cohabitation, difference, colors and music. It also has some of the best aliens in all of Doctor Who, some of the best worldbuilding ever put in the series, flashbacks to some bits of the Earth Arc which should have been in the Earth Arc, chapters ordered like an opera, great characters, top quality escapism - I can’t list everything.

I have a new favorite Eighth Doctor Adventure, and the fact that my previous one was from the same author only highlights how good this one is. 10/10

A little map! Look! It’s like the old adventure books when I was a kid!

Excuse me, what

What is this place? I like it.

Take me there, please.

Holy shit look at this description, it’s like the book blasted music in my face

You’re probably tired of reading this, but for the record, I would like to solemnly thank in person every single writer who shows the more alien side of the Doctor in these books and how his friends react to it.

A++ description

I would be completely lost on this planet since I don’t know anything about music apart from what it looks like to me. I feel you, Anji.

Here There Be Tigers

Look at these two idiots I love them

Hey, their new friend Karl has a slight speech impediment, that’s pretty rare on non-comical characters! I like that.

Hmmm cute? Not permitted? Thank you

Please enjoy this sweet little quiet moment of our favorite Team TARDIS resting under the sun in the grass and Fitz playing the guitar

This planet was made for him, hahaha

I keep saying that team deserves some vacations, so this book is exactly what I wanted, so far. Of course there’s gonna be a disruptive element any moment now, but let them enjoy this planet while they still can.

The more we know about this planet, the more I’m internally yelling PLEASE TAKE ME TO THIS PLANET

“who was full of interest”

Are you two living together & should Fitz be jealous

A wild trope appeared!

SORRY WHAT

IS KARL SADEGHI A SYNESTHETE TOO? OH MY GOD?!

[DOCTOR NYARLATHOTEP INTENSIFIES]

I laughed like an idiot, well played.

Interesting.

“The quest for vodka”

Ok now I want to draw Eight playing the violin

Stop being cute this instant

Also this tweet comes to mind:

Eight. No. Bad. What are you doing. Don’t steal the show.

What ended your last relationship: violin

HOLY SHIT DOCTOR

And now he’s sulking in his room haha, wow.

This whole situation is hilarious, adorable and sad, simultaneously.

There’s something a bit uncanny about these talking tigers, true, but the "Hullow" thing is way too cute to be creepy.

I’m laughing like an idiot too, thank you, book

Oh nooo he’s trying to talk to him through music

What.

SCREAMING

Wait what the f█ck why is there a flashback to 1935?

OH SHIT OH DAMN IT’S A FLASHBACK TO THE EARTH ARC AND TO THE EXACT PART I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SINCE THE PREVIOUS BOOK??

Oooooh so that’s why he’s so passionate about music and violin in particular, it’s one of the first things he managed to remember besides his TARDIS!

Also, I can't believe I'm saying this considering how allergic I am to anything related to music theory, but – I kinda want to learn how to play music now. I'm serious. What is this book doing to me.

"Scared to stop in case he can’t ever start again"

That damn flashback nearly made me cry, but it’s over now. Crisis averted.

Geoffrey you’re a very nice tiger but you’re not making much sense

THE TIGERS WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY MUSIC OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS?!

OH NO I LOVE BIG

Doctor what the hell are you wearing

An opera of tigers sounds like a marvelous thing.

And the negociations failed. Obviously. Technically, the humans are the invaders here, not the tigers.

Fitz’s natural response to this situation is "I’m gonna build an anti-tiger armor". Bless him.

"DO I LOOK TIGERPROOF"

YES GOOD 10/10

The anti-tiger armor saga continues.

Ouch. Ouch, ouch ouch.

And this was the end of the anti-tiger armor saga. Long live the anti-tiger armor.

Doctor where the hell are you going, come back here this instant you major alien diva

I love how the "tigers" are only looking superficially like tigers but are something completely different inside, closer to lizards. And they have two opposable thumbs on each paw too. This is so cool.

Is… is Eight going to sulk among the tigers?

I love this so much.

Bounce is so curious and I love her okay

Eight you idiot please try to concentrate

Well I love this too & now I have to draw it too. Damn you, book.

I don’t even know what to say anymore. I love this book. I love this.

Dramatic haircut!

“Neat and soft as clean fur”, oh nooo that’s cute

I… I just realised.

The Tigers look like tigers but aren’t tigers. The Doctor looks human but isn’t human.

I feel like an idiot for not noticing the parallel sooner.

I’m picturing a Tiger sipping coffee and that’s a wonderful mental picture.

Stop it Fitz

OH NOOOOO CUTE

Eight sounds like he’s doing that thing my cat does when he doesn’t want to be picked up and moved somewhere else.

And to think I was admiring how alien Eight was in the previous book.

Talking seems to work better with Tigers than humans in this case anyway.

I love this damn planet and everything on it including the plants.

I also love Chew You the old yellow tiger.

It’s also really strange and I hope we’ll get an explanation for that.

Guys this is cute and I like you both very much, but you do realise there’s simpler roads to reconciliation than "being kidnapped by tigers who want to play the violin and meeting again in the middle of nowhere and play some dramatic music", right?

My list of things I need to draw is getting longer by the minute.

I just like that tiny detail of worldbuilding okay

YES GOOD I WANT TO KNOW TOO

This shouldn’t make me so sad, but it does.

Okay then.Chapters New Who

This planet is still very intriguing and I hope we’ll get some answers.

I’m going to be very disappointed if this is true.

Interesting.

Probably, and I’d love to hear them.

The amount of scenes I want to draw in this book is getting alarmingly important

I WANT TO KNOW

We desesperately need the Tigers’ point of view of this part of the story. What happened. Why.

Woah.

I’m torn between wanting to hug Anji and wanting to laugh at Eight’s look.

Not okay.

Also my mp3 player decided to play Palladio, so I’m gonna make an improvised playlist and I will listen to it for the rest of this book.

Sadness intensifies

I’ve said it already but I love this book’s worldbuilding.

Another entry on our "Fitz CAN have good ideas sometimes" list!

No no go on, it really was a good idea.

Even if we already know for a fact that Fitz can’t sustain this level of awesomeness for more than half an hour, I’m still happy for him.

It’s a song he wrote for Sam oh nooooo

Can I hug Fitz

Look at him he’s so happy

Of course something happened right in the middle of his moment of glory. Of course it did.

Wait, what the f█ck

No Anji asdfghjk stop we still don’t know what that place does

Ohhhh that’s so cool!

I have way too many feelings about Eight trying to be a Tiger okay

So… the Tigers used to be more intelligent? Then something happened, and they built this place to keep their culture safe? I love this oh my god

You don’t realise how long it took to make this liveblog readable because of the sheer amount of reactions boiling down to "I love this" or rows of exclamation marks.

It’s an ark. It’s a damn ark, containing all the culture of their ancestors. Why. What happened. Why am I getting so emotional about talking tigers that lay eggs. WHY.

Okay, that’s it

Breaking news: Year of Intelligent Tigers is officially the third EDA which actually made me cry. And it did it with TALKING TIGERS.

CENTURIES

AN ANCIENT CIVILISATION OF ALIEN TIGERS

Still crying by the way

Once again I’m struggling to not post row after row of exclamation points

Yes yes good I want to see the other rooms

OOOHH. So HE’S responsible for the sudden appearance of the nodes all over the city!

Well, now I’m sad again.

HOLY SHIT

Have I told you how well this book is constructed yet? There’s parts where you follow the whole cast, then individual "solo" chapters, then the whole cast again. There’s references to music even in the construction of the chapters. It’s wonderful.

No Karl no what are you doing

Not really, no

He’s just trying to help, Longbody, don’t be so suspicious.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Port Any was built on top of the ancient Tigers city!

There’s something in my eyes again, dammit

Another line of exclamation points I’m trying to suppress.

If it’s right in the middle of the city, that’s going to be a problem.

COULD YOU ALL STOP BEING SO ADORABLE

EXCUSE ME THIS IS STILL WAY TOO CUTE PLEASE TONE IT DOWN

The Tigers already have a form of music of their own. Every time I think this book can’t get better, it finds a way to do so.

Oh my f█cking god

In a book full of wonderful scenes, I think this one might be my favorite so far. Karl and Eight trying to explain Beethoven to the Tigers. I’m so happy.

Also "sorry, I was watching a bug".

Oh shit oh f█ck oh damn, thank god Longbody was listening

The Tigers are surprisingly reasonable considering what the humans are planning to do.

I still hope this story will end well, though.

Please no

"They were all surrounding a problem, ready to pounce on it and kill it"

Next on my improvised playlist is Beyond the Stars by Cristian Onofreiciuc and I'm overdosing a little bit on beautiful imagery at this point, my head is full of colors

"There were no other Tigers"

I'm so sad and also so happy, this book is doing weird things to my head.

So he still wants to save everyone, not just the Tigers. Of course he does.

GOOD

GOOD²

The bomb got struck by lightning. What. How. What the hell did he do.

I have to admit it's really strange.

Despite all the music and the cultural differences and the environmental message and the anti-colonialist message, the main theme of this book seems to be identity, and I'm always a sucker for that.

Are you telling me we could have had a book in that setting instead of Endgame??

Well I'm sad again now.

Uh. So after remembering how to play the violin, he remembered one particular tune.

Imagine having a song stuck in your head for decades and not being able to recognise it. That's both funny and horrific.

CUTENESS OVERLOAD

Oh nooo they forgot he was more fragile than a Tiger and he's hurt

THIS BOOK NEEDS TO STOP MAKING ME CRY

Also, in its own weird metaphorical way, this book hits way too close to home

Fitz trying to look casual after the whole "the Doctor tried to be a Tiger" thing

Just so you know, the song currently playing in my improvised playlist for this book is The March by Lights and Motion, and this playlist was a terrible idea because it makes everything more intense and the book is already intense enough on its own.

Another thing on my endless list of things I should draw

Would somebody please stop Quick before he does something incredibly stupid again

Thank you Doctor.

Also I'm getting strong Twelve vibes from this bit.

I laughed so hard

Why is every silly little detail in this book making me so sad and so happy at the same time

Not everything has to be about you and your concerto, Karl

Fitz, stop making me laugh, this is supposed to be a tense scene.

KARL WHAT THE F█CK WHY DID YOU DO THAT

ASFGHJJKLMKGJ F█CK YOU KARL WHY

WAIT THAT'S BOUNCE

NO NOT BOUNCE

F█CK NOW I'M CRYING AGAIN TOO

ARE YOU HAPPY NOW BOOK ARE YOU F█CKING HAPPY

So they rediscover their civilisation every two centuries, and then they lose it again, that's some sort of perpetual tragedy and I'm still not okay.

THEY WERE ALWAYS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE TIGERS THANKS TO THE TARDIS BUT THEIR BRAINS DIDN'T ASSUME THE TIGERS HAD A LANGUAGE SO IT DIDN'T WORK AT FIRST, THIS IS SO COOL

YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE ALREADY, KARL, STAY WHERE YOU ARE

Fitz, that pun was atrocious

Also RIP Longbody

Okay we're nearly at the end, I need some kind of epic music for this, something very over the top and ridiculous

As it turns out, Creation of Earth by Thomas Bergersen was an excELLENT CHOICE -HOLY SHIT DOCTOR WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THE WEATHER, I mean yeah this is epic but I'm also concerned okay

DON'T ADD EVEN MORE COLOR TO THIS SCENE THERE'S ALREADY A TON OF IT AND BETWEEN THIS AND THE MUSIC I'M KINDA OVERDOSING

THANK YOU THAT WAS AMAZING

WAIT IT'S NOT OVER

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED

YOU DO, HOLY SHIT

Oh my god I just remembered something.

That's exactly what I.M.Foreman told him in Interference. With the riddle involving a baby goose you have to free from a bottle without breaking the bottle yourself. You feed the bird until it's strong enough to break it itself. That's exactly what he's trying to do here. He can't remember that conversation since it happened long before the Earth Arc, but I believe it had an impact on him anyway.

I love that ending. Simple but absolutely wonderful.

This book needs to stop making me sad at unexpected moments.

I wish I could have seen that too.

TIGER MUSIC OH NOOO

...Wait

If this turns out to be the song that was stuck in Eight's head I'm gonna die

LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE, FITZ KREINER

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions until the very end, wasn't it

...and it deserves a standing ovation.

Damn.