#brava tour

[laliofficial]

[iconsla]

icons lali esposito - si usas like o reblog por favor

[stateofsport211]

Girona Ch F: Pedro Martinez def. Radu Albot 7-5, 6-4 Match Stats

📸 ATP official website

Although this match appeared competitive with both players trying to out-winner each other with their point constructions, Albot could neither create nor convert any break points as a result of P. Martinez's clutch follow-ups. In contrast, P. Martinez's shot winners on the crucial points could press Albot's baseline game further, eventually converting 33% of his 6 break points thanks to his aggression as he controlled the pace as accurately as possible.

Furthermore, P. Martinez appeared slightly more solid on serve than R. Albot. Although the latter fired 2 aces, the former still had a more consistent showing since he won 5% more first serve points at 72%. On the other hand, Albot double-faulted once, but his third-shot rushes under pressure while setting up the second set faded his second serve winning percentage to 43%, 19% lesser than P. Martinez as the match progressed.

This marked P. Martinez's first Challenger title of the year, solidifying his Top 100 rank coming into the clay season by ranking 76 post-title. His next tournament will be the Estoril (250), where he will face Daniel Altmaier in the first round. Should be interesting to follow the peak clay season moving forward, especially en route to the French Open/Roland Garros.

[her-satanic-wiles]

October 8th

Breeding, Papa Nihil x Reader

Masterlist

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: Breeding; power imbalance; dubcon; Nihil is a selfish lover tbh; no after care; dirty talk; degradation; manipulation; this is actually really creepy and dark, please don’t read this if older men manipulating younger women for sex triggers you; use of scissors to cut off clothes; no foreplay; unprotected sex; piv sex; minor restraint; praise kink;

Taglist: @sodoswitchimage @enchantedbunny @bitchywitchygardener @thew0man @sodomiser @the-did-i-ask (if you want to be added to the list please let me know!)

The following fic contains scenes and elements that some may find disturbing. I have highlighted particular content warnings above that may be particularly triggering to some. If you are in any way in a place where this fic could trigger you, please do not read ahead. Your mental health is more important than a work of fiction.

I do not condone the actions taken in this fic. Please remember that it is a work of fiction, and meant for entertainment purposes only.

Thank you.

🔞 MDNI 🔞

As this is dark fiction, I'm choosing to rate it 21+. Please respect my rating. Thank you.

You were merely a young sister in the Satanic Church when you met him. You’d barely taken your vows, just out of your teenage years and not even making a name for yourself in the Ministry when you assigned your first job. Papa Nihil, the founder of the Ghost Project and head of the Satanic Church, was spending the early 60s touring multiple countries, attempting to topple governments and recruit new members to the church. It was your job, while on tour, to make sure Nihil got everything he needed and that he was comfortable. His son, Primo, who was the same age as you, had been left behind to run things in his father’s absence and take care of his two infant brothers. His father got to gallivant and do what or whom he liked.

Nihil enjoyed the fame and success the Ghost Project brought him and the church, and while it wasn’t considered “righteous” to fornicate with others out of wedlock, it still didn’t sit correctly in most people’s moral codes. He enjoyed strings of girls, each one a different variety to the other. Nihil wasn’t picky, and that was perhaps the only good thing about him. If you had a vulva he wanted you, end of story. But this was his biggest problem, as he was already promised to a different sister, a future Prime Mover - and it wasn’t his favourite Ministry squeeze, Sister Imperator.

But this was how you found yourself sat on your 45-year-old Papa’s sofa, his hand grasping harshly at your thigh and his painted lips attached to your neck. That very same hand moved up towards your core and began to rub you through your tights and panties. You weren’t entirely comfortable with this situation. You wanted to give Nihil what he asked for, and in fact your body was craving it, but your mind constantly thought of his future Prime Mover and his lover, who was only in the next room. You told him this, said that you could go and get Sister Imperator for him. But it was no good. Papa Nihil wanted you. “You wouldn’t deny your Papa, would you?” He murmured into your neck. His fingers were swiping just right on your clit and had you gasping out. “More importantly, you wouldn’t deny your Dark Father, would you? He loves the gifts you give him. Will you, scricciolina? Will you give Him what He asks for?” Little Wren. He liked calling you that because you were as sweet and soft as one, a fitting name for someone so cute and pliant.

You nodded. “Y-yes, Papa.” You replied, your hips beginning to buck to meet his hands.

“Brava ragazza. Stendersi. Spread yourself open for me.”

You lay on your back on the couch, Nihil pulling himself away from you just long enough to let it happen. It didn’t matter that you were still fully clothed, Nihil always preferred it when you were while in public spaces. Not that he’d stop fucking you if he got caught. He always said it was to preserve your modesty, but there was always a darker look in his eye when he grabbed the scissors from their location and sliced through your tights. He’d slice your panties too if he were impatient enough, which, today, he was.

You heard the familiar rip of your tights before you felt the coldness of the blade against your labia. One horizontal snip later, your panties were now destroyed and your sweet, delectable cunt exposed to Nihil’s predatory gaze. He palmed himself through his trousers at the sight of you, but it didn’t take long before his cock was out and lined up to your entrance. You were wet enough to welcome him without pain, but not so wet as for the stretch to be completely comfortable or pleasurable. But even so, he pushed all the way in not even considering your own state. The groan he released was somewhat primal, and just the feeling of your unprepared hole was enough to get the man going.

He braced himself on top of you, letting his whole weight on your body and pressing you down into the sofa. He began babbling incoherently in your ear as he fucked you for his own pleasure. “Ecco, take it like a good girl. Take your Papa’s cock.”

You felt completely degraded but there was a huge part of you that was thrilled by this. Knowing that Nihil didn’t care for you, knowing that he was just using you to get what he wanted excited you to the point where you should be concerned. But the more he thrust in and out of you, the wetter you became. The closer he got to cumming inside you, the tighter you squeezed without realising you were doing it.

What if he came inside you? What if he got you pregnant? The thought of it should disgust you. This man was old enough to be your father, and barbaric enough to enjoy this because he thought you were sweet and innocent. But you were losing yourself to the pleasure, to the idea that he would release his white, sticky cum inside you and put you at risk for pregnancy. If you were pregnant, then everyone would know. Everyone would see that Papa Nihil had laid claim to the newest sister. You were part of his harem, at his beck and call. Free to use whenever he liked.

“Talk to Papa,” he said, “t-tell me what you’re thinking.”

You moaned. “Papa!”

“Your… your cunt is so tight, scricciolina. Why?”

“I - mmm fuck! Papa! I want your c-cum!”

Nihil chuckled above you. “You want to receive your Papa’s cum, hm? Want - merda - Nihil to knock you up? Fill up this tight cunt and fuck a baby into you? Is that it?”

“Yes!”

“Want to be round and full with my spawn? Such a good. Fucking. Girl.” Each word was punctuated with a thrust.

You had heard rumours from the other sisters who had been in your position that Nihil’s biggest kink was spreading his seed around. Because of your words, he seemed to lose a little more control than he had previously. His mind began to wander and his mouth let slip every single thought. “Cunt so good, might make you my Prime Mover. Might fuck you until you’re pregnant with the antichrist.” Your stomach dropped at the thought, especially since your previous worries had returned at the mention of ‘Prime Mover’ but your mouth released a moan so loud, it bordered on pornographic. The coming of the antichrist was a big deal for the church, and an honour for the woman who bore him. You hadn’t considered it before, but now you had, there was no turning back.

Your legs wrapped around Nihil’s waist and kept him trapped between them, only allowing him to pull back a certain amount. “Fill up my c-cunt, Papa! I want your cum so badly.” You were practically wailing now, your nails running down his clothed back. “Get me pregnant, sh-show the Ministry who I belong to. Please, Papa!”

That seemed to do the trick. With one final and brutal thrust, reaching all the way to the back of your pussy almost painfully, Nihil stilled. His cum spilled out of him while his mouth released a groan so low, it was practically a growl. “Th-that’s it.” He stammered. “T-take my seed.”

When he pulled out of you, you felt his cum leaking from your abused hole. He noticed it too, and spent a little while watching it ooze from you before standing up and dressing himself. “You should head back to your room.” He told you, not even looking in your direction. “You have an early morning, don’t you?”

You adjusted your own clothes, feeling his cum running down your thighs as you stood. “Yes, Papa.”

And with that, you left.

Previous Day ⛧ Next Day

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

Like Love

Wednesday x Kitsune!reader

You finally got the chance to take the Addams Manor grand tour. Each place you were taken to fascinate you. There were always some sort of surprise to find in every nook and cranny. Wednesday, in turn, was fascinated by you and your wonder. This house she lived in all her life found new life in your eyes.

As you two made your way down the grand staircase, a saber was suddenly coming at you, tip first. Your fox ears flare up in surprise as you dodged the flying blade. When you follow the trajectory of the missile, you find Gomez poised on the chandelier with another blade in hand.

"En garde, zorro!"

With a spin, you pull the saber from the stair and block the elder Addams's attack. Now the fight was on and you were glad you were a part of the fencing club. Your footwork was near perfect. It was difficult for Gomez to destabilize you and he loved it.

"Amazing! Your stance is impeccable," he praised as he swung at your feet. You jumped and dodged it with ease. When he goes for another strike, you shoot upward and flip over the man, landing at the foot of the stairs. Gomez turns and cheers.

"Brava! Bravo!" He takes a stance and races to join you and continue the bout. "Venga, zorro!"

Wednesday is joined by her mother while watching the battle. She made the excuse that it was under the pretense of criticizing your form but Morticia knows better.

"My woeful child. You seem to have found quite the catch." Her eyes sparkle with mirth. Wednesday's matching eyes sparkled with disdain.

"This isn't like you and Father. I don't have feelings for them... To that disgusting extent." Watchful eyes continue to follow each strike and parry as they spoke.

"Au contraire, my darling." There's a moment of pause before Morticia shrugs and continues. For Gomez to be that enthralled in a skirmish was a treat. "I see the way you look at them. And how they look in return." Her hand comes up and soothes away some of her daughter's flyaway hairs. "Why is it so awful to embrace that feeling?"

"Because it's a weakness."

"And yet, here they are. In our lovely home. Hardly ever an arm's length away from you."

Wednesday's stone face tightens. She hated the idea of becoming her parents. The fact that there's a possibility for love in this relationship made her nauseous. Those damned bats in her stomach just won't stop fluttering when she is around you.

But then there are moments like now where she'll watch you and see the smirk on your face as you fight her father. It was like you were fighting for his approval, which was moot. Her whole family adores you. In these moments, though, her heart calms. A rare veil of peace covers her and puts her at ease. At least until her mother speaks again.

"You have nothing to fear, you know." Wednesday gives Morticia a sideways glance at that. "Love is different for all. You don't have to be as passionate as your father and I. You're your own person, my daughter. Your love will be different."

When Wednesday looks back at you and her father, your blades are locked between your bodies. Neither one of you are giving into the other's push. In an effort to break the stalemate, Gomez pushes the swords to the side and swings them around. However, the momentum sent both blades into the air and straight into the high ceiling.

Both combatants watch dejectedly as the sabers wobble in place. When they look at each other again, Gomez grins wide and takes your hand and shakes it before pulling you into a tight embrace.

"Fantastic show, my child!" You huff a thanks, the sudden hug stealing the air from your lungs. "A wonderful addition to our familia."

You blush and let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Thanks, Mr. Addams." He just slams a hand onto your back.

"Please! Just Gomez. Or Papa. Whichever!"

The Addams women decide then to go down and save you from Gomez's affection. As soon as Morticia is in sight, he immediately is at her side, kissing up her arm.

"Don't think I didn't hear your French, Cara Mia." A few kisses. "You know what it does to me." More kisses. "It spurred me to finish our duel as quickly as possible." Even more kisses.

You stood amused as you watched the interaction. It left you wondering how Wednesday ended up how she was with parents like these. Said girl was rolling her eyes at her parents.

"They'll be like this for a while." She turns and grabs your hand. "Come, mi amor. We still have the cemetery to see." You follow her, but not without a smile on your face at what she called you.

When you reach the cemetery, you marveled at the size of it. Your eyes were constantly loving to look at each gravestone and mausoleum.

"This place is amazing, Wednesday." She had been watching you wander around, a small smile on her lips. "Even the spirits here are happy. Well, for the most part, heh." That caught her attention.

"You can see the spirits?"

With a smile, you trot back over to Wednesday. "Kind of. They're kind of just balls of energy. Oh, lemme see if I can show you."

You turn to face the rest of the cemetery, tails flaring out as you manifest your powers. Wednesday watches as wisps of your foxfire bob around your tails. Soon enough, small orbs of light start to appear near the gravestones. Dark eyes flick around to see the names on the gravestones. Uncles, aunt's, distant Addamses. Some of them were grouped together, as if they were conversing. Some moved across the field. It was fascinating to see life after death.

"Whew." You slouched slightly from the energy you just released. "Oh hey. That was a wider area than I've done before." You mentally pat yourself on the back and make your way back to Wednesday.

"There's more around, but that's as far as I can manage."

"Incredible." The glow of the orbs makes her eyes sparkle and it draws you in. You're sure that you just fell a little bit more for the girl beside you.

She takes your hand and you walk amongst the orbs as she tells you about each ancestor. Eventually, you two make it to the pet cemetery and the goth leads you to her beloved Nero.

"Is he still here?"

You smile at the question and hold your hand out towards the grave. Wednesday watches as a small orb appears and slowly morphs itself into a scorpion. Her eyes widen slightly as she turns to see your face in concentration. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she crouches and holds her hand out, allowing the small creature to crawl onto it and scurry along her arm.

"It's been too long, my lovely Nero. I see you are as loyal as ever."

She lets the ghostly pet down and turns to you when you allow the image to fade.

"Thank you for this chance, mia volpe. It means a lot to me." You just smile and shrug.

"Anything for you, Wednesday. I..." There's a pause. You turn away in embarrassment. The feelings you have for Wednesday were strong. You know the extent of it, the word for it. It bubbles in your heart, threatening to overflow.

But you also know Wednesday and her aversion to the feeling. You didn't want to assume anything when she called you 'her love' earlier. It was already established that things would go at her pace. You didn't want to overstep.

Wednesday also knows your feelings. She sees it in your actions. Not many people would duel her father for as long as you did or let her revisit a dear friend. You were patient with her, even when she was unsure of something. Calling you 'her love' was a slip of the tongue but it didn't change the fact that it was true.

"You what?" She pried, as if she didn't know the words already.

"Nah, it's nothing." You waved your hand. "Don't worry about it." She steps towards you and takes your hand, making you look at her.

"You... What?" She insisted. A soft sigh escapes your lips and suddenly you're nervous. Is she really going to make you say it? Did... Did she want you to say it? You decide to throw caution into the wind as you take her other hand with a steely resolve.

"I... I love you, Wednesday. I adore you. You stole my heart right from my chest and I don't care because it's you." She steps closer to you. "I know you don't want to be like your parents. I know that kind of affection makes your skin crawl, but I'll do everything in my power to show my love for you. Just say it, and I'm yours to command."

Cold hands caress your cheeks and you let yourself sink into the feeling. You feel a soft, chaste kiss on your lips. Lips you never want to part with.

"There's no need for commands. I can simply ask you and you'll do it." You let out a soft laugh at that. It was true after all.

"This feeling is something I've only witnessed before. It's a very different love than I'm used to. Seeing how my parents are made me terrified to see if a simple switch could just ignite that in me outside of my control." Her eyes wander around your face, taking in the look of pure adoration you had for her.

"But with you, it isn't like that. There is no surge of passion that overtakes me. No unbearable need to kiss you. I spend my time beside you because I want to." She takes a moment to breathe. This display of emotion was a lot for her.

"Yes, when we're apart I wish to be near you, but it's not debilitating. I can still be my own person." Her eyes find yours again and the look you give her doesn't change. "I was scared of losing that, of being trapped as a pair. With you, I am both us and me." She takes another breath. Your hands come up to rest on her cheeks and it soothes her.

"I... I love you as well, Y/N. You are irreplaceable in my life. You found a way to breathe life into my dead heart." She stares into your eyes. "Mi amor, mi vida. I am yours for as long as we shall be."

"And I'm yours for as long as time itself, my love."

In the midst of the family cemetery, among the spirits of loved ones long since passed, you share a kiss with your girlfriend, your lover. A promise of forever sealed in that embrace.

+______________+Tag List+______________+

@screechcat @trishatheotaku @halleest @ashlynnmalfoy @a-trash-person @rainbow-love4ever @ognenniyvolk @spadesinfodump @maria-403 @simonsbluee @awolfcsworld @wizardofstories @alexandra-001 @leafanonsforest @daddy-jareau @anxietylemonice @tundra1029

[glassprism]

HELLO! I've started noticing random lyric changes in bootlegs of Broadway/West End Phantom... is there a timeline to why these changes occurred? Randomly? Is there any rhyme or reason? i.e. "Christine are you alright" in 2023 or the order of Masquerade lyrics switching in 2014 (?) or Bravi vs Brava. Just curious!

That's a pretty tall order, but I'll do my best! But there is definitely a rhyme and reason to it all, you just have to follow the timeline while taking into account that there will also be differences between productions and between actors as well. Keep in mind too that especially in its early days, it's not uncommon for a show to be tinkered with and it's lyrics altered as they get it running.

The first difference (if we don't count the Sydmonton production which was more of a concept production, but you can read about some lyric differences here) come between the original London production when it opened and the original London cast recording. There's already a difference in the 'Think of Me' lyrics, with the production opening with the lines, "Fly away, but when you lie awake" while the cast recording simply repeats, "We never said our love was evergreen", among other things. Furthermore, the London production had an extra line for Raoul in 'Little Lotte', where he says, in response to Christine talking about the Angel of Music, "No one could have sung the way you did tonight without a little help from him." By 1987 this line was cut, I assume because it's a tad redundant.

Many of the initial lyric changes came from 1988 Broadway transfer, such the changes to 'Think of Me', adding more lines for Piangi in 'Notes I', changing 'Wandering Child' from a trio to a duet, altering some lines in 'Point of No Return', flipping a line or two in 'Down Once More', and so on and so on. None of them make massive changes to the story or plot, but they are alterations all the same. You can read about all those changes here.

One more important addition was made in 1989, either for the opening of the Los Angeles sit-down production or the Toronto one, and that was the reprise of the line, "Help me to say goodbye" in 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again', which was added to end the song on a more powerful note. Since this was added in 1989, if you listen to any international productions that began before this period (such as Japan, Vienna, or the original Stockholm production), they will not have that additional lyric.

From here things start to get funky. Starting as early as 1990 in the London production, the production began using alternate lyrics for 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again', which began with the line, "Three long years..." There were used up until around mid-2002, when they were changed back to the more common, "Passing bells and sculpted angels". However, one or two productions that based their libretto off of London's would also use it, such as the Dutch production, and it would make a surprise return in the restaged US tour.

One other change I can think of came in 2006 with the Las Vegas production. Most of the changes in Vegas were because the show was cut down to a 90-minute, one act show, so most of them did not apply to other productions, but they did alter two words in 'Think of Me', going from, "Think of August when the trees were green" to "Think of August when the world was green". This is notable mainly because the line started showing up sporadically in other productions, such as the 25th anniversary concert (probably because SIerra Boggess was an original Vegas Christine) and Broadway.

From 2014 onward, another change: the song 'Wandering Child', which had been sung as a duet everywhere in the world except London, some of the UK tours, and some non-replicas, was changed back to the trio, and this was enforced across all productions except non-replicas, which can probably do what they want. That being said, there were still some lyric differences between London and other productions worldwide, which I go over here.

Finally, when the show was revived in London and reopened on Broadway after the COVID shutdown, there were multiple lyrics changed. The most famous is the one for 'Angel of Music', done to accommodate Christines of color but which underwent several changes in the first few months, but there are changes scattered everywhere, though some were reverted a few months later, which was just very funny to me. I go over it a bit here.

All right, got all the major timeline changes down? Great! Because now we're going to add another layer of complexity: production differences! Because as you might have noted, some productions have different lyrics between them, or will omit or add lyrics. The most notable are the differences between London vs. Broadway, and this is where you get things like the different 'Masquerade' lyrics (London has one version, Broadway has another that tends to be used worldwide), the use of "viper" vs. "vixen", Christine's hopes lying "shattered" or "murdered", and many others. I go over quite a bit of it here. Unfortunately, when the London production was revived, most of these differences were lost.

More changes came with the 25th anniversary concert, most of which were to accommodate the changed setting. These were then used in the restaged UK and US tours, but with even more alterations, with some again being done because of differences in the staging or props but others just because. I go over it here, and an additional one here, and I also discuss an old line being brought back to the concert here.

And finally, once you have all the timeline and production differences down, you have to account for the fact that in a few places, actors have a choice in what lyrics they can sing. One of the most famous is whether the Phantom chooses to sing "far-reaching gaze" or "fathering gaze" in 'Wandering Child', something that goes back all the way to the 1990s. Heck, some actors, like Hugh Panaro, will switch the word depending on their run or their mood.

And then when you get into "bravo" vs. "bravi" vs. "brava" (or "bravissima" vs. "bravissimi"), I can only assume it's a whole combination of the above. Keep in mind that both Raoul and the Phantom say variations of those words so it gets pretty complicated pretty fast. Officially, Raoul should say "bravo" and most do, but then in the Canadian production, whether due to direction or tradition, they almost all say "brava". Meanwhile, some librettos, such as the original and the Las Vegas one, state that the Phantom should sing, "Bravi, bravi, bravissimi", but later librettos, the 2004 film, or the RAH concert states it should be, "Brava, brava, bravissima". I wondered if they might be a little more consistent in the Romance-language productions (Brazil, France and the French dub, Italian dub, Mexico, Romania, Spain), but nope, it's all over the place there, which leads me to think that they don't actually care that much - except, naturally, for the Italian dub, which has Raoul congratulating Christine with, "Brava!" and the Phantom congratulating Christine with, "Brava, brava, bravissima".

So we'll see what they do in the actual Italian production! Don't let us down, Bradley Jaden and Ramin Karimloo.

[mobscene-london]

THE DATES SO FAR:

Travel to Costa Brava in Spain and explore the historical Tossa de Mar before having dinner aboard a catamaran ride around the coast at sunset.

A day in Heraklion, Crete, to explore the beaches, local architecture, and museums.

A visit to San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily, to embrace the beautiful beaches. An afternoon spent climbing the face of Monte Monaco, before winding down with a relaxing dinner in the town, with plenty of local wine to share.

Head to Tromsø, Norway, to go ice swimming in the Norwegian Sea. Warm up in a wood fire sauna, before heading into the city for a cosy dinner, and a night of great cocktails at the Magic Ice Bar.

Edinburgh, Scotland. A trip to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, filled with optical wonders and playful illusions, followed by a walking tour to the historic Edinburgh Castle. The trip will conclude with a night in a cosy log cabin surrounded by the beauty of the Scottish landscape.

A trip to Amsterdam to visit the art museums on the Museumplein, followed by dinner and live music.

A night out in Moscow. Italian food and French Champagne at Mario's, followed by a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre. Finish things off with a late-night stroll to St. Basil's to take in the architectural beauty of the city.

Brunch date along the beaches of Tenerife, before joining the festivities of Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

A weekend getaway to the small island of Malta, where they can submerge themselves in the culture, food, and scenery, far away from the busy life of London and all its drama.

An apartment in Central Paris, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, with prosecco upon arrival. A day of leisure, followed by dinner at the Sphére, located on Rue La Boétie.

Spend some time exploring Wine Factory N1 in Tbilisi. After plenty of wine tasting and bar hopping, an evening dining at the opulent Biltmore Hotel awaits; beautiful views over the city as the perfect accompaniment.

A pamper filled day at the luxurious Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland, before toning it down with a beer and brewery crawl through the country's capital. End the night camping in one of Reykjavik's Geodomes.

The night consists of great food and live music. A chance to dress up and step into another world. Dinner at the Story Restaurant in London, followed by Abel Selaocoe and Britten Sinfonia at the Barbican Centre.

A trip to New York to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, Central Park, and do a food tour of the city together.

Private Island Living off the coast of Greece. A small Island villa just for two. Peace, quiet, and no nosey neighbours.

ADDED THURSDAY:

Enjoy a long-weekend away to Ibiza where you will experience both sides of the Island; nights out in the best clubs with the greatest DJs and the nights in watching sunsets by the beach, most luxurious dinners. A date with the best of both worlds.

Get tipsy together on a weekend away at Amalfi Coast. Stay in five-star Hotel Santa Caterina, with its far-reaching views along the coast, a luxurious beach club and two restaurants, for a four-day ‘Luxury Amalfi Coast Wine Experience’.

Arrive in San Sebastián just when the locals get started for the night, around 9pm. Choose from a number of Michelin star restaurants and spend the rest of the night drinking and enjoying the company. Wake up the next day for a walk along the golden beaches and explore more of the food the city has to offer.

Take a hike around the Isle of Skye and maybe a dip in the small water ways if you're brave enough. See the beauty that Scotland has to offer. The night will end at a cottage for 2 with a chef catered meal and an overnight stay.

During the day, enjoy a walking tour of Haga Old Town in Gothenburg, Sweden and a small boat tour of some of the archipelago. End the night with dinner at family owned Familjen where the mood is cosy and the food is all local.

A long weekend in Monaco. Enjoy the comfort of the iconic Café de Paris, spending the afternoon pampered in its spa before heading to an opera. Michelin restaurants, beach sunsets, and ultimate luxury mark a perfect weekend.

Austria. Visit the lakeside alpine village of Hallstatt in the Alps and enjoy a picnic lunch via boat ride. Attend an Austrian Apple Strudel Cooking Class in the afternoon before venturing to Salzburg to tour Hohensalzburg Fortress. Dine at the restaurant atop and attend a night-time concert there while taking in the balcony view of the historic town of Salzach below, including the river and mountains.

A weekend in Positano, along Italy's soaring Amalfi Coast. This includes a private boat tour to the island of Capri.

Sunset watching on a private yacht off the Greek Islands in quiet and private location, followed by luxurious but relaxed dinner and champagne. (edited to be in-keeping with geographical constrictions. Send a follow up date acknowledging this if you wish to change it. ♥)

Jetset to Finland, spend the morning exploring the snowy forest on horseback, try your hand at ice fishing before enjoying lunch prepared over an open fire. Experience the excitement of an overnight husky or reindeer safari to chase down the northern lights and return to the lodge the next afternoon to wind down in one of the glass house igloos of Kakslauttanen resort and enjoy the spectacular sights with a warm hot chocolate and a decadent five course dessert degustation.

[armenianwriterman]

And that's the batch! We learned a lot more about Gentle and La Brava, the 1-A kids started preparing for their concert, Izuku and All Might trained further to increase One for All's power, Mirio brought Eri to UA and gave her a grand tour, we saw all the events that are going to be at the Festival, and that the tensions in hero society are getting worse than ever. I can't wait to see the Festival in action, and we're gonna see it in the next three episode LB session! (Because it looks like episodes 22 and 23 is a two parter related to the Festival, it'd make more sense to me that way)

See you then!

[ideeperscrittori]

"KISS ME, LICIA" È IL MALE

Stavo pensando che "Kiss me, Licia" in realtà non è un anime di vedute aperte, anche se ce lo raccontano così.

In apparenza la morale è questa: «Puoi vestire come vuoi. Puoi avere il look che vuoi. Puoi essere ciò che sei. La gente deve smettere di criticare le persone giovani per come si vestono e per la musica che amano».

Ma è davvero così? Pensiamoci bene.

Mirko (uso nomi ed espressioni dell'adattamento italiano) è il protagonista maschile. Egli è musicista di una band pop-rock che fa musica da Zecchino d'oro, anche se la spacciano come rumorosissimo death metal. Ha un look vagamente ispirato alla new wave post punk anni 80, quindi è impresentabile nel contesto tradizionalista e ultra reazionario del Giappone più provinciale.

Ecco perché Marrabbio, padre della brava ragazza (nel senso nipponico reazionario) di cui Mirko si innamora, non sopporta che sua figlia frequenti il nostro eroe. Il padre di Licia chiama Mirko "capellone bicolore" e lo prende in giro continuamente, manifestando il suo disprezzo in mille modi.

Ma alla fine, dopo mille avversità, Marrabbio accetta Mirko e la sua relazione con la figlia.

"Tutto è bene quel finisce bene", direte voi.

Tutto bene un cazzo.

La vera morale dell'anime è: "Il look alternativo devi espiarlo con un contrappasso dantesco, con un controbilanciamento karmiko immane".

Ed è proprio quello che capita a Mirko.

Egli infatti:

1. Non ha il padre. La madre lo abbandonato quando aveva tipo 13 anni e ha abbandonato anche suo fratello, che probabilmente era poco più che un neonato, per fare la stilista a Parigi.

2. Quindi Mirko, quando ancora è un ragazzino, lavora durante il giorno, di sera riesce a coltivare la passione per la musica e fa le prove con la sua band, studia di notte e (non si sa come) riesce pure a prendersi cura del fratellino e del suo gatto. Non è umanamente possibile, ma Mirko ci riesce.

3. Andrea, il fratellino per cui Mirko fa tutti questi sacrifici, è il bambino più odioso del mondo. L'unica creatura più odiosa di lui è il suo gatto. E lo dico da persona che adora i gatti. Ma non parlatemi del gatto di Andrea, per favore. Mirko non solo lavora e si prende cura di Andrea e del gatto Giuliano per 24 ore al giorno, ma deve anche sopportare i capricci di entrambi.

4. Di fronte al disprezzo di Marrabbio la reazione del nostro eroe è questa: non si scompone, massimo rispetto e deferenza.

Quindi ecco l'insegnamento dell'anime: «Hai un look alternativo? Io ti accetto come essere umano degno di essere integrato nella società, ma solo se sei la persona più paziente e dedita agli altri dell'universo. Ah, ovviamente devi sopportare anche le angherie dei reazionari, interiorizzando l'idea della loro indiscussa superiorità».

Dunque alla fine Mirko ce l'ha fatta. Si è guadagnato le stellette per essere accettato dalla società patriarcale giapponese e mostra subito il suo senso di appartenenza. Si fidanza con Licia e parte in tour alla volta degli Stati Uniti, sbolognando fratellino e gatto a Licia, per la quale intravediamo un futuro in cui cucinerà e stirerà le mutande a tutti.

Ecco perché «Kiss me, Licia» per me è gigantesco NO. [L'Ideota]

[jaegeraether]

Well I'm from Sevilla so I would obviously recommend visiting Sevilla😅

I think it depends of the kind of things you want to visit to be honest. Cities like Sevilla, Córdoba or Salamanca (to give a few examples) have a lot of history, so there are many monuments to see, whereas cities like Madrid or Barcelona are more modern, so it really depends on the kind of stuff you'd like to see. You can always stay in a city for a few days and then visit another one😊

Now the most important thing: the food. I'd recommend to try everything you can, that's the best advice I can give you😂 Seriously though, there are the classic ones: paella (little advice, a lot of bars have paella only on sunday so that's something importante to consider), tortilla de papas, croquetas, churros con chocolate (eat them for breakfast btw), jamón is a classic and papas bravas (they're a little spicy but if I can handle it I'm sure you can as well)

Anyways this is way too long but, even though I complain a lot, I love talking about my country and all the amazing things we have :)

If you need advice on anything (and I mean anything) don't hesitate to ask me😊 I'll even come off anon if you ask nicely enough

All of that is incredible advice for me and whoever reads it, so thanks a lot! 🙏🏼 it seems you have a few admirers in my anons 😂

Ohh I need to do my research it seems. You’ve now made me want to go on a food tour of Spain 💁‍♀️ and as someone with a sweet tooth, the churros con chocolate are calling my name. 🥰

I love how excited you get talking about your country. I’m the exact same with Australia. 🇦🇺 similarly, if you want/need any information on the land down under, let me know! 🦘

Thank you, friend. 💕

[bloomingdarkgarden]

You’re so lovely. You have truly blessed me. I’m in dental hygiene school and my 3rd semester ended yesterday, and today I had the time to read your newest chapter for darkgarden and damn. You continue to blow me away.

My favorite line was, “Azriel would murder Cassian with his bare hands before allowing himself to be robbed of becoming Elain's kitchen boy.”

I’m so exitced to reread your story from the start again. 😭 It’s been a while since I’ve had tour time to do so.

You’re a blessing and I hope you’re doing well

You KNOW I'm working on a moodboard of Azriel being Elain's kitchen boy.

Your comments always give me life. I hope school is as smooth as it can possibly be for you as you finish, and brava! Thank you for taking the time to share thoughts 🙏

[iconsla]

icons lali esposito - si usas like o reblog por favor

[stateofsport211]

📸 🎥 ATP official website

After a solid closing to the first set, P. Martinez continued such display by breaking early to 1-0 thanks to his forehand winner while trying to take advantage of Albot being slightly off-balance with his third-shot errors, notably consolidating the lead to 2-0 with a forehand lob winner. Since then, he had not looked back even if he faced a stiff opposition, one of those being Albot's volley in response to P. Martinez's drop shot before the latter held his serves to 5-3.

Two games later, P. Martinez earned his opportunity to serve for the match. However, he had his 5 match points fumbled as a result of his prevalent forehand errors, while the fourth match point save came from Albot's preceding forehand to P. Martinez's up-in-the-air response. Eventually, P. Martinez converted his match point in his sixth try, thus he won his first Challenger title of the year and solidified his position in the Top 100 coming into the clay season.

[leporellian]

i think a lot about how opera companies Teach opera to people because i genuinely think it's fascinating, and also because i havemy own thoughts on how it should be done. opera is often introduced as a product. you Go See the opera. the opera always goes like This. you clap when they stop (but not always) and you yell bravo or brava when it is done. you Watch it. and i think this comes from a place of good intentions, because opera is so often seen as some concrete thing, but i also think it's a wrong way to introduce it to people. it's like trying to get people into a building while also trying to keep the doors and windows closed.

i was at the museum of science and industry yesterday, one of my favorite museums in the world. and every single exhibit there in some capacity invites children and adults to play along with something. it's a facilitator. there's a giant newton's cradle that you can operate with a machine. there's souvenir machines that are downscaled injection molding factories, and you can watch them work. there's old trains and planes to crawl around on, a giant hamster wheel, a big look-and-find fairy castle that you can spend hours searching for stuff in. when it isn't play, it's a look into a process. a little secret. people aren't taught by somebody else at the museum. they teach themselves. occasionally there's somebody there to help- a tour guide, an exhibit caretaker- but the museum treats its subjects as ecosystems to participate in and not as some static Thing you go Watch.

opera isn't a static product. it never has been. you could name all the grains of sand on this planet before everyone agrees on what an opera even fundamentally is. what opera really is, is an ecosystem. nothing in opera exists in isolation and everything is meant to be dismembered, examined, put back together again, and given new coats of paint. everything is fluid, and everything is meant to change, and that is the beauty of it: anybody has the power to change opera.

so what i'm saying is this: opera companies sink too much time into opera education when their base concept- that opera is a tangible thing to be displayed- is flawed and uninteresting. give children opera characters and let them make their own stories with them. show people the music and let them play around with its instruments and keys. show people all its facets and show them that it is something they can always participate in and change. an opera is a toolbox, an opera is an ecosystem. don't sit people down and teach them, give them the key and they will teach themselves.

[carretera-de-mis-suenos]

Villa Unión y Termas de Fiambala 💧

Après San José des Chacal, nous avons repris la longue route vers Salta. Nous avons refait un tour vers Rodéo avant le départ pour pouvoir refaire la sublime route que nous avions vu et nous en avons profité pour laisser de l’eau au petit temple érigé par mon père et Nico.

Suite à cela, nous avons mis le cap vers Villa Union car nous avions pour plan d’aller voir deux parcs classés par l’UNESCO : le parc Ischigualasto et le parc Talampaya. Nous voulions aussi en profiter pour aller à la Laguna Brava, un lac de fou rempli de flamands roses.

Malheureusement, Villa Union a été une grosse déception.

Dans cette zone, rien ne se fait sans guide et tout est très cher. Comptez entre 60 et 80€ par personne pour la visite des parcs qui se fait uniquement dans des bus touristiques ou dans sa propre voiture au milieu d’une caravane de véhicules. De plus, la Laguna Brava était fermée jusqu’à nouvel ordre à cause de la neige. Ici, le touriste français est vu comme un pigeon qui doit dépenser le triple de ce que dépense un local pour la moindre visite. Cette vérité était déjà assez présente sur tout le continent Argentin mais elle ne nous a jamais paru aussi flagrante qu’à Villa Union où les prix y sont exorbitants.

Nous n’avions pas envie de faire partie de cet engrenage et nous étions plutôt short sur l’argent après les réparations de la voiture. Nous avons donc fait l’impasse sur toutes ces visites et avons repris la route. A force de recherches nous avons quand même pu trouver une petite pépite à visiter totalement gratuitement : La Banda Florida, une version miniature de l’impressionnant canyon que vendait le parc Talampaya.

De retour dans notre Doudi Cuatro en direction du Nord, nous avons fait une halte dans un petit restaurant Libanais, le tout premier de notre voyage ! Agréablement surpris par cette découverte culinaire qui nous changeait du bife et des milanaises, nous avons pris le temps de déjeuner là. C’est autour de délicieux mezzes libanais et sandwichs falafels que nous avons fait la rencontre de Georges et son épouse, les deux patrons du restaurant. Georges est un argentino-libanais qui parlait parfaitement français et avec qui nous avons discuté un long moment. C’était une rencontre passionnante durant laquelle nous avons appris plein de choses sur le Liban et sur la famille de Georges (son fils est réalisateur et il a fait un court métrage en partenariat avec l’institut du monde Arabe, rien que ça !). Avant de partir, la femme de Georges nous a donné le meilleur plan que l’on a eu depuis le début du voyage : LES THERMES DE FIAMBALA !

Ces termes cachées au milieu des montagnes, près de la ville de Fiambala, sont un plan très local et peu connu des touristes. Elles n’apparaissent d’ailleurs pas dans les résultats de recherche Google Maps quand on tape le mot « termas ». Nous nous sommes donc empressés de nous y rendre.

Nous sommes arrivés à Fiambala, une très jolie petite ville dont les alentours sont à tomber par terre tant ils sont beaux. Nous avons bu un coup sur la place en observant les centaines de motos défiler devant nos yeux. En effet, depuis la crise, tout le monde ou presque circule en moto, un moyen de transport plus économique et facile à réparer.

Nous avons pris le créneau du soir pour les thermes, 12€ par personne pour 4h à mariner dans l’eau chaude : un plan en or !

Les thermes sont sublimes. Après une fastidieuse montée en voiture dans les hauteurs rocheuses, vous vous retrouvez au milieu de 15 bassins d’eau chaude naturelle provenant directement des montagnes. Tout est en pierre, les locaux s’y prélassent en partageant les ragots du moment et vous avez même un restaurant à bon prix pour vous requinquer entre deux baignades. C’était un paradis sur terre ! Nous nous y sommes rendus le dimanche soir et malgré la foule nous avions largement l’espace pour profiter de l’endroit. Nous avons décidé d’y retourner le mardi matin pour avoir les thermes rien que pour nous.

Après une nuit dans la pampa, nous sommes partis explorer le cañon del Indio le lundi, un magnifique canyon de pierres rouges qui s’étend sur quelques kilomètres.

Le mardi matin nous sommes retournés à 8h du matin aux thermes. Pari gagné, nous avons eu les thermes rien que pour nous pendant deux bonnes heures avant de voir quelques locaux débarquer. Un pur bonheur !

Nous sommes repartis détendus et heureux vers Cafayate, la dernière étape avant Salta !

Je vous raconte la suite dans le prochain post.

Besitos,

Luna.

[sparklepirate]

Alright, final thoughts on To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars

- Fucked me UP. Had me FEELING things. Some top tier sci-fi right there. Brava.

- It usually takes me a long time/several rereads to get attached to protagonists, but Kira Navárez was very instantly compelling in a way that I haven’t really experienced before, not even with Mr. Eragon Shadeslayer. She is, in fact, my girl. I think the two main things that make me like her so much is her grief and relationship with Alan, and her career. I’ll talk about Alan in a bit, but I find it so nice that, even in her moments of high stress and/or intense heroics she always stops to take a minute and look at all of these alien and be like “God I wish I had the time to sit here and study this. This is so fascinating.” Like... Girl same. If I were a space biologist I would be losing my MIND over all this.

- I bitched and moaned about her relationship with Falconi, but actually having seen the whole thing now I’m more fine with it. See, I was worried that this new fling with Falconi was going to crowd out Kira’s grief, and Falconi was going to act as basically the obligatory replacement love interest, and Alan was going to be forgotten, but that didn’t happen. Kira and Falconi almost read more as friends with benefits than a true romance, and Kira never once even considered him as a substitute for the love of her life. Falconi was a comfort to her, and them sleeping together was a very positive experience, and either or both of them could potentially have some sort of romantic feelings towards each other, but ultimately they are only friends. Kira’s last thought before she “died” was of Alan. I am relieved that Kira’s grief and romantic interests were treated with the care and thoughtfulness that they were, as so many authors before would have ruined it. (Side note, this also makes me a little less nervous for how Murtagh and Nasuada’s relationship might potentially be handled in the upcoming book.)

- I’ve never been one to cry over character death before. It’s always other things that get me to cry, and deaths I can usually take in stride, but Alan’s death in the beginning was IMPACTFUL. I don’t think I shed actual tears, but I was DISTRAUGHT. Kira’s grief was so real, and I felt her loss so palpably. Incredibly well written. And just the themes of guilt and acceptance, and Kira finally being able to defeat The Maw by forgiving herself... Chef’s kiss.

- On that note, I’m still reeling from the entire goddamn existential crisis I had after finishing. Kira didn’t DIE die, but I was on the verge of tears throughout the entirety of the last little bit. It felt like a death in some ways, and a rebirth in others, and it just made me think about what it means to be human, and what it means to be alive, and I’m. Not okay.

- Gregorovich!!!! Literally the whole sequence of him short circuiting, and Kira talking to him, and then trying to fix him with the Seed is SO GOOD. Particularly talking to him through the headset, and all of the different font sizes and visual indications of glitches was iconic. It’s a very visceral sort of horror that appeals to me. It’s the perfect meld between technological malfunction, and being unable to control losing your mind that is PEAK and that scene will live in my head rent free for forever.

- Also Trig!!! I love all of the crew of the Wallfish, but Greg and Trig are for sure my favorites. I was definitely sad to see Trig taken out of commission for the majority of the book, but I am PSYCHED to see him alive at the end and I NEED the sequel to talk about him and the Staff of Green!!!

- I went to see Paolini last night for his Fractal Noise tour, and he kept (jokingly) bemoaning the fact that “WHY am I writing about SPACESHIPS? I know why you’re all here!” And like, while yes obviously the Inheritance Cycle holds a very special place in my heart, you are writing about spaceships because they are COOL and you DESERVE to write about what you like!!! And you’re good at it too!! Not that he’s ever going to read this, but just because your space books aren’t as popular as your 2 decade long reign over the land of high fantasy doesn’t mean they aren’t good, or that they weren’t worth writing! As a writer or artist of any kind, we owe it to ourselves to create for the love of it, and the right people will resonate with our work. And you know what? Casaba-Howitzers ARE really cool!!

- ... Okay yes I DID use my time getting my book signed to ask him a question about Murtagh but that doesn’t make my previous sentiment any less genuine.

- Oh also the fight scene with Ctein was also god tier.

Anyways, back to Brisingr shortly!