#definitely the allegro

[regicidal-defenestration]

Collaborative playlist for the roller derby team Christmas party is dangerous because I am in the sort of mood where I'll add Vivaldi's Winter from the Four Seasons

[lucksea]

theyre the happy smilers

[soutzouart]

A reminder that Kira not only knows how to play the violin, but has won the second (or third, I'm not sure) place award in a violin competition. Do you know what that means? This evil mf is probably extremely good at it, even when he's holding back.

So.. I let my intrusive thoughts take over and decided to draw him performing one of the most famous and hauntingly beautiful violin concertos out there, the Mendelssohn concerto in E minor. It suits him so well and I feel like he would eat this concerto up. I definitely recommend you to listen to the whole thing! It's such an elegant musical piece!

[stormcloudrising]

Listened to the full lyrics of Long Face and I love them, and I have some random thoughts on the lyrics. Interesting meaning behind the words with the piano analogy.

The words are obviously meant to represent Lestat’s thoughts about Louis, and what I find interesting is that they see each other the same way. Makes me wonder who wrote the song. Did Lestat write it to put himself in Louis shoes in an attempt to understand him, or in response to the scene from Season 1 episode 2 after Louis kills the agent and they burn the body.

Louis sees their differences in terms of the world they live in and how others see them. Creole/French; Black man/white man; Queer/????? Etc. Lestat on the other hand sees their differences in more idolized romantic terms…basically how they see each other not how the world sees them.

Or was the song written as a duet with maybe Louis also writing Lestat a letter with the latter putting it to music. It’s a tin foil idea but the lyrics sound almost how Louis would describe the two of them…not the other way around.

If you asked Louis how he saw Lestat, he would say that he was filled with fire and energy. And it turns out that’s how Lestat sees Louis. Fire to his calmer self (LOL). But then again, you never see yourself the way others see you.

On the other hand, Lestat is always questing for love and so on that level, the lyrics do makes sense. The song also matches up to his thoughts about Louis when he first sees him pull a knife on Paul. And while Lestat always wants to test the boundaries, he’s always been lonely, which definitely matches up to how he sees himself in the song. Louis fills the void in him.

The lyrics are all about two pianos creating a harmonious sound. Makes me wonder if that’s what he was practicing with his board and Siri. Was he writing the lyrics then. Lestat sees them as opposites who together create the perfect sound.

I’m piano (quiet)

And you’re forte (loud and strong)

You’re Allegro (lively)

I’m Andante (slow or moderate pace)

We’re Bolero (here he’s talking about Ravel’s Bolero, which is basically a repeated melody that builds and builds to include the entire orchestra. It was also originally published as a piano duet.

He’s also saying that his stage persona is not him. He’s an actor wearing makeup. Louis knows the real him but Louis keeps running and he’s calling him out on it. It also interesting that he says “I get fatter, when we breakup.” That suggests some type of spiraling on his part when he and Louis break up. He gets fatter on the blood. The Rock Documentary is for Louis.

I’m very interested to see where season three starts because the lyrics almost sound like they got back together and Louis did one of his bunker like in the books and just disappeared.

Of course, the song is likely just an encapsulation of their relationship as it will be covered going forward and not about any specific off screen event. If so, we’re in for a treat.

Season 3 can’t get here soon enough for me.

[xenon-guava]

I don’t know how to explain this but Ganondorf would totally play bassoon in the orchestra

He gives me low-woodwind vibes

Bassoon is the definition of lawful evil

[rindragon-from-twewy]

Swap au character intros part 4!!!

Spoilers for specifically Raincode Chapter 0 ahead!

Let's start with Zilch! In this au his forte becomes Audial Aptitude - thanks in part to his animal ears. If you've seen my art of Zilch before, you'll probably have noticed I like drawing him with his animal ears as his actual ears and not on top of his hat. It's cuz I generally just hate the ambiguity of it. Are the animal ears real? Are they just on his hat? Why do they move? Why does he have 4 ears? So I just like making his animal ears his only set of ears. That being said, apparently they're fox ears??? I always assumed wolf??? But I digress- His uniform has been changed up to be reminiscent of an orchestra conductor cuz hahah audio. His face tattoos are meant to be those spotify code scanners - the right cheek leading to It's All So Incredibly Loud by Glass Animals and We Own The Night by Chandler Kinney on the left (cuz I think it's funny!) As for his last name change, "Allegro" in musical terms means "to be played very quickly" which I thought would suit him quite well as someone who can solve cases really fast. His personality is basically the same, the only alteration being that he carries around a notepad and pen in order to help keep track of all the hundreds of things he's constantly hearing all the time.

Next is Pucci. She's received Spectal Projection from Melami and if you thought being good at hearing made her existential then BOY HOWDY does being able to use her body as a vessel for spirits fuck her up even more! Originally I was going for a classic "fortune teller" look for her but I instead went with a cute seamstress-y sort of look instead cuz I couldn't really get what I had in mind initially to look good. She wears a tape measure like a scarf and a thimble as a necklace charm. Her eyes, while cute, have a sort of dead look in them that make others wonder if she's even alive at all. Her last name has been changed from Lavmin to Lavender because in flower language, they're representive of purity, serenity, grace and calmness - all traits she seems to exhibit until she actually starts talking and you realise she's just sort of awkward and shy. She finds it easier to talk to ghosts/spirits then living creatures and honestly probably gets along reeeaaally well with this AU's version of Vivia.

Now, you may be looking at Aphex and going "Rindude! You changed fuck all about him!" And yeah, you're right... The only major changes I made was switching out his coat, boots and like doubling his muscle mass. He's strong. He could beat you up, no questions asked and it definitely shows! His forte is now Thoughtography but he's just as angry as ever - originating from the "front lines" that canon Zange mentioned in his own backstory. For that reason, his coat is inspired by WW2 trenchcoats and while my art doesn't show it very well, everything he's wearing looks and smells like he's crawled straight out of a dumpster. Originally I was going to change his last name to Harkness as an homage to Captain Jack Harkness, a WW2 soldier inspired character from (surprise, surprise) Doctor Who but considering the fact I did that exact same thing with an oc of mine for my A levels earlier this year... I instead went with Tyler; an homage to another Doctor Who character called Rose Tyler who is also a badass blonde <3

And that's all the details I'm sharing for now! It's a little strange considering I've written the Storm Cypher fanfic about half way through its chapter 0 already so I have a lot more to say about the train gang then I did anyone else - since they've already had stuff actually written for them. Melami and Zange's swap au designs will drop like... as soon as I figure out how to draw elderly people. So soon, hopefully! But yeah, I'm cooking super good atm I just can't really share much due to the nature of writing lol. I've been loving getting asks about it though! Deadass, it makes me kick my legs and giggle to know people are crazy enough to care about this AU- >w<

[dissovledgirl]

okay so re-reading scp takes DAY 2/3 IDK

number one i re read, case hate red.

bro. you have no idea how much this tale means to me. as a classical musician myself, the pure horror of people that you put your trust in(especially as a soloist???) turning into demonic monsters and ripping your body apart??? idk?? like bro wtf😭 also poor guy just wants his wife back anyways like at first i thought it was some crazy panic attack type thing bc i’ve definitely had things like that before performing gosh it was so nicely written UGH (also like there are slugs in his eyes…..)

(ALSO!! I WANT TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT HE IS PLAYING SHOSTAKOVICH. shostakovich isn’t like mozart and beethoven. his music is extremely dissonant and hard to listen to(note wise) and like for me personally it’s a sense of impending doom(even his waltz: https://open.spotify.com/track/0pjCsB0XNSyqM9UazlTODC?si=MUyjuJ7dRjq4as5kEdvScw , is in a minor key and isn’t very happy dancey it’s like IDK. and this one obvi https://open.spotify.com/wrapped/share/share-a1ac487ed18b4f6295de7a2e8ae910e9?si=wT4w91aaQQ-qHgxgPl3n_Q&track-id=1zwNC4HIvgQQ6nga0ygjIg like is so hard to play and listen to it just makes you uncomfortable and that’s just his style) so basically what i’m trying to say is i don’t KNOW if qntm was trying to use this as a symbol, all i’m saying is that if tinad wasnt a book, it was a movie, and shostakovichs shit was playing in the back???? ain’t no way i’d think this is a happy scene of some guy achieving his dreams and play the violin(especially in the context of what happened before)

sorry the classical musician in me IS COMING OUT

number two: portraits of your father

THIS ONE. GOD. i mean what the hell. like this kid has a pretty fucked up life ( as does any kid with a dad working at the foundation.. cough alison.. cough meri) and that’s sad in itself. BUT THE WHOLE GHING. KONDRAKI LAYING ON THE FLOOR. SAYING LIKE YOU ARE GONNA HAVE A GOOD FUTURE, AND IM GLAD JAMES LOVES YOU ANS WHAT. and the periodic flashbacks to draven’s childhood ugh:( he really loved his dad. also i love draven and talloran together idk who came up with that but ily

NUMBER 3!: Mann with the Plann, or the Dog Gone Days of Summer & New Tricks (or: Youth Culture Killed My Dog)

first of all. i love kain pathos crow. he’s really funny dude i love him. (yesterday does NOT exist guys!) (gears being the vet is also so funny)

i think it’s really interesting how kain and clef just accept the fact that they are gonna listen to the foundation whether they want to or not(they don’t want to) and its also so exciting seeing kain being like let’s fucking go olympia!! anywyas love that guy

okay so for the mann tale which was redirected from there, bro😭. i love mann and lament and its actually so iconic that kain mann and lament are a trio i love that.

that last one was a good lighthearted one to make up for the gut wrenching ones before it

[bebop-station]

Shostakovich and Aziraphale

I was thinking (and talking to @balance-of-probability endlessly) about the choice to have Shostakovich's fifth symphony feature so heavily in S2 ep 1, and how it struck me as a little odd as there are a bunch of composers Aziraphale loves mentioned in the book and Shostakovich isn't amongst them.

Backstory: In 1934, Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtensk premiered to huge popular acclaim, which was very briskly walked back in 1936 after the Stalinist newspaper Pravda published an article denouncing it.

Actually more than denouncing it, condemning it. It wasn’t credited but was authored by a guy called David Zaslavsky who was almost definitely scribing for Stalin himself. Lady Macbeth was banned in the USSR until 1961.

Anyway by 1936 Shostakovich had written his fourth symphony, which he withdrew from public performance until 1961 because it was more of the same thing that had made the Soviet leadership cancel Lady Macbeth – it was unconventional, anti-patriotic, and indicated that Shostakovich was a “bourgeois formalist”.

So he shelved it and started working on Symphony No. 5 which is, on the surface at least, Soviet as fuck. And that’s what we hear Aziraphale listening to in S2E1.

(Sidebar this story is told in Julian Barnes’ The Noise of Time which is either a literary wank soup or a masterpiece depending on how cranky you are when you first read it)

So basically what Dmitri Shostakovich did in those years between the fourth and fifth symphonies was something that might be familiar to S2E6 enjoyers/agonisers: he decided to toe the party line.

Kind of.

Listening to the finale of the fifth symphony (and if you want to listen along it’s the recording of Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic, it’ll be called something like Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47; iv. Allegro non troppo) without the context of the rest of the symphony or in fact Shostakovich’s life is like ah yes that’s a bit of a Soviet battle anthem let’s march into Leningrad or whatever.

But it is, as critics have increasingly understood in the years since Shostakovich demurely described it as “a Soviet artist's no-nonsense response to fair criticism”, dripping with irony. This man reviled the Stalinist line on art and life – he takes the Soviet anthem and turns it into a sort of fucked up evil clown march. The whole thing gives me this vibe:

(gif from @goodomensedit)

There’s a lot of stuff about that time in Shostakovich’s life that is extremely hard to verify. There’s a “memoir” which is for sure at least partially fabricated called Testimony in which there’s an alleged quote from our man saying that final movement is a parody, that “it's as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, "Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing", and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, "Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing"."

Whether or not Shostakovich said that (some of his friends who outlived him support that reading, including Rostropovich who conducted a bunch of his work) you can definitely hear it in the piece and you can definitely see how it gives us a clue into the decision Aziraphale makes at the end of the season.

What Shostakovich had to decide back in the 1930s was whether he would a) flee to somewhere like the US, where many other artists targeted by Stalin went; b) stay and become a public nuisance, leading almost definitely to an off-the-books execution; or c) become a party-approved Soviet Artist and hope for change. Even nudge it along in a subtle way. Even get on the inside and work to bring it down. We don’t know how true that was for old mate Dmitri and we don’t yet know exactly what Aziraphale has planned. But yeah:

tl;dr: Shostakovich 🤝 Aziraphale

          Staying inside a rancid and destructive militarised culture in the hope that it can change

[uriekukistan]

tokyo ghoul characters in a ballet class

kaneki is trying his best but he’s like an awkward little duckling. generally not bad, but constantly questioning why he’s there. always in the back of the class. he can’t fully keep up with the moves and is tripping over his feet.

hide is having the time of his life. absolutely horrible at ballet but smiling the whole time and laughing at his own mistakes. making comments about the “funny words” for the moves. teacher’s nightmare.

haise, unlike kaneki, while still awkward and tripping, is having a great time. very eager to learn. putting 100% effort into everything even though he’s not very good. teacher loves him because he always takes feedback very well.

touka is angry and frustrated the whole time. annoyed because what the teacher tells her to do is “physically impossible.” in my mind, shes not suuuper flexible. limps out of class bc she may have dislocated her hip to get a 90°+ extension.

ayato is similar to touka in that he’s angry and frustrated the whole time because he can’t do anything properly. unlike touka, who complains in her head, he complains out loud. gets thrown out of class for sassing the teacher.

shuu probably already knows ballet. if he doesn’t, he’s definitely a natural. ballet seems like something shuu would really like. super dramatic with everything and gets so into it. class is his stage. has really high jumps.

juuzou loves petit allegro (little jumps). he hates barre though. weirdly good, but he gets so dizzy during turns and lays on the floor after. naturally flexible and the class regulars hate him for it.

do yall remember when naki called shuu an american because he kept yelling in french? well he gets really confused in class and gets kicked out when he yells at the teacher and calls them a stupid american.

saiko makes it through tendus before she gives up and goes to sleep in the corner. she doesn’t wake up when the teacher asks her to leave, so they just leave her there in the corner. either that or she has a lot of fun bouncing around like the sunshine she is.

shirazu talks the entire time the teacher is giving the combination, and the when the music starts, he has no idea what to do. follows other people to get through the combination. not bad at barre actually, but can’t keep up with center.

urie keeps it well hidden, but he secretly enjoys ballet. ballet combines the creativity of painting, and the physical activity of working out, so it’s perfect for him. despite this, no matter how much he tries, he’s not great. he secretly goes to classes a lot though.

mutsuki is actually good but kind of hates it. he might like it more if it didn’t involve tights and a leotard. he’s very graceful and delicate with the way he dances. the teacher loves him and he gets lots of compliments.

[elegantballetalk]

I actually think Tsiskaridze could be a really interesting—and much-needed—neo-classical choreographer for Russian ballet. He clearly has a strong artistic vision, and his choreographic ideas, especially the ones we’ve seen in his exam pieces, show real creativity. There’s definitely something to be said about how the big Russian theatres have been stuck in their ways and lacking fresh, innovative work. In that sense, someone like Tsiskaridze could bring something new and exciting to the scene.

That said, I’m not sure the Vaganova Academy is the right place for this kind of innovation to start. First and foremost, it’s a school, and its job is to give students a solid technical foundation for their careers - making sure dancers build the right coordination, alignment, and muscle memory to stay healthy and successful long-term. The traditional Vaganova training has proven to do that, while Tsiskaridze’s approach is still untested.

Plus, the Vaganova style itself is something special—distinctive, elegant, and currently very successful/sought after at BOTH the Mariinsky and Bolshoi (whether that should be the case at the Bolshoi is up for debate). Training traditional 'Vaganova style' girls IS making them highly employable/desired dancers - after all most of the companies they will be applying for will be the same russian companies that don’t currently follow the style or aesthetic Tsiskaridze is leaning into but do love that classic Vaganova look: long legs, beautiful extensions, and that soft, refined port de bras (even when those companies hire dancers from outside the school, like from Perm or Eifman, they still tend to pick dancers who have these qualities).

Maybe that look is becoming too ubiquitous/being over exaggerated in theatres - leading to the slow tempos, over focus on hyperflexibility, lack of musicality and dancebility in favour of stationary poses and lines etc - but Tsiskaridze's job as a teacher is to create employable, healthy dancers NOT to try and influence the way the theatre's are run. If he wants to do that he needs to go and suck up to Gregiev more and see if he can get Vaziev's job - or maybe start freelance choreographing and leverage his influence to get commissions idk.

so well thought out! Thank you for your points. there’s really much to admire in his exams, it’s a pity that he uses his students to display his stuff, but at the end of the day it could work splendidly for the girls. I do, personally, think they will all be fine and are employable, solid mature looking dancers. What I also like is that there’s no clear standout in the class, of course, on one hand it means there’s no star, but on the other hand it also means that the work of the teacher was very consistent. Personally the best part of the exam is the tempo and the focus on musicality rather than hyper fixating on flexibility and posing for lines. While Vaganova has amazing adagio, and that should be nurtured, ballet is more than ‘just’ adagio, and actually more about petit allegro and allegro. This said, I do wish he could find a compromise between vaganova and his personal style and opinions. Perhaps this was just a way for someone to recognise his talent, recognise that it’s not a right fit for vaganova, and thus give him a grant to open his own academy so he can flourish his vision for ballet elsewhere 🤣.

what I don’t like is the focus on him, like we should be taking about the students skills, and instead the conversation is on their teacher, which isn’t normal. But perhaps his class is very happy to be a part of this movement, who knows? Perhaps they think they are revolutionaries in dance, I imagine they might be very excited to be a part of this. That’s a positive thought, a reminder that we (I) shouldn’t always think the worst!

[erisweekofficial]

Tonight we are super pumped to be highlighting @lexluvswriting!!!

They are the author of L'autunno, an xReader fic inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons Concerto album!

🩰 If you love fics about dancing, this is PERFECT for you, not to mention it possesses the perfect combination of angst, fluff and 😏

Please give this a read (and listen to the music while you do!) 🎻

Look under the cut to learn about the creation of L'autunno, Lex's dreams for future Eris content, and where Eris goes to vacation! 🏝️

How did you come up with the idea of a Ballerina reader for ꔫ L'autunno?

Coming up with L'autunno was really easy!! I was just listening to my classical music playlist (yes, i'm that person w 30 playlists I fear) and then Vivaldi's L'autunno Allegro came on. Looking at the title, I immediately thought of Eris and Nesta's waltz and wondered what type of music he would like- would the Autumn Court value their creative/performing arts as much as Velaris? (basically L'autunno is one big headcannon that went out of control, but I'm falling in love with writing it so I can't stop, I fear.) As for the ballerina, I've always wanted to be a dancer myself (nothing ever came to fruition) so I decided to let reader dance bc we all deserve to feel beautiful!!

What's something you want to see eris say or do in future books?

 In future books? I want Eris to reunite with Lucien! I want the Vanserras to stick together, bc I know damn well that LOA did not suffer all of this abuse for her children to not get along!! (keeping in mind, i am aware of the traditions in the Autumn Court but surely we can start breaking cycles or smth!!) perhaps this is asking too much but SJM, can we PLEASE have some LOA + Eris wholesome moments please please pLEASE can one of your characters have a good relationship w their parents in ACOTAR 🫶🏼

What ballet do you think Eris loves watching the most?

 OMG I love this- I referred to it slightly in the earlier chapters of L'autunno but I think Eris would love Swan Lake because of his mother!! whatever version it is, I think he'd love them all (I associate a lot of pieces in Swan Lake with Eris)

Where in Prythian do you think Eris likes to vacation and why?

 I'd like to imagine that there is this MASSIVE lake in the Autumn Court that Eris has not a manor, but a humble little cottage at!! Eldest son, daddy issues, loves his Mama, you're gonna look me in the eye and tell me he DOESN'T have a place for just him that isnt unnecessarily glitzy and glamorous?? I'm thinking he makes himself a nice cuppa and goes fishing, or bird watching, and just exists (coming from an eldest child 🫶🏼)

Give us a name for one of his brothers

I'd like to think that one of his brothers is called Theon (idk why) like Theon Vanserra... or maybe Aiden/Aidan Vanserra (I think Aidan is associated with fire?¿) but that's just my brain lol!!

Give us a name for one of his dogs!

OMG. okay, I have a LIST AHAHAH (I'm normal about this I promise) Definitely think Bruno, or Cain, maybe Nox/Lennox idk. but um yeah!!

[i-just-give-you-the-vidya-songs]

The song is "Chosen By The Moon" from the game 'Killer Is Dead', a 2013 hack and slash developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Kadokawa Games (JP) / Xseed Games (NA) / Deep Silver (PAL). Initially released on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, it came to Windows a year later (2014).

Made by Suda51 most known for No More Heroes and Killer 7, the song is of course a remix of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" - IV. Allegro con fuoco.

[tikitania]

My thoughts while watching Prix de Lausanne:

LOL, why is Joy Womack a judge? Who owed her a favor? Who did the girl pay?

The Prix de Lausanne has become a competition to see who is the skinniest.

Nice to see some shorter dancers; look how good, on average, their petit allegro is.

Oh my, you can always spot the American and Australian-trained dancers because of their obsession with constant, teeth-jarring smiling. Please stop.

Why are people in the comments saying there’s no diversity? It seems to me there’s a huge amount of amazing Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dancers.

You can tell who’s not Vaganova-trained, LOL. I feel bad for them.

It’s obvious to me who will not be chosen for the finals, but I wonder if these dancers that we all know won’t win, know it as well. Do they know it? Are they there out of delusion, hope, or for the opportunity to be seen?

There is more emphasis on being skinny and having long limbs than on having hyperextended knees and arched feet. Interesting.

The average level of the Asian dancers is higher. However, many seem to lack artistry, but many compensate for that with good musicality and long limbs.

There’s a general lack of musicality, lack of use of the back, no use of cambré, and lack of use of the eyes.

I wonder if students actually learn something from these classes. The combinations are so fast, and there are absolutely no specific corrections—just generalized reminders.

It gives me great satisfaction when the variation coach gives them the same corrections I would give them.

Some of these variations are a disaster. There’s no way the coach has enough time to fix most of it. Pity.

If you don’t end up a finalist, I think the Prix is useless and a waste of time and money. Yet, being a finalist doesn’t necessarily mean that much either. It’s luck, I guess. But it can’t hurt to win. Obviously.

I hate how they coach the variations. I wish there were long group coaching sessions for each variation. What are they going to take away from just a few minutes? No. It gives me anxiety. This way of coaching variations just favors those who already have good teachers with them.

Myrna Kamara is the definition of a pretty dancer but a bad teacher. If I had her daily, I would go insane.

The way Élisabeth Platel gives class is so fast, but there’s logic and flow to her class. She seems like she doesn’t care, though. Hopefully, she’s different in real life.

The Prix really has some lovely costumes.

You can tell that European/American ballet schools don’t abuse their students as much as Russian/Asian schools. The level at which these Asian dancers are taking class is just so much higher.

These variations are too short. There’s no way to test stamina.

Is this stage raked? It better be.

I wish there were female and male categories. What’s the point of having junior and senior categories?

My toxic trait is skipping all the contemporary and male stuff.

ANON, you are epic. I just don’t have that many feelings about Lausanne, but happy to share yours. 🩰✨

[twopoppies]

hiiii gina! can you recommend some fics with handful-spoiled-moody-babygirl harry in them? :) thank you so much!

Oh, I’m really surprised I don’t have a rec for this topic yet and I’m surprised I don’t have a bigger list. But here is what I can suggest!

Allegro/Adagio by coffinofachimera (E, 9K) everything I’ve read from this author has been so beautifully written, and this is no exception. Yes, it’s filthy, but they give such depth to the characters’ reasons for the way they “play”. And this is one of the rare fics that really take us through the build up to the scene, straight through to aftercare. I really loved this one.

I Love My Hands Around Your Neck by @fournipplesau (E, 6K) Hello... this was really hot. I just loved the dynamic between the two of them—you really get a sense of the difference between them when they play and how they interact when they’re not. Also, just really hot. Did I say that already? Yeah.

babydoll blues by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain (E, 112K) At last, the full-fledged, dirty, sugar baby fic we needed. Harry's character is so layered and so beautifully drawn, I just fell in love with him. Louis is sexy and powerful and also tender and sweet, just how I imagine the actual Louis to be. This author wrote one of my favorite fics of 2021, so I was really excited to dive into this one. They really know how to set a scene and draw you in to their characters. Scorching smut scenes, excellent use of side characters, and some angst that fully made me cry. Definitely worth a read!

it's all for you, everything i do by moonshinelouis (E, 2K) This short little fic is made up of one of my favorite tropes: Louis feigning disinterest while Harry begs for his attention. I really enjoy the way this author is able make their fics feel more than “just” a PWP.

To Be The Friction In Your Jeans by orphan_account (E, 20K) Again, slightly dated characterizations because it was written in 2012 (no one writes OT4/5 orgies anymore, do they?), but I actually really like this one. It’s simultaneously funny, oddly believable, and really damn hot. Harry-centric.

pretty in pink by hereforlou (E, 6K) I love this author’s writing and they give suck a relative portrait of an established relationship in this one: Harry is whiny and needy. Louis is indulgent and loving. The whole thing is very sexy. Link is to a download.

redder than the devil by mercutionotromeo (E, 5K) This short fic has so many kinks and so much smut that I probably could add it to 10 different rec lists. I love this author and hope they keep gifting us with their writing.

Run and I’ll Give Chase by orphan_account (E, 25K) not exactly baby-girl, but I really liked the characterizations in this one; the way Harry wants Louis, but is afraid to want him and acts kind of bratty because if it, but then finally gives in? So good! Plus…there’s a second part Jump and I’ll Catch you (E, 13K) that I haven’t had a chance to read yet.

You might also like some fics on my Desperate Harry fic rec and, perhaps, my Feminization fic rec.

[meanbossart]

Do you have a favourite chapter/ scene in ANE? or just any general part you really enjoyed working on?

(SPOILER WARNING for the obvious reasons.)

There's been many! As far as what I enjoy writing the most, it would definitely have to be the fast-paced scenes. Like the dragonborn's death at the mining village and the subsequent breakdown of his band-buddies - Izzantar's attempt on DU drow's life and the following chaos that ensued with the fox and horse - the kerfuffle with the dwarfs in the Pran tavern - those are incredibly fun to do and come very naturally to me. VAMPIRIC INTERLUDE TO THE TUNE OF VIVALDI'S ALLEGRO is old and not quite up to my standard of skill anymore, but it's a chapter I wrote piss drunk and cackling aloud the whole time - I think of fondly still.

However, while much more frustrating to write, the dialogue-heavy scenes are VERY satisfying to finish and read in their entirety later. Violence and chaos is easy - emotional impact is hard. They're very challenging to me and so I feel ever the more accomplished when I cook one up that's up to my loose standards. Dalyria's and Astarion's psycho argument at the blood house took me several rewrites and I think I succeeded in making sure that nobody in that scene came out looking good - Not Astarion, not Dalyria, not DU drow, not even Shadowheart with her fence-sitting. Also, I feel like that scene and what immediately follows is very telling of the pitfalls of Astarion's and DU drow's relationship without having to say any of it aloud.

On that last note, though, I really like writing their little couple fights. Painting the very different languages in which they communicate and eventually making them meet in the middle. They do so much dumb shit in this story, but I think those scenes shed some light on how sensible they can be when they try - and they try very hard for each other. Their conversation about Nathanya and the wine at the end of Detail's Person is one I'm very proud of.

Speaking of Nathanya, I'm also very proud of her backstory summary! Gonna leave that here as a teaser, actually.

[ploo-toe]

The Crow and the Mourning Dove - Intro

SCP-049 x SCP!Reader

Series tags/warnings(18+): fem!reader, slowburn, (eventual)smut, horror, gore/violence, death, unethical experiments, dark, mentions of past trauma, happy ending

Chapter Summary: “Just one more question for today, and then I'll leave you be.”  Leeward chose his words carefully.  “It says you were found in Marseille.  Why did you leave Paris?”

Notes: I'm so excited to begin this new series!  The song I had in mind in this chapter was Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11:1. Allegro Maestoso by Frédéric Chopin and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.  The referenced “melancholy” part is roughly at 4:40.  Here’s the youtube link for anybody interested in listening:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWd0O0TlJqM

___________________________________________

Leeward had just finished up his report on the progress made in his most recent interview with SCP-049, or lack thereof, when he had been flagged down by the site director.

"Adam!  I'm glad I caught you.  I need you to take on the series of interviews Dr.Rivera was conducting. Not all of them, just this one; SCP-9528.  It's located down in humanoid containment. "  The director held out a file to him. 

Hesitantly taking it from his hand, Leeward let out a nervous but exasperated chuckle. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"  It was framed as a joke, but his words held truth to them. He was in no place to refuse the directors request and keep his job intact. 

The director let out a cold and unnerving laugh, one that didn't reach his eyes. "Be sure you get on this as soon as possible.  I'm trusting you Dr.Leeward, don't make me regret it."

There was a pit in Leeward's stomach as he watched the director leave. Confrontation was never his strong suit.  With a heavy sign, he began thumbing through the file, walking as he read. 

He was intrigued to say the least, this scp was definitely a curiosity. He had taken a pen out of his coat pocket and began making notes in the file, underlining phrases like "seemingly female humanoid", "152 cm in height", "strange eyes", "musician", "spirit maiden" whatever that means, "reaper", "friendly", "deadly" that's a little contradictory.  Reading the file had certainly left him with more questions than answers. At the bottom were notes written by Dr.Rivera.

-prefers to go by y/n, but will respond to designation

-states to originate from the 15th century

-claims to wear perfume, although never seen putting any on, emitted naturally?

-interview with song moving forward, timestamp changes with recording

-when asked about the ring on its necklace,  answers given were vague, distant, and almost… somber. 

Looking up, the designation on the door stared down at him. He must have been so lost in thought that he hadn't realized he was here already. Straightening his coat, Leeward held his keycard to the scanner, and braced himself as the door slid open. 

The first thing that hit him was the soft lavender scent when he walked in. The second was the music that filled the room, with seemingly no point of origin. If he closed his eyes it was almost like he was at an orchestral performance. But his eyes stayed curiously trained on the figure before him.

In the center of the room stood SCP-9528, arms gently moving through the air as if conducting the room around it.  As the door closed behind him, 9528 moved its head to the side, acknowledging him but not turning around.

“Where's Dr.Rivera?”  The voice that questioned was warm, and if he didn’t know any better he would think it was human.  Luckily he did know better.  

“Dr.Rivera’s starting her maternity leave today, so I’ll be the one working with you for the time being.  My name is Dr.Leeward.”  This answer seemed to satisfy the scp, its head turning forward again to continue its musings.  

Leeward sat at the table to his right, taking out his notes and signaling to the two way window across the room that he was ready and to start recording. He cleared his throat lightly before beginning.

“It says here your name is y/n, correct?” Leeward started with a simple question, choosing to go with the basics to gauge how to best lead the interview.

“That’s correct, although no one’s had the decency to call me that in ages.  The numbers you’ve assigned will suffice as well.”  It spoke with a soft French accent.  Why it hadn’t been noted until now, he was unsure.

“Well y/n, I’d like to ask you some questions; get to know you better.  Is that alright?”  He remembered seeing something in the file about “good days” and “bad days”, so he thought providing some illusion of choice would increase its likelihood to cooperate.

“I suppose.  You seem pleasant enough.”

“Good, now I know that you’ve most likely been asked some of these questions before, but I'd like to start from the beginning for myself.”  Leeward paused before continuing.  “It says in your file that you’re from the 15th century, is it safe to assume that you’re from France?”

9528 nodded “Yes, that’s correct.”

“Where in France specifically?”

“Île de la Cité.  It was fairly populated at the time, even more so now I assume.  I was one of the lucky few who lived there at the time to have a garden.”  9528 began to open up to Leeward, pleased with the topic of conversation.  The music in the room took a more cheery tone to it.  

“You say you had a garden?  What kinds of things did you grow?”

“Oh, vegetables, fruit, spices, a few medicinal herbs, etcetera..”

“Medicinal herbs, could you elaborate on that for me?”

“You see, I always preferred homemade remedies over bought ones.”

“And what did you do for a living?”  Leeward moved on, trying to find something substantial.

“I made music for the townspeople, in the market square by the cathedral.  I always hoped to entertain and lift their spirits.  It was a hard time in Paris back then.  I loved the way the children would dance around without a care in the world.  As if nothing could ever harm them.”

Leeward decided to take a chance.  “It says here that you wear a ring on your necklace.  May I ask why?”

The music in the room turned melancholy, and 9528 stilled.  It paused, as if lost in thought, or perhaps pondering what it should tell the doctor.  Leeward took the chance to listen to its melody. It sounded wistful and saudade.  The more he listened, the more it felt like he was longing for something unknown and far away.  What that meant, he was unsure.  He was brought back to the present when 9528 spoke.

“It was a gift from someone close to me.  I wear it to remember them.”  That was all it seemed willing to divulge.  The music softly paused.  “I'm growing quite tired, Doctor.”

“Just one more question for today, and then I'll leave you be.”  Leeward chose his words carefully.  “It says you were found in Marseille.  Why did you leave Paris?”

The answer it gave sounded thought out, as if only part true.  But it shook the doctor nonetheless.

“The Plague.”