#i think it was based on a ballet or an opera or something?

[ozonecologne]

help me find it?

does anyone remember that animated movie that was circulating on tumblr for a while -- it looked like an old rankin and bass style film, like the last unicorn, and the focus of the clip was i think a jester/harlequin/masquerade type guy with a lute, and he was very pathetic but also kind of quippy and funny? i realize this is not a lot to go on but it has been driving me crazy and i want to find it!

[traveler-at-heart]

The Thing

Summary: Natasha works the courage to ask you out.

Natasha Romanoff x F!R

Finally alone.

Natasha is very particular about her food. It took her exactly seven minutes to make the perfect sandwich. She smiles at it and as she’s about to take a bite, a voice interrupts her.

She’d be annoyed, except for the fact that it’s you.

“Hey, Natty” you say innocently, approaching from behind. You’re one of those people that is always hugging or touching your friends.

Natasha doesn’t mind. It would be easier if she didn’t have a big crush on you, though.

Closing the distance, you rest your chin on her shoulder and inspect her plate.

“That looks nice” you whisper, unaware that the redhead is struggling to keep her knees from buckling.

“Yeah…” she can feel your hands traveling around her waist. 

Nice is an understatement.

Finally reaching for a couple of chips, you giggle and step away from the other woman.

“Hey, that’s my lunch!” Natasha protests, but she’s not annoyed.

“Sorry, I’m being called for an urgent mission. Apparently, I’m the gal for the job. This will do while I get some food when I land. Thanks, gorgeous!”

That’s another thing. Gorgeous, babe, angel, darling. You always have a pet name for her. 

It’s really hard to tell if you’re flirting when you speak like that.

After all, you call Kate Bishop delicious muffin. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

No point in thinking about it now. There are more pressing matters at hand.

“Jeez, Steve, I still have 5 minutes!” You shout when someone knocks on your door. You open it and find Natasha on the other side. “Ah, sorry, love. Thought Grandpa America was timing me”

Love.

That’s new.

“Uh… here” she’s always struggling to speak whenever you’re around. You must think she’s a moron.

“For me?” You take the container that she’s presenting and open it. You gasp at the sight of a sandwich and your favorite chips. “Oh, my God!” You lean forward and kiss her on the cheek. “You’re my favorite widow”

“Yelena will be pissed when she finds out” Natasha tries to joke, looking down. Her face is burning, the touch of your lips lingering.

“She’ll survive” you put the sandwich in your bag pack as the timer in your wrist goes off. “Better find Steve before he goes nuts over a one minute delay. Thanks for the sandwich. You’re an angel” 

Another kiss on the cheek, this time closer to Natasha’s mouth. And she almost believes you know what you’re doing, based on that little smirk.

“Oh, shoot” you turn around and call for her when you’re walking towards the hangar. “When you see Yelena… tell her to remember about the thing”

“The thing?” Natasha repeats and you wink.

“She’ll know what I mean” you smile and wave goodbye. “See you in a couple of days, Natty” 

—

It doesn’t take long for Natasha to find her sister. Maybe the thing is something important and she wants to make sure Yelena remembers about it.

“Hey” Natasha says as she sits down next to the blonde.

“Hi” Yelena mumbles, sinking further in the couch, while she scrolls through cooking tutorials.

“Y/N left for a mission today”

“Oh, are you sad that your future girlfriend left?” 

“Shut up” Natasha says. Of course Yelena would know. “She wanted me to remind you about the thing”

“Mkay” Yelena answers, still looking at her phone.

“That’s it? I thought it could be important”

“She just wants me to get her tickets for a… uh…” Yelena finally looks up, drawing blank. “Crap!”

“You forgot the thing?”

“I forgot the thing” she confirms, looking around, as if the answer might be on the Compound’s walls. Kate enters, unaware of the tension in the room. Yelena runs to her. “You”

“What?” Kate barks out, looking ready to slap her. 

“You were with me when Y/N asked me to buy those tickets. Do you remember what they were for? A musical? The opera? Ballet?”

“It was a concert” Kate nods. “Don’t remember the name of the band, though. Sorry” Kate grimaces.

“Ok, let’s just say band names, see if it comes back to me” Yelena pleads and Kate stutters. Working under pressure isn’t her biggest strength.

“Uh, Rammstein” 

“She hates metal” Natasha says.

“The Phantom of the Opera”

“Not a band” Yelena shakes her head.

“The Beatles”

“Half dead” Natasha points out and Yelena groans.

“She’s gonna kill me. I have to run to Mexico. At least the food will be good there” 

“Hey, weren’t you in the room when Y/N asked Yelena for the favor?” Kate remembers all of the sudden, looking at Natasha. 

“Were you?” Yelena says, hopeful. “Please, tell me the name. I’ll do your laundry for a week”

“And wash my dishes” 

“That too” 

“And my mission reports”

“And… nu-uh, that’s too much, Tasha” 

The redhead rolls her eyes. 

“I’ll get the tickets myself. Can’t trust you with that either” 

“Do you want to give your crush a present?” Yelena pokes her tongue out and Natasha glares. Before Kate can stop them, they’re wrestling around the living room, throwing things at each other.

“Stop it!” Steve jumps in. “Hey, we just got new curtains. Damn it!” 

—

Natasha may have hacked the concert’s website to make sure you got the best tickets. She’s walking back to her room, being extra careful that they’re not folding in case you wanna keep them. She knows you have a box full of mementos from shows.

“Hey, Natty” a voice greets from the hallway. Natasha’s hands fly behind her back, because she wanted to surprise you. And she’s definitely not ready to ask you out right now. “Oh, scaredy cat. What are you hiding?” 

Your tone is playful, while you try to reach behind her. Only as your face comes close to her, she notices the bruise around your left eye and temple.

“What happened to you?” she puts the tickets on her back pocket and places her hands on your face. “Who did this to you?”

“H.Y.D.R.A. brute. Nothing new under the sun” you smile and take advantage of the distraction to reach for Nat’s pockets. The redhead is faster and takes your right wrist. The same thing happens with your left hand, and she holds both wrists close to her chest. “Nat! Come on” 

“I can’t show it to you, not now” she tries hard not to giggle, but you’re struggling to break free and the frown on your face makes you look adorable. 

“You are not playing fair, Natasha. I’m calling for backup. FRIDAY, call Yel..”

Natasha panics then, pulling you close and silencing you with her lips. You stand still for a couple of seconds, but then close your eyes, deepening the kiss.

She sighs against your mouth and lets go of your wrists, her hands going down to circle your waist. You bite her lip and the moan she lets out is reward enough.

"My, I'd say buy me dinner first but I wouldn't mind skipping straight to dessert" you joke and she smiles, her green eyes still closed.

But, you’re still curious, so you take advantage of her distraction and reach in her back pocket.

“Wait” Natasha says, her face flushed and lips swollen.

“You got me the tickets? That's better than dinner!”, you say, jumping into her arms once again. 

“Well, Yelena forgot the thing and I wanted to ask you out” she smiles against your shoulder and you pull back. Her eyes go back to the bruise, concerned once again. “Are you sure this doesn’t hurt?”

“I’m fine. Never been better” you lean forward and kiss her again. She smiles against your lips, thinking how happy she is that Yelena is always forgetting things.

[babyseraphim]

1910's music: Edwin Payne style

Hi ya’ll! Friendly music teacher/opera singer here to answer a question that pretty much no one has asked (except me): what music would Edwin have listened to/enjoyed when he was alive?

I’ve separated this into three different genres (classical, jazz, and pop), so the entire thing is pretty long. I've also tried to give references for any additional information provided, but most of it is coming straight from my brain after years of music history classes, so feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong.

Classical Music

So, the first thing to know about me is that I’m a big pianist!Edwin truther, and I'm going to be talking about it a lot in this post. It was extremely common for families (especially wealthy families) to have their children train in some sort of instrument from an early age back then, so learning music was something that Edwin likely would have been forced to do.

There are some classical pieces that I have already heard mention of amongst the fandom, so I will stick them in the 'honorable mentions' section, but I want to feature some music that I haven't seen mentioned in conjunction with Edwin's character yet. 1. Erik Satie's Trios Gnosiennes (1893)

So, I've always associated the first three Gnosiennes with Edwin not only because they're so hauntingly beautiful, but also because they're rhythmically very different than a lot of other classical music of his time. The Gnosiennes are largely played in 'free time' (with no time signatures or bar lines), which is a bit unusual for the genre (though modern classical music has a lot more of it). Satie's music really pulled away from a lot of musical customs, spurning traditional forms and tonal structures in favor of more creative options, and I think Edwin would have really enjoyed it.

Edwin's possible interest in breaking musical customs will come back a lot throughout this post, but given that he is often characterized as going against the social grain (whether he was trying to or not), I think he really would have enjoyed Satie's works as a whole. However, Trios Gnosiennes just really speak to me for his character.

2. Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (premiered in 1913)

The Rite of Spring was a Russian ballet that Stravinsky was commissioned to write for the Ballet Russes company. The work was known for its dissonance and barbarity, and the dancing was described as 'jerky' and 'hedonistic'.

Now, do I think that Edwin would have particularly enjoyed the sound of the the Rite of Spring? Maybe not, but I imagine he likely would have respected its departure from the musical decorum of his time (the piece later went on to be considered one of the the earliest examples of modernism in music). The first public showing of The Rite of Spring caused the theater to break out into a riot partially due to the fact that they thought the music/dancing was a work of blasphemy, and I just think Edwin would have found that hilarious.

3. Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), particularly Spargi d'amaro pianto (the famous 'mad scene' aria)

I don't think Edwin would have been a fan of opera as a whole, but I do think that this work's entertaining twists, literary origins, and technically challenging composition might have caught his eye (I even went so far as to sing through this aria a few nights ago because I was curious, and yeah, its really fucking hard).

Lucia di Lammermoor is a tragic opera based on the 1819 novel The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott, which was based on the real life story of a woman named Janet Dalrymple. Lucia was performed at the Met nearly every season from 1903-1972, and I imagine that if it was doing well in America, it must have been doing numbers in Europe.

Honorable Mentions - Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune and Deux Arabesques - Frédéric Chopin's Noctures (particularly Op. 9, No. 1) and Études (particularly Op. 25, No. 11) - Erik Satie's Trios Gymonepdies

Jazz Music

So, this is where my pianist!Edwin headcanon starts to diverge from the pretty much all of the other music-related headcanons I've seen.

Technically speaking, 'jazz' as we know it didn't really exist when Edwin was alive; he died literally one the cusp of the the Golden Age of Jazz, which is a huge fucking bummer. Jass (as it would've have been referred to in the 1910's) mostly consisted of ragtime and early blues, and was considered to be a 'fringe' style of music (pretty much entirely due to racism). As far as acceptability went, being a teenager with a love for 'jass' in the 1910's would have been the social equivalent of being a teenager with a love for ska or punk music in the 80's (the parallels!!!)

I think its pretty well argued within the fandom that Edwin is a bit rebellious when it come to authority and societal standards, and even though I think he was probably less of a little shit while he was alive, there's no way he was just totally fine with living inside the lines. I posit that, as a rebellion, he would have spurned classical music and became a ragtime pianist (which was one of the main precursors to jazz as we know it today). I actually wrote a fic about this way back when I first joined the fandom, for anyone who's interested!

1. Scott Joplin's Sugar Cane Rag (1908), Fig Leaf Rag (1908), and Paragon Rag (1909)

Scott Joplin (the King of Ragtime) was the most famous ragtime pianist of all time, and one of the driving forces behind creating the jazz genre as we know it. I guarantee that you guys have heard his most famous song, The Entertainer, at least once, and have probably heard his Maple Leaf Rag as well. If Edwin was into ragtime, then its a sure thing that he would have been a big fan of Scott Joplin's rags. I picked the three that I thought suited him best.

2. James Scott's Frog Legs Rag (1906) and Sunburst Rag (1909)

James Scott was also a famous American ragtime composer, and both of the listed songs would have been released when Edwin was pretty young. He probably wouldn't have been old enough to play them for a few years, depending on his training, but thinking of a little 12 year old Edwin learning to play these (as well as Scott Joplin's rags) in his free time just fucking tickles me. I love it so much.

3. Davy Peyton and Spencer Williams' I Ain't Got Nobody, recorded by Marion Harris in 1916

I Ain't Got Nobody was an early jazz standard from 1915 that eventually developed into a multi-genre standard (meaning that it was considered a standard for multiple genres, ranging from jazz to pop to country). I don't have a lot of reasoning for this one other that I think that Edwin would have just really liked Marion Harris' voice.

Honorable Mentions - Euday L. Bowman's Twelfth Street Rag (aka the Spongebob song) - Artie Matthews' Weary Blues

Pop Music

So, a disclaimer here. My music degree required me to take jazz and classical music history classes, which did not cover pop music of the 1910's, so I have fewer historical insights to offer about this genre. However, whenever I think about these songs, I always picture Edwin listening to them through a phonograph while doing homework on his bed, like a teenage girl listening to Sabrina Carpenter or Chappell Roan while studying (I know that's silly, but I think its just such a fun visual). 1. Leo Friedman's Let Me Call You Sweetheart, recorded by the Arthur Clough in 1910

Let Me Call You Sweetheart was one of the highest charting songs throughout the early 1910's, and the most popular version was recorded by a group called the Peerless Quartet. Edwin doesn't really strike me as a quartet enjoyer, though, and this version by Arthur Clough was released the same year. I think he would have enjoyed the tonal quality of Clough's voice much more.

2. Grace Le Boy's The Good Ship Mary Anne, recorded by Nora Bayes in 1914

Nora Bayes was a very famous vaudeville performer of the 1920's, and lot of her biggest hits were recorded shortly after Edwin died (like, literally 1917-1925). I wrote a snippet for a fic that got left on the cutting room floor a while back about the song itself providing a positive association with the term 'Mary Anne', and I still stick by that. In this song, the name 'Mary Anne' only refers to a ship.

3. Irving Berlin's Alexander's Ragtime Band, recorded by Arthur Collins and Byron G. Harlan in 1911

So, this song could technically go under the jazz section, but I'm going to put it here, and I'll explain why. Jazz is an art from that was created and popularized by black musicians, which is why it was seen as such an undesirable art form for such a long time. People liked the music, but they didn't like that it was made by black artists. Alexander's Ragtime Band originated in Tin Pan Alley and was one of the top charting songs for much of 1911 (first in America, then overseas), but it was created by a white artist that was simply 'jumping a trend'. Strictly speaking, genre-wise, its not even a ragtime song—it's a march. It's just about ragtime.

I honestly don't really even like this song that much, and I'm not sure Edwin would have very strong feelings about it either. However, it was an extremely pivotal song for the time period, and likely would have been inescapable (or as inescapable as music could be back in the 1910's, given that music required either records or live performances). Think of it as the equivalent of a pop song that you could really do without, but its so popular that it keeps winning awards and playing in every Forever 21 and H&M within a ten mile radius.

Honorable Mentions - Gus Edwards' By the Light of the Silvery Moon, recorded by Ada Jones - Percy Wenrich's Moonlight Bay, recorded by Dolly Connolly

~~~~

I hope you guys enjoyed this! I also made a playlist, if you'd like to take a look (I couldn't find all the songs, and not all of them are time period accurate, but I tried my best).

If ya'll liked this, I might make one for Charles and dive into ska and Rude Boy culture a little bit. Feel free to send me any questions or ideas you have about all this stuff, too! I love talking about it.

For the people who asked to be tagged: @likemmmcookies @edwinspaynes @asnottoldbyginger @rexrevri

@l-nightmare @ricebees @aroacespacerock @haledamage

(plus i'm tagging you, @laiqualaurelote, because I feel you would appreciate this)

[sorcerersseestars]

just like you <3

warnings: Gojo makes inappropriate jokes. Reader is gender neutral but refers to Gojo as “such a boy” once and is called princess by Gojo thrice. (it’s part of the story, I’m sorry ;-;). Kissing, suggestiveness, & confessions! Gojo is wearing his shades but I was too lazy to keep writing that in…

word count: 2.1k

I feel like Gojo and reader are in their late teens/early 20s in this! Also, I think this feels like more of a snapshot of one moment than a complete oneshot…I guess it’s a drabble then?? Not sure haha pls let me know if there’s a term for this

Gojo hates classical music. Growing up, his parents would drag him to so many ballets and operas, especially around the holidays. He can’t count on both hands how many performances of the Nutcracker he has seen, which was always such a snooze fest for him—he used to point and laugh at the poor child who had to play the rat, which is usually how he got out of seeing the rest of the performance, since the ushers would quickly kick out him and his family for his behavior.

In essence, Gojo has always gone about his life convinced that classical music is horribly boring and that he abhors it.

That is, until you reintroduce him to it. When you ask him if you mind listening to a piece with him, he’s a bit surprised—and of course, apprehensive. How is he going to break it to you that he hates something you hold so dear? But it’s you, so he relents—how could he ever say no to you?

“It’s called Scheherazade,” You say, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “It’s based on a Thousand and One Nights, y’know, the really old story. Do you know it?”

You’re both sitting on your bed. You are sitting cross-legged, while Gojo rudely stretches out his legs (manspreads!), leaving little room for you. You don’t complain, though—you like being this close to him, even if you can’t admit it to yourself.

“I haven’t heard of it,” He admits. He feels so relaxed with you that he yawns even though he isn’t necessarily sleepy. You seem to take this the wrong way, though.

You become embarrassed. “Oh shit, this stuff is kinda nerdy, huh? I don’t want to bore you-”

“You won’t,” He says immediately, firmly. His blue eyes seem to look right through you, making you nervous under his persistent gaze. Maybe if this was music history class, he’d sigh and moan, but since you’re the one telling the story, there’s no possible way he could get bored.

“Oh, r-really?” You stammer out, quickly looking away from his bold gaze (does he always look at you like that?) “Okay then. Uh, so basically, this king found his wife in bed with another man, so he uh– killed her and all of her servants. He kinda went crazy after that and took revenge on women by summoning one virgin to his chamber every night and executing her before the night was up.”

He shifts from his position, leaning in toward you to whisper, “I don’t think he was a very nice king, but don’t tell him I said that.”

You laugh at his lame joke, which makes him feel warm inside.

“Well, one night, a woman named Scheherazade volunteered to be the virgin to go to him one night. Her family was distraught, thinking they were going to lose their daughter to their insane king. But after the first night was up, everyone was surprised to see she was still alive in the morning. This repeated on and on. She was really clever and told him an unfinished story every night, telling him that he would have to wait until the next night to hear the ending. And she did that One Thousand and One times, hence the name of the story.”

“So you’re telling me that she edged him with the same story for one thousand and one nights and he never noticed? Seems kinda gullible, if ya ask me.”

“Why do you have to put it like that?” You say, flustered by his wording. “Ugh, you’re such a boy sometimes.”

“Am I wrong, princess?” He smiles. Your heart skips a beat at his use of a pet name, but you try not to make it obvious.

You roll your eyes. “W-whatever! Anyway, he eventually fell for her and made her his queen. That’s what this piece is based on—or that’s the simple version of it, at least.”

“So, let me get this straight—she tamed an actual virgin-killer?”

“Satoru!” You try to sigh, but can’t hold back your laughter. “That’s not the point!”

“It kinda is though, isn’t it?” He playfully argues. “Actually, I’d argue that’s the climax of the story. After that, everything gets resolved!”

You make a face when he calls it the ‘climax’. In turn, he pokes your cheek.

“What, you don’t like my literary terminology? C’mon, that’s literally what it’s called!”

“You’re such a perv! Virgin killer this, climax that,” You wrinkle your nose in semi-faux disgust. “Just shut up and listen, I’m going to turn it on.”

“Oooo, you’re gonna turn it on!” Gojo says, waggling his fingers and doing jazz hands.

You cross your arms and put on your sternest look. “Do you want to listen to it or not?”

He holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, officer, I’ll behave now!”

You giggle. “Okay, enough. I’m gonna start it now, for real. It’s kinda long, so sit tight.”

You press play on your device, fiddling with the volume for a bit since classical music has such high highs and low lows. You’re still nervous if he’s going to like it or not, so you aren’t as immersed in the music as you usually are. You keep glancing at Gojo out of the corner of your eye, praying you’re not boring him to death.

As the music plays on, you begin to relax and imagine the story in your head. You close your eyes, savoring the colorful tones of the different instruments and the singing melodies.

You open your eyes at the start of the second movement, and are surprised to find Gojo’s eyes completely on you. The solo violin sings beautifully iand the harp tugs at your heartstrings in the background, making the sensation of his eyes on yours all the more evocative. You lose your breath; neither of you look away. It should be awkward, but it isn’t.

“D-do you like it?” You stupidly ask.

“It’s beautiful,” He says softly, eyes still on you. Just like you are the words left lingering on his tongue, right there yet left unsaid.

“Really?!” You answer excitedly—but again, stupidly. “I- uh, I’m gl–”

You cut yourself off with a yelp as the mood in the music suddenly changes. You had turned it up during the quiet opening, since you could hardly hear, so this loud and sudden start to a stormy section catches you off guard. You instinctively flinch and grip the nearest thing around you for comfort…

…That ‘thing’ being your friend, Satoru Gojo. You’re holding his thick biceps tightly, not realizing your blunder in your haste.

He smirks at you but doesn’t move away. If anything, he leans in to you. “Aw, did you get scared? It’s just vibrations wiggling the air, there’s nothing to be scared of.”

You instantly let go. He laughs at how quickly you back away, and you can only hope he doesn’t sense the heat on your cheeks. So embarrassing.

“You–! Ugh! I was just caught off guard!” You say, brushing your hands off just for show. "It just suddenly got so loud that I got startled.”

“That sounds like an excuse to me,” He jests.

“Think whatever you like,” You sigh, exasperated. “But c’mon, we have to finish it! We’re only halfway and we just missed some.”

“Okay, okay, let’s keep going then.” He says, motioning for you to continue. “Just so you know, it’s fine if you need to hold onto something—or should I say somebody—at the next ‘scary’ cymbals crash…”

You glare at him and harshly press the volume up button. You smile as the music returns to your ears, and you slightly sway to the melody. You’re too into the music to notice how Satoru gazes affectionately at your gentle swaying, a small smile gracing his lips.

By around the middle of the third movement, The Young Prince and the Young Princess, you check back in on Gojo. This movement is calmer and slower, not as exciting as the first two, so you worry he may not find it engaging enough.

“What do you think about this movement?” You ask him quietly.

“This one?” He responds, and you nod. “I like it, maybe more than the others. It’s very romantic. And it’s kinda fitting.”

You have no idea what that could mean. You freeze, worrying that it’s a joke that you’ll fall for and get hurt over.

But you ask anyway. “Fitting?”

“Mmhmm,” He rumbles. “The Young Prince and the Young Princess. That’s the title of the movement, isn’t it?”

“It…it is,” You confirm hesitantly, afraid to misunderstand him. “A-and…?”

“Well, princess,” He says, and you again practically melt at the pet name. “I think this movement is very pretty.”

“Pretty?” You echo back. “Yes, I guess it is.”

“Yep, pretty,” He says. “Just like you.”

“I–huh?!”

He said it so casually and with so much ease that you practically missed it.

Just like…you?

“What did you just say?” You ask with wide eyes. You’re trembling and your face feels so hot.

He inches closer to you. You have to fight not to react—whether that would be to lean in or back away, you do not know. You like him so much that it scares you—he practically holds the reins to your emotions.

“I said that this movement is pretty, just like you,” He says, eyes flickering down to your lips then back up to your eyes. “Is there something wrong about that? You can’t crucify me for telling the truth.”

You brain cells start to fizzle out. All you can think to say is, “Crucify you?”

Gojo chuckles. “I call you pretty, and you’re focusing on my wording?”

“Well, I- you’re talking like it’s biblical times or something!”

“Maybe your story reminded me of that. You were the one talking about executing virgins,” He says, then comes closer still. “Pretty.”

He’s so close that you’re sure he can feel your quick breaths fanning his face. You’re so nervous that your breathing comes fast and shallow.

You swallow your fears. It’s now or never.

“Satoru,” You start shakily, then steady yourself with a big breath. “I think…I think you’re pretty, too.”

He blinks. You blink.

You’re so sure that he’s about to make fun of you for what you said—is it weird to call a boy pretty?—and you’re so sure that he’s going to boisterously laugh in your face and reveal that it’s all one big joke that everyone else was in on.

You’re so embarrassed. You cover your face with your hands, mortified by your own actions. The laughter is coming, you know it.

And it does. But it’s different than you imagined.

He’s laughing softly. You peek through your fingers. He seems to be…amused?

“You’re so cute,” He says. “So pretty. So endearing, d’ya know that?”

Your voice comes out so small and vulnerable. “Really?”

“Really,” He affirms. “And I…I really want to kiss you, pretty.”

Your eyes meet his. You’re electrified by the genuine want and need in his gaze. He’s serious.

“Then kiss me, Satoru.”

Ah, so there’s the sassy tone you usually have towards him. He chuckles and traces your jawline with his fingers. He savors in the way you squirm and how your breath hitches when his fingers reach your neck.

He leans in and circles his arms around your waist, pulling you into a deep kiss. You hold onto his biceps again for support, which flex under your palms as he takes the kiss deeper. You feel even hotter than before, if that was even possible.

He finally breaks the kiss, and you’re surprised to hear his equally shaky breathing. “I really like you, princess. I really like you.”

You laugh softly, pressing a hand against his firm chest. “Satoru, I like you too. If it wasn’t obvious.”

“Maybe it was with the way you practically fell into my lap when you got scared–”

“I did not!!” You bury your face in your hands again.

“Kidding, princess!” He kisses your cheek. “You’re so easy to rile up…Oh, by the way, did you know that I hate classical music?”

“You do? Really? Oh, god, you must have been so bored the whole time, I knew it–!”

“No, no I really enjoyed this. Seriously.” He says with conviction. “I wasn’t faking anything. Ever. It just feels so different with you…”

“Satoru…” You whisper.

He starts leaving kisses on your jawline, causing you to shiver. “You just drive me crazy, princess. ‘Couldn’t stop thinking of you while we were listening. I wanted to kiss you so bad the whole time.”

“Then we gotta make up for the lost time, huh?” You say, pulling him into another kiss.

“You’re gonna be the death of me.” He sighs, letting himself get lost in you.

Scheherazade continues playing in the background, but it’s on neither of your minds now. You barely even hear it, even though you had been so insistent on listening to the whole thing through before. Even when the ending chords fade out, both you and Satoru are trying to catch your breath, craving more.

Fin.

Thank you for reading!! I don’t feel like it’s my best work, but i hope it’s still a little enjoyable! 🥹 I got the urge to write this out of NOWHERE and wrote it all today…I never do that haha so that was quite the surprise for me.

Note: To all the fellow classical music nerds out there, I’m aware that Scheherazade isn’t actually classical, but…let’s just put that aside, shall we? :) I’m just using layman’s terms so that everyone can understand and enjoy!

[ballet-symphonie]

Hi Ale,

Since you’re Italian, can you explain why some of the Italian ballet stars aren’t as famous as the Russian or American dancers? Eg Virna Toppi, Susanna Salvi, Nicoletta Manni?

The only Italian dancers who’ve basically made themselves international stars in the ballet world by are/were Ferri, Fracci, Bolle and now Tissi.

I honestly think that it it’s because of two reasons:

1. how they market themselves. American dancers use social media to get big (Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Tiler Peck) and for Russia it’s basically based on if you align yourself with Putin policies (Polunin, Zakharova, Gracheva, Shipulina is married to a vocal supporter, I think Zhiganshina posted a pro-Russia thing too?) or not (Smirnova, Osipova)

None of the Italian dancers really have a way to get themselves known in the international world imo. Italy is known for opera, food, and painting, I wouldn’t see ballet at La Scala unless there was a Russian there. (Side note: I loved how La Scala didn’t invite Zakharova for their recent Swan Lake, but they hired Smirnova instead😂it’s your loss, Sveta!)

2. I hate saying this, especially during the war, but Russia is basically the hot spot of ballet right now because of their rigorous training, the quality of good dancers, and sink or swim mentalities. Most people regardless if they’re in the ballet world don’t really see Italy as a ballet hotspot. Russia is THE place for ballet. Same with their ice skating, gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. They put the best time and effort into those who’ve given up their childhood to train.

Is there any other reasons why Italian stars aren’t big worldwide?

Hmm I have a lot of mixed thoughts to your points here.

As someone who's currently in Italy, Roberto Bolle is absolutely a household name. Nicoletta Manni and to a slightly lesser extent, Timofej Andrijashenko are both quite popular and well known. Manni is everywhere, even more so after their proposal at the Arena di Verona went viral. You can see her in advertisements, on the posters of La Scala, and frequently in the news. Nicoletta was just titled as "Officer of Merit" of the Italian Republic and publically recognized by our president, Sergio Mattarella. A few days later, she received the "Women of the Year" award by a promiemnt womens rights group called "Associazione Nazionale Donne Elettrici".

Italy has a diverse and robust culture and ballet at La Scala has historically been a part of that. Many Italian dancers and arts organizations are not as social media crazy as in other countries, we're more concerned with the art form and preserving its nature and longevity - not advertising it as something it's not or playing it up to match fickle trends. The historical importance is why La Scala has been a cultural center of high arts for centuries now, so many international stars speak so highly about it and desire to perform here- ballet, opera, and orchestra. Also, disrespectfully, if you wouldn't go see the ballet La Scala without a Russian headliner, then let someone else have your ticket. You don't know what you're missing.

2. I actually don't think Russia is the hotspot for ballet currently. The quality of training has declined at both BBA and VBA, and both of their main companies are being drastically mismanaged under politically messy leadership. The quality of good dancers remains, but most are from an older era. Furthermore, the training in Russia is quickly becoming dated, their dancers are not graduating with the skills to succeed in a repertoire that goes beyond Petitpa (and often lately, even the Petipa leaves a lot to be desired)

More importantly, ballet in Russia is not evolving or innovating. There are so few premieres with merit nowadays. A decent Coppelia and a stolen Pharoah's Daughter and some unremarkable, dated neoclassical pieces. Russian ballet has not taken off during the war, it's dying. MT's and BT's licenses to perform works are expiring left and right, BT has been performing Ratmansky's work without permission and credit to bolster their repertoire. Furthermore, no foreigners are coming to create commissions, many talented Russian choreographers have left the country such as Ilya Zhivoi and we're long past the golden age of Soviet innovation on stage.

In my opinion, the current hotspots are where new works are being created to great acclaim, and ballet is finding new audiences and new heights. The UK, with the Royal, English National, Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, Matthew Bourne, Rambert, and fantastic curation by Sadler’s Wells. Canada, with the National Ballet's exciting rep, Medhi Walerski and Ballet BC and their collaborations with École supérieure de ballet du Québec, Crystal Pite's Kidd Pivot. Germany And then of course, New York with Kyle Abraham, Lauren Lovette, and Robert Battle at Paul Taylor, Yin Yue and her company YYDC, GALLIM, and the multitudes of creation spaces like ABT's Incubator, DANCE LAB NYC, and that's before we even get to the commercial scene.

[lightleckrereins]

Six Poland costume thoughts

I got an ask on this right after the first Poland photos were posted but tumblr decided to eat it so here it goes. This is just me ranting about missing oportunities, a real costume breakdown will happen soon.

Many thoughts. Most of them arent great.

First of all. Credit where credit is due. The very base concept is really good actually. But after that to me everything went downhill.

Short version is. Fits are all over the place, design has way too many elements that copy the original costume design for it to feel original, and some elements are just not coherent.

Long version under the cut.

Conceptually the polish design is good. Stylized coats that are impractical as coats but look nice and fancy are not uncommon for pop stars. If you have those as a base element and change the cut, lenght and accesories it is a really smart way to dress a group in a cohesive way while still highlighting their personalities. It is the sort of thing you might see in a collab grammy performance. It is very smart for six. Problem is the execution.

If you saw the original polish designs those were all brown coats with very high couture looking skirts and pants in the queen's colors. Those seemed very impractical and looked more like a runway collection than stage costumes. Also if you saw them described as high fashion detectives, that's on me. I didn't hate them but don't think they were right either. The final costumes are reworked designs from those sketches.

Again the short coats concept is really good and I am kind of angry they didnt lean into that. Because many of the changes feel like they are trying to mirror the Gabriella Slade design. Aragon has big shoulders and an open skirt, boleyn has a big skirt in a shape no one else has and a B choker, Seymour has a less structured costume with a lot of soft, flowy fabric, howard has an open skirt, long sleeves and a choker, parr has a crop top pants and an open in the front element at the waist. Which production am I talking about? The replica production or poland? Sure polish costumes are not direct copies but there are way too many easy surface level comparisons to be made. Polish boots also look like something heavily inspired by the cleves boots. And it is the same with the set, reminds a lot of the original one. Its sad. Because all that tells me is that someone in the polish team didn't have enough confidence in making a new production that stands on its own. So they went with copying as many elements as possible without replicating, and basically saying to the audience "look we are the real thing".

Then you get the colors. While only the school license is available to read and the proffesional one definitely has different rules and conditions the dont copy the original design rule is probably there. But I think colors are excluded from it. They are too iconic to ban them. Would be like banning the use of hand held mics. But productions are likely encouraged to do their own colors and discouraged from only the original colors. The original design is black with the colors as secondary. A similar mix or using the original colors as highlights could work as a nod to the iconic design while still being original. Some things are inherent to shows even if they originated in a specific design. Think the phantom of the opera half mask, or the anastasia ballet blue dress. Those have a clear design origin, but are just way too iconic to not be part of the show. Poland using the original colors is not inherently bad, but when paired with a little too many elements that seem to come from the original design it starts feeling intentionally copied.

Thing is. Looking objectively a lot of things in the original design either come from the libretto or are easy interpretations of it. (Executed to perfection but not that deep). Problem is that there are many more easy interpretations that can be done.

Aragon is gold because of royalty and has a wider silhouette to give her a bigger presence. Fitting the longest reigning queen and the only to come from a royal background. But she could also be purple as that color was in some contexts reserved to royalty (hungary recently did gold and purple and if branding isnt purple then there is no problem with that), or red because that was the color of catholicism which is a big part of her story. She could have a very tailored and stilized silhouette to show she doesnt need anything flashy to show she is the queen, or pants instead of a skirt to show maturity and experience.

Boleyn is green because of the green sleeves line. She is also bold and fun and loud which shows in her costume. But there are a million shades of green. It is common to read her as younger and pastels and neon colors currently have simmilar associations, boleyn could be mint or aqua or neon green; she could also be wearing yellow (to a funeral). Also doesnt need to be a fitted top and big skirt, she could have shorts or a leotard or a tube skirt or a split skirt or loose pants, she could also have a crop top, or layers or a jacket on top. So many ways to interpret her personality. The B necklace comes from paintings of her so it is an obvious iconic detail, but there are many ways to interpret it aside from a choker. Name and initial necklaces come into fashion often so there are plenty of easily recognisable options.

Seymour is white because of the association to purity being the one to give birth to a male heir. Costume is less structured because she is characterized as softer or again pure. But she could also be in purple as she sees herself as the only one he truly loved so the true queen. Or in light blue or green (or any other light colors) to show her as the nice, approachable one. And while the soft fabric works she could have a structured costume without big elements to show her as more demure than the rest.

Cleves is red because of her holbein portrait and because red (plus black and yellow) is heavily featured in german heraldic shields. But she could be any bright, bold color or gold to follow the gold chains line.

Howard is pink as that is considered the most feminine color. And is characterised as young and flirty so she has a revealing, less grand costume. I do agree that pink is a smart choice (and the original costume is very much inspired in a specific era for arianna grande), but there are many shades of pink. Lighter shades are currently favored over bright magenta to show youth so that could work, but also lilac or any pastels. As for the costume, she could have a fitted skirt or shorts, or a less structured top. She is young, she is fun, there are many ways to show that without a corset and open skirt.

Parr gets blue (I think) to show she is mature and levelheaded. Pants are practical and associated with serious responsible people. Blue in any shade not just royal blue works great for the queen characterized as the quiet, observant one; but also grey and silver or darker shades of green. Pants are probably the best choice but a fitted skirt or looser pants can work great too.

Basically most elements in the replica production costumes are easily explained and it shouldn't be shocking to see some appear in other productions. They are not by far the only easy design or color associations that can be made for the queens. And that's what annoys me about the polish design, it has way too many things that quickly remind of the replica design to feel original. It lacks its own voice.

The way costumes fit should be mentioned too. Boleyn and Cleves are great fits and very flattering, just lack some structure. Aragon and Howard have fit problems (around the shoulders for Aragon and the chest for Howard) and also lack structure. Parr feels unfinished. Seymour feels unfinished and is ill fitting on both of them. Its just all over the place.

Fabrics too. There is no cohesion between the queens aside from they all have a lot of texture. Things don't need to be identical but an element in common all accross the board makes different designs look lile a set. And don't get me started on the sequin skirts/trains. The more I look at photos, the more unfinished and unlined sequin fabric I see and the more I want to fight someone. Most of the sequin elements look like an afterthought and make well crafted costumes look cheap tbh.

But before anyone says I am only being negative there are some cool things in the Polish production I truly like. I've said it multiple times already but the short coats customized to everyone concept is really cool and I love it. Hairstyles are simple but great and I love the way they are customized to each actress. Rhinestone headbands as crowns is an amazing idea and a really smart way to tie them all together. The cloaks they wear at one point are a little shocking but it is a bold new take I really appreciate. The black and white corsets with ruffs for HoH are really cool and the way they make the queens look anonymous adds a great layer to the scene (even if the corset style is off by a few centuries).

As for specifics.

Boleyn and Cleves are the highlights for me. Boleyn in a half leather jacket over a dress is a stunning look, the dress fabric has a slight texture that balances out the metallic leather perfectly and the addition of low key bracelets finishes the look in a really nice way. I just dont like the choker, it feels a little too big and out of place with the rest. Both hairstyles are original feel like Boleyn in the show. Honestly it gives me older fashion influencer which is a great parallel to the way Boleyn is written in the show and some element of the real life queen's life too. My only complaint is that there is nothing connecting this design with the rest.

While I don't like the fabrics in this one; Cleves in a sleeveless coat and crazy pants feels bold and fresh and works great for the foreign queen who ended living a life of luxury. But the true highlight of the entire show is the oversized puffer coat she wears (I think) for get down. It is an iconic hip hop look and fits perfectly with the song while solving the issue of not having time for a quick change bwtween HoH and GD.

Aragon and Howard are my middle ground. Conceptually good but not on execution. Aragon in a tailored coat is great, but the color makes them look washed out and the skirt feels dissconnected from the rest. Both hairstyles are great though. It feels like TV characters having perfect hair under any circumstances and passing it off as natural, that energy feels right for Aragon.

The base dress with armsleeves for Howard is fun and youthful but the ruffled shoulderpieces and peplum feel out of place (if something was trendy when I was in middle school its definitely not howard in 2023) and the skirt feels like something added last minute. Also in a show that threw in all the textured fabrics this dress desperately needs more texture.

Seymour and Parr are the ones I dont like. Seymour in a stylized cowl neck is good, but the fabric reads really bad in stage lights and makes them look washed out. The all draped fabric look doesnt mesh with the rest of the costumes either. It feels like someone said "nice coat now add something drapey to make her look soft". And honestly shame on any costume studio that gives the plus size actress the worst fitted costume.

I don't like Parr. The top being a minimalistic coat is really cool and the hairstyle might be my favorite. But everything else looks unfinished, pieces feel flat and dissconnected. The whole costume feels underwhelming compared to the rest. And fabrics don't match with each other and stagelights make them look flat.

I know non-replica costumes in musicals can be underwhelming and dissapointing; but they can also be beautiful and interesting. Saddly the polish costumes fall in the first category which sucks actually. I want to see new original takes, six doesn't need to be a specific time period or style it just needs to give pop star. The possibilities are endless.

[prinzundrabe]

Two Sigfrieds and a Swan King: Wagner’s operas and King Ludwig II of Bavaria

This is a rambling infodump copy-pasted from tumblr dms to discord to this post. I have no sources except my beautiful mind; however, for further and more coherent reading, I suggest this essay: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324758225_A_Performance_between_Wood_and_the_World_Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria's_Queer_Swans

-king ludwig ii, also known as mad king ludwig, adored swans and wagner's art.

-he was a very peaceful man with just absolutely no interest in kinging at all. he just wanted to design castles, and his pechant for riding around the countryside and being generous/kind with common folk on the ride made him very popular, like a fairy-tale prince

-wagner is a major source of inspiration to his most famous castle, known as the swan castle. many sets and designs in princess tutu are based on this castle

-lohengrin is the knight of the swan, and the protagonist of wagner's opera lohengrin. this was ludwig's favorite opera, and you may recall fakir's "lohengrin sword" in episode 10

-another major wagnerian protagonist is sigfried, which is also the name of the prince in tchakovsky's swan lake; mytho's real name is a reference to both

-sigfried's funeral march is a recurring motif for raven mytho (and the concept of the raven as a whole in s1), and that is from wagner's opera as well

-king ludwig was queer and rejected all women in his life, perusing only men. swans - often associated with tragic romance - seemed to be a form of queer escapism, similarly to tchaikovsky's ballet.

-tchaikovsky was also attracted solely to men, and his 'swan lake' is generally accepted as an expression of not being able to have a 'happy ending' as a gay man.

-we could also say something about mytho's genderqueerness here, such as how he often dances the female parts early on in s1, and his relationship with fakir and femio

ultimately, i think mytho takes some inspiration from the irl figure of king ludwig, not just fairy-tale characters (though that is the vast majority.)

[myimaginarymary]

Batfam’s Favorite Musicals

(Based off vibes and in my opinion)

Dick: Newsies; Knows all the dance choreography; same with High School Musical

Jason: Phantom Of The Opera/Les Misérables; Something classic. Feel like he would like Hadestown too.

Tim: Little Shop Of Horrors; I think he’d enjoy it.

Damian: The Lion King

Barbara: Probably has too many and regularly changes her answers but something like Waitress or Wicked, something newer but also classic. I also see her going out to see Six or Rocky Horror. Alfred and her like to go see various shows, from High School productions to Broadway.

Cass: Anastasia: I think Cass would have been enchanted by everything about the musical. From the found family and discovering who you are as well as the ballet. She’d be me

Selina: (You’d think Cats— wrong)— actually is Chicago

Steph: Is Actually Cats or something by Starkid

Duke: I learned about Duke through Wayne Family Adventures and I love him. Cinnamon Roll. Haven’t read any comics with him in it yet but I feel like he would enjoy She Loves Me. Idk why. Anything Disney. Probably sees so much violence as Signal that any lighthearted musical would do. Tags along if someone is going to see a musical. Joins in on Babs and Alfred’s musical nights if have time.

Kate: I don’t know Kate super well but I feel like her guilty pleasure would be Legally Blonde. Probably goes one time and finds Harley there.

Alfred: Says My Fair Lady but probably something like Kinky Boots (based off of my grandfather’s taste in musicals, which threw me off since he was a Methodist pastor)

Bruce: Is so exhausted that he falls asleep during the shows. Private box because A) Rich and B) can hide that he is asleep. Tim probably does the same. Says he was watching but was asleep. Probably says whatever he last went to or whatever he heard from one of his kids.

All: Holy Musical B@man! Barbara or Tim probably found some *slime tutorial* and they all watched it on family movie night as a joke. Or took Bruce to see the actual show without him knowing what they were seeing.

- Shrek is 100% very popular in the Wayne Manor. Most know the full movie and the musical by heart. Probably perform it with each having their designated roles.

Based off of the posts of @incorrectbatfam

[sarnai4]

"Modern" Composers

I'm not sure why I started thinking of this, but I imagined some composers as teenagers together based off how I interpret their music and here is the result.

Beethoven: He's the emo kid. You just don't understand him or why he felt the need to make the 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata that fast. It's art. You wouldn't get it. He's totally not a drama queen. It's just you.

Bach: Prankster. There's no other reason that he'd have 5 voices in fugue XXII when the average person only has two hands. Why, Johann? Why?? Answer - because he is a troll.

Chopin: The cool kid. (Might be my biases here) I feel like he'd be the one everyone admires. He's just effortlessly cool and laid-back, but then he can be really deep and emotional too without you expecting all that from him. You might not even realize how popular he is until you look closer. (I had no clue the famous funeral song was one of his pieces!)

Satie: Introvert. He likes it when it rains, doesn't talk a lot unless it's important, and loves wrapping up in blankets. He always comes close to seeming depressed, then you realize he's just naturally calm and reserved.

Mozart: Fancy. He goes golfing, enjoys fine-dining, and frequents the opera. His manners are impeccable and put royalty to shame.

Debussy: The daydreamer. He's lost in the clouds all throughout the class, but that world he transports himself to is pretty magical. He doesn't really need to ace the next final, though. He's going to compose "Clair De Lune" or "Reverie." Wouldn't you prefer he do that?

Tchaikovsky: Theater student. He's doing ballet, singing, and acting. It all comes incredibly naturally to him and he's the best one there. He just can't stop himself from turning something into a grand show, so he's normally the one to create plays too.

Coleridge-Taylor: The low-key cool one. No one really notices him at first, then he does something awesome and everyone's just wondering how it took them this long to pay him attention. (His music is great. I highly recommend checking out "Three-Fours.")

Grieg: Another low-key one, but you kind of notice him a bit more. He keeps trying to get your attention. You just always come in right after he's done something amazing. So, you know that a cool thing happened; you just don't know who did it. (I have heard "Morning Mood" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" since I was an embryo and somehow didn't know who he was until a few years ago)

Liszt: Speed demon and track star. Why is Hungarian Rhapsody 19+ pages of speed and/or hand-breaking torture? Just when you think he's calming down (Oubliee No. 1), he reminds you of his fast ways and now you're pulled into it too. You hate how much you love hanging out because you're always sore the next week.

Strauss the 2nd: The loud one. He is very outgoing and likes to be the center of attention. It doesn't take much before he's been noticed by someone (probably by doing something dramatic). His inside voice is just whatever won't burst your eardrums, but you also do want to hear what he's got to say, so it's a fair trade.

Vivaldi: The seasonal buff (half-joking). He's a great academic. His music has a very serious yet delicate sound to it that I can see him taking a lot of pride in his studying (if he actually was a terrible student, I'm going to laugh). Not quite as fancy as Wolfgang, but also fancier than most of the others here.

Camille Saint-Saens: The guy who does one thing and will never let you forget it. (No offense to the rest of his pieces, but I think it's a fair assumption that the bulk of us know "Danse Macabre" and that's it.)

Please share your favorites if they're here! Sorry if I missed them. These are just the main ones I listen to.

[bunmellos]

do you enjoy being a violinist? im thinking of pursuing a music degree and yk, its always nice to hear from actual musicians

this is a long post so continued under the cut for the sake of everyone’s dash

heya!! it definitely has its pros and cons. self esteem and motivation is hard to maintain in any arts field, and you’ll feel it strongest when you’re in school surrounded by similarly skilled people. this is one thing i personally struggled with a lot 🥲 imposter syndrome/the feeling of being left behind is a lot to deal with, especially if you’re in a competitive program like i was. But! you also get to do tons of really cool things and play lots of beautiful music, and you’re surrounded by such amazing people who inspire you to become better. one of the things i miss most about the music program is having a group of people around me who had similar worries, goals, and skills. there’s nothing like serenading the music faculty headed to a meeting with an impromptu kazoo choir with your world music class……..

i would definitely recommend figuring out if/how much you enjoy teaching. it’s a given if you’re going for music ed, but most performance majors also end up with some form of private studio. that’s just kinda the way it goes in such a competitive field where professional performance opportunities are scarce. teaching is probably the most reliable path for most people, but it isn’t the only path!!

the last thing i would say (trying to keep it brief) is to make the most of the time you’re in school, try to meet lots of people, and take any opportunities you can. everyone’s experience is different based on their instrument and whether they’re performance or ed, but personally, i got to do lots of awesome stuff- traveling, accompanying world famous musicians, playing pit for operas and ballets, among other things :] i would also recommend making sure you get along with your private teacher, since you’ll be working very closely with them.

finally, being an outstanding musician is only half of the job; most performance opportunities (especially post graduation) come from people you’ve built a relationship with, so don’t be afraid to network and try out new things! right now i’m teaching students for a reliable income and accepting every gig offered to me, even if it’s out of my comfort zone. im pretty directionless right now, but the hope is someday i’ll come across something i really love, and that’s only possible if i keep doing random stuff.

i hope this helps!! let me know if you have any other questions or want me to elaborate more, and keep in mind this is from the perspective of a fresh college grad :] and remember you aren’t locked into anything!!! if music doesn’t work out that’s totally fine, and vice versa. U CAN DO IT I LOVE YOU!!

[sang8262]

Random JP Headcanons (SFW, hobbies and lifestyle edition)

Likes doing the laundry and ironing his clothes himself when he can. Cybele likes it too: he loves sleeping on the fresh, warm pile of clothes.

Knows a dedicated tailor through Shadaloo (maybe a team of them), who makes sure to provide JP with the right outfit for the job.

Appearances and fashion are important when deceiving people, so he takes the time to research and wear clothes that will get him the respect or response he needs.

(Such as the Nayshalli-esque suit from the comics, and robes from arcade mode he wears while in the midst of executing his plan for the tournament, but once it's over, he changes into something following his personal tastes a la Alt Costume 2).

Probably knows how to cook, but more often eats at local restaurants and such. Not only does it taste better and saves him the effort of preparing a whole meal, they double as building rapport with business owners, or places to host importat guests for lunch/dinner.

Part of him really does enjoy travelling the world, learning about, and bonding with the people he's plotting to use for his own gain. He just doesn't care quite enough to feel bad for them.

He loves dissecting what makes people tick and finding the exact ways to manipulate or take advantage of their desires, weakness, and habits. It's much like a game for him, to see what he can do and how far he can take it, but still get away without conseauences. Reminds me of a certain attorney one must better call.

Doesn't like sleep because it's a waste of time. That said, makes sure to sleep, but just enough to not be tired, less he make the wrong decision in exhaustion.

Takes short naps with Cybele curled up in his lap. But Cybele, too, doesn't stay still for long, and they both get back to their lives soon enough.

Somewhat of an insomniac. He'd rather stay awake in bed thinking of the next stage of his plans, the logistics of his current one, or whether he made sure to feed Cybele today.

Definitely a workaholic, he's constantly working on some nefarious plan or another, keeping himself busy and his schedule full. I'm sure he spends a lot of time just dedicated to covering his tracks, and making sure his schemes are watertight to prevent any in the first place.

In an interview with devs, they said his theme is inspired to be something JP himself would be listening to as he thinks of his next move. So he definitely enjoys having music playing in the background while he works.

Enjoys various orchestral pieces, or operas, ballet, the works. Based on his win quotes for Manon ("Ballet is truly one of humanitiy's greatest achievements.") and Zangief ("Seeing you, I can't help but recall Mosolov's Iron Foundry, tovarisch."), I'm opting for the easy route and nominating Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev as some of his favorites.

I'd go into more detail about which composers or ballets he'd like, but I don't know enough about music to go too deep. That said, I swear parts of his theme are references to . something. They just sound so familiar...

Likes chess puzzles... but I'm personally not a fan of their decision to make this his canon. It seems so obvious and typical for the "evil puppet master pulling the strings behind the curtains" kinda badguy y'know?

I much rather enjoy his connection with playing cards, as if they wanted to go for a 'safe' hobby for his manipulator/ deceiver type character, poker would make a lot of sense. Chess just seems forced in there, whereas he has visual connections to playing cards with his overall design, font for his name, World Tour moment with the Antique Playing Cards gift, etc.

My hc though, would be pool/ billiards. It fits the dapper, gentlemanly aesthetic he has going on, and he wields a cane, invoking pool cue energy. He'd like practicing and perfecting those crazy trick shots. Plus, Venom from Guilty Gear: it's the ranged, purple energy, tricky type character vibes.

He says in his World Tour conversations that he doesn't keep up to date with the latest news or gossip too well... which is a blatant lie.

His entire recent plot against Ken and Nayshall hinged on using social media virality, sensationalistic news reports, and manipulating public opinion through conspiracy and entertainment: and there's no way he pulled this off by being ignortant to what the audience craves, or what the internet likes to consume.

Plus he was an accountant/ financial advisor with a keen interest in human psychology, the economy, sociology, morality, and culture. He most definitely keeps a close eye on the latest trends or world wide news, out of genuine curiosity and fascination in people, if not out of necessity to make his schemes work right.

[magpie-masterpieces]

Theme Breakdown for the Demons/Angels Universe (Part 1 of ???)

Someone suggested I do this, here’s a break down of how I chose all the themes for the Sins + Virtues. The reasons will range from “something extremely deep” to “haha instrument go brrrr.” I’ll do more characters from this universe in the future.

I compile everyone’s themes for this universe in this playlist!

Invidia: String Quartet No. 3, BB 93: Seconde parte: Allegro – Béla Bartók

Starting off strong with a not that deep reason, the opening trill from the second violin has always reminded me of a snake. Invidia’s design draws inspiration snakes given that she’s canonically the Serpent of Eden.

This is a very musically technical piece, I like how it all comes together to sound very layered and barbaric. I think that fits Invidia, she’s got a lot of pent up emotion underneath her cold exterior.

Ira: Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93: II. Allegro – Dmitri Shostakovich

Supposedly this is meant to be a musical portrait/representation of Joseph Stalin.

Heavy brass evokes imagery of marching armies. Reminds me of John Williams’ work for the original Star Wars trilogy.

Acedia: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, Sz. 106, BB 114: I. Andante tranquillo – Béla Bartók

This was a bit of a fine line I had to walk, I wanted something peaceful but still sinister.

I find that Bartók walks that line perfectly in this movement, it’s simultaneously tranquil but there’s a darker tone to it.

Superbia: Ruslan and Ludmilla: Overture – Mikhail Glinka

Overtures are usually the openings to operas, ballets, etc. They’re typically very flourishing and bombastic. I find that this specific overture is the right amount of bombastic I wanted for Superbia’s theme

Luxuria: Samson et Dalila, Op. 47, R. 288: Bacchanale – Camille Saint-Saëns

In music, bacchanales are typically meant to depict drunken revels/orgies.

The opera is based off of the story of Samson and Delilah from the Old Testament. In many interpretations of the tale, Delilah is meant to be a sinful, sexual woman.

Gula: Symphony No. 1 in D Major "Titan": II. Kräftig Bewegt, Doch Nicht Zu Schnell - Trio: Recht Gemächlich - Tempo Primo – Gustav Mahler

I found the extremely long title of this movement really funny lmao

There’s a playful, joviality to this piece. I think that fits given Gula’s the more optimistic one of the Sins.

Avaritia: The Marriage of the Figaro Overture – W.A. Mozart

Historically, operas have been associated with the upper class and wealth. Many operas were commissioned by nobility

Mozart is the best of the best, it’s only fitting that Ava’s theme would be the best of the best as well

Camael: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 “Enigma”: VIII. W.N. (Allegretto) – Edward Elgar

All of the movements of Elgar’s Enigma Variations are inspired by various friends and loved ones of the composer.

More graceful and lyrical melody in contrast to Invidia’s barbaric and savage theme.

Zadkiel: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor: III. Scherzo: Molto Vivace – Antonín Dvořák

You’ll notice that Michael and Zadkiel’s themes are similar. Both are from the same composer (Antonín Dvořák), both are the third movement of a symphony, and both are scherzos.

It ties into Zadkiel being Michael’s successor. Not just literally, but his musical theme (symphony 9) being a successor to Michael’s theme (symphony 7).

Gabriel: Piano Quintet in C Minor: II. Scherzo (Allegro non troppo) – Alexander Borodin

Scherzos are usually short, fast paced and playful pieces.

Raphael: Petite Suite (orchestrated by Henri Büsser): IV. Ballet – Claude Debussy

Very happy and playful piece, easily fits her personality

Uriel: String Sextet in D minor "Souvenir de Florence", Op. 70: II. Adagio cantabile e con moto – P.I. Tchaikovsky

Very innocent and romantic vibes, contrasts with Luxuria’s boisterous bacchanale

There’s a viola solo in this piece. And I feel like there’s a viola joke to be made here with Uriel being the most uptight, pretentious asshole, but I’m blanking out on one >:(

Jophiel: Double Concerto in A Minor: III. Vivace non troppo – Johannes Brahms

A big motif I keep with Jophiel is balance, their theme is no different.

The piece starts in a minor key and ends in a major key. The concerto is meant for a solo violin (the upper register of stringed instruments) and a solo cello (the lower register of string instruments), along with the orchestra.

Michael: Symphony No. 7 in D Minor: III. Scherzo: Vivace – Antonín Dvořák

I already talked about how Michael and Zadkiel’s themes mirror each other, so I won’t copy and paste it all here lmao

I became obsessed with this particular piece during the early days of the COVID pandemic. I’ve always associated this piece with enduring things despite the hard times.

[sam-glade]

17, 39, 42 for the specific character questions! - lorenfinch

Hi Loren @lorenfinch! Thank you💜

From this list of questions.

I'm still going with the most-developed characters... These questions are tough.

17. What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Lissan - is quite self-conscious, bordering on vain. He notices his pockmarks, little scars, and stubble - he likes being clean-shaven. What do most people notice? Probably the overall combination of olive skin + brown hair that points to him being from the south of the Princedom of Light, and maybe that look in his eyes that offers them a hint he'll give them attitude.

Ianim - well... Gullin once told him that he has a long nose. He still can't get over it. But what do other people notice - that he's gorgeous. Here's the thing though. In this setting, people's beliefs tangibly affect reality (e.g. a lot of the mythical creatures were believed into existence). Ianim, being the Prince Successor, has hundreds of thousands of people believing things about him, and the image he's cultivated is 'the lovely young prince, the Lord of People's Hearts'. So yes, he's gorgeous. And very recognisable. He probably wouldn't mind standing out a bit less.

Gullin looks into the mirror and thinks 'Damn, I look good today'. Spoiler alert: his looks are average. Still, he makes up for it by being a flirty, smart man in an officer's uniform. People will notice that he's a bit young to be wearing a senior officer's insignia (he's the youngest brigadier in history - the resident prodigy). Also, much like with Lissan, people will see the combination of black hair + brown skin with cold undertones, and assume he's from the south of Princedom of Rock, probably the eastern parts of it, if not from across the Inner Sea. Map for reference.

Side note, since the Army's jurisdiction spans all five princedoms, it's fairly common to see people from all over in uniform, and also people move around the sub-continent, especially to different cities. So all of the guesses where someone is from based on appearance are not hard and fast rules.

39. Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

Ianim certainly likes being invited, as reassurance that people think about him. Also, he gets invited to so many events that he no longer feels bad about declining invitations.

Gullin - depends on event. He'd rather not be invited anything that could be described as formal (opera, ballet, even just a brunch at a tea house). In fact, he wouldn't mind someone telling him that they're going, without inviting him - it signals to him that they paid him enough attention to know it's not something he'd enjoy. It took him a while to get there, and Ianim dragged him to multiple such occasions back at the Academy, before they figured out what they liked. For anything else that can be described as a 'party', he might sulk if you don't invite him, even if he doesn't want to go (that rarely happens thogh).

Lissan - hm... this hasn't come up much, but I think he's in the 'excluded when he doesn't want to go' camp. Though he'll understand that people won't always know what he would or wouldn't want to attend.

42. If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

Ok, I fully admit I'm out of touch with TED talks - I haven't followed them for years, so this may be vague:

Ianim might be reluctant to present, since he might get accused for using this platform to further his sister's political goals. However, if pressed (or just if asked what he'd like to present on), he'd pick a topic related to the state of public education, and put an inspiring, positive twist on it.

Gullin will present on some innovative technology that's now available to the public. Possibly something crystal-based, which doesn't require Gifted people to operate. He'll come up with a better title than I can right now😉

Lissan... he's going to give one of those 'how to live a good life' ones, isn't he?

[girlscarpia]

opera-related rant, on any topic of your choosing

Okay not really a rant because for that you'd need to assign me an army of bodyguards anon sjkfgjkfdshgjkshfk

But one thing I feel deeply about is that opera houses/theaters in general should do more pastiches, that is shows with a selection of music from an opera, added music from other operas, spoken dialogue when needed etc because it would allow an higher degree of experimentation (or simply to do something new with the given material). Like I'm not opposed to modern stagings of old operas on principle but imo, even if when the initial concept is interesting, there's always something that's off about it because there's always something about the lyrics, the characters etc that clashes with it. For example, one time I watched this Tosca that was supposed to be a metanarrative retelling of the original plot (a retired diva is teaching the role of Tosca to the new star and the events of the opera go on as usual but partly on the in-universe stage and partly in the backstage among the rest of the cast and the staff). Now I think it was a very interesting concept but personally I found the execution very confusing (like, Angelotti's character didn't fit in it at all. why was he even getting chased and arrested for) and it really would have been better as an operatic show based on Tosca, with all the necessary reworking of the music around the "new" plot.

It would also be a way get a younger and wider audience to appreciate opera and even to experiment mixing up opera with other music genres (and not just putting rap music instead of ballet in a otherwise standard performance of Vespri. girl what is that! A musical show with an organic fusion of Verdi's music with rap or hip-hop? Now that would be interesting!)

[very-grownup]

Book 79, 2023

When Lois McMaster Bujold took a break from her Vorkosigan and Chalion serieses to write the Sharing Knife books, most of her pre-existing fans went "I am not digging this age gap rural fantasy romance" and romance novel fans went "this age gap romance in the fantasy American countryside is not romance novel enough" and I went "gosh she's having fun" because when someone is creating a piece of art or media that's wholly for them, I love their love for the work.

This is, I think, different from a certain kind of writing that Drops References to create a positive association between what you're reading and a thing you already like.

The podcast I Don't Even Own a Television (RIP) often had long digressions about music and bands and I rarely recognized the bands they were talking about, let alone possessing any kind of blanket familiarity with genres and scenes. But I loved getting a glimpse into their passions.

I hope you enjoyed this long walk to talking about Catherine Asaro's "Ascendant Sun", because I'm not sure I have ever read an author who is writing for herself and her passions as much as Catherine Asaro does.

I'm going to drop some creds both because I've literally never seen anyone but me talk about Catherine Asaro and also because I went to wikipedia to see if there were any egregious controversies like you maybe do about speculative fiction authors in this the year of our cursed lord 2023, so I have her wikipedia article open and it's fascinating stuff.

Asaro is a trained ballet and jazz dancer.

Asaro has master's degrees in physics and chemistry and a doctorate in chemical physics from Harvard.

Asaro is the daughter of one of the nuclear chemists involved in the discovery that lead to the theory that an asteroid collision caused the mass extinction event that took out the dinosaurs.

Until his death several years ago, Asaro was married to a NASA astrophysicist.

Asaro's main work is a series called the Skolian Saga. Some of the books in the Skolian Saga contain mathematical equations and quantum mechanic wave diagrams. The interstellar travel method she uses is based on a paper on special relativity that she wrote for the American Journal of Physics. I can't even begin to figure out what "spherical harmonic eigenfunctions" are. I don't understand any of it, but it appears to be the hardest of hard science baked into Asaro's worldbuilding.

Naturally, after assembling her world, Asaro has written a sprawling intergenerational political intrigue space opera full of fucking, incredibly tall, powerful, beautiful, and jacked men and women, complicated family trees and arranged marriages leading to genuine love and telepathy and telepathically enhanced super empathy sex, a planet of people who all have metallic gold pigmentation due to genetic modification for survival in that particular planet's hostile atmosphere and sun combo, AI cyberimplants and supersoldiers, with a key focus on the romantic entanglements of the members of this large family of aristocratic telepaths, members of whom are integral to the existence of intergalactic wifi.

I cannot overstate how thorough a manifestation of a certain kind of twelve-year-old girl's psyche this is, but also she has a phd. Did you ever make huge family trees because you wanted to have characters with all the different hair and eye colour combinations you thought of but also every character you came up with had to be related so they could always interact but also sometimes you just needed to make a new character to slap onto that family because you have a new interest or just saw a name in something that was too cool not to use?

Catherine Asaro is living that dream and making rocket scientists beta read about her over-powered OCs fucking.

"Ascendant Sun" is ALL OF THAT, in this specific case about Keldric, a prince of this empire and super telepath and interstellar fighter pilot and theoretical mathematician who's been missing for almost twenty years because he was stranded on a planet cut off from the wider galaxy, one ruled by warring matriarchal clans with harems of men whose value and rank is determined both by what they're bringing to the table physical-wise and what they're bringing to the table in the realm of ADVANCED MATHEMATICAL QUANTUM DICE PROBABILITY POLITICAL PREDICTION GAMES. He spent those years getting kidnapped and traded by various women and doing dice math and fucking but that was a different book, THIS book is after he fakes his death to both escape the planet and to settle some kind of brewing civil war, only to find that a tentative truce exists between his empire and their longtime enemy empire (made up of black-haired, red-eyed anti-empaths who get boners from suffering and love slavery) and also most of his immediate family is either dead or missing making him technically maybe the new hereditary military leader of the empire. Keldric has to find out what the fuck has happened while he's been presumed dead and figure out a way to claim his title and its wifi link without revealing that he's alive to definite enemies and potential enemies and yes it does involve a slave auction and a discussion on how to circumvent paying exorbitant tax on secret slave auctions.

It's fun. I can't comment on the accuracy of the science/math/sex, but it's a fun read, a sprawling, tumbling sort of narrative and we all know if a George R.R. Martin were writing this, dudes would be all over it.

It's got a buff shirtless Keldric in sex slave clothes on the cover while a sexy lady all in black ogles him from her setee.

I hope Catherine Asaro's having a good day.

[lephester]

I just learned this in music history, for those curious about the reality. Opera sprung out of Italy, where high voices had become a bit of a musical trend through Italian madrigals, generally large-ranged (over an octave) secular songs performed by professionals, as compared to French madrigals performed mainly for fun, often with multiple sopranos without a bassline, though there was a later addition of a piano bassline, and monody, where a solo soprano voice would sing over a continuo. The first operas are traced back to Italian weddings, one where Ferdinando di Medici married Christine of Lorraine and the other when Marie de Medici married Henry IV of France. The first opera, to our knowledge, was called La Pellegrina, which was a play with intermedi interspursed. The second wedding had two additional operas, called Il rapimento di Cefalo by Guilo Caccini, which was not very well received considering it is a few hours in length and the audience said they thought it was five hours long, and Euridice by Jacopo Corsi, which was received much better to the point that Caccini tried to take partial credit for it. Many of these early operas, multiple of which I'm not naming, were originally written about the story of Orpheus since acting and singing together were still considered very abnormal for this time period, and since Orpheus is known as a musician, it just made sense for him to be singing during the story without the audience being too offput by it.

Multiple things to note about early opera are that these operas were composed in a modal style as compared to a tonal style. All of our current knowledge in regards to scales and keys, etc. were developed and popularized much later on, meaning operas were supposed to be all about capturing feelings. Modes are conceptually starting a scale on re, or mi, rather than beginning your scale on do and composing based on the feelings those scales invoke as compared to the scales we're familiar with. (Note: This was outdated by the time Wagner and Glass were composing, which I would hope you'd know since they're both 20th century composers.) Our idea of anatomy was also extremely flawed at this point, meaning people were going around thinking the human body was simply a mixture of the humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, blood) and that a healthy person was supposed to have these humors balanced. It was said that your emotions could also affect the balance of your humors, and so the goal of musicians, especially in Italy, was to entice the audience by positively stimulating the humors, making great use of trill (modern vibrato) and gruppo (modern trill; yes it is confusing, yes I got it wrong on the test, yes I'm still salty about it). The French were very overtly upset about Italy's expression of emotions, so many French operas were filled with ballet right at the good part for like 20 minutes until you are no longer emotionally invested, in which case the show may continue.

Also something to note, somewhere in the middle of the second paragraph was the beginning of the "baroque" period, originally used to insult the ornaments used to refer to them as "too much", so there is a very prolonged period of development to opera that I am not getting into for the sake of summarizing a lot of information. Don't think this is all just a few decades, there was a large developmental period before France decided to even try opera.

Tell us about the history of opera!

Opera is a type of theater in which everybody is always singing. The first known opera ever composed was "Akhnaten" by Philip Glass. The style it was composed in was so simple compared to newer operae by more daring operators that it is now considered "minimalist."

The next major opering to make an impact was "The Lord of the Rings" by Richard Wagner. Wagner's take on the form was a colossal epic with massive mechanical dragons, a cast of several thousand singers, flying horses, magic fire, and a climax in which case the entire opera house would be burned down with each performance, then rebuilt for the evening show. This type of opera, due to its scale, was termed, "Gesamtkunstwerk," which is German for "Totally Major Stuff."

Opera continues to be performed to this day, with operoids of all shapes, sizes, lengths and aromas. Famous current operillions include "Disney's Lion King," "Disney's Aladdin," "Disney's Hamilton," and "Disney's Dionysus in 69."

Fans who attend several such shows are known as "Opera Browsers," and those who do so in secret are called "Opera Crypto Browsers."