#ludvico

[leagueofgardens]

Assault Lily × Ludvico Private Girls' Academy: The Blade of Truth

For obvious reasons, I'm not writing the full title of the play.

Ever since The Gleam of Dawn had its run earlier this year, my opinion has been that it was the best individual one of the Assault Lily stage plays, but the Ludvico quartet (in their revival versions when those existed) are the best series. And though The Blade of Truth was by no means bad and a worthy finale to the series, my opinion hasn't changed.

Extensive spoilers for the play below. Don't click unless you want to be spoiled! (Also, I talk about death, so a content warning for that.)

The Blade of Truth is actually the only one of the Ludvico stage plays that I've watched the original 2019 performance of, because there was no alternative at the time I was first watching the series. It was… okay. Definitely rough compared to the revivals, but I wasn't sure how much of it was inherent and how much was because of the lower budget those plays were working with.

It turns out that at least a little of it was inherent, but I'll focus on what was good first.

BoT 2023 (I'll abbreviate it as that from now on) was excellently produced. Assault Lily's stage tradition of projecting video onto the stage came out crystal clear, for nearly the first time ever, and was used to great effect every scene it happened in.

Though the choreography wasn't quite as fancy as The Gleam of Dawn's, it was frequently impressive, and the playwright/director duo of Sakuragi Sayaka and Hayashi Shuuji elevated their trademark of simultaneous scenes to new heights by occasionally having important conversations take place on one half of the stage while battles occurred on the other.

The story was an improvement over the 2019 version with a variety of small changes to the script, and possibly also thanks to the years of extra experience the actresses and staff have. Asahi and Nagisa were adorable together, the flashback scenes with Kazane made her feel less like just Mirai #2, Ichika and Karen both got even cooler, Himari was a lot more likeable, and Nonoka's scenes were somehow even funnier.

In the back half, Professor Amamiya "installing" himself into Kosaka the same way various other characters have makes a lot more sense than the 2019 version's brain transplant. I feel really bad for Kosaka, since she seems to momentarily regain her original personality just before she dies… well, no one ever said Assault Lily stories have happy endings for everyone.

Also, Pius seems to have mostly recovered from whatever issue they had in 2022 where the stage cameras and microphones precipitously dropped in quality (maybe Bushiroad gave them loaners and took them back when they pulled out of the Assault Lily project?)

What wasn't so great? Well, it's an ongoing thing with the Ludvico series, but the plain-looking hairstyles/costumes and boring CHARMs are disappointing coming from the other stage plays. They provide the advantage that they avoid having the occasional ugly-as-sin wig (like Kasumiko's in The Gleam of Dawn,) but I wish the crew had at least used different shades of natural hair so the characters are easier to tell apart. I don't see why Yuko couldn't be a blonde and so forth.

In BoT 2023, a reasonable amount of characters have custom CHARMs (or at least less common ones like Kazane's Triglav,) but I'll be quite happy if I never see another Dainsleif Carbine or Gungnir Carbine again in my life.

I'm still not a fan of The Blade of Truth's plot, particularly the second half. I've always been disappointed by Assault Lily's dull villains and feel that Toda Kotohi is the only one, in any part of the media mix, who's genuinely a great character. A bunch of nuns and Kosaka-sensei repeatedly screaming "This is for the good of humanity!" haven't changed my mind on that.

The fights were really cool, and Makabe and Kosaka in particular have their moments, but I wish we knew more about what they were actually trying to accomplish instead of them just seeming crazy.

While Sakuragi may have felt she couldn't make a change that drastic to the script in a revival, I think Ichika should have died when Makabe shot her. It really undermined the impact of that moment when she was just fine later, and more broadly I feel that Assault Lily's aversion to allowing even a single Lily to die in the present clashes badly with how its strongest plotlines are based on the deaths of characters in the past, like Mirai.

If Yuria had died in the previous Ludvico play, that would be fine too. Just kill someone. Anyone!

I feel very edgy saying that, but I really believe AL tests the limits of our disbelief with how everything, all of a sudden, always turns out just fine for the Lilies. (Unless you're a teacher, in which case you have a 75% chance of dying horribly.)

Anyway. BoT 2023 is a solid play, not the best Assault Lily stage play and not the best Ludvico one either (I think that's probably Schwester's Secret), but well worth watching. Don't miss it… though it's a little late to say that now.

[0-eclipse]

Editorial: Assault Lily - Ludvico Private Girls' Academy 101

Legion Ironside and Toda Eulalia Kotohi (far left), illustrated from "Assault Lily: The Fateful Gift". Image credits: Pokelabo (apparently this one in-house artist goes by K-san?)

Ludvico! The center stage of Main Story Chapter Two, which we're finally starting over here. Once again, you likely noticed that just in those three first parts alone, there was already a mountain of references that they don't really bother to explain. In fact, there's so many of them that i'll actually leave off the rest of them to another post, so for now, let's get ourselves familiar with what might be the single most important Garden in all of Assault Lily.

Ludvico Private Girls' Academy - the basics

As I mentioned in my previous post, Ludvico is one of the "Three Great Gardens" tasked with the defense of the Tokyo region, the other two being Odaiba Girls' School and Irma Girls' School for the Arts. Their National Defense Lines encompass Tokyo's westside down to its southside, and they notably cover a little more territory than the other two, due to the reputation that the Garden once had in its hayday. Their campus is located in the massive and beautiful Shinjuku Gyo-en National Garden.

As a Garden

Tokyo is known to be a particularly secure area, with the trifecta of Area Defense Systems, the Three Great Gardens, and other defensive measures such as the Light Walls and the like making it a relatively safe place to live. Because of this, it is said that until the Odaiba Counteroffensive came around, Tokyo's Gardens weren't very proactive in deploying for battle.

Ludvico, however, was the exception to this, which certainly gave it a better reputation than its peers. In fact, one of the primary reasons that girls enroll into Ludvico is out of admiration for the one Garden that would spearhead the defense of Tokyo whenever needed. By the way, admission into the Garden is said to be not too difficult, despite adopting a similar method to the highly militarized Sagami Girls' School. Because of this, they welcome new students in large numbers.

Although it now adopts the Neunwelt Tactic as a primary combat discipline, Ludvico still actively teaches their students Duelist tactics, that is, the one-on-one approach to battle that was once widely adopted, but is now mostly regarded as obsolete. In fact, when Dueling was still the primary method of combat for Lilies, Ludvico was considered the single strongest Garden in Tokyo due to their Lilies' proficiency in it. But unfortunately, Dueling grew increasingly ineffective over the years, causing more and more of these once top-class Lilies to meet their end in combat, and eventually leading Ludvico to lose this title. That being said, because their Lilies are now taught both the Neunwelt and Duelist battle tactics, Ludvico's Lilies possess, on average, a very high degree of tactical knowledge and literacy.

The Garden's history is said to be "weaved with tales that pertain to time", resulting in a strong emphasis on education in more metaphysical Rare Skills, such as "Z", which allows a Lily to rewind time in a localized area, "Phantasm", which reads multiple future timelines and telepathically comunicates to surrounding Lilies the best possible future outcome, and "Hawk's Eye", which gives the user an out of body, omnidirectional view of their surroundings.

It is standard practice for Ludvico Lilies to wield the Second Generation CHARMs Dainsleif Carbine or the Gungnir Carbine, these are non-transforming CHARMs that prioritize ease of use, with the Dainsleif Carbine in particular being created at Ludvico's request. A notorious feature of these CHARMs is their adjustable hilts/stocks, ensuring that any Lily is able to use any individual CHARM without any issues.

The Dainsleif Carbine (left) and the Gungnir Carbine (right). Image credits: Azone International.

Ludvico has a long standing rivalry with one of the other Three Greats: Irma, particularly as it pertains to their school traditions and their approach to the battlefield. While both employ the Top Legion system, they greatly differ in their makeup, with Irma favoring an exceedingly rigid and immutable formation, which Ludvico sees in rather low regard, while Ludvico themselves highly favor maleability, which Irma sees as flawed, particularly as it pertains to the Neunwelt Tactic. This is merely a friendly rivalry, however, and the two Gardens are generally in good terms with each other, and will often come to the other's aid if needed.

The single most important thing about Ludvico as an institution is its affiliation with G.E.H.E.N.A. I mentioned this in my last post, but they're not just a pro-G.E.H.E.N.A. Garden, they're the pro-G.E.H.E.N.A. Garden in the entirety of the Kanto prefecture, which means even the likes of Herensuge come second place to them. They even have a G.E.H.E.N.A. research facility, named Ludvico Labs, directly annexed to their campus. As a result of their influence, a good percentage of Ludvico students hold pro-G.E.H.E.N.A. views, and their most loyal Instructors are shown to be particularly callous and unfeeling towards the Lilies they see fit to be test subjects.

Culture

Ludvico is notoriously a Christian missionary Garden, which means that (going by the definition of "missionary school" I found in Japanese spaces, don't quote me on this part) unlike Yurigaoka, where Christian traditions are merely adopted into the school's cultural motifs, Ludvico Lilies are actively taught the Christian faith and practices. The Garden Instructors are recognized as Nuns, and most notably, all students of Ludvico are bestowed a baptismal name when entering high school, always in reference to a Christian saint, for example, Ludvico's current top Lily, Ichinomiya Michaela Himari, was baptised with the name of the famous Saint Michael.

Much like the other members of the Three Greats, Ludvico also has its own tradition of a sisterhood pact, named the Schwester System (Schwester being German for "sister"). This system is much closer to the Schutzengel's Oath of Yurigaoka, where it can only be taken between a senior and a junior, and the older Lily assumes a role of guidance and mentorship. Though unlike Yurigaoka, a Lily may only have a single Schwester.

Kishimoto Lucia Raimu (left) and her Schwester, Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie (right). Image credits: Sadamatsu Ryuuichi

When taking the Schwester's oath, both Lilies will exchange the medalhas ("medallion", in Portuguese) that are habitual for Ludvico Lilies to wear. Seemingly any kind of pendant counts as a medalha, as the series has shown Lilies exchanging medallions, rosaries, flashy diamond necklaces and even an anime character necklace. A Lily will normally directly approach the one she wishes to become Schwesters with, however, during the Easter festival held yearly by the Garden, it is a common tradition for a senior to leave her medalha inside an easter egg, giving the privilege to whoever finds it to ask them to become their Schwester.

Like Yurigaoka's Schutzengel System, the Schwester's oath can be annuled, and a Lily may do so unilaterally.

Ludvico's has a singular standard uniform, bearing a germanic-inspired design, it's a full set consisting of a blouse, ribbon, corset, skirt and long boots. The legwear is the single article of clothing left to the students' discretion, though Legions are permitted to wear a jacket with a unique design:

Toda Eulalia Kotohi (left) wearing the standard uniform, Ichinomiya Michaela Himari (middle), wearing the Temple Legion's jacket, and Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie (right), wearing Legion Ironside's jacket. Image credits: Iizuka Haruko and Pokelabo.

Speaking of which:

Legions

Not unlike the other Three Greats, Ludvico also adopted a Top Legion system, theirs titled the "Temple Legion". They were unique in the fact that, while most Top Legions usually appoint the Garden's strongest Lilies for a permanent lineup, usually lasting the school year, the Temple Legion did not have a fixed list of members at all. Instead, before every deployment, the Garden's strongest Lilies at that particular point in time are appointed to join the Legion. This means that, apart from the fixed roles of captain and vice captain, each deployment saw the Temple Legion in a different lineup, based on which Lilies were seen as the strongest at that particular moment. While one would assume this highly variable lineup to result in nothing but chaos, it was very much effective, as the Temple Legion ranked amongst the Legions in Tokyo that rarely ever saw defeat.

Much like Odaiba, the Temple Legion was, for the longest time, the only active Legion in all of Ludvico, as the Garden forbid the creation of Independent Legions for any reason. All Lilies in the Garden would then be trained with the goal of one day being strong enough to be selected for the Temple Legion, with their unique jacket becoming something of a symbol of honor that all Ludvico Lilies aspire to wear, and as a matter of fact, even the number of times a Lily is selected to join the Temple Legion was seen as a status symbol in and of itself.

Following the fall of Ludvico, the Garden's upper administration ceased to be, and as such, the Temple Legion can no longer have members appointed to it, remaining inoperative as of the writing of this post. Though its lineup was variable, Ichinomiya Michaela Himari was fixed as the appointed captain, with Tachibana Teresa Nagisa as her second in command.

Now, I'll keep this as spoiler free as I can, but if you'll recall, Ludvico is about as pro-G.E.H.E.N.A. as it gets, and as a Top Legion, the Temple Legion is selected by and acts on the will of the Garden's higher echelons. But as it turns out, being under the direct rule of such a nefarious organization was against what one Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie stood for. And so, completely disregarding whether the Garden would approve of it or not, she set out to create a Legion of her own, the very first Independent Legion in Ludvico's history, which she titled "Ironside". The Garden, of course, didn't approve of this, as they never intended to adopt the Instructor-approved system in the first place. So, without any Instructor or administrative system to answer to, Ironside is about as independent as a Legion can get, pretty much acting at their own discretion, separate from Ludvico's standard protocols, or their wishes in general. And while Ironside's formation and even their mere existence was in defiance of Ludvico's traditional ways, some saw this as a first step for Ludvico's return to glory, since if you'll remember, Independent Legions are seen as a demonstration that a Garden's Lilies are powerful on average, rather than only the select few of a Top Legion.

Legion Ironside possesses 10 members: Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie, Kishimoto Lucia Raimu, Amamiya Sophia Seren, Kuroki Francisca Yuria, Seto Veronica Ichika, Saeki Julia Karen, Takatori Natalie Towa, Lee Christina Susu, Matsunaga Brigitta Kayo and Hasegawa Gabriela Tsugumi.

The fall of Ludvico

As it has been heavily alluded to in Last Bullet up to this point, Ludvico has almost completely collapsed, the campus was severely damaged, a lot of instructors died, the Garden's upper administration and their Top Legion are no more. In short, Ludvico is pretty much a zombie Garden right now, unable to function in any official capacity, but what caused all of that?

Now, this is sort of impossible to discuss without getting into spoilers, as it's literally the climax of the very last stage play of the Ludvico saga, but i'll try not to be too specific as it pertains to details.

Like I've mentioned just before, Legion Ironside was formed in opposition to Ludvico's affiliations with G.E.H.E.N.A.. This put them directly against the Garden's Instructors, not only because of their allegiance to G.E.H.E.N.A., but also because they were very interested in Kishimoto Lucia Raimu, as we very quickly learn that she is special, not only due to her innately high Skiller Value, but she seems to display special abilities that G.E.H.E.N.A. is very keen to get their hands on.

During their final confrontation, the Instructors disabled the protective barrier that surrounds the Garden, and sure enough, the Huge begin to pour out in large numbers. As such, the Temple Legion and all other Ludvico Lilies had their hands completely full with defending the Garden, and as a matter of fact, we even learn later on that their efforts weren't enough on their own, and a pair of Legions from another Garden had to step in and help them. All the while Legion Ironside was stuck fighting not only Ludvico's Instructors, but also a Gigant-class Huge that had previously appeared in the region.

Suddenly, however, one Instructor attacks and brutally kills all the others, I won't go into detail as to who or why, but the important part is that this Instructor was a Lily who was Boosted beyond belief, making her an unstoppable juggernaut, and she wanted to get her hands on Raimu and her unique abilities in order to further her own agenda. During her confrontation with Ironside, the Gigant-class continued to attack, aided by swaths of Huge that had gathered around it.

Eventually, this Instructor is finally defeated, a combination of Ironside's efforts and her own Magie flowing out of control, and the Legion is finally able to take down the Gigant-class. While the day is saved, we learn that the live Huge that were held as test subjects in G.E.H.E.N.A's Ludvico Labs broke free, and they would go on to wreak havoc in Ludvico's vicinity, to the extent that it eventually took multiple Gardens to deal with them. Likewise, with the protective barrier down, all the Huge that suddenly surrounded Ludvico caused extensive damage to the Garden facilities. This, coupled with the murder of the Garden's Instructors left Ludvico completely crippled for all intents and purposes. We know of only one Instructor who was willing to stand against G.E.H.E.N.A., and without any upper administration to select members for the Temple Legion, Legion Ironside, being completely independent, was left as the only Legion able to operate in any capacity.

So in short, Ludvico's collapse was an inside job, caused by G.E.H.E.N.A. and the Garden's own Instructors, all for the sake of securing a single Lily they deemed valuable. And furthermore, the Instructors didn't lose their lives because of the Huge's attack, but they were viciously killed by one of their own, which is why Sachie says this:

"So that is what they stated in the Commitee's official report..."

Essentially alluding to the fact that the official story that was circulated paints the fall of Ludvico as a mere incident, and G.E.H.E.N.A's involvement was, unsurprisingly, covered up.

Ludvico Private Girls' Academy and the Assault Lily franchise

Legion Ironside and Toda Eulalia Kotohi (far left), as portrayed in "Assault Lily: The Fateful Gift". Image credits: Nakamura Yukari (Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie)

I mentioned all the way at the beginning of this post that Ludvico might be Assault Lily's most important Garden, and while they're certainly a very big player in-universe, I actually meant this in a meta sense.

You'll notice that all of the Ludvico stage plays are titled "Assault Lily x Ludvico Private Girls' Academy", and that is because Ludvico is not only a Garden in the Assault Lily universe, but they're also the name of the theatre troupe that performs all of their stage plays. As a matter of fact, Ludvico precedes Assault Lily as a franchise, going back as early as 2004, while Assault Lily in its current form dates to the early 2010s.

Furthermore, Ludvico's primary draw as a theatre troupe is that all of their screenplays, while differing in story and character backgrounds, are always set in the same setting of "Ludvico Private Academy", and their characters' names and personalities remain the same across the different stage plays. In fact, many characters you know, like Sachie and Kayo, were originally created by Ludvico, being merely adapted into the Assault Lily universe.

The very first Assault Lily stage play performed by Ludvico happened in 2016, almost 9 years ago. The story goes that Mr. Obanazawa Ken'ei, the author of Assault Lily, who was until that point completely unfamiliar with theatre, attended one of Ludvico's performances a year prior, and was so utterly moved by what he'd witnessed that he wasted no time approaching Ludvico's Director, Sakuragi Sayaka, for a collaboration. Interestingly, Assault Lily was still in its infancy back then. The doll line had already been out for a while, but story-wise only the Team Hitotsuyanagi novel had been released. Yet, instead of just making an adaptation of what already was out, they decided to create a whole new Garden, a whole new set of characters and a whole new original story. And voila, in 2016, Assault Lily's very first foray into the visual arts came to be, starring not the already established Hitotsuyanagi Riri and her team, but the brand new character of Kishimoto Lucia Raimu, beginning a completely new storyline for the Assault Lily world.

And it absolutely was the start of something special, they went on to make four stage plays (plus a recap and a bunch of live events) following the Ludvico storyline. And even after Bushiroad acquired the rights for the series, Ludvico continued to be a cornerstone of all Assault Lily stage performances, in and out of universe. The Ludvico saga was completely remade in 2021, and multiple new series of stage plays were birthed from there onwards, always with Ludvico's Sakuragi Sayaka behind the screenplay, and always featuring Ludvico's actresses in some capacity.

Hoshimori Sana, who portrays Amamiya Sophia Seren since 2016, and Kuo Shenlin since 2020. Images sourced from @ sana_hoshimori on Twitter.

Nishimoto Rimi, who portrays Ichinomiya Michaela Himari since 2018, and Futagawa Fumi since 2020. Images sourced from @ assaultlily_st on Twitter.

From their first collaboration in 2016, a total of 15 screenplays, spread throughout 20 stage plays have been performed so far, with even more set to happen this year. And it's not at all an understatement to say that currently, the stage plays are the singular driving force of the entire Assault Lily universe, even more so than the anime and Last Bullet are, as they continue to be the main avenue through which that world and the many stories within it are pushed forward.

Ludvico Private Girls' Academy might be the single most important Garden in Assault Lily because personally, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that were it not for the spark that these girls lit in a tiny white cubiculum of a stage 9 years ago, this franchise would likely not have grown to the massive extents that it did, and I, on the other side of the world, would likely have never even heard about it to be making this post here today.

[blackmarket-playlists]

PART NINE: Lost shoegaze, but not forgotten.

🔥Playlistcover: Old Magic Pellas (Brazil) – just remastered their brilliant album „Pull My Daisy“ from 1995.

Artist name: Sad Day For Puppets Country: Blackebourg (Sweden) Highlight song: Blue Skies (2008) Info: Formed in 2006, last release 2013

Artist name: Seely Country: Atlanta, US Highlight song: Wind & Would (1996) Info: Feat. Steven Satterfield, award-winning Miller Union Chef

Artist name: Afraid Of Stairs Country: Sweden Highlight song: Tell Him How You Feel (2006)

Artist name: The Sunshine Factory Country: Alabama, US Highlight song: Don’t Fall Asleep (2011)

Artist name: Miss Bliss Country: Michigan, US Highlight song: Emily’s Shoes (1998)

Artist name: Whirlaway Country: Florida, US Highlight song: Strange Planes (2006) Info: Formed 1999

Artist name: The Ludvico Treatment Country: Toronto, Canada Highlight song: Enter Secondary Character (2011)

Artist name: Sleepy Township Country: Perth, Australia Highlight song: Just a Sec (1998) Info: Feat. Guy Blackman from Chapter Music Label and painter Mia Schoen

Artist name: Monoland  Country: Berlin, Germany Highlight song: De Pale (2001) Info: Formed in 1996, disbanded 2022

[sonnyafternoon]

Spelling out my handle in songs thank you to @audereestfuckery for tagging me!! I dont think my taste is as cool as yours tho

S - sunny afternoon - red velvet

O - omatsuri - arai akino

N - navigate the seas of the sun - bruce dickinson

N - night night burn! - babymetal

Y - you.zip - april

A - alien - lee suhyun

F - faith - ghost

T - the things you said - depeche mode

E - empire of clouds - iron maiden

R - raison detere - dir en grey

N - no light, no light - florence and the machine

O - oh woman oh man - london grammar

O - over & over - fleetwood mac

N - nightbook - ludvico einaudi

I think all moots have been tagged?? If not do it 🫵🏻

[romanticsoulsworld]

An introduction to me :)

Hi, I'm Jordan. I'm 19, bisexual, and a witch. I'm a frickin weirdo. I like to make gifts, rather than buy them, because gifts from the heart are often more meaningful than those that are expensive. I feel weird when certain people spend money on me, because for most of my childhood, my parents convinced me that every cent spent on me was a waste. I prefer pink roses over red ones, and lavender is my favorite color because for a long time, the scent of the flower was the only thing that could calm me from panic attacks. I sleep in a freezing cold room with only one or two blankets because if I get too hot I have night terrors. My family is horribly toxic, and I attract broken people into my life, fix them, and then they leave. I'm okay with that.

I love too hard and too fast, and my best friends are the most important people in my life. I believe the family you choose is more important that the family you're born into, and music is the center of my life. I listen to anything from Elvis and Sinatra, to Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park, to Bethoven and Ludvico Einaudi. I love art, museums and festivals are amazing. I'm an adrenaline junkie and I love fairs and roller coasters. I'm happiest woth a small group of people I love, listening to music or watching movies, laughing and enjoying each other's presences.

I am strong. I am beautiful. I am me. And I am proud to be me. ♡♡

[mercurygray]

‘Perhaps I have taken all the chances at love that I deserve. ❜ for ADOW’s Baldwin, please!

It was late in the afternoon, and Baldwin was bored.

He'd only said he'd go on the picnic as a matter of social courtesy, one small step in the larger dance of seeing and being seen among the good and great.  They were not a large party, some ten or twelve in all, and now that the wine had been drunk and the talk had moved on from politics to poetry his mind was not in the conversation. This was a pretty country, Tuscany. He'd been away so long he'd forgotten how much he'd loved the hills, the shadows of the cypresses like the columns of the Forum. He could remember afternoons like this with Livia - the sunshine, the smell of the stones and the sound of bees.

"What do you think, Lucius?"

Baldwin looked up, wondering if he'd heard a ghost. But Livia wasn’t there - only Bartolomea de Bonsi, trying to hide her amusement. "What did you call me?"

"Only 'messer'. Perhaps you misheard me - you seemed very far away. Ludvico was asking your opinion." She pointed towards the poet, waiting with amusement for his answer.

"We were speaking of love, Messer Chiaromonti - whether it is possible to love only once, or many times. Whether there is such a thing as 'true love'."

Baldwin sat up a little and tried to compose himself, wondering how he'd lost such track of time. Love! Oh, what a funny word. Married he'd been, to Drusilla and Fredegunde and Adela and Hodierna, marriages for convenience and expedience and profit, but for love? Never. Some of his wives he'd tolerated, some he'd even esteemed, cared for in his own fashion, but love means something different to a vampire. No, he'd not been in love since Livia, and she was long since gone to dust. The others of his kind might mate and give in marriage, but he was older and wiser then they, and it was easier not to try. In another dozen years there'd be another woman for him to marry so a castle might be acquired or a border secured. Useful things. Things that stayed.

"Our young men of fashion speak too much of loving -  this courtesan or that horse, those dogs or that tunic. To use the word too much cheapens it. I think they scarcely know the meaning of it, let alone if it was true." Love is daydreams in afternoon sunshine.  Love accomplishes nothing.

His answer must have been curt enough, for the poet only nodded and did not return to him, and Baldwin, discomfited, returned to his wine and the view of the vineyard below, feeling uncomfortable now in the shade. He was just in the process of rearranging his robe when he saw Bartolomea surveying him across the table, a curious, knowledgeable smile on her face, as if she knew something he did not. Was that woman's only joy in life catching him out? No one else seemed to have a talent for it as she did.

She found him again as the servants began to pack away the food and the horses were being saddled for their departure. "You never answered Ludvico's question for yourself, Messer Chiaromonti."

"Whether I've been in love?" he asked, feeling cross.

"No, you have." He looked up, astonished at her certainty. "It's quite obvious - you'd not have said what you did about men of fashion otherwise. No, the second half of his question - having had a great love, do you think you could love again?"

She wouldn't let him go without an answer. Baldwin thought for a moment - of Livia with her fine, dark eyes, laughing in the firelight, and how his heart had lived up in his throat, waiting for her answers, for a sound of her voice. Of how empty he had felt when he'd found that she was gone. It was, he realized, the opposite of how he had felt just now, hearing his name, his true name, and seeing Bartolomea with her expectant smile, that same sort of smile that Livia had worn, the smile that expected only beautiful things of him, things he had long thought himself incapable of.  

It had weakened him, that smile, and he did not want to be weak.

He looked at Bartolomea and managed what he hoped was a sage look. "I think perhaps I have taken all the chances at love that I deserve."

[cowboyjimkirk]

Doc anon. Hubby was playing this evening a piece called “Divenire” by Ludvico Einaudi on the piano and tbh I’m so glad I chose him to be my life partner, he’s so talented 🥺

i can’t believe you guys are just gonna flex on all us untalented singles like that adsfjlasjdf;skdf

[cyrusharper]

when / july 9th, 1845 where / the chapel aboard the promethean  with / @emmanuel-hurley​

its probably untoward, that he knows the chaplain’s general habits, without ever having met the man in the flesh. however, it’s not entirely cyrus’s fault, that the royal navy doesn’t think to provide an errands page with a cabin of his own, a desk on which to spread out his meger possessions and tools of study--the chapel just happens to have more space than anywhere else a person could tuck away onboard, and if you can time it correctly, you can practically have the room to yourself for long stretches of time, as its owner walks the deck and makes himself and his services known to the crew and guests alike.

perhaps he should feel guilt, for spying on the man thus, for using his place of worship as a makeshift library at least once a day--but as he gently folds open the pages of the book in his lap, his journal spread out on the chair next to him, he finds that such concerns weigh little on his mind.

he traces the letters on the bottom of the page, just underneath a large map colored with loping strokes meant to show the path of its creator’s travels, gently with the tip of a finger.

the travels of ludvico di varthema in egypt, syria, arabia deserta, and arabia felix, in persia, india, and ethiopia.

his mama had traveled the same path, once. sailed the same seas as the italian duke, towards her own adventure, as she had told him so often, when he had excitedly shoved such tomes underneath her nose and begged her to look at the map in this one. as he gently moves his hand from the words, to the inked path of the ship, he feels as though he can feel his heart straining against the thin layer of skin that covers his chest, the bones of his ribs. his mind’s eye has always had an inclination towards cruelty, and he can practically see himself in the position of gentleman explorer--stood on the bow of his own ship, cutting through the ocean towards a homeland he’s never known, but always been tethered to by the thin red string of fate.

he exhales slowly before turning the page, before picking up the pen and continuing his process of copying down relevant passages into his journal. he only manages to get a few words onto paper before someone behind him clears their throat, and he is suddenly presented with the feeling of the gentle hand of the chaplain on his shoulder.

“sir--er, i mean, father!” he says quickly, the book falling to the floor in his haste to get to his feet, to flee the scene of his crime. “i was just leaving--i’m sorry.”

[leagueofgardens]

Assault Lily: New Chapter — "At the Seeds' Frontier" | "When the Bugle Blooms"

This upcoming stage play in December is Assault Lily's first double feature.

The official website (in Japanese of course) is here.

"When the Bugle Blooms" — Oshima Offshore Nest Investigation Team chapter

TL Note: Bugles are a kind of flower, sometimes considered a weed. This specific species, Ajuga decumbens ("kiransou" in Japanese), is not well known outside Asia.

After four Huge Nests suddenly appear near the island of Izu Oshima, the Gardens of Tokyo decide to secretly assemble an "Oshima Offshore Nest Investigation Team" to simultaneously destroy the Nests and investigate a closed GEHENA research facility on Oshima, which they suspect relates to the recent sightings of abnormal Huge in the Tokyo area.

Cast and Character List

Team Hitotsuyanagi, Yurigaoka Girls' Academy

Izawa Mikako as "Yurigaoka's Beau Idéal" Kaede Johan Nouvel

Nishimoto Rimi as "Yurigaoka Lily Newspaper Chief" Futagawa Fumi

Legion Hronesnæsse, Odaiba Girls' School

Ishii Haruna as "Priestess of the Trance" Funada Kiito

Saiba Mizuki as "The White Witch of Odaiba" Funada Ui Saiba Mizuki hasn't posted a visual yet; this is an old one from TSA.

Nomoto Sora as "The Lady-Tengu of Kurama" Shiba Tomoshibi

Legion Ironside, Ludvico Private Girls' Academy

Nakamura Yukari as "La Pucelle" Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie Nakamura Yukari hasn't posted a visual yet; this is an old one from the Ludvico plays.

Nakagawa Rika as "The White Rose Princess" Kishimoto Lucia Raimu

Hoshimori Sana as "Knight of the White Rose" Amamiya Sophia Seren

Legion Hakolberand, Irma Girls' High School for the Arts

Sasaki Yukari as "The Empress of Hakolberand" Kamigoori Marimo

Kitazawa Saki as "The Priestess of Irminsul" Ueda Imari Kitazawa Saki hasn't posted a visual yet; this is an old one from TGoD.

Herensuge Girls' Academy

Fujii Ayaka as Aizawa Kazuha (Legion Hervor) Fujii Ayaka hasn't posted a visual yet; this is an old one from LoG. Also, yes, Kazuha is the only Lily without an epithet.

Tamegai Hana as "Xana" Matsumura Fuuka (Legion Cuélebre)

Ryuto Girls' Academy

Mutou Shiori as "The CHARM Meister" Amatsu Marei (Legion Himinglæva)

Instructor

Onose Mirai as "Professor" Nakagawa Mary Tomoyo

"At the Seeds' Frontier" — Legion Sanngriðr chapter

After four Huge Nests suddenly appear near the island of Izu Oshima, Yurigaoka decides to dispatch Legions Álfheimr and Sanngriðr on an emergency expedition to destroy the Nests and secure the Kamakura shoreline before they launch their expedition to recapture Koshu.

Cast and Character List

Legion Sanngriðr

Oomori Rio as "The Uncontrollable Lily" Kondo Misaka

Makiura Itsuki as "Lys Noire" Hasebe Touka

Sonohara Arisa as "Golden Wolf" Luise Ingels

Shiraishi Mayumi as "Iocheaera" Murakami Tokiwa Also notable for her role as Suzuki Chinami in the Odaiba plays.

Hamaura Ayano as "Jungfrau" Kiko Totori

Hayashida Mahiro as "The Sword-Saint of Yurigaoka" Imagawa Homare Also notable for her role as Hishida Haru in the Odaiba plays.

Itou Yui as "The Magician of Sanngriðr" Yamanashi Hibari

Hata Misaki as "The Wizard of Oz" Kurokawa Nady Hanna

Ootaki Saori as "Mad Dog" Seike Tomoyo Also notable for her role as Matsunaga Brigitta Kayo in the Ludvico plays.

Ando Chikana as "Tempest" Imai Seira Also notable for her role as Saigo Kurena in the Odaiba plays.

Flowers of the End

Hinaga Urara as Kinoe no Hana (The First Flower) Also notable for her role as Imamura Yukari in the Odaiba plays.

Tachibana Rii as Kinoto no Hana (The Second Flower) Makihara Yui as Hinoe no Hana (The Third Flower) Yazawa Rio as Hinoto no Hana (The Fourth Flower) Sanada Uruha as Tsuchinoe no Hana (The Fifth Flower) Udagawa Momoka as Tsuchinoto no Hana (The Sixth Flower) Hoshino Sae as Kanoe no Hana (The Seventh Flower) Inadama Honoka as Kanoto no Hana (The Eighth Flower) Suzuki Rina as Mizunoe no Hana (The Ninth Flower)

We don't know what any of these characters look like. I can't be entirely sure that this is how their names are pronounced either.

Former Yurigaoka Girls' Academy Instructor

Fujioka Sayaka as Kojima Nadeshiko

[0-eclipse]

Assault Lily: Last Bullet - Main Story - Chapter 2, Part 1 ~Prelude to Warfare~

In the wake of the battle against the Irregular Gigant-class Huge, Ēvolvō, Tokyo now faces a completely different crisis as swarms of Huge relentlessly pour out in the city streets. In order to prevent Tokyo from falling into the Huge's hands, Team Hitotsuyanagi, Hervör and Gran Eple join the resistance efforts led by Odaiba Girls' School and Ludvico Private Girls' Academy, as omens of a new battle loom in the horizon.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

[skambags]

if martino gonna watch cmbyn............ ludvico we need to have a talk........

[autiverse]

suggestions if you’re struggling to sleep...

hey fellow autistics! i know trying to get enough sleep can be super rough. and that could be because of sensory overloads, anxiety, or just about anything, but here’s a list that will hopefully be helpful to you. 

play relaxing music. ludvico einaudi’s music is a suggestion [here] [here] and [here] are some examples

make yourself some decaffinated tea/coffee or hot chocolate, relax and watch something you enjoy, play videogames, or just sit in the silence

if you’re arty, draw something! [here] is a website dedicated to giving you art prompts if you haven’t got any idea yet

take a bath or shower. it doesn’t need to be anything lavish, just chill and let your muscles relax under the warm water

make a to-do list for the next day

write out that important email outline and save it in drafts for the next day

pack your bag the night before or leave everything on your desk to shove in your bag the next morning

read a book you like (try not to stay up all night reading it!)

if it helps, set an alarm for an hour before you want to go to bed and start getting ready to go to bed by then

if you can’ t sleep and it’s been hours, don’t feel guilty about going back on your phone or picking up your book again. maybe reading something/watching videos will kickstart your tiredness again

if you’re looking going to be awake for a while and want to watch videos with facts that might interest you but not long documentaries, you could try vsauce, kurzgesagt or crashcourse on youtube

have a snack! (soup and/or toast is always a good option if you don’t mind the texture) and stay hydrated!

chat to your friend if you’re both awake

feel free to add more!

[awstennight]

Nuvole Bianche- ludvico einaudi

8/10 It is really pretty

thank you for the ask

[afangirlwashere]

tagged by: @softspiderling

Rules: tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better

Top 3 ships:

1. Bellarke - Bellamy Blake & Clarke Griffin (it’s been so long the literal actors had to marry to prove a point I-) 2. Jily - James Potter & Lily Evans  3. Delena - Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert (gotta give it to the ogs man)

Lipstick or chapstick: chapstick all the way man even tho I’ve lately been wearing some dark lipstick and enjoying it a lot tbh

Last song: Experience - Ludvico Einaudi (also it switched to The Scientist by Coldplay and it has the right vibe for how I feel rn don’t touch me)

Reading: Isla and the happily ever after (been in the mood for a nice romance)

tagging: @harrygucciw @anyghost @allozwin @toe-knee16 @dreamingtreees @kaosys @aa-ronpa @gracie-t31 @cleopatera

[chicorygirl]

(inspiration: Ludvico Enaudi-Night)

I feel like this train is going too fast. When I look through the window all I see are only shadows and colorful images. Polarities between which I am finding myself always switching.

Second by second, sitting in front of this window I fear that the image from a moment before will never come back, what if I forget how it looked, how it felt? I don’t want to do the same mistakes over and over again, but somehow it feels no matter what, I come back again. The feelings (good or bad), I keep learning the same lessons for years.

... the never-ending madness that I constantly try to supress in me

switching

- written by me long ago

————

Have in mind that there is always something beautiful in life, maybe you are missing it. But that is the point. Look for it. In the crowns of the trees, when the birds start to sing early in the morning.

If you go even deeper within yourself you find out that even the things at the first sighn terrible, things that you were put through, have a meaning. Find peace in chaos. That is life, I think.. Finding out that even all that turmoil has it’s own meaning.

And the most important thing.. Try to find love within yourself ❤️

[simplymorganunedited-blog]

Unconditionally. You and Me.

36 min. 56 seconds. 

A great deal of words. 

A tsunami of emotions.

I already feel like I’m losing the words. 

I wish I could keep them. 

In pockets. 

In frames. 

“I talked about you today.”

“I know I don't deserve you.” 

“I’m not that guy.”

“I wish I could go back to laying in bed; to Ludvico and the snow.”

“If it wasn't for my dad, I'd be there in a heartbeat.”

Indirect quotations.

Already lost. 

Slipping through my fingers. 

I have a burning question. 

It’s not a hard question. 

It is a hard question. 

It poisons him for me. 

It burns me deeply, makes words of love less pure.

 Why didn't you get me a birthday present? 

Wasn't I deserving of a birthday present? 

“I wish it could be different.”

Me too. 

A million times a day. 

Longing. 

The word is longing. 

An empty, hollow sort of feeling. 

Smiles on the phone. 

The absence of a hug. 

Half full. 

Uncertain. 

36 min. 56 seconds. 

A happy sort of feeling. 

A sad sort of feeling. 

A not-really-sure-how-to-feel sort of feeling. 

Words to keep. 

Small jewels, for dark nights.

Slipping away.

Oh, how I wish I could keep them. 

“I love you so much.” 

An echo.

My own heart. 

Longing. 

The word is longing.

3000 miles and a birthday present.