#opera rec

[les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques]

An Unorthodox Fic Recommendation

Hey, everyone.

So I’d been wanting to write this post for a while, but I’d had a hard time finding the words to articulate my exact feelings for a good long while now. But in the spirit of the holidays, goodwill towards all, and so on and so forth, I’ve somehow managed to catch my breath.

I dipped pretty suddenly from fandom earlier this year for multiple reasons, most of which fell under the umbrella of a very real and very unfortunate truth: I was sick. Stupid sick. And fandom, while obviously not the only thing contributing to this by a long mile, was not conducive to me getting better.

My drinking, you see, had gotten bad in a way that is honestly humbling to think about now; it was at levels that were both physically and mentally dangerous and unsustainable. Moreover, it was beginning to affect the people I love most in this world. And, unfortunately, pounding back a glass, a bottle, two bottles of wine, hey maybe I can run to the gas station for a few mini bottles of whiskey to end the night went hand-in-hand with writing and my fandom experience in general.

I won’t go into the details of my actual rock bottom, besides that it hit in March of this year and that I’m grateful it was relatively minor compared to many of the stories I’ve heard in my recovery journey. But suffice to say, I checked into rehab and everything had to go on the back burner from that point on. I’m lucky that I had the unwavering love and support of my husband, my family, my work, and my friends (including a bunch of people I’ve met through this fandom specifically--put a pin in that) to start down that path, because all the same, it has often been a very lonely, very dark, and very isolating place to be. But so is addiction.

So here I am, hours and hours of group counseling, enough EMDR therapy to relive every childhood trauma in the book, countless tweakings of my meds, endless bottles of Coke Zero later, and I’m almost ten months sober.

And I find myself asking now what?

One of the biggest challenges in early sobriety, you learn quickly, is redefining fun for yourself in a world without your substance of choice, without the very thing that feeds your ego and silences your self-criticisms, without what feels like the only thing propelling you from one bleak day to the next. And for a long time, I worried that fandom had stopped being fun. That the joy of writing had been permanently ruined by the associations I’d made with drinking and negative related experiences.

But, back to my fandom friends. I worried so much they would lose interest in me as a person--that I’d become too boring or depressing or unfun in this next leg of life to want to stick around. I’ve found the opposite to be true--from the countless yapping sessions up and down 8th Avenue and booze-free hangouts, to the endless DMs of advice and memes, to the long heart-to-hearts over pots of tea, to… watching whatever the fuck is going on in the David Staller version and having a good long laugh. I didn’t expect this coming into 2024--I don’t know what I expected, honestly, besides maybe the hospital and divorce papers and more loneliness--and leaving this year behind me knowing I’ve got that means the world to me.

So all this is to say, one of the other things that helped me pull through this challenging period of life has been, surprisingly enough, fan fiction.

Particularly Battered Dove by BattyDings.

Modern AUs are always really hard to pull off, at least to me, in a way that feels satisfying. (This is why I am a coward and don’t write them lol.) More often than not, there’s a tendency for the story to get caught up in retrofitting the more melodramatic, antiquated elements (I say this with love) into a world where they can’t really exist with a straight face, and often at the cost of the characterizations and plot. The best modern AUs, for me, lean into the framework of what is there thematically: the ideas of loneliness, manipulation, dependency (themselves all negative aspects of addiction) balanced against the possibility of redemption, love, and making amends.

And in Battered Dove, BattyDings has rather brilliantly transposed these things into the context of substance abuse and addiction. If Phantom is a story about two lonely broken people getting caught up in a shared passion that brings out the best and worst in each other (particularly Erik lol), then Battered Dove sees our dynamic duo thrown together by a mutual past in drugs and hopefully redeemed by the music they make together.

It’s often a hard and unflinching read, and one that in other hands could easily come off as crass or edgelord-y. But in Batty’s hands, Battered Dove is a thoughtful, sensitive, tender unraveling of the Erik and Christine dynamic that keeps me coming back: that is, the only way they can “get well” is by going through something that is arguably more painful and terrifying than the present reality they live in: giving up what they think they love most.

I’ve read this story multiple times over the years and was always tremendously moved by the simple but powerful interpretation laid out in this fic; in pre-contemplation, when I’d be crawling into bed drunk every night and wondering if this was how I was going to die, bits and pieces of it would come to me. Me in bed, on the verge of blacking out, thinking about Phantom of the Opera fan fiction, wondering if I could do better (nah, no, I couldn’t. Not me.) Rereading Battered Dove for the first time after starting rehab and getting well into this journey was all the more astounding.

Phantom of the Opera, for me, is not the story of a monster who brutalizes women and we’re somehow supposed to feel bad or glean some larger, cynical message about the world from it; for me, it is a story of bittersweet hope--a slow, sad hope that the ones we love and that the ones we’ve hurt will feel peace and sunshine, without the guaranteed promise or reward we will feel it for ourselves. But that, in our selfless kindnesses born out of real love and care for others, we can at least begin to see a better version of ourselves staring back at us--no matter how broken, how lonely, how downright used and ugly we feel.

To me, that is recovery. That is what the last ten months have been. There is no guarantee who I will be in a year--what wrongs I will right, what truths I will uncover, or even if I'll have managed to maintained my sobriety (though I feel hopeful). I am promised nothing but the day in front of me and the little, powerful joy I get in doing right by the universe with each passing hour.

And Battered Dove captures that perfectly. Can’t recommend that enough.

Thank you for being a friend and source of light through this hard time, @battydings. Pls accept this humble doodle and biggest thank you for writing such a wonderful, heartfelt story.

[mysticalbitches]

me after reading the same 10 Babyls teachers find out iruma has been grounded (or so they think) fics on ao3

[clouds-of-wings]

Because Spotify doesn't really know that much about my listening habits and because I enjoyed writing this kind of post last year I'll once more make a post about my ACTUAL musical favourites this year. So here goes! Album time!

Grendels Sÿster: Abstieg in die Traumkammer (2024, heavy/folk metal) -- This was by far my favourite album of the year. It came out this August. First album by the band, and what a debut! The album has an English version too (which you can also find if you click the link), but I vastly prefer the German one. The lyrics are really excellent and they fit so, so well with the character of the German language. Musically I would say they sound like "early Týr with a female punk singer", the lyrics feature retellings and re-imaginings of various mythologies and mythological themes of the world, ranging from Norse to Greek to (on their EP) Hinduism or even Tolkien's Valar. They once called their genre NWONOEM (New Wave of Nerd-Oriented Epic Metal).

Other albums I liked, in no specific order:

Kornalyn: Intemporel III (2024, folk) -- Kornalyn has been at this for a few years. He's a French anarchist and folk musician who records modernized versions of traditional leftist & worker songs. He's versatile, he's talented, he's got spirit and a great voice. Worth checking out whether you're a comrade, a history enthusiast or a folk fan.

Alice Longyu Gao: Let's Hope Heteros Fail, Learn and Retire (2023, hyperpop) -- Okay, I'm versatile too. Or at least not so set in my ways that I can't appreciate different genres than I normally listen to. Alice's hyperpop songs have a chaotic artistic spirit that I find charming. In a way, some of her songs are pretty metal-ish too - they remind me a little of old SOAD songs. She's funny, she's innovative, she's a delight.

Stonefield: The Light of Lies (1990, prog rock) -- Some awesome prog rock from the 90s. The singer sounds like DIO. If you like the hammond organ, CLIK TEH LINK! If not, click it anyway, you may start to! When I tried to find out which year the album was from, I found their EP The Eyes of the Dawn (1989), which is also so fun.

Alvader: Hereniging (2024, folk metal) -- Hey you! Do you like Heidevolk? If you found this post through the folk metal tag I bet you do. In this case definitely listen to this band. It's made up of ex-members of Heidevolk and sounds a lot like the "original".

HammerFall: Avenge the Fallen (2024, power/heavy metal) -- What can I say about this one. It's HammerFall. It rules by default. It sounds like all their other albums. HammerFall are one of the few bands where that's a compliment.

molllust: In Deep Waters (2015, symphonic metal) -- There is no music I like better than symphonic metal that takes the "symphonic" part really, really seriously. molllust are one of the few bands that do. Between Janika Groß's gorgeous orchestrations and her operatic voice, this is one of the bands that give me hope for the genre. At first I actually found their older stuff too inaccessible, but after I listened to the newer and more straight-forward Mother Universe album a lot last year, In Deep Waters became a lot more approachable to me.

Wintersun: TIME II (2024, Extremely Delayed Technically Complete Symphonic Death Wish Metal) -- I still can't believe my eyes, or ears. Am I dreaming? Is this the real life? It's really out! And Nuclear Blast didn't even give it a digibook edition (I have the one of TIME I and thought I might have a matched set one day). Is this because their corporate overlords don't care about physical media or are they just so DONE with the album, and Jari in general, that they didn't make more of an effort out of spite?

Norrsinnt: Djupt inni skoga (2024, folk metal) -- Somewhere between heavy folk and very folky metal. A collection of songs the artist released individually over the past years, but the album only came out a short while ago. He fortunately seems to have decided against using an AI image as cover art in the end, so I don't feel bad listing this album here. Oh, there are albums that I found this year and liked musically which I'm not listing for this reason, definitely! I'm glad this one isn't among them, because I've known all these songs for years and I'm quite fond of them, and of the power and originality of the vision behind this project.

Nightwish: Yesterwynde (2024, symphonic metal) -- I didn't expect too much from this album, but ended up really liking it! My favourite parts are, of course, the orchestral passages. I like how Nightwish are still capable of evolution, new paths, instead of being stuck in the 2000s. And, after all, what could be a more fitting topic for music that's as larger than life as symphonic metal than just the totality of existence, the universe, the human equation, the meaning of it all?

Romuvos: Spirits (2024, folk) -- Pagan Folk, immersive, meditative, dark. I don't have much to say about this, other than that I have listened to it a lot this year.

KAMIJO: ??? (????, symphonic power metal) -- I usually only have albums on this list because I'm old-fashioned like that, but that's really unfair to Kamijo, who's my top artist of the year on Spotify and whose greatest songs are spread out across a multitude of single bonus tracks and short EPs. So I will link his song TEMPLE and say doumo arigato gozaimasu, vampire prince rockstar-san, nay, -sama!

---

I also continued my exploration of the world of opera. Since I think I'm beginning to know my taste, there were a lot of works I started and didn't finish, but some I liked very much. My favourite was L'elisir d'amore (1832), which I watched in two different versions and listened to all summer. It's a rather light-hearted one, but the music is nevertheless dramatic, it's fast, it's powerful and... somehow rich. And it's just pretty, I'm not immune to the charms of the easily lovable Italian opera, or of Rolando Villazon and his musical and comedic talent. I'd definitely recommend this recording even to people who have never watched an opera before.

I also really liked Eugene Onegin (1879, can't find the recording now) - much more tragic than the one above, few operas I've watched had a better plot, I read the novel it's based on afterwards - as well as a whimsical 1979 recording of L'incoronazione di Poppea (1643) and a gorgeous staging of Atys (1676, only French subs here, sry). Baroque opera is superior to the later stuff according to me. The beautiful music, the melancholic observations on life in the libretto, the way the operas always seem to reach for the divine, beyond the limits of mundane human existence - it strives for perfection, and my ears think it comes close.

And that's my musical breakdown of the year :)

[moonagedaydreamsofrhiannon]

Media I enjoy with similar vibes

1. Cynical satirical comedies/dramedies in which selfish people do bad things and no one gets a particularly happy ending:

Veep, Succession, Bojack Horseman, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development

2. The horrors of girlhood and homoerotic female friendships with vaguely supernatural happenings:

Yellowjackets, Jennifer’s Body, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Heathers, Veronica Mars (VM and Heathers aren’t supernatural per se, but there is some “dead girl haunting the narrative” ghost action so I’ll count it)

3. Strange things happen in the Pacific Northwest:

Yellowjackets, Gravity Falls, The X Files, Twin Peaks

4. Tragic doomed romance in period pieces:

Titanic, Dead Poets Society, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Phantom of the Opera, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Maurice, Brokeback Mountain

5. Bittersweet coming of age story set at an all-boy’s boarding school in the twentieth century where a teacher changes the course of a student’s life for the better but is fired by the corrupt school administration at the end of the story:

Dead Poets Society, The Holdovers (I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?)

[itspeanutlove]

After receiving that fateful ask from @cutelittleriot, I decided to go look for some more fics! I'm looking for some Balam stuff, but these are some other neat ones I found while still looking for the kinds of fics cutelittleriot requested! All of these are on Ao3, so here you go:

Balam Shichiro's Guide to Humanity by FortunateCookie: Balam asks Iruma about human stuff! No ships, as far as I can tell, and just generally the two being chill. Balam realizes how weird humans are. As of the time I'm writing this, the story is incomplete with four chapters and was laat update about 1-2 months ago.

Flightless by Sleepycoffeeaddict13: another 'Grounding' fic (maybe I should start trying to compile all the grounding fics I find...) where the teachers discover that Iruma has lots of scars and doesn't have wings and everyone wants to murder Iruma's parents! Chapters 1-2 focus on the teachers while the third has Opera and Sullivan appearing. Completed with three chapters.

Unhinged by Sleepycoffeeaddict13: this is actually a 2 story series! The first story is Predator, which is completed at 2 chapters and is about Iruma going FERAL at the harvest festival (but in a predator way) and the instructors' reactions to it as they watch him fight a hellbear and also an intruder. The second story is (In)human Instincts which is completed at 1 chapter and is about Kalego talking to Balam about Iruma being feral and about the intruder Iruma beat the crud out of, also Balam and Iruma moments. Warning, though, this one features stuff like blood and gore (Iruma kind of...rips out a throat of a monster here...) so watch out for that.

Accidental Demonic Grandfather Acquistion by Passing_Ghost_Friend: instead of Iruma being adopted by Sullivan when he was 14, he was adopted when he was a little baby 🥺🥺🥺 (lets all just strangle iruma's parents)

Female Humans what?! by Sol_Victoria: Sullivan, Opera, and Balam learn about menstruation from Irumi. They are absolutely flabbergasted and mildly horrified. Small nitpick, but I was kind of getting annoyed by Irumi's stutter —Iruma's genderbent in this one, by the way! — but if you can ignore that, the fic is pretty interesting. Completed at 3 chapters.

Don't Leave Me by draconicshinx: kind of angsty at the start/first chapter, but the second chapter is really sweet! Basically, after an attack on the school, Azz and Clara get injured and Iruma uses his blood to heal them revealing his identity in the process. TONS of Love Trio content!! Completed at 2/2 chapters.

wait, do they know?! by Xatsperesso: a short fic, but very entertaining! Ameri and Balam both know that Iruma is human. The problem is that they don't know that the other person knows. And so — they try to 'protect' Iruma from the other person, not knowing that both of them know about his human-ness and want the best for him. Hilarity ensues. Also, quick Purson appearance near the end. Completed at one chapter.

Technicalities by RoxyRay28: a completed 3 chapter fic about Iruma's dumb idiot parents having another baby thinking that Sullivan would give them more money cuz they ran out, but nope, it just means Sullivan gets a new granddaughter and it's just generally chill stuff.

exception by spicygrass: a completed fic about the first time Balam showed Kalego his mouth, set when they were still in highschool. Very cute and fluffy! Could be interpreted as romantic or platonic.

So THAT'S Eggie-sensei?! by SpareMeA_Striike: Robin finds out that Kalego is Iruma's familiar, and that escalates to him finding out Iruma is a human. Cool read.

A Spoonful of Sugar by silvershadowkit: four words — sickfic, love trio, fluff. Literally what else could you ask for? Iruma gets the common cold, Azz and Clara visit him, and it's all cute and I'm evaporating.

Heartbeats and Bloody Knuckles by Kickitwithyou: Kalego and Balam when they were young and in the harvest festival! Completed at one chapter. It's a Kalego/Balam ship fic, btw.

The Practical Pirouette by frolickingfiend: Babylis era Balam and Kalego ship fic where there's a school dance and Balam wants to go but his talons make it hard for him to dance. Opera plays matchmaker. Completed at one chapter.

Roulette by Marshmellowtoast: Balam becomed a substitute for Momonoki's class and teaches a species swap spell! Pretty chill. Completed at one chapter.

A Familiar Promise by Kickitwithyou: role swap/age swap between Iruma and Kalego where Iruma is a teacher during Kalego's time as a student in Babylis! Completed at one chapter.

Celebrating Demonic Rites with Chocolates by Kickitwithyou: Babylis era Kalego and Opera and Balam! Kalego's birthday is on the same day as Alliance Day, the demon equivalent of Valentine's Day and he doesn't realize. Implied Balam x Kalego near the end because I support that ship <3 completed at one chapter.

Are You Serious? Right In Front Of My Trumpet??? by WyvernQuill: Purson-centric fic complete with 4 chapters. It features Purson chilling out (or trying to) but being interrupted by people PDA-ing near him because they don't realize he's there and him just being. Absolutely done w this bullshit. Also one of the people is Gyari and one of the ships is Gyari/Kuromu which we really need to see more of on Ao3 honestly!

If you're goin' my way (turn around) by squidballsinc: Kalego gets summoned by Iruma and suddenly chased around by the misfits! It's a very entertaining, fluffy and fun read.

For Neither Love Nor Money by WyvernQuill: a splendid, completed 10/10 chapter fic where the other teachers find out Kalego is *loaded* and thus try to woo him. Shenanigans galore! Also, Balam x Kalego is the main ship. Lemme tell ya, I was looking for this fic for a while so I could include this in the list! (Subtle love trio, too!)

The Weaving of Lilith's Carpet by writerkat: Babylis era Kalego and Balam when they were having their Music Festival stuff and Kalego was chosen to play the piano (Lilith's Carpet). Aroace Kalego? Neat! Completed at one chapter.

Mending Anonymity by writerkat: Balam and Nafra! I don't see Nafra in fics often, which is a shame 'cuz she's super fun. Nafra's cloak gets torn and Balam helps repair it, also helping with her confidence! Compmeted at one chapter.

The Internship from Hell by Kickitwithyou: unfortunately, this fic only has one chapter and hasn't been updated since 2021... but that one chapter is very entertaining, at least. Human daycare AU where Opera, Balam and Kalego work as daycare employees and look after the Misfit Class. First chapter focuses mostly on Clara.

His Sun and Moon (Love trio drabble) by Meeparino: love trio 🥺🥺🥺🥹🥹🥹 i am actively disintegrating. The netherworld has two moons and the author is using that metaphor to attack my soul and make me melt into a puddle of bliss-drunk goo. Completed at one short but sweet chapter.

Evil Phase Projection by ScatteredNova (Timewormbloom): love trio focused story where after Azz's mom got into her Evil Phase, Iruma got concerned due to his own trauma and Azz and Clara got concerned and there's plenty of fluff! Completed at 3 chapters.

we're soulmates, i think... by cookiescrumbles: a series of oneshots focusing on love trio! Need O say more? Angst with hurt comfort.

Soulmates: The Love Trio by seereeus: more love trio because I am a dirty rat. Most of the fic is based on that one omake with the trio's mornings before school, but its very sweet still!

My Sea, My Star. It is you I adore by Ravifan: its a love trio fic. I'm sure that you're seeing a pattern here. It's a one chapter drabble where I think the trio are adults and married, and Azz is pondering his soulmates!

Deviline's Day by AllTheLokisWelcome7: another love trio fic, basically it's Valentine's Day but Demon-y and Azz and Clara are hoping for a certain someone! We all know who it is.

Adult Azz/Iruma/Clara move in together after school and figure life out by Vridelian: a series of one shots where, you guessed it, the love trio move in together as adults in the future and. I just. 🥹🥹🥹 its v enjoyable for someone looking for love trio fluff

Culting it close by Vridelian: love trio pain sharing soulmates AU!

Mission strawberry: Make Azz-Azz blush by Vridelian: Clara and Iruma make a scheme to make Azz Azz blush! Unbeknownst to them, Azz is already trying his best to stop himself from blushing whenever he's around them.

it's a love trio not a love triangle by psy_kicker: a bunch of love trio shenanigans. Completed at 3 chapters!

Time to be Human by Hatelikingbatman: love trio soulmate au with a timer! Completed at one chapter.

[reine-du-sourire]

Opera recs that no one asked for because I'm In The Mood™️

I think @klqrambles would enjoy La Bohème very much.

@grelleswife, I can imagine loving Carmen.

Die Zauberflöte would probably be a lot of fun for @thundersongfury. Wonderfully and celestially symbolic, that one.

For @anawkwardlady, La Traviata.

Turandot for @earths-roots-grow-up, although with the amount of talking about it to her that I've already done...

[flora-gray]

Erik/OC Fanfics!

Now seems like a great time to share some of our favorite fanfics featuring a relationship between Erik and not Christine, not Meg, but A BRAND NEW CHARACTER 🤯

Historically, I was never a big fan of anything other than E/C, let alone an OC, but I have been converted by some incredible works written by some very talented writers.

I’m going to limit myself to just one so that others can talk up their faves, so I’m gonna get us started with this gorgeous piece by @les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques

All Imaginable Pangs (rated M, complete, Leroux-based, pre- and post-canon, canon compliant) is a beautiful story of Erik’s relationship with an aging courtesan who he hires as an art model, from her POV. Augustine is a fully-realized character with incredible depth and growth, and endlessly compelling. Highly recommended!

What’s one (or more!) of your favorites?

[fallenangelvexed]

Best track off of Phantomime I will fight you on this.

Links under the cut

[honey-sweet-poet]

Okay I'm listening to Phantom of the Opera and we definitely need a phantom hannibal au. If it already exists can I please get recs?

Like literally:

That's the most Hannibal thing ever

[rowanspn]

[les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques]

So I recently reread “Out of the Woods” by @wheel-of-fish during a really dark personal period and it made me feel so happy that I had to draw one of my favorite little moments from it. (There are many such moments within.)

And if you haven’t read “Out of the Woods”? Go read it now. It’s one of the sweetest, best-written modern AUs out there.

(Sorry for the repost, I just realized I had the wrong version up!!)

[bookyeahqueerlit]

Endless List of Queer Book Recs Part 4: Lady Eve's Last Con by @ryfkah

I knew I was getting gays doing crimes going into this but I wasn't expecting that it was JEWISH gays doing crimes and I was absolutely delighted when I found out. Ruth, the protagonist, describes someone as having a face like an etrog which is a) a very sold burn b) not something a goy would ever think to include. Also features a romantic interest that wears suits and capes and possibly one of the few times the phrase "infuriatingly handsome" can be used to describe the sapphic love interest with perfect accuracy.

[starchbean]

Phantom of the Warm Red Pavilion

Just read this great fanfic that brings Phantom of the Opera to the SVSSS universe, and I highly recommend it for people who like both of these things!

If you like shenanigans, the idea of Cucumber Bro and his bestie Liu Mingyan as 2 year olds, an ACTUAL Stallion for the Stallion Novel setting, Soft Moshang, catalpa trees, Tianlang Jun having all his dreams come true, and more, do check this out!!

[ablatheringblatherskite]

Some whump fanfics that have low-key (or high-key) traumatized me forever

(aka some of my fave whump fics I've read so far)

(will reblog with more fics the more I read!!)

You Monster

fandom: Wednesday

whumpee: Tyler Galpin

You have had nightmares for weeks, waking up covered in sweat. Tonight feels no different; but it is. There is something calling to you, deep within the woods.

By @ArchivedTrash! A second person body horror fic all about Tyler transforming into the Hyde. It's. It's just so good. Literally the first second person AND body horror fic I'd ever read and still one of my faves forever.

Who Deserves This?

fandom: The Phantom of the Opera

whumpee: the whole trio tbh, but mainly Raoul

Erik runs out of patience and lets his temper get the best of him, costing him the boy's life and Christine's pity.

By my lovely mutual @rumpletrumple. This fic messed me up good :)))

She loves a pretty face

fandom: The Phantom of the Opera

whumpee: Raoul de Chagny

Erik scars Raoul. Raoul tries to move past it, but Christine won't talk to him, and Erik won't leave him alone.

By @convenientalias! This is one of my fav POTO fics, ngl. This was just. UGH. It was so good oh my GOSH. I love me some good Raoul whump AND THIS WAS SOME GOOD RAOUL WHUMP RIGHT HERE. AUGH. Scarring, threats, manipulation, tying to a chair, sacrificial love, oh my!!

Obedience

fandom: Batfam

whumpee: Tim Drake

Something is seriously wrong with Tim—Jason just knows it. Ever since the Mad Hatter incident, Tim has been acting completely different, and the worst part is that no one believes Jason when he tells them so. But when the truth is eventually revealed, the whole family comes to realize that the situation is far worse than anyone could have ever predicted.

By @sohotthateveryonedied! This left me disturbed and with low-key an existential crisis???? With one of my fave kinds of whump, forced obedience. This fic also gave me a newfound appreciation for "Perfection whump" (whump centered around being forced to be perfect). It's just so good and whumpy AND angsty and I'm. OUGH. *CHEF'S KISS*

all the king's horses

fandom: Voltron

whumpee: Keith

It wasn’t the blade sinking into the flesh of his palm, nor the smell of wood smoke and incense permeating the air that woke Keith. Nor was it the weight of iron-wrought shackles hanging heavy from his wrists and ankles. No, it was the sinister giggle in his ear and frigid fingers carding through his head that roused Keith from a dead slumber. He didn’t remember going to sleep at all—in fact, he wasn’t so sure he’d been asleep so much as knocked out. His head ached with a throbbing pulse and he couldn’t quite bring the world into focus. The room was dark, shadows dancing along the dingy wall certainly not helping things. A groan escaped him despite himself. "Don't worry, it'll only hurt for a bit."

By @glitteringconstellations! This fic actually. was the most traumatizing thing I'd ever read HAHAHAHA. Like, not even kidding, I still haven't recovered from it. It's. Like I highly recommend it but it's VERY much horror and VERY creepy and disturbing. AND I MEAN DISTURBING. It's SO GOOD but I was definitely traumatized and not okay after :))

[thycursed]

Why is Opera music so slept on?? Where is more???

I just had the most mind-scrunching, toe-curling, eye-drenching, stomach-dropping experience as I listened to the climax of "Un bel dì vedremo"

Anyway, opera recommendations - they may be basic but don't be a snob add your own instead. Also only partial title because they can be too long for me to type out.

Puccini: Madama Butterfly, Act 2: "Un bel dì vedremo"

Barcacolle (the one with the lady's face on the cover)

Celia: Adriana Lecouvreur, Act 1: "Ecco, respiro appena...."

Puccini: La boheme, Act 3: "Donde lieta usci al tou...."

Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Act 3: "Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour"

The Flower duet (you'll probably recognise this one)

Yes, I do have a Maria Callas bias. Listen to her songs though, she has pipes.

[phantomonabudget]

He is a REAL PROBLEM. 🚩🚩🚩

Phantom Cosplay: @phantomonabudget