#velvet arabesque

[vocaloidderivativeotd]

Today's Vocaloid derivative of the day is:

Hatsune Miku: Arabian from Velvet Arabesque and Catch the Wave in Project DIVA!

[okochamasensou]

project diva song logo pngs (ripped from mm+)

[missearthling]

Bruh how did I get a better rating on Ex Extreme

[sunkifye]

curtsies and kisses

pairing— boyfriend nishimura riki x ballerina reader

genre— fluff

synopsis— your proud boyfriend congratulates you after your dance recital

warnings— kissing

word count— 393

author’s note— my friend asked me to write this soooo

you gracefully landed your pirouette before stepping into an arabesque as the music died down. as you held your pose you could hear the crowd begin to clap and cheer for your amazing performance. you searched the audience, trying to find your boyfriend’s face. the bright spotlight shining over you hindered your vision, making you squint as you continued to search the crowd. no luck. the red velvet curtain began to close and you couldn’t find him in the audience, but you knew he was there. once the curtain fully closed, the spot lights dimmed and the house lights turned back on as the audience began to chatter and leave the theater. you quickly ran off the stage along with everyone else who was in the dance routine and went towards the dressing room. you grabbed your bag before heading back out of the dressing room, not even bothering to change out of your ballet slippers. you raced to the lobby of the theater, immediately stopping in your tracks upon entering. you rapidly searched for your boyfriend, soon finding him standing on the other side of the room. you made your way over to him, pushing past the crowds of people as you called out your boyfriend’s name.

“KI!!” you yelled as you approached him.

“BABE!” he exclaimed, taking notice of you before he opened up his arms.

you jumped into riki’s arms as he spun you around a few times before putting you down. your tutu was now crushed, which would’ve pissed you off, but surprisingly, you didn’t care.

“you did amazing tonight,” riki congratulated you, extending out his arm to hand you a bouquet of red roses.

“thank you baby,” you replied with a shy smile, gratefully taking the flowers from his hand.

“I love watching you dance, you always look so beautiful,” he compliments you, looking down at you as he admires your features. you blush at his words.

“I’m glad you came,” you said, tightly holding the bouquet close to your chest.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” riki replied before placing his hand under your chin. he tilted your head up so your eyes met his before he placed a soft kiss on your lips.

“let’s go out for dinner, my treat,” riki suggested, taking your hand in his hand before you both exited the theater.

[chic-a-gigot]

Les Modes : revue mensuelle illustrée des arts décoratifs appliqués à la femme, no. 19, vol. 2, juillet 1902, Paris. Robe de bal. Rouff. Cliché Reutlinger. Bibliothèque nationale de France

PAGE 14. — ROBE DE BAL. — ROUFF. — Robe en satin blanc brodé d'arabesques de diamants et d'argent reposant sur un dessous de mousseline de soie paille et se découpant dans le bas sur un haut volant de dentelle d'Alençon. Le corsage avec blouse de même dentelle retenu par une ceinture de velours noir.

PAGE 14. — BALL DRESS. — ROUFF. — White satin dress embroidered with diamond and silver arabesques resting on a straw silk chiffon underside and silhouetted at the bottom against a ruffled top of Alençon lace. The bodice with blouse of the same lace held by a black velvet belt.

[dorothea-dorie]

𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (Regulus Black x Reader)

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 1: 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

“Again!” The stern voice of her father insisted as Y/n breathed heavily, beads of sweat on her forehead as Abraxas Malfoy, Y/n’s father, observed her ballet performance. Y/n was chosen to be the leading role of the ballet, Giselle and Abraxas wanted his daughter to be perfect, as always.

“Father, Y/n is tired, Let her rest” Lucius spoke out looking at Y/n slightly worried. Abraxas turns his head to look at his son gripping the smooth velvet material of his armchair, Abraxas gives Lucius a cold glare “Do you want your sister to embarrass herself in front of the whole Wizarding World?!” Y/n and Lucius flinch slightly at the bombarding tone of their father, Y/n looks at Lucius giving him a small smile before shaking her head. 

“I’ll perform better, Father until I achieve perfection” She gently states looking at her father “As always, It’s my only plan” She continued, nodding her head. Abraxas scoffs but is satisfied by her answer before gesturing for her to perform her routine again. Y/n looks at the vast ballet room her father made just for her in their Manor before breathing out a sigh as she prepares to perform the ballet again. 

The room is adorned with mirrors that line the walls, reflecting her every movement, allowing her to perfect her technique and form. Soft, natural light filters through the windows, creating an ambiance of tranquility that calms her slightly despite being under the strict observance of her father and the encouraging gaze of Lucius. 

Abraxas nods at her before he takes out his wand and casts a simple spell for the recorder to start playing, Variation de Giselle. As the music starts to play, her movements become more fluid and graceful, like a painter's brush strokes on a canvas. She glides across the floor, executing pirouettes and arabesques with breathtaking precision. Each step is a testament to her years of training and the unwavering commitment to her craft.

Her reflection in the mirrors becomes her harshest critic and her most trusted ally. With every turn and grand battement, she analyzes her form, seeking perfection in every line and curve of her body. Each correction she makes brings her closer to achieving the ideal expression of her artistry.

“Again!” Abraxas states, glaring at his daughter’s mistake, Y/n nods before doing it again and again and again. Lucius stares at her as she glides through the room performing the choreography, worried for her knowing very well that she is tired. As she practices, she becomes acutely aware of the subtle nuances of her body. She learns to listen to its whispers, detecting the tiniest adjustments needed to perfect her technique. Her breath becomes a metronome, guiding her through each movement and fostering a sense of rhythm and flow.

Hours pass unnoticed as she loses herself in the dance. Sweat glistens on her brow, and her muscles ache with exertion, she wants to pass out. She feels too tired to continue but she remains determined, driven by her passion for the art form and the passion to impress her father and to not make a single mistake, to achieve perfection. When she finally concludes her practice, she takes a moment to stand at the center of the room, her heart still pounding with the exhilaration of the dance. With a sense of accomplishment, she bows to her reflection in the mirrors, acknowledging the growth and progress she has made.

Lucius and Abraxas clap as she finishes her performance, A look of satisfaction can be seen on Abraxas’s face as he smiles at his daughter, Abraxas gestures for her to approach him. Y/n walks over to her father, smiling softly despite feeling tired as Lucius places a hand on her shoulder smiling at her, quite impressed.

“Was it perfect, Father?” She gently asked, patiently waiting for his critique. Abraxas nods his head with a proud smile on his face “As always, my dear” Y/n breathes out a soft sigh of relief, Abraxas stands up from his seat on the armchair “I have work to do at the Ministry” Y/n and Lucius nods as their father leaves the room closing the door behind him.

“Some of my friends are here, I hope you don’t mind, Y/n” Lucius looks at her as he says this, She nods, not minding it one bit “Of course, They’re your friends after all” She gently states, The door opens slightly and some of Lucius’s friends enter. Y/n glances at them through the mirror before focusing on her reflection in the mirror, Her and Lucius’s back turned to them. She removes the hairpins that held her hair in a bun feeling her soft h/c hair falling from the bun.

Lucius’s friends were quite known in the Wizarding World due to their families such as the Rosiers, Blacks and others. Some of them were pompous brats but Y/n favored Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier despite their stubborn selves, She enjoyed their chaotic energy.

As tiredness gradually overtakes her, Y/n begins to experience a surreal disconnect from her surroundings. The weight of exhaustion weighs heavily upon her, and her body feels like an anchor, dragging her down into a state of lethargy. Her movements become slower and less coordinated, as if she's navigating through a thick fog.

Lucius approaches his friends unaware of his sister’s predicament, Her eyelids grow heavy, and the effort to keep them open becomes increasingly challenging. Her vision blurs, and the world around her seems to lose its sharpness and clarity. Y/n blinks slowly, trying to fight off the overwhelming urge to close her eyes, but each blink lasts longer than the last. With each passing moment, her grip on consciousness loosens. Her thoughts slow down, and it becomes harder to focus on anything in particular. Her mind drifts, and she finds herself lost in a hazy reverie, drifting between dream and reality.

Y/n’s heart rate slows, and her breathing becomes shallow and irregular. The world around her fades further into obscurity, and she starts to feel detached from her own body. It's as if she's an observer, watching herself from a distance, the world growing increasingly distant and blurry.

Evan Rosier, a friend of Lucius, notices Y/n’s distress and states “Hey, Malfoy, Is your sister alright?” All of Lucius’s friends shift their gaze at Y/n who’s back was turned to them as she walks toward the drawers on the right side of the room, her steps were heavy and she seemed tired. She felt piercing eyes look at her, she glances at them and locks eyes with Regulus Black, a member of the noble house of Black. Narcissa, Lucius’s fiancee has told her about him, Narcissa described him as a highly intelligent and ambitious young wizard and how despite his young age is deeply committed to the dark beliefs of his family, embracing the ideology of blood purity and devotion to Lord Voldemort. 

Lucius walks over to her worriedly “Y/n, Are you alright?” He asks her, concerned. As her energy wanes, she feels her body sway and tremble. The ground beneath her seems unsteady, and her legs become unresponsive. She clings to whatever support she can find, gripping the barre, trying to maintain her balance, but it's a futile effort. Her body finally gives in to the overwhelming fatigue, and she begins to sink, gently collapsing.

“Y/n!” Lucius rushes over to her just in time to catch her, Lucius brushes her hair off her face and looks worried at her pale complexion. “Luce, I don’t feel good” She chuckles softly before wincing because of the headache, Lucius frowns before he turns to Regulus who looks slightly worried “Call for a healer, Black!” Regulus nods, about to walk out the room to find a healer.

"Don't" Y/n states, groaning in pain before sitting up, grasping her head with her right hand. Lucius shakes his head and sternly says "I highly advise that you go see a healer, Y/n" Y/n scoffs and glares at him.

"There is no need for a healer, It's just a small headache" Y/n grips the barre and slowly pulls herself up, Lucius holds her back and says, deeply concerned "It's best if you rest for now" Lucius looks at his friends and says "Leave." His voice is cold and unfeeling before he guides his sister to her bedroom.

Regulus Black looks at Y/n Malfoy, his eyes holding no emotion but there was a glint of slight concern as Y/n glanced at him before exiting the room with Lucius. Regulus exits the room along with Barty and Evan. Some of Lucius's friends exit the Manor whispering about how pretty the youngest Malfoy is and how she'd look good as a wife. 

"Those idiots have no respect" Barty scoffs, glaring at some of Lucius's friends especially Rabastan Lestrange who was talking about how he would've 'tortured' the young girl in his bedroom. Evan cringes and gives Rabastan's back a look of disgust "That's just absolutely revolting. Y/n is feeling unwell yet Lestrange is here commenting about ridiculous stuff" 

"If he tries to touch her, I'll hex him to oblivion" Barty whispered to Evan, harshly also glaring at Rabastan. Evan quickly nods "I'll join you" The two nod before chuckling

"Regulus, you in?"

"Sure" Regulus answered, shrugging his shoulders, a smirk present on his face "It'd be nice to hex Lestrange into oblivion after all, Give him a taste of his own medicine" Evan and Barty laugh in amusement. Barty nods "Absolutely correct, Reggie".

Regulus rolls his eyes before keeping silent throughout the continuation of Evan and Barry's banter but deep inside. He was furious at Rabastan Lestrange and the other men who left the Manor, it's just disgusting how these men treat women like objects.

[vocaloidsongtournament]

August 2024 Vocaloid Song Tournament

Round 1, Set 1, Match 5: Velvet Arabesque by Hata Aki vs. Gomenne Gomenne by Kikuo

Please listen to both songs before casting your vote! And please reblog for a bigger sample size!

[slippinmickeys]

Prompt: ballet slippers, chocolate pudding in a can, Wyoming

The house, when they walked in, was like nothing she’d ever seen before—striped wallpaper on the ceiling, paisley carpet on the floor, a circus worth of color on every surface. It was like a Carlton Varney fever dream; like a brothel with aspirations. Mulder actually paused in the doorway and leaned back out to double check the address number on the side of the house.

“Wow,” Scully said, daintily setting down her suitcase a few feet inside the door. She wanted to make a joke, but Mulder looked appalled.

“We can go home,” he said quickly. “We don’t have to stay.”

His tone was such that she suspected he might be on the verge of having a panic attack.

“I was promised a weekend away,” she said calmly, reaching past him to close the door. She took his own suitcase from his hand and set it down next to hers.

“Anyway,” she went on, “it’s just a place to…sleep.”

With that his attention returned to her and she thought she saw his cheek tic, threatening to smile. Giving him an arched eyebrow and a squeeze of the hand, she turned away from him to explore the flat, curiosity overtaking every other impulse.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “The reviews were great.”

Scully sauntered over to the corner where there was a small kitchenette; bright green cabinets, a hot pink coffee maker. She opened up a cupboard. The inside was lined with contact paper featuring a cornucopia of citrus, upon which sat a single can of chocolate pudding. Scully didn’t recognize the brand.

“Quaint and cozy?” she asked, turning back to him.

“Whimsical and fun,” he said sheepishly.

She had to resist the urge to laugh.

Mulder finally spurred himself into action, reaching up into the nearest lamp and giving it a few futile clicks. When it failed to produce light, he began hunting along the wall for a light switch. When he finally found one, he flicked it, and it was then that Scully’s gaze was pulled upward.

Hanging from the ceiling fan was a pair of soft pink ballet slippers, tied to the blades by their satin ribbons. As the fan began to move, roused into motion by Mulder flipping the switch, the slippers began to turn, toes out, spinning gracefully in a perpetual arabesque.

Scully smiled. “Cute.”

“I’m afraid one’s going to come flying off and kick me in the face,” Mulder said, eyes still dubiously skyward. “And I already feel weirdly beat up.”

Scully ignored him and casually continued her tour of the flat, passing by a rather tame painted landscape of rocky mountainous outcrops, the script underneath reading Jackson Hole, Wyoming. However, as she continued to walk past it, the picture gradually changed in a holographic effect, revealing, when she got to the other side of it, a painting of a woman lounging provocatively spread eagled, her fleshy breasts exactly mirroring the Tetons of the landscape. Scully paused to squint at the cursive label, which now read simply Wyoming Jackson’s Hole.

She couldn’t help but bark out a laugh.

“What?” Mulder called from across the room.

“You’re going to like the art,” she told him, approaching the only other doorway in the place, which had to lead to the small apartment’s en suite.

She pulled up short. The bedroom was just as outlandishly decorated as the rest of the flat, but the room’s main draw was an absolutely palatial four poster bed, curtained on all sides by bright red velvet with fringe, pulled back just enough to reveal a monolith of a mirror tucked into the canopy.

Mulder came up to stand beside her, huffing out a long whistle.

“This in the reviews?” she asked him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“The term ‘whimsical’ was doing a lot of heavy lifting,” he said. “But no one mentioned the bed was a mirrored grotto.”

Scully felt for him—he’d been excitedly planning this for weeks. He’d promised to take her out of town for a quiet romantic getaway. She would not let him sink into a funk over something as trivial as heinous decor. She ducked out from under his heavy arm and took him by the hand, pulling him into the room.

“Do a little heavy lifting yourself,” she said suggestively, “and we can field test the term ‘fun.’”

He finally cracked a smile and followed her into the room.

[steellegacy]

⚜️ Armor for Field and Tourney, 1560/70

German, Augsburg

Medium: Steel with etching, brass, leather, and velvet weave

Height: 188 cm (74 in.)

⠀

This Augsburg armor is rare in that all of the pieces are original and belong to the same garniture. The elements have alternate polished areas and etched bands enclosing strap work and arabesque grounds; the etched bands were originally gilded, but only traces of the gilding remain. This is a complete armor for a mounted knight or a high-ranking heavy cavalryman who was fully suited in plate armor, including a close helmet, neck defense (gorget), shoulder and arm defenses (pauldrons, vambraces, and gauntlets), cuirass with tassets and lance rest, and leg defenses (cuisses with poleyns, and greaves with sabatons). When the etched bands retained the original gilding, it would have been visually striking.

⠀

Ph. by mark6mauno (flickr)

🏛 The Art Institute of Chicago

⠀

- -

⚜️ Полевой (боевой) доспех, а так же для турниров, 1560/70

Германия, Аугсбург

Материалы: сталь с травлением, латунь, кожа и бархатная п��дкладка

Высота: 188 см

⠀

Этот аугсбургский доспех уникален тем, что все его части оригинальные и принадлежат к одному и тому же гарнитуру. Элементы имеют чередующиеся шлифованные участки и вытравленные полосы, обрамляющие ремешки и арабески; первоначально вытравленные полосы были позолочены, но сохранились только следы позолоты. Это полный комплект доспехов для конного рыцаря или тяжелого кавалериста высокого ранга, который был полностью облачен в латные доспехи, включая закрытый шлем, защиту шеи (горжет), защиту плеч и рук (наплечники, наручи и рукавицы), кирасу с кистями и упором для копья, а также защиту ног (поножи с полейнами и поножи с сабатонами). Если бы вытравленные полосы сохранили первоначальную позолоту, это было бы визуально эффектно.

⠀

Фото: mark6mauno (flickr)

🏛 Чикагский институт искусств (Art Institute of Chicago)

⠀

#Field #Tourney #etching #brass #leather #турнирныйдоспех #armour #medievalarmour #armsandarmor #history #травление #полевойдоспех #armor #латунь

[projectdivapolls]

[the-queen-and-the-king]

Incorrect delivery

Summary: It's Emily's birthday and Aaron has a surprise for her. But the delivery guy may have ruined everything...

Characters: Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss (and an OC)

Contents: Aaron is overthinking (like always) and there's a talk about cheating, but it's mostly funny.

This text was written for the Wrong Recipient CM writing challenge organized by @imagining-in-the-margins !

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

Read on AO3 / lire sur AO3

___

Emily arrived quietly at Quantico that morning with a smile on her face, eager for the day to come to an end so she could spend some tender, intimate time with her lover. It was her birthday, and before she met him – before she joined the BAU – it had been no more than just another day of the year. Since then, she had found an adoptive family who loved to celebrate such events, and she had also found a man who loved her beyond all considerations. He wasn't always very good at displaying his emotions clearly, but nevertheless knew how to show her how sincere and strong his love for her was. And she returned the favor when the opportunity arose, without feeling like she was being forced to do so.

In fact, she had planned a little surprise for him, which would have to wait until they reached home. It wasn't officially theirs – for antediluvian regulatory reasons, they had to keep a low profile on their relationship – but she now spent more time there than at her place. And she couldn't wait to get back out there and see what effect her plan would have on him. So it was that she pushed open the glass doors of the open space with thoughts in her head that had little to do with work. Yet she had no trouble spotting the puzzled expression of Judith, the agency's management controller, in front of a small box covered in midnight-blue velvet that she was holding in her hand. Curious, Emily stepped forward and asked:

“What is it?”

“I don't know,” admitted the thirty-something, turning her gaze towards her. “I’ve found this on my desk when I arrived.”

“What’s inside?”

“Let’s see.”

The two women didn't have a particular affinity, but Judith was very friendly and chatted easily with everyone in the building. Which made her a champion gossip-gatherer in every category. Hotch had tried more than once to transfer her to the Secret Service, but they'd never granted his request, even though she belonged there. The mother of three boys opened the box without further apprehension, and Emily's heart skipped a beat when she saw the jewels it contained. A pair of genuine silver earrings set with deep burgundy-red almandine garnets.

“Oh! They're magnificent!” enthused Judith, overjoyed.

The female profiler next to her bit her lower lip to keep from saying out loud what she was thinking. There was no doubt about it, she knew these arabesques like the back of her hand.

“Yes, indeed,” she commented with a slightly tense smile. “Did your husband send you this?”

“I don’t know. There is no note, so it’s impossible to know.”

“I guess it’s from someone who loves you very much.”

Judith shook her head without looking at her desk-mate, fascinated by the brilliance of the gems. Emily took a deep breath, put her things on her chair, threw off her coat and climbed the steps to the unit manager's space. As usual, his door was wide open, but she took the trouble to knock to signal her presence. Aaron immediately looked up from his papers and a delighted smile played across his lips. A crack in his shell as a federal agent that he reserved only for her. 

“Come in.”

She closed the door behind her and diminished the distance between them to take a seat in the chair opposite his.

“Did you find my little present?” he asked, dropping his pen on the open folder in front of him.

“Indeed,” she confirmed, understanding what the problem was.

Because, yes, those earrings were for her. She'd spotted them in a boutique a couple of weeks ago while she was window-shopping hand-in-hand with the giant – or rather, she'd been scouring the stores and he'd followed her without remarking that his toes were sore. In any case, she had spent some time admiring them, pointing out how the silver interlacing set off the dark red of the stone.

“Do you like them?”

“There are superb. And their price too must have been superb,” she added, remembering that there was no label mentioning this information.

“Joker!” he defended himself, smiling.

She knew that he made a pretty good living from his position and that most of his salary went into a bank account for Jack's education, but she found it hard to believe that he could afford such a luxury. He'd had to make a very big dent in his tightly controlled budget, which made the situation even sadder.

“What?” he continued, noticing her contrite expression.

She sighed, aware that she had no choice but to tell him the truth.

“If I can give you one piece of advice: next time, put them on my desk yourself.”

“Why?”

“Because your delivery guy doesn’t know his left hand from his right.”

“What do you mean?” he frowned, suddenly worried.

“He has delivered the package on Judith’s desk.”

“Seriously?”

Emily nodded and saw a mute swear word on Aaron's lips. He remained silent for a moment, downcast, and she had to restrain herself from hugging him. She was almost able to follow his train of thought. Not only had he just blown a certain amount of money for nothing; if, on top of that, management were to learn that it was he who had made such a gift to his employee, he was going to have a hard time establishing a line of defense that wouldn't make things worse. She also thought that if the recipient of the parcel were to discover it too, he'd have another kind of problem on his hands – a problem he was probably unaware of. 

“What… How did she react?” he finally inquired.

“She wonders who sent her such a gift.”

“Her husband is a truck driver, so he can't buy such jewelry.”

“No, indeed. That’s why she must think that it’s Anderson.”

“Anderson?”

Bingo! As she'd expected, he had no idea that the accounting manager wasn't just eating numbers.

“Don't tell me you haven't noticed,” she continued, holding back a laugh.

“Noticed what?”

“That Judith’s last kid doesn’t look at all like the first two.”

She had circulated photos of her children throughout the floor when she gave birth to the third of the siblings, and the dissimilarity with the older pair had jumped out at her. As are the character traits shared with the young – and single – federal agent.

“I'm not interested in my employees' sex lives. On the other hand, I hope you'll understand that I don't find this situation particularly funny.”

“Sorry,” she apologized on the spot.

Since Aaron had been cheated on by his ex-wife, it was only logical that he should side with the scorned husband. A fact Emily was aware of, but tended to forget when it came to people other than her close circle. Deceptions of this kind were part of normal human behavior. Sadly.

She regained her footing in reality when she realized that her opposite was clutching his head in his hands, defeated. She leaned over to grab his wrists and try to reassure him.

“Aaron, it doesn’t matter.”

“Tell that to my bank account...” he grunted, straightening up.

He moved away from her to sink into his armchair. He was dejected. She suspected, however, that it was more because his surprise had failed than because he'd ruined himself unnecessarily. Money was an accessory when it came to pleasing the people he cared about.

“It sucks!” he grumbled, pushing the still-open folder back onto his desk pad.

“Everything is fine. I'm sure you'll make up for it tonight.”

He froze and fixed his gaze on hers. She gave him a smile that more than made her thoughts clear. He squinted his eyelids:

“… Why wait?”

“Because I think the supply closet must be occupied by now.”

Aaron winced and immediately shivered, not at all amused by the vision that had just flashed through his skull. All at once, he seemed even more devastated by his failure. Emily stood up and walked around his desk, taking his hand in hers and kissing him discreetly. A brief exchange to which he nevertheless reacted. Then she whispered in his ear:

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a little surprise for you tonight.”

“It's not my birthday,” he reminded her, grumpily.

“No, but I know I’ll find something to like.”

He raised his eyebrows, caught off guard by this reply. She winked at him, gave him a second kiss, and left the room so he could get back to his work. Or, at least, try to.

___

I hope you have enjoy the ride! :D

[follyglass]

Follyglass : Small

There was a time that I was once too grown for the small things that made me happy. When my starry coat went missing from the laundry line, I thought ‘good, it was too babyish anyway.’ When I left my blue velvet shoes on the porch to dry after running through the rain-splashed daisies –and they disappeared– I thought ‘I had outgrown them, and perhaps it’s too messy to run through daisies anyway.’ When I told my parents that I mistakenly left my flute in the park, I thought ‘what use is learning to play the notes when being an adult means not playing?’

The fox noticed. Small and fire and curious, it peered at me from the hedge, but I made myself look away. I once had so many happy books about foxes, but I realized in my growing that my interests in animals did not matter.

Many years found me occupied by doing things I thought adults should do; putting aside small brilliant things, hiding simple joys from myself, pressing on with more serious matters. It was an asceticism that I thought displayed wisdom. Sometimes, I would see the fox darting between houses, a flash of fire against the expanse of brick suburbia.

It was when I was much older that I happened to find a pair of green velvet shoes in a fancy shop; they fit me. I wondered if it would be too silly, too childish to buy them. Surely, anything that made me happy like that probably wasn’t good for a serious adult to do. I bought them anyway. They sat in my closet, a brief glimpse of joy before I shut them away again since I could find no appropriate occasion to wear them.

Until.

There was a warm cricket-song night, and I slipped them on to walk the white-garden I had carefully cultivated. It was especially lovely at night – my neighbors had told me so over wine I thought too astringent but sipped anyway– the lilies and roses glowing against the blue hour, a perfumed fairy garden. A series of silver notes rose from the daisy field and floated over the peonies. Since nobody was looking, I began to move about, sweeping my arms wide. It was only when I was dancing in my own garden that the fox appeared, wearing a starry coat, and blue velvet shoes, and playing the flute that I had lost.

Together we danced in arabesques and hops and giggles and ate honey and berries and laughed and wore crowns of daisies upon our heads.

I apologized to the small fox for ignoring her. I confessed that I thought it was the grown-up thing to do.

The fox considered me, then asked in what used to be my own childish voice, “and are you grown-up now?”

Yes, I think I finally was.

[mikuoutfitseveryday]

Arabian Miku

Arabian Miku.The Module first appeared in the Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA game where it can be unlocked by attaining a Great result in "Velvet Arabesque"

DESIGNER: inakayaki

[vocaloid-as-gaeilge]

Velvet Arabesque as Gaeilge!

[chic-a-gigot]

La Mode nationale, no. 40, 5 octobre 1901, Paris. No. 1. — Deux corsages pour dames et jeunes filles. Bibliothèque nationale de France

(1) Corsage habillé pour thé, petit dîner, etc. Boléro très court en taffetas bleu-lin, incrusté au bord d'arabesques de satin blanc. Col et revers en satin blanc, lisérés d'un galon d'or et d'une com��te de velours noir, se prolongeant en second revers jusqu'à la taille, chemisette en satin blanc plissé; le col, le devant et les manches sont inscrustés de médaillons de dentelle ocrée traversés de comètes et de velours noir.

(1) Dressy bodice for tea, casual dinner, etc. Very short bolero in blue-linen taffeta, inlaid at the edge with white satin arabesques. White satin collar and lapels, edged with gold braid and a black velvet comet, extending into the second lapel to the waist, pleated white satin shirt; the collar, front and sleeves are inlaid with ocher lace medallions crossed with comets and black velvet.

Matériaux: 5 mètres de satin blanc, 2m,50 de taffetas.

—

(2) Corsage pour jeune femme ou jeune fille, en panne blanche, blousé orné d'un grand col finissant en pointe à la taille. Le col est bordé de trois galons genre indien, agrémentés de fils d'or. Devant et autour du col pattes coupées en capucin. La patte du devant est large et coupée de boutonnières dans lesquelles passe la cravate de satin noir. Ceinture drapée en satin blanc. Manche à revers bordé de galon, écourtée sur un bouffant plissé en satin blanc, monté dans un poignet également plissé.

(2) Bodice for young women or girls, in white, blouse decorated with a large collar ending in a point at the waist. The collar is bordered with three Indian-style braids, decorated with gold threads. In front and around the collar, capuchin-cut legs. The front placket is wide and cut with buttonholes through which the black satin tie passes. White satin draped belt. Cuffed sleeve edged with braid, cropped on a pleated white satin bouffant, fitted into an equally pleated cuff.

Matériaux: 3m,50 de panne; 1m,50 de satin blanc.

[thequietabsolute]

Top Artists — Medium Term (6 months)

Felbm

Radiohead

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Kate Bush

Nick Drake

Midlake

Paul Simon

Simon & Garfunkel

Slowdive

Boards of Canada

Canary Room

The Beatles

Fionn Regan

Beach House

Leonard Cohen

hemlock

Vashti Bunyan

Clara Mann

Bob Dylan

The Smiths

ABBA

Grouper

David Bowie

The Clientele

Jessica Pratt

Olovson

Bill Callahan

Laura Marling

Rachel Grimes

Chet Baker

Belle and Sebastian

Sibylle Baier

Aldous Harding

Cocteau Twins

Acetone

Connan Mockasin

Fleetwood Mac

Cornelia Murr

John Martyn

Julie London

Sea Oleena

Sufjan Stevens

Meg Baird

Shannon Lay

Van Morrison

Pink Floyd

Caroline Says

Sun Kil Moon

Maxine Funke

Fairport Convention

that spotify stats page

Top Tracks — Long Term (years)

Calla — Canary Room

4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: IV. Morgen! — Richard Strauss, Jonas Kaufmann, Helmut Deutsch

6 Melodies, Op. 4 - 6 melodies, Op. 5: Allegretto — Fanny Mendelssohn, Beatrice Rauchs

Long Before Us — Rachel Grimes

Sandalwood I — Jonny Greenwood

Stabat Mater: 1. Stabat Mater — Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood

Thaïs / Act 2: Méditation — Jules Massenet, Joshua Bell, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton

Songs My Mother Taught Me, Op. 55 No. 4 — Antonín Dvořák, Alisa Weilerstein, Anna Polonsky

Elegy No. 1 in D Major — Giovanni Bottesini, Andrew Burashko, Joel Quarrington

The Carnival of the Animals, R. 125: XIII. The Swan (Arr. for Cello and Piano) — Camille Saint-Saëns, Yo-Yo Ma, Kathryn Stott

Julie With - 2004 Digital Remaster — Brian Eno

wallingford bossa — hemlock

Fantasiestücke, Op. 73: No. 1, Zart und mit Ausdruck — Robert Schumann, Sol Gabetta, Hélène Grimaud

By This River - 2004 Digital Remaster — Brian Eno

Just When You Need Yourself Most — Oberhofer

Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro — Giacomo Puccini, Renée Fleming, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras

Bleecker Street — Simon & Garfunkel

House of Woodcock — Jonny Greenwood

Shaker — Acetone

All The Time — Acetone

Jazz Suite No. 2: VI. Waltz II — Dmitri Shostakovich, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35: II. The Kalendar Prince (Excerpt) — Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Riccardo Muti, Philadelphia Orchestra

Christine — Canary Room

Me at the Museum, You in the Wintergardens — Tiny Ruins

Valse sentimentale, Op. 51, No. 6 — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Josef Sakonov, London Festival Orchestra

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor": II. Adagio un poco mosso — Ludwig van Beethoven, Wilhelm Kempff, Berliner Philharmoniker, Ferdinand Leitner

Deux Arabesques, L. 66, CD 74: I. Première Arabesque — Claude Debussy, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Green Bus — The Innocence Mission

Lucida — Thomas Bartlett

Introduction et Allegro, M. 46 — Maurice Ravel, Oxalys

Two Thousand and Seventeen — Four Tet

When It Rains — Felbm

Lake Effect — Canary Room

Candy Says — The Velvet Underground

Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: II. Valse — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitri Kitayenko

Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6, Heft II: No. 14, Zart und singend — Robert Schumann, Jonathan Biss

Magnolia — J.J. Cale

day one — hemlock

Return From The Ice — Acetone

Requiem in D minor, K.626: 6. Benedictus — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Anne Sofie von Otter, Barbara Bonney, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Willard White, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner

River — Terry Reid

Where Should I Meet You? — Canary Room

This Night Has Opened My Eyes - 2011 Remaster — The Smiths

Brother — Vashti Bunyan

Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude — Johann Sebastian Bach, Yo-Yo Ma

Sweeten Your Eyes — The Clientele

Knickerbocker Holiday: September Song (Arr. by Paul Bateman) — Kurt Weill, Daniel Hope, Jacques Ammon, Zürcher Kammerorchester

Funicular — Felbm

Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332: II. Adagio — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jenő Jandó

Sensuela — Column