#Nightingale Aria

[willows-arts]

Was feeling kinda sad so I drew Moonfall with her gf Aria ( @m3chanical-rhythm <3 )

[fashionfotorecccluse]

Vertical notes of a birds' choir, singing

[opera-ghosts]

Today I will remember the extraordinary soprano Adelina Patti (1843-1919). Here we see this antique Postcard from 1898.

Spanish-born soprano who was one of the greatest of her century.

The Spanish-born soprano Adelina Patti was the most renowned singer in Europe and the United States for over 30 years. She was born in 1843, the youngest of three children, into a family of opera singers and musicians. Her parents were opera performers well known in Europe by the time of Patti's birth in Madrid, where they were on tour. Her Italian father was Salvatore Patti; her Spanish mother was Caterina Chiesa Barili-Patti , known before her marriage as Signora Barili. Caterina also had four children from an earlier marriage, and all seven of her children would enjoy successful careers as singers.

When Adelina Patti was four the family moved to New York, where her father became an opera house manager. Her half-brother Ettore Barili gave Patti voice lessons starting at age five; by the age of seven Adelina was recognized as a child prodigy and the next year she gave her debut concert at New York City's Tripler Hall. Audiences and critics at subsequent concerts were stunned by the maturity, range, and purity of her voice. Her success in New York led to a three-year tour of American cities, unprecedented for such a young child, from 1851 to 1854. A second concert tour followed in 1857. Patti's sister Amelia Patti was married to the renowned pianist Maurice Strakosch; he took care of Adelina while on tour and served as her manager, instructor, and accompanist. She received only a minimal education, although her family background and musical training made her fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, and English. Her parents and Strakosch continued training Patti in the demands of operatic singing until they felt she was prepared to sing opera professionally. They arranged for her critically praised debut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor at the New York Academy of Music in 1859; she was 16, and would perform in opera continually for the next half-century, enjoying a career that was decades longer than that of most opera singers. Soon after her debut Patti faced serious family crises, as her father's struggling opera house failed and her mother left the family in 1860 to return to Rome. Patti then began to provide much of the family's income through her performances.

She toured the eastern United States and the West Indies from 1859 to 1861. In 1861, she went abroad, under the care of her father and Strakosch, to perform in La sonnambula at the Covent Garden opera house in London. She was enthusiastically received in London, where she was to perform every autumn for 25 years.

Patti remained on tour in Europe virtually continuously for 20 years, not returning to New York until 1881. She played to crowded houses in Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna, Paris, and across Italy. The operatic roles she chose ranged from light comedy, which she preferred, to tragedy, but whatever role she appeared in, critics were universal in their praise of her acting ability and the emotive power of her voice.

While in Paris in 1866, through her friendship with Empress Eugénie , Patti met the aristocrat Louis de Cahuzac, marquis de Caux, who served as a personal servant to the French emperor Napoleon III. They wished to marry but the marquis was not allowed to retain his privileged position at the French court if he married a working woman. Since Patti would not consider giving up her career, de Caux eventually resigned his post. This freed the couple to marry in 1868, when the new marchioness was 25 years old and her husband 42; however, the marriage lasted less than a decade, and they obtained a legal separation in 1877. As Patti was by then a celebrity throughout Europe and the United States, her marital problems brought scandal to the opera world and were the subject of often sensationalistic newspaper articles in many of the countries she had performed in. In the divorce suit, de Caux charged Patti with an adulterous affair with her co-star, Italian tenor Ernesto Nicolini. She admitted to the affair, but maintained in her defense that de Caux was jealous, controlling, and violent, and that he allowed her no access to her substantial income. The divorce would be finalized in 1885, when de Caux was awarded a settlement of $300,000 from Patti. Freed at last from her unhappy marriage, Patti married Nicolini a few months later.

Despite her personal problems during the separation and divorce, Patti continued to travel widely. She did a concert tour on her return to New York in 1881, followed by two operatic tours of the United States. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, she was the most highly paid and most visible singer in Europe and the United States, receiving press coverage for her appearances as well as for her shocking personal life, legendary jewel collection, enormous wealth, and for her demanding, often capricious personality. She maintained homes across Europe, where she was friends with and frequently host to Europe's royalty and aristocracy. Her fame even led to mentions in contemporary literature and drama, such as Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Patti gave a farewell performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera House in 1887. She and Nicolini then left for another extended tour abroad, performing in Spain and Argentina. In 1895, at age 52, Patti gave six farewell appearances at Covent Garden. She and Nicolini then went into semi-retirement on an estate in Wales called Craig-y-Nos Castle which Patti had purchased some years before, and where she lived with Nicolini prior to their marriage. Patti adopted Wales as the native land she had never truly had, and was respected by the Welsh for her generosity to charitable causes and to her poor neighbors.

Ernesto Nicolini died in 1898. Patti, age 56, remarried a year later. Her third husband, a Swedish aristocrat named Baron Rolf Cederström, was a former military officer who, at the time Patti met him in 1897, was director of the Health Gymnastic Institute in London. At the time of their marriage, Cederström was only 28; their age difference and his occupation made the renowned opera star once again the subject of a flood of news articles and gossip columns.

The urgings of Patti's American fans called her back to the stage in 1903, when she began her last operatic tour at New York's Carnegie Hall. Although Patti was by then considerably older than most opera singers were at retirement, audiences were still moved by her powerful performances. In 1906, at age 63, she made her formal farewell appearance at Albert Hall in London. She also made numerous recordings which have preserved her work and demonstrate the remarkable purity and range which captivated her admirers and which had once led the composer Giuseppe Verdi to call Patti the greatest voice he had ever heard.

Adelina Patti was called out of retirement to perform occasionally at charity events in Wales and England through 1914, when she left the stage for good at age 71. She spent the remaining five years of her life at Craig-y-Nos Castle, where she died in 1919, at age 76. At her wish, her husband buried her in the celebrity cemetery Père Lachaise in Paris. He eventually remarried, selling Craig-y-Nos Castle to the Welsh National Memorial Association which converted it into the Adelina Patti Hospital. The hospital remained in operation until 1986, when the castle and its grounds were turned into a national park and cultural center.

[moved-to-void-kissed]

4, 5, 6, and 7 for that newer ask meme? :p

B, I am so sorry, but it took me so long to get around to this that I was completely lost about which ask game you meant for a moment. I think it was in relation to this one, but please correct me if you meant it to be answered for a different game! And thank you very much for sending the questions regardless!!

(source: “self-insert ask game!” by kissofthemoonrabbit (I think))

4. what is your favourite self-insert design? - Now THAT is a tricky one. Aria's is the one that has existed the longest and gone through the most changes, and I've liked adding a lot of the details to it (like her seams and her hairpin and the armour), but am still not 100% sure how happy I am with the overall thing despite this being its, like, fifth iteration. Mimi's is the most recent to be finalised in reference model form, and I was quite happy with how it came out even if it wasn't quite how I originally envisioned it. But then I also really like Adriana's.. and Calanthe's.. and Echo's because it was specifically based on my actual IRL wardrobe.. and Sapphire's fits well even if the model itself is a bit glitchy sometimes.. Lamia's and Alectra's also match their characters well, I feel.. Ah, I'm always incapable of picking specific favourites!!

5. if you have ever changed your self-inserts, what was the motivation? - I have indeed made changes, mostly as just things that I felt fit better over time (such as changing Lamia's element). Some changes have been motivated by reveals in canon; for example, Adriana wasn't the protagonist of the previous timeline until Episode 19 released and revealed scope for three possible timelines in total, letting her be the one from the second. Alectra also changed from a dove theme to a nightingale theme after the official reveal of Colombina. Adriana is also the only example I can think of where I've changed a self-insert's name, rather than just replacing her with a different self-insert, which is what I felt like I did when I replaced Mera with Citri and Kyra with Seralune.

6. do you have any inhuman F/Os? - ..Given that this is a self-insert ask game, I’m assuming that this is supposed to be for self-inserts instead. So I will answer it as such (although the basic answer remains “yes” regardless). Specifically, I would count Aria, Citri, Alectra, Lamia, Ardea, Camille, Seralune, Xiara, Echo, Alise, Carmine, Mimi, and Cat as actively "inhuman" self-inserts, while Adriana, Sapphire, Aline, and Ves are "human but with bonus extra features" self-inserts. ..This means that only Nova, Jet, Catarina, Telanthera, Emily, and my still-unnamed Scienceverse self-insert are actually completely unalteredly human, haha.

7. if you have OCs as well as self-inserts, how do they interact? - This happens with a few of my self-inserts, and the general answer is “pretty well”! Specifically, Aria is used for my romantic selfship with my KHUX OC Clio, so obviously the two are very close there. Sapphire technically interacts with my XC2 OC Avalon, but.. it's more Aline and Avalon that interact, and they get on well as well, with Avalon being quite protective over Aline. Ardea interacts with both the DQIX version of Avalon and my DQIX OC Iris, as they are all in the same party together, and although it takes her a while to grow fond of them she does do so over time. Outside of a selfshipping context, my Splatoon self-insert Cat is in a Turf War team with three other OCs of mine, and I have four other Turf War teams made up of OCs too.

I hope that all of those answers are alright! Thank you very much again for sending this in, and sorry it took me so long to actually get around to answering ;w;

[bluepallilworld]

Here comes the time to go back to school! May the one who still study be brave and may the others have a great day anyway uwu

(Sound on for funny audio :D)

Some close-ups as usual :D:

Credits time!

The kids:

-Mimosa and Mu are mine

-Aim belongs to @zu-is-here

-Meridix belong to @orange-dreamzer

-Nightingale belongs to @catlover31

-Diaphanous belongs to @amarald

-Aria, Sunrise and Daybreaks belong to @star-gamerxox

-Mirage belongs to @ari-cuno

The background+ team:

- @diofasolia did the soundscape (I did some of the voices), the customized books

-@amarald did the bookshelf and the posters

[violettduchess]

A/N: This was inspired by @vioisgoinginsane mentioning how she couldn't stop thinking about Gilbert's voice. And then neither could I.

This is how I imagine Gilbert's voice (not the VA's 😆)

WC: ~500

Gilbert’s voice

It is light as air, a cool breeze that winds its way around your ears, has you closing your eyes and inhaling sharply without knowing why. It tugs on your foolish heart, forcing it to its knees, has it begging for…..something. Anything. Another sentence, another word, another silver laugh. It leaves you standing at the edge of a cliff, the dirt crumbling perilously under the toe of your shoe and yet you lean forward, desperate for more.

It is as dangerously soft as a glowing beam of razor-edged moonlight, parting the darkness of night like a sword through flesh and releasing a gush of diamond-bright stars. It is a strand of delicate barbed wire, pressing ever so gently against your heart, wrapping itself lovingly around your mind. It is beautiful in its sharpness, in the danger it poses. It echoes the delicate beauty of oleander’s soft pink petals, sheltering its deadly poison within.

It is as precious as the sound of rainfall when it hits the quenched Obsidian earth. It is absorbed just as quickly, sinks into your soul just as easily as water into soil. And once inside, his voice takes root, spreads out from your heart in a web across your whole body, claiming you as his. Your desire, your loyalty, your devotion all begin here, all grow from here. And you thirst for it endlessly.

It is as commanding as a storm's rolling cry of thunder across the Obsidian mountain peaks. It rattles your bones, brings you to your knees, your blood surging through your veins in tremulous answer to his call. He speaks in imperative and you are the ellipsis, breathlessly waiting for more.

It is as meek as the morning mist that settles over the land on a cool, foggy morning. It whispers your name, quietly, wistful. Almost piteous. Your name is his touchstone, his landmark, his way home through the darkness he is shrouded in. It is his greatest strength and the key to his downfall. And he knows it. He knows the power you have, the command of the moon over the tides, and he gives into it readily, thankfully. His susurrant pleas whisper over your skin, skim the seam of your lips and seek entry. You let them in, enjoying their fizzle on the tip of your tongue and then swallow each word whole.

It is as beloved to you as the bright sun is to the rose bush which stretches itself towards the warm rays, as the stars are to the dreamers who seek inspiration from the night sky. It fills your heart with the delicate song of the nightingale, as comforting as it is hauntingly beautiful. You have learned its patterns, the peaks and valleys of its intonation, the curves of its accent and love them all. And when he speaks in the tongue of Obsidian, it sends a flare of the brightest red desire shooting through you: warmth turns to wildfire, control dissolves in the flames.

Tagging: @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @rhodolitesrose @ikemen-writer @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @aria-chikage @redheadkittys @tele86 @dear-mrs-otome @firestar-otomeobsessed @curious-skybunny @rhodoliteschaos @kpop-and-otome @writingwhimsey @mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @otomefoxystar @nightfoxqueen @myonlyjknight @queen-dahlia @scorchieart @nightghoul381 @joiedecombat

[aquariium-ediits]

Kanade Yoisaki Inspired Names, Requested By Anon

Aria, Alto, Celeste, Chanson, Chansonette, Chord, Dusk, Layla, Lyra, Lyric, Lyricette, Luna, Lunette, Melody, Nightingale, Nyx, Rhythmette, Sonnet(te), Sonatina, Symphony

no credit necessary, of course! hope you enjoy ♪

[ofcruelheart]

* ◟ : 〔 KIM JINWOO , NONBINARY + HE / THEY 〕 DEAW AHN , some say you’re a THIRTY TWO YEAR OLD lost soul among the neon lights. known for being both PURE and NAIVE, one can’t help but think of DREAMER by TALLEST MAN ON EARTH when you walk by. are you still a BLADE RUNNER, REPLICANT, “CASTRATO” for STONEAGE INDUSTRIES, NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE, even with your reputation as THE INGENUE? i think we’ll be seeing more of you and SINGING ARIAS TO THE DOVECOTE, THE SHARP GLINT OF A PISTOL LAYING PUSHED TO THE WAYSIDE ON A DESK BESIDE A BOUQUET AND JEWELS, DREAMS OF A BLOODLESS PEACE, although we can’t help but think of LUCY WESTENRA ( DRACULA ) + ALEC ( NIGHTRUNNER ) + CECILE ( DANGEROUS LIAISONS ) whenever we see you down these rainy streets.

Name: Deaw Ahn Age: “32” Gender: Nonbinary Pronouns: He/They Orientation: Bisexual Species: Replicant Occupation: Bladerunner Civilian Occupation: "Castrato" at Metropolitan Opera House Tropes: The Ingenue, The Heart, Silk Hiding Steel, Beauty is Goodness Expanded Aesthetic: walking barefoot through the glade while cicadas hum / mourning hymns cast over an animal night / laying bare and prone upon dew and dirt, listening for primordial song / an ore split open at the seam / nightingales shivering free of their oaks, taking to a black sky / tenderness and rebellion, love and wrath in one breath Singing Voiceclaim: xSpeaking Voiceclaim: x History (TLDR below): tw - mentions of violence

life begins with a song.

your mothers are women of the earth, nymphs brimming with love and temper.

a spat in the morning, a riot over lunch, a reconciliation coupled with the din of a record fuzzily crooning speakeasy jazz and mournful blues. the pines beyond their little wooden home whisper hushed hymns of animal secrets and primordial ciphers.

life is full of ancient melody out here, and you want to be the mouthpiece.

moonshot, you long to be the herd of silver deer galloping through the dark, the owl howl, the mourning nightingale.

how to raise a fledgling starchild. alone. by sinistra ton

do not hide anything. tell the truth, but tell it beautifully. he is as untamed as he is a thing of bent stems. he will catch the scent of a half-lie as if it's drenched in rot. i've told him everything - everything, save for the letter left behind.

do not clip a wildling's wings. she had tried, when it was just us, with our bedroom door shut, or when the boy was out in the forest.

nurture a generous heart. he returns from his trips to town with a new stray. darling boy of gilt heart, rabbit-in-the-thicket child. too lovely. unfit for this world. you tell him so while he washes the rain from wild berries, brushing hair from his eyes. beware the calloused hand that reaches for yours. it has touched thorns like yours to pick at the rose.

do not lie. he finds the note. he knows lucia has left. he knows i refused to go, that i refused to let her take him too. he is silent, rounds his mouth on 'betrayal' - i collapse.

do not stop him when he leaves. his cheeks are still tearstained when he leaves for the city - he kisses my brow tenderly. he says, i will bring her back.

...

...

...

his memories end there. he learns later that his former memory-maker was replaced with one more efficient, more mindful of Stoneage's objectives. his memories become that of training, of honing his lethality, his agility, his ruthlessness when duty calls for him. and when it calls, he loathes it. in spite of his new memory-maker, he hates what he has been made to do.

instead, he dreams of what the first memory-maker must have been like, to give him such resplendent, romantic memories, to bequeath upon him such a personal, noble goal as finding his missing mother. to gift him a singing voice that has been extinct without the injury that usually accompanies it. this figure shrouded in mystery, this enigma, must be kind. must be loving. must embrace love and art and song and nature and must be so far disparate from the clinical business of Stoneage and the concrete jungle of new york.

perhaps they hated what they were made to do too.

tldr:

deaw (named after morning dew - actually the old english way of spelling it) was adopted by two women (sinistra and lucia) who lived on the outskirts of rural new york in their homestead, following a sustainable lifestyle. life was musical, ideal, and isolated, with leisure time spent running alongside deer, singing to the moon, and bathing in the wild rivers.

life is idyllic until lucia ups and leaves overnight, seemingly with no warning signs, and no attempt at communication. the remaining family is heartbroken, but carry on as best they can, though deaw is particularly wounded by the sudden abandonment. 

years pass. chance leads to deaw discovering a letter addressed to sinistra from lucia dated the night the latter left, and he sets off to find her.

PSYCH. he is a replicant bladerunner. up until this bullet, his memories were fabricated by a memory-maker; it is this same memory-maker who made him sweet and whimsical and wild, who gave him a natural extinct castrato's voice (without the horrific injury so well-associated with the practice) so he could sing with the wild birds, who made him find love and beauty even in the darkest and most decrepit places. abrubtly, this memory-maker was replaced by another more... efficient. one that helped hone him into a more ruthless bladerunner.

unfortunately, the work of a bladerunner goes against his very nature crafted by his first memory-maker. though he is extremely skilled, he hates the work, hates that he was also made to be so proficient at retiring replicants. secretly, he yearns for a future free of stoneage industries, and he dreams of one day meeting his first memory-maker. to understand them. to better understand himself.

SUMMARY: deaw is a creature of contradictions and dichotomies, love and wrath, tenderness and easy, fleeting touches and a penchant for altruism and restlessness. a made nymph, as wild and freefalling as his 'mothers', but with a great affection and tenderness towards his fellow 'man'. unfortunately, he's an incredibly proficient bladerunner.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

unfortunate replicants who are on his list to 'retire'

patrons and benefactors at the opera house, particularly those fascinated by his famous 'castrato' voice but without the actual practice associated with it having forced upon him. 1000% he is marketed as possessing an extinct voice.

both his memory-makers!!!!

fellow employees at stoneage - those who sympathize with him and those who are deplete of any empathy for his plight

fellow romantics and wildlings

people who can yell at him for being so enamored with nature and love and art in this age of tech and modernity

[gomensbrainrotsyndrome]

I'm back with another aria! (Sorry, I think my opera singer is peeking through... actually no, I'm not sorry about that at all). You gave me permission to come at you with classical music, so here we are >:)

This one needs a translation, so this ask going to be rather long. Also, I feel like I should provide context, because it's too funny if you think about it long enough/too long.

So, the aria is Agathe's scene/aria "Wie nahte mir der Schlummer ... Leise, leise" from Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber. It’s in German, so here is my best attempt at a translation of the weird ass grammar in this aria (I'll add a short summary of the opera afterwards, there definitely is a 1941 thing going on here):

How did slumber approach me before I saw him.

Yes, love tends to go hand in hand with grief. Does the moon laugh (as in shine) over his path? What a beautiful night!

Softly, softly, my devout tune, fly up towards the circle of stars. Song, resound, celebrating my prayer may waft to the heavenly hall.

Oh, how bright the golden stars! With what pure light they glow! Only there, by the distant mountains, a storm seems to be brewing. There, by the forest, a host of dark clouds is floating, dull and heavy.

To you I turn my hands, Lord without beginning and without end. To protect us from dangers, send your angelic hosts!

Everything is at rest. Beloved friend, why do you delay? Even if my ear eagerly listens, only the pine is rustling. Only the birch's leaves in the grove whisper through the serene silence. Only nightingale and cricket seem to enjoy the night air.

But how? Is my ear not deceiving me? There, it sounds like footsteps, there from amidst the pines, something emerges - It's him! The flag of love may stream! Your girl is awake even in the night!

He doesn't seem to see me yet.

God, if the moonlight doesn't deceive me, flowers adorn his hat! Certainly! He did the best shot! That means good fortune for tomorrow!

Oh, sweet hope! Newly revived courage!

All my pulses beat, and the heart is beating brashly, sweetly delighted towards him!

Is it not deceit? Is it not delusion? Heaven, accept the tears of gratefulness for this favour of hope!

And here is the promised summary:

Agathe is the forester's daughter. She and Max are engaged, but he is only allowed to marry her if he wins a shooting contest to prove that he is capable of taking over her father's business. He's a good marksman, but lately, he's been too nervous to land his shots (yes, this opera can be read as a metaphor for erectile dysfunction. No, I did not make that up). So, he strikes a deal with a demon, Samael: he gets seven bullets that will always find their target.

The catch Samael doesn't tell him about: the first six will hit whatever Max wants them to. The seventh one though will hit what Samael chooses.

The next day, the day of the contest, arrives, and Max wins. With only one bullet left, he wants to shoot a dove in celebration. However, Samael chooses Agathe as his target. But, by the power of being a Good Girl (tm), she miraculously escapes (no, I did not make that up, either. She's literally too good and too pious to be hit by the devil's bullet. Also she got a blessing from a hermit).

In the end, the hermit appears and tells her dad to stop it with the contests, poor boy was so under pressure he literally couldn't shoot without help from the devil. And it was a dumb tradition, anyway.

Max and Agathe are allowed to marry, everyone's happy, the end.

The aria is set while Max is in the woods making his deal with Samael. Agathe sits at home, waiting for him, because he said he'd go practice and then come back and visit her.

Have fun with this one!

Don’t know about that summary and it is literally about other blorbos BUT lyrics wise this serves up all the good gomens flavour like heaven lord even a nightingale, the pining’s real good, i suppose the bullet thing is 1941-ish, excellent submission overall!

[lovely-lotte]

X

@wandering-child-rp

It would always be a mystery to Christine as to what Erik was thinking, sometimes he was easy to read - despite him trying to be difficult - but others he would not even try and still be unreadable. As hard as she tried, Christine was far too tired to think about it much as her husband sang softly, the sound of his voice and the gentle breathing of their daughter easily lulled her to sleep.

The words reminded her of them, of how she was a nightingale, singing happily whilst he felt he was not deserving of such songs. But she knew he did, he always did. It broke her heart to think that sometimes he felt he didn’t deserve to have a domestic life such as this, but that just wasn’t true.

——

When Christine awoke, it was dark outside, she had slept through the entire rest of the day. It made sense, it had been an exhausting day after all. But as she got up, she quickly realized that Aria was no longer sleeping on her chest, the young woman shot up from the couch in a panic before hearing her laughter coming from the kitchen.

[willows-arts]

stressed? draw lesbians

Aria belongs to @m3chanical-rhythm <3

[violetshadow9]

So, I love Selena.

During Deep Sea Warzone or whatever for Selena's outfit, I was like "Oh, I can do it in the last week or so."

Long story short, my copium intake when I tell myself "I like the Nightingale and Rose outfit more than Aria of Nymph" is intake levels this world has never seen before.

I'M NOT MESSING AROUND THIS TIME GIVE ME SELENA

IT HAS BEEN 3 DAYS

(This is a cry for help)

[opera-ghosts]

Erna Sack - Una voce poco fa (The Barber of Seville,Gioacchino Rossini)

Years before Rossini thought of “The Barber of Seville,” Beaumarchais’ subject had been set to music by Paisiello and had become celebrated throughout Italy, so that there was no small stir when it became known that the young Rossini had applied to Paisiello for permission to reset it. He was accused of presumption, but had no choice in the matter, having agreed to compose music to whatever text was supplied him. Paisiello having granted permission, Sterbini wrote a new libretto, and it was as different from Paisiello’s as possible. It took Rossini but thirteen days to compose this masterpiece, during which time he never left the house of Zamboni (the original Figaro), where the work was done. As Sterbini handed him over the wet pages of the hbretto, they were wedded to the joyous music, and then passed on to the copyists. “Not even did I get shaved,” said Rossini to a friend. “It seems strange,” was the reply, “that through ‘the Barber’ you should have gone without shaving.” “If I had shaved,” explained Rossini, “I should have gone out, and if I had gone out I should not have come back in time.”

Donizetti, who wrote with even greater facility than Rossini, and is said to have composed the finest act of “La Favorita” in an evening after dinner, when told that Rossini had written “Il Barbiere” within this time, remarked, “Ah, possibly—he is so lazy!’

Every one knows the story of Rossini’s so-called laziness, though it strikes one as being really a peculiar form of activity—how one day when he was writing in bed, and having finished a duet, let it drop on the floor. Rather than get up to recover it, he wrote another in its place. A friend came in, and Rossini asked him to fish for the sheet of paper under the bed. “I’ve written another,” he said; “just listen and tell me which you think best.’”’ The composer sang the two, and as th., both agreed that the first was the best, Rossini at once turned the second into a trio, then got up, dressed, and went out to breakfast with his friend.

On the night of the first representation of ‘The Barber” the Argentina Theater was crammed with friends and foes, the latter not hesitating to declare openly what they hoped and intended should be the fate of Rossini’s “Barber.” In his “History of the Opera” Sutherland Edwards gives an account of this first performance, and says the composer was weak enough to allow Garcia to sing beneath Rosina’s balcony a Spanish melody of his own arrangement. Garcia maintained that, as the scene was in Spain, the Spanish melody would give the drama an appropriate local color; but unfortunately the artist forgot to tune his guitar before appearing on the stage as Almaviva. He began the operation in the presence of the public. A string broke. The vocalist proceeded to replace it, but before he could do so, laughter and

hisses were heard from all parts of the house. The Spanish air, when Garcia was at last ready to sing it, did not please the Italian audience, and the pit listened to it just enough to be able to give an ironical imitation of it afterward.

The introduction of Figaro’s air seemed to be liked; but when Zamboni entered also with a_ guitar in his hand, a loud laugh was set up, and not a phrase of “Largo al factotum™ was heard. When Rosina made her appearance in the balcony, the public were quite prepared to applaud Madame Giorgi-Righetti in an air which they thought they had a right to expect from her; but only hearing her utter a phrase wi‘: ‘“d to nothing, expressions of disapprobation we… shouted out. The duet between Almaviva and Figt was accompanied throughout with hissing and hoots. The fate of the work seemed now decided. At length Rosina came on, and sang the cavatina which had so long been looked for. Giorgi-Righetti was young, had a fresh, beautiful voice, and was a great favorite with the Roman public. Three long rounds of applause followed the conclusion of her air, and gave some hope that the opera might yet be saved. Rossini, who was at the orchestral piano, then turned toward the singer, and whispered his delight. This happy moment did not last, and the hisses recommenced with the duet between Figaro and Rosina. The noise increased, and it was impossible to hear a note of the finale.

When the curtain fell, Rossini turned toward the public, shrugged his shoulders, and clapped his hands. The audience were deeply offended by this open contempt for their opinion, but they made no reply at the time; the vengeance was reserved for the second act,

of which not a note passed the orchestra. The hubbub was so great that nothing like it had ever been heard at any theater. Rossini meanwhile remained perfectly calm, and afterward went home as composed as if the work, received in so insulting a manner, had been the production of some other musician, After changing their clothes, Giorgi-Righetti, Garcia, Zamboni, and Botticelli went to his house to console him in his misfortune. They found him fast asleep. But there were other troubles. Don Basilio, on entering, stumbled over a trap, which had been left open, bruising his face terribly, and appearing on the stage with his handkerchief up to his nose. The letter-duet miscarried in some way; and, to crown all, a cat appeared on the stage while the grand finale was going on, and in the attempts to drive it off, got so bewildered as to excite the laughter of the artistes themselves.

Such was the reception accorded to Rossini’s happiest work on its first hearing. A week afterward it was applauded to the skies, and it was speedily played on every operatic stage in Europe.

This same year (1816) saw the production of another grand opera, “Otello,” first brought out at Naples. Apart from its capital music, it is celebrated for Rossini’s reforms in opera seria, which it marks. Its orchestration shows what strides the “innovations” were making. Moreover, in “Otello” there were other reforms, among which was the banishment of the pianoforte as an orchestral instrument, the accompani_ ments being played instead by the orchestra, and the increased importance given to the chorus. This opera much pleased the Italians, who considered it the chef-d’wuvre of lyric tragedy.

From Great Composers A Series Of Biographical Studies by Henry T. Finck

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Mira's Masterlist!

Fun Fact: I change my blog theme to fit my current MC or OC I'm obsessing over

~Fave RC MCs~

-> A Collection of the Most Gorgeous RC MCs

NOTE: These are not listed in any particular order, I used the canonical given names so the ones in quotes are ones I personally changed, and I may have forgotten to add some MCs so don't take it too personally! I'll remember to add them at some point imao (you could also just ask if you're curious!)

Amala Basu (KCOD)

Deviya Sharma (KFOS)

Evthys (SOTCN)

"Renée" de Noailles (VFV)

Selena/Lilith (ARC)

"Audrey" (ABH)

Vyxaria (SL)

"Irene" (SOL)

Mei (LOTW)

"Lane" (HSR)

Novalie (W:TC)

Lou Reed (Psi)

"Agatha Harrington" (CY2)

Lale Hatun (DALS)

-> RC Reading List

~MY OCs~

-> Scarlett Vera Sandiego

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Eiza Gonzalez *w/ auburn hair*

Animated FC: Princess Elena Castillo Flores from EOA

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego 2019/Laws of Attraction

Designated Tag: #scarlett sandiego oc

LI: Soren Turner (OC)

-> Detective Haelyn Rózsa

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Kelsey Merritt

Fandom: Blades of Light and Shadow I and II/Kiss of Death/Crimes of Passion I and II

Designated Tag: #haelyn rózsa oc

LI: Trystan Thorne (AU that matches the OG Rose/Thorne dynamic from the CoP books)

Ship Tag: #haelstan🌹

Artist Credit: The Trystan x Haelyn fanart at the top of this post was by @hydn-jpg!

-> Verena Solaris

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Neha Velan

Fandom: The Elementalists

Designated Tag: #verena solaris oc

LI: Shreya Mistry

-> Kashmiré Blanche

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Anya Chalotra

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego 2019/Open Heart

Designated Tag: #kashmiré blanche oc

LI: Python/Henry Cavill he's the face claim with the same name in this universe lol

Ship Tag: #kashénry

Here's my MC Intro for Chandini Ramakrishnan (distant relative)

-> Aaliyah Hadid

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Dina Denoire -> Rihanna

Fandom: The Nanny Affair/Criminal Minds

Designated Tag: #aaliyah hadid oc

Main LI: Spencer Reid (Aaron Hotchner/Luke Alvez/Derek Morgan in some AUs)

-> Lyra Lexington

FULL Character Intro Post (To Be Updated)

FC: Alyssa Raghu -> Naomi Scott/shredz55 (Insta)

Fandom: Ride or Die/Nightbound

Designated Tag: #lyra lexington oc

LI: Trystan Thorne (subject to change)

Anonymous Fanart Commission!

-> Lady Aria Lockhart

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Neelam Gill

Fandom: The Unexpected Heiress/Desire and Decorum

Designated Tag: #aria lockhart oc

Main LI: John Somerset (Hugh Crawford in some AUs)

-> Salem Rae Nightingale

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Jessica Alba

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego 2019/Blades of Light and Shadow/ Criminal Minds

Designated Tag: #salem nightingale oc

Main LI: Mal Volari (Prince Aerin in some AUs)

-> Kendall Hayes

Character Intro Post

FC: Lucy Hale -> Phoebe Tonkin

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Designated Tag: #kendall hayes oc

LI: Derek Morgan

-> Vendetta Varshini Viswakumar

Character Intro Post

FC: Dheekshitha Venkadeshan (Dhee)

Fandom: Criminal Minds/Open Heart/Carmen Sandiego 2019/ Mother of the Year

Designated Tag: #vendetta (varshini viswakumar) oc

LI: Emily Prentiss

-> Princess Sabrina Aveiro

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Banita Sandhu

Fandom: The Royal Romance/Open Heart/Foreign Affairs

Designated Tag: #sabrina aveiro oc

LI: Tatum Mendoza

Ship Tag: #mendeiro

-> Nayeli Lopez

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Rachel Zegler

Fandom: Crimes of Passion * many liberties taken*/Criminal Minds/Carmen Sandiego 2019

Designated Tag: #nayeli lopez oc

LI: None

-> Mirage Aléxia Gomez

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Becky G

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego 2019

Designated Tag: #mirage (aléxia) oc

LI: None :) she's aromantic

-> Emmelinè Sinclaire

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Christina Masterson

Fandom: Greenhouse Academy/Desire and Decorum (Ernest Sinclaire's ____daughter)

Designated Tag: #emmelinè sinclaire oc

LI: Dylan Mayuran Cavill-Blanche

-> Astríd Rivera

FULL Character Intro Post/Role in Designated Survivor

FC: Nailea Devora

Fandom: Designated Survivor/The Cleaning Lady/Go! Live Your Way

Designated Tag: #astríd rivera oc

LI: None at the moment

-> Cerise Hexley

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Hande Erçel

Fandom: Bloodbound/It Lives Within

Designated Tag: #cerise hexley oc

LI: Sebastyan Thorne

-> Athena Deveraux

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Vanessa Morgan

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy/Criminal Minds/Carmen Sandiego 2019

Designated Tag: #athena deveraux oc

LI: Olivia Valentine (OC)

-> Xiomara Isabel Calloway

Character Intro Post (WTD)

FC: Adria Arjona

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego 2019/Wake The Dead

Designated Tag: #xiomara calloway oc

LI: Troy Hassan (WTD) // Gigi Sinclair (LOA; Windverse)

-> Kevari "Keva/Ari" Arkyn

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Kashmirian!Devi Sprite from KFOS

Fandom: Apartment 502

Designated Tag: #502 roommate

LI: TBD (Rainn, Callum, Garrett, OR Mason)

-> Janavika “Jane” Agrawal

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Megan Suri -> Amita Suman

Fandom: Desire and Decorum/Bridgerton

Designated Tag: #jane agrawal oc

LI: Prince Hamid (died during a war) -> Annabelle Parsons? (True nature of the relationship is unknown to historians but were very close); Ernest Sinclaire (one-sided from him)

-> Ophelia Hassan

Character Intro Post (WTD)

FC: Rashan MH

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego 2019/Wake The Dead/Perfect Match

Designated Tag: #ophelia hassan oc

LI: Damien Nazario AND F!Hayden

-> Violet Hale

FULL Character Intro Post

FC: Chloe Bennet

Fandom: Agents of SHIELD/Criminal Minds

Designated Tag: #violet hale oc

Main LI: TBD

~MY FAVORITE PARAS ~

-> Wheel of Witches

Credit: Completely goes to @evermore-grimoire who came up with the whole universe and mythology. It's so fun to daydream this scenario, especially with my own OCs

FULL Backstory

-> Nancy Chavez and Two Ghosts

Credit: Completely to @lcvrreid on TikTok for coming up with an amazing plot and backstory for her CM OC based on Ghostface. I definitely recommend her fanfic!

-> Lilac Allende & Open Heart

Credit: @jamespotterthefirst who makes incredibly detailed MCs to the point where I cannot imagine anyone else as said MC

~MY FICS/EDITS~

Geneva -> Supernatural Sci-Fi Original Story

Livin' the Luxe Life -> Original Story Based on Home Furnishing Magazines (Weird, right?)

Broken Stars w/ @magicwithineleteo -> HSMTMTS x GMW Crossover; Spotify Playlist; New Info Will Be Updated

The Scholars of Bellachoix Lane -> Academia!Playchoices AU

The Scars of Revenge -> Carmen Sandiego x Graham Crackle; feat. Scarlett Sandiego (F!OC)

Once A Shattered Heart -> Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan); feat. Aishwarya Pillai (F!OC)

Doctor Date -> Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan); feat. Dr. Aaliyah Hadid (F!OC)

My Baby Penguin -> Spencer Reid x F!OC (Dr. Aaliyah Hadid*); feat. Cleopatra Emilia Reid

A Sweet Mistake -> Aaron Hotchner x F!OC (Dr. Aaliyah Hadid*); feat. Jack Hotchner

Sleepyhead -> Derek Morgan and F!OC (Dr. Aaliyah Hadid*)

Overthinking -> Raleigh Carrera x F!MC (Destiny Katz); feat. Aaliyah Hadid

Here For You -> Aerin Valleros x Salem Nightingale (F!MC); Mal Volari x Salem Nightingale (F!MC)

fire on fire -> Gabriel Grant x Amala Khan (Independence Route)

timeless -> Radha Basu x Devi Sharma

Save It For Dessert Text Fic -> M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC/ OC (Dr. Lyra Lexington); feat. Detective Nayeli Lopez

Vigilante Sh*t CM Edit -> feat. Emily Prentiss, Spencer Reid, Dr. Aaliyah Hadid, Aaron Hotchner, and Elle Greenaway

Aesthetic Quote Post Masterlist

Carmen Sandiego (Netflix) Edit to "Ride" by Sir Mix-a-Lot

Happy Birthday Carmen Sandiego Edit for @/tiredguyswag

Corrupted Aerin Valleros Edit

Livin' the Luxe Life Intro Edit

Candella Edit to “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga

Devi/Renée/Amala/Evthys MC Edit

*Just to clarify, I currently intend to leave Spencer and Aaliyah as the main pair while the other fics would exist in an alternate universe of some kind where she didn't end up with him. For some reason, I just like writing her with multiple characters so I can see who I feel most comfortable writing her with

~Social Media ~

Ao3

Wattpad

TikTok

Pinterest

Honestly, just ask me if I have social media/what my account is. The links aren't working and it would be more fun to send everyone who comes here on a wild goose chase

[bloomboxygo]

Day 2: Kayhoreigetsu

Flowers, Moon, Winds, Birds. Four wonders of nature, gentle and pure, and four matching bracelets around the wrists of one girl each. For the first time in too long, today's show stars our very own quartet of Bracelet Girls, so be sure to celebrate those beautiful sweethearts!

First of all: Yes, it's the 16th for me right now. I am OK with posting this and I wanted to right away.

Quick word of warning before the fanfic in question. This is a continuation of my Spinoff Series, Arias of Florescence, taking place after a certain event of A Blossoming Legato. HOWEVER, the spinoff series is composed of a series of scattered stories which can be read in any order without any problems. This chapter in particular also serves as a presentation of what I want to offer, and what the Fic is ultimately about. There will be some mentions of late events, but they're merely mentions and quite vague, so I'm sure you'll be fine with reading this Chapter.

Anyway: Have fun!

Comments and Criticisms are appreciated as always!

Arias of Florescence Chapter 5 - Leisurely Legato

Rating: GA

Type of relationships: F/F, platonic

Characters and relationships: Yuzu Hiiragi | Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, Ruri Kurosaki | Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale, Rin | Windwitch Winter Bell - Serena | Lunalight Cat Dancer

Other tags: Fluff, Friendship, Post-Canon(but not actual Canon), Duel Monsters, Duel Spirits

Yuzu is a girl who has gone through quite a lot, to say the least. Getting flung through dimensions by various means, being captured over and over, and fighting the interdimensional war and saving the world would be a summary, but hardly comprehensive of what happened to her in these last weeks. It was unlikely she would come out as well as she could have if it were not for the help of her friends and their motivations to finally reunite as Yuzu was stranded more and more, and also the one who could almost always stand by her side, Bloom Diva.

Ever since they first talked to each other after Yuzu’s rematch with Masumi, Bloom Diva has always been inside her mind, and they would console each other, as well as push each other forward to brave this journey. Now that Z-ARC had been placated for some days now, Yuzu decided, amidst the work she had yet to do, to spend some leisure time with Bloom Diva. That was definitely a first for the two, as their journey was constantly keeping them on their toes, so Yuzu decided to spend it by showing some music of her own: her playing with the transverse flute, a delicate and soothing instrument that was the one of choice for her ever since she was a kid. She hadn’t undertaken a specialistic course for that, but she practiced fairly consistently with soothing and light songs.

She had played it for a bit to show it off to Bloom Diva, manifested thanks to Academia’s Duel Disk… And she seemed to struggle with it. She had to take a little time adjusting her breath to properly play the thing, but she seemed to flub some notes in songs she was familiar with. This… Frustrated her more than anything.

“Ugh… Of course I’ve gotten rusty!” The pinkette lamented, putting the transverse flute on her desk in a huff. “Sorry, Bloom Diva… I swear, I played this much better before.”

Bloom Diva had listened to Yuzu’s tunes for a bit now, sitting on a chair Yuzu offered, and decided to give her honest critique through her mind.

“I cannot compare this to your previous experiences, unfortunately, but I can say that while your movements and breathing are somewhat imperfect and rigid now, I wholly understand why. You were afflicted by a significant amount of stress these past weeks, and quite frankly, I believe you about your previous experiences. Such ordeals greatly affect one’s mind, and it is difficult to attune your mindset to before all of your troubles happened. Especially as you have offered to work still.”

“Yeah… That has to be it.” Yuzu then continued talking with Bloom Diva. “With so much I had on my mind, I guess I just fell behind. It’s not that big of a deal, since there’s much left to do, but it’s still embarrassing that-”

The Choir promptly shut her up by gently patting the pinkette’s shoulder, who turned around. She then reassured her: “It is not embarrassing to confide your feelings to your friends, be it via your song or by your words. I recognized your poorer performance also stems from exhaustion, as you had communicated it to me as you played, albeit unknowingly. While your skill may have plateaued, your passion has not.”

The girl gave a warm smile to the Monster as she listened to her words, then returned with: “You have a good point, Bloom Diva. Still, I’ll take some more time to practice with it, so I can get where I used to be, or better! I can afford some more time off, after all.”

“While I am glad you want to pursue the delightful art of music once more, do not take this step back as a failure on your part. Furthermore, you have learned and grown elsewhere in our journey.”

“Heh… But that’s also because of your guidance. Even you have grown really well, Mozarta!” Yuzu referring to Bloom Diva’s original form did lead to a chuckle from both sides, as well as some more thoughts from the pinkette.

“Hm… Now I wonder how the others are doing.”

“The others?”

“Serena and Cat Dancer, Ruri and Assembled Nightingale, and Rin and Winter Bell.” Yuzu then elaborated due to the Fairy’s curiosity. “Sure, Serena and Cat Dancer know each other for almost as long as we do, but Ruri and Rin have a new world ahead of them… I imagine it’d be weird for them to have a partner in their mind at all times. But at the same time, it’s one they’ve always had with them, one that always accompanied them...”

“Indeed, it is quite strange. Yet, with them standing by each other’s side, and them knowing how much their Ace Monsters have truly done, is enough for all to trust one another. That is enough for a strong bond to start, then slowly build up to be everlasting, both parties ever learning something new from one another.”

“I bet they’d have quite a bit to learn… After all, we all have.” Yuzu then got a lamp in her head, which led her to a quirky idea. “Speaking of learning… Have you ever known how to play a transverse flute, Bloom Diva?”

“Perhaps… I had never done it before, but my knowledge of the arts should allow me to get used to it quickly.”

“Care to try?”

Yuzu then handed the flute over to Bloom Diva, encouraging her to play it. It was a little out of left field for Bloom Diva, as the Melodious Monsters were composed primarily of songstresses, and she, as Mozarta, was a conductor. Shopina was extremely proficient in piano, however, and Mozarta was quite good too, so she felt that she could try a different instrument. 

And so she played, quickly adjusting her breath to make the flute sing nicely, then trying out the different combinations of keys needed for notes. With just that alone, she was able to create a simple, slow, yet soothing melody after a bit, impressing the pinkette a bit. It seemed weird for a Monster to learn a new skill like this, but it seemed they had found a new leisure activity, and Yuzu could get to be a teacher for once.

XYZ DIMENSION - HEARTLAND CITY

Around the same time, Ruri had returned to her home, Heartland City, some days ago; seeing how in ruins it all was, but seeing the efforts the Resistance and Academia put in order to restore it goaded her to give it her all. Her Lyriluscs had done some work to transport resources and removing obstacles, but Ruri didn’t feel like she did much, despite trying her best. 

Unlike Yuzu, Ruri wasn’t able to talk to Assembled Nightingale until recently, and thus they had spent some time knowing each other better… But the brunette immediately understood that the Lyrilusc shared that same desire of rebuilding she did, and demonstrated to be able to do more than her part in order to do so, and Ruri felt that she needed to properly support her, as well as everyone else.

One morning, Ruri decided to wake up earlier than usual, and isolated herself from the group in order to see if she can learn to do as well as Nightingale does… By directly calling her. While they had talked to each other in their minds for a few days, she had a feeling that in order to learn the most she had to see her in person. As such, she activated her Academia Duel Disk and played Nightingale, who gently opened her wings to greet Ruri, being quite surprised.

“My… I didn’t expect you to call me this early, Ruri. Good Morning!”

“G…Good morning.” Ruri’s weak response did concern Nightingale a bit, but it took just a bit before the brunette breathed in deeply… And knelt, pleading with her: “Please… You are doing so much that I just can’t do… But I want to help as well as you do! This city is my home, my life, my friends… And I don’t want to give it less than my all for it!”

“But… You are doing enough, Ruri!” The XYZ responded. “Not only are you incapable of flight, but you’re also still tired and stressed from all that happened to you! And yet you still pressed on and fought! Do you really want to tire yourself out for this?!”

“I… I don’t know. I don’t know how I can help, but if I can do something, anything, to help you all… I really want to. You’ve done so much for me…”

Ruri’s speech went quieter and quieter as she grew sadder. Nightingale tried as best as she could to think of something; after all, there might be something Ruri doesn’t know about them yet. But no solution came across her mind that didn’t involve her Master getting tired further, thus ironically doing less by doing more, wasting all her efforts…

…So she decided to approach it from a different angle.

“Ruri! ATTENTION!” This order from Nightingale snapped Ruri up in confusion, as the Avian stood firm in a classic sergeant pose, chest up and firm stance. The brunette swiftly followed in kind after snapping out of it, and then Nightingale elaborated:

“Now listen… If you want to help us, with all your heart, then there is one way for you to do it! You’ll become one of us: a Lyrilusc Scout!”

“I’ll… Become one of you?”

“As much as you can be! You may not be able to take our appearance, but you will learn our code!”

“Oh, right… Your scout code. I remember you-” After that train of thought distracted her, Ruri stood ready and relayed to her companion: “Roger! I will listen carefully!”

“That’s the spirit! Now then, there are 10 rules a Lyrilusc always follows!

Rule #1: A Lyrilusc Scout is to be attentive!

Rule #2: A Lyrilusc Scout is to be ever helpful!

Rule #3: A Lyrilusc Scout never goes alone without permission!

Rule #4: A Lyrilusc Scout always respects themselves, others, nature, and air currents!

Rule #5: A Lyrilusc Scout frequently practices their chirps!

Rule #6: A Lyrilusc Scout doesn’t hesitate to ask for clarification!

Rule #7: A Lyrilusc Scout always keeps themselves and their possessions clean!

Rule #8: A Lyrilusc Scout is courageous, but not reckless!

Rule #9: A Lyrilusc Scout always takes care of their w-”

The Rule listing was so captivating to Ruri that she started to imitate her firmness and behavior. It came to this point, which involved Assembled Nightingale showing off her wings to indicate what one needs to take care of… And the Duelist imitated that, even down to the light flaps to simulate hers. That marked the end of that listing as Nightingale started breaking down laughing from it, concerning Ruri and breaking her out of the immersion.

“Um… Hello? Is everything alright?”

“Haha…Hah… Yes, everything’s OK now.” The XYZ calmed down shortly after. “I just… Don’t see Rule #9 concerning you."

“Well, I always dreamed of soaring through the sky. Since you coming to this world and even dueling already happened… Who knows what crazy thing could happen? Maybe I could fully join you some day!”

As she talked, Ruri looked visibly happier and lighter than she was before meeting her companion, and just… Seemed more at ease for herself, yet still eager to work more and know more. 

“Say… Rule #9 is about taking care of the wings, right?”

“Yes, it is.” The XYZ responded, not long before Ruri asked:

“Then we’re still missing Rule #10, right? What’s it about?”

“This rule is the most important one, Ruri.” Nightingale then explained that much more softly than the others:

“Rule #10: A Lyrilusc always works in unison with others, flies in unison with others, and sings in unison with others.”

“Oh… I see now why it’s so important!” Ruri commented. “It somewhat emulates how I gather you all when I duel, really quickly. And also singing in unison… Is that for XYZ Summoning?”

“Right it is, but so much more!”

“Well, about these… They do seem to overlap somewhat.”

“Hehe… Quite frankly, it’s more about the spirit than the rules themselves.” Nightingale admitted, a bit flustered. “We’re a close enough group after all, and we can look to help one another really easily. Plus, making up the rules and being all orderly about it isn’t even my thing! It’s Promenade Thrush who’s all about them! But it’s just to motivate the others…”

“Well, I did feel pretty motivated myself!

…

Waitaminute.” Ruri stopped upon hearing Nightingale chuckle.

“See, Ruri, motivation is the core of our conduct! It’s the motivation to help those in need that keeps us going. And you know this too. Thanks to Yusho’s motivation, you became motivated to make people smile. To contrast Academia, you became motivated to protect the others from them! From seeing the people needing help to rebuild the city, you became motivated to assist them!

You are already one of us, Ruri! You’ve been one of us for a while!”

“Uh… Am I?” Ruri then tried to compare this thought with her previous one. “Despite me not being nearly as capable as you… Despite me not being able to do that much… I am one of you. Motivation… To help others… Is all that matters to keep pushing myself forward!” Ruri then clapped her cheeks and stood firm, before declaring:

“Lyrilusc Scout, Opal Raven, at your service!”

This stunned both of them, before they both had a hearty giggle at that.

“Alright, I don’t think I’ll go that far, but… Thank you! I know what to do now!” Ruri then declared serenely: “I’ll keep going until this city is restored. I’ll give aid anyone, no matter how little it might be. As long as I made people smile, and as long as I keep pushing forward, we’ll all eventually reach our goal. I trust you to do much more, as I know you can do it… But I’ll do my part as well, and I’ll give it all I’ve got!”

“That’s the spirit!” Nightingale exclaimed, with a tear of joy down her cheeks. “See… This attitude, this… Everything, suits you so much more! I’m glad to have you back, Ruri!”

“And I’m glad you’ll all join me, especially you, Nightingale!” Ruri and Nightingale then traded warm smiles and patted each other’s shoulders, before the brunette relayed: “OK… I’ll go have breakfast now. I’ll be sure to be fully ready when I call you!”

“Then I’ll ensure you that all the Lyriluscs will be as ready as you are!” And with Nightingale’s last promise, the two finally separated for the time being, both having their resolve renewed so they would restore their home to full. No matter how long it took.

SYNCHRO DIMENSION - CITY

Likewise, Rin was also one who recently returned to her home City of… City. She came out of that whole ordeal… Largely confused, but ultimately delighted that she was finally free to return to her home. Now, what remained was to explore more of this City, apparently one that turned a new leaf towards unity rather than division. She had to understand that… But moreover, she felt the need to understand her newfound companion, the Windwitch, Winter Bell.

She was a particular one: Whereas the other Ace Monsters could communicate through their minds via voices similar to people’s, Winter Bell communicated through chimes, whistles, and ding dongs produced by her body and magic. As such, it was tough, almost impossible, for Rin to understand her beyond a very basic level, in the few days they actually communicated with each other.

While the bike was in repairs and was needed to fully explore City, Rin was allowed some time to rest alone… Or rather, of studying with her new companion. She brought out her Duel Disk from Academia and played Winter Bell so she could join her in person, who associated chimes with movements, simply nodding or shaking her head part for a high whistle and a low whistle respectively.

“Alright so… The high whistle means “Yes”, while the low whistle means “No”, right? Can we start off with that?” Rin asked, for the Windwitch to reply with a high whistle, which encouraged the green haired to go further.

“OK! First that, then we can finally understand one another! Hmm… How do we continue though… I know! You can understand me, right? So, why not just repeat what I say, in your own language?”

Winter Bell excitedly whistled high to confirm Rin’s proposition and promptly shined to signal that she was ready.

“OK! Let’s start off with a few simple things! But first, I wanna ask you… Does the tingling you do when you first enter my mind after a while mean “Hi!”?” 

Winter Bell gave her “No” whistle as a response, thus Rin went rapidfire with guesses.

“Hey?” That prompted a negative response.

“What’s up?” The Windwitch declared that as wrong, but not without a bit of hesitation.

“Everything OK?” And here, Winter Bell replied “yes” with her chimes, which warmed Rin somewhat.

“Aww… Well… If you want to know, I’m OK now. Surely much more than before, and it was also because of you.”

Winter Bell made herself heard with a low chime, very reminiscent in tone of the “aww” one usually utters.

“OK… That means “Aww”, right?” The Windwitch confirmed Rin’s question, and this excited the green haired more and more.

“All right! I bet we can clear this easily! After all, we’ve known each other for quite a bit, right?” And so came the lesson, as proposed by Rin: a word or phrase from her, and Winter Bell’s translation.

“Hi!” Winter Bell rang in response, with the same tone as one the green haired heard before.

“Thanks!” The Windwitch rang twice, a succession of two dings each.

“See you!” A swift downwards chime was the translation.

“Sorry…” A much slower, low tone whistle this time.

“Wait!” Three consecutive bell dongs, swiftly interrupted, were the response.

All the while, Rin took notes as best as she could, and made a little chart for all the translations. Many more examples were given as she studied…

…

After a bit, Rin felt particularly confident, and decided to jump ahead to directly translate phrases Winter Bell gave her. Maybe though she went a little ahead, and after a few… Poor attempts, it came to this attempt by the green haired.

“Hey there, this is a nice place! Wanna… Uhm…” She then tried to look at the notes, prompting a glare and a “no” whistle from the Windwitch, and tried to complete the phrase herself.

“...Hang out here?”

At that, the Synchro fired a small icy breeze to Rin, prompting her to panic:

"Ah, Chill here! Chill here! That’s the one, right?” Upon that, Winter Bell replied with a yes chime, and Rin sighed and sat down on her desk, proposing:

“All right… Can we call it here now? I probably went a little ahead of myself.”

The Windwitch responded with a calm “Yes” and went to join her Master beside her, who turned around to look at the numerous pages of notes she had made.

“Dang… I think I’ve learned more here than I’ve ever done at the orphanage class.” Rin mused, feeling tired yet serene. “But we’ve only scratched the surface here! I’ll admit, I’ve never learned another language before. Now I imagine all the things I said… How would YOU say them exactly? There’s too much for me to even comprehend… But I want to go further. I want to hear what you have to say about City. I want to hear all of your stories about the Windwitches! I want… To truly understand you.”

This last remark made Winter Bell come closer with a low descending chime, and Rin further reflected upon these last words.

“Understand you… Y'know, it's weird for me to even say this. After all, we've been here together for a long time now. Back then, I thought of having Monster friends as merely children's tales, but it turns out… Each time you dueled alongside me, each time you helped me, each time you let me ride you like a surfboard… It wasn't just the wonders of technology! You really wanted to help me as best as you could, didn't you?"

Winter Bell simply nodded, gently chiming before Rin continued with her thoughts.

“I also thought of the time I actually met the other Windwitches, or rather I watched them from a distance before joining you for our final battle. And… While I understood you little, I did get this from all of you.

Ice Bell is quirky, but prepared.

Glass Bell is a little bit silly.

Freeze Bell… Has shown herself to be incredibly blunt. And kinda rude.” This prompted a little laugh from Winter Bell that even Rin could understand. However, that would soon turn as she ended talking:

“But I’ve got one thing from all of you. You all are very dependable friends, who have gone through a lot with me and want to help in anyway you can. And that, for me, is enough to fully trust you!

I trust we’ll help each other through everything. I’ll give it my all for you, because you’ve done so much for me!”

It was lucky that Winter Bell could fully understand Rin. The human-looking witches do speak as she would, but the Synchros can’t quite do that. To repay her Master, the Windwitch had to communicate her feelings as best as she could… And that was by floating up to Rin and nuzzling her, and the green haired hugged her back. Logically, how Rin felt was all kinds of weird. Despite the Windwitches being specialized in ice and wind magic,and the Synchro being crystalized beings of ice magic, this moment felt really warm for both of them. By Winter Bell’s twitching, Rin could also guess that she was crying tears of joy, despite being technically unable to do so. 

“Hehe… I guess there is such a thing as universal language!”

FUSION DIMENSION - YOU SHOW DUEL SCHOOL

While the others came back to their homes, Serena’s home was Academia, the faction who had caused so many people so much grief. Yet, the people there were to atone for all they’ve done, and were assisting the inhabitants of the XYZ Dimension, and she felt right to assist them as well. Seeing all the destruction wrought upon that land, that she indirectly wanted to participate in by proving herself to be worthy to the Professor, greatly weighed on her, and made her feel an impending sense of guilt… Which her partner, Cat Dancer, was quick to shrug off and console Serena through.

The Fusion Lunalight had been inside Serena’s mind for almost as long as Yuzu and Bloom Diva were. Having Serena come out of the shell Academia put her in, and joining the Lancers to end the war, built the bridge that allowed the two to talk to each other, and they went through their perilous journey together since. Cat Dancer’s chippy behavior was one Serena was baffled by, but that, coupled with the Dancer’s fiery spirit, made the blunette warm up to her considerably.

By Cat Dancer’s suggestion, Serena had taken a day off Academia, and ultimately accepted in a practice she was somewhat confused by: dancing alongside her Monster. Knowing that Academia set up flying drone cameras to monitor its students, Serena had asked Asuka for help after stumbling upon her by mistake, and the blonde allowed her a place in the Fusion Dimension’s You Show School, or rather the desolate church that preceeded it. It proved to be quite the ideal setting for them, having a circular window somewhat emulating moonlight.

And so, Serena called out Cat Dancer via her Duel Disk, and they started practicing right after some stretches and warmup exercises, not unlike those done as Serena’s training regimen. The girl simply had to follow the Lunalight’s movements, and while she shockingly didn’t to half bad on the more acrobatic moves, as her training as Duel Warrior allowed for quite the athleticism, there was something both noticed that Serena struggled with. It was more evident in the calmer movements that Cat Dancer flawlessly pulled off that Serena couldn’t keep up. She trembled and struggled to keep her balance, and it was more pronounced as it was noticed more and more by both. This quickly weighed on the blue haired and somewhat discouraged her.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Cat Dancer… I thought I could do something different for once for you, but I think I can’t cut it here.”

“Darling… Don’t worry about it!” Cat Dancer replied calmly. “I know full well that you can do it, Serena… But I know you’re not used to this yet.”

“Well, yes. That’s part of it. I’ve seen Yuzu have fun with her Duel in her Friendship Cup debut, and I asked her to teach me how to Duel like that, to have fun… And I thought I got that as I dueled against Yugo… But I just can’t seem to get into it.”

“I don’t think it’s just that, Serena. I think you’re not so used to have periods of peace and rest… Because you keep working so hard!”

“Well… I have to. This way, I can finally prove myself after spending my entire life being denied that!... And I can’t just sit by while there’s so much to be done.”

“I know, I know… But you’ll only tire yourself out when you keep at it! This is why I suggested dancing, Serena! It’s not just about working on your body, but also your mind!”

“Also my mind?” Serena then stopped and listened closely to what Cat Dancer had to say about that.

“I haven’t really told you what the Lunalights’ dancing is all about, did I? Well, now’s the perfect time!

It’s all about expression and release, Serena!

Any performance is a form of expression, and dancing is no different, especially what ours was conceived as! It’s like you tell the body what you’re feeling, and then convey it! Even if you don’t fully think about it, you always express something when you perform! Dueling, singing, and dancing! Even back then, you showed me that you really want to get out there and finally express yourself… But you’re just too burdened by all that happened, and all that you feel you need to do.

So here comes the release part! When you really get into your performance, it’s like everything else doesn’t exist for that moment. And that’s when you release it all. You’ll feel everything that isn’t relevant slowly fade, and you’ll finally feel free!”

“Huh… Is there a specific way to go about this?” Serena asked, intrigued by the Lunalight’s discourse.

“Well… Yes, but it needs to be very little. You know all these thoughts that clog your mind? Just imagine them all, but slowly dripping out of your body, like dewdrops. It’s like your whole body and mind will be washed off of them! Other than that, dance however you feel like it! You’re not imitating me for this one… But I’ll provide you some music!”

Without Serena being able to ask another question, Cat Dancer started playing music with her body. The girl was already familiar with the rings worn on her hips producing limited, yet rhythmically sound music. The Lunalight merely added gentle tingling thanks to bumping her knives into the rings on her arms, and whooshing sounds thanks to her veil. It made for a piece that was limited and simple to follow, yet did its job of Serena finding the right rhythm.

That was only the start of Serena’s dances, however. Slow steps at a steady rhythm led to her stretching with some effort. She tried to think of exactly what pose to strike or if doing a pirouette would help, but that only made her heavier.

And then, after realizing that, and stopping thinking about it… She felt a sensation coursing through her body, traveling down her limbs to reach her hands and feet to then disappear. With Cat Dancer steadily and unflinchingly continuing to play, she simply had to keep that up.

One at a time, her worries and burdens would be pushed forward, to then melt into sensations that left her body, like dewdrops…

Her long time at Academia, spent unproven and caged… Was now a thing of the past.

Her guilt for potentially dooming Yuzu, more than once… Washed away, knowing of Yuzu’s happiness returned.

Her time spent incapacitated and captured in Synchro… Simply returned there, and out of the girl’s thoughts.

Her prison as a Parasite Host… Eradicated.

Her dread as she was absorbed into ARC-V… Liquefied, coursing through her to then leave her.

Her movements became smoother and smoother as she felt these sensations, and let to slow, yet graceful and somewhat steady. However not fully, as something else was hard to quite remove…

There were still all these people left in ruin by the faction she swore to join. All the other things were in the past, but not this one. She just couldn’t shake them off… So for that one, she had to dissect it piece by piece.

While the people of Academia had ruined Heartland… They were more than willing to help out and restore it.

While the citizens were terrified and skeptical at first, they became more trusting and relieved.

All because everyone was ready and willing to help. Helping other people shouldn’t be a burden, rather an act to make people happy, or at least relieved. This was also how her closest friends performed and acted. Making people smile will fulfill their lives just a bit further, and also hers.

At this point, she was stunned at herself. She snapped back to reality and out of her thoughts to find out she was completely steady as her hand was reaching out to the sunlit glass, and she felt light as a feather, and finally free… Free to dance to her heart’s content. And Cat Dancer would fully support her, with her steady rhythm and her growing excitement and gladness.

Maybe those old burdens will come to haunt her again, every so often… But now they both knew how to wash them away, like dewdrops.

Serena ended her number with a graceful twirl and bow towards Cat Dancer. While not overly flashy, it felt like an immense accomplishment for both of them, as Serena finally smiled and the Lunalight clapped with tears in her eyes.

“THAT’S MY SERENA! I knew you could do it! I KNEW YOU COULD!”

“Thank you, Cat Dancer…” The blunette responded serenely. “Now I understand what my friends told me when I was stranded in Synchro: ultimately, giving others relief and feeling better yourself are intertwined. If you feel heavy, it’s hard to actually put in the effort to help the others. If people around you feel unsatisfied, it’s easy for that to rub off on you, and you become sad.

“Learning to enjoy Duels, as well as other things, and doing them for fun can bring out a lot more in you than you realize!”

That’s what Yuzu told me as you and Bloom Diva awkwardly passed the baton to each other, because we couldn’t communicate… And I know she also Duels for helping people in that same style.”

“Oh, dearie… You’re finally getting it, I just know it!” Cat Dancer felt greatly warmed by her speech. 

“But I know it’s not just her. I have a lot of people to thank for this, actually… Including you!” Serena then smiled warmly at her companion, who paid her back in kind without hesitation. After a slight pause, Serena came down with this proposition:

“I feel much better now. I first need to thank Asuka for this. And also I’ll stay in her You Show for a bit, while we’re at it. But since we have the whole day off… How about we explore more of the city here in the evening? I’ve heard it has a beautiful night, it should be full moon, and I know you wouldn’t miss it!”

“Aw, you KNOW ME, dear! Of course we will!” Cat Dancer excitedly responded. “If we find a good place in private, we can show how the Lunalights really do their rituals when under the full moon!”

“Well, we don’t have exactly a well, but we do have a coursing river. And sea of course.”

Serena and Cat Dancer kept openly talking about their plans for later on the day, now with tragedies finally in the past, and a future open, and hopefully brighter.

Yuzu, Ruri, Rin and Serena had all tough and tumultous adventures they could finally leave behind. Some were involved than others, but in the end, they came out stronger and more determined to explore and restore what the worlds have to offer. There is still much work to do, but it is still fundamental to restore yourself, to have leisure activities to free your mind, and these will not stop you from learning, only enhance it. All of this was done thanks to the help of their wonderful friends, especially Bloom Diva, Assembled Nightingale, Winter Bell, and Cat Dancer, who had stayed by each girl’s side respectively, and were always ready to aid them as best as they could.

However, for the girls, there was a thought in their mind when they spent this quality time together with their Monsters… Z-ARC was the one that originally could talk to his Monsters, yet Yuya, Yuto, Yugo and Yuri cannot. The girls, and their Ace Monsters, all wished that in some way, they could reunite with their Dragons in full, just to they would be happier and more fulfilled, by having your Ace Monster be so much more…They were convinced that some time, this WILL happen.

Except for Serena. She just couldn’t be bothered thinking about Yuri.

[ourlordapollo]

Graphic design is my passion

I blacked out and made a Krisnix fanmix because I'm a man of wealth and taste

Tracklist & thoughts:

Es lassen Nachtigallen, / Spielt draußen Frühlingsluft, / Der Sehnsucht Lied erschallen /Aus ihres Kerkers Gruft.

Preliminary Notes: the playlist starts with opera and transitions into contemporary rock with "Requiem (The Fifth)" bridging the two sections. While the themes of the songs do not represent any particular order of events, the slide from opera to rock depicts the transition of power from Kristoph to Phoenix

Tracklist:

Liederkreis, Op. 39: IX. Wehmut ("Sadness")

(Nightingales, when spring breezes / Play outside, sing / Their song of longing / From their dungeon cell.)

I had to specifically look up "German operas" to find this after painstakingly sifting through like 2% of The Ring Cycle and a bunch of Italian operas. Nightmare nightmare nightmare nightmare. That being said this one does reference a jail cell so yay me.

Liederkreis, Op. 39: X. Zwielicht ("Twilight")

Hast du einen Freund hienieden, / Trau ihm nicht zu dieser Stunde, / Freundlich wohl mit Aug’ und Munde, / Sinnt er Krieg im tück’schen Frieden.

(If here on earth you have a friend, / Do not trust him at this hour, / Though his eyes and lips be smiling, / In treacherous peace he’s scheming war.)

Lucrezia Borgia: Maffio Orsini, signora, son io ("Madame, I am Orsini")

Io nipote d'Appiano tradito, / da voi spento in infame convito.

(Know Appiano's young nephew! you drew him / to the infamous banquet that slew him)

Full disclosure this is the first song in the libretto I found that mentioned the word "poison" and I was so fucking sick of operas at that point that I went for it without remorse.

Lascia Ch'io Pianga ("Leave Me So that I May Cry")

Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte / E che sospiri la libertà

(Leave me so that I may cry at my cruel fate / and so that I may sigh at (my lost) liberty)

This was on a playlist called "Angry Opera" and that was false advertising to say the least

Carmen WD 31 / Act I: "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Havanaise)

Si tu ne m'aimes pas, / Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime ! (Prends garde à toi !) / Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, / Prends garde à toi ! (à toi !)

Aria: Der Hölle Rache Kocht in Meinem Herzen ("Hell's Vengeance Boils in my Heart")

(If you don't love me, If you don't love me, then I love you! (Be on your guard!) But if I love you, if I love you, Be on your guard! (Your guard!))

Ngl I just really like this song

Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, / Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her!

(Hell's vengeance boils in my heart, / Death and despair blaze about me!)

Mephistopheles' Return - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

(I)

Don't need this path before me

Don't need forgotten glory

Don't need these threats of violence

Don't need eternal silence

Don't need these midnight visions

Don't need to make decisions

Don't need to be uncertain

Don't need this final curtain

(II)

Somewhere out there

He still gazes

As I wander through his mazes

Death and life here

Truth or lies

Every thought is well disguised

Okay so this song is undeniably about the fear of mortality, as is the whole source musical, however, if you look at it through my Patented Viewing Device *I shove a pane of frosted glass in front of you* you will see that it is ALSO about⁸ the paranoia of knowing that your enemy is watching you, ever-present, scheming.

The Bitch is Back - Elton John

Requiem (The Fifth) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

DUN DUN DUN DUUUUNNN

Carry on Wayward Son - Kansas

I entertain by picking brains / Sell my soul by dropping names / I don't like those! My God, what's that! / Oh, it's full of nasty habits when the bitch gets back.

Kristoph thinks he's the Bitch. Phoenix simply is the Bitch.

Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions

Masquerading as a man with a reason / My charade is the event of the season / And if I claim to be a wise man, well / It surely means that I don't know

I am not a Supernatural fan I have no baggage IRT to this song and the idea of a wanderer seeking resolution felt very fitting to me. Also, themes of insanity and (metaphorical) blindness.

The night is calling, I have to go / The wolf is hungry, he runs the show / He's licking his lips, he's ready to win / On the hunt tonight for love at first sting

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Set It Off

Eat Your Heart - Steam Powered Giraffe

Tell me how you're sleeping easy / How you're only thinking of yourself / Show me how you justify / Telling all your lies like second nature / Listen, mark my words, one day (one day) / You will pay, you will pay

This is one of two fandomcore/playlist fodder songs I allowed myself because. Like. Come on. Come on now.

Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! at the Disco

Stay with me, you're my four leaf-clover-girl / And you can lock me up in time / And when you wear a grin I'm bored / And then I see you cry

Okay so this one isn't a perfect fit but I do think it's one of the best songs ever written and more people need to be aware of it. Also it is very much about growing attached to the person you're in a toxic relationship with

Some are loyal soldiers, while these other thorns are rosy / And if you never know who you can trust / Then trust me, you'll be lonely, oh

Kangaroo Court - Capital Cities

If I'm Crazy - Amigo the Devil

In a dusty room I come to assume / That I've been doomed to lose my mind tonight / Too weak to fight / So I tried to save face then I rest my case / The judge pulls me aside says "c'est la vie / Let your darker side come out to feed"

Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats

So if I cut my lip when I bite the glass / Tell everyone in the room that I'm fine / It hurt for the first few times but at last / I've learned to love a little blood in my wine

This whole song is just *chef's kiss* but I couldn't resist having this be the highlight lyric, considering Phoenix's past with poison in glass bottles

King Saul fell on his sword when it all went wrong / And Joseph's brothers sold him down the river for a song / And Sonny Liston rubbed some tiger balm into his glove / Some things you do for money and some you do for love, love, love

Raskolnikov felt sick, but he couldn't say why / when he saw his face reflected in his victims' twinkling eye / some things you'll do for money and some you'll do for fun / but the things you do for love are gonna come back to you one by one