#but i do believe in my heart of hearts that he has Diaghilev just saying

[noblehcart]

✨

Send me a ✨(or 'sparkle' if you can't see it) and I will answer with what I think your muse would wear as a fragrance! @lordofthestrix

I COULD cheat my way out of this and say he uses his own perfumer, but alas I cannot turn down this challenge, monsieur. However I will give you a list of possibilities because Tristan is not so basic as to have only one scent. He's a ridiculously complex and deep character with so many twists and turns its hard to just pick one so I'm going to do several. Also there is taking in the account that the man has lived a 1,000+ years so tastes change accordingly so I'm going to assume this is a modern current times Tristan's preferences and with the assumption that if he's anything like me then he has an array of fragrances to suit his tone for the day.

-cut to me three hours into researching-

Diaghilev by Roja Dove is the ONLY one that I know with CERTAINTY that Tristan wears that I knew would HAVE to be on this list, but its definitely on a night where its a highly special occasion. lbh he probably also wore the original scent that inspired Diaghalev which is Mitsouko by Guerlain. While Mitsouko is much brighter and more floral I would say it might be something he uses on an easier light hearted day such as when he sees his sister Aurora. Diaghilev is when he's probably at his most Machiavellian moods. I DO have a sample of Diaghilev and I absolute adore it and one day hope to afford a bottle, but its so gutturally intoxicating and elegant, but deep and mysterious. I could absolutely imagine Tristan wearing this.

Interlude 53 by Amouage is on this list because i could absolutely see him wearing something amber-wood. i haven't personally smelled this one, but based on the notes i'd say it could be a fit. i love the slight herbal-brightness of the opening oregano & bergamot which i think the crispness-sweetness of the bergamot might tone the oregano so its not so overwhelmingly earthy. the middle notes turn darker and more heady with the amber, incense and labdanum (idk why but I feel like Tristan would appreciate a good labdanum). The base notes are smoke, leather, oud, sandalwood and patchouli. This one is probably something he'd wear when dealing with a serious Strix matter/meeting or when he knows he's going to be dealing with a lot that day. I do love Amouage and think they have a fantastic line (my mother owns a bottle of Honour) so I would vouch for most anything Amouage, although I'm not as big a fan of its sillage (or rather lack thereof) and lasting strength.

Royal Oud by Creed is on here because I now know you are familiar with the House of Creed. And you and I BOTH know there is no WAY Tristan has not had a Creed cologne with the history of the house and how LONG it has been producing. Please. SO my reasoning behind this choice is obviously the perfume house (although we know Tristan would absolutely value and support much smaller houses with equally good quality scents- he's not a complete snob and perfume creation is an art he would value I think) but the fact that its scent profile is VERY similar to Creed's Aventus. Both share a citrus & pink pepper opening, middle notes of woods but the difference that Royal Oud has is its more green-florals like Angelica and Galbanum that freshen up the scent before the base notes drydown of sandalwood, oud and musk. I would guess this might be his everyday scent honestly.

Erolfa by Creed is one I TRIED not to put on here because I hate putting two Creeds here, but its one based on the notes that I think Tristan would use as a summer scent while in say the south of France or Italy. Its bright fresh opening with a green-pepper middle and ends in a drydown of mellowing woods notes, and musk/ambergris. Its a very light clean scent so its definitely something he'd wear on a lighthearted summer day while vacationing.

Sartorial by Penhaligon is probably the cheapest one listed on here by far BUT I'd dare say that this is the scent that makes Tristan nostalgic. Why? Its a lavender, leather, and honey scent that makes me think of France. Most people say is a classic gentleman scent of elegance, refinery and quality. With Tristan's history I would think he'd have a fondness for french lavender, the leather scent of the saddle of his horse and of course the fresh sweet honey from a nearby forest. Its elegant and nostalgic, but a perfect gentleman without seeming aged or out of date. I happen to love Penhaligon's fragrances and would recommend them to everyone I meet; I haven't smelled this one but I do have one of their fragrances which I would venture to say is my current signature scent. I love this perfume house and their attention to detail, storytelling and formulation of scents and I think it'd be a brand that Tristan just might like too.

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

questions that only your mind can answer:

1. suguru as a poet. y/n? if y, who do you think his favorite poet would be?

2. what siken poem is the most sugu coded?

3. if satoru was a type of poem what kind would he be and why?

thank you for your time my ari.

WAHHHHH MY IO……… 🥺🥺🥺 you have no idea how loud i squealed when i saw this LMAO thank you sm for giving me an excuse to gush over stsg and poetry at the same time i feel so privilieged 😭😭😭 UMMM UM LET ME THINK!!!!

1/ first off. BIG yes. huge yes. he’s so poetcoded it makes me ILL. io i’m convincedddd that this man would be a literature major and i’m not just saying that bc i’m biased ok…. i just feel like he would have a fondness for the arts yk :33 particularly writing. i can picture him as a poet so easily bc everything he does and says is flowery and soft…. poet!sugu would make us swoooooon

i’m a bit sleepy rn so at first i thought you meant y/n as in like .. The Reader 😭😭 BUT THEN I STARTED THINKING ABT POET!READER TOO AND. wow. theee power couple ever !!! aaa io he’d be so perfect :((( sugu would be such a supportive bf no matter what his s/o did for a living but w any kind of writer i just think he’d be so Good. proofreads for you all the time!! he’s your most loyal reader… your biggest fan…. reads alllll your little poems when you’re away and he misses you :((( and he writes you his own !!! they’re so mushy and pretty and sweet…… hhhh. he’s just. the best!!! T_T brags abt your writing to satoru alllll the time but doesn’t let him read any of it w/o your consent (maybe even with it LMAO)… i just think he’d feel so honoured if his shy little poet!s/o only let him read their works :’3

nooo i’m not projecting at alllll… wdym…..

OOOHH AND AND. his favorite poets!!! as much as i’d love to say siken i don’t think that’s really his style. suguru strikes me as the type to enjoy very flowery writing, a bit musical-leaning in the rhythm and structure and stuff!! also season-based…. i’m thinking verlaine and rimbaud and nakahara. french symbolist poets and anyone inspired by them!! as for a more modern example i think he lovesss mary oliver and louise glück :3 october is one of his favorites!!! these lines remind me a lot of him….

Summer after summer has ended, balm after violence: it does me no good to be good to me now; violence has changed me.

This is the present, an allegory of waste. So much has changed. And still, you are fortunate: the ideal burns in you like a fever. Or not like a fever, like a second heart.

This is the light of autumn; it has turned on us. Surely it is a privilege to approach the end still believing in something.

hmmm….. a part of me wants to say he really enjoys frank bidart too. the war of vaslav nijinsky makes me think of him!!! :0 the themes of morality and guilt.. especially this line for some reason:

romola. diaghilev. i have eaten the world.

maybe it’s bc of his ct but . i just feel like he’d enjoy poetry abt hunger and eating in a more abstract sense… devouring…. etcetc. it’s a big contrast to the usual nature-based flowery prose he reads but sugu loves having his contrasts so. i think it makes sense!!

all in all i think he has very good taste. he’s not afraid to dip his toes into other genres either!!

2/ IO . 🥺🥺 MY SWEETHEART….. i literally cried i can’t believe you’re indulging me like this i started shaking w excitement……… i just went through crush + war of the foxes and if i had to narrow it down to just a single poem (<- extremely difficult task!! pls be proud) it’d have to be…… little beast.

if i had to sum this poem up with two words they’d be violent and tender… which is the case for all of siken’s poems tbf 😭 but that yearning for tenderness in the midst of violence is just so, so evident here. it always guts me. there are softer poems that i’d compare suguru to, but if we’re talking about canon suguru, his connection to satoru, his fate and ideals and desperate yearning for love… then i think this one is the most fitting.

obv this is tied to my own interpretation but!! at the end of the day. i see suguru as someone who craves tenderness. he craves love and intimacy and what drove him to his breaking point was the realization that he wouldn’t get it without slaughter. i think that line between violence/gentleness drives him insane but he has no choice but to tiptoe around it. and that’s what this poem makes me think of. some lines remind me of stsg and that dichotomy in their relationship, others just of suguru and his mental state…. and also his charm. that dangerous edge to him. the contrasting softness. the poem gets more violent as it goes on but the love never fades and that’s what really gets me.

the radio aches a little tune that tells the story of what the night is thinking. it’s thinking of love. it’s thinking of stabbing us to death and leaving our bodies in a dumpster. that’s a nice touch, stains in the night, whiskey and kisses for everyone.

someone once told me that explaining is an admission of failure. i’m sure you remember, i was on the phone with you, sweetheart.

i know history. there are many names in history but none of them are ours.

you could drown in those eyes, i said. the fact of his pulse, the way he pulled his body in, out of shyness or shame or a desire not to disturb the air around him.

you could drown in those eyes, i said, so it’s summer, so it’s suicide, so we’re helpless in sleep and struggling at the bottom of the pool.

more frequently i was finding myself sleepless, and he was running out of lullabies.

but damn if there isn’t anything sexier than a slender boy with a handgun, a fast car, a bottle of pills.

we pull our boots on with both hands but we can’t punch ourselves awake and all i can do is stand on the curb and say sorry about the blood in your mouth. i wish it was mine.

i couldn’t get the boy to kill me, but i wore his jacket for the longest time.

…… honourable mentions to landscape with fruit rot and millipede + birds hover the trampled field + snow and dirty rain

3/ aaaand finally !!! this question was kinda tough… but soooo much fun to think abt. <33

i think satoru is the kind of poem that stays with you forever. the kind that pulls you in with a really gripping opening line, forces you to read it all in one sitting, and then you’re left wondering what the hell it was even about. flowery but with no real substance until you dig really deep, and then it’s all you can see. the kind of poem you could pick apart for hours and hours……. a real gem. but it’s comforting, above all else. he’s like a collection of poetry that makes you smile just to hold it!!! :>

now !!! some questions for you !!!!! >:3

how do you think satoru would be w a poet!s/o?

any thoughts on poet!nanami..? 👀

[night-speak-blog]

Jennifer Shennan has a history of performing as a dancer on Courtenay Place.

Jennifer Shennan (JS): Can I say this? I’m not a party girl. I’m too busy with books and such. But I’ve been on Courtenay Place many nights and there are two buildings I can talk about, The Opera House and the St. James Theatre.

lr: And you performed in both of them?

JS: I’ve both performed in them and I’ve watched and reviewed what I’ve seen. I’ve been to thousands of performances in those two buildings. Let me say, I saw a performance in The Opera House before I was born. What on earth do I mean? In 1926 Anna Pavlova toured with her own company to NZ. Little woman, wore size one shoes. This tiny little person took a company on a ship all around the world…India…Survived all that. In the 1920s. She escaped from Russia, escaped from Diaghilev. Apparently she believed in only the beautiful and the good to lift people up. But if you danced the seedy, sexy, dirty, dangerous, murders and such—well, she just didn’t want to know about the dark side. She would have known about it—I mean Russia, Diaghilev, Nijinsky...That was the boiling pot of things. And she opted out and ran her own company. Diaghilev was frightened of the water so he wouldn’t get in a boat to go anywhere and there were no planes. He was a big, extraordinary man, and a bully and a coward. Pavlova was none of those things. So she toured the world and came here to New Zealand. And by bus—I suppose—they went up and down the country. She sent her dancers to Ngāti Pōneke Māori Culture Club. They learnt haka. Incredible. My father paid sixpence to see Pavlova in 1926. I said “Dad! What was it like? What was it like?”, and he said “I don’t remember anything about it but I know I paid sixpence.”

My dad didn’t go to any ballet really but she was billed as the greatest dancer in the world and so everybody went. I mention this because it’s something I know happened there, in The Opera House. I also know—and this is going to break your heart—that a young dancer burned to death in that theatre. Because it was the gaslight era and the stage is lit by a fire—a live flame in the wings. And the dancers wore tulle skirts, just below the knee, very fluffy and full. And you run off stage after dancing and you get too close to the light and—whoosh!—and her skirt was on fire. And she ran so as not to enflame the other dancers she was with...Outside into the alleyway, and it fed the flames, and she was a ball of fire. So they grabbed her the best they could and bundled her up in blankets and she was terribly burnt. And they take a slow ambulance to the hospital [in 1923, all forms of transport would have taken a long time to get from one place to another]. And the hospital has a mile of yellow stripe on the floor to lead you to the children’s ward.

lr: She was a child?

JS: Well the ambulance medics thought she was. She was so tiny. And they took her all the way along this yellow road to the children’s ward. It was a long, long way...Don’t ask me how long, but I do remember it, only just. You didn’t know where you were going, no windows, you just follow this yellow path...And they got her there and unwrapped her, saw that she wasn’t a child, she was a little woman. So they bundled her back up and took her to the adult’s ward, and she lingered in agony for two or three days and then she died. There should be a statue to that dancer, right outside the theatre. There is one in Paris for Emma Livry—exactly the same thing happened to her. Burnt, miserably, then died. And there’s a statue, and a headstone and pilgrims go there from all over the ballet world to see Emma Livry. Well they could come here. It’s beautifully written up in an early issue of Music New Zealand [written by Peter Averi]. Peter Averi the broadcaster? The dancer was his Aunt or Great Aunt. And I know her name but I can’t bear to remember it [The dancer’s name was Phyllis Porter.]. It’s unfinished business for Courtenay Place. We need to get a photo of her or tell her story or something. I mean people go on about there being a ghost in The Opera House... The Opera House turned 100 two years ago. The authorities did absolutely nothing to mark it…Sometimes you can do a guided tour, go out the back and look at the ropes and pulleys, the stage door…And they tell you “ooo there’s a ghost”. You know, it’s the old Phantom of the Opera thing. Well get off, get away. You’ve got a real live dancer who died in this theatre. I don’t think we should make a shrine for sentimental reasons but for proper historical reasons. The architectural, social, artistic. history of this town. So there’s that lovely little woman who died. I’ve seen performances galore, I’ve performed as an extra with the Royal New Zealand Ballet (before it was Royal). I performed in Air for the G String, Bach...Doris Humphrey’s choreographer, New York, one of the most important of the 20th Century. Exquisite work. It’s a piece you might dance at a funeral, to remind people that spirits live longer than bodies. It’s an extraordinary work, a dance so well set for that building, you’ll never see a better example. I’ve danced in the St. James Theatre…Well never mind dancing…Even being in there…Yes, in 1983, I suppose, when the company turned 30. It’d had extraordinary beginnings with Poul Gnatt. He was my first teacher, who was the artistic director. He formed that company. When the company turned 30 the artistic director at the time held a gala…I danced in that production.

lr: You mentioned the blue silk garment [earlier]. Was that when you wore it?

JS: No that was in The Opera House, and that was actually The Dance of Blue Silk. It’s just five women, all wearing blue, saari-like garments. But the train (when you walk), the train, you leave behind you is longer than you by along way. And your train crosses the other dancers’ trains. And you turn and it’s a whole pattern of the silk tails. [Jennifer discusses planning a public memorial after the death of Poul Gnatt...]JS: I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. We were going to keep talking until we got it right. There’s got to be a public farewell for Poul Gnatt. Where—and when? So a week later...The St. James Theatre—it was black for many, many years. It was crumbly and had to be restored and people would say, ‘Demolish! Build a 96 bed boutique hotel!’ or all this crap they go on about. But it was black in the meantime, no shows could play in there. Douglas Wright persuaded the powers to let him have the key and he put on a work in there when nothing else was going on. They’d Cellotaped up the gargoyles to stop them falling down and hitting you on the head. Anyway I knew the man who had the key, Peter Frater, and I said, “Peter, could we use the St. James for a farewell to Poul Gnatt, it would be most appropriate wouldn’t it?”—“Couldn’t agree more.”—got the key so in we went. And we danced Air for the G String that day too. I wasn’t—it wasn’t the older women, it was the current students at the school of dance. And I’ll never forget, you get the taller one in the centre and then two that match, and then another two that match. And as she came walking slowly down the stage (at the very forefront of the stage) and then turned, she starts to walk back her long train dripped down over the edge of the stage and into the orchestra pit. And I thought Mother of God, don’t let there be a rusty nail down there in case it catches, pulls, rips and she’s exposed...I prayed...Didn’t know to whom but I prayed. And the silk came back up as slowly as it had gone down. Perfect. It looked like God had choreographed this work. For decades I have seen performances in these venues and reviewed for the Dominion Post. To do that you don’t even wait for the curtain calls—you run out of the theatre and you run to your car and you rush home, and you hope the lights are green because if they’re red you’re wasting time. And you have about 40 minutes to get your review in before the deadline at the newspaper. In the early days of the Evening Post, I could write all night. Something like, five or six in the morning was the cut off point. And if it’s a challenging thing to review, it could take all night to write. The courier came to pick it up as the sun was rising and then I would go to bed or not if I was teaching.[Jennifer goes on to discuss dance writing].JS: You’ve got to look up this reference: New Yorker, January 16, 2017. Simon Farley says, “Classical ballet is this elevating form. You have to rise to meet it, whether you are the dancer or the audience…The thing is, the audience possesses the same instrument. The audience members have the same body—it’s like a cello playing for an audience of cellos.” What a thing to say! A cello playing for an audience of cellos. Not a cellist playing for an audience of cellists, but a cello. And that’s the most profound truth of how you know if it’s good or not. Does it allow the audience in?

Jennifer Shennan (b.1945) is a dancer, choreographer, dance critic, historian for the Royal New Zealand Ballet. She has a history of performing on Courtenay Place.