#my legendary luck at getting tickets

[babybenibo]

OK Twice in Paris (finally) and there's no way Jeongyeon is going to be on French soil without me witnessing it

[jadeazora]

Rest in pieces, Tapu Bulu. (Lys is my general Tapu Bulu killer, and I recently 5/5'd him and Yveltal with those Scout Tickets the other month. I also used his Sygna in the 2nd battle I had with it for the extra harassment 🤭)

I usually sack off Skyla because my Potion Refresh luck in Legendary Arenas is garbage, and occasionally, Ethan will fall too if I get extra unlucky, but thanks to Oblivion Wing and now Downside Up, he's got great survivability.

Also, the first of the Team Plasma events to EX Ghetsis returns on Friday:

[filmnoirfoundation]

Here's a peek at the femme fatales (and an homme fatale for good measure) of NOIR CITY 20, January 20-29 at Oakland's Grand Lake Theatre. Intros by Eddie Muller. Full festival schedule, tickets and passports (all-access passes) at www.noircity.com

Friday, January 20

THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI

9:15 PM

Welles' dazzling and dizzying pulp poetry takes the classic femme fatale tale to globe-spanning lengths and hallucinatory heights. Hard-luck sailor Michael O'Hara (Welles) tumbles into the snare of gorgeous and mysterious Elsa Bannister (Hayworth) only to find himself caught in the murderous conspiracy of her viperous cohorts. Welles improvised a brilliant, chaotic 155‑minute noir epic, which studio editor Viola Lawrence pruned to 86 feverish minutes. What remained is one of the most startlingly inventive crime films ever released by a Hollywood studio. Featuring Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders, and Ted de Corsia. Plays with KEY LARGO. Double feature starts at 7:00 PM

Monday, January 23

SLEEP, MY LOVE

9:00 PM

Alison Courtland (Claudette Colbert) awakens on a speeding train with no memory of how she got there. Reunited with her husband Richard (Don Ameche), he proposes hypnosis to uncover the root of his wife's mental instability. Overlooked in the noir canon because it was deemed a "woman's picture," Sleep, My Love is one of Sirk's strongest 1940s pictures, deftly combining witty humor, creepy atmospherics, and genuine thrills all anchored by the sprightly chemistry of co-stars Colbert and Robert Cummings. Plays with SO EVIL MY LOVE. Double feature starts at 7:00 PM

Sunday, January 29

THE VELVET TOUCH

3:15, 8:00 PM

Following the success of 1947's A Double Life, in which Ronald Colman played a murderous Broadway actor, Rosalind Russell took her only trip into Dark City as Valerie Stanton, a revered Broadway actress who accidentally kills her producer (and former lover) during an argument. Valerie's thespian talents help cover up the crime, but when her archrival (played by Claire Trevor) becomes the prime suspect, will Valerie's guilty conscience prevail? A wonderful, if rarely screened, backstage thriller. Plays with UNFAITHFULLY YOURS, 1:00, 6:00 PM.

Friday, January 27

RAW DEAL

7:30 PM

Social worker Marsha Hunt and gangster's moll Claire Trevor duke it out for the soul of homme fatal Dennis O'Keefe in this rambunctious display of quintessential noir pulp. O'Keefe busts out of the slammer determined to get even with shyster gang-boss Raymond Burr, who wants O'Keefe dead before he reaches his San Francisco hideout. Stunning images by legendary cinematographer John Alton make this arguably the most visually stylish noir of them all. As Eddie likes to say, it's "Pure Pulp for Noir People." Plays with HE WALKED BY NIGHT, 9:15 PM

[frosty-mage]

Do you want to smash Z-ONE's teeth in? Here's how!

Details below the cut.

Disclaimer: This has a decently high failure rate and might take several attempts before a successful one. To the best of my knowledge, there is no consistent way to pull this off under the current event banlist.

Deck:

Step 1: duel Z-ONE in a turbo duel with the above deck. The traps and Jar of Greed can be any form of card draw, really. Use what you've got, though obviously Into the Void and Dark World Dealings will have problems. Legacy of Yata-Garasu is available through tickets. The synchros need to be level 6 WATER, but you only need one and it can be anything.

Step 2: Draw your entire deck. This can take a bit of luck to pull off successfully. Remember that you can use Good Goblin Housekeeping to tuck Lantron back, then use the EX skill to pull it out. Don't play aqua dolphin until the last turn, but once you do, you can use NEX. Since Neo-Spacian Marine Dolphin also has the name Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin, all your copies of Space Gift draw you 2 cards. Playing this before the last turn makes it liable to be run over, so you need to wait.

You should now be in a situation like this:

Notably, you should have no cards in deck, Mind Augus in hand, Aquamirror to summon it, something to tribute for it, Stardust from the skill, and Marine Dolphin.

Step 3: Summon Mind Augus. Put back any extra deck monsters in your graveyard, a card of your choice, and two copies of space gift. Do not put more than three cards back in your deck.

Step 4: Activate Space Gift. Since there are three cards in your deck and two of them are Space Gift, one of them will be Space Gift.

Step 5: Use the GY effect of Aquamirror, shuffling it into your deck and returning Mind Augus to hand.

Step 6: Activate Space Gift. You should now be back before step 3, but with a card of your choice returned from GY to hand.

By repeatedly doing steps 3-6, we can repeatedly use any card in our GY.

Step 7: Using steps 3-6, return A Legendary Ocean if you don't already have it out, then activate it.

Step 8: Return Monster Reborn to your hand and use it to summon Lantron. Lantron tunes the now level 5 Mind Augus to make any level 6 WATER synchro. This gives you three speed counters. The synchro needs to be water so ALO reduces it to level 5, so you can tribute it for the mind augus in hand to continue your loop.

Step 8 can then be repeated indefinitely to get arbitrary amounts of speed counters. Whenever you have at least 8, use the EX skill to quintuple Stardust's ATK.

Step 9: Increase Stardust Dragon's ATK until it is at the maximum possible value, 99999999.

Your board should now look like this:

Step 10: Return Monster Reborn and Shien's Spy to hand.

Step 11: Use Reborn on Aqua Dolphin, then give it to the opponent.

Steps 10 and 11 can be skipped if the opponent controls a monster.

Step 12: Return Reborn, Black Illusion Ritual, and Relinquished, and Shien's Spy to hand.

Step 13: Reborn Lantron and then activate Black Illusion Ritual to tribute the Lantron for Relinquished in attack position.

Step 14: Use Relinquished on their monster, then use Spy to give it to them.

Step 15: Return Monster Reborn to hand, then use it on Lantron. Be sure to summon it in attack position.

Step 16: Go to battle and attack into the Relinquished.

Deal the maximum possible battle and effect damage at once to top the leaderboard.

Enjoy!

[inazumaeveryday]

Day 7

Location: Kidou’s house

Kidou: Good morning, mar.

The regional qualifiers for the Football Frontier have finally started.

Our first match is in three days.

mar: (The regional qualifiers are finally here…)

Option 1

mar: Who are you going to play against in your first match?

Kidou: It’ll be either Ryuuguu or Kofun.

Option 2

mar: Who is Raimon going to play against in their first match?

Kidou: Oh, Raimon?

If I remember correctly, their first match is against Nose… Call it bad luck.

Nose is a pretty strong team. There’s a good chance Raimon will actually lose this one.

*

Kidou: Come to think of it, it’s already been a week since you came to my house. Only three more weeks…

The winner of the Football Frontier will already have been decided by the time you leave.

Heh… But of course, we already know it’ll be our Teikoku Gakuen.

*

Kidou: mar, your uniform is wrinkled.

You should ask Hakamada to iron it for you.

Morning practice

Kageyama: The regional qualifiers have begun.

But you all know that it is but a stepping stone to the national tournament. The winner of the Football Frontier will be our Teikoku Gakuen.

Kageyama: I want you to show me a perfect, absolute victory.

Team: Yes, sir!

Kidou: The commander’s words have a lot of power.

A “perfect victory,” an “absolute victory”...

By repeating these particular words over and over, he makes sure that we always have them in mind.

Location: classroom (social studies)

Kidou: The history of soccer is filled with legendary players.

…I wish I could face them in a match.

Location: hallway

Kidou: …Hm. A call.

It’s me.

…Yeah. So?

…As I thought.

Yeah, got it. I’ll call you back.

mar: (I wonder who called him…)

Was it one of your informants?

Kidou: Something like that. But eavesdropping on someone’s phone calls is a bad habit to have, you know?

Anyway, speaking of informants… Domon’s a Raimon student starting today.

I’m looking forward to his report.

*

Genda: Domon’s transferring today, right… Did you hear anything from him?

Kidou: No, nothing yet.

Genda: I see… He’s got a good sense of humor, so hopefully he’ll fit in well at Raimon…

Location: classroom (science class)

Kidou: The materials used to make soccer balls and shoes have been evolving alongside science.

...I can’t even begin to imagine what they’ll be like in a hundred years.

Location: hallway

Kidou: I’m honestly jealous of you, Oono. You’ve been blessed with a great body.

Oono: Really? I’m jealous of you, captain!

I’d love to be able to dribble as fast as the wind like you do.

Kidou: Haha! The grass is always greener on the other side, huh?

*

Henmi: Oh man… Just one more and…

Kidou: What’s wrong, Henmi? You don’t look so good.

Henmi: Um… So I was in class, and then I fell asleep…

And then they cut my ticket… [1]

Uugh… One more mess-up and I’ll get sent to the disciplinary room…[2]

Kidou: Hmm…

Sorry, I can’t really say I sympathize.

Location: shooting range (PE)

Kidou: Every sport has its own rules.

If you look more into it, you’ll find some really unexpected ones. It’s pretty interesting.

Location: cafeteria

Kidou:mar, do you just eat the foods you like?

You should eat a balanced diet.

Location: schoolyard

Kidou: I should probably read the rest of the report now. I need to figure out the info they sent me.

Location: classroom (Japanese)

Kidou: I couldn’t tell the difference between sonkeigo and kenjougo[3] when I was younger.

But not anymore. I’m able to naturally use them both now.

Location: hallway

Kidou: To solve a Japanese problem, you need to apply mathematical thinking to it…

And to solve a math problem, you need Japanese skills.

Heh, that means you need to work hard at both.

Location: classroom (math)

Kidou: I hear a lot of people struggle with calculus and trigonometric functions.

Well… It’s true that they never make use of it in their daily life, so I can understand why they’d have a hard time with it.

Location: hallway

Sakuma: Do you guys study together at home?

mar, you can tell me… Does Kidou have some kind of secret method that makes him so good at studying?

Kidou: We don’t study together. We’re advancing at different paces so there’s no point.

Sakuma: I-I see…

Location: classroom (music)

Kidou: I see. So abdominal breathing makes it easier for your voice to reach your teammates on the field…

Maybe we should get the team together and try singing as a chorus sometime.

After school

Location: clubroom

Kidou: mar, I’ll be leaving at 17:00 today. I’m going to Mikage Sennou with the commander.

He said you were free to tag along if you wanted.

Location: in the car

Mikage Sennou is also participating in the regional qualifiers.

I heard they have an unusual way to train their players.

Location: Mikage Sennou

Kageyama:Oh… This is Raimon’s data.

Toyama: Impressive, aren’t they, commander?

Our soccer players are fully managed by our school’s powerful computer system!

Kageyama: Interesting. It’s quite realistic for a computer program.

Toyama: These soccer cyborgs will show you a perfect victory in the real match against Raimon as well!

Kageyama: Victory?

Crushing Raimon isn’t victory, it’s mere pest extermination!

Toyama: Y-yes, of course, sir!

mar: (Crushing Raimon…?)

Option 1

mar:Um, what did he mean by “pest extermination”?

Kidou: …………

Option 1

mar: Commander Kageyama is really scary…!

Kidou: The depth of the commander’s desire to win is unfathomable. We can’t even begin to understand it.

mar, you should be more careful about what you say.

*

Kidou: Nose is a strong team, but we lack data on Raimon so their abilities are unknown…

The commander always has Teikoku’s triumph on his mind, so he’d want to be prepared for every possibility and eliminate any risks to our success.

Location: in the car

Kidou: It’s important to collect as much data as we can, but it is ultimately just plain information.

What’s important is what we do with it.

At home

Location: Kidou’s room

Kidou: Don’t think you know everything from just looking at part of the data.

That’s something I make sure to be careful about.

Location: bath

Kidou: Hahh… The hot water feels great.

I can’t describe this feeling with data…

Location: dining room

Kidou: mar, when you drop a spoon or fork at a restaurant, ask a waiter for a clean one instead of picking it up.

Well, it’s best if you don’t drop anything at all.

Location: Kidou’s room

Kidou is having one of his kingcraft lessons.

Kyougoku: A good leader is generally thought to possess charisma.

Whether or not one is considered charismatic, however, relies solely on the perception others have of them.

Kidou: So charisma is not something that one can simply acquire…

Kyougoku: Precisely! But you do not need to worry about acquiring it, Yuuto-san. You are already charismatic enough.

After the lesson

Kidou: The legendary Inazuma Eleven? Oh, so he’s their coach’s grandson…

Alright, keep me posted.

Oh, mar, you were there.

I just heard from Domon that Raimon is desperately trying to come up with a new special move to defeat Nose.

They even rented a ladder truck.

Haha… What a bunch of idiots.

Anyway… What did you think of Mikage Sennou?

mar: (Mikage Sennou…)

Option 1

mar:The simulation dome was amazing!

Kidou: I agree, it’s an interesting system. It might even be worth implementing at Teikoku.

Kidou:...If Mikage Sennou makes it to the finals, that is.

Option 2

mar: I was curious about those wires on the player’s head!

Kidou: They’re electrodes. They link the players to their coach so he can give them instructions.

They also scan the opposing players and display an analysis of that data.

*

Kidou:They seem to place a lot of importance on data… But data can only relay you information on the past.

I heard they’re considered to be as strong as our Teikoku, but if they’re satisfied with only beating past versions of their opponents, they’re no match for us.

From what I understand Teikoku has a ticket system where all students have a ticket that gets cut if they break the rules, and if they misbehave again they get sent to like extreme detention. I'm assuming they only have 1 chance before being punished because Teikoku has been said to be strict about rules + the fact that it's a "ticket" (same word you'd use for a 1-use ticket that gets cut when used)

Interestingly the word Henmi uses is actually "punishment room" and when I looked it up I mostly found results about something similar to solitary confinement in prison

2 different branches of polite speech

[penhive]

February 28th 2023

Random Thoughts

When the truck passed on the road, clouds of dust started dancing in the air.

Wings of a poem were gallivanting in the air.

The prose of the garden bloomed red.

The Choice

I have been broke and out of money for many years. While browsing Facebook, I saw an advert of Kuber the Indian God of wealth and fortune and his mystic numbers as a card for getting wealth. I also saw the legendary Chinese beast of wealth Pixiu, a Feng Shui charm crafted as a silver ring for luck and riches. I became tempted to buy these riches but on rethinking I came to the conclusion that these are pagan and I being a Christian should not pay obeisance to these occult talismans. But right now I am having second thoughts as the God Israel is paying deaf ears to my prayers.

God and Deconstruction

I had been having lottery luck with the numbers 1, 9, and 15. And I started picking tickets with these numbers. But my luck has turned to woe as I am unable to get positive results. I wonder why the God of Israel’s favor is not upon on me.

Quote

The body’s happiness is sex.

Married life

My married life sucks as there is no intimacy and sex. I wonder why God wed me to woman who has no feeling and sensitivity.

On religion

Religions also were in the Darwinian mode of evolution. From simplistic belief of nature (animism) they have evolved into anthropic Gods and further with refinement into texts. The funny thing is that all people feel comfortable and cozy with pigeon-holed religious dogma. Religions come into conflict with the growth, progress, wishes and aspirations of the self.

God of Israel

I am amused in irony that the God of Israel blesses pagans with prosperity. Being a devoted follower, he has not answered my prayers.

The Maid

She is named as Sandhya an attractive buxom woman. She was working in the school where I was teaching and later on she moved to a workshop. I want to badly make love to her. So I am thinking of appeasing her buy buying gold jewelry and giving her money. I am planning to take her to resort and fucking her.

My doubts

I have been a diehard Christian all my life. Life has not been easy for me especially when it comes to finances. I have reached 52 years and I don’t have a cent with me. Two days back a prophet (trusted by my family) came home and admonished and said all my dreams, hope and aspirations are in vain. I became very crestfallen and disappointed with the Christian God Jesus. For years I have been pursuing the God of Israel and he has not moved his little finger to help me with my material needs and he is a God who patronizes the gentiles. I have started thinking philosophically about Christianity and I have my legitimate doubts.

a) If God made Adam and Eve in his own image and perfection. Why did they fall into sin?

b) If am Adam and Eve had not sinned there would have been no progeny.

c) If Lucifer the chief musician of God’s throne rebelled against God why did not God eliminate him fully? Why did God permit him to tempt and snare humans?

d) If God wants our free will to choose him, then we have no free will.

e) If the serpent spoke in the days of Adam and Eve why is the serpent not speaking now and why does not the speaking serpent come and tempt people?

f) Why does not angels come and visit people now?

g) If God is the trinity: how can he exist as three and yet remain as one?

h) When God came as the Son, he took human flesh and then in what form does God the father exist in Heaven.

i) There are two instances in the Bible: where swine are mentioned. One is in which Jesus cast out demons from a possessed man into a flock of swine and they rushed headlong and fell into the sea. The second is the story of the prodigal son. After squandering all the resources, the prodigal son was forced to eat the food of hogs. My doubt is in traditional Jewish societies pork and swine are a taboo and Jews don’t consumed pork.

j) If Adam and Eve are the first ancestors how come there exists various races and colors.

[laresearchette]

Friday, December 01, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: FROG AND TOAD: CHRISTMAS EVE (Apple TV+) SHAPE ISLAND: THE WINTER BLUES (HGTV Canada) THE SNOOPY SHOW: HAPPINESS IS HOLIDAY TRADITIONS (Apple TV +) SPIRITED - SING ALONG VERSION (Apple TV+) IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE (Shudder) MY NORWEGIAN HOLIDAY (W Network) 8:00pm POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN (Starz Canada) 9:00pm THE UNBELIEVABLE WITH DAN AYKROYD (History Canada) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? SEXIEST SPLASH PADS (TBD - HGTV Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA CANDY CANE LANE MY MAN IS CUPID

CBC GEM CALL THE MIDWIFE (Season 12 holiday specials) DAS BOOT (Season 4) THE NEXT STEP(Season 5) ODD SQUAD (Season 2B)

CRAVE TV THE ART OF WOO ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER BAD BOYS BAD BOYS II CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (Season 3) CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR JOY RIDE KILL BILL VOL. 1 KILL BILL VOL. 2 THE KILLING KIND (Season 1) MUCH ADO ABOUT CHRISTMAS NEW YEAR’S EVE – STARZ NURSE FIGHTER BOY – STARZ THE O.C. (Seasons 1 - 4) A PARIS CHRISTMAS WALTZ POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN (Season 3, Episode 1) SLEEPLESS IN SEATLE STORIES WE TELL THE TAKE BACK (SPECIAL PREMIERE)

DISNEY + STAR EXPLORER: LAKE OF FIRE INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY THE MILL THE SHEPHERD SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE TIMELESS HEROES: INDIANA JONES & HARRISON FORD

NETFLIX CANADA BAD BOYS II CHRONICLE CONFESS, FETCH THE CRAFT HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS IT’S COMPLICATED JULIE & JULIA MAY DECEMBER OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY PRIDE & PREJUDICE SHREK SWEET HOME (Season 2) (KR) TRANSPLANT (Seasons 1-3)

2023 FIFA MEN'S U17 WORLD CUP (TSN3) 6:48am: Third Place Match - Argentina vs. Mali

G LEAGUE BASKETBALL (TSN4) 11:00am: Maine vs. Raptors 905

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Sharks vs. Devils (TSN5) 7:00pm: Sens vs. Blue Jackets

NLL LACROSSE (TSN) 7:00pm: Rush vs. Thunderbirds (TSN/TSN5) 10:00pm: Panther City vs. Warriors

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 7:30pm: 76ers vs. Celtics (TSN3/TSN4) 7:30pm: Knicks vs. Raptors (TSN3) 10:00pm: Nuggets vs. Suns

AMPLIFY (APTN) 7:30pm: Cree spoken word artist Zoey Roy meets with legendary Métis artist and activist Maria Campbell, who inspires a piece about the power of celebration. Zoey shares stories about her childhood and how her struggles helped inspire a rich creative spirit.

MARKETPLACE (CBC) 8:00pm: A Montreal lawyer discusses taking on the fight against Ticketmaster over its handling of concert ticket sales; a Canadian reseller shares how he scores tickets and resells them for a profit; the company's former CEO speaks out.

7TH GEN (APTN) 8:00pm: Melissa Brown is an Anishinaabe-Jamaican woman from Winnipeg who grew up in the inner city. Learn about how this entrepreneur, chef and mother is creating the change she wants to see in her community.

MY CHRISTMAS HERO (CTV Life) 8:00pm: An army reserve doctor tracks down her family's military history with the help of a new romance.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF JERSEY (Slice) 8:00pm: Raising the Stakes

A PRINCE AND PAUPER CHRISTMAS (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: When a down-on-his luck confidential informant in a criminal investigation suddenly goes missing, a desperate young federal agent recruits his doppelgänger to play the role.

PLANET WONDER (CBC) 8:30pm: From farm to fork, petri dish to plate, Johanna seeks sustainability in food.

FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 8:30pm: Alex Hill has been out all season struggling with anxiety, but she decides to try one race before the season ends. With the help of her team and family, she overcomes her fears and gets in a night of racing at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Texas.

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm

CHRISTMAS UNFILTERED (CTV2) 9:00pm: On Christmas Eve, Becky wishes that her family would truly hear her. All of her thoughts and frustrations begin to spill out as she inadvertently starts telling everyone what she really thinks.

JUSTICE LEAGUE X RWBY: SUPER HEROES & HUNTSMEN PART ONE (adult swim) 9:00pm: Members of the Justice League are transported to the world of Remnant and find themselves turned into teenagers. The Remnant heroes combine forces with the Justice League to uncover why their planet has been mysteriously altered.

CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE (Crave) 9:00pm: Three quirky sisters enjoy some fun in the sun when they reunite with their estranged father in the Caribbean during the holidays.

W5 (CTV) 10:00pm: Searching for Sam; Boom Boom Chuvalo

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm: The Deadly Night Shift

[cursedmystic]

Matsuba isn't greeted by Looker first when he walks up to the booth but by a misdreavus with a singsong cry. Looker smiles and takes the tickets from him.

"She is having a blast with the event- wait you found all 10 tickets! I should have guessed it would have been you to find them all."

He gestures to the booth.

"Have one of each. I suppose you will guess my last riddle with ease as well, but good luck to you. Head to the port. A ship is not what you seek, but a pokemon with surf will lead the way. Find a rumored secret and come tell me what you have discovered."

"Take your pick and spend your tickets, then you should head to the port, but you won't be climbing aboard a ship but a pokemon who surfs instead. Find the rumored secret there. Then come back and tell me."

Dratini Plushie with a pamphlet - 8 tickets Rare candy - 5 tickets Razz Berry Saffpop- 3 tickets Figurine set of the legendary birds - 7 tickets Ghost-type key chain - 1 ticket Copy of one of Sabrina's movies - 6 tickets Pikachu cotton candy - 2 tickets Poffin treat for Pokemon - 4 tickets

The pamphlet description: This pamphlet is a three fold with a photograph of a dratini across the front, sponsored by ‘The Friends of Fuchsia’. Inside is information on the dratini of the Safari Zone, including their preferred environments, habits, and history. There is a section on proper care and the warning that these creatures are not pets and certainly not to be gifted as prizes at Game Corners. The last section in the pamphlet describes the dangers of poaching these creatures face.

The Misdreavus gets the attention of Banette, who waves her arms in a hello as the trainers meet up. Matsuba's happy to trade the tickets over, since they've been shedding glitter on his clothing, and he smiles when he does.

"I'm sure she's having fun. Misdreavus feed on fear, so she's probably feeling like she's been at a dessert bar all week."

The prize choices are fun....but he's going to choose two keychains and the Dratini plush. Janine had worked hard on them and they were awful cute.

He might give it to Eusine....maybe. For the time being, the Dratini gets slung around his neck like a scarf.

"A secret riddle, huh? Alright then." He grins, looking delighted. "Good work, Looker. This has been fun."

[crystalelemental]

UUUUUUUGH.  You already know I'm going to complain.  You can see it.  Know that I am pissed.

General Overview This was an attempt to clear on-type with F2P tools.  I do not know why I did this.  I think in my head I was like "There's a ton of Grass-type damage dealers in the free units, this should be fine!"  It wasn't fine.  It was not fine.  Not nearly as bad as it could have been, but still not good.

The main criteria for F2P are always really hard to assess, because tools are ever-changing and even something that is, on the surface, an "F2P team," has issues of investment that prevent a brand new player from picking it up and performing comparably.  Some level of investment is required, and the goal is always to minimize that investment.  So to some, 5* general pool still counts as F2P.  I am not one of those people.  Zinfogel recently put out an on-type clear, and mentioned that it took two years to get Selene to 3/5.  The rates for any specific 5* are still low, and while scout tickets exist, they're not so plentiful you're guaranteed to get anything out of them.  Some regions are relatively safe, like Kalos having only three options.  But others have ten.  I think Unova has twelve now.  That's stupid.  You cannot possibly tell me it's reasonable to showcase something with a 3/5 Unovan, knowing how bad the odds are.  Especially if they're recent.  Maybe they have 3/5 Elesa, but do they have 3/5 Colress?  Almost certainly not.

For my purposes, F2P is common gacha, 4* BP, story and legendary events, and Lodge units that are associated with one of the above.  Common gacha are much, much easier to acquire, with each 4* unit having better odds than on-focus 5*s.  I discount the Master BP units because those tickets are obscenely hard to come by for how middling the Master BP units actually are, especially without EX.  There's no way to guarantee anyone even has five tickets, let alone picked the one you want to use.  But regular BP, that's a bit more realistic.  Story and legendary events are free, though I do tend to discount the NPC trainer classes because...they're not always available.  This also applies to Swimsuit Misty, Blarcanine, Classic Giovanni, and Scyther Bugsy.  Lastly, Lodge units that aren't associated with discounted pairs.  So basically, Blue, Silver, Rosa, and Sycamore.  Blue, while a 5* gacha, was given out for free in place of Whitney, so he can reasonably be assumed in Lodge.  Eggmons are a subject of contention.  I want to count them, but I admittedly have a lot of trouble, especially with the ones that don't exist in the general egg pool.  But I don't know which ones do or don't, so it's hard to say.  I tend to avoid the ones I know aren't, like Hitmonchan or Perrserker.

To me, this is the safest approach.  It's the closest you get to completely removing luck from the game, because absolutely anything done in these teams can be done by any player with enough time.  The 3-4* gacha can, in theory, evade a player for a considerable amount of time, but that's a concession you have to make.  And yes, my usual F2P clears haven't followed these rules exactly.  I hadn't fully determined them.  Lodge units in particular were a big question, and I had treated all of them as fair game.  I'm going to reconsider that going forward, because yeah, it's not really free if you need to pull a limited unit.

Vs. Bruno I began this idiotic quest with Bruno, who is mostly physical, so the Reflect condition matters.  He faces off against Erika.  I like Erika.  I really like Vileplume.  I don't have her EX, but apparently she can still do it.  This was, however, kinda cheating, because the flinch rate really does make it or break it.  Especially with paralysis and confuse on the sides stalling them out when Bruno goes down.  Erika's DPS and sync are not especially impressive, but she's serviceable for this stage.  I do kinda want to invest in her, but I'm admittedly hesitant.

Vs. Grimsley Grimsley faces off against Lodge Sycamore, in the dumbest situation possible.  BP Janine is a great partner to him, and Koga can help debuff special defense and apply Toxic.  This was chosen to go second specifically for the bonus Toxic damage.  Now that's all well and good.  Where the stupid comes in is when I remembered Sycamore has Impervious.  I tried the Five Stats -3 condition.  It worked!  I can't say it didn't work!  But oh my god.  Janine really needs to be on her dodge game for this to succeed.  It's a massive problem.  Sycamore did have enough power behind his attacks to get the stage cleared, even if it takes three shots to take out left side.

Vs. Bertha I think the last time I used Solarbeam Silver was when I first got him like a year and a half ago.  Like, back before events were permanently available.  And you know what?  This actually works out pretty great.  Solarbeam deals pretty solid damage, I'm kinda surprised.  It did involve the stage condition powering up special attacks, but still.  It also means Roxanne gets to participate, which is my favorite thing.  She's so helpful.  Blaine needs his third application of Sun on sync, as well as the big benefit of Flabbergast.  I'm serious.  Confusing the sides is a big deal.  You can do a lot with a good confuse activation.

Vs. Lorelei I saved Lorelei for last, anticipating something really stupid.  Sycamore stall under HP conditions.  Sycamore survives basically anything that isn't a one-shot, and while Lorelei has gradual healing after sync, this can be offset with Stomp Flinch.  Brawly has Potions for him and Blue, and most critically, debuffs defense.  In a sustained match, Brawly is fantastic for this, and Sycamore was pumping out around 11k per Horn Leech by the end of the fight.  Shame his sync didn't matter because of Standard Damage Reduction, but nothing's perfect.  Blue and Brawly did drop near the end, but Sycamore didn't even come close.  Fun fact, I also brought Five Stats -3.  Sycamore has Impervious, and his sync move offsets the debuffs, while Blue powers up defense with trainer move.

Vs. Serena UUUUGH.  Okay.  First attempt, I wanted to go Gardenia/Rosa/Tech Ninetales.  This has been a historically sound team.  There are issues, but Gardenia is able to OHKO sides just fine, when provided with the right parameters.  Except now she can't.  Even when really stacking the deck in her favor, including the stage effect to boost special damage, Gardenia did not OHKO the sides.  She didn't even really come close.  They have over 10k HP, even with only Strength +3.  There is no possible way for Gardenia to take them out, and because AoE spam is cheating, the team drops far too easily.  Impossible, could not be done.  Which means no one is left, because I assure you, BP Erika is not about to DPS.  Or sync all that well.  Also Serena debuffs special attack per hit and I thought Sunny Disposition would fix this but GUESS NOT

Which just goes to show the importance of stall.  One good stall team can swing an entire event.  I'm tellin ya, kids, invest in stall.  Stocks are high, and they're only gettin higher.  BP Clemont, BP Erika, and Janine are completely F2P within the stated bounds, and they are fantastic.

Final Thoughts Not to continue harping on stall, but like...Stall was easier than trying this.  I know this was F2P, and I'm limiting some obvious tools, but even so.  It's wild how powerful stall is now.  That said, Grass is a pretty solid type for these on-type clears.  There's a lot of Grass-type damage, especially with Sycamore and Silver present to really complement the natural Grass-types.  I feel like the other types are going to be tougher.  Water's about the only one that really stands a chance, but since the champion is a Neo Champion, Water is one of the types that cannot possibly be the weakness, so we'll see how the next one goes.

The sad part is, had I done this in a different order, it might have been cleared on offense. But by the time I realized Gardenia wasn't up to the task, it was too late, and I really do not want to do this again. So, this is what we get.

[anthonysstupiddailyblog]

Anthony’s Stupid Daily Blog (379): Fri 31st Mar 2023

Nice lie in this morning then off to explore LA. We’ve got all the main stuff (Hollywood Sign, Beverly Hills etc) coming up in a few days but today we decided to travel down the Sunset Strip and explore some highlights. I had a breakfast burrito at a diner half an hour away from our hotel which was really nice and then on our way to the strip we passed the Church of Scientology and I decided to convert…convert the breakfast burrito to a big pile of shit that is. Dad needed the toilet in the way from the diner to the strip so I told him to go into the church of Scientology and tell them he’s always wondered about the big questions about life in the universe and thinks the answer might be Scientology but ask that before he do the test if he be allowed to use the toilet then just fuck off. My first stop on the trip was the legendary Whisky A Go Go where Jim Morrison and The Doors got their first big break. Ideally I would have liked to go in but it’s only open during the evening and you need to take a punt on seeing a band that may turn out to be shit. Just being outside it on the same sidewalk Morrison probably passed out drunk on was enough for me though. I took out my bucket list and crossed “California” off while it was pressed against the Whisky to give it extra significance. Next we popped down the street to the Rainbow which was the site of Marilyn Monroe and Jo DiMaggio’s first date and a favourite hangout spot of Lemmy from Motörhead. We got a few non-alcoholic beers and had a cheers to Lemmy. We had tickets to go and see him in concert before he passed away but going to see this place feels like we made up for it. I was hoping that my mutton chops would draw a few comparisons to Lemmy from the other punters but sadly no one even looked at me twice. Finally we walked down the street to check out he legendary Viper Room where River Phoenix tragically died and Kevin Craggs tragically did not. I thought about getting my picture take while I was on the floor pretending to overdose but decided that this would be in poor taste (knowing my luck Joaquin Phoenix would stroll past while I was doing it and probably get all offended and shit). I finished the day feeling that I had definitely experienced California properly compared to the last time I was here in 2013 at the conclusion of my Route 66 adventure where I left my hotel once and then slept for the rest of the trip. I think you’d need a full month here to really get the full California experience but the cool shit I saw today plus the guided tour of the city as well as Mania and the Lakers game will be more than enough for me.

[jjkxla]

masterlist

⇻ a/n: hello! It’s been a while... Anyways, I’m gonna be reposting all my work again, if I’ve revised anything I’ll point it out on my author’s note, and all that. Hopefully I’ll be reuploading them weekly, going from my oldest to my newest. in the meantime, thank you for checking this out. Until then, this master list will be under construction.

Seokjin

⇻ rock that boat. (m).

⇻ summary: In the midsts of quarantine and your boyfriend’s tour being cancelled, the little trip back to the riverside he and his friends plan provides you with a perfect opportunity to spend more time with him without hiding your relationship, but what seokjin wants is just to sit and fish undisturbed for hours.

Yoongi

⇻ camellia. (m)

⇻ summary: After the world found out the lies SHIELD, no, HYDRA spread around the world Yoongi escapes as the wanted assassin by all nations. The Winter Soldier. He manages to settle in an old HYDRA safe house, hoping it is enough to keep him safe for a few weeks as he traces his next step. Yet his plans are completely derailed when meeting you.

⇻ new beginnings. (m)

⇻ summary: The beauty and bright colors in your relationship are starting to fade and fall like autumn leaves, and seeing the man you’ve loved for so long brings a bitter taste in your mouth as you both try to salvage the feeling there once was.

⇻ mint lace. (m)

⇻ summary: Seeing your boyfriend was a rare treat, and in a spur of courage you got tickets to finally visit him after months, what happens right after was something straight out of your dirtiest fantasies.

Hoseok

⇻ wonderland. (m)

⇻ summary: Out of sheer luck you decide to enter a raffle to one of the biggest events held by the BDSM club you went to from time to time, but who would’ve guessed you were paired up with the legendary Jung Hoseok.

First part in the Wonderland Chronicles

Namjoon

⇻ devil in me. (m)

⇻ summary: Bound to a wedding you don’t want, you run away, run into the river, to the woods, and wanting to finally achieve the freedom you’ve wished for your whole life you pray to God, to any god, to make your wish, but you should never pray to those who only answer after dark.

⇻ espanta-pussy. (m)

⇻ summary: Lately in the dorms there has been a growing suspicion of a perv that is stealing the underwear inside the building. And this is the last thing you're thinking about when hooking up with your crush for the past two months, until you spot the red lacy underwear you considered lost after doing your laundry hanging to dry in his apartment.

Jimin

⇻ night in.

⇻ summary: Jimin crashes at your place after practice and ends up staying all night with you.

⇻ peachy. (m)

⇻ summary: You and Jimin get an idea to bet over who wins a mario kart match, which implies waxing the hairs off the loser's bum.... High stakes, and this is literally just porn. Enjoy.

⇻ tea party. (m)

⇻ summary: You receive a mysterious letter from Wonderland's Red Queen, in it are instructions for an exclusive event, one that implies selling yourself for the night to the highest bidder. Lucky for you, two of Wonderland's biggest kinksters are searching for a third person for a night.

Part three of the Wonderland Chronicles

⇻ try me. (m)

⇻ links: tumblr masterlist. ao3.

⇻ summary: Your quiet, private neighbors has never caused any trouble, any loud sounds, nothing at all; you haven’t ever really seen him around others. Until something odd happens in your apartment and you end up helping him.

Taehyung

⇻ devil in me. (m)

⇻ summary: Bound to a wedding you don’t want, you run away, run into the river, to the woods, and wanting to finally achieve the freedom you’ve wished for your whole life you pray to God, to any god, to make your wish, but you should never pray to those who only answer after dark.

⇻ Matcha lattes, unfinished letters, velvet cuffs… (m)

⇻ links: tumblr. ao3.

⇻ summary: Taehyung and Vogue work abroad for his next photoshoot, but he uses this longtime break he is also in to bring his well known friends on this trip overseas into the French landscapes. The reader, happily taking this chance to spend more time with him, enjoys a well deserved vacations by being tied on Taehyung’s bed.

⇻ short embrace.

⇻ summary: Taehyung comes home and finds you asleep, as tired as he is, he crawls into bed with you and share a brief intimate moment between the two of you.

⇻ tea party. (m)

⇻ summary: You receive a mysterious letter from Wonderland's Red Queen, in it are instructions for an exclusive event, one that implies selling yourself for the night to the highest bidder. Lucky for you, two of Wonderland's biggest kinksters are searching for a third person for a night.

Part three of the Wonderland Chronicles

Jungkook

⇻ bewitched. (m)

⇻ summary: You got home to a small house-in date you had programed with your long-time boyfriend that involved wine and pizza, but as soon as you stepped foot inside the living room some strange sounds made you forget all about it.

⇻ blueberry pancakes. (m)

⇻ summary: Your boyfriend didn’t live in the usual place other people did, in fact he wasn’t any type ‘normal’. Jungkook was actually a vampire, and as such hated the big cities. So waking up and having breakfast in his cabin always felt comforting, and sometimes got quite fun.

⇻ cotton candle. (m)

⇻ summary: Life was sometimes very difficult, and after a really long day all you really crave was a hot bath, but when your boyfriend gets home and joins you for a bath water definitely gets spilled.

⇻ down the rabbit hole. (m)

⇻ links: tumblr masterlist. ao3.

⇻ summary: Jungkook leaves a long relationship, doubting himself over issues that he can’t seem to control up until his best friends drag him down into Wonderland, a secret and vast BDSM community, the place where he meets and falls for you.

Part two of the Wonderland Chronicles.

⇻ my time. (m)

⇻ summary: It was the first time your boyfriend, Jeon Jungkook, was performing his solo song My Time, and it's good to say you certainly didn't expect such a show, nor did you expect the chain of events that followed

⇻ refreshed.

⇻ summary: t'is short, just for fun, but basically fun times punching Jungkook’s abs.

⇻ the swan’s death. (m)

⇻ summary: After getting scouted by one of the biggest contemporary circuses there is: BigHit Entertainment, you are expected to perform the Swan Lake as never before, with the stakes higher than ever. Little did you know, your partner was Jeon Jungkook, and working with him entailed endless hours of practice, flying, and trying not to fall for each other.

⇻ unstable network. 

⇻ links: tumblr. ao3.

⇻ summary: Relationships and romance are hard to maintain, more so when they're long distance and have no clear indication of when you'll finally see each other again. You think of all the perfect scenarios, of them finally showing up at the door. But that's just all in your head. Fuck love.

⇻ ukiyo.

⇻ summary: You get home after a long shift at work, back to your and your boyfriend's apartment with pizza.

[headingalaxys-spicy]

hello! do you have any headcanons for yandere japan and germany stalking a celebrity s/o? (you can also just do one if that’s better for you)

Fam.

JAPAN IS A FUCKING MASTER OF STALKING.

And where the whole term ‘Yandere’ came from.

🌸Mate he can get like IG level of epic photos all while stalking his celebrity S/O so good that even the paparazzi would even pay him for some of the shots that he’s able to capture that no one else seems to be able to.

🌸Whatever S/O is wearing he will get a perverted picture of some kind. Crotch shot, up skirt, you name it he probably scored a picture of it.

🌸Somehow he did manage to steal a lock of you hair without you noticing.

🌸Most definitely has scrolled through all of your Twitter, IG, Pinterest, TikTok etc both official and unofficial. Hell the man’s has scoured the deeper part of the internet that have fallen out of favor. Like MySpace, DeviantArt, when you were a kid.

🌸Has drawn his own fan art of you from one of his favorite photoshoots you did when you collaborated with another famous designer & artist. He went head over heels for you. Seeing you in the lingerie…. oh the poor man had a nosebleed that was so bad he had to go to the hospital.

I guess you can say his heart went ドキドキ

“Oh Y/N I can’t wait for you to be mine.”

Yandere! Germany

🌹Has watched and rewatched all of your shows, tv appearances you’ve had on talk shows, collected magazines, cameos, tv adds, he’s bought all of your merchandise and even fan merchandise that features you. He’s even commissioned a few artists to draw him with you. When I say Germany is down bad. I MEAN HE IS DOWN BAD.

🌹He will stalk all of your social media just like Japan however he’s prone to having a favorite videos of you that’s he’s taken himself and official ones he bought and watch them incessantly. Depending on him mood will dictate which he’ll decide to watch. Like when he’s feeling frisky he’ll watch the videos that the media has taken of you in nothing but your swim attire. Or if he’s feeling more sad he’s inclined to watch you sing your heart out on your audition tape that you submitted before you became the legendary Popstar that you are now.

“Oh Y/N someday you’ll notice me.”

🌹Has most definitely bought an extremely expensive VIP ticket to your sold out show that was in a completely different county. He will do anything he can get close to you. And since your famous that makes the task somewhat difficult. But Germany is one determined nation.

“I will be able to see my darling Y/N!”

🌹He will woo you at one of the many meet and greets that you’ve had after your show. It gets to a point where he REALLY hates seeing you being adored and others being around you soaking up attention the should solely be his.

🌹He strikes up a deal with his boss and he agreed to try and book you for a ‘private’ session. And to his luck it works. Your manager agreed to let you play at his small event. Little did you know Germany is willing to go to great lengths to have you. Even if that means you’ll never be able to play for anyone else ever again.

[therosewoods]

Måneskin One Night Only Live at the Roxy - November 1, 2021

In which I ramble on about seeing my favorite band live *** absolutely not a professional review just me being a stan ***

Like most American Måneskin fans, I found the band through Eurovision. In fact, I found them through their interview with NikkieTutorials in the Eurovision Look Lab. In the six months since watching that video, I've fallen head over heels for them. They are one of the most enthralling, passionate bands I've ever witnessed.

Måneskin consists of four best friends from Rome, Italy, who formed the band in high school. Bassist Victoria de Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, singe Damiano David, and drummer Ethan Torchio. Their love of music, dedication to their craft, and respect for each other have catapulted them onto the world stage after half a decade of hard work.

It's the kind of story you hear in movies about legendary rockstars who pour their souls into their work and come out on top of the world as a result. When I learned that they were my age (early 20s), I couldn't believe it. They seem so much older and more mature than your average 20-year-olds. It's like they were born to do what they do, and they probably were. Yet, if you follow their social media pages or watch interviews with them, it is easy to see that they're still kids excited about life, just like other people our age. They're well-spoken and serious about their craft, yet they never let their success take away who they are.

I've been going to shows for over half my life, and I can confidently say that I've never experienced one as intense and captivating as this one. When an exclusive one-night-only show was announced for LA, I knew I was going no matter what. I got up super early the day tickets went on sale and waited in the online queue for hours, only to be shown a pop-up that tickets sold out a mere two minutes after they were released. I had no idea how big the Roxy was, and when I learned that it was a 500 capacity venue, I knew that the fight for tickets was going to be ruthless. Refusing to give up hope, I went on any and all ticket resale websites, eventually lucking out on StubHub.

The day of the show was a complete whirlwind as I begged time to move faster. It was my first time in Los Angeles, and I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, I made my flight and got to my hotel with absolutely no issues. I was a fifteen-minute walk away from the Roxy, so I put on my best outfit and was on my way. When I made it to the venue, it was five p.m., four hours before doors, five and a half hours before the show began, and I was maybe the 60th person in line. I took my seat and waited anxiously; It had been a long time since I'd been in the pit at a show and I knew that Må would not disappoint.

During the wait, groups of fans began to trickle in, and slowly we all became friends. I met a man from Italy studying in San Francisco who had driven down for the show; a mom and her daughter from France; two sisters from Armenia; and a family who would give me a ride back to my hotel that night. We were all from diverse backgrounds, coming from far and wide to see this show. Occasionally, some of us would get up to get food or something to drink while the rest would hold their spot. A group of girls brought a pride flag that they passed around for everyone in line to sign for the band. Another thing to love about Må is that they foster a very healthy and positive fan environment. I never felt unsafe or judged around the people I was with, which stuck very true to the band's "stay true to yourself" message.

When we finally got inside, the group I was with stuck together and made it to the third row. Behind us, more people slowly began to trickle in. Anticipation filled the room, the seconds until it hit 9:30 ticking by excruciatingly slow. The crowd chanted the band's name, and soon the lights went out.

The rest was chaos but in the best way. The band came on stage and immediately launched into my favorite song, In Nome Del Padre off of their album Teatro d'Ira. The crowd surged forward, our bodies pressed together as we all tried to get as close as possible to the stage. Everyone in the group had the most gorgeous makeup and outfits, all featuring pieces from the Gucci Aria collection, which they're currently brand ambassadors for. The energy in the room was palpable and with the stage so close, I couldn't take my eyes away from it. Thomas and Damiano stood five feet in front of me and I could have almost touched them any time they reached out over the crowd. On the other side, Victoria looked amazing, exuding every ounce of the badass energy I wish I had.

The room was electric throughout the entire show; everyone in the room knew that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience we were sharing. Må played all the hits, from Zitti e Buoni, which was surreal to hear live knowing that it was the song that launched them to stardom, to I Wanna Be Your Slave, and their latest single, Mammamia. Additionally, they played some of their most popular covers, including Chosen, their chart-topping rendition of Beggin', and I Wanna Be Your Dog.

None of them missed a single note, and if they did, their stage presence was too mesmerizing for anyone to notice. It was absolutely fascinating to see the way they interact with each other while doing what they love on stage, pouring their hearts and bodies into every moment of it as the glitter on their faces caught the lights in just the right way.

The audience pushed and pulled in waves, everyone desperate to catch a glimpse of the stars on stage, and when both Damiano and Thomas stage dived at various points during the performance, we were there to catch them. When Damiano poured his water directly onto our heads and then threw the bottle into the crowd, we all fought to be the one to catch it. Everyone was just swapping sweat, pressed right on top of each other. At some point, I got pushed so hard forward that I ended up in the front row.

During the last song, Lividi Sui Gomiti, Damiano called fans up on the stage. Quickly, I ran towards the stage and pulled myself up. Someone stepped on my hand, another person pushed me forward, and to my left, I heard Damiano and a security guard tell people to stop coming up, the stage was at capacity. Afraid of getting kicked off, I went to the back in front of Ethan's drum set, where one of the girls I was talking to in line was standing. Ethan gave us a polite smile and a hello while Damiano spoke to those of us on stage.

Things felt like a blur after that. I can't remember the words he said, but I remember looking out at the people watching from the floor and being in disbelief that any of this was happening. The drumbeat was the loudest thing around me and the only thing I was aware of. In the few moments when I wasn't fully losing my mind, I turned around to watch Ethan play and it was such an awe-inspiring thing to witness. Like the rest of the band, he poured his blood, sweat, and tears into his instrument and never faltered for a second. Being able to watch him from six feet away was an incredible honor and something I'll never forget.

Once the song was over, the band walked off and we were all escorted off stage by security. Somehow, I found the family I was with earlier in line and we made our way to the back to wait for the encore. After a few minutes, the band returned to the stage for another go of I Wanna Be Your Slave. Someone from the audience threw a pair of devil horns on stage, and ever the frontman, Damiano put them on and played up the act. He walked to the side of the stage and down the steps we'd just walked down to get off a few minutes prior. A security guard helped him stand on the ledge of a wall in front of side seating where celebrities, producers, managers, and other industry professionals sat. When the crowd turned to face him, he had everyone press close together before jumping into the audience one last time. When they caught him, the crowd moved him towards the stage again, where he joined the rest of the band for their final bow.

Walking out of the venue into the cool LA air felt like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. Everything about this band is electrifying, addictive, breathtaking, and being able to see them at their second-ever US gig is one of the most surreal things I've ever experienced. As they continue to take over the world, they will probably never play in a venue that small again. It was fate that I was one of the lucky 500 people able to see them that night.

I have plans to see them at Rock Am Ring next summer, possibly Lollapalooza Paris, and of course the next time they come to the states. However, this gig will forever live on in my heart and mind as one of the best I've ever been to.

[jinkicake]

What Happens When You Ignore Ushijima Wakatoshi

Note to self, Ushijima always craves your attention during a game.

Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader

Here you go Anon~ I hope this is good and filthy enough! I’m not that really good at writing long-ish fics because I have trouble tying in all the pieces together. There might be some typos, hopefully not, but I can only go over my words so many times LOL. Yeah, long story short, Ushijima makes me go feral. PLUS FERAL! 

This contains SPOILERS. Nothing too much just timeskip manga stuff, mainly Schweiden Adlers.

THIS HAS 1.5K WORDS OF SMUT // NSFW 

WC- 2,709

~~~

“You’re going to do great, Wakatoshi!” You encourage your boyfriend as the two of you walk through the gym. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here for you the entire time, okay?” Ushijima tries to hide the smile on his face but is unable to do so when your lips peck his cheek.

“Thank you (Y/N),” He leans into your touch and you reach up to run your fingers through his hair, smoothing it out to perfection.

“I’ll be in my usual spot, okay?” You tell him and Ushijima nods, already knowing where you sit in the arena, his fingers pinch the identical jersey you have on that matches his own. With one last kiss, Ushijima heads off to the locker room.

You turn around after deciding to head to one of the merchandise booths to see if you can find anything to send to Ushijima’s mother but, much to your luck, you run right into the chest of someone very familiar. You pull back and notice the thick black curls and legendary mask on his face.

“Yo, Omi-omi?” You gasp in shock at your old classmate, not at all expecting to see him here. “What are you doing here? Did you come with Komori?” You look around for his cousin and Sakusa simply takes in the jersey you have on.

“You’ve always been a big fan of Wakatoshi, haven’t you?” He teases and you narrow your eyes up at him as he brings up your old high-school crush who, luckily, became your boyfriend after Sakusa pulled some strings.

“It’s been like five months since we’ve last seen each other and that’s the first thing you say to me?” You scoff and gently punch his shoulder, remembering all the times you two spent together at Itachiyama. “How have you been? I’ve been watching some of your games.”

The two of you talk for a while and you eventually invite him back to your seats.

“I always have Wakatoshi score me an extra ticket in case my friend wants to come or something,” You explain and Sakusa refrains from rolling his eyes.

“You simply use Wakatoshi for his power, don’t you?” He asks and you cross your arms over your chest.

“No, I don’t. I very much love my Wakatoshi.” You tell him honestly and your eyes fall on your boyfriend, Ushijima glances over at you and a large smile appears on your face when you wave at him.

“He was looking at me.” Sakusa leans back into his chair and you have to hold yourself back from tackling him, his teasing competitive nature getting the best of him. “Ah, Kageyama?” He scoffs and you glance at your old friend and then back at the setter. Sakusa looks over at you. “You know him?”

“Mmm, not really. I’ve bumped into him like once or twice, he seems nice?” You really don’t know what to think about Kageyama, you don’t know much about him.

“You remember our second-year when Wakatoshi wasn’t able to come to nationals because his team got beat?” Sakusa asks and you nod, you were really butthurt back then. “That was Kageyama’s team.”

“Oh, really? And now, they’re teammates?” You gasp and Sakusa nods. “That’s so weird, they seem like they get along though.” Out of the corner of your eye, you glance at your old friend. “You jealous of Kageyama? That he gets to play with Wakatoshi and you don’t?”

That comment sparked a long argument filled with bickering between the two of you and before you know it, the second set had begun. Not that you noticed, you were too busy catching up with an old friend.

Ushijima noticed, he watched you the entire time. He watched every interaction, every laugh that left your lips, every time you touched Sakusa, and it made him spike the ball much harder than he needed to. Kageyama simply looks at Hoshiumi with a raised brow and the wing spiker motions to where you are sitting, it still doesn’t make sense to Kageyama. What do you have to do with how Ushijima plays?

The Schweiden Adlers still win, not that it comes as a surprise to anyone, especially when it is an early match in the season like this one is.

Ushijima, in his dense head, manages to push down how he is feeling. The feeling of frustration over how you didn’t look at him once while he was playing. He is whole-heartedly jealous even if he doesn’t realize it. When he finally leaves the locker room he is rudely awakened. There you are waiting for him like normal, but this time you are with someone else.

You are still talking with Sakusa.

“Wakatoshi! Look who I found!” You excitedly grab his arm and bring him toward your old friend. Ushijima notes with an irritated expression that you don’t congratulate him on the match or praise him like you usually do.

“Wakatoshi.” Sakusa greets, subtly nodding his head and Ushijima does the same. Except, he even refuses to acknowledge Sakusa past that. You notice the tense air rather quickly and try your best to smooth it over.

“We should all go out to eat, Sakusa already has a place in mine, it’ll be fun.” You tell him, trying to warm Ushijima up to the idea while at the same time calm his anger down. You don’t understand why he is so upset.

“I will just meet you at home.” Ushijima stiffens and coldly disregards you, breaking from your grasp, he sends Sakusa one last nod before walking off.

“I should check on him.” You sigh and turn back to Sakusa. “I’m sorry, rain check, you still have my number right?” Sakusa nods and you send him a sympathetic smile before running off to where Ushijima went.

Thankfully, you catch up to your boyfriend rather quickly, you find Ushijima right outside the subway next to the arena.

“Wakatoshi, wait!” You call and grab onto his arm when you get the chance. Ushijima glances at you once before going back to looking straight ahead of him, he is clearly ignoring you. “What’s wrong?” Your question is met with nothing.

When you finally get back to your apartment, Ushijima heads straight to the bedroom as he still ignores you. You quietly take off your coat and put away your bag before following him.

It’s quite the surprise that you find him laying on the bed, already watching playbacks from the game on his phone, usually, he does this later at night.

“What’s wrong?” You ask again and Ushijima finally turns to you and you can practically see the anger swimming in his eyes.

“Why do you even go to my games if you are not going to watch?” He asks and you raise a brow at him. You softly shut your eyes before taking a deep breath.

“I was watching, I always watch you, what are you talking about?” You press, not liking his sudden change in attitude, at the same time you take off your annoying jeans. All that you are left in is his large jersey and your panties, your socks already flung elsewhere. 

“All I saw was you watching Sakusa.” He glares and you click your tongue, trying your hardest not to scoff. Deep down you realize, he’s just jealous. 

“Shouldn’t you be paying attention to the court and not me, Wakatoshi? It’s my job to watch you.” You tease and poke his nose, Ushijima’s face doesn’t falter. “Are you really that upset?” You ask as you climb onto the bed. “Wakatoshi, I’m sorry, you know I love you right?” 

Ushijima simmers in his frustration and goes back to his phone. You heave a sigh and take your underwear off, leaving his jersey to be the last thing that leaves your body.

“Let me make it up to you Wakatoshi,” You gently cup his cheek and climb onto his lap, from where you rest on his hips you can see how upset he is and your cheeks puff out in frustration. You try to kiss him but Ushijima dodges your lips and instead tightly grips your hips, his phone now forgotten.

“On your knees.” You cautiously look up at your boyfriend but still drop to your knees obediently, shuffling down in-between his legs. Your innocent eyes nearly make him groan, there is nothing innocent with what he is about to do with you. Ushijima palms his clothed cock and audibly grunts when your smaller hands take over for him. Your hands run along his strong, muscular thighs while purposely skimming over his most sensitive parts. With another look up at him you see his olive eyes already staring back at you, you know you have to get to work. Slowly you pull at the waistband of his shorts, bringing them down his thighs while every so often looking back up at him to check for his reaction. 

Ushijima’s hard cock slaps up against his stomach and you bite your lip at the thoughts coursing through your head, just the sight makes butterflies wind up in your stomach. You lean forward and place a single peck on the head of his cock before taking him into your mouth. The pace you have set is slow as you let yourself adjust to having his large length inside of your mouth. Ushijima sighs and tips his head back when you run your tongue along the underside of his dick, your warm mouth sucking him in feels heavenly.

He needs more.

You glance at his hands fisting your hair before looking up at him, Ushijima only stares blankly down at you. He gently cups your cheek while gently stroking the skin with his thumb before he continues.

“I am going to fuck your face.”

You have to appreciate the warning, you gently pull off of him and let yourself take a deep breath before taking him in again. Ushijima guides you along his length, setting the pace to which you bob your head up and down to take him down your throat. Your nose brushes against his pubes and you gag loudly once it finally registers just how deep he is inside of you. Your nails pinch his thighs as you try to keep up with his pace. The only thing keeping you going is hearing his moans and praises.

“Such a good girl sucking me off like this, so good.” Ushijima grunts, tightening the grip he has on your hair. The jealous from before is still resting in his belly, even when he has you like this, he’s still pissed. “You can take more.”

A loud guttural moan echo throughout the room once you swallow around him, one of your hands trails down to toy with his balls. You do anything to distract yourself from the ache in your jaw and the lack of oxygen you’re suffering from. One glance down at you and Ushijima can tell it all, he gently pulls you off of him and stares at you as you rest on his muscular thigh.

You cough lightly before sending him a wobbly smile, ensuring that everything is still okay. He can’t make you deep-throat him again, as good as it feels, Ushijima won’t allow it. Instead, he pumps his length right beside your face as you continue to massage his balls. His hand speeds up and you watch with dark eyes as he finishes all over your chest and chin, coating you in his cum.

You stare up at him with your mouth agape slightly, you’re in disbelief that he came all over you.

“I’m not done with you yet.” Ushijima pulls you back up into his lap, your legs spread wide on either side of his thighs. You can feel his length hardening against your hip and you can’t even comprehend how fast everything is moving. Before you know it, you’re flipped onto your back with Ushijima towering over you. He pulls your legs over him with your knees bent towards your chest.

Ushijima drags the tip of his cock along your slit, pressing into your clit to get you squirming.

“You don’t get to enjoy this,” He tells you and you can’t help the way you pout at him. Ushijima leans forward to place a single kiss on your forehead before thrusting inside of you, completely bottoming out and not even giving you the chance to adjust. His hips slowly pick up the pace, thrusting into you all at once.

“I’m going to stuff you full,” Ushijima growls, his low voice rings in your ear. “you like that? Having my cum drip out of your little cunt?” His hips slam into yours harshly and your lips fall open in a silent moan. Your back arches as you thrust your chest into the air and Ushijima takes no time in sucking one of your nipples into his mouth. “No one else can fuck you like I do.”

His thick fingers move quickly against your swollen clit, rolling the bud against his digits while his cock drills into you. Ushijima is able to get so deep inside of you, especially when he has your knees bent like this. His balls hit your ass with every thrust and the sting makes tears prick in your eyes. He is being so rough and you absolutely love it.

“Cum now, right now or you do not get to cum at all,” Ushijima commands, his eyes narrowing down at your fucked out figure. His hips stutter slightly when he notices the way your eyes are half shut and your tongue is peaking out past your lips, you look so ruined. When he zones in on his cum splayed on your chest, he can’t help himself anymore. “I said to fucking cum.” His fingers pinch your clit and you sob at the feeling, his other hand moves from your ass up to your throat. As his fingers move up your body he tweaks your other nipple, roughly fondling your breast, before cupping your throat.

Ushijima squeezes the sides of your neck as his frustration continues to grow.

“Why aren’t you cumming? Do you think someone else can fuck you better?” He snaps and your lips fall into a pout, his insecurities are getting the best of him.

“Only you can fuck me like this Wakatoshi, I love you,” You hiccup and each thrust causes your breath to hitch as loud moans spill past your lips. “I-I don’t want it to be over.” Fat tears roll down your face and Ushijima feels his heart stop, he seriously can’t get enough of you.

“I fuck you every night, pump you full with my cum and you still are greedy for more?” At one harsh snap of his wrist, your hips rise up to meet his thrust and you come undone. An unfamiliar feeling washes over you and before you can even process it, you’re squirting all over his cock. Your essences coats his abdomen and his thighs, his cock, the sight makes Ushijima fall onto his forearms.

Despite your orgasm, he still fucks you with purpose. He still uses you as if you are a toy to get his own personal fill. His lips suck deep bruises into your neck and your eyes flutter shut as you focus on his grunts, his groans, how rough and animalistic they sound.

“You’re mine, you know that?” Ushijima asks, his hips speeding up even quicker to chase his own release. “Mine.” You’ve never heard your boyfriend talk like this before and it sends your heart into a frenzy.

“All yours, Wakatoshi.” You moan quietly into his ear and Ushijima’s hips still against yours, he completely bottoms out inside you as he finally comes undone. His cum paints the inside of your walls and after a few moments, he shallowly thrusts experimentally inside of you as he pushes his cum even deeper into your cunt.

You watch with your mouth agape as he pulls out of you, his spent cock falls limp against his muscular thigh. Ushijima brings his fingers to your lower lips, pushing the cum back to your entrance before thrusting two of his fingers inside of you.

“Take it all, I don’t want you to waste a single drop.”

~

Taglist.

@yams046 @why-am-i-sad-and-sleepy @xhanjisungiex @xxashshs @chaosamu @angelkogane @augustdearly @kunimwuah  @littleshopoflove @osamuonigiri @pearzuko @darksxder @macaronnv @nerdygremlin @buzzybeebee

[decembermoonskz]

OMG CONGRATS ON GETTING THE TICKETS 💜💜💜 i’m so happy you got them you’re going to have such a good time!!

also it’s great that you’ve finished up the heesung fic!! also oooh new pokémon trailer 👀 interesting hehe

thank you! my mom is the ticket wizard yet again 😤😤 I know we’re both gonna have great times bc they’re so entertaining 👏🏼👏🏼 I’m missing their last tour honestly, it’s crazy it’s been so long. sending all my love and luck to you to get the ticket you want clove!! 💜

oh no no no I have not finished it but I did end up writing a pretty good idea of how I want it to conclude 😂🙏🏼 I hope I can finish it soon tho it’s a really good one! 😤😤

yesssss Pokémon!! 👀👀✨✨ I honestly recommend watching the trailer even if you don’t play just because everything they showed was so great! plus the new box art legendaries are amazing 😭😭😭 koraidon is my new big boy (I’m such a sucker for reptiles and reptile Pokémon)

[beyond-the-mirror]

Music of the Night (V x Reader)

Chapter 7 is finally here! As I have mentioned a couple posts ago I am going to focus solely on this story for the time being. I will try my best to update at least once per week so stay tuned.

Warnings: A little angst in a few parts.

Tagging: @thedyingmoon​ @minteyeddemon​ @vampiregirl1797​

If you wish to be tagged in this story let me know in the comments.

………………….

Chapter 7: Nightingale in the Cage

“So Bishop, would you mind explaining to us the reason you decided to become a patron for the Opera house?”

“Oh not at all.” Sanctus took a deep breath before speaking again. “As you may have heard in the local news, an estranged brother of mine passed away some time ago, may his soul rest in peace. Days later I received a visit from his lawyer, apparently he had accumulated quite the fortune and his testament determined that I would be the sole heir of all his possessions and shares.” The Bishop made a brief pause, the death of his brother still weighing down his heart. “I actually have no need for such a large sum of money, which is why I only kept a modest enough amount for me and decided to donate the rest in favor of the conservation of the arts.”

“A rather noble cause indeed Bishop, our sincerest apologies for your loss.” Monsieur Andre added.

“Thank you for your condolences. All my life I’ve considered myself to be an admirer of the fine arts. There’s nothing I wouldn’t love more than to finance Fortuna’s famous Opera House and support the careers of its many skilled artists.”

“And we shall be forever grateful for your patronage bishop.” Monsieur Firmin mentioned before lifting his champagne glass. “Let’s have a toast for the future of Fortuna’s Opera House.”

“For the future of this new society.” Raoul finished before the men raised their glasses together in glee. The vicomte, however, seemed to have a sense of sadness in his eyes that he hid all too well from everybody. How he wished to spend more time with you, but didn’t find you at the party.

Maybe you were too exhausted to attend and went home instead? Whatever it was, he wished you were okay.

………………….

‘The newest play from Fortuna’s Theatre Company, Hannibal, has been critically acclaimed by specialized press, scoring an impressive average of 4.6 out of 5 stars’

‘The exquisite acting and choreography are to be praised. However, its most prominent figure is the miraculous voice of the main singer, who has replaced iconic soprano Carlotta Guidicelli as the protagonist.’

‘Step down Carlotta! A new queen has arrived and the spotlight is all hers!’

‘In a shocking turn of events, Signora Carlotta Guidicelli, believed to be the company's successor to legendary soprano Kyrie Eleison, has been overshadowed by a new rising talent. A humble fortunian songstress by the name of (Y/N) (Y/L/N).’

‘(Y/N) (Y/L/N). The break-through songstress that has captivated the audience’s hearts. Is this the birth of a brand new star?’

Reviews, articles and blog posts about the company’s new soprano spread around the internet like wildfire, every single one focusing on the same subject: The mysterious soprano that took Fortuna by surprise and dethroned 'La Carlota’ herself.

The girl had become the theatre’s own Venus and Aphrodite, a muse that inspired all the souls touched by her melodious voice. A nightingale turned human, an angel descended to Earth.

But as her performances continued and her fame grew, a few observant enough would take notice of certain… details regarding her.

The truth behind this? A sinister shadow was tormenting the theatre’s beloved angel, one that threatened to consume not only her, but everything around.

………………….

“I refuse to accept this!” Carlotta stomped her heel on the marbled floor of her lavish bedroom, taking a sip from the almost full glass of wine in her hand.

Ever since that fiasco when she stormed out of the theatre during the rehearsals for ‘Hannibal’, the soprano’s life seemingly started turning for the worse, all because of that girl that once dared to collide with her during rehearsal. She had insisted the dancer had done so on purpose, envious of her great talent.

And now it turns out that dancer is the same one that took her role as the main protagonist! Carlotta felt offended by such a decision, she was a professional while that girl was just a simple amateur

Still, she had to admit this (Y/N) had a gifted voice. What she could not explain is how she managed to perfect her skill to such a high level if she claimed to be an inexperienced singer? As talented as one could be, it takes years of work and practice to master one’s craft, the only explanation she could come up with was that the girl had to have a special tutor, and an exceptional one at that.

But who?

Realizing her glass was already empty, Carlotta hurried to refill it again. She had believed that with Kyrie gone to Broadway, she now had the stage clear for herself to finally shine above everyone else, after all, the only voice above Signora Carlotta could only be that of Fortuna’s legendary songstress herself.

Such hopes were now broken. She had a new competitor, one that was already stealing the spotlights.

As she turned to the broadcast of the company’s most recent play, she huffed when the camera focused on the new main singer. The audience had fallen right into her trap, and now she had them all wrapped around her lithe finger.

“I don’t know what they see in her, she’s nothing special and she’s not that pretty. Especially with those dark circles under her eyes, does she even sleep? Careful girl, you are already losing your youth.” Carlotta snorted before downing her glass of wine.

………………….

“Vicomte Raoul! Bishop Sanctus! We weren’t quite expecting your visit to our Opera House. What can we do for you, gentlemen?”

Messieurs Andre and Firmin almost tripped over their own feet as they hurried to attend the Opera House’s important benefactors. Raoul managed to hide his laughter at their eagerness, while Sanctus simply offered the two a gentle smile.

“Do not worry for us, messieurs. This fine theatre holds so many precious memories of my youth, so I thought it appropriate to drop by and watch the rehearsals take place if you don’t mind us.”

“Oh, not at all Bishop! This way please.”

As the four men approached the hall, a melodious voice resonated through the walls.

“Ah! You are in luck. Our lead singer seems to be on stage right now practicing one of her numbers.” Firmin noted just as he opened the door to the main hall.

Madame Trish was supervising as usual, you stood at the stage performing an aria while Monsieur Reyer directed your voice through the song’s notes. As he took a seat near the stage next to Sanctus, Raoul was mesmerized by your singing figure, the passion and dedication you imprinted on your work palpable and strong enough to touch the hearts of others.

“An utter beauty, isn’t she?” The elder’s voice snapped him out of his trance. As he turned to face Sanctus, he noticed the soft smile and knowing look in his eyes. He gulped, were his feelings that obvious? Then again, Sanctus has seen and learned a lot during the many years of his long life, wisdom comes with age after all.

“Ah! Young love! Perhaps the purest and most innocent of them all.” The bishop gave a hearty chuckle. “Miss (Y/N) is definitely special. Her voice alone holds so much power, enough to make the entire audience bow to her, and yet she still remains humble and authentic.”

Raoul turned his attention back to the stage where you were now conversing with Trish and Reyer about your routine during the number. The vicomte could see what Sanctus meant, you weren’t arrogant or prideful like Carlotta, but rather attentive and open to the feedback and mentoring offered to you.

A smile grazed his lips. He had just met you and already you were taking over his heart and mind.

Still as he observed you going through the song one more time, there was something off that caught his eye. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there. The heave of your chest whenever you ended a verse, the slight trembles of your feet whenever they moved along the lines marked on the stage by Trish. 

You looked… tired? Exhausted, perhaps? No... more like detached.

But you continued the rehearsal with no trouble. Maybe your sudden growing popularity was already taking its toll on you, as well as all the performances you had to do at the theatre. For anyone without experience, such exhaustion is understandable.

In the seat next to him, Bishop Sanctus was also studying you. However, his expression seemed more preoccupied than that of the vicomte. He too had noticed some kind of dark aura looming around you, and he pondered what this could mean for the Opera House’s future, and for his plans too.

………………….

petite.aerette  I can’t believe I finally got to watch #Hannibal. So happy to know the Opera House is on the rise once again. #FortunaOperaHouse #theatre #musical

alya_hyacinth  You saw it live? Girl, I’m jealous!

dramaqueen101  Aaah I was there too! I wish you told me you were going, we could have gone together and have our seats next to each other.

petite.aerette  Sorry! Mom surprised me with our tickets that same morning. Did you see that new singer everyone is talking about? She is awesome! I already love her voice and acting!

dramaqueen101  I know right?! In fact I caught a glimpse of her after the play when she retired to her dressing room. I wanted to go talk to her but it was too crowded and she seemed to be in a rush. However I noticed she looked a bit tired? As if she hadn’t been getting enough sleep.

………………….

Free time had become a luxury for Nico. There was always something to fix, something to supervise, something to check. Whatever breaks she would get, she welcomed them with open arms and relaxed as much as she could before it was back to work again.

It was in one of these breaks when she ran into you, what better way to enjoy some free time than with a dear friend?

But as she approached your figure, Nico took notice of your appearance. Your skin was now as pale as a ghost, your eyes were heavy with sleepiness and dark circles framing them. You looked as if you were about to collapse at any given moment.

“Hey, you alright sugarcube?” Nico’s hands went to your arms by instinct, just in case you were feeling sick and you needed to be rushed to the infirmary. But with a small smile, you tried to ease her worries.

“Couldn’t get much sleep last night, that’s all.”

“Uh huh…” Nico was many things, highly perceptive was one of those. Many have found out the hard way that she was not an easy one to fool. Of course, it was no surprise that she could see right through your words. “Come. Let’s get you some warm tea.”

Stern and maybe a bit harsh, but caring when the situation called for it. That was Nicoletta Goldstein for you. One of the most surprising things about her is that she made the best tea in the world according to the people working at the theatre. 

“This should ease you a bit, honey. Careful, it’s still hot.” As she handed you the small cup, she looked at you with worry in her eyes but didn’t say anything. Instead she waited for you to open up and tell her what was wrong.

You could already picture the almost dead look you must have had. With slightly shaky hands you held onto the porcelain cup, raising it to your lips and gently blowing the steam to cool it down a bit. As a warm earthy flavor filled your taste buds, your body could finally ease up and relax even if just for a little while, granting you a moment of much needed peace.

Still, you didn’t find it in yourself to tell her.

Luckily for you, Nico knew better than to keep insisting. She figured that whatever was worrying you, you weren’t ready to talk about it yet. Nonetheless, she stayed right by your side in a comfortable silence with a cup of tea of her own.

It was a nice and peaceful moment, at least until she was called to check on one of the moving stage props.

And so she excused herself, but not before reminding you that you could always count on her for anything.

What Nico didn’t know, however, was the reason for your silence.

You didn’t tell her because something was forcing you to. 

………………….

Days became weeks. Weeks became months. And soon enough, time itself began to blur.

Ever since that night at his sanctuary, everything felt… off.

You had woken up in your bed, feeling dazed and lightheaded, perhaps the effects of the turmoil from the previous night.

V. The first thing on your mind as soon as you recovered your consciousness was him.

You wanted, no, needed to find him and get some answers. Why did he disappear so many years ago? Why was he hiding his true identity from you?

… What were those black markings scarring his face?

There was just one problem, you didn’t know where exactly was his sanctuary located. The secret passage behind the mirror in your dressing room came to mind, but in order to navigate the underground canals you needed a boat, not to mention that it was easy to get lost in there. Maybe you could ask the authorities for help, but how could you explain your story and make them believe you?

You made your decision on the way to the Opera House. You would start by telling Nico for the moment, you trusted her enough and she often gave the best advice on any matter.

But the moment you spotted her in the distance and tried to approach her, something strange happened.

An unseen force lodged itself in your chest, holding your voice and your heart in a vice grip that burned through your entire body. All the air in your lungs escaped you, and the feeling of daze you felt that morning returned in full force. You tried to scream, call for help, but no sound would come out of your lips. All words died as soon as they left your vocal chords.

You watched Nico leaving after someone required her assistance, and as soon as she disappeared from your line of sight, the pain stopped. As sudden as it had arrived.

You remained frozen in your place, goosebumps raised on your flesh. The moment some sensation came back to your legs, you ran away.

The day continued with relative normalcy, but your mind remained perturbed. And hours later, just as all the scheduled performances had ended for the day, you headed for your dressing room.

Once inside, the mirror opened, and everything went black.

When you opened your eyes, it was already morning the next day. Once again you woke in your bed, feeling as dazed and lightheaded as the day before. But the feeling didn’t go away, and with everyday that passed, it only became worse.

Strangely enough, your performances never faltered once despite the unknown illness weighing you down, almost as if you were doing everything automatically, like a machine following its program. You were thankful for this apparent ability to keep it together, but soon you started feeling detached. It reached a point when you could no longer feel your own body, or the melodic notes leaving your lips. You were no longer living, but rather watching your life unfold itself without any input of your own.

Many times you made an attempt to tell someone, anyone, about this; but you found that every single time you were about to do so, that terrible pain would return until you desisted. Soon, you were conditioned to stay quiet.

One day Nico began noticing your predicament, but by then that obscure force had you under its control already. She was right there, concerned and willing to help. And yet you didn’t dare to speak up.

Panic often filled your mind, hopelessness flooded your soul. You prayed and prayed for this nightmare to stop.

After another successful performance, the last one for the day, you found yourself inside the main dressing room as usual.

And as usual, the mirror opened, letting out the hidden darkness that haunted the Opera House behind everyone’s backs.

………………….

Poor unfortunate Joseph Buquet. 

Ever since that incident with the falling curtain, Nico had him double checking pretty much everything. Every rope, pulley and mechanism had to be meticulously examined in order to prevent another incident like that from happening again. Now he understood why it was such an important and critical matter, the least he wanted was for anybody to be harmed due to a malfunction after all, but his own anxiety over making a mistake and causing another accident was already getting him. The poor man would triple- no, cuadruple check every single detail in an almost paranoid way. Not a single nook or cranny would be left unattended by this dedicated worker.

So it was no surprise that today was especially bad for the nervous Mr. Buquet, for his trusty utility belt had been misplaced, making him search the whole building for his precious tools.

Only after finding his utility belt did Buquet allow himself to feel relieved, a heavy burden lifting off his tired shoulders. He was making his way back to the fly floor when the sound of hurried steps nearby reached his ears, as he turned at a corner he caught a glimpse of you closing the door to your dressing room shut. Noticing the way you entered the room in such a haste, he worried something might have happened to you. Maybe you were feeling sick and needed to rest? These days you had been looking paler than usual, and the man had to admit that seeing you in your current lamentable state tugged at his heartstrings.

Walking to your door, Buquet politely knocked at the wooden surface “Miss (Y/N), is everything alright?” But no answer came back.

He knocked again, this time a bit louder. “Miss (Y/N), are you there?” Again, no answer.

Now he was getting genuinely concerned. He even pressed his ear to the door in an attempt to hear whatever was happening inside, but he found only silence.

“Miss (Y/N) I’m opening the door right now!” Buquet immediately took hold of the knob and slowly cracked it open, merely peeking inside just in case you needed some privacy after all.

The sight that greeted him sent chills to his very bones.

A tall shadowy figure towered at the back of the room, its arms wrapped around your unconscious body in a seemingly possessive manner. Like a ghost, it moved towards the mirror and disappeared with you in its arms.

Buquet stood frozen as his mind tried to process what just happened before him.

He had heard the stories, rumors about an entity that haunted the Opera House. Some workers would mention seeing shadows through the corners of their eyes, others would claim that low growling noises could be heard at the hallways when they were empty enough, and a few would tell how they found strange iridescent blue feathers in the most bizarre locations inside the premises.

His mind pictured the heavy curtain that mysteriously fell on Carlotta. Then, the strange Box Four that always remained unoccupied despite the concierge’s claims about hearing a voice coming from inside.

They called it different names. A poltergeist, a monster, a demon… a Phantom…

But this time they hadn’t moved a prop or taken a simple object with them.

This time, they had taken a person.

………………….

Locked inside one of the restrooms designated for the staff, Mr. Buquet did his best to calm himself down. He had just witnessed the kidnapping of a promising young woman by the hands of an… an entity.

His hands flew to his hair in panic. What could he do? Nobody would believe a phantom had spirited away the company’s Prima Donna!

He… he had to have been hallucinating! Yes, that had to be it. For years the staff has accused the Phantom for all the minor inconveniences that often sabotaged rehearsals and productions, but this was an entirely different story, a songstress was just kidnapped for Lord Sparda’s sake! Urban legends or not, the supposed Phantom had never gone to these extremes before.

Splashing some cold water on his tired face one last time, Buquet finally exited the restroom and made his way back home, all the while reassuring himself that what he had witnessed couldn’t have been real.

‘Tomorrow Miss (Y/N) is gonna come to work as always. Nothing bad happened to her. Right now she is at home, resting on her bed.’ He would repeat himself over and over.

And the next day, Buquet got his much needed relief when he saw you rehearsing at the stage as if nothing had transcurred the night before. He almost let out an euphoric laugh when he saw you safe and sound and that he had been anxious for nothing.

Concluding that the constant burnout was the cause of his hallucinations, Mr. Buquet requested for a few days off to recover, a request that Monsieur Andre approved without thinking twice. 

Everything was going to be okay… or so thought Joseph Buquet.

Castings for a new production called ‘Il Muto’ were about to start in a few weeks, and everyone was about to witness how a single wrong decision could unleash the most gruesome of horrors.