#teatro out-off

[kind-of-a-shitty-wizard]

hello opera tumblr im new here and dont know all too much abt opera but i really enjoyed a production of don giovanni that i havent seen anyone mention so i wanted to bring it to more ppl :pp

come to the 2005 teatro real production we have

beautiful set

cool nebulously 1800s-1900s costumes

anachronisms where it works. for example don giovanni wears sunglasses sometimes because of fucking course he would

solid cast especially leporello

(^ like ohmygod... i was about to click off this production to watch the one with samuel ramey but then he started singing madamina and knocked it out of the park so hard that i watched the whole prod. im lorenzo regazzos biggest fan rn)

they dont do that weird thing where they make donna anna be in love with don giovanni

they actually portray donna anna well overall. there’s the right balance of "im in mourning" and "i want revenge" which im given to understand is a rarity

did i mention the sets were cool asf

also they make leporello wear this

its available on youtube here with english subs :]

[karahalloway]

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 18 - Diplomatica

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper, Olivia and the Beaumonts arrive in Rome... but not everyone is happy to see them

Word Count: 5,300

Rating/Warnings: None (for once 🤣)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: Lots of Italian and random cultural/historical tidbits in this... but, then again, we are in Italy, so the foreign language aspect will be a bit of a running theme through the next few chapters (sorry...not sorry - I actually learnt some Italian in the process!)

A/N2: @aussiegurl1234, before you ask, yes, I HC that Vito bears a striking resemblance to Michele Morrone 😆

Chapter 18 - Diplomatica

"How is it hotter here than in Cordonia?" I gasp as I step out onto the jet's airstairs.

"Italy is a peninsula," Olivia says from behind me, slotting on a pair of Versace cat-eye shades. "It is more exposed to the anti-cyclones that blow up from the Sahara."

My mouth drops as I make my way down onto the steaming tarmac. "This heatwave... is coming from Africa?"

No wonder it feels like the inside of a furnace!

"It certainly isn't coming from the Arctic!" bemoans Bertrand as he shields his face from the intensity of the rays with an upraised hand. "Though what a welcome change that would be!"

"Brr...!" objects Maxwell with a shiver. "No thank you! I've had my yearly fill of sub-zero temps at Olivia's!"

"You're welcome," comes the snippy response as the Duchess of Lythikos strides past us.

"That said, turning the mercury down a few notches wouldn't hurt..." I remark, squinting accusatorily up at the beating sun.

"The summer heatwaves have been growing longer and more intense over recent years," Olivia advises from up front, "leading to consequent effects on food and water security, power generation, infrastructure, not to mention the added burden on the healthcare system across Europe. It is one of the items on the agenda for Christian's roundtable with the Italian Prime Minister tomorrow."

I frown as I arrive at the passenger-side door of the first in a trio of waiting Porsche Macan GTS's. "I thought this was supposed to be an engagement tour..."

"It is," she confirms as a black-suited Italian sporting close-cropped hair and aviators opens the door for her. "But any foreign visit involving a high-ranking head of state is — by its nature — a diplomatic event as well."

"I guess that makes sense," I concede, sliding into the relative reprieve offered by the SUV's A/C system. "Though you said Christian is meeting with the Prime Minister tomorrow... I thought that was supposed to be today. Did something change?"

"No," derides Bertrand as he settles in next to me. "Today, the King is partaking in a meet-and-greet with the Italian President, followed by a private audience with the Pope while the future Queen is fitted for her wedding trousseau, capped off by dinner and a performance of Tosca at the Teatro dell'Opera in the evening. While tomorrow we have been invited to brunch at the Cordonian Consulate, after which the King has a round-table discussion with the Prime Minister, and day will be closed out by a state gala."

"Oh," I mutter sheepishly. "So, the Prime Minister isn't the same as the President...?"

"The Prime Minister is the head of government, while the President is the head of state," the elder Beaumont instructs as Maxwell squishes himself into the backseat on the other side of me. "The roles are quite distinct."

"Of course they are..." I huff under my breath.

Seems like in addition to Olivia's list of influential Cordonian nobles, I will also need to memorise a textbook on European constitutional history...

Though, now I am doubly glad of the business-like, but nevertheless stylish pale pink, high-necked pencil dress that Bertrand foisted on me this morning — it definitely would not have been great to show up underdressed to such a high-level meeting!

"But we must hurry!" the elder Beaumont proclaims. "We are due at the Presidential Palace in just under an hour, and we still need to fight our way through the notoriously infernal Roman traffic!"

"Not to worry," Olivia assures us with a sly smirk from the front passenger seat. "Vito here knows all the shortcuts."

"That sounds ominous..." I mutter, reaching for the seatbelt on instinct.

"I prefer 'expeditious'," she counters, turning to Vito, who has now taken up position behind the wheel. "Andiamo."

"Certamente, Duchessa," he nods, throwing the car forward with a violent depression of the gas pedal.

The sudden acceleration yanks an inadvertent gasp from my lips as I'm thrown back in my seat... just like on that afternoon in Ramsford when Drake pulled the same stunt on the Beaumonts' driveway.

I feel my throat tighten as I glance inadvertently out the window. God, I hope he's okay...

I know in the back of my mind that I'm probably making myself anxious for no reason. Drake is an adult, perfectly capable of taking care of himself... including in close-quarters situations. He's demonstrated that to me plenty of times.

Yet, I still can't help but worry about him. Especially when he's off in a foreign country (all by himself for all I know...), having left with basically no good-bye, and with definitely no assurance of when he expects to get back.

And while I know that he is doing this for me — so we can collar Tariq and extract whatever information he has in relation to the plot to influence the outcome of the social season... and to answer for what he did to me in Applewood — the wait is killing me. I have no idea where he is, what he is doing, and whether he even has his phone turned on, given the high-stakes nature of his self-appointed task.

Which is why I have held off trying to reach out to him (...even though the baser, needier part of me is itching to do exactly that), as I don't want to be the one to interrupt a crucial moment by setting his phone off with an ill-timed call or text, especially considering the three-hour time difference...

I heave a breath.

I just have to trust him. Like he asked me to at every turn of this increasingly bumpy road that we've been travelling since I left New York. And hope that we are finally on our way out of the woods.

Exiting the boundaries of the airport, Vito navigates the Porsche onto a highway where we are able to pick up some speed. Olivia uses the opportunity to open up her phone, throwing some questions in Italian to her associate every so often as we cruise along. Bertrand is similarly occupied, while Maxwell has slipped on some Bose headphones and is bobbing away to the beat.

Which leaves me to stare somewhat aimlessly out the window, watching the scenery roll by in a bid to keep myself distracted.

But the reprieve ends up being somewhat of a welcome one. The various warehouses and road-side auto lots surrounding the airport quickly give way to a tree-lined thoroughfare, and I find myself basking in the calming effects of the greenery, not having expected to encounter such a bucolic sight on the road to a major urban centre.

Eventually, though, the vegetation gives way to the crumbling walls of some kind of expansive estate that we end up following for a good few miles until the asphalt road changes over to cobblestones and we pass in front the gates of a red-bricked stone fortress that looks like it's been plucked straight from the set of Game of Thrones.

"Wow..." I can't help but breathe as I take in the sight of the towering structure simmering under the light of the mid-morning sun.

"Le mura aureliane," advises Vito from up front, catching my awed expression through the rear-view mirror. "Costruita dall'imperatore Aureliano per difendere Roma dai barbari."

I nod distractedly, craning my neck as we turn a corner to follow the path of the ancient structure that is somehow still standing despite the clear ravages of time and weather.

Nothing lasts like this anymore...

Making another turn, we pass beneath an arched portion of the wall, and the road before us opens up into a leafy boulevard that takes us into the city proper. And from there, it's one jaw-dropping piece of architecture after another jostling for space between more modern buildings and seemingly never-ending rows of trees.

"I didn't expect Rome to be so green..." I admit to no one in particular as I eye up the unusual-looking shrubs.

"You can thank the Ancient Romans," supplies Bertrand without glancing up from his phone. "They planted the now-iconic stone pines in scores along the major roadways in part to serve as ornamentation, and in part to provide a steady supply of pine nuts, which are an essential ingredient in many dishes, including pesto and various pies and tarts."

"It certainly was worth the effort," I agree, watching the evergreens drift past on either side of us.

Though, as Bertrand predicted, the closer we get to the centre of the ancient capital, the increasingly chaotic the traffic becomes, with cars, buses and mopeds all vying for space on the roads, requiring Vito to make recourse to his own horn as well as various offensive gestures in order to narrowly avoid a slew of accidents... and I suddenly have a slightly better appreciation for why Drake drives the way he does. Because based on my experiences first in France and now in Italy, it appears that on the Mediterranean, might equals right when it comes to priority on the road, and unless you're forceful, you ain't getting nowhere.

Managing to finally extricate ourselves from the constraints of a complicated intersection, we end up on a quieter road running parallel to a long patch of bunkered-looking grass on our left.

"What's that?" I ask, tapping Vito on his shoulder.

"Il Circo Massimo," he advises.

My eyes widen. "That's the Circus Maximus?"

"Sì," he nods. "L'antico stadio romano costruito per le corse dei carri."

"Unbelievable..." I murmur, slumping back into my seat in awe.

There is nothing comparable back home — even the oldest still-extant pre-Columbian structures date to only the first millennia A.D. Whereas here we are, casually cruising past a seminal piece of history that is still embedded into the fabric of the city nearly three thousand years after its construction. And we haven't even seen the Colosseum, or the Forum yet!

Rome really is the Eternal City...

Leaving the green fields of the Circus behind us, we enter a more urban-looking environment as we start to climb a hill. The white- and sand-coloured buildings cluster closer together, and the general architecture becomes more uniformly Baroque, until we arrive in a large plaza dominated by a massive, Neo-Classical structure that towers over everything else.

"Il Vittoriano," Vito offers without prompting.

"Is that where we're having brunch with the President?" I ask, slack-mouthed as I stare up at the imposing building.

It certainly looks impressive enough to house the head of a country!

"Of course not!" admonishes Bertrand. "The Vittoriano is a symbolic collection of monuments built to commemorate the rule of King Victor Emmanuel II and the unification of Italy. The President resides at the Quirinal Palace, which is located on a wholly different Roman hill!"

"Oh," I mutter sheepishly.

"Like she is going to know the difference," scoffs Oliva from the front. "They don't even teach The Art of War in her schools... How can you expect her to know anything about Italian history?"

"Italian history is foundational history!" insists Bertrand. "The Romans were instrumental in shaping not just the course of European, but Northern African and Middle Eastern events for millennia! How can they neglect to teach American children about this?"

"Because the focus is on US history," I tell them wearily as Vito navigates us to the other side of the square.

"Surely that is an afternoon's worth of lessons at most?" the elder Beaumont queries sceptically. "Your country was only founded in the conventional sense of the word in the mid-1600s..."

"Most Americans haven't been to Europe," I remind him, watching the rows of buildings flick past on either side of us as we begin the ascent up another hill. "They don't necessarily have a basis of comparison."

"Sounds like your curriculum is somewhat lacking in scope, then..." he surmises with pursed lips.

"Yeah, well..." I retort dryly, "I don't write the textbooks. Though, speaking of education, is there any chance for some sightseeing? It would be a shame to spend two days here and not actually see anything..."

"While I wholeheartedly approve of the sentiment," Bertrand replies, "I am afraid that you will have to make do with the cultural experiences offered by the various host venues on the official itinerary. Which — I admit — are no Pantheon, or Sistine Chapel, but are impressive and important cultural artefacts, nevertheless. The Quirinal Palace, for instance, so named for the Quirinal Hill on which it sits, is actually the sixth largest palace in the world and has served as the primary residence of such notable figures as—"

I let out a low exhale as Bertrand launches into a full-blown historical recital. And while the details are definitely interesting, I didn't come all this way to listen to a one-man rendition of a Roman guidebook.

Which makes me all the more determined to find some kind of opportunity to slip away from the official tour — even if it's just for an hour to toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain — so that I can experience something of the magic that this breathtaking city has to offer.

When, I have no idea, given the busyness of our schedule, but I managed to orchestrate an escape plan to see the capital back in Cordonia, so I'm confident I'll be able to pull something similar... albeit without Drake's help this time. But despite the set-backs, I'm not about to miss out on this kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience...

With my intention firmly set, the car rounds an uphill corner, and we are suddenly on the edge of yet another expansive plaza secured by a rim of strategically placed concrete planters and a pair of police cars.

Vito pulls to a stop and slides the window down to exchange a few quick words with the officer who has come to greet us.

"Passports," instructs Olivia, reaching into her purse.

Opening up the white, Medusa emblazoned Versace clutch sitting on my lap — which I am sure cost more than what I would've ever made in a month working as a waitress back home, but which Bertrand had insisted on as a 'necessary' Italian-themed accessory — I pull out my shiny, new Cordonian passport and pass it to the front.

Maxwell and Bertrand do the same, and there is a couple of minutes of tense silence while the stern-looking officer inspects each document to verify our identities, while another policeman does a circuit 'round the car with a convex safety mirror.

Finally, the policeman hands the passports back with a curt nod, and waves us through.

"Were they not expecting us?" I query as I slot my credentials away again.

"They were," Olivia advises. "But we are arriving separately from the royal delegation, so the State Police are obligated to run a security check."

"Why?"

The Duchess of Lythikos scoffs back at me. "To ensure that we are not terrorists trying to kill the President with a car bomb... Or did that part go over your head?"

"No..." I hit back sarcastically. "I meant why are we arriving separately?"

She looks back at me with an arched brow. "Would you have preferred to deal with the press?"

"I... No," I admit.

She turns back to the front with a smirk. "Didn't think so."

Vito pulls the car to a stop in front of a small courtyard decked out with a red carpet and intertwined streamers made out in the colours of Cordonia's and Italy's flags. Allard and Schweitzer — who had been travelling in the car behind us — appear to open the doors for us.

Bertrand scoots out of the backseat first, before turning back to offer me his hand.

"Thanks," I say with a sincere smile, grasping his fingers to help pull myself up.

"Always my pleasure," he replies with a genuine smile.

Smoothing my skirt, I gaze up at the somewhat understated-looking entranceway, suddenly nervous about the prospect of acting as a newly-minted ambassador of Cordonia. I mean... three months ago, I was bussing tables at a dive bar for less than minimum wage, and now here I am, decked out in clothes that cost more than the rent I was paying for a fifth-storey walk-up, about to have an official meeting with a foreign country's head of state.

To say that I feel like a fraud is a massive understatement.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Olivia, breezing past me with all the confidence of a woman who's done this a hundred times before... probably because she has. "For the grass to grow?"

"I—"

"I heard the President loves chocolate bomboloni," offers Maxwell enthusiastically, linking his arm through mine to tug me down the length of the red carpet.

"What's...that?" I ask, forcing myself to swallow down the sudden dryness in my throat.

Maxwell's face collapses into an aghast look of shock. "Only the best pastry-based dessert! Second only to cronuts, of course!"

"That's definitely a high bar to hit," I admit.

"Think mini doughnuts with gooey chocolate filling, dusted with powdered sugar," he explains. "They literally melt in your mouth!"

"Except we are not here to indulge infantile cravings for sugary treats," reprimands Bertrand as we pass through the arched doorway. "We are here to partake in important discussions relating to matters of state, and t—"

"Pfft," scoffs Olivia. "Speak for yourself, Beaumont. These meetings are dull as shite. I'm here for the sweets."

I can't help but snort at the unexpected riposte... as well as the resultant sight of Bertrand's jaw hitting the parquet flooring. And I unexpectedly find myself feeling better about the whole experience. Because despite whatever nerves I may be feeling, the fact that Olivia and the Beaumonts are with me means that I am not alone in this.

Passing into the coolness of the building, we are greeted by a middle-aged woman who proceeds to lead us through a veritable rabbit warren of ante-rooms and corridors before we finally arrive in an expansive room dominated by a pair of jaw-dropping crystal chandeliers suspended from a vaulted, hand-painted ceiling.

"La Salle Bronzino," informs our guide, indicating that we should step through.

"Wow..." I breathe, trying to take in the opulence with as much composure as I can.

A slew of camera shutters click to life upon our arrival.

Jerking my gaze down from the delicate, celestial fresco above me, I spot the handful of photographers aiming their lenses at me.

I stifle a groan as I plaster a demure smile onto my face. "I thought you said there wouldn't be any reporters."

"This is an official state visit," Bertrand hisses out of the corner of his mouth. "Of course, there will be reporters!

"Just not as many as there would have been outside earlier," Olivia assures me.

My shoulders slump in acquiescence. "Take the wins you can get, I guess..."

"Ah, you made it!" exclaims Christian, striding up to us with a jovial grin. "Traffic wasn't too terrible, I hope?"

"Nothing Vito couldn't handle," Olivia assures him, dipping into a chaste curtesy as the photographers snap eagerly away.

Christian turns to me with a good-natured chuckle. "And Lady Harper... First impressions haven't put you off, have they?"

"No," I assure him, bobbing down politely as well, knowing that everyone in the room now has their eyes on us. "The exact opposite, actually."

"Excellent," he beams, holding my gaze for a second longer than he did with Olivia. "I have to admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for Rome, myself."

"It really is a—"

"Darling," interjects Madeleine with a steely smile, appearing at her fiancé's shoulder. "You really should focus your attentions on the President. He has been gracious enough to open up his home for us, after all..."

Christian's nostrils flare with the briefest flash of irritation as he pulls back slightly. "Quite. Let us go make the necessary introductions."

Madeleine bristles. "That is not what I—"

Deftly ignoring her, Christian extends his arm decisively towards an elderly man wearing a sombre suit and gold-rimmed glasses. "Shall we?"

"I guess so?" I concede, already feeling myself being steered past the silently fuming countess.

"Now remember," Bertrand mutters next to me as Christian leads us down the length of the room. "In the context of a formal conversation, it is always lei — never tu — when addressing your counterpart, so for the love of all that is holy, please do not—"

"Singor Presidente," proclaims Christian as he pulls to a stop. "Permettetemi di presentarvi altri membri della nostra delegazione."

The President raises his head dutifully. "Certamente."

"Questo è Singor Bertrand Beaumont, duca di Ramsford, e suo fratello, Maxwell."

The Beaumonts bow their heads dutifully.

"Beaumont..." the President frowns. "Sai, mi suona familiare. Sei parente di Signor Bartholemy, per caso?"

"Sì," Bertrand confirms. "Egli è nostro padre."

The President is nodding in recollection. "Sì... sì... Ha accompagnato il re precedente in molte occasioni. Sei molto simile a lui."

"Sì, la somiglianza di famiglia è forte," Bertrand acknowledges.

"E questa è Singorina Olivia Nevrakis, duchessa di Lythikos, un mio carissimo amico, e fedele sostenitrice del famiglia Rys."

Olivia holds out her hand. "E' un piacere conoscerla, Signore Presidente."

The President drops a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. "Il piacere è tutto mio."

"E finalmente," concludes Christian, "questa è Singorina Harper, la nuova duchessa di Valtoria."

The President's brows arc inquisitively. "Singorina Harper... You are... American? No?"

"Sì," I affirm as I offer my hand out. "Ma ho praticato mio Italiano..."

The President's mouth cracks into a genuine smile. "And you are doing very well, Singorina! Tell me, have you visited la città eterna before?"

"No, this is my first time," I admit, also switching to English, now that the formalities are over and done with. "But even the ride from the airport was utterly magical! It's like stepping into history!"

"Sì," the President affirms with a grin. "Us Romans are unspeakably lucky to be able to call such a beautiful city our home. It is a place of many treasures."

"What is your favourite part of the city?" I ask.

The President blinks in surprise at the unexpected intimacy of the request. "That is a difficult question... But if I am forced to choose... it would have to be this little forno next to la Fontana di Trevi which makes a very unique — and very delicious — pistachio croissant. It is not for every person, but if you have a spirit of adventure, then I suggest you try it."

"Thank you," I say with a sincere smile, filing the suggestion away. "I definitely will!"

"I cannot say that I have had the pleasure of sampling this treat, either," Christian admits, with a knowing glance down at me. "But Lady Harper has excellent taste in pastries — she was actually kind enough to introduce us to an American delicacy called a cronut. It was a big hit all around."

"A cronut?" queries the President. "I cannot say I am familiar..."

"Don't worry," Maxwell assures him with a conspiratorial grin. "We'll bring you one. If you'll trade us some bomboloni in exchange?"

Bertrand's already sunburnt face reddens further. "Maxwell! You cannot entreat the President t—"

"You like bomboloni, also?" interjects the President with keen interest.

"Of course!" Maxwell affirms enthusiastically. "Anyone who doesn't like them clearly has something wrong with them!"

"Sounds like you have excellent taste in pastries as well, Signore Maxwell!" chuckles the President.

The conversation continues to revolve around our shared food interests for a few more minutes, until an aide clears his throat from behind the President.

"Accettare le mie scuse," he apologises. "But I am being advised that it is time for the photographs and the speeches."

"Of course," nods Christian graciously, indicating that the President should lead the way to the front of the room where a small podium has been set up.

As the two men peel away from the group, I cast my eyes 'round the space and spot Hana standing by one of the large windows. Giving her a wave, I use the brief break in the proceedings to make my way over to her.

"So, what's the view like from this side of the room?" I ask by way of greeting.

"Quieter than your side," she admits wryly. "You certainly seemed to be having an engaging conversation with the President!"

"We discovered a shared love for sugary treats," I admit. "You should've joined us — you could've bragged about that baking championship that you won."

"It's alright," she demurs with a blush. "It's actually been nice to take a moment to step away from the crowd."

"Oh?" I ask, laying a concerned hand on her arm. "Is something wrong?"

She heaves a breath, as if debating whether to tell me. Finally, she says, "I have been fending off suitors."

My brow shoots skywards. "How many proposals have you had?"

"Since I arrived...? Probably twelve..."

My eyes bulge. "Twelve! That's like two a day!"

"Yes," she concedes with a weary exhale. "Lady Madeleine has been extremely gracious in personally introducing me to numerous eligible bachelors—"

"—but none of them are Maxwell," I surmise.

Her eyes flick up to mine before dropping back down sorrowfully. "No. But for the sake of my parents, I must entertain every available option in an honest manner."

"That definitely sounds exhausting..." I concede. "But hopefully now that we're out of the country, you can catch a bit of a break."

"I am not so sure..." she admits. "I have been advised that a number of well-connected Italians will be in attendance at the opera tonight..."

"Pfft...!" I scoff. "Just take the night off... Pretend to be sick... Run off with Maxwell to get some gelato... Actually enjoy being in Italy!"

Hana blushes. "I—"

The chime of a bell rings out across the room, interrupting our conversation.

Looking up, I see that all heads have turned dutifully towards the twin forms standing on the dais as they prepare to address the congregation.

"Vostra Altezza Reale, colleghi delegati, Signore e Signori," greets the President, "È un onore, per me, ospitare la delegazione reale di Cordonia, nostro vicino e stretto alleato per centinaia di anni. È passato troppo tempo da—"

As the speech winds on, I find myself tuning out, given that I am only able to understand every third or fourth word. But, not wanting to come across as rude by continuing my catch-up with Hana, I instead try to occupy myself by examining the two large tapestries suspended on the walls.

A round of applause draws me out of my reverie, and I join in on auto-pilot as the President hands off to Christian. Several more minutes of lilting Italian fills the room, during which time I move my attentions to the Roman-looking busts, wondering which emperors they depict.

Finally, the speeches come to a close, and I heave a sigh of relief.

"Did you understand any of that?" I ask Hana as the President presents Christian with some kind of medal, and the two men pose for photos.

"Of course," she nods. "My parents—"

"—have been giving you Italian lessons since before you could talk?" I finish dryly.

Hana's cheeks dimple. "Not quite that young, but yes. I am what they consider 'proficient'."

"Meaning, you speak it better than I speak English," I joke.

She snorts in response. "I wouldn't say that..."

"But it's true," I say with a smirk, happy to see that Hana's time back at court has not completely crushed her sense of humour.

"Ah, I've missed talking to you, Harper," she says with genuine feeling. "The last few days have felt so busy that I feel like we haven't spoken in months!"

"Yeah, tell me about it..." I agree with a huff. "In the space of a week, I've become a Cordonian citizen, been granted a duchy, gone from number five to number one on Madeleine's shit list, and—"

Hana's eyes widen. "It's not that bad, surely...!"

"It's probably worse," I admit. "And being on the front page of the Cordonian Sun — again — is probably not helping matters either..."

"Yes, I saw that article..." she commiserates with feeling. "I'm sorry that the press are treating you in that manner again."

"Hey, it's not your fault," I assure her. "But the press aren't all bad — I managed to convince Ana de Luca to help us track down the photographer who took those pictures of me and Tariq, and she actually came through yesterday."

"That's great!" she enthuses. "I have to admit that I have not had much success on my side... Madeleine does not permit her ladies-in-waiting to handle any of her private correspondence, including her mobile phones and laptop. And she has only talked to us about the upcoming events on the tour..."

"Well, it was a bit of a long-shot, anyway," I concede with a shrug. "But who knows? We might get—"

"Pardon," interrupts Kiara with a pointed cough. "But the Queen requests your presence."

I roll my eyes with a scoff. "She's not married to Christian yet..."

"But she will be soon," she reminds me pointedly. "So, it is actuellement in your interest to remain on her good side, given that you are now a duchess."

I feel the corner of my mouth scrunch into a mou of dissent, but I force myself not to pick apart the many things that are wrong with her statement. "Fine. Where is Her Majesty?"

"Bidding adieu to the President," she advises. "She has asked that in the meantime I gather the ladies who are to accompany her to the wedding boutique."

"Does she really need an entourage to go shopping?" I ask as we start making our way back to the double doors at the far end of the room.

"It is tradition for the suitors who were not picked at the end of the social season to assist the queen-to-be in the preparations for the wedding, including selecting her bridal gown and trousseau."

"Wonder how many times that's gone wrong before..." I mutter under my breath.

"It is a ritual de beaucoup d'importance," Kiara insists seriously. "The former suitors — and their families — demonstrate their public support for the union via the personal assistance they provide the bride and groom in the lead-up to the big day, as well as in the act of taking on key roles during the ceremony itself."

"Let me guess..." I grumble. "We're all going to be maids of honour, too..."

"In Cordonia, the correct term is 'witness'," she corrects. "They are the ones chosen by the couple to countersign the marriage certificate. Mais oui — it is likely that one or two of us will be called upon in such a manner."

"Great..." I sigh, arriving at the entranceway where Penelope and Olivia are already waiting. "All the things we get to look forward to..."

"Oh, Lady Harper!" squeals Penelope in excitement. "I love your dress! How do you always manage to find such super chic pieces?"

"Uhh..." I say, genuinely taken aback by her enthusiasm. "Bertrand picked this, actually..."

Olivia snorts derisively. "You mean Lord Tweedle-Dee? Please... That man has worse fashion sense than Jared Leto."

"Actually, he—"

"If you lot are quite finished with your asinine chit-chit," snaps Madeline as she strides imperiously past us, "you can pick up your feet. We are already running late for my appointment... Which took months to schedule, so don't you dare make me miss it!"

I meet Hana's gaze with a fish-eyed look. "Ever heard the term 'bridezilla' before?"

"No," she admits with a frown. "But it sounds scary..."

"Oh, trust me!" I assure her as we bring up the rear. "It is! Especially since it sounds like Madeleine is planning to take the concept to a whole 'nother level..."

The story continues in Chapter 19: Field Day

A/N: Translations for the Italian below:

At the airport: Andiamo - Let's go

Certamente, Duchessa - Certainly, Duchess

En route Lemura aureliane. Costruitadall'imperatore Aureliano per difendere Roma dai barbari. - The Aurelian Wall. It was constructed by the Emperor Aurelian to defend Rome against barbarians.

Il Circo Massimo - The Circus Maximus

Sì. L'antico stadio romano costruito per le corsedei carri. - Yes. The ancient Roman stadium constructed for chariot racing.

Il Vittoriano - This is a colloquial nickname for the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II

At the Presidential Palace Singor Presidente. Permettetemi di presentarvi altri membri della nostra delegazione. - Mr President. Allow me to introduce some additional members of our delegation.

Certamente - Certainly

Questo è Singor Bertrand Beaumont, duca di Ramsford, e suo fratello, Maxwell. - This is Lord Bertrand Beaumont, Duke of Ramsford, and his brother, Maxwell.

Beaumont... Sai, mi suona familiare. Sei parente di Signor Bartholemy, per caso? - Beaumont... You know, that sounds familiar. Are you related to Lord Bartholemy, by chance?

Sì. Egli è nostro padre. - Yes. He is our father.

Sì...sì... Ha accompagnato il re precedente in molte occasioni. Sei molto simile a lui. - Yes... Yes... He accompanied the former king on many occasions. You look a lot like him.

Sì, la somiglianza di famiglia è forte. - Yes, there is a notable family resemblance.

E questaè Singorina Olivia Nevrakis, duchessa di Lythikos,un mio carissimo amico, e fedele sostenitrice del famiglia Rys. - And this is Lady Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, a dear friend of mine, and loyal supporter of the Rys family.

E' un piacere conoscerla, Signore Presidente. - My sincere pleasure, Mr President.

Il piacere è tutto mio. - The pleasure is all mine.

E finalmente, questa è Singorina Harper, la nuova duchessa di Valtoria. - And finally, this is Lady Harper, the new Duchess of Valtoria.

Sì. Ma hopraticato mio Italiano.* - Yes. But I am practising my Italian. *Italian speakers will note that there is a grammatical mistake here (the correct phrasing is 'Ho praticato il mio italiano'). However, the mistake is deliberate because Harper learnt Italian literally an hour ago, so she's not going to be perfect at it!

La città eterna - the Eternal City (nickname for Rome)

Accettare le mie scuse - [Please] Accept my apologies.

Vostra Altezza Reale, colleghi delegati, Signore e Signori. È un onore, per me, ospitare la delegazionereale di Cordonia, nostro vicino e stretto alleato per centinaia di anni. Èpassato troppo tempo da— Your Royal Highness, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is my honour to host the royal delegation of Cordonia, our neighbour and ally for many centuries. It has been far too long since—

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions only (let me know if you want to be added!)

@thetruthisthatiloveyou @anakjaybon-blog

[ryttu3k]

Home again! Goddamn. Amazing.

Line to get in was long, but ended up working out okay for me for a few reasons - most people who got there early wanted the floor, not the seats. A ton of people, when they got in, made a beeline for the merch stands (or bar), whereas I glanced at them, winced at the prices, and decided to think about it a bit longer. And, because I was on my own, there was a single seat front row, near the middle of the central stand. Handy! But yeah, otherwise, get there early to get a good position, especially if you want to be right at the front of the floor.

Set list (with some notes)! Videos uploaded by Maneskondominio on Youtube linked where applicable, plus a couple from other shows. Unsurprisingly, given that this is the Rush! tour, most songs were from that (13, including all five of the new ones). There were also five from Teatro d'Ira vol 1 (Zitti e Buoni, Coraline, For Your Love, I Wanna Be Your Slave, and Il Nome del Padre), and two covers (Beggin' and Are You Gonna Be My Girl). No Il Ballo Della Vita, alas.

Languages: only counting IWBYS once, there were three songs in Italian (Zitti e Buoni, Coraline, and Il Nome del Padre), and seventeen in English. I would have loved to see La Fine or Mark Chapman (especially the former, it's my favourite on the album after Mammamia), but what we did get was damn good.

On to the list! Do not watch the videos if photosensitive. There is a lot of strobing and flashing!

Don't Wanna Sleep

Gossip

Zitti e Buoni (got a huge response from the crowd!)

Honey! (Are U Coming?) (short video)

Supermodel

Coraline

Beggin' (short video - Vic moving through the crowd)

The Driver (video also includes Valentine)

For Your Love

Valentine (see above for video!)

Instrumental thing

Gasoline

A quick pause to move! There was a smaller acoustic stage set up right at the back of the floor area; Damiano, Thomas, and Ethan (with a guitar!) made their way up. This was, most appreciably, only about 5m from where I was sitting ;D (Although I only really saw their backs.)

Trastevere

After this, Ethan left; Damiano said that normally they'd play Time Zone here, but felt like doing something a bit harder, and especially appropriate for Australia - a cover of Jet's Are You Gonna Be My Girl.

(If you can see me in the video, no you can't ;D)

Back on the main stage, while Damiano and Thomas made their way back, Vic and Ethan did this goddamn cool solo. Can't find a video from last night, but here's one from an earlier performance.

Everyone back on!

I Wanna Be Your Slave

Mammamia (short video, Thomas crowdsurfing)

Off My Face (only their second time performing it live, ever!)

Il Nome del Padre (short video)

Bla Bla Bla (short video of Damiano making out with the blow-up doll someone had been toting around. The video cuts off his words - "I'm 100% that somebody put his dick inside that doll. Um, I kissed it, so. Whatever. I just gave someone a blowjob.")

Kool Kids (with audience members, short video)

Then, for the encore, starts off with Thomas doing a blistering solo. Again, no videos from last night, so here's an earlier one from Milan.

The Loneliest

I Wanna Be Your Slave reprise (short video of the jump-up part)

Anyway. If you like Måneskin and are ever in a position to see them live? Do it. Do it.

...And yeah I caved and got the tour shirt. Worth it!

[d-criss-news]

heyitsrivers: Si me hubieran dicho que ayer conocería y abrazaría a @ darrencriss NUNCA les hubiera creído. Literalmente es el actor y crush top que me hizo darme cuenta hace 13 años que quería experimentar el teatro musical, la actuación, todo y ayer tuve la oportunidad de tenerlo cara a cara 🩷 no miento, ¡SIGO EN SHOCK! Fue muy Wattpad de mi parte ✨ Ramón se presentó como mi novio, obvio después de el 😂🫶🏻 Te quiero mucho Darren, amigos y manager de Darren que no dejaron que me corrieran hasta que Darren saliera a saludarme 💓 Muchos saben lo que es glee para mi 😭

*If they had told me that yesterday I would meet and hug @ darrencriss I would NEVER have believed them. He's literally the actor and crush top that made me realize 13 years ago that I wanted to experience musical theater, acting, everything and yesterday I had the opportunity to see him face to face 🩷 I'm not lying, I'M STILL IN SHOCK! It was very Wattpad of me ✨ Ramón introduced himself as my boyfriend, obviously after him 😂🫶🏻 Love you so much Darren, Darren's friends and manager who wouldn't let me get kicked off until Darren came out to say hello 💓 Many know what glee is for me 😭

[intertexts]

HIIII ROS i am sorry i never replied to your reply to my ask from a while ago i am so bad at that ;-; in response to that kinda (bc we were talking about jhariah) i did see them live! 3rd concert ive ever been to in my life & it was life changing... i was front row n there was a baby mosh pit n i was with my best friends it was so good <3 i didn't get to see all the songs off TRUST CEREMONY live but if he tours again i will try to get tix because i must see CONTROL BABY live... my faves are control baby n fire4fun n russian doll <3 but it is my fave album ever created (except maybe Måneskin's Teatro D'Ira vol 1)

Dont wanna yap too much but other music im liking rn: Dua Saleh's ROSETTA ep; Missouri Surf Club's songs Rotten & Kingdom Come; Jean Dawson's entire discography generically but specifically SICK OF IT* and New Age Crisis; Ethel Cain's everything; and then im still consistent w the narcissist cookbook, an unkindness, sons of the illustrious father etc. I have been getting into a crazy amount of music since summer started though so there are sooooo many others but i wanna know what you're listening to! i like your music taste as ive said :3

ANYWAY I think i might just send another ask because this is ramble-y n u dont have to reply to it bc its overwhelming but!! Yeah hehe okay p. 1 - mare

HII HI HI no worries!!!!!!! all good i'm also really terrible at it!!!!!! hehe <33 jhariah concert & mosh pit is SO awesome though.. man.. thats so cool.... love that experience for u!!!! <333

checking out all of these rn they're SOO GOOD.... dua saleh ROSETTA ep literally going on the repeat playlist rn omg. ough. how have i not heard them before. holy fucking shit. missouri surf club goood i love the florence influence.... jean dawson & ethel cain WHOO!!!! hell yeag. god. u also have such good music dude. good shit.!!!!!!!

what have i been listening to!!! shit!!! this is gonna be LONG but u asked for it!!! a lot of morcheeba (big calm), de la soul (the grind date), sneaker pimps (bloodsport), tricky (maxinquaye) <- one of my all time faves, madvillainy, cibo matto (viva! la woman), yaeji (with a hammer), chai (wink)... summer to me is usually very hot & humid & sticky & dreamy to me (busted ac) so this is my laying on the floor staring at the fan vaguely dissociating rotation.

other than hip hop & trip hop-- dragon new warm mountain i believe in you by big thief!!!!!! somehow never listened to this one & i'm ill over it. & july flame (other all time fave) by laura veirs & central reservation by beth orton (<- huge recent discovery ill over her voice) & broken social scene self titled for my acoustic rotation...

heavier set: been getting BIG into creature feature they're literally so fun. i think u might like them tbh. american gothic is my fave so far!! summer is for shitty pop punk 2 me!! esp. when i actually have to Do Stuff & not lay on the floor melting. so. we the kings, fall out boy (cork tree & infinity on high), the cab, the academy is..., yellowcard, motion city soundtrack, alkaline trio :]

ALSO special mention 2 blue sky black death (slow burning lights, late nite cinema, noir) bc their instrumentals make me so insanely nostalgic & have been my writing soundtrack for the past month!!!!

[for-a-longlongtime]

Songs and Musings in the Key of Peña-Rockford - Pt 2

Edit: oops, I accidentally-purposely snippeted when @legendary-pink-dot tried to torture me. Click here for a 'Javi pressed down on Tim's desk' teaser.

Time to play around and discover some more song vibes. First two were picked by @sin-djarin who, I am convinced, should really make a career out of soundtracking fic, shows and movies because she's so good at it.

Guns - All Them Witches

Listen, this one has me fucked up in ways that I can't even explain. But I feel this song in my soul when I think of Peña and Rockford - in so many ways. It's the lyrics with the music and the pent up feelings and everything. (and gun holsters, let's not forget about those...)

Shoot your guns as loud as you can Loud as you can, loud as you can Fight your wars as long as you can Long as you can, long as you can

Does this really make you a man Make you a man, make you a man? Wipe that blood off your hands Off your hands, off your hands

Now let's move forward

Dirt - Depeche Mode

And do you feel it? Said, do you feel it when you touch me? I said, do you feel it when you touch me? I'm fire Well, there's a fire Yeah, alright

It's just a burning inside It's just a burning inside Said, do you feel it? Said, do you feel it when you cut me? Said, do you feel it when you cut me?

@sin-djarin killing it with naming this one as a Tim song.

I mean, what more is there to say? This is definitely Tim in his car, plans for the night. No gun holsters or white shirt, no work clothes, but something sharper and darker, fresh cologne, stubble a little heavier than it was earlier in the day. Aching for a drink or two and to forget about the day, the week, finally out of the office and headed somewhere he doesn't have to think about others, just about himself.(Just so you know, this definitely isn't granny's Mansion that he's headed to).

Puro Teatro - La Lupe

Hit play and tell me you can't hear this playing in a bar where Javier is having a couple of whiskeys. Like, I can SEE it. Taste the smoke in the air. This song is from the soundtrack of Almodovar's Women On The Verge of A Nervous Break Down (yes, I absolutely got this from Pedro's picks on the Breaking Techniques interview). The only reason why I'm not including lyric snippets here - like I'm doing with most of the others - is because the lyrics do not specifically relate to the WIP story IMO.

El Cuarto De Tula - Buena Vista Social Club

I mean... yes. Buena Vista Social Club always. Just listen to the music.

Soy El Prohibido - Olga Guillot

Soy ese vicio de tu piel que ya no puedes desprender soy lo prohibido Soy esa fiebre de tu ser que te domina sin querer, soy lo prohibido

(English translation:

I am that vice of your skin that you can no longer let go I am the forbidden I am that fever of your being that dominates you without wanting to I am the forbidden)

Another bolero that is heavy on vibes rather than lyrical meaning. Remember Pancho Herrara in that bar slowdancing with his lover to Dos Gardenias, everybody staring at them? It's that kind of evening, but less center of attention (and no cracking bottles of aguardiente on anyone's head). It's Javier talking to a woman at the bar, eyes smiling, couple of glasses of liquor, lips brushing briefly over her neck as he leans in to say something. Her wanting him to come dance with her, but he's not really a dancer - still, he'll wrap an arm around her and sway her slightly to this song for a moment.

Sinner Man - Nina Simone

I'm finding it a lot easier to imagine Rockford's favorite artists and songs than Javi's, to be honest. For some reason I feel that while Javier likes to listen to music, he's less specific with 'this particular song is my favorite' etc. However, I'm dead certain that he has at least a Nina Simone album or two that he'll listen to a lot.

When it comes to anger, insecurities, conflict - looking back at Colombia in particular -, this one stands out to me. The building crescendo, like when you push away your feelings and fears but eventually it will all come up to the surface and spill over. When this song comes on, Javier listens. He'll light up a cigarette and listen, with that slight frown - you know the one I mean - on his face, the one when he's deep in thought. There's not much drama about it, he doesn't get particularly emotional about it... he just really listens. Every time. He likes it, not in a comforting way, but because he knows this is how things feel when shit goes down and certain memories won't leave.

Don't you see me down here prayin'? But the Lord said Go to the Devil, the Lord said Go to the Devil He said go to the Devil All on that day

Sinnerman, you oughta be prayin' Oughta be prayin', all on that day

-------------------------------------------

Links to previous posts in this WIP musings series:

The Law Enforcement Ball poll, a.k.a. where it all started (and escalated quickly)

'I Fought The Law (And The Law Won): WIP snippet

Songs and Musings in the Key Of Pena-Rockford Pt 1

Thots and 🐱 Poll, Sunday Evening edition

I'm not tagging people in these musing posts because I don't want to spam y'all; I'll do that only for actual written fic posts, JSYK. If you want your name added to that taglist to be notified when the first chapter drops (and there'll probably be another WIP snippet post before that), leave a comment to let me know.

[fancyhats-and-fennelsbuds]

Fav movie you've watched recently?

Hello hellooooooooooooooooo!!! Aaaaaa oh dear, you just opened my pandora's box👁️

Recently I happened to watch lots of 60's, 70's and 90's movies (I'm destined to ever cross paths with vintage memorabilia. and the more I discover. The more I crave.) but some that most made me perk up my eyes and ears (can eyes be perked?) are:

First movie! RATATAPLAN, Maurizio Nichetti, 1979

I discovered this gem very recently and unfortunately I haven’t even finished watching it (sigh sob sigh I got so little free time rightnow) Made on a very low budget and being the directorial debut for Maurizio Michetti, this film had a huge success when it arrived in Italian cinemas. The story follows slices of the life of the neo graduate engineer Colombo, who through tormentedly absurd comic gags, yet unquestionably full of small human injustices (and social), undeterred, he searches occupations to make ends meet. What made me fall with this story of 'little failures happening in the course of our daily life' -- besides the pure comic skits that come out from every corner while you least expect it (or when you expect it; but you laugh anyway because the consequences are usually an even greater disaster that the one expected) -- is the fact that the film it's almost a 'silent movie', or rather, follows the rules of the 'Mr Bean conlang" (yes, I now created a new term) with the help of of a very narrow Italian vocabulary and excerpts of other languages, all this surrounded by a varied brocade of onomatopoeic sounds "(…) making the dubbing of the film almost superfluous." {source | wikipedia|Italian}

(Also the movie's opening is so incredible , Engineer Columbo is the true shape of our contemporary hero because i say so, also it gives off strong middle seventies vibes

Second movie Miniseries! Orlando furioso, Luca Ronconi, 1975

Born on the wave of discreet success that arose from the homonymous theatrical version of Luca Ronconi (made after Ludovico Ariosto's chivalric romance epic poem Orlando Furioso), the script meant for the theatre was rewritten to accommodate a television production (divided in five episodes) alas by depriving the work of the original's immersivity that it gained by including the public during the action happening on the stage; while also letting mutiple simultaneous scenes happening in the same theatre's room so the public could personally choose the way to follow the storytelling happening in front of their eyes. {sources |cinemedioevo.net| Wikipedia| Italian} Some of the details that makes the television version so fascinating is that it was shot in multiple castles, basilicas and palaces'… interiors! (Palazzo Farnese, Terme di Caracalla, Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Teatro Farnese and Palazzo della Pilotta di Parma. {sources |Wikipedia|Italian}). Maintaining the use of scenography and manners of acting suited for the theatre world, the series creates a sort of epic fairytale dream time bubble, even through the use of machinery for the mobilization of carousel-like horses and mythical beasts (choosing purposely to let the viewer see the 'magic' that makes the beast fly or the horses roll run!). Extreme pantomime, actors flailing arms and bodies like opera singers. This extraordinaire work of art is for those who wish to spend some hours of dreamlike feverish visions of knights, magicians and bridesmaids in otherwordly costumes that seem to have come to life from medieval tapestries. I searched aimlessly for possible dubbed or subtitled versions in other languages than italian. I can only come back from my quest by humbly offering open handed the original.

Whenever you can or can't follow all this medieval Italian versify, I would give it a try just to have a peek into this extremely seventies-born madness! Here's an article that talks about the touring theatre version (Italian)

Now a bit of spam

Mechanical beasts! Mechanical beasts! Hippogriph and the Orca (killer whale) di Ebuda

Also in this house we stan my sister in Christ (literally) knight warrior Bradamante

[thetwstwildcard]

"To sing opera, one needs two things: the voice and the passion - and above all, the passion."

"Opera cuts to the chase—as death does. An art which seeks, more obviously than any other form, to break your heart."

Full Name: Renée Leroux

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Sexuality: Demisexual

Birthday: March 14

Star Sign: Pisces

Height: 154 cm (roughly 5'1)

Eye Color: Vermillion

Hair Color: Purple with yellow streaks

Homeland: Land of Pyroxene

Dorm: Evolnation (@/hourglassstationacademy)

Club: Sewing Club

Year: 2nd

Class: 2-C

Best Subject: Theater

Worst Subject: Combat Simulation

Favorite Food: Potatoes Dauphinoise

Likes: Being the center of attention, her family's opera house, her fans, theatrical clothing, "acting mature", cute things, strong perfumes, anything pink and getting lead roles

Dislikes: Leila Yuki, being treated as a child, having her talent be brushed off, "boring outfits", getting dirty or sweaty and being ignored

Hobby: Designing new stage outfits

Personality: The diva of the Teatro dei Fiori, owned by her parents, Renée is true to her title. While she was born with natural talent, it isn't hard to wonder why she's often in major roles when her parents are in charge. Though, never say that to her face. She's quite the brat. She is tired of being cast as only "innocent" roles and tries to show more skin to "be perceived as mature" when not on stage.

Unique Magic: Aroma Veil: Can protect herself from strong magic attacks and weak UM, if facing a strong UM she can weaken the effect

Trivia:

• Is an only child and as such growing up (before more attention went into the opera house) she was the center of her parents' world

• Is childhood friends with Nathaniel Blanc, who also performs in Teatro dei Fiori

• Does not like manual labor at all and will check to make sure she didn't break any nails

• Dislikes Leila due to her vocal range (how she can be cast as villains, seducers and even men) and the fact that she's "effortlessly mature"

• Twisted from Aromatisse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Full Name: Leila Yuki

Gender: Female

Age: 19

Sexuality: Bisexual

Birthday: October 7th

Star Sign: Libra

Height: 175 cm (roughly 5'9)

Eye Color: Ruby

Hair Color: Black

Homeland: Boulevard of Shine

Dorm: Evolnation (@/hourglassstationacademy)

Club: Literature

Year: 3rd

Class: 3-E

Best Subject: Social Etiquette

Worst Subject: Light Artes

Favorite Food: Tsukimi soba

Likes: Her sisters, her dormmates, nighttime, stars, the moon, scrying, silence, not being the center of attention and old literature

Dislikes: Hectic spaces, her sisters' doubting themselves, the way Renée treats her and extreme fans

Hobby: Moon watching

Personality: While she seems dark and mysterious she's actually a bit of a scatter brain. She strives to attend all of her sisters' shows/performances. She's fairly monotone and soft spoken but when on the stage she comes to life. She is unaware of the reason Renée dislikes her

Unique Magic: Feint Moonlight: Can create tangible objects from shadows, if during night her power doubles (marks appear on her skin)

Trivia:

• Has 8 sisters

• Fully acknowledges that she "may have" gotten her start due to her family name

• Was Nathaniel's first crush from when he saw her play the role of a boy

• Has bought all her jewelry by herself with her own earnings

• Is the second most known singer from her opera house (Nathaniel's mother being the most famous)

• Sometime scares dorm members by standing silently in the darkness where only her eyes glow

• Due to being raised in "the industry" she's out of touch with people her age or common childhood experiences

• Twisted from Umbreon

[cherry-velvet-skies]

My Thoughts on RUSH! Track By Track:

OWN MY MIND: 9.5/10

STARTING WITH A BANGER OMG It's so fire I started bouncing when it got to the chorus it's so good and an awesome choice for an opening track we're off to an amazing start. Very punk-esque and the lyric video fits the same vibe.

GOSSIP: 9/10

Obviously I've already shared my thoughts about this song and I'd be lying if I said it hasn't grown on me more since I made that statement. I've been singing it to myself everyday while I cook for like four days now. It's so catchy, the MV is a total vibe, and I do like the meaning behind it.

TIMEZONE: 9/10

These are lyrics to definitely scream when you're just going through a bad time. I mean I know it's symbolic of a long distance relationship but I feel like many people can relate to it. Also love that little sexy bit snuck into the middle there lmao

BLA BLA BLA: 10/10

ICONIC BADDIE ANTHEM IDC IDC IT FUCKING SLAPS AND SO FAR IT'S MY FAVE IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A BAD BITCH AND HONESTLY THAT'S JUST WHAT WE ALL NEED SOMETIMES WE NEED THAT BAD BITCH ENERGY IN FULL SWING YES WE FUCKING DO

BABY SAID: 9.5/10

I was pleasantly surprised by this one lol by the title I thought it was gonna be a ballad but it's very funky but like in a rock way and I love ittttt plus the lyric video with Vic just totally vibing made it even better

GASOLINE: 8.5/10

Obviously we've all heard this song before but I'm glad they put it on the album because I've been wanting so save it so bad lmao but it's such a powerful song and I can feel the activist rage radiating off of it every time I listen to it.

FEEL: 10/10

FAVE FAVE FAVE OMFG THIS SONG SET MY FUCKING SOUL ON FIRE THE GUITAR AND THE SLOWER PARTS TOGETHER I'M SO !!!!! Dami's voice is incredible and the lyric video is just... I'm being so normal about it.

DON'T WANNA SLEEP: 10/10

YES YES YES GIVE ME MORE ANGSTY HARD ROCK SONGS GIVE THEM TO ME NOW. Also the mini guitar solo at the end? Addicting. PLUS...that Lucy's diamonds lyric...A BEATLES REFERENCE?! +1000000 POINTS HOLY FUCK

KOOL KIDS: 10/10

Personally, I tried to avoid listening to as many concert versions of the song as I could until now because I wanted to go in somewhat blankly and I'm so glad I did because THAT WAS AWESOME I LOVE IT and I think I'm starting to notice a pattern with all the songs I'm rating 10s lmao

IF NOT FOR YOU: 8/10

This is a song that you need to have blasting in your headphones while you gaze longingly out of a car window while it's raining, watching the drops race down the glass and rooting for one in particular, only for them to join together to make one drop in the end and that's the only way I can describe this song. I can see Må performing this live and the entire crowd is just belting out the lyrics right along with them.

READ YOUR DIARY: 10/10

PUNK ANTHEM HELL FUCKING YEAH I'M IN LOVE also another astounding guitar solo? THOMMY YOU ABSOLUTE MAD LAD THE TALENT YOU HOLD IS INDESCRIBABLE. 100% ANOTHER FAVE TRACK. Also, aesthetically speaking, the lyric video is everything I wanna be and more.

MARK CHAPMAN: 10/10

SURPRISE IT'S IN ITALIAN I love this one so much I CAN'TTT it's so good it had me jumping in my mf chair !!!!! And AGAIN WITH THE BOMB ASS GUITAR SOLOS THOMAS RAGGI YOU REALLY POPPED OFF WITH THESE THINGS plus the lyric video is so special to me I know it's just them walking back and forth but it's special how they each have their own runway walk I can't explain it you either get it or you don't

LA FINE: 9.5/10

I've already shared my thoughts about this but it definitely has that Teatro D'Ira Vol. 1 vibe we've all been dearly missing and it's just an incredible sound that will always be iconic

IL DONO DELLA VITA: 9.5/10

If y'all thought LA FINE was reminiscent of TDV1, you're gonna LOVE this one. It sounds so much like it that I can't help but listen to it and be like "That's the Måneskin I know" because it's SO symbolic of their sound. The way I view it is that this song, just based on sound and vibes alone, is LA PAURA DEL BUIO's younger, more emo sibling and no I will not take criticism on that because I know I'm right. Also the lyric video is majestic and I'm right about that too.

MAMMAMIA: 10/10

Again, another one we've all heard and there's no debate it's incredible and I still come back to the MV and lyric video every now and again because they're just as iconic as the song itself.

SUPERMODEL: 8/10

This one has truly divided the fandom lmao but for me personally I like it and it's a song I listen to and then forget about for a bit and then I listen to it again and remember how much I love it. Idc it slaps and it's in my playlist for a reason.

THE LONELIEST: 10/10

Again, no question. The perfect song to cry to while simultaneously screaming the lyrics. The MV is a cinematic masterpiece and the song is so emotionally wracking in the perfect way. Damiano's lyrics are either fun and quirky, super fucking angsty, or poetically deep and meaningful there is no in between.

CONCLUSION: This album is a No-Skips album and probably one of the best albums I've ever heard and I will not be listening to anything else for the next month. Thank you and goodnight.

[bristolianbackpacker]

Day 7 - Buenos Aires

As per new norm I am awake in the night but manage to sleep in and wake up to breakfast and tea made ❤️

Yet again we think we have a casual morning until we realise we are gong to be late for our La Boca tour at 11:00, our Uber gets us there through hellish traffic at 11:05 and they are still waiting for people for a few mins - phew! We need to learn to stress less.

The tour is by an American guy who has lived here for 10 years and studied Latin American history. La Boca is so different to the rest of the city! We immediately feel that it’s a bit more gritty but as per the rest of the time here don’t feel unsafe at all.

The tour is another 2 hours jam packed with history. First of all it’s fascinating to know that 50-60% of Argetntinanians are from Italian heritage! It was a port and the area was very working class. We hear lots about the man who founded this area as the arts epicentre of BA. He made his fortune selling paintings overseas and brought money back to La Boca.

The tour ends up at La Bombonera the home of the Boca Juniors. We hear the history of the British and Italian influence, plus the reason that the stadium is D shaped is became the designer wasn’t able to purchase the last piece of land. It gives it a unique reflective sound from the chants that is intimidating to the opponent.

There is just enough time to grab Choripán (why is this not sold more widely - it’s so good!!)

We grab an Uber to the Museo del Banco Central. Yes we have on multiple occasions been recommended the tour of Teatro Colón but we have decides to do the tour the central bank because we are dorks. It turns out that the 2pm Inglés tour is not happening because of a staff meeting so we start so get ready for a self guided tour. Just in time Victoria comes rushing in to give us a personalised guided tour in English. It’s so interesting to get her vast history knowledge as told via the currency.

Lots of stories tie in with what we have already heard. My big surprise is the influence that the British had on Argentina (good and bad)… I always just thought of it as as just being Spanish influenced. She talks openly about Milei selling off all public assets and is not happy about it.

We head over to a place that does Tango shows so that we can buy tickets for tonight’s show. We have a few hours so we grab a cocktail at a bar near Casa Rosada followed by a Patagonian IPA at a pub.

Then it’s time for the show which is really good, the dancers are complete pros and the music is great!

Afterwards they provide us transport back to Palermo where we grab dinner at another restaurant recommended to us. By this time we order it’s about 10:30pm so we are starving!! We both get Quesadillas which are great. After dinner is done we head home but I can’t sleep straight away so it turns into a late night.

[tutyayilmazz]

first listening thoughts about rush!

OWN MY MIND: i looove the riff and the groovy bass

TIMEZONE: more simplistic than what the reviews had me expecting but still solid, i just don't care for the effects warping damiano's voice at all

BLA BLA BLA: the repetitiveness makes it stuck in your head but i just can't get over the lyrics, especially "i guess i liked playing with your dog/it made me feel like we had a son"?!?!? 💀

BABY SAID: this guitar intro is AMAZING thankfully it returns in the rest of the song, really catchy overall

FEEL: i love the guitar and the dancy vibe but honestly enough with the cocaine

DON'T WANNA SLEEP: THIS IS MY SONGG LOUD SHOUTY AND THOMAS GOING OFF AS IT SHOULD BE 🔥

KOOL KIDS: is this damiano's chav accent supposedly?? 😂😂 i love hearing the end properly not just on low quality concert videos

IF NOT FOR YOU: really touching, i love this concept 🥹

READ YOUR DIARY: i really like this one too, probably my second fave of those so far

MARK CHAPMAN: finally onto italian the music conveys an uneasy feeling so clearly, accompanies the lyrics so well. incredible, comprehensive work!!

LA FINE: i wasn't including songs we already heard in full so far but ofc i'm making an exception for la fine bc THIS is what i love from them the most, what they are absolutely UNTOUCHABLE at

IL DONO DELLA VITA: now this is one that deserves to be called a masterpiece, the instrumentals are at their most precise and this soft singing from damiano is really precious. the part where "io nasco di te" melts into light jazz-ish cymbals and the bass vibrates all around you with the humming.... CHILLS. i will definitely sit and think about these lyrics over and over again. absolutely not surprised to see it was written for teatro d'ira vol. i at first :')

overall what stands out to be the most to me is the bass turned all the way up that just sounds incredible and really characteristic to må. it's definitely an album that's their work unlike what goddamn s*p*rm*d*l had me fearing for a good part of the year, so definitely better than that worst expectation. i will say i feel like guitar parts could easily be extended in many of the songs to make something "meatier" and grittier and the 3 italian songs just stand out with how high quality they are but at this point i know they want to branch out to typically catchy songs and they certainly excel at that as well. it doesn't surpass teatro d'ira vol. i for me, i know that's pretty much impossible but i think rush! could go higher than il ballo della vita in my ranking. and finally, TOUCH ME WHERE!!???!?!?! WE DESERVE IT TOOOO, PLEASE JAPANESE FANS HELP US OUT 😭

[iamyounicorn]

Music asks: 5, 6, 7, 9, 20, and a blanket request for any of these questions you're especially excited to answer but haven't been asked!

5. A song that needs to be played LOUD: all of them I can't hear shit (joke) but for reals uhh songs where I like the bass, like The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

6. A song that makes you want to dance: I am not much of a dancer really but Deixa Ser by O Teatro Mágico makes me wanna spin and jump around

7. A song to drive to: I don't drive so idk but when it's just me and my sister in the car we like to listen to old rock, like The Chain (mentioned above) or Carry On Wayward Son

9. A song that makes you happy: hmmm I think music makes me more calm than happy but within that. Amarela Paixão is a peaceful/calm happy. This Must Be The Place by Talking Heads is a chill happy. Deixa Ser (mentioned above) is like a more excited but slightly melancholic happy. Laço also by O Teatro Mágico is a happy happy I think.

20. A song that has many meanings to you: I have the autism trait of reading stuff pretty literally so I don't really have a good answer but one that I can tell you has at least two meanings for me is Valsinha by Chico Buarque.

The literal translation of the song is like. One day the man went home and instead of his usual bad mood and ignoring his wife and cursing life he called her to go out and they danced in the city square and they were so happy that the whole neighborhood came out to dance and party and be happy too and the day woke up peaceful.

So the first and most literal meaning is just that. The man had a change of heart and decided to have fun with his wife instead of being miserable as usual. But considering the song that titles the album it was released in (Construção, a song about a construction worker falling off a building he was working on, the story is repeated three times changing the words at the end of each sentence and getting progressively faster and more nonsensical, it's ambiguous if the fall was an accident or a suicide) it can also be read as the songs are about the same man and the events in Valsinha are him deciding to have one good last night before dying.

[Bonus] 18. A song from the year that you were born: :)

[post]

[aeltri]

I told your friend Gator but I guess she was afraid to post my ask because she doesn’t like hard facts. Benedict was never scheduled to be at the GEANCO gala. You all fixated on the banner for the virtual gala that was held online in 2020 and he sent a video clip in for that. He didn’t miss anything. He was in BA with his wife and three real children as he was scheduled to be. Signed, the last sane skeptic.

Did you honestly think that the Fixer was our only industry contact? LMAO! We heard that a lot of talk has been going back and forth, that's bound to continue. Where do you think the bit about Ben breaching his contract came from? The ether? Gator deleted your Ask because she knows you're full of shit. Here are some harder facts for you, shill. Why would Rosario Dawson be brought in ATLM to host a Gala that Ben had already been named Honorary Chairman for? Her name was nowhere to be seen in the original lineup. Furthermore the shows at the Teatro Colon were scheduled for 9/27, 9/28, 9/30 and 10/2. One of those days is unaccounted for, I'll leave you to figure out which one and why. He had no reason to go to every single show after opening night and could have easily flown to LA for a couple of days to fulfill his other obligations. Cunter wasn't satisfied with him going to a second show and agreeing to that disastrous papwalk, though. The more he gives in the more demands she makes and she's notorious for sabotaging him at every opportunity! She's bitter because she knows that she is nothing without Ben's coattails to hang off of. That is why the Torino had only offered her a gig on the condition that he promote the venue. Enty leaked that and I can assure you that Teatro Colon was no different in that regard. Cunter only went to Marti to mooch free food and publicity from celebrity MasterChef German Martitegui. It is an upscale restaurant catering exclusively to adults as evidenced by both their menu and seating arrangement. Thing is, German's also got plenty of associates that could loan her a blond kid. Which explains why it was the wrong age, dirty and visibly frightened.

[nemobeatrice]

The Golden Miners - Chapter 7: Trip to Pompeii

Ao3

Quotev

Wattpad

Fugo woke up earlier than yesterday, but Giorno was still asleep. He wasn’t sure when he would wake up, but he kissed his cheek and got out of bed. Tomorrow would be Giorno’s last day with him. What could he do with him?

Fugo sniffed the air and noticed something lacking. The servants haven’t prepared breakfast. Perhaps he could try his hands at cooking. He took his phone off the charger, headed to the kitchen, and watched a simple breakfast video on his phone.

Giorno awoke and noticed Fugo wasn’t next to him. Curious about Fugo's whereabouts, he got out of bed, checking the dining room. When he got there, the absence of Fugo's parents surprised him, but that was the new normal. Then he checked the kitchen and saw Fugo cooking.

“I thought the servants cooked,” Giorno said, surprising him.

Fugo turned around. “Oh, they do. The servants know my parents have been acting strangely and were hesitant to make food unless I said so. One of them asked why I was cooking, and I told them it was for you. I know you hate chicken, but I wasn’t sure if eggs were okay. I already cooked the bacon. Three pieces for each of us! Also, would you like rice or bread?”

“I don't mind eating the eggs. As for the other question, one slice of bread, please,” Giorno answered.

Fugo sliced some bread and put a slice on a plate after he finished cooking the eggs. “Want any salt or pepper?”

“Just salt.”

He dashed salt on their eggs. “I’ll get the glasses in a minute. What would you like to drink?”

“You still have orange juice, right?”

“Yes.”

Fugo and Giorno headed to the dining room with the plates in their hand. Giorno sat at the table, but Fugo had to fetch their glasses and the orange juice. Once he brought the items, he sat next to Giorno.

While they ate, Fugo thought about where to take Giorno. He could take him to places like Galleria Borbonica, Catacombe di San Gennaro, Napoli Sotterranea, or Teatro di San Carlo. There were so many places Fugo wanted to take him, yet so little time, and most of the sites he thought of were historic. Perhaps Giorno would like to see a movie or—

“Let’s go to Pompeii!” Giorno suggested.

Fugo looked at him. “Why Pompeii?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking of that one song by Bastille.”

“Sure. I think most kids here have been to Pompeii for a field trip. Well, all kids except me.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. You’ve never been?”

“I learned some things about it, but—you know.”

“Right. Speaking of your parents, don’t they have to eat? You didn’t make food for them.”

“You’re right! We should make them something.” A wicked smile grew on Fugo’s face. “I know what to make them. Come! Let’s head to the kitchen.”

Giorno followed him. “What are we making them?”

“A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” Fugo took the jars out and a knife. “But we’re going to put a secret ingredient: your spit.”

“My spit?”

“It’s what they deserve. I also need to ask Father a question."

-

After they ate, Giorno and Fugo were in the garage where a shiny yellow expensive-looking car awaited them. Fugo had the car keys in his hands, playing with them as he approached the car. Although he was in such high moods, Giorno was nervous, worried that Fugo's parents would punish his boyfriend should a single scratch appear.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" worried Giorno.

Fugo got in the car and patted the other seat. "Babe, get in. We aren't taking taxis any longer."

"You're not worried about your parents?"

"Why would I? They don't care," he said. "Anymore."

Fugo had a point, causing Giorno to sit and buckle up. The garage door opened, and light poured in, filling the dark room. Fugo put the car in reverse, closed the garage door, and drove off to Pompeii.

"Would you believe me if I told you Father let me listen to my music on my phone?" Fugo said while keeping an eye on the road.

"He did?"

"Yeah. He didn't like it, said it was too depressing. Then he turned off the music. It was a quiet ride. This was when I went to the dentist for a check up."

The rest of the trip was silent, making Fugo nervous. Since traffic kept them from moving, Fugo took his eyes off the road to look at Giorno and noticed he appeared bored.

"Oh, the music!" Fugo broke the silence. "Would you like me to turn the radio on? I don't know what music stations there are on the radio, but I'm sure Father listens to something boring."

"Sure, some music would be nice," Giorno replied.

Fugo turned on the radio, which was on Radio 24. He checked Giorno's reaction, and he seemed a bit interested, but Fugo was sure he'd rather listen to music. He was also aware his favorite musician was Jeff Beck, an English guitarist who made blues rock. There weren't any blues or jazz stations that Fugo knew of, but there were some rock stations—two, in fact. He switched it to Virgin Radio Italia, grabbing Giorno's attention. A Jimi Hendrix song was on.

"I thought all the songs were in Italian," Giorno said.

"Sometimes. I don't know. I don't listen to the radio. I listen to whatever is on YouTube."

"I assume almost every radio station plays some songs in English." He started fanning himself. "It's kind of hot in here."

Sweat appeared on Fugo's forehead, and he felt slightly dehydrated. He turned on the AC, blasting cool air.

"Thanks!" Giorno said. "I wasn't sure if you wanted me to turn it on or not."

Suddenly, Fugo had a flashback when he received his driver's license for the first time. Fugo was happy, but when he saw his father's face, his expression was hard to decipher.

"Since you're at that age," Fugo's father started, "I'm going to hide these keys from you."

"What? Why?" He clenched his fists. "What was the point of me getting my license if I'm not going to drive?"

"Because you're at that age. One of your elder brothers took a girl in my car and did nasty things to her. I want you to avoid doing that. As for the point, it was to prove that you're an adult, but right now, you're acting like a child. Once we return home, you're going to your room to study."

"But, Dad!"

"I saw your hands! You better learn to control your anger or else!"

Giorno wasn't a girl, and Fugo had no interest in women or sexual activities. And the "nasty things" his elder brother was making out with his girlfriend. He remembered the argument, and their voices getting louder as the seconds past. Father implied that his action would've impregnated his girlfriend. Of course, his elder brother impregnated a girl, just not his girlfriend.

Fugo shook his head, dismissing that memory. "Uh, Giorno, since this car isn't moving, do you want to—"

A red first generation Mazda Miata next to them honked. Its driver, a blue-haired man with red glasses, yelled out obscenities at everyone then stared at the teens. Fugo and Giorno stared back. Fugo knew who he was. His name was Ghiaccio, and he had seen him get into arguments with people and causing scenes.

"The hell are you looking at?" Ghiaccio yelled.

The two looked away and focused on the car in front of them. The cars started moving again. Eventually, Ghiaccio had to make a turn, making the teens feel at ease.

"That guy made me nervous," Giorno said. "Could you imagine getting into a fight with that guy?"

"Yeah, and I thought I had anger issues. That guy is another problem entirely." Fugo continued driving to Pompeii while trying to build up the courage to prepare the question that Ghiaccio interrupted. They reached the ruins, but now they had to find a place to park. "When we find a parking spot, do you want to maybe—"

"A parking spot!" Giorno pointed.

Fugo took the spot before someone else could, removed the car keys, and grabbed Giorno's shoulders before he could open the door. His head turned tomato red. "Wait! D-do you m-maybe want to uh um maybe start to, you know, o-or um—"

Giorno giggled. "Are you asking to make out in the car with you?"

"Y-yes! How'd you know?"

Giorno slightly frowned. "Because I'll have to go back home soon. You've been trying to make things memorable for me. Thank you. I want to make things memorable for you too."

He pulled on Fugo's tie to bring him closer and mashed his lips against his. Fugo unbuckled his seat-belt for more movement and embraced him. His hands wandered all over him to remember how he felt. Giorno's skin felt smooth and soft. The friction combined with the summer heat caused them to sweat again, but they didn't care. They continued kissing even when Fugo accidentally unbuttoned Giorno's clothes. Then, Fugo tried to do something different and inserted his tongue inside Giorno's mouth, and he replied the same way, wiggling around and slobbering their mouths.

"Um, Fugo," said a familiar voice from behind the car. The two withdrew from the kiss, leaving a trail of saliva, and looked behind them. It was an appalled Abbacchio, and he was in his police uniform.

Fugo adjusted his tie, got out of the car with Giorno, and pretended everything was normal. "Hey! I didn't think you'd be here. How's Bucciarati?" He looked like what his father feared—all sweaty, hair messy, clothes unbuttoned, a slobbered mouth. Crap, the look on Abbacchio's face tells Fugo how bad this looks, embarrassing the boy.

"Just...clean yourselves up. I was never here." He walked off the other direction until he turned around to say something else. "And I won't mention this to anyone!"

Fugo and Giorno swiped the saliva from their mouths, fixed their hair, and made sure they buttoned up their clothing.

"I think Abbacchio believes we did something inappropriate," Giorno said.

"You're right. Ugh. I'm not going to explain to him that it was just a kiss." Fugo held his hand. "Let's check out the ruins."

-

The teens followed a tour guide, explaining everything that Fugo already knew about Pompeii. Fugo, bored, looked to Giorno to see if this entertained him. Since Giorno knew a few things about Italy, Fugo wondered why he wanted to learn about some dusty old ruins. As for Giorno's expression, he seemed excited and brought his phone out to take pictures of the mosaic fountain. Fugo internally admitted the fountain looked pretty and took a picture of it too.

"Do you think Ubisoft will ever make a game taken place in ancient Rome?" Giorno asked Fugo.

"I can see them making a game that involves Amunet," he replied.

"Amunet?"

"Remember when you visited her tomb in Assassin's Creed 2? We'll probably get a game in ancient Egypt before that happens."

"Oh! I remember now! Was her tomb the one with the bad camera angle?"

"I don't remember, but Ubisoft is currently obsessed with the colonial period. Who knows how long that will take."

"Wait, Amunet is a woman. I don't think they'll make a game about her. They never made a game about Shao Jun."

"What about Liberation?"

"Well, that's just one, and it was a spin-off of Assassin's Creed 3. Sheila was excited about it, but Trish thought Ubisoft could've done better. Don't you remember her ranting on Twitter about how Ubisoft said women were hard to animate? They said this in June."

"No, I hate Twitter, but let me check." Fugo brought out his phone and searched up keywords. "Did they delete the tweet?"

Giorno shrugged. "I never saw it. I just saw Trish getting angry about it."

"What was Sheila's opinion?"

Giorno checked his phone and searched Trish's tweet. "I see that Sheila liked it, so she agrees."

"Even though she likes Liberation?"

"You can still be critical of the developers while loving their games."

Fugo rolled his eyes, annoyed that Giorno would speak to him like a child. "Sheesh, okay. I know that."

"I wasn't trying to get you riled up."

"Just—quiet! Please." Fugo tried to control his anger. Their conversation caught a few eyes, but they all turned their heads and minded their business. "Sorry for getting angry."

"It's fine." Giorno hugged Fugo.

For some reason, Abbacchio was there and cleared his throat. "Uh."

The two stopped hugging.

"Hi," Fugo said.

"Hello," Giorno said.

"Shut up, Giorno!" Abbacchio snapped. "Don't get near Fugo!"

Fugo blushed. "Abbacchio!" He expected this behavior from his dad, but Abbacchio was more of a father than his actual father. Same with Bucciarati, but he wasn't here. He felt nothing except embarrassment and shame.

"Are you alright, Fugo? Did Giorno coerced you into something you didn't want to do? If you want, I could call Bucciarati to make you feel better."

"We weren't doing what you thought we were doing in the car," Giorno said. "You're pissing Fugo off!"

"Actually, I'm not—"

"I know Fugo would not agree to whatever was going on in his dad's car," Abbacchio interrupted. "And one of his elder brothers got his girlfriend pregnant."

"Shut up!" Fugo shouted, grabbing the attention of everyone around them.

"People are staring," Abbacchio said.

"Yeah, isn't this familiar?" Fugo whispered loud enough for only him and Giorno to hear. "Anyways, I wasn't pissed off, Giorno, just a bit embarrassed. And Abbacchio, I wanted to make out with Giorno in the car. Let's just drop this, can we? And my elder brother got a different girl pregnant. I don't know if it was in the car, though. If so, gross."

"Alright," they both replied.

Because of the banter with Abbacchio, their tour guide left them.

"Uh, where did the tour guide go?" Giorno asked.

"I'm not sure." Fugo looked to Abbacchio. "Do you know?"

"I don't know. I'm just patrolling around to stop scammers. Fugo, you learned about Pompeii. Be his tour guide."

Somebody eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Did somebody say tour guide?" said an auburn-haired man with a buzz-cut and a red leather jacket with studs. Then he noticed Abbacchio. "I mean—uh." He brought out his phone and texted someone as if his life depended on it.

"You! Formaggio, wasn't it?" Abbacchio said. He had on his angry face. "I thought I told you to leave."

"I was about to!"

"Really? Because it sounded to me like you were about to scam these kids."

"I wasn't! Once my"—Formaggio thought for a second—"friend gets here, he'll explain."

Abbacchio crossed his arms. "And who would that be?"

A tall brunet man with six pigtails walked out of a crowd and stood next to Formaggio. He gawked at Fugo, and he gawked at him.

"Do you two know each other?" asked Giorno.

"That's Illuso, Clara's ex."

"Clara?" Formaggio looked at Illuso. "Who's Clara? That's a woman's name, isn't it? I thought you were interested in men."

"I am! She's just some dumb bitch I dumped." Illuso composed himself. "Has she gotten over me yet? That girl needs to move on. It wasn't personal. As for her sister, tell her to quit being an annoying shit or else I'll have her YouTube account taken down."

"She took down the videos a long time ago," Fugo replied. "Now we're waiting for you to take down yours."

"Fine." Illuso pulled out his phone, deleting his video, or so Fugo hopes. "There. Now leave us alone."

"Hey, your boyfriend here tried to scam Giorno."

"Oh, and is he your little boyfriend I've been reading about?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Well"—Illuso tried to think of a comeback but failed—"we'll be leaving. Tell Sheila, Trish, or Clara about his, and I'll make sure you regret it."

"Hey, and make sure you two leave and never come back," Abbacchio warned, "or else I'll arrest you and your boyfriend."

Illuso and Formaggio flicked them off before leaving.

"Come on, Giorno. Let's leave." Fugo held onto his arms.

"Are they supposed to be adults?" Giorno questioned.

"Ignore them. They're man-children. Since they're gone, I'll be your personal tour guide. So, where shall we head first? Shall we head to the vineyard? Mother loved teaching me that."

"That sounds nice."

"Well"—Fugo turned to Abbacchio—"I'll probably see you on Minecraft, assuming you have it."

"I have it but haven't played it yet," Abbacchio said. "Bruno bought it for me after he bought it for himself, and he's enjoying it. He's always playing it whenever I call him."

"Remember to play on peaceful when you start. See you."

"Do you have it on Xbox or PlayStation?" Giorno asked. "I love Minecraft so much, I bought it on both consoles and on PC. Perhaps we could add each other as friends."

"I think not," Abbacchio said. "You have fun, Fugo. If you run into trouble, just call me."

Abbacchio walked away.

"He still doesn't like me?" Giorno asked.

"Don't worry. He just wants to keep me safe along with the others. Narancia, Mista, Trish, and Sheila are friends with him, despite him being an adult. So does Bruno. Those two know we've had it rough and want the best for us. Let's go to the vineyard before lots of people show up."

[carladuquette]

Close your eyes, count to ten// Ch. 41

I finally managed to post the penultimate chapter and… Guys. This whole thing is almost over 🥺 But before the end, there’s Carla dealing with her past, a guest appearance by everyone’s fav ex-tennis-player, and lots of Lu-Carla and Lu-Guzman friendship goodness.

"I wasn’t alone growing up." Carla looked down at her hands before straightening up, her eyes finding Lu's. "I had Polo."

It took a few seconds for the full weight of Carla’s words to hit - and then Lu crumbled in front of her eyes. She folded over at the waist, and Carla saw the tears in her eyes before she covered her face with her hands.

"Lu…" Carla helplessly reached out a hand, but Lu curled further into herself and away from her.

They had been at this point a couple of times, in the weeks after graduation. Carla had thought she'd managed to reach Lu back then. Managed to convince her that no, it wasn't torture to be in the same room with her. That she didn't hate Lu for what she'd done. Clearly that had been naïve of her.

Finally Lu looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. She was hiccupping and wiping at her blotched face. Carla felt transported back to Teatro Barcelo, that moment right before her world was thrown off its axis for the second time, when she had happened upon Lu barely standing upright in the door to the club's bathroom. Her heart clenched now as it had then, and she had to breathe slowly to not give in to tears herself.

"I’m so sorry," Lu got out. "I don't know how you can even-"

"No, stop." Carla stared into the middle distance for a moment. Then she turned to Lu and grabbed both her hands. "Listen to me. Polo and I fucked it up way beforehand. And then after he killed Marina… It was my fault too that he died. Had he confessed like he wanted to, it would have never gotten this far."

She let her eyes rest on Lu's face. There was pain there. But after sitting on the couch together for a while, the only sound the raindrops on the skylight, Carla saw a little of it melt away. And now there was hope there, too, something Lu's face had been devoid of on graduation night and in the weeks after.

"I don't want to focus on the bad. You shouldn't either, Lu. I mean it. I was never really alone growing up because Polo was always there. That was a gift. I’m grateful he was in my life." When she saw a small smile, teary as it may be, on Lu's face, Carla felt like something had lifted off her chest. She squeezed Lu's hand. "And I’m grateful you’re in it, too."

[samyelbanette]

I saw someone posting about their “fandom anniversary” and I was like….how tf could you possibly remember the exact date you started interacting with a specific fandom???

I’ve had this blog for 10 years. I’ve probably blogged about at least 20 different fandoms in that time. There’s no way I could possibly remember when each and every hyperfixation I’ve had started (or ended).

But, I did sit down and think about it. Obviously the first time I ever laid eyes on BC, was ESC 2021 Semifinal 2. Which was on….(checks notes)…..May 20th, 2021.

I remember right after the Grand Final, I looked BC up on YouTube. I listened to “Died Enough For You” and was like, wow, this is a great song!

But, most of my attention was on Måneskin. I obsessively listened to Teatro D’Ira and Il Ballo Della Vita on repeat. There was no room in my heart for any other albums. I guess that’s just how special interests are. 🤷‍♀️

So, I didn’t listen to the rest of Violent Pop until….I think August? After my fixation on Må had worn off. Balboa came out on August 13th iirc, and the Alles Sea Pool show was on August 15th. That was about the time that I started actually paying attention, and interacting with other BC blogs.

However….I distinctly remember the first two BC fanfics I ever read. And when I looked it up, I realized they were both posted on the same day. :0

So, maybe that’s my actual “anniversary” lol. August 7th.