#yes i know rondo is before symphony

[autumnmobile12]

I'm all for changes between adaptations....

But RIP to Symphony Richter's glorious hair.

Edit: I like the Nocturne design! This is a joke!

[alpaca-clouds]

Some thoughts on Nocturne

Okay, we finally have a trailer and some actual information on the show, I think it is kinda fun to speculate, right? And just have some thoughts. No, scratch that: Actually I got a lot of thoughts. Even though barely anything is confirmed.

Firstly: Yeah, let's face it, it does not look like there is a ton of plot tonna survive from the two games inspiring it. Which undoubtedly will once again leave the game fans angry. But even though I enjoyed the heck out of Symphony of the Night (still gotta play Rondo full), I still think it is kinda a good thing. Because most Castlevania games are fairly light on story. Which - I said this before - is okay. It is totally okay for a videogame to be like: "Slay big monster." But if you want to translate it into a more narrative focused medium, you gotta change stuff.

I was originally kinda sceptical about the entire French Revolution thing for two reasons. 1) Well, technically I doubt that the French Revolution is still gonna happen after how the first series ended. But that might just be me. 2) Western Media, but American Media especially sucks when it comes to portrayels of the French Revolution as it usually goes back to the "There were good people on both sides!" kinda outlook, that does not really get the revolution and everything that was going on.

Funnily enough the thing that made me a bit more optimistic on this point is just them making Annette Black and from what I gather from that preview article released two days someone who has escaped slavery. I mean, game!Annette is just the usual passive kinda woman for the most part. And this is... definitely more interesting than that.

Especially given there is also another detail that nobody seems to acknowledge: Outside of showrunner Clive Bradley, all the episode writers (Temi Oh, Testament and Zodwa Nyoni) are Black. Which kinda seems like a very conscious choice. And given that the French Revolution does not get the credit it deserves as an abolition movement and something that definitely also helped to lead to the Haitain Revolution, I start to get my hopes up that they are gonna actually work with that aspect of the (hi)story.

One thing that is also interesting to me - though also kinda iffy - is the thing with Orlox and Richter's mother.

Iffy because it makes Richter join the ranks of Castlevania protagonists at least partly inspired by the death of a woman. What is it with this franchise and that fucking refrigirating warehouse filled with women?! I mean, Jesus, you people are aware that man can actually be inspired to do stuff for other reasons than a woman dying, right?!

But... We also know that Orlox does not seem to be the main antagonist, but apparently is someone who ends up making uneasy allies with Richter and Co., which kinda makes me hope that there is actually gonna be a bit more nuance to this than it appears at first glance.

Orlox says in the trailer that Richter's mom killed someone very dear to him (honestly, if this is gonna be another refrigerated woman, I am gonna flip a fucking table, though I guess I also do not want buried gays) and a part of me kinda hopes that it might go into the direction I brought up concerning my Belmont family headcanon with this discussing the idea of "killing all vampires is kinda bad, too".

Another thing about Orlox is, too, that he is not white. I read him as Black originally, but given that he is voiced by Zahn McClarnon, who is indigenous, I am gonna assume Orlox here is of Indigenous heritage. Which is gonna make for an interesting storybeat, given that in the series so far we had non-white vampires, yes, but... none of them had much in terms of story, let alone even voicelines.

Especially given another thing...

Given from what we see in the trailer, there definitely is gonna be a theme of "nobility = vampires" going on here. We can only guess about how much of it being like actual: "Oh, yeah, all nobles are vampires!" But there are definitely gonna be some vampires nobles opposed to the revolution. That seems to be pretty clear.

Aaaaaand... that makes me wonder, whether or not there is actually gonna be some commentary about the different ranks within vampire society.

Let me explain: All vampires with voicelines (or, heck, NAMES) within the original Castlevania series were nobles of some sort. It was what in other franchises would be called Vampire Lords. Well, with the exception of Ratko, that is, who explicitly is a soldier. Most of the vampire soldiers are just faceless characters with the same four designs repeating over and over. They are just the canon fodder who dies, when the heroes need their action scenes. But... That always made me wonder what vampire society actually looked like for these people.

And given the time this is now set in... and that Orlox is apparently indigenous... I kinda doubt that he is a vampire lord, given the times. If we have the vampire nobility being actual nobility... They gotta be racist, right?

Maybe I am just conjecturing too much here. But... That would actually make for an interesting idea.

Also, also... In the original show there is not a single Black or Arabian vampire. Which is also... interesting. Just saying.

We also know that the main antagonist seems to be Erzsebet Báthory (rather than Shaft or Dracula, though obviously this could also be the trailer trying to mislead us).

Fun Fact: Did you know that there is two vampires in the Castlevania games based on historical serial killers, who these days are both presumed to have been innocent? (Bathory and de Rais.)

This is something where I am super interested to see, where they are going to go with the character. Because there definitely is this historical assumption these days that she might have been innocent - and man would that make for a more interesting character than her being actually just a child murderer.

We so far see too little of her to really speculate much. But I definitely find it interesting that they have chosen her as the antagonist.

Also... There is this whole thing of Vampire Messiah and all of that going on and blocking out the sun and what not. And I kinda do wonder if anyone is gonna go like: "Uhm, yeah, without a sun we cannot grow shit and everyone is gonna starve, including vampires!"

Other more short form thoughts:

We see this night creature apparently saving Annette from a vampire or other night creature. What's up with that? Or is it even a night creature? We definitely see night creatures in that big eclipse scene, but there issomething else that might be going on here. Because...

Admittedly, the one vampire I have trouble placing in my theory is this one. She does seem to be on the side of Bathory in this based on everything we see in the trailer. From all I can find, she does not have a name as far as I could find. But she does fight Annette and all of that. And she definitely is Black, making me wonder what her story is.

BUUUUUT... If you look at her full design in the scene where she is fighting Annette, she looks remarkably like the night creature saving Annette in the above screenshot. So...

We see those masked figures in the trailer, with the clear implication that they are vampires. And last night (well, European night that is) someone on one of the servers was like: "Hey, is the blond masked guy Alucard with short hair?" And I originally brushed it off. But... I also think now they might be right, because he has normal ears and not poity vampire ears. And that is only something we saw in Alucard so far (not that we see a ton of his ears - which made me to always assume for my fics he has pointy ears, but I crossreferenced the models and yeah, no, Alucard has normal ears). So, either this is Alucard... or some other dhampir. Probably not a full-blooded vampire though.

In this one shot of what seems to be Annette using her magic, we see that she has a Fleur-de-lis either painted, tattooed or branded on her right hand. And I gotta wonder what is up with that. Given that she is a freed/runaway slave, I do wonder whether she has some ties to the royal family in one way or another?

We do see Maria summon what clearly looks like Byakku. And I am wondering how they are gonna go about Maria's powerset. Because it is another thing were the games do not have a ton of story happening. She summons beasts that are strictly linked to East Asian mythology, even though she is not from East Asia because of... reasons. I certainly hope she is gotta get more of a reason to do so here. (Especially given her entire Ninja-thing in Symphony, that made about as much sense lol Please note: I love game!Maria. It is just kinda a hilarious "Japanese games will do this" thing to me.)

We do not see a ton of Tera using magic in the trailer. Buuuuut in this scene she uses ice magic and definitely uses the same hand sign for it Sypha uses. She also vaguely has the same color scheme (blue and black) as the speakers do. And the same blue eyes like Sypha. Is she related to the speakers somehow? (And given the role that the Romani people also kinda had in terms of the revolution: Will we just stick with the speakers taking over the roles of Sinti and Roma?)

What is going on in this scene?

I mean, we definitely see Richter using magic in the trailer (which still makes a ton of sense to me, given he is gonna be as much of a descendent of Sypha as he is of Trevor). But this... does kinda seem as if he might have something more than just normal magic going on there.

Also: I just adore that half of the trailer Richter is crying. Someone hug this poor boy.

Finally: I sure hope it will keep up the gay levels of the series so far xD

[lena--beana]

Damn I can't believe Sam Deats read my journal and made Castlevania Nocturne specifically for me with everything I could have wanted from a Rondo/Symphony story but like

Oh my GOD??????????

Olrox getting main billing after being my favorite one-off villain with one (1) boss fight with no build-up and never reappearing, they were really like "yeah let's make him the hottest motherfucker in the world and make him even cooler while we're at it"

Richter and Maria's character designs are 😘👌 perfection! I loved how Maria had her classic hairdo with her nightgown too and watching Richter put the bandana on for the first time with goddamn "Divine Bloodlines" playing like????

And Richter doing the Grand Cross??? And his flame whip????? The 1000 blades technique against the marquis?????? Maria using so many of her animal friends and caring so much about each of them sweet child oh my goodness

Not to mention the way I screamed louder for Juste than Alucard bc let's be real baby vampire boy was always going to come back but I had NO faith that they would even look at my boy JB and especially Maxim?? Even in passing I'm so touched holy shit. And I see that red coat on the foot of his bed, I know my angry grandpa's coming back 👀👀

But speaking of Alucard I adore this redesign, the little cravat telling me they're at least trying to give him his Symphony look instead of the t-shirt in the last show is a nice touch but that porcelain doll look is killer and I'm all here for it 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Also everything about Annette oh my lord?? Giving her anything besides just being a damsel in distress like before but everything about her backstory had me on the edge of my seat and I LOVED watching her trap the plantation owner in a cage before the end

Loved getting to see Countess Bathory since we're never getting a Bloodlines anime, the succubus who took me way too long to realize she wasn't just a unique vampire like I had every clue thrown in my face from the fit to the nails and she even admitted to haunting men's dreams and I didn't figure it out til the second she grew wings 😭 glad Alucard still got to finish her off but I'm sad we probably won't get that scene with Lisa again (which probably wouldn't happen since Drac isn't back anyway so there wouldn't be much point)

Can I just talk about Olrox some more bc like??? This guy had NOTHING before the show, he was a fuckin Nosferatu reference and now they gave him all this history, they kept all of his abilities and the dragon transformation?? Plus the beautiful purple and gold suit and those piercing green eyes I love one (1) man and its this fucker I need WAY more of him next time around 👀👀👀👀👀

And yes absolutely I'm excited for next time, we're picking up right where Rondo starts, Father Abbott as a stand-in for Shaft and Tera immediately being turned, the city about to burn like? Are we gonna see Death again?? Do we get to watch Richter fight the Behemoth next season? Is Abbott going to totally lose his mind and bring back Dracula to stop Bathory? Since Alucard is here from the start and not after a time skip do we get to see the Inverted Castle? We already got so much that I would have called a million to one chance but anything's possible now we are SO back baybeeeee

[ebvermin]

ok really dumb rant about CV:Nocturne

Honestly, I shouldn’t really be surprised that they skipped like 300 years worth of games and went straight from CoD to Rondo, presumably following with SotN in like season 3 of it. I mean, how could they *not* bring back Alucard, y’know? And what would they even do for Christopher and Simon Belmont, just have Dracula magically resurrect like he does in the games, kinda completely invalidating the buildup to the massive fight from season 2?

And look, the legendary Simon Belmont really isn’t the most fleshed-out character, as opposed to Richter, who could actually be a really interesting character to explore in this adaptation. I mean, sure, he starts off as your typical noble hero, slaying monsters and saving maidens, the typical classic CV fare, but there’s just this lil something something in his dialogue with Dracula in Rondo that tells a much more important side to his character.

D: It is not by my own power that I am resurrected. It is a greed of humanity which calls me back. And thus, by might, I rule. Might becomes the one and only justice in this world!

R:  Of all the self-serving claptrap! The same basic faith drives all people to seek, to come together, to move forward. That surely can't be an evil thing!

D:  And yet, here I am. Do you not have any desires?

R: (hesitantly) Well...

Right there, The only moment we see Richter stagger thus far, when his true intentions are called into question. Yes, Richter is a hero through and through, but what happens after he fulfills his destiny? Of course, we see this in Symphony, where Richter’s desires cause him to be mesmerized by the Shaft, and end up resurrecting the very thing his family swore to destroy 700 years ago, just to show his own self-serving might. And, I can imagine that this very same folly is gonna happen in Nocturne as well, because you know the writers are just *begging* to do SotN! So, it makes sense why they skip to Rondo, but, they didn’t have to skip everything...

in 1748, fifty years before the events of Rondo, a man named Maxim returned from a two-year training journey, gravely wounded from an apparent attack upon him, but with no memory of his entire expedition. However, he comes bearing news that a childhood friend of his, Lydie, had been kidnapped by an evil force. And the first person he goes to, his most trusted friend...

Juste Belmont

The Grandson of Simon Belmont, and eventual grandfather of Richter, Juste is surprised to learn of the unexpected return of Dracula’s Castle, and he and Maxim leave at once to investigate. And from here, the two embark on a story of confusion, betrayal, and the folly of pride and jealousy.

You see, Maxim, despite training as hard as he can, knows that he’ll never get the same notoriety as Juste, for no other reason than that Juste is of the legendary Belmont clan. But, it’s this very jealousy that allows the spirit of Dracula to enter Maxim’s heart, slowly corrupting him and causing Castle Dracula to return in the first place, fifty years early. 

Sounds familiar?

And look, I’m not saying that Harmony of Dissonance needs an entire adaptation, i’m lying yes it does But at least a season or a few episodes dedicated to it would seriously help the story a lot! Just because Dracula isn’t alive, doesn’t mean that his spirit can’t influence the evil in people’s hearts, which would be a perfect parallel to how Richter eventually falls to his own desires. Honestly, Harmony as a whole is a really good prelude to Rondo and Symphony, and i do hope it at least gets a mention in the new series!

but if we can be real they probably wont even revive dracula anyway because he kinda just wanted to die in season 2 anyway and what are they just gonna have dracula fight alucard again after the whole “im killing my boy” speech so i guess my whole point is kinda moot unless what is he gonna revive carmilla or something sure she was actually in rondo but come on thats ridiculous

look man i just like harmony of dissonance 

[curseofdarkness]

Richter!

How I feel about this character -

Ououuah... Oh... Oh buddy. You need some therapy. A very solid character, I rather like him. I'm glad to see the results of such pressure being acknowledged too. He's funny and also very dramatic but cares so so so much :)

All the people I ship romantically with this fella -

Honestly? Not really anyone. Like yes canonically he has Annette but. For shipping, I just. Don't. With Ricky.

Non Romantic OTP -

HIM AND MARIA SO MUCH THEY'RE SO FUNNY. God they're so funny and have such vibes. That's his little sister who gets into hijinks so very much. He's her straightman in a way

Unpopular Opinion -

Um. Idk man. I don't really know what counts as an unpopular opinion for him now. So just. General opinions. It definitely wasn't arrogance for why he got possessed/revived Drac and took Lordship of the Castle. He absolutely had feelings about the legacy that were pushed down and never talked about until Dracula forced him to truly consider.

One thing I wish would happen/wish had happened in canon -

Um. I feel like his arc was pretty complete tbh. I wish maybe that... We got to see more interactions with him and Maria, both in Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. Especially since I believe it was implied in Symphony that something happened for Maria to change her tune - to believe Richter was indeed aligned with the enemy.

OH ALSO what happened in the four years between Rondo and Symphony before Richter disappeared.

[cvvania]

Cadenza of Mercy AU, made with @edam-shame

In short, begins with Leon shielding Walter from Death in a split second decision. However in this short period of time, Walter tskes the chance to bite Leon and turn him. Things continue as canon, however Leon ends up with the Ebony Stone as well, and lets say it only goes downhill from here. With the Ebony stone still in someone's possession, the eternal night doesnt end even if the task is done,

Hunger hits on the way out of the castle, ends up getting a few animals and heads back for Rinaldo's once he is fine. Suffice to say its tense to begin considering Rinaldo is able to tell just what's happened. One doesn't become pale so suddenly for no reason. It also certainly takes some explaining.

It was not revealed to Leon thag Mathias was the one behind everything. Their friendship goes undamaged for some time.

And he... while he stays around the family for some time, its when others become suspicious of his and his family's nature does he leave. Instead he takes up residence in a manor near the old eternal night's forest. And here he rests for some time.

Until we have Eleanor Belmont come around, before the Belmonts have gone to wallachia. See, the vampiric genes still pop up and stick around here and there, but no one in the family has a true explanation for it at this point. As such, she decides to investigate rumors of a vampire out in the old forest.

She does carry the whip here. Decides to investigate, and the creatures that have made up the enemy forces in and around the Manor arent immediately in any want to attack her. The aura is too similar to their 'lord's' to the less sentient beings. Later on however they realize.

And she does eventually get her answers after bearing her way through the manor, eventually finding an old dusty coffin. She does succeed in getting her answers and waking Leon from his rest.

Now see the vampiric genes do pop up more here and there.

Later, he ends up joining Trevor on his and co's quest to kill Dracula after hearing word of Dracula finally reappearing in Wallachia. However do they know this is Leon? No. He follows after as a white wolf, a consistent habit to be for Leon. Trevor knows about the wolf by the time he goes for the castle itself, and Leon is a common conversation topic. Trevor keeps playing off Leon as his 'very real dog yes dont worry he's safe. I think.'

None of them know except Alucard, who honestly just rolls with it since Leon's not hurt them in any sort of way.

It continues as canon.

Simon also has Leon around pretty early, though typically leaves him be due to there being no sense in messing with what wasnt hurting. He does know by the end of CV1, and into CV2.

Then, we have Juste. He knows pretty early on whats up with Leon but doesnt really say a word. Whenever Leon decided to say something, then so be it. Juste has far more of the vampiric genes than most in the family. Leon's along pretty early on, though at some point goes off and meets Maxim alone. This is Maxim, but this encounter doesnt last long as he rushed off.

Richter doesn't know for most of Rondo until maybe the equivalent of stage 6, while Maria does know earlier. Maria doesn't say a word since well why should she, she was never asked. However by the time of Symphony he does indeed know, and I have a feeling that having your ancestor who started this all around would have further negative effect.

Leon perhaps has a fight with Richter pre-Sotn events, but after the possession?

Now. We have canonized Circle of the Moon.

Leon does indeed show up pretty early on in Circle, but doesn't stick around Nathan for as long, instead opting to go off. Hugh hears of this, Nathan actully having met the white wolf, grows all the more jealous.

Leon reveals himself earlier on, basically ends up adopting Nathan.

Also Nathan can do sick card tricks.

[mikauzoran]

Lukagami: Symphony (One-Shot)

@steelblaidd requested Lukagami

Summary: When Luka reminds Kagami that she’s welcome aboard the Liberty any time, she begins to see him in a new light, and spending time with him brings all kinds of discoveries.

Read it on AO3: Lukagami: Symphony

It was a typical Friday evening as Kagami climbed out of the car as gracefully as she could manage and bid Tatsu farewell.

The computerized voice wished her a pleasant fencing lesson before the door automatically shut and the vehicle drove off.

Kagami began her ascent up the Collège Françoise Dupont’s steps, mentally preparing herself to act with dignity and poise around Adrien.

She’d mostly come to terms with the end of their relationship, and she had half a mind to not-so-subtly nudge him towards Marinette, but things were still awkward, and she keenly felt the necessity of putting on yet another mask in public to deal with the situation.

A cheerful voice shook her from her reverie: “Hey! Kagami!”

She paused on the steps, turning to see Luka Couffaine as he broke away from Juleka and Rose and strode towards Kagami.

“How have you been?” he inquired amicably.

“Fine, thank you. Yourself?” she replied, keeping a polite emotional distance.

“Good. Hey, you know, you’re still more than welcome to come hang out on the Liberty.” He smiled shyly, reaching up to finger the drawstring of his jacket. “If you ever want to. …I just wanted you to know that.”

Kagami blinked, caught off guard by the offer.

She had never been close to Adrien’s friends and hadn’t expected to be wanted at their gatherings now that the link between her and Adrien had weakened.

“I… Thank you,” she managed to respond.

His smile gained some confidence, growing wider and more brilliant. “Sure thing. Well…have a nice day.”

“You as well,” she replied, nodding in acknowledgement as he turned, giving her a little wave as he did so.

 She hadn’t actually intended to stop by the Liberty, but, in the end, the draw of making friends on her own was strong.

The band was taking a break in the main cabin when she arrived, and everyone greeted her warmly, as if she had every right to be there.

It was nice in a slightly disconcerting, unfamiliar way.

“You came,” Luka noted, beaming as he motioned for her to come inside and make herself at home.

“I did,” she affirmed, thinking that she could get used to his smiles.

They disarmed her and, at the same time, put her at ease.

“Glad to have you,” he assured. “…You play the violin?”

He pointed to the case strapped to her back.

Shyly, she nodded. “I’m supposed to be at my lesson, but I’m skipping.”

Luka nearly choked on a laugh. “Rebellion at its finest. Nice.”

She made a playful curtsey and smiled in satisfaction when it only caused him to laugh more.

She found she liked his laughter too. It shimmered like sunlight on the Seine.

“Do you like the violin?” he inquired once his laughter had died down.

She pursed her lips and really considered the question. “…Yes. I do. At times, anyway. When I get to play what I want. I don’t think anyone enjoys it when they’re forced to do something, but when it’s my choice…then I like the violin.”

Luka nodded in solidarity. “I can understand that. I like the violin too.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You play?”

He grinned, an impish twinkle in his eyes. “I do. I know I seem like more of a rock-and-roll type, but I promise my tastes are extremely eclectic.”

“What do you like to play?” she pressed with interest.

He shrugged. “This and that. Saint-Saëns’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso…Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy…Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata. You know.”

She gave a startled laugh. “You must be very talented!”

He shook his head, demurring. “Not at all. I’m just a hobbyist.”

“Go get your violin and play something,” she demanded. “I’ll be the judge.”

Luka tried to protest, but Kagami insisted, and the scene drew the attention of the others who all weighed in on Kagami’s side.

Obligingly, Luka got out his violin, quickly tuned and warmed up, and began to play Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 3: Ballade for a stunned audience.

The melody was haunting and nebulous at first, like fog rolling across a moor.

Slowly, the notes coalesced, and the song gained a solid form.

With new direction, the melody line soared until the violin alternated between crooning a sweet, plaintive tune and shrieking with passion at the double stops.

The tension and urgency kept ratcheting up and up near the end as the notes flew by as if chased by the devil.

Kagami was on the literal edge of her seat, her heart pounding as she watched Luka’s fingers moving swiftly over the strings.

He lowered his bow with a flourish and a smirk, and Kagami could finally catch her breath.

Luka’s friends all crowded him, so Kagami didn’t get a chance to speak to him again until the end of rehearsal.

On her way out, she remarked, “You sold yourself short saying you were only a hobbyist. I’ve been taking lessons for years, and I couldn’t play that piece like you did.”

Luka shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry. I don’t like to brag. The truth is, if being a rock star falls through, I think I’d like to take up violin professionally. It speaks to me, you know? Guitar is my main love, but sometimes I can only express certain feelings with a violin.”

Kagami nodded, thinking that she did understand, at least a little.

“I’m sure you’re being overly humble about your own abilities, though,” he hurriedly added, not wanting to dwell too much on himself.

She bit her lip. “I could show you sometime. Maybe…we could play a duet?”

“I’d like that a lot.” His earnest smile brought a grin to her own face.

“Good,” she chuckled, pushing a stray lock back behind her ear. “I’d like that too.”

[rayatii]

Raya Recounts: a brand-new series of overly-detailed opera summaries with unsolicited commentary!

I love making these!

Episode 3: Le nozze di Figaro

Le nozze di Figaro (“The Marriage of Figaro”) is a 4-act comic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Yes, that Mozart, one of the most famous classical composers ever, both the era and the music genre in general. Many, many, MANY people outside the classical world WILL recognize some of his tunes, notably the strings serenade Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the piano rondo movement Rondo alla Turca and his Symphony No. 40, and MANY others.

Starting out as a child prodigy, Mozart left an incredibly rich legacy in his pieces before his untimely death at age 35, sparking a famous rumor about him having been killed by composer Antonio Salieri, which was depicted in the iconic 1984 movie Amadeus. I don’t believe that. What I do believe, though, is that he may have been autistic, as shown by his somewhat eccentric behavior (I know, that is putting it VERY broadly, and I guess you’ll have to turn to @madmozarteanfelinefantasy for more info on this, but whatevs). When it comes to opera, Mozart composed his first opera at age 11, and that was just another area of classical music that he was incredibly prolific in.

The libretto for today’s selection was written by Lorenzo da Ponte (who was a frequent collaborator of Mozart’s, most famously for the “Da Ponte Trilogy” of operas which is made up of Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and today’s selection, and who also wrote stuff for the aforementioned Salieri), based on play La folle journée ou le mariage de Figaro (“The crazy day or the marriage of Figaro”; I’m including both the OG French text and an English translation. Here’s also a performance of it. In French with no translation, tho. Sorry.) by Pierre Beaumarchais.

Le mariage de Figaro is actually a sequel to Beaumarchais’ earlier play Le barbier de Séville ou la précaution inutile (“The barber of Seville or the useless precaution”), which in turn was the basis for Rossini’s still-nowadays-incredibly famous opera Il barbiere di Siviglia (meaning the same thing as the first half of above; you know, the one with “FIGARO, FIGARO, FIGARO” and that one Looney Tunes cartoon). However, Rossini’s opera came out after Mozart’s; back in the days, the most famous adaptation of the play was one by Giovanni Paisiello (the same guy responsible for that aria Nel cor più non mi sento that’s in the famous 24 Italian Songs and Arias book that every opera student learns at one point (including Yours Truly), and that led to the Beethoven and Paganini variations). There’s also a sequel to Le mariage by Beaumarchais himself, but we don’t talk about it because its premise is total shit.

This play was known to have been incredibly scandalous back when it was first shown because of its criticisms of the upper class; it’s even said to have been responsible for the French Revolution, at least in part. So when Mozart and da Ponte decided to adapt it, it was considered a pretty controversial choice to say the least, and some changes had to be made to appease the Viennese censors. Despite all that, it was a success, and it remains one of the most performed operas in the entire world nowadays, and for good reason!

This was the first Italian opera* that I have ever watched in full, and probably one of if not the first opera that I really liked, and it remains one of my absolute favorite operas to this day. I still fondly remember listening to bits from that one recording that’s available on IMSLP (the 1955 Erich Kleiber recording) during the long school hours back in late 2019-early 2020.

Same method as usual, bolded solo character names and potentially bad Italian translations for the numbers. (anyone have suggestions for some non-Italian opera titles I could recount in the future???) The numbers are much easier to label than the last, as they are already divided as per the early-to-classical opera method.

This is for @madmozarteanfelinefantasy​, who is THE certified expert on Mozart’s operas (don’t try to deny it; I mean it), and also to @smile-at-the-stars​, for reminding me that this is another of these operas with a rather difficult-to-follow plot (you probably don’t remember, that was a pretty long time ago). As a result, it’ll probably be longer than the previous two installments, because there are LOTS of important points.

*an Italian opera written by an Austrian (therefore German-speaking) composer? Why? Well, Italian was pretty much the language of the Viennese nobility back in Mozart’s days, so...

Spoilers, of course!

First off, we get to listen to a boptastic, fast-paced overture in D major that I’d like to classify as being in sonata form, so famous that it’s frequently performed on its own in concert settings.

After that the curtain opens (that is, if the production didn’t decide to stage the overture; examples of those that did include the productions by the Met (the current one) and the Royal Opera House) on Act 1, in a half-furnished room in the Almaviva castle (“alma viva” more or less meaning “living soul” in Spanish), not far from Seville, sometime during the late-ish 18th century.

We see Figaro (a name invented by Beaumarchais, probably derived from “fils Caron”, meaning something like “son of Caron” in French, “Caron” being Beaumarchais’ actual last name), a bass (although he is nowadays considered going more into bass-baritone territory) and a servant to Count Almaviva, measuring the floor, while Susanna, a soprano who is Figaro’s fiancée and Countess Almaviva’s maid, is happily trying on a little bonnet or something (usually replaced with a more-recognizable wedding veil or flower crown or something like that), and the two are just being the most cutie-patootie thing and Couple Goals™ together. (Duettino (meaning “little duet”): Cinque... dieci... venti...; “Five... ten... twenty...”).

Susanna asks Figaro what he is so busy measuring. He replies that he is checking the space in which their bridal bed should be able to fit (they are to be married on this very day). Susanna is rather upset upon learning that this is the very room that they were given by the Count, as it is very close to their masters’ chambers, but she won’t tell Figaro why. He goes on about how practical it is that this room is close to the masters, as they can be at their service in no time whenever they get summoned (Duettino: Se a caso Madama la notte ti chiama; “If per chance Madam calls you at night”). Susanna retorts supposing that the Count should summon him one morning to some other end of the castle, and then immediately come to the room while she’s alone... Figaro is shocked but lets Susanna elaborate on her point.

She explains that the Count, a compulsive adulterer, has been trying to make advances on her recently, which is why he has been so generous towards her and Figaro; she learned about all that via Basilio, her singing teacher. In particular, the Count wants to exercise his feudal right (a feudal lord’s right to sleep with a servant girl on her wedding night) on her, even though he had previously abolished it.

At that moment, a bell rings; it’s the Countess calling Susanna. She and Figaro part lovingly, and Figaro remains alone, briefly ranting at the Count and vowing to outwit all of his petty schemes (Cavatina (aka a shorter type of aria): Se vuol ballare; “If you want to dance”), before leaving the stage.

At that moment, enter Bartolo, a bass and a doctor/lawyer, and Marcellina, an older woman who is listed as a soprano but is almost always sung by a mezzo-soprano nowadays, and a former servant of Bartolo’s. We learn that they are another threat to our main couple’s union, as Marcellina has plans to use some help from the Count in order to essentially force Figaro to marry her. Bartolo takes pleasure in partaking in this plan as a revenge towards Figaro for some event in the previous installment... (Aria: La vendetta; “Revenge”). (In the Royal Opera House’s 2006 production, they make out after this aria, and I’m just mentioning that because I find it funny.) Anyway, Bartolo leaves after he’s done, leaving a hopeful Marcellina alone in the room.

At that moment, Susanna comes back, and Marcellina, pretending not to see her, starts pretty much talking shit about her out loud. Once they both notice each other, they start volleying very subtle insults back and forth at each other in a sarcastically polite tone (Duettino: Via resti servita; “Go on, I’m your servant”. I took this from an English translation of the libretto, and I’m still not really sure about it), complete with a bunch of curtsies. This goes on until Susanna “compliments” Marcellina about her age. The first time, Marcellina starts getting irritated, but we get a reprise of the music and text, and when Susanna repeats her “compliment” about Marcellina’s age, this time, she emphasizes it more than once, causing Marcellina to leave in a huff.

Then, Cherubino (literally meaning “cherub” in Italian), yet another character-listed-as-a-soprano-and-almost-always-played-by-a-mezzo-nowadays and the Count’s page boy (because yes, he’s a trouser/pants/breeches role, a male character played by a woman singer, usually to emphasize youth, as in this case. It’s a pretty big part of what attracts lesbians to opera. I mean no offense in saying that!!), comes in running, asking Susanna for help. Turns out the Count is dismissing him after finding him alone with a girl the day before. He is especially desperate because this means he will no longer see his godmother the Countess, whom he has a pretty big crush on, and he wants Susanna to ask her to intercede on his behalf.

Cherubino then notices Susanna holding a ribbon and a nightcap. When he learns that they belong to the Countess, he snatches the ribbon to keep it for himself. Susanna starts chasing after him, to no avail. He decides to even it out by giving her the sheet music for a song that he wrote, telling her to read it to every woman in the castle. He then goes on to talk about the strange feelings he’s been experiencing recently (Aria: Non so più; “I don’t know anymore”. Check out this Belgian technopop version of the aria, it’s quite something); he is a straight teenage boy (although some people nowadays might insist on referring to him as nonbinary or a lesbian) of about 13 or so, and he’s got hormones that go all gaga when it comes to women (and love in general), and that’s quite new for him.

Upon noticing the Count arriving, Cherubino hides behind an armchair. The Count (who’s a baritone, by the way), starts making some more advances towards Susanna. She tries to repel them as politely as she can, but it doesn’t really work. He is interrupted upon hearing someone outside the room. Not wanting to be caught alone with Susanna, he tries to hide behind the armchair (where Cherubino is!!!!!). As he does, Cherubino rushes to the front of the armchair and curls up on it, as Susanna quickly covers him with a dress (that’s what’s written in the libretto; in some productions she does that with some random sheet).

Basilio (a tenor) comes in looking for the Count. He starts spewing shitty gossip to Susanna, insinuating something about how Cherubino came to see her (Susanna) alone and gave her that song he wrote, but especially going on about Cherubino’s blatant crush on the Countess. Enraged, the Count bursts out of his hiding place. There is much chaotic emotion (Trio: Cosa sento!; “What do I hear!”); the Count demands that Cherubino be thrown out of the castle, Basilio takes delight in this turn of events, and Susanna is quite upset. She nearly passes out (to this day, I’m still not sure whether it’s supposed to be pretend or not), and the Count and Basilio catch hold of her try to place her on the armchair (and often in most productions, the Count will try to touch her in a somewhat suggestive way). When she realizes where she is about to be placed, Susanna immediately jumps to her feet.

She continues to plead for Cherubino, but the Count won’t hear any of it; he tells her and Basilio about how he found him yesterday with Susanna’s cousin Barbarina (you know, that incident that Cherubino mentioned earlier). To demonstrate how he pulled a tablecloth off a table to reveal the hiding page boy, he pulls the dress/sheet off the armchair... thereby ALSO revealing the same hiding page boy!!!! (It’s even funnier when some productions make him do a double take.) Susanna is distraught, Basilio is even more amused, and the Count is even more enraged. He accuses her of some shit, but she and Cherubino manage to explain to him the whole truth about how this came to happen. The Count thus realizes that Cherubino has overheard all the advances he has made on Susanna.

Immediately, Figaro comes in accompanied with a chorus of peasants scattering flowers and singing in praise of the Count contributing to the purity and happiness of the upcoming marriage thanks to having abolished this previously-mentioned bullshit feudal right (Chorus: Giovani liete; “Happy young people”). The Count is not happy about this, but he buys himself some time by asking to delay the wedding, claiming to want to provide it a bunch of pomp and circumstance. Everyone cheers, and after the chorus leaves, Figaro notices that Cherubino looks unhappy. After he learns about his sacking, he and Susanna plead yet again on his behalf to the Count.

He eventually forgives him (verbally, at least), BUT also decides to dispatch him to a vacant post in his regiment, which he is to fill on this very day. Figaro and Susanna urge the Count to let him wait at least until the next day, but he is relentless. After the Count leaves, Figaro starts telling Cherubino in a somewhat exaggerated way all about the shitty-but-grand military life he is to expect from this day on (Aria: Non più andrai; “You shall no longer go”). Goodbye, young Cupid boy, and hello, manly soldier man! (A number of productions have Figaro essentially bully Cherubino during this number, but this is just Not Nice imo. Stop that.)

Act 2 opens on the Countess’ bedroom. The Countess (who happens to be a soprano, but one of a less light/more mature quality than Susanna) is sadly moping about the unhappy state of her love, quite obviously because her husband is constantly cheating on her (Cavatina: Porgi, amor; “Grant, love”). Susanna comes in, trying to dissuade the idea that the Count is trying to seduce her, saying that it’s actually money-based. Figaro comes in and explains all the Count’s plans concerning Susanna as well as his own side of the whole deal (the Marcellina thing).

Figaro has hatched a plan: he is arranging for the Count (a compulsively unfaithful but also compulsively jealous husband; 🎶 hypocrite 🎶) to intercept a note via Basilio, informing him of the Countess supposedly planning to meet a lover on this very evening, as a way to distract him from his own plans. He tells Susanna to arrange to meet the Count in the garden that evening, and to send a disguised Cherubino in her place, in which way he can be caught in the act by the Countess. Right before Figaro leaves to send Cherubino over, he does a little reprise of Se vuol ballare.

After a short while, Cherubino arrives (in some productions, dressed in military wear). He is still sad about leaving the castle, and especially the beautiful Countess. Susanna teases him, and urges him to sing them that little song that he wrote. She fetches a guitar and accompanies him as he singing something about asking the women advice on what love is (Canzone (“song”): Voi che sapete; “You who know”).

Afterwards, they start preparing the woman-costume bits for Cherubino, with Susanna locking the bedroom door to avoid anyone bursting in. The Countess sees Cherubino’s commission paper for the army, and notices that the Count forgot to seal it in his hurry, essentially making it unofficial. Susanna starts dressing Cherubino as a woman (yup, a woman dressed as a boy/man dressed as a woman... you’ll see a bit of those in comic operas) (Aria: Venite, inginocchiatevi; “Come, get on your knees”). She keeps teasing him throughout, but the Countess asks her more than once to stop fooling around.

When Susanna raises the sleeves on Cherubino’s dress, there is a ribbon tied around his arm; it’s that same one that he took from Susanna. Turns out he has been using it to bandage a bleeding cut on his arm. As Susanna goes to fetch something else to bandage the cut, the Countess and Cherubino are left alone and have an exchange that quite a few productions insist on using to make things weird between them. (I hate when this happens. Ma’am, that’s literally a newly-hormonal teenage boy!!!!!)

It’s all interrupted when the Count unexpectedly comes a-knockin’ on the door, VERY suspicious (he has received Figaro’s note, and he knows that the Countess usually never locks herself in her room). Cherubino shuts himself in a closet as the Countess lets the Count into the room. As he confronts her, a thud is heard from inside the closet; it’s Cherubino who fell over somehow. Of course, the Count becomes even more suspicious. The Countess claims it’s Susanna who is in there. As the Count urges Susanna to come out (Trio: Susanna, or via sortite; “Susanna, come out now”), Susanna happens to come in unnoticed, but when she realizes the situation, she hides away. There is a whole back-and-forth going on, between the Countess insisting that Susanna is in there trying her wedding gown, and the Count suspecting that his wife is hiding a lover in there.

As the Count leaves the room to get something to force the closet door open, taking the Countess with him and locking all doors in the process, Susanna comes out of her hiding spot. She beckons Cherubino to come out (Duettino: Aprite, presto, aprite; “Open, quick, open”), which he does (it’s not noted in the libretto, but usually he is seen wearing in his own clothes again). They get desperate as they realize all the doors are locked, but Cherubino gets the idea of jumping out of the window. Susanna begs him not to do it, as it is too high and he’ll probably kill himself, but Cherubino does it anyway... And makes it unharmed!!!!!! Susanna gleefully watches him run away at light speed, and quickly shuts herself in the closet.

At that moment come the Count and Countess, he with a bunch of tools to open the door. The Countess finally admits that she was hiding Cherubino in there, as they wanted to pull an innocent joke on him (the Count). Of course, the Count is very much set on killing him, despite the Countess’ desperation (Finale: Esci ormai; “Get out now”). The Countess, still insisting on her innocence, gives the Count the key to the closet as he draws his sword, ready to kill the page (that detail doesn’t appear in all productions, though). But when the door opens, out comes Susanna! When the ladies claim the whole thing, from the anonymous note to the page in the closet, as being a trick to test his jealousy, the Count begs his wife for forgiveness. After some roasting, the soft-hearted Countess accepts.

Figaro then comes in with news about the musicians for the wedding being here. The Count starts asking him very suspiciously about the anonymous note. Figaro, unaware of all the explanations that have occurred previously, confidently denies having anything to do with it. Of course, the Count doesn’t buy it. But everything is interrupted as Antonio, the castle gardener and a bass, comes in angrily. He claims to have seen a man jump out of the window and land in his garden, crushing his carnations in the process (in the libretto, he’s carrying a pot of them, but some productions omit that detail). Antonio has a reputation for being a drunk, so Figaro, Susanna and the Countess use that to try and cover themselves. Antonio strongly believes the culprit to be Cherubino, but Figaro (who witnessed the window jump) finally claims that he himself was the one who jumped out of the window, and also injured his foot as he landed.

Antonio gives Figaro a paper dropped by whoever jumped out of the window. Figaro, the Countess and Susanna manage to buy a little bit of time by asking Antonio to leave, which he does. As the Count pointedly questions him, Figaro understands that he’s into some deep shit, but Susanna and the Countess discreetly help save his ass, and he correctly identifies the paper as Cherubino’s military commission, which is lacking a seal.

Then come Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio. Figaro, Susanna and the Countess despair, and the Count rejoices. We learn in better detail that Figaro had signed a contract that legally requires him to marry Marcellina in exchange for some loan money, and that she intends on having this contract be fulfilled. The curtain falls on this chaotic septet of contrasting emotions.

Act 3 is set in a hall in the Almaviva castle, prepared for the upcoming wedding. The Count is on his own, pondering the confusing craziness of the events of the previous act. The Countess and Susanna come in, unseen by him. The Countess encourages Susanna to get the Count to meet her in the garden later that evening, before leaving. Susanna and the Count remain alone onstage, and she ever-so-lovingly promises to meet him in the garden (Duet: Crudel! Perché finora farmi languir così?; “Cruel one! Why make me languish thus till now?”), and there’s quite a bit of back-and-forth going on.

As she leaves, Susanna meets Figaro and tells him that he has won his case (gaining the Count’s sympathy in terms of the whole Marcellina deal, I guess). However, the Count overhears this, and he gets really, REALLY pissed. He resolves to force Figaro to marry Marcellina, and rejoices in the prospect of revenge (Recitative and Aria: Hai già vinto la causa!... Vedrò, mentr'io sospiro; “You have already won the case!... Shall I see, while I sigh”).

Figaro, Marcellina and Bartolo come onstage, as well as Don Curzio, a tenor and a judge; this is Figaro’s hearing for the Marcellina case. Don Curzio leaves Figaro with the choice to either pay or marry Marcellina. The Count, Marcellina and Bartolo rejoice. Figaro claims that he cannot marry without his parents’ consent, and asks to be granted some more time to look for them, as he was stolen as a baby. When the spatula-shaped mark on his right arm gets brought up (summaries and translations usually refer to it as being a birthmark, but from reading the libretto, it seems more like it was artificially printed on), Marcellina immediately recognizes Figaro as a certain “Raffaello”. Bartolo explains that Marcellina is Figaro’s biological mother!!!!! How’s THAT for a twist??? And as if that wasn’t enough, Marcellina reveals that Bartolo is Figaro’s biological father!!!!!!!!!! Therefore, the marriage between Figaro and Marcellina cannot take place.

This very weirdly random reveal leads to an unironically heartwarming family reunion (Sextet: Riconosci in quest'amplesso; “Recognize in this embrace”). Don Curzio and the Count are absolutely dumbfounded. The Count in particular is fucking pissed. Susanna enters with money to help pay Figaro’s debts. When she sees Figaro embracing Marcellina, she becomes furious. She even slaps him at one point. But when the others explain the surprising family connection between Figaro and Marcellina (and Bartolo), she joins in the embrace. After the Count and Don Curzio leave, Bartolo and Marcellina agree to get married on this very evening (Figaro is their illegitimate child); a double wedding shall take place!

After they all leave, Cherubino briefly enters with Barbarina (a soprano with a voice so youthful that she’s pretty much the epitome of “girl soprano” in the opera circles), who plans to hide him from the Count by disguising him as a girl (he is supposed to be in Seville for his military service at this hour). They leave, and the Countess comes in alone, wondering about how the scheme is going, and then starts lamenting the loss of her happy days (Recitative and aria: E Susanna non vien!... Dove sono i bei momenti; “And Susanna does not come!... Where are the good times”. Man, she’s got a lot of sad music for a comic opera). After she leaves, Antonio and the Count briefly come in. Antonio tells the Count that Cherubino is not in Seville but at his house.

As they leave, Susanna and the Countess enter. Susanna has been briefing the Countess on everything that has been going on so far with the Count. The Countess tells her to write him a note to meet her at a precise location (Duettino: Sull’aria... Che soave zeffiretto; “On the breeze... What a sweet little zephyr wind”. This duet was featured in an iconic scene in the movie The Shawshank Redemption; the recording here features sopranos Gundula Janowitz and Edith Mathis. The sound is one half-step higher than it should be, though). As the Countess dictates, Susanna writes: “What a sweet little zephyr wind shall sigh under the pines of the grove”. That’s it, she doesn’t need to write more, the Count will understand everything. After folding the letter, the Countess gives Susanna a pin to seal it with, and tells her to add a note on the back of the letter, instructing the receiver to return the pin.

Barbarina comes in, accompanied by a chorus of peasant girls, with a yet-again-disguised Cherubino among them, bringing posies of flowers for the Countess (Chorus: Ricevete, o padroncina; “Receive, o mistress”). The Countess asks about one particularly modest-looking girl, who is none other than Cherubino (quite a few productions play up Cherubino’s nervousness in an endearingly hilarious way, for example by having him completely hide his face behind his flowers).

Barbarina claims that said girl is a cousin of hers, coming for the wedding. The Countess takes “her” flowers and kisses “her” on the forehead (though that’s not necessary), to which “she” blushes. The Countess remarks that “she” really reminds her of someone she knows. At which point Antonio and the Count come in. Antonio brutally reveals Cherubino. The Count is angry at Cherubino for not having left for Seville, but Barbarina (who is Antonio’s daughter, by the way, forgot to mention) saves his ass by reminding the Count that he often said he would give her anything she wants if she “loves” him (apparently the context is supposed to be... inappropriate), and she asks for Cherubino’s hand in marriage in exchange of her “loving him (the Count) like she loves her kitten”.

Figaro comes in and tries to have the wedding start, but the Count briefly confronts him with his lies. A wedding march starts playing (Finale: Ecco la marcia; “Here’s the march”), and everyone takes their places for the ceremony, despite the tension between the Count and Countess (who are supposed to preside over the wedding), and then Figaro and Susanna as well as Marcellina and Bartolo all finally get married. There’s a bit during which two female voices sing in praise of the Count having abolished that stupid feudal right (Amanti costanti; “Faithful lovers”). (Normally this bit it is given to two random chorus girls, but in the Met 2014 production, it is sung by Cherubino and Barbarina, which is quite a smart choice as it does fit the appropriate voice types.) Sometime in the midst of the procession, Susanna slips the letter to the Count.

As the dance party following the ceremony starts, the Count takes out the letter and pricks his finger on the pin. Figaro, unaware of the origins of this letter, discreetly laughs at this (in the libretto he is talking to Susanna (which I prefer), but quite a few productions have him deliver his line as an aside). After the Count promises grandiose festivities for this occasion, the chorus does a reprise of the Amanti costanti verses, and everyone dances the evening away as the curtain falls on the act.

The curtain opens on Act 4 in the castle garden at night. Barbarina is alone, completely desperate because she has lost something (what that something is is not yet elaborated on), and what will her cousin (Susanna) and the master (the Count) say??? (Cavatina: L’ho perduta; “I have lost it”. Strangely enough, this number is in a minor key, which is notable as being quite rare in Mozart’s works; I believe it’s the only number in this whole opera that’s in a minor key.)

Figaro and Marcellina come in, and after they inquire about her situation, Barbarina reveals that she has lost a pin that the Count gave to her to return to Susanna. Figaro figures out that the pin was the one sealing that letter that he saw the Count with during the wedding, and he becomes very jealous, but does not say anything until after Barbarina leaves. Marcellina advises him to keep it together, as the situation is not 100% clear as of yet, but he won’t listen.

After Figaro goes off “to avenge all husbands”, Marcellina is bent on warning her new daughter-in-law, whom she believes to be innocent, of Figaro’s intentions. She complains about how the males and females of literally every other species get along with each other while human men and women don’t (Aria: Il capro e la capretta; “The billy-goat and the she-goat”. It is almost always cut out, which. rude).

Barbarina enters carrying some fruits and cake, planning to meet Cherubino somewhere around this area. When she hears someone come in, she hides in a nearby pavilion. It’s Figaro, who has asked Bartolo and Basilio to help him in his plans. After he leaves, Bartolo and Basilio discuss the situation, and Basilio says that he himself knows better than to interfere with powerful people. He talks in a very metaphorical way about how he used to be a clueless shit back in the days, but then one day “Donna Flemma” (“Dame Phlegm” or something like that in Italian) came to him. (Aria: In quegli anni; “In those years”. Also almost always cut out. Quite rare for a tenor aria).

After they leave, Figaro re-enters, and in his desperate jealousy, he starts spewing a ton of shit about women (Recitative and aria: Tutto è disposto... Aprite un po’ quegl’occhi; “Everything is prepared... Open those eyes for a bit”).

Note: you find this aria ugh or even out of place? Your feelings are totally justified! In the original play, at this exact moment, Figaro actually has a long soliloquy that directly challenges the Count and his high status. This is the part that caused the most scandal back when the play came out, and when Mozart and da Ponte adapted it, they had to edit the whole thing out to get past the super-aristocratic Viennese censors.

He hides as the Countess and Susanna enter, accompanied by Marcellina, who has secretly warned them that Figaro is eavesdropping. Marcellina hides into the save pavilion that Barbarina hid in, and the Countess leaves the stage. Susanna remains alone, fully aware of Figaro hiding within hearing but pretending not to know that, and she teases him by loudly looking forward to the upcoming rendezvous with her “beloved” (who she does not mention by name, but whom Figaro would obviously assume to be the Count) (Recitative and aria: Giunse alfin il momento... Deh, vieni, non tardar; “The time has finally come... O, come, don’t delay”).

Note: so there are many ways one can analyze any aria, and this one is no different. I am particularly aware of two different ways to look at it: this video goes with the idea of Susanna is singing it as a way to punish Figaro for his jealousy, as the slow-paced music style is very different from the earlier, much more energetic Venite, inginocchiatevi, thus representing her dishonesty in that moment. Which is very logical. But also, back in June 2021, I was invited to attend a Zoom masterclass given by soprano Joyce el-Khoury, and she talked about how this aria is essentially Susanna singing all these loving things to Figaro without him knowing. And I’m quite willing to accept that because Figaro and Susanna as a couple are the most valid thing ever. I wouldn’t say I’m really leaning towards one or the other in particular, but just decided to mention these analyses because I find them interesting (and I agree with both).

ANYWAY, Susanna goes out of sight and Figaro becomes super-jealous, but he doesn’t have the time to act on any of that because then comes a cheerful Cherubino on his way to meet Barbarina. Then he sees the Countess, who is disguised as Susanna. Of course, mistaking her for Susanna, he comes up to her and starts teasing her (Finale: Pian pianin le andrò più presso; “Softly, softly I’ll get closer to her”). “Susanna" tries to get him to go away but he won’t budge. The Count comes in discreetly and sees this; he, Figaro, Susanna disguised as the Countess (all hidden) and the Countess herself get worried because Cherubino is unknowingly about tor ruin the whole thing. Eventually, Cherubino tries to kiss “Susanna" (actually the Countess), but the Count places himself between them. He swings a punch at Cherubino but strikes Figaro instead (he somehow decided to come out of hiding at that moment, and no one noticed because of the darkness).

Cherubino goes off to hide in that same pavilion where Barbarina and Marcellina are hidden, and Susanna and Figaro go back into hiding. The Count starts enthusiastically flirting with a very eager “Susanna" (with a hidden Figaro angrily snarking at the whole thing throughout), and gives her a ring. At one point, they decide to go into hiding among the trees, where “Susanna” (the Countess) hides away from the Count into another pavilion (or it can be anywhere else, really).

Then, Figaro sees the “Countess” and tries to warn her about their respective spouses’ adultery. But a few sentences into the conversation, he inwardly realizes that it’s actually Susanna disguised as the Countess. He immediately starts passionately flirting with “madama”. Susanna gets super pissed and starts beating the shit out of him (which he seems to enjoy). But then Figaro lovingly clarifies that he actually recognized her voice (it’s technically because she forgot to disguise her voice at one point, but it’s difficult to make this come across in terms of singing) (Pace, pace, mio dolce tesoro; “Peace, peace, my sweet treasure”). The two have a very sweet moment together, but the whole thing is short-lived as the Count comes back from among the trees, looking for “Susanna”.

It’s clear that the Count hasn’t uncovered the Countess’ disguise, so Figaro and the real Susanna, still disguised as the Countess, decide to play one last trick on him. They flirt together loudly enough for the Count to hear. As the Count closes in on them, the-Countess-but-actually-Susanna hides into the pavilion where Barbarina, Marcellina and Cherubino are already hidden.

The Count catches Figaro and calls for aid (Scena ultima (ultimate/final scene): Gente! gente! all’armi! all’armi!; “Gentlemen! gentlemen! to arms! to arms!”). In come Antonio, Bartolo, Basilio and Don Curzio (we do have to have the whole cast on stage for a final scene, huh!). The Count claims to have caught his servant betraying him with his wife, and he reaches into the pavilion where the-Countess-but-actually-Susanna is hidden, pulling out Cherubino, Barbarina, Marcellina and then the still-disguised Susanna one by one from the pavilion. Everyone begs the Count to forgive Figaro and the Countess, but he won’t hear any of it. Then, the Countess, having shed her “Susanna” disguise, comes out of hiding, to almost everyone’s surprise.

As the orchestra slows down significantly and plays an incredibly beautiful and lyrical tune, the humiliated Count finds himself having to beg the Countess for forgiveness in front of everyone (Contessa, perdono!; “Countess, forgive me!”). Given how much of an asshole he has been throughout the whole show, there is much debating as to whether he really means it. Given the absolute beauty of the music at this moment (check out a scene from Amadeus involving it), I should probably be inclined to believe that he does mean it, or at least that he genuinely thinks he means it.

The more docile Countess kindly accepts his apology (NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!), and everyone pretty much turns to the audience and joins in that same incredibly beautiful melody (Ah! Tutti contenti saremo così; “Ah! We shall all be happy thus”), with the four couples holding hands/cuddling and everyone being happy. Then, the music switches to a much livelier bop, very much similar to the overture, and all the characters conclude that only love can end this absolutely crazy day (Questo giorno di tormenti; “This day of torments”), and they call for the wedding celebrations to continue. The curtain falls, and we are meant to believe that everyone lives happily ever after.

The end! ❤❤❤ This has been an overly-detailed opera summary with unsolicited commentary, I hope you enjoyed ;)

- Raya / rayatii

(PS: fun fact, when the opera had its first revival in Vienna in 1789, Mozart wrote two new replacement arias for the soprano who sang Susanna: Un moto di gioia (“A surge of joy”) in the place of Venite, inginocchiatevi, and Al desio, di chi t’adora (“To the desire of the one who loves you”), both in the same keys as the respective arias that they’re each replacing. Both arias were famously performed by Cecilia Bartoli when she sang Susanna in the Met’s 1998 production of this opera.)

(PPS: anyone from the opera fandom side of AO3? Check out this really cute fanfic of Figaro and Susanna fluff set right after the the opera ends! I absolutely love it. It’s better than most of the other, very hmmmm pairings found under the Nozze category...)

(PPPS: sorry for this incredibly ENORMOUS post; have this much shorter summary of the opera by William Elliott, the same guy who illustrated that summary of Il trovatore that I showed y’all last time.)

(PPPPS: there’s this Spanish cartoon “La banda de Mozart” that features a specific piece of classical music by either Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin or Verdi for each episode, with an episode that features the overture of Le nozze, as well as a little bit of Non più andrai. In Spanish without subs, sorry.)

[cykes-dono]

3/6

But Juste manages, in the best ending, to free Maxim of the possession (by wearing their friendship bracelets and beating him up. No I'm not kidding) and to rescue Lydie

This gives somewhat important information to how possession works in this universe and the effects of such, I will bring this up again when I actually get to Richter. That possession isnt instant, and that the warring minds between possessor and the possessed cause a second castle to form. (This is seen with both Maxim and Richter) Yeah i know but its castlevania and its Dracula's castle called castlevania of course)

So theres a 5 year gap between Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. In the 4th year, Richter goes missing. Maria, now 17, decides to search for him in this time. Though she ends up finding the castle of Dracula at the end of this last yrar and this is where we begin. She's searching for her brother (goddamnit im callin it that cause i wanna) and finds the castle, goes in and then we swap to Alucard who is unrelated but yes the same Alucard that eorked with Trevor.

Because with no Belmont to take care of the castle, who else was left other than Maria? But Alucard doesn't know about her until the clock room.

Alucard eventually encounters Richter in the Coliseum where here is clearly in shock at the fact a Belmont was calling himself lord of this castle. See at this point Richter has been fully possessed at this point, much further than we ever saw of Maxim. Maxim's segment only went to show, because I believe it's implied it wasn't long before the events of the game that he succeeded in getting all the Dracula parts which is when his possession began. Meaning if it had gone on for too much longer than we see in game Maxim would have been left to a similar fate that Richter was (till Alucard came around), because at the longest the events of Juste's game would maybe be a week and that's stretching it.

long post

[griponthenews]

3/6

But Juste manages, in the best ending, to free Maxim of the possession (by wearing their friendship bracelets and beating him up. No I'm not kidding) and to rescue Lydie

This gives somewhat important information to how possession works in this universe and the effects of such, I will bring this up again when I actually get to Richter. That possession isnt instant, and that the warring minds between possessor and the possessed cause a second castle to form. (This is seen with both Maxim and Richter) Yeah i know but its castlevania and its Dracula's castle called castlevania of course)

So theres a 5 year gap between Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. In the 4th year, Richter goes missing. Maria, now 17, decides to search for him in this time. Though she ends up finding the castle of Dracula at the end of this last yrar and this is where we begin. She's searching for her brother (goddamnit im callin it that cause i wanna) and finds the castle, goes in and then we swap to Alucard who is unrelated but yes the same Alucard that eorked with Trevor.

Because with no Belmont to take care of the castle, who else was left other than Maria? But Alucard doesn't know about her until the clock room.

Alucard eventually encounters Richter in the Coliseum where here is clearly in shock at the fact a Belmont was calling himself lord of this castle. See at this point Richter has been fully possessed at this point, much further than we ever saw of Maxim. Maxim's segment only went to show, because I believe it's implied it wasn't long before the events of the game that he succeeded in getting all the Dracula parts which is when his possession began. Meaning if it had gone on for too much longer than we see in game Maxim would have been left to a similar fate that Richter was (till Alucard came around), because at the longest the events of Juste's game would maybe be a week and that's stretching it.

friendship bracelets??????

[docholligay]

Da Capo Al Fine

This was sponsored by @phrdycg, who asked for Nana’s secret being revealed! I’m not 100% happy with it but I’m out of time to keep workshopping it, and maybe it’s jsut that I’ve looked at it too much. So I hope you enjoy! 

It was the same stage, over and over again. The same lines were said by the same girls, the same scenes moved through with the same comings and goings, and yet it was never quite the same play, was it? 

Such is the joy of the theater. It is a living thing. 

Every time, Junna struggled and lost, and rose to her feet again, and every time she quoted William Shakespeare anew, but sometimes the tie in her hair was different, and sometime she walked to the left rather than to the right, and sometimes Nana made muffins rather than cookies. You could say the same of every girl, leading to that same conclusion but with slight tweaks, the audience seeing a slightly different show, like tracings on paper--very nearly overlapping, but not quite. 

It was in this way that Nana told herself she had not doomed these girls to a life of boredom. The stage was always fresh, even when it was not. 

Besides, she was never bored, only safe and content, and wanted the same for them. Besides, they did not remember that they had creaked along these same floorboards before. Besides, she had won the revues fair and square. 

Besides. Besides. Besides. Rondo. Rondo. Rondo. 

It was her symphony, written note by note but fresh in each playing, her the composer keeping and marking time, listening to the voice tremolo of Kaoruko leaving for home, the forte of Maya’s commands, Claudine’s sharp sforzando as she cried out in the revues. It was her symphony and she never thought or dreamt of the coda. 

But still, a small guilt niggled at her. Nothing more annoying than a flickering bulb at the back of the house, but tiny and insistent enough to throw her. She was hiding the truth from them, that she was keeping them here, where the show was known, and safe, and everyone was happy. She was fighting them to protect them from that world, the one that would chew them up and spit them out friendless into the dirt. 

It was a kindness, yes. And the more she thought of it, as the revues went around and around in their endless completion, the more she realized that there was no cause for guilt here. She had done, was doing, the thing that was the kindest and best for all of them. Most of them wouldn’t even have thought of the solution she did, would they? 

They would thank her, if they knew. They wouldn’t fight at all, knowing the truth. It would be just another way that Banana had always taken care of them. 

Yes. This time, there would not only be the tweak of a line, a bit of improvisation, but a whole new scene, a whole new movement. It excited her, as she cooked away in the kitchen. 

Tonight. She would tell them tonight, as she once again laid out the buffet of potato dishes, freshly made from Mahiru’s family farm potatoes. They always loved this one, it was a favorite, and now she would get to tell them that they could all have this forever, over and over again. 

If she could have bought champagne, she would have. It seemed appropriate. 

The trouble, as they streamed in, telling her once again how good it smelled and how much they had been looking forward to all of this, was waiting. Even good news needs its perfect moment, for even the best actress requires a spotlight for the grand performance. 

“We can do this forever!” It slipped out, not as carefully chosen as she might have wanted, and there was a feeling, for a moment, as if she’s stepped on her own line. 

“Oh Nana,” Claudine gave a laugh, “even you can’t want to cook all this for us every night.” 

“No, not this,” she was full in the excitement of it now, the music a rushing crescendo in her mind, “I mean, yes we can do this again, because we can do all of this again! This whole year! Our great performance of Starlight! All of it can happen again and again, and we never need to worry about--” 

“I don’t get it,” Futaba’s mouth was full of potato, “What do you mean?”

They all looked at her expectantly, some more confused than others, and how could she expect them to know? If they had thought of it, they would have suggested it. 

“This is my stage!” 

A long silence permeated the room. Confusion. Concern. Disbelief. All wrapped up in that long tacet as Nana stood before the group, the group that was experiencing for the first time the potatoes she’d made them a dozen times before. 

“How can it be?” Maya spoke first. “It can’t be. The kitchen? The revues aren’t…” she trailed off, unable to make it work in her mind. 

Time was a confusing thing, and if Nana were to ever give herself the chance to grow up, she might discover that it continues to be a confusing thing even when you aren’t in a loop. Time has its own dance, and does not care to reveal the steps before taking the stage. 

“This year!” Nana pulled up a chair and sat across from all of them, excited, “Wasn’t this the most wonderful year? Didn’t we all become such good friends, and stay together? Didn’t we put on the most amazing Starlight? THIS is my stage!” 

“You won the revues.” Junna’s eyes were wide as she stared off out the window. “You won Top Star.” 

Nana nodded, a bright smile across her face. Of course Junna would think of it first, Junna is so smart and wonderful. 

Junna stood up, and pushed her glasses back onto her nose, then looked at Nana, staring. 

“Nana, what did you do?” 

Nana leaned back into her chair a little. Junna had not said it harshly, but there was the note of accusation in her voice, the sense that a step had gone just a bit wrong, the endless seconds of silence before a line is remembered. 

“This is my stage,” It was no longer the bold and joyous statement it had been, but instead a quiet sort of confession, “this is where I want to stand. WIth all of you.” 

Still more silence. No one knows the script from here, there is no one to call for a line, nothing but the wide open terrifying silence, as everyone casts about for understanding. 

Nana interrupts it. An improvisation. 

“This year is so good! We do such a good job with Starlight, and we all make friends, and...we can all keep doing it! As long as I keep winning, I can have us repeat this forever! Or!” she thought for a moment, “We can all wish for it, if you want to win, too!” 

“We’ve done this year before.” Junna looked over at Nana, saying it out loud as much for the group assembled as for herself, “You wished for us to do the same year again.” 

“Of course I did,” she said, unsure, “so we could be happy.” 

“How many times!?” Maya sprung to her feet. “How long?”

“I-I--twenty, maybe?”

Claudine recoiled. “Twenty years?” Her eyes grew wide, and she looked to the floor, mumbling something to herself in French as the color drained from her face. “Twenty?” 

“So we…” Futaba’s brows were furrowed, “We’ve just been doing the same--” 

Mahiru barely whispered it. “So long…” 

“Why?!” Maya walked up to Nana, pushing her back, “Why did you--” 

“But you all love this year!” Nana reached out her arms to them, “We all have such a wonderful time, and we learn so much about each other, and--” 

“You trapped us!” Maya did not even pause her fusillade, “You trapped us, with you, over and over again, and why?!” 

“You were happ--” 

“Was I!? Were we?!” Maya whirled around. “Are all of you happy enough to never leave here? To never do better than this? To be children forever, to never know the real thrill of the stage?” 

Junna shook her head. “Nana, I know you were trying to help--” 

“Was she?” Maya’s eyes narrowed and darkened, “Or was she only trying to help herself?” 

Nana balled her fists. “Of course not!” 

She blew past Maya, throwing herself on the kindness and mercy for the other girls, the girls who remembered they loved her, the girls who remembered they were happy.

“Hasn’t this been a wonderful year?” she looked at all of them, “Haven’t we become a family? Think of the people who left last year! They were our friends, and we’ll never see them again, but this way, we can always stay together, and we can always be happy and do Starlight! Can’t you see?” She heard the dramatic swell of strings in her heart as she tried to explain to all of them what she knew in her heart to be true, “I’m keeping us together. I’m saving us!” 

“No, Nana,” Junna said sadly, “you’re keeping us prisoner.” 

Theater is a living thing. No two performances are ever in the same. She had gone off script, and now it was coming back on her, the crowd not understanding that this was what the story needed. Not thinking that this was the happy ending. Nana looked at them and saw so much confusion and hurt, the inability to understand the gift she had given them all. 

“How dare you.” Claudine had found herself, and rose to her feet, growing as she prowled toward Nana, “How dare you decide our stage! Our lives!” 

“No!” Nana yelled back, “That’s not how it is!” 

But, just for a moment, she wasn’t sure she believe herself, the symphony that she had conducted so many times becoming more and more discordant as the girls, her girls, demanded answers, unable to accept the gift she had given them. 

Leaving Nana wondering if it was even a gift at all. 

No. This was a gift. They didn’t understand how lonely a human being could be, only Nana could understand it, and that was why she’d done it. Just because they didn’t understand that they were being protected did not make it a lie. 

She stood silent a moment, and then turned to go back to her room. This stage was a failure, but theater is a living thing, and she would take the stage again. She would ask the giraffe to wipe it all clean again, to take them all back to the original year. 

They were not like Nana. They did not understand that this was for the best. 

“Fine.” Nana’s eyes were downcast, her jaw in a firm line. “Hate me. Hate me for protecting you all.” 

She turned her back to them as she went back to her room, readying herself for the rest of the year, for their glowers and burning and fighting. It didn’t matter. Nana was the victor, because Nana was the one who wanted it worst of all, and she would triumph, and they would know peace, and they would never know her sacrifice. 

Someone caught her arm as she went to go. Maya. Angry, arrogant, beautiful Maya. 

“I will defeat you, in the revues.” 

She looked as if she believed it. More fool her. 

“No,” Nana’s eyes hardened, “no you won’t. You won’t even remember this conversation. You will love me. You’ll say how nice I am. You all will.”

And they would. 

Reset. Replay. Rondo.

[coldbrewnette]

2020 Year in Review

I was tagged by @unefleurofferte, thx <3

I am tagging @allamericanbabe @poorlittlevampire @crremebrulee @flowerss444 :-) also if you want to do it tag me, I am nosy and will love to read it hehe

Rules: answer the questions about 2020 and tag some people to pass it on!

5 favorite films you watched in 2020:

1. Emma (2020) this is one of my top 3 favorite movies ever!! The costumes, the soundtrack, the story, a masterpiece!

2. A Knight’s Tale (2001) I loved Heath Ledger in this one!!

3. High Society (1956) obsessed with the songs and the cast :’) and it’s set in Rhode Island, my home state!!

4. His Girl Friday (1941) really loved this one, it’s so funny!!

5. Sabrina (1954) another 1/3 of my favorite all time favorite movies, I’ve seen it many times but I just had to include it!

Honorable mention: Pride and Prejudice (2005) the final 1/3 of my favorites ;-)

5 favorite tv shows you watched in 2020:

I don’t really watch many shows at all, movies are more my jam, so I don’t think I even watched 5 shows this year lol but

1. Anne With An E (started it in Nov 2019 but the last season came out in January so I’m counting it) comfort show!!!!! Anne is one of my all time favorite characters she’s so special. It’s beautifully done truly a masterpiece 

2. Crash Landing On You, I LOVE THIS SHOW!! It’s just... amazing. I watched this around the beginning of quarantine because I thought it was a movie but I kept with it when I realized it was a show and it was JUST what the doctor ordered. Chef’s kiss

3. Downton Abbey, I wasn’t very crazy about it at first but it grew on me and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Aside from that all I watched was docuseries and the like!

5 favorite songs you listened to in 2020:

1. pov - Ariana Grande (just beautiful)

2. Moonlight In Vermont - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

3. Isn’t It Romantic? - Ella Fitzgerald

4. Cello Concerto No. 9 in B flat major G482: III Rondo - Boccherini

5. In the Blue of Evening - Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey 

I really started listening to old-timey music this year hehe

Top 5 albums of 2020:

1. Emma soundtrack

2. Haydn & Boccherini: Cello Concertos

3. Vivaldi: Cello Concertos

4. Boccherini: Cello Concertos

5. Bach: Cello Suites

I don’t really listen to albums in full aside from 1D’s discography, and I listened to a lot of classical lolol

Top 5 books you read in 2020:

I’m sad to say that aside from my textbooks and the Bible, there aren’t any books I actually read this year JBGDKGNF this is one of my 2021 resolutions though. I have a long, extensive list of books I’ve been meaning to buy/read hopefully I can start on that next year hahahshs

How did you spend your birthday this year?

Is it crazy to say I actually don’t remember? Omg. It was in March like a week before everything shut down and I can’t even remember. It was my 21st but I don’t party or drink so I didn’t do anything like that. This is going to drive me crazy

What was your most memorable day this year?

I think the coolest day this year was when I went to the history museum in my city by myself. I got to take my time and go through all the exhibits and read all of the displays and I had a good time. I also went to the Boston musuem of fine arts with my mom. There were probably cooler/more exciting days than that but memory loss has entered the chat 

What was your most memorable meal you had this year?

Everytime I ate pho honestly, I LOVE pho. I’m always in the mood for it and I wish I had some right now :’)

Did you find any new hobbies or interests in quarantine?

Yes! I started embroidering this year, I bought a cello and started teaching myself (hence all the aforementioned cello music), and I started learning Latin on Duolingo :-) I also started playing Pocket Camp!!!

What was the last big event/thing you remember doing BC (before covid)?

Seeing the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a Christmas concert! That was a good day. Seeing the orchestra is one of my favorite things to do, I can’t wait until I can do it again. I also saw the Boston ballet’s Nutcracker! 

5 good/positive things that happened to you in 2020:

1. I got all As and a 4.0 GPA this semester despite the circumstances :’)

2. I figured out myself and my life and what I want to do a little more!

3. I learned a lot of lessons regarding discipline and perseverance

4. Started seeing a therapist after 5-6 years of struggling on my own!

5. I think I became a little more interesting with all the hobbies I took up, I was starting to feel a little boring haha

Biggest messages or lessons learnt from this year?

I learned a lot about change. Life can change in a heartbeat and sometimes there’s nothing you can do except roll with the punches. I’ve learned how I need to be more accepting to change and be less resistent, because who knows what will be in store for you!!

And what are you most looking forward to in 2021?

I’m looking forward to graduating from my Associate’s and finally starting my Bachelor’s!! I think next year is going to be a big year for me, I can’t help but feel it, that’s what I’m hoping for anyways. Cheers!!

[darkspellmaster]

For those feeling disappointed after Season 3 of Castlevania...have some cheering up with some happy thoughts...

Noticed a lot of disappointed posts from the recent season of Castlevania, and I know watchers of the show may not all be players of the games, so I figured, why not give fans something to cheer about in regard to a happier Alucard and Hector. 

(Warning, Picture and video heavy)

So let’s start with Hector and showing off some of him being happy with his wife Rosaly (Just don’t go beyond the pages that are linked because it gets sad fast) 

All manga pages can be found at Vampire Killer . Remember to read left to right and that the first page is on the left of each set. 

And for those that don’t know. In Curse of Darkness, it’s revealed that Isaac has a sister named Julia who is a real witch (she can do magic like Sypha) and was trained in it. As such she’s been seeking out her brother and eventually meets with Hector. The two work together to help try to free Isaac from his curse and in the end, they go off together hinting the idea of them becoming a couple. 

So here have some happy cutscenes with Hector being happy, with Julia, for once and also, some great fan art with links. 

Julia and Hector meet for the first time and they enter into a very interesting discussion. Is it any wonder he fell for this girl? 

Julia and Hector’s second meeting after things have happened, namely with Trevor (Thanks Isaac for nearly killing him) as he embarks on trying to stop the curse. 

Jump to 2:14, for Julia coming in and saving the dumb ass from letting go of his life. 

Starts at 0:31 and goes to the end, mid section is a bit of Germain giving hints on what’s to come in the future. 

Linking to some amazing artwork by Justsayapple. 

Julia and Hector as a couple -based on the Netflix versions of the characters

Julia design by Justsayapple -based on what she could look like on the show

Julia with one of Hector’s Innocent Devils - a awesome piece with Julia

Linking an amazing updated design of Julia by Arovulturi

Julia redesign -based on the game version of Julia but updated for Netflix series

I’m sure there will be some fix it fan fiction out there as well when the time comes for this series. And I hope to see more fan art of them in the future. 

As for Alucard...There’s quiet a bit...

First off the Symphony of the Night game. Below is all the cut scenes fort the game but I have time stamps for the best and happier scenes. If you want to know more about Maria when she’s younger, look up Rondo of blood cut scenes. 

Note: If you watch this, some of the cutscenes have flashing lights

5:25 -first meeting between Maria Renard and Alucard 6:53 -second meeting between the two of them  8:58 -Maria meets with Alucard the third time 17:11 -Alucard's nightmare and his fight with the succubus Note 2 minutes before this time stamp there's a really lovely song sung by Maria's voice Actress Wendee Lee. 19:32 -Maria and Alucard's fourth meeting. 20:06 -Maria and Alucard meet yet again and talk 23:48 -true fight between Richter and alucard 25:11 -True fight ending, Richter meets Alucard as himself 25:11 -Maria and alucard again 26:00 -Alucard fights Death 28:57 -Alucard fights his father again 34:00 -true ending with Richter, Maria and Alucard

Images below you can find the full translation at Diobrando’s deviant art

And for those that like this pairing and seeing happy Adrian there is lots and lots of fan art: (Several of these have Alucard and Richter if you prefer that

Redesign of Maria Renard for Netflix Castlevania -esp-art created this

Maria and Alucard together - art by puppleox of game versions being cute

These Dorks -art by peegeray, doing the Richter pose

Alucard and Maria -art by lilysyndrome, entering into Dracula’s castle

Alucard and Maria -art by k-m-cam, romantic moment

Lots of hugs because he needs them -art by anabaranski, 

Alucard and Maria dipping in a dance -art by museelle

Also if you’re looking for a happier and more well adjusted Alucard, I would highly suggest looking up some screen shots of the mobile game Grimoire of Souls. 

https://adrian-tepes-alucard.tumblr.com/post/189431391317/i-suppose-soplease-stop-itsimon-genya

https://adrian-tepes-alucard.tumblr.com/post/189144816452/yes-richteryoure-not-alone-arikado

That’s about it. I hope this at least cheers people up knowing that there is some happiness for these two in the future. May take a while for both, but it should be on it’s way. 

[smashingatsonicspeed]

AUGUST SMASH DIRECT THOUGHTS

Boy! That last Smash Direct certainly added more hype then there already was for Ultimate. Just like with the E3 Direct I’m going to go through the major things covered in the order they were announced

SIMON & RICHTER BELMONT

Simon was technically leaked twice. He was among a seemingly credible leak that mentioned Ridley, Snake, Ice Climbers, and no cuts. And then Simon apparently was accidentally leaked through some goof up by Nintendo. (Though I dodged it since I know it was only one night before the reveal so I still didn’t know for sure if Simon was in until the reveal). But either way this ia amazing, Castlevania is certainly a worthy inclusion in Smash on the likes of all the other NES franchises represented. But what wasn’t leaked was Richter as an echo. Richter was the protagonist of Rondo of Blood. Which wasn’t exactly on a Nintendo console unless you count Dracula X in the 90s. Richter was also in Symphony of the Night which has never been on a Nintendo console. But he’s famous even in the meme-wise cause he’s the one who’s there for when Dracula yells “WHAT IS A MAN?!” in the hammy voice acting that was normal for this era of gaming. He was also an unlockable character on a DS game but otherwise Richter isn’t too Nintendo famous. But he is the most popular Belmont in Japan. They just needed to still feature the most iconic Belmont as the main inclusion still. I’m fine with Richter though. Though when I play as either of them, I’m playing Simon more for sure.

P.S. The trailer was great, not just for the super cool footage of Simon. But it was hilarious seeing Luigi running scared. Luigi getting killed by Death has quickly even become the latest Smash Bros. meme

DRACULA’S CASTLE STAGE & BOSS

The stage itself looks fittingly creepy and will have some pretty amazing music I imagine too. And Dracula being a boss is great as well. I kinda wish they’d have him yell “WHAT IS A MAN?!” when he came in. But I imagine that would be a bit much and ruin the moment. But it’d be hilarious to me.

NEW ECHO FIGHTERS: CHROM AND DARK SAMUS

When Chrom showed up I actually smiled. Now I’m no Fire Emblem fan. And yes it’s another sword user, and a fourth Marth-like character. But given how humiliated Chrom was in Smash 4. Not just in the Robin/Lucina trailer but the memes it caused in the Smash fandom that made a once proud and potential newcomer into a butt monkey on nearly the same level as Ridley with the TOO BIG memes. Even for characters I don’t necessarily want to see I would not want that fate to happen to their fans. It’s just brutal. Though at the very least Chrom seems to borrow a few moves from Ike as well. I even thought at first he was an echo of Ike before I checked later that it was actually for Roy. So I’m pretty happy Chrom actually got to have his chance. I am also certainly using Chrom more then I ever will for Roy.

It’s no doubt though that Dark Samus stole the show for echoes. She’s already my favorite echo so far and she has some slick-looking animations that may make her more worth playing then regular power-suit Samus. Metroid fans can be happy that they’ve doubled up the reps. And both of them are well-deserved additions.

ECHOES CAN EITHER BE STACKED OR SEPARATED ON THE CSS

This also may lessen the disgust that people had with Dark Pit’s inclusion back in Smash 4. Just put the echoes in the corner of the character they’re echoing. I’m certainly going to keep them stacked myself. I think the CSS will also look cleaner that way

ALL CHARACTERS WILL BE REVEALED BEFORE LAUNCH

In other words, Sakurai has had it with those final roster leaks only weeks/days before release. Base Game speculation’s days are numbered until the final Smash Direct before release (Which would be likely in October or November). DLC speculation will immediately start after it. But we’re going to have our explosion of reactions to the final base roster done soon enough. Going to be some tense times until then

RETURNING STAGES

There’s so many returning stages! I’ll just say that Brinstar Depths, Magicant, and Fountain of Dreams are particularly ones I’m excited are back. Yoshi 64, Venom, Fourside, New Pork City, and Windy Hill are also nice to see.

CAPTAIN TOAD ON NEW DONK CITY

Welp, Captain Toad is looking very unlikely now. He could be DLC potentially since he isn’t a major stage hazard nor an Assist Trophy. But with a focus on longtime fan favorites and bringing every veteran back. Captain Toad just fell to the way side. It’s a shame, if the newcomers have been chosen in the same fashion Smash 4’s was. I think Captain Toad would of been a near certainty. This also unfortunately means that the last chance for a playable Toad has left us. Smash can’t include everyone, even with some characters like Ridley finally getting their chance, there are still some characters that would certainly count for Nintendo All-Stars that just couldn’t quite make it. This is probably one of the few disappointments I had with the direct. But I’ve dealt without a playable Toad for 4 games already, I can deal with another.

103 STAGES

Man that’s a lot of stages. Not to mention we won’t have to unlock any, they’ll be there from the start. Though Sakurai mentioning this does have me suspicious that this means there’s no more base game stages to add unless they are really trying to hide any newcomers that may come with stages. But it seems odd to point this out exactly if there were even just a few more stages in reality

STAGE HAZARD SWITCH

If you’re a competitive player or even just dislike stages where you’re fighting the stage more then your opponent then you absolutely should love this option. More viable stages and everything

STAGE MORPH

Now this is cool. And could definitely add to the Chaos of a match especially if you randomize both stages. Imagine you get a nice stage that would be competitively legal but then BAM you get something like Great Cave Offensive or Big Blue as the stage morph stage. Plenty of opportunity for hilarity there. Should be fun.

800+ TRACKS + 20 SONIC SONGS + STILL ONLY 2 FINAL FANTASY SONGS

Man this game’s soundtrack is going to be crazy! I am interested in what they have new for Sonic. There’s apparently only 20. If every Sonic song returned that was in either of the last two games. There’d be room for only 2. But if none of the Brawl ones return that leaves room for 6. And that’s not counting the possibility they cut some songs. Though perhaps another bummer from this is apparently Final Fantasy is still only getting 2 songs. So now we know it wasn’t just DLC budget getting in the way. Square is still being stingy.

STAMINA NOW A STANDARD MODE THAT CAN HAVE STOCKS

I’ve always kind of liked Stamina mode as something to be a change of pace of the regular gameplay. So it having it able to have stocks is quite cool

FINAL SMASH METER

Now this is really cool and may even open the possibility of some tournaments allowing Final Smashes in tourneys. I doubt it will be in really serious tournaments anyway, but could certainly allow for some hype in tourneys that do allow it.

SQUAD STRIKE

It’s a little vague at the moment. But Squad Strike might be the closest to something like the match in Smash Tour with a different character per stock? Though it could also just be a 1v1 match for each character. Also opens up for battles between teams.

OFFLINE TOURNEY RETURNS

You can have offline tournaments again like in Brawl and Melee! I sometimes just did CPU only tournaments with those which was kinda fun to watch. Just overall neat to have that back

SMASHDOWN

A cool option to have people not just use the same main they’re great with and also encourages people to diversify the characters they use.

TRAINING MODE UPGRADES

Training now has essentially a ruler to know your character’s launching power! Very cool and Competitive players will love it since it’s much easier to measure things.

CLASSIC MODE BACK TO MORE STANDARD

This is definitely a return to form for Classic mode. It’s kinda like SSB64’s but it’s a different set for each character that’s predetermined. No matter how many times you go through with one particular character it will be the same. While that may arguably sound like a step backward from the complete randomness of Melee’s classic mode. I actually love this a lot, the team can choose a particular set of opponents that make sense for that character to fight. Or even if it makes absolutely no sense, then it’s up to the fanbase to think of a reason for why they fight. Also what seems to be a thing is each character has a name for their run. Kirby had Gourmet Clash and Roy had A Journey of Swords. Bringing the same kind of intrigue that the Punch-Out Stage titles bring. I am excited to go through with every character like I always do.

NEW POKEMON

Alolan Exeggutor is hilarious, Abra will certainly provide some salt on some people, Mimikyu was a character often seen as possible to be the Gen 7 rep so might of been the first major reconfirmation not counting the Captain Toad one found later. Vulpix is a cute addition to the pokeball lineup. And Ditto is amazing. I almost kinda want the enemy team of this game to now be Ditto fighters.

NEW ASSISTS

Only 2 possibly major reconfirmations in the form of Zero and Shovel Knight. Zero was often seen as a possible 2nd Mega Man rep and Shovel Knight was considered the most likely if an Indie were to ever make it. It’s a miracle Shovel Knight even got this far though. Yacht Club games should be proud. Other then those though, Klaptrap looks annoying to deal with, Kapp’n seems funny just for the characters in the bus’ faces, Chef Kawasaki is the return of Kirby’s old Brawl final smash repurposed, Nikki’s a cute character to include, and the Majora’s Mask Moon is amazing as an assist trophy idea. It doesn’t even discriminate, even KOing the one it summoned. There was also the Rathalos assist trophy that turns out to also be a boss

ASHLEY DECONFIRMED

At the tail end of the Assist Trophy section was the sudden appearance of Ashley and not even with the name tag. Though they made her eyes red again. Ashley was considered one of the possible likely newcomers revealed this direct mainly because last week WarioWare Gold released. So it would be great timing.But it wasn’t to be. Sorry Ashley fans

MAIN MENU AND A MYSTERIOUS SPIRITS MODE

The menu looks more refined then Smash 4’s though I didn’t mind the Smash 4 menu as much as most people did. However most of the buzz is of course around the mode Sakurai had blurred out. Through some deblurring people found the mode will be called “Spirits” but that’s still too vague to know what it’ll be exactly. Based on any hints though from the bosses, it seems it will be some kind of Adventure mode. My guess is something in between Melee’s Adventure Mode and Subspace. Not as extensive as Subspace but more content then Melee’s adventure mode for sure. Perhaps you find the spirits of the characters to unlock them. But anything else is definitely all speculation at this point. It’ll be interesting to find out what this mode will be all about when we get to it.

KING K. ROOL

You know they just had to leave us with one more thing. And it certainly was a big one. K. Rool was only 2nd to Ridley in being one of the most wanted characters in Smash. And was often seen on the top of the list on the ballot. Also gotta say the trailer is amazing to show all those heroes and the villain and then it cutting to Donkey Kong, cause that’s when exactly you know who’s coming. The Dedede fakeout was also hilarious, though I doubt it really fooled anyone. K. Rool was in Smash and Donkey Kong finally gets a much needed increase of representation. Perhaps we’ll see Dixie soon come up as a Diddy echo. But until then K. Rool is what Donkey Kong fans as well as a good majority of Smash fans wanted. And he’s here cementing this Smash as certainly even more fan service focused then previous games.

Overall, an amazing direct. and can’t wait to see what else is in store for this game. We still have more characters and of course the Spirits mode to see. The road to Smash Ultimate is getting smaller each day and we’re surely in for a few more spots of interest along the way. Cannot wait to see what’s revealed next!

[imx-doomer]

Castlevania: Simon's Destiny - A review of sorts.

Castlevania is one of those franchises that sooner or later you'll end up checking out at least once. And it has impacted the world of videogames as much as many other popular franchises over the years. Whether or not you have played the original NES games, Symphony of the Night or the handheld games, you definitely have heard of (or played) Castlevania at least once.

I played the original Castlevania on the NES a while back, and more often than not I always ended losing all my lives to the Grim Reaper. I wouldn't touch another Castlevania game until Castlevania: Order of Shadows (not to be confused with Lord of Shadows), which was a mobile game released 10 years ago approx. Entertaining, but very short and with poor replay value.

Now, Castlevania: Simon's Destiny is an amazing mod for DOOM. It was made by Batandy, a DOOM fan/modder which also made DOOM: The Golden Souls, a DOOM mod heavily inspired by Super Mario World. If I am correct, you don't even need to own any of the IWADs to play it! Only thing you have to do is download the current stable release of GZDoom (3.2.1) and the mod itself and you're all set! The mod has its own levels (6 levels based on the NES game), and all the assets it needs to be played without issues about dependencies with IWAD resources.

The game is basically a recreation of the NES game, from the entrance to the castle down to the platforming sections (yep) and the final fight. Obviously the switch from 2D to 3D opens a lot of possibilities to what could be introduced to a recreation of the first Castlevania, Batandy clearly took advantage of that and it shows in how some parts of the game were translated to this mod.

You can upgrade your whip three times (just like in the original), and you can also equip a secondary weapon, like the holy water, the boomerang cross, a knife (you shoot three instead of one), the axe and the stopwatch. Unfortunately you can't equip an item more than once to upgrade it, Batandy actually considered adding that feature but ultimately decided against it. Kind of a bummer, because there will be parts of the game where you wish you had an upgrade for the secondary weapon.

Like I said in a previous post, all the classic enemies are there, like zombies, bats, dogs, the soldiers, those annoying skull dragons. And yes, the unbearably annoying Medusa Heads are in there too.

You can actually play on a difficulty called Blood Moon which serves as the "hardest"/"NewGame+" mode in the game where not only you encounter all the classic enemies but also a few other enemies from other Castlevania games such as Rondo Of Blood and Symphony Of The Night! Be prepared though, the opposition will be much harder this time!

As for the boss fights, well, of course they're also included in this mod. Just a fair warning, if you are part of the crowd who is not that fond of circle-strafing bosses, then you're going to have a bad time with some of the boss fights. They are actually pretty good though, and as one would expect from a Castlevania game, some of them can be really, really annoying.

Another word of warning: don't rely on the sub-weapon disadvantages from the NES game too much; you can try, but some of them don't translate that well in Simon's Destiny. At least one of them.

The levels are great, however, some of you may find a few progression sequences a little bit repetitive. As I mentioned before, there are platforming sections, and, well, if you have previous experience with platforming sections in DOOM mods, you might know what you should expect. Especially when a certain section of the classic game involves jumping while also avoiding enemies flying all over you...So I guess it goes without saying, you're going to have to assign a key to jump.

You are not prepared for the final fight with Dracula. I'll let you know that much.

The music is great, they are all remixes of the classic Castlevania songs from the NES, and I'd wager that if you're a Castlevania fan there might be a chance that you've heard them before. There's no option to listen to the classic tunes, but I believe someone made an add-on that includes them, it's in the release thread if you want to give 'em a try.

Overall, this mod is an amazing experience. Do I recommend it? Absolutely! You will definitely have a blast doing so, especially if you're a Castlevania fan or you love remakes of NES games done in the DOOM engine. I advise you to play under any of the three main difficulties, and once you're done give Blood Moon a try for fun.

Download link here!

[the-everqueen]

oh also! when Alex said he was "gone that one year" in the last ficlet, what was he referring to?

for reference, that’s this fic. i could have given a short answer, but instead y’all get the long and Sad one. fair warning: this is the Bad Summer. heed the tags.

Coming onstage to scattered applause, Alex bows to the dozen or so students and teachers in the audience before he takes his seat and launches into the Rachmaninov.

His mind wanders while he plays. A new trick, something to keep him from smashing the keys and screaming endlessly during lessons with Jefferson, or these masterclasses, one after another, people picking apart his every gesture. Crescendo more in measure ninety-two, don’t flick your eyes at that point, listen to the tone listen to the tone listen to the damn tone, as though the quality of that particular B-sharp will make or break his entire performance. As though they would care if it did.

He thinks of Eliza, always. Her lilac perfume, the saucy curve of her mouth, the softness of her skin at vital  points - throat, wrist, hip - and her voice going high and breathless when she comes. Maybe the tenderness he feels for her will come through the music, where he feels nothing. Like masturbation: get off on a fantasy. Except these days Alex can’t even find release; performing always leaves him drained, chasing the ghost of a feeling.

He should be with Eliza, he thinks, as he moves into the agitato section. Last summer she brought him to stay with her family at their lake house: the two weeks are a warm haze in his memory, full of her and lemonade and sun on the water. If he were there now, he would play for her: mess around on the Schuyler piano and write silly lyrics for her to sing along.

Instead he is here, at the Aspen Summer Music Festival. Because he needs the connections, because Jefferson told him it wasn’t optional. A nine-week carnival of masterclasses and seminars and recitals. Alex hasn’t stopped playing since the first day.

He is so tired.

He finishes the piece. Drops his hands into his lap. The guest pianist - someone famous from Peabody or Colburn, Alex doesn’t care - comes around to him and starts into his critique. What is your intent for this piece? How long have you been working on it? The usual questions and Alex gives short answers or non-committal grunts. Just let him go, send him offstage, shut up shut up shut up -

“Good work,” the guy tells him, and Alex escapes back into the audience.

He takes an aisle seat, next to a girl hunched over a black binder. IMSLP, he thinks, free sheet music online - the go-to for broke students like him. Jefferson hates the loose pages, so Alex had to sacrifice a hundred bucks for Urtext editions. At least he took first at that one competition; the prize money meant he could afford express shipping.

The next victim appears onstage. Alex leans over to the girl and murmurs, “You playing for this thing?”

She gives a tight nod, slides the binder over so he can see the score. Brahms sonata, F minor. Huge chords and leaps, but her long, narrow fingers ghost the plastic-protected page and he knows she doesn’t have any trouble reaching. The score is almost obliterated by pencil markings: jagged cursive spells out note names, circles dynamics, and - most of it is this - fragments of sentences, including what might be a Yeats reference and the words “like Orfeo descending to Hell.”

She’s watching him. Something about her feels familiar, the wariness in her eyes, the way she chews on her lower lip, a nervous tick.  

He hands back the binder. “You’re going to be fine. Mercer - you’ve seen him - he gets excited but there’s not really any substance. No reason to be nervous.”

She doesn’t smile, exactly, but her mouth turns up at one corner. "Thanks.”

When it’s her turn, Alex claps loudly. The masterclass is an informal event, but she’s wearing a red sundress that shows her bare legs and shoulders. Her loose curls slip from their ponytail, brushing the nape of her neck.

Alex tries not to stare.

She catches his eye as she bows to the audience, and he gives her his best encouraging smile.

She’s talented. Everyone here is, but she stands out. Her selection - the third movement, the Intermezzo - and her interpretation. It’s dark and harsh, a strange characterization of a transient movement; but then he remembers the last movement is a furious rondo, and the falling melodic line feels like a moment taken out of context, raw and inexplicable. While Mercer drones on about function and form, Alex digs through his messenger bag for the program, finds the girl’s name.

Maria Lewis.

Mercer gives her some vague suggestion and ends the class. Alex stands as Maria comes back for her purse.

“That was incredible.”

"It isn’t right yet. Almost there, but…” She shrugs.

"What are you going for? I mean, not like that, everyone asks that, but to me it sounded… Tragic.  Not sad, but - Shakespeare. You see the ending coming but you’re powerless to stop it.”

She stares at him.

Alex hasn’t rambled about music since Kings. Jefferson hates it, has rules about comments in forum. Everything written, two criticisms, one compliment. Alex used to cram his index card with tiny script, trying to get it all down despite the restrictions, but Jefferson called him out so many times it didn’t seem worth it after a while. Let Callander be sloppy. Let Madison be dry and inexpressive. Focus on your own rep.

He forgot he liked talking about music.

Maria probably thinks he’s a freak, though, so he opens his mouth to apologize.

She beats him to it. “That’s how I hear it, too.”

And that confirmation is the release he’s been craving. The words pour out of him, like she nicked an artery. "I think all Brahms is tragic, maybe because the dude had such a sad life - I mean, his best friend died in an asylum, Clara rejected him - but this sonata is another level. It’s like a symphony - you know how he idolized Beethoven? Tried achieve that legacy? But the piano is too limited, too intimate for a public statement and the F minor feels like it’s trying to crawl out of its skin. Wants to be something it can’t be.”

He keeps going, on and on, his hands making broad gestures, and he’s aware he is close to her, enough to see the green flecks in her eyes, the slight swell where her breasts curve above the neckline of her dress. He stops mid-sentence, distracted, and swallows.

She tilts her head, considering. “Could you maybe help me with the second page? I’m having trouble with voicing.”

“Yes,” he says immediately, and then backtracks. “I mean, not right now, I’m supposed to rehearse Shostakovich with Will, but tonight? You’re at the Federalist hotel, right? I think they put all of us on the same floor, trying to contain the musicians. Anyway, there’s a piano in the ballroom. It’s private, but bigger - more open than a practice room. Less claustrophobic.”

She nods. “Sounds good.”

He grins, relieved. "Maybe you can give me some ideas for the Rach.”

That gets a real smile out of her. Her eyes light up, the corners creased with amusement. “Oh. I had some thoughts about that.”

“I want to hear them.”

***

Eliza calls after the rehearsal, while he’s walking back to the hotel.

“Alexander,” she says, and something in him realigns, like a compass pointing north. “How was your day?”

The masterclass springs to mind, Maria and the tiny thaw he felt, the promise of spring after an eternal winter. But that seems wrong to mention, for reasons he can’t explain, so he says instead, “Will and I rehearsed the Shostakovich. First time run through, and he can’t sight read to save his life. I don’t even know how he’s getting his master’s in piano, he could play better with his feet.”

He meant to be funny, but she doesn’t laugh. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs.

“I miss you.” It bursts out of him. “I shouldn’t have come here, I should have told him no…”

“I miss you, too. But we’ll have other summers. And it’s just one more year.”

"Yeah.” He sighs. He hasn’t told her, how bad it’s been, though she must be able to tell. She always knows. “Tell me about your day. Please. Just talk.”

She does. Describes the aria she’s working on, tells him the funny things her students said in their lessons, muses over her theme for their recital. Any other day her voice would be a comfort, but today it just makes his skin crawl with want. He presses the phone closer to his ear. Maybe if he tries, really tries, he can reach through and she’ll touch him and everything will be fine.

He gets to the hotel as she concludes her day. There’s a pause, and then: “Mom and Dad want you to come over for Thanksgiving. I know you couldn’t last year, but…”

"I wanted to, Eliza, believe me.”

"I know,” she soothes. “And if you can’t, it’s fine. I just don’t want you to be alone. Also Mom insists you need her pie, says you could stand to gain some weight.

He breathes a laugh; it sounds more like a sob. "I’m fine.”

“You haven’t had dinner, have you?”

“It’s been a long day -”

“How many Red Bulls?”

“Just two, I’m fine.”

“Alexander.”

He steps inside the lobby. Maria sees him and starts walking over. “Eliza, I have another rehearsal, last minute. I promise I’ll eat something.”

“Dinner! If it’s from a vending machine it doesn’t count.” Her voice softens. “I love you.”

“I’ll call you in the morning.”

He hangs up as Maria joins him. "So, the ballroom is down this hall - found it on the first day when I needed some practice time and the kids in the music building wouldn’t stop their pissing contests. I guess they use it for big events but the festival has taken over so no one wants to book the space. Anyway, the staff don’t mind.”

He pushes open the double doors to reveal a spacious room with rows of chandeliers and linen-draped tables. The piano stands on a raised platform at the far end, a full sized concert grand, sleek and black and sexier than a sports car. He runs his hand over the inner curve and pushes up the lid.

“Might as well hear it,” he mutters.

Maria pulls out her score.

“You don’t need that.”

“But -”

“You can’t even see the music anymore. And the words are inside you.” He pulls a fold-up chair next to the piano. “Just start. Wherever you want.”

She’s tense, her shoulders rounded and her thighs clenching, visible as her dress rides up against the edge of the bench. She has to pause a few measures in. “Sorry.”

He bumps his knee against hers. “It’s just me. We’re peers.” A thought occurs to him. “You’re an undergrad?”

"Junior. Well, senior. In the fall.”

“Ah.” Beat. “You know, this is a hard piece -”

“Look, just because I didn’t go to Julliard or Kings doesn’t mean I can’t play piano. I’m here, aren’t I?” She inhales sharply through her nose. “Sorry.”

"It’s fine. I didn’t mean to - I came to the states on scholarships. No real training. So I get it, feeling like you’re on the outside.”

She closes her eyes. Rubs a bruise on her knee. "Yeah.”

“Do you want to try again? Maybe a different section?”

“Yeah.” She readjusts her skirt.

The second time is better. Alex can’t sit down: he walks around while she plays, and at one point he takes her hand - “try it like this” - and she tenses before she eases into it. He’s tactile, he likes demonstrations, and he poses her shoulders, her arms, her fingers, making adjustments to get the desired sound. She lets him, watching from under her long lashes.

He talks the entire time, explaining techniques Washington taught him and going on a tangent about the knock of fate motif in Beethoven. Maria is a fast learner: she makes changes after one or two tries, intuits meaning out of his rapid-fire nonsense. They go back to the first movement. She slams into the opening chords, making the piano shake with her force, and something uncoils in Alex’s stomach. He moves closer, talking faster, louder. A siren blares in the back of his mind, but he ignores it - the noise drowns out the darker voice that’s always there, worse since he left Kings, the one telling him you shouldn’t even be here.

He’s leaning over her shoulder, pointing out a note in her score, when she kisses him.

He goes still.

She flushes. "Was that not -”

In response, he presses her against the keyboard, mouth on hers. She makes a startled sound, moans as he deepens the kiss. She bites his lip, hard - good, yes, pain, make him hurt, he deserves it, he can take it - and his hands fumble at the back of her dress, grasping for the zipper.

“Table,” she gasps.

He swings her from the bench, takes her over one of the banquet tables. Her hands tug at his jeans; he abandons the zipper and hitches up her skirt. Lips, tongue, teeth - no thought, his brain finally finally quiet, all his focus on the white heat in his body and the sounds coming out of Maria’s bared throat.

Minutes later they’re back in their clothes, hair messy and mouths wet. It’s fine, he tells himself, nobody needs to know, they just have to make it to their rooms, it’s fine.

He doesn’t look at her.

Maria gathers her things. “I’m in room 791. In case you want to go over the Rach.”

She says it with a straight face. As though it would be perfectly acceptable for them to discuss the prelude and nothing else. Just two lonely people finding release. In the music, in each other.  

He should say no. The guilt is coming, too late - you bastard, you cheated on her, Eliza Eliza Eliza. He needs to make this right. Confess, apologize.

He should say no, but he doesn’t. Not that night, not any other night that summer.