#(Also if you’re wondering or care I sing soprano 1 but I have like a 3 octave range lol) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gretchensinister · 3 years

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I too am curious about 3, combined with 5? also 15 and this might be a nightmare question but, 22 for DoL

3: Do you have any upcoming WIPs? How far along are you with them?

5: Share a snippet that you’re proud of from an upcoming fic/chapter.

Okay so. The WIPs. 1. The farthest along is the college students in a cabin being killed by a monster story, which I wrote for a Pitch Black Halloween event a couple years ago and now I am editing to publish as its own novel. I’m actually at the last scene! Unfortunately I also need to rewrite the last scene because the current last scene basically introduces two new characters and I think that damages the effect I’m going for with the story overall. It’s a story with a small cast and very few extras and closing on strangers adds distance between reader and story which I don’t want.

2. Then there’s my Phantom of the Opera fic, which yes it has been maybe a year since I worked on it, but I really want to finish it and put it into the world. I just thought it would be shorter, since I repeatedly said to @marypsue, “I’m not going to rewrite the Phantom of the Opera”…cut to card saying “Gretchen rewrites the Phantom of the Opera.”

3. There’s the fic I was working on for Dead Dove Day. I wanted to write some smut with a completely blank slate being introduced to sex by someone with tons of experience (which apparently now gets a frowny face put in one’s file) and also every character has dual genitalia (I’m still waiting for the paperwork to come back about whether I’m allowed to fantasize about that or not, and then of course there’s all the other forms to determine if I’m allowed to encourage other people to also fantasize about this). The smut is done unless I add another scene at the end but it developed a plot so I’m trying to resolve that.

4. There’s some simple! classic! blacksand! that won’t resolve for some reason and makes me feel like I lost the ability to write. I know this isn’t true but it’s like…I need to be writing this in class or something. I need to be getting away with it.

5. Last, there’s blackgeneral which I have put in a human AU and made even worse! But if you’ve never written something where you wonder at least a little bit if it would fail the Miller Test, have you even lived?

Now for some samples, in the order in which they were mentioned (lmao this got long):

1. “Did you see that, did you see that?”

“What was that?”

“Yeah, I saw it but—”

“It was tall, it was tall, it was a bear!”

“No, it was skinny! It couldn’t have been a bear!”

“And anyway, it was fucking gray!”

“Okay, okay,” Gabe said when things had quieted down a little. “Everything looks kind of gray in this light.”

“I’m not really concerned with its color!” Sugar said.

Kelly had stood up in all the commotion and now moved behind Gabe, resting her hands on his shoulders. She hadn’t liked the look of that thing in the woods, but now Gabe was pointing his flashlight down into the lake, and that was actually worse for her.

“Shine your light at it again,” Sandy said. “We’ll either frighten it away or get a better idea of what it is.”

They waited tensely as Gabe swept the trail again, revealing nothing.

“I don’t know if anyone else is thinking this,” Minnu said, “but I thought…I thought it kind of looked like a guy.”

“Yeah,” Gabe said, after a moment. “Yeah, it kind of did.”

“That kind of seems worse,” Sugar said.

“True,” Sandy said. “So, what should we do? I vote for going back to the cabin.”

“And I think we should go without our phone lights or flashlights,” said Sugar. “If that was a guy, he could have a gun.”

“The person that was found dead wasn’t killed by any gun,” Kelly said after a short pause.

“Well, this could be someone entirely different,” Sugar said. “It’s not like there’s a rule, only one thing that can kill you in the forest at a time. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite of that.”

“Guys, guys,” Sandy said. “I know this isn’t the most normal thing to say, but…are we really sure that that thing looked like a…well, a human guy?”

2. She screams. She screams her sorrow and her rage, and her rage is at the way of the world but also at herself; why had she been a coward? All she had done was seen, and she had still frozen in fear? All she had were her hands, but should she not have used them? She should have flown forward and strangled the man! But she had only frozen, frozen and silently watched, as if she was nothing more than the ornament she was supposed to be.

“You will hurt yourself, screaming like that,” a voice says, then.

No one else is in the chapel with her. She checked many times in succession before closing the door. The voice is that of no one. A ghost.

But the abruptness reminds her of Mme. Giry as she instructs the corps de ballet on form. You will hurt yourself, bending like that.

But since no one is here, she responds as if she is alone. “No one ever taught me how to properly scream.” As she says this, she can feel the rawness of her throat. It hardly matters, she has no solos approaching, and probably never will.

“Do you want to learn?” the voice asks. “I could teach you.”

“What would be the point? No one wants me to scream.”

“No one wants me to do anything,” the voice says. “But I know how to do many things.”

The shape of her mouth flickers towards a smile. The concept is oddly enticing: to build a skill that no one wants. And this voice, that is oddly enticing, too. It reminds her of the heavy velvet that she’d noticed in the costume shop one day, brushed to a shimmering dark red like a fire behind smoked glass. The soft weight of it had been a glory in her hands that sent a strange shiver all down her spine.

And just as she knows that velvet doesn’t grow on trees, she knows that this wonderful voice didn’t come naturally, either. A lot of work went into its creation, and right now, she is the only one being given that beauty. That’s enticing, too.

It seems she’s taken too long to respond, for the voice speaks again. “I could teach you how to sing as well as scream. I’ve heard you sing on your own before, away from the chorus. You could be the greatest soprano the opera has ever heard.”

“Singing is something they want,” she says. “And you say…the greatest. Do you think I could be sublime, as a soprano?”

“Sublime,” the voice muses, and the slow word makes her shiver again. “I have met few who truly desire to be sublime.”

“I do.”

This time it is the voice that takes a long time to respond. “I believe you,” it finally says, sounding curious, and a little sad. “Yet I do not fully understand you. Perhaps I will if I teach you. And I can. I have far more experience with sublimity than with beauty.”

“Your voice is beautiful,” she says tentatively, “at least it is as you speak to me. But I hear in it something that tells me you can easily transcend with it to the sublime. I only wish to say, from hearing you, I would guess you had experience with both.”

“You do not know what you say,” the voice replies, with control so careful she cannot be sure what it conceals, “but that is all very well. You will have a voice with sublimity waiting behind its beauty, this I swear. Sublimity will be yours to hold to heel or to unleash, and when you do—”

“Yes,” she interrupts. “What then?”

She can hear a smile in the voice now, at her eagerness. “At the very least,” the voice says, “you’ll be able to shatter glass.”

She smiles too, imagining. “Every globe in the chandelier, from the stage.” It is a reckless wish, and a thoughtless one—she does not really want to rain glass down upon the audience, or if they were not there, to make the cleaning-women sweep up thousands of razor-sharp shards. But if she could, oh, it’s an uncanny thing to do. Not a pretty thing.

“If you have the will, I will show you the way,” says the voice. “If you agree, will you tell me your name?”

“Yes, and yes,” she says. “And my name is Christine Daae. But what is yours?”

“I am the ghost,” he says.

3. The Pitch held Sandy close with one arm while their other hand flowed down Sandy’s body, slow and sweet like honey. They bent to kiss Sandy’s mouth as they fondled their full breasts. And it wasn’t—it wasn’t as if the Pitch spent a long time at the stiff points of Sandy’s nipples. They were too sensitive for that right now, the line between pleasure and pain too thin. But they did touch, and the touch of their inhumanly long fingers felt somehow both reverent and barely restrained. Sandy knew this could only be their projection onto such a new Pitch, but knowing didn’t make the feeling go away. It didn’t stop them from going half-mad with it, their cunt getting wetter and their cock getting harder, barely a breath away from begging the Pitch to pinch them, hard, to fall over the line of pain to see if there was pleasure on the other side.

But that was part of a different lesson, and not something every owner wanted their Pitch to learn. Sandy wasn’t quite sure it was what they wanted, either, except that it would be more sensation and more was what they wanted from the Pitch.

But of course the Pitch could give more, and of course they would give more. That was what they were for.

The Pitch caressed their belly luxuriantly, their speeding breath and some soft sounds muffled by their mouth on Sandy’s proclaiming their absolute delight in every curve of Sandy’s very ordinary body. And again it felt like real desire, as if the Pitch had forgotten that the point of their actions was to arouse Sandy. As if it was assured, as if there was a long understanding of mutuality between them, as if indulging themselves with Sandy was something they knew Sandy would enjoy.

As for the last, with Sandy, they were right. Every greedy touch of the Pitch’s hands was a gift, a drug.

A drug that opened the mind to some dangerous ideas. Pitches are made for pleasure. If I could choose a pleasure construct I’d choose a Pitch. I’d choose this Pitch. Precocious Pitch and I wonder, I wonder if in a different world where Pitches are what the born look like, if this Pitch would commission a Sandy if they could. It should have been unthinkable. But pleasure constructs were also made to make the unthinkable possible.

So obedient, and they come with their own built-in taboos for you to think about breaking!

4. Conversation is all right, Sandy said. If you can find someone to do it with. But there are things I like better. He looked up at Pitch. Things I think you might like better, too.

“Is that so? You know something good enough to make me be good?”

Sandy grinned, now, and Pitch—Pitch absolutely felt his heart beat faster, though it was getting harder now to say that this was out of panic or even simple fear.

I don’t know if it’s that powerful, but I’d be happy to give it a try, Sandy said. What do you think?

What did Pitch think? He felt like somehow he’d been herded through a great number of corridors in his mind and now he had reached a dead end. Or—not exactly a dead end. It was just that all the doors around him were ones he had locked tightly, and he had tried to forget that he still had the keys. It was the Sandy wing of his mind, and now the real Sandy was blocking him from leaving the corridor the way he came, and spinning a key ring around his little golden finger. If Sandy unlocked any of those doors, then he’d see…he’d see…

Maybe…Sandy would see something he…liked?

“Try me,” Pitch said, giving the words an unsuitable earnestness.

5. Porcelain skin and blue-black hair from their mother. Sharp angular faces, proud aquiline noses, and bones that promised height from their father. And yet their mother’s influence performed alchemy on these traits, somehow making them gracile, proving that on those infinitesimal spiral staircases of fate, she would always have the higher ground. Their lips might be thinner than hers, but they were still perfectly formed to bring to mind sensuality, even from this young age. They might be forbidden cosmetics, but the lashes she gave them were long and thick enough that no one who saw them would be able to stop themselves from wondering. And their eyes, of course, were hers, that exquisitely rare and exotic topaz had completely overshadowed their father’s pure northern blue. There was just enough of their father in their looks that they could be no one else’s sons, but the rest of their looks whispered this open secret: Though he was powerful enough to wed and bring to childbed the most beautiful woman within a thousand miles, claiming such beauty meant that he would never have a son quite in his image. That single, perfect, impregnable vessel of immortality for himself was nothing but a ghost. What he had, after having everything else, was this uncanny pair. Warped reflections of their mother, warped reflections of their father.

And perfect reflections of each other.

15: Which fic that you’ve written relates to you and your personal life the most?

A Draught of Light. I was working through a lot of stuff in that fic and while writing it, I’m not done working out everything I was working out in that fic, and bizarrely it seems to continue to become more relatable to me as years pass, even through situations I could not have possibly have foreseen. But also Speak Oil Into My Ear is very near and dear to me because of how much of Austin, TX I put into it, and that’s where I was living when I wrote it.

22: Have you used any symbolism in A Draught of Light? What does it represent?

You mentioned this might be a nightmare question and I guess it kind of is, because DoL is like…not subtle in any way. That’s just how it is. Any symbolism is baked into the magic system because it’s how magic works—if a light adept can figure out how to understand what they’re doing as related to illuminating/revealing/opening etc., then they can do it with light. If a shadow adept can understand a working as related to concealing/vanishing/hiding etc., then they can do it with shadow. Fire is change, water is healing/restoration. The ending doesn’t go full allegory but like. For those who are familiar it’s very obvious why I would think of this story more around Easter than around the autumn equinox, when it’s actually set.

But! Story time! When this story started, it was partially due to three factors: a kinkmeme prompt that I wasn’t sure if my idea actually addressed, a round pool at the apartment complex I lived in at the time, and a dream I had where I was standing in this underground circular stone chamber, and I clapped my hands and water began flowing from them, and (here’s the symbolism) in the dream I knew that the water represented forgiveness. (Though that’s not really what it means in DoL.

#tejoxys

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love-little-lotte · 4 years

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15 Musical Theatre Duets That Make Me Believe In Love Again

Hi! This is a follow-up on my other list: 15 Musical Theatre Female Solos That Make Me Feel Things. This time, I’m going to talk about 15 musical theatre duets that make me believe in love again (obviously, as the title suggests). Love songs are beautiful and special, and I always love listening to them. You don’t even have to be in a relationship to really enjoy them. You just have to listen and feel the music and lyrics.

Musical theatre love songs are a whole different story. I find them more meaningful because they’re part of a story. They help the story progress, as well as provide insight to the characters’ personality. And probably most importantly, these songs help make the audience understand the love these characters feel for each other.

The following songs are my favorite romantic duets in musical theatre. Romantic duets are love songs sung by two people — usually, it’s sung when they profess their love for each other. I love them to bits, and I love how they made me feel. They’re also fun to sing along to! These songs are, in my opinion, incredibly romantic. They transcend me to a different place, and yes, they do make me believe in love again. Also, let me just remind you, that this is my personal list, so if you don’t agree, well then, you can always make a list of your own.

(Disclaimer: I arranged these songs randomly to avoid favoritism, so this is not exactly a “ranking” list.)

1. Sun and Moon - Miss Saigon

I was initially confused which song I would choose from Miss Saigon — this one or “The Last Night of the World.” I eventually chose this one because I liked the lyrics more. They’re so simple, but you can definitely feel the love between Kim and Chris with each word.

This song is sung early on the show, where everything was going perfectly for the both of them. After spending the night, Kim and Chris fell in love unexpectedly while there is an ongoing war. He’s a soldier; she’s a prostitute. They come from a different world, but they found each other. It’s the perfect love song for them.

Most memorable lyrics: How in the light of one night / Did we come so far?

2. Tonight - West Side Story

Just like Kim and Chris from Miss Saigon, Tony and Maria from West Side Story come from a different world. He’s a Jet; she’s a, well... Shark by relation? Anyway, this song is also an absolute favorite of mine. The music, the lyrics... are oh-so gorgeous. Even though they’ve only met one time prior to this song, they fell in love at first sight — and they fell hard. Both Tony and Maria were ready to risk their relationship with family and friends to be with each other.

But before the story went into chaos, this song perfectly described the love they feel for each other. It’s a delightful song, and I love it to bits. I look forward to the day I sing this to a special someone who’s ready to defy everyone just to be with me!

Most memorable lyrics: But here you are / And what was just a world is a star / Tonight

3. Ten Minutes Ago - Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Ever wondered what it feels like to fall in love at first sight? Well, Ella and Prince Topher can tell you — or rather, sing it for you. This song is just as beautiful as the costumes of this Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella production. Seriously, this is unrelated, but you really need to check out the costumes for this show. It’s to die for!

Anyway, this song is the first duet of Ella and Prince Topher. The music is soaring; the lyrics are romantic; and the choreography is memorable. This song is absolutely marvelous and perfectly encapsulates the feeling of falling in love at first sight (one of my favorite musical theatre tropes). Also, you need to check out the Tony Awards performance of this song!

Most memorable lyrics: In the arms of my love I’m flying / Over mountain and meadow and glen

4. Take Me As I Am - Jekyll & Hyde

Unlike most of the songs in this list, I haven’t delved into this musical as much as I want to. Nevertheless, I fell in love with this gorgeous song. I have a weakness for sopranos, so of course, this song caught my attention. Christiane Noll, who played Emma in the OBC recording, sounded so, so heavenly.

Through this song, I got to know Emma and Jekyll’s love for each other. They’re professing their love for each other, promising that they would be on each other’s side no matter what happens. It’s a song that teaches us acceptance and love really go together. Truly one of my favorite romantic song ever.

Most memorable lyrics: And when despair / Tears me in two / Who can I turn to but you?

5. I’ll Cover You - Rent

This particular song is more carefree and upbeat compared to most of the songs in this list. But that doesn’t make it any less romantic. This song sung by my favorite couple in Rent is the absolute best. When all the other couples are fighting, Angel and Collins just continued loving each other and enjoying the little time they have. They are so sweet, and I totally love their relationship. And this song is a huge testament why.

It’s a song that tells the audience that Angel and Collins just love being together and that they truly love one another. They were together through thick and thin, through Angel’s sickness until the very end. They weren’t kidding when they sang “I’ll be there and I’ll cover you.” And yes, the reprise version of this song is the definition of pain and sadness.

Most memorable lyrics: But sweet kisses I’ve got to spare / I’ll be there and I’ll cover you

6. As Long As You’re Mine - Wicked

Whenever I listen to this song, I always describe it as “sensual and intimate.” This song may not be promiscuous or anything like that, but it’s so passionate and sexy in an innocent way. It’s a beautiful love song, and when performed right, truly make me fall in love. The lyrics are perfect for what Elphaba and Fiyero are going through, and the music is beyond catchy.

When they do release the movie version of Wicked — which is probably never at this point — I hope they cast actors who have amazing, off the roof chemistry. This song is one of my favorites, and I would love to see it done well on the big screen. Elphaba’s cheeky last line “For the first time, I feel... wicked” is probably my favorite line in the show.

Most memorable lyrics: Borrow the moonlight / Until it is through / And know I’ll be here / Holding you / As long as you’re mine

7. Only Us - Dear Evan Hansen

One of the purest romantic songs ever. Though Evan may not be your ideal perfect guy, you can’t deny that this song is plain sweet. This duet between Evan and Zoe is cute and relatable — anyone who fell in love before can identify with the lyrics. And even though you’re not a fan of musical theatre, I’m pretty sure you’re still going to like this fan favorite.

This song is one of my favorite song in “new” musicals. It’s sung by teenagers in the show, but the lyrics and music are perfect to attract younger audiences. It’s a good song to sing along to, and probably a good dedication song for your significant other.

Most memorable lyrics: You and me / That’s all that we need it to be / And the rest of the world falls away

8. Seven Wonders - Catch Me If You Can

The first time I listened to the musical, I was in high school. I didn’t know it was based on a movie. I didn’t know who Frank Abagnale even is! The reason why I even cared about this musical is because of Aaron Tveit, which made me listen to the cast recording, then watch the movie (which is really good). I fell in love with this song the first moment I listened to it. It’s catchy and pure and beautiful.

The duet is sung by Frank and Brenda in the musical. The lyrics (and Aaron Tveit) are probably the highlights of the song for me. It’s hilarious and, at the same time, really sweet. Imagine having a guy you like say that you couldn’t compare to all the beautiful places in the world because you’re perfect! And then imagine Aaron Tveit singing that to you. But seriously speaking, this song is goshdarn cute and romantic.

Most memorable lyrics: I’ve been a lot of places / Yes, I’ve traveled near and far / But now I know that home is where you are

9. Happiness - Passion

This is the first song of the musical, and from there, I’m already in love. Giorgio and Clara’s song is simply enchanting. It tells the story of two people just being happy in each other’s arms. We don’t know who they are — as the musical only started — but we just know that they’re completely in love with each other, satisfied and contented.

Indeed, this is one of my favorite love songs ever. It’s warm, delightful, and deeply sensual. Giorgio and Clara’s love story may not be perfect (as we realize later on the show), but this song is perfect for their relationship in the beginning.

Most memorable lyrics: Some say happiness / Comes and goes / Then this happiness / Is a kind of happiness / No one really knows

10. Say It Somehow - The Light in the Piazza

This musical has one of the best scores ever. It’s astonishingly pleasant to the ears. This particular song, on the other hand, is one of the best love songs I’ve ever heard. In this song, this is when Fabrizio (spoiler alert?) professes his love and proposes to Clara (a different one from the previously mentioned musical).

Who does not want a declaration of love with a song like this? It’s everyone’s dream — or rather, my dream. It’s a gorgeous song with flawless music and lyrics. And I know you’re getting tired of hearing it but yes, this is one of my favorite songs.

Most memorable lyrics: Say it somehow / Anyway you can / You know me / You are good

11. Something to Believe In - Newsies

The first few notes of this song is already set to make me fall in love, and it succeeds. This love song is amazing and fun to sing along to. It’s catchy (especially the chorus) and above all, romantic. Jack and Katherine are not only friends, but they also know how to work together and that’s important in any relationship.

Needless to say, this song is the perfect for the both of them. Jack and Katherine truly believed in each other. They’re one of my favorite couples in musicals, so I’m pretty happy that they got a really good song. It’s also one of those songs that you can play for your friends who don’t often listen to musicals.

Most memorable lyrics: And if I’m gone tomorrow / What was ours still will be / I have something to believe in / Now that I know you believed in me

12. One Second and a Million Miles - The Bridges of Madison County

Honestly, I’m not sure if this is an “actual” love song, but what the hell, I love this song and I’m making the list so I’m going to include it. The entire musical is heartbreaking, but oh-so romantic and beautiful. The songs are exquisite and gorgeous, especially this big song in the second act wherein Robert tells Francesca to leave everything and run away with him.

It’s a song of reassurance, that whatever the risks they’re going to take, it’s enough because they love one another and they’re going to be there for each other. It’s an incredible song and no matter how many times I listen to the cast recording, Kelli O’Hara and Steven Pasquale’s vocals give me chills every time.

Most memorable lyrics: And you and I are just one second / Spinning by in just one second / You and I have just one second / And a million miles to go

13. All I Ask of You - The Phantom of the Opera

My. Favorite. Duet. Of. All. Time. I mean, I think most of my followers here are from the “Phandom” so you just know that I have to include a song from this musical. This song is the absolute best, which of course, truly made me believe in love again. It’s beautiful. Raoul and Christine’s relationship is the best, as the both of them love each other very much.

In this song, Raoul promises Christine to be there for her all the time no matter what. He promises his love for her and more. It’s a wonderful and romantic song that has been covered endless times by popular artists outside musical theatre (my favorite would’ve been Josh Groban and Kelly Clarkson’s version). And I swear, if I ever get married in the future, this will be the song that I would play on my first dance with my husband.

Most memorable lyrics: Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime / Say the word and I will follow you / Share each day with me, each night, each morning / Say you love me / You know I do

14. All I’ve Ever Known - Hadestown

Anaïs Mitchell originally wanted this to be a solo for Eurydice, but I thank the gods everyday that she turned it into a duet. It’s my favorite song in the musical, and it’s absolutely wonderful. For a really long time, Eurydice was on her own and very independent. She didn’t trust anyone. But now, she was ready to open up and love Orpheus with all her heart.

Furthermore, the choreography in this song is absolutely amazing. It showed the intimacy of Eurydice and Orpheus’ relationship through their dance. It went perfectly well along with the song as well! I love this song very much, and it’s on repeat.

Most memorable lyrics: All I know is you’re someone I have always known / And I don’t even know you / Now I wanna hold you, hold you close / I don’t wanna ever have to let you go

15. I Have Dreamed - The King and I

Tuptim and Lun Tha are only supporting characters in their musical, but their songs are my absolute favorites. This and “We Kiss in a Shadow” are two of my favorite songs in the musical. Their songs, especially this one in particular, left a long-lasting impression to me. Even though I’m not in love, this song makes me feel like I am.

My first version of this song is Lea Salonga and Peabo Bryon’s version (which you should really check out if you haven’t!) Their rendition of this song is super good — it’s like you’ve died and gone to heaven. The lyrics are amazing and perfectly written. To top it all of, this song is very romantic, and I love it so much.

Most memorable lyrics: In these dreams, I’ve loved you so / That by now I think, I know / What it’s like to be loved by you / I will love being loved by you

_________________________

And that brings us to the end of this list. These 15 songs truly made me believe in love again, and I suggest you give them a listen! Who knows, maybe you’d like them as well.

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missdutch21md · 4 years

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Music of the Night (1)

A/N: Hello Dear Readers,

Here is Part 1 of this precious series of mine! I have put a lot of love and care into this story, I hope you enjoy it! (There’s more to come of course)

All my Love,

Soul 💖

Summary:

The time is 1856. Location: Paris, France at the Opera Populaire. Taehyung is living his life when who should stumble into his life than the most beautiful singer he has ever heard? She was the missing instrument to his orchestra. She would complete the score for his… Music of the Night.

Pairing: Opera Ghost! Taehyung x Singer! Ballet Dancer! MC

Universe: Phantom of the Opera AU

Characters: rich! Seokjin, rich! Yoongi, dance instructor! hoseok, officer! Jimin, stagehand! Jungkook, chorus girl! BlackPink

Genre: Fluff 🥰, Mature 🔞

Length: 2.1k

⚠️Warnings⚠️: mentions of religion, stalking, slight yandere themes

Please keep in mind this is a work of FICTION this in no way reflects on any BTS members or Taehyung as a person. This is simply a story for the imagination.

Go b a c k | Turn p a g e | M.List | Request

As I sang, my voice steadily got louder claiming the attention of those who were still around. All at once, Jin and Yoongi’s conversation came to a halt. The stage hands and the ballet dancers practicing for the show in the coming weeks all stopped to hear as I sang. The music built to a crescendo and I kept in pitch perfectly but kept in time with the music a little clumsily but still pushed on.

I finished singing the notes that maestro Namjoon gave me and timed it with him ending the music.

“Brava!”

“Tres magnifique!”

The two owners of the opera house made their way from the back of the orchestra seating going onto the stage to greet the new ballet dancer that was meant to be an addition to the ballet.

I nodded and bowed blushing slightly. “Merci monsiuers, I am most humbled by your applause,” I greeted them kindly. “I am _____.”

“Ma cher, that was quite wonderful,” The taller man began.

“A diamond in the rough,” the shorter man beamed at me.

“Mademoiselle, please meet Monsiuer Kim Seokjin,” the taller man bowed. “And Monsiuer Min Yoongi,” the shorter man bowed. “They are the owners and operators of the Opera Populaire,” Maestro Namjoon explained to me from his place in the orchestra pit.

I nodded and curtseyed again as gracefully as I could. “Thank you for taking me on as part of your chorus, I will do my very best.”

“Chorus?!” Seokjin hollered down to Namjoon.

“That is entirely unfitting” Yoongi protested.

“You forget that you signed on Francesca for another year,” Namjoon reminded the two owners with a tired sigh. “Also, Minnie got pregnant Mademoiselle ____ is meant to fill her place.”

“Right,” Jin looked down at me with pleading eyes. “ the moment to contract with our current leading soprano has finished. You will be our star,” Jin took one of my hands and got down on one knee. “Please don’t even think of leaving to another house until such time as we can give you a proper spotlight?”

I giggled at how dramatic the tall and striking man was being. Didn’t he know how happy I was to be just accepted as a chorus girl? “My good sir,” I pulled on his hand to get him to stand. “There is no need for that. I want to be here. No matter where you put me.”

“A true lady, indeed,” Yoongi smiled at me softly. “And you’re punctual?”

I nodded eager to please. “Oh yes, of course.”

“How old are you mademoiselle?” Yoongi inquired.

“I am just 24,” I answered with a small smile.

“How darling you are,” Seokjin hummed. “Please call me Jin.” I nodded agreeing to this.

“See to it that she is settled in.” Yoongi called to a chorus girl who came up eagerly and he turned back to me. “We will take this first year to train you and get you ready for the spotlight. See to it that you don’t lose this kind and polite manner.” He gave me a hard look but I could tell he was fighting off a smile.

I nodded. “I won’t disappoint you, monsieur.”

“Well go get settled then, if you please,” Jin ushered me over to one of the chorus girls.

“I’m Jennie,” she smiled up at me warmly.

“I’m ____,” I introduced myself to her as we made our way to the back of the opera house where the real magic happened. I watched as everyone kept working to build the world for the upcoming production.

“How old are you?” she asked me keeping me engaged in conversation.

“I’m 24, and you?” I smiled at her as we passed by sculptures being made.

“I’m 23!” she beamed. There were costumers sewing and there were carpenters working on the set and stage hands setting up the rigging. I looked on in wonder and did my best to follow Jennie back to the bed chambers. Though she said we would be making a stop along the way.

We stopped by the costumers to pick up a uniform for me. Jennie held up some tights and dug for another pair when she saw the poorly mended run. A skirt. A shift. A bodice. When she had gathered all the items she wanted, she instructed for me to follow her further into the back of the grand opera house.

“You’ll be sleeping beside me,” she giggled and allowed me to set down my things. “You have your own pointe shoes, right?”

I nodded. “Yes I do,” lifting up the small sack I carried. It was the last thing that I had from my father. He had bought them for me when I was a little girl, saying he would make sure I was trained by the best teachers, and he kept his word. I started taking lessons right away. My eyes gleamed at the thought of my recently passed father and tried to blink the tears away when Jennie turned to me again.

“Why don’t you get changed into this then and we will go see monsieur Hoseok before lunch?”

I nodded and waited for her to shut the door to quickly get changed. I found the silk ribbon in my sack and tied back my hair as I made my way to Jennie who was conversing with one of the stage hands while waiting for me.

“____-ssi, this is Jeon Jungkookie,” Jennie introduced me to the cute boy. Another glance in his direction showed me he was more like a boy-man. His face was so sweet, but he had the build of someone that always had to work.

“Nice to meet you,” I smiled in greeting with a small bow.

“She’s my Unnie so you better be nice and watch out for her Kookie,” the girl glared at the boy.

Jungkook looked offended. “As if I never look out for you Jennie –noona,” he guffawed.

“I’m watching you,” she challenged with a finger pointed to his chest.

Jungkook turned to me and bowed to 90 degrees. “It’s nice to meet you ____ -noona.”

I nodded and thanked him bowing my head a little. “The pleasure is mine. Jennie mentioned we would be late for lunch. I hope to see you around,” I smiled kindly.

Jennie then took my hand and we made our way to the kitchen. Where we bumped into other chorus girls. Jisoo, Rose, and Lisa. I learned that I was the same age and the unnie of the other girls as well and they all were so glad to have me around.

Jennie mentioned again that we should go meet Hoseok and Jisoo said it’d be better for us to wait. “He isn’t very happy. No one told him that Minnie was dismissed last night,” she explained with a sad look in her eyes.

He knew it was coming of course. He just didn’t think they would turn it around so quickly.

I gulped in nervousness. Maybe he would purposely try decide to hate me and make this next year torture for me? We ate lunch quickly and then made our way out to the stage again to find monsieur Hoseok and maestro Namjoon as they were discussing the upcoming production.

When we came out to the stage again. Everyone was present. Even Francesca had risen from her bed. Jisoo and Lisa pointed out that she only ever came out from her quarters when someone important was coming to visit. And someone important must have been coming today. For the diva was dressed to the nines. Her costume molded to her form, her make-up was well done, and her hair was perfectly in place.

As Francesca was warming up with maestro Namjoon, I timidly made my way over to Monsiuer Hoseok to introduce myself with Jennie at my side.

“You must be the new girl,” he smiled warmly at me.

I nodded, bowed low and introduced myself.

“Such a cute thing,” he mumbled mostly under his breath I wasn’t sure that I really heard it. “I have been informed that we will be training you for the coming year. Please know that I am strict. And I will not tolerate any loose behavior. We can’t replace you as easily, or so I’m told.”

I nodded and promised that I would abide by his rules.

Hoseok seemed satisfied with my answer and asked me to join the rest of the girls to warm up and asked Jennie that she show me how things are done around here.

Once we warmed up, we started the dance for the upcoming production. And Francesca began her rehearsals for her aria. I suddenly understood why Jin and Yoongi were so desperate for me to stay on with the promise of the future.

While Francesca wasn’t necessarily a bad singer. She was technically very good. She had good control and her voice could carry. But the quality. The quality was lacking. Her voice was grating on the ears so much so that even some of the maids stuffed their ears with cotton so as to lessen the assault on their ears that her voice inflicted.

“I wonder how long it will take for him to notice her.” Jin hummed while watching from stage right while us chorus girls were at practice. I was in the back with Jennie learning the dance and doing my best to keep up trying to not let the voices of the managers distract me.

“The opera ghost?” Yoongi questioned softly. As though just saying the words would make him appear. This made my ears prick up I’d always had an “unhealthy interest” in the macabre as my aunt once put it to our priest.

Jungkook, as though on cue, came down from the catwalk with a sealed envelope. “Here please Sir’s. It is addressed to you,” Jungkook bowed and stepped away once Yoongi took the letter.

“It seems our resident genius may already be aware,” he gave Jin a meaningful look before bringing his attention back to the crisp stationary. Yoongi broke the seal on the letter and read it quietly to himself.

Francesca at Jungkook’s interruption and the mention of the note waited with bated breath for Yoongi to finish reading. “What does he have to say, my manager?”

Yoongi looked over at the diva almost rolling his eyes. “He is pleased with the newest addition to our chorus. And some other administrative concerns.” He answered handing off the letter to his partner Jin who now took the letter to pour over the words.

“How could he possibly know of the new patron?!” Jin practically screeched.

Yoongi shared a dark glance with the man with an insincere smile. “Someone likes to talk. Loud.”

Murmurs seemed to spread through the crowd. Yoongi turned to address us, the ensemble. “Yes. We have a new patron. It is Vicomte de Chagny, Park Jimin.”

There were audible gasps of excitement in the crowd. “He is coming to visit today actually,” Jin tacked on after.

“Ah, I see you’ve made the announcement,” Jimin said as he entered from stage left causing some in the crowd to cheer and applaud. I gasped not believing the sight before my eyes.

“Do you know him Unnie?” Rose queried.

I nodded. “We grew up together. He was like my little brother. I haven’t seen him since my parents died and I had to go live with my aunt. That was so long ago almost 10 years now.”

Jimin stood among the other men smiling and conversing while we all talked excitedly amongst ourselves. Jimin then announced he wouldn’t hold us up and said he would be with us on opening night for the new production next week.

I stood up taller hoping Jimin would notice me. And visibly deflated when he walked past without a second glance.

“He didn’t see you,” Jisoo tried to reassure me. I nodded and brought my attention to Hoseok when he tried to bring us back to order. The rest of the day was a blur. So much so that I asked Jennie to show me where the chapel was. I needed a moment to breathe before bed. And I needed to pray.

While I sat in the small room. I did not know there were dark piercing eyes watching me closely. I said a quick prayer and asked God to please continue watching over me. As I sat praying. I faintly heard the most beautiful voice.

I reveled in its sound and even joined in singing along to the hymn.

I was sure it was someone far off singing loudly so they couldn’t possibly hear me, I assured myself. I slowly became quiet again as a yawn forced its way from my lips.

“Good night angel,” I called out before making my way up to the chambers. I changed into a simple shift and climbed into bed beside Jennie and promptly fell asleep once my head hit the down pillow.

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opera-simplified · 4 years

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Opera Simplified #2: The Rake’s Progress

The Rake’s Progress

Opera Simplified #2

The Basics:

Music: Igor Stravinsky

Libretto: W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman

Premiere: September 11, 1951; Teatro La Fenice; Venice, Italy

Based on: William Hogarth’s eight-painting (later engraving) series A Rake’s Progress

Setting: England (mostly London), an unspecified point in the 1700s

Characters:

Tom Rakewell, a young man- tenor

Anne Trulove, his girlfriend- soprano

Nick Shadow, a devilish manservant [the libretto’s words, not mine]- bass-baritone

Baba the Turk, a bearded lady- mezzo-soprano

Trulove, Anne’s father- bass

Mother Goose, a brothel owner- contralto

Sellem, an auctioneer- tenor

Keeper of the Madhouse- bass

Requested by: @harry-leroy, who also very generously and enthusiastically read excerpts of this over—thank you!

The Opera:

Act I:

Scene 1:

A spring afternoon. The garden of the Trulove house in the countryside, with the house at right, a gate in the back, and a bunch of trees at left, where Anne and Tom are sitting together.

Anne: It’s May, and the whole world is enjoying the beauties of spring!

Tom: This is Venus’ season and she’s making everyone fall in love and helping restore the Age of Gold… **

Anne and Tom: How sweet it is to enjoy nature together!

*Trulove enters from the house and stands aside, watching Anne and Tom.*

Trulove: They look so happy and in love, and I really hope that’s the case and my fears don’t come true. We think we know everything when we’re young, and then we realize too late that we actually don’t, and I hope that doesn’t happen to my Anne…

Anne and Tom: WE’RE IN LOVE AND IT’S BEAUTIFUL AND WE’LL BE IN LOVE FOREVER

*Trulove steps forward.*

Trulove: Anne?

Anne: Yes, Dad?

Trulove: They need your help in the kitchen.

*Anne curtsies and goes inside. Trulove goes over to Tom.*

Tom, I talked to a friend of mine who lives in London, and recommended you to him, and he’s offered you a job at his counting house! ***

Tom: That’s very nice of you, and I don’t want to seem rude, but...I have other prospects.

Trulove: Son, you don’t have a job, and you’re not looking for one, and that worries me.

Tom: Look, I get it. But I assure you, Mr. Trulove, that your daughter will want for nothing if she marries me.

Trulove: My issue isn’t if you’re poor. If she wants a poor husband, that is fine by me, but no matter what, I will not let her take a lazy one, because she is too good for that. You understand?

Tom: Understood.

*Trulove goes inside.*

The old fool doesn’t get it! Here I am: I’m young, I’m happy, I’m in the prime of my life, and I’m supposed to waste the best years of my life in drudgery? I’m supposed to spend my life working just so some boss can become rich, I can barely survive, and ultimately I’ll just be thrown away and replaced with the next worker? No! Heaven has predestined our fates, so I will abandon myself to that. After all, if something is supposed to happen, just let it happen! I’ll live by my wits and trust my luck; the whole world is out there, just waiting for me...and I’ll live by my wishes. Like this one: I wish I had money.

*Nick immediately appears at the gate.*

Nick: Tom Rakewell?

*Tom, startled, turns around.*

Tom: Uh…

Nick: I’m looking for Tom Rakewell; I have a message for him. Is this his house?

Tom: No, but you’ve found him wandering in his thoughts and footsteps.

Nick: So you’re Tom Rakewell?

Tom: Indeed I am! Tom Rakewell, at your service.

*Nick bows.*

Nick: Nick Shadow, at your service, and ready to bear you a bright future. You recall an uncle, sir?

Tom: No? My parents never mentioned an uncle.

Nick: I think they had a falling out, sir. But...do you have any friends?

Tom: More: I have a wonderful girlfriend.

Nick: Lovely, sir. Go get her and anyone else who will listen.

*Tom runs into the house as Nick unlatches the gate and lets himself into the garden. Tom returns from the house with Anne and Trulove, and Nick bows to them.*

Forgive me for intruding, but I have a lot to tell you all. I once served Tom Rakewell’s uncle, who lived abroad for much of his life. I worked for him for many years, in many different trades, and he was very successful in all of them and became very wealthy, but all that wealth didn’t do him much good when he lay dying and dreamed of England and happiness. He did know about Tom, though, and figured the best use for his wealth would be to bequeath it all to his nephew. Well, he is dead. Tom, you’re rich.

Tom: I knew it! I made one wish, and Fortune made it come true. Shadow, sir, stay by me, would you?

Nick: Thank goodness, because without a master, I would soon die!

Anne: Thank God! We can get married soon!

Trulove: Thank God! And make sure that Tom never gets too big for his britches and that this doesn’t go south.

*Tom puts one arm around Anne and gestures outward with the other.*

Tom: Look, Anne, there’s no more obstacles and the world is ready and waiting for us!

Anne: And we’ll have peace and love forever!

Trulove: God bless you both!

Nick: I hate to burst your bubble, but there are new problems that come with such a large fortune: you have to get the inheritance approved and legally secured, and in order to do that, we have to go to London.

Tom: Those things can wait! I want to marry Anne.

Trulove: No, you should settle your estate and get it secured and then you and Anne can get married and have a secure future!

Anne: Dad does have a point, Tom.

Nick: There’s a coach waiting down the road.

Tom: Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!

Nick: I’ll get the coachman.

Trulove: And I’ll explain this whole situation.

*They go off together.*

Anne: Goodbye for now, but remember: whatever may happen and wherever you may go, my love will go with you.

Tom: I know you’ll always be with me. I love you.

Anne: Farewell!

*Nick and Trulove come back.*

Nick: Everything is ready, sir.

Tom: Shadow, sir, I’m not entirely sure how this works because I grew up very poor, so I’m wondering: what are your normal wages?

Nick: I’ll give you a year and a day to figure that out. On that day, we’ll settle our accounts and you will pay me no more and no less than what you think my services are worth.

Tom: Agreed. Mr. Trulove, as soon as my estate is settled, I’ll send for you and Anne to come to London. And when Anne gets here, all London will be at her feet, because I’ll make something of myself and London will be mine, and London will treasure my magnificent soon-to-be wife.

*Tom and Trulove shake hands as Anne, overcome with emotion, hides her face.*

Everything good waits for the one who can win the game.

Anne: I’m so happy but at the same time, I’m crying…

Trulove: I’m worried that this new comfort may lead to even more problems with him, but maybe it won’t…

Anne: Tom, I’ll always be near you, and you’ll always be near me…

*Nick lets Anne, Tom, and Trulove through the gate.*

Anne and Trulove: Goodbye, Tom!

*Nick turns to the audience.*

Nick: THE RAKE’S PROGRESS begins. ****

Scene 2:

An unspecified amount of time later, at Mother Goose’s brothel in London. Tom, Nick, and Mother Goose (not the one from the fairytales) are sitting at a table downstage right and drinking. Meanwhile, a bunch of roaring boys, prostitutes, and clients are hanging around. There is a cuckoo clock at upstage left. *****

Roaring Boys: WE JUST LIKE TO HANG AROUND AND ROAM THE STREETS AND GET INTO FIGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT

Prostitutes: WE’RE GREAT AT GETTING PEOPLE TO LOVE US AND GIVE US THEIR MONEY

Roaring Boys: WHAT’S BETTER THAN FIGHTING FOR NO REASON OR BASHING PEOPLE’S HEADS IN OR WHATEVER

Prostitutes: WE SURPRISE ALL KINDS OF GUYS AND WE CHARM THEM AND THEY GIVE US MONEY AND THAT’S HOW WE LIVE

Everyone: A TOAST TO OUR TWO FAVORITE GODS VENUS AND MARS

Nick: C’mon, Tom, show Mother Goose here what I’ve taught you in preparation for your new life and all its pleasures. So, what are you supposed to do above all else?

Tom: My duty to myself.

Nick: Isn’t he smart, Mother Goose?

Mother Goose: And handsome too.

Nick: What is that duty to yourself?

Tom: To scorn the advice of any who disapprove and follow Nature.

Mother Goose: What is Nature’s secret?

Tom: What beauty is and where it grows.

Nick: What is beautiful?

Tom: Whatever is pleasure for the eyes, but it has just one flaw: it dies.

Nick: Exactly!

Mother Goose: What is pleasure, then?

Tom: It’s different for every person, but it’s whatever someone wants it to be, whatever makes them happy.

Mother Goose: Bravo!

Nick: One final question: what is love?

Someone: WHAT IS LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE BABY DON’T HURT ME DON’T HURT ME NO MORE WHAT IS—

Mother Goose: NO ONE ASKED FOR THAT STUPID SONG

Tom: Love? That word burns every part of me…

Nick: No answer?

Tom: NO MORE

Mother Goose: Do you need more wine?

Tom: LET ME GO

Nick: Are you afraid?

*The cuckoo clock chimes one, and Tom gets up.*

Tom: BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Nick: WAIT

*He turns to the clock, which turns back and chimes twelve.*

See? Even time itself obeys you, so enjoy life! You can worry later.

*Tom sits down and starts drinking a lot of wine.*

Chorus: Who cares about time passing when we have food and drink and fun and love and the night?

*Nick gets up and indicates Tom.*

Nick: My friends, fellow worshipers at the Temple of Delight, it is my privilege to present a newcomer who wants to be initiated and as custom, will sing for you. He is young and rich and will be perfect for our group. I present my master and (if he will allow me to call him this) my friend, Tom Rakewell!

*Tom comes to the center of the room and sings.*

Tom: Love, you are too frequently betrayed in the name of desire or the world, and I’ll admit that I still dream of you. You are my sorrow and shame, and yet I always forget you, but please don’t forget me; if I die, in my last hour I will call upon you!

Prostitutes: It’s such a sad song, but it’s so charming! Forget your sorrows in our arms, in our lips—

Mother Goose: UH UH I’M THE LEADER AND I CALL DIBS ON HIM TONIGHT

*She takes Tom’s hand as the patrons form two lines, between which Tom and Mother Goose walk to get to the door on the back wall. Nick watches.*

Chorus: LANTERLOO LANTERLOO THE KING IS COURTING HIS QUEEN AND THEY’RE GOING TO BED AND HE’LL CHOP OFF HER “HEAD” IF YOU KNOW WHAT WE MEAN LANTERLOO LANTERLOO ******

*Nick raises his glass as if making a toast to Tom’s success.*

Nick: Sweet dreams, Tom!

Chorus: LANTERLOO LANTERLOO

Nick: Dreams may lie, but dream, for when you wake, you die.

Scene 3:

The same as Scene 1. Anne, dressed in traveling clothes, enters the garden from the house.

Anne: No word from Tom...has he forgotten my love, our vows? Regardless, he needs my help. I love him, and I can feel that he needs me, so I will go find him!

Night, find him wherever he is, and tell him I’m coming for him! And you, Moon, guide me and shine warmly for him; even if his heart is cold, you can’t be more cold for him, could you?

Trulove: *from inside the house* Anne! Anne!

Anne: Can I leave my father and his love behind for a man who’s deserted me?

*She starts walking back to the house, but then stops and turns.*

No! My father is strong, but Tom is weak. He needs me. He needs my comfort and he needs my help.

*She kneels.*

Dear God, protect Tom, help my father, and strengthen me.

*She gets up.*

I’ll go find him. Even if he’s forgotten me, I still love him and that’s not going to change, and if he still loves me we’ll pick back right up from where we left off. I’ll go find him, and love will help me.

*She goes through the gate.*

Notes

Act II:

Scene 1:

Morning, some time later. A room in Tom’s house, which overlooks a busy London square. A window is open, letting in light and noise from the street. Tom is sitting and eating breakfast when a particularly loud blast of sound comes in; he gets up, annoyed, and shuts the window.

Tom: LET THERE BE SOME DIFFERENT NOISE FOR GOODNESS SAKE BECAUSE IT ALL JUST ANNOYS ME AND EVEN YOUR BEST MUSIC CAN’T FILL THE HOLE IN MY HEART

“Follow Nature,” they said. “It'll be great,” they said. I wanted to be free, but now I have no choice but to be a slave of fashion. The food and wine is overrated! Cards are stupid! And always with the women bringing by their daughters to talk about marriage! There’s only one truly good person in the world, and I refuse to think about her!

*He gets up.*

Well, the hunt is on! On and on we go, following Nature blindly! And happiness and freedom always evade me, and there are empty smiles everywhere and my heart is full of darkness!

*He sits down.*

I wish I were happy.

*Nick enters with a broadsheet in his hand.* **

Nick: Master, are you alone?

Tom: Don’t remind me.

Nick: *handing Tom the broadsheet* Do you happen to know this lady?

Tom: Baba the Turk! No, I haven’t gotten a chance to see her at the fair yet, but I heard that even brave soldiers faint at the sight of her. Is any of this even possible?

Nick: Well, two licensed doctors have said she’s the real deal. Do you want to go see her?

Tom: You’re up to something, aren’t you?

Nick: AT LEAST LOOK AT HER PICTURE

Tom: She’s ugly.

Nick: Do you desire her?

Tom: Ew, I desire her as much as I desire gout.

Nick: Do you even remotely like her?

Tom: Heaven forbid I do.

Nick: Then marry her!

Tom: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND

Nick: Look at it this way: everyone is wretched because they are a slave to either pleasure or conscience. The only way to be happy is to be a slave to neither, and since you don’t like Baba and since marrying Baba would be seen by society as a very odd thing to do, it’s perfect! You won’t have to worry about being a slave to anything, and you’d be free, and then you’d be happy! At least think about it.

Look: first, we’re all chasing girls; then, we chase wealth and rank; and then, when we’re old, we chase virtue. Always chasing something that is already fated to be. You need to step away from that and be free! Free from passion and reason alike! Well?

*Tom and Nick look at each other, and the former starts laughing, soon joined by the latter. They shake hands, and Nick helps Tom get dressed to go out.*

Tom: PEOPLE WILL TELL AND HEAR MY STORY FOREVER BECAUSE META AND ALSO BECAUSE WHO WOULD’VE THOUGHT THAT I MARRY THE INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITY BABA THE TURK

Nick: Let’s make you look your best in order to win Baba the Turk, and then the whole world will love you. How does that sound?

Tom and Nick: WELL LET’S TRY TO WIN OVER BABA THE TURK

*They leave.*

Scene 2:

Autumn, dusk. A street in front of Tom’s house. A staircase of semi-circular steps leads up to the front door at center. The servants’ entrance is to the left; a tree to the right. Anne enters, hesitates for a moment, and then knocks on the front door. She sees a servant coming from the left and hides behind the tree until he passes.

Anne: My heart is brave, but I’m afraid—my mind just keeps screaming, “YOU’RE ALONE IN LONDON!!!! BE AFRAID!!! BE VERY AFRAID!!!” I need to be strong in order to find him and win his love back, though...Dear Lord, help me, but even if I have to go this one alone, I can and will win him back from damnation!

*She turns to go back to the door, but stops when she sees a procession of servants bearing oddly-shaped packages coming from the right. Night begins to fall.*

What? What is this? Whatever it is, I have a really bad feeling about it.

*Two servants bearing torches come in from the left, as well as other servants bearing a sedan chair.* ***

Oh, lights!

*The servants set down the chair and Tom gets out.*

It’s him!

*She runs over to Tom, who makes sure to stay a little way away from her.*

Tom: Anne? What are you doing here?

Anne: Well, look at you.

Tom: ACCUSE ME

Anne: Tom, no.

Tom: DENOUNCE ME TO THE WHOLE WORLD

Anne: TOM NO

Tom: GO HOME ANNE

Anne: ...Are you coming with me?

Tom: ME?! WITH YOU?!

Anne: I’m not leaving without you.

Tom: YOU HAVE TO

Let me not think about going back home!

Anne: I need to love him in order to have any chance of winning him over.

Tom: Anne, please, listen to me. I know you’re virtuous, and London is not the place for you. Virtue only exists on the surface and in the daytime here, Anne. Be afraid.

Anne: What do I need to fear, when I have your help and I love you?

Tom: My help? Look, London has ruined me. I am unworthy of you. Go home.

Anne: You still love me; you are worthy.

*Tom, moved, steps over to her.*

Tom: Anne!

*Baba the Turk, who is heavily veiled, sticks her head out of the sedan chair window.*

Baba: TOM YOU KNOW I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME OUT OF THIS AND I’VE BEEN WAITING IN HERE FOR PRACTICALLY FOREVER SO COULD YOU PLEASE FINISH UP WITH WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING THANKS

*She puts her head back in.*

Anne: Who’s that, Tom?

Tom: ...My wife.

Anne: your WHAT

...Oh. I see. So I’m the unworthy one.

*She turns away. Tom steps toward her.*

If only I had known then that it would turn out like this...oh well. If you’re not going to be faithful, then at least I will—forever.

Tom: It’s done, it’s too late, the world is dying, my heart is dying...I’ll bury my heart and never let it feel anything again!

*Baba pokes her head out again and sees Anne.*

Baba: C’mon, what’s the delay? And who’s that girl who’s keeping Tom occupied? Whoever she is, I’m getting more than a little annoyed with all this waiting. COME HERE TOM YOU KNOW I DON’T LIKE WAITING AND I DON’T THINK YOU WANT ME TO SUFFOCATE IN HERE

*Anne runs off, distraught.*

I’m still here, Tom. I haven’t run off.

*Tom helps her get out of the chair.*

Tom: I’m here, my wife.

Baba: Who was that girl, my love?

Tom: Just a maid.

*The doors open and several servants come out with torches as other servants take the chair away.*

Townspeople: *from offstage* BABA THE TURK IS HERE WE LOVE HER

*Baba begins to go up the stairs as the people pour onstage.*

BABA SHOW YOURSELF TO US

*Tom and Baba get to the top of the staircase. Tom goes inside the house as Baba sweeps around and removes her veil.*

BABA AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*Baba blows them a kiss and keeps her hands outstretched like the great performer she is.*

Scene 3:

The same as Scene 1, except that Baba has now fully moved in and as a result, there are a bunch of oddities everywhere. Tom and Baba are eating breakfast; he’s sulking while she’s talking.

Baba: ...So yeah, there were two brothers and they both had mustaches and they gave me a really cool set of musical glasses in...Vienna, right? No, wait, it was Milan because there were a bunch of donkeys there and I guess there are a bunch of donkeys in Milan. And it was the Chinese fan I got in Vienna, no, actually, maybe it was the water from the Jordan River, or was it the Chinese fan? I get so confused with all these awesome stories I have, you know. I got the snuffboxes in Paris and the gravels from a Cardinal in Rome— ****

You’re not eating, my love!

Count Moldau got me the gnome, and Prince Obolowsky got me those cute little statues of the Twelve Apostles, which are probably my favorite gifts after the fossils. Oh, right, I need to tell Bridget to never touch the mummies ever, not even to dust them; she can do the wax dummies. And, oh yes, I love my birds too! Have you seen my great auk? Oh no, the moths will try to get in them!

What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking?

Tom: Nothing’s wrong.

Baba: Talk to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Tom: Why?

*Baba gets up and hugs Tom.*

Baba: come ooooooooooooooooooooooooon why are you so saaaaaaaaaaaaad smile because I love you and I want you to be happy, dear husb—

Tom: *pushing her away* SIT DOWN

*Baba bursts into tears and gets very angry very quickly.*

Baba: I’ve been SCORNED—

*She picks up an object and smashes it on the ground.*

ABUSED—

*ditto*

NEGLECTED—

*ditto*

BAITED—

*ditto*

oh I SEE HOW IT IS I KNOW YOU LOVE THAT GIRL AND HATE ME AND REGRET EVER MARRYING ME BECAUSE SHE’S SO MUCH PRETTIER AND CLEVERER AND YOU LIKE HER SO MUCH MORE SO THAT’S WHY YOU’RE SO UPSET ALL THE TIME BUT DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE YOU’RE MY HUSBAND AND YOU WILL NEVER BE HER HUSBAND, NOT—

*At this point, Tom suddenly gets up, grabs a wig, puts it over her head, and thus cuts her off. Then he walks around aimlessly until he goes to the sofa.*

Tom: ...Man, I just need to lie down and sleep.

*Which he does. During this time, Nick peeks his head through the door at right and after seeing the coast is clear, he wheels in a large object covered by a sheet. He removes the sheet to reveal a large machine. He then picks up a loaf of bread, opens a door in the front of the machine, puts in the loaf, and closes the door. Then he picks a piece of a broken vase from the floor, which he drops into a hopper on the machine. He turns a wheel and the loaf of bread falls out of a chute. He opens the door, takes out the piece of china, replaces it by the loaf and repeats the performance, so that the audience sees that the mechanism is a false bottom. The second time he ends with the loaf in the machine and the piece of china in his hand. Then he puts back the sheet, wheels the machine backstage near Tom’s sofa, and takes up a position near Tom’s head. And before you ask, yes, I did copy-and-paste most of this stage direction from the libretto because...yeah.*

Nick: Fa la la la la la la la la ‘tis the season to be jolly fa la la la la la la la la don we now our gay apparel fa la la la la la la la la troll the ancient Yuletide carol fa la la la la la la la—

*Tom wakes up.*

Tom: I wish it were true…

Nick: Oh, you’re awake?

*Tom starts.*

Tom: Who’s there?

Nick: It’s me, master, your shadow.

Tom: Oh hey! I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that I made a machine that turned stones to bread so no one would go hungry or want for anything ever again, and the world became so beautiful…

Nick: Was it, perhaps, this machine?

*He pulls off the sheet to reveal the machine.*

Tom: I must still be asleep because that is exactly it.

Nick: How does it work?

Tom: I need a stone!

Nick: *handing him the piece of china* Perhaps this will do?

Tom: *doing what he narrates* I place it in the top here, and then I turn the wheel, and then—

*The bread falls out.*

HOLY SHIT THE BREAD

Nick: Does it taste good?

*Tom samples the bread.*

Tom: YES IT DOES MAYBE THIS GOOD DEED WILL MAKE ME WORTHY OF ANNE AGAIN

*He falls on his knees.*

WITH THIS DEVICE THE WORLD WILL BECOME A SECOND HEAVEN BECAUSE NEED CAUSES ALL THE HORRIBLE THINGS AND THE CRIME IN THE WORLD AND WITH NO NEED WE’LL ALL BE GOOD

Nick: *to the audience* He’s a fool, you see, but know this: you can do good business with me.

Tom: THERE’LL BE NO LABOR AND NO HUNGER AND NO GRIEF AND NO POVERTY AND EVERYTHING WILL BE GOOD AGAIN

Nick: If you try hard enough, make it flashy and cool enough, play to people’s fears enough, people will believe anything you tell them.

Tom: MAN WILL BEAT NATURE AND RULE THE WORLD

Nick: INVEST IN THIS IMMEDIATELY

Sorry to burst your bubble a bit, Tom, but we’ve got to mass-produce, we’ve got to advertise, we’ve got to get partners, and that’s all gonna take money and time and work before your dreams come true.

Tom: ...true. That does burst my bubble a bit, because I don’t want this to be empty and not do anything and not help people.

Nick: Hey, I already spoke to some people to get help because let’s be honest here, there’s really no way to be self-made in this day and age. You have to have outside investment, you have to help from influential people, and anyone who says otherwise is kidding everyone.

Tom: HOW COULD I LIVE WITHOUT YOU LET’S GO

*They begin wheeling out the machine. Nick suddenly stops and turns to Tom.*

Nick: Shouldn’t you tell your wife about all this first?

Tom: What wife? I have no wife. I buried her.

*They leave.*

Notes

Act III:

Scene 1:

A spring afternoon. Otherwise the same as Act II, Scene 3 (complete with Baba still stifled by the wig), except there’s cobwebs and dust everywhere and it looks super-rundown and creepy. An auction is about to begin.

Crowd: Ruin! Disaster! Shame!

*More people enter.*

WOW LOOK AT ALL THIS COOL STUFF LET’S BUY IT ALL

*They turn to address the audience like they’re on an 18th-century version of The Office.*

You know, this sort of thing happens to a lot of people. People hope to make it rich and then they end up throwing themselves into the Thames. Tom Rakewell is the latest one ruined. Perhaps he’ll throw himself into the Thames next. Perhaps he already has.

*They turn back to look at all the cool stuff like they’re all little kids in a candy store. Meanwhile, Anne comes in alone and also starts looking around, but not like a little kid in a candy store.*

Anne: Does anyone know what happened to Tom?

Some People: We heard he went to America.

Other People: NO HE SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED

Some People: uh what that’s not even a thing

Other People: YEAH IT IS YOU’RE JUST STUPID

Anne: ENOUGH seriously does anyone know

Another Group: He’s Methodist now!

Yet Another Group: No, he’s Catholic!

Still Another Group: No, he converted to Judaism!

Anne: I DON’T CARE WHAT RELIGION HE IS THAT’S NOT THE PROBLEM HERE WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM

People: uhhhhhhhhh he went into debt and we guess people are looking for him

Anne: well since none of you are being helpful I’ll look for him myself

*She goes off to search the rest of the house.*

Some People: who’s she?

Other People: probably some ex-girlfriend, idk

*They go back to looking at all the stuff. A group of servants starts setting up an auction platform. Eventually Sellem shows up to begin the auction.*

Sellem: okay everyone let’s— NO NO NO YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SET THE PLATFORM UP OVER THERE

Servants: ugggggggggggggh

*They start moving the platform.*

People: ‘kay everyone let’s get those bids ready

*When the platform is set up, Sellem mounts it and begins the auction.*

Sellem: OKAY EVERYONE welcome to the best auction ever

Everyone Else: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sellem: there’s a thing called the balance of nature which states that for everyone who loses, as many people win. Congrats, you’re all winners and you’re helping restore nature and I guess the balance of money and stuff like that

Some People: ...that doesn’t really make sense but okay we could get stuff so we’ll let that slide

Everyone Else: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

Now then, lots one and two, which cover the categories of vegetable, animal, and mineral—

Someone in the Crowd: I AM THE VERY MODEL OF A MODERN MAJOR GENERAL**

Sellem: EXCUSE ME WE’RE STARTING

okay who wants this stuffed auk that’s really cool and who wants this dead fish that’s also really cool

*People start putting up their bids.*

One...two...three...five...seven...eleven...fourteen...nineteen...twenty...twenty-three...twenty-three once, twenty-three twice, sold! to that guy over there.

Next up: a Roman marble, a consecrated palm branch, and...all this other stuff, idk. I wasn’t briefed on all this before coming here. Owner’s a crazy guy who skipped town and his wife’s down for the count, so I don’t know. Anyway, let the bidding begin!

*People put up more bids.*

One...two...three...six...eleven...fifteen...fifteen and a half...fifteen and three quarters...fifteen and seven-eighths, not sure that’s even a thing...finally, sixteen...seventeen...seventeen and a half...seventeen and a half going once, going twice, sold! To you, madam.

People: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

Sellem: Alright. Lot 666, then, ladies and gentlemen—

People In the Crowd: what happened to the other six hundred and something lots

Sellem: SHUT UP IT’S FOR THE EFFECT

People: Is it at least a chandelier in pieces? ***

Sellem: SHUT UP anyway no it’s not a chandelier or a chandelier in pieces actually maybe it could be because we don’t know what this is either. It could be a cake. Maybe we should cut into it to see if it’s a cake. Maybe it’s an organ or a golden apple tree or an oracle or a pillar or an octopus or— ****

People: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LET’S SEE WHAT IT IS

*They start putting up their bids but keep shouting.*

Sellem: Fifty...fifty-five...sixty...sixty-fi-GUYS I CAN BARELY HEAR MYSELF THINK-ve...seventy...seventy-five SHUT UP...EIGHTY...EIGHTY-FIVE...NINETY...NINETY GOING ON-...OH NEVER MIND THERE’S A HUNDRED...HUNDRED GOING ONCE GOING TWICE SOLD

*At that moment, he pulls the wig off Baba, who immediately revives and continues with the last thing she said before Tom silenced her.*

Baba: ...EVER!

People: WHAT IT’S HIS WIFE

Baba: excuse me what the FUCK is going on here why are you selling all my stuff GET OUT and if you so much as touch any more of my stuff you’re gonna have to deal with ME

Tom and Nick: *in the distance* lalala old wives for sale lalala

*Anne runs in and goes straight to the window.*

Anne: was that him was that hi—he’s gone.

Baba: looks like they already sold all my stuff

*She turns to Anne.*

My dear—

Anne: His wife!

Baba: More like the woman he married and then dumped, his little joke. Come here, my child.

*Anne goes over to her.*

Sellem: uh this is getting a little awkward so this auction is over I guess everyone please leave

People: GET THE POPCORN THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN AN AUCTION

Baba: Hey, you know what? Maybe there’s some good in him. Maybe not, I don’t know. But he still loves you.

Anne: He still loves me? Then I should’ve kept looking when I came here a long time ago.

Sellem and People: He still loves her? Aww that’s sweet but also really sad.

Baba: Watch out for that guy who’s always with him. Tom may have rejected me, but out of those two, he’s not the snake. Go. Find your true love.

Anne: But what about you?

Baba: Hun, don’t worry about me. I’ll pick right back up with my career.

People: That girl’s gonna go find him!

Sellem: well looks like no one’s interested in buying anything anymore so rip me and rip this auction I guess

Tom and Nick: *in the distance* lalala let’s sing songs about boys having wings and gold falling from the sky and other stuff lalala

Anne and Baba: IT’S HIM

Baba: GO FIND YOUR LOVE

Anne: I WILL SAVE TOM

Baba: GO SAVE TOM

People: TOM REALLY SCREWED UP SO IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TOM DO IT QUICKLY

Anne: God bless you, Baba!

Everyone Else: GO SAVE TOM TRUE LOVE RULES

*Anne runs out.*

Tom and Nick: *in the distance* lalala who cares about Tories and Whigs I don’t lalala

Baba: SELLEM GO GET MY CARRIAGE

Sellem: ...Yes, ma’am.

*Sellem grabs the carriage from the pile of stuff about to be auctioned and helps Baba in.* *****

Baba: GET OUT OF THE WAY ALSO NEXT TIME I SEE YOU YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR THIS

*She leaves.*

People: ...what even was this day

Notes

Scene 2:

A starry night, a little after the events of Scene 1. Tom and Nick, who is carrying a small black bag, come to a churchyard with several graves (including one empty freshly-dug grave). There is an elevated tomb with a spade leaning against it. On the right there is a yew tree.

Tom: *out of breath* Are...we...there...yet?

Nick: We’re here, you dum-dum.

Tom: WHY ARE WE HERE THIS PLACE LOOKS SO CREEPY AND SO DO YOU

Nick: Remember, it’s been a year and a day since we made our deal. I upheld my end of the deal, so now it’s your turn.

Tom: BUT I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY

Nick: But you still have your soul. Look at me. This is who you chose to hire, and here is your price. **

*He takes four objects out of the bag and shows them to Tom as he points to the fresh grave.*

That grave will be your grave. Look: here’s a dagger, a noose, a vial of poison, and a gun. You have progressed to the end, you rake.

Tom: noooooooooooooooooooo why did my uncle ever choose me as his heir

Nick: you screwed up big-time and it’s too late for you buddy so you might as well join all the damned in hell

Tom: I know but this suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks

Nick: It’s about to strike midnight. You choose one of these four objects, and on the stroke of twelve, you will use that object of your choice to end your sorry little life and deliver your soul to me, as is the price.

*A clock begins to strike.*

One, two, three, four—

Tom: I DECLARE A THUMB WAR

Nick: SHUT UP five, six, seven—

Tom: HAVE MERCY ON ME HEAVEN

Nick: STOP TRYING TO BE WITTY AND RHYME now it’s eight

Tom: IT’S TOO LATE

Nick: No, wait!

*The clock strikes once more, but Nick holds up his hand and it stops.*

Tom: ...did we just inadvertently write a poem?

Nick: what?

Tom: ...we rhymed.

Nick: You’re trying to distract me and it’s not going to work. But you are a very dear friend to me, and although I sense you’re trying to mess with our agreed-upon conditions, I am a gentleman and I am amenable enough to change said conditions and suggest a game.

Tom: A game? That’s it?

Nick: A game of chance. Do you, by any chance *ba-dum-ch*, have a pack of cards?

Tom: That’s all I have left in this world and for the next.

*He takes out a pack of cards from his pocket and hands them to Nick.*

Nick: Haha, I like a good joke! Keeps our spirits high and makes the game go well. Now down to the serious business: the game is very simple, the result simpler still. Nick will cut three cards from the deck.

Tom: Can I ask a question?

Nick: Questions for the end, please. If you can name all three, you are released from the contract. If not, you pick your method of death. Your question?

Tom: ...Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?

Nick: Because Nick wants to. Do you understand the rules of the game?

*Tom nods.*

Then let us begin.

*He cuts the cards, shuffles them, and holds up the Queen of Hearts, his card of choice, so the audience, but not Tom, can see it.*

Tom: oh no I just can’t

Nick: Try.

Tom: BUT I CAN’T THINK

Nick: Just think of one. You wish you could control the game, but all you can do at this point is think of one card.

Tom: Anne!

*He calms down.*

I’m not afraid anymore. I choose the Queen of Hearts.

Nick: *holding up the card to Tom* You have chosen correctly. It’s such a simple game, you see?

*He tosses the card aside as the clock strikes ten, then turns to the audience.*

He loves games; they’re how he tries to keep the hope alive but it will all end in despair.

*He turns back to Tom.*

Round two.

*As before, he cuts the cards and holds the top one towards the audience.*

Tom: ...Now how am I supposed to win back my soul?

Nick: Try. Maybe Fortune will help you a second time.

Tom: luck be a lady toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight luck be a lady toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight luck if you’ve ever been a lady to begin with luck be a lady toniiiiiiiiiiii—

*The spade falls with a loud crash.*

THE HELL WAS THAT THAT SCARED ME

*He looks and sees that the spade fell.*

You know what? It’s fine. It’s a sign: my choice is two of spades.

Nick: Two of spades?

Tom: Two of spades.

Nick: Not even queen of spades? ***

Tom: did I stutter

Nick: *barely hiding his anger* Two of spades it is.

*He throws aside the card as the clock strikes eleven.*

Congratulations. Luck is indeed being a lady to you tonight. BUT there is still one more to go. This is your last chance and as your friend, I don’t want you to mess this up. I’m a very compassionate fellow, after all. So if nothing else, think about your hopes.

Tom: WHAT HOPES DO I EVEN HAVE

*He puts his head in his hands and leans against the tomb.*

Nick: OH STOP BEING SUCH A WHINY TENOR oh wait actually he’s a tenor which means he has no brain cells which means—

*He reaches down, picks up one of the two discarded cards, and holds it up to the audience.*

Simplest trick of all time. I told him there’s no return, he believed me, and he doesn’t think anything is going to repeat.

*He slips it into the middle of the deck.*

Tom, stop whining for long enough that we can get this last round over with.

*He shuffles and cuts the deck as before.*

Tom: well I can’t figure out anything from what he’s saying so luck be a lady toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight (again)

Nick: he’s toast

Nyah nyah Tom are you scared, you little lover boy?

Tom: oh lordy this is the worst day EVER

Nick: they’re comin’ for ya!

Tom: ALL I WANT IS A RETURN AND LOVE BUT I CAN’T HAVE EITHER

Nick: IT’S TOO LATE

Tom: RETURN! LOVE! LO—

Anne: *from offstage* TRUE LOVE CAN REDEEM YOU

*Tom and Nick both freeze momentarily.*

Tom: LOVE, RULE FOREVER I CHOOSE THE QUEEN OF HEARTS AGAIN

*He grabs the pack of cards as the clock strikes twelve, then screams with joy and collapses.*

Nick: DAMN it I literally cheated against a tenor and STILL lost also the demons are hungry for SOUL FOOD AND I DON’T HAVE IT FOR THEM AND NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK TO HELL EMPTY-HANDED

You know what, though? I can still do some damage.

*He turns to Tom.*

I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR SOUL AWAY BUT I CAN TAKE YOUR SANITY AWAY SO NOW YOU’RE INSANE FOREVER

*He sinks into the grave. Blackout, then the set changes. It is spring. Tom is sitting on the grass, and having lost any trace of sanity he may have had, he’s singing and putting grass on his head.*

Tom: I am crowned with roses...my name is Adonis...I’m in love with Venus… ****

Scene 3:

Tom’s cell in the Bedlam mental hospital. There is a straw pallet on the floor, and Tom is standing before it, facing a group of fellow patients. *****

Tom: Alright, everyone, time to get ready, clean yourselves up because VENUS IS COMING TO VISIT

Patients: No she’s not.

Tom: Yes she is.

Patients: NO SHE’S NOT

Tom: BUT SHE PROMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISED

Patients: But you’re insane.

Tom: So are you.

Patients: She’s not coming.

Tom: VENUS COME NOW OR I’M GONNA DIE

*He sits on the pallet and buries his face in his hands as the patients start to dance mockingly.*

Patients: Lalala it’s foolish to hope because we’re all insane and nobody cares a scrap about us out there and anyone who may have before doesn’t now and life sucks and we don’t have any friends and night never ends lalala

Tom: ...was that supposed to make me feel better?

*A key turns in the lock and the door opens.*

OH NO CRUEL MINOS IS COMING EVERYONE RUN BECAUSE HE’LL WHIP YOU IF YOU DON’T

*Everyone else runs to their cells as the Keeper of the Madhouse enters with Anne and indicates Tom.*

Keeper: He’s not dangerous, so don’t be afraid.

Anne: Tom!

Keeper: He doesn’t respond to that; he believes he is Adonis, so you should probably call him that instead.

Anne: Oh, I see. You’re very kind.

*She gives him money.*

Keeper: Thank you.

*He leaves. Anne goes up to Tom.*

Anne: ...Adonis?

*Tom sees her and jumps up.*

Tom: Venus! At last! You know, everyone said you’d never come, and I almost believed them, but look! You’re here! Come, sit on my throne.

*He helps her sit down on the pallet and then kneels before her.*

Look, so I really screwed up because I went out into the big wide world and chased useless dreams and left you behind, but I want to be faithful to you forever and I hope you forgive me.

*Anne gets up and helps Tom up as well.*

Anne: What’s there to forgive? You’ve come around and everything is okay.

Anne and Tom: There’s nothing to worry about now; we’re in Elysium together and nothing can mess with our love… ******

*Tom suddenly staggers. Anne helps him back down to the pallet.*

Tom: I’m so tired...let me lay my head on you...and sing me to sleep?

*Anne lets him do so.*

Everything is good now.

Anne: *singing* You little boat, the sun is going down, go sail to the Islands of the Blessed...

Patients: *from their cells offstage* What’s that voice?

Anne: There are gardens and streams and music everywhere there...and it is the dream of every weary soul…

Patients: This music is beautiful and somehow it’s making us forget our sorrow...

Anne: The animals all live together in harmony, and the plants sway with the wind…

Patients: SING FOREVER HELP US FORGET OUR PAIN AND BRING US PEACE

*The Keeper shows in Trulove.*

Trulove: Anne, I’m sorry, but it’s time to go home.

Anne: Yes. Tom, I have to go, but I will love you forever. You don’t need me now. You just need to sleep. Goodbye, my dear.

*She joins Trulove.*

Everyone has to die and release their soul at some point, and I think now is your time. I don’t think we’ll see each other again in this life, but I will always love you…

Trulove: God knows what must be, and this must be, and yet I’m crying.

*The Keeper goes out with the Truloves. Tom wakes up after they leave.*

Tom: Venus? Venus? It’s spring, everything is ready for our wedding, where are you?

*He looks around.*

Achilles, Helen, Eurydice, Orpheus, Persephone, Pluto, everyone! WHERE DID YOU TAKE MY GIRLFRIEND WHY DID YOU TAKE HER WHERE IS SHE *******

*The patients all come in.*

Patients: Venus? No, you’re crazy, no one took her.

Tom: My heart is breaking, I’m dying, everyone, sing for Adonis, who loved and was loved by Venus…

*He falls back onto the pallet again and dies.*

Patients: Mourn for Adonis, Venus’ love, forever young...weep and mourn…

*The curtain falls and the house lights come up.*

Notes

Epilogue:

(You thought the opera was over, but no!)

*Tom, Anne, Nick, Baba, and Trulove appear in front of the curtain.*

Tom, Anne, Nick, Baba, and Trulove: HEY EVERYONE JUST A MOMENT BEFORE YOU GO BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE STORY IS TECHNICALLY OVER THERE’S STILL A FEW LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THIS WHOLE THING

Anne: Not everyone is lucky enough to have an Anne in their lives to rescue them and to take the place of duty.

Baba: Whether a man is good or bad, ladies, remember this: all men are mad and everything they do? Theatre. All theatre.

Tom: Don’t get a big head out there and don’t dream too much because it’ll lead to nothing but sorrow.

Trulove: I wholeheartedly agree with that!

Nick: I just have to do what I’m told. People often say I don’t exist, and at times, I wish I didn’t.

Tom, Anne, Nick, Baba, and Trulove: So let’s tell the ultimate moral as one: since the beginning of time, everywhere, one lesson has proven true. For idle hearts and hands and minds, the Devil finds work to do. If you don’t take care, he’ll find work for you, and you, and you!

*They all bow and exit.*

The End

Up Next: Benvenuto Cellini [yes, I have decided to slightly change the schedule]

#opera #opera tag #The Rake's Progress #opera simplified #Stravinsky #Igor Stravinsky #W. H. Auden #Chester Kallman #William Hogarth

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mr-ys-phantasma · 4 years

Text

Soprano and the Phantom Chapter 1

My entry for the “Once Upon Another Time” project by @a-partofthenarrative

Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera version. Enjoy.

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Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.

Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress.

The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a deformed hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 31st year. If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

===============================

In the nice small town of Rouen, a bright new day had started for all. The town, not too big and consisting of small cottages and two-storey houses, some of them packed together. Stands and small shops were at the bottom, selling and serving local products.

The streets of the town were paved by limestone rock, giving it a nice crème-yellow appearance. It matched most of the houses and lead people all around the city as it forked into roads and alleys.

In one of the houses at the outskirts of the town, a true beauty lived once with her father. Her name was Christine Daee, daughter of a Swedish violinist who retreated into the small town for both health but also escape.

Christine exited the house, her curly brown hair bouncing with each of her steps while she gave a white pearly smile to the people.

She had many hobbies, one of them was singing and found her songs accompanying her lonely life. Fuelling the fire of adventure she so much wanted.

"Little town, it's a quiet village. Every day, like the one before. Little town, full of little people Waking up to say…"

She walked her brown woven basket at her right hand and waved at her fellow townsfolk.

"Bonjour!"

"There goes the baker with his tray like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same. Since the morning that we came to this poor provincial town"

The Baker noticed her and smiled. "Good morning, Christine"

She returned her smile and jumped over to him. "Morning, monsieur!"

"Where are you off to?"

"The bookshop! I just finished the most wonderful story, about a beanstalk and an ogre and…"

He ignored her happy talk and turned his attention inside. "That's nice…Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!"

She shook her head but kept her smile. Unlike everyone else, Christine had a love for books. It was her retreat into mystical adventures she could never have, and all started when her father would spend hours telling her stories and legends of the north.

It was rare for a woman to be educated, especially with books but she was an exception. She never felt ashamed for it and followed her heart which yearned for a change, for something new but knew she would never have.

"Look there she goes, that girl is strange no question. Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?" a woman gossiped, leaning to her friend.

"Never part of any crowd."

"Cause her head's up on some cloud" the Barber joined, overhearing them from his shop.

"No denying she's a funny girl, that Christine"

The smiley woman ignored them, not really caring about what they thought of her. Perhaps she did have her head in the clouds, but things were so much better up there than down below. Once getting some bread, she jumped on the back of the wagon that rides through town.

Everyone greeted and smiled at each other, starting small discussion; they were a small community after al. Everyone knew everyone and gossip travelled faster than wildfire.

Christine left out a sigh and jumped down once she had reached her stop, the book shop. "There must be more than this provincial life!"

She entered the small shop, overcrowded with dozens of books of all genres. Too bad she had read all of them and no one seemed interested in their content other than her.

"Ah, Christine" the bookseller greeted her, a smile on his face from seeing his favourite customer.

She smiled, feeling a relief once being inside the shop. The short man was the only one who never judged her for her love of books and needs for adventure. He was her supporter from the very first day along with her father.

"Good morning. I've come to return the book I borrowed" she said and handed him the book which she had inside her basket.

"Finished already?" the man asked, slightly impressed since it had been only a few days.

"Oh, I couldn't put it down! Have you got anything new?"

He laughed and shook his head before placing the book back on the self "Not since yesterday"

Christine was unfazed by the news and she quickly climbed the ladder, going to the 4th self. Her eyes scanned the titles. "That's all right. I'll borrow… this one"

"That one? But you've read it twice!"

She chuckled. "Well it's my favourite!" she explained as she swung off side of the ladder, rolling down its track. "Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"

Her mind replayed the scenes, a feeling of excitement to read the story all over again and let herself be submerged into the adventures it held. She walked towards him with the book and the man smiled.

"Well, if you like it all that much, it's yours!"

She was taken back; such an act of generosity was too much for her. "But sir!"

"I insist!"

She quickly hugged the man, finding it hard to express in words how she felt. She released him and gave him one of her most sweet smiles, her brown eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Well thank you. Thank you very much!"

She then left the bookshop, skipping a step once in a while. A small change in her routine fixed everything and she daydreamed the adventures of her book while her townsfolk judging her from the background.

She zoomed everyone out, keeping locked inside her thoughts and emotions. Her imagination running wild while the need to be the heroine of that book kept growing.

"Look there she goes That girl is so peculiar! I wonder if she's feeling well!"

"With a dreamy far-off look!"

"And her nose stuck in a book!"

"What a puzzle to the rest of us is Christine!"

She found her way to the small fountain in the middle of the town. It was her favourite place when she needed an escape and often, she had company; the local sheep. She would sing and talk to them, being her true friends that listened without judging.

"Oh! Isn't this amazing! It's my favourite part because you'll see! Here's where she meets Prince Charming… But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter 3!" she sang and petted the sheep closer to her.

"Now it's no wonder that everyone called her a 'beauty' Her looks have got no parallel!" a woman in the background sang, observing the peculiar brunette from afar.

"But behind that fair facade, I'm afraid she's rather odd Very different from the rest of us…"

"She's nothing like the rest of us. Yes, different from the rest of us is Christine!"

====================.

Not too far away, closer to a more open area of the town a Geeze hunt was taking place. The majestic birds flew across the blue sky, only for one to be shot down. It fell on the ground, not alive any longer and a slightly tanned man walked towards it.

He had a slightly exotic complex and stood out due to the red fez on top of his head. He was skinny and not that tall, but his green eyes showed some intelligence. He walked over and quickly put the dead animal into a bag before turning to the shooter.

"Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Raoul! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!"

Raoul De Changy was a charismatic man with short light brown hair and stunning blue eyes. His body was trained, and his clothing showed the wealth of his family, along with the insignia sewed on his jacket.

He let his gun down, a smug smirk of pride on his cupid shaped lips. "I know"

"Huh. No beast alive stands a chance against you…and no girl for that matter!"

"It's true, Nadir and I've got my sights set on that one!" he said and pointed at the faint figure of Christine by the fountain.

He knew her since they were children but as they grew older, they also grew apart. She became distant and buried her nose into old books, preferring an imaginary world than the real one. He grew responsible, carrying on his family name and focusing on skills he needed.

"The violinist's daughter?" Nadir asked as he joined his side, and both watched the young woman.

He gave a nod. "She's the one! The lucky girl I'm going to marry"

"But she's—"

Ignoring him, Raoul continued. "The most beautiful girl in town"

"I know-

"And that makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best?"

"Well, of course, I mean you do, but I mean…"

Once again, poor Nadir was interrupted. The man by his side too caught up in his own world to listen.

"Right from the moment when I met her, saw her. I said she's gorgeous and I fell. Here in town, there's only she, who is beautiful as me. So I'm making plans to woo and marry Christine"

He started walking towards her, earning the attention of any other woman in the town and most specifically, the young women.

"Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy? Monsieur Raoul, oh he's so cute! Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing! He's such a tall, strong and handsome Vicomte!" One woman sang, talking to her friend and trying her best not to faint.

Christine by now she was walking back to her house, easily passing through the crowd. Raoul tried to follow but struggled to catch up.

"Scuse me!" he tried while people chatted and continued with their day. "Please let me through!" he was once again ignored. "Just watch I'm going to make Christine my wife!"

At last, she managed to catch up with her.

#once upon another time project #The Phantom of the Opera #AU #beauty and the beast #amateur writing #just for fun #Soprano and the Phantom #a-partofthenarrative

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muchadoaboutmusicals · 5 years

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i dunno if folks talk to you much about peter pan, but how would you one go about racebending the whole play (like the wiz)? like, having peter and the darlings be black. how would you go about that? also, if you kept captain hook a white guy, would he still be a pirate or would you change him too?

hey, fellow peter pan fan (man how has it been since you got an ask like that, huh?), i wonder....how does one do a african-american peter pan? like, reimaging the whole play/musical/whathaveyou to make its whole cast (except maybe captain hook if you wanted) black or poc? also, what if there were lost girls along with boys?

I mean…obviously, I would be here for a musical adaptation of “Peter Pan” that had, like, hip-hop and R&B and soul as the soundtrack. That’s a no brainer. And I definitely think that in itself is like enough of a reason to do such a show. Like, this story is pretty universal. There’s no reason NOT to have a black Peter or a black Wendy, so if you’re gonna do that, there might as well be a version where they’re rapping instead of singing really boring soprano melodies.

But, also, there is probably a lot there to talk about in terms of how the considerations of another culture impact our read of the story. For example…

1. Black young men especially are expected to perform masculinity at all times, and that relating to Peter’s need to be in charge and do all these aggressive things (constantly pick fights and boss other people around). And it makes sense that he decides they have to get a girl in order to look after anything that isn’t obviously masculine. In his childishness, he believes all the things people said he had to be and acts out those traits.

Coupled with… 2. From an extremely early age, people talked about what Peter was going to be/what his potential was, and he didn’t like what he heard, so he ran away to make his own future when he saw he wasn’t fitting in with the high class society of London. And there are like very obvious parallels to be drawn with black boys struggling to break out of cycles of poverty/violence/ignorance that is forced on them by a white ruling class.

And add to that.. 3. Black girls are expected/forced to grow up and mature much earlier than white counterparts, which could contribute to Wendy feeling like she has to take care of all these boys around her, despite being a child herself. And how even the adults (pirates) position her as an adult who is in control of and responsible for the behavior and well-being of those boys (Wendy as “The Mother”). You can see how the boys who run away (Peter, John, Michael) all get to have a ton of fun by playing out violent children’s fantasies while Wendy gets the weight of Neverland placed on her shoulders and is expected to do all their work for them and not complain and not go have any fun.

And 4. It’s very easy to see how a bunch of posh white dudes who think they’re very high society despite being literal criminals (Captain Hook & Co) would try to take advantage of and cause harm to black kids who they see as uncivilized and incapable just because the kids are…acting like normal kids.

#Peter Pan #ask game #Anonymous

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cloudchaserandflitterexplain · 5 years

Text

Cloudchaser and Flitter Explain: Top 10 Friends Forever Cards

But you said—

Hi everypony! Are you ready for the next set to drop? Because Cici and I sure are!

When Cici isn’t freaking out about what deck to run for continentals, that is.

I’m not freaking out. I’m deliberately taking my time analyzing my choices so I can pick the deck that’ll let me win continentals this year.

Got it narrowed down yet?

...No.

That’s our Cici, always worrying until the last possible moment.

But anyway, as much as I’d love to tease Cici about her deck, we just don’t have the time! Leaders and Legends is right around the corner, and we’ve not given you all our top 10 lists for Friends Forever yet.

So let’s get right to it! Cici?

Oh, right!

What do you call a Pegasus wearing a—

I said we have no time for jokes, Cici! I mean what’s your first card?

Oh, okay.

So I wasn’t ever sure when we’d get to this, so I’d been kind of updating my list throughout the year. And, uh, there have definitely been a lot of changes… And not just because of the Banlist. My original #1, for example, is much lower…

But the actual ten cards haven’t changed much. They honestly weren’t that hard to figure out.

Well, top 11 if you count Old Money. But banned cards don’t really count anymore…

Anyway, my top 10 card is Lacking Lesson Plans

Huh. WIth how much you’d been ranting and raving about that card when the set first came out, I’d have thought it’d be much higher.

Well it was! Originally, anyway.

The fact that it let so many Manes flip through Tempest seemed great at first. I was looking forward to breaking in some new Manes and see what they could do!

But in practice, it’s not really enough. Tempest’s opening Grubber: Minion play can still slow them down enough to where they’re not flipping early, or still deny req, or what have you. So it’s really only helpful for the absolute most aggressive confront to flip Manes.

I just wanted more, you know?

If you don’t think it does enough, why’s it on your list, then?

Huh? No, it’s amazing.

I basically include it in all my decks nowadays!

But you said—

While, yeah, it doesn’t really enable many more confront to Flip Manes, it’s still incredibly valuable for decks that confront a lot, just because being able to ignore Troublemakers is really good.

It’s basically to the point where as long as strong Troublemaker control decks are in the meta, you basically have to run 2 of these!

It’s a problem the game’s needed for awhile now, and it’s great to see it in action. So yeah, not as high as I originally thought, but still an easy number 10.

So unlike silly old Cici, I had a lot more trouble narrowing down my top 10 cards! There’s so many fun arts and flavour texts and I love the set for that!

But on the other hoof, there weren’t actually a lot of silly fun build around cards in the set. So there’s not a lot of those my list.

But that’s okay, because the art is just so fun and I love it, hehe. And let’s start with Skipping Class!

Uhh, what’s fun about that?

Oh come on, Cici. It’s six best friends just hanging out together and having fun in the sun, relaxing without a care in the world.

So ditching school is something you endorse then?

Well, no…

But it’s still nice seeing them enjoying each other’s company. It’s very relaxing!

It was a tough call between this and another similar art, but I just had to go with this in the end. Paving the way for a new generation!

Which other card?

I can’t tell you that, Cici! These are top ten lists, not top eleven lists!

There’s no harm in mentioning your runner ups, though.

Top. Ten.

Okay, okay, sheesh.

Moving on, my number 9 will likely surprise no pony for being on this list: The Fire of Friendship.

Oooh, that’s a good one!

The Fire of Friendship lives in our hands! As long as it’s there, we foil Grubber’s plans!

Uhh, yeah, actually. Basically exactly that.

When Tempest fist hit the scene, she was infamous for locking ponies out of Entry thanks to Grubber frequently showing up turn 1. Now there’s a card that helps fight that, thanks to Fire of Friendship, being Entry that protects your entire hand.

It even works against other discard effects like Rarity: Soprano and can work with your own discard synergies like Tank: Burrower.

Not costs, though. If you want to exhaust Apple Bloom: Re-Markable to reduce the cost of a card, you can still discard Fire of Friendship to do it, but you can’t put it into play. Since costs can’t be replaced.

Sure, but that’s not the worst thing ever.

It’s still incredibly versatile while still being helpful Entry that does double duty for protecting your hand.

It does only provide 2 req unlike Singing Barrel and Motivational Speech, which is a notable downside. But if you build your deck accounting for that, it shouldn’t be a major issue.

So, yeah. Good card. Goes in a lot of decks. Highly recommend it.

It’s my number nine.

Or is it five or seven?

Kettle Corn’s so cute!

What was that all about.

Silly Cloudchaser!

Everypony else get it.

Check her cutie mark.

Okay...

Anyway, Kettle Corn is just absolutely precious! The haikus, the circles, the combinations of the two. She’s also one of Rumble’s new friends! What’s not to love?

I suppose she’s not bad entry either. Not amazing, but, you know. Respectable.

Whatever makes you recognize she’s amazing!

...That it?

That’s it! Kettle Corn’s just fun is all!

Uhh, guess I’ll move on, then?

So these next three are all pretty similar cards. Just a bit different in application each. But they’re all on the list for the same reason, more or less.

I was originally going to put them all as a tie, but Flitter said my list had to be exactly ten cards...

Top. Ten. It’s not that hard, Cici!

So here we are with Daring Do: Crafty Collector as my number 7.

Did you know A.K. Yearling was secretly Daring Do this whole time? I was so surprised!

Nah, it was definitely obvious. I knew all along.

Hehe, sure you did Cici.

I did!

Anyway, Daring Do is… kind of nuts. The amount of AT value she can provide you is just incredibly high. An AT every time you can confront with her, and saving an AT every time you need to move her to a problem.

Which, if you confront that turn, gets you the AT you spent on moving her right back.

The only reason she’s the lowest of these three is because if you can’t confront with her, due to eccentric or a TM or whatever, she’s not doing much for you. You can’t just exhaust her for AT like most other common AT gens. So she definitely has the worst floor...

But when she’s at full capacity, she’s just fantastic, and definitely worth a slot on the list.

So, to properly introduce the next card on my list, we’ll need an expert on fashion.

Gee, where could we find one of those in this town?

Well, Cici, you’re in luck! Since, as everypony knows, I happen to be a fashion expert!

You are?

Of course I am, Cici! That’s why you always see me in this bow! It’s the absolute pinnacle of fashionably cute.

...I genuinely have no idea if you’re making this up or not.

So, as a pony who knows all things fashionable, I am proud to present to you my next card, Rarity: Shine on the Inside.

...Another Eccentric 1 entry?

Yup! Quite the coincidence, don’t you think?

No. I’m pretty sure you’re doing this just to mess with me.

An added bonus!

But no, I just really like the art they got for these cards!

Plus, you’ve gotta admit Rarity looks fantastic with a three colour mane. And she just rocks that jacket!

If you say so…

I do say so! Your turn!

Hold on, let me just brace myself for the oncoming onslaught.

Onslaught?

You’ll see.

So, uh, my next card is, uh, us.

Eeeeeeeee!

Hug. Too. Tight.

Just look at how adorable we were back then! And that flavour text is so us! Right down to you being moody about not coming in first place, hehe.

I don’t get moody…

Yeah, just like that!

Anyway, uh, this card is pretty good.

Eh, who am I kidding. We’re amazing.

And you’re not just saying that cause it’s us, are you?

Nope. I looked at every card in the set and decided this legitimately deserved to be included. It’d have the same position even if it were Gyro on the art.

You shouldn’t joke about that, Cici. He’s been complaining again lately he still only has one card...

But yeah, this is basically everything I wanted in a Blue Yellow card! Saving AT, giving extra power to confront, 1 play reqriement so you can play it early with Trading Traditions. What more could a girl want?

It’s even an Immediate ability, allowing you to combo with Hasty Friends, or even just exhaust on the opponent’s turn to avoid a single problem faceoff. It’s just a great card!

That being said, unlike Daring Do and the next card, this doesn’t actually give you AT. If you don’t have Friends to play, you’re not getting as much value as you’d like.

But on the other hoof, you can get value out of us basically every turn so long as you can play Friends. Unlike Daring Do, who needs a free problem. And it’s in a colour combination that kind of needed it more. So despite not giving actual AT, I think overall we’re the better card.

So it gets your stamp of approval?

Absolutely!

Know what gets my stamp of approval?

Uhhh, cakes?

Uh, sure, but not what I was getting at?

Pancakes?

Are you hungry Cici?

A little.

Anyway, what I was trying to get at is that Sorry Stamp gets my stamp of approval!

Didn’t we just talk about that the other day?

Sure did! Aren’t you sorry I didn’t stamp your forehead back then?

This better not go where I think it’s going.

I wouldn’t dream of it!

Anyway, despite the sad nature of the stamp itself, this art just makes me smile! It’s just kind of ridiculous going around with a stamp like that on your head, you know?

Plus, just look at Princess Twilight’s face! It’s just wonderful!

Shouldn’t you, you know, be sad that she’s sad or something?

Well, I am! A little bit. Twilight is genuinely very sorry about the situation she found herself in...

But the whole thing is also pretty ridiculous, so it makes me smile a little too. And I think a card that can evoke both emotions at once is pretty amazing, don’t you?

Sure, I guess.

Well, I like it a lot, and that’s good enough for my list.

Yeah, for sure. Your list is your list.

As for my list, well, I’m sure everypony’s already guessed my number 6 card based on what I’ve said in my picks for the 7 and 8 spots. Starlight Glimmer Guidance Counselor.

Which is honestly kind of surprising. At first, ponies thought she was only going to be so-so since there were already a ton of good AT generator options out there, like Princess Twilight Sparkle: Cover to Cover. Plus she costs 3, which means it takes a long time for her to pay for herself.

But in practice, she’s definitely proven to be an absolute all star.

I think you mean an “All Starlight”, Cici!

Sure...

So, to explain why people weren’t that excited about her at first… In the Seaquestria and Beyond Meta, ponies had the mentality that 5-6 AT generators was usually enough. More than that and you were diluting your deck with too many AT gens and not enough other cards that do other things.

Turns out, uhhh, that was just plain wrong. And in the Friends Forever Meta, we’ve seen decks with 8, 12, and even 18 AT generators! And almost every one of those decks was running Starlight here.

So what changed? Well I’ll get to one of those reasons later in the list, but the other thing is just there are so many good AT gens now, that running as many as you can just means you can have a tremendous advantage over your opponent.

I mean, which pony’s more likely to win? The one getting 3 AT a turn or the one getting 9?

Probably the one getting 9, yeah… You can’t catch up if you’re doing only a third of what the opponent’s doing.

Basically, yeah. Once you’re generating at least 2 more AT than the opponent, chances are you’re a mile ahead. At 3, it’d take a miracle for the opponent to beat you.

Anything past that and you’ve basically already won the game, regardless of what the scores are.

Unless it’s 14-0! Then they might still have a chance! Hehe.

Okay, in the vast majority of circumstances.

Anyway, Glimmer is incredibly key in these strategies for two reasons. First is her 1 req, allowing her to be played early even without flipping your Mane. So you can get her out turn 2 and start getting an influx of AT ASAP.

Second, turns out that 3 power is really helpful. Like Filly Racers, you get the benefit of a lot of power to confront in addition to increasing your AT economy. This has actually sped up a lot of slower Purple strategies. Cover to Cover’s 0 power doesn’t help confront, but Glimmer absolute does.

Also, being mono-coloured means she’s a lot easier to play than Filly Racers or Daring Do, giving her that much more utility. And, well, that goes a long way towards making it on my list, really.

So would you say she guides people to victory?

Hey, yeah! I get that one.

Hehe. Way to go Cici! Rah rah!

“Rah rah?”

Cici, Cici, she’s our Mare! Her deck will take Continentals unawares.

Why thank you!

Though I’m not sure it will. I mean, Nothing I’m considering is really that out of the ordinary…

Wait… you’re doing something weird to set up the next card, aren’t you?

Is it that weird for me to be my besty’s cheer squad?

...No? But I can’t shake this feeling...

Maybe I should wear a mask of you at Continentals like Rainbow Dash’s Parents in Cheering Section?

Please don’t…

But look at them! They’re so happy! Giving their daughter their full support, 110%! 220% even!

That makes even less than 110%.

Don’t be silly, Cici. There’s two of them, so of course it’s 220%.

You might even say it’s 20%—

Don’t.

Spoilsport.

But no, seriously, I love seeing Rainbow’s parent so into supporting her. It’s all sorts of heartwarming, and just fun! Such an easy inclusion for my list, hehe.

Yeah… I guess that would be nice.

Oh no, Cici. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.

No, no. It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just miss them sometimes, you know?

Of course.

But now’s no time to worry about that. We’ve got our top 10 lists to complete, and I’m finally done with the AT gens.

And next up’s an absolute juggernaut! Daybreaker: Blinding Light!

Oooh, she’s a fun one, yeah.

I’m not sure I like the idea of Princess Celestia going evil at all...

But it’s just pretend, so it’s okay, right?

I’m sure no matter what happens, Celestia’d never turn her back on us.

But anyway, this card is just fantastic.

While you don’t get as many points from a single faceoff as you would from a Night Glider: Overpowering, you also don’t need to win by any threshold. Plus she works in any faceoff, meaning she can score you points off of Troublemakers, or any other faceoff she finds herself in.

And of course, she brings a lot more power to those faceoffs, due to her extra base power and extra point of Competitive. 6 is a lot of power for a 3 cost Friend.

She does cost more, though, and, again, gives fewer points. So there are definitely reasons to use Night Glider over her.

But all in all, she’s different enough to be a great option for different kinds of decks. And a very solid number 5 pick for me.

My number 5 pick also also very competitive.

Huh, really? You tend to pick build arounds or just flavourful stuff.

I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s the most competitive card in the set?

Heh, we’ll see about that.

I mean, just look at the fierce competition going on in Smolder & Sandbar: Pillow FIght!

I… should have seen this coming.

Probably.

But just look at how much fun they’re having! Whap! Pow! Hehehehe.

Hey Cici! Think fast!

Gah!

You almost hit me.

Well, yeah! That is the point of a pillow fight, silly.

Great reflexes, though.

Thanks! We’ve been training a lot lately, and—

Ow.

You shouldn’t close your eyes in a pillow fight, silly!

Oh it’s on now, Flitter! Come here!

Don’t you have a list to finish?

Oh, right. I guess I’ll have to get you later.

I look forward to it.

So this next one, when she was spoiled, I could have sworn was going to be the top of my list. She seemed insane, and exactly what the game needed. And, well, she is. Mage Meadowbrook: Pillar of Healing is the answer a lot of decks were looking for.

Which is why it’s a shame she’s only number 4.

Which isn’t to say she’s not as good as I thought. It’s just, well, other cards wound up being a bit better than I expected. Cause Meadowbrook is absolutely insane.

There are a ton of great Resources out there right now. And Troublemakers have basically always been a problem for aggro decks. It’s kind of what they’re for. And while there have been a few cards that can deal with one or the other before, there’s never been one that deals with both.

And definitely not one that just deals with them all. Unless the opponent has a Desert Road, Meadowbrook just answers everything, no questions asked. And she even comes with a 3 power body to help you confront that turn. She’s amazing.

Plus, just look at that action pose!

Resources and Troublemakers beware, Mage Meadowbrook is coming for you!

Now she is a bit expensive, and she’s not all that great against decks that don’t rely on resources or TMs, so not every deck’s going to want her. But if you’re in Yellow, you should definitely consider her. Nopony does what she does nearly as effectively.

She may not be an all star, but what she does do, she excels at.

Well your number 4 may be a specialist, but mine’s a generalist: Ocellus: Master of Disguise.

She does a little bit of everything!

Sure, but why’s that fun?

Cause mix and matching abilities is just super fun! And you get a different combo of abilities every time, or at least in a different order, hehe.

Agile and Swift and Showy and Dilligent and Eccentric. There’s a lot of fun possibilities!

Kind of disappointed Purple’s is just Meticulous cause it doesn’t really synergize with the other 5 as well, but it’s not bad, I guess.

Plus they brought Transform back just for her and Silverstream! That’s one of my favourite mechanics!

Yeah, it’s not bad.

and for maximum fun, just stick an Alicorn Costume on her. Then she’s automatically fully enabled!

So long as you don’t put any resources on anypony else, of course.

Since when do you suggest not putting resources on Friends?

Not every silly strategy works with every other silly Strategy, Cici.

Alternatively, you could just put all the hats on Ocellus. That way you won’t have a problem!

Uh huh. No way that could go wrong.

Are you doubting the power of my hats, Cici?

Anyway, moving on to the top 3. And, considering how good my top 4 card was, you know the rest have got to be pretty amazing. Pony of Shadows: Pure Darkness is no exception.

The sheer raw value you get out of this card is insane. That’s 1 AT for a Friend. 1! By passing all colour req and everything. And it doesn’t even matter who beats the Pony of Shadows.

Sure, it does need to be beaten, but if you build your deck right, that’s not too hard. And if the opponent beats it, they only get 1 point while you get what’s likely to be an incredibly powerful Friend.

Now I’ve seen some ponies try and use this to put some of the 5 cost tri-colour alicorns into play…

Like me! I’ve done that!

...but it’s honestly not really worth it. They tend to be difficult to play if ever drawn, and usually you don’t have a guarantee you’ll even hit one.

The better way to use it, honestly, is to just include a bunch of medium-cost friends that you’re okay with drawing or with playing for free. This way you’re happy if you draw them or if you get them off of Pony of Shadows.

Farming decks particularly get a lot of usage from this as they can defeat it, then put a large friend into play at another problem with an epic and have a good chance at beating that too. Plus farm decks don’t tend to run all that many friends, so you increase the odds of getting what you want.

I’ve even seen some farm decks run exactly one kind of friend to guarantee hitting it. The results can be a bit scary.

I like using Purple effects like Scope Things Out to stack my deck so I know what Friend I’m getting!

Yeah, that’s not a bad plan either. Though usually you don’t have to. It’s just handy.

Anyway, give it a try. It seriously does a lot more than you might think at first glance. And you probably think it does a lot. I’ve seriously been incredibly impressed with how good it is.

My number three pick is also great value at 1 AT! Rockhoof: Pillar of Strength

Want to guess how many coutners I’ve put on him, Cici?

Nah. I’m going to guess some big number and you’re just going to top it with some ludicrously large number like eighty trillion or something.

Oh, Cici. You always think so small.

Eighty trillion is a lot!

Sure, but we got him to eighty trillion and one

...You’re kidding me.

Of course, that’s when we were just doing silly things to see how big we could get him, hehe. And we kinda just started rounding once it got too big, hehe.

In a normal match, I think it was maybe 100 or so?

That’s still way bigger than you need…

Well, yeah, Cici! That’s what makes him so fun! Rockhoof just refuses to not be the biggest pony around, it’s great!

But what’s even better than just growing Rockhoof yourself is dueling Rockhoofs! You have one at 2 power and have your opponent have one at 3 power and they’ll never stop trying to best each other. It’s great!

“I’m the biggest pony around!” “No, I’m the biggest pony!” hehehe.

Are you quite done?

Yup! I have more power than you, so I’m not growing anymore this turn.

Wah?

Just go, Cici!

So I think a lot of ponies underestimated this next card at first. A couple other cards did a pretty similar thing, and so it was a lot easier to dismiss.

But then ponies started using it and found out, wow, it was absolutely the real deal. And now School Shut Down is a staple in basically any Purple control deck.

So the cards it was being compared too, obviously, were Party of One and Applejack: Captain of the Seven Seas, being the previous board wipes. Each of which was, and still is, very good, but left you with something, while School Shut Down does not.

But the thing is, it gets rid of everything. Nothing stays behind, short of Persistent Friends. Not even discard piles! And that can matter a lot too. It’s definitely not as great as Party of One if your only goal is to get rid of Friends. But that’s not its only purpose.

It’s almost like different cards can have different strengths and weaknesses!

Heh, yeah, exactly.

Being in the colour that gains lots of AT certainly helps as well. Especially in the current meta with basically all the AT Gens. It may be more Expensive than Party of One, but that’s not always a factor when you’re getting extra AT.

And I guess that’s it. It’s a board wipe. It gets rid of everything. That’s all you need to be a super strong card, really.

Well, we’re at the third and last card on my list because it’s just pure fun: Silverstream: Fish out of Water!

Nopony else in the game does what she does, hehe.

Huh. I wouldn’t have even begun to assume that Silverstream would have made your list, let alone as your number 2. She seems kind of… tame.

Are you kidding? Silverstream is insane!

With the right deck, she’s an invitation to put whatever problem you want into play! Or even all of them!

Please tell me you didn’t put all 20 problems at once.

Oh, Cloudchaser. Still thinking so, so small.

We worked together to put all 116 problems in play at once!

116?

Yup! 3 copies each of all sixteen dilemmas for each player. Plus both players 10 problems, of course. That makes 116!

It was the biggest multi problem faceoff ever!

Whatever makes you happy, I guess.

Of course, that’s not the best thing you can do with Silverstream. But I’ll tell you about dismissing problems and uniqueness later, hehe. It’s a whole lot of nonsense.

Wha?

Basically, Sivlerstream lets you do a lot of fun and silly things that couldn’t be done before. And, well, Cici, you may not know this… but I just love fun and silly things!

I think I may have heard that once or twice.

Cici, you made a joke! I’m so proud of you!

Gah! No hugs while we’re doing top 10 lists!

All the hugs while we’re doing top 10 lists!

So we’re finally at my last card and, uh... yeah. All of you probably guessed it’s Mistmane: Pillar of Beauty.

Now, I wasn’t sure she was all that great at first, but the fact she does four different things across two abilities is what makes her absolutely insane. Four. That’s a lot of things for one card to do, and they’re all notable.

Sure, she’s primarily used for her ability to get you a card back while also getting you a point, but that’s only half of what she can do. She also can get herself out from the discard pile while filling it with stuff you might want to get back. Not to mention also filling the opponent’s discard pile.

This makes it incredibly difficult to get rid of her short of banishing her.

Most of you are also probably aware of the fact that being Unique lets you use two of them to just score a point for every 3 AT you spend. Having 2 in play means one is dsimissed immediately due to Uniqueness, and then can be gotten back thanks to her Trigger.

Then, since you’re back where you started just with 3 less AT and 1 more point, you can do it again. And again. And again.

Put simply, she is a finisher, and very effective at it in this meta of a million AT gens. 3 AT per point is kind of expensive, but if you can stall the game long enough to be able to do it 8 or 10 times in one turn, the cost begins to not matter much anymore.

How often does that happen? Seems unlikely.

More often than you’d think or I’d like…

Now she does come with the drawback of letting the opponent get a card back as well, but…

It usually doesn’t matter. Ponies tend not to play Mistmane if the opponent can get something important back, unless they don’t care. It’s mostly meaningless. Kind of disappointing, really.

Long story short, she is incredibly versatile while also being exceptionally good at a single thing, which isn’t a combination you see very frequently. She’s trivially the best card in the set, even more so than Old Money, who got banned.

Which isn’t to say I think she should necessarily be banned…

But I wouldn’t mind it.

Cici!

I just don’t find her very fun to play against.

But that’s just me. I’ve actually heard a lot of ponies talking about wanting to ban her... But I don’t think it’s necessary. At least not yet since rotation is right around the corner. Which isn’t something we need to get into today.

We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess. And it’s not like every powerful card needs to be something I like specifically or anything.

Different cards appeal to different ponies.

Exactly! Part of what makes a card game great.

I do hope she’s being watched for the possibility of banning, if only because a lot of ponies think it might be necessary. But I doubt it’ll need to happen any time soon.

And that’s my whole list. Lots of powerful stuff this time around. Mostly good stuff too.

Well, my last card’s one we don’t even need to talk about…

Wah?

...Since Cici already did that for me!

Look! it’s us again!

Heh, yeah, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

It’s always nice seeing us on a card, and this one’s particularly nice.

Plus we’re just so gosh darn cute! Filly us is the best!

Shame I was wearing the bow that day and not you. That was back when we were taking turns, remember?

Flitterrrrrrr.

But yeah, I don’t really have much more to say that I didn’t already say when Cici talked about us! We’re adorable, we work great together, and we’re the perfect team. Always!

Always and always.

So, that’s our lists! Now if you’ll excuse us, Cloudchaser’s got a lot of freaking out to do now that there’s nothing else to do between now and Contientals.

I do not freak ou—

Gah, Continentals is like 2 days away and I have so much playtesting I need to do! Why did I let you waste so much time trying to teach me how to tell dumb jokes? I’ve got to go now! Later Flits.

That’s our Cloudchaser, hehe.

Bye everypony! See you all at Continetals!

#cloudchaser and flitter explain #cloudchaser #flitter #mlp fim #mlpccg

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petitesimss · 5 years

Text

Get to Know Me Tag

I was tagged by the beautiful @timouke to do this challenge so here we go I guess?!

Rules: Post a pic of your simself with your traits and answer the questions! :)

My Traits: Clumsy, Goofball, and Genius

(According to other people, I swear I didn't label myself as a genius! xD)

Really quick I would like to go ahead and tag of my FAV simblrs: @mmfinds @stardustsim @blushchat @brindletonsims @mochieo @awsimmer92 @fussysim @simplistic-sims4 @tainoodles and also anyone who wants to do it!

1. What is your full name? Megan :)

2. What is your nickname? Meg (Omg so basic)

3. When is your birthday? October 7th

4. Favorite book series? ‘ARRY POTTER!

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? Uhm not aliens but I think some form of ghosts exist. Not necessarily the scary ones xD

6. Favorite author? John Green

7. Favorite Radio Station? I don’t listen to the radio oof

8. What is your favorite flavor of everything? Chocolate or Strawberry!! Mmmm

9. What word will you often use to describe something great or wonderful? Amazing or just a *gasp* noise

10. What is your current favorite song? Nancy Mulligan by Ed Sheeran

11. Favorite word? oof

12. What was the last song you listened to? Currently listening to Pentatonix’s cover of Hallelujah

13. What TV show do you recommend? I am currently obsessed with Vampire Diaries

14. Favorite movie to watch when you’re upset? Omg this is weird but those classic like 2005 Barbie movies always cheer me up

15. Do you play video games? Not really other than sims ofc :P

16. Biggest Fear? Dark Bathrooms (especially the mirrors, its a long story)

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? My drive to work hard or maybe just my general compassion for everyone

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? LAZINESS

19. Cats or dogs? CATS I HAVE THREE

20. Favorite season? Fall because of sweaters and moderately cool weather

21. Are you in a relationship? Oui!

22. Something you miss from your childhood? Barbie Movies

23. Best friend? My boyfriend xD

24. Eye color? Chocolate brown

25. Hair color? Dark brown, black at the roots

26. Who is someone you love? My mother xD

27. Who is someone you trust? My mother

28. Who is someone you think about often? My boyfriend (These answers are so basic oof)

29. Are you currently excited about/for something? IM SEEING THE CRIMES OF GRINDLEWALD TOMORROW

30. Biggest obsession? Cats

31. Favorite TV show as a kid? Probably I-Carly or Hannah Montana

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? My boyfriend

33. Are you superstitious? Unintentionally yes

34. Any unusual phobias? Dark bathrooms xD

35. In front of the camera or behind it? Both

36. Favorite Hobby? Sims eek

37. Last book your read? Idk why but I stopped reading and so I have no idea

38. Last movie you watched? Not all of it but some of Pitch Perfect (I’ve already seen the whole thing don't worry)

39. Play an instrument? My voice and also a bit of the keyboard

40. Favorite Animal? Cat.

41. Top five tumblr blogs you follow? ALL OF THEM DANG IT

42. What superpower do you wish you had? Flight!

43. Where and when do you feel the most at peace? At home, sleeping in my bed

44. What makes you smile? Literally life

45. What sports do you play, if any? I’ve been in dance for 13 years

46. Favorite drink? Coca-Cola

47. Last time you wrote a handwritten note or letter to someone? This week actually!

48. Afraid of heights? DUH

49. Biggest pet peeve? SLOW WALKERS JUST WALK PLEASE

50. Ever been to a concert? Yep and I’ve been in several local ones

51. Vegan or Vegetarian? Heck no

52. What did you want to be when you were little? A pop star xD

53. What fictional world would you like to live in? Just. Hogwarts. Always.

54. What is something you worry about? If I am actually liked by people

55. Scared of the dark? Only in bathrooms dude

56. Do you like to sing? YES (Soprano 1 - Mezzo)

57. Ever skipped school? Nope, I’m a good bean

58. Favorite place on the planet? Bed.

59. Where would you like to live? New York or Paris

60. Have any pets? 3 cats (Bella, Possum, and Ty) and also a fish whose name I don't remember

61. Early bird or Night owl? NIGHT OWL

62. Sunrises or Sunsets? I’m gonna go with sunsets

63. Do you know how to drive? I should but I don't xD

64. Earbuds or headphones? Earbuds but not the ones you get with an iPhone, those suck!

65. Ever had braces? Three years I think total, and I just had to get a 6 week retainer set to close a small gap that came back :(

66. Favorite genre of music? Pop I guess xD Or musical theater!

67. Who is your hero? My stepdad

68. Do you read comic books? No but my stepdad did xD

69. What makes you the most angry? When people make jokes about things like cancer or diabetes (THEY ARENT FUNNY)

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? Definitely a real book, My eyes don't hurt as much plus they smellll soooo goooodd

71. Favorite Subject? English or Science

72. Any siblings? So this is complicated but I have one half brother, a half-step brother, and a half-step sister

73. The last thing you bought? I bought a journal and some bath salts for my friend’s birthday

74. How tall are you? So I used to be 5′2 but every time I go to the doctor they measure me at like 5′1 and I am confusion

75. Can you cook? Yes but I prefer baking

76. Three things you love? My family, my friends, and food (Omg I typed foot at first EEK)

77. Three things you hate? I LITERALLY DONT HATE ANYTHING IM SORRY

78. Do you have more female friends or male friends? Female oof

79. Sexual orientation? Straight But why did you need to know??

80. Where do you currently live? Louisiana OOOF

81. Last person you texted? My boyfriend, specifically “hehehe yess”

82. Last time you cried? Watching “A Walk to Remember” a few weeks ago

83. Favorite youtuber? All of them, rip

84. Do you like to take selfies? Yes but only because I don't like the pictures other people take of me xD

85. Favorite app? BUZZFEED or maybe netflix

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? I love my mom and we are close but me and my biological dad don't talk

87. Favorite foreign accent? FRENCH OR BRITISH

88. Place you’ve never been to but want to visit? Hawaii or Paris

89. Favorite number? 2 but also literally any even number

90. Can you juggle? Who on here can actually juggle cause I want to be your best friend please (so no)

91. Are you religious? I’m supposed to be catholic but I haven't been to church in a while

92. Is outer space or the deep ocean more interesting? The deep ocean because I want to be a mermaid

93. Do you consider yourself a daredevil? No I am the opposite oof

94. Are you allergic to anything? Cats and dogs, pollen, grass, apparently something in the meningitis vaccine (ITS A LONG STORY)

95. Can you curl your tongue? YOU BET I CAN

96. Can you wiggle your ears? No but I can shake my eyes

97. How often do you admit that you’re wrong about something? I am never wrong, ever.

98. The forest or the beach? The beach cause mermaids

99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given to you? Do what you love, don’t work for money.

100. Are you a good liar? I am a TERRIBLE liar

101. Hogwarts house? Gryffindor but my hybrid house is Gryffinpuff soooo...

102. Do you talk to yourself? I used to tbh but now I usually just sing to myself

103. Introvert of Extrovert? Extrovert but I love me time

104. Do you keep a journal/diary? No I just deal with my thoughts

105. Do you believe in second chances? Absolutely

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? Look for identification in it so I can return it to it’s owner

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? Of course!

108 Are you ticklish? VERY

109. Have you ever been on a plane? Yes, I was on one last weekend

110. Any piercings? Only my basic ear piercings

111. What fictional character do you wish was real? Ronald Weasley

112. Any tattoos? No but I wanna get a few small ones later in life

113. Best decision you’ve made in your life so far? Care for others is far more rewarding than wallowing in sadness

114. Do you believe in karma? It depends, really

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? I used to wear glasses but since one of my eyes is near sighted and the other is far sighted they balance each other out enough so that I don’t necessarily need them anymore

116. Do you want children? YES LIKE 3-5

117. Who is the smartest person you know? My stepdad

118. Most embarrassing moment? That time I asked my bestfriend at the time’s sister if I could wear a pad on a water slide (IT WAS MY FIRST PERIOD OKAY?)

119. Ever pulled an all-nighter? I’ve made it to 6 am xD

120. What color are most of your clothes? Yellow or pink :P

121. Do you like adventures? PLANNED adventures, yes

122. Ever been on tv? A few times

123. How old are you? 16

124. Favorite quote? But without the dark, we’d never see the stars

125. Sweet or savory foods? SWEEETTT

OML THIS TOOK FOREVER RIP

#ts4m #ts4mmcc #TS4 #s4mm #S4S #s4 #simself #simblr #get to know me #gettoknowmechallenge

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alexkryceksbutt · 7 years

Text

Bedroom Church Choir

MSR

Explicit

Pt. 1 (can be read as a standalone)

Melissa sang in the church choir.

She stood front row, sang first soprano, and always got the best solos. She’d had a gift—an uncanny ability to carry a multitude of emotion with a single syllable. A man who had never been fed a drop of religion in his life could know what it was like to know God, just by hearing Melissa sing.

Scully sat in the pews.

She’d be the first to tell you she couldn’t carry a tune. Her musical résumé included a few simple hymns she sang under her breath on the rare occasions she actually made it to Mass, and a monotone rendition of a Three Dog Night classic; she never wanted to be in choir.

But still she envied Melissa.

As a child, tugged out of her muddy, ripped jeans, and forced into a dress, sitting on an old, creaking bench with her mother at her side, hissing, “Sit like a lady, Dana!” Scully’s heart was green when she heard her sister sing.

It wasn’t the notes she was jealous of, but the emotions. Scully, who felt deeply but was twice as guarded, couldn’t fathom the ease at which Melissa poured herself into such a public display of self-expression.

Maggie Scully always said, that when she was born, her eldest daughter didn’t cry.

“I asked the doctor what was wrong, but he just smiled and said, ‘She’s just taking it all in, Mrs. Scully. You’ve got a very curious baby on your hands.’”

And of course, that was true. As a newborn, she prioritized understanding the brand new place she’d been pushed into, over giving into the fear of its newness, and thus began the repertoire of Dana Scully; a constant of hers, literally since birth. Melissa was truly gifted, but never let it be said that Scully was not without her own wealth of talents. It took, after all, an incredibly talented person to hold the Universe in the palms of her hands, and pick it apart until it was nothing more than atomic numbers on the elemental table.

But the drawback was that she had walls, somewhat by nature, and certainly by nurture.

It’s not that Scully was dispassionate. No one who truly knew her would call her cold or calculating. She laughed easily at things she found funny, and cried when it was necessary, and she carried within her a heart so full of sentimentality and romantic idealization that among her wealth of medical journals and scientific studies, one could find Austen, Brontë, and du Maurier. But surely, with a heart so fragile and a mind so analytical, it was only logical to keep it safe.

It wasn’t always about safety, however, but rather, shame. Scully, so independent and self-assured, had the bizarre tendency towards hero worship. Likely, she was born with an overflowing amount of loyalty, and like opposing ends of a magnet being drawn together, she gravitated towards anyone she felt she could unburden some of it on.

Her first hero was her father—a naval captain, who was emblematic of what a man of his time was meant to be. He loved to his core, but was wont to express it more often with a salute than with a hug. And Scully idolized her father, trying so hard to emulate what she saw as a representation of perfection, that she began to see every tear, or hurt, or pain as a weakness, and she began to keep them inside.

And then she had to go and become a doctor, of all things, where she had to work ten times as hard as her male peers just to prove she belonged there. Short, petite, and so very much a woman, Scully could never let her classmates see her as anything but the hardened intellectual facade she brought to her lectures, and into her labs, and then into her residency, until suddenly, that was just who Dana Scully was to any new person she met; logic and intellect personified, in order to avoid the misogyny, both purposeful and ingrained, of her peers.

(She had loved one man in med school, opening her heart exactly once. He was a man who saw her both as a woman and an intellectual, and he was someone she had no right to claim, and when she finally walked out the door and into the arms of the FBI, she couldn’t be so sure if it had been her heart that she had opened to him, or her ego.)

And this all brought her here, to this life she now led, as the voice of reason sidekick to a man she had given her wealth of loyalty to, to the surprise of them both.

Mulder, of course, was not someone she needed to fear judgement from—she had witnessed him proposing alien abduction as a plausible theory to a room full of his superiors on more than one occasion—but by the time he entered her life, or, more accurately, by the time she had been forced into his, her walls had been widened and caulked so substantially that it never occurred to her that vulnerability was an option.

(Every now and then, Mulder would hack away a piece of metaphorical cement, and glimpse at the person behind the wall, and while he never once would pass judgement on her for simply being human, Scully would rebuke herself for her weakness.)

Which is why, today, she is thrown entirely off guard as Mulder asks her, so bluntly and inelegantly that she does a mental double-take, “Why are you so quiet in bed?”

It is either very late, or very early, depending on your point of view. The sun hasn’t quite started to rise, but the sky is starting to brighten just a bit around her halo glow. Scully and Mulder spent the better part of their Thursday night, and Friday twilight hours, on a stakeout outside of an ugly, brick apartment complex in a town of less than 4,000 in rural Kansas, which ended in a foot chase down a dead end alleyway and Scully’s gun pressed against the temple of a man with the marking that led them here tattooed on his right forearm, while Mulder read him his Miranda rights.

“Y’all might as well go back to your hotel and get some rest,” said the local sheriff who arrived on the scene shortly after. “I only got one other officer on duty so it’ll take some time to take care of the booking, and the forensic lab in KC won’t have gotten back to you with the test results on the corpse until at least this afternoon.”

And Scully should have jumped on the opportunity for rest, having not truly slept in well over a day, but she found she was still hyped on adrenaline, and with a single look at Mulder she knew he was feeling the same, which is how they now found themselves sitting in a lumpy booth inside a 24/7 diner, with Mulder inquiring about their bedroom habits.

Because, due to a couple beers over a Twilight Zone marathon taken too far two weeks ago, they actually have bedroom habits—a fact Scully is more or less never not thinking about. Even when she is preoccupied with paperwork, or meetings, or chasing bad guys down rural Kansas alleyways, the back of her mind is always replaying the feel of Mulder’s fingers or the taste of his tongue, like some sort of X rated background noise.

“Mulder,” Scully hisses, after she’s taken a moment to recover. She glances over her shoulder. The diner is entirely empty except for an elderly, heavyset man in the far corner looking like he’s trying, unsuccessfully, to sober up over a cup of black coffee, and the disinterested waitress leaning against the counter, snapping bubbles with her chewing gum while flipping through a gossip magazine without seeming to read a single word.

“Relax, no one is paying attention to us,” says Mulder, reading her thoughts, cutting off her reprimanding before it can begin. She turns back to him and puts both her hands around her mug of English breakfast tea, and stares into it with a frown.

“Where’d that question even come from?” she asks her tea.

“Just something I’ve been wondering since this whole…” He clears his throat. “Erm, thing started.”

“And a crappy diner at 4:30 in the morning is when you decide to ask it?” asks Scully, occupying herself by grabbing another sugar packet and tearing it open to pour into her tea. “Why were you even thinking about our sex life right now?”

“Not to be crass, but it’s probably safe to say that I’m always thinking about our sex life,” says Mulder, and Scully tries to shoot him a glare, but she’s pretty sure it comes out a smirk, because the idea of ‘our’ sex life is still so new and exciting that she gets the flutters in her belly at the thought.

“Hate to break it to you, Mulder, but real life isn’t like those VHS tapes in your desk. Not all women scream bloody murder when they’re fucked.”

Mulder regards her with a sly gleam in his eye that makes her suspicious as he takes a bite of apple pie. “I know that,” he says through his mouthful. He swallows. “I just have the distinct impression that you’re secretly one of them.”

Scully blinks at him. “What makes you think you’d know something like that?”

“I’m a behavioral psychologist,” he says. “It’s my job to know.”

Scully rolls her eyes, and goes back to stirring sugar into her tea, not dignifying that with a response. She takes a sip and grimaces—too sweet.

“That, and you always try to stop yourself from making noise,” Mulder continues, and Scully’s head shoots up.

“I do not,” she defends. In response, Mulder raises an eyebrow, and reaches up to pull the collar of his shirt to the side, revealing the fresh, red bite mark on his collarbone, and Scully flushes, remembering the night before in the motel room they were very much not supposed to be sharing, as Mulder pushed into her and she’d muffled her scream by digging her teeth into the flesh of his muscular shoulder. She scowls. “Circumstantial evidence,” she says.

Mulder cracks a grin, and responds by reaching over and gently taking Scully’s hand that’s wrapped around her mug, and closely examining a faded mark on the skin between her index finger and her thumb, also in the shape of Scully’s bite, and Scully pulls her hand away, thinking about a week and a half ago in her apartment, when Mulder went down on her while she was sitting on the couch, and she had caught her moan before it escaped by clamping down on the webbing between her two fingers, so hard she drew blood.

“What’s your point?” she asks crossly, wishing Mulder had the decency not to look so smug.

“It’s not a point, it’s a question,” he says, sitting back in his chair. “Are you quiet in bed because that’s just how you are, or is it for some other reason?”

“What other reason would there be?”

Mulder shrugs. “You tell me.”

And Scully is at a loss, because the truth is that Mulder’s right—she isn’t a quiet lover. But she wishes that she were, because inside every moan, groan, and wail of pleasure, there’s a vulnerability attached. To be vocal in bed is to admit to feelings she’d rather not say.

“I’ve been louder with other people,” she says.

“So just not with me?”

“Of course not with you,” she says, almost annoyed, because he sounds almost hurt, but he knows her so well, shouldn’t it be obvious? “Not with you because you matter.”

Mulder makes that face he makes when she says something unexpected. He pulls his eyebrows together, and his mouth forms a question he can’t find the words for, and Scully secretly revels in it, because it’s rare.

“You don’t get it,” she says for him, and he doesn’t disagree.

“Explain it to me?” he says instead, and she stirs her cooling, overly-sweet tea.

“I could never sing in church choir.”

“No offense, but among your many talents singing isn’t one of them.”

She smiles, knowing that for a moment they are both back in the woods in northern Florida, flirting about sleeping bags while monsters lurk in the dark. She says, “I could spend my whole life perfecting vocal technique, and I’d never sound beautiful, because I don’t know how to put emotion behind it. I don’t want to put emotion behind it.”

“Art requires a degree of vulnerability,” Mulder agrees.

“So does letting someone you care about know the things they make you feel,” says Scully, and Mulder understands.

“I’m not a congregation, though.”

“No, you’re something worse.”

“You don’t have to give me anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“But you deserve it,” Scully finds herself saying. God, she’s been up for so long. God, she’s been fighting for even longer. “But I want to. I just don’t know how.”

Mulder is silent. So is Scully. The man in the corner grumbles about his hangover into his hands.

“I have an idea,” says Mulder finally. “But you need to tell me if it’s too much.”

“It’s not too much,” says Scully automatically. She trusts him with her life.

—-

Even as the sun rises, the hotel room is dark. It faces west, and the light is in the east. They’ve got the curtains pulled tight, and the lamps off. It’s an old motel, with only five channels without static, two of which are local weather stations, and the comforter pattern doesn’t match the carpet. Scully lays on her back, a sleeping mask resting over her eyes, as Mulder takes her wrist and locks it inside the cool metal of his handcuffs.

The backboard of the bed is made up of discolored, metal columns, and Scully listens as the opposite end of the handcuffs is placed around one. She tugs experimentally. She’s stuck in place.

“Safeword?” Mulder asks her for the third time, as he takes her other wrist gently in his hand, and takes her own pair of handcuffs to trap her to the bed. Their superiors would love to know what they do with FBI property; maybe it’d finally get them out of the building.

“Abduction,” she says for the third time, and she can’t see it, but she knows Mulder smiles, because he laughed for a full minute when she picked that as the word.

“It’s about sensation,” he explains again, as though reminding himself. “It’s about feeling and letting go. But if it gets to be too much—”

“Mulder?” she interrupts.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

And she hears him huff out a breath of laughter, and she feels his lips against hers, just briefly, in a chaste reassurance. “Okay,” he breathes, hot on her skin. And she waits, chained and entirely nude, more vulnerable than she has willingly been, possibly ever. The fear she feels treads the line of exhilaration, as Mulder runs a hand along her thigh.

She hums her contentment. Humming is okay. Humming is not revealing. It’s the noise equivalent of, “that’s nice,” which isn’t scary to say. Yes, that’s nice. Full stop. No barriers broken, image maintained.

He kisses her again, harder this time, and she responds enthusiastically, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair, but being met with the clang of metal on metal and resistance against her wrists. She can’t touch him, and that’s a bit unnerving, as she realizes how unlevel the playing field is. That is, of course, the point, but theory is never the same as practice.

Mulder moves his lips along her jawline, licking her lightly in the spot just behind her ear that is strangely erogenous, and she lets out a muffled, “mmph!” A step up from humming, but not quite the danger zone just yet.

He nibbles lightly on the skin of her neck, not hard enough to raise eyebrows at their meeting with Skinner day after next, but enough that it tickles in that way where it is indistinguishable from minute pain, and a groan builds in the back of her throat, like a low rumble of thunder, but it doesn’t escape.

Two fingers suddenly pinch around her nipple, and she can’t help the gasp that escapes. She can’t see him twist the sensitive flesh; can only feel his fingers tug, and his tongue joins them, and there’s something about the darkness that makes it that much more intense. She pulls her lips inward, and bites down on them, muting the sounds that threaten to pour off her traitorous tongue.

Without moving from her nipple, his other hand reaches down between her legs. A finger dips quickly inside her, and then encircles her engorged clit, lubricating her with her own wetness. “Oh,” she says, softly, turning her head and resting her cheek against her shoulder, and she tries to find something to bite down on, but she can’t reach. “Oh!” she says again, surprised this time, as the fingers around her nipple tighten, and his mouth moves to her other breast, expertly working three of her most sensitive spots at once.

Abruptly, he moves away from it all, and she protests, until she feels him positioning himself between her thighs, and then she smiles, because she knows this is his favorite. She never has to ask; you’d think her pussy was heroin the way he seems to crave it.

But she isn’t prepared for this, as his tongue makes contact, and his fingers slip inside her. She isn’t prepared for the intensity of it, as she pulls on the handcuffs, surely leaving marks in the skin, trying to grab hold of something to concentrate on anything other than the steady motion he’s gotten nearly perfect at.

A tightness begins to build where his mouth presses against her, and every hair on her body is standing on end. It’s too much, too much, and she goes to shout, “abduction!” but it comes out as, “fuck!” In fact, it comes out as a string of expletives, each one louder than the next, punctuated by high, desperate moans, as though she were a woman in one of Mulder’s VHS tapes.

And then her orgasm is washing over her, and she is faintly aware of her voice growing hoarse; of the clang of metal on the backboard pinging like mad, and she doesn’t care. Isn’t that something, she thinks somewhere in her blissed out mind, she doesn’t care. She is singing her own one-person church choir, and Mulder is her congregation, and they both know what it’s like to know God.

She comes down, breathing harder than she had in the alleyway with a gun in her hand, and Mulder pushes up her mask, his eyes wild, looking at her like she’s the answer to every mystery he’s ever encountered, and he crushes his mouth against hers, filling her tongue with the taste of herself.

With no prelude, Mulder pushes his erection inside her easily, and she buries herself in the warmth of his neck, saying all the things she’s never allowed herself to say, using filthy, single syllables. He says it all back to her in the same language. She comes again, which only happens when the sex is particularly special, and he follows her, spilling as deep inside of her as he can get.

Then there is silence; nothing but the sound of their tandem breaths.

“Jesus,” says Mulder finally, and Scully, who has said everything and more, can do nothing else but nod.

He slips out of her; undoes her binding. He rubs her wrists, peppering the red marks with soft kisses, and then gathers her up into his arms.

“I thought you couldn’t sing,” he whispers into her ear, petting her sweaty, properly-fucked-looking hair.

She smiles into his touch.

“I guess I just needed somebody to teach me how.”

#read the other one first bc it's better #idk if it's actually better #im more attached to the first one #anyway #tags #my fics #msr #msr fanfiction #x-files #x-files fanfiction #txf #etc

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nolimitsongrace · 4 years

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June 1: Jesus and the Holy Spirit

Don’t Inflate the Truth About Yourself!May 28, 2020

“If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself… lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” — Proverbs 30:32

Many years ago, Denise and I went on a cruise of the Caribbean Sea. We had never been on a cruise and didn’t know what to expect. When we arrived for dinner the first evening, we assumed we’d be seated alone, but the maître d’ seated us at a table with six young people in their early to mid-20s. Denise and I looked at each other and then at the six other people, and we realized we were the grandpa and grandma in the group. It wasn’t exactly the romantic setting we had in mind, but it was the seating given to us for the evening so we decided to enjoy an experience with this young group of people.

These were university students who had decided to take a cruise together. So rather than talk about ourselves, we decided to listen and see what we could learn from this younger generation. The young female seated next to Denise glowed as she chattered away. She told Denise that she was studying Classical Greek and that her dream was to become an expert, having already attained a measure of that expert status compared to other students back home at the university. She went on and on about the marvelous characteristics of Classical Greek — obviously trying to impress us with how smart she was.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

Then the young man seated to my right side decided it was his turn to chime in, and he began to quite literally rave about how brilliant he was with the Russian language. Believe me, pride was not hidden at that table! These young people — according to themselves — were absolutely amazing in their respective abilities! The man next to me went on and on about how he had studied Russian at the university for two years and that he spoke Russian so flawlessly that even native Russians couldn’t even detect a foreign accent when he spoke! Denise and I looked at each other in amazement, but never uttered a word in response or gave a hint that we are both Russian-speakers.

Then a gorgeous young girl across the table spoke up: “Well, I guess it’s my turn to tell who I am and what I plan to do. I am a soprano, and I plan to sing professionally at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.” Oh my goodness, I thought I would fall off my chair any moment. Even if she was a good singer, she was sitting at the same table as my wife, who really had the opportunity to sing at the Metropolitan Opera but had given up the opportunity for the ministry. This gorgeous young girl had no idea what kind of real opera singer was sitting right in front of her as she exclaimed how many awards she had won and how gifted she was at singing.

After the young people had gone around the table and they had all finished “sharing” their areas of brilliance and expertise, they looked at Denise and me — almost as if to say, We know you are older and probably the least experienced, but… And they kindly asked us, “Now tell us — what has been your past area of expertise?”

Denise spoke up first and said, “Well, my husband is a Classical Greek expert and has written best-selling books on the subject.” The girl sitting next to Denise, who claimed such expertise at Classical Greek, nearly wilted. She said, “Well, I’m really not a real expert, like you are. Oh, how embarrassing.”

Then I turned to the overly confident Russian-student to my right and said, “My wife and I have lived in Russia for many years, and we speak Russian fluently. How about if you and I speak a little Russian together?” He leaned back from the table and said, “Oh, I really don’t speak that well. I feel a little put on the spot. I’d rather not speak in Russian right now.”

Then the gorgeous blonde soprano looked at Denise and said, “And what about you?” I interrupted and said, “May I answer that question, because my wife may be a little timid right now to tell you. But she is an opera singer who holds concerts all over the former USSR and who personally gave up a career at the Metropolitan Opera when we decided to get married.” The blonde’s mouth literally fell open, gaping in shock.

I didn’t want any of them to be embarrassed for grossly exaggerating the truth about themselves, but I felt a need to give a little advice about truthful presentations. Feeling they were all embarrassed, I said, “There’s no need to be embarrassed in front of us, but you need to be careful how highly you lift yourself up in front of others, because it could put you in very embarrassing situation. Speak well of yourself, but don’t stretch the truth.” Then I asked them to please pass the gravy, and we all moved on to other subjects. All in all, the evening turned out to be a wonderful time with a group of young, inexperienced university students.

When I read Proverbs 30:32, I remember that night. It says, “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself…lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” God’s solution in such a moment is simple: “…lay thine hand upon thy mouth” — or in other words, shut your mouth when you are tempted to gloat about yourself.

In the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, the word “foolishly” is the word euphrosune, and it pictures the abandonment of one to self-aggrandizing. Thus, it is translated as someone who acts foolishly. It is the extreme picture of one who speaks too highly about himself, one who revels in his own accomplishments, or one who is ridiculously self-congratulatory, which is why sometimes it is translated as mirth. It is the most extreme version of thinking too highly of oneself. The word “hand” is cheira, the normal word for a hand, but here it pictures a person putting his “hand” on his mouth!

Especially when I was younger, I felt the need to impress others because I wanted people to think highly of me. I was probably guilty of the same thing that I saw these young people do who were seated at the table with us that night. However, as I’ve grown older and become more secure in the Lord and who I am in Christ, the need to impress others has become less important to me — and my relationship with Jesus and how He perceives me has taken the place of greatest importance in my life. As I become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, I become increasingly aware of how grieved He is when we embellish the truth.

During a time of self-examination years ago when I took an extended time to look back on my life, there were many words I wished I could retract, but it was too late and too many years had passed. So I made the decision to be very careful from that point onward to say only those things that were true and honoring to Jesus. Sometimes the best policy is to say nothing at all.

So today I want to ask you — are you guilty of embellishing the facts? If you’re still guilty of this sin of the mouth, Proverbs 30:32 may be the best advice for you: “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself…lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” God’s solution is very simple. Whenever you are tempted to exaggerate the truth — or to exaggerate your own importance — put your hand over your mouth until it becomes a settled practice in your life to rest in who you are in Jesus. In time you will ensure that in all things and in every situation, Jesus alone gets all the glory and honor for whatever you accomplish in this life!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I repent for the times I have sought to impress people by inflating the facts rather than seeking to please You by simply telling the truth. To exaggerate my abilities or accomplishments is utterly foolish since people usually see right through it! I realize now that if I engage in self-aggrandizement, not only am I deceiving myself, but I am also attempting to manipulate others by controlling their perception of me through a lie. That is not the way I want to live! I now see that to blow things out of proportion in order to exalt myself before others is actually a symptom of fear, not confidence — and fear brings a snare. Holy Spirit, I ask You to forgive me for the times I’ve grieved You by exalting myself instead of exalting Jesus. I ask You to set a watch over my lips as I commit to place my hand on my mouth and to give all glory to the Lord Jesus Christ alone!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I choose to resist the temptation to exaggerate the truth and embellish the facts in an attempt to make myself seem more important or accomplished than I am. To safeguard against foolish speaking, I will put my hand over my mouth. I am complete in Christ, and my sense of security in Him continually increases as my identity in Him becomes more and more established.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Can you remember a moment when you embellished the truth to make yourself look more important in the eyes of others? When was that, and did you ever repent for embellishing the truth?

What is most important in your life right now? Is it the opinions of what others or what Jesus thinks about you? Be honest, because Jesus already knows the truth anyway!

Have you ever been astonished at someone’s willingness to exaggerate the truth in order to impress other people? If you hear someone embellishing the truth, what do you think is your responsibility? Should you simply be quiet and let it go or privately ask the person about it?

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