#émile barks

[oceansatedogs]

[gnawgag]

it’s their’s to burn

sharing a cigarette with joan of arc - dante émile ( @orpheuslament ) // photography by brendon burton

[orpheuslament]

I WANNA BE YOUR DOG

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien: Zebras Can’t Change Their Stripes: Chapter One

Read it on AO3: Zebras Can’t Change Their Stripes: Chapter One

A whole week had passed since The Breakup, and Luka was still reeling.

“You brought this upon yourself,” he reminded bitterly as he rolled over and found the space on the bed next to him empty and cold.

He kept telling himself, “You broke up with her”, “It was the right thing to do”, and “You couldn’t keep waiting for her to move on. That wasn’t healthy”, but the words never quite sank in.

One week later, he was even more of a mess than when he’d finally gotten the courage to break things off. The pain of being without her, knowing that it was really over, was worse than having her by his side knowing that she was thinking about someone else when she kissed him.

At least before he’d had a place in her heart, even if it was only second.

With a groan, Luka pushed himself up to sitting and grabbed his phone off the nightstand.

There was a text from Juleka berating him for drinking too much, not returning her texts, and taking crap care of himself.

Rose had also sent him a message reminding him about family dinner that Sunday.

Jacob, the bassist from his band Eternal Nocturne, had texted him not to be late for the auditions for a new lead singer that afternoon.

Luka cursed, setting his phone down without replying to anyone. He scrubbed his face with both hands and then forced himself to kick the covers off and get up.

It was already almost noon, and the mature, adult part of his brain knew that he had to get his stuff together. He was twenty-six, and he’d been through breakups before. He would survive this one as well…even though it didn’t feel like it at the moment.

He pushed himself out of bed and began to search around for something clean to wear.

He really needed to do laundry. And the dishes. And the grocery shopping.

Luka winced as he uncovered a lacey pink bra with white polka dots under a pile of jeans that reeked of alcohol and stale bar smell.

He needed to make a breakup box, put all of her leftover things in it, and send it back to her.

His heart sank at that realization, the finality of it.

He put the bra back under the jeans and promised himself he’d deal with it later. When he was feeling better…. Whenever that happened to be.

The important thing just then was to find something that could pass as clean so that he could get to the audition and not let his bandmates down. He was already disappointing himself and his family. He needed to do right by somebody at least.

 Adrien was screwed.

He’d been back in Paris for two days, and, already, his funds were almost entirely used up. He’d found a cheap hostel in Pigalle where he’d been able to shower and get a decent night’s rest without having to worry about anyone bothering him, but he wouldn’t be able to stay there for much longer unless he found work.

That was turning out to be much harder than anticipated. In Paris, people were a lot stricter about having to have valid identification to secure employment. They were also a lot more persnickety about hiring Adrien Agreste, even if it was just to wash dishes, clean hotel rooms, or wait tables.

Maybe he could talk to the owners of the hostel about working the front desk. He’d done that before in Nice and Lyon.

If the situation really got dire, he could always try to find someone like Nino from his past who would be sympathetic and maybe let him sleep on a couch or something until he could get back up on his feet again.

He didn’t want to do that, but it was beginning to look like he had no other choice. It had been four years since his father’s arrest, four years since Adrien lost his family, his fortune, and even the ability to use his own name. He’d thought that maybe people would have cooled off and moved on, that it was safe to come back to Paris, back home…but it wasn’t looking like it so far.

He was starting to think that it had been a mistake to return, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. He was tired of roaming the country and scraping by, and he couldn’t go on like that any longer. He wanted to establish roots and make a place for himself. He wanted to feel grounded again.

He was determined to figure things out and make it work, and if that meant going door to door to every restaurant, shop, and hotel in Paris until he found a job, that’s what he was going to do. He was through running away; it was time to settle down and make a life for himself.

He wasn’t sure what that life would look like, but if it included years of hard work, a partner who saw him and not his father’s crimes, some children who inherited his mother’s smile, and a pet or two, Adrien would be content.

He just had to find a job first so that he didn’t end up on the street nicking food out of restaurant dumpsters again.

As he descended the steps into the Métro, a flyer advertising auditions for a lead singer for a band caught Adrien’s eye.

He stopped and studied it, noting that auditions had begun twenty minutes prior at a bar just a few blocks away.

He grabbed the flyer and took off at a jog.

 “No one’s coming,” Jacob grumbled half an hour into the audition time when it became apparent that not a single soul was going to show up.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Josie the drummer agreed, tipping back on her barstool so that it balanced precariously on two legs. “So, what are we going to do without a vocalist?”

“Yeah, we’ve got that gig coming up this weekend,” Jacob reminded, chewing anxiously on his bottom lip.

Josie and Jacob both looked to Marc—guitarist, keyboardist, and the band’s unofficial leader/mum.

“Josephine, don’t do that; you’re going to fall,” Marc sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “…I mean, I can cover lead for one night.”

“Who’s going to do your backup vocals, then,” Josie demanded, setting her stool legs back on the ground.

“Luka can,” Marc informed.

Jacob snorted. “Luka’s drunk.”

“Luka is not drunk,” Marc growled defensively. “He knows better than to show up drunk. He’s just hung over, isn’t that right, Luc?”

“Yes, and I’m nursing a killer headache, so if we could take the volume of the talking down a few decibels, it would be greatly appreciated,” Luka groaned, pulling his newsboy cap down a little further to shield his eyes from the bright light emanating from the stage where the people auditioning were supposed to be performing.

“And who’s going to do Luka’s backup vocals?” Josie persisted, lowering her voice out of consideration for Luka.

“I don’t know. Jacob?” Marc suggested uncertainly.

Josie let out a bark of laughter. “Jacob can’t walk and talk at the same time. How is he supposed to play and sing?”

“Josie,” Marc scolded. “Be nice.”

“No, she’s got a point,” Jacob cut in. “I’ve walked into poles before because I didn’t see them because I was talking to someone. Multitasking really isn’t my strong suit.”

Marc opened his mouth to reply, paused to consider his words, and then shut his mouth.

“Excuse me?” a new voice called out.

The band turned their heads to find a thin, scraggly young man standing in the doorway.

He had scruffy, wild blonde hair and piercing peridot eyes, and it was impossible to say how old he was exactly. He looked young, but he had one of those ageless faces that could have just as easily been twenty as forty. His clothes had been expensive, good quality when they were new, but now they were well-worn and showing their age.

“Are auditions over already?” he inquired, taking a tentative step into the bar.

The door closed behind him, and now that he wasn’t backlit by the daylight pouring in from outside, Luka could see him clearly.

His eyes widened as he recognized his former crush whom he hadn’t seen in four long years.

“No, we’re still going,” Jacob informed.

“You here to try out, Kid?” Josie asked with a big smile, turning on her stool to face him.

Adrien nodded, holding up the flyer in his hand. “I just learned about the audition, like, ten minutes ago, so I don’t have anything prepared in advance, but I’m a good singer with a pretty expansive range. I’m a quick study too, so, if you teach me, I’ll pick up your songs right away.”

“All right,” Marc agreed with a grin. “Go ahead and take the stage, and we’ll see what you’ve got. What’s your name?”

“Émile,” Adrien responded with a smile as he took his spot in front of the microphone. “Émile Dupain.”

Luka frowned.

Surely, he wasn’t mistaken. The years had changed Adrien, yes, but he wasn’t that different. Luka knew that face, those eyes, that smile.

“Nice to meet you, Émile,” Marc greeted amicably. “I’m Marc. I play keyboard and some guitar depending on the song. I also do backup vocals.”

“I’m Josie. Percussion,” Josie took over. “This idiot is Jacob, our bassist,”

Jacob gamely raised a hand. “Sup.”

“and Mr. Doom and Gloom over there is Luc,” Josie completed the introductions. “He plays guitar and does backup vocals. Ignore him for right now. He just broke up with his girlfriend, so he’s kind of in a funk. Normally, he’s the nicest person, so give him another week and you’ll be best friends.”

“Thank you for broadcasting all that, Josie,” Luka grumbled as he waved at Adrien, just waiting for him to recognize Luka.

He worried that if Adrien were trying to conceal his identity, he wouldn’t appreciate the reunion, but a part of Luka hoped that Adrien would be excited to see him again. Luka was certainly happy to see Adrien.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Adrien replied, friendly expression not changing in the slightest. “What kind of music do you guys usually play?”

Luka fought down a tsunami of disappointment at Adrien not seeming to recognize him.

“Usually alternative or punk,” Marc supplied, not appearing to notice the way Luka slumped in his chair. “We mostly do covers, but we have our own songs too. Our next show is Saturday, but we’ll just be doing covers for that one, so it shouldn’t be too hard for you to get up to speed if we decide to hire you.”

Adrien nodded. “Sounds good. I’m a hard worker, so I’ll get the music memorized right away and be ready for the show.”

“Have you ever been in a band before, Émile?” Josie inquired curiously.

“Yes,” Adrien answered with confidence. “I’m a little out of practice at the moment, but I played keyboard and did a little bit of backup vocals.”

“What kind of band was it?” Marc asked.

“Uh…the genre’s called kawaiicore, if you’ve heard of it,” Adrien informed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Jacob’s forehead furrowed in concentration as he tried to recall. “It sounds familiar, but I’m coming up blank. What’s kawaiicore?”

“You know when I showed you Babymetal?” Luka reminded.

Jacob’s face lit up, and Josie started to nod too.

“Like Kitty Section!” Jacob exclaimed.

“Yeah!” Adrien perked up. “That’s—”

He cut himself off and went pale when he realized that telling them that he had been the keyboardist in Kitty Section was just as good as revealing his identity.

“That’s right,” Adrien completed. “Like Kitty Section. I can do other genres, though. I can sing anything: musical theatre, opera, jazz, pop—whatever.”

“So, what will you be singing for us today?” Marc prompted, very interested in seeing what Adrien would come up with.

“Well, I’ve kind of been living under a rock lately, so I’m not exactly up on what’s popular now,” Adrien hedged. “I mostly listen to music in Japanese, so maybe I could just sing something so that you can see if my voice is a good fit for you guys, and then you can give me a list of songs you usually do so that I can memorize them.”

“Sounds fair,” Josie replied with a shrug. “So, what are you going to sing?”

Adrien bit his lip and took a deep breath, scanning his mind for a song that would show off his abilities.

“Do you know Charles?” Luka spoke up. “That was popular a couple years ago. If you know that one, I could play the guitar part along with you.”

Adrien had been the one to introduce the song to Luka, and they’d played it together with Kitty Section with Adrien doing the main vocals. Luka still played that song from time to time when he was feeling nostalgic.

On stage, Adrien’s eyes widened in surprise. “Uh…yeah. Yeah, I know Charles. It’s one of my favourites. You wouldn’t mind?”

He narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at Luka’s facial features, but the hat blocked Adrien’s view, and it was difficult to discern Luka’s face clearly in the dim lighting of the bar when contrasted with the blinding lights on stage.

“I’d be happy to,” Luka assured, reaching down to grab his guitar off of the amp where it lay.

“Thank you,” Adrien replied with a big smile that made Luka positive that he hadn’t been mistaken about “Émile’s” identity. “Ready when you are.”

Luka counted them in and began to play.

Adrien blew the band away with his vocals. His voice was smooth and lyrical, gliding over the notes like a swan across a pond.

“He has really clear intonation,” Marc hummed softly in approval to his bandmates after listening to Adrien sing for a bit.

“And he wasn’t lying about his range,” Josie chuckled as she drummed out the rhythm on her thighs and danced in her seat.

“I certainly can’t hit those notes,” Jacob laughed.

“Neither can I,” Josie snorted. “Well, maybe on a good day, but not the way he does. He just shoots all the way up there and drops back down again like it’s nothing.”

“It’s so clean too,” Marc added. “His voice doesn’t crack or squeak or waver or anything. He hits those notes dead center, and then he stays there until it’s time to move to the next note.”

“I think we struck gold,” Jacob snickered.

“He’s super cute too.” Josie smirked deviously. “He’s sure to attract a crowd. We just need to put some eyeliner on him and get him in leather pants, and—”

“—Distracting me,” Luka hissed quietly so that he wouldn’t interrupt Adrien.

Jacob waggled his eyebrows as he whispered, “What? Imagining Émile in leather pants?”

“Jacques,” Luka warned testily.

“He’s totally your type, though,” Josie joined in helpfully. “I think a new romance is just the thing to get you over your breakup.”

“Jacob, Josephine,” Marc called quietly but firmly. “Leave him alone.”

Josie and Jacob both held up their hands in a placating gesture and let the subject drop.

Luka redoubled his focus on his fingers, trying to banish the thought of Chat Noir from his mind.

“Waraiatte sayonara,” Adrien finished softly and then looked to the band for their judgment call.

Jacob started clapping, and Josie wolf-whistled.

“Can we do that song sometime?” Jacob directed at Marc. “I bet the bass part is killer.”

“Yeah!” Josie cheered. “I can’t wait to get my drumsticks on that.”

“I don’t see why we couldn’t,” Marc agreed and then turned back to Adrien with a smile. “You really can sing. That was great.”

“You think so?” Adrien asked with a breathless giddiness, starting to squirm in excitement.

“Definitely,” Luka assured. “You sing like an angel.”

“Make him sing something else,” Josie demanded of Marc who had the grace to blush.

“Josephine, I can’t just make him sing for us,” he sighed and then looked to Adrien. “Would you mind singing something else?”

“Not at all,” Adrien easily agreed, eager to please.

He needed the job desperately, and if he could get paid just for singing, that was certainly easier than anything else he’d done for money the past four years.

“Um…let me think of something else I could sing for you,” he mumbled, chewing on his lip as he wracked his thoughts.

“…Do you know Ranbu no Melody?” Luka suggested. “That’s another one I could play along with you, if you’re familiar with it. I only know the minute and a half that was used as the Bleach opening theme song, though.”

“Yeah, I think I remember how that version goes,” Adrien fibbed.

Luka and Adrien had watched portions of Bleach together, and Adrien had sung along with all of the openings. If Luka still remembered the guitar part, surely, Adrien remembered the lyrics.

Luka counted them in again, and Adrien proved not to have forgotten at all. He sang with every ounce of confidence and enthusiasm that he had back when they’d been teenagers watching anime together.

It was reassuring for Luka to know that, even though Adrien might have changed in the years they’d been apart, there were some things that remained the same.

“How do you know all this weeb music, Luka?” Jacob wondered.

“The Boy was a total anime nerd,” Luka explained with an affectionate smile.

Jacob and Josie let out soft “Oooooh”s and started to nod.

The Boy was practically a mythical figure at this point in their friendship. Luka had talked a lot about The Boy over the years, just like he’d talked a lot about The Girl. Luka had dated many people and loved a small handful, but no one had penetrated so deeply into Luka’s heart as Adrien and Marinette.

“…He’s really good,” Marc observed, visibly delighted as he listened to Adrien. “He puts a lot of emotion into his voice, and I am loving it.”

“Yeah,” Jacob chimed in. “I have no idea what the hell he’s saying, but I feel it, Man. It’s intense.”

Luka’s smile turned melancholy as he remarked, “If I remember correctly, the song is about soldiering on and taking on whatever difficulty is in front of you and then carrying those experiences forward to present them to the person you want to spend your life with. It’s kind of like…we’re the sum of our experiences, and the singer hopes that the person they love will accept them anyway, even though they’ve got cracks and jagged edges in places.”

“Wow,” Josie whispered. “That’s…deep.”

“That’s what I got out of it, anyway,” Luka quickly added. “The Boy translated it into French for me, and then I kind of interpreted it artistically, taking some liberties, but that’s what I got out of it.”

“I like this song,” Jacob decided, tapping his foot along. “I like this kid.”

“We’re adopting him,” Josie decreed.

“Yeah.” Jacob nodded resolutely. “I need to get him to show me more weeb music. I feel like I’ve been missing out.”

“Wooo!!!” Josie cheered loudly as Adrien finished. “We love you!”

“Sing more!” Jacob encouraged as he clapped.

A blush spread across Adrien’s cheeks like fire catching on dried grass.

He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked to Marc for instruction, sensing that Marc was the leader of their little circus.

“I think it would be good if we all played something together to see if we mesh well as a band,” Marc decided. “Would that be okay with you, Émile?”

Adrien nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, of course.”

Jacob turned to Luka. “What song does he know that we could all play?”

Luka shrank, semi-hiding behind his guitar. “Why are you asking me?”

“You did the psychic thing with the songs in Japanese,” Jacob reasoned with a shrug. “Do it again.”

“Yeah,” Josie urged, reaching across Marc to poke Luka. “Do it.”

“I don’t know,” Luka grumbled. “How about This is Gospel? We play that one sometimes.”

And he had taught Adrien how to play it on guitar, so maybe Adrien remembered the lyrics.

“I know that one,” Adrien offered.

“Awesome!” Josie trilled, jumping down from her stool and heading over to the stage to join Adrien.

Once she reached him, she pulled him into a crushing hug.

It was kind of cute. Josie was a statuesque six-foot-two, and Adrien was only five-eight. (Five-ten with shoes on, he used to always insist, sensitive about his lack of height.)

“Hi. We’re adopting you,” Josie informed him as she pulled back with a grin and then abruptly turned on her heel and headed for her drum set.

Marc shook his head, getting up and making his way to the stage to turn on his keyboard.

“Josephine, don’t scare the poor kid,” he chastised wearily.

“I’m not!” she insisted. “I’m being friendly!”

Marc placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder as he passed, assuring, “She means well. If we ever make you uncomfortable, just say something, okay?”

“It’s fine,” Adrien assured, wiping at the tears beading at the corners of his eyes, hoping that Marc couldn’t see. “I’m just…I’m not used to people being so friendly. I don’t…people don’t hug me. Ever.”

Marc frowned at that, his mum senses kicking in. “Do you like being hugged?”

Adrien nodded.

“Okay then.” Marc didn’t even hesitate as he pulled Adrien in for a hug—not a guy hug with a pat on the back, but an honest to goodness hug.

He pulled back with a smile, instructing, “Just let us know whenever you want a hug, okay? You’re family now. Family get hugs whenever.”

Adrien had to actually bite his tongue to hold in a whimper. He couldn’t find his voice to reply, so he nodded and rubbed away the tears that were quickly taking the previous ones’ place.

“I’ll give you a hug in a minute, Kid,” Jacob assured, picking up his bass. “I’m just lazy, and I’m already set up over here.”

“Same,” Luka latched onto Jacob’s excuse, figuring that now wasn’t the best time for a reunion with Adrien.

Josie counted them in and started the heartbeat-like rhythm that began the song.

Adrien took a deep breath and sang.

The full sound of the band all playing together resonated powerfully through the bar, giving Adrien chills.

It wasn’t perfect. The timing was a little off in places, and Adrien needed to learn his cues if he was going to sync up with the others. They needed to work out the backup vocals and other little things to make the performance come out smooth, but they were starting in a good place. They could polish this up and make it shine.

It felt good to be playing with a band again. Adrien hadn’t realized how much he’d missed making music with others, being a part of a team.

He’d been so alone these past four years.

Partly that was his own fault. He’d run away both literally and figuratively and shut people out who otherwise would have been there for him. He’d let pride and shame and fear of rejection win…and now he was finally realizing how exhausting it had been.

Now that these nice people were opening up to him and accepting him into their little family, it finally dawned upon Adrien that he’d been foolish to try to make it on his own for so long. He hadn’t realized how draining it had been until he’d been offered the chance to rest.

He needed to call Nino and reconnect.

He needed to find Marinette and apologize for giving up his Miraculous and taking off because he’d been overwhelmed after his father’s arrest and hadn’t felt worthy of being Chat Noir.

He needed to fix things, fix his life.

As the song came to an end, a feeling of calm and peace settled over Adrien.

He was still broke and not sure where his next meal was coming from or if he’d have a roof over his head in the intervening days between now and the show on Saturday when he’d presumably get paid, but, oddly enough, he felt a little better about things.

“We killed that,” Jacob preened as he set down his bass and went over to join the others on stage. “Excellent work, Kid,” he announced, pulling Adrien into a hug.

“I’m guessing I got the job?” Adrien hazarded a guess, looking around at his bandmates for confirmation.

“Oh, definitely,” Josie assured. “You know that one meme? ‘I’ve only known Émile for twenty minutes, but if anything happened to him, I’d kill everyone and then myself.’”

Adrien cracked up, beaming. “I don’t think anyone’s ever felt that strongly about me before.”

“Poor boy. And now he’s stuck with us,” Jacob snickered, giving Adrien’s hair a tussle.

“Let’s exchange contact information so we can get ahold of you,” Marc suggested. “Are you available tomorrow? We’re going to need a lot of rehearsal time between now and Saturday in order to be ready.”

“Yes. I’m available,” Adrien quickly confirmed. “I don’t have a phone, though, so if we could communicate by email, that would be great. I’m le chat de la princesse de la nuit on gmail. All lowercase and run together.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Marc assured, getting out his phone and opening up a new email. “I’ll email you all of our numbers and emails so you can get in touch with us. I’ll email you again later with the place and time. It’ll probably be Phantasmagoria over in the eighth arrondissement. You know it?”

Adrien nodded. “I had a friend whose band played there. He used to sneak me in before I turned eighteen.”

The fond smile on Adrien’s face gave Luka some hope that maybe he was still a good memory for Adrien and that Adrien wouldn’t be too upset when he realized just whose band he had inadvertently joined.

It didn’t occur to Adrien until later to wonder if Luka still played at Phantasmagoria and if Raoul the bartender still worked there and would recognize Adrien.

“Good,” Marc chuckled. “I’m glad you know it. Like I said, I’ll confirm place and time later this afternoon.”

He then turned to Luka. “Hey, Rich Boy. Would you mind picking up a phone for Émile? It’s going to be really inconvenient if we can’t get ahold of him.”

“You don’t have to do to that!” Adrien looked frantically between Marc and Luka. “I’ll-I’ll pay you back when I can. I promise.”

“Don’t worry about it, Angel,” Luka assured with a kind smile as he got up and started to put his guitar away. “My bio dad got hit with a huge dose of guilt a few years ago for never bothering to find out I existed let alone pay child support for me, so I’ve got a ridiculous trust fund that I don’t know what to do with now.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed, and he wanted to protest out of principle, but even he had to acknowledge that it would be really useful to have a phone, and he was too down on his luck to afford one.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it, Luc,” he replied with sincerity.

“Sure thing.” Luka smiled, giving Adrien a wink and doing an internal victory dance when Adrien smiled back at him.

“…Well, I guess if you guys don’t need anything else from me, I’m going to head out,” Adrien excused himself politely, starting to make his way towards the door. “It was lovely meeting you all.”

“You too, Kid!” Jacob assured, and Josie seconded the sentiment.

“We’ll see you tomorrow, Émile.” Marc waved him off. “Be safe.”

Adrien returned the wave and turned to go.

Luka bit his lip, debating with himself.

“What’s that face you’re making?” Josie snickered, coming back to perch on her barstool.

“You should go ask him out to coffee,” Jacob suggested as he came over, making a shooing gesture at Luka.

“Jacob will babysit your stuff for you,” Marc volunteered.

Luka looked to Jacob, and Jacob shrugged.

“We all want you to start feeling better soon,” Josie explained, giving Luka a soft smile. “Spending time with someone new will be good for you.”

“Just don’t come on too strong so that you scare him off,” Marc cautioned. “Don’t do that heart-song stuff. He’s a good kid, and we need him for Saturday.”

Luka rolled his eyes, handing his guitar to Jacob. “Thanks, guys, but this isn’t a romantic thing.”

“Uh-huh,” Josie agreed disingenuously, a cat-that-ate-the-canary smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.

“Have fun,” Jacob snickered.

Luka shook his head, making for the door.

He looked back and forth once he got outside of the bar and just happened to spot Adrien turning the corner.

He raced after him, slowing down as he began to catch up because he figured the last thing Adrien needed was someone he didn’t recognize barreling towards him and making him think he was in danger.

He decelerated into a walk and took a few deep breaths before calling out, “Adrien!”

Adrien froze, every muscle in his back going tense as he slowly turned.

“I’m sorry. I think you’ve confused me with someone el—” he started to say but then stopped short as he got a good look at Luka in the light of day without his cap obscuring the view.

Adrien’s eyes widened, his cheeks lost all colour, and his mouth dropped open.

“Luka?” he breathed, his heart stopping in his chest.

[musicallisto]

𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔

𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑: 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝘩

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘. Émile Péchon, in the low-lying morning light, tries to make out the strong faces of his sister, his parents. None of them have cried, at least not in front of him, not even Mathilde, who sees her whole life heading for the front and for death. With a touch of humor, Émile reassures himself that the farm and the village will never be better off than under Mathilde’s guidance.

When the platform disappears completely in the smoky wake of the train, Émile adjusts his collar. He is in his shirtsleeves, for it was too hot on the quay and in the middle of Paris's frenetic boiling; and he believes, naively, that as long as he doesn’t put his uniform on, he will be able to trick death into thinking his time has not come yet.

The city and the handkerchiefs of grieving parents soon give way to the green countryside of the Marne. He cannot see it, but Émile imagines the river and its meanders wending their way through the fields, the small houses, the bell towers ringing the Terce office, the dogs barking after the locomotive. It is a peaceful sight that reminds him of his world, the stream that flows behind his vegetable garden, and part of him refuses to understand how the world he comes from, where horses graze peacefully and from the sky only water falls, can be so close to the one he is sent to.

Émile then feels the need to take a few steps. This wagon where death floats among the living and faces are haunted by what they haven’t seen yet is like a cage when one has grown up in the endless fields of the West. He walks through his entire compartment, not knowing where he is going. His steps carry him to a window and a deserted spot, and by a happy coincidence, he recognizes, sitting opposite, Charles Grisemer. He is already wearing his uniform. The three stripes on his sleeve shimmer without brilliance. Three for Charles, two for Émile, and that last strip of fabric is like a first trench that splits them up...

“I doubt that this will be of any consolation to you... but I am relieved, at least, to be mobilized with you,” he begins, sitting opposite his childhood friend.

Charles looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks. Ringed with concern, clad in a uniform that seems too large for the gentle boy who used to climb trees and write poems, Charles has in a second aged ten years.

“So am I.”

“You know, Charles...”

But his elder interrupts him with a wave of the hand as if his own name were causing him incredible pain. To the words he answers, Émile swallows, and nods sadly, his mute gaze riveted on the countryside.

“Nothing is the same anymore. For you, for me, and for all the others, you are to be Lieutenant Péchon, and I Captain Grisemer.”

tagging; @lxncelot​

««  previous  |  next   »»

[romvlogs]

13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful ”Somebody once told me the definition of hell: “On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.” — Anonymous Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person we can become, we don’t need to add more things — we need to give up on some of them. There are certain things that are universal, which will make you successful if you give up on them, even though each one of us could have a different definition of success. You can give up on some of them today, while it might take a bit longer to give up on others. 1. Give Up On The Unhealthy Lifestyle “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn If you want to achieve anything in life, everything starts here. First you have to take care of your health, and there are only two things you need to keep in mind: 1. Healthy Diet 2. Physical Activity Small steps, but you will thank yourself one day. 2. Give Up The Short-term Mindset “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West Successful people set long-term goals, and they know these aims are merely the result of short-term habits that they need to do every day. These healthy habits shouldn’t be something you do; they should be something you embody. There is a difference between: “Working out to get a summer body” and “Working out because that’s who you are.” 3. Give Up On Playing Small “Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson If you never try and take great opportunities, or allow your dreams to become realities, you will never unleash your true potential. And the world will never benefit from what you could have achieved. So voice your ideas, don’t be afraid to fail, and certainly don’t be afraid to succeed. 4. Give Up Your Excuses “It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.” ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture Successful people know that they are responsible for their life, no matter their starting point, weaknesses, and past failures. Realising that you are responsible for what happens next in your life is both frightening and exciting. And when you do, that becomes the only way you can become successful, because excuses limit and prevent us from growing personally and professionally. Own your life; no one else will. 5. Give Up The Fixed Mindset “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene, Mastery People with a fixed mindset think their intelligence or talents are simply fixed traits, and that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong. Successful people know this. They invest an immense amount of time on a daily basis to develop a growth mindset, acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and change their perception so that it can benefit their lives. Remember, who you are today, it’s not who you have to be tomorrow. 6. Give Up Believing In The “Magic Bullet.” “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” — Émile Coué Overnight success is a myth. Successful people know that making small continual improvement every day will be compounded over time, and give them desirable results. That is why you should plan for the future, but focus on the day that’s ahead of you, and improve just 1% every day. 7. Give Up Your Perfectionism “Shipping beats perfection.” — Khan Academy’s Development Mantra Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how much we try. Fear of failure (or even fear of success) often prevents us from taking an action and putting our creation out there in the world. But a lot of opportunities will be lost if we wait for the things to be right. So “ship,” and then improve (that 1%). 8. Give Up Multi-tasking “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ― Winston S. Churchill Successful people know this. That���s why they choose one thing and then beat it into submission. No matter what it is — a business idea, a conversation, or a workout. Being fully present and committed to one task, is indispensable. 9. Give Up Your Need to Control Everything “Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” — Epictetus, Stoic philosopher Differentiating these two is important. Detach from the things you cannot control, and focus on the ones you can, and know that sometimes, the only thing you will be able to control is your attitude towards something. Remember, nobody can be frustrated while saying “Bubbles” in an angry voice. 10. Give Up On Saying YES To Things That Don’t Support Your Goals “He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” — James Allen Successful people know that in order to accomplish their goals, they will have to say NO to certain tasks, activities, and demands from their friends, family, and colleagues. In the short-term, you might sacrifice a bit of instant gratification, but when your goals come to fruition, it will all be worth it. 11. Give Up The Toxic People “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ― Jim Rohn People we spend the most time with, add up to who we become. There are people who are less accomplished in their personal and professional life, and there are people who are more accomplished than us. If you spend time with those who are behind you, your average will go down, and with it, your success. But if you spend time with people who are more accomplished than you, no matter how challenging that might be, you will become more successful. Take a look at around you, and see if you need to make any changes. 12. Give Up Your Need To Be Liked “The only way to avoid pissing people off is to do nothing important.” — Oliver Emberton Think of yourself as a market niche. There will be a lot of people who like that niche, and there will be individuals who don’t. And no matter what you do, you won’t be able to make the entire market like you. This is entirely natural, and there’s no need to justify yourself. The only thing you can do is to remain authentic, improve and provide value every day, and know that the growing number of “haters” means that you are doing important things. 13. Give Up Your Dependency on Social Media & Television “The trouble is, you think you have time” — Jack Kornfield Impulsive web browsing and television watching are diseases of today’s society. These two should never be an escape from your life or your goals. Unless your goals depend on either, you should minimise (or even eliminate) your dependency on them, and direct that time towards things that can enrich your life. Call To Action If you want to increase your productivity and eliminate procrastination, check out my free guide called: “The Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet (Revised Edition)” One last thing… If you liked this article, click the💚 below so other people will see it here on Medium.

[treyknight]

13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful.

Somebody once told me the definition of hell: “On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.” — Anonymous. Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person we can become, we don’t need to add more things — we need to give up on some of them. There are certain things that are universal, which will make you successful if you give up on them, even though each one of us could have a different definition of success. You can give up on some of them today, while it might take a bit longer to give up on others. 1. Give Up On The Unhealthy Lifestyle. “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn If you want to achieve anything in life, everything starts here. First you have to take care of your health, and there are only two things you need to keep in mind: 1. Healthy Diet. 2. Physical Activity. ...Small steps, but you will thank yourself one day. 2. Give Up The Short-term Mindset. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West Successful people set long-term goals, and they know these aims are merely the result of short-term habits that they need to do every day. These healthy habits shouldn’t be something you do; they should be something you embody. There is a difference between: “Working out to get a summer body” and “Working out because that’s who you are.” 3. Give Up On Playing Small. “Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson If you never try and take great opportunities, or allow your dreams to become realities, you will never unleash your true potential. And the world will never benefit from what you could have achieved. So voice your ideas, don’t be afraid to fail, and certainly don’t be afraid to succeed. 4. Give Up Your Excuses. “It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.”― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture Successful people know that they are responsible for their life, no matter their starting point, weaknesses, and past failures. Realising that you are responsible for what happens next in your life is both frightening and exciting. And when you do, that becomes the only way you can become successful, because excuses limit and prevent us from growing personally and professionally. Own your life; no one else will. 5. Give Up The Fixed Mindset. “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene, Mastery People with a fixed mindset think their intelligence or talents are simply fixed traits, and that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong. Successful people know this. They invest an immense amount of time on a daily basis to develop a growth mindset, acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and change their perception so that it can benefit their lives. Remember, who you are today, it’s not who you have to be tomorrow. 6. Give Up Believing In The “Magic Bullet.” “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” — Émile Coué Overnight success is a myth. Successful people know that making small continual improvement every day will be compounded over time, and give them desirable results. That is why you should plan for the future, but focus on the day that’s ahead of you, and improve just 1% every day. 7. Give Up Your Perfectionism. “Shipping beats perfection.” — Kahn Academy’s Development Mantra Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how much we try. Fear of failure (or even fear of success) often prevents us from taking an action and putting our creation out there in the world. But a lot of opportunities will be lost if we wait for the things to be right. So “ship,” and then improve (that 1%). 8. Give Up Multi-tasking. “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ― Winston S. Churchill Successful people know this. That’s why they choose one thing and then beat it into submission. No matter what it is — a business idea, a conversation, or a workout. Being fully present and committed to one task, is indispensable. 9. Give Up Your Need to Control Everything. “Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” — Epictetus, Stoic philosopher Differentiating these two is important. Detach from the things you cannot control, and focus on the ones you can, and know that sometimes, the only thing you will be able to control is your attitude towards something. Remember, "Nobody can be frustrated while saying “Bubbles” in an angry voice". 10. Give Up On Saying YES To Things That Don’t Support Your Goals. “He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” — James Allen Successful people know that in order to accomplish their goals, they will have to say NO to certain tasks, activities, and demands from their friends, family, and colleagues. In the short-term, you might sacrifice a bit of instant gratification, but when your goals come to fruition, it will all be worth it. 11. Give Up The Toxic People. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”― Jim Rohn People we spend the most time with, add up to who we become. There are people who are less accomplished in their personal and professional life, and there are people who are more accomplished than us. If you spend time with those who are behind you, your average will go down, and with it, your success. But if you spend time with people who are more accomplished than you, no matter how challenging that might be, you will become more successful. Take a look at around you, and see if you need to make any changes. 12. Give Up Your Need To Be Liked. “The only way to avoid pissing people off is to do nothing important.” — Oliver Emberton Think of yourself as a market niche. There will be a lot of people who like that niche, and there will be individuals who don’t. And no matter what you do, you won’t be able to make the entire market like you. This is entirely natural, and there’s no need to justify yourself. The only thing you can do is to remain authentic, improve and provide value every day, and know that the growing number of “haters” means that you are doing important things. 13. Give Up Your Dependency on Social Media & Television. “The trouble is, you think you have time” — Jack Kornfield Impulsive web browsing and television watching are diseases of today’s society. These two should never be an escape from your life or your goals. Unless your goals depend on either, you should minimise (or even eliminate) your dependency on them, and direct that time towards things that can enrich your life. Be Blessed. -TK

[eurolinguiste]

When we hit that intermediate stage of our learning, we’re often told that now’s the time to start switching over to native source material and to step away from resources aimed at learners.

But how do you know just what native source material to choose?

Our hopes high, we take to Google hoping to find great French books or films, but lo and behold, the majority of the suggested material is what we politely call ‘classic’. In other words, it’s old.

You wanted recommendations for films, tv shows, books or songs in French that are fresh. Those that are relevant today.

And we’re here to help.

Today, I’m excited to share a post from Emily Handley of French Affliction. She’s worked hard to curate this list of 10 French movies, 10 French songs, 10 French books and 10 French tv shows that are not only interesting and relevant, but they also contain language that are suitable for those at the beginning level all the way up to the advanced level with straightforward vocabulary.

Thanks Emily!

Let’s dive right in.

11 French Books for French Language Learners

1. Le petit prince – Antoine Saint-Exupéry

The most famous of Saint-Exupéry’s books, Le petit prince (The Little Prince) is a philosophical fable presented as a children’s book. The narrator, a pilot who’s been forced to make an emergency landing in the Sahara Desert, hears a mysterious voice asking him to draw a sheep. This turns out to be the title character, a young prince who lives on an asteroid no bigger than a house in the company of a beautiful rose that he is in love with.

2. La petite fille de Monsieur Linh – Philippe Claudel

Published in 2005, Claudel’s novel centres on the title character Monsieur Linh, who has been forced into exile from his unnamed country of origin after a war. He begins a friendship with Monsieur Bark, a war veteran, after arriving in his new country. With Monsieur Linh having lost his family in his home country and Monsieur Bark having lost his wife, the bereavement experienced by the two men draws them closer. However, as the two men do not speak the same language, they communicate instead through gestures in this friendship based on their shared grief.

3. Bel-Ami – Guy de Maupassant

Social climber Georges Duroy mounts a ruthless seduction campaign in his quest for wealth and fame in this novel by Maupassant. After finding a job as a columnist for a Parisian newspaper, he takes on several mistresses in quick succession. When he gets married for the second time in a huge society wedding, it becomes clear that his days as a seducer are far from over. As he stands with his new wife on the steps of La Madeleine church in Paris, Duroy’s thoughts turn to one of his old flames and the possibility of rekindling their relationship.

4. Le silence de la mer – Vercors

Written during the Second World War, this novel by Vercors (the pseudonym of Jean Bruller) tells the story of a German officer who lives with an elderly Frenchman and his niece following the German invasion of France. The officer, who appreciates French culture, unsuccessfully attempts to establish a bond with his hosts, who express their patriotism and loyalty to France through silence and keeping their distance from him. The novel was the first to be printed by Les Editions de Minuit, a clandestine publishing house set up by Vercors and his friend Pierre de Lescure to bypass the literary censorship put in place in Occupied France during the Second World War.

5. La première gorgée de bière et d’autres plaisirs minuscules – Philippe Delerm

Divided up into thirty-five short essays with the longest coming in at three pages, this collection of short stories offers lots of little snapshots of different aspects of French life. In one story, Delerm writes about the ritual of reading the morning newspapers on the dining table surrounded by cups of coffee and pots of jam, and in another describes the pleasure of savouring a freshly baked and still-warm croissant while walking back from the bakery in the early morning.

6. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

Flaubert’s account of an unhappy housewife who turns to adultery was considered so controversial when it was published in the 1840s that it was the subject of a trial.

Although the author’s descriptions of Emma Bovary’s extramarital affairs are no longer thought to be obscene or immoral, his insightful depiction of her dissatisfaction and boredom still resonates today.

Definitely a classic read.

7. L’Étranger – Albert Camus

L’Étranger (The Outsider) tells the story of Meursault, an emotionally detached French Algerian who is sentenced to death for shooting an Arab man. When Meusault is tried for the murder, the prosecution seize on the fact that he did not cry at his mother’s recent funeral. They claim that this lack of emotion must mean that he feels no remorse for killing the Arab man and that he therefore deserves the death penalty for his crime.

8. Thérèse Raquin – Émile Zola

Like Emma Bovary, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a marriage to a man whom she does not love. After being raised by her aunt, she has been forced to marry her cousin, the sickly Camille. Thérèse’s life of boredom and drudgery suddenly changes when she meets one of Camille’s childhood friends, Laurent. She starts a passionate affair with him, which leads to deceit, lies and, eventually, murder when she and Laurent hatch a plan to kill Camille so they can finally marry.

9. Un sac de billes – Joseph Joffo

Known in English under the title A Bag of Marbles, this novel is about Joffo’s own experiences of growing up in a Jewish household in Paris during the Second World War. The story starts in 1941 when the author is ten years old, a year after the Germans have invaded France. He then writes about his family’s escape from Paris, as they make arrangements to cross the demarcation line into the free zone in the south of France. The novel’s been adapted into a comic strip as well as into two films, with the most recent one having been released in early 2017.

10. Les fourmis – Bernard Werber

The opening novel of a science-fiction trilogy, Bernard Werber’s Les Fourmis (The Ants) is set in the early twenty-first century, around a decade after the book was first published in 1991. Werber writes about two worlds, the world of the ants and the world of the humans, which come together during the novel. In the world of the humans, unemployed locksmith Jonathan moves with his family into a large house in Fontainebleau after inheriting it from his uncle. Shortly after settling in the house, Jonathan receives a mysterious letter from his uncle telling him never to go down into the house’s cellar, but he ignores this warning after the family dog falls into the cellar and he goes down to rescue it.

11. Dessine-moi un parisien – Olivier Magny

This book, which takes its title from one of the most famous passages in Le Petit Prince, is a witty and refreshingly unclichéd look at how Parisians see the world. Covering everything from Berthillon ice-cream and salted caramel to why wearing white socks is a cardinal sin in the City of Light, Magny’s book is a must-read for anyone in love with the French capital.

10 French Songs for French Language Learners

1. Formidable – Stromae

This became famous around the world in summer 2013 after Stromae filmed himself singing it in an apparently drunk state at a Brussels tram stop and uploaded the footage to YouTube. The clip’s now had over 160 million views.

2. Quand tu me prends la main – Joyce Jonathan

Featured on Joyce Jonathan’s second album Caractère, this song showcases her gentle vocals alongside a jaunty guitar accompaniment.

3. Paris – Camille

There’s lots of clever wordplay here, as Camille sings of falling out of love with Paris’s ‘picture-postcard stairways’ and ‘grey skies’. While she considers leaving France’s capital for Toulouse, Seville or even Rio, its charm proves in fact to be too strong to resist, and she can’t help but return to the City of Light.

4. Ma jeunesse – Carla Bruni

Before becoming Mrs Sarkozy and one half of France’s First Couple, Carla Bruni was best known for her music career. She sings here of youth and the passing of time, with a dynamic piano accompaniment contrasting with the melancholy lyrics.

5. Dernière danse – Indila

Paris-based singer Indila had a huge success with this song, which can be translated as ‘last dance’, from her debut album Mini World which came out in 2013.

6. Les Marquises – Jacques Brel

Following his decision to retire in 1966 at the height of his music career, Brel turned his hand to acting and directing before moving to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. He wrote this song about his island home for his last album, released in 1977.

7. La Parisienne – Christophe Maé

This song, from Maé’s 2016 album L’Attrape-Rêves (The Dream-Catcher), is about a woman who, since moving to Paris, has abandoned her old friends for brunching, Facebooking and having apéritifs by the Seine.

8. Paris – Marc Lavoine

In this duet with Algerian singer Souad Massi, Lavoine sings of this attachment to the City of the Light, from admiring the Eiffel Tower to toasting to the health of its lovers and drifting in and out of its metros.

9. La maison où j’ai grandi – Françoise Hardy

Hardy, who is known as much for her fashion icon status as for her singing, was part of the ‘yé-yé’ movement that became popular in France during the 1960s. Here, she sings of her memories of her childhood friends and the house that she grew up in as a young girl.

10. Les gens du nord – Enrico Macias

After emigrating to France from Algeria as a teenager, Macias quickly felt welcomed by his host country. The idea for this song came to him after a particularly enthusiastic welcome from the audience at a performance he was giving in northern France. He co-wrote it with lyricist Jacques Demarny, and since its release in 1967, it’s become a popular French musical standard.

10 French TV Shows for French Language Learners

1. Braquo

Braquo, which translates into English as ‘hold-up’, follows the attempts of four Paris police officers to clear their colleague’s name following his suicide after he is suspected of seriously harming a prisoner in custody.

If you enjoy many of the crime-based television series in your native language, watching this particular series is a great way to switch over an activity you enjoy into your target language.

  2. Un gars, une fille

This comedy series, which launched the career of French actor Jean Dujardin, centres on the lives of lovebirds Loulou (Dujardin) and Chouchou, played by Alexandra Lamy. Each episode starring the couple lasts around six minutes, and is made up of several sketches that can show anything from them relaxing together at home to attending a wedding, watching a show at the Moulin Rouge or even being stranded on a desert island.

3. Un village français

First shown in France in 2009, Un village français looks at the effects of the Nazi occupation of France during the Second World War. It takes place in a fictional village in the Jura mountains, not far from the demarcation line that separated Occupied France from ‘free France’. Quite a few well-known French actors appear in the series, including Audrey Fleurot and Thierry Godard, who both have major roles in Engrenages.

4. Engrenages

Engrenages, a police and legal drama set in Paris, first became known in the UK after being shown on BBC4 under the translated title of Spiral.

The show, which prides itself on its realism, gives the viewer a thrilling snapshot of the French justice system through the eyes of an idealistic defence lawyer, a police chief inspector and their colleagues.

The title, Engrenages, carries interesting connotations in the language.

5. Les revenants

Set among the dramatic landscapes of the Haute-Savoie region in eastern France, Les Revenants (The Returned) is an eerie, exciting and original take on typical zombie horror fare. The residents of a quiet town in the mountains are left in a state of shock when former residents, many of who have been dead for years, come back to life and wanting to resume their lives as normal. Their reappearances in the town coincide with other strange events, from unexplained power shortages to the water in the local reservoir suddenly lowering to a worrying level.

6. Plus belle la vie

A long-running soap opera, which is something like the French version of Eastenders or Neighbours, follows the lives of a group of families in Le Mistral, an idyllic (fictional) neighbourhood somewhere in the coastal city of Marseille.

The show broadcast its three-thousandth episode in 2016, and is so popular that tourists visit Marseille just to visit its chocolate-box filming locations.

7. Disparue

Based on a Spanish crime drama, Disparue (The Disappearance) focuses on efforts to find a teenage girl when she goes missing after going to a concert with friends.

Although this thriller mini-series is only made up of eight episodes, it manages to be fast-moving as well as sustaining a satisfyingly complex storyline.

8. Fais pas ci, fais pas ça

The rather overbearing tone of the title (Don’t do this, don’t do that) reflects the differing views and attitudes of its main characters.

On one side, the laidback Bouley family. And on the other the Lepic family, their more conservative neighbours.

9. Clem

When sixteen-year-old Clem Boissier goes to the doctor’s to find out why she’s been feeling under the weather, the last thing she expects to hear is that she’s about to become a mother.

After telling her best friend and swearing her to secrecy, she then struggles to find the right moment to tell her family. At the time of writing, this popular series has been running for seven seasons in France, and an eighth series is due to start filming.

10. Chef’s Table: France

This Netflix-produced series Chef’s Table, which has been nominated for an Emmy, visits the land of wine and cheese to find out the secrets of the most respected French chefs.

We hear from Adeline Grattard, who’s behind the bao restaurant Yam’Tcha, and Alain Passard, who took a risk that paid off when he took red meat from the menu at L’Arpège in Paris and replaced it with fresh vegetables from his biodynamic farms.

12 French Films for French Language Learners

1. Hors de prix

This comedy, which translates into English as ‘priceless’, stars Audrey Tautou as Irène, a modern-day Holly Golightly. Whilst on holiday with her current lover, she meets hotel barman Jean (Gad Elmaleh) who falls in love with her and spends all of his savings on his seduction campaign. Luckily, a wealthy widow staying at the hotel takes a shine to him and, following in Irène’s footsteps, Jean becomes Madeline’s lover. When Jean and Irène see each other again by chance, they realise that they are still in love with each other. They try to spend as much together as possible while making sure that their lovers don’t suspect anything, which doesn’t quite go to plan…

2. Intouchable

After Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, this was the second highest grossing film ever in France. The film focuses on the bond between Philippe, a wealthy Parisian who becomes paralysed after a paragliding accident, and his live-in carer Driss.

Both Philippe and Driss are wary of each other when Driss starts to work for him, but this initial distrust leads to a close friendship between the two men.

3. Amélie

Featuring Audrey Tautou in the title role (along with Paris’s Montmartre district in a supporting role), Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film is about a young woman who spends her free time doing good deeds for strangers.

The Café des 2 Moulins, where Amélie works as a waitress in the film, has become a popular tourist attraction since appearing in the movie.

4. Jules et Jim

Based on Henri-Pierre Roché’s novel, Truffaut’s film centres on the love triangle that develops when best friends Jules and Jim both fall for the beautiful Catherine. Even though she later goes on to marry Jules, Catherine still seems undecided about which of the men she likes, even beginning an affair with Jim while she is married. Jeanne Moreau gives a wonderful performance as the charismatic and unpredictable Catherine, and Oskar Werner and Henri Serre star as Jules and Jim respectively.

5. Potiche

Catherine Deneuve appears here as Suzanne Pujol, and the ‘potiche’ (‘trophy wife’) of the film’s title.

It’s the mid-1970s, and everyone around Suzanne sees her as a mother and a housewife, while her factory owner husband Robert brings home the bacon. But when Robert’s employees rebel against him, it’s up to Suzanne to step up to the plate and sort out the situation.

6. La Haine

Filmed in black-and-white, La Haine (‘hate’) focuses on 24 hours in the life of three teenage friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd.

Living on a housing estate on the outskirts of Paris, they learn at the start of the film that a friend of theirs, Abdel, is in a coma after being beaten up by police. After hearing the news, Vinz promises himself that he will kill a policeman if Abdel dies from his injuries.

7. Populaire

Insurance agent Louis Échard (Romain Duris) is a man on a mission. Having just hired Rose Pamphyle as his secretary, he’s seen how fast she can type, and has the idea of entering her into a regional speed-typing contest. Although Rose is beaten at the competition, Louis continues to believe in her, and decides to take her under his wing to train her for the world speed-typing championships. Over time, Louis and Rose’s professional relationship develops into a romantic one, in this film inspired by My Fair Lady.

8. Entre les murs

François Bégaudeau stars in this film adaptation of his novel of the same name, where he writes about his experiences of teaching in an inner-city school in Paris in the 20th arrondisement.

It’s an interesting view into the French education system as well as the struggles of teens in France.

It received the Palme d’Or at the 2008 Cannes film festival.

9. Les parapluies de Cherbourg

The rainy port city of Cherbourg is given the Technicolour treatment by director Jacques Demy, who took his inspiration for the film from Hollywood musicals. Catherine Deneuve plays teenager Geneviève Emery, who falls head over heels in love with local car mechanic Guy. The young couple’s dreams of a future together are interrupted, however, when Guy is called up to fight in the Algerian War. Geneviève inadvertently breaks her promise to wait for his return when her family’s financial difficulties force her to accept a marriage proposal from a wealthy businessman.

10. La vie en rose

Marion Cotillard won an Oscar (a first for an actress in a French language film) for her portrayal of the singer Édith Piaf in this biopic, which takes its name from one of Piaf’s most famous songs.

The film recaps the main events in Piaf’s life, from her childhood in Paris and her early success as a singer to her meeting with Marcel Cerdan, who would later become her lover all the way to the events leading up to and surrounding her death.

11. Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre

The most successful of all of the Astérix and Obélix films to date, this story was adapted from the comic Astérix et Cléopâtre by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Astérix and Obélix are transported to Ancient Egypt for this adventure. Along with their friend Panoramix, they are asked to help the architect Numérobis with the seemingly impossible task of building a huge palace in the middle of the desert in three months.

12. Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis

Directed by French actor and comedian Dany Boon, who is himself a Ch’ti (someone who lives or comes from the area around Calais), this comedy follows post office manager Philippe (Kad Merad) as he’s transferred from his job in the south of France to Bergues, in the far north. His friends and family warn him that the north is freezing and inhospitable and, when he gets there, he’s unable to make head or tail of the Ch’ti dialiect. Will he live to regret his move?

What about you?

What are some French native materials you’ve used to up your ability in the language?

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

apntag.anq.push(function() { apntag.showTag('ga_os_8544222'); });

The post 10+ French Books, Songs, TV Shows, and Films to Improve Your French Language Skills appeared first on Eurolinguiste.

[bestselfawareness-blog]

13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful

”Somebody once told me the definition of hell:

“On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.” — Anonymous

Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person we can become, we don’t need to add more things — we need to give up on some of them.

There are certain things that are universal, which will make you successful if you give up on them, even though each one of us could have a different definition of success.

You can give up on some of them today, while it might take a bit longer to give up on others.

1. Give Up On The Unhealthy Lifestyle

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn

If you want to achieve anything in life, everything starts here. First you have to take care of your health, and there are only two things you need to keep in mind:

1. Healthy Diet 2. Physical Activity

Small steps, but you will thank yourself one day.

2. Give Up The Short-term Mindset

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West

Successful people set long-term goals, and they know these aims are merely the result of short-term habits that they need to do every day.

These healthy habits shouldn’t be something you do; they should be something you embody.

There is a difference between: “Working out to get a summer body” and “Working out because that’s who you are.”

3. Give Up On Playing Small

“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson

If you never try and take great opportunities, or allow your dreams to become realities, you will never unleash your true potential.

And the world will never benefit from what you could have achieved.

So voice your ideas, don’t be afraid to fail, and certainly don’t be afraid to succeed.

4. Give Up Your Excuses

“It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.” ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Successful people know that they are responsible for their life, no matter their starting point, weaknesses, and past failures.

Realising that you are responsible for what happens next in your life is both frightening and exciting.

And when you do, that becomes the only way you can become successful, because excuses limit and prevent us from growing personally and professionally.

Own your life; no one else will.

5. Give Up The Fixed Mindset

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene, Mastery

People with a fixed mindset think their intelligence or talents are simply fixed traits, and that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong.

Successful people know this. They invest an immense amount of time on a daily basis to develop a growth mindset, acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and change their perception so that it can benefit their lives.

Remember, who you are today, it’s not who you have to be tomorrow.

6. Give Up Believing In The “Magic Bullet.”

“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” — Émile Coué

Overnight success is a myth.

Successful people know that making small continual improvement every day will be compounded over time, and give them desirable results.

That is why you should plan for the future, but focus on the day that’s ahead of you, and improve just 1% every day.

7. Give Up Your Perfectionism

“Shipping beats perfection.” — Khan Academy’s Development Mantra

Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how much we try.

Fear of failure (or even fear of success) often prevents us from taking an action and putting our creation out there in the world. But a lot of opportunities will be lost if we wait for the things to be right.

So “ship,” and then improve (that 1%).

8. Give Up Multi-tasking

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Successful people know this. That’s why they choose one thing and then beat it into submission. No matter what it is — a business idea, a conversation, or a workout.

Being fully present and committed to one task, is indispensable.

9. Give Up Your Need to Control Everything

“Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” — Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

Differentiating these two is important.

Detach from the things you cannot control, and focus on the ones you can, and know that sometimes, the only thing you will be able to control is your attitude towards something.

Remember, nobody can be frustrated while saying “Bubbles” in an angry voice.

10. Give Up On Saying YES To Things That Don’t Support Your Goals

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” — James Allen

Successful people know that in order to accomplish their goals, they will have to say NO to certain tasks, activities, and demands from their friends, family, and colleagues.

In the short-term, you might sacrifice a bit of instant gratification, but when your goals come to fruition, it will all be worth it.

11. Give Up The Toxic People

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ― Jim Rohn

People we spend the most time with, add up to who we become.

There are people who are less accomplished in their personal and professional life, and there are people who are more accomplished than us. If you spend time with those who are behind you, your average will go down, and with it, your success.

But if you spend time with people who are more accomplished than you, no matter how challenging that might be, you will become more successful.

Take a look at around you, and see if you need to make any changes.

12. Give Up Your Need To Be Liked

“The only way to avoid pissing people off is to do nothing important.” — Oliver Emberton

Think of yourself as a market niche.

There will be a lot of people who like that niche, and there will be individuals who don’t. And no matter what you do, you won’t be able to make the entire market like you.

This is entirely natural, and there’s no need to justify yourself.

The only thing you can do is to remain authentic, improve and provide value every day, and know that the growing number of “haters” means that you are doing important things.

13. Give Up Your Dependency on Social Media & Television

“The trouble is, you think you have time” — Jack Kornfield

Impulsive web browsing and television watching are diseases of today’s society. These two should never be an escape from your life or your goals.

Unless your goals depend on either, you should minimise (or even eliminate) your dependency on them, and direct that time towards things that can enrich your life.

Call To Action

If you want to increase your productivity and eliminate procrastination, check out my Website Articles.

Follow Me on :

Facebook : @Best.Self.Awareness

Twitter      :  @My_Awareness

Pinterest :   BestAwareness

[billionairedestiny]

13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful

“Somebody once told me the definition of hell:

“On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.”– Anonymus

Sometimes, to become more successful, we don’t need to add more things, we need to give up on some of them.

Even though each one of us has a different definition of success, there are certain things that are universal, which, if you give up on them, you will be more successful.

Some of them you can give up today, while it might take a bit longer for some.

1. Give Up The Unhealthy Lifestyle

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn

Everything starts here, if you want to achieve anything in life, first you have to take care of your health. And there are only two things you need to keep in mind:

1. Healthy Diet  2. Physical Activity

Small steps, but you will thank yourself one day.

2. Give Up The Short-term Mindset

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West

Successful people set long-term goals, and they know that these aims are merely the result of our short-term habits that they need to do every day.

And those healthy habits shouldn’t be something you do; they should be something you are.

There is a difference between: “Working out to achieve that summer body” and “Working out because that’s who you are.”

3. Give Up Playing Small

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frighten us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”– Marianne Williamson

If you never try and take great opportunities, or allow your dreams to become realities, you will never realize your true potential.

And the world will never benefit from what you could have achieved.

So voice your ideas, don’t be afraid to fail, and certainly don’t be afraid to succeed.

4. Give Up Your Excuses

“It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.”  ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Successful people know that they are responsible for their life, not matter their starting point, weaknesses, and past failures.

Realizing that you are entirely responsible for what happens next in your life, is both frightening and exciting.

But it’s the only way that you can reach the success because excuses limit us and prevent us from growing personally and professionally.

Own up to your life; no one else will.

5. Give Up The Fixed Mindset

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene, Mastery

In a fixed mindset, people believe that their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits and that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong.

And successful people know this. They invest an immense amount of time on a daily basis to develop a growth mindset, acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and change their perception so that it can benefit their lives.

Remember, who you are today, it’s not who you have to be tomorrow.

6. Give Up Believing In The “Magic Bullet.”

“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” — Émile Coué

Overnight success is a myth.

Successful people know that making small continuous improvement every day, will be compounded over time, and give them desired results.

That why you should plan for the future, but to focus on the day, that’s ahead of you and improve just 1%.

7. Give Up Perfectionism

“Shipping beats perfection.” — Kahn Academy’s Development Mantra

Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how much we try.

Fear of failure (or even fear of success) often prevents us from taking action and putting our creation out there in the world.

But a lot of opportunities will be lost if we wait for things to be right.

So, “ship,” and then improve.

8. Give Up Multi-tasking

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Successful people know this. That’s why they choose one thing and then beat it into submission. No matter what, business idea, a conversation, raising kids, or a workout.

Being fully present and committed to one task, is indispensable.

9. Give Up Your Need to Control Everything

“Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” — Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

Differentiating these two is important.

Detach from the things you cannot control, and focus on the ones you can, and know that sometimes, the only thing you will be able to control is your attitude towards something.

And remember, nobody can be frustrated while saying “Bubbles” in an angry voice.

10. Give Up Saying YES To Things That Don’t Support Your Goals

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” — James Allen

Successful people know this that to accomplish their goals, they will have to say NO to tasks, activities, and demands from your friends, family, and colleagues.

On a short-term, you might sacrifice a bit of instant gratification, but when your goals come to fruition, it will be worth it.

11. Give Up Toxic People

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  ― Jim Rohn

People we spend the most time with, add up to who we become.

There are less developed people, and more developed people than us. If you spend time with less developed people than you, your average will go down, and with it your success.

But if you spend time with people more developed than you, no matter how challenging that might be, you will be more successful.

Take a look around yourself, and see if you need to make certain changes.

12. Give Up Your Need To Be Liked

“The only way to avoid pissing people off is to do nothing important.” — Oliver Emberton

Think of yourself as a market niche.

 There will be a lot of people that love that niche, but there will be individuals who don’t, and no matter what you do, you won’t be able to make entire market love you.

This is entirely natural, and there’s no need to justify yourself.

The only thing you can do is continue being authentic, and know that growing number of “haters” means that you are doing important things.

13. Give Up Your Dependency on The Social Media & Television

“The trouble is, you think you have time” — Buddha

Impulsive web browsing and television watching is a disease of today’s society.

 These two should never be an escape from your life or your goals.

Unless your goals depend on either, you should minimize (or eliminate) your dependency on them. And direct that time towards things that can enrich your life.

from 13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful

[oceansatedogs]

Imagining voice headcanons for my OCs and Wólfram is so very much Hozier yaddayadda- BUT ☝🏽 I raise you: Teddy with some flavor of either slavic or nordic accent and his English (erm, Common) is a bit Off and broken at times because his first language is Shapeshifter-Draconic (of the northern dialect, which sounds like Icelandic)

[oceansatedogs]

wait a fucking minute-

[oceansatedogs]

hiya i'm back with a very self-indulgent playlist for The Great Gatsby. i'm not one to use T Swift in my playlists, but it was a fun challenge to try and make it work here

[oceansatedogs]

i love only talking about ocs these days because nobody really knows who the fuck magnolia or wolfram or tumult or polynya or seafret or belial/boba or gluckel or

[oceansatedogs]

Not everyone saying I'd make a good DM😭

[oceansatedogs]

lmaooooo check this shit out