#Antoine | threads |

[octavodecimo]

Whenever I draw or think of Saint-Just I always like to keep in mind the time period he lived in, his portraits, and david d’angers’ bust. It's reasonable to assume his facial features reflected the era's definition of what was considered 'attractive' in those days to some degree—and being considerably younger than his peers helped also.

What was thought of as 'aesthetically pleasing' then may not be the case today which makes Saint-Just's supposed 'beauty' so compelling to dwell over because he could have easily looked like your average joe. He just happened to be born in a time period that celebrated his particular attributes.

So no, I will never draw him with a straight nose, thicker eyebrows, or a ridiculously over-exaggerated jawline and though he may not be pinterest bad boy pretty, think of when he was born because that defines what "handsome" means.

Edit: and of course (id forgotten to add) 19th century authors contributing to SJs current reputation mentioned by piriecore.

[vaguely-concerned]

rye in the sheltered glade with evka and antoine after destroying the blight eruption with unholy amounts of alchemical fire, looking Directly at lucanis studying a flower as it emerges undaunted from the thousand year horrors of the blight with all the guileless wonder and fascination of a little boy: yeah that's uh. wow. that is beautiful actually. this kind of does change everything doesn't it

[kmackatie]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Act Two, part ten

[x]

[cringesnail]

Saw a thread of old clips on Twitter so I translated the french ones

(pink: Antoine, yellow: Baghera, green: Etoiles, white: other)

[perditus]

Plotted starter for @divinafatum - Evka & Antoine

A small portion of blight rests in the jar, encased with a mixture of formalin in order to preserve the living specimen. It pulsed slightly, small tendrils wiggling their way through the thick substance slowly. Despite the alcoholic mixture’s relative toxicity to the living, the blight remained mostly unaffected. If Antoine had to take a wager, he might guess the solution’s thickness was all that kept the blight from breaking free, shattering the glass and spreading it’s corruption everywhere. 

He holds the jar up to the light, a small candle resting on the wooden table he currently occupied. It was hidden away in one of the homes in Lavendel, positioned in the perfect spot to avoid any moisture from above leaking through. The shack itself was remarkably well-kept despite the blight that had ravaged the village, puddles of blight and rot seeping into the soil and water. A few holes in the side allowed a bit of light to creep in along with the ambient noise from the villagers, hushed whispers lingering in the air. Antoine had reluctantly acquiesced to the villagers' insistence, a simple chair in the town hall an acceptable resting spot as far as he was concerned. 

Until the fever had settled in beside the blight plaguing his thoughts, sapping the remaining energy from his body and nearly bringing him to his knees. A headache was manageable, but bodily exhaustion was an entirely different issue. It hit him in waves, stole days from the elf until eventually fading. Only to return again and again with no trigger he could identify. Unfortunately, there were more pressing matters to attend to, the god’s assault on Thedas far more dire than a simple fever. 

It was why he sat there at the table, trembling slightly from the exertion as he studied the blight samples he had stolen away to the small house. A sheen of sweat clings to his form, his brow furrowed from both concentration and effort on his part. An uncomfortable warmth sunk deep into his body, the fever clouding his thoughts slightly as he pushed himself further. One hand holds the jar positioning in his palm, while the other grips an ink pen. Antoine jots down his notes rapidly, trying to sift through his thoughts and collect his studies in one place. 

He narrows his eyes slightly, briefly tuning into the blight’s song, listening to incoherent voices underneath the original composition. Antoine had yet to pick up on anything coherent, only the feelings shared through the rot nestled before him in the small jar. It was - 

His ears twitch slightly, body jolting a bit, as the door to the home is suddenly swung open. The sickly Warden snaps his head towards the entrance, eyes widening slightly before a sheepish expression slowly settles on his face. Oh the joys of being caught. He taps his fingers lightly against the pen, setting the jar of blight down gently on the table. Antoine twists his body slightly to face Evka, angling himself as if to obstruct her view of his work despite the futility of it all. 

“ Evka, you’re back. Did the patrols go well? ” he inquired cheerfully, not acknowledging the activities he had been previously engaged with prior to her entrance. In fact he keeps his gaze locked on her, expression softening slightly, refusing to spare the table a glance. “ I thought it would take longer. So that must mean good news, oui?” A part of him did feel guilty for even risking invoking her concern, the elf not too keen on bringing his wife any form of sorrow. She was a pillar that he willingly leaned on, but not a crutch he wished to overindulge in. Perhaps that is why he endeavored to carry on with his studies despite the illness that afflicted his form, robbing him of his vitality. If he had it his way, she would never have to look back at him and wonder if he could keep up.

[immortalmuses]

Evka must do a double take when catching Antoine out the side of her gaze. Was that popcorn? She follows his eye-line to fall upon Rook and Davrin in conversation then returns her gaze to her husband and briefly shakes her head. Eventually she approaches Antoine and hooks her arm with his to pull him from where he sits with a playful ❛ Come on... ❜ as she does so. // I couldn't help it ok! XDD

ㅤㅤㅤAntoine, ever the opportunist for a little romance, had located a perfect vantage point to watch the tableau between Rook and Davrin play out. His alcove is within easy view (and hearing distance) of their conversation, but obscured by shadows in such a way that he will not draw attention to himself. c'est magnifique!

ㅤㅤㅤThe Warden has just settled in with a snack in his lap when he feels the familiar hand of his wife snake through the bend in his elbow. In the next instant, Evka has yanked him from his cozy spot, much to Antoine's dismay "Quoi! Mon Pop-corn!"

ㅤㅤㅤTurning large, soft eyes on Evka, the Orlesian makes an aggrieved noise, his complaint murmured at a conspiratorially quiet volume, "-- don't you wish to see them fall in love??"

[sanguine-law]

@melancoliefatale | panic

It was supposed to be a nocturnal walk after dealing with patients and monster alike, his dealing with his research…but the air was soft even if chilly a little and the moon was bright too, leaf were dancing , flower closed. but something caught his attention and it was the man leaning against a tree seeming have some difficulty breathing and Antoine approach to offer assistance. So what a surprise to see the vampire in what could be a panic attack. And he asked what he could do to help. but nothing prepared him to what happened next and how the vampire lash out that he take one step back with a contained but still surprise look. Fear and hunger in his voice and suffering in his eyes, something that he was familiar with, too much familiar. so now Antoine looked firstly at Joseph searching for a cause of his panicked state before looking at his eyes and moving his hands in a way to signifies no harm. «  I do not hate you. And if I wanted to hurt you should i do it when your were injured last time ? Plus, it’s against my oath.. » he voice softly searching to calm the vampire down as he stay still to not make him panicked more. « I care about helping people and I want to help you because you are not well right now. Now, try to take deep breath slowly in and out, I will not harm you. I promise. »

"Bullshit!" he snapped back. "NO ONE bothers this much until they want something!" His wings flared out. Joseph pulled his hands in front of his chest as if he were trying to hold something. "I hate people like you! You ALWAYS lie about caring about people even when your game is found out!

"Do you want gold?! Fame? Do you want my power?! Do you just want a favor from the oldest vampire there ever was?! SECRETS?! It can't be sex, you would've asked already!" He had to pause to take a struggling breath. "Do you want to watch me suffer?! JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ALREADY!"

Joseph pull in another breath. He couldn't help wheezing, almost like a sob. Weak. Weak. Weak. They were going to kill him. Use his weakness and kill him. Stab him to death. Choke him.

He could feel his body trembling.

Joseph swept a hand out to dismiss the claims. "BECAUSE NO DOCTOR CARES THAT MUCH ABOUT A WORTHLESS LITTLE OATH IF IT GETS IN THE WAY OF KILLING SOMEONE THEY DESPISE!"

[monarhrh]

@reinaxc | Cedric & Maya the day after the arrests.

As dawn's first light filtered through the small, barred window of his cell, Cédric stretched his stiff limbs, his anger from the previous night now a controlled and focused determination. His mind was set on finding answers and ensuring the safety of those he cared about. In the adjacent cell, the Deputy Prime Minister of France, Maya, sat on a small cot.

Cédric rose and approached the bars separating them, his voice low and steady. "Maya," he called softly, ensuring his tone conveyed both concern and camaraderie. "Are you all right?"

[melancoliefatale]

➵ to Antoine from @undyingmedium

I would hurt you or use you. | you unsettle me. | I dislike you or you annoy me. | I would like to get to know you better. | I pity you. | you confuse me. | I feel indifferent towards you. | I would be friends with you. | I would fight by your side. | I would hug you or hold your hand. | I would kiss you. | I would sleep with you. | I would lie for you. | I would protect you. | I would fall in love with you. | I would kill for you | I respect you. | you are my family. | I don’t know you.

[thefvrious]

@lovecharged 01/02

the intensity of the situation sits heavily on rollo's shoulders, like he's atlas bearing the weight of the world. he can't even hide the anxiety about it all, it's just written there on his face. so, when he looks at antoine, maybe it's for a bit of strength, though he'd never say it outright. "there's no turning back now." he says, and his eyes, like a cloudy summer sky, search the vampire's face.

[lcgacyofages]

@perditus sent: ❝ do you like it here? ❞ Antoine from for muses that are getting to know each other

The Orlesian elf was new, brought in by Evka from a mission. Ogden wasn't entirely surprised by it; Evka did have a bit of a soft heart. Something a few of their fellow wardens desperately needed. What was the point of being a warden if they weren't helping as well as protecting, after all. And while Evka was tasked with another mission, she had asked Ogden to take care of Antoine at Weisshaupt and help with his training.

"I do speak Orlesian," Ogden offered in Antoine's native tongue. "If that would make things more comfortable for you."

Ogden set down his staff, leaning it against the wall and undoing the wrappings around his wrist from the training session. He had just finished with some of the recruits, seeing what their skillsets were and where they would fit best, and how best to train them. It was a quiet moment away from his other duties and the perfect moment for some gentle conversation.

"It is far better than where I came from. But the food could be better." He looked over at Antoine, hazel green eyes examining him. "And you? How are you settling in?"

[perditus]

Closed starter for @dinnanshiral

 “ I have heard many tales of you while at Weisshaupt. Your decision to spare the Wardens was admirable ”

Antoine can’t help the way his gaze lingers on the Inquisitor, interest piqued at the thought of meeting such a revered hero.  Though Orlesian himself, Antoine had been conscripted by the Anderfels Wardens instead. Still they were his people and Wardens alongside him, so gratitude came easy to the Warden regardless of affiliation. 

His research had brought him to Emmrich of all people, perusing his extensive tome collection for information that might help him with his research. With the Blight’s unique changes, Antoine had found it difficult to study with existing Warden knowledge. So he visits often nowadays, occasionally leaving with a few books in hand to bring back to Lavendal. Of course, with the Inquisitor present he could not help but approach. 

     “ Pardon, you are probably busy but I was curious..why did you choose to show mercy to the Orlesian Wardens? Their actions would be unforgivable to many”

[immortalmuses]

@kismetwilled sent: if they attack again, we'll be ready. // Evka to Antoine ouo

ㅤㅤㅤ"Ah, how you inspire with your words, Mon cœur!" Antoine says, his reply muffled behind the hand towel he's using to scrub soot and grime from his face. Despite the state of him (and his equipment), the archer sounds optimistic, even enthused. "-- this is but one reason why you are the greatest Warden I have ever met!"

[monarhrh]

@thcrnedthrones | Cedric & Genevieve

In the cold confines of his cell, Cédric Antoine Perceval Leclerc sat with his back against the damp stone wall, his thoughts a tumultuous storm of anger, betrayal, and longing. The events that led to his imprisonment felt like a cruel twist of fate, orchestrated by unseen hands that sought to tear him apart from everything he held dear. And yet, amid the shadows and echoes of despair, there came a hauntingly familiar sound—the soft echo of footsteps approaching. The Commander looked up, his heart lurching as Princess Genevieve appeared before him, her face illuminated by the faint glow of a flickering torch. She stood just beyond the reach of his outstretched hand, her presence both a balm and a torment to his weary soul. "Genevieve" Cédric murmured, his voice rough with unspoken anguish. "You shouldn't have come. It's too dangerous."

[perditus]

✦ Revamped Antoine Companion Verse ✦

Hardly a week after succeeding in his Joining, Antoine was bitten by a werewolf by the name of Renke, a noble’s son who succumbed to a hunger demon’s possession. At the time, Antoine and Evka managed to defeat Renke and banish the hunger demon but not kill it. Unfortunately, neither of them were able to confirm it’s death and could only assume based on the other living werewolf reverting to his former self. For a time it was fine, the curse within Antoine lay dormant but gifting him with a heightened sensitivity to the blight within him. 

That is, until the veil was nearly broken by Solas’s ritual. Fiwyn, the hunger demon that had originally cursed Renke and eventually Antoine, was able to escape the fade once more. It did not go after Antoine directly, but its presence in Thedas caused the dormant lycanthropy within Antoine to finally activate. Antoine’s first transformation was incredibly unpleasant and he attacked Evka while they were out together on a mission, nearly killing her. Combined with the blight in his blood, restraining him was nearly impossible - but Evka wouldn’t allow them to kill him. 

Antoine spent time locked away in Weisshaupt’s dungeons, his mind struggling to regain control against the beast that now held the reins. Only his uniqueness as a blighted werewolf kept him alive at this point, the Wardens intrigued as they had not seen blighted werewolves since around the time of the Fifth Blight. Evka was forced to leave him behind when restationed in the High Anderfels, though she searched endlessly for signs of the hunger demon that had cursed him. 

During the attack on Weisshaupt, Evka frees Antoine from his restraints in the dungeons. Initially he tries to attack her and the others, but his strong internal hunger for her love overtakes the animalistic instincts that had once ruled his form. For the time he’s able to cooperate with them, helping the Wardens attempt to drive back the Darkspawn attacking the Fortress. They’re forced to retreat as Weisshaupt falls, relocating to Lavendel where Antoine is once again restrained for the time being. 

After considering their options, Evka asks for Rook to bring Antoine to the Lighthouse to see if it has any effect on him. Bringing him to the Lighthouse causes the werewolf curse to go dormant once again, as the hunger demon is in Thedas rather than the fade at this point. Antoine transforms back into his former self for the time being, albeit altered after being a werewolf for as long as he had. His eyes are those of a wolf, with sharpened canines and a scent that indicates he’s more animal than elf.  At this point, he’s recruitable as a companion, though initially remains in the Lighthouse until he’s confident enough to try leaving again. 

Leaving does cause the werewolf curse to take effect again, but this time his mind stays in control. Antoine is able to use Evka as his mental anchor so to speak, as his curse is based on a hunger demon - he hungers for her love and affection more than anything else. 

✦ Following the fall of Weisshaupt, Antoine is able to maintain control over himself once again due to Evka acting as a mental anchor for him. There are points where his animalistic side occasionally takes over however. 

✦ He is a recruitable companion and maintains his elf form while in the Lighthouse indefinitely. 

✦ In his elf form, he was wolf-like eyes, slightly shaggier hair and sharper canines as a result of his curse. Antoine also smells like a wolf despite his best efforts and has a few wolf-like mannerisms that even confuse him. 

✦ Leaving the lighthouse re-activates the curse, but he can maintain his elf form for short periods of time until the beast breaks out again. It’s usually long enough to complete missions, but taking too long forces him to revert. Engaging in fights shortens the time he has as an elf as well. 

✦ His main companion missions involve tracking down traces of werewolves in order to find the demon that originally cursed him. That is his main goal besides helping the Veilguard, as he wishes to be with Evka indefinitely once more without risking her life. It all ends with him finally killing the hunger demon permanently rather than just banishing it, finally breaking his curse entirely. 

✦ Antoine does still research the blight - he simply does so from the Lighthouse and during small incursions to Lavandel. He is still sensitive to the blight since the dormant curse had given him sensitivity to begin with. Helping him with his research allows him to assist in saving Lavandel. 

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Crying pearls in folklore

I've always loved the concept of tears turning to pearls. It shows up scattered across various folklore traditions, but I never realised how often it is linked to laughter that turns to roses, until I stared actively collecting them. I've got 9 so far, and also some interesting variations on the theme!

● Woud and Freid (Bavaria Germany, collected by Schönwerth in the 1850s). A variation on the saga about Freya and Odin, one account written in the 14th century, in which Freya/Freid gets a magnificent necklace by sleeping with the dwarves who made it. The powerful Woud leaves his equally powerful wife Freid for this infidelity, causing her to weep pearls while she searches for him. When she finds him she has wept as many pearls as there were in the necklace. They reconcile.

● Pearl Tears (Bavaria Germany, collected by Schönwerth in the 1850s). A girl, Maria, has the Virgin Mary for her godmother. After staying with her for a while she goes home to her father and step family and finds out she now cries pearls and laughs roses. After escaping their abuse the Virgin Mary gives her a castle to live in and she spends her days helping the ill and the poor.

● Rose Laughter and Pearl Tears (Muradina nail olmayan dilber [The beauty who did not gain her fortune], Turkey, collected by Saim Sakaoglu in the 1960's). The gifts of this heroine are roses when she laughs, pearls when she cries, grass growing wherever she walks, and her bath water turns to gold when she's done. She goes through a false bride/true bride plot that ends in a Sleeping Beauty plot before she is woken and married.

● The Goose-Girl at the Well (Die Gänsehirtin am Brunnen, Germany, printed by the Grimms in 1815.) In this story the youngest of three princesses is born weeping pearls and gems. She is driven away by her father after saying she loves him like she loves salt, but is found by a young count while she tends the geese for a wise woman, and reunited with her sorrowful parents.

● The Three Gifts, (Poland, from: Folk-Lore and Legends: Russian and Polish, 1890). A mistreated stepdaughter gives alms to an old man and is blessed by three mysterious young men to have her tears turn to pearls, her laughter produce roses, and to have golden fish appear in whatever water she touches. The girl's stepsister gets cursed like in Diamonds and Toads/The Two Fairies and a false/true bride plot follows. [Almost identical to Tears of Pearls, from: Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen, 1896. (Thank you @rabbitwhiterabbit!)]

● The Golden Duck (Die Goldne Ente, Germany and/or Czechia, from: Jacob Grimm's 1810 handwritten manuscript, at least partly based on a literary version of the tale in Sagen der böhmischen Vorzeit, 1808. Available in Dutch as a footnote to The White and the Black Bride.) A woman with one daughter takes in her orphaned niece and nephew. One day a good fairy disguised as an old woman asks for hospitality and rewards them for their kind treatment of her. The foster daughter gets blessed above all: her tears will turn to pearls, she will comb gold thread from her hair, and her saliva turns to silver. She must be veiled and protected against fresh air to keep the magic intact however. What follows is a rather complicated version of the "true bride switched for false bride" plot.

● The Sisters Who Envied Their Cadette (Histoire des deux sœurs jalouses de leur cadette, from Antoine Galland’s French One Tousand and One Nights, collected from 18th century Syrian storyteller Hanna Diyab). The ruler of Persia overhears three sisters talking, the youngest of them declares that if she got to marry the king she would give him a child with hair of gold and silver, their tears will become pearls and whenever they smile, rosebuds will appear. It happens like she predicts, but her envious sisters steal the baby and fairy tale (mis)fortune ensues. [Thank you @tattedpetticoats!]

● The Snake (La Biscia, Italy, composed by Italo Calvino in the 1950's from a Piedmontese and Tuscan variant of Straparola's literary fairy tale Biancabella and the Serpent). A snake blesses a kind farmer's daughter with three charms: shedding tears of pearl and silver, shedding golden pomegranate seeds when she laughs and producing fish of every kind when she washes her hands. Her envious sisters see to it she is locked up in the attic, but a magic pomegranate tree grows from the seeds of her laughter and the prince wishes to marry whoever can pick its fruits. The sisters try to kill and take their younger sister's place, but of course she prevails. [Thank you @m-siecle!]

The Rose-laughing Queen (A Rózsát Nevető Királykisasszony, Hungarian, many variants exist.). A princess who weeps pearls, laughs roses and leaves gold where she steps is betrayed and abandoned on the way to her fiancée the prince, and switched with a witches' daughter. She is saved by a kind gardener, becomes a maid to the false bride, and is revealed when the bride hits her and she weeps pearls in front of the prince. [Thank you @susannaius!]

Stories I've seen mentioned have this motif but that I haven't found yet:

Apparently some Polynesian mythology features gods crying pearls.

Chinese folklore to do with jiaoren and dragons is referred to as concerning tears and pearls.

The Golden Girl, from Uzbekistan.

The Maiden Who Laughs Roses and Weeps Pearls, from Greece, indexed by Jack Zipes.

The relatively new ATU tale type The Blinded Bride includes the heroine producing gold, jewels, flowers or pearls from her body in some way, including crying. (Research by C. Goldberg.)

A Persian/Iranian tale indexed by Ulrich Marzolph under type 403, Die Mädchen Blumenlacher.

Several variants of the tale type "The Maiden (Youth) with a Separable Soul in a Necklace" mention the heroine also being blessed with weeing pearls.

Some interesting variants with gems instead of pearls:

● The Fairy who cried Gems (Ladakh, several variants exist). A boy fiends a fairy weeping from loneliness in a beautiful palace. Her tears all turn to gems. After comforting her she gifts him a single tear shaped gem. Possession of the gem leads to the boy being threatened by the greedy land owner, but the fairy helps the boy defeat him. (A more elaborate version The King and the Jewel, can be read in: Folk-Tales of Ladakh, 1975)

● The Legend of Apache Leap and the Apache Tears (Apache, origin presumably 1870). Around seventy-five Apache warriors, killed or driven to their death by the US Cavalry, are mourned by their families near the cliff where they died. Their tears either turn to obsidian or are embedded into obsidian stones, preserving their translucence. These obsidian tears are said to bring good luck (or prevent sorrow needful of tears) to those who find/carry them. (Thank you @rabbitwhiterabbit!)

● The Golden Necklace (Afghanistan, collected and translated by Wahid Omar from Jhanara Amin in 1992). A merchant's wife hides her newborn baby girl in the cellar so her father will not kill her. Growing up pale and sickly in the dark, five angels find her and bless her with the Necklace of Life to make her healthy, golden bricks wherever she walks, laughter that turns to flowers, and tears that turn to emeralds. When she is a young woman her mother sends the girl to her uncle, a king, begging him to protect her and let her marry his only son. But the girl's nanny betrays her and a false bride/true bride plot follows, with somewhat of a Rapunzel flavour mixed in.

Tales which feature a similar gift, but without the tears:

● Diamonds and Toads, or: The Fairies, French literary fairy tale by Perrault: jewel or flower falls from the blessed girl's mouth at every word.

● The Three Little Men in the Wood, the Grimms, blessing from three little men in the woods is she will grow prettier every day, gold will fall from her mouth at every word, and she will one day marry a king.

● The True Bride, Nlakapamuk tale from North America that features a protagonist who spits nuggets of gold.

● Biancabella and the Snake, Italian literary fairy tale by Straparola, in which Biancabella gains the power to have pearls and gems fall from her hair when combed, and roses, violets and other flowers spring up around her hands when she washes them.

● Gulkhandaran's Flower, a Kurdish folktale in which a beautiful ifrit has a jewel fall from her mouth whenever she smiles or laughs, her cousin Gulkhandaran has flowers fall from her mouth when she laughs.