#Meeting A��rien

[not-too-many-eyes]

A Study on Mesmer Jr.

(Also Known As: Nott is obsessed with the bigot autistic girl from the time travel gacha game and its her birthday tommorow so lets talk about her.)

(CWs: Ableism, racism, child abuse) I Love Mesmer Jr. Which isn't a secret to any of my friends who have had to listen to me talk about her at length. I cannot get her out of my head. I think she's fantastically written, fun to read about, and just an all around interesting character.

As such, I want to take a moment to pull apart Mesmer Jr, and consider her place in this story. To contemplate why she acts the way she does, and to connect to the themes relating to her character. I hope you enjoy reading this.

A Curious Impression

Mesmer Jr makes an interesting impression when you first meet her. For one, she immediately causes alarm bells to rings when she talks to Sonneto, one of her earliest conversations, who she says she enjoys talking to because of their "shared values" she feels the need to say that she would have liked talking to her more if she were a "full-blooded human."

Which is something that you see a lot whenever she's complimenting an arcanist, or considering arcanists in any positive light. Even if it's inappropriate in the context, she feels the need to assert her beliefs, to say that:

Mesmer Jr, Praise: As an arcanist, your performance really amazes me. Wish you were a pure-blood human.

Of course, as we know, Mesmer Jr is an arcanist. She's a full-blooded arcanist. Being noted to be from a very Important family, and even being implied to be more talented than most of her family in their line of work: (The Fallacy of Idealism)

Nobody is more talented in this than Mesmer Jr. Her bloodline gives her outstanding ability and keen senses, which makes everything clear and intelligible to her.

She's also startlingly obedient. She has no noticeable outward negativity towards what Constantine has ordered her to do to Vertin, despite it seeming to cause pain or stress. Insisting that this is the normal treatment given to patients despite Madam Z's opinion, and we learn Much Later that her boss had an ulterior motive to all this.

She's even noted before we meet her to seem like a:

(Open Sandwich)

???: It is the other one- the one with indifferent outlines that makes her look like a refined machine.

Evoking images of perfectly programmed robots and droids that do what they are ordered to perfectly without question.

Of course, in the same part this line is from, the game is already nudging us to be open-minded when it comes to interacting with her. As the first thing we learn about her isn't her personality, isn't her appearance, isn't even her Voice.

It's her abuse.

Dirtied Hands

Open Sandwich is one of my favorite bits of writing in this game. It creates this incredible tension where you just waiting for the bad thing to happen, the line about how the child labor laws were turned into paper to wrap the sandwich is wonderful, and I love it.

But it's also the first time we ever actually hear about her. It depicts her having a Sensory Meltdown. Caused by her family's uh- blatant disregard for children's rights, and exposing her to a patient at age 12 because her skill was useful for the treatment. The trauma of the event marking the start of her "nightmare."

Of course this isn't the Only Thing she has gone through at the age of 12. The entire events of Nouvelles et Textes pour Rien happened during when she was 12. She might of had even more traumatic experience before that, considering she went to SPDM, a school that we know Very Well for their child abuse, and she Certainly had traumatic experiences afterwards.

She Is a 16 year old therapist taking care of The Foundation's most "unstable" patients, after all:

Mesmer Jr, Suitcase Climate: Those insane people screamed and rushed out of the guardroom. They kept meaninglessly and repeatedly roaring. Then, their blood shed on the snowy ground. I've seen that a lot.

The Rights of Children Don't Matter when there is Scarcity. Her needs are secondary to The Company's. Her welfare simply isn't important for the Foundation's Beautiful Future. Only the skills and infromation she can provide.

Constantine even manipulated Mesmer Jr into telling her the plan. Purposefully traumatizing her so that she would become scared and anxious. She Asked her to help them, trusting that Constantine, an adult she trusted, would be able to help. Constantine just lied, and made her continue to treat these people even when the experience mind numbingly traumatic for even fully-grown adults.

As a result, Mesmer Jr has developed multiple mental illnesses. Most notable OCD, but she seems to hallucinate in her Monologue.

She's not exactly a healthy person, which really compounds how much you Don't want her to be a therapist.

Of course, it's not like she would ever seek actual proper treatment for it.

For many reasons.

For one, Reverse 1999 is not exactly a kind world to the mentally ill, and she herself is a good example as to why.

Proper Treatment

Let's go back to the first thing I mentioned about Mesmer Jr. She's a bigot, she's a certified racist to every arcanist she ever talks to. She thinks humans are the superior race that will overtake arcanists.

She's also ableist. Just horrible ableist. These two bigotries are intertwined in Very important ways. Her hatred of arcanists is informed by her hatred of the mentally ill, and is further informed by what she has been taught about arcanists.

Reverse has established that the way arcanists and humans are generally viewed is that arcanists are the more emotional, unstable, immature ones and humans are the more logical, stable, and mature ones.

Now, this is a stereotype, one that has been proven wrong time and time again. There is nothing logical, stable, or mature about being so upset at a 12 year old you think killing her friends is a good idea.

And similarly, there is nothing actually inherently wrong about being a weirdo, or mentally ill. For one, uh, everyone is a bit of a freak sometimes, and two, Mesmer Jr treats it as if for the world to get better arcanists need to fully disappear and be replaced with human rationality, but Madam Hoffman says it best:

(Chapter 6 Part 15: With Hope Rekindled)

Hofmann: We have all heard it, humans are more rational and arcanists are more emotional. Hofmann: Their sensitive to the darkness of the world, so they can easily become absorbed in their own emotions and ignore reality Hofmann: But, if we put a human child in the position of an arcanist, who always takes on the world because of his uniqueness, who is never understood for his talents... Hoffmann: Maybe he too will become impulsive, sensitive immature and unstable Hoffmann: And that's why it sometimes dawns on me that if we put an arcanist child in the position of a human being who receives enough love, education, and positive feedback... Hoffmann: These 'instabilities' might be controllable. At least enough to keep them from hurting themselves or others.

But Mesmer Jr really does believe wholeheartedly that being a "freak" is bad, and that being an arcanist is to blame for why she is one.

Mesmer Jr, Hat and Hair: Thanks to it, we are all freaks now. Haven't you ever blamed your brain? Haven't you for once vomited due to the sound or whisper in your brain? How naive and ignorant.

That being an arcanist is something inherently wrong, and as a result of that inherent wrongness, that inherent "insanity," they need to be controlled by humanity.

Mesmer Jr, Chitchat II: I can only stand those arcanists from the Foundation and the Laplace. After all, their insanity is contained by humans.

She believes that humans are destined to overtake arcanists like it's natural selection. That it's only inevitable that arcanists will be overtaken by a species that in her eyes, is logical and understandable.

Mesmer Jr, To the Future: Just like Homo sapiens wiped out Neanderthals, arcanists will be eliminated as well. This is not a prediction, but a predestined fate.

This is, of course, due to the systemic part of Reverse's world constantly pushing this idea that arcanists are Inherently more immature and chaotic.

Constantine and her family deeply traumatized Mesmer Jr and then told her it wasn't actually their fault but this Other Group that She is also apart of but Don't Worry it can Be Controlled.

Mesmer Jr: It's not just about age. It was never going to be suitable for me. Mesmer Jr: Unless one day all the arcanists are gone. Pandora Wilson: Then you and I will be gone, too. Mesmer Jr: Exactly, along with the source of my pain

However, Mesmer Jr's own mental illnesses and susceptibility towards being overwhelmed by others emotions does really mean that she finds being around highly emotional people Taxing. She also finds that the unpredictable of life and other people Tiresome.

She was friends with Vertin in the rest when she was younger sure, but even then she did find arcanists overwhelming and "scary," even when she wasn't in the full thick of it, she saw them being treated and found it unpleasant and painful.

(Nouvelles et Textes pour Rien)

Mesmer Jr: But I'm not interested in arcanists. They are all mad people, and we had to treat them after all...They looked scary.

Now, usually, you grow out of this. She's not Born To Be Racist Forever.

In a better world she very much could have, I dunno-

Be able to actually internalize that arcanists aren't actually inherently a harmful thing, but that her needs sometimes conflict with the needs of others and grew up with the tools necessary to understand that this is a fixable problem that doesn't actually need a whole group of people including herself to die to be solved.

Or, something like that.

However, this isn't that world, this world thinks Mesmer Jr is a good therapist, and that her treatment is humane.

So she's seeks to create stability in the world as a result of that lack of support.

Mesmer Jr, Hobby: What you see is the alignment and tidiness. What I adore is this orderly state.

As much as she understands that it's a sign of her own "franticness" that she does this, it gives her comfort knowing that she has things that she Can Control. That her life isn't actually dictated fully by things out of her understanding. That she has the ability to direct her life in a small, maybe even insignificant way.

Cause, she really just doesn't have much control over her life.

Press the Button

Mesmer Jr, Clothing and Torso: ...Achieve the function.

A lot of Mesmer Jr's idolization of humanity comes from this idea of efficiency and simplicity. She talks so much about rationality and "tidiness," but as I've already established Reverse is full of so many instances of "human insanity" so it's plain ignorant to ascribe this trait to humans.

Which, well one she is ignorant, and also racism isn't rational and Mesmer Jr was taught human supremacy of course it's not going to be aligned with actual reality.

Which is true.

However, I do think it's interesting these traits that she idolizes are not from humans but from:

Mesmer Jr, Clothing and Torso: Humans are like machinery, simple and efficient. Arcanists are quite the opposite.

That's who she's actually idolizing here, isn't it? She's not really idolizing humans, that's just the framework she was given. She's idolizing machines and going "Wow humans are so cool."

Her Udimo is a machine.

Not just any machine, but a machine invented in part By Her Workplace, and even when she was 12 the narrator describes her as a "refined machine." Indifferent and rigid.

This is the beautiful controlled being that she is seeking! The beautiful tidy, orderly, calm being that just proceeds with whatever order is given to it. One that has...completely no control over it's life, and what to do with it.

Because, traditionally speaking, Machines do not have the ability to self-determine. They don't exist as people with conscious thought and emotion, but as Things and Tools that can Achieve Functions.

I noted way back in the start that Mesmer Jr is startlingly obedient. She does what she is told, and encourages others to do the same.

She's glad that Vertin:

Mesmer Jr, 100% Bond Conversation: ...Anyway, I'm glad you gave up on those insane plans.

Before saying that she doesn't want to be forced to Lobotomize Her, and that she doesn't actually want anyone to end up in Artificial Somnambulism.

But she doesn't say she won't do it. Just that she's happy Vertin did "give up" because it means that she probably won't have to. This seems to be her general approach. Even if she's not happy, she'll do it, her wants don't matter.

She assumes that she has no other option and that her only path forward is following orders from her boss. That the only path forward is the one set for her. There's no point in fighting it so she's just gonna continue on that path, and others should do the same or else they'll get Hurt. Learned Helplessness.

Sonetto is similar to her in this sense (Mesmer Jr says so herself,) and Sonetto is shown to hold quite a lot of repressed emotions, and to deviate from the rules or what is logical when she feels something is at stake.

After all: (Is ABA Really “Dog Training for Children”? A Professional Dog Trainer Weighs In.)

We all know that we can feel angry without expressing anger. That we can smile when inside we are crying. You can stop someone from expressing an emotion, but that doesn’t make the emotion go away. A dog who has been trained not to growl is considered by trainers to be a “time bomb dog.” When you read about a dog attack that came “out of nowhere” and “without warning,” it is because this sort of method was used to handle “problem behaviours.” Studies show that dogs trained with these sorts of methods actually have an increased rate of aggression, because punishing aggressive behaviour doesn’t deal with the underlying fear and anxiety that caused the aggression in the first place.

But Mesmer Jr, in contrast to Sonetto, who has an interest in poetry and curiosity in the outside world and has the aforementioned repressed emotions. Has no real distinct personal identity. She does not own anything that shows her interests, unlike her other coworkers who usually have at least Something on them. All of her items are stuff made by Laplace and exist unaltered. Even her cute little headband is a EM amplifier is part of the uniform.

She holds no control, no identity, no agency. She exists as a machine that someone can press the buttons of and achieve whatever function she needs to achieve at the given moment.

This is her current state of existence, and it's not something that's exactly sustainable. The cracks in this machine-living have been showing since she was 12. How many more do you think have been created now that she's 16?

The Foundation

Now, this is really depressing, but that's because Mesmer Jr is just a bit of a depressing character. She can't really get away from her job. For one, her parents are horrible, two The Storm means that the world is always on the verge of ending. Where else will she go?

But, as said previously:

A dog who has been trained not to growl is considered by trainers to be a “time bomb dog.”

Similarly, a girl trained to not develop any sort of identity will crack Someday.

I have no knowledge of what could happen next in her story, nor am I interested in theorizing about it. But I do find it interesting to think about.

[onlyonetifosi]

BEHIND THE CAMERA -> CHAPTER 10

<- previous series masterlist my main masterlist next ->

Inside Yn and Joris’ apartment it was not a peaceful morning as tension lingered in the air. Yn and Joris, had been on a rough patch for the past week. The constant arguments had created a palpable distance between them, but with the Grand Prix coming, they had no choice but to put their differences aside.

“Yn, do you have any idea where my passport is?” Joris called out, his irritation thinly veiled.

Yn glanced up, her eyes meeting his with an exasperated look. “I don't know, Joris. Maybe check your bag?”

Their bickering had escalated over the week, each disagreement building upon the last. The tension had reached its peak, yet neither of them was willing to address the underlying issues. The argument had started with a late-night return after a party, but it had spiraled into a series of disagreements over the smallest things. Forgotten housework became a battleground, and their once harmonious home now echoed with the sounds of discord.

"Joris, we can't keep going on like this," she said in French, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

He shot her a sharp look, his response equally sharp, "Maybe if you took things more seriously, we wouldn't have to."

Yn sighed as she packed her bags, glancing at Joris who was doing the same. "We can't let our personal issues affect Charles and the team," she muttered, her tone strained.

Joris nodded, avoiding eye contact. "We'll get through this weekend, and then we can talk."

In the airport, Charles Leclerc greeted his sister with a smile, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing between Yn and Joris. As they joined the Ferrari team, Andrea, Charles' trainer and friend, noticed the strained atmosphere.

"Yn, abbiamo notato qualcosa di strano ultimamente. Tutto a posto tra te e Joris?" (Yn, we've noticed something strange lately. Everything okay between you and Joris?) Andrea asked, concern etched across his face.

Yn hesitated, glancing at Joris before responding, "No, tutto bene. Siamo solo stanchi (No, everything's fine. We're just tired)"

Andrea, however, wasn't easily fooled "Non sembra solo stanchezza. Cosa sta succedendo?" (It doesn't seem like just tiredness. What's going on?) "Ricorda, siamo una famiglia qui. Se c'è qualcosa che va male, parliamone" (Remember, we're a family here. If something is wrong, let's talk about it)

Yn sighed, "Abbiamo litigato. Ma non vogliamo distrarre Charles e il team, quindi stiamo cercando di risolvere tutto privatamente." (We had a fight. But we don't want to distract Charles and the team, so we're trying to sort it out privately.)

Andrea nodded knowingly, his dark eyes showing empathy. "Ricordati che la comunicazione è la chiave. Parlatene prima che diventi troppo grande." (Remember, communication is key. Talk about it before it becomes too big)

Despite Andrea's advice, Yn and Joris continued to maintain a façade of normalcy. The strain persisted until even Charles couldn't ignore the palpable tension.

"Qu'est-ce qui se passe, Joris?" (What's going on, Joris?) Charles inquired, sensing the discomfort.

Joris hesitated before responding, "Rien, Charles. Juste quelques désaccords." (Nothing, Charles. Just a few disagreements.)

Charles wasn't convinced but chose not to push further. The trio continued their work, managing to maintain a facade of normalcy in front of the rest of the team.

As the weekend unfolded, the tension lingered beneath the surface, affecting their efficiency. Andrea, however, wasn't one to let things slide.

"Non potete continuare così. Risolvete i vostri problemi, le vostre energie negative non aiutano né voi né Charles" (You can't go on like this, sort out your problems. Your negative energies help neither you nor Charles) 

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

As the morning sun bathed the hotel room in a warm glow on Sunday morning, Yn couldn't help but feel a heaviness in her heart. Yn sighed, glancing at herself in the mirror. She adjusted her makeup, trying to find solace in the routine. Joris, sitting on the bed, was scrolling through his phone, seemingly engrossed in something that wasn't the current situation.

"Joris, nous devons parler" (Joris, we need to talk) Yn spoke up for the first time that day.

"Peut-on le faire plus tard? Nous avons déjà assez de problèmes." (Can we do it later? We already have enough issues) Joris glanced up to look at her across the room, his expression a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

"Non, Joris. C'est assez. Je ne peux pas continuer comme ça" (No, Joris. It's enough. I can't go on like this)

Their eyes met in the mirror, and a heavy silence lingered for a moment.

"Je m'ennuie de toi" (I miss you) Yn starts as she feels her eyes getting teary of the frustration she has had for more than a week.

Joris put his phone down, looking genuinely surprised by Yn's vulnerability.

Joris met her gaze, his expression softening "Yn, je suis désolé pour tout. Les disputes, c'était idiot. Je ne voulais pas que ça dure aussi longtemps" (Yn, I'm sorry for everything. The arguments were foolish. I didn't want it to last this long)

Yn nodded, a tear escaping her eye "Moi non plus. J'ai manqué de sommeil cette semaine, et je ne pouvais pas être en colère contre toi plus longtemps. Tu m'as manqué" (Me neither. I've been sleep-deprived this week, and I couldn't stay angry at you any longer. I missed you)

They both apologized, acknowledging their faults, and gradually the weight of the week began to lift. Joris reached out and touched Yn's hand, "Je suis désolée" (I'm sorry)

"Tu es magnifique, Yn. As always" (You look beautiful, Yn) Joris complimented her.

"Merci, Joris. You don't look too bad yourself," Yn replied with a teasing smile.

Their eyes locked, and the weight of the past week seemed to lift. Yn and Joris shared a tender moment of reconciliation, their unspoken words mending the fractures in their relationship. Without a word, they closed the gap between them and shared a heartfelt kiss, the first in what felt like an eternity.

As Yn and Joris emerged from their room, hand in hand, the team members noticed the change in their demeanor. Charles grinned, nudging his sister and best friend. "Looks like our favorite couple has made up."

As they made their way to the hotel buffet for breakfast, the other members of the Leclerc entourage couldn't help but notice the change in the atmosphere.

"Siete tornati insieme?" (Are you back together?)

Yn nodded with a shy smile, "Sì, Andrea. Abbiamo risolto le cose." (Yes, Andrea. We sorted things out.)

Andrea clapped Joris on the back, "Sono felice per voi!" (I'm happy for you!)

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

As they headed to the race track, the camaraderie between Yn and Joris was evident. Charles, with a smirk, teased, "Finally remembered how to get along?"

Yn playfully nudged her brother, "Shut up, Charles. Today is about winning, and we're all in this together"

As the race unfolded, Charles displayed his skill on the track, and the Leclerc family watched with pride from the pit. The cheers of the team members echoed through the air as Charles crossed the finish line, securing a victory.

In the celebration that followed, Andrea embraced Yn and Joris, "Sono felice che vi siate riconciliati. La squadra ha bisogno di armonia" (I'm glad you reconciled. The team needs harmony)

taglist: @love4lando@gcldtom@im-mi@topguncultleader@celesteblack08@reblog-princess@sunf1ower16@janeholt3@athena-artemis-dorian-gray@minkyungseokie

[the-bi-library]

Happy bi visibility day!!

To celebrate the occasion, here is the part 1 of my bi4bi books posts!

Books listed

They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody 6 Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe Stuck with You by 'Nathan Burgoine This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin Check Your Work by Skye Kilaen Troublemaker by Sean Ashcroft Fake It by Lily Seabrooke A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone Crystals and Contracts by A.A. Fairview Keep Your Witches Close by Colette Rivera Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper Ride With Me by Jenna Jarvis Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan Trapped in Love by Danica Flynn Butterfly Chances by Margo Phelps Dearly Departed by Heather Novak Sorry, Bro by Taleen VoskuniWhen It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw More To Love by Georgina Kiersten Play by Nikki Markham Let Love Rule by Frances M. Thompson Defying Convention by Cecil Wilde True Love Bites by Joy Demorra Undaunted by Devin Harnois The Girls I've been by Tess Sharpe The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban Double Exposure by Rien GrayThe Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton Of Knights and Books and Falling In Love by Rita A. Rubin The Calyx Charm by May Peterson The Sorcerer's Guardian by Antonia Aquilante

Make sure to check the TWs for all books if necessary.

Here is the goodreads list of these books (and many more which I will post soon)

[roseblackwood]

I don't think it's their meeting, but rather during "At all costs". Asha have a different dress and a tiara because she is now a princess, daughter of Amaya and Magnifico. It was the case in a first version of the scenario. In that case, the person she was stargazing with was her late grandmother (I'll kept her centenary grandfather for symbolic). And Sakina would be her loyal lady in waiting. I called Starboy "Earandel", it means Morning star in old English. And you can see Star too, because I don't think you can't have one without the other. Star could have been a sidekick for Earandel like Valentino for Asha.

Je ne crois pas que ça se passe pendant leur rencontre, mais plutôt pendant "At all costs". Asha a une robe un peu différente et une tiare car elle est une princesse, fille de Magnifico et Amaya. Je n'invente rien, c'était le cas dans une première version du scénario. Dans ce cas, la personne avec qui elle devait aimer admirer les étoiles aurait dû être sa grand-mère décédée (je garderais son grand-père centenaire pour la symbolique). Et Sakina serait sa gouvernante de confiance. J'ai appelé  "Starboy" Earandel, qui veut dire étoile du matin en vieil anglais. Et vous voyez Star aussi, parce que contrairement à tout le monde, je ne crois pas que c'était soit l'un, soit l'autre. On voit les deux, car Star aurait pu être un acolyte pour Earandel comme Valentino pour Asha.

My ko fi

[ask-the-koopa-family]

A little story between Bowser and Cherry...where Cherry speaks French👀

Art/story is mine dont copy/repost!

The evening air was cool and crisp, the stars scattered like glittering jewels over the castle balcony. Bowser leaned heavily against the railing, his gaze fixed on the horizon. It was rare for him to have moments like this—quiet, peaceful, and undisturbed.

Cherry strolled up beside him, her movements graceful and deliberate. She rested her elbows on the railing, her lips curling into a sly smile. “Well, well… Is the mighty King Bowser… relaxing?” she teased, her voice dripping with playful amusement.

Bowser grunted, glancing at her briefly before looking back out at the night. “Even kings deserve a moment of peace,” he replied, his tone gruff but not unkind.

Cherry tilted her head, studying him with a mischievous glint in her eye. “It’s nice to see you like this. Almost… charmant.”

Bowser’s brow furrowed as he turned to her, confused. “Charmant? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Cherry chuckled softly, leaning closer to him. “Oh, rien… just a little French. But its easy, it means… charming.” Her gaze lingered on him, her smile widening as she watched his tough exterior begin to crack.

Bowser blinked, caught off guard. “French, huh? Since when do you speak… that?”

Cherry’s grin turned playful, her voice lowering to a murmur. “Since always, mon roi,” she said smoothly, her words rolling off her tongue like silk. She stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Tu sais, tu es vraiment séduisant quand tu essaies d’être dur.”

Bowser stiffened, feeling his stomach flip at her tone. “What… what does that mean?” he stammered, his usual confidence faltering.

Cherry’s laugh was light and teasing as she reached out, brushing her fingers against his arm. “It means you’re very… attractive when you act tough.”

Bowser’s face turned red, and he tried to compose himself, puffing out his chest. “W-well, I am tough!”

Cherry smirked, her expression unrelenting. “Bien sûr… mais tu es aussi mignon, tu sais.”

His eyes widened, the unfamiliar word tripping him up. “M-mignon? What’s that now?”

Cherry giggled, her fingers grazing his hand as she leaned on the railing again. “It means you’re cute.”

Bowser’s jaw dropped slightly, his flustered expression earning another laugh from Cherry. “I—uh… you can’t just say stuff like that and expect me to… uh…”

“Oh, but I think I can,” Cherry said with a wink, leaning closer until their faces were just inches apart. “You like it, don’t you? Admit it, mon roi.”

Bowser cleared his throat, trying desperately to regain control of the situation. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Cherry’s grin widened as she leaned even closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Peut-être que tu n’es pas aussi coriace que tu le penses.”

Bowser’s heart raced as he stared at her, his breath catching. The words, her tone, the way her eyes sparkled with teasing confidence—it was too much. “Alright,” he muttered, his voice quieter now. “Maybe… maybe I don’t mind it.”

Cherry smiled triumphantly, brushing her fingers along his cheek. “I thought so.” She stepped back just enough to meet his gaze fully, her expression softening. “You know, Bowser… you don’t always have to be the tough guy. I like you just as you are—charmant, coriace, et mignon.”

Bowser let out a huff, finally managing a small smirk. “You really like this French stuff, huh?”

Cherry nodded, her tone sincere now. “I do. And it’s even better when it flusters you.” She slipped her hand into his, her smile turning tender. “But seriously… I’m glad I’m here with you. Pour toujours.”

Bowser didn’t fully understand the last words, but the warmth in her voice was unmistakable. He gave her hand a light squeeze, his smirk softening into something almost shy. “Yeah… me too.”

Under the starlit sky, the King and Queen stood together, their bond growing stronger with every word, every glance, and every shared moment of quiet affection.

[itriedwritingandhereiam]

Free Coffee (timari 2024)

"Hey miss!" Pete calls out to the raven haired girl standing dead on her feet outside a pastry shop in the middle of Gotham. He's got his camera on record and his holding it steady at his side.

The girl blinks slowly and turns her gaze towards him and yikes, she had some serious eye bags. Her hair is held up in two messy buns and her bangs are a centimetre away from covering her eyes. Honestly, dressed in her pink baggy pants and oversized-tucked in t-shirt, she looked like she rolled out of bed but in a stylish way.

"Oui Monsieur?" she responds clearly in a daze.

"I'm Pete, what's your name?" he asks. The girl scrunches her eyebrows.

"Euh, my name is Marinette?"

"Well Marinette, you look like you could use a pick-me-up. Tell ya this, if you're cool with it, I'll give you twenty dollars if you let a stranger facetime your mom and convince her to let them take you on a date,"

Marinette looked wide awake now.

[Pete is a local Gothamite influencer/entertainer. He's built up a sizeable following for someone who created a daily minute long video using nothing but his shitty phone camera, charisma and natural talent for sniffing out interesting people. Today he's filming one of those shorts where you offer people money to do shit.]

"Twenty!?" she exhaled, then mumbled, "I could buy four coffees with that money,"

The statement is slightly worrying but who is Pete to judge.

"You down?" he confirmed.

"Deal," she grinned.

With a petite ravenette in tow, the influencer walked a short distance before they found their second participant.Dark hair half tied up, dressed in in shirt collar and vest and am oddly familiar face, he was visibly just as, if not more, sleep deprived as Marinette.

"Heya mister, I'll give you twenty dollars if you cant convince this girl's" he gestured to the girl behind him, "mom to let you go on a date with her,"

The man looked at the girl with puzzled features before quickly widening his eyes and agreeing.

"What's your name by the way?"

"Oh, I'm Tim,"

"Well Tim, this is Marinette,"

Pete watched the two stare at each other for an uncomfortably long time before they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you Tim!" Marinette smiled.

"Likewise,"

The ravenette dug into the mini cross-body purse hanging off her shoulder and excitedly handed Tim the phone with her mother's contact open. The phone rung for a short while before a face appeared on the screen.

'Allo?' the asian woman greeted them, 'Marinette?' Tim turned the phone to the woman's daughter.

"Maman!" she waved, "This is Tim! He has something to ask you!"

"Good morning Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he smiled. 

Huh, Pete doesn't remember them giving each other last names.

"Good morning to you too Tim, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" she inquired.

"I wanted to ask you for permission to take your daughter out for coffee this morning. I'm told you're fiercely protective of her,"

The woman hummed in thought, "I suppose once she doesn't exceed ten espresso shots it's fine with me,"

In Pete's opinion, ten was a little excessive. He could barely handle two.

"Merci beacoup Madame,"

"De rien," she answered, "Now! I have a cashier to get back to! Have fun, you too baobei!" She waved, assumingly to her daughter before ending the call.

The three stood in silence for a moment.

"Man, I didn't think you'd get through so easily," Pete admitted.

Tim shrugged.

"So about that money," Marinette smiled, looking at the gothamite expectantly.

"Okay, yeah, you earned it, there's a twenty for you," he handed a bill to Marinette, "and you," one to Tim.

The pair's eyes lit up as chesire grin's painted their faces.

"So coffee now?" Marinette linked arms with Tim.

"Yeah I know a great place! I don't have meetings for the next hour or so,"

"Wait, wait, you're actually going for coffee together?" Pete asked increduously. Did he just play matchmaker for a new couple?

"Yes? I desperately need caffeine and so does he,"

Pete stood agape as the two walked off. He held his camera up and stared into it.

"Bro ain't now way I just played Cupid and lost forty dollars,"

Notes:

Dude: I'll give you twenty bucks if you can convince this girl's mom to let you date her Tim: Sees Marinette in tow. Tim: :0 Marinette: *mouthing. F r e e c o f f e e Tim : :| Tim: : D Tim:Deal

Ao3 fic version

[lightyaoigami]

sharing my writing playlist for my piece in @lawlightzine ∴ pre-order your copy of conviction at lawlightzine.bigcartel.com & read my preview here~

yumeji's theme ∴ shigeru umebayashi

i wanna be yours ∴ arctic monkeys ∴ i wanna be your setting lotion, hold your hair in deep devotion

wicked game ∴ chris isaak ∴ what a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you

memoria ∴ indochine ∴ je te retrouverai comme tu étais, je te retrouverai comme si rien n'avait changé

you're the one ∴ the vogues ∴ since i met you, i just can't forget you, i love you more each day

tessellate ∴ alt-j ∴ triangles are my favorite shape, three points where two lines meet

i need you ∴ steve beddall ∴ i need this fantasy, so i can recognize what's hidden from me

when i'm small ∴ phantogram ∴ bring me to the fire, throw me in the flame, so show me love

i can't handle change ∴ roar ∴ i can't help but repeat myself, i know it's not your fault, still lately i begin to shake for no reason at all

bag of bones ∴ mitski ∴ mercy on me, would you please spare me tonight? i'm tired of this searching, would you let me let go?

end of the world ∴ skeeter davis ∴ i can't understand, no i can't understand how life goes on the way it does

pink in the night ∴ mitski ∴ i know i've kissed you before but i didn't do it right, can i try again, try again, try again?

dreams tonite ∴ alvvays ∴ if i saw you on the street, would i have you in my dreams tonight?

space song ∴ beach house ∴ tender is the night for a broken heart, who will dry your eyes when it falls apart?

end of the world ∴ remy bond ∴ why am i so nostalgic for the now, if only i’m dreaming?

we'll meet again ∴ vera lynn ∴ we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but i know we'll meet again some sunny day

[kilfeur]

Rien que la réunion entre Henri et Mephisto tease le fait qu'Iruma va avoir des ennemis suite aux décisions qu'il a prit concernant l'indépendance du clan des plusieurs oreilles. Mais rien que le regard que Mephisto lance à Henri, ça montre ce que ce dernier serait prêt à faire si jamais la police de la frontière s'oppose de nouveau à Iruma. Quand au fait qu'ils puissent pas se prononcer, dans un sens c'est assez logique ! Vu que c'est un changement qui va s'opérer lentement et à une certaine échelle. Donc il est pas étonnant que les résultats vont se faire attendre ! A voir si ils seront bénéfiques, en vrai je serai curieuse de me rendre dans les restaurants dont a parlé Amaryllis juste pour voir si les carottes ont du succès ou pas. Sinon j'avoue que ça m'a fait marrer que Mephisto va devenir leur voisin. Tandis qu'Amelie est toujours pas prête à se confesser du coup elle va monter en grade. She use the wheelies to escape the feelies ! XD Sinon j'aime bien le détail du badge d'Iruma qui a les mêmes cornes que Mephisto.

Just the meeting between Henri and Mephisto teases out the fact that Iruma is going to have enemies as a result of the decisions he's made regarding the independence of the many-eared clan. But just the look Mephisto gives Henri shows what he'd be prepared to do if the border police ever oppose Iruma again. As for the fact that they can't decide, in a way it's quite logical! Since the change will take place slowly and on a certain scale. So it's hardly surprising that the results will be long to come! It remains to be seen whether they'll be beneficial, in fact I'd be curious to visit the restaurants Amaryllis mentioned just to see whether carrots are a success or not. I have to admit that it made me laugh that Mephisto is going to be their neighbor. While Amelie's still not ready to confess, so she's going to rank up. She use the wheelies to escape the feelies! XD Otherwise, I like the detail of Iruma's badge, which has the same horns as Mephisto.

[celluloidrainbow]

PRESQUE RIEN (2000) dir. Sébastien Lifshitz Mathieu, a shy 18-year-old, is on summer vacation in the South of France with his family and Annick, who takes care of his depressive mother. One day, Mathieu meets Cédric at the beach. What starts out as a tumultuous summer fling unfolds into an ardent love story over time. (link in title)

[gmggmgracielasblog]

Mis ojos cuentan historias mucho mejor que las palabras,no saben fingir el brillo, ni el amor, ni ocultar la nostalgia No saben tapar el fuego, ni enmascarar sentimientos Hay ojos que rien y otros que lloran sin soltar una lägrima.Otros tan llenos de emoción y de esperanza. Hay ojos que son muros impenetrables y otros que son ventanas al aima.miradas que cuentan cuentos, cantan canciones, besan y aman. Miradas que no se pueden sostener frente a otras, miradas que se encuentran y se comparten el alma. Algunos ojos perdidos en otro lugar, en otro mundo, en un desea, en una estrella. Y otros que son raíces y cielo con solo pestañear. Hay ojos que se van cerrando por el cansancio y otros que se achinan porque están llenos de ganas. Qué cosa hermosa es reconocer a otros por su mirada, es como un libro abierto que no se puede cerrar. Qué belleza hay en los ojos que dicen todo sin decir una palabra.asi son los ojos del alma buenos días❤️✍🏼 GMG 🌹

عيوني تحكي القصص أفضل بكثير من الكلمات، لا تعرف كيف تزيّن السطوع، أو الحب، أو تخفي الحنين، ولا تعرف كيف تخفي النار، أو تخفي المشاعر دون ذرف دمعة أخرى مليئة بالعاطفة والأمل. هناك عيون هي جدران منيعة وأخرى هي نوافذ على الروح تحكي القصص وتغني الأغاني والقبلة والحب. نظرات لا يمكن أن تظهر أمام الآخرين، نظرات تلتقي وتتشارك أرواحهم. بعض العيون تاهت في مكان آخر، في عالم آخر، في أمنية، في نجمة. وأخرى هي جذور وسماء في طرفة عين. هناك عيون تغلق من التعب وأخرى تضيق لأنها مليئة بالرغبة. ما أجمل أن تتعرف على الآخرين من خلال نظرتهم، فهو مثل كتاب مفتوح لا يمكن إغلاقه. ما الجمال في العيون التي تقول كل شيء دون أن تنطق بكلمة واحدة هذه هي عيون الروح صباح الخير❤️✍🏼 GMG 🌹

My eyes tell stories much better than words, they don't know how to fake the shine, or the love, or hide nostalgia They don't know how to cover up the fire, or mask feelings There are eyes that laugh and others that cry without shedding a tear. Others so full of emotion and hope. There are eyes that are impenetrable walls and others that are windows to the soul. Looks that tell stories, sing songs, kiss and love. Looks that can't stand in front of others, looks that meet and share their souls. Some eyes lost in another place, in another world, in a wish, in a star. And others that are roots and sky just by blinking. There are eyes that close from tiredness and others that squint because they are full of desire. What a beautiful thing it is to recognize others by their look, it's like an open book that can't be closed. What beauty there is in the eyes that say everything without saying a word. These are the eyes of the soul. Good morning❤️✍🏼 GMG 🌹

❤️🌹

[mochademic]

100 Days of Productivity [Day: 88] || 100 Jours de Productivité [Jour: 88]

there's been so much rain lately. so much rain. & I absolutely adore it. there's nothing quite like a warm drink, wrapped up in your pyjamas [or maybe not] & a blanket [with a pillow too] sitting next to an open window, smelling the petrichor. the gentle tapping of water on your window.

I love grey. in a strange way.

the weekend is bringing with it a lot of exciting things. one of my favourite activities is organizing/room lay outs & now that I finally have my workroom set up at home, I'll be heading out with a few friends to get some supplies.

academic work:

-wrap up all completed units -re-write notes -practice pronunciation [specifically for rolling sentences]

freelance work:

-start on new project -set up workspace -finish all of last week's projects [including sewing] -oil sewing machine

office work:

-continue organizing 2023 documents -prepare meeting notes -email department about upcoming changes [bcc management] -answer all emails regarding payroll/billing

currently listening // in my heart by vowl., Sace

il y a eu beaucoup de pluie ces derniers temps. beaucoup de pluie. et j'adore ça. il n'y a rien de tel qu'une boisson chaude, emmitouflé dans votre pyjama (ou peut-être pas) et une couverture (avec un oreiller aussi) assis près d'une fenêtre ouverte, sentant l'odeur des animaux. le doux tapotement de l'eau sur votre fenêtre.

J'aime le gris, d'une manière étrange.

l'une de mes activités favorites est l'organisation/l'aménagement d'une pièce et maintenant que j'ai enfin installé ma salle de travail à la maison, je vais sortir avec quelques amis pour acheter des fournitures.

travail académique :

-regrouper toutes les unités terminées -réécrire les notes -pratiquer la prononciation [en particulier pour les phrases roulantes].

travail en freelance :

-commencer un nouveau projet -mettre en place un espace de travail -terminer tous les projets de la semaine dernière [y compris la couture] -huiler la machine à coudre

travail de bureau :

-continuer à organiser les documents 2023 -préparer les notes de réunion -émettre des courriels au département sur les changements à venir [Cci à la direction] -répondre à tous les courriels concernant la paie/facturation

chanson // in my heart par vowl., Sace

[pennylanewrites]

sur le fil [levi ackerman x f!reader]

sur le fil; french. just in time.

table of contents

ch.1: la vie en rose moving to paris, you get to meet a set of interesting neighbours; one talkative, bubbly, exciting and kind. one reserved, serious and tortured. the first will be your guide through life in paris; the latter, you soon find out is your colleague.

ch.2: to vals tou gamou (el valse) your neighbours learn about your secret skills; cooking and painting. the latter causes some disturbance. petra makes a scene and you see what levi is actually like when he’s furious.

ch.3: je sais pas danser (tba june 17) your first real night out in paris is chaotic, for lack of a better noun. hange loves to party and levi and co follow. one of your neighbors helps you in your bed after one too many cosmos.

ch.4: non, je ne regrette rien you don't regret your choices, ever. your gloomy neighbor seems to be rather apologetic however. a certain blond visits the coffee shop.

ch.5: les amants d��un jour the apologetic neighbor seems to be drawn to you. for whatever's worth, he promises it's just for the night. you realize a few things about love and friendship and growth.

ch.6: sur le fil you finally get to see levi drunk and it's a sight for the books. your friend group decides to be teenagers again and play truth or dare. there's a lot of truth and just enough dare.

enter the taglist with a dm or ask!

[nordleuchten]

The man who hated La Fayette

I really struggled t find a fitting title for this post because I need you to read this letter! It is absolutely hilarious!

While in exile after the French Revolution and his time in prison, La Fayette and his family settled in Holstein in what was then Denmark on the country mansion Gut Wittmoldt. They were in contact with many of the local aristocracy. One family that was especially influential in that region at that time was the von Reventlow family. Now, I made a post in the past that not all of the von Reventlow’s were the biggest fans of La Fayette – I know Countess Frederike Juliane’s “this man” letter made not only me laugh. But now I found the one letter to rule them all.

Charles Claude d’Angiviller himself a French Émigrés, had settled in Holstein and was in contact with the von Reventlow’s. he even lived at their country estate Gut Emkendorf for some time. In 1798 he wrote a letter to Countess Frederike Juliane about her meeting the Marquis de La Fayette. I had to highlight the best part.

Eh bien! vous avez donc vu le froid, insipide et glacial Heros des deux mondes plus justement intitulé Gille César par le Duc de Choiseul? mot plaisant qui me semble le peindre parfaitement, car il s’est toujours présenté fierement à tous les événements, pour s’y conduire sans talent avec une insolence niaise et en sortir avec honte. Je doute d’ailleurs qu’au delà de la curiosité de la réputation appliquée sur le personage il vous ait infiniment satisfait, car toutes les fois qu’il a été dans le cas de parler, il auroit été au defrons de rien sans l’impudence d’immoralité qui a servi d’eclat à deux ou trois de ses mots, tels que l’insurrection est le plus saint des devoirs. Je crois que sa prison l’a conservé un grand-homme, comme ces fétus que l’on conserve dans l’esprit de vin. Je pense encore que la principale de ses qualités, qualité rare, et bien plus rare qu’on ne croit encore, est une sorte de ténacité et de suite dans la même idée qui fait qu’on veut, et ce qui est plus rare encore: qu’on veut longtems la mesme chose. Au reste ce n’est point une ame libre et indépendante, c’est un ambitieux hipocrite (…).

My translation:

Well then! you have seen the cold, insipid and icy Heros of the Two Worlds, more aptly named Gille César by the Duc de Choiseul? a pleasant word which seems to me to describe him perfectly, for he has always proudly presented himself at all events, only to conduct himself without talent, with foolish insolence and to leave with shame. I doubt, moreover, that beyond the curiosity of the reputation applied to the personage, he has greatly satisfied you, for every time he has been in a position to speak, he would have been a fool if it hadn't been for the impudent immorality of two or three of his words, such as insurrection is the holiest of duties. [d’Angiviller referenced the following quote of La Fayette here: “When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensible of duties.”] I think that his prison kept him a great man, like those fetuses that are preserved in the spirit of wine. I also think that his main quality, a rare quality, and much rarer than we think, is a kind of tenacity and continuity of the same idea that makes one want, and what is rarer still: that one want the same thing for a long time. Besides, he is not a free and independent soul, he is an ambitious hypocrite (...).

I personally lost it at the point where d’Angiviller compared La Fayette with a preserved fetus ... this is an insult even I have not seen before.

But as seething as this letter is, I can not bring myself to completely disagree with d’Angiviller. In fact, I completely agree with him, that La Fayette’s imprisonment almost certainly helped his status and reputation in the long run. This came at an awfully high price, but it did help. Furthermore, d’Angiviller, mentions that La Fayette’s talent was to be persistent, to want the same thing for a very long time. I agree with that as well. Moreso, many of La Fayette contemporaries seemed to agree with this statement. One of my favourite quotes about La Fayette is about him having blinders. French writer, politician and historian François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, a contemporary of La Fayette and himself an ardent royalist wrote:

M. de Lafayette had one idea only; luckily for him, it was that of the century. The fixity of this idea gave him a kingdom; it served him as a pair of blinders; it stopped him from looking to the right and left; he walked a straight line with a firm step; he went forward without falling into the precipice, not because he could see it, but because he didn’t; blindness served him as genius might have.

While this statement varies greatly form d’Angiviller letter, I find it interesting to see that still the same idea, the same in perception in different statement, made by people with differing opinions about the same person.

[boobo13cambridge]

🌹 Masterlist 🌹

Kylian Mbappé 🇫🇷

Fics

Cliché? Most definitely. | Kylian Mbappé

Genre:  Strangers to Lovers AU | Romance | Angst | Fluff | Smut

Summary: Once upon a time, there lived a girl who couldn't figure out her life and a boy who had the world at his feet. Neither had time for love, and both were absolutely miserable with their current predicaments. As the saying goes, expect the unexpected. Cliché? Most definitely. Does Lady Faith care? Not one bit. These types of stories have always been her cup of tea. At this point, all there is left to do is send a quick prayer that these two don’t get dragged to hell and back to satisfy an ancient deity’s hunger for drama. Alas, the odds don’t look promising. It’s been a while since Lady Faith personally took an interest in two young mortals' lives. The last time she was so meddlesome was with a certain singer and an athlete. What a disaster that was. Now, Faith looked at her two protagonists, and with a quick smirk, let history write itself. 

Chapitre Un. Rien autour n'a de sens

The Summer We Were Young | Kylian Mbappé

Genre:  Strangers to Lovers AU| Romance | Comedy | Fluff | Of course, it has to be angsty | Smut

Summary: Once upon a time, there lived a young woman named Naaz who couldn’t wait to get the hell out of her parent’s house and jet set to the French Riviera to live out her hot girl summer dreams. Tired, burnout, and angry against the world, she decides to be selfish for once and books a ticket to the beautiful city of Nice.

Unfortunately for her, things never seem to work in her favour. Along the way, she meets the most infuriating man in the world who seems to make it his life goal to make her blood boil and her generationally acquired anger issues to resurface landing her in the most precarious situations. On his behalf, Kylian was just trying to have a good time and forget about the disastrous season he just had. Dealing with loss after loss, the world-famous footballer just wanted to catch a break as he faced great uncertainty regarding his future. Get ready to follow Naaz and Kylian as they prepare to face a summer that will change their lives forever. 

Chapter One. Ridin' in the drop-top with the top down

Requests

Ay, Ay, Captain | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: Y/N watches as Kylian play and lead his team to victory at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, feeling proud and overwhelmed. Five goals in one game? Surely, he served something special for such a feat, non?

Honeymoon | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: After an eventful journey, you and Kylian finally get to relax on your afternoon.

Meilleur buteur | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: Kylian becomes Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top scorer. You couldn't be any prouder of your other half.

Somebody to Lean On | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: After being eliminated from the Champions League, you join Kylian while he channels his frustrations into working out hours after the training session is over. 

Magic Kingdom | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: After spending the day at Disneyland Paris with his niece and nephew, Kylian wants to start a family with you

Hold On, We’re Going Home | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: After attending a charity event with Kylian, who looked dashing in his black suit, you feel particularly needy. Once you arrive home, you realize he hungered for you just as much. 

Unexpectedly Expecting | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: After feeling unusually exhausted and nauseous during your weekly gym dates, you find out some really happy news

O Re Piya | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: It’s the day of your brother’s wedding, and you're running late. The main culprit: your handsy husband who can’t seem to control himself seeing you in a lehenga. 

A Mother's Remedy | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: You fall asleep on Kylian after spending the whole day taking care of the triplets who had the flu.

I’ll take care of you | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: Kylian is feeling stressed as the news that he will not be extending with PSG comes out. He seeks comfort in you. 

Send That Picture Promise I'm A Keep It | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: What’s it like texting when your husband is a really busy athlete? 

Drifting Apart | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: Y/N and Kylian’s relationship is crumbling as they navigate the most difficult moments of their lives. Will they stay or fall apart due to the pressure?

↳ Part I

Sheila Ki Jawani | Kylian Mbappé

Summary: Y/N is late and Kylian decides to teach her a lesson about tardiness.

Kim Namjoon 🇰🇷

Comfort| Kim Namjoon

Summary: After reading an article about your boyfriend Namjoon's personal information being tracked, you feel quite angry and the only thing you can do is comfort him.

Tom Riddle 🐍

The Heir and His Son | Tom Riddle Sr and Tom Riddle Jr

Summary: Tom Riddle Sr raises his son and it makes all the difference.

↳ Chapter One

↳ Chapter Two

[raisongardee]

"Le damné il est pas commode faut qu’on l’éclaire et bougrement, pour qu’il s’élance aux barricades, qu’il commence à faire le fou. Il préfère lui la vie de famille, l’autobus et le meeting baveux. Au fond, il aime pas les histoires. Il est conservateur fini, il est de la terre, né Bidasse, faut pas l’oublier. Voter ça devrait bien suffire voilà ce qu’il pense intimement. Il tient pas aux sacrifices, aux piscines de sang. Il y tient même pas du tout. Il faut pour ça qu’on l’enfurie, qu’on le picadorise à mort. C’est un tintouin du tonnerre. Il est gueulard mais pacifique. Plus mendigot que fracasseur. Il veut bien encore des violences mais si c’est les autres qui dérouillent […] La vieille Bastille et ses neuf tours, serait toujours au poste, altière, hautaine, formidable, et ne gênerait vraiment personne, pas plus que Fresnes ou l’île de Ré, si les Banques, les démons de Londres, n’avaient pas fait le nécessaire, enflammé la viande saoule à temps, déchaîné l’émeute, le carnage, soulevé l’ouragan des ragots, les torrents de bave conventionnels, l’ébullition de la frime du sang […] Sans or les idées ne sont rien. Il faut verser l’or à foison, à boisseaux, à tonnes, pour soulever le peuple. Qui n’en a pas n’insurge personne. Pas plus aujourd’hui qu’autrefois. Tout est d’abord un commanditaire ! C’est la condition du spectacle ! Et point petit cave chichiteux ! quelque hagard effaré comparse ! Pouah ! Quelle horreur ! Quelle insolence ! Non ! Tel répondant colossal ! Le plus coûteux des opéras ! Y songez-vous ? L’Opéra des insurrections ! Avec Déluges ! Chœurs symphoniques ! Oh ! la ! la ! Si ça vous entraîne ! Tâtez-vous avant d’y toucher ! Vous en avez ? Z’en avez pas ? Quelle est votre banque ? Vous êtes raides ? Alors taisez-vous ! Caltez ! emmerdez personne ! Vous êtes qu’un petit impertinent ! un petit garçon mal embouti ! Allez donc apprendre la musique ! Ça vous disciplinera l’esprit ! On s’insurge qu’avec des espèces et pas du semblant ! des pichenettes ! Non ! Non ! Des trombes ! Cyclones de pèze ! Guillotine est fille de Guichet."

Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Les beaux draps, 1941.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"So, after we close the restaurant tonight, remind me to pick up those papers from Maura’s office. They need to be filed within two weeks, and I can't forget."

Adrian continued doing sit-ups for another few minutes before he realized that Roman hadn't replied to him in awhile. He had been sure that Roman had walked away until he looked around the room and saw that both Roman and Abe were staring at him.

"I'll remind you about the papers," Roman promised, despite looking distracted. Beside him, Abe looked equally out of sorts.

Abe nodded.

"Yes, the papers. The papers for Maura. I can remind you."

Adrian gave the two Bellamys a strange look but decided they were weird, but harmless. Ever since the demonic marriage, Abe would sometimes finish Roman's sentences or answer with Roman's exact response to Adrian's question, despite not having seen his husband all day. Whatever was happening, clearly their brains were synchronized and Adrian would never understand. Between those two and Rien's standard creepy predictions, Adrian's life was never boring.

"Well, thanks for the promise," he said, grabbing a dish towel to wipe off his sweat. "I'll hold you two to that or Maura will have my head. I'm off to go finish my run, Evren's meeting me at the cafe to take me home and I don't want to be late."

"Uh huh."

Neither Roman or Abe moved from their odd position, still staring at him like he was the sun itself and they couldn't look away.

"Fucking demonic marriage," Adrian muttered to himself. "There's no way my kids are getting anywhere near that, even if they claim they want it for themselves. Those two have never been creepier. I'm glad to see them happy, but the staring is just too much."

"Has Adrian's ass always looked like that? How have I missed that for all these years? It's like a marble statue."

Abe stared after Adrian long after he'd left, in complete awe of how attractive Roman's ex-husband was despite knowing him for over a decade and never thinking that thought once.

"Mhmm," Roman replied. "It's only gotten better with age."

Adrienne rolled her eyes, utterly exhausted by her parents. It was always something with them, whether they were in love, out of love, cheating on each other...the list was endless. Ever since her father and stepfather were demonically married, things in the household had gotten weird. Their thoughts were blending together and expressing themselves in weird ways. Supposedly, in a few years, the demonically married couple usually figured out how to tell their thoughts apart from their spouse's, which would be a godsend. Her father had called Elaine Helios "mom" by accident a few times now, each time with disastrous results, and Adrienne had seen her stepfather awake in the kitchen late at night, completely butchering the recipe for sugar cookies because her father had been thinking of making some for sale the next day.

Now it was spreading over to her other father like some kind of horny contagion. Adrienne had been told the secrets of just how damaging sex hormones were by the spirits, and had witnessed her own brother fall victim to his own raging hormones for Adam. From her earliest memories, Adrienne knew that Abe didn't like her father, Adrian. He was jealous and petty about every little thing regarding her biological parents' relationship for the longest time, and now here he was ogling her father openly. Which meant that her other father had been ogling him and passing the thought on, making the whole thing gross. After all this time, Adrienne thought that the adults in her life were finally able to have better control of their hormones, but clearly, she was wrong. She dreaded her birthday next year when she, too, would likely have uncontrollable hormones.

"You know, I have some time still before I have to go to work," Abe whispered, making his husband laugh.

"Oh, really?" Roman asked playfully. "Adrian should stop by more often if he can free up your schedule like that."

"Hi, Rien. I'm home from school early this weekend. I'm going to my room."

Adrienne sighed as the spirits filled her in about Theo's latest drama. Adam cheating on her brother? She hadn't predicted that happening, though truthfully, she hadn't peered into that aspect of her brother's life in a long time.

"I'm sorry that Adam's an idiot," she stated sincerely.

Theo didn't look surprised that his sister knew immediately what was going on. There wasn't much that anyone could hide from her.

"It's my fault. I almost killed him. Relationships don't last after something like that. It makes sense."

Adrienne frowned at these words.

"The spirits say that people have endured worse and stuck together. Adam's not allowed to kiss other people and still have the moral high ground."

Theo smiled weakly, but didn't look convinced.

"You're a good sister, Rien. I'm just going to go to my room. Tell our parents that I'm here, but I don't want to be disturbed."

"Did you hear that? It sounds like Theo."

Abe pulled away from his amorous embrace to scan the room for their son. Roman whimpered slightly as Abe pulled away from him, but the mention of his oldest son was pulling his attention from his husband.

"Already? It's barely Saturday morning, and that kid doesn't show up until at least noon. Something must be wrong."

"You're going to get through this," Adrienne promised, hugging her brother tightly to emphasize how sincere her vision was. "There's other people out there who you haven't almost killed. Your roommate, for example. The spirits say that he's got feelings for you. That blue girl you go to school with too. She thinks a lot about you."

Theo scoffed, despite being intrigued by this information.

"Despina? No, she has a crush on Prince Jasper of Strangetown. I think they're secretly dating or something. Sebastian though....His gold eyes are gorgeous. They say only the strongest demons had them and passed them down to their powerful descendants." Theo shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was in love with Adam and not interested in a new boyfriend. Nothing would change that. "I don't need to date anyone else. I'm dating Adam."

"What's this about Adam? Do you want to invite him for dinner tomorrow? Your father is making a casserole, so there should be plenty for guests."

Theo shook his head quickly, unable to even think of sitting next to Adam and pretending things were fine in front of his family. Between this and the strange look on Adrienne's face that seemed to be trying to tell him something, Abe had some suspicion of what was going on

"Are you having boy trouble?" Abe asked gently, reaching to hug his son, only to have Theo pull away. "It's okay, Theo. Everyone has rough patches in relationships. Everyone. It's perfectly normal. Tell me about what's happening, and your father and I can help."

Theo hesitated, trying to hold up an expression of confidence and completely failing. His bottom lip quivered as he blinked back tears. He wouldn't let anyone know what had happened. He couldn't. Adam was supposed to be his forever relationship, but at the moment, Theo couldn't even imagine them sitting together at lunch anymore.

"Dad...how do you know a guy is cheating on you? K-kissing someone at a party counts as cheating, right? It's not just about sex?"

"Oh, Theodosius, come here."

Upon hearing the sympathetic tone in his father's voice, Theo cracked, falling to the floor sobbing. Abe crouched next to him, holding out a reassuring hand for his son to hold.

"Did Adam kiss someone else at a party?" When Theo nodded, Abe sighed. "Oh, buddy, I'm sorry. That's always hard to deal with, and it's not your fault."

"It is my fault," Theo sobbed, breaking Abe's heart to see him suffering. "I almost killed him and he's afraid of me and the scars on his face are horrible, and I feel so bad looking at it and-and-"

Theo broke into fresh sobs, unable to continue his sentence. Abe squeezed his hand reassuringly, stroking Theo's hair like he had when Theo was a child.

"Hey. I'm right here. You're going to get through this. I know how much your first heartbreak hurts, but it gets better. It always gets better even when you think it can't. I promise you, one day, all of this will be something you laugh about with your future husband or wife."

"Why did you and Dad stay together when you cheated on each other? Was it just because of us kids or because you didn't think you could find anyone better?"

Roman made a miserable groan that he tried to muffle with his hands. This was his fault. He had set a terrible example for his children and now they were suffering for it.

He hadn't broken up with Abe when Abe cheated when they were teens. Abe had dumped him and nearly abandoned his son in college, while Roman remained a perfect doormat for Abe. He had tried to cling onto the relationship too hard because he needed a place to stay and help with Theo, while believing that the demonic contract they'd made would keep Abe's heart true to him.

And he'd never technically cheated on Adrian with Abe, but that was a very flimsy technicality. Roman was, to this day, very sexuallly interested in Adrian, but those feelings had always paled in comparison to his feelings for Abe. He knew that Theo had seen the old paparazzi photos of him and Abe taken shortly after Adrian's death for certain, and each day he prayed Adrienne and Luciana never stumbled upon them and realized just how much of an ass their father had been in the wake of Adrian's death. He had been technically single at the time, true, but the fact that the papers could even make a case that Roman married Adrian for his money and was complicit in his death was shameful. The fact that Adrian had barely been dead a few months before explicit photos of Roman and his ex started to appear was embarrassing to one day have to explain to his daughters. His early twenties had been a shitshow that one day his kids were going to learn about, and Roman was terrified to preach to angsty teenagers about proper behavior when he was hardly a good example.

And Ulyssa. Roman groaned again at the thought of having to deal with that mess as the kids grew up. He'd cheated on Abe in the worst possible way, and Abe had stayed with him. They'd done countless hours of therapy to overcome it, but the scars of Roman's affair were all over their family. Theo had a little brother he resented, he hated his godmother, and he'd seen a parent once again take a cheater back, glad to put the whole thing behind them.

No wonder Theo was so confused when it came to relationships; Roman had never provided a proper example for his son to follow. Everything about Abe had been school boy fantasy and eternal demonic contracts and magical feats of love defeating evil. Roman could see his fingerprints all over Theo's wild ideas of forever loves, young marriages, and magic binding two people together for a higher purpose. He had done this to his son and then punished Theo for following in his own footsteps. After all the care he had taken to be better than his own parents, Roman had failed.

"I can't break up with him," Theo sobbed to Abe. "This is just a small challenge when we're going to be together for the rest of our lives."

"Theo, you're almost fifteen," Abe replied. "Most people don't end up marrying who they dated at fourteen. It's just not statistically likely. People grow and change over the years, and by the time you graduate high school, you and Adam might not even have anything in common anymore."

"That's not true," Theo insisted. "He's going to be grounding my abilities for the rest of my life unless Lukas feels compelled to undo it and...and...please don't tell Dad, please, but...Adam and I sometimes have sex. Completely protected with magic and condoms, I promise! Until recently, we had that in common, and I hope someday we will again."

Roman's heart dropped on the floor, shattering before him. He didn't know what to process first.

His son had gone against his parents' requests to abstain from sex, which was just one of the shards piercing Roman's heart. All of the worries about teen pregnancies or negative reputations rose again in his mind, though they were quickly overtaken by rage aimed at the teenager Roman had never liked. He had been right to distrust Adam and his intentions. Adam had used his son sexually, and now was surely cheating on Theo with his replacement. If the boy wasn't protected by absurdly powerful magic users, Roman would be paying Adam Darktide a visit.

The worst part of it, though, was the request Theo had made to his father. Not only was Theo listing sex as a shared interest to remain in a toxic relationship, which again made Roman question his parenting, but Theo had only felt comfortable telling Abe about it. He had actually begged Abe to promise not to tell Roman, telling Roman exactly how much trust his son had with him. He was afraid of Roman's reaction, and rightfully so. Roman was incensed by this revelation to the point of not knowing which teenager to start screaming at first. He didn't have the same demonic powers as his son, but Roman was still a hybrid. He could maybe scorch the doorframe of the academy a little before a magic user caught him.

But a calmness suddenly took hold of him that he couldn't explain and all desire to burn down Theo's school dissolved away. Roman frowned, bringing up the idea of someone hurting his son in any way in his mind and finding a resigned peace instead. This wasn't Roman's reaction, which meant....

Abe was the calm one. He was comforting their son without flying into a rage or threatening to murder a fourteen year old student. Roman was borrowing Abe's patience against his will, allowing him to step back from his own feelings and focus on Theo's.

And Theo had a lot of feelings to deal with. Namely, the twisted view he seemed to have about what a relationship was actually was about. Roman had to undo some of the damage he had unknowingly done to his son before Theo made the mistakes that he'd made.

"Theo, buddy, we need to have a talk," Roman began. He approached his son to sit next to him, but Theo's face was frozen in panic and he gripped Abe's hand harder than before.

Roman's face fell as he saw the fear in his son's eyes. Theo hadn't meant for him to overhear his conversation with his father and now he was terrified of Roman. The hundreds of tiny glass shards that had torn through his heart a mere moment ago returned at double their previous strength. This was what he had done to his son with his parenting. He looked at Theo's eyes and saw his own, pleading with his mother to love him and the baby she wanted dead.

He was his mother now, hurting the child he'd sworn to protect. He'd once stood over Theo's crib and promised him to love him unconditionally, and yet here Theo was, terrified of his father's reaction.

"Abe, why don't you start some hot chocolates for us," Roman suggested, giving his husband a pointed look. Abe hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.

"Good idea," he replied, giving Roman a look of his own conveying a warning about upsetting their son. "I don't think we've had our gourmet hot chocolate mix since Winterfest last year. I'll get lots of marshmallows for them, just the way you like, Theo."

Roman inched closer to his son and tried to project calmness. The last thing he needed was for Theo to run away.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have, a-and you're so disappointed, I know, and I know I'm grounded until university, but I love him. Even now that he's been acting so weird, I still love him," Theo sobbed. "Please don't take me out of school, all my friends are there and-"

"Theo, take a breath. I'm not angry with you, and you're not grounded even if I thought I could enforce that punishment. I'm disappointed with some of your choices, but I've been your age and I know what it's like. Your father and I try to set limits for you and your siblings to protect you from making the same mistakes that we did when we were young. Trust me, I understand what love feels like at your age, and I get it."

"You do?" Theo asked, still hesitant to open up to his father. "Because of your relationship with Dad?"

Roman shook his head.

"Oh, buddy, I never thought that I'd be telling one of my kids about this, but I had relationships other than with your father. When I went to Princess Zarah's, your father and I were in a loosely defined relationship, and I slept with other people. Mostly, it was just Ulyssa, but I flirted when I could."

"Ew, you and Aunt Ulyssa used to hook up when you were my age? Even before Georgiana?"

Roman laughed softly. Ulyssa was still a sore subject, but Theo needed to hear the truth, especially when it made him too horrified to think about his own troubles.

"Yep. We stopped when I found out about you, and she met Maura, but back then, our feelings and the friendship between us felt incredibly overwhelming. And things with your father? I felt like I would die without him some days. He understood me like no one else and was incredibly handsome as a bonus. We rushed into a sexual relationship before we were ready because I was afraid of him leaving me, which-"

"I don't want to hear about your sex life with Dad," Theo whined. "Gross. Or anything to do with Aunt Ulyssa either."

Roman smiled. Theo wasn't as closed off as he was a moment ago, proving that being open with his son was actually helping their relationship despite his fears.

"Okay, okay. You get the point though. I loved your father like you presumably love Adam, and I ignored a lot of red flags because of my feelings. I wasn't confident in my relationship and there were times that your father had doubts too. We clung together because our lives were threatened, plus we had you to think about, and we weren't ready for any of what happened. Sure, your father and I are still together, but there were times in our relationship where it would have probably been healthier if we'd gone our separate ways. In trying to hold on to each other, we pushed too hard in places. We could have saved ourselves a lot of pain if we had been smarter about our relationship and let go when we needed to."

"So you think that I need to break up with Adam," Theo murmured. "That taking a break would help us be together in the future?"

Roman's head throbbed, trying to ignore the burning anger he felt for Adam Darktide so that he could be a better father. The last thing he wanted was that boy anywhere near his son.

"If it's meant to be, then it will happen," Roman said after a brief pause. "He'll be grounding your powers probably for the rest of your life, like you said. A connection like that won't be easy to shake. Right now though? You need to protect yourself and value what you can bring to a relationship. If Adam is kissing other boys, then he's not respecting you, and you owe it to yourself to put your foot down. I know it hurts now, but there will be other people to date who respect you and will be there for you. Right now, that person isn't Adam."

"But it's my fault that he's like this," Theo replied. "If I hadn't hurt him, he'd be happy like he used to. None of this would be happening."

Roman's blood pressure spiked again at this thought, despite the soothing waves of calm radiating toward him from the kitchen.

"Theo, what happened between you and Adam was an accident. You weren't charged by your coven with a crime and they sent you away to protect yourself from further accidents, not as a punishment. You need to drop this idea that you were at fault for any of it. Do you really think that if anyone thought the accident was your fault, your Aunt Lucy wouldn't sue them into bankruptcy?"

Theo smiled at the idea of his aunt taking on the coven and probably winning despite not being magical in the slightest.

"Yeah, you're right. She'd have demons tormenting Adam's mom until she was nicer to me," he replied. His voice was steadier than before, though tears still filled his eyes.

"So it's not your fault that Adam got hurt," Roman concluded. "From what I hear, you helped save him despite being hurt yourself. It sounds like Adam has a lot to heal from, but you're not responsible for that. You can let go of him without feeling guilty, I promise you. It might even be the kindest thing you can do for him. He sounds very confused at the moment."

"Dad? Did...did you ever love Adrian as much as you love Dad?"

Roman paled at the question, his mind racing to come up with an appropriate response.

"It's just that...I don't love anyone more than I do Adam," Theo continued, taking his father's silence as his answer. "There's no one at school I like more than him, and even all the people at the dance couldn't come close to making me feel what he does. Does this mean that i have to spend my whole life with someone I settled for?"

Roman stared at the wall, desperately trying to find anything in his brain to tell his son without unintentionally saying the wrong thing. Had his feelings for Adrian been as strong as his feelings for Abe? Had he ever felt anything with Claudia or Ulyssa that even came close to how Abe made him feel?

"That...is a very complicated question," he tried. "You're not me, and you will make your own choices in life, so you can't completely compare yourself to anyone else. In the beginning, I think I loved Adrian as much as I loved your father, or at least I thought I did. Theo, you're still very young and so much in your life will inevitably change by the time you're my age. Your father and I were different when we were your age. We were both running from a bad family situation and we only had each other to hold onto, but Theo, that's not love, that's desperation. I was dealing with powers I didn't realize I had and then your father got pregnant, and my family...well, our attention then was on surviving and making sure that you were safe. When it came down to it, your father and I were very different from each other. I was trying to embrace my supernatural abilities, while your Dad was afraid of them. He wanted freedom to explore life as a young adult and I wanted commitment. We weren't a good match back then and it would have been settling if we had tried to force things to work. Adam is not the only boy in the world. You may find someone else and realize that all this time, you were settling for Adam."

Theo looked at his dad curiously. He had asked a question about Adrian and received an answer all about his father, which was an answer in itself. Marrying Adrian made sense on paper, but the spark wasn't there. It was as Theo feared. He felt that spark for Adam and there was no guarantee that he would ever feel it for someone else. His parents hadn't lasted this long together because they made sense on paper; they had something special between them, and their dedication to preserving it was what kept them together.

He had no idea of what that meant for him and Adam, but it was oddly nice to have his father actually talk with him instead of yelling about rules. Maybe this newfound openness was Theo's chance to ask other burning questions he had for his dad that would likely never be answered in his lifetime.

"Dad, what was my grandmother like? I don't really remember her from when I was younger, and sometimes we talk about the Great Demons in school and it makes me wonder about her. I know she's gone now, but-"

"I don't know a single thing about that woman, except that she wanted you to die to save herself," Roman interrupted quickly. A carefully practiced mask replaced the rare openness on his face before Theo could continue his question. "That's all that you need to know about her. Let's check on those hot chocolates your father said he started. That's much better than dredging up the past, right? Right."

Theo sighed, but followed his father into the kitchen. Roman had all but sprinted there, desperate to leave his son's question behind him. Theo had a bunch of questions that he'd love for his father to answer about his life and the past, but Roman was never open to answering them. Theo knew all about the Helios side of his family, but very little about the Bellamys. His great-aunt Wanda sometimes rattled off impressive facts about the Bellamy family, but she never talked about how it felt to experience it all or be near the people he read about in history books. Finally getting some answers to his questions was probably the only thing his parents could do to keep his mind off of Adam, but that didn't seem to be happening any time soon.

"You know that I love you, right? I'm sure that you'll make the right decision about Adam," Roman said, pulling his son in for a hug before the teen could ask any further questions or run away.

"What is the right decision?" Theo asked warily. "Everyone is telling me to break up with him, is that the right choice? I know we have something special, but what if he won't stop kissing other guys? What if I want to kiss Ewan again?"

"Ewan? Who the hell is Ewan?"

Roman reacted too quickly to cover up his reaction to hearing his son's sordid confession, and Theo noticed, immediately taking a step away from his father.

"A friend. Just a friend. And Adam's half brother. Oh look, my hot chocolate is ready. I'll go drink it in my room. Thanks, Dad, good talk."

Theo scurried as quickly as he could without spilling his drink before his father could ask any further questions about boys he may or may not have kissed.

"This discussion isn't over, Theodosius!"

Abe poked his head into the kitchen upon seeing Theo's quick escape.

"Everything good here? I think I saw a teenaged blur run past me. I hope you weren't too hard on him, Ro. We talked about this, remember?"

"Your mother? Why would he be asking about her? I thought this was about a boy."

"Everything's fine," he groaned. "Just Theo admitting to kissing someone other than Adam and asking about my mother of all things. He's going to end up pregnant or dead at this rate, Abe."

Roman sighed, rubbing his suddenly aching temple.

Roman crossed his arms defensively.

"He was full of questions apparently. He wanted to know about my marriage to Adrian too. Like I'm the one who has to answer questions! He's kissing Adam's brother now apparently too. I told you that boarding school would make him-"

Roman stopped mid sentence, his rant suddenly fading from his mind as another wave of calmness overcame his anger. Beside him, Abe smirked.

"You're out of practice, Bellamy. For a demon hybrid, you're not really catching onto demonic marriage very well. Calm down. Theo's growing up and trying to find his place in the world. The twins aren't far behind him, so we have to be ready for questions about the past or about our family. Think of everything that you had to piece together on your own about your parents and grandparents. Theo is just looking for a connection to his roots and experimenting with relationships. Besides, I thought you hated Adam. You should be celebrating Theo kissing someone else."

"Not Adam's brother," Roman groaned miserably. "His brother? Who knows what he's like? He could be worse."

"Or he might be great. That's up to Theo to find out and us to support him as best as we can. Now grab your hot chocolate and sit at the table with me. If the kids are going to start asking about...sensitive subjects, we should probably have some answers prepared."

"You've been reading those parenting books again, haven't you?" Roman teased, doing exactly what his husband had asked him to do.

Abe smiled mischievously.

"Come on, let's get started before you start getting ideas about chasing down every member in the Darktide family. That wouldn't end well for you and I'd much prefer you in one piece."