#Napoleon Courtyard

[emaadsidiki]

Louvre, Paris. ꒷︶🏛️︶꒷

[illustratus]

A day of review under the Empire, 1810 by Hippolyte Bellangé and Adrien Dauzats

[doze-mag]

Contemporary Deck in Berlin An illustration of a sizable, modern courtyard outdoor kitchen deck design

[typocode]

Contemporary Deck in Berlin An illustration of a sizable, modern courtyard outdoor kitchen deck design

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

Adam Jerzy Czartoryski

(admin note: even if you don't vote for him, reading about his life is a wild ride)

Propaganda:

"Decided that the way to free Poland was by having a threesome with Alexander and his wife.”

Lefebvre:

Propaganda:

“Total DILF material, and the fiery passion in his eyes was matched only by his fiery personality! This contest may be based on looks (and Lefebvre is a strong candidate on this metric alone); but it's hard not to fall in love with his spicy takes and saucy language. He told Napoleon, "Let us throw the lawyers into the river” after agreeing to help overthrow the Directory (quoted in David G. Chandler, ed., Napoleon's Marshals), and from his English Wikipedia article: When a friend expressed envy of his estate, Lefebvre said, "Come down in the courtyard, and I'll have ten shots at you with a musket at 30 paces. If I miss, the whole estate is yours." After the friend declined this offer, Lefebvre added, "I had a thousand bullets shot at me from much closer range before I got all this." In response to a clueless young man demanding his identity at a social event, he answered, ''Je viens de la lune, où je n'ai jamais vu un Jean-Foutre de ton espèce: Je m'appelle le Général Lefebvre!” [“I come from the moon, where I’ve never seen such a #*$& as you. My name is General Lefevre!”] Quoted in The Secret History of the Cabinet of Bonaparte by Lewis Goldsmith, 1810, which is also hilarious because the author clearly hates Lefebvre, but makes him sound like a cool badass. He earns additional sexy points by sticking by his ex-washerwoman wife, who had a mouth of her own. (tbh Catherine Lefebvre, “Madame Sans-Gêne,” deserves her own Napoleonic Sexyman [gender neutral] nomination).”

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Galileo Galilei Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Mitsuki: "Ah…"

Galileo: "Haah."

His cold fingers dug into my neck, and his hot breath tickled my skin.

His fangs sank deeply, and the pain transformed into pleasure.

(If this continues…)

My consciousness started to fade, and I could hardly resist anymore.

Galileo: "Guh. Haah…"

Mitsuki: *coughs, coughs*

Suddenly, he groaned and let go of my body.

As soon as I collapsed onto the floor, air flowed into my throat, and I took a moment to catch my breath, coughing all the while.

(What just happened?)

When I looked at him, he was also breathing heavily.

Galileo: "Why? Why can't I kill you?"

His eyes, filled with anguish, glared at me.

Galileo: "Could it be that interfering with you affects fate? Is that why I'm being stopped?"

Galileo: "Is that the law of the world?"

Galileo: "Am I forever to be denied by fate?"

Mitsuki: "Galileo."

Not understanding what he was saying, I reached out involuntarily at his pained expression, but he brushed my hand away.

Galileo: "Even if I can't kill you, my goal is right before me."

Galileo: "I will end everything, so you should just watch silently."

Galileo: "I'll say it again and again. You are powerless."

Mitsuki: ".........."

He told me this to break my spirit and left the room.

I sat there, my gaze wandering.

(He really intended to kill me.)

As my dazed mind regained its senses, tears ran down my cheeks.

(No matter how much I try to understand him, if he hates me enough to kill me and rejects me, I can never touch his heart.)

The overwhelming sadness threatened to crush my chest, and tears continued to fall.

Leaving Mitsuki behind, Galileo came to the inner courtyard. There, where red flowers bloomed, he collapsed to his knees.

Galileo: "I won't be swayed."

Galileo: "Destruction is the only thing I truly desire."

His murmur faded into the air, and the red flowers swayed sadly.

After that, I returned to the mansion without Galileo's permission to flee from his hatred.

Three days after the commotion in the slums, we held Mireia's funeral.

Napoleon: "I brought Miguel here earlier. I thought I'd let him be alone with his sister."

Jean: "But it's about time. Could you go and check on him?"

Mitsuki: "Sure."

I entered the church and saw a small coffin placed in the spot where the light from the window shone down.

Miguel, sitting beside the coffin, was gazing into it with his blue eyes.

Mitsuki: "Miguel."

When I called out to him, he turned to look at me.

Miguel: "It's time, isn't it?"

As he stood up and came closer, he looked straight at me.

Miguel: "Thank you, big sis."

Mitsuki: "Huh?"

Miguel: "When I said I would take revenge on the hunters, you stopped me."

Miguel gently narrowed his eyes.

Miguel: "Honestly, I still hate them. I think this feeling will never go away."

Miguel: "But after hearing what you said, I want to think about Mireia instead of filling my heart with hatred."

Miguel: "I want to be a kind person, just like you and Mireia."

Mitsuki: "Miguel."

Miguel: "Thank you for trying to protect the me that Mireia loved so much."

He smiled shyly but still looked lonely.

(How many emotions are swirling inside this child right now?)

Anger, hatred, and sadness.

But perhaps his love for those dear to him is dissolving these negative emotions, slowly healing his wounded heart.

Seeing Miguel like this seems to save even me.

【I'll say it again and again. You are powerless.】

(That’s right, I'm powerless. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do. However, there was someone who listened to my voice.)

Mitsuki: "No, I just wanted you to be yourself."

Mitsuki: "Miguel, it's amazing that you accepted my voice and Mireia's feelings."

Miguel: "You think so? I won't forget your words or Mireia's."

Miguel: "And I won't forget the days I spent with her."

With tears in our eyes, we smiled at each other, and I suddenly thought,

(Did Galileo have someone like this when he was in pain? Someone who could gently soothe his wounds?)

Lost in thought, Miguel turned back to the coffin.

Miguel: "Rest in peace, Mireia."

He placed a bright red flower beside the coffin.

Mitsuki: "Miguel, where did you get that flower?"

Miguel: "It was on the coffin when I came to the church this morning."

Miguel: "I thought maybe the priest or someone from the mansion had placed it there."

(That's not it. There's only one place where that red flower blooms.)

The beautiful yet sorrowful garden where the remains of the Dhampir rest.

(Could it be that this flower is from Galileo?)

(Did he secretly come here to place a flower on the coffin, even though he seemed unfazed by the deaths of others?)

(I don't understand what you're thinking, Galileo.)

(What were you feeling when you placed that flower here?)

I didn't understand, yet seeing the flower tightened my chest.

(I can't give up.)

(I want to know what you're thinking, your feelings when you placed that flower here, what led you to destruction, and what you truly desire.)

(I want to touch the real you.)

After the flowers drifted and the funeral bells echoed in the sky, I went to the Seine River with a certain resolve.

(He might be here.)

Mitsuki: "Drake!"

When I called out, Drake's eyes slightly widened before he gave a wry smile.

Drake: "Hey, runaway girl. I thought you'd never show up in front of us again."

Drake: "You ran away yourself, so what do you want?"

Mitsuki: "I need to ask you a favor."

I stared back at Drake, not letting his words get to me.

Mitsuki: "I want you to lend me the harness you're wearing."

The harnesses that Galileo and Drake wear stabilize the space beyond the door.

(With that, I can...)

Drake: "You intend to go through that door, little fawn?"

I nodded, and Drake's eyes silently asked, "Why?"

Without looking away from his gaze, I spoke up.

Mitsuki: "I've always wanted to understand Galileo."

Mitsuki: "He told me to see the truth with my own eyes; that's why I've been watching him closely since then."

(Sometimes, I end up hurting him.)

Mitsuki: "But I still haven't gotten close to him. Focusing only on the present isn't enough."

Mitsuki: "Without knowing the truth, no words of mine will ever reach him. That's why I want to know what happened in his past."

When I said this without any pretense, Drake's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Drake: "Don't you think using that door is cheating?"

Mitsuki: "I do."

(Peeking into someone's past without permission shouldn't be allowed.)

Especially for Galileo. 

His past was so painful that he wanted to erase and deny it.

(But...)

When I recalled his fragile, tormented figure,

(I can't afford to be picky about the methods.)

Mitsuki: "I know it's unfair to try to understand Galileo this way."

Mitsuki: "But I feel that only by seeing and accepting all of his past with my own eyes can I finally touch his true heart."

Drake: "............"

Drake gazed at me as if trying to discern something.

More than anything, my heart was now directed towards Galileo, driven by a sense of justice.

Drake: "I see."

Drake: "I guess I've also gotten caught up with the woman of destiny."

Mitsuki: "What do you mean by that?"

Without answering my question, he removed his cloak and threw the harness toward me.

Drake: "Alright. I'll lend this to you, Mitsuki."

Drake: "Let's see your desperate struggle, shall we?"

After that, I returned to the mansion and went to the door without anyone noticing.

I put on the harness I borrowed from Drake, took a deep breath, and looked at the door.

(I’m now heading to Galileo’s past.)

I heard that this door responds to strong feelings.

My feelings for him will be my only guide to this door that connects to any country and any era.

(Galileo's past is connected to his goal of destruction. To stop that and to protect him, I need to see the truth with my own eyes.)

I reached out and opened the heavy door.

Meanwhile, at that moment,

Galileo: "Ugh, haah, haah."

Drake: "You okay, Galileo?!"

The door opened, and Galileo appeared from beyond.

Drake, supporting his staggering body, clicked his tongue at the sight of him breathing heavily.

Drake: "You went out on the night of the lunar eclipse. If things were gonna turn out like this, I should've been there to help you right from the start."

Galileo: "I told you, Drake. If we both collapse, it’d be meaningless."

Galileo: "Also, because we share the same wish, we can mercilessly abandon each other if something happens."

Drake: "You're right."

Galileo: "Besides, I finally found it."

Drake: "So it’s finally time."

Galileo: "Yeah. Now, we just have to wait for the moon to rise."

Galileo, after calming his breath a bit, suddenly noticed something.

Galileo: "Where's your harness, Drake?"

Drake: "I lent it to Mitsuki."

Galileo: "What?"

Drake smiled wryly and furrowed his eyebrows.

Drake: "Don't give me that look. She seemed dead serious about struggling, like a fawn ready to fight."

Drake: "She wants to see your past and protect you."

His purple eyes trembled ever so slightly.

But the momentary hesitation vanished in a blink of an eye.

Galileo: "Protect me? What good does protecting me do?"

Drake: "........."

Galileo: "Whether she's the woman of destiny or not, it doesn't matter. I won't be swayed by her, ever."

As each held steadfast to their feelings, midnight was about to fall.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[napoleonxfalon]

@blademasterdior location: Dior's Ludi notes: night of the party (Napoleon's assuming this is his birthday party, clearly it was a surprise for him!)

Night swelled like a shadow as it enveloped Napoleon's keen eyes. His reflection told him to turn in, but with a look, the young Sinarian reminded the pestering voice of his protector that this was his night—just as it had been his day. Remembrance from the glory that surrounded the sands still thrummed at the forefront of his mind, in truth, Napoleon hadn't been able to push it from his mind. The warriors' dance, the crowd's roar, and how easily the blood of Solis Invicti had spilled in the end.

Wine, sweat, and spice pulled in a heady mix at the senses. Even from the gates of the ludi Napoleon could hear the thrum of the music as the bards came out in full force. Debauchery littered the courtyard and as one such drunken patron stumbled into him, the telltale sound of a blade unsheathing resounded behind him from Napoleon's guard. With a gentle wave, he instructed the men to wait at the door - perhaps all night. Torchlight scattered the interior but regardless of the revelry, there was only one that held the mortal's interest. The founder of this place, and the victor who'd managed to look so dashing despite spending most of the match on his knees. Even then, Dior managed to perform with charisma.

Dancers moved in sinuous waves, their bodies entwined like vines, bare feet kicking up dust as laughter and wild cheers broke the night’s stillness. Skin gleaming with oil, and the air shaking with passion - it served to thrill, and Napoleon felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle as he stepped deeper into the ludi. The host was easily found at the center of it all, a supernova eclipsing all the light that surrounded it. Napoleon enjoyed a contest, so he moved with not a step, but a leap from the ground to the table as he stood very suddenly at eye level with Dior and took the moment to seize the crowd's attention.

"He fought like fire, burning through the fray," Light flickered across Napoleon's frame as the crowd dulled, only for a moment as he playfully encapsulated the day, shrining the gladiator for the evening. "each movement art, each strike a lover's sway." A delicate motion played idly with the fabric of his chiton, holding the crowd's attention as he looked past Dior long enough to search their crowded, cherry-red faces. They cheered for their hero, their patron, and the night afforded them- but when they roused from their beds in the morning the taste of Napoleon's tribute would still sing across their tongue. "The earth trembled beneath his every blow, and we, enthralled, could only watch him glow."

His attention was now more affixed toward the champion, Napoleon's mind recanted the day as he'd met Dior's eye time after time. It was easy to see why he was so favored - Falon told Napoleon that few gladiators had longevity, so Napoleon argued that Dior must be the exception. "The crowd erupted, and my gaze was yours, a body forged from battle, a strength that roars." Napoleon smiled as he turned in a smooth fashion to the tempo of the music that still thrummed loudly about them.

"Your triumph soared, unmatched by any man, and as you stood, the victor in command," Napoleon had no talent for singing, but he had been reading the greats since his most delicate age, and pilfered their works now and then too. He let the crowd lean in as Napoleon's words uttered above a whisper - they and Dior would have to listen if they wished to hear. "I marveled at the power you revealed, my longing, not easily concealed."

[thugnificent714]

-October 15th, 2024-

The Royal Wedding of Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess Anastasia Ivanovna Romanov, daughter of Tsar Ivan VII. Flowers greet those lucky invitees through the palace gates into the courtyard. Come along with me as we get a sneak peek as members of the press.

a short walk from the gates and we are now at the entrance to the palace.

Upon entry you must present your invitation or press credentials and check any coats or hats with the waiting footmen.

We are ushered through toward the Jordan Staircase.

the exquisite staircase funnels guests to the halls and rooms for the wedding reception and ball.

at the top of the stairs, we can go left into the Feildmarshals Hall or Right to the anteroom of the Neva Enfilade. Let's proceed right.

They have turned the anteroom into a lounge for guests who wish to enjoy a cocktail or two.

The next room is the Nicholas Hall where they are just beginning to dance the first waltz of the night.

The Concert Hall has a full orchestra conducted by the director of the Royal Music Academy.

Let's bypass all the guests by using the Portrait Gallery to get to the Fieldmarshals Hall. In the middle of the hall is where we can peek into the Winter Garden of the empress.

There is an officer on duty in here so for now we can just take a peek.

They have set the Fieldmarshals Hall as a dance hall for contemporary music for the younger court members who do not wish to participate in the formal ballroom dancing.

The Armorial Hall has been set up as the banquet hall with tables of meats and sides. The dinner was before the dancing stared and now the tables have been reset for the supper meal at 1:00AM.

We were allowed to wonder the Gallery of 1812 and see all the pictures of veterans of the War of 1812 against Napoleon.

Since the Grand Duchess was marrying into the royal family of Italy, the service was a Catholic one. The priest was proud to re-enact how he stood as he performed the sacrament.

As the sun sets, and we leave the palace having shared the royal stage set for a glorious union for the empire, we wish the happy couple many blessings.

[bridgeportbritt]

The Emporer of Francesim, Napoléon V, arrives at Willington Palace and is greeted by Her Majesty

When two countries unite! Napoléon V of Francesim made it across the pond to Willington Palace today for a two day state visit hosted by Queen Diana.

This is the first time Napoléon V has been to Francesim, but the countries have been allied for some time. TRH Grand Duke and Duchess of Umbrage attended St. Napoléon's Day and was given the Legion of Honor by the late Emperor Napoleon IV.

The details of the visit have not been released to the public, but many expect to see the two rulers out and about in SimDonia the next two days. SimDonia Times has been granted exclusive coverage of the event and will be providing live updates.

In the Willington Palace Courtyard, Diana and Napoléon V greet with a warm handshake and pleasantries. Napoléon V wears a fitted black suit as he is currently still in mourning over the loss of his father.

Queen Diana wears a short sleeve black and white tweed turtleneck belted dress which shows her growing baby bump. She also wears diamond earring and a pearl necklace with a black bow which we believe is a symbol of respect for the Emporer's mourning period.

The two sovereigns snap a quick casual photo before retreating into Willington Palace where the Emporer will be residing for the duration of his visit. We're excited for more to come of this trip!

@empiredesimparte

[lahilden]

The Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is located in Versailles, France. The royal château served as the seat of French political power. The palace was originally built as a hunting lodge for King Louis XIII and enlarged into a royal palace by Louis XIV. The château went through many expansion phases. The second phase in 1678-1715 saw two enormous wings added. Although the cost was extraordinary, it was decided the château should serve as a showcase for France. All the materials that went into construction and décor were manufactured in France. One of the most costly elements was the silver furniture and silver balustrade used by King Louis XIV for the grand apartments. The palace has a long history, with the royal family forced to leave Paris during the French Revolution. When the monarchy fell, Versailles Palace fell into ruin, and most of the furniture was sold. In 1810, Napoleon began restoration work, which continued under Louis XVIII in 1820, but it wasn’t until King Louis-Philippe that true efforts began. The Fifth Republic made further restorations in the 1950s and promoted the château as a museum. In 2003, a new restoration initiative began. The palace boasts 700 rooms, 67 staircases, and 1,250 fireplaces. The original façade, red brick with cut stone embellishments, has been preserved. The eastern side of the palace has a U-shaped layout with secondary wings and a black and white marble courtyard. Throughout its history, there have been five chapels on the site, the current one built in the Baroque style by King Louis XVI. The castle is also known for its Hall of Mirrors. This gallery is 230 feet long and holds 17 arcaded mirrors, while the ceiling is painted with 30 scenes from Louis XIV’s reign. The Royal Opera was completed in 1770. The castle has many opulent apartments, from the king’s private rooms to the staterooms. The palace gardens boast water fountains and an orangery. #PalaceOfVersailles #castles #palaces #museum #France #Versailles #history

[baronetcoins]

I feel like I win when I lose—Director's Commentary

In what is rapidly becoming a tradition of mine, I went on a research Bender for my Yuletide fic and there are so many details I want to point out and discuss—so I will. This year I wrote I feel like I win when I lose for @avengingmariner and I did loose my mind over it, but in a fun way. Join me in my descent into madness below the cut.

My brief was "you must put my man laurence in A Situation" and I somehow landed on the core nugget of "Napoleon finds Laurence in his darkest hour, instead of Tharkay"—mostly because NGL I haven't read further in this series than Victory of Eagles. I'm working on it, just not there yet.

From that point I just sort of... started writing and felt out where the story wanted to go, and then I kept falling into research holes. Here are some of the fun pieces of information I learned in rough order of where they popped up in the fic.

There was chicken set aside from the dinner he was supposed to have had hours ago, before an urgent missive had pulled him away—a simple roast bird, born out from what local provisions had been found

The WEEK I was working on this, Max Miller of Tasting History put out a video on Napoleon. I wasn't able to work in a lot of detail about the food here just because I couldn't make it flow into what I was writing, but there's so much I wish I could have talked about. The weird thing with chicken! Apocryphal stories about how dishes got their names! His drinking habits! The inherent whatever of breaking bread with somebody who's supposed to be your enemy! Now that I'm writing this paragraph I feel like I need to write another fic about food.

And then I Made chicken marengo the week after because I was curious. It was fine?

le mistral noir

Now this bit owes its thanks to Kangoo, my resident French correspondent. I was talking to him about what could be a nickname the French soldiers used for Temeraire, and he suggested "le mistral" which he described as "(very cold and often violent wind that blows into france from great britain, known for cleaning the sky of clouds and also wrecking your shit) (also the name of a fighter plane)" and I went "oh, that's Perfect". And I wanted to be able to explain that reference. Because it's So Good.

He blinked around at the courtyard of brick building before being hurried just as swiftly into a fine bedchamber where he was given a cold supper and the opportunity to wash himself. With little else to do, he fell into another restless sleep.

This was a fun bit of gamesmanship to think out—where would Napoleon want to set the treaty signing in order to send a message? And in order to think about that, I had to learn more about how the government of Britain worked in this timeframe (polisci major hat incoming).

In the US, authority to make treaties is vested in the executive branch, but the legislative branch has to ratify them. I did not know how that worked for the British, because their system mystefies me to this day. Luckily, I found this paper which explains how it worked in 1938, and there isn't much reason to expect it to have changed in that period, so the answer is "at least in theory, the authority rests with the Crown".

Based on that, I figured he'd want to make a point by holding it in a royal building as opposed to Westminster, so I went with St. James' palace which has been used for state stuff forever. Unfortunately, the details for the interior of St. James' are scarce. I was looking at 1860s watercolors to try and squint out a layout.

It was a dress uniform of aviator green, with gold braid and buttons as well as twin epaulettes. He dropped it as if it were a hot coal.

This was perhaps my longest diversion. I'm not intimately familiar with the internal culture of the military <understatement, but I knew having Laurence be present in any form would be read as a huge statement. So what kind of statement would you want to make? Ultimately I went with "the biggest 'fuck you' possible", so Laurence in a British aviator's uniform.

Then there was the question of fringe or no fringe. Which didn't even make it into the fic, but was an interesting diversion. You see, "captain" is a term that connotes a different level of authority in the Army vs the Navy. NATO has a standard rank scale I was able to squint at here, as it tries to standardize across branches and countries. Captain in the British Army is an OF-2 rank, but Captain in the British Navy is an OF-5 rank. What does it represent in those terms in the Arial Corps? I have no idea! This impacts nothing here other than if one or both epaulettes would have fringe on them.

He wandered the hallways, passing French soldiers who saluted him and English dignitaries who ignored him or glared at him in turn. In desperation he returned to seek refuge in the room he’d been left last.

The medal Laurence gets is that of the Légion d'honneur, and nominally military personnel in uniform are supposed to salute other uniformed personnel wearing it, regardless of ranks involved. That was too good of a detail not to gesture at.

The Wikipedia article

I picked Jacques-Louis David entirely because he's my favorite artist of this time period and location, though the fact he did official work for Napoleon was a bonus. I'm very interested in the uses of these really formalized displays of image-crafting as used for propaganda, and also it's just fun to think about. Spent ages looking at Wikipedia too to get the formatting and the style of writing right, which I think I did.

The Title

Really, it just made me laugh, so it had to stay. I mean the song is also fitting and I think it's the sentiment I wanted to gesture at emotionally, but it is also funny,

[emaadsidiki]

Louvre Pyramid∆ by ∇Ieoh Ming Pei

[diocletianscabbagefarm]

Okay let's see what I can manage to gather from the Napoleon trailer in terms of historical events

I'm guessing this is Napoleon talking to Paul Barras, one of the leaders of the Directory (the regime in charge after Robespierre's downfall), and who helped Napoleon's rise to power by putting him in charge of troops to defend the Directory against a royalist uprising and nominating him to command the army of Italy. Paul Barras was eventually sidelined by Napoleon.

Clearly Marie Antoinette's execution, especially considering the trailer begins with the date 1973, the year in which she was executed.

The famous 'whiff of grapeshot', with which Napoleon said he put down the royalist uprising. Those royalist rioters should probably be a lot better armed than sticks and pitchforks though, considering they included the national guardsmen of one of the sections of Paris. Also the location should be different but that courtyard looks pretty cinematic so I won't quibble. Btw if you go to Paris you can still see the holes in made by the grapeshot in the Saint Roch church to this day, a few streets away from the Louvre

[alby-rei]

Stranger Dreams (IkeVamp; Isaac & Napoleon)

a/n: Dreams seldom make sense, even when the visions may draw inspiration from familiar faces and places. I found this WIP in my folder—which was actually completed all along—and it made me laugh so much, I just had to post it. These were actual dreams I had, LOL

Tagging @scummy-writes for isaac, @xxsycamore for napo, @colorpuff for the fic sillies

[Word count]: ~550 words

[Characters]: You (1st POV), Isaac, Napoleon

~*~

“So I saw you in a dream recently,” I told Isaac.

We were in the lounge. Isaac sat cross-legged on the floor with tools and metal parts strewn across the carpet. He tinkered with his latest telescope prototype while I dusted the bookshelves behind him. He looked up when I didn’t continue.

“Is that so? What was the dream about?” He asked with some apprehension and curiosity.

“Well…”

I was in the mansion’s courtyard. It must have been after dinnertime because I distinctly remember being guided by the light of the lanterns towards the gazebo. Fireflies danced in small groups along the path, but none of them were bothered by my presence. I heard the sound of talking at the gazebo, but I couldn’t make sense of a single word.

When I rounded the corner, I saw you, Isaac, pointing at the chalkboard behind you. You were dressed in your university robe, giving a lecture in a very urgent tone. I turned to look for whom you were speaking to, but there was no one there.

Then, your face came up super close. You gripped my shoulders and shook me silly. You looked frantic as you urged me to do… something?! I couldn’t understand a word you were saying, but I kept nodding anyways. It seemed to calm you down. You insisted that I go do the thing, whatever it was, and then… the dream ended.

“Uhh…” Isaac stared, mouth agape. “I…don’t know what to say. I’m sorry?”

“No, no, it’s okay! I just woke up wondering what you were saying, if you had told me something that I completely disregarded.”

Isaac wracked his brain in search of your previous conversations. Now you made him second-guess himself, had he asked you for something urgent? He shrugged his shoulders, eyes shifting back-and-forth as he replayed yesterday’s events.

“Hahahahha!” Another voice made itself known in the lounge. It was Napoleon. “I get weird dreams all the time, but nothing ever like this.”

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Napoleon smiled openly where he stood at the doorway. He walked in, steering clear of Isaac’s work zone—which was the entire carpet.

“Oh, Napoleon! I dreamt about you, too, now that I think about it. That dream was equally bizarre, if not more.”

“I’m all ears.” He lounged on the couch with feet off the ground. He perched his elbow on the armrest.

This time it was inside the mansion. I was walking down the hallway—though I don’t know where I was headed exactly—when I caught sight of you, Napoleon, inspecting the curtains of the French windows.

When I moved closer, you ripped the curtains clean off their rail and… proceeded to hang it around your shoulders?! You asked me if they suited you or not. I stuttered something out, can’t remember now. You nodded and folded the curtains on the floor.

Then, you moved to the next curtain and did the same until you were pleased with how your reflection looked in the reflective window.

            “That…” Dumbfounded, Napoleon’s eyebrows shot up. He blinked twice. “…heh, sure sounds bizarre, alright.” His gaze darted to the curtains that hung over the arched windows, as if he were appraising their cape-abilities. The corners of his lips quirked upwards.

            “Napoleon, no,” said Isaac.

~*~

Previous Story | Back to Masterlist

[secretmellowblog]

@pilferingapples recently pointed out that in Valjean's first chapter he ends up (unintentionally) reenacting the last description he ever heard of his family. The last piece of news Valjean ever hears about his family is that his sister and one of the children are living in Paris. When his nephew waits for school to start, he sleeps outside of a printing shop under the awning.

the child had to wait in the courtyard, for the school to open, for an hour—one hour of a winter night in the open air! They would not allow the child to come into the printing office, because he was in the way, they said. When the workmen passed in the morning, they beheld this poor little being seated on the pavement, overcome with drowsiness, and often fast asleep in the shadow, crouched down and doubled up over his basket. When it rained, an old woman, the portress, took pity on him.

When Valjean is in Digne and no one will let him sleep in their inns or homes, he ultimately attempts to sleep under the awning of a printing office, just like his nephew did in Paris. And an old woman takes pity on him, just like the old portress took pity on his nephew.

At the corner of this square there is a printing establishment. It is there that the proclamations of the Emperor and of the Imperial Guard to the army, brought from the Island of Elba and dictated by Napoleon himself, were printed for the first time.

Worn out with fatigue, and no longer entertaining any hope, he lay down on a stone bench which stands at the doorway of this printing office.

I don't know, it's like...Valjean never meets his family again, but he’s still haunted by all these echoes of their lives and relationship together.

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

Dorothea von Biron:

a. „A great beauty and gracious hostess, possibly the most beautiful of four extraordinarily attractive and scandalous sisters, said to posses an extraordinary charm. But what makes her The Sexyman is the feat of managing to captivate the old wily devil Talleyrand and becoming the greatest and last love of his life… while, technically, being his niece by marriage.”

François Joseph Lefebvre:

“Total DILF material, and the fiery passion in his eyes was matched only by his fiery personality! This contest may be based on looks (and Lefebvre is a strong candidate on this metric alone); but it's hard not to fall in love with his spicy takes and saucy language. He told Napoleon, "Let us throw the lawyers into the river” after agreeing to help overthrow the Directory (quoted in David G. Chandler, ed., Napoleon's Marshals), and from his English Wikipedia article: When a friend expressed envy of his estate, Lefebvre said, "Come down in the courtyard, and I'll have ten shots at you with a musket at 30 paces. If I miss, the whole estate is yours." After the friend declined this offer, Lefebvre added, "I had a thousand bullets shot at me from much closer range before I got all this." In response to a clueless young man demanding his identity at a social event, he answered, ''Je viens de la lune, où je n'ai jamais vu un Jean-Foutre de ton espèce: Je m'appelle le Général Lefebvre!” [“I come from the moon, where I’ve never seen such a #*$& as you. My name is General Lefevre!”] Quoted in The Secret History of the Cabinet of Bonaparte by Lewis Goldsmith, 1810, which is also hilarious because the author clearly hates Lefebvre, but makes him sound like a cool badass. He earns additional sexy points by sticking by his ex-washerwoman wife, who had a mouth of her own. (tbh Catherine Lefebvre, “Madame Sans-Gêne,” deserves her own Napoleonic Sexyman [gender neutral] nomination).”