#North Versailles Us

[pittsburghbeautiful]

North Versailles

North Versailles North Versailles Township was established in 1869 in Allegheny County, emerging from the foundation of Versailles Township. Covering approximately 8.3 square miles, this primarily residential township boasts a diverse population of 10,074 as of the 2020 Census, positioning it as a vibrant community within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Geographically positioned 12 miles…

[103rafes]

TAPE 006 ᯓ★

"I've never had a guy take me out before."

in which citygirl!pogue!reader is a bit stunned when her boyfriend takes her out to a high end for their first date night as a couple.

-

BF!Rafe and CITYGIRL!KOOK!reader

Lights of the city blur into one down the bustling road in Charlotte, North Carolina. You're sat in the front passenger seat of your new boyfriend's F150, watching everything fly past you out the window. You dressed as nice as you could for the occasion when Rafe had first texted you about, pretty with an Alice mini dress, sparkling in a captivating silver, fit around your curves. It was a foreign feeling, being taken out on a date.

You've never had the luxury of the experience, you were used to having the bad end of the stick, taking people out and then having them ditch you months later, it was a pattern you'd grown annoyed of and it had given you reason to doubt any advances that'd come your way.

Not with Rafe Cameron though.

For some reason, Rafe Cameron had made it through to you and actually seemed to be treating you right.

You were quiet, white French tips gently tapping along the edge of the window, gazing outside. After a bit, you heard a voice.

"You've been awfully quiet since we got in here, princess," Rafe's almost slurry sounding voice settled into your ears, and you turned around, your free hand mindlessly caressing the perfect ends of your straightened hair, "Oh, I was just..admiring the view outside," You answered, calm. Rafe looked handsome, all fancy with a navy blue blazer, open to a slightly unbuttoned white silk dress shirt beneath, and those nice designer dress pants you'd chose with him when you went shopping last week.

He looked good and put together. Unlike your past situationships.

Rafe gave a low hum to your answer, processing it, "S'a uh..high end, 'know you're probably used to all that, but-" before he could continue, you interrupted. "No, it's fine Rafe, really..I'm," you paused, hesitating on whether or not to really voice out your honest opinion, but if you were going to date Rafe, then you might aswell start getting comfortable with speaking on your thoughts, "I'm actually not used to this, you know? All the guys I've tried dating, they've never really taken me out, this is a first." You shrugged, hands crossed with the metal chain of your mini silver purse between your body and bicep.

Rafe's eyes squinted at that, a bit stunned as he glanced at you through the corner of his eye, "Seriously?" He sounded like he was offended with the notion. You nodded, and Rafe scoffed, "Guess it's reasonable t'not date if y'got guys like that tryna make ya there's."

You watched as Rafe's hand smoothly turned the wheel of the truck, and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. You couldn't help but marvel in your mind; it looked, lavish. Rafe found a spot, though there wasn't many full ones, parking expertly before pulling the gearshift into park and killing the engine. He got out of the car, moving to your side and opening the door for you.

Really, it did confuse you greatly and it showed on the dumbfounded expression on your face. Rafe stared right back at you and after an uncomfortably long time, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

"You okay, or-"

"What?" You interrupted, and blinked, long, mascara coated lashes fluttering before you realized, "Oh! Sorry, I.." You laughed anxiously, before you got out of the car, the ends of your black stilettos hitting pavement, "Thank you."

Rafe nodded while he closed the door, a hand slipping to intertwine his fingers with yours. It was a quiet walk to the front of the restaurant, and once you stepped through - you couldn't help but let your eyes widen. The place was gorgeous, it really reminded you of the Palace of Versailles, just in a black to white scaled modern thematic.

Your ears didn't catch on Rafe's conversation with a waitress who'd come to assist you to for you reservation, simply looking around like you'd just seen the world for the first time ever. Your feet were moving, presumably Rafe guiding you to your guys' table, but it wasn't clicking.

This place was ethereal and fancy, even beyond your standards. Eventually, you snapped out of your trance after hearing the subtle scratch of the chair against the almost glassy floor. "Have a seat, princess." Rafe murmured low into your ear, which settled comfortably into your chest.

You listened with no further word, adjusting your hair to lay behind you as you took in the place one more, before your eyes met Rafe, puzzled, "Rafe, this place looks..expensive." You spoke, and a husky laugh let the man, "S'that right? Thought expensive was your whole thing." He said light heartedly, pouring glasses of water for the two of you. Silence was all that came from you, seeming to register the sentence.

"Well, yeah but I mean this looks like something Marie Antoinette would own for an exquisite ball dance, not a date night," You laughed quietly, and a soft breath let you, almost of disbelief, "it's..it's beautiful."

That half smirk of Rafe's fell onto his lips, and he nodded, almost proud of himself for pulling such words out of you as the edge of the crystal glass hit his lips, water slowly going through the seams of the pink, "Wow, 'should be pattin' my back then." He joked, and you couldn't help but smile, a soft giggle leaving you. Giggles, that never came from you.

Least not from a guy's words.

You tilted your head, brows furrowing while your eyes narrowed softly, examining Rafe, "You're funny, Mr. Cameron," you murmured, a low tease in your tone that Rafe picked up on and he hummed, setting the glass down on the silk white of the table cloth.

"Anythin' t'see that pretty smile a'yours, princess." He smoothly replied, and you felt a foreign feeling. It was this tingling sensation, but not only that - there was warmth in your heart.

You couldn't help the grin that came onto your face. Princess, and those words.

Being called princess was best when it was coming out Rafe Cameron's mouth.

Maybe being taken out wasn't so bad after all; you could get used to this.

- note; hey LMFAOO. This is my first time writing these like..fics on tumblr of all places, 'n so I seriously, don't know how this shit works; a good friend of mine really guided me into it, and I decided it would be so embarrassing of me to start writing fics in the name of fan service and lack of anything better to do with my life so uh..here I am. Hope you guys enjoyed this, 'n if you didn't uh- lucky me. Could use advice, so slide it if ya can. Thank ya kindly!

also..I didn't proofread. I will later tho.. maybe might add some other stuff too..

[thegoldensanctuary]

The King's Bedchamber Part I The Genesis

The King bedchamber in Versailles, also known as Louis XIV bedchamber or the King's Grand Bedchamber, is a place visited by millions every year, as one of the must-see locations of the palace. Situated in the center (from the North-South axis) of its central wing, right behind the Hall of Mirror, the Grand Bedchamber is remarkable by its opulent decor filled with symbolism, from its attic statue down to its very location, and its association with the sun King himself key figure in the palace's history.

But far from remaining an untouched sanctuary of the sun King, the room saw countless changes of varying magnitudes over the years.

The central position of the Bedchamber might not appear obvious to the visitor passing from room to room surrounded by a dense crowd. But a simple look at map of Versailles does reveal that the southern and northern wall of the room are indeed equidistant from the southern and northern edges of the central wing respectively, this reality is further reinforced by its location right behind the central Avant-corps of the Cour de Marbre(Fig 1).

 (Fig 1) The King bedchamber behind the central avant-corps of the Cour de Marbre.

From Versailles, from Louis XIII to the French Revolution

That position however is entirely artificial, as the room only became the sun's king bedchamber during the last 14 years of his reign, in which he changed 12 times the position from the day he first slept in Versailles, before finally settling for that central spot. In fact, even the avant corp of palace was inexistant until the late 1670s.

1.Mansart in Charge

 The story of how the King’s bedchamber came to find its current place, starts in the 1670s at that time the garden façade was dominated by a large terrace on its first floor made by Le Vau(fig 2), while the façade of the courtyard was still that of Louis XIII with only a few minor changes (fig 3), and no distinct Avant-corps. In 1678 Louis XIV decided to turn the palace from a secondary residence into a primary one, and as such significant changes had to be made. One of them was the replacement of the garden terrace in favour of a large indoor Gallery. Such changes implied significant structural alteration to the building, as the western wall of the rooms, with a view on the front yard, were used to support the façade of the terrace (fig 4), therefore pushing it westward to create an enclose space would mean a redesign of those rooms and a restructure of the roof.

Fig 2 : Versailles view from the Patrerre d’ Eau, with Le Vau’s Terrace in the background, Anonymous

Chateau de Versailles,

Fig 3 : Château de Versailles INV.GRAV 61

Fig 4 : Versailles, Blueprint of the first floor with the terrace in yellow and the western wall in pink, 1676-78, Stockholm, Nationalmuseum NMH CC 74

Considerable funds were assigned for the completion of those projects with a budget going from 30.000 livres in 1677[1] to 350.000 livres in 1678 and 200.000 extra livres added for “extraordinary spendings”[2] in 1678. Jules-Hardouin Mansart who had previously designed the marble cabinets of the Bosquet de la Renomee in the gardens, was put in charge of the project.

  Out of the 550.000 livres of budget, the 350.000  would be used to build the necessary wings to house the court and administration[3] while the 200.000 livres remaining would be allocated for the creation of the Gallery replacing the Terrace, with all its sutural implications, namely  : the creation of two high salons at the edges of the Gallery, each giving access to both royal apartments , with the salon de la Paix linking it to the Queen’s apartment, the salon de la Guerre linking the King’s apartment, and a central salon with a view on courtyard common to both royal apartment.

While the final layout is known (fig 5) several preliminary drawings give us a better insight into the evolution of the projects and its structural implication.

Fig 5 : Blueprint of Versailles first floor 1684, BnF Est. VA. 361

The first preliminary drawing(fig 6) shows the initial design of Grand Gallery and the central salon, with ionic columns and pilasters in the Gallery, and ionic pilasters in the Salon. The attic of the salon was supposed to be lit by lightwell linked to windows on the courtyard facade. The roof above the Salon is misaligned, maybe as a desire to keep parts of the original roof structure.

Fig 6 : Cross section of Versailles, with the projet for the Gallery on the left and the central salon on the right, 1678 Archives Nationales (from now on referred as AN) V.A. LXIII-24

A later drawing(fig7) shows several changes to the initial design, the vault shape of the gallery ceiling is now more pronounced, with a greater elevation and lightwells added on each side of the structure, while the lightwells of the salon on the other hand became narrower.  On the courtyard side the roof of the two lateral facades has been embellished and is now joining the central façade, the more pronounced vaulted shape of Salon ceiling forced Mansart to consider slightly re-centring the roof above.

Fig 7 : Cross section of Versailles, with the projet for the Gallery on the left and the central salon on the right, 1678 AN O1 1768A/1-1

The project was approved the 26th September 1678 by Colbert, as shown in this drawing(fig 8) with his signature at the bottom. The overall design is remarkably similar from the previous one, the ceiling of the salon slightly lowered, and the lightwells of its attic leveled with the windows of the façade. The pilasters of the Gallery have changed order and are now Corinthian, and the archway lowered to give more room for a larger overdoor with a cartouche in its center.

Fig 8 : Cross section of Versailles, with the projet for the Gallery on the left and the central salon on the right, 1678 Collection Louvre, Inv. 30 282

Despite Colbert’s approval, the drawing in question still appears distinct from the Hall of Mirror as we know it today. A later drawing (fig 9) exists however, featuring the definitive version of the Gallery, with the columns standing on a higher pedestal while keeping their upper level, and with the two niches removed. The rest of the drawing is more foreign: with an added floor to the front yard façade and an elevated roof on the garden side. While this Appearance of the Gallery became the definitive one, Mansart had to downgrade his ambitions and return to his previous ideas shown in earlier drawings for the rest of the project.

Fig 9 : AN, V.A. LXIII-25

As highlighted in those various drawings Mansart’s view of the Gallery was intrinsically linked with that of the three salons, they had to be greater in elevation when compared with the room of the apartments but also more spacious and a with a better flow of light. While the two salons at the edges of the Grand Gallery did benefit from their angular position, allowing the flow of light to come from two different directions, the central salon on the other hand had to rely on the presence of a higher open attic allowing light to penetrate by several lightwells, and to give it the necessary portions to be worthy of its  role as common room for the two royal apartments in Mansart’s greater scheme.

The solution found to house the attic without affecting the harmony of main façade of the courtyard (the Cour de Marbre as it will be known) was to create an an elevated Avant-Corps and place the central salon and its attic behind.  In conformity to the will of the King, the Cour de Marbre façade remained faithful in spirit to the original castle of Louis XIII. The central façade was entirely disassembled and reassembled a foot further[4], and, after the addition of the avant-corp it became the Cour de Marbre(fig 10) as we can still see almost 350 years later

Fig 10 : AN O1 1768A/1-2

The 9th of May 1684, Mansart sent the following letter to Louvois[5](who oversaw the King’s Buildings) about the completion of the facades shown above:

“The exterior of the small castle will be entirely complete by the 8th of next month, with all the gilding of the recently added plumping on the attic as well as the two dormers, I can assure you that they will look fine.

I think it will be better to scrub the balustrades, figures, and vases of the little castle instead of tarnishing the new which will never succeed regardless” 

The 7th of June Louvrois decided to inform the King:

“The yard of the castle is entirely clear, and the entire apartment, salon included, is ready for your majesty” [6]

[1] Compte des Bâtiments I,936-938

[2] Compte des Bâtiments I,1013-1016

[3] Ibid

[4] Gazette des Beaux Arts, 1976 Jean Claude Le Guillou Remarque sur Le corp central du château de Versailles

[5] AN O1/1795

[6] SHAT A1, 714, Fol. 113 as seen in Jestaz 2008, volume 2 p. 180

[jinnaizaemon]

Happy movie trailer day! In the meantime I'm making myself busy translating the second movie, and because I have a stupid amount of notes about that scene introducing the special Kisanta rescue team (the kids who didn't complete their homework), I thought I'd share them here. It's a bit long, so it's under the cut!

"1st year ha-class, Settsu no Kirimaru. Assigned with a book report. Planned to copy someone else’s homework. I was too busy working part time jobs!"

In the background there's a seigaiha wave pattern, which has been used since the Heian period, and so is well established already during Muromachi where Nintama takes place. Because of the unending motion of waves, it's an auspicious pattern that evokes resilience.

Then, there's of course the little coins Kirimaru loves so much ("kozeni!"). They are called eiraku-tsuho after the japanese reading of the characters 永樂通寳 on it, but back then they were commonly called eiraku-sen. They are copper coins worth 1 mon (the currency of the time) each, and they have a square hole in the middle so they can be tied to a string.

The text scrolling across the screen goes like this: 人も歩けば銭を拾う. "Even people can pick up coins if they keep walking." Looks like Kirimaru's own take on the japanese proverb "Even a dog can pick up a stick if it keeps walking.", meaning that good things are bound to happen if you keep going. 成るも成らぬも銭次第. "When there's money, there's a way." Literally "Success depends on money.", but is a spin on "when there's a will, there's a way". 銭は天下の落とし物 "Coins are what heavens dropped and left behind", literally. So something like "Coins fell from heavens' pocket." If it's a spin on a proverb, I don't know about it, sorry!

"1st year ha-class, Fukutomi Shinbei. Assigned with kanji exercises. Planned to copy someone else’s homework. Instead I ate a lot of yummy food!"

In the background are konpeitou, a type of candy introduced in Japan by Portuguese traders by the end of Muromachi.

At the time, it was an exotic and expensive product, but surely it's something Shinbei would be able to enjoy back at his family home in Sakai, whose port became a hub for foreign trade at the time due to Oda Nobunaga forming friendly relationships with the Portuguese (a missionary even gifted him konpeitou to earn his favors). So if there's one character who could afford konpeitou, it would probably be Shinbei! (I'm sure Tasogare Jinbei would love it too.)

The scrolling text reads: 地上の子の最大の幸福は満腹なれ "In a full belly lies a child of earth's chief happiness." Shinbei's own take on these verses part of Goethe's West-Eastern Divan: In sense of personal being lies A child of earth's chief happiness. 衣食足りて宿題忘るる "The poor can't afford homewowork." It comes from the japanese proverb "once fed and clothed, one learns manners", which I think in English would be "the poor can't afford manners". Literally translates to "Once fed and clothed, you forgeget about homework". Yes, Shinbei added an extra character, so the last word gets an extra vowel lol.

"3rd year ro-class, Kanzaki Samon. Assigned with farm work practice. Somehow never found the way to the assigned farm. That was homework for a 2nd year? So stupid!"

Behind him are mah-jong tiles with the characters for the fourth cardinal points on them: 北 (north), 南 (south), 東 (east), 西 (west). Obviously relating to his sense of direction.

The text reads: 進退は疑うなかれ "Don't doubt your actions." 敵を見て謀るなかれ "Do not scheme just by watching the enemy." Sadly I don't know where these lines come from. 迷わず行けよ行けば判る "Just go without hesitation; if you go, you will understand." This is taken from a quote by pro-wrestler Antonio Inoki.

"4th year i-class, Tairano Takiyashamaru. I tore the social science work I was given since it was for 1st years! I boast the best grades in my year, don’t make a fool of me!"

The rose frame evokes early shoujo manga, most notably The Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda, where roses are a recurring symbol in the story of the main characters' enduring beauty and dignity even in the hardest times. That idea of beauty, utsukushisa, is something Takiyashamaru mentions a lot, insisting on doing things beautifully always.

The scrolling text reads: 選ばれし者の恍惚と不満ふたつ我有り "I have both the ecstasy and displeasure of being the chosen one." Taken from Dazai Osamu's short story Leaves. 天才を天才たらしめるのは私の本能 My instinct makes me a genius among geniuses. His own take on a quote by Bob Dylan:  "I believe that instinct is what makes a genius a genius.". He made it about himself... classic Taki...

"5th year ro-class, Fuwa Raizou. Got overwhelmed with apprehension over the science exercises aimed at 3rd years that I received. How come that homework is so easy?"

In the background are lined up onigawara. Oni is often translated as "ogre" or "demon", but originally the figure of the oni symbolizes everything that is out of human's power and influence, making them not necessarily malicious ; all events that amount to luck, fate, force of natures like earthquakes, storms, etc, Which is why you find onigawara, roof tiles made in the shape of oni, placed there in order to ward off evil and misfortune. Fuwa Raizou's name sounds similar to the yojijukugo (four kanji compound expression) 付和雷同 "fu wa rai dou" meaning "to follow others blindly". That's not very sympathetic towards ever hesitant Raizou, but the characters used to spell his name are different : 不(un-) 破(breakable) 雷(thunder) 蔵(warehouse, ownership) The unbreakable mind who puts thunder in a box, who made thunder his own. Under his indecisiveness there's a reliable senpai and protector, just like the onigawara!

Raizou has only one sentence scrolling across the screen:

お前の実力はこの程度ということなのだろうか "Could this be the extent of your ability?" I don't know if this refers to something else, the sentence being very... anime fight-speech like it makes it difficult to research haha.

"You never change, Raizou. Gave up on homework to follow Raizou. 5th year ro-class, Hachiya Saburou."

I love this transition! His introduction mirrors Raizou: He comments first, gives his reason for not doing his homework second, and shares his name last. Excuse my sloppy edit in the picture above, I wanted to include all the mask in one picture. The striped background evokes a theater curtains, and all of Raizou's onigawara are swapped with masks from Noh theater - they all represent different characters, of different archetypes, gender, etc. Some are humans, some are spirits, some are good or evil... conveying of course Saburou's mastery of disguise! I tried to name all the masks on the picture above, but I'm really no expert so I might have made mistakes. Incidentally, Ayakashimaru from 1st year ro-class is named after the "Ayakashi" Noh mask. Although they aren't pictured here, there exist masks named Fushikizou, Heita, and Magojirou.

As for the scrolling text... take a deep breath everyone because it's a lot:

比翼の鳥 連理の枝一膳の箸 把手共行 碎啄同時 "Lovebirds flying together, intertwined branches of a tree, A pair of chopsticks, walking hand in hand, a chance opportunity."

There's.. a LOT going on here, yojijukugo and poetic imagery, so let's break it down:

比翼の鳥 連理の枝 hiyoko no tori, literally birds in flight, is an expression meaning "a happily married couple". renri no eda means intertwined branches, the "renri" part refering to trees growing to become cojointed. In Japanese, such trees are seen as an auspicious symbol of marriage, and "renri" is an expression to refer to an intimate relationship.

This specific imagery is found in the Chinese poem, the Song of Everlasting Regret, telling the story of star-crossed lovers:

“In the heavens, we vow to be as two birds flying wingtip to wingtip, On earth, we vow to be as two intertwined branches of a tree.”

一膳の箸 ichizen no hashi is literally "a pair of chopsticks".

把手共行 hashukyouko means "to go together, hand in hand".

碎啄同時 sottaku douji means an once in a life time chance, a golden opportunity. It evokes two people learning and working in sync, and in Buddhism, it refers to a teacher helping a disciple attain enlightenment.

Oh...Saburou...❤️

"6th year ha-class, Zenpouji Isaku. Got an assignment for 4th years, “Steal the flag of the Tasogaredoki army”. But it didn’t count since I ripped the flag I got to make bandages out of it. It was in pieces, but I did bring back a whole flag…"

I'm not sure of what is in the background haha. The designs and the brown side remind me a lot of the matchboxes sold in the Taisho era and until mid Showa. They're known by the word for "matchbox label", 燐票, rinpyou. These matchboxes were used for advertising, notably by drugstores for selling medicine. This is at least what the designs of the boxes on the screenshot reminds me of, especially the blue Junko (the snake being associated with traditional medicine too).

The text reads: ちちんぷいぷい いたいのいたいのむこうのおやまへとんでゆけ "There, there, ouchies fly away, to the mountain over there." The whole sentence is written in the easy to read, phonetic hiragana alphabet, to match the "baby speech" tone of the sentence. The first part, chichin puipui, is used as a "spell" by parents, nurses, etc to comfort small children in pain. Then, the ouchies are sent flying away with a motion of the hand to make them feel better.

That's it for today! I hope it wasn't too long to read! Thank you for reading this far! If you have extra info, please let me know!

[ego-meliorem-esse]

I do love your takes because they mirror mine in a way, I am curious about your take on François relationship with Ludwig and partly with Antonio too. Alasdair is a free soul like him, there's not much to say about it there I think. Baby brother stole everything even the french menace and it bothers him but won't stop him. I do wonder about your take on Alfred's own relationship with Ludwig and the italian brothers. I hc he and the south get along really well but he clashes with North Italy bc he doesn't understand why Italy hides behind his airheadness. I know I'm in anon, sorry but I have many things on my mind and don't want to develop my own op right now bc it will take time to write it down

Ohh yess

Ok just a heads up, this is an expansion on the previous François post:

Ludwig and François have an interesting dynamic. At first glance it might seem like they are polar opposites in almost every aspect. And who knows that might be true, but there is an appeal to me of the sad depressed and drinking-wine-in-bathtub-at-3-am François calling up Ludwig just to chat and get reassurance that it'll be fine. Ludwig is young. He feels like he needs to prove himself on this old world continent. He feels the need to work more just to get to where the rest are. And as an economic powerhouse, he feels somewhat responsible for keeping the peace. Though, despite that, he is kind. And in the recent years (cough cough after Brexit cough cough gurgle fall over die) he and François have gotten close. As close as the ghosts of the past will allow, at least. So, if there is anyone willing to talk to, and even come over and make sure the Frenchman is not drowning in the bathtub or the wine, it's the german lad. Even if he's just sitting on the toilet, laptop on lap, doing work and listening to François' rants. It's the kinda dynamic François can relax in. He doesn't enjoy Ludwigs quiet company always, but it's a nice break from bickering with Arthur and debating with Alfred.

Antonio is a different story. They are very similar in their worldviews and mindsets. Two past empires grown up under Rome (more or less) and getting dunked on by the rat man extraordinaire and his big fat rat baby. If François is going to do dumb shit and get plastered in the town center, he's doing it with Antonio. Gil is also included. They are not the type of friends to talk about their feelings and go emotional on each other. But, naturally there is mutual respect and understanding. "The world has changed and its pace is too fast for us now."

Alasdair is someone who has seen and stood next to François for a very long time. I think he understands the inner workings of François better than most. And, in a certain way, better than even Arthur. From the fall of Rome to the 7 years war, Alasdair kept frequent contact with the man, both physical and if unable to visit, by letters. Alasdair is the one trapped between worlds and emotions after the Treaty of Versailles in 1763. Matthew, whom he adores so much, was abandoned by the man he deeply feels for. And in times like these it's very human to take sides, despite actively trying to understand each party. Alasdair chose Matthew. A boy he almost saw as his own. And François felt the shift. Less frequent letters and visits, as well as somewhat reserved communication when in person. They are still important to each other and always will be. But nations, in my hc are very human. I understand the appeal of making them non human eldritch beings, but i think they are very very human in their emotional and mental capacities and understandings of the world. Wiser and more experienced sure, but human non the less.

You also mentioned Alfred and the Italy bros. I'll do a separate post on their dynamic. However ye i do agree, Alfred and Romano are closer than Alfred and Feli. But what i will add is that Alfred doesn't dislike or find Feli off-putting due to the mask of airheadness. It's the fact that Alfred does the same and knows what it's used for and how it works that doesn't sit right with him. He knows the mask is a front for a sharp mind and knows that there is intelligence behind it.

[racefortheironthrone]

Would you put Louis XIV as overrated?

Oof, that's a tough one.

It's particularly hard to answer because the reign of the Sun King also saw the tenure of some of the most influential chief ministers in French history: Mazarin, and Colbert.

While perhaps not quite as famous as a certain cardinal whose schemes kept getting foiled by the Three Musketeers, these guys were world-historically important.

Mazarin was Richelieu's political heir, and brought his predecessor's policy of using the Thirty Years War as a way to break the back of Hapsburg dominance to a successful conclusion. The Peace of Westphalia not only served as the foundation for modern international relations, but also expanded France's position in Alsace and the Rhineland - especially when Mazarin pulled off an anti-Hapsburg alliance with the new League of the Rhine.

At the same time that France was winning the Franco-Spanish War, which won them a big chunk of territory in the Low Countries around Artois, Luxembourg, and parts of Flanders, and all of the territory north of the Pyrenees Mountains including French Catalonia. It also got Louis XIV the hand of Maria Teresa, which would eventually create the catalyst for the War of Spanish Succession and the War of Austrian Succession...

And while Mazarin was doing all of this, he was also busy crushing the Fronde uprising led by le Grand Condé, which he eventually accomplished in 1653, and creating a formidble system of centralized royal government through the intendants that ended the power of the feudal nobility.

As for Colbert, he was the guy who figured out how to pay for all of this. The single biggest reason why economists need to shut the fuck up when they talk about mercantilism, Colbert was the financial and economic genius of his age. Remember all those canals I'm so crazy about? Colbert built them. Specifically, he was responsible for the Canal des Deux Mers, transforming France's economy by linking the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

He also turbo-charged France's economic development by restructing public debt to reduce interest payments and cracking down on tax farmers, reforming (although not ultimately solving) the taxation system of the Ancien Régime by using indirect taxes to get around tax evasion by the First and Second Estate, equalizing (but not ending) internal customs duties, and putting the power of the state into supporting French commerce and manufacturing. This included significant tariffs to support domestic producers, direct public investments into lace and silk manufacturing, and the creation of joint-stock corporations like the French East India Company. (This also meant Colbert's direct promotion of the slave trade and the Code Noir in order to generate hugely profitable investments in Haitian sugar and tobacco plantations for import into France and the rest of Europe.)

This makes it a little difficult to separate out what credit belongs to these guys versus the guy who hired them. What I can say is that Louis was directly responsible for Versailles, but also for the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

[mariacallous]

In November 2022, Dominique Lazarski stood among a small crowd of people on the Pontoise airfield near Paris, watching a flying taxi trace wide circles in a clear blue sky after it took off for the first time from a working vertiport in France. Airborne, the vehicle looked like a giant quadcopter; its rotors spinning rapidly to keep a small taxi cab aloft. Yet Lazarski, who lives in the city part time, was thinking only about the whirring sound coming from above her head. “I thought it was quite, quite noisy,” she remembers.

What Lazarski—who is president of ADERA, a group that campaigns against increased air traffic at Paris-Beauvais Airport, north of the city—had witnessed was the beginning of a campaign to get Parisians excited about the prospect of flying taxis in the skies above the Summer Olympics.

“The development of low-altitude aviation for urban air mobility is an adventure full of promise—for employment, for the environment, and for the lives of Île-de-France residents,” pledged Valérie Pécresse, president of the regional council of Île-de-France, the region which includes Paris, that same year. The first airline ticket might have been issued in Florida, she added, but the first flying taxi would take off from French soil. “The Olympics are an incredible opportunity and showcase to launch this project.”

Yet after years of planning, the project failed to convince Parisian politicians, the public, and safety officials that the technology was ready for widespread use at the Summer Olympics. A sole flying taxi ascended over Versailles for five minutes on the last day of the Olympics, but it had no passengers. The promise of tourists traveling over Paris in flying taxis failed to materialize, and instead the technology suffered a high-profile setback. Volocopter declined WIRED’s request for an on-record comment about what went wrong.

Flying cars have been mythologized by sci-fi, featuring in movies from The Fifth Element to Blade Runner as a symbol of the future. But what happened in Paris shows the barriers that stand between the technology and its modern-day debut. Their supporters have yet to find a way to effectively sell them to the public or even decide what—or who—exactly flying taxis are for.

The idea of Olympic tourists soaring over Paris in flying taxis was initially greeted with enthusiasm. “Paris Dreams of Flying Taxis for 2024,” read a 2021 headline in the news outlet Les Echos.

By 2023, a year after the demo in Pontoise, the two companies behind the project, German flying taxi developer Volocopter and French airport operator ADP, remained bullish. The noise wasn’t going to be a problem, they said, claiming the flying taxis would not be audible from the ground when flown at an altitude of around 500 meters. Edward Arkwright, ADP’s deputy CEO, acknowledged in June 2023 there would be challenges ahead. But he insisted: “All lights are green for us to be there in the summer of 2024.” ADP did not reply to a request to comment.

Six months before the opening ceremony, Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter, was still hopeful. “[We’re] making people aware that this is not science fiction,” he told WIRED in February, touting the flying taxi as a sustainable, safe, and quiet mode of transport that would become normal in just a few years. “It works and it starts this year.”

Flights on Volocopter’s VoloCity model would be free-of-charge, and initially three routes were planned across Paris. But even as those plans were made public, Hoke had yet to travel in one of his own vehicles. “I would love to,” he said, “but so far, according to the regulation, only test pilots are allowed.” Still, his tone was optimistic. “We will hopefully start flying in July and then start also with passengers, probably in August.”

But just two months later, Hoke started expressing doubts in German media. After being rejected for a state loan, the company was facing the prospect of insolvency “in the foreseeable future” if its shareholders would not agree to more financing, he told the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

At the same time, backlash to the project was mounting, with critics complaining the VoloCity (which could transport only one passenger at a time) was more akin to a private plane than any form of public transport. “We don't need them,” says Lazarski. She believes the flying taxis would create visual and noise pollution in the skies above Paris, without giving its residents anything back. “It’s not mass transportation,” she says, claiming the vehicles would be used by only the most privileged. “They’re for business people.”

Lazarski was not alone in her concerns. Seventeen thousand people have signed a petition so far calling for the project to be scrapped, and politicians in charge of Paris also joined the backlash—pitting politicians in the capital against the wider region and government.

Dan Lert, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the green transition, called the VoloCity an “absurd gadget” that will “only benefit a few ultrarich people.” His colleague David Belliard, deputy mayor in charge of mobility, echoed that sentiment. “It is useless, it is anti-ecological, it is very expensive,” he said in July.

Volocopter, however, defended its product as affordable. “We strongly believe that when we go into the hundreds and thousands of these vehicles, that we can easily reach a price per equivalent seat which is only a bit higher than a taxi on the street,” Hoke said in February.

Yet other flying taxi executives have acknowledged that getting to that point will take time, and that first there will be a period where these vehicles cater to the wealthy. “A lot of the initial use cases will be first- and business-class passengers connecting with flights,” Michael Cervenka, chief technology officer of UK-based flying taxi company Vertical Aerospace, said earlier this year.

By late July, it was clear that Volocopter’s plans for the Paris Olympics were being scaled back, even as the company claimed its immediate money problems had been solved. “It's a technological advance that could be of use,” transport minister Patrice Vergriete insisted, acknowledging the flying taxis might not be able to welcome any passengers in time for the Olympics. Publicly, Volocopter was careful not to credit the public backlash with the setback, instead blaming an American supplier for “not [being] able to provide what it had promised,” as well as its failure to win approval from the EU Aviation Safety Authority to operate commercially.

Lazarski does not consider the failure of flying taxis so far a victory. “It's more relief,” she says. But for her, the battle is not over. As vice president of UFCNA, the French union against aircraft nuisance, Lazarksi is involved in a legal challenge against plans to operate a vertiport on the river Seine for flying taxis to take off and land from central Paris. That launchpad has already secured permission from the government to operate until December. The race for the Olympics may be over, but the dream of flying taxis over Paris is not dead.

[rauthschild]

How to Counteract White Supremacy and Afro-Saxons Attack on DEI...

The solution to the problem in counteracting White Supremacy MEGA Movement's attack against foreign government services corporations and corporate America's DEI employment and procurement practices.

Is quite simple, you just simply use the British Territorial United States and Vatican Municipal United States, and its Federal States, Cities and Counties thereof, Freedom of Information Act and Public Disclosure laws.

The purpose of this is to publicly disclose the actual Titleship/ Ownership controlling interest of the corporations in question, through the FOIA and Public Disclosure laws.

Additionally, your so-called minority legal Scholars should also research and study the 13 Asia Asset Nations Treaties, 1913 Trustee Treaty, 1781-1783- Present Treaty of Versailles, Tripartite Agreements, Conventions, Concordance, United States Treasury Federal ID 8216 and 8217, Five Books, Sixteen Copies, Blue Book, et. al.

You shall be amazed to learn, that the 13 Black British United Colonies debts go back to 1701-1900-Present and White Supremacy wasn't at the signatory table, nor were they the Founding Fathers.

In the year of 1776 the 13 Asia Asset Nations Families signed a Treaty agreeing to Bankroll the 13 Black British Colonies for 300 years (> Contract No. 13579).

Now, keep in mind that North America is Ancient Egypt, and the Pyramid on the One Dollar Bill, is your Seal, i.e. Part and Parcel.

The Cloaked For Secrecy, is that only 7% of the Fortune 500 Companies stocks are publicly traded (This Note Is Legal Tender For All Debts, Public and Private).

So, what you read and hear about in the mainstream media, are merely White Supremacy Propaganda.

Ironically, In the first three months of 2024, more than 600 CEOs left their jobs in the United States, either through retirement, resignation, or being forced out. This is considered a record pace.

Why?

Well, the Asiatic Families (Melanated) own Elon Musk, Rothschild, Rockefellers, Strauss, Dupont, et. al.. Elon himself is unable to write a check for $4 Billion (fiat), without it bouncing across the 🌎.

Again, US History is not American History, and Black History is not, the Autochthonous Black and Brown people of North America, History.

The British Territorial United States and Vatican Municipal United States are foreign corporations and don't own land, and currently living in fear 😨.

These foreign for profit Corporations are mirroring and impersonating you and your government while providing you governmental services, i.e., Department of Education (Miseducation), Department of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Justice etc. while stealing and pledging your global assets.

In other words, the Executive Suites of the CEO, CFO, COO, Chairman, President, Vice President of these corporations are employees, not Titleship/Owners.

Hell, they owe Quadrillions in Dividends and Derivatives to the Autochthonous Ancient Asiatic Families, which may be the real reason why 600 CEOs left their jobs.

In conclusion, White Supremacy and the Gatekeeping Anglo-Saxon Nazi Zionist Jews don't own anything nor control America's Financial and Economic System. North America's financial and economic system is owned by melanated people, by and through, AI, which has been around for decades via the Galactic Federation of Planets.

Intelligence rules the world, Ignorance bears the burden.

Sincerely,

Ernest Rauthschild

SideBar:

Notice the video sightings of so-called UFOs and Aliens appearing on Social Media, why the censorship of Black Aliens that look like U?

I gave you the 🗝️ now unlock the door and take your lawful ownership and executive seats within these Anti-DEI corporations.

[skinnyscottishbloke]

Some housekeeping of shows I want to watch over the winter. More below the cut.

SHOWS TO FINISH

1. Black Sails (2/4)

2. Peaky Blinders (5/6)

3. Brooklyn 99 (5/8)

4. The Mentalist (4/7)

5. Justified (3/6)

6. The West Wing (3/7)

7. Sex Education (3/4)

8. Cold Case (4/7)

9. OUAT (6/7)

10. MI-5/Spooks (4/10)

11. ANTM (22/24)

12. Outlander (6/8)

13. Grace and Frankie (5/7)

SHOWS TO WATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME

1. Ted Lasso

2. Our Flag Means Death

3. Foundation

4. Staged

5. Young Royals

6. *continue DT’s filmography*

7. Love Victor

SHOWS I’VE STARTED BUT WILL (PROBABLY) NEVER FINISH

1. Reign

2. Agents of Shield

3. The 100

4. Friends

5. House

6. Arrow

7. Queer As Folk (US)

8. Weeds

9. How to Get Away with Murder

10. Attack on Titan

SHOWS I’M CURRENTLY WATCHING/ RE-WATCHING

1. Buffy (via reaction)

2. Leverage (w/ Rowan)

3. Fellow Travelers (currently airing)

4. Good Omens (via reaction)

5. DW (13’s seasons)

6. catching up on Taskmaster (s08-11, s13-16)

7. catching up on Drag Race (Mexico s01, Brazil s01, UK s05, Germany s01)

SHOWS I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THAT ARE DONE

1. The Tudors (4/4)

2. The White Queen/The White Princess/The Spanish Queen/The Serpent Queen (all 1/1)

3. Buffy (7/7)

4. Angel (5/5)

5. Pillars of the Earth (1/1)

6. HIMYM (9/9)

7. Psych (8/8 + movies)

8. Bones (11/11)

9. Broadchurch (3/3)

10. North and South (1/1)

11. BBC Merlin (5/5)

12. BBC Robin Hood (3/3)

13. Downton Abbey (6/6 + movies)

14. Sense8 (2/2 + special)

15. Jessica Jones (2/2)

16. Daredevil (3/3)

17. The Defenders (1/1)

18. Luke Cage (2/2)

19. Iron Fist (2/2)

20. Game of Thrones (8/8)

21. BBC Sherlock (yes it’s done LOL) (4/4)

22. ATLA (3/3)

23. LOK (5/5)

24. Vicar of Dibley (3/3)

25. OG Gossip Girl (6/6)

26. Leverage (5/5)

27. Versailles (3/3)

28. Veronica Mars (3/3 + movie + reboot)

29. Firefly (1/1 + movie)

30. Castle (8/8)

31. 1995 P&P (1/1)

32. Glee (6/6)

33. Agent Carter (2/2)

SHOWS I’M CURRENT ON BUT ARE STILL ONGOING

1. Heartstopper (2/?)

2. Good Omens (2/ prob 3)

3. Wheel of Time (2/?)

4. Rings of Power (1/?)

5. Drag Race US (15/?)

6. Drag Race All Stars (8/?)

7. Leverage: Redemption (2/?)

8. Queer Eye (7/?)

SHOWS I’VE HEARD OF BUT NEVER WATCHED MORE THAN AN EP OR 2 (AND PROBABLY WON’T)

1. Supernatural

2. any of the Star Treks

3. Breaking Bad

4. NCIS

5. JAG

6. Dexter

7. Chuck

8. Grey’s Anatomy

9. Community

10. The Office (UK or US)

11. Parks and Rec

12. Orange is the New Black

13. Black Mirror

14. Sons of Anarchy

15. One Piece

16. Dragon Ball Z

17. Full Metal Alchemist

18. The Vampire Diaries

19. The OC

20. Dawson’s Creek

21. Gilmore Girls

22. Teen Wolf

23. 24

24. Emily in Paris

25. CSI

26. 911 or any spin offs

27. Scrubs

28. Family Guy

29. The Simpsons

[edupunkn00b]

French Kiss: Tale of the Revolution, Ch. 20: Happy Endings

Colorized version of Fighting at the Hotel de Ville, 28th July 1830 by Jean Victor Schnetz. (embedded image description)

Prev - Happy Endings - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Summer, 1830, Café Procope

Virgil leaned forward, elbows on the table, and he watched, eyes wide, as the bearded man took a long draw on his coffee. “Then what happened? Tell me, did Patton and Remus free them? Did they… did they go back for Logan’s body? Maybe… maybe he was really still alive?”

The bearded man’s eyes shot over to the bartender, but his back was turned to them. 

“Patton didn't slept at all that night,” the bearded man shook his head. “Remus tried, if for no other reason than to mollify him. And to…" He lowered his voice. "Give him a little privacy while he grieved." The bartender faced the other side of the bar, studiously busy polishing a beer stein. The bearded man cleared his throat and nodded. "At first, Remus imagined making his way back to the palace, fighting and sneaking his way past the rebels, convincing the guards he was who he said he was, and breaking in to free his love and his brother.”

He drank more of his coffee. “But as the night wore on, the fires at Versailles grew brighter. And his hope dimmed.”

15 July 1789

Patton stirred at the first hint of pink along the horizon. “Your—Remus?” he whispered, moving closer and resting a hand on Remus’ shoulder. “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” his voice cracked. Patton was on his feet, stomping dirt into the embers. Remus scrambled up after him. “The horses stayed,” he murmured.

“Petit and Naif are good horses, aren’t you?” he cooed, scritching across the shorter one’s back before strapping down his saddle.

“So you’ll take Petit,” Remus copied his movements and buckled the other saddle. “And I’ll take Naif?”

Patton chuckled dryly. “Petit’s the taller one. You’ve got her now." He stroked Naif's mane and his voice went soft. "Logan used to pretend he didn't like that joke.”  He dragged his hand across his face and  watched the sun inch her way over the horizon. Remus lifted his hand, about to grip his shoulder or… Do something. Anything. Anything to cut through the blanket of grief wrapped around the other man.

But Patton straightened and pointed to the thinnest part of the trees. “We’ll head that way on foot, then see how the road looks.” He nodded and clicked his tongue. Both horses followed him. “With any luck, we can ride most of the way.”

~~~

The City of Light burned.

Black, oily smoke billowed from the Bastille and several of the larger estates along the far shore of the Seine. The tall, windowed doors of St. Germaine were barred with a crooked iron brace. There were scorch marks on the doors and more on the loose pages from the prayer books gathered in clumps along the gutters.

They walked the horses slowly, and Patton clucked soothingly when a loud bang sounded north of La Chapelle. “Welcome to Paris,” he murmured to Remus. The bright sunshine illuminated every cracked window, every pile of trash, every dirty puddle. Every beggar. Patton took them past du Foy, but Remy had boarded up the windows and was likely hunkered down inside, his stolen musket by his side, lead pipe in his hand. Remy had told him stories of the food riots in the '70s, and he was not the type to take chances after that.

A rumbly wave of voices spread out from the center of the city and they followed the noise. A large gallows had been assembled in the middle of Jardin Square. The air was thick and acrid with the fires dotting the city and July’s heat already rising up from the cobblestone streets. The memory of the forest's cool air and the babbling creek seemed unreal.

The gallows platform was empty save for a pair of rebels fastening nooses to the heavy beam. Either end was rough and splintered, probably plundered from one of the estates before the structure was torched. “Look,” Remus tugged at his sleeve and his eyes darted over to the floor of the gallows. It was built tall, with the stage higher than eye level. “There are trap doors.” Patton looked and under each rope was a jagged square. “If we can stop those from triggering, it could buy us time to cut them down.”

Patton nodded. “Let’s tie off the horses, then cover me while I get under there.”

Less than an hour later, Patton and Remus mingled with the crowd at either edge of the gallows, mere paces from the steps leading up to the stage. The moment the doors failed to open, they would rush up, clad in red scarves, and promise to help. They had to be fast, and cut the ropes before anyone else could reach them. 

They had one shot.

Remus fidgeted, his curls, even dirty, bouncing as he shifted. He jumped when someone clapped his shoulder, laughing. He laughed along and said something Patton couldn’t decipher from the other end of the stage. A little boy beat out a steady rat-tat-tat on a dented drum and the crowd’s volume grew. The mass of people moved as one, breathless and faces bright with excitement. One of the Garde Royale emerged from the commandeered shop behind the gallows. His uniform was torn, epaulets ripped from the shoulders and a deep purple bruise covering one eye. The crowd jeered as he was led to the end closest to Patton and two students he recognized from the café tightened the noose around his neck.

More boos erupted from the men and women and children gathered around the stage. Janus stumbled out, eyes downcast and his hands tied in front of him, like the guard. He didn’t appear to be in as bad of shape, but he favored his left leg as he walked and he moved far too slowly. Remus’ eyes were fixed on him and he inched a little closer to the steps.

“Not too soon, Your Majesty,” Patton whispered under his breath, willing Remus to remember to wait.

Patton didn’t think the crowd could get louder but a flash of green drew a roar from the mob. A head taller than the men leading him, Prince Roman walked with shoulders squared and chin tilted up. If it weren’t for the split, bloodied lip and his blood-matted hair, he could have been making his entrance at a grand ball. He didn’t react when one of the men tried to trip him, catching himself before falling on his face, arms tied behind his back, one final loss of freedom they could inflict before at last taking away his life.

From where he stood, Patton could see the lever that was meant to open the hatches. Beneath the stage, he'd jammed thick cedar shims into the mechanisms, his sabotage invisible from the outside. The lever would work, but the hatched would remain closed just long enough for him and Remus to cut everyone down.

The drums intensified, riling up the crowd until there was a crack of gunpowder and the executioner pulled the lever. When the hatches didn’t open, panicked voices rose up from the students who’d squeezed through the crowd to get a better view of the hanging. They were now penned in, caught between the head-high hanging platform and the growing mob. 

It was now or never.

Moving as one, Remus and Patton dashed onto the stage. Before Remus could reach his brother, the shim splintered and the hatch dropped beneath his feet. Remus shouted, a wordless, panicked cry, as he dragged Roman back up and began to hack at the rope. While that was going on, the guard had managed to wiggle one hand out from his ropes and freed himself before he abandoned his distinctive coat and jumped off the back of the execution stage. The crowd was stunned, and time seemed to stand still as Patton ran to Janus’ side. 

With all eyes on the “King,” he sawed through Janus’ ropes and half ushered, half carried him to the other end of the stage. “Trust me,” he hissed at the twins, then ripped open Roman’s tattered green coat and shouted, “Everyone! Faites attention! He’s wearing red! The King’s a fraud, he’s just a guard." He pointed behind the stage, away from where the guard had escaped. "That man was the King!” 

The mob roiled around them, a bubble waiting to pop. As they moved down the ladder, Remus spotted a familiar young woman dressed in rags, clutching her elderly grandfather’s arm. Her rough woven skirt and apron, stained and threadbare blouse looked like anyone else's but he knew that face. Relief flooded his heart and he almost smiled. Philomene! She’d gotten out and taken Maitre with her. She met Remus' eyes, bowed her head, then stepped in front of a rebel attempting to get to the stage. She grabbed his arm, speaking quickly and pointing to Maitre. 

“Get to the horses while they’re distracted,” Patton ordered, pulling the princes along. He squirmed through the crowd as they pushed their way around the stage, hunting for the long-gone guard. Dirtied and bloodied, friend and foe, royalty and Jacobin all looked alike and they managed to get to the edge of the square where Petit and Naif nickered nervously.

“You found me,” Janus slurred once they’d stopped, hanging from Remus’ arm.

“Of course I found you, mon douceur,” he murmured and lifted Janus up into the saddle before climbing up behind him, one arm wrapped around his love’s waist, the other hand tight on the reins. “I promised you, ‘til my last breath and beyond.” He nuzzled gently against the side of his neck, shoulders trembling. After a moment, he straightened and turned toward the others. “Race you, brother,” he started to laugh, but it came out more like a sob at the sight his brother’s bruised and bloodied face.

“If you think I’m going to let you win merely because you saved my life,” Roman’s smile was weak but real as he mounted the other horse behind Patton. “You’re dreaming.”

Patton chuckled at the brothers’ banter and tugged on the taller man’s arms. “Hold on tight, Your Highness” he muttered.

“Mon héros petit,” he said quietly, both arms looped tightly around Patton’s waist. He looked over his shoulder when the sound of the mob changed. Someone in the crowd pointed their way, and the mob seethed, undulating toward them like some giant sea creature. 

“We need to move,” Patton said, clicking his tongue at the horses. “Now!”

Urging Naif and Petit into a gallop, the four of them took off just ahead of the crowd, leaving the chaotic mob in their horses’ dust.

Summer, 1830, Café Procope

“Mon dieu,” Virgil murmured. “They made it?” Tears pouring freely down his cheeks, he accepted a handkerchief from the bearded man. He scrubbed his face dry and shook his head. “That was a beautiful story, monsieur. Thank you.” He swallowed hard and nodded. “Where are they now? The stories say they—”

“Last I heard, the four of them were still guests of King Fredrick in Berlin.” He shrugged and finished his coffee. “Exile beats death.”

Virgil tapped the sides of his cup and leaned forward, eyes drawn to the gun the bearded man still held. His gun. “Did Patton ever return to Paris to seek revenge? To find… um… Raúl?" He stared at his gun with hardened eyes before looking up at the bearded man. "Make him pay for killing Logan?”

Shaking his head, again the bearded man gazed out at the bartender working his way through his closing tasks. The bar counter gleamed in the lamplight, every glass shone, bright and glossy. Just like the bartender’s clear blue eyes. “Patton was never the type to hurt someone out of revenge.” He returned his attention to Virgil. “Besides, they all knew Logan wouldn’t’ve wanted that.” 

The dark fire that had filled Virgil���s eyes faded, and the coffee had sobered him. He stared down at the table for a long time, rubbing his hands over the scarred but polished surface. Finally he looked up and jerked his chin toward the gun. “I listened to your story, monsieur.” He bowed his head and pulled the ring out from under his shirt. He kissed it, then left it out, hanging just over his heart. “May I have my gun back now?”

“How about…” Picking up the gun, he opened the chamber and knocked the three bullets it contained into his palm. “You keep your gun, and I keep your bullets.” He offered Virgil the revolver, handle first. “Fair?”

Virgil chewed on his lip then finally nodded. “Entendu. Fair.” His mouth regained a bit of the shaky smile he’d had at the end of the bearded man’s story. He accepted the gun and, after a moment, tucked it in his belt. “Good night, monsieur. Thank you for the coffee and… the story,” he said, uncertain, like he’d pushed and pushed and pushed at a door only to have it fling open when pulled. He gave the bartender a little two-fingered salute then slunk out into the night.

The bartender followed and locked the door behind him before lowering the shade. Smiling with a faraway look in his eyes, he filled the bearded man’s cup with the last of the coffee. “You gave ‘Patton’ a larger role in the rescue tale this time.” As he turned to extinguish the lamps at the next table, the flames cast golden light over the bartender's unruly mop of greying hair, momentarily restoring his formerly blond curls.

The bearded man smiled sadly at him.

“He deserves it. Roman was right. The little kitchen scullery was a hero that night.” He took a long drag of his coffee, relishing the way the hot, bitter brew scalded his throat. He set down the mug and wiped his mustache with the back of his hand. “Saved His Majesty’s life.”

The bartender nodded. “It’s too bad I couldn’t save you both. That I couldn't save you all.”

The bearded man rubbed the edge of Janus’ gold ring, back on his pinkie where it had been the night he’d given to him. “You did what we all did that night, Pat,” he shrugged, leaning over to extinguish the last light. The lamplight accentuated the bump in his nose from the decades-old fracture. He contemplated the light, then blew it out. Gas streetlights spilled into the suddenly darkened space from the transom, hiding the surrounding ghosts in long shadows. “You saved who you could.”

~~~

Side by side of the edited and original versions of Jean Victor Schnetz' Fighting At The Hotel De Ville (1830)

[mistons]

Miami Beach

Snowden Estate, 1923, looking north from 44th St & Collins Ave. Harvey S. Firestone's Harbel Villa Estate, 1930s. Fontainebleau Hotel construction, 1954. Firestone estate was used as a construction office.  

Miami History / SMU Libraries / Miami Archives / Gottscho-Schleisner collection, LOC

Fontainebleau architect Morris Lapidus: In his day, critics reviled the excesses of Lapidus’ designs, calling his architecture “the nation’s grossest national product,” “pornography of architecture,” and “boarding house baroque” ... There was a “Staircase to Nowhere” so women dressed in couture and jewels could take an elevator to the top to deposit their coats and glamorously descend the stairs to the lobby. - Fontainebleau Hotel, A Colorful History

Steve Wynn:

In 1954 a guy named Ben Novack and his brother Joe Novack, who had  experience in the Catskills at a hotel called Laurel, and in Miami Beach at the Sans Souci Hotel - sort of like Las Vegas with bunch of hotels lined up one next to the other on Collins Avenue - got an option on the Firestone estate at 41st St. on Collins Ave., a big 15-acre oceanfront piece that was owned by the famous family that made tires.

Ben Novack and Joe Novack conceived with an architect named Morris Lapidus of a hotel called Fontainebleau. This place was going to be a new idea. The hotel itself was going to be a series of experiential moments that included formal French gardens, sort of a Jewish version of Versailles; a gorgeous, soaring, high ceiling lobby; a lot of curvilinear spaces and curved stairways; murals on the wall of 18th century France; a fabulous showroom; a shopping arcade below; beyond the garden an expansive Cabana and pool club; a beautiful spa; and a curved building with blue glass. The Fontainebleau was going to set a new standard of destination resorts on planet Earth. It was so breakaway, so profoundly new it didn't even add a name on it. No sign, just the building.

It opened in 1954 and it changed everything people came from France, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil. Between Christmas and Easter you had to know somebody to get a room. Everybody from Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis worked there. It was the coolest place to be in America during high season. The Fontainebleau dwarfed in scale and imagination anything that had ever been done anywhere in Europe or America, and it was received that way.  

Jay Sarno was a character from Atlanta. He saw the Fontainebleau. He saw that this place was in the literary sense romantic, better than the outside world. It was a universe utopia within itself. Sarno never got over it

I was going to school at the University of Pennsylvania. My folks had Cabana 364 on an annual basis. I’d come there at Christmastime, and I never got over it. To me it seemed like the greatest thing in the world is to create a place that would transport people that way.

[yanderepuck]

Hi I’d like to submit some more stuff for the MC has an underfunded American education. They’re all quotes from my friend.

We go to one of the top high schools in the North American continent…

MC: I mean, you look like a lot of people. You've got brown hair and you're white (about Leonardo I guess)

MC: oh so crystal meth is like.. rock candy?

MC: Versailles? Oh I know Versace! (They did not, in fact, know what versace was either)

- 🦷(is that taken? If so then I’ll choose a different anon tag)

CACKLING.

The thought of MC just simply not knowing anything but the BASICS about the guys..and then not knowing ANY of them is one of my favorite things ever.

MC is already dumb, let's at least make it fun.

Also that tag is good. I don't have any regular anons (that ik of) at least no one uses a tag

[seancamerons]

i wanna make mbs for my fics lol like locations like i have this whole vision of how i think these places look like. ask me about any of these places i make up and have fun with what i have in mind. :)

lana's or known as lana's restaraunt a fancy pink designer boutique parisian provincial vibes and aesthetics, like it looks like a dupe versailles, with columns, statuettes and more. white gold pink as the main color palette the details are what is its major draw. the overall vibe is elegant and classic styles, it would totally have a beautiful logo of gold and baby pink with white accident - dainty looking with a lovely louise fili design aesthetic vibe designwise). the prices are high and is featured in backtrack.

another one is, the ravine itself. although its a canon location and has been featured through the years that could be fun. so scandalous and how good it feels to be bad, conveying that through imagery. i imagine the grounds by the firepits filled with charred logs. the van smelling like weed and gasoline in the summer heat, mosquitos and flies from open containers of food along with the skunky musks of the weed, the smell of cheap keystone light and other cheap beers for the underage who bribe some poor young adults into purchasing some alcohol for them, sometimes they're wanting to relive their glory days have an anon drinking party with guys with random girls, who knows. what a mess, it'd be a gritty vibe for sure. seedy and somewhat morally deviant, but also an entertaining party spot, very 2000s and 2010s flashbacks there.

its so intriguing though and an ambitious project the ravine is to incorporate in my writing. the ravine is featured a lot in faking it but mostly in together forever.

antonio's is another in-universe spot. where jimmy in season 1's coming of age briefly mentioned ordering some pizza for himself after his bday plans with ashley faded out.

it's where sean and emma get their double cheese pizza pies. i assume that's what it meant, they likely went there it's doubtful they didn't go to a chain. the vibe is strictly homemade, hometown mom-and-pop, also like a traditional parlor maybe even dated paneling like stained a chesnut with the checkerboard tables but still nice just retro. for instance another decor like those weird tiffany 80s looking chandeliers for lighting, like its giving pizza hut in the 1990s just family-owned.

i imagine jimmy was a frequent delivery or carryout customer. i could see young spin and jimmy pre-dot circa season 1 or 2, heading over to a pizza place after heading to novak's or the other drug and convenience stores passing the time on the main stretch of streets by school in town. i imagine the reason why the community school was named because the street they hang on is degrassi street, hence that is the idea i get.

wasaga beach, yet another location that i tend to love using in my writing. while in other teen dramas there were lots of locations in and out of town that were intriguing. in s4's back in black we finally see wasaga beach. I'm less sure if its real but i looked it up and it was once and it was sean's hometown. it comes up casually or not so casually in my fics that typically discuss sean or concern or center on sean or sean in relationships such as with ellie and emma, less may ut she conditionally comes up since he dated amy after emma and so on. okay, but i make it seem like an area close to me. hear me me out.

so in most of my fics he's either back recently from wasaga or back from the military after his stint in wasaga and or while he was staying there and leading up to his return, or lastly it's set before departure where wasaga is in the past and not considered, he wasn't ready to go back yet.

anyway, wildwood nj is my favorite place to be and it's reminiscent of a place that is DEAD outside of summer. it's a city by the beach there's a north wildwood and a south.

most people know about atlantic city with the casinos and beaches, an older boardwalk than all of them, and Ocean city course families frequent typically anyway because it's a dry town at Ocean City (not to be confused with ocean city, maryland but there's good and bad on both parts. oh and there's a famous boardwalk, both AC and Ocean City have famous boardwalks, but Wildwood is my favorite it's like 2 miles long and a lot of fun. Something for everybody. lots of funnel cakes on the pier, looking like the sometimes video by britney spears from 1999 but perpetually fun and whimsical, like a big carnival, my dream date.

in faking it it's pretty prominently featured and referenced.

[dhampiravidi]

By far, the 1800s spent in North America (which was split between the American United States and La Louisiane Française [French Louisiana]) were Oraia's least favorite period. She had had a century to try and "get used to" the horrors of American slavery and racial discrimination, but it still pissed her off. After all, she was half-Black herself through her mother--Oraia just happened to be White-passing. So, once she'd spent the 1700s exploring the American frontier (traveling with various tribes, befriending wild animals, and learning to use a gun), she decided to go into the States and wreak righteous vengeance.

As usual, she found someone who specialized in forging papers for supernaturals like herself, and became Ms Lydia Eaton, a rich woman whose poor husband had died on the trip to New Orleans over from France. Once she'd gotten a place and was fairly respected by the people, she made some contacts to help enslaved people escape to Canada. A year after the Civil War had ended, slavery had become illegal. Black people were still treated like shit, and Oraia had to attend events with all the racist people who had money--at least, enough so no one would have reason to research her past.

She was just leaving the operetta, finding the songs boring, when she saw a striking blond make a beeline for her exit. Oraia fought to move with the grace of a lady (as she'd learned in Versailles), rather than race the man to the door.

"Good evening, " she said, being nothing more than polite. Even if he found her attractive and worth bedding, she couldn't have a relationship. It was hard enough having to reinvent herself every century or so. She didn't even know if he spoke French. Of course, she also spoke English, Comanche, Tanoan (Kiowa), Italian, and a few dead languages, but she had a feeling that no one in her neighborhood could speak anything besides English and Creole French.

She looked up at him, trying to read his expression while she let him open the door.

@loyaltybroken

[robertlaskarzewski]

Twenty-fifth blog

On Monday, I went to the Museum of Natural History, near the Latin Quarter neighborhood of Paris. It is situated in a large building with an open layout. Most of the exhibits consisted of taxidermized animals, preserved insects, as well as various fauna. Later, I went to the Pantheon, one of the most revered places of burial for famous and remarkable French citizens. The likes of famous French writers, philosophers, scientists, and generals are all entombed in the crypt of the large Roman-style building.

Tuesday, I was in Paris once more. This time, I visited two of the most famous malls in the city (in my opinion) – these being the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. I prefer the Printemps more as it is usually less crowded and has more interesting things (as well as things I would actually consider buying and not just luxury brands).

Wednesday, I visited the area of Cergy around my school because I had to go and visit some housing options for my upcoming semester. These encounters had mixed results, unfortunately. There was a batch of ducklings I got to see at the park which made up for it.

Thursday, I went to the Chateau de Chantilly, an old and historic place located a little more than a half an hour North of Paris proper. It is named as a chateau second only to the Chateau of Versailles (I’m not too sure about this but it’s just what I’ve read). While there, you can visit the grand stables which used to house the horses that were used for the king’s hunts in the surrounding forests. The grounds of the chateau are quite large and take about two hours to traverse the perimeter (at least). This is nothing, however, compared to the Chateau of Versailles which can take more than 6 hours, from what I’m told.

Friday, I again went to the Galeries Printemps – this time with a defined mission: acquire a new pair of shoes. I was successful as there was an ongoing sale on most of the things in the shopping mall. I got a pair of Geox shoes, almost identical to those I had gotten more than five years ago (also in France).

Saturday, I went to the Le Marais neighborhood in Paris. It is known as one of the more upscale and richer areas of Paris that isn’t outside or located directly next to government buildings. While there, I visited the Museum Carnavalet which depicts the history of Paris, most notably in the form of period rooms that display rooms of the mansion as they would have appeared hundreds of years earlier.

Sunday, I went to the Longines Global Champions Tour horse show, being hosted right in the center of Paris, just a stone’s throw away from the Eiffel Tower. The point of the show is for the horses and riders to complete the given course in the fastest time with the fewest number of faults (given for knocking over parts of a jump, a bit like a hurdler in track and field). It was a very interesting experience and was worthwhile to watch, even in spite of the over 90-degree Fahrenheit weather in Paris.

[rabbitcruiser]

International Workers’ Day 

Appreciate the many ways you and others build our society, and acknowledge your own hard work by treating yourself kindly on National Worker’s Day.

Everybody loves to spend time on their hobbies! It doesn’t matter if it is a love of shopping, diving, going to the movies, traveling, hiking, or one of thousands of other leisure activities. Many people probably spend a large part of their lives figuring out how to do it more often.

Unfortunately, however, the truth is that in order for most people to have the money to do what they love to do in their spare time, it is necessary to be gainfully employed. Of course, there are also some lucky people on the earth who truly love their jobs!. But regardless of how much people enjoy doing their jobs, they simply have to be done.

Of course, it is also important to remember that each and every little job that a person does is necessary and valuable to society, from garbage man to nurse to teacher to policeman, and so many others.

Together, all of humankind builds society, making it a better, safer place with each passing year. Now, isn’t that something worth celebrating? Many people all over the world seem to think it is!

So now is the time to learn about and celebrate International Workers’ Day together!

The History of International Workers’ Day

In the late 19th Century, trade union and labor movements, along with countless industries, grew. This growth from cottage industry and individual laborers through the industrial revolution eventually prompted trade unionists to begin to work toward protecting the rights of the employees. Whether this was child labor laws, limited working hours, or safe working conditions, labor unions fought to take care of the workers.

Sometimes these types of actions might lead to protests, work stoppages, labor strikes or even special days to celebrate the people’s labor. In the United States and Canada, a September holiday called Labor Day, was first proposed in the 1880s. Several years later, in 1887, North America officially established Labor Day.

May 1st, on the other hand, also known as May Day, was chosen for International Workers’ Day to commemorate the Haymarket affair of May 4th 1886. This event took place in Chicago, Illinois, in the US during a workers’ strike when an unidentified person threw a bomb at the police who had gathered for crowd control. The police then responded by opening fire on the workers, killing four of them and injuring many others.

Today, International Workers’ Day is observed on the first day of May on every continent. And now it’s time to celebrate this day literally all over the world!

International Workers’ Day Timeline

1856 Australian stonemasons protest

In Victoria, stonemasons undertake a massive stoppage in a movement toward an eight-hour workday.

1882 Labor Day is proposed for the US

Different workers’ rights advocates propose the idea of an American Labor day. Though many states do adopt the day, it will be another dozen years before it is made a federal holiday (celebrated in September).

1886 The Haymarket Affair takes place

In Chicago, riots break out as workers strike and police get involved, turning to violence and creating panic.

1889 International Workers’ Day is established

With roots in the socialist movement, May 1st is called upon as a protest day for the working-class demands of the eight-hour day.

1919 International Labor Organization begins

Created as part of the Treaty of Versailles, the International Labor Organization (ILO) includes representatives from nine countries.

How to Celebrate International Workers’ Day

This day was always meant to celebrate the work of the everyday man, so for those who may have been feeling a bit underappreciated recently, today might be a good day for you to do what you feel like doing and treat yourself!

Try out some of these other ideas for getting involved and celebrating International Workers’ Day:

Take a Day to Yourself

Take the day off (if it’s not a day off work in that country of residence) and go do something that you want to do for a change. Consider some of these ways to find enjoyment and rest:

Has it been ages since you visited the mountains? Pack a lunch and spend the day enjoying nature and the view from the mountain peak you decide to conquer.

Has your back been causing you increasing discomfort recently? Time to make an appointment with a good masseuse!

And if it’s been forever since you took the time to make yourself a decent meal, today is the perfect day to buy all of the ingredients you need and spend as much time as you want cooking something delicious and nutritious.

No matter what is chosen, this is the day to do something enjoyable and restful!

Attend an International Workers’ Day Event

For those who might be feeling a bit more politically inclined, this day offers an ideal opportunity to attend one of the many rallies or marches that are often organized in many cities worldwide. These rallies and marches are typically organized and dedicated to raising awareness about fair wages and fair working conditions. After all, the first step towards making any kind of change is making people aware of the issue!

Learn About the History of Workers’ Rights

This day is the ideal time to head over to the library and do a little research and read about different situations that have led up to the celebration of International Workers’ Day. For instance, start by researching these pivotal topics:

Victorian Workhouses. Infamous for their exploitation of the weak and the poor, even children fell victim to these houses that were essentially prisons in 18th century England.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. In a New York City factory in 1911, the exits and stairwells were kept locked to keep workers from taking unauthorized breaks. When a fire broke out, 123 women and girls and 23 men, mostly immigrants, died.

Sweatshops. Even today, sweat factories exist as crowded workplaces with poor and sometimes illegal conditions, including poor ventilation, low lighting, high/low temperatures, unfair wages, unhealthy or dirty environments, child labor, extended hours without breaks and much more.

Host an International Workers’ Day Gathering

If it is difficult to find an event in the local area, then perhaps it is time to start one. Gather together a few friends, family members, neighbors or coworkers and hold a conversation about fair working. Perhaps it could be a dinner party where the topic of conversation revolves around ways to right the injustices or difficult conditions in certain places.

Or maybe it should be more of an activist gathering where t-shirts are printed and picket signs are made in support of fairness in employment. Go with what works for each individual and the community!

International Workers’ Day FAQs

When is International Workers’ Day?

International Workers’ Day takes place each year on the first day of May, also known as May Day.

What is International Workers’ Day?

This day is promoted by the international labor movement to celebrate laborers and those in the working class.

Where is International Workers’ Day celebrated?

International Workers’ Day is celebrated in many countries all over the world, often on May 1 but sometimes on another day.

How to celebrate International Workers’ Day?

International Workers’ Day can be celebrated in a variety of ways, whether listening to speeches, participating in marches, and showing support for workers’ rights.

Why do we celebrate International Workers’ Day?

This day is celebrated to commemorate the historic struggles made by the labor movement, and to focus on continuing to promote equal and fair rights for workers.

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