#achilles riviera

[mids-stupid-shit]

Hey can you draw my oc please?

The oc description

Name:Achilles Riviera

Age:17

Height:5’3

Weight:120

Once fought a dragon in a tesco parking lot because it tried to steal his groceries

Puerto Rican

Goth with piercings and tattoos

All the tats are floral

Has blue eyes

Black hair

Is super strong

Anyway please draw him

Lord Frieza, the dirty deed has been done.

[wild-child-charters]

Our five favourite roof-terrace bars on the French Riviera

Nothing beats a tasty cocktail in a cool roof terrace after a hard day sightseeing! There are certainly plenty to choose from all along the French Riviera from terraces on top of large hotels, to smaller more cosy independantly run roof bars. Don’t always assume the best ones are on next to the sea, there are some super cool ones further back in the depths of the cities and towns too! We have done (a lot) of research and have compiled a list of five roof terrace bars that we really like. They are all a little different and cater for different budgets, but nonetheless all very cool and tourist friendly! We hope you get to try some of them! Cheers!

Bocca - Nice

Right in the heart of the old town Nice, one block back from the beach, Bocca boasts a 250 square meter roof terrace. With a cool laid-back crowd and some excellent cocktails on offer this is one place not to be missed when in Nice. Why not drop in for a long lunch or dinner and try out some of their amazing Mediterranean-inspired cuisine!  If you are looking to go just for a drink, then its open from 22:30 – 02:30 for drinkers only!

 Achill’s - Villefranche

With views over the small harbour and bay Villefranche this trendy roof top is a great place to unwind after a busy day, with a vast collection of gin, rum and whisky, the extensive cocktail list will surely cater for everyone’s taste! Originally called “Calypso” the original owner who’s name is coincidently “Achille” started a small family bar and restaurant back in 1975. In 2010 it was taken over by his grandchildren and as a kind tribute to their grandfather they renamed it Achill’s. The rooftop bar not only serves a large selection of drinks and small bites, but if you were looking for something more substantial to eat, they have a wonderful cosy restaurant below.

Nikki Beach - Monaco

If soaking up the sun with views of Monaco and the Mediterranean-sea are your thing, then you should certainly pay a visit to Nikki beach. Situated above the Fairmont hotel, this roof terrace/beach club is the place to be seen. Mingle with celebrities and fashionistas whilst sipping a cool glass of rosé and enjoying the vast swimming pool and live internationally renown Dj’s. This is a great place to spend an afternoon before heading out to experience some of the many restaurants and bars Monaco has to offer.

Cloud 9 Baoli - Cannes

Dubbed “the first mixology bar on the croisette” Cloud 9 is situated above the iconic Baoli restaurant and night club in port Pierre Canto.  The beautifully appointed roof terrace offers a panoramic 360-degree view of Cannes, all whilst settled in a tranquil and lush tropical setting. Cocktails here will surely leave you very impressed and definitely wanting more! No reservations are available, so just turn up with plenty of time to secure that idyllic position before the sun sets!  

Eden Roc Bar - Cap d’Antibes

Not many roof top bars can match the glamour and history of the Eden roc. With a rich history of entertaining artists and movie stars, this incredible bar sits facing the bay of Cannes and the Lerin islands. Soak up the sun and remember to hydrate with their incredible selection of wine and cocktails. Arriving by boat? No problem, call the bar in advance and they will arrange a tender to arrive to pick you up if your boat is too big for their small dock. Dress code is strict here, so keep it classy and enjoy!  

[lamilanomagazine]

Rimini si prepara per un’estate ricca di eventi

Rimini si prepara per un’estate ricca di eventi. L’estate 2023 è ormai alle porte e Rimini si prepara ad accogliere in città un ricco palinsesto di eventi, confermandosi nuovamente meta turistica d’eccellenza che attira ogni anno milioni amanti dell’arte, del cibo e del mare provenienti da tutto il mondo. La città romagnola anche d’estate punta sull’arte e sulla cultura grazie al suo patrimonio storico, artistico, monumentale straordinario. Tutti ingredienti di una ricetta vincente che hanno portato la Città di Rimini a candidarsi a Capitale Italiana della Cultura per il 2026. “Vieni oltre”, italianizzazione dal dialettale “vin olta”, è il titolo del percorso che accompagnerà la candidatura di Rimini a questo prestigioso riconoscimento: un invito che la città rivolge al mondo per raccontarsi al di là degli stereotipi, come vera e propria città d’arte. Perché Rimini non è solo mare e spiagge ma anche e soprattutto storia, arte, cultura e ospitalità. Rimini è un approdo dove l’arte si è sempre fusa in modo indistinguibile con la storia e la cultura di una città “geneticamente” vocata alla creatività. Tante infatti sono le attrazioni che raccontano questa innata vocazione: il Fellini Museum, il PART, il Museo della Città, il Tempio Malatestiano, il Borgo San Giuliano, la rinnovata Piazza dei Sogni, la storica Domus del Chirurgo, l’affascinante Ponte Tiberio e così via. Sono oltre 150 gli appuntamenti che animeranno l’estate riminese fra nuove proposte, festival culturali, eventi artistici, mille occasioni di sport e intrattenimento e un filo rosso all’insegna della musica con grandi artisti. Ad aprire ufficialmente il calendario di giugno sarà infatti l’attesa “Data Zero” di Vasco Rossi allo Stadio Romeo Neri di Rimini (2 giugno 2023). Il rocker di Zocca torna ad infiammare la riviera romagnola dopo 27 anni dal suo ultimo concerto a Rimini. Il giorno prima della Data Zero, giovedì 1° giugno 2023 si svolge anche il Soundcheck, la serata annuale aperta solo agli iscritti al Blasco fanclub. Fino al 3 giugno 2023 da non perdere è la mostra “Segnali Urbani” allestita all'Ala Nuova del Museo della Città di Rimini (ingresso gratuito) dedicata alla storia del writing degli anni Ottanta. In mostra i lavori di Eron, Rok, Reoh, Basik, Enko4, TomoZ, Mozoner, Burla22, Jato e Blatta, dieci artisti che dalla fine degli anni ‘80 ad oggi hanno influenzato in maniera incisiva il modo di vivere e realizzare l'arte urbana a Rimini. Atteso il 9 giugno 2023 la prima data del Tezenis Summer Festival in Piazzale Fellini, promosso da Tezenis in collaborazione con Radio 105, che vedrà esibirsi i big della musica italiana come Achille Lauro, Annalisa, Articolo 31, Mr Rain, Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, Rocco Hunt, Rose Villain, The Kolors, Tommaso Paradiso e molti altri. Giugno prosegue all’insegna del cinema: dal 10 al 18 giugno 2023 il Cinema Fulgor e il Fellini Museum ospiteranno la quarta edizione de “I luoghi dell’anima”, il festival internazionale del cinema sui territori e la bellezza, inaugurato in occasione del centenario della nascita del poeta, scrittore e sceneggiatore Tonino Guerra e ideato dal figlio Andrea Guerra per raccogliere l’eredità spirituale, culturale, sociale del padre, e realizzato dall’Associazione Tonino Guerra. Fra i grandi ritorni estivi, dal 23 giugno a fine luglio 2023 il Festival del mondo antico, la rassegna di conferenze, incontri, tavole rotonde, presentazioni di libri, visite guidate e spettacoli in cui leggere il passato per comprendere il presente e costruire con maggiore consapevolezza il futuro. Sempre in centro storico, ritorna dal 27 al 29 giugno 2023 per il terzo anno “Biglietti agli amici” il festival, con Marco Missiroli, che celebra il potere del racconto orale come fulcro della trasformazione contemporanea: a Rimini si ritorna ad ascoltarsi dal vivo con voci “altisonanti” del panorama culturale italiano, tra letteratura, attualità, musica e spettacolo. Imperdibile l’appuntamento con la Notte Rosa di Rimini dal 7 al 9 luglio 2023: il “capodanno” dell’estate, la grande festa della Riviera, giunge alla sua diciottesima edizione. Tutta la costa, con cuore pulsante a Rimini, si tinge di rosa, dal tramonto all’alba in un’esplosione di luci, suoni, immagini e colori, un evento diffuso con musica, spettacoli e magiche scenografie. Proprio 9 luglio 2023 sul palco della Rimini Beach Arena arriverà il noto rapper milanese Lazza. Il cantante proporrà le sue ultime hit come Ouv3rture, Molotov e Piove, dopo il grande successo ottenuto dopo Sanremo. La musica sarà al centro del “Social Music City” in scena il 15 luglio 2023 nella Rimini Beach Arena che ospiterà i grandi nomi della scena musicale internazionale, da Anfisa Letyago a Charlotte de Witte, da Marco Carola a Mathame, passando per Richie Hawtin e Tale Of Us. L’atmosfera sarà incendiata dalle loro performance mozzafiato. Ma l’esperienza non finisce qui! L’after-party prenderà il via al Cocoricò con i migliori DJ della scena, pronti a farvi ballare fino al mattino. Nelle calde serate estive a metà luglio torna la rassegna “La terrazza della Dolce Vita” nella splendida cornice del giardino del Grand Hotel: un ciclo di incontri con importanti personaggi del mondo dello spettacolo e della cultura contemporanea��intervistati dal giornalista Giovanni Terzi e presentati da Simona Ventura. Torna con una proposta inedita l’atteso “Spettacoli in piazza” capace di trasformare, per sei weekend da fine luglio, l’outdoor del Fellini Museum in un luogo dove poter sognare. Un’esperienza che combina il racconto, la musica, e il teatro performativo per arrivare alla destinazione finale: il cuore di ogni spettatore. Uno spettacolo che racconta storie eterne, attraverso la magia e lo stupore, a cura di FestiGroup con la Regia di Monica Maimone. Luglio prosegue con un evento da non perdere: la 39esima edizione di “Cartoon Club”, il Festival Internazionale del cinema d’animazione, del fumetto e dei games, che come sempre riempirà la città dal 10 al 16 luglio 2023 di numerosi eventi, mostre, laboratori, masterclass, spettacoli e il mare con la mostra mercato e cosplay convention. Fra le novità 2023, il 5 agosto arriva in piazzale Fellini il “Webboh Fest”, il primo festival dedicato alla Gen-Z e ideato dalla community di webboh.it, che porta sul palco i cantanti e i creator più amati dai giovani. Dal 23 agosto al 15 settembre 2023 appuntamento con “Le città visibili”, il festival teatrale e musicale che ospita gli artisti più importanti del panorama nazionale, portando lo spettacolo dal vivo, sia in luoghi ad esso dedicati, sia in spazi non convenzionali. Infine, tutti i giorni di giugno, luglio e agosto 2023, nella splendida cornice della Piazza sull’Acqua, con vista sul Ponte di Tiberio, VisitRimini propone un pic-nic in un ampio spazio verde, dove potersi rilassare e gustare del buon cibo preparato da alcuni ristoranti del Borgo San Giuliano. Per partecipare è necessario solo scegliere fra i menu proposti e l’orario (dalle 18.00). Per info e prenotazioni: 0541.51441... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[whateverbringsyouthroughthenight]

Achille Lucien Mauzan (1883 Gap, Hautes-Alpes - 1952 Gap) was born on the French Riviera, but moved to Italy in 1905, known as a decorative illustrator designing during the Art Deco movement, though he also painted and sculpted.

[ohgaylor]

the subtle and not so subtle gayness of red (taylor’s version)

State of Grace (Taylor's Version)

And I've loved in shades of wrong, we learn to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts. But this love is brave and wild

this is a state of grace, this is the worthwhile fight. love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right

these are the hands of fate, you're my Achilles heel this is the golden age of something good and right and real

Red (Taylor's Version)

faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly

loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall

touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you

regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong

Treacherous (Taylor's Version)

THE ENTIRETY OF THIS SONG

put your lips close to mine as long as they don't touch out of focus, eye to eye 'til the gravity's too much and I'll do anything you say if you say it with your hands and I'd be smart to walk away but you're quicksand

this slope is treacherous this path is reckless this slope is treacherous and I-I-I like it

I can't decide if it's a choice getting swept away. I hear the sound of my own voice asking you to stay. all we are is skin and bone trained to get along, forever going with the flow but you're friction

and I will get you, get you alone

that nothing safe is worth the drive and I would follow you, follow you home I'll follow you

I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor's Version)

and the saddest fear comes creeping in, that you never loved me, or her, or anyone, or anything

All Too Well (Taylor's Version)

SEE 10 MIN VERSION

I Almost Do (Taylor's Version)

oh, we made quite a mess, babe. it's probably better off this way and I confess, baby in my dreams, you're touching my face. and asking me if I wanna try again with you and I almost do

Holy Ground (Taylor's Version)

took off faster than a green light, go yeah you skip the conversation when you already know. I left a note on the door with a joke we'd made and that was the first day 

iykyk

Sad Beautiful Tragic (Taylor's Version)

we had a beautiful magic love there what a sad, beautiful, tragic love affair 

in dreams, I meet you in warm conversation and we both wake in lonely beds, different cities and time is taking its sweet time erasing you and you've got your demons and darling, they all look like me

The Lucky One (Taylor's Version)

now, it's big black cars and Riviera views and your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you 

and your secrets end up splashed on the news front page 

and they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused

Everything Has Changed (Featuring Ed Sheeran) (Taylor's Version)

and all my walls stood tall, painted blue, and I'll take 'em down, take 'em down and open up the door for you

come back and tell me why I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time, and meet me there tonight and let me know that it's not all in my mind

Come Back...Be Here (Taylor's Version)

the delicate beginning rush the feeling you can know so much without knowing anything at all

this is falling in love in the cruelest way

'cause it's not fair that you're not around

Better Man (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)

I know the bravest thing I ever did was run

Nothing New (Featuring Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)

I know someday I'm gonna meet her

it's a fever dream, the kind of radiance you only have at seventeen

Message in a Bottle (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)

'cause you could be the one that I love, I could be the one that you dream of, a message in a bottle is all I can do

standin' here, hopin' it gets to you, you could be the one that I keep, and I could be the reason you can't sleep at night

Run (Featuring Ed Sheeran) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)

and run, like you'd run from the law. darling, let's run, run from it all. we can go where our eyes can take us, go where no one else is, run

and the note from the locket, you keep it in your pocket since I gave it to you. there's a heart on your sleeve I'll take it when I leave, and hold it for you

there's been this hole in my heart, this thing was a shot in the dark, say you'll never let 'em tear us apart and I'll hold onto you while we run

The Very First Night (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)

I drive down different roads but they all lead back to you

'cause they don't know about the night in the hotel, they weren't riding in the car when we both fell, didn't read the note on the Polaroid picture, they don't know how much I miss you

no one knows about the words that we whisper, no one knows how much I miss you

I'm the one on the phone as you whisper "do you know how much I miss you?"

All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)

oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze, we're singing in the car, getting lost upstate

and you were tossing me the car keys, "fuck the patriarchy" key chain on the ground, we were always skipping town

and there we are again when nobody had to know

you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath, sacred prayer and we'd swear to remember it all too well

just between us, did the love affair maim you all too well?

[loisinherlane]

red being released last night made me go back to check please for a bit so here’s my thesis on how red is the kent/jack album

State of Grace - their actual relationship aka juniors

This is a state of grace This is the worthwhile fight Love is a ruthless game Unless you play it good and right These are the hands of fate You're my Achilles heel This is the golden age Of something good and right and real

Red - immediately after

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes Tell myself it's time now, gotta let go But moving on from him is impossible When I still see it all in my head In burning red

Treacherous - towards the end

I can't decide if it's a choice Getting swept away I hear the sound of my own voice Asking you to stay All we are is skin and bone Trained to get along Forever going with the flow But you're friction

I Knew You Were Trouble - reevaluating babey!!!

No apologies, he'll never see you cry Pretends he doesn't know that he's the reason why You're drowning, you're drowning, you're drowning And I heard you moved on from whispers on the street A new notch in your belt is all I'll ever be And now I see, now I see, now I see

I Almost Do - this is actually jack -> kent but still

I bet you think I either moved on or hate you 'Cause each time you reach out, there's no reply I bet it never, ever occurred to you That I can't say hello to you and risk another goodbye

Stay Stay Stay - juniors again

You took the time to memorize me My fears, my hopes, and dreams I just like hanging out with you, all the time All those times that you didn't leave, it's been occurring to me I'd like to hang out with you, for my whole life

The Last Time - Parse I-III

This is the last time you tell me I've got it wrong This is the last time I say it's been you all along This is the last time I let you in my door This is the last time, I won't hurt you anymore

Sad Beautiful Tragic - the way neither of them quite know how it ended

In dreams, I meet you in warm conversation And we both wake in lonely beds, different cities And time is taking its sweet time erasing you And you've got your demons And darling, they all look like me

The Lucky One - literally mutual envy but this is kent’s view of how he’s kind of. stuck.

Now, it's big black cars and Riviera views And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you And your secrets end up splashed on the news front page And they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused 'Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used And all the young things line up to take your place 

Begin Again - whenever kent finally accepts it’s over and has to face how jack made him feel

And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did I've been spending the last eight months Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end

Better Man - look!!!! i’m just saying everything we know about hear about how jack treated kent points to JACK being mean to him!!!!

I waited on every careless word Hoping they might turn sweet again Like it was in the beginning 

But your jealousy, oh, I can hear it now Talking down to me like I'd always be around

Babe - idk how to describe my thoughts here but like... the end. it’s messy.

You really blew this, babe We ain't getting through this one, babe 

I break down every time you call We're a wreck, you're the wrecking ball

Forever Winter - fucking!!! look at this!!!

All this time I didn't know You were breaking down I'd fall to pieces on the floor If you weren't around Too young to know it gets better I'll be summer sun for you forever Forever winter if you go

The Very First Night - how do you stop missing someoneeee?

We broke the status quo Then we broke each other's hearts But don't forget about the night out in L.A Dance in the kitchen, chase me down through the hallway No one knows about the words that we whisper No one knows how much I miss you

All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) - la pièce de résistance... all too well has literally always been my go-to kent -> jack song and now it has everything i wanted. deal with it. i stand by my interpretation that during their relationship, kent let himself take a backseat to boost jack up and that left some underlying resentment. also it’s mean and petty but i do think kent would side-eye the zimbits age gap a bit.

And I was thinking on the drive down, any time now He's gonna say it's love, you never called it what it was 

And there we are again when nobody had to know You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath Sacred prayer and we'd swear To remember it all too well, yeah

And you call me up again just to break me like a promise So casually cruel in the name of being honest 

The idea you had of me, who was she? A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you Not weeping in a party bathroom Some actress asking me what happened, you That's what happened, you You who charmed my dad with self-effacing jokes Sipping coffee like you're on a late-night show But then he watched me watch the front door all night, willing you to come And he said, "It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one"

And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age

And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue? Just between us, did the love affair maim you, too?

[vanaglorio]

VANAGLORIA : A STUDY IN HUBRIS.

HECTOR SOLORZANO. full name, HECTOR ALEJANDRO VELASQUEZ SOLORZANO. 27 years old, born on december 28th, 2994 in mexico city. cis man and uses he / they / doesn’t really care about pronouns. sold his soul to his family’s global construction and real estate empire and works as a civil engineering project manager. 

SKELETON.  DYNAMICS.  PINTEREST.  HISTORY & MISC. BELOW.

trigger warning: suicide, drug overdose

IMPETUS.

the concept of making some kind of lasting, indelible mark on the world that wasn’t gilded, silver-spooned and handed to him on a platter. the glory of having his own name mean something, beyond inheritance and privilege and absurd extravagance. creating something with his mind and his own two hands — in and of itself, an impossible feat considering all he’s ever achieved has had his family’s insignia stamped on it. but an ambition he holds fast to like a cardinal point on a compass

plain old kendall roy style retribution and succession drama baby. hector’s never forgiven his father for destroying his brother and despite his father’s best attempts to shape him into the back-up heir, he’s going to fuck this company up before he ever gets to inherit it. 

hubris is his ultimate achilles heel and downfall. yes, irony thy name is hector. thinks he’s somehow smarter, faster, hungrier and more brilliant and than everyone around him. which is obviously not the case. this guy is playing so many games within games with enemies and allies alike, he couldn’t claw his way out of the matrix-style shit storm if he tried. 

HISTORY.

only child, the demon, angle and beloved favourite all in one. originally born as the younger son. the spare, not the heir.

hector’s father is the CEO of the largest civil and engineering construction company in the world. their headquarters is in mexico city but they have subsidiary offices in madrid, london, tokyo and los angeles. hector’s mother is the heiress of the velasquez real estate empire, her family holding company owning substantial parcels of land all across south america, north america and europe.

his older brother, teodoro, was born 7 years before him. the consummate perfect son and heir to the empire — until, of course, he wasn’t. escalating parental pressure, crushing academic expectations, the weight of the world upon his shoulders. teodoro was no atlas. hector was 14 when they found his brother overdosed in a penthouse in saint-tropez while on summer vacation.

the process of priming hector to become the next heir was so swift, so damning, as to be almost surgical. teo’s body was barely cold and laid to rest in the ground before their parents began to talk about hector’s ‘future’.

hector never forgave his parents for what happened to teo. they were to blame, of course they were — they stood by and watched as teo slowly killed himself, until there was nothing left but his body to go. he was dead long before he swallowed his own heart and jumped on a one-way first class flight to the french riviera. 

generally speaking, hector’s academic record was rather unexceptional until teo died and he had no choice but to perform in teo’s stead. and he did it, teeth gritted and eyes slitted murderous, the whole damn show pony circus show. the endless parade of meaningless extracurriculars: everything from debate club to swim team and lacrosse to mathematics decathlons. enough to fill a trophy room with lustrous medals, accolades, first place ribbons, and still not enough. hector could never live up to teo’s looming shadow, nor did he want to. it felt, somehow, like a betrayal, to prove he was better than his brother in any way. to validate his parent’s desire to mould him as the emergency replacement. 

the only subjects hector enjoyed with any genuine passion or fascination that wasn’t feigned were classics and history.

enrolled into verdamme as a staunch fuck you to his parents who had astronomical hopes he’d attend MIT or stanford or ETH and get an engineering degree. (he did end up getting one, postgrad.)

was julian’s so-called right-hand man throughout all the years at verdamme and is also one of the riot club member’s who knew julian the longest. loved julian as much as he hated him and thought he deserved to die. one of the leading proponents of the #kill caesar movement. somehow not the most suspicious potential suspect. 

the irritating bastard in class who barely tried but seemed to ace every single test. in reality he just has an exceptional short-term memory and mind for rote learning — in one ear, out the other, etc. very much the kid that seems to be napping for all of class and then pipes up to give the most bizarre, unexpectedly insightful comment in the middle of discussion.

fucks with people, their lives / hearts / hopes and dreams, as a way to feel something? inside? maybe?? notorious for being one of julian’s worst enablers but was also plenty responsible for his own schemes, manipulations and cruelties.

MISCELLANEOUS.

is currently engaged to the heiress of a spanish shipping company in the world’s longest running engagement. almost never wears his ring but mexican and spanish news outlets made quite a big deal out of it when it was first announced over a year ago.

speaks spanish, english, french and italian fluently. due to being your typical classics nerd, also fluent in latin and ancient greek. conversational in german and portugese.

general vibe is aloof, albeit quite disarming once he strikes up a conversation, laidback, chariasmtic, “chill”, able to talk to anyone about anything when he can actually be bothered to. also the guy with zero chill, secretly. we don’t talk about that.

endeavours to avoid personal drama at all costs that hasn’t been purposefully orchestrated for some kind of game but will enjoy the schadenfreude from the sidelines while placing bets on who’ll come out on top. it’s probably a gambling problem.

some kind of deep emotional trauma (re: parental neglect & then overnight obsession with him being the perfect replacement son for the dead brother) (re: aforementioned dead brother who is possibly the only person he’s ever loved) that prevents him from properly connecting to people on a deeper level beyond shallow, casual and purposeless sex

travelling is the one and only perk of his current job. he loves travelling, but in the niche struggling backpacker way that normal twenty-something years olds do, not the private jet lifestyle of a billionaire heir of a global conglomerate

collects obscure roman artefacts, specifically from the late roman republic, and has an antique knife collection. his favourite is a ceremonial gold dagger and sheath from the tomb of tutankhamun.

teo’s girlfriend left his dog, socrates, with him after the funeral, claiming she couldn’t bear to have the memory of him around her. he’s unironically hector’s best friend.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

12 Gay Books Everyone Should Read This Pride Month

Happy Pride Month everyone! This time of year usually fills me with so much joy but it feels a bit flat and dark right now. It’s hard to imagine how anything can be happy but I’m trying my best to stay positive and what better way than to indulge in some gay realness? Men who love men are definitely the most represented queer group in books but here are some of my favourites beyond the big names that I’m sure you’ll have heard of and read. I will be bringing you more of these recommendation posts for as many LGBTQ+ groups as I possibly can, so stay tuned for those over the coming days! -Love, Alex x

1. Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

When angsty Ari meets nerdy Dante, they seem unlikely friends but they soon discover that they can both offer each other something truly special. It’s written in such a beautiful lyrical style and takes you on a heart-rending journey. Grab the tissues and the chocolate!

2. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta.

As a mixed-race gay teen, Michael struggles to know and love who he really is until he discovers drag at university. I’ve already recommended this inspirational, uplifting book multiple times but there has never been a better time to pick up this wonderful, poetic creation.

3. Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman.

Set in the early 1980s on the Italian Riviera, 17-year-old Elio meets medical student Oliver at his parents’ villa and an intense whirlwind romance unfolds that will change both of them forever. It’s an all-consuming, emotionally charged literary novel that explores the search for intimacy, ardent friendship and self-discovery.

4. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

When Paul meets Noah, he is determined to make it work amidst his struggles to hold on to his childhood friends and an ex who seems to be sniffing around again. This fluffy little YA novel has a whole cast of LGBTQ+ characters who you’ll fall in love with.

5. Less by Andrew Sean Greer.

Arthur Less is a failing writer who has just received an invitation to this love of his life’s wedding but goes on a literary tour around the world instead. Less is the perfect satirical companion for a madcap jaunt across the globe, taking in some incredible places and topping it off with a reflection on the beauty of life and acceptance.

6. The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy.

Rahul is very nervous about attending middle school but under his grandfather’s advice, he becomes determined to be the best at something -whatever that is. This is a sweet, funny middle grade book about a young, gay, Indian-American boy finding out who he is and gaining the courage to be his true self.

7. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.

Tracker is an openly gay hunter, tasked with finding a missing boy in a reimagined, ancient Africa. Black Leopard, Red Wolf is the first in a bloody, gritty, epic fantasy series, glittering with mythology and rife with sexual tension that is not for the faint-hearted.

8. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.

When recently outed Charlie starts talking to rugby player Nick, he doesn’t think there’s a chance of their friendship becoming anything more but good things come to those who wait. Gorgeously illustrated, the Heartstopper comic series follows a love story between two boys who you’ll immediately ship.

9. The Gravity Of Us by Phil Stamper.

Social media star Cal moves to Houston when his dad is recruited for a new NASA space mission. It’s there tha Cal meets Leon, romance ensues and dark secrets unravel. Their relationship happens very fast but it is a cute nerdy YA romance with a wonderful discussion on mental health and plenty of space facts!

10. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

When young prince Patroclus is befriended by warrior prince and demi-god Achilles, an illicit powerful love ignites and carries them through many kinds of epic battles. This retelling of the Trojan War offers a new romantic focus that will break your heart into tiny pieces.

11. Wranglestone by Darren Charlton.

Living in a small community haunted by the Dead, Peter is banished to the outskirts where he starts spending more time with Cooper, the rancher he has always admired. Wranglestone is a pulse-racing, zombie-infested horror that has so much heart in it.

12. Camp by L. C. Rosen.

This summer, Randy has pulled out all the stops to get together with his long-term crush Hudson, including a complete image change. Set in Camp Outland, a summer camp for queer teens, this warm YA rom-com is packed-full of LGBTQ+ characters, taking down toxic masculinity and boosting sex positivity. 

[eiraonfroi]

The Main Six as Lyrics From RED

Asra: “I never saw you coming, and I'll never be the same. This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right. These are the hands of fate. You're my Achilles heel. This is the golden age of something good and right and real.” - State of Grace

Julian: “I find myself at your door, just like all those times before. I'm not sure how I got there, all roads they lead me here. I imagine you are home, in your room, all alone, and you open your eyes into mine and everything feels better. Right before your eyes, I'm breaking. No past, no reasons why. Just you and me.”  - The Last Time

Nadia: “Now it's big black cars and Riviera views, and your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you, and your secrets end up splashed on the news front page. And they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused, ‘cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used. And all the young things line up to take your place.” - The Lucky One

Muriel: “We tell stories and you don't know why I'm coming off a little shy, but I do. But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid. I think it's strange that you think I'm funny, 'cause he never did. I've been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end. But on a Wednesday in a cafe, I watched it begin again.” - Begin Again

Portia: “I'm pretty sure we almost broke up last night. I threw my phone across the room at you. I was expecting some dramatic turn-away, but you stayed. This morning I said we should talk about it 'cause I read you should never leave a fight unresolved. That's when you came in wearing a football helmet and said ‘okay, let's talk.’ And I said, ‘Stay, stay, stay. I've been lovin' you for quite some time, time, time. You think that it's funny when I'm mad, mad, mad, but I think that it's best if we both stay.’” - Stay Stay Stay

Lucio: “Can't remember what song he was playing when we walked in, the night we snuck into a yacht club party pretending to be a duchess and a prince. And I said, "Oh my, what a marvelous tune." It was the best night, never would forget how we moved. The whole place was dressed to the nines, and we were dancing, dancing like we're made of starlight, starlight.” - Starlight

(Bonus no one asked for) Eira:  “Put your lips close to mine as long as they don't touch. Out of focus, eye to eye, till the gravity's too much. And I'll do anything you say if you say it with your hands. And I'd be smart to walk away, but you're quicksand. This slope is treacherous, this path is reckless. This slope is treacherous and I, I, I like it.” - Treacherous  

[butthatsnotwhereminelives]

the amount of references to previous songs, conscious or otherwise on taylor’s part, in the archer is overwhelming

‘combat, i’m ready for combat’ - i’d rather be on your side but if you wanna fight baby let’s go

‘i say i don’t want that but what if i do?’ - a showdown and i know where to hit you but no, no, it’s not how i wanted this to go down / you forgive you forget but you never let it go / i bury hatchets but i keep maps of where i put / i swear i don’t love the drama it loves me

‘cause cruelty wins in the movies’ - this ain’t hollywood this is a small town / big black cars and riviera views and your lover in the foyer doesn’t even know you

‘i’ve got a hundred thrown-out speeches i almost said to you’ - So many fantasize about bursting into a church, saying what they'd kept inside for years like in the movies. In real life, it rarely happens.

the beat - heartbeat in wildest dreams

‘easy they come, easy they go’ - we never go out of style

‘i jump from the train’ - i stood by the tracks / the train ran off its tracks

‘i ride off alone’ - that was a small town there in my rear view mirror disappearing now / the ready for it music video where the captive taylor rides an armoured white horse / i’ve made up my mind i’m better off being alone

‘i never grew up’ - darling don’t you ever grow up / i wish i’d never grown up / cracked her bones on the pavement she once decorated as a child with sidewalk chalk / and no amount of friends at twenty five will fill the lunch tables of your past

‘it’s getting so old’ - saying, "this is it, i’ve had enough," / 

‘help me hold on to you’ - hold on to the memories and they will hold on to you and i will hold on to you

‘i’ve been the archer’ - you gave me roses and i left them there to die / you look like bad news i gotta have you / ain’t it funny? rumours fly and i know you heard about me / i struck a match and blew your mind but i didn’t mean it

‘i’ve been the prey’ - you said forever and always / i should’ve known / you’re my achilles’ heel / i knew you were trouble / they are the hunters we are the foxes / 

‘who could ever leave me, darling’ - you come around again and say “baby, i miss you and i swear i’ gonna change,” / find myself at your door just like all those times before / find out what you want be that girl for a month / we show off our different scarlet letters trust me mine is better

‘but who could stay?’ - you should’ve said no / i think that it’s best if we both stay / i keep picturing her lips on your neck / all you had to do was stay / i knew there was no one in the world who could take it

‘i search for your dark side’ - your dark twisted games / you would’ve been the one if you were a better man

‘i cut off my nose just to spite my face’ - turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you / you gotta leave before you get left

‘i hate my reflection for years and years’ - i wish it wasn’t 4am standing in the mirror / delicate music video mirror scene

‘i wake in the night’ - 2am feeling like i just lost a friend / 2am in my room / i wish it wasn’t 4am

‘i pace like a ghost’ - your smile, my ghost, i fell to my knees

‘the room is on fire, invisible smoke’ - so it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames / lantern, burning, flickered in the night / swaying as the room burned down

‘all of my heroes die all alone’ - i’ve made up my mind i’m better off being alone / don’t read the last page

‘screaming who could ever leave me, darling’ - and me, falling for it, screaming that i’m right / screaming, crying, perfect storm / in silent screams and wildest dreams / i screamed so loud but no one heard a thing / but there were strangers watching and whispers turned to talking and talking turned to screams

‘they see right through me’ - delicate music video where she's invisible ‘can you see right through me?’ - she becomes visible again for her lover at the end of the delicate music video

the increasing pace and anxiety of ‘see right through me’ - out of the woods

‘all the king’s horses, all the king’s men’ - you’re the king baby i’m your queen / king of my heart, body and soul

‘couldn’t put me together again’ - i break down crying / and right before your eyes i’m breaking / cut me into pieces / i’m a mess but i’m the mess that you wanted / when she fell, she fell apart / bathed in her brokenness, said a prayer of gratitude for each chink in the armour she never knew she needed

‘all of my enemies started out friends’ - you stabbed me in the back while shaking my hand / when she crashed, her clothes disintegrated and blew away with the winds that took all of her fair-weather friends

‘you could stay’ - don’t read the last page but i stay

[reel-hannibal]

Reel Hannibal 2018 Masterlist

And here we are, Fannibals, at the end of the first ever Reel Hannibal! Thanks so much to everyone who participated and we hope to see you again next year. But for now, here is the masterlist of all the wonderful entries for Reel Hannibal  2018.

Title: Dancing to the Moon and Back Creators: @achilles-lament and @thewendigobunny Inspired by: Dirty Dancing Summary: A nearly eighteen year old Adam Raki is expecting a lackluster, inconvenient family vacation to Kellerman’s country club resort. He’s expecting to be off his routine. What he isn’t expecting, is to be swept off his feet by a handsome Romanian dancer named Nigel. Will Adam’s mother and father be okay with their son’s new friend and hobby? Either way, Adam is sure to have the time of his life. Fic and Art: HERE

Title: Second Chance Creator: @eveninginwithyourgirlfriend Inspired by: 50/50 Summary: Will Graham has a rare form of Encephalitis. He copes just about as well as you think - by falling in love with his psychiatrist. Fic: HERE

Title: Duplicity Creator: @fhimechan Inspired by: Jesscia Jones Summary: AU where Hannibal can control whoever hears his commands. Shouldn't such power help him getting closer to Will? Fic: HERE

Title: Natural Born Cannibal Creator: @lxchiffre Inspired by: Natural Born Killers Art: HERE

Title: Little Nightmares Creators: @gleamingandwholeanddeadly and @printersdevils Inspired by: Penny Dreadful Summary: Will Graham, dour psychic and amateur criminal investigator, uses his abilities to assist Detective Jack Crawford in solving murders- often at great cost to his mental well-being. Six months after defeating the possessed brother of Occultist Historian Margot Verger, grisly, supernatural slayings are discovered all across London. It seems the Devil himself is intent on recruiting Will for his own, and amidst a tangle of his own fears and the fragmented visions of brutal deaths, Will's only refuge is in the companionship of Doctor Hannibal Lecter; the elegant, cultured resident zoologist at the local museum. Fic and Art: HERE

Title: Cannibal Fiction Double Feature Creator: @under5feet-and-over800pages​ Inspired by: The Rocky Horror Picture Show Summary: Detective Will Graham and his partner Dr. Alana Bloom take a drive on a dark and stormy night to visit possible stalking victim Dr. Bedelia DuMaurier. Along the way, the pair become lost, and wind up at a strange mansion deep in the woods hosting an odd party with odd people. Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the host of said party, then drags the pair through a night of horror, science fiction, and - of course - cannibalism. Fic: HERE

Title: Blood is compulsory Creator: @existingcharactersdiehorribly​ Inspired by: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Art: HERE

Title: I’m the best one Creator: @meduszoa Inspired by: Blade Runner 2049 Art: HERE

Title: All those things that you desire/ you will find here in the fire Creator: @ash-and-starlight Inspired by: Constantine Art: HERE

Title: Fostering Codependency Creator: @cinnamaldeide​ Inspired by: BioShock Summary: Big Daddies intimately embodied their behavioural boundaries, unyieldingly connected with their charged Little Sisters. They were in fact so faithful to their safeguarding mission that Hannibal felt compelled to investigate their limits. Fic and Art: HERE

Title: Scenes of Consumption at Las Hollandais Creator: @jonathantylan​ Inspired by : The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover Summary: Every night, for the past three months, Bedelia du Maurier has come to dine at Hannibal Lecter's restaurant, Les Hollandais with her bevy of companions. Among the other diners is Will Graham, determined to wait out his ex-boyfriend, and among Bedelia's crew is a young man who Graham falls into a torrid affair with. Perhaps Hannibal sees, but what will the famously violent Bedelia do when she finds out? Fic: HERE

Title: We are made by blood, Undone by the blood. Born by the blood Creator: @raw-coon Inspired by: Bloodborne Art: HERE

Title: Titanic Creator: @hyperfashionist​ Inspired by: Titanic Gifset: HERE

Title: of the river flowing Creato: @aresentfulcaretaker Inspired by: Call Me By Your Name Summary: Buddy's family hosts a guest at their summer house on the Italian Riviera. Fic: HERE

Title: Trope: Unplanned Pregnancy AU Creator: @desperatelyseekingcannibals Inspired by: Junior Summary: Things take an unexpected turn when scientists Hannibal Lecter and Jack Crawford lose funding for their fertility treatment research. Fic and Art: HERE

Title: Secretary Creator: @thisismydesignhannibal and @fragile-teacup & art by @nephila-clavipes Inspired by: Secretary. Summary: Will Graham needs a job. Since quitting the FBI, he’s been adrift for months, broken and lost; chasing a desire he doesn’t understand in increasingly destructive ways. What he needs is stability, direction, something to help put his life back in order and quiet the buzzing in his head. A chance encounter with the classifieds might just give him exactly what he needs.            Secretary Wanted.          Dr. H. Lecter. Psychiatric private practice.          Typing and good manners essential.          Must follow direction. Fic and Art: HERE

Again, all of our thanks and appreciation to everyone who participated in the 2018 Reel Hannibal! It was a blast to see all the amazing AUs and we hope you all had as much fun as we did. See you next year in April for Reel Hannibal 2019!!!

[myworkinproress]

Songs on my Helena and Violet Friendship playlist ranked by sadness

The lucky one - not too sad, just follows Helena’s and Violet’s arcs. Although the second verse does get sadder. 

“Now it's big black cars and Riviera views And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you And your secrets end up splashed on the news front pageAnd they tell you that you're lucky, but you're so confused 'Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used And all the young things line up to take your placeAnother name goes up in lights You wonder if you'll make it out alive”

4/10 

Ya’sburnee - this one is actually almost happy. There is a lot about Violet being Helena’s legacy, which she is. But it’s still fairly happy. Maybe if’s pre-cannon. 

2/10 

Two Ghosts - 

“We're not who we used to be We're not who we used to be We're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me We're not who we used to be We don't see what we used to see We're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat”

I’m giving this one a solid 6/10 for metaphors that truly gut you once you remember that one of these characters is presumed to be dead. 

Liar - “My life’s become this grand game of deception. My mind’s ignored all my heart’s good intentions.” 

Yep. That’s Helena and Violet. 8/10 

Be nice to me - 

“But you're a killer and I'm your best friend Think it's unfair, your situation You say I'm changing Sorry I didn't know I had to stay the same Can we talk about this later? Your voice is driving me, driving me insane”

there is a specific vibe of the Helena-Violet friendship where Helena is starting to change and unlearn her lessons and Violet doesn’t understand why this is happening. I feel like that song really captures it. 10/10 top tier angst potential

Achilles Come Down - 

“Remember the pact of our youth Where you go, I'm going, so jump and I'm jumping Since there is no me without you” 

imagining this song as Violet talking to Helena always makes me emotional. Especially “there is no me without you.” Violet is compared to Helena so many times that who she is at the Blue Rose is tied almost directly to who Helena is. 

20/10 maximum angst potential

[anisanews]

Only hope is Tiger Woods can walk again after car accident

Whether Tiger Woods ever plays another golf tournament is irrelevant now.

The Masters in April?

Who cares?

His pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major championships?

So what?

What matters most in the wake of his horrific car accident on Tuesday in the Los Angeles area is not Tiger Woods the golfer, but Tiger Woods the human being.

You’ve probably seen the chilling images of the wreckage on TV and the internet. Woods’ Genesis courtesy car mangled and lying in the woods on its driver’s side. His Nike luggage strewn on the dirt outside the vehicle. The front grill of the SUV, license plate still attached, along with the “Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates’’ sign, sheared in half, both lying in the street.

Rescuers had to extricate Woods from the vehicle out of the windshield, which had to be shattered and removed.

A Los Angeles County sheriffs department officer carries a broken “Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates” sign destroyed from the vehicle driven by Tiger Woods.

AFP via Getty Images

A vehicle rest on its side after a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods along a road in the Rancho Palos Verdes section of Los Angeles. He was removed through the windshield.

MACE / BACKGRID

Up Next Close

There are more than a handful of unresolved questions relating…

These images in your mind, the first thing you wondered — hoped — was that Woods would survive such a crash.

This accident couldn’t help but give you flashes of the day Kobe Bryant perished in that helicopter crash in the L.A. area just more than a year ago. When news of the crash involving Bryant first broke, the first and only thing you hoped was that he survived, not anything else he was going to do with his basketball career.

Two days before the crash, on Sunday, Woods sat in the CBS booth speaking to Jim Nantz as the final round of the Genesis Invitational was unfolding at Riviera Country Club. Woods, the tournament host, was not playing because he’s been recovering from his fifth back surgery, on Dec. 23.

Tiger Woods had to be pulled out from his car’s busted windshield after his crash in LA on Tuesday.

MACE / BACKGRID

Nantz did his best to press Woods on the state of his latest recovery, asking whether he’d be able to play in the Masters in seven weeks.

“God, I hope so,’’ Woods said. “I’ve got to get there first.’’

Woods, as he always does, kept a shroud of mystery around himself, not revealing much of anything in terms of any timetable for his return.

As much as Woods’ remarkable career has been defined for his unprecedented collection of trophies — the record-tying 82 wins, including 15 major championships — the latter half of it has been defined by a constant barrage of questions about his health and when he was going to return from whatever latest surgery he underwent.

The reaction from Woods’ fellow players and friends on Tuesday, was shock first.

“I’m sick to my stomach,’’ a visibly shaken Justin Thomas said Tuesday at the WGC-Workday tournament in Florida. “[I’m] just worried about his kids. I’m sure they’re struggling.’’

Tiger Woods in December.

Getty Images

A theme to the player reactions about the incident, which left Woods in surgery for most of Tuesday to repair multiple injuries to both of his legs, was centered around the physical and mental toughness that has allowed him to keep coming back from multiple surgeries to his knees, Achilles and, most recently, his back.

Woods’ career surgeries, like his major championships, are in double digits.

“You just hope Tiger’s all right,’’ Tony Finau said from the WGC event. “We all know he’s strong physically and mentally. If anyone is going to come back from this, he will.’’

Woods famously won the 2008 U.S. Open playing with ACL damage in his left knee and stress fractures in his left leg. He went 11 years, spanning the disintegration of his marriage in scandal and those five back surgeries, before winning his next — and likely his last — major, the 2019 Masters.

This is a totally different deal. This is about Woods being able to walk again, play with his two children and live a normal life. It’s not about when he’ll play in his next Masters or next golf tournament.

“I just hope he can get out of the hospital walking and play with his kids and have a normal life,’’ Jon Rahm said from the WGC event.

There, of course, has been little “normal’’ about Woods’ very public life, which has consisted of a series of dramatic chapters. Some of those chapters have been great (the 15 major championships). Others have been forgettable (the marital scandal, surgeries and embarrassing DUI incident in Florida when he was addicted to pain killers for his back).

Ben Hogan, one of golf’s most iconic players, famously was involved in a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus in February 1949. The left side of his body was crushed, with pelvis, shoulder, ribs, knee, ankle and internal injuries sustained.

Hogan came back from that and won 11 more tournaments, including six of his nine career major championships. Hogan was 36 years old at the time of his car crash. Woods is 45 with a body that has endured so much already.

How much more can he endure?

The only hope, at his point, is that he’s able to walk again.

from Anisa News https://ift.tt/3pOdMFN

[vakepress-blog]

Lettera di Roberto de Simone al Savoia

Caro dottor Savoia,

sono un napoletano come te e ho più o meno la tua età: sotto i settant’anni. Nell’apprendere che probabilmente verrai a Napoli, mi sono riaffiorate alla memoria ridde di avvenimenti risalenti al 1943, dei quali tu fai parte comunque, e che quindi mi corre l’obbligo di comunicarti.

Nell’ex convento di Monteoliveto, presso la Posta centrale, tra le rovine causate dal bombardamento del 4 dicembre 1941, si erano insediate, nel ‘43, le truppe americane di occupazione, e i napoletani della zona, affamati, ivi sostavano spe­rando in qualche gesto d’elemosina, o in una vendita di prodotti alimentari che i militari effettuavano per poche am-lire.

Tra i tanti, mi trovavo lì con mia nonna, avevo dieci anni, e la mia famiglia era ridotta in disperate condi­zioni dopo che mio padre era stato dimesso dall’esercito coloniale. A un tratto, dalle scale del cortile di Monteoliveto discese un americano il quale mostrò una grossa scatola di carne e si accinse ad aprirla. Tutti, credendo che egli volesse distribuirne il contenuto tra più persone, gli si affollarono intorno, ma il militare, non appena ebbe tagliato il coperchio, scaracchiò rumorosamente e sputò sulla carne, gettando la scatola a terra, tra le risate degli ame­ricani presenti. Purtuttavia, ricordo che una donna si chinò a recuperare la scatola, togliendone la parte su­periore della carne.

A tal punto, un secondo militare si sbottonò i pantaloni e pisciò sulla scatola, bagnando anche la donna che ad alta voce bestemmiò. Ma tu non puoi ricordare tali cose: eri bene al sicuro con tuo nonno che proditoriamente era fuggito abbandonando la Nazione all’invasione delle truppe anche di colore.

Le persone come me, e sono tante, ricor­dano, ricordano: e io mi ricordo del povero Rosario De Leva, figlio del maestro Enrico De Leva, autore di «Spingole francesi», di «‘A nuvena» e di tante altre belle melodie. Rosario aveva quindici anni, e come me studiava il pianoforte con Tita Parisi, presso la quale mi recavo a prendere lezione, in via dei Mille, nello stesso palazzo in cui abitava il maestro De Leva. Il giovanissimo Rosario, un sabato mattina del settembre del ‘43, stava percorrendo via Vittoria Colonna, quando udì intimargli l’alt da una pattuglia tedesca. Rosario prese a correre e si rifugiò nella vicina chiesa dell’Ascensione, ma fu raggiunto da due militari che con tre colpi di pistola lo ammazzarono lì, ai piedi dell’alta­re maggiore. Più o meno, allo stesso modo mori mio nonno Claudio, padre di mia madre, scambiato dai tedeschi per un giovane. In quei giorni ammazzare una persona era facilissimo, caro dottor Savoia, e non si subiva nemmeno un processo, come quello che tu hai subito.

In quei giorni morire era facile, e per vivere si faceva di tutto, ci s’industriava a vendere di tutto, come fece ingegnosamente una «zarellara» dei Banchi Nuovi, che, nella Befana del 1944, si mise a vendere palloncini ricavati dai preservativi dei soldati america­ni. Mia madre s’industriava vendendo del sapone fatto in casa – si fa per dire – perché in realtà eravamo accampati in una casa-botte­ga di nonno Claudio, in piazza del Gesù, invasa totalmente dalle macerie del bombardamento del 4 agosto 1943. Noi ci eravamo li trasferiti da piazza Sant’Erasmo, al Porto, dopo che la nostra casa era stata sventrata da un pezzo della nave esplosa nel marzo del ‘43. Lì, oltre a vendere il sapone, mia madre vendeva anche lo zucchero di contrabbando, tant’è che una volta subimmo una perquisizione della polizia. Ma fortunatamente una comare di nonna ebbe la felice idea di nascondere vari sacchetti,di zucchero nel pianoforte verticale, sui quale io mi esercitavo a suonare, e i poliziotti cercarono dappertutto, perfino nei materassi, tralasciando il vecchio strumento. Era questa la realtà collettiva della nostra città, e tale rimase oltre il giugno del ‘46, quando, perlomeno, avem­mo la fortuna che i Savoia fossero definitivamente cacciati via.

Ma con tutto ciò, caro dottor Savoia, a scanso di equivoci, ti chiarisco che non sono neoborbonico. Ma un re, un re come Carlo di Borbone i Savoia se lo sognano, e che gli effetti di quel regno illuminato si riflessero a lungo sui discendenti di quella dinastia; ma ai Borbone si imputano gravi colpe, come la vergognosa fuga di Ferdinando dalla città, nel 1798, all’approssimarsi dell’esercito francese. Nè sarà mai perdonabile la barbara macelleria del ’99, il tradimento compiuto verso i rivoluzionari giacobini che capitolarono con la garanzia di avere salva la vita. Ma i tuoi avi, caro Savoia, hanno usurpato il regno delle due Sicilie, lo hanno spogliato come terra di conquista, abbandonando il Sud alla miseria, alla disoccupazione, all’emigrazione, al mancato sviluppo economico; sono responsabili di avere impiegato i meridionali come carne da cannone nelle guerre d’Africa, nella guerra ‘15-’18; sono colpevoli di avere aperto le porte al fascismo, di avere firmato una nefanda dichiarazione di guerra, i cui esiti a Napoli furono catastrofici e tuttora sono visibili.A tale proposito, caro dottor Savoia, non so se ricordi quale era, urbanisticamente, l’aspetto della nostra città nel ‘46, e allora quando verrai, se verrai, volgi uno sguardo alla collina del Vomero, a Posillipo, a Mergellina, alla Riviera di Chiaia, a via Marina, a piazza Mercato, e ti salteranno agli occhi gli oltraggi edilizi, gli abusi, gli scempi, che in nome di un partito monarchico, i laurini hanno perpetrato sulla città. Né dimentico le visite del sindaco Lauro a tuo padre Umberto in Portogallo, il quale si faceva ritrarre nell’atto di stringere la mano a don Achille, e questi pubblicava le foto sul «Roma», quasi a mostrare la legittimità di una sua carica di novello Vicerè. Se tu venissi a Napoli, caro Savoia, per chiedere perdono del male fatto alla nostra città dalla tua famiglia, ti riconoscerei una qualche nobiltà. Ma tu tornerai con l’albagia del tuo rango, sarai ricevuto tra salamelecchi e baciamani al Circolo dell’Unione, e già mi vedo medaglie e nastrini e collari di’ ordini cavallereschi, e croci lucidate al Sidol, e altre chincagliene del genere, messi in bella mostra non tanto per onorare te, sappilo, ma per ribadire i privilegi di un potere, che, sia pure storicamente disconosciuto, esercita tuttora una sua negativa influenza. Eppure, quando ti vedrai circondato da sorrisi di dentiere e da battimani di folcloristi­che contesse e baronesse, ricordati che ci sono anche tanti napoletani come me; e siamo noi i discendenti di Giambattista Vico, di Vincenzo Cuoco, di Benedetto Cro­ce, del professore Caccioppoli, che le palle non le hanno mai avute sulla corona ma dove di solito si collocano..

Scusami, tra l’altro, caro Savoia, se ti ho chiamato «dottore», ma è questo l’appellativo che a Napoli i gestori di parcheggio abusivo sogliono dare ai clienti cui non sanno che titolo dare.

[davidbrussat]

Review: "Villa of Delirium"

Review: “Villa of Delirium”

Courtyard of Villa Kerylos. (http://ee.france.fr/en/discover/greek-villa-kerylos)

In our reading of the novel Villa of Delirium, we last left our hero, Achilles, hanging on the ledge of beauty at Villa Kerylos. Would he fall?

As a boy, Achilles was adopted by a wealthy French family and raised in a château on the Riviera inspired by an ancient Greek villa. His lofty academician family instilled…