#and I want my girl Liselotte back | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

filliteapot · 4 years ago

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I'm going to use this part of what you said in a previous answer that made me really curious "the way of the authors to tell the story is another matter" to know your top 5 (or ~10) of that :)

Ah :D I guess the easier way to put it would be “This time I chose my favourite styles basing on art style mostly, but if I were to choose my fav storytelling/mix of art and how authors tells it/what they want to transmit, the odrer/the list would be different” :”) So some authors/stories on the list of my fav storytelling (not sure if it's the right term for what i mean but let's use this) are the same I put in the previous list. The titles and authors won’t be surprise for you, but I’ll list them anyway. Warning: I love talking about such things a lot, so I suddenly wrote a lot.

(Ask me my top 5-10 anything)

1. Literally anything by Takaya Natsuki. You have no idea how #tired I am of all the discussions about both adaptations of her Furuba (which is better which is worse no listen to me bc I Have an Opinion of High Authority) when not a single adaptation quite got her style in storytelling, foreshadowing and especially presenting her characters’ personal drama. I think I espcially love her for not throwing it all in your face right away, being careful at hinting at things (so that you don’t quite get some parts of the characters’ thoughts and inner struggles until you learn the facts and it hits you) and for leaving you some space to use your own brain what you think about this or that storyline. (Tamura Yumi does it too which makes her my second fave author). Also, years after reading and rereading her works I see better how storylines are entwinted and unfolding, and it still makes me yell “HOW does she do it” every time I go back to Furuba and her other works and see something new. I love her Hoshi wa Utau (which hits hard and is painfully real in the matter of parents/children’s conflicts), and Liselotte to majo no mori (darkish fairytale with hopeful messages) and wish more people knew about them too, not only Furuba.

2. Kouno Fumiyo’s Yunagi no Machi Sakura no Kuni. I first read this manga a long time ago and was dying of happiness when it got published in my country bc oh my gosh. It’s a historical thing, it’s a heavy thing, she does have such unique style (my first thought was ”ah looks cute, like children books illustrations” and then it killed me) and approach to place panels on pages or transitions between scenes or past and present (I think some comic researcher or smth even called it innovative). The page that struck me the most was a spread near the end of this story, presenting a character in his older years sitting on the beach of a river in Hiroshima and him in the same place right after the war. Perhaps it doesn’t sound so original but this work and these two pages live rent free in my soul to this day.

3. Ando Yuki’s oneshots (and Machida-kun). She is my favourite short stories author, she just knows how to tell it so that I got tuned in from the start. Be it a school slice of life or basically Edith Piaf’s song Hymne à l'amour presented in the form of manga oneshot, they give me immense joy. And oh, there’s almost always a twist near the ending I can’t predict. Her characters act a bit weird and take weird decisions sometimes but I think it’s what makes them feel so real to me.

And it’s cheating, but while I’m talking about oneshots, I want to mention Midorikawa Yuki and her shorter-than-Natsume stories. Because they give me a similar feeling to Ando’s oneshots - the atmosphere is different, but the way they touch my heart is the same. Don’t get me wrong, I love Natsume and its structure (main characters and their personal jouney through unrelated stories of other people/not humans), but I love Midorikawa’s shorter stories much more.

4. Takamatsu Misaki’s Skip to Loafer. One of the best slice stories I’ve ever read. Right amount of drama and comedy, a cast of characters with different problems and motivations. I can’t help but think “Oh I wish I were able to create a story like this one day”. Also, someone wrote about it: “let me live the wholesome high school life i didnt have” and ugh I felt it :”))

5. Yazawa Ai’s stories: Nana and Gokinjo Monogatari. Did “Nee, Nana” moments kill my soul every time it was used in the story? Yes, absolutely. Did it make me cry? Don’t even ask.

6. Nishi Keiko’s stories: Otoko no Isshou, Koi to Gunkan. A person I know described her stories like this: “If life goes the wrong way, it’s better to go home”, and I think it sums it up. Both of the stories I listed are about ordinary life in small towns, they both me melancholic and somehow cozy feeling. Both stories have themes and characters that don’t really interest me much, but when I read them, I usually cry. It’s another A+ slice of life author imo.

7. Tsukuba Sakura’s Mekakushi no Kuni. It’s dear to me for special reasons. There a girl who sometimes sees future when touches other people, there is a boy who sees the past all the time he does the same, there’s another boy... And NO evil organizations chasing them for their superpowers, NO global plots or problems or author’s will to condemn society, no deep philosophy questions about time and so on. Just normal slice of life of not so normal peoplewho try to cope with this particularity they have and fit the world they live in. (I wish authors realized the potential of such slice of life centered urban fantasy but they keep failing me aiming at the Global, sigh)

8. Torino Nanko’s Toripan. It’s basically authors essays on her daily life and mostly birdwatching, but ugh it’s so good. Peak comedy about birds and heartfelt pages for when she speaks about her memories or remarks on nature, it’s so full of love towards this world and life. After I read Toripan I feel like I become kinder and better :DD

(author’s A+ faces and haiku about sparrows in the winter)

9. Watanuki Yoshiko’s Manatsu no Delta. I read it some time ago and my first thought was “Wow, this IS how you touch an unpleasant yet existing problem”. I’ll certainly be waiting for this author’s other works.

10. Ikuemi Ryo’s stories, especially the ones featuring metaphorical ghosts (Kiyoku Yawaku, Torch Song Ecology) and Taiyou ga Mite Iru. Joseis with ghosts are my fave thing on earth, and Ikuemi’s great at it. But she can make any theme totally worth digging into, be it school life or cheating and complicated family relationships. I think TGM is her work that left the deepest trace in my soul because I was reading it when it was ongoing, for three years, and it’s basically just something that makes you die slowly looking at how not so bad people fk up their life decisions bc of their unresolved traumas and issues but you can’t take your eyes of it and then need several years of therapy after reading such manga. And she doesn’t even preech or say you should not live like this. She’s like “this is a life story I want to tell, take whatever you want from it” and I’m like “gooosh this is so painful and looks so real and makes me feel things, I love it”. Ikuemi Power as it is. (Life teaches me nothing, I lowkey want to read something like TGM again and Akaneda Yuki’s Saraba Yoki Hi fulfills this wish of mine, but uh I’m so glad it’s rarely updated)

(text: Nire is here to kill me)

Thanks for such ask, it was fun :D

#replies #flowerymoments #ask memes

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insvrrections · 4 years ago

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LISELOTTE ‘LOTTE’ RIVERWOOD will be a MENTOR in the 75th annual hunger games ! they are TWENTY FOUR years old and they come from DISTRICT 1. my first impression tells me that they are FIERCE & RUTHLESS so surely the sponsors will keep an eye on them !

𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦 !

liselotte was only fifteen years old when she was reaped for the hunger games. she still had three more years to go to graduate the career academy, but fate had other plans for her and for her brother, who was eighteen at that time. while she made the decision to go to the career academy herself, her brother chose to stay away from such violence and gore and focus on bringing money to his family in other ways. he didn’t support his sister’s decision to get enrolled as a career, but there was nothing he could do about it now. it was the last year in which his name was written down for the hunger games. his name was written seven times and hers four times. they came from a wealthy family, applying for tesserae was out of question.

she wanted to train future generations in the career academy after her games. she was very skilled in battle and she figured out she could put her skills to good use as a trainer. but she didn’t know what the hunger games truly meant at that time. people in her district were usually interested in jewels and furs, but lotte? she wanted her name to be remembered as one of the greatest teachers in the career academy.

until the day of the reaping for the 66th annual hunger games came. just as everyone else, lotte and her brother, caleb, were dressed in their best clothes, designed specifically for this year’s reaping. they were lucky enough to come from a good family, their mother was a well respected designer who used to make clothes for the capitol, and she made sure that her children outshine everyone else every year. but maybe if she knew what fate had in store for her two children, she wouldn’t have let them stand out so much.

it was a beautiful day when the district one escort, lux gallobloom arrived in district one. she seemed anxious, maybe even a little bit guilty as she looked through the crowd while the infamous short movie was playing. then, the time of the reaping came. district one was a career district, people would usually volunteer every year, but this time, everybody seemed to be silent. how strange and unusual, considering how many eighteen year-old graduates there were. it was their last chance to volunteer since they finished the career academy, so why did they stay silent? but since nobody volunteered, lux had to pick two names herself and when she did, everybody went quiet. liselotte riverwood. no, this couldn’t be. she still had a lot to learn at the career academy, she couldn’t afford to be part of the games before graduating. she looked left and right with pleading eyes, silently praying somebody else will volunteer in her place. but they didn’t. still, this wasn’t the worst news the riverwood family would get that day.

her parents were in tears, it was easy to see the fear in their eyes. they didn’t want to lose their daughter. the only reason why they agreed for her to go to the career academy was because she would be better prepared in case her name was picked. they were never going to let her volunteer, but lotte didn’t know that. and they were perfectly fine with caleb’s decision to not get enrolled at the academy. but the world was a cruel place and panem under the snow regime was even worse. any sign of disobedience had its consequences. the riverwoods should have been aware of that when they refused to help the capitol. her mother decided it’s time to stay home and stop creating beautiful clothes for people that are soon going to be dead and her father refused to send fur supplies to them this year. and they were going to pay for it.

she was brought from the crowd by the peacekeepers, escorted until she reached the main platform for tributes. she was once again introduced to her district. and then, it was time to pick her partner. she could tell something was seriously wrong by the way her escort refused to look her in the eyes. yes, she had been unfortunate enough to be reaped, but it wasn’t uncommon and it wasn’t the first year in which lux was their district’s escort. so what changed this year? lotte had no alternative but to comply. she had to look brave in front of all these people and come back a victor. she didn’t dare look in her parent’s direction, because she knew they’d make her emotional, but focused on her brother instead, who refused to break the eye contact with her. it was like he was silently telling her that everything will be fine. that, until lux said the name of the male tribute and lotte felt as if the sky was falling and she suddenly couldn’t breathe anymore. caleb riverwood.

that was the moment in which her parents fell to their knees and started to scream, begging all the people around them to volunteer. there was only one winner, they couldn’t afford to lose any of their children. or even worse, both of them. not in the same edition of the hunger games. lotte’s knees went weak and she had to be held straight by a peacekeeper. this couldn’t be real, it had to be some sort of a cruel joke. maybe she misheard the male tribute’s name. yes, that had to be it. but she knew her eyes were’t failing her when she saw her own brother being pulled out from the crowd and brought up to the platform, right next to her. and again, lux gallobloom refused to look at her brother.

none of them understood why their parents were apologizing to them because they didn’t know that it wasn’t the odds that haven’t been in their favor this year, but rather their parents’ fault for not obediently following the capitol’s requests this year.

𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗗𝗗𝗦 𝗕𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥 !

this was not like anything liselotte imagined. she painted a clear picture in her mind of how her hunger games would look like and this was nothing like it. ever since she stepped in that train, she was told countless times that she needed to behave, that she needed to cooperate and do what she was told to do. and she almost did, but there was a hint of insurgence in her heart that came to the surface every time she looked at her brother and realized how unfair this situation was.

so when she reached the capitol, she refused to cooperate. deep inside, she hoped that her behavior will somehow influence the viewers and that they will request for another pair of tributes to be reaped. or at least that her brother was sent home and replaced by another male tribute. what she didn’t know at that time was that the capitolites knew no limit when it came to their cruelness and lotte and her brother soon became everybody’s favorite tributes. it was clear as the day that she was better prepared for the games than he was, but that didn’t matter to the capitolites. they wanted to see both of them shine. while caleb scored a seven, lotte managed to impress the game makers and scored an eleven for spelling out “i will not fight him” with her knives on the floor.

and even though the public absolutely adored liselotte riverwood and her tough personality, president snow didn’t. he thought she could be easily used as the face of an uprising and he decided she should be punished for trying to defy the authorities.

although their mentor told lotte that he would try to keep both her and her brother alive until the very end and find a way to get them both out of there, that was a lie. caleb asked their mentor to protect his sister,to help her become this year’s victor and to make sure he dies an honorable death but not under lotte’s eyes.

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟲𝟲𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦 !

when the time finally came, she was sent into the arena. as discussed before, she headed straight to the cornucopia and got her hands on some daggers, while her brother fled as far from the blood bath as he could. that’s when she made her first kills: the male tribute of district three and the female of district two, who attempted to ambush and murder her before she got her hands on the knives. given the fact that the cornucopia was placed on the highest point of the rocky arena, lotte easily pushed the girl from two and then stabbed the boy from three with his own sword. it was only after she fled the cornucopia that she had time to realize that she had blood on her hands. it wasn’t exactly innocent blood, since they both attacked her first, but it was blood nonetheless. and that’s when she promised herself she wouldn’t kill anyone unless it’s the only option she had left.

she was supposed to go find her brother, but it seemed like this year’s game maker had something else in mind for the unlucky brothers, since he kept them away from each other during the games. every time one of them heard the sound of the canon, their hearts sunk for a moment, hoping that they wouldn’t see each other’s picture on the sky. tributes died one after another, mostly because of natural causes, and alliances have been made, but she refused to side with anyone. she had to find and protect her brother, that was her one and only goal.

lotte managed to make it for a while without killing anyone else. if anything, she helped the two tributes from seven escape from the wildcats sent by the game maker. she was very skilled and precise when it came to throwing knives, so she succeeded to injure and scare the predators away. she didn’t stay long enough for the tributes from seven to thank her because she had no time to spare. something bad could happen to caleb in every moment and she refused to allow it.

it took her almost a week to find him and even to this day, she can’t tell whether it was a good thing that she ran into him or not. he was being hunted by four other tributes who wanted to use him for their own entertainment. caleb was already badly injured by the time lotte arrived. she was enraged, she saw red right before her eyes and lost control. she can’t recall how she murdered them, all she knows is that she promised them she will take them down, one by one, and make them pay for trying to play with her brother. that raised her kill count to six and it was when lotte earned a bow.

after she had been reunited with her brother, she tried her best to help him heal, but he was not only badly injured, but also poisoned. and as much as their mentor begged and pleaded for an antidote, the sponsors refused to give it to them. days went by and many more other tributes died. lotte knew caleb was her one and only weakness, but she didn’t dare to leave his side. they watched as the other tributes killed themselves, one by one. until there were only three of them left. if anything went according to her plan, all they had to do was to wait for the remaining tribute to die, than to make a big scene and refuse to kill each other. it was their only way to make it out of here together.

but nothing went as expected. it was right when they reached a safe place that the other tribute died, which meant lotte and caleb were the only survivors. she knew it wasn’t going to be easy to convince the capitolites to declare them both as winners, but she didn’t think it was going to be hell either. they were situated on one of the highest points of the area, which meant they could easily see any possible dangers from up there. then, the arena suddenly started to move and the mountain they were on started to spin faster and faster, forcing them to hold on tightly to the closest thing they had. lotte held onto a tree and managed to dodge all the flying rocks and branches, but caleb wasn’t so lucky. so when the arena finally stopped spinning, she saw with widened eyes how her brother was left in a blood puddle, stabbed by some branches and severely injured by the rocks. and that’s when lotte understood that even if they were both declared victors, caleb didn’t have enough time left to make it to the hospital and receive medical help. he had less than five minutes, judging by the gravity of his wounds. he begged her to turn around and go away, but simply couldn’t leave him here. and with tears in her eyes, she aimed at him with her bow. she had to be quick and precise if she wanted to give him a quick and painless death, but his brother’s desperate cries made her hands shake. he asked her to stop because he didn’t want her to live with the weight of his death and with his blood on her hands, but it was already too late. the tears in her eyes didn’t stop falling and she turned her head around, trying to steady her hands. it took her longer than she thought to release the arrow and when she finally did, she fell to her knees before she even heard the sound of the canon. she didn’t even dare to look in his direction. as her body hit the ground, lotte started cursing and hitting the dirt with her fists. her biggest mistake was that she threatened president snow to get her revenge for what he did to her and to her brother.

𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 !

after she had been pulled out of the arena, lotte’s life had never been the same. she returned to district one and moved to the victor’s village, but she refused to let her parents live with her. she wasn’t able to look them in the eye after she murdered seven people, her brother included. for half a year, she lived like a shadow. it was hard to spot her outside of her house and all there was left of her was the ghost of what she used to be. a fifteen year old monster, that’s what she called herself.

then, the time for the victory tour came. when she refused to leave her house and she threatened to kill everyone who dared to come even close to her, she left the peacekeepers with no other option but to capture and drug her to obedience. that being said, lotte had been highly sedated during her speeches at the other districts and also during her interview. the red diamond, that’s what everybody called her. red diamonds were one of the world’s rarest and most valuable gemstones, but the actual meaning behind the color red was the color of the blood she had on her hands, the blood of seven children.

the capitol adored her. she was something new for them, she was raw and violent, but what was most important for them was that she represented hope and dedication. while she was in the arena, she showed how much she cared for her brother and how she would do anything to get them both out of there, this is how she managed to melt the heart of the capitolites. she did give them quite a show, after all.

even after her victory tour has ended, lotte’s presence was highly requested at the capitol for parties and other events, as she remained everybody’s favorite for quite a while. she was forced to become a mentor so one year after her games, she was taken to the capitol once again. she was kept under close observation and her door was guided by peacekeepers to prevent her from trying to flee. everything reminded her of her games and it was too much for her to take, so they had to sedate her again to make her look presentable to the public.

she wasn’t a good mentor during her first year. she couldn’t think clear because of the sedatives mixed with several other drugs and alcohol, so she didn’t do quite a good job at getting sponsors for her tributes, which led to them getting killed by the other careers quite fast. this was like a wake up call for her. she understood her mistake and when she was told she was designated as mentor for the next several years, lotte swore to do her best to keep her tributes alive for as much as possible, even though that didn’t mean she was fighting the system. but she couldn’t let these people die for nothing or worse, survive and live with the trauma. so while she searched for a way to fight the system and the games, she had to find a way to protect her tributes as well and make the games as easy as she can for them.

𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗪𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡, 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗨𝗦 !

it was her second year as a mentor when she started to take her job seriously. and by that, it means she attended all the parties she was required to be at during the games, she made small talk with the sponsors and lightly flirted with them. she did everything she could to help her tributes and look like she was pleasing the capitol at the same time. that’s when her life took a sudden turn.

the mentor from district seven, ash holtz, who she met during her first year as a mentor, approached her with an offer she couldn’t decline. even though he couldn’t go straight to the point because clearly, he had his own doubts and it was only natural for him to do so, she understood what he was saying. there was a rebellion going on behind the scenes and she was invited to take part to it.

she didn’t even think about it. she had nothing else to lose, the hunger games and president snow already took everything she had and she swore to take her revenge one day, so maybe that was her chance to do so. lotte not only joined the rebels, but she also dedicated her life to their cause. she was willing to do whatever it takes to put an end to everything and maybe, just maybe, she could get her hands dirty again but this time not with an innocent’s blood, but with president snow. the rebels gave her another purpose, and she will forever be thankful for that, particularly to ash, who showed her that there is hope even after the hunger games.

#ﾟ༄ . ꙳₊˚. ❝ lotte !

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the-chibi-devil · 5 years ago

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The Best Transmigration and Isekai Mangas/Manhwas/Manhuas I’m Reading Right Now

Does anyone care about this list? Probably not, but I’m making it even if it’s only for my reference. So here they are, in no particular order.

* English Title: I’m a Villainous Daughter, so I’m going to keep the Last Boss * Japanese Title: Akuyaku Reijou nanode Last Boss wo Kattemimashita * Mangaka: Nagase Sarasa (story), Anko Yuzu (art) * Summary: “Avoid the BAD END! That's the goal of the villainess in this plot-twisting story!! She has been reborn into the world of an otome game as the villainess, Irene. Using her memories of her former life, she recognizes flags indicating she's en-route to the bad end, so she makes a plan to conquer the last boss (the evil king Claude), make him her lover, and see if she can open up a new route!” (MyAnimeList) * Why I Like This One: Irene is a very fun character! I love her sheer determination in everything she does. Her love interest (Claude) is nothing special imo - classic misunderstood character - but his relationship with Irene is pretty sweet. There are some interesting twists in the plot, too!

* Title: Miss Not-So Sidekick * Creator: Ellianyang * Summary: “Hyejung loved to read to escape her daily stress. But that’s before she woke up inside the bizarre world of her favorite novel! Instead of the main heroine who courts three eligible men, she is now Latte Ectrie – a minor villain that everyone hates?! One way or another, it’s a chance to live out her most beloved storyline, with popcorn in hand to watch all the drama! Taking charge of the narrative takes on a whole new meaning!” (1stKissManga) * Why I Like This One: Latte isn’t actually interested in romance! She would much rather watch how the narrative plays out than take an active role in it. Therefore, she decides to befriend the protagonist. However, just by virtue of being herself, Latte seems to have thrown the narrative off-course! (Not that she realizes that it’s her fault.) The developing relationships are fun to watch. However, this is very much a slow burn. Another fun thing about this manhwa is how Ellianyang throws in all sorts of references to other works such as Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Detective Conan!

* English Title: Of Course, I’ll Claim Palimony! * Japanese Title: Mochiron, Isharyou Seikyuu Itashimasu! * Mangaka: Soy (story), Mutou Tamura (story) * Summary: “"I'll annul our engagement!" my fiancé suddenly declared?! Apparently he's in love with the recently transferred count's daughter and is planning on making me the villain in order to annul the engagement. Although I have no lingering attachments about the engagement, I do have to claim a hefty consolation fee, don't I?” (MyAnimeList) * Why I Like This One: “Of Course, I’ll Claim Palimony!” does something very fun in that the otome novel that is being referenced exists within the story. The protagonists are very aware of this and the main heroine is most definitely willing to work within and with the narrative to turn things to her advantage.

* English Title: I Reincarnated into an Otome Game as a Villainess With Only Destruction Flags... * Japanese Title: Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... * Mangaka: Yamaguchi Satoru (story), Hidaka Nami (Art) * Summary: “ Katarina Claes is the eight-year-old daughter of a duke. One day, she hits her head and recovers the memories of her past life, and she comes a horrifying realization—she is in a world similar to that of an otome game she once played, and she is the main villain! To make matters worse, in every possible conclusion, whether exile or death, she is met with a terrible end. Using her knowledge of how the game unfolds, Katarina must now do whatever it takes to change her fate. Whether she must cultivate her skills as a farmer or befriend every character that comes her way, nothing is ever too much for her to handle. As the years go on, everything seems to be going as planned. However, Katarina realizes that she made a mistake in her previous life, as she never actually finished the game before death; and so a new, secret route may just prove to be her undoing.” * Why I Like This One: This is the quintessential isekai! Katarina is a stubborn yet naive character. She is doing all she can to change the narrative, but she is always surprised by the results! Still, I like that the creators aren’t shying away from making lovely female characters besides Katarina. There were also some twists that I really wasn’t expecting from a manga like this! An anime adaptation is coming soon.

* English Title: Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess! * Japanese Title: Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endo-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san * Mangaka: Enoshima Suzu, Sakakiri * Summary: “She’s always putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not actually that upset! Oh, why can’t she just be honest with herself…!? She is a tsundere, after all? When her embarrassment levels exceed a certain limit, she will explode into anger. However, the point that she’s suppressing under the surface is that she wouldn’t mind that sort of thing if it were in a less public place? As Endo-kun passionately reacts to the antics of Lady Liselotte, the villainess of an otome game, Kobayashi-san provides a painstaking breakdown of her tsundere behaviour. Suddenly, one person could hear their voices; Liselotte’s fiancée, Prince Siegward. That is where this story begins.” (MangaGo) * Why I Like This One: The characters within the narrative, Liselotte and Siegward, actually interest me way less than Endo and Kobayashi. I can’t wait to see how they handle this sudden change in their lives! And it seems that there is someone behind this magic game but the game wasn’t their intention? I’m curious.

* English Title: The Death Mage That Doesn’t Want a Fourth Time * Japanese Title: Yondome wa Iya na Shizokusei Majutsushi * Mangaka: Densuke (story), Kojima Takehiro (Art) * Summary: “Amamiya Hiroto is unlucky. His life consisted of misfortune after misfortune, culminating in an unlucky death during an incident on a school boat trip, trying to save a girl he barely knew. After death, he met a god of reincarnation who requested that the hundred or so dead passengers—one of them being the girl he tried in vain to save—be reincarnated into another world. Yet a series of unfortunate events forced Hiroto to reincarnate with even less luck than before, starting with nothing but a tremendous amount of Mana. His second life, far worse than his first, came to a cruel end. However, upon meeting the god a second time, he was informed that there would be yet another reincarnation—one that had already been set in motion and could not be stopped. Not wanting Hiroto to endure a third life filled with suffering, the god cursed him before he was reborn in the hopes that he would either die quickly or commit suicide. Hiroto was reborn once more as a half-vampire, half-dark elf. A dhampir. Not wanting a fourth life, he is determined to live this third life with the only things remaining from his previous lives—Death Magic and his enormous Mana pool. “ (Light Novel Bastion) * Why I Like This One: Holy crap, those first chapters were dark. This manga is certainly proving that isekai isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Honestly, the real thing that keeps drawing me back is the found family dynamic. I could do without all the fanservice though...

* Title: Cheating Men Must Die * Creator: The King * Summary: “One moment oppressing scum yields a moment of satisfaction. Continuously oppressing scum yields continuous satisfaction. Our female main lead, Su Lüxia is bound to the Female Lead Counterattack System and transmigrates to several small worlds. Using elaborate means, she beats up countless cheating bastards and bitches. Su Lüxia: “Only a cheating bastard's tears of remorse, and the pained moans of a bitch unable to get what she wants bring me solace.” System: “Has my host tapped into her humanity today? Nope.”” (Manga Rock) * Why I Like This One: This manhua is just a long ride of schadenfreude. The story goes in arcs, and there is no doubt that Su Lüxia is going to trample those cheaters, but how she does it is always a surprise! The art is beautiful and the story wildly entertaining. Readers beware, however, as this manhua features themes such as sexual assault, suicide, and abuse.

* English Title: Though I May Be a Villainess, I’ll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness! * Japanese Title: Akuyaku Reijou Desuga, Shiawase ni Natte Mesemasu wa! * Mangakas: Hoshino Osome, Nekomata Doremi, Sorakura SHIJIKI, Yuuki Satoru, Kuroe Yui, Reiga Utsuhou, Yamashiro Umemayuge, Mafuyubi, Oshitsuji Ei, Mizuno Saaya * Summary: "Annuled Engagements, Take That’s, Condemnation Events, Doting, Royals, Reincarnated Heroines, Banishment Endings…it’s fully loaded with all the charms of Villainess’!! A comicalization of 5 popular villainess stories from Shousetsuka ni Narou!! An anthology of 5 oneshots with happy endings!!” (IsekaiScan) * Why I Like This One: This is an anthology and all the stories are very different. My personal favorites are “The Tale of the Noble Girl who will go to a Monastery after her Engagement Annulment,” “Shall We Walk Hand in Hand Down the Flowery Path of Evil?” and “The Villainess Trifles with the Second Prince’s First Love.”

* Title: IRIS - Lady with a Smartphone * Creators: Soo-Wan Yoo (author), Hye-Yi Yoon (artist) * Summary: “ The husband was in love with her cousin and the family was taken away by cigar. The moment I fell into despair and to end my life; the memory of my past life came to my mind.The life of a white-haired worker in Seoul, returning to the past, she decided. “I will not be abandoned by them again. Now I will forsake them!”Ian stare full gazed at Iris’ eyes, “Do you remember what I said the other day? Are you asking for a different fee?”“Yes. I want to get it now.” Iris, was a woman who had nothing. “I did not have a strong parent like other noble princess, nor did I have much money.”“What do you mean by yourself?” Iris blinked. He laughed and said. “Let’s have a relationship with me.” The eldest son of the line, the best of the empire, the best dancer Valencia is the perfect husband. The rope for the revenge makes me crave for more.” (1stKissManga) * Why I Like This One: Iris’ evolution is a delight to watch. The smartphone hasn’t actually played much of a role at this point, but the importance of it’s existence in Iris’ world is slowly being revealed. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful art and story!

#list #manga #manhua #manhwa #transmigration #isekai

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andtheserpentsays · 7 years ago

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Where You Are - ChevLotte

Collection of sequenced drabbles, bridging the gap between S2 and S3 and exploring how their friendship developed. I’ve written SO many of these, but they’re kind of different to what I’d do normally, so.. ? Let me know if there’s any interest in the rest of them.

Notes: There’s mentions of drinking whilst pregnant, because we’re talking about a time when champagne treated morning sickness... Also, historical Liselotte was brutally unkind about Maintenon in her letters, so bear that in mind.

Where You Are

‘You just need to get to know him.’

Phillipe had repeated the phrase to her endlessly, and previously Liselotte had wondered how on earth you were meant to get to know somebody who prickled up faster than a surprised hedgehog. But it was clear that Phillipe loved this man a great deal, and she couldn’t think of a more glowing character reference than that. So she resolved to try.

As they had watched Phillipe walk out of their lives, Liselotte felt his hand return her squeeze and she knew then that there was hope.

ii.

The first week after Phillipe’s departure had perhaps been the hardest, and they had both struggled with his absence. The Chevalier hovered at the edge of her life, like he was helplessly drawn to the places that belonged to Phillipe even though he wasn’t in them.

Before the end of the second day Liselotte had already written him three letters. She found herself asking the Chevalier if he wanted to add anything to her latest, but he didn’t move from the sofa he’d been occupying for most of the afternoon. ‘I’ll write my own, thank you.’

‘Well, come on then.’ She swirled her signature before pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. She rose from her desk, waving him towards it as she blew on the damp ink of her letter. ‘They can go with the same rider.’

To her delight, he did as he was told. Liselotte watched him write from her bed, and couldn’t help but wonder what he had to say.

iii.

The truth was, they didn’t really have anybody else. The two of them may as well have been alone at Versailles: so they continued to gravitate towards each other, either in Phillipe’s rooms or in her own.

She had gone to Phillipe’s apartments one evening after dinner, on the hunt for a particular book. Liselotte found the Chevalier flopped back on his bed staring at the canopy, and her eyes were drawn to the dark, smooth lines of a waistcoat she recognised as Phillipe’s.

He huffed out a laugh when she asked what he was doing. ‘I found myself choosing what he should wear for dinner. I think I am going mad.’

His tone was flippant but it made Liselotte’s heart ache, and she wondered how many times he found himself here.

‘Well if you feel your talents are wasted, there’s always my wardrobe. Lord knows I need the help.’

With that appeal to his vanity her toe was in the door, and she couldn’t help but feel pleased with herself when he’d agreed. She soon found there was no true malice in his bluster and that he actually seemed to take great pride in making her look.. presentable. A new lady made her way into her entourage, poached from somebody else no doubt, and she heard a glowing report on her talent for styling hair.

It became the first of many routines they would share: the Chevalier was there without fail, dressing her for the mornings, for the salon in the afternoon and the evening tables.

iv.

As the infant grew, Liselotte had quite loudly refused to cave in to the popular fashion for disguising her changing shape. She’d argued with her ladies, pointing out that people had been so interested in Phillipe performing that she wasn’t about to disguise the results of his efforts. Montespan could keep her battantes, Liselotte had nothing to hide.

One afternoon she returned from the garden to find an unfamiliar girl in her rooms, hunched over one of her dresses in the light of the window. Liselotte didn’t get a chance to question her, as the Chevalier spoke up from a sofa.

‘She’s adding panels, for the baby. They can be taken out again afterwards if you want.’

‘You are.. a marvel.’

He chose her evening’s ensemble from one of her newly amended pieces, only today he didn’t leave once his decisions had been made. Instead the Chevalier lingered in her day room, and once dressed she found him there, nosing through various things on her table without an ounce of shame. He gave her a brief once-over before tucking her hand into his arm.

‘Come on then, or we shall be late.’

‘We? We’re going.. together?’

‘You can go on your own if you like.’ Her fingers were already slipping from the crook of his elbow, and Liselotte tugged him back to her which was apparently a satisfactory response.

If he noticed the raised eyebrows they met on their way he didn’t comment, and it was hard to tell what they were more surprised by: their pairing, or the perfect bump that was really very obvious. For once Liselotte enjoyed her scandal, and let him seat her at a table before joining her. He proved to be a magnificent accomplice when it came to fleecing their companions. She showed him her aunt’s preferred method for cheating and he taught her a quinze drinking game of Phillipe’s invention.

They awoke the next morning in Phillipe’s bed fully dressed, right down to their shoes and her hairpins. Even in their stupor they’d gravitated towards him.

Liselotte had needed his full assistance to heave herself out of the bed, and was unashamed as he helped unlace her bodice to give her pregnancy bump more room to breathe. The expression on the faces of her ladies as the Chevalier returned her to her own rooms had almost been worth the headache.

Liselotte’s unborn infant was beginning to try and make his presence known, especially when she was either trying to sleep or make conversation. Or breathe, it seemed. She tried not to consider that this could signal her impending confinement, and instead tried to guess whether she was being elbowed or kicked.

‘You must come and feel it.’ Maybe that was a headbutt?

‘Oh no, my dear. I shall just believe you.’

‘No, come on. Phillipe isn’t here, you’ll have to do this for him.’ She held her hand out and waited. She didn’t say anything when he huffed a sigh but she knew that the tutting sound as he sat beside her was for dramatic effect. Liselotte arranged his palm carefully, pressing it beneath her own as they waited. The Chevalier’s patience was as short as she expected.

‘I can’t feel-’ He had barely begun to speak when her baby lurched, and a limb (definitely an elbow) made itself known. Liselotte smiled and squeezed the hand under her own.

‘See, he knows you. Already can’t let down his Uncle Phillipe.’

The punch line of ‘like his father’ hung between them, but neither voiced it. Phillipe had once felt like he was the literal stitching holding them both together, but Liselotte was not ashamed to admit that she had now claimed a piece of the Chevalier all to herself. And she was rather fond of it.

vi.

The sun had barely set on the first day of Liselotte’s confinement, and she was already convinced she was going to perish from the boredom of it all. She had secretly hoped to have been allowed a modicum of freedom, especially considering her husband wasn’t here to boss her about. Sadly Liselotte had forgotten quite how meddlesome her brother-in-law could be.

‘Sister, I insist.’ Louis had grasped her hands tightly, and deployed his most earnest of gazes. ‘My brother would never forgive me, it is my duty to ensure you and your baby are safe.’

The Chevalier did not disguise his noise of disgust at the words. He’d had his fill of the Bourbon brothers and their ‘duty’ lately, and it caused only the briefest of flickers in Louis’ expression.

‘I understand, truly.’ She gently, but firmly, extricated her hand from his grasp and patted his sleeve. ‘But surely, there’d be no harm in pottering around the gardens once or twice?’

Judging by the look on his face (the king’s face, she reminded herself), there apparently was.

And so she had just passed a thrilling day of staring at her own feet over the bump of her nightgown, and half wondering if anybody would come and see her. Liselotte was especially disappointed that the Chevalier hadn’t shown his face yet. It would be frowned upon, after all, so an illegal visit should have been right up his street.

Her hopes were dashed when the door creaked open only to have Maintenon appear. Liselotte wondered if going mad from loneliness might not be so bad, especially when she suspected she was probably snooping on her behaviour for the king.

‘He’s under the bed.’

‘I’m sure I don’t understand.’

‘The Chevalier, he’s under the bed.’

Her eyebrows had promptly shot to the top of her rather smug forehead. Liselotte made a great point of saying nothing further for a long time, instead choosing a single grape with great care before changing the subject. Watching Maintenon resist the urge to clamber to the floor and look under the bed, whilst maintaining polite conversation, was the most fun she’d had in a while.

vii. The next afternoon, after another morning of toe inspection and intense hair brushing, one of her ladies scurried in with a tiny, well-folded note. She’d thrust it into Liselotte’s hand as if it was on fire, curtsied, and then escaped.

As she unfolded it Liselotte instantly recognised the Chevalier’s immaculate penmanship, and made a mental note to ask him what notes he’d made the poor girl carry before.

‘My dear, I’m so terribly bored. Have you produced a son yet? Nobody at the tables has the slightest idea how to cheat properly, I think I’m going to go mad.’

‘Oh, I’m fine, thank you for asking.’

‘The uncle is a snooper. I’m going to give the old drab another day before she gets bored, then I shall come liberate you.’

Liselotte crushed the letter in her hands and smiled.

viii.

The Chevalier was correct in his suspicions. Madame de Maintenon endured only one further day of Liselotte’s teasing before she failed to reappear, and the Chevalier swept into her dim chamber in the hour before dinner. At least she thought that’s what the hour was, it was getting difficult to tell.

‘Goodness, it’s like a crypt in here.’

‘I hadn’t noticed.’

He took a moment to toe off his shoes before coming to sit on the bed beside her. ‘I brought you a gift. Something you should most definitely not be reading, rather excitable.’ He tossed it into her waiting hands. ‘Particularly after chapter five.’

There was also a deck of playing cards that he had smuggled. One of his own marked decks she was certain, but Liselotte was not in a position to be choosy. She couldn’t help but smile, turning her face to him like he’d hung the moon.

‘Thank you.’

#chevlotte #versailles tv #chevalier de lorraine #liselotte #phillipe d'orleans #fiction #fanfic #my fiction

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ask-smutty-lucifer · 3 years ago

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“Found a possible partner for you!” Melissa repeats simply. “That’s what you want, right?” She bites her lip nervously. || Steve rushes through the apartment, making sure everything’s perfect for their guests. He already cleaned the whole place and now he’s working on the last imperfections like the blankets in their living room. They’re in a little see-through basket that also functions as a side table. He claims that it looks messy when they’re just thrown into it so he started folding them. Melia and Bethany watch in amusement. “This is unnecessary, dear.” His wife assures him. “They’re used to fancy things. The least I can do is make our apartment look neat.” He’s clearly stressed out. “As if they care so much about their status.” Melia comes closer to rub his back. “You know she likes you. Even though you managed to pour red wine over her favourite dress when you met.” Steve groans. “Please don’t remind me of this.” Melia only laughs. “Relax. I’m sure Bethany will have all her attention anyways.” The little girl cheers as if she understood what her mommy said. Steve sighs and lays the last neatly folded blanket into the basket. He strokes his daughter’s cheeks and smiles fondly. “Dada needs you to steal all their attention, okay?” The little girl babbles happily. “I take this as a yes.” For a brief moment, Steve’s heartbeat calms down only to pick up again once the doorbell rings. They’re here. Melia is fast to open the door, revealing two people in casual, yet somewhat formal clothes. The young man looks a bit like a rat in good clothes while the woman next to him could be a version of Melia in twenty years. “Hi, Mama!” She says and hugs her mom carefully, not wanting to squeeze her daughter. Next is the man whom she shakes hands with before they come inside as the woman takes her granddaughter. “Look at you!” She coos. “Aren’t you the cutest little thing?” Bethany looks a little confused but happy nonetheless. The next awkward step is Steve saying hello to his mother in law, whom he calls Liselotte, and her much younger boyfriend Niki. “You really didn’t need to put so much effort into this.” Her mother says as Melia serves dinner. “You’re my mother. Of course I need to.”

Creme tilts her head softly, appearing to be deep in thought. “I…..suppose. I shall give it a chance.”

“It’s an honor to meet you and to have you over.” Steve says hurriedly, his face a soft pink, obviously very flustered and nervous.

#daddy rp

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mercurialstephie · 8 years ago

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How Versailles Did “Arranged Marriage with someone of the opposite sexuality” Right

My I guess you’d call it meta? on Versailles is getting really cool responses (wow thank you guys I didn’t actually think anyone would read them lol) so here’s another one I’ve been thinking about.

Let me preface this by saying I love “The Magicians”. I’ve loved the books since they came out, I think the idea of a realistic take on Harry Potter/Narnia is brilliant. I think it’s a wake up call to all of us who have dreamed about having magical powers/going to a mythical land because it’s a series about what that would actually be like for your average millennial. It could be awesome but also suck balls. I think the characters are interesting, the writing is both witty and grounded yet doesn’t stay away from campyness and the Les Mis sequence is one of my favorite things I have ever seen on TV.

However, I find what they did to Eliot Waugh questionable and borderline extremely offensive. For those of you who are reading this and do not watch the show, Eliot is an openly gay young man who studied theater at SUNY Purchase and is a Magician. He actually reminds me a lot of Philippe (damn that crossover would be amazing), very sarcastic, very troubled, yet a truly good person. He becomes the High King of this mystical land called Fillory and so he and his friends can get a blade to kill this evil being called the Beast, he needs to marry the daughter of the blacksmith who made the blade. Which is made infinitely more complicated because in Fillory marriages are forever and he cannot physically have sex with anyone else except his wife ever again. This is kind of a huge problem being that he’s gay. Now you’d think that for such a progressive show they would find a way to make this not as awful as it sounds. Yeah no, they even go so far as to imply that he’s falling in love with her and his sexuality for about most of season 2 is erased or retconned to be Bi (nothing wrong with that but he was created as a gay character). That’s not good. Also Fen, the girl he marries, is kind of annoying. She’s desperate to get him to fall in love with her in the beginning and is honestly mystified as to why he seems reluctant to sleep with her. She wants him to love her and doesn’t grasp the fact that he’s gay. Anyway this is made all sorts of awkward, they are trying to fix it by also giving him a ‘husband’ because in this fictional land you can have one of each! Still...it’s awkward.

Back to Versailles. There were some people when Liselotte was introduced that thought she was going to be THAT girl, the girl that gets in the way of the OTP. One person on twitter even called her a “blonde cow” (do NOT get me started on that...that was beyond disgusting). Now knowing history, I knew that was not going to happen, those two are together until death do them part (quite literally look it up it’s sad but doesn’t happen for a long time don’t worry everybody!). Yet having experienced The Magicians, I was a teeny bit hesitant as to how this whole thing would be handled as Philippe did have children with Liselotte. How would Liselotte come off? Would she come off as clingy or not understanding of the realities of the situation? I was SO impressed by the writing of her character, the writing of their situation, and the resolution between Liselotte, The Chevalier and Philippe. I really didn’t want a freaking love triangle of awfulness to last an entire season, especially when Liselotte was such an amazing character. I think that it was genius that they made her someone most people can identify with and even aspire to be. She’s fun, she’s down to earth, she’s courageous, she’s blunt and she’s a damn good person. She walked in fully knowing that Philippe had a boyfriend and though I know she was probably disappointed to realize that he was not attracted to her whatsoever and physically never would be, she came up with a solution that ultimately got her what she wanted (aka kids so she didn’t get kicked out of Versailles and sent home in shame) and was a great influence on both Philippes. She had the right idea all along, that this whole mess would work better if the three of them could stop fighting and if the Chevalier would just calm the fuck down and realize she didn’t want to take his place. I love the scene between her and the Chevalier, I think it’s an eye opener for both of them. She comes into things with a very business-like mindset...and he gives it to her straight, that this isn’t about just sharing a bed or sex, it’s about love and that his heart is broken. His monologue to her is heartbreaking. And I think she kind of knocks some sense into him very gently when she says that the reason he’s acting like this is because he’s terrified and that Philippe loves him but he’s going to lose that love.

The writers made her important to both men, and I think, at the end when she realizes that she’s in a fucked up situation where her brother in law actually had most of her family killed, at the very least she knows she has two people who she can count on. Philippe loves her, maybe not physically but definitely loves her as a person. The Chevalier knows she’d never hurt either of them, and that she wants nothing more than to make all of them happy so he has someone to talk to as well. I think the fact that Philippe basically tells both of them that should anything happen to him (IT WON’T) that the Chevalier will marry her and raise their kids says it all. And the last scene where they are both watching Philippe leave and Liselotte clutches an obviously distraught Chevalier’s hand, you see Philippe smile knowing the two people he loves are going to be ok. And then the final scene of the season, which I assume is some time later, you see the two of them again together and it’s clear that they are both leaning on each other for friendship and support while Philippe is away. I think the progression from all three fighting to working together and ultimately love is so different, and such a breath of fresh air and also shows just how awesome a person Liselotte is. She’s a bit disappointed, but she’s a damn fine human and she wants the people she cares about to be happy. She becomes sort of the missing ingredient to making those two work, the one who will knock some sense into either one of them when Philippe gets too moody or the Chevalier gets too possessive and I hope they’ll get her to also have more fun and embrace the ridiculousness of it all. Yay great character arcs for everyone! Also SO happy they made it clear that Philippe is pretty exclusively gay and does have trouble having sex with a woman since he is not attracted to women. He doesn’t just magically perform cause ‘welp now I have to’. That was amazing.

TLDR: Liselotte is a gift of a character, Versailles stayed away from the stupid love triangle trope, and gave us a pretty polyamorous marriage that is respectful,loving, and not uncomfortable.

#Versailles #liselotte #princess palatine #monchevy #more meta yay!#versaiallestv #philippe d'orléans #chevalier de lorraine #monchelotte

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stacks-reviews · 7 years ago

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New Releases 7/18/17

Happy New Release Day! There’s a lot going on in books, a few things in movies, and a certain beta I’ve been waiting on.

In Books –The Betrayal Knows My Name volume 7 by Hotaru Odagiri Yuki is an orphan with a strange ability to feel others emotions when he touches them. One day a beautiful stranger named Zess appears and saves Yuki before he can be hit by a car. Yuki feels like he knows this stranger from somewhere

I have been waiting for this for FOUR YEARS. I checked yesterday and volume 6 came out in September of 2013. After volume 6 I would check every now and then like I do for the series I follow monthly but I never heard a word about it. After about a year I just finally came to terms that it had been canceled. Then they announced its return earlier this year. It has been on hiatus for Hotaru Odagiri’s health. I’m just glad it’s finally back. I really enjoyed it the series when it first came out except for the fact that I had trouble telling some of the characters apart. I will soon be rereading the whole series because I can’t remember what happened at the end of volume 6. There should be at least one more volume to go. Not long after they announced it’s return, they also announced that it would be ending soon. There is also a twenty-four episode anime based off the series that was released in sub titles only by Funimation earlier this year.

–Blood Mirror (The Lightbringer #4) by Brent Weeks (in paperback) This will contain spoilers if you have not read book 3 The Broken Eye of the Lightbringer series. At the end of The Broken Eye Gavin Guile is powerless and is locked in the prison he made for his brother. Kip has fled the Chromeria with the help of his grandfather to try and slow the advance of the White Kings army. Karris is taking over as her duties of The White and will try to keep the empire from falling apart. Teia will go deeper into the spy organization she is infiltrating while also reporting on their actions to Karris. Ironfist has shown his true colors and has also left the Chromeria to continue his work for his true master.

I love this series. I had so many theories destroyed in this book but it also created a lot of new ones. I’m still numb from the realization in The Broken Eye that Andross might actually be the good guy here instead of the villain I’ve always seen him as. And where could I even start about Gavin. Then there’s Kip and what happened in this book.

It’s a really great series. I love the ocular powers in this series. Just how it is set up, how each color has it’s own properties, and the consequences of using it too much. There are so many twists and turns. I really recommend this series if you haven’t read it yet.

–Dept. H volume 2 by Matt Kindt, water colorist Sharlene Kindt, and letterer Marie Enger Mia is a special investigator sent to research the murder of her father in a deep-sea research station. Everyone in the station is a suspect, including her own brother.

Mind MGMT was my first experience with Matt Kindt’s work and I was blown away. The story is fantastic (I’m about to start volume 3 out of 6). The illustrations are amazing water colors. I had to read more of his work. And Dept. H did not disappoint.

After waiting months for another copy of volume 1 to arrive at my work, I finally got to read it last week. It also has a great story with wonderful water colors. There was a moment where my jaw dropped open because chaos happened and it came out of nowhere. Not everything has been revealed yet. For example Mia has talked about her mother a few times and how she died from some kind of infection of which there is no cure. Although not expressly stated, it would appear that those in the station are trying to find a cure but even the fish they are examining might also be infected. Volume 1 was amazing and I can’t wait to read volume 2.

–Kakegurui Compulsive Gambler volume 1 by Homura Kawamoto Hyakkaou Private Academy is an institution for the sons and daughters of the wealthy. here it’s learning how to read your opponent, the art of the deal that keeps you ahead. To hone those skills Hyakkaou Private Academy has a rigorous curriculum of gambling. Here the winners live like kings and the losers are put through the wringer.

I’m interested in this series because it reminds me of Liar Game by Shinobu Kaitani but with less murder. Maybe. There might be murder. I would like to give it a try because I love mind game series. Watching as L and Light played mind games with each other is a big part of the reason I enjoyed Death Note as much as I did.

–Liselotte and Witch’s Forest volume 5 by Natsuki Takaya “They say that in a place far, far away; in the east, of the east, of the east…there is a forest where witches dwell. They are said to bestow blessings or inflict curses, brew potions in steaming cauldrons, practice their magic…and fly their brooms into the night sky. This is where Liselotte has decided to live after she was banished from her home by her brother.

The final volume of this cute series by the creator of Fruits Basket. It is still on hiatus while Natsuki Takaya looks after her health.

It is a cute series that follows Liselotte as she and two attendants live in the forest. One day she is saved by a stranger who looks a lot like a boy she was in love with who had died. Volume 4 never came to a bookseller near me and I haven’t had time to order it yet.

–Monstress volume 2 (B&N exclusive edition) by Marjorie M. Liu, artist Sana Takeda, and letterer/designer Rus Wooton “Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900′s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, Monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.”

The Cumea are a race of sorcerers who experiment and kill a race called Arcanics, magical creatures with human characteristics. Maika; who is suffering from some memory loss, is an Arcanic who’s mother was killed by a Cumea. Desiring answers Maika infiltrates a sorcerers home and chaos ensues because of the ancient god who is living inside of Maika.

It’s been a while since I read the first volume and a friend is currently borrowing it so I don’t have much to fall back on for more details. I enjoyed the first volume. It was dark, violent, beautifully illustrated, and has a very rich world building. The series; at least from what I’ve heard cause I haven’t seen many cats (talking cats, what’s not to love about that) in the graphic novels I’ve read lately, has some of the best cats in graphic novels right now.

I actually saw where the B&N exclusive edition arrived last week to my local B&N but I also wanted to mention it on it’s official street date in case other B&N go it late for some reason.

–Princess Jellyfish volume 5 by Akiko Higashimura In the bustling city of Tokyo there resides a place called Amamizukan, a safe haven for girl geeks (otakus of trains, jellyfish, Japanese dolls, and more) who are terrified of ‘stylish’ people. One such girl is Tsukimi who loves jellyfish. One night she meets a stylish lady who helps her save the life of a jellyfish at a pet shop. This chance encounter will result in an odd friendship (at first anyway) between the two and the rest of the residents at Amamizukan. But this stylish girl is actually a boy.

It’s super cute shojo series that was made into an anime a while back. As well as a live-action film that according to one of my friends is very well done.

–Twinkle Star volume 3 by Natsuki Takaya Sakuya lives with her cousin Kanade. In times of pain, she looks up at the stars. On her birthday a strange boy shows up at her house with a present and then leaves. At school she finds out his name is Chihiro and he just transferred there. He treats her coldly until an incident at the club information session. Will it bring them closer or will they forever remain in the dark?

Another cute series by Natsuki Takaya. I have the first volume but haven’t finished it yet. It is a completed series. There should be two more volumes after this one.

–Waiting for Spring volume 1 by Anashin Mizuki is a shy girl who is about to enter high school. She vowed to open herself up to new friendships but the four stars of the boys basketball team is not who she had in mind. Soon she’s targeted by jealous girls and forced into the spotlight.

This just sounds like a really cute shojo series.

In Video Games –Destiny 2 Beta The beta of Destiny 2 opens to all preordered PS4 versions of the game today. I’m really excited for it.

In DVD/BLU-RAY –Adventure Time complete season 7 Finn, Jake, and the whole gang return. This season contains the miniseries Stakes starring Marceline and that creepy but good episode where we find out BMO’s imaginary friend Football is real and lives inside that mirror.

–K: Return of Kings The second season of the series K that takes place after the movies K: Missing Kings. It has been a while since I watched K and although I own the movie, I haven’t had time to watch it yet. K was really good and the animation was fantastic. It was gorgeous to watch. Return of Kings follows the events after Missing Kings.

–Record of Lodoss War (DVD/BLU-RAY combo pack) “In a land torn by war, young Parn and a ragtag team of adventurers set out to restore peace to the island of Lodoss. While an evil sorcerer seeks the destructive power of an ancient goddess, the Grey Witch presides over all with a cold-hearted bent for neutrality. The ensuing battles cost many lives before a brave new generation of heroes rises to face the sinister enemies once and for all.”

This combo pack contains episodes 1-13 of the OVA series Record of Lodoss War and episodes 1-27 of Chronicles of a Heroic Knight. I’ve never seen the series before but I’ve heard of it several different times. I have one friend who loved the series when he first saw it years ago and was excited to hear that it was getting this release by Funimation. I really want to give it a try sometime. I looked up the trailer and it looks pretty good. The dub to it doesn’t sound that great because some of the characters in the trailer didn’t sound like they tried very hard. I’m hoping that it will improve in later episodes. As a general rule if an anime I purchase has a dub, I have to watch the dub first. Unless the dub is really bad then I may switch to subbed. Second watches I watch it subbed.

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lxprincipessx-blog · 7 years ago

Note

AU : Liselotte / Nicole : MODERN TIMES

1. My Mad Fat Diary AU - 90s, Liselotte {instead of Rae}, Nicole {instead of Chloe} but Nicole is less princessy-like {she is more punk} and Liselotte {less teeny-angsty}. Two besties going through a rough teenagehood, both happy and sad times. Plot twists: in love with the same guy {classy}, life dilemmas between parties or books, parents etc.

2. Besties for life - they are roughly 24-26, already adults but struggling to find their way in life. Light-hearted, charming, easy-going storyline. One of them has a son who is about 10 and both of them take care of him. They both live in the same flat and everyone thinks they are lesbians :D. Plot twist: baby daddy`s back home, he is a jerk, the other one knows it but the friend does not want to see it. Other possible plots - horrible neighbours {one of them terribly sexy}, everyday life, horrible jobs.

3. Sherlock AU - one is John, one is Sherlock, that`s it mate, that`s how we roll.

4. Hannibal AU - I haven`t watched the entire series but I really really want to make something out of it. A bit of horror, a bit of joyous fearful, scary writing. Double faced friends, dangerous fascination, crime, psychology. Give it to meeee. {this needs plotting, lots of messages, lots of coffee :D}

5. Models AU - both of them young girls asked by an agency to become models, struggling in the world. What I see in this is not rewriting Neon Demon but more like struggles with identity, dreams, reality, eating disorders, depression and trying to be happy. It is simply a melodramatic setting which allows us to explore those dark corners rather than just bluntly writing about I have been asked to do a shoot for Louis Vitton.

#what do you thiiiiinkkk

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itsjulesharper · 8 years ago

Text

The real Montespan, around 15-17 years old.

Before we start, let us recap where we are in actual historical events, which are very much different to the show and quite an interesting comparison. Assuming we are mid-to late 1670, these are the facts:

Montespan is 30 years old (pushing it a bit by 17th century standards), has been Louis’ mistress for three years and has already borne Louis two children. She also had two children by her husband, the Marquis de Montespan, previous to Louis;

Louis is 32 and already lost a lot of hair due to syphilis;

Scarron is governess to their two children, living away from the palace. Louis has no interest in these children and actually does not see them until around 1672. In 1673 he legitimises them;

Louis performs his dynastic duty with the queen on a weekly basis;

Montespan’s husband got wind of the affair and beat her up, bragging about shagging diseased prostitutes so he could infect her, and therefore, infecting the king. So he was banished, then told their children she had died and even held a mock funeral (I would’ve LOVED to see this drama play out in the show. It would have given me much more sympathy for Montespan);

Louis had most likely started a fling with Claude de Vin de Oeillets, a “dark-haired dramatic” girl whose mother was a popular-yet-poor actress. Claude scored a lady-in-waiting gig with Montespan and so became one of those rare rags-to-riches stories;

After Montespan had her second child (the future duc de Maine) in 1670, Louis gives Claude a stack of money;

Philippe is married to Liselotte;

the Chevalier de Lorraine is still in Rome, in exile;

We already had the War of Devolution (1667), and the next one is the Franco-Dutch War, in 1672, where Philippe distinguishes himself on the battlefield and raises the ire/jealousy/pettiness of Louis for being more popular than him. And quite possibly because Philippe had songs named after him.

Right, so let us get on to the current episode.

EPISODE FIVE It is raining and Louis is looking out his window as his ministers wait for him to speak, war plans spread out on a table. Louis talks of poisons and the forms they take and how their function is the same. He is highly unsatisfied that the contagion still spreads, that it is in his very walls, and that he does not sleep, is it any wonder when he has no idea of the horrors that await him when he wakes. Then….. oh, then he says, “you have failed me for the last time, Monsieur Marchal,” (LULZ – Darth Vader reference!) points his finger at his Chief of Police and says calmly, “I do not know that man.” And everyone is wtaf??? (sames, people, sames) and Marchal quietly and with great dignity, leaves.

What…. just happened? Who will have Louis’ back now? Who will figure out who the poisoner is??? Bontemps does not have the skill or the stomach for it. THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

So. Much. Uggggggh as the intro plays.

Gaston is walking into Versailles (sans limp) and is stopped by guards. Louis and his entourage walk through the enfilade, through salons and into the grand salon which is actually Vaux le-Vicomte and the same room in which Louis danced deliriously in his nightshirt in S1. The guards bring Gaston in and Bontemps enquires if they should toss him in jail or the nearest ditch. Gaston quickly interrupts, and Louis appears shitty but lets him speak. Gaston kneels for forgiveness. Montespan leans in and whispers something to Louis, who appears to consider it. Bontemps looks worried and I remember in ep2 when Louis told his faithful servant to tell him if a female ever wielded power over him enough to influence his decisions. I know that is what Bontemps is now thinking, moreso when Louis steps forward, says Gaston has his forgiveness and allows the man to kiss his ring. Montespan and Bontemps exchange looks and we can see Bontemps is not at all happy about this. he should be worried. Dammit, Bontemps is one of the few people left who would willingly lay down his life for Louis, and not out of duty.

We are in Marchal’s dungeon/office and Marchal is packing his meagre belongings. Bontemps walks in, expressing his deepest regret. In his usual droll way, Marchal replies, “your sympathy is unnecessary,” But Bontemps continues, “no one has served his Majesty with greater devotion. But I shall not just miss you as a colleague. I shall miss you as a friend.” As we all know by now, Marchal is not a man prone to overt emotion. He offers a word of advice to handle Louis: “The truth, and nothing but the truth,” but Bontemps fears the king is deaf to it all. Marchal replies: “Tell him what he needs to know. Not what he wants to hear. If we are carried all our lives, we will soon forget how to walk.” Yoda Fabien.

Next scene – Gaston at Agathe’s house, where Gaston wonders why Louis allowed him to stay. Agathe says it could be magnanimity, a show of strength. “The winds of power are not constant.” And the way Gaston can repay her is with his loyalty. The court is a ladder, she says, “but opportunity does not shine equally for all.” Which is why she helps her noble clients. And the way he can help her is aligning himself to her good friend Montespan. “The more powerful your friends, the longer you remain up the ladder. As I help you climb, you help me expand my clientele.” From his manner, he is wary of her, and I don’t blame him. She is a little creepy.

Our next stop – Claudine, with our good lady doctor testing out powders and potions on some flesh to see their effects, while Marchal broods at her table. “You shall continue prying… interrogating�� hitting people.” She smiles. “It’s not what you do. It’s who you are.” As she experiments, he gives her an almost tender look (as much as Marchal can) and she says, “this poison is like love. It has a mystery ingredient. I do not know yet where it comes from. But I will not stop looking until I find out.” She smiles again. “It is not what I do. It’s who I am.”

I find it fascinating that the two people who Louis pretty much threw out of his palace for ‘failing him’ are STILL working for him. It is partly their inherently curious nature: they both need answers, they thirst for knowledge, they are driven to find the real reason and meaning behind things. But they are also displaying incredible loyalty to their king, despite his shabby treatment of them.

No, don’t smile, Marchal. Don’t be happy. YOU WILL JINX IT.

Claudine is off to treat some prostitutes and they share a little flirting before she leaves: Claudine: Will I find you here on my return? Marchal: Do you wish to find me here? Claudine: You are the detective.

And they smile dreamily at each other then ride off into the sunset together to make babies and live a long happy life (oh, wait NO, THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT HAPPENS).

what perfectly delicate lace you have. All the better to look fabulous.

We’re back in the palace and Louis talks to Philippe of war (uugghh zzzzzzz) and how Turenne will be at Dutch Land within days. Philippe is in charge of the assault on Maastricht and let us just stop for a second to admire their very fine lace and things….. okay. Philippe is surprised at being given the command and is curious to know why Louis is placing “the entire fate of France” in his hands. They do a little ‘do I have to say it?’ and ‘well, it might be nice to hear it’ back and forth, then Louis says “glory.” Whose glory? “Ours.” As Philippe gives him a look, Louis adds, “It is time for you to carve your name in history.” Philippe, ever-cautious and skeptical, replies, “I was always under the impression that only one of us could win.” Louis replies: “There can be two winners. Providing they are on the same side….. and we are on the same side, aren’t we?”

TFW your brother finally says you can go to war to kill the Dutch

Philippe smiles, and I so would not blame him if he did a little “OMG YESSS” dance because FINALLY Louis is putting his trust in the brother he consistently put down, made powerless and bent to his will. Philippe then says “how are you sleeping?” and Louis doesn’t really know what to say or doesn’t want to answer so he thinks for a moment then replies with a shoulder pat and a, “come. Let us consider the route.” THIS SMILE, RIGHT HERE.

I loved this scene. Despite every worry that Louis has, every doubt, he still trusts Philippe. YAY.

Gaston returns triumphant into the salons and we FINALLY see some proper bowing and greeting of nobles. He saunters over to where Thomas and Sophie are, and Thomas the smarmy little shit corrects him that it is not mademoiselle de Clermont anymore, but duchesse de Cassel. Also Sophie is sooo pretteh and sweet, offering her condolences for Gaston’s mother’s death. I am not sure if Gaston is trolling Sophie about her own mother “looking down on you, happily married” because she JUST finished telling him she was not proud of the title. They talk a bit about marriage, and Sophie clearly lets him know it can be a prison for some, with no means of escape. “There is always means of escape,” Gaston replies lightly. “It is merely a case of… finding it.” And okay, I know where this is going. BINGO. He leans in and murmurs, “I have a friend, who specialises in such matters,” and Sophie looks a little taken aback, then excuses herself.

We are back in a village (Versailles? Paris?) and Claudine is health checking a pregnant prostitute. The woman talks about some kindly father Etienne who gives them money and oh, also takes the babies to an Orphans and Strays Hospital near Saint-Denis because he is just-so-kind. (mhmm. Sure.) And in the saint walks, and omg are they casting all the holy men to look like creepy stalkers on purpose? He assures Claudine the babies are looked after and she is happy but we ALL KNOW a massive clue has been dropped because it just does not feel right. Mainly because of father Etienne’s creepy stalker face, smarmy closeness to a bunch of prostitutes and his breathy, prank caller “we all do what we can” voice.

We return to the palace and Cassel is off to get drunk, and then we see a salon and Louis is playing billiards but it actually looks like croquet on the table. Thomas the ass kisser is all ‘bravo, Sire’ and Louis says there is no strategy in billiards, only tactics. Thomas eludes to the war then pauses, looking pointedly at Montespan, and Louis comes back with “you may speak freely. Madame de Montespan has my trust.” And Thomas replies with: “to have an intelligent woman as one’s council is perhaps the best tactic of all, Sire.” Then he does some more brown-nosing, saying women are men’s equal where strategy is concerned, blah blah. Montespan hardly looks impressed and I do not blame her. She is wise to flattery, subtle or overt. He launches into a ‘Versailles is about power and negotiation and women must negotiate without any power at all’ and SERIOUSLY Montespan claps back with #NOTALLWOMEN (ahahahaaaa!) but Thomas is a wily one and says “your skills may not be visible to most, but they are just as effective.” Oh, Montespan does not trust him (I don’t think she trusts anyone close to the king, tbh). Then Louis says no, he is not going to go to war, he will be staying at Versailles. The look on Thomas’ face… he did not plan for this, innocently asks, “oh who will lead the army, Sire?” Philippe, yessss. Thomas has heard of his ‘great bravery’ in the Spanish Netherlands. Louis replies “he is a master of the battlefield” with no hint of jealousy or sarcasm and this throws me because Season 1 was all about his jealousy of Philippe’s command and how all the French troops respected him. Thomas: You are a master of war, are you not, Sire? Battles require tactics. War requires a strategy. Louis: (lightly amused) Are you saying that my brother is also good at billiards? Thomas: (smiles) I am saying nothing at all, Sire. Montespan: (dryly) Not from where I’m standing. It is rather surprising how many words are emanating from your mouth. I was rather under the impression that writers were busy writing. Rather than talking. Thomas: (bowing at Louis) My only wish, Sire, is to chronicle your exploits. He lightly emphases ‘your’ which I am sure is such a subtle dig at Montespan.

Right, so back now with father Pascal and the queen, and the priest tells her about Montespan’s crotch grabbing, gives her the benefit of the doubt, saying perhaps she wasn’t thinking clearly following the death of the child. But the queen has her measure, saying Montespan does nothing without forethought. She hopes Pascal was not swayed: he looks outraged. Of course, the king must be informed and they will do it together. The word from a man of God cannot be dismissed.

We are now in Cassel’s nice new apartments, with groans and yells coming from behind the doors. It is not a happy time. Sophie tries to fight him but he has his horrible disgusting way. UGH.

And so to the next day, and we see silks and materials displayed in a salon, with the Chevalier posing by a table with a massive wooden box within which contain his drugs for sale……..

In walks Liselotte, and Montespan calls her ‘your Highness’ (which is incorrect) and does not curtsy (again, a terrible breach of etiquette) and Montespan slides her arm through Liselotte’s and they drift towards the table where the Chevalier is all “can I interest you in some silks?” like some kind of common trader and not the actual war hero and prince of the blood, related to royalty that he is. YeahNOPE. She opens the drug box and asks if it is fragrance and Montespan jumps in with “packing fragrance. To perfume the fabrics is all,” so we totally know she is in on the drug thing. Liselotte thinks they are all very weird (sames, Madame). Sophie enters the salon and makes her way over to Gaston, who is all pleasant and smiling. She wants to know of this friend of his who offers ‘marriage advice.’ Right on, Sophie. About bloody time.

And so to Louis’ rooms with the queen, Father Pascal and Bossuet and we all know how this is going to go down. Montespan has lost her child so “what qualifies you to speak to her state of mind or her motives?” While Louis is right, we all KNOW she did not give a crap about that baby. Louis saw that first hand. But he is blinded by… I dunno. His royal sword? The fact that his circle of trusted people is shrinking? Montespan’s devotion and loyalty that is getting kinda obsessive now? Pure stubbornness at having the church tell him who he shouldn’t shag? The queen assures Louis that Montespan’s motives were licentious and he says to leave the matter with him.

Claudine returns home, to a dozing-by-the-fire Marchal and it is rather sweet that he can relax enough in her home to actually fall asleep. She gently touches his cheek and suddenly she’s on her back on the floor. “Is that how you seduce all the women?” she gets out, and he suddenly smiles. “Did it work?” Claudine touches his hair, his face, murmurs, “you are still here. I like that,” and then kisses him and there are a few moments of nice snogging and squeezing of hands. YAY!!!!! (Stop it. Stop investing in this. You know it will all turn to shit. UGH)

Back inside the palace with the maid Odile walking through the servant corridors, and Gaston grabs her, creepily says, “We have so much catching up to do,” and we all know what that means.

Louis confronts Montespan, who is kneeling oh-so-innocently on the bed. Of course, she says her hand ‘accidentally’ fell into the priest’s crotch, saying his hands “wandered in the most intrusive way.” She didn’t mention it before, because she felt sorry for him. Then she subtly plants the little seed in Louis’ mind that good Father Pascal has the hots for the queen. Louis takes the bait and storms in to see the queen. Good Lord, Louis, this is NOT who you are and this is NOT a soap opera. It is beneath the king to get involved in these little dramas. The queen asks why does he listen to ‘that woman’. And Louis demands to know “Why do you hate her so?” SRSLY, Louis???? The Queen: Is it wrong to hate the woman who’s poisoned and twisted my husband’s mind? Louis: At least you admit hatred was your motivation! The queen: (suddenly screams) YOU ARE PUTTING ME THROUGH HELL! Louis: (walking out) The flames will do wonders for the ice around your heart!

Oh, dear. While the drama queen inside me is rather enjoying this dialogue, it is not AT ALL how I imagine they would act.

The next day and we see Bontemps walking, watching Montespan casually strolling along with flowers, then enter Louis’ rooms and some hair touching before the doors are closed. Bontemps knows Montespan still has her claws in his king. And he is worried.

Sophie is in the village, visiting Agathe, and the code words are “Ariadne sent me.” Now, while the subtitles say “Ariene” I think this is incorrect. In Greek mythology Ariadne was the daughter of Minos (King of Crete and Son of Zeus) and queen Pasiphaë. She is the goddess of, amongst a few things, mazes, paths, fertility, labyrinths and passion. But mainly mazes and labyrinths: her father put her in charge of the labyrinth where reparation sacrifices were made to the gods. This is significant because Agathe’s cards turned up the maze card, the first ep is actually called “the labyrinth” and we shall also see it referenced in a forthcoming ep. Plus Agathe supplies drugs and poisons for all sorts of things, including passion.

So in we go to see Agathe, who says Sophie’s husband is sick then holds up two vials and goes on a bit cryptically about what Sophie wants: “A slow treatment which may cause discomfort over a period of time. Or a rapid remedy, with instant effect.” So – death or suffering. One guess as to what Sophie choses, even though she does seem to be in conflict about it. But as we know, a sudden death will bring her under suspicion, given the current climate in the palace.

Philippe strides through his rooms with his armour on, stands in front of the mirror as servants fuss. The Chevalier lounges on the bed in his nightshirt and he is either coming down or is still drunk from the looks of it, and it pains me a lot to see him reduced in this way. “Why does the king get to declare war and I don’t? Why can’t I do that?” Meanwhile, Philippe says nothing as the servants still fuss and the Chevalier rolls from the bed. “In fact, you know, I think I will. I will declare war on someone. Today.” He clicks his fingers and the servants leave as Philippe unbuttons his jacket, still in front of the mirror. He slides his arms around Philippe, head on his shoulder and stares at their reflection. “You can’t go,” he says softly. “I forbid it.” Philippe watches him, then says, “I don’t care.” The Chevalier: (smiles) Very well. Then I shall come with you. (picks up a vial) You can’t stop me. Philippe: If you want to come to war- (takes the vial from him) -you can’t bring this. The Chevalier: ….regrettably then, I will remain. Anyway, you know my opinion on mud and tulips. (sits perkily on the bed, sounding nonchalant) I shall stay here. Keep the bed warm. Philippe: Spend my money. The Chevalier (looking a little smug) Fortunately, you can stop worrying about that. For I have come into an inheritance. My Uncle Hugues… miserable bugger. (slides his hands up Philippe’s coat) The only time I saw him smile was when his wife fell off a horse. Philippe (finally smiling): You will miss him terribly, I suppose. The Chevalier (tosses Philippe across the bed): Not as much as I will miss you, darling.

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And they go in for a kiss and GODDAMMIT BONTEMPS FFS! ANOTHER COCKBLOCK! But okay, I will forgive him this time because there is something quite wrong and Philippe knows it.

Next scene and Philippe sits alone with Bontemps, who is in a bit of state but trying not to show it. “He once commanded me to tell him… should the situation ever arise, if a woman ever tilt his mind in matters of state-” Philippe wants to know if it is she who must not be named who affects him so. But Bontemps knows. “Ever since he has chosen Madame, her needs are plenty and his time is finite.” Oh, dear Bontemps. He is distraught but holding on to calm. “He will not listen to me. As his valet….” it is here his voice cracks and we see the tears, “-I have no voice.”

We are now in Louis’ room, he is in a chair by the fire (and so it is most likely March/April because of the mention of Easter and the fact that fires are still being lit) with an empty wine glass. Bontemps walks in and Louis tells him to come and have a drink. Sleep would be better. But kings do not sleep, Louis replies. “The wise ones do,” Bontemps says. “I have seen you sleep.” When Louis says nothing, Bontemps adds, “I must speak my mind, Sire.” Louis: “these are not the words of a valet.” (UGH. He is much more than that, you stubborn thing) Bontemps: No, Sire. They are the words of a friend. Louis: Then I do not wish to hear them. Bontemps: I anticipated that, Sire. So I have given my words to another.

Then he calls Philippe in and Louis looks shocked, as well he should be because this is highly irregular. Bontemps stands ahead of Philippe and Louis is all “my brother and my valet are plotting against me, is that it?” and OMG Louis you have it so FUCKING wrong! Then Philippe speaks, and it is Bontemps words that he recites, as the valet stands there, looking at Louis: “Not long ago, you looked me in the eye and said ‘if any woman would influence me in matters of state, you will tell me and by the morning she will be gone.'” And Louis talks over him once, then the next time is yelling, “I said THAT IS ENOUGH!” is about to storm out, then pauses, accusing Bontemps of it being his idea. “It was mine,” Philippe says quietly, to which Louis yells, “You? You don’t care enough!” And finally Bontemps says, yes, it was his idea, and Louis looks at him and says sarcastically, “friend.” When Bontemps makes a step to him, Louis gives him the eye and replies tightly, “leave.” Bontemps can hardly believe it and NEITHER CAN I WTAF and then he is gone and Philippe is giving him this look with a tiny nod as if to say, “right, well, we tried but it is clear you are a fucking idiot,” and then leaves too, while Louis is all ‘UGGGGH face, I have so much stress’ and it is so difficult to feel any sympathy for him. I mean, the man JUST SAID Bontemps should do exactly what he did, and now he is punishing him for it?

Right. Next day and the camera pans from the gardens to Montespan’s room. It is not yet nine and yet she commands a bumper of wine, to which Scarron is disapproving. Montespan knows she has made an enemy of the queen and is plotting against her. Plotting? Scarron says that seems “far beyond her character.” Neither does she believe father Pascal is the bad guy. Montespan replies tartly: “Sometimes, Françoise, you are so naive, I wonder if it is just an elaborate joke you are playing on us all.” Scarron finds that amusing.

Louis walks into one of his rooms and hears Louvois and Colbert talking….. Colbert saying “the nobles come here to play, not to work.” Louis approaches the door and eavesdrops. And of course, as the saying goes, one does not hear anything nice when one eavesdrops. Colbert doesn’t want his ‘young, impressionable’ niece to be at Versailles. Lately, he is finding the palace to be a “den of depravity… most unsuitable.” Then Colbert asks if they will win, meaning the war, and Louvois says yes, but he was surprised that Louis chose to stay at home. “As glorious as he is,” says Colbert, “on the battlefield he is NOT his brother.” Louvois agrees: “he prefers to confront his adversaries closer to home.” And finally as Louis steps away, his expression going from shock to deep thought, Colbert says, “Where is the glory in that?”

We’re now outside and Philippe is practicing his fighting skills and it is lovely to watch two men in breeches and frilly shirts wield swords. There is a certain elegance and poetry to it. Louis turns up and I totally know what is gonna happen. Yep, Philippe approaches, all in good spirits, but then Louis is all solemn and “You’re not going,” and his happy little face just drops. NOOOO. “Kings must lead. They do not follow. I am called by a higher purpose to command my armies myself. It is I who must go. You are to remain here.” He starts to walk away but Philippe is FURIOUS (as he should be) and yells “Is that IT? No apology or NOTHING?!” and grabs Louis. Quickly, his guards reach for their swords, Philippe’s own soldiers walking slowly to them as Louis says “I cannot stay here! Any longer!” Philippe wants to go with, practically begs Louis to let him go with him. But Louis says, “I need you here while I am gone. Who knows… perhaps in war I will find some peace.” He puts a hand on Philippe’s shoulder, saying he will fight the war in Holland, but beseeches Philippe to “please, brother. Fight the war here.” Then Louis puts a hand to his brother’s cheek, says “I am sorry, Philippe. Destiny calls us to a greater mission.” And wow, that is so……. sad and yet beautiful. Because he apologised, he acknowledged Philippe’s frustration, and that little touch on the cheek, his hair, then his shoulder. It really does appear that Louis is sad and regretful for raining all over Philippe’s war parade. And even now, Philippe still needs his brother’s approval and love.

Back in the war room, where Louis strides in to announce that he will be leading the war. “Great news, Sire,” Colbert says, and Louis replies sarcastically, “Your loyalty gives me great comfort.” And now, the question of Regent – the one who will rule in lieu of the king, until he comes back.

Gaston is ass-kissing Montespan and apparently he owes her an apology. They also have a mutual friend, Agathe, and then Gaston offers his help, to which Montespan acts all innocent. Then in the next moment, she is mentioning Father Pascal and I suspect I know what is going to happen now, especially when she says, “perhaps we should take a turn in the garden. I hear the lilies are in bloom.” The camera pans out over the Fountain of Apollo, then the lilies and then a gloved hand picks one, and another hand sprinkles red powder in the centre.

We now see Father Pascal alone in the chapel, and Gaston slithers in, spinning a yarn about needing a ‘most sensitive’ letter written, so Pascal sets about writing what appears to be a confessional love letter to the queen, then Gaston gives him a lily to include. Pascal sniffs the lily (as you do), and it is curtains for the poor priest. He bleeds from the nose, collapses and dies.

Scarron is praying in a small chapel/salon thingy, and Louis walks in. “I admire your devotion,” Louis says. Will she pray for him when he goes to war? Oh, but she prays for him every day. Then she stands and leaves.

Now we’re in Philippe’s rooms and he is looking totally bored, ankles crossed and feet up on a table, pushing things off the edge with his sword point. Liselotte: (a bit exasperated) I wish I could be of more comfort. Philippe: (sullenly) I don’t need comfort. I need another brother. Liselotte: What will you do? Philippe: What I always do. Nothing. And he knows it. Liselotte: Do you want me to say what I think or what you want to hear? (Philippe side eyes) I think you are behaving like a child who always wants the toys other children have. (walks to him) Instead of sulking because your brother is king, you should be a king in your own right. He has an empire… why can’t you build an empire? He has a dynasty… why can’t you build a dynasty? (looks down at him) You’re my king.

Philippe slowly stands, weighing her words as he wavers his blade to her throat…. she steps back, a little unsure. He has a determined look about him, tosses the sword aside then lifts her forcefully onto the bed. She gasps, then in a flurry hoiks up her skirts, he fumbles with his breeches and his “cannon breeches her walls”. She is shocked (obvs, she is still a virgin) and there is much coitus movements as Philippe remains standing.

What is this crap?

A little later, the Chevalier cheerfully enters the room with some wool and sounding very much like the Gay Best Friend and that is so not right. Liselotte is sat up in bed, the sheets to her bosom and the Chevalier turns, spots her then says suggestively, “shall I come back later?” A muffled Philippe says from under the sheets, “Good idea.” and the Chevalier’s face drops like a ten tonne bag of crap. He walks to the bed, yanks off the covers and there is Philippe, naked except for a strategically placed sheet.

“Oh. I see,” says the Chevalier. OH, INDEED. “And here I was, looking for someone to declare war on… when the answer was right under my nose.”

Yes, you should be looking pissed off, Philippe. >>> THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

Then the Chevalier turns and walks out the room, Philippe makes a groany UGH sound and lays back on the bed. YES, PHILIPPE. THIS IS ME. (Well, except for the copious amount of nudity and the glorious bed). Why is the Chevalier Liselotte’s new Gay Best Friend? Why is he so very angry that Philippe is doing his dynastic duty? Why did they suddenly have Philippe overcome with lust/passion/a boner and jump his wife, one who was not previously appealing to him because she was not a man? Why are they making the Chevalier out to be some kind of raging jealous drama queen towards every single person Philippe pays attention to?

Let’s move on to something that makes slightly more sense. Louis. YES, Louis WILL SAVE US. And here he is, reading out an edict that… hang on… wait…. he is placing the Regency of France in the hands of THE QUEEN??!!!

WAT. Oh, for fu——

So he signs the edict and the briefest of smiles appear on the queen’s lips, he stands and it is done. He takes her hand, saying he can rely on her to follow in his mother’s footsteps to do the same. Ugh. She is smug. Because we all know what this means – prayer, prayer and more prayer. And absolutely not fun, whatsoever.

Quick. Take me to the salons! Ahhhh, there is Colbert, accompanying his pretty, naive niece Isabelle for whom Versailles appears to no longer be a den of iniquity. And who should appear to offer his services as a guide but the Chevalier de Lorraine. “I assure you, she is in safe hands,” he says to Colbert, then leads her off through the salons. Philippe appears and I am pretty sure she should be curtsying deeper and longer than that little sad offering she makes, but apparently etiquette has flown out the window when the soap opera charged in through the door. “I trust I shall see you later,” Philippe says, and the Chevalier replies flippantly, “who knows? Isabelle and I have a very busy day ahead of us,” and he sweeps off.

It is all very weird, the way the Chevalier cares not one whit for protocol and manners – no bowing in public, plus turning his back on Philippe who is a prince of France. Just…. these tiny things would be no trouble to add, to make it more realistic. Like the armchair issue.

Right. Back to Claudine… Claudine who appears to be the only sensible one here. She is mixing a potion, still trying to work out what the mystery poison is. Then she finds a drawing in a book and bingo, that is a victory look if ever I saw one. Now she is in Paris, asking a dealer for seeds, and he says he has none, but still hands her a necklace of red beads. She pays him then starts to leave, but her way is blocked by a bunch of junkie dudes and then creepy father Etienne charges in to save her. This is SO not going to turn out well because a) I know where this is leading ever since ‘babies’ ‘orphanage’ and ‘kind father’ was mentioned in the same breath, and b) that creepy creepy face.

We are back in the chapel, with father Pascal swinging from a rope (wat? How did he get up there?) and Bossuet hands the queen the supposed suicide note written in his hand which we all know was dictated by Gaston.

While Montespan creeps from a window, Louis and the queen walk in the garden, Louis offering condolences and the queen not believing Father Pascal would take his own life. He counsels her to be strong in his absence, trust her advisors, hide her true feelings.

Night has fallen, and Louis is in Montespan’s bed, trying to sleep. She is teary and wants to go with him to war. Does she fear the queen as regent? “Right now, Sire, I fear everything I have ever dreamed of.” He gently strokes her hair, assuring no harm will come to her. But Montespan is turning it up, saying he cannot see how strong the queen is. “She knows the place you have in my heart and will do anything she can to come between us.” Louis again assures her the queen will rule on his behalf, not her own. But Montespan is getting a bit distraught and ranty and Louis finally yells, “enough!” He is so up to here with everything, exhausted, and cannot remember the last time he slept. So Montespan gets a vial, saying the herbs will help. She takes a swing, Louis does too and she falls into sleep. Louis of course, remains fully awake.

A note is shoved under Sophie’s door. It is a letter from Thomas the traitor and she sneaks out to meet him in a darkened servant’s passage. Tomorrow he leaves for war and needed to say goodbye. They briefly kiss, then he edges her up against the wall and the camera cuts away but we all know the kind of send off he’s getting. At least Sophie is finding some kind of romance. She deserves it.

Louis is still wide awake, heavy breathing and sweating. He sits up in bed, and the next shot is Bontemps charging into Philippe’s bedroom (no, he is not alone but I cannot tell who it is. Pretty sure it is Liselotte). We see Louis cutting his finger, drawing blood across a plan of the gardens, and muttering “I am lost… and now I’m found” under his breath as the blood drops on the parchment. Clearly in a delirium and quite likely from the herbs that Agathe gave to Montespan. His bloody finger traces the pathways on the garden map as he keeps muttering, and Philippe and Bontemps walk in, worried. Louis keeps painting the bloody pattern and the camera pans up, above him, to show the map with his blood drawing, then further up, out of the room, then out of the palace, finally showing us the gardens and palace. Mirroring the same map Louis was bleeding over, but from this one from a birds eye view.

And there ends the ep. Merci for reading!

Versailles Season 2, Episode 5 – the one with the dead priest Before we start, let us recap where we are in actual historical events, which are very much different to the show and quite an interesting comparison.

#Alexander Vlahos #anna brewster #Elisa Lasowski #Evan Williams #George Blagden #George Webster #Louis XIV #maddison jaizani #Philippe d&039;Orleans #Pip Torrens #Stuart Bowman #Tygh Runyan #Versailles #Versailles tv series #William of Orange

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fzzr · 2 years ago

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Winter 2023 Anime Wrapup

Original post:

New Stuff:

Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku (Handyman Saitou in Another World) - This turned out to have way more plot than expected. There was a lot going on, and it managed to explore a surprising variety of themes and relationships. A very strong 8/10.

Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague) - It's Wotakoi meets Interviews with Monster Girls. Yep, perfect cupcakes the characters were indeed. This is possibly getting a dedicated post. 8/10

Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsunomanika Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken (The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten) - For such an obvious wish fulfillment show, I found a surprising amount to like. Another one getting a post to itself. 8/10 easy.

Revenger - This could have gone too far down the path of dark and edgy, but it showed restraint and managed to get the balance just right. Still, budget issues and writing copouts made it less than fully satisfying. 7/10

Rougo ni Sonaete Isekai de 8-manmai no Kinka wo Tamemasu (Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement) - This was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while, with no brakes to be found. 8/10

Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady) - This didn't do as well as I hoped. The plot fell short, with a few too many asspulls and less than ideal pacing. Waste of a concept, even if they're brave on some points of execution. 7/10

Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte to Jikkyou no Endou-kun to Kaisetsu no Kobayashi-san (Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte) - This managed to be just the right amount of wacky. The pacing wasn't perfect and the quality had a few dips, but the Villainess genre is still going and this oddball take on it was a good time. 8/10

Carryovers:

Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season - This was an excellent return to form for the series and I'm finally back to looking forward to where it goes next. 8/10

Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! (The Eminence in Shadow) - I made a whole post about how great it is. 9/10

Urusei Yatsura (2022) - I fully understand why this set the stage for decades of romantic comedy. Just an all around good time. 8/10

Isekai Ojisan (Uncle from Another World) - finally finished from Summer 2022 after multiple COVID-related delays. I feel like it could have done more, but what it did was still quite good. Give me more elf in real world content thanks, the one scene was way too much of a tease. 8/10

Delayed:

Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu. 2 (BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. Season 2) - Delayed. No rating.

Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha: Shijou Saikyou no Maou no Shiso, Tensei shite Shison-tachi no Gakkou e Kayou II (The Misfit of Demon King Academy II) - Delayed. No rating.

Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai (Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible) - The first bulli show I'm been able to get in to. I picked it up after I made the original what I'm watching list, but then it got delayed. No rating.

Dropped:

Ars no Kyojuu (Giant Beasts of Ars) - Sadly this fell off pretty quickly. The pacing was rather poor but momentum from the start and a few moments of light kept me going through most of the season. In the end it wasn't worth it. Dropped at episode 10/12.

Ningen Fushin no Boukensha-tachi ga Sekai wo Sukuu you desu (Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don't Believe in Humanity Will Save the World) - This suffered from serious quality issues, but ultimately the reason I dropped it was the incoherent setting. It has the fantasy action baseline (adventurer guilds, dungeons, etc.) an ancient high tech civilization capable of producing fully sapient AI weapons, and normal real world stuff like idols and casinos. The almost interesting story just couldn't overcome all that. Dropped at episode 7/12.

Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko! (Tomo-chan Is a Girl!) - Saddest fall from grace since Tokyo 24-ku. After hinting at having progress and being generally a good if slow time, it turned back into episodic glop. Additionally one (female) character crossed the line from "trying to encourage the guy to recognize his feelings" to "that's sexual assault actually". I'm going to go ahead and say that's too far for me to keep watching her hang out with everyone. Dropped at episode 10/13.

#anime #seasonal anime #winter 2023 anime #did I mention you should really watch The Eminence In Shadow #because you should

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freykugel · 5 years ago

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Just been reading a shit ton of random mangos and webtoons and they range from pretty interesting to chuunibyou bullshit. I run into the latter way too often, but what can you do.

A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

I’m actually surprised at this one? Like, it could have been the same ol’ time travel OP MC bullshit but it’s like a found family with interesting shenanigans. It’s not perfect by any means but I actually like MC, Romantica, Pram, and Adjest. No harem trope (though Pram your crush on Desir is obvious, lmao) and Desir’s abilities mostly come from analysis. I recommend it for a good time.

Dimensional Mercenary

Like this one is............... it has interesting world building. I do like the idea of people in hopeless situations selling their souls to find out if there had been a way out. I just... hate MC? He’s not the worst character I’ve seen but definitely not very compelling. And I have no idea WHY he’s competent enough to get perfect runs in scenarios, but I like the concept itself so I stick around.

Survival Story of a Sword King in a Fantasy World

ONE OF THE BIGGEST SURPRISES. I was ready for some chuunibyou bullshit and what I got is some One Punch Man-esque dumbass humor I live for it. Those gonk faces really breathe life into me. It has the stupid OP MC trope but it punishes him for it (like the refrigerator has a minimum level requirement). No harem here (the cutest character is a male dragon wow). Of course as always not perfect but it’s like a greasy cheeseburger like it hits the stomach so good I know it’s bad for you but damn I’m right at home. The story is a pretty unique take too, considering how all the isekai victims are actively being hunted down in the fantasy world.

Solo Leveling

So so disappointed with this one. The first arc was great! I loved it! The oppressive atmosphere and hopelessness really was eye popping. The art is beautiful and fully colored. I was hooked! And then MC got his cheat powers and it became dull as hell. Over and over he just utilizes the big damn heroes trope and saves everyone via deus ex machina. I actually read the light novel and boy howdy did that piss me off to the point that I didn’t sleep very well. Super chuunibyou (or choding in this case). I’m just sad because THE ART IS SO NICE. I tell myself I keep up with it because of the art. The only time you level grind enough to be god is when you actually play a real vidya gaem. (It’s how I roll, lmao.) Interesting world building though, I cry.

Ranker Who Lives a Second Time

These webtoons sure love them revenge stories. Pretty nice art, but really dull MC. If you remotely like revenge fantasies pick this up, but nothing particularly unique happens. The dwarf blacksmith is a funny tsundere... That’s it. Disappointed that the female... rival I guess? gets a crush on MC.

Tomb Raider King

Time travel MC, not necessarily OP but does have a lot of knowledge to back him up. A revenge fantasy in which he tries to fuck over a rich asshole. I’m down with that. Please fuck over more rich assholes. If I like anything about this it’s the poor side characters that get wrangled into his bullshit.

Hero? I Quit A Long Time Ago

Please don’t read this one. It’s One Punch Man but with an infinitely more unlikeable MC. And I have no idea if it’s the translators or if they’re actually saying it, but referring to little girls as lolis is disgusting. It lacks all the charm OPM has.

Chainsaw Man

Full on no. Had an interesting concept but the MC is such a disgusting unlikeable piece of shit. What the fuck ass kind of horny kid is this. His dearest wish is to grab some breasts. Wow. Unbelievable.

Marimashita! Iruma-kun

It’s alright! Just a standard shounen schlock, but I’m entertained. I’m super fond of Asmodeus because he’s like a demon version of Gokudera and I’m always here for my boy. Demon grandpa is always doting and bragging about his grandson and I’m having fun. MC becomes more and more childlike though and I have no idea why. Deku in the demon world I guess. I love that everyone’s an idiot at the end of the day.

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

SUPER SURPRISED AT THIS. I really like it. It’s like a medical mystery drama set in ancient China. Maomao is such a good protagonist. I like her a lot. She is hyper focused onto medicine and doesn’t even care for the local love interest who is crying into his bowl of cocoa puffs. The only thing that was a cop-out was that her freckles were drawn on and fake. THEY MADE HER CUTE FUCK YOU.

Kemono Jihen

It’s an ayakashi manga and is pretty fun. And then the writer made Aya act adult and crush on Kabane. Big freaking NO. An entertaining read though, but there are some horrifying things happening in the later arcs, so read at your own discretion.

This Time I Will Definitely Be Happy

So yeah, sometimes I read shoujo. I started to read this because it seemed like a subversion. Reincarnated MC always falls in love with the hero and yet the hero runs off with another woman and she dies miserably. So this time she’s gonna live her own life! I had fun and then it turned the plot back on straight by making it so that the hero loved her the entire time and she was a priestess who was originally isekai’d from Japan. The ending is largely meh and cliche. I largely still think about the beginning though.

Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess

I... Okay? Just the MCs revealing how much of a tsundere Liselotte is is fun, but it’s just alright. Fun read if you’re bored, once again.

Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi

Stock Isekai manga but with a cooking twist. I like it. It’s just MC, a giant wolf, and a slime baby going around eating good food. The giant wolf is your standard OP monster but he’s sticking with MC because GOD DAMN he cooks like a champ.

Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shite shimatta...

Isekai shoujo version but I’m so fond of it because of how much of a dumbass MC is. Like at points it’s TOO much of a stretch of how idiotic she is, but it’s a jolly good time. And this is a harem series but all the girls love her too so I’m super forgiving. The drugstore candy bar that you love.

Somali to Mori no Kami-sama

Art is super beautiful and detailed. And how could you not love a series about a golem becoming a dad to a small tiny human daughter. I hear there’s an animu airing this year but I’ve been too lazy to check it out. Plus I dunno how limited budgets would affect the art.

Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou Desu

Another standard isekai shoujo style (so many of these out there) but this time around MC just wants to live her life making potions. Good on her. This is a secret but sometimes my heart still goes a flutter for handsome men who are devoted. Huhu, that heart clogging granny’s old macaroni and cheese. Delicious but old.

Kono Sekai ga Game da to Ore dake ga Shitteiru

Isekai videogame version (PLEASE SO MANY OF THESE) but the unique aspect of it is that the videogame is glitchy as fuck and unforgiving. MC purposefully played a shitty game to the point of knowing most of the tips and tricks so when he gets shunted into it it’s hilarious how he went about it. Like step-cancels, abusing code-glitches, increasing skills by smashing his face inside the confessional, etc. Female characters are annoying and one-note, but I appreciate the funny concept of being in a badly coded world.

Kami-sama no Ekohiiki

I... really enjoyed this? All gender-talk aside, I’m super sad that Torii’s love for Kagura (Yashiro) is unrequited, but at least she gets some hastily put together romance in the end. I really liked her. Kenta’s visit in the world where Yashiro doesn’t fall in love with him... right in the heart.

Sorry For My Familiar

Small demon girl has a human as her familiar. Wacky hijinks ensue. It’s hilarious and light-hearted so read if you want to have a good time. I like me some good ol’ comedy.

Senyuu.

I’m like... going back and forth on reading this. On the one hand, I live for RPG parodies and dumb hijinks. On the other hand, FUCK THAT PEDOPHILE GRANDPA INTO THE DEEPEST PORTION OF HELL AND BACK. So many stupid loli jokes and yet I come back because Alba and Ros and literally everyone else. I dunno. I hear shit gets real, but hnngh. I guess this hinges on how much you can ignore the parts you hate.

I’m sure there are others but these are the ones that showed up in my reading history. Hope you enjoyed me rambling with no substance. Also really shows how much bad taste I have. ;-9

#no one asked for my opinion #frey rambles a lot

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philipeisagoldengod · 7 years ago

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DO ALL OF THE ASKS, BBY - Alexandre

OKAY HON I WILL!!! MME. HIBBINS WOULD DEFINITELY APPROVE OF MY ANSWERS!!• Anubis: How do you feel about death?

o Oh, death? I guess it’ll happen when it’ll happen, y’know? I’m not too worried! I’d just rather not die painfully through like an infection or poison or something like that.

• Atum: What are your greatest imperfections?

o Nothing, I’m perfect :)

• Bastet: Do you have any cats?

o Yes, one deplorable character called Nestor, who always somehow finds a way to pICK A FIGHT WITH ME

• Hathor: What brings you joy?

o Everything beautiful and bright! But more specifically, pretty girls, puppies, children, curly hair, science, plants, sunlight, makeup, glitter, and bracelets.

• Horus: What is one thing you've had to fight for in your life?

o Hmm... not much, to be honest. But, I’d have to say Victoire, ma belle rose, the love and light of my life~ Circumstances just wouldn’t let us be together, until finally we could!

• Osiris: Do you believe in the underworld?

o But of course! I don’t think of it as hellish, though-- rather, I prefer to believe in a more neutral setting where the deceased wander aimlessly and think of their life. Or, reincarnation may be an interesting theory!

• Ra: Do you have any major responsibilities or importance?

o Oh, of course. I am central to my household. They would do nothing without me. Maybe cry.

• Thoth: Do you like to read/write?

o I love both! I consider myself a fabulous writer, although my brother does say otherwise… But I believe in myself!

• Arawn: What is the most terrifying thing you've ever done?

o Ooh, this is hard, since my whole life has been quite an adventure! I’d have to say sneaking into Victoire’s house that one time she was mad at me and I wanted to make it up to her. I… I still have nightmares about Alphonse *shivers*.

• Bran: How is your health?

o I am in perfect health! Really! I have a ridiculously sexy body. And I always make sure my skin, hair, nails, lips, and teeth are properly cared for~ The only issue I might have is that my stomach often gets upset. But I don’t think you want to hear any details about that!

• Brighid: Tell us about your relationship with your father.

o Oh… My father? I mean, I didn’t know him all that well, since he died when I was very young, but he seemed nice, I guess? My mother used to tell me that I was just like him! The one thing which stood out to me about him was the story my mother told me of my name; she and my father had both wanted to actually name me “Philippe,” but come the day of my birth, my father had drank an alarming amount of absinthe and was in the hospital himself while my mother was in labor. When the time came to name me, my mother asked my father to sign it, and unfortunately, he spelled my name as “Philipe” instead.

• Cernunnos: What is your favorite animal?

o I love puppies! They are so loyal, friendly, warm, and loving, traits which I feel are of utmost importance for a pet.

• Danu: What is your relationship with your mother?

o My mother was probably one of the most important people in my life. She was really caring and gentle, and really stayed firm despite anything that happened to us. She wasn’t just laid back, either—after my father died and his estate went to our uncle, Antoine’s father, she managed to convince him that we would manage it well and was able to fight for us to keep it. In addition, she raised us on her own in a city foreign to her and never wavered or showed any regret for our presence. She and I were… very close. I really do miss her still, since she passed only about six years ago.

• Morrigan: What do you think happens when we die?

o Didn’t I answer something similar? I believe in a fairly neutral underworld, possibly reincarnation. Oh! But you know what would be great? An afterlife where I’m surrounded by hundreds of buff, ginger, bearded men all wearing revealing outfits and caressing my cheek as they praise me and sing me poems they’ve composed for me!

• Olwen: What is your favorite flower?

o I love so many, it’s hard to choose! My favorites are probably a tie between roses, lilies, and lavenders—I love them all equally!

• Rhiannon: Have you ever been betrayed?

o Hm… my brother has turned his back on me many times, but I wouldn’t count that as betrayal, more bitter teenage angst. So no one, I guess; everybody loves me!

• Bragi: What kind of music do you listen to?

o Oh, I looooooooove Gregorian chant! It’s so hip, so cool, so nouvelle, so swell and popular with the kids~~

• Freya: Have you ever been in love?

o OH BOY DO I NEED TO ANSWER THIS??!! YES!!! VICTOIRE!! LISETTE!! RANDOM UNNAMED GIRL FROM PROVENCE WHO I FORGOT!! ROBERT!! JOSEPHINE!! ALAIN!! ANATOLE!! EUGÈNE!! DELPHINE!! MICHEL!! HORTENSE!! LISELOTTE!! LUCIEN!! BENOIT!! AND MANY OTHERS, I’M SORRY IF I LEFT YOU OUT!!

• Freyr: Do you have any children?

o I have two beautiful, perfect, outstanding, brilliant, bright children, who I treasure more than life itself. Louis Chevalier, a brave and gentle soul who loves all and creates, never destroying, and Henriette Chevalier, a bright fiery ball of passion, dedicating to leaving the world better than when she first encountered it.

• Hœnir: Are you a silent or talkative person?

o I’d like to consider myself a brooding, silent romantic hero, but Victoire always says I open my mouth too much and ruin my image :(

• Iounn: How old are you?

o That’s for me to know and you to ponder about, my dear ;)

• Loki: What is the best trick you've ever pulled on someone?

o Oh dear! I’d have to say it was that time when I was mad at me brother for letting his hair grow soooooooo long his bangs covered his eyes! I didn’t know what to do, since our stylist was out sick, so I asked Mme. Hibbins to work some magic with her gardening shears and… well… it was magic, all right.

• Odin: What is your family like?

o My family is like the solar system, and I am the sun! Let’s see… Mercury would probably be Céleste, since, like the god Mercury, I always sends her running around on errands and to carry messages and such! Venus would, of course, be Victoire, because her seductive allure and dazzling splendor just could not keep me away! Earth would be Dorian, since he would cry if I separated him from his precious vegetables and because he appears very… fecund. Mars would, of course, be my brother, because of his belligerent spirit and desire to be as cool as I am (spoiler alert: he’s not). Jupiter and Saturn would be my lovelies Henriette and Louis, since they are the biggest things in my universe

• Thor: Would you consider yourself pretty powerful?

o Oh yes, I’m a Philipe-shaped bottle of raw, rough power! (That sounded better in my head, oh well!)

• Tree: What have you done with your life? What are you going to do with it?

o I… uh, what have I done? I mean, I have a nice house? And I love my family! So I just plan to spend the rest of my life basking in my own glory, I guess.

• Aphrodite: What do you think of yourself?

o I consider myself the hottest thing alive since the burning witches in Salem :)

• Ares: Are you an easy person to anger?

o I mean, normally I’m not, buuuut… sometimes, when I do get angry, I lash out very easily and say things I don’t mean.

• Athena: Would you consider yourself an artist?

o But of course! This self-portrait just says it all:

• Apollo: Do you play any instruments?

o I play the electric triangle! And yes, Raphaël, that is a real instrument, stop laughing at me!!

• Dionysus: Do you drink?

o I mean, I drink a little wine or champagne in moderation, ignoring the engagement party absinthe, but generally I never drink too much—seeing what it did to my father has deterred me from indulging in excesses, you know?

• Hades: Do you have a bad reputation?

o Of course not, everybody loves me!

• Hekate: Have you ever tried to communicate with the dead?

o What? No! Maybe Mme. Hibbins did that one time in the local cemetery late at night in September, but I wasn’t there! I didn’t dig open a grave! I didn’t pour in a sack of moldy potatoes! I swear!

• Hermes: Have you ever stolen anything?

o Everyone’s hearts~ ;)

• Poseidon: Are you a moody person?

o Yes, I am fairly prone to sudden changes in mood—like, one moment, I’ll be at the dinner table thinking about how hamsters blink one eye at a time, and the next, I’m filled with emotion and want to have sex with Victoire on top of the church roof. I know, I know, I won’t do it… I guess…

• Zeus: Are you a confident person?

o I would say I’m pretty humble, but Raphaël keeps hitting me when I do, so for my own safety, I’ll have to say yes.

• Jupiter: Would people say that you are intimidating or fairly approachable?

o I think people think of me as fairly approachable! I’d hope so, at least!

• Pluto: Where do you think we go when we die?

o I’VE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION TWICE BEFORE

• Apollo & Dianna: Do you prefer to be up during the day or at night?

o I like sunshine and brightness, so the day! Although, I do enjoy… my nightly activities… heh

• Mars: Have you ever gotten into a fight?

o Yes, a few times. Not a physical altercation, but I’ve fought with pretty much every person I’ve ever met. Wow, is that an accomplishment?

• Minerva: Do you generally give good advice?

o I think I do, but whenever I give advice, Céleste sighs, Victoire shakes her head, Raphaël leaves the room, Dorian closes his eyes and pretends he’s not there, and basically everyone in my family acts like they don’t trust me, I’m very hurt.

• Proserpine: Have you ever felt trapped?

o One time, Victoire handcuffed me to the bed, but the key fell behind the radiator and the curtains somehow caught fire. We had to call the fire department, while I was in a burning room handcuffed to a bed naked. It was… an experience.

• Plutus: Do you have a job?

o Nah, not really; I don’t need to if I have enough of an inheritance to support myself. Most of my income comes from the property I rent out, anyway.

• Venus: Have you ever had your heart broken?

o Mine? No, not really. It’s hard for me to feel broken or hurt by things like romance. Usually, I’m the one who leaves, but if someone leaves me, I’ll either persistently nag my way back to them or just move on.

• Vesta: Do you like being home or do you try to get out whenever you can?

o I try to get out, I love going outside!

• Morpheus: Do you daydream often? Of what?

o I daydream… of things which are too obscene, even for me, to speak of! Let me just say one involved a bag of autumn leaves, my naked body, a man from the future named Nicolas Cage, and a 5 meter tall bottle of Cheez Whiz.

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recentanimenews · 7 years ago

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Bookshelf Briefs 7/25/17

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 2 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – First of all, I get what the author is trying to do with Zen, and yes I know there are guys like that in real life, but oh my God I want him OUT OUT OUT of this manga, he is making me very unhappy. Aside from that, this was a decent second volume, mostly focusing on Shimana’s burgeoning love, though there are signs of a larger plot, mostly involving Taiga, who remains the only adult in the room (which is sort of sad, given I’m sure we haven’t even begun to dig into his own issues). Shimana herself can be hard to take, but she grows on me as the book goes along. You can tell this came out before orange, which is stronger, but this is still quite a decent book. Only lose the moments of Zen. – Sean Gaffney

The Full-Time Wife Escapist, Vol. 4 | By Tsunami Umino | Kodansha Comics (digital only) –Mikuri and Hiramasa make incremental progress toward genuine couplehood in this volume, particularly when Mikuri’s aunt gives them a voucher for a night’s stay at a swanky premium inn. I am always delighted to see that, beneath Hiramasa’s stoic exterior, there exists an inner spaz with the hots for Mikuri. At one point, it gets the better of him and he plants a smooch on her, which he’s then incapable of explaining. Meanwhile, Mikuri has realized that she loves him, but while he’s reining himself in lest he drive her away, she worries she’s just forcing her desires on him. After the kiss, there may be hope, but she’s just too scared to admit her feelings. In less capable hands, their failure to communicate and just get together already would be supremely frustrating, but somehow Umino provides just enough payoff to make it work. Looking forward to volume five! – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 13 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – We’re still in the middle of the qualifiers, and our heroes are taking on a team that likes to have FUN when they play. I was honestly expecting them to get curbstomped, but this isn’t that kind of manga (or sport, really) and once again Karasuno has to work hard and try new things in order to break through and beat them. We see how other teams can try to use their own moves against them (though I doubt they’ll be trying Hinata’s wall-jumping anytime soon). Then we go up against a normal, good team who’s simply well-disciplined and OK in all aspects—as noted by everyone, a bad draw for the eccentric Karasuno students. Will they win? And how injured is Daichi? Excellent shonen sports. – Sean Gaffney

Honey So Sweet, Vol. 7 | By Amu Meguro | Viz Media – How much you enjoy this volume will, I believe, depend on how much you sympathize and see yourself in Miyabi, who has absolutely no idea what to do with the feelings she now has and is also filled with social anxiety, leading to several bad choices throughout this book. I felt bad for her despite her being aggressive about trying to steal Taiga, because we know she has no hope whatsoever. Meanwhile, Nao is noticing what Miyabi is doing but is repressing her own feelings, which fortunately she gets told quickly is the WRONG thing to do. What follows manages to be sweet and cute, even if it’s about a girl trying to break up an already established couple. Nothing is fluffier than this series. – Sean Gaffney

Liselotte & Witch’s Forest, Vol. 5 | By Natsuki Takaya | Yen Press – Sometimes it is hard not to read this series and see echoes of Fruits Basket in it, particularly in this volume, as Vergue is acting an awful lot like Kyo. Fortunately instead of Liselotte, his interaction is with Anna, who gets to show off more of her true self and browbeat him into thinking about his circumstances. It’s probably the scene I liked best in the volume. Liselotte is not having an easier time of it; she’s traumatized at seeing her brother at the festival she’s trying to quietly spy on, and she finally meets up with the Woglinde, who magically gives Liselotte back her hair but I have no doubt is likely going to be more of an antagonist than anything else. Save up, as we’re caught up with Japan, but still good. – Sean Gaffney

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life, Vol. 9 | By Keiichi Arawi | Vertical Comics – Again, so much of the humor in Nichijou is about things simply being strange and bizarre for their own sake—you may let out a laugh at the bizarre goings-on, but this is the type of manga to inspire headtilts and chuckles more than tears of laughter. We get a flashback to Yukko and Mai meeting Mio, who is starting at a new school and is not prepared for it to be as super weird as it is, and also flashforwards to the future, where the Professor is going to school, Nano is keeping house, and strangely Nakamura is living with them. Oh yes, and in separate chapters, Yukko and Mio almost die. If you love Nichijou, you’ll love this. If you don’t, well, you likely dropped it long ago. – Sean Gaffney

Princess Jellyfish, Vol. 5 | By Akiko Higashimura | Kodansha Comics – It’d been a while since I read any Princess Jellyfish and I’d kind of forgotten how wonderfully unique it is. I haven’t read a story where a bunch of otaku work so hard at a real-world challenge, but they’re really trying to make a go of this clothing line. Meanwhile, Kuranosuke, who’s been the voice of encouragement this far, is getting a dose of reality on the state of the apparel business. I also love how Tsukimi has begun to change (and even to date!) and that Jiji, too, is getting out into the world and rediscovering some practical skills. I hope this series ends happily, but I appreciate how much detail we’re getting on the complexities of what they’re attempting, even if it means success is unlikely. Very highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 2 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Not quite as disturbing as the first volume, but this is still a very dark and dramatic manga. We learn that Asahi is not the first person to have been spirited away to this world, and that the one she finds out about (a female doctor) never returned home and is buried there. Not the sort of thing you want to find out if you’re missing your mom and dad. As for the Water Dragon, he’s as annoyingly petulant as ever, making sure Asahi is not killed off, drowned, etc. but also treating her like an annoying pest, to the amusement of his fellow gods. I expect more romance in future books, as we end with the ever popular “10 years later,” showing us Asahi all grown up. Solid. – Sean Gaffney

By: Michelle Smith

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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ladyandtherose · 7 years ago

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As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will arrive in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg on Thursday, 20 July, I thought I would finally share photos from my exchange year of Heidelberg Castle (Schloss Heidelberg or Altes Schloss). Although the Cambridges are unlikely to hike up to visit the Castle ruins, I am sure they will see it from the Altstadt (Old Town), especially as they wander around Marktplatz (Market Square) before heading to the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge). I wonder if the Cambridges will be told that the famous English painter, J. M. W. Turner, painted Heidelberg many times, at least one of which is at Tate Britain.

View of Heidelberg Castle & Old Town from the Philosopher’s Way

When I first heard that the Cambridges were going to visit Heidelberg (it is a twin city of Cambridge, UK), I was beyond excited as I had left my heart there many years ago… as have many people for decades if not centuries. It’s such a beautiful town, I have many happy memories there, and even though I didn’t have a sweetheart there, it was the perfect place to be for a naive 20 year-old.

Ich hab’ mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren I lost my heart in Heidelberg

This popular German love song was composed in 1925 and is still the theme song of Heidelberg. When renowned Dutch conductor, André Rieu, went to Heidelberg to perform with his Johann Strauss Orchestra in 2009 (after I had left!), it was a no brainer to include this song, sung by Australian soprano, Miursia Louwerse.

View of the Altstadt from the Castle

View of the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) in the Old Town

A view of the Old Bridge from the Castle

But, I digress. Back to the Castle.

Heidelberg Castle should be on all castle lovers’ top 10 castles in Germany (if not the world) to visit. The Castle is partly in ruins, thanks to Louis XIV (scroll to the bottom ‘The Castle is on fire!’ to see why) and a lightning strike in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but this Gothic/Renaissance Castle has maintained its charm.

The first castle on the site was built before 1214. By 1303, there were two castles but the upper castle was destroyed in 1537, leaving the lower castle (this Castle) for the Elector Palatine rulers to inhabit.

Fast forward to 1613. Elector Frederick V has just married Princess Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James I/VI and Queen Anne of Denmark on Valentine’s Day. The young lovers moved to Heidelberg two months later and Frederick, being the perfect husband, goes about beautifying the Castle and garden for his beloved wife. The Castle now has a monkey house, a menagerie (fancy term for zoo), and an Italian Renaissance garden, the Hortus Palatinus, once deemed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. On the tour I attended, we were told they spoke French with each other.

What do you get for your beloved wife for her birthday? Elector Frederick V had the Elisabethentor (Elizabeth Gate) built overnight (who knows) in the Piece Garden (Stückgarten) in 1615 for Elizabeth Stuart.

The beautiful Hortus Palatinus gardens of Heidelberg Castle painted by Jacques Fouquiere in 1650… before the garden was destroyed. Now it’s too expensive or impossible to restore. What an utter shame. Merci Louis XIV!

Elizabeth gives birth to three of 13 children at Heidelberg Castle, one of whom becomes the father of Elizabeth Charlotte, better known as Liselotte. (Elizabeth also gives birth to Rupert who was the first governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company.) Liselotte was born at Heidelberg Castle but grew up with her aunt, Sophia, (her son becomes George I) in Hanover. She was married off to Philippe, Duke of Orleans, the brother of Louis XIV. Thanks to Liselotte’s extensive letters, we know that she considered Heidelberg as her home and had happy childhood memories of the Castle.

A model of the Castle before it was destroyed

Unfortunately, the Castle was destroyed at least twice by Louis XIV’s troops and eventually, the Castle fell into ruins. Elector Karl III Philipp would have redesigned the Castle had he the money but since he did not, he moved to Mannheim and set up his court there. He supposedly asked his court jester, Perkeo, to guard the wine.

Perkeo of Heidelberg. His real name is Clemens Pankert or Giovanni Clementi and he was the court dwarf and jester of Elector Karl III Philipp. The wine-loving man usually answered “perché no?” (why not) in Italian whenever he was asked if he’d like another glass of wine, hence the nickname. Wonder why it wasn’t Perkeno.

Care for some wine?

His son, Karl Theodor wanted to bring the court back to Heidelberg and tried to renovate it but when the lightning started a fire in 1764, he thought, ‘I better not mess with God.’ In 1777, Karl Theodor won the kingship lottery of Bavaria and moved to the Residenz in Munich – much nicer than any palace he’s ever lived in.

At one point, Heidelberg Castle was in danger of becoming more than just ruins. Had the government of Baden succeeded, there might not have been anything left of the Castle and God knows what would be in its place. Thanks to Charles de Graimberg, a former French count who escaped the French Revolution, he practically became the first person to conserve the Castle and to promote the ruins for tourism. I cannot emphasise how important it is to have Graimbergs in the world.

Staircase in the chapel

The castle chapel

The apothecary. Apparently Liselotte was very interested in herbal medicine too so you can buy some bonbons for your throat.

The Castle is on fire!

Thrice a year on the first Saturday of June, July, and September, the Castle is illuminated and is followed by spectacular fireworks. The Castle is illuminated to look as if it is on fire (with dry ice to look like smoke) as it had been burned down in 1689 and 1693 by the troops of Louis XIV of France (viewers of the TV series Versailles might remember this episode although Heidelberg Castle was not mentioned). There is then a 10-15 min firework display from the Castle and Alte Brücke. Apparently the tradition of having firework displays first began in 1613 as a grand welcome for Elector Friedrich V’s new bride, Elizabeth Stuart (daughter of King James I/VI). Very romantic!

Der Studentenprinz (The Student Prince)

Imagine being in romantic Heidelberg and falling in love with a prince who also falls in love with you. Wilhelm Meyer-Förster wrote a play called Alt Heidelberg (Old Heidelberg) about a prince from Sachsen (Saxony) who studies at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany’s oldest university and one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and falls in love with Käthie, an innkeeper’s daughter. Unfortunately, the romance does not last as the prince’s father dies and the prince becomes king. This play was first performed in 1901 and has since been adapted into at least five films and an operetta.

One of the songs from the operetta is ‘Deep in my heart’. German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and American/German soprano Dawn Marie Flynn sang the duet in the courtyard of Heidelberg Castle.

Window display for ‘Der Studentenprinz’ (The Student Prince) from 2011.

Another window display for ‘The Student Prince’ from 2011 with the elderly prince (now king) and Käthie.

While there is no shortage of German aristocrats studying at Heidelberg University, I for one never had the fortune of lovely Käthie. Just as well for I was a very silly girl.

Address: Schlosshof 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany Opening hours: Mon-Sun 8:00 – 18:00 Entrance: 7€ for adults or buy the Schlosscard to see more castles and palaces in the Baden-Württemberg state).

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{New Post} Schloss Heidelberg, the old castle ruins of charming #Heidelberg, Germany As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will arrive in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg on Thursday, 20 July, I thought I would finally share photos from my exchange year of…

#British Royal Family #Castles & Palaces #Germany #history

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