#but if it is in november like its rumoured to be

[adragonprinceswhore]

Rumours

Aemond Targaryen x (Ex)Wife

Chapter VIII: Rumours 🎼 Masterlist

Summary: Three months after your show in Oldtown, things seem different. How will you and Aemond navigate this new normality?

Warnings: 18+, self-destructive thoughts, mentions of rehab, therapy and anger management, allusions to smut

Word count: 4500

A/N: What a journey! Thank you so much to everyone that has followed this story, both for the first and second time.

Three months later. 

The tour went on for over two months, finishing with a sold-out show back home in King’s Landing. Thanks to management bringing in some highly skilled people to work on finalising the songs on Rumours, the event doubled as the release day of your second album. 

You sold twice as many records in the first three days as your first album did since its release last year.

Though you’re certain that some of the attention your album’s received is due to the dramatic end of your marriage to Aemond, you’re convinced that fans wouldn’t be buying it if they didn’t enjoy the music. The reviews from major music outlets were raving about the emotional depth throughout the album, another indicator that gossip wasn’t the only selling point of your heartbreaking labour. 

Now, with the holidays closing in, your label has asked you to create some type of extra material to put on a limited edition version of Rumours. 

The members of Dragon Dreamers agreed that adding a bonus track would be the best feature, and decided to meet in the studio to record it in one go; a straight-forward and quick procedure fitting your time restraint. 

You’ve been playing around with a few ideas for new songs, but nothing substantial that feels ready just yet. Lucky for you, Helaena posted in your group chat that she’s been working on a song you could use. 

You’d listened to the demo she shared and the song truly has great potential, being somewhat fast-paced with Helaenas dreamy vocals adding that mellow feel to it only she seems capable of. 

Reaching the studio, you step out of the taxi and thank the driver over your shoulder, pulling the thick, wool fabric of your coat tighter around your trembling body. 

It’s only the last week of November, but winter seems to have come early this year. You hurry to get into the building where the studio is, shaking fingers fidgeting with the key in your cold, inflexible hand, too stiff to obey you and get the thin piece of brass into the keyhole. 

“Allow me”, echoes a voice behind you, and the corners of your lips pull up at the familiar, gentle tone. 

“It’s fucking freezing”, you say light-heartedly and move away from the lock to make space for Aemond, who steps forward, key already in hand.

He unlocks the door swiftly, giving you a pointed look while pushing the heavy door open with one hand. It’s his idea of banter; meeting your eyes with that cheeky glint dancing in his eyes, amusement hiding in his lips where the faintest promise of a smile forms. 

“Thank you” 

You walk past him into the hallway leading to the studio and he follows behind you, mumbling a quiet, 

“Anytime”

After the show in Oldtown, your and Aemond’s relationship has improved immensely. Agreeing that whatever happens, the band comes first, proves to be a good way for the both of you to stay on track. 

Being on the road and performing several times a week is draining, stressful, and overall rough. But in the strain, it’s provided you with some peace of mind, forced to put all your focus on work instead of dwelling on the past.

On everything that’s happened between the two of you.

Besides, Aemond’s put in effort to be civil as well, even bordering on being friendly at times, asking you if you’d like anything from the coffee shop before he went to grab an espresso. A clear sign of trying that you appreciate, no matter how small. 

Besides, it’s not like he even needs to ask. He knows perfectly well what you like. 

But this feels better; feigning ignorance. 

Not still acting like a married couple. 

Perhaps his change was not entirely due to what occurred in Oldtown. Helaena had let it slip one day over lunch that he’d started seeing a therapist, while also attending an anger management program online. 

You’re happy for him, truly. 

It shows on his demeanour that he’s doing better; that he knows how to handle situations better. He seems more in tune with his inner self as well, more in control of it. You’re glad to see him improving, and yet there’s a small part of you that still mourns the broken bond between the two of you. 

That part feels resentful, annoyed with the fact that he couldn’t have done this before your divorce. 

Then you might still be together. 

Helaena’s singing voice grows louder as you move closer to the door of the studio, pushing it open with your stiff, cold hands. 

Jace and Erryk are already seated, listening intently to Helaena’s instructions as she explains how they’re going to record the song. You and Aemond slip in, eyes trained on her, and she offers you a nod in greeting, continuing to discuss her vision of the song,

“The build up has to be captivating! It speeds up towards the outro at the end, which is like the highlight of the song”, she says, hands coming up to put emphasis on her words, 

“That’s what you’d envisioned, right Aemond?”

Her head turns to meet the gaze of her younger brother, waiting for a sign of agreement. He only hums in reply and nods at her, prompting her to continue. 

Has Aemond written this song?

You think back to the demo Helaena sent of her singing and playing piano. 

Isn’t this a love song?

“Finally wrote a song for your girlfriend then?”, Erryk teases as he lowers himself to take a seat behind the drum set. 

A wave of nausea crashes over you without warning. You feel your heart race in your chest, like it’s fighting to get out, and a sickening panic spreads within you. Your hands, that’d just felt so cold and stiff, now feel clammy and tingling with unease. 

You knew this day would come. 

The day Aemond writes a song for Alys. 

You’d mentally prepared for it; convinced yourself that whenever this day came, you’d be okay. It wouldn’t hurt that much, you already know that he’s moved on. 

But Erryk’s question leaves you disoriented, almost dizzy, and you hear the furious beat of your heart in your ears.

Now you have to live with your decision to leave him all those months ago. Allow him to move on and watch him from the sidelines as his colleague. 

Sing along to the declaration of love he’s written for his new lover? 

“Hel and I have been working on this song since last spring”, he dismissively replies, throwing Erryk a look that feels cold, yet his tone stays neutral. 

Since last spring? 

You still feel the heavy weight of anxiety on your chest, but with a few deep breaths, you manage to pull yourself together. 

Just get through this afternoon, then you can go home and dwell in self-pity without spectators. 

The band starts to play, Helaena singing as her fingers dance over the keys of the piano, 

‘Sweet, wonderful you’

‘You make me happy with the things you do’

‘Oh, can it be so?’

‘This feeling follows me wherever I go’

Aside from the demo Helaena sent you a few days ago, you’ve never heard this song before. If Aemond’s been working on it since last spring, does that mean he’s kept it a secret from you?

Maybe he played a rough edit to you before your separation? 

Maybe he and Helaena had reworked it beyond recognition? 

‘I never did believe in miracles’

‘But I’ve a feeling it’s time to try’

‘I never did believe in the ways of magic’

‘But I’m beginning to wonder why’

He’s not usually the type to write love songs. His solo song on your first album, titled ‘I’m so Afraid’, can be described as anything but romantic. 

‘Don’t break the spell’

‘It would be different and you know it will’

But this? Is it the love he receives from Alys that has prompted him to write such an exposing song; causing him to believe in miracles and magic? 

Does she make him feel safe? 

Safer than before? 

‘You make loving fun’

‘And I don’t have to tell you but you’re the only one’

You try to keep your voice stable as you sing along, backing up Helaena’s delicate tone. 

It hurts, hearing how much he doesn’t miss you; how happy he is with her. 

The one that makes loving fun. 

When you were married, all you seemed capable of was making him miserable. 

Loving you wasn’t fun. 

‘You make loving fun’

‘It’s all I wanna do’

‘You make loving fun’

‘It’s all I wanna do’

Some hours go by.

You record a few different versions of the song; playing around with various sounds. 

Every time you sing the words, they stab your heart like a knife, 

‘You make loving fun’

You try to act normal. You try so hard that you can taste copper on your tongue. Thankfully, no one seems to see through your facade. 

Just breathe. 

In. Hold three seconds. Out. Hold three seconds. 

You know that it won’t hurt this much forever. 

One day, you’ll wake up and your lungs won’t ache when you inhale deeply. Your eyes won’t burn from the force in which you're trying to prevent tears from falling. 

Time heals all wounds. 

But yours are still fresh. Leaking and aching. 

All you want to do is go home, throw yourself in bed and cry. 

You crave release, whether it comes from sorrow-induced dehydration, calling Alysanne just to yell out your frustrations, or screaming into a pillow.

When Helaena finally wraps up the recording session, asking you to come back tomorrow after she’s listened through a few of the takes, you hastily grab your bag and move towards the door. 

Just need to get out. 

Away. 

You call out a rushed farewell over your shoulder as you make your way down the corridor of the building, hand coming up to the door handle to step out into the cold November night. 

You brace yourself, ready for the chill air to hit your cheeks as you pull the door open. But before you’re able to leave, a large hand gently grabs your shoulder, keeping you in place, 

“Wait”

Aemond’s voice is low behind you. 

You inhale a deep, shaky breath before you turn around to face him. 

“Yes, Aemond?”

Your voice is purposefully flat, and you’re doing your absolute best to not let the hurt you feel reflect on your tone. 

“I wanted to talk to you”, he begins, tongue coming out to lick his lips. He’s apprehensive in a way that makes his voice sound foreign, like he’s not himself. 

“Did you like it? The song?”

Your gaze flickers down at his question, a reflex-like response so you don’t roll your eyes at him. He sure makes it difficult to be the bigger person. 

Set on tormenting you. 

“Yes”

You bite out the reply, laced with innate irritation you can’t conceal. 

Yes, it’s a good song, you can’t deny that. But seeking you out to have you admit that the song he wrote for his new partner is good Is a new low. 

And to think you thought he’d finally changed for the better. 

Aemond’s good eye roams your face, seemingly searching for something. An answer hidden in your features. 

He licks his lips again, as if he’s looking for what to say, 

“You do, you know”

His eye still flickering around without meeting yours, and his restless demeanour makes you nervous too. 

“I do what?”, you ask, irritation now clear in your curt tone. 

“Make loving fun”, he answers. 

The shock of his sudden confession renders you speechless, and Aemond takes the opportunity to pull you out of the building and into the dark night. 

The heavy door to the studio closes with a loud thud, and left are you and Aemond, alone in the freezing, dark November night. 

“I wanted to surprise you with the song on our wedding anniversary in June, but obviously..”, his voice dies out. 

Still lost for words, you’re sure you look ridiculous, mouth agape and eyes wide. 

Aemond carefully takes in your reaction and takes a deep breath himself, 

“I’ve thought about our relationship recently. A lot”, he says, eyes flickering down to your trembling hands.

Are they shaking from the cold? 

He takes your hands in his warm grip, encapsulating their entirety, 

“I didn’t treat you right-”

“I, I just-, I loved you so fucking much, I-, I didn’t know how to handle loving you so fiercely. I still do”

He has that sad look in his eye that you’ve grown familiar with; the sorrow that he’s made a habit of keeping from you. 

Now, it’s on full display as he offers you himself again, 

“Please take me back”, he quietly begs, body moving forward, face coming down so he can rest his cheek on your head, hands still holding yours tightly. 

You feel lost for words, stiffly staying in place as you hear Aemond inhale deeply through his nose buried in your hair. 

“Aemond”, you sigh, tone thick and unsteady, 

“I thought we’d agreed to move forward as bandmates”

“I’ve missed you so much”, he mumbles in reply, unmoving as he rests his head on yours. 

“You’re with Alys now”, you breathe out, disbelief making it hard for you to sort out your thoughts.

“I haven’t seen her since Winterfell”, he replies.

“Aem-”, you try to oppose but he cuts you off,

“I’m sorry for ruining everything. I’m sorry for taking my anger out on you. I’m sorry for being selfish”, he confesses quietly, whispering his sins into your hair. 

Aemond moves to let go of your hands, and instead brings his arms around your shoulders to hug you. 

His voice is still low, mouth right next to your ear, 

“I took your love for granted. I couldn’t imagine a world where we weren’t together”, he admits and presses your body against his, 

“And now I regret how I treated you every day. I know my actions are inexcusable, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need-”, his voice breaks, 

“I need you”

Being in his embrace, so full of the love you’ve been missing for months, causes your lids to feel heavy, and you close your eyes and rest your cheek against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. 

He still smells the same. 

The most comforting, warming scent in the world. 

It would be so easy to take him back.

It is so tempting. 

You gently pull away to look up at him, eyes locking with his, 

“Aemond, you know you weren’t happy being with me” 

“I’m going to therapy, I’m trying to be better”, he says quietly. His eyes are glassy when he adds, 

“For you”

You swallow the lump lodged in your throat. 

“That’s great, Aemond, and I’m so proud of you”, 

“But I don’t think getting back together would be good for either of us”, you conclude, gaze carefully gauging his expression, anxiously awaiting his reaction. 

The inevitable fire. 

His eyes narrow, face setting in harsh displeasure. 

You notice the corners of his mouth twitch downwards as he stares at you in silence, nostrils flaring with each breath. 

His warmth disappears as he steps away from you. 

He quickly shifts to the side to avoid your eyes, and leaves without another word.

You do all three things when you get home. 

You cry, you scream into a pillow, and you call Alysanne to yell out your frustrations. 

Nothing helps.

Why did he have to do this now? 

Why couldn’t he have done this when you were still together? 

The wound of your marriage opens up again, sending icy waves of pain through your body. 

This was supposed to be the part when things got better; when time had healed the wounds.

And yet, you’re still hurting just as much. 

A gash that refuses to stop bleeding. 

In the depths of your despair, you see your phone light up with a notification through the veil of tears obstructing your vision. 

You bring one of your hands up to half-heartedly wipe away the tears that spill out as the other grabs the phone to see who’s texted. 

Aemond: “I’m sorry for earlier tonight. If you want to remain friends, I would appreciate that”

For the second time tonight, his unpredictability astonishes you. 

Where’s the anger? 

You’re unmoving, hand holding your phone in a cramp-like grip as it lights up again. 

Aemond: “It’ll be entirely on your conditions”

You inhale, closing your eyes as you ponder your reply. 

Exhaling slowly, you open your eyes again to type out your answer.

You: “Okay”

Like most things, though it seemed absurd in the beginning, being friends with Aemond has become a normality. 

It started slowly, not going further than the two of you chatting during band practice. 

Then, you started going out to grab coffee together, airly discussing the band, upcoming shows, and what music you’d been listening to recently. 

As weeks pass by, your newfound familiarity blooms into a friendship. 

You start taking more liberties around each other, without constantly being on edge. 

Things like Aemond asks you if you’d like to go see a film by an up-and-coming director, you asking him if he’d like to grab food on the way home from the studio together. 

Your marriage, as tumultuous and heartbreaking as it had been, seems a distant memory now. The ashes from what once was have provided soil for the two of you to build a new, healthy friendship on. You feel thankful for that.

Thankful to still have Aemond in your life.

Being friends suits him. 

He’s opened up far more in these past few weeks to you than he had during the entirety of your futile relationship. 

He acredits it to the therapy and anger management he’d done, but you sense a real shift within him. 

He tells you about Alys; how he met her and how they developed a kind of friends with benefits dynamic as he longed for intimacy and she became his manager. 

Though you can vividly remember him calling her his ‘girlfriend’, he apparently hadn’t made that clear with her, and when he asked her to come on tour with him, a childish attempt at making you jealous, you presume, she’d patted him on the cheek and explained that though he’d been a fun fuck, she didn’t have time for a partner. 

He says that in retrospect, her not having any romantic feelings for him must’ve been a blessing, since he was only using her for selfish fulfilment himself. 

He tells you about Aegon; how they hadn’t spoken all summer, until Aemond reached out to properly apologise, a crucial part of the anger management program. 

Aegon, inspired by Aemond’s dedication to sort out his inner demons, had decided on a fourth trip to rehab. By now, he’s stayed sober for longer than ever before.

Aemond says that he’s made a habit of bringing his brother out hiking, trekking the vast landscape of the Reach. 

Sometimes during those long walks, they’d talk over each other, engaging in passionate discussion about everything and anything. Other times, they walk in comfortable silence, simply existing together. 

It’s nice seeing your ex husband so content. 

The bitterness you first felt at his dilatory introspection has been replaced by admiration; impressed by his dedication to be better. 

Somewhere inside, the wound of the past bleeds less and less. 

Perhaps this is how you were always meant to be? 

Friends. 

The realisation is bitter, but you’ve grown used to the taste on your tongue. 

You made the right decision. 

It’s almost midwinter when Aemond asks you to come over to your old flat one Sunday morning. 

Apparently he’s in the process of subletting the place, and needs help removing any personal belongings. 

It’s strange being back, already foreign and distant, yet still so familiar. 

“I’ve put some of your stuff in the guest bedroom”

Aemond gestures for you to follow him as you step inside. 

Like you don’t know where it is.

You follow him, watching as he opens the wardrobe, stepping to the side to invite you in. 

True to his perfectionist nature, your things are neatly organised, hanging in tidy rows. 

Some of your clothes, two coats, a vase you’d gotten from Alicent on your birthday, a jewellery box. Mostly gifts you received from Aemond, too painful for you to bring with you when you left all those months ago.

Maybe now you’re finally ready to look at the relics of your broken marriage with fondness, reminiscent of the love you once shared. 

As you inspect the wardrobe, you notice an old box tucked in one corner, edges worn down and structure almost caving in. 

You pick it up and open the lid, surprised to find the picture collage you’d made for him on your six month anniversary inside, along with a few other memorabilia from your relationship.

Two tickets to the cinema, a pub receipt, an ugly doodle of Aemond you drew as a joke. 

“What’s this?”, you ask as your hands rummage through the content of the box.

Aemond looks up from the moving box he’d been hunched in front of, eyes going wide when he sees what’s in your hand. 

“You can just put that back”, he quickly replies, face growing a bit pink. 

“I can just move this to the trash as well”, you say and shift towards the big, black bin bag in the corner. 

“That’s alright. I-, I want to keep it”, he mumbles quietly and stands up, towering over you as he takes the box from your hands. 

Your eyes dart from the frame with the pictures you’d made for him to his face, not quite sure why he wants to keep such trivial things. 

“I want to keep the memories” 

He puts the lid back on the box, bends down to place it on the floor, and pushes it towards the back of the closet using his foot. 

There’s something in the air that causes the mood to shift. It’s like a thick fog has settled over the room, sticking in your lungs whenever you breathe. 

“The good old days”, you joke stiffly, trying to chase the uncomfortable tension away. 

Aemond’s standing with his back against you, facing the closet. He hums in reply at your attempted humour. 

“Everything was so easy back then”, you sigh, moving to grab one of the coats hanging next to where he stands. 

He’s stiff as he turns to you, watching as you carefully examine the coat, pondering whether you should keep it or not. 

“I-”, Aemond starts before he stops himself, appearing to be lost in thought,

“I’d try every day to make it easy for you. To love me, I mean” 

Your head snaps to the side. His confession hits you with such force, it’s almost physical, and now it’s your turn to be lost for words. 

“Oh, Aemond”, you choke out as you take in the sad frown his face is set in,

“It was never hard loving you. It was hard being loved by you”

“I know”

One of his hands moves carefully towards you. When you don’t back away from him, he takes the opportunity to place it on your cheek. 

You can feel the way his hand trembles against your skin despite how gentle his touch is.  

“I can’t promise that it’ll always be easy. But I still love you as much as I did back then. I know I shouldn’t but I need to-” he licks his lips as he’s searching for the right words, 

“I need to ask you again. Will you take me back?”

His stare is intense as he carefully evaluates your reaction. You still can’t find your voice, stuck in your throat in shock. 

“I know I don’t deserve it, but I don’t want anyone-, anything else. I’ll do anything for you. Please take me back”, he begs, voice cracking at the end of his plea. 

The hand he’s placed on your cheek feels like it’s burning an imprint onto your skin. 

You’ve never seen him like this before. 

So open; heart on display, laid out in the hand he’s now offering you.

It’s all yours. 

He hurt you so much during your time together. 

He made life so hard for you. 

He made you feel alive. 

Would it be worth it; possibly being hurt again?

Feeling alive again. 

You bring your hand up to his cheek, mirroring how he’s cradling your face. 

Alive. 

Aemond’s POV

When she tilts her head up, leans forward and pulls his face closer to hers, he almost lets out a relieved cry. 

Kissing her again feels like coming up for air after being underwater for too long. 

It’s so relieving it hurts. 

Even when he has to leave her lips to breathe, he presses his face against hers, desperate for the contact. 

He can’t be apart from her warmth for even a second longer. 

Her arms meet around his neck, keeping him close as her breath heats up the skin of his face. 

He’s robbed himself of this for months. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever forgive himself for that. for allowing her to slip away. 

He searches for her mouth again, kissing her as if she could breathe life into his lungs and revive his numb heart. 

His hands can’t decide if they want to touch every part of her being, or hold her so close they melt into one. 

She presses herself against him, kissing him back with just as much vigour. 

The thought that she’s missed him makes him want to weep. 

“I love you”, he says between pants as he moves his lips from hers, trailing down to kiss her neck. 

Her hands grab the back of his shirt and she lets out a moan when his lips find the patch right beneath her ear she loves so much. 

She pulls him downwards, onto the floor, and offers him a giggle as she straddles him. 

Her fingers come down to help him unbutton his trousers, just as eager for him as he is for her. 

He feels tears burn behind his eyelids again. 

Finally. 

He can hardly contain himself as his fingers clumsily search for the buttons of his jeans to aid her in getting them off. He is so impatient, so eager for her, that his hands shake from desire. 

His soul is finally soothed when she sinks down on him. 

He’s consumed by her. 

When she begins to move, the grip of her cunt around him indicates that this won’t last long. But that’s alright. It won’t be the last time. 

He surges forward to kiss her again, to let her know how grateful he is. 

That she came back to him. 

That she’s offered him her warmth once again. 

Fin.

A/N: Thank you for reading! ❤️

A very special thank you(!) to Justine @theoneeyedprince who've helped me by beta-ing this fic. You are truly a gem, so wonderfully supportive of me and I appreciate you so, so very much. Besides being an absolute legend of a friend, Justine's also an immensely talented writer. If you're eager to read more modern heartbreak, check out her story Careless Whisper - it's so good! ❤️

[theresattrpgforthat]

Mint Plays Games: Changelings, Trauma & Gaming

Over the course of October and November, I returned to one of my favourite ttrpgs of all time with @thydungeongal and my girlfriend: Changeling the Lost. About once or twice a year, I get the itch to run the 1st edition of this lovely, lore-heavy game, and every year I come away from it thinking about its potential. This is meant to be a quick break-down of my latest Changeling session, as well as a reflection on the parts of Changeling that really touch my heart.

The Game.

This game happened over three sessions, involving a character creation session, and two sessions of play. We had one character who was a Darkling Gravewright - folks who dealt with the dead in their time in Faerie (and can also see ghosts), and another who was a Fairest Flamesiren, whose entire deal is about burning bright, but also burning out quickly.

I decided to give these girls a murder mystery, with a mortal body found just outside a gate to a Goblin Market, and a missing changeling to track down. We’d talked about themes of grief and addiction prior to my planning stage, so I figured dealing with both a death and a place that offers your wildest dreams (for a price) might be a good place to start.

I don’t like planning out specific plot beats in my games, so instead I tried designing the Market like an adventure location, with various vendors to tempt the players with their wares, while dotting the landscape with NPCs in various states of distress. I figured the Changelings would pick something that resonated with them, and we could go from there. This process also generated a few different villainous characters who could be responsible for the murder, which I’m glad I did, because as usual, what the players decide to do always falls outside the bounds of what the GM plans for.

The story ended up being about saving a kidnapped changeling from a hungry Fae, and bluffing through a group of Privateers (read: mercenaries) and bringing the victim to safety. However, they didn't escape completely unscathed - coming face to face with a True Fae caused a cascade of terrible memories coming back to visit one of our characters right after she thought she'd made it to safety.

Our session was an introduction to the world and lore of Changeling, and I feel like I did a pretty good job on that front. On the other hand, I felt like it was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the things I think Changeling can be about.

The Potential

When it comes to the World of Darkness in general, I think Changeling: the Lost has a relatively sleek amount of lore regarding the various Courts, Seemings, and faerie characters. Each Changeling’s durance can be typified, but ultimately what they went through can be up to the player who designs them, and the Hedge is limitless in its weird and strange creatures, which gives the GM license to create all kinds of goblins and monsters to fit what they want their game to be about - and the players aren’t really expected to know what’s going on in there anyways. Most Freehold history exists in rumour, because talking too openly about it feels like you’re inviting the Fae to your front doorstep, and in the same way, the true nature of the Fae is left up to rumour and superstition, allowing your group to decide what they really are, or leave their nature forever a mystery.

That being said, the toys that you can play with are still more numerous than anything that you can fit into any one campaign, even if you’re playing that campaign for 4+ years. You can very easily play Changeling as a magical urban fantasy game (and I’ve done this fairly regularly with my group), but C:tL also has a lot of poignant themes that can delve into themes about trauma, addiction, and mental health.

Disclaimer: CtL is not always graceful in the way it represents mental health. There are antagonists presented in the books that come across as “madmen”, some pretty gross Merits you can take that can feel bad to play at most tables, and characters that have lost what makes them human, becoming threats to the players. However, I think that the Clarity system does have some interesting ideas in it that, if treated with care, can still provide some interesting depth to the game.

Clarity

Clarity is meant to be a measure of how well your character can tell truth from Fiction - a high enough Clarity score, and you can sniff out a Fae even if they’re trying to hide themselves; a low enough Clarity Score, and you have a hard time differentiating colour and smell, and might even start seeing an overlay of your Durance infiltrating your weekly grocery trip.

Your Changeling moves up in Clarity if they’re able to keep a stable life with elements that help you ground yourself and give you a sense of identity - and mechanically, once you spend Experience points. Your Changeling moves down in Clarity when they suffer “sins” - moments that disrupt that hard-won stability. This sins could be something we’d consider morally fraught, such as stealing, assaulting someone, or murder - but they could also be significant life changes, like losing your job, buying a house, losing a friend or getting married. You also always suffer a Clarity sin when you come in contact with a reminder of your durance - particularly a True Fae.

The higher your Clarity score is, the harder it is to keep yourself there. Smaller and smaller things can trigger a Breaking point, like going a day without human contact, starting a new college course, or using a Faerie token. Furthermore, the lower your Clarity score, the more difficult it is for you to tell truth from fiction - think of the scenes in Mockingjay where Peeta has to ask Katniss “real or not real” and try to trust her answers.

It doesn’t help that so many pieces of the Changeling experience after getting out of the Hedge seems designed to Fuck You Up - like the doppelgänger that’s been living your life ever since you left, or the fact that mortals can’t seem to notice the ways that Faerie has changed you: you can feel the horns on your head, but all they touch is a well-coiffed hairstyle. In many ways it feels like your whole experience with Faerie is invisible - and you’re fairly certain that even if you told a mortal the truth, they’d never believe you. If they did believe you, they would never treat you the same again.

I like this system because it doesn't really measure how "good" or "bad" your character is - instead it's a representation of how your lived experiences can often trigger symptoms even if others get lucky enough to survive those events with their mental health intact. I'm not a bit fan of derangements - but I think dropping in Clarity is an excellent time to ask characters about pieces of their time in Faerie that haunt them, and perhaps saddle them with Frailties instead - what personal rules do you have to follow in order to navigate the world when you have a hard time telling friend from foe?

Other Themes & Metaphors

The Fae themselves are also exquisite boogeymen, mercurial abusers without the familiar human emotions that we might feel more equipped to understand. They act on their whims and follow their appetites - and while real-life abusers often have very human reasons for being that way, we need not feel such compunctions from the Fae.

We might have to feel some compunctions about their right-hand Loyalists however, changelings who have agreed to work for their Fae Masters in exchange for some semblance of freedom. These are enablers: giving the Fae a step into the mortal realm and throwing mortals and other Lost under the bus, just so the True Fae won't turn their abuses back onto them.

Much of the ethos of the seasonal courts in the first edition has to do with different strategies for preventing a day where you find yourself back under your abuser’s control. Do you pretend that everything is fine, because they won’t recognize their victims if they’re happy? Make yourself physically stronger so you can tell yourself that you’ll win next time? Amass magic rituals in the hopes that learning just the right order of steps will keep you safe? Or do you make yourself as un-interesting as possible in the hopes that they give up on you for other prey? (Yes, I think the Winter Court could totally be all about grey-rocking).

On top of that, the Changelings that your characters embody (and interact with) are far from perfect. They have vices, fears and trauma responses that pull and push them into a dance of backstabbing, power-grabbing politics, full of seeking the upper hand and possibly even selling out their fellows in a gambit meant to keep the Fae focused on someone other than them. (A political game or LARP with these themes in mind feels so juicy to me.)

Next is the metaphors of power and/or addiction. The higher your Wyrd is, the more Glamour you can hold, and the more powerful your magic is. At the same time, the more Glamour you can hold, the more you need to hold it: what starts as a fun magical resource can grow into an addiction, if you lean into it hard enough. Sure, your Contracts become easier to activate and you can Incite Bedlam if you get powerful enough, but are you willing to chance withdrawal if you can’t get your daily fix of goblin fruit? How much are you willing to play with human emotions in order to get that sweet sweet taste of anger or grief?

Then there’s the seeming-specific traumas. Beasts struggle with wondering whether they can be human after giving in to animal instinct; Darklings fell into Faerie because they crossed an invisible or moral line and have had to make morally questionable decisions in order to survive. Elementals are used to being treated as part of the scenery, moulded to fit the whims of their captors; Fairest are constantly pressured to be the prettiest or the best with the threat of terrible terrible things should they fail. Ogres have undergone terrible physical hardships, including physical mistreatment and deprivation, while Wizened have been told time and time again that they are only worth something if they are useful. Stepping out of Faerie doesn’t magically “fix” any of these complexes, and as a result each Seeming has to wrestle with stereotypes even amongst their own: if you need someone murdered, go to a Darkling, If you need something made, go to a Wizened. If you need a hot piece of ass, a Fairest is sure to oblige - right?

Lastly, there's the Fetch: a copy of yourself that was made to replace you when the Fae took you away. This other-you is often so much better or so much worse than the person they used to be - they can act as a foil to your character, haunting you or making your life difficult, reminding you of who you used to be, or never letting others forget how badly you may have screwed up. In Changeling society, killing your Fetch is at the very least a regrettably convenient way of tying up loose ends, and at the most, a rite of passage. But it's also a surefire way to risk losing Clarity. Kind of a catch-22 situation, isn't it?

My Experience So Far

Past Changeling sessions I’ve run have included NPCs getting kidnapped by misguided friends, stumbling across characters who were at an all-time Clarity low, trying to save other Changelings from their Faerie kidnappers, cannibals, Fetches, and antagonists who are set out to betray one or more factions of the Freehold that is supposed to protect them. It’s always bits and pieces of what feels like a bigger picture.

On the one hand, I think that's to be expected. There's so much in this game, and I doubt that any campaign can really dig in to all of its systems and complexities. On the other hand, I’m not sure if I’ve been able to really dig into the themes of Changeling: the Lost in the way that I’d really love to be able to do.

The subject matter can be so close to real struggles, that I’m nervous about making those struggles too bare-faced at my local table. Gas-lighting, torture, hallucinations, drug abuse and cannibalism are so very easy to drop into a Changeling game, but are also so very easy to hit uncomfortable moments for someone who's unprepared.

At the same time, I think that playing a game like Changeling with a high-trust table that uses robust safety features has so many interesting stories that can give power to players, even if the setting is technically a horror one. I’ve been having conversations with @psychhound about a lot of the themes that folks try to explore in ttrpgs, especially in response to this post he commented on back in April. To summarize that conversation: TTRPGs are a great way for folks to tackle personal struggles and traumas from a safe place, in ways that can give them a cathartic experience or that can give them a fresh sense of identity. Changeling has been a significant part of those discussions.

I came to Changeling: the Lost as a fairly new GM the first time I picked it up, and the more I learn about Safety Tools and a culture of care, the closer I feel to getting to that game that lives in my head that lured me into TTRPGS in the first place. Every time I come back to It, I think I'm closer to pulling together a Changeling game that sinks its teeth into the themes I’m interested in and hit some of the grime beneath all that glitter. So every time I come back to it, I’m going to create funky little goblins and design weird Fae bars and take the characters’ memories and ask them why they hurt - figuring out how I can twist the knife just enough to peel back the glamour, without opening any wounds that we’re trying to keep closed.

[cartierre]

QUEEN'S GAMBIT | cl16

SOCIAL MEDIA!AU charles leclerc x latina!chess player!reader (fc: alexa demie)

part two: giuoco piano

♡ liked by charles_leclerc, anyataylorjoy, netflix and 61,230 others

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yourusername it has been an absolute pleasure and honour to help my fellow latina anyataylorjoy on set for netflix's new series 'the queen's gambit' as a professional chess player. it's available on the 23th of october, only on netflix.

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user1 so we're all here because of the dating rumour, huh? ⤷ user2 kind of mad her whole content is just chess. girl i wanna know how you look ⤷ user3 just google her she's a literal grandmaster, i'm sure she has wikipedia with some pictures

user4 'fellow latina' she's latina?? omg now i know i have a chance with charles ⤷ user5 charles expanded his taste in women and i'm here for it

anyataylorjoy the most fun i had on a set in a long time! ⤷ yourusername <3

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yourusername i guess someone's eager to learn how to play chess. magnus_carlsen feel threatened because he's serious competition. (for context; magnus carlsen is the currently best ranked male chess player)

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magnus_carlsen i'm going to feel threatened once i see his rankings ⤷ yourusername don't tell him i said that, but i fear there's no hope for him

user6 confirmed: charles dates y/n to have a chess teacher for free ⤷ user7 i mean honestly chess players aren't known to be pretty ⤷ user8 ??????????

user9 charles liking every post, yet y/n not tagging him or mentioning his name is so funny. like bffr we know you're dating just admit it ⤷ user10 it's giving saying 'my ex' instead of their name like we all know who you're talking about

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sportsillustrated Meet the grandmaster Y/N Y/L/N in an exclusive interview about chess, representation and working on set for Netflix' new series 'The Queen's Gambit' in our November issue 2020!

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yourusername it was such an honour and privilege to work with you! i'm thankful to have had a chance to bring some awareness to chess, its greatness as well as some issues as a poc and woman in the sport! comment liked by charles_leclerc

user11 you're telling me THIS is the girl charles BAGGED?? ⤷ user12 absolutely gagged because why does charles lowkey look crusty now that i know his girlfriend is this gorgeous

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yourusername such a fun night at the premiere of 'the queen's gambit'! thank you so much for the invite netflix. an unforgettable night for sure!

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user13 just confirm you're dating charles already we're getting sick and tired of this game ⤷ user14 fr they're so obvious. she's wearing red, she gets picked up by a ferrari, the hands??!!

user15 it's been enough soft launching i need a hard launch

anyataylorjoy looking absolutely gorgeous! ⤷ yourusername my favourite colour <3

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f1wagupdates for the first time, y/n y/l/n has been spotted attending the first gp of the new season in bahrain. she's been seen arriving to the paddock next to charles leclerc.

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user16 i'm at a point where i don't even give a fuck wheter or not they officially confirmed their relationship. i'm deciding that it's canon from now on ⤷ user17 fr their relationship has been rumoured about since june last year, we're tired.

user18 this is enough confirmation i need, they're dating.

user19 she's the definition of minimal effort maximum beauty ⤷ user20 still shocked she's dating charles. no offence, he isn't ugly but girl she's multiple levels above him for sure!

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[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Frev Friendships — Saint-Just and Robespierre

You who supports the tottering fatherland against the torrent of despotism and intrigue, you whom I only know, like God, through his miracles; I speak to you, monsieur, to ask you to unite with me in order to save my sad fatherland. The city of Gouci has relocated (this rumour goes around here) the free markets from the town of Blérancourt. Why do the cities devour the privileges of the countryside? Will there remain no more of them to the latter than size and taxes? Support, please, with all your talent, an address that I make for the same letter, in which I request the reunion of my heritage with the national areas of the canton, so that one lets to my country a privilege without which it has to die of hunger. I do not know you, but you are a great man. You are not only the deputy of a province, you are one of humanity and of the Republic. Please, make it that my request be not despised. I have the honour to be, monsieur, your most humble, most obedient servant. Saint-Just, constituent of the department of Aisne. To Monsieur de Robespierre in the National Assembly in Paris. Blérancourt, near Noyon, August 19, 1790. Saint-Just’s first letter ever written to Robespierre, dated August 19 1790

Citizens, you are aware that, to dispel the errors with which Roland has covered the entire Republic, the Society has decided that it will have Robespierre's speech printed and distributed. We viewed it as an eternal lesson for the French people, as a sure way of unmasking the Brissotin faction and of opening the eyes of the French to the virtues too long unknown of the minority that sits with the Mountain. I remind you that a subscription office is open at the secretariat. It is enough for me to point it out to you to excite your patriotic zeal, and, by imitating the patriots who each deposited fifty écus to have Robespierre's excellent speech printed, you will have done well for the fatherland. Saint-Just at the Jacobins, January 1 1793

The proposal [to have Robespierre enter the Committee of Public Safety] was made to the committee by Couthon and Saint-Just. To ask was to obtain, for a refusal would have been a sort of accusation, and it was necessary to avoid any split during that winter which was inaugurated in such a sinister manner. The committee agreed to his admission, and Robespierre was proposed. Memoirs Of Bertrand Barère (1896) volume 2, page 96-97.

Patriots with more or less talent […] Jacquier, Saint-Just’s brother-in-law. Robespierre in a private list, written sometime during his time on the Committee of Public Safety

Saint-Just doesn’t have time to write to you. He gives you his compliments. Lebas in a letter to Robespierre October 25 1793

Trust no longer has a price when we share it with corrupt men, then we do our duty out of love for our fatherland alone, and this feeling is purer. I embrace you, my friend. Saint-Just.  To Robespierre the older.  Saint-Just in a post-scriptum note added to a letter written by Lebas to Robespierre, November 5 1793. Saint-Just uses tutoiement with Robespierre here, while Lebas used vouvoiement.

We have made too many laws and too few examples: you punish but the salient crimes, the hypocritical crimes go unpunished. Punish a slight abuse in each part, it is the way to frighten the wicked, and to make them see that the government has its eye on everything. No sooner do we turn our backs than the aristocracy rises in the tone of the day, and commits evils under the colors of liberty. Engage the committee to give much pomp to the punishment of all faults in government. Before a month has passed you will have illuminated this maze in which counter-revolution and revolution march haphazardly. Call, my friend, the attention of the Jacobin Club to the strong maxims of the public good; let it concern itself with the great means of governing a free state. I invite you to take measures to find out if all the manufactures and factories of France are in activity, and to favor them, because our troops would within a year find themselves without clothes; manufacturers are not patriots, they do not want to work, they must be forced to do so, and not let down any useful establishment. We will do our best here. I embrace you and our mutual friends. Saint-Just To Robespierre the older. Saint-Just in a letter to Robespierre, December 14 1793

Paris, 9 nivôse, year 2 of the Republic. Friends. I feared, in the midst of our successes, and on the eve of a decisive victory, the disastrous consequences of a misunderstanding or of a ridiculous intrigue. Your principles and your virtues reassured me. I have supported them as much as I could. The letter that the Committee of Public Safety sent you at the same time as mine will tell you the rest. I embrace you with all my soul. Robespierre. Robespierre in a letter to Saint-Just and Lebas, December 29 1793

Why should I not say that [the dantonist purge] was a meditated assassination, prepared for a long time, when two days after this session where the crime was taking place, the representative Vadier told me that Saint-Just, through his stubbornness, had almost caused the downfall of the members of the two committees, because he had wanted that the accused to be present when he read the report at the National Convention; and such was his obstinacy that, seeing our formal opposition, he threw his hat into the fire in rage, and left us there. Robespierre was also of this opinion; he believed that by having these deputies arrested beforehand, this approach would sooner or later be reprehensible; but, as fear was an irresistible argument with him, I used this weapon to fight him: You can take the chance of being guillotined, if that is what you want; For my part, I want to avoid this danger by having them arrested immediately, because we must not have any illusions about the course we must take; everything is reduced to these bits: If we do not have them guillotined, we will be that ourselves. À Maximilien Robespierre aux enfers (1794) by Taschereau de Fargues and Paul-Auguste-Jacques. Robespierre and Saint-Just had also worked out the dantonists’ indictment together.

…As far from the insensibility of your Saint-Just as from his base jealousies, [Camille] recoiled in front if the idea of accusing a college comrade, a companion in arms. […] Robespierre, can you really complete the fatal projects which the vile souls that surround you no doubt have inspired you to? […] Had I been Saint-Just’s wife I would tell him this: the sake of Camille is yours, it’s the sake of all the friends of Robespierre!  Lucile Desmoulins in an unsent letter to Robespierre, written somewhere between March 31 and April 4 1794. Lucile seems to have believed it was Saint-Just’s ”bad influence” in particular that got Robespierre to abandon Camille.

In the beginning of floréal (somewhere between April 20 and 30) during an evening session (at the Committee of Public Safety), a brusque fight erupted between Saint-Just and Carnot, on the subject of the administration of portable weapons, of which it wasn’t Carnot, but Prieur de la Côte-d’Or, who was in charge. Saint-Just put big interest in the brother-in-law of Sijas, Luxembourg workshop accounting officer, that one thought had been oppressed and threatened with arbitrary arrest, because he had experienced some difficulties for the purpose of his service with the weapon administration. In this quarrel caused unexpectedly by Saint-Just, one saw clearly his goal, which was to attack the members of the committee who occupied themselves with arms, and to lose their cooperateurs. He also tried to include our collegue Prieur in the inculpation, by accusing him of wanting to lose and imprison this agent. But Prieur denied these malicious claims so well, that Saint-Just didn’t dare to insist on it more. Instead, he turned again towards Carnot, whom he attacked with cruelty; several members of the Committee of General Security assisted. Niou was present for this scandalous scene: dismayed, he retired and feared to accept a pouder mission, a mission that could become, he said, a subject of accusation, since the patriots were busy destroying themselves in this way. We undoubtedly complained about this indecent attack, but was it necessary, at a time when there was not a grain of powder manufactured in Paris, to proclaim a division within the Committee of Public Safety, rather than to make known this fatal secret? In the midst of the most vague indictments and the most atrocious expressions uttered by Saint-Just, Carnot was obliged to repel them by treating him and his friends as aspiring to dictatorship and successively attacking all patriots to remain alone and gain supreme power with his supporters. It was then that Saint-Just showed an excessive fury; he cried out that the Republic was lost if the men in charge of defending it were treated like dictators; that yesterday he saw the project to attack him but that he defended himself. ”It’s you,” he added, ”who is allied with the enemies of the patriots. And understand that I only need a few lines to write for an act of accusation and have you guillotined in two days.”  ”I invite you, said Carnot with the firmness that only appartient to virtue: I provoke all your severity against me, I do not fear you, you are ridiculous dictators.” The other members of the Committee insisted in vain several times to extinguish this ferment of disorder in the committee, to remind Saint-Just of the fairer ideas of his colleague and of more decency in the committee; they wanted to call people back to public affairs, but everything was useless: Saint-Just went out as if enraged, flying into a rage and threatening his colleagues. Saint-Just probably had nothing more urgent than to go and warn Robespierre the next day of the scene that had just happened, because we saw them return together the next day to the committee, around one o'clock: barely had they entered when Saint-Just, taking Robespierre by the hand, addressed Carnot saying: ”Well, here you have my friends, here are the ones you attacked yesterday!” Robespierre tried to speak of the respective wrongs with a very hypocritical tone: Saint-Just wanted to speak again and excite his colleagues to take his side. The coldness which reigned in this session, disheartened them, and they left the committee very early and in a good mood. Réponse des membres des deux anciens Comités de salut public et de sûreté générale (Barère, Collot, Billaud, Vadier), aux imputations renouvellées contre eux, par Laurent Lecointre et declarées calomnieuses par décret du 13 fructidor dernier; à la Convention Nationale (1795), page 103-105

My friends, the committee has taken all the measures within its control at this time to support your zeal. It has asked me to write to you to explain the reasons for some of its provisions. It believed that the main cause of the last failure was the shortage of skilled generals, it will send you all the patriotic and educated soldiers that can be found. It thought it necessary at this time to re-use Stetenhofen, whom it is sending to you, because he has military merit, and because the objections made against him seem at least to be balanced by proofs of loyalty. He also relies on your wisdom and your energy. Salut et amitié. Paris, 15 floréal, year 2 of the Republic.  Robespierre. Robespierre to Saint-Just and Lebas, May 4 1793

Dear collegue, Liberty is exposed to new dangers; the factions arise with a character more alarming than ever. The lines to get butter are more numerous and more turbulent than ever when they have the least pretexts, an insurrection in the prisons which was to break out yesterday and the intrigues which manifested themselves in the time of Hébert are combined with assassination attemps on several occasions against members of the Committee of Public Safety; the remnants of the factions, or rather the factions still alive, are redoubled in audacity and perfidy. There is fear of an aristocratic uprising, fatal to liberty. The greatest peril that threatens it is in Paris. The Committee needs to bring together the lights and energy of all its members. Calculate whether the army of the North, which you have powerfully contributed to putting on the path to victory, can do without your presence for a few days. We will replace you, until you return, with a patriotic representative. The members composing the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre, Prieur, Carnot, Billaud-Varennes, Barère. Letter to Saint-Just from the CPS, May 25 1794, written by Robespierre. It was penned down just two days after the alleged attempt on Robespierre’s life by Cécile Renault.

Robespierre returned to the Committee a few days later to denounce new conspiracies in the Convention, saying that, within a short time, these conspirators who had lined up and frequently dined together would succeed in destroying public liberty, if their maneuvers were allowed to continue unpunished. The committee refused to take any further measures, citing the necessity of not weakening and attacking the Convention, which was the target of all the enemies of the Republic. Robespierre did not lose sight of his project: he only saw conspiracies and plots: he asked that Saint-Just returned from the Army of the North and that one write to him so that he may come and strengthen the committee. Having arrived, Saint-Just asked Robespierre one day the purpose of his return in the presence of the other members of the Committee; Robespierre told him that he was to make a report on the new factions which threatened to destroy the National Convention; Robespierre was the only speaker during this session. He was met by the deepest silence from the Committee, and he leaves with horrible anger. Soon after, Saint-Just returned to the Army of the North, since called Sambre-et-Mouse. Some time passes; Robespierre calls for Saint-Just to return in vain: finally, he returns, no doubt after his instigations; he returned at the moment when he was most needed by the army and when he was least expected: he returned the day after the battle of Fleurus. From that moment, it was no longer possible to get him to leave, although Gillet, representative of the people to the army, continued to ask for him. Réponse de Barère, Billaud-Varennes, Collot d’Herbois et Vadier aux imputations de Laurent Lecointre (1795)

On 10 messidor (June 28) I was at the Committee of Public Safety. There, I witnessed those who one accuses today (Billaud-Varenne, Barère, Collot-d'Herbois, Vadier, Vouland, Amar and David) treat Robespierre like a dictator. Robespierre flew into an incredible fury. The other members of the Committee looked on with contempt. Saint-Just went out with him. Levasseur at the Convention, August 30 1794. If this scene actually took place, it must have done so one day later, 11 messidor (June 29), considering Saint-Just was still away on a mission on the tenth.

Isn’t it around the same time (a few days before thermidor) that Saint-Just and Lebas would dine at your father’s house with Robespierre? Lebas often dined there, having married one of my sisters. Saint-Just rarely there, but he frequently went to Robespierre’s and climbed the stairs to his office without speaking to anyone. During the dinner which I’m talking about, did you hear Saint-Just propose to Robespierre to reconcile with some members of the Convention and Committees who appeared to be opposed to him? No. I only know that they appeared to be very devided. Do you have any ideas what these divisions were about? I only learned about it through the discussions which took place on this subject at the Jacobins and through the altercation which was said to have taken place at the Committee of Public Safety between Robespierre older and Carnot.  Robespierre’s host’s son Jacques-Maurice Duplay in an interrogation held January 1 1795

Saint-Just then fell back on his report, and said that he would join the committee the next day (9 thermidor) and that if it did not approve it, he would not read it. Collot continued to unmask Saint-Just; but as he focused more on depicting the dangers praying on the fatherland than on attacking the perfesy of Saint-Just and his accomplices, he gradually reassured himself of his confusion; he listened with composure, returning to his honeyed and hypocritical tone. Some time later, he told Collot d'Herbois that he could be reproached for having made some remarks against Robespierre in a café, and establishing this assertion as a positive fact, he admitted that he had made it the basis of an indictment against Collot, in the speech he had prepared. Réponse des membres des deux anciens Comités de salut public et de sûrété générale… (1795) page 107.

I attest that Robespierre declared himself a firm supporter of the Convention and never spoke but gently in the Committee so as not to undermine any of its members. […] Billaud-Varenne said to Robespierre, “We are your friends, we have always walked together.” This dishonesty made my heart shudder. The next day, he called him Peisistratos and had written his act of accusation. […] If you reflect carefully on what happened during your last session, you will find the application of everything I said: a man alienated from the Committee due to the bitterest treatments, when this Committee was, in fact, no longer made up of more than the two or three members present, justified himself before you; he did not explain himself clearly enough, to tell the truth, but his alienation and the bitterness in his soul can excuse him somewhat: he does not know why he is being persecuted, he knows nothing except his misfortune. He has been called a tyrant of opinion: here I must explain myself and shine light on a sophism that tends to proscribe merit. And what exclusive right do you have to opinion, you who find that it is a crime to touch souls? Do you find it wrong that a man should be tenderhearted? Are you thus from the court of Philip, you who make war on eloquence? A tyrant of opinion? Who is stopping you from competing for the esteem of the fatherland, you who find it so wrong that someone should captivate it? There is no despot in the world, save Richelieu, who would be insulted by the fame of a writer. Is it a more disinterested triumph? Cato is said to have chased from Rome the bad citizen who had called eloquence at the tribune of harangues, the tyrant of opinion. No one has the right to claim that; it gives itself to reason and its empire is not the in the power of governments. […] The member who spoke for a long time yesterday at this tribune did not seem to have  distinguished clearly enough who he was accusing. He had no complaints and has not complained either about the Committees; because the Committees still seem to me to be dignified of your estime, and the misfortunes that I have spoken to you of were born of isolation and the extreme authority of several members left alone. Saint-Just defending Robespierre in his last, undelivered speech, July 27 1794

One brings St. Just, Dumas and Payan, all of them shackled, they are escorted by policemen. They stay a good quarter of an hour standing in front of the door of the Committee’s room; one makes them sit down onto a windowsill; they have still not uttered a single word, pleasant people make the persons who surround these three men step aside, and say move back, let these gentlemen see their King sleep on a table, just like a man. Saint-Just moves his head in order to see Robespierre. Saint-Just’s figure appeared dejected and humiliated, his swollen eyes expressed chagrin. Faits recueillis aux derniers instants de Robespierre et de sa saction, du 9 au 10 thermidor (1794) by anonymous.

The Committee of General Security was being spied on by Héron, D…, Lebas: Robespierre knew, through them, word for word, everything that was happening at said committee. This espionage gave rise to more intimate connections between Couthon, Saint-Just and Robespierre. The fierce and ambitious character of the latter gave him the idea of ​​establishing the general police bureau, which, barely conceived, was immediately decreed. Révélations puisées dans les cartons des comités de Salut public et de Sûreté générale ou mémoires (inédits) (1824) by Gabriel Jérôme Sénart.

Intimately linked with Robespierre, [Saint-Just] had become necessary to him, and he had made himself feared perhaps even more than he had desired to be loved. One never saw them divided in opinion, and if the personal ideas of one had to bow to those of the other, it is certain that Saint-Just never gave in. Robespierre had a bit of that vanity which comes from selfishness; Saint-Just was full of the pride that springs from well-established beliefs; without physical courage, and weak in body, to the point of fearing the whistling of bullets, he had the courage of reflection which makes one wait for certain death, so as not to sacrifice an idea. Memoirs of René Levasseur (1829) volume 2, page 324-325.

Often [Robespierre] said to me that Camille was perhaps the one among all the key revolutionaries whom he liked best, after our younger brother and Saint-Just.  Mémoires de Charlotte Robespierre sur ses deux frères (1834) page 139.

After the month of March, 1794, Robespierre's conduct appeared to me to change. Saint-Just was to a great degree the cause of this, and this leader was too youthful ; he urged him into the vain and dangerous path of dictatorship which he haughtily proclaimed. From that time all confidences in the two committees were at an end, and the misfortunes that followed the division in the government became inevitable. […] We did not hide from [Robespierre] that Saint-Just, who was formed of more dictatorial stuff, would have ended by overturning him and occupying his place ; we knew too that he would have us guillotined because of our opposition to his plans; so we overthrew him. Memoirs of Bertrand Barère (1896), volume 1, page 103-104.

The continued victories of our fourteen armies were as a cloud of glory over our frontiers, hiding from allied Europe our internecine struggles, and that unhappy side of our national character which acts and reacts so deplorably as much on the whole population as on our nghts and our manners. The enthusiasm with which I announced these victories from the tnbune was so easily seen that Saint- Just and Robespierre, being in the committee at three in the morning, and learning of the taking of Namur and some other Belgian towns, insisted for the future that the letters alone of the generals should be read, without any comments which might exaggerate their contents. I saw at once at whom this reproach was directed, and I took up the gauntlet with the deasion of a man willing to once more merit the hatred of the enemies of our national glory, and the bravery of our armies. Then Samt-Just cried, “ I beg to move that Barère be no longer allowed to add froth to our victories.” […] While Saint-Just was reproving me, Robespierre supported the longsightedness of his friend… […] The next day my report on the taking of Namur was somewhat more carefully drawn up, and I alluded to the observation of my critics, who were envious of the power of public opinion in favour of our troops, then busied in saving the country. This phrase in my report was much commented on, although its meaning was only clear to those who had heard the debate in the committee on the previous evening “Sad are the tunes, sad is the period, when the recital of the triumphs and glories of the armies of the Repubhc is coldly hastened to in this place! Henceforth liberty will be no longer defended by the country, it will be handed over to its enemies!”This pronouncement was not of a nature to be forgiven by Saint-Just and Robespierre, so they determined to supplant me with regard to these reports. They forced that idiot Couthon to attend the Committee of Public Safety at eleven in the morning, before I got there Couthon asked for the letters of the generals that had come in during the night, and took his usual seat at the back of the hall, waiting until the assembly was sufficiently full for him to announce the victones. About one, Couthon, being paralysed and unable to stand up in the tribune, coldly read the news from the armies from his place. This time, no effect was produced in the Assembly, or upon the public. This attempt, authorised by Robespierre and Saint-Just, having missed fire completely, the committee signified its dissatisfaction at the innovation. Ibid, volume 2, page 123-125

After his return from Fleurus, Saint-Just remained some time in Paris, although his mission as representative to the armies of the Sambre and Meuse and the Rhine and Moselle was unfinished. The campaign was only beginning, but he had several projects in hand, and he stayed in committee, or rather his office, where he was always absorbed and thoughtful. Robespierre, in speaking of him at the committee, said familiarly, as if speaking of an intimate friend: ”Saint-Just is silent and observant, but I have noticed, in his personality, he has a great likeness to Charles IX.” This did not flatter Saint-Just, who was a deeper and cleverer revolutionist than Robespierre. One day, when the former was angry about several legislative propositions or decrees that did not please him, Saint-Just said to him, “Be calm, it is the phlegmatic who govern.” Ibid, volume 2, page 139

This tyrannical law was the work of Saint-Just Consult the Momteuv of the 22nd of Germinal, where it is reported with the explanation of his motives, and you will see that, if there had been no committee, SamtJust would have used his power with as much dictatorial fanaticism as did Manus, that great enemy of the Roman anstocracy. Robespierre’s fnend never forgave me for having dimmished the force of this blow. Whilst I was at the tnbune of the Convention, he came, with someone unknown, and perused my register of requisitions. He took down certain names, and some days after, towards midnight, Robespierre and Saint-Just entered the committee, where they did not usually come (for they worked in a private office, under pretext that their duties were completely private) A few moments after their entry Saint-Just complained of the abuse I had made of the requisitions, which had been granted, said he, in such profusion that the law of the 21st of Germinal had become null and void. Ibid, volume 2, page 146

Robespierre, Saint-Just and Couthon were inseparable. The first two had a dark and duplicitous character; they pushed away with a kind of disdainful pride any familiarity or affectionate relationship with their colleagues. The third, a legless man with a pale appearance, affected good-nature, but was no less perfidious than the other two. All three of them had a cold heart, without pity, they interacted only with each other, holding mysterious meetings outside, having a large number of protégés and agents, impenetrable in their designs. Révélations sur le Comité de salut public by Prieur-Duvernois

Robespierre, who had great confidence in Le Bas because he knew his wise and prudent character well, had chosen him to accompany Saint-Just, whose burning love of the fatherland sometimes led to too much severity, and who had a tendency to get carried away. […] [Saint-Just] also had friendship for me and came often enough to our house. […] Finally our providence, our good friend Robespierre, spoke to Saint-Just to engage him to let me depart with them, along with my sister-in-law Henriette. He consented, but with some conditions. Memoirs of Élisabeth Lebas (1901)

Volume 8 — page 153. ”Saint-Just, his (Robespierre’s) only confident.” His only confident? Élisabeth Lebas corrects a passage in Alphonse de Lamartine’s Histoire des Girondins (1847)

The Lamenths and Péthion in the early days, quite rarely Legendre, Merlin de Thionville and Fouché, often Taschereau, Desmoulins and Teault, always Lebas, Saint-Just, David, Couthon and Buonarotti. Élisabeth Lebas regarding visitors to the Duplay’s during the revolution

—

When arriving in Paris in September 1792, Saint-Just first lived on No. 7 rue de Gaillon up until March 1794, and then on No. 3 rue de Caumartin (today’s No. 5) up until his death. Both those places were within a ten minute walking distance from Robespierre’s home on 398 Rue Saint-Honoré.

Saint-Just was away from Paris (and therefore Robespierre) on missions between March 9 to March 31, October 17 to December 4, December 10 to December 30 (1793), January 22 to February 13, April 30 to May 31 and June 10 to June 29 (1794).

[thearchercore]

omg… re: the charles like, i’m just giggling at how petty it is. (imo at least) this is a direct response to ferrari leaking the news about his contract negotiations, like a “hey look at how well max and i look together haha (threatening)” and i love it 😭😭😭 (again imo) its completely undeniable now that charles is using lestappen for leverage in his negotiations and im glad hes dispelling the no backbone rumours!!

thank u and everyone else involved for the lestappen gate tag btw! you have me fully onboard 🫶🫶

NO BUT LIKE -- the implications of this

you have to understand, charles likes to play subtle PR games. at the beginning of the year, the charles to merc rumours were emerging and he managed to respond by liking 3 separate tweets about staying with ferrari to shut them down.

now, fast forward to november, charles to rbr agenda is LOUD. ferrari is leaking information about contract negotiations to possibly (and dare i say unsuccessfully) increase public pressure on charles to renew his contract. they even mention in the leaks that he does not have many other options outside of ferrari which is a lie -- red bull publicly voiced interest in him and charles definitely works with multiple plans, so again, this is just them manipulating the narrative

after his crash on sunday, all eyes are on charles and what he says, what's his next move. and what does he do? likes a freaking lestappen edit on main. an edit where a clip of a ferrari car cuts into a clip of an rbr car. this ferrari -> red bull transition may be charles' way to hint at the current contract rumours.

and in a way it's genius, it's not too loud to get a call from ferrari pr to unlike it (like the previous tweets he had to unlike) but also gets the message across.

one thing about charles, he will be smart about his messaging online and we're just witnessing his first choice to speak up after sunday in his own way.

ALSO BEAR IN MIND -- charles is rn in LA for something regarding his WME contract, he's making moves faster like no one else atm

[tomhardymyking]

💥 The title of 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 3 has been officially revealed: 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 💖

And if that weren't enough, its premiere has been brought forward, from 8 November to 25 October of this year ❤️‍🔥

I was hoping that wasn't the title, I wanted it to be like 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 as was rumoured, because I'm very sad that it's going to be the last solo film and it's also called like this, in fact I'm saying this tearfully because I'm so moved 🥺

I have mixed feelings about this news.At least there's less left to watch 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺 and 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲 once again 🙏🏻💞

⠀⠀⠀⠀

💥 El título de 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 3 ha sido revelado oficialmente: 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎: 𝑬𝒍 𝑼𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒐 𝑩𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒆 💖

Y por si fuera poco, su estreno se ha adelantado, del 8 de noviembre al 25 de octubre de este año ❤️‍🔥

Tenía esperanzas de que ese no fuera el título, quería que fuera más bien 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎: 𝑬𝒍 𝑼𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒐 𝑩𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒆 como se rumoreaba, porque me da mucha pena que vaya a ser la última película en solitario y además se llame así, de hecho estoy diciendo esto entre lágrimas porque estoy muy emocionada 🥺

Tengo sentimientos encontrados con estas noticias 💓

Al menos queda menos para ver una vez más a 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺 y 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲 🙏🏻💞

⠀⠀

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

Heyy, i fot a request!!!! ITS SO GOOD. HEAR ME OUT. Also sorry for the length

So i was thinking of Chappell Roan X genderneutral!reader [or genderfluid, up to you, but reader is more masc presenting even thoigh they are afab] fic where reader is a major player and heartbreaker of the music industry and everyone wants them even thoigh they are absolutely new in the business. Chappell meets them and she is all "i can fix them [no really i can] and reader is all "you can't fix me, i was born with a broken heart" or "you can't fix me baby, you can make me worse though", even Reneé is all like "thats not a good idea chappell, they break heatts like they are getting paid to do it" but Chappell doesnt care. Maube some drama happens during a performance where their set was close, or during an award ceremony. Rumours start flying and reader denies ir like crazy while Chappell doesnt? Slightly toxic with that anxious attachment x avoidant attachment style relationship dynamic, with Chappell being possessive of reader, her talking abour reader in interviews because everyone thinks reader is a rising star, and lets just say Chappell's mind s elsewhere. Feel free to make it into a series! Aaaaaaa. As always feel free to refuse the req if it makes you uncomfy thx xoxo 🤍

On Her Hook part 1

|| Chappell Roan x genderfluid!artist!reader

|| Warnings; hints at slightly toxic relationships, reader's a play person, mentions of reneé rapp x reader, reader scared of commitment, chappell desperate for reader, short drabble

|| Summary; when reader ghosts Chappell, Reneé tries to warn her but she comes up with a plan for your attention.

Requests open!

Started; November 7th

Finished; November 7th

~~~

You weren't interested in keeping relationships. At this point, you couldn't count the amount of people you'd been with. Even your public list of relationships was endless. It wasn't exactly something hidden to the public; you talked about it in interviews often. Asking if you'd found anyone worthy of commitment. There's been a few close calls, but you were always scared to tie down. What if you got hurt in the process? So you always ended things to keep yourself safe. Not letting yourself get too close to anyone.

Then there was Chappell. A girl who was determined she could change you. You were scared of commitment? Well, she'd kill that fear. Send it up in flames. Anything she had to do to call you hers. You'd spent a few nights with her. But you could tell she was growing restless with this 'friends with benefits' relationship you guys had going on.

And when she finally stopped you to talk about it, you weren't entirely surprised. Of course she would want to talk to you. You could tell this meant more to her than just hookups. It was a certain look in the eyes they all had. "What can I say to make you stay?" She asked, you felt your breath hitch. Stay? Staying wasn't your style. It never was.

"I was born with a broke heart, baby. I know you think you can fix-" She wouldn't even let you finish your sentence, already kissing you. Your eyes widened but your lips moved against hers. Despite knowing it would only make it harder to leave again. Maybe that's what she was doing, trying to get you on her hook.

"Please..." Chappell murmured against your lips as the kiss slowly parted. You looked into her eyes, biting the inside of your lip. You couldn't resist her when she was like this. Chappell may as well have been down on her hands and knees. Your hand moved towards her, but then you held yourself back. Releasing your breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm.. busy." Lame excuse. You turned your back to her, missing how her eyes dulled. The excitement deflating as easily as it had come.

It's nearly been two weeks now since Chappell last saw you in person. She'd been stalking your social medias more than she would ever admit. She was even doing it this very moment. Even though she should have been focused on this artists event. Part of her hoped... maybe you would be here. However it was rare for you to go to things like these. You preferred the interviews, award shows and dance parties. Events? Especially ones where you had to listen to a million speeches- yeah, no. The most you could tolerate when it came to speeches was the award shows. And that was enough for you.

Chappell felt a hand on her back before Reneé Rapp sat next to her, giving her a gentle smile when she'd seen her looking at your media. "You're playing with fire, Chappell." Reneé warned, a sigh leaving her lips. She herself had had her minimal moments with you. If Reneé couldn't leash you, she honestly didn't know who could.

"I'll put it out." Chappell brushed off the comment, looking from her phone to Reneé. An almost desperate love in her eyes," I can fix them."

"You can't fix someone who wants to be broken. Do what I didn't and save your breath. They break hearts like they're getting paid to do it." Reneé rolled her eyes at the thought, the memories of you and her coming back.. she hated that part of her missed you.

Chappell frowned, the words starting to sink in. But she pushed them away, not letting it demotivate her. She'd have you in the end.

A few more days pass. Chappell still hasn't seen you, but she knew how to get your attention. She had the perfect opportunity lined up with an upcoming interview...

[justthemis124]

The Menendez Brothers Documentary

So I finally found the time to watch the Menendez Brothers documentary.

I'll begin to say how happy I am that Netflix knew to do a documentary to give Erik and Lyle the space to express themselves after "Monsters" was released. I also liked how they addressed the false events that the show was trying to display as the truth, the first example that comes to my mind is the documentary making it clear that even though there were rumours about it, the brothers never made an escape plan and never thought about escaping county jail.

The highlight of the documentary was of course having Erik and Lyle's perspective on everything after all this time. And it was truly heartbreaking hearing them talk about how the only thing they really wanted was to save the other one from José and Kitty, and that they each blame each other for the life that they have now.

I feel like some of you might expect me to talk about the prosecutor from the first trial (I don't remember her name sorry, not that it matters to me anyway) and I really don't feel like she deserves to be talked about, I'll just say that still having this much hatred 30 years after is genuinely crazy.

I was also surprised that the documentary wasn't addressing more of the abuse that the brothers suffered but in insight I understand why and it makes sense to me. Everyone knows by now what these brothers had to endure for most their lives, and I truly think that the main point of it was giving more context to their trial and explaining why today, despite everything, Erik and Lyle have been serving a life sentence without the possibly of parole. For that reason it was really nice to have jurors from both trials explaining what was happening behind closed doors. Because the reason why Erik and Lyle are still in prison today, and I cannot express how glad I am that the documentary made that point very clear, is because the justice system made it so. They made it so that the only thing the jurors could vote for was first degree murder, this is basically manipulating a jury that had no knowledge of the first trial, omitting clear context as to why the crime happened, which is absolutely insane and incredibly unfair.

Now I just wanted to say a few words about Leslie Abramson not wanting to be apart of the documentary. If at first I was disappointed I quickly understood how she must feels. I think it's safe to say that this case was probably the "case of her life", in the sense that she fought so hard and for so long for these brothers. She was the first to believe them and no one has ever fought for them like she did, and maybe no one ever will. And I found some people saying on TikTok (so it's not from me) that her statement probably meant that even if they were able to get out in the near future, they still lost more than 30 years of their lives in prison due to an unfair and corrupted justice system.

I'd also like to say a few words about everything that's going on regarding a possibility of them being free in November, I haven't done enough research on that yet to express myself properly about it so in the meantime I won't express myself on it on this blog until I am 100% sure of what I am talking about.

In conclusion I'll say that this documentary did its job of reestablishing the truth after "Monsters" and giving crucial context about their second trial and why it ended the way it did.

I hope you liked this mini review guys!

See you in the next post!

FREE THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS

[chcrryade]

⠀EVERY  TIME,⠀I  MAKE  IT  SO  OUTRAGEOUS!  ˚ ◯ ⁺⠀⠀⸻⠀⠀Born out of just the right mix of spite,  desperation,  and greed,  CHERRYADE  ( 체리 에이드 )  are a last-ditch attempt—a withered hand clawing its way out of the grave—at boy group fame for their managing company JAGUAR.  Following their previous list of tragedies,  the seven-piece ensemble  (cobbled together with more members that weren’t even signed to them to begin with that those that were)  seemed to be yet another set-up,  another failed venture that would last a year or two at the very most before a scandal ripped them apart from the inside out and they were shoved aside to make room for the next five minutes of fame JAGUAR were chasing.

However,  they seemed to be the ones that broke the mould of those that had come before them.  Wrapped in an almost artificially sugary-sweet concept with the uneasy-on-the-eyes colour scheme to match  (although the contrasting tang of their sharp personalities cut through the façade more often than not),  CHERRYADE saw success after their debut release ‘DOUBLE DIP,’  a five-track mini album that made everything seem a little bit more real,  proving all those that had been calling bullshit wrong.  They were here,  and they were hopefully here to stay—for better or for worse,  completely uncaring of whether people liked them or not;  as was per with all of JAGUAR’s attempts before them.

They were  (predictably)  not without scandal,  and allegations were thrown at them not long after debut for both their less-than-stellar treatment of their fellow idols in the industry and having loose lips when it came to secrets that weren’t always their own,  but surprisingly there was nothing to be heard about infighting this time around.  Some said they were just the ones that managed to get along,  or they had turned over new leaves, but others theorised that they were all still horrible,  and this time had simply united to wreak their havoc on their mutual enemies instead.

Still,  despite the articles and the fan videos and the general confusion of the crowds at all of their shows while they wondered if they should be throwing rocks or waving their lightsticks in time,  CHERRYADE persevered.  Next was the full album ‘TASTE TEST’ in March 2022,  one that,  despite the more suggestive nature of the songs within,  was another that was met with widespread success.  Everything seemed to be going swimmingly—until the November 2022 one-time-only reunion of JAGUAR’s first and only co-ed duo JUST4U,  who ran from 2009 until 2016.  Another explosive scene of theirs erupted right in plain view,  for everyone to see,  more insults thrown and glass smashed.  An apology  (that,  although was signed by Seungdae,  no-one believes he actually wrote a word of—witnesses said he was egging them on,  if anything)  was released after the media got ahold of the story,  and after that all things JAGUAR  (and by proxy,  all things CHERRYADE)  seemed to fall quiet for a while.  No comeback was announced,  nor rumoured,  nor..  Anything.  It took the leader of the seven himself making a stand and asking for something to be done for any more moves to be made,  and not terribly long after—May 2023,  to be exact—the mini album ‘SWEET (SOUR)’ was dropped.

It seemed the hype hadn’t died down at all,  as fans were just as excited as they’d been for the previous two releases,  and the attention was back in full swing.  Next came the second full album ‘CLUB SODA’ in November 2023,  and most recently the mini album ‘LEMON ON ICE’ in April 2024.  Allegations and accusations have followed them all throughout their careers,  ranging from bullying to drug use to renting rooms in love hotels to the countless rumours of infighting that seem to crop up every two weeks.  But CHERRYADE just keeps on pushing,  not paying any mind to any article that drags their name through the mud for the nth time. 

They have yet to take the title of JAGUAR’s longest running group  (as that crown still belongs to the aforementioned duo JUST4U),  but fans are hopeful and non-fans are more..  Curious.  One journalist described them as a group that was a little like an incoming car crash—you don’t know how things are going to end up,  but you still don’t want to look away.

So,  whether you’re dancing along to their  (admittedly catchy)  discography,  or praying on their imminent disbandment,  CHERRYADE will be here to welcome you all the same.  Grab a gumdrop and make yourself comfortable,  because it’s almost certain that you’re going to be here for a while.

⁺⠀ෆ  ⠀›  ⠀ ᶻ .ᐟ  BACK2BASICS…

GROUP NAME⠀☆⠀CHERRYADE  ( 체리 에이드 )

LABEL⠀☆⠀JAGUAR

DEBUT DATE⠀☆⠀AUG 1,  2021

DEBUT RELEASE⠀☆⠀DOUBLE DIP  ( MINI-ALBUM )

CONCEPT⠀☆⠀COLOURFUL,  SUGARY GOODNESS!

GREETING⠀☆⠀CRACK,  FIZZLE,  POP!  WE’RE CHERRYADE!

FANDOM NAME⠀☆⠀SODA BOMBS

⁺⠀ෆ  ⠀›  ⠀ ᶻ .ᐟ  LINEUP…

KIL DOYEON⠀✶⠀‘98  LEADER MAIN DANCER

DUAN ‘JALEN’ JIEYANG⠀✶⠀‘97  MAIN VOCALIST DANCER

JEON HAEIL⠀✶⠀‘99  LEAD VOCALIST LEAD RAPPER

QIAO YIJUN⠀✶⠀‘01  MAIN RAPPER CENTRE

HWAN ‘GOGO’ MINHUI⠀✶⠀‘02  MAIN DANCER VOCALIST

AHN JAEHEE⠀✶⠀‘02  MAIN RAPPER VISUAL

LEE HASUN⠀✶⠀‘03  MAIN VOCALIST MAKNAE

⁺⠀ෆ  ⠀›  ⠀ ᶻ .ᐟ  DISCOGRAPHY…

AUGUST 2021⠀‘DOUBLE DIP’⠀MINI ALBUM

MARCH 2022⠀‘TASTE TEST’⠀FULL ALBUM

MAY 2023⠀‘SWEET (SOUR)’⠀MINI ALBUM

NOVEMBER 2023⠀‘CLUB SODA’⠀FULL ALBUM

APRIL 2024⠀‘LEMON ON ICE’⠀MINI ALBUM

[abiiors]

secret santa 🎄 // ross macdonald x reader (pt 1 of 2)

twelve days of christmas - day 1

a/n: back in my posting fic era?? this could either be so so good or so horrendous! i am undecided. ps: the band mentioned in this fic is made up cw: very slight angst but that's about it wc: 2k

need to pick secret santa names pls!!!!!!!!!!

that’s matty’s annual reminder text that pings through your phone; every 25th of november at 9 am like clockwork (almost like he schedules it). the exclamation points are generous, excessive even. but you smile and text him back. 

and almost like clockwork, everyone is at his house on the 1st. 

the hang out is like usual—everyone is loud and chaotic and happy. ross makes everyone drinks and he’s generous with the whiskey. matty swears he’s so cold, his fingers are going to fall off. george and charli shoo him away when he tries to cuddle with them and you ultimately take pity on him and share your blanket. 

you laugh till your stomach hurts and giggle at john dancing with polly and take a thousand selfies. and everyone cheers once the jar with everyone’s names is brought out. 

matty stands on the sofa with the blanket wrapped around him like a cape and announces the “commencing of the annual secret santa”. he’s dramatic, he always is, and everyone revels in it. 

you watch him shake the jar and then toss its contents on the coffee table. the folded pieces of paper fall down one by one like falling snowflakes and everyone scrambles for one; one of george’s rings scratches your hand and you accidentally end up stealing a paper from adam but no one cares amidst childlike excitement. everyone holds their chits close to their chest, throws long secretive glances at each other and the room fills with sounds of paper rustling as everyone opens them all at once. 

you don’t. you watch the look on everyone’s face. 

carly smiles wide (so she has adam) and adam frowns slightly (so he does not have carly). george groans but it has an undertone of fondness (matty), charli smirks (either ross or you, reading her is hard) and ross simply shrugs (probably george) before anyone can notice, you unfold the paper and stop the moment the first letter comes into view. 

r… 

one by one the other letters join in and you try and fail to contain your smile. ross! exactly who you wanted, exactly who you were hoping for! 

you spend two whole days tracking it down, the coveted last record of divine connection. you follow every rumour diligently, every single piece of information anyone gives you online until you come across someone who seems trustworthy. someone who knows what they’re talking about. 

it’s important that you get this—the last ever unreleased album from the band that shaped your and ross’ early friendship memories, provided the soundtrack to all those stolen joyrides, all the inside jokes and references that linger between you like a secret language.

it’s important for you to have this, for him to have this—a silent acknowledgement of all the feelings you’ll never confess out loud.

so you stay vigilant. you ask them how they managed to get a copy (they know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy who ran the recording studio where it was recorded) the anonymous seller even agrees to let you listen to the first two songs as a sample. the negotiation takes hours! in the end, you relent. it’s for ross, you don’t care what the price is, you only daydream about the look of utter fucking joy on his face. 

one week later, ross texts in the group chat. 

can we do the draw again? please! there’s someone i want to introduce you to.

jealousy is not in your blood, or so you thought until you see her on his lap, smiling the most radiant smile you’ve ever seen. 

olivia (or liv, which is what she insists everyone calls her) is fucking perfect. there’s no denying it. she’s been here exactly 37 minutes and she’s already won matty over who was previously grumpy about having to redo the draw. and now you sit on one end of the sofa, watching them all laugh at the jokes you laugh at and retell her anecdotes that are supposed to be inside jokes.

a sour taste settles on your tongue like you’ve just sucked on a particularly nasty lime wedge. 

olivia laughs sweetly. 

“thanks for being so nice to me,” she says to everyone, you included, “for including me in the secret santa. i told ross you didn’t have to!”

he waves the comment away like it’s nothing, pecks her cheek even, and the anger in you drains away into a tired sadness. 

liv is his type. not you, never you. you’re the best friend! he’s even said so multiple times. and when her smile lights up his entire face, you can’t help but feel like a bitter cunt. 

“no worries darling! the more the merrier.” you almost scowl at george at that but hide it with a cough at the last minute. 

your phone practically burns in your pocket—a message in particular, the one from the seller, telling you they’re ready to ship it as soon as you confirm payment. it’s unanswered because the fate of it currently hangs in the balance as the minutes tick by. 

for the second time that week, matty brings out the jar of names, and this time they scatter on the coffee table like hail, dumped all at once. you don’t scramble to pick a chit with childlike glee. you don’t bother deciphering the looks on people’s faces. all but two that is! it’s impossible to look away from him when he smiles so sweetly—eyes crinkling and dimples on display. fondness is painfully clear on his face and you know what that paper says. 

next to him, liv’s entire face brightens. 

do you want it or not? i’ve got other buyers lined up mate.

you can feel the sender’s annoyance through the screen. it’s justified though, you’ve practically ghosted them for three days. 

the real question is do you even want it anymore?

you adore matty, the new name on your paper but he has no connection to the band. that’s solely a thing between you and ross, not something you’d be willing to share with matty even tho he’s an occasional listener. logically you know he’d appreciate it solely as a collector. but the thought of anyone else having it apart from ross, even if that someone is matty, burns a hole in your chest. 

and so you text back. 

i still want it. 

and then you send them the money.

the record sits at the bottom of your drawer, taunting you every time you open it to take out a new pair of socks (quite often considering it’s december). and you try to cover it with the book you got for matty (a first edition classic that has faint pencil annotations rumoured to be from the author himself) but your heart quickens at the prospect of any damage to the vinyl—an item currently more valuable than every single thing in your house. 

so that’s how it sits, nestled carefully between thick wollen socks, collecting dust until you decide what to do with it. maybe it’ll make a good birthday present for him. and yet it feels oddly personal now that he has liv in his life. 

it’s a foreign feeling, you realise, strangely hollow and ache-y, to feel like you’re being too personal, too intimate with a man you consider your best friend (perhaps even more so than he’s aware of). 

it’s especially difficult when his invitation sits in your phone unanswered. 

come see the practice show for the uk leg with us.

you want to. so so badly! to watch him be excited and involved and happy with what he’s doing. you especially love the spark in his eyes when he has a new idea, a new trick up his sleeve. to sit there the whole time and watch him in his element might just be the best thing ever. 

so you weigh the pros and cons—it will be like the old times again! liv might be there… but she might not! and even if she is, you can live with it, you can do it. 

and so you text him back and promise to meet up with him in an hour. 

turns out liv is there. 

not only is she there, she’s also involved herself in the process—lending out small ideas here and there, praising someone when she loves a particular detail. you want to be mad at them all for betraying you like this; for becoming so enamoured with her so quickly, despite knowing how childish it sounds. 

it’s not their fault you buried your feelings in so deep that they never even had the chance to guess. 

still, polly’s gaze lingers on you every once in a while, particularly when ross and liv kiss (although you chalk it up to coincidence even when she makes an effort to involve you in the conversation)

“you put so much thought into it!” she compliments while flicking through the selection of dvds that will go into the house eventually. you want to tell her it’s your job, to look throught the films. how you and ross always make a movie night out of it but of course she catches you staring at the stack. 

“wait, ross told me the two of you always end up watching half the films from the stack instead of picking them out!” she giggles slightly and you jolt at the surprise of being addressed so directly out of nowhere. 

“yeah… yeah i guess. it just kind of happens!”

she hums in response. “a friend movie date, that adorable!”

this time ross smiles with her. yeah. a friend movie date. what a fucking oxymoron. and yet you paste a smile onto your face and nod like a malfunctioning robot. 

“it’s really fun, yeah!”

“you should join us next time, babe,” ross chimes in and a pit forms in your stomach. of course he’d want that, for his girlfriend to be there. but the silence that settles over the room is an odd one. and no one speaks of the movies after that. 

liv approaches you when you’re alone, sneaking a tiny cig by the window. 

she tries small talk and it fizzles out within minutes, then she tries empty compliments but it’s clear she’s here with a motive. she’s here to ask you something and so you decide to be direct. 

“can i help you with anything, liv?”

she smiles a sheepish little smile and wrings her hands together. “well… yeah, you guessed it. i’m uh… i need your help.”

that piques your curiosity. what could you possibly help her with? until she glances behind her and vaguely in ross’ direction where he’s busy chatting with jordan and then back at you. 

“don’t tell ross but…i’ve got him for secret santa and i really want to give him something special, you know? i really like him and i don’t just want to give him something super generic just because we’re still getting to know each other. and i thought you’d know since you guys are really close, so i thought…” she takes a deep breath and puffs out her cheeks. “i thought i’d ask you!”

the next time she smiles, it’s a brilliant little thing directed entirely at you and maybe for the first time you really see what ross might like about her. even when you want to laugh at the fucking irony. 

here’s his girlfirend, struggling to find the perfect gift and then here you are, letting the perfect gift collect dust in your sock drawer. 

you look behind her and at ross who quickly averts his gaze from the two of you and back to jordan. his shoulders tense for a split second, followed by an imperceptible shake of his head. this is it, you think. your chance to do something selfless for once. so you smile back at her and make sure it’s at least half genuine this time.  

“you know what, liv? i think i have exactly what you need…”

lemme know what you think <33

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add yourself to the taglist

[kleftiko]

i love your aizawa content its so refreshing all i ever see is him being over dominant and ik its just fanfic but still 😭

i share a birthday w him (i screamed when i found out two yrs ago) so i was wondering if you could write smthing were reader finds out that they share a birthday w him

love you a bunch ❤️❤️

(you literally inspire me to write more bnha content, i only rlly write haikyuu cuz the toxic bnha fandom ruined me lmfao)

❦ BIRTHDAY BUDDY

cw: none, this is fluff

birthday buddies !!!!! iida and i share the same birthday too lol that’s so fun:) and thank you for liking my work😭 aizawa is the definition of a true hero he CARES

yamada gave you the tour. apparently he did that for all new staff, just like when he emcee’s for the school. he’s got such a great vibe that it made you feel a lot less nervous for the first day on the job.

so you were thankful he was the one showing you around, you had heard rumours of the strict 1A teacher, aizawa, and was a bit worried that he wouldn’t make you feel very welcome here. but yamada assured you that it was alright.

“aizawa’s a great guy.” he said and read over your personal information sheet as you set up your desk. “he’s just a little mean and scary, but nothing to worry about!”

“doesn’t sound very helpful…” you mumbled under your breath.

the bell rang, signalling the next period, and you let the minute of students bustling in the halls and staff leaving the room to go teach fill the air.

“no way, november 8?” yamada said and you looked towards him. he opened his mouth to continue when his focus zoned in on something past your shoulder.

he lifted his arm and smiled widely.

“shota!” yamada called, despite the fact that you two were the only ones left in the room. a tall man with dark hair looked your way.

his tired eyes held no emotion, and the way he slouched with his hands in his pockets gave an intimidating presence that didn’t fade once he stopped in front of your desk and towered over you.

his eyes stayed on you but he said nothing. your mouth dried up, not used to his scrutinizing glare.

“y/n here’s the new general studies teacher.” yamada blabbed, ignoring the awkward air. “you’ll never guess her birthday—same as yours!”

you ignored the lump caught in your throat and turned to aizawa instead.

“n-november 8?” you ask but he didn’t give you an answer. “wow, i’ve never met a birthday buddy before! high five!”

then you froze. hand held up in the air towards a person you just met, and you realized how cringy that was. but you can’t seem to say anything, or even move your arm as you just stare at him in fear.

his bored eyes traced so torturously slow up your palm that you wanted to melt away. then his piecing glance zeroed in on you, holding eye contact that just made you want to apologize profusely for even speaking to him.

but then his hand tapped yours, the soft sound of the high five echoing slightly.

“birthday buddies.” his voice was deep, the vibration of it sending a warm shiver over your entire body and erupting a relieved grin on your lips.

you distantly hear yamada behind you breaking out into a harsh snicker, but you’re too focused staring at aizawa.

his hand dropped back into his pocket as he nodded his head.

“nice to meet you.”

[lady-bess]

A Lady Bess announcement!

Bess is back in their writing nook, and things are about to take a turn! There is a new series on the horizon!

Well, this one might be a little too niche, but oh well! I need my boys together in the same universe somehow.

"Lost in the West" - a Doctor Who x Kingsman crossover (11th Doctor/Jack Daniels/Reader) is in the works! (Rating TBC)

For those of you who are new to my blog, or haven't had the misfortune of me talking your ear off about it, I grew up with Doctor Who. I got into it with 9, adored 10, and I would go on to really enjoy 12. But 11? Dear readers, I fell in love, and I fell hard. Rumour has it I still haven't got back up, fourteen years later.

*whispers* the rumours are true

Writing for the Doctor Who franchise is actually how I got started with fic writing. When I was 13 I wrote a full Wattpad story on my iPod Touch Gen.2 (a blast from the past, am I right?), but it would be another six years before I started on A03. Before I was LadyBess, I was MrandMrsDoctor, and I uploaded a handful of stories back in 2018.

Some of them didn't live to see today - I used to write RPF for the cast, and while I think some RPF definitely has its place from an artistic standpoint, mine did not age well at all. It wasn't anything crass, not by a long shot. But those stories no longer reflect me as a writer.

But, the rest remain! And I'd like to dip my toe back into writing for Doctor Who/11 specifically - I revisited the franchise in November with my story "Run", and it was lovely to see it get some traction. Also good to know I don't just write for Kingsman 🤭

So, what will this story entail?

Well, we're still in the rough draft stage at the moment, so I can't give away too much. This post is just to get y'all excited! But let's just say that there'll be a trip to a small town in the American West, and we'll meet a very familiar looking cowboy...

But what will happen when your time is over, and you're supposed to leave?

I'll do posts about this as it develops more! As with Fallout, I'll personally want to have written a good amount of this before I start publishing. But updates and artwork will start arriving soon!

Like what you just read? Drop me a follow! And if you want to read something from either the Kingsman or Doctor Who franchise in the meantime, check out my Masterlist! All my Doctor Who fics still live over on A03 only, but they're in my Masterlist nonetheless.

With love, Lady Bess xox

[withhertea]

HELLO WITCHES!

it’s me! through the mailer! how fun!

so i recently found out how many cute people are signed up to this mailer and spoiler – it’s a lot! i had also been thinking about ways to speak to u all more openly and honestly, and i suddenly was like, what if the mailer could become more of a personal letter service, from my brain to yours? i have been an avid fan of the lorde mailer for many years now (the girls who get it get it); i can still quote and remember specific excerpts from the release of solar power, and it’s always been such a welcome treat in my inbox, so i figured maybe i could take a little inspiration and start doing the same with you guys.

however, i can’t say it was all rainbows and bunnies. touring is hard, and as i get older i feel like it gets tougher to be away from home, from my loved ones, from the life i’ve built for myself in london. i get huge health anxiety for my voice, as i’ve had serious difficulties with it on previous tours and so immediately i become hyper aware; waking up every morning trying and then failing to sing a high note before you’ve even brushed your teeth is not an experience i wish on my worst enemies. i know online it can look like we’re all having the time of our lives, and as much as that is true in many ways, i also feel like it’s important to share all sides of the coin you know? im SO lucky to do what i do, and i never forget that, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get pretty challenging. i needed a home cooked meal like i needed oxygen by the end!

i’ve also been working on MP3 – dun dun duhhhhh :O it’s definitely been a process throughout this year, working in little gaps between tours, slowly trying to piece together what it’s going to be. i think i have 6 songs right now that feel extremely right, and a dozen more that could feel extremely right with the right gift wrapping. making albums when you’re someone like me can be quite frankly exhausting – my bar is in the sky, my standards have never been higher, and whilst its amazing having such a big team behind me, sometimes it can feel like everytime you send a song across you’re waiting for your grade back. is it an A, or a B, or a C and a do better next time?? music should be made for arts sake, something i really am trying to remember, and i’ve had a great week in the studio this week with some long time favourites of mine, so im excited for what the rest of the months will bring :’) im writing from the heart, and i believe that is what matters most. i wrote a song called real thing this week that im pretty excited about, so here’s a little teaser for you :

‘love was a rumour, now it’s my morning coffee, and all of that heartbreak, oh it melted right off me’

it wouldn’t feel right to sign this off without talking about the election result in america. whilst i’m not an american, i spend a lot of time there and love a lot of people who live there. i was hugely disappointed and frankly terrified of the outcome, and i want to take this moment to say: to all of my BIPOC fans, all of my queer fans, trans fans, i am with you, i support you, i love you, and i will do whatever i can do over the next four years to be and create a safe space for you.

here are some quick recommendations to make your day a little better, and i will talk to you all again soon!

the new christian lee hutson album, paradise pop 10! (it’s all i listen to right now), water ballet and flamingos are my favourites

2. netil market in london fields, and then the everything seasoning pizza slices <333 slap so hard

3. BANANAGRAMS. a conan tour obsession that has infiltrated my whole consciousness. you must join the cult.

4. a book called greta & valdin – i read on the plane ride out to america, and it was such a fun, poignant, heartfelt read <3

love u all deeply <3 mais x

Maisie's newsletter (November 15 2024)

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Did Robespierre supported the September massacres?

In a speech to the Convention held on November 5 1792, Robespierre said the following regarding his part in the massacres that had taken place two months earlier:

Those who have said that I had the smallest part in [the September massacres], are either excessively credulous or excessively perverse; as for [Louvet] who, counting on the success of the defamation of which he had arranged the whole plan in advance, thought he could then claim with impunity that I directed them, I would content myself with abandoning him to remorse, if remorse did not suppose a soul. I will say, for those whom the imposture could have led astray, that before the massacres began, I had ceased to frequent the general council of the commune, since the electoral assembly of which I was a member had begun its sessions. I learned what was going on in the prisons only through general rumours and later, no doubt, than did most citizens; for I was either at home, or else in those places to which my public duties called me.

It can however he established that he’s wrong when claiming he ceased to frequent the Paris commune before the massacres began — he is proven to have been present and intervened in debates there already on the evening session of September 1, the day right before the start of them. He was also there on the morning session of September 3, and was then, together with Deltroit and Manuel, tasked with going to the Temple to ”ensure tranquility,” making you wonder if his claim to only have been informed of the massacres through ”general rumours” it too is a post construction. Finally, Robespierre was also present at the commune during the evening session of September 2, when the following is recorded to have happened:

MM. Billaud-Varenne and Robespierre, developing their civic feelings, paint the deep pain they feel over the current state of France. They denounce to the General Council a plot in favor of the Duke of Brunswick, whom a powerful party wants to bring to the throne of the French.

The ”powerful party” here is obviously the Girondins. Exactly which of them the denounciation was aimed at is hard to know, but the next day Brissot could nevertheless report the following:

Yesterday, Sunday, I, as well as parts of the deputies of the Gironde, and other equally virtuous men, was denounced at the Paris Commune. We were accused of wishing to hand over France to the Duke of Brunswick, of having received millions from them, and of having concerted ourselves to go to England to save ourselves. Citizens, I was denounced at ten o'clock in the evening, and at this time they were slaughtering in the prisons... This morning, around seven o'clock, three commissioners of the Commune came to my house... for three hours, they examined, with all possible care, all my papers.

Both Prudhomme and Pétion claimed Danton saved Roland from an arrest warrant issued against him during the massacres, which undoubtly sounds like it could be related to Billaud and Robespierre’s denounciation. On September 25, Vergniaud did in his turn accuse Robespierre ”of implicating him, Brissot, Guadet, Lasource etc. in the complot denounced at the commune on September 2.” Robespierre did however deny this to have been the case both then and on November 5:

They have dared, by an atrocious comparison, to insinuate that I had wished to compromise the safety of some deputies, by denouncing them to the commune during the executions of the conspirators. I have already responded to this infamy, recalling that I had ceased to go to the commune before these events, that it was no more given to me to foresee the sudden and extraordinary circumstances which brought them about. Must I tell you that several of my colleagues before me had already denounced the persecution plotted against the commune by the two or three people we are talking about, and this plan to slander the defenders of freedom and to divide the citizens at the moment when it was necessary to unite their efforts to stifle the conspiracies of the interior and to push back the foreign enemies? But what is this dreadful doctrine that denouncing a man and killing him are the same thing! In what republic do we live, if the magistrate who, in a municipal assembly, explains freely about the authors of a dangerous plot, is no longer regarded as anything but a provocateur to murder!

Historians on Robespierre’s side have suggested he might not have heard of the massacres yet (Ward, Maximilien Robespierre: a study in deterioration) or even that the denounciation was made before they had begun (McPhee, Robespierre: a revolutionary life). I’m however having a hard time believing the second theory could be true if Robespierre and Billaud made their statement late in the evening. The question of what exactly Robespierre was trying to do here has already been analyzed in this old post, so you can check that out for further discussion.

Looking over the interventions Robespierre is confirmed to have made before and during the massacres, it can be observed that there’s nothing suggesting he encouraged or supported them nor anything implying he condemned or tried to stop them. According to Pétion, Robespierre did however still contribute to things turning out the way they did through his own influencial attitude, and in his Discours de Jérôme Pétion sur l’accusation intentée contre Maximilien Robespierre, released two months after the massacres, he described the following encounter the two had had during it:

The surveillance Committee launched an arrest warrant against Minister Roland; it was the 4th (September), and the massacres were still going on. Danton was informed of it, he came to town hall, he was with Robespierre; […] I had an explanation with Robespierre, it was very lively. I tell him: “Robespierre, you are doing a lot of harm; your denunciations, your alarms, your hatreds, your suspicions, they agitate the people; explain yourself; do you have any facts? Do you have any proof? I fight with you; I only love the truth; I only want freedom.” [the two then launch into a long argument over Robespierre’s suspicions regarding Brissot that Danton at last has to break up].

In her memoirs, Charlotte Robespierre too talks of a meeting between her brother and Pétion regarding the massacres, but in her version it is instead is the former who accuses the latter of doing a lot of harm. Some have suggested this meeting is the same Pétion is describing above, though if that’s the case I wonder why he doesn’t mention Charlotte anywhere in his account (as well as why Robespierre would even bring his sister with him when going to discuss political matters in a city where a prison massacre is currently taking place…)

A few days after the events of 2 and 3 September, Pétion came to see my brother. Maximilien had disapproved of the prison massacres, and would have wanted each prisoner to be sent before judges elected by the people. Pétion and Robespierre conversed on these latest events. I was present at their interview, and I heard my brother reproach Pétion for not having interposed his authority to stop the deplorable excesses of the 2nd and 3rd. Pétion seemed piqued by this reproach, and replied dryly enough: All I can tell you is that no human power could have stopped them. He rose some moments later, left, and did not return. Any kind of relations ceased, from this day, between him and my brother. They did not see each other again until the Convention, where Pétion sat with the Girondins and my brother with the Mountain.

An article written in 1960 by Gabriel Pioro and Pierre Labracherie wanted to dismiss Charlotte’s story as they could see no reason for her to be in Paris in early September 1792, almost a whole month before her younger brother was elected to the National Convention and the two went to the capital for that reason. Though I suppose it’s not impossible for Charlotte to have gone to visit Maximilien beforehand, or that she’s simply very generous with what she describes as ”a few days.”

Charlotte’s description of her brother as horrified by the massacres nevertheless seems rather well confirmed by what Louis Blanc in his Histoire de la Révolution française (1869) reports Robespierre’s doctor Joseph Souberbielle to have told him decades after the fact:

When he had recovered from his emotion a little, Doctor Souberbielle told us, among other particulars which will find their place in this book, that Robespierre had never spoken to him of the September days but with horror, and that one day he exclaimed before him, apropos of Ronsin's barbarism: Blood! Always blood! Ah! They will end up drowning the Revolution in it, the unfortunates!

But regardless of what his private feelings might have been, the public Robespierre never once denounced the massacres, instead accepting them as regrettable but necessary. November 5 was the day he spoke the most about them, arguing that they had been the inevitable sequel to the Insurrection of August 10, and that to condemn one would therefore be to condemn the other. He also argued that, if it was self-evident that what had happened had been awful, the sympathy felt for the thousand something killed in the prisons was better given to the millions of people who had perished under the Ancien Régime:

To form a just idea of ​​these events, one must seek the truth, not in the writings or in the slanderous speeches which distorted them, but in the history of the last revolution. If you thought that the movement imprinted on people's minds by the insurrection of the month of August had entirely expired at the beginning of September, you were mistaken; and those who have sought to persuade you that there was no analogy between one and the other of these two epochs have pretended to know neither the facts nor the human heart. 

The day of August 10 had been marked by a great combat, of which many patriots, and many Swiss soldiers, had been the victims. The greatest conspirators were saved from the wrath of the victorious people, who had consented to place them in the hands of a new tribunal, but the people were determined to exact their punishment. However, after convicting three or four lesser culprits, the criminal tribunal lazed off. Montmorin had been absolved, Depoix and several conspirators of this importance had been fraudulently released. Great claims of this kind had transpired; and new proofs of the tribunal conspiracy grew every day; almost all the patriots who had been wounded at the Tuileries died in the arms of their Parisian brothers; bullets taken from the bodies of several Marseillois and several other Federals were placed in the office of the Commune; indignation was in all hearts. 

However, a new and much more important cause brought the fermentation to its height. A great number of citizens had thought that the day of the 10th had broken the threads of royal conspiracies, and regarded the war as ended, when suddenly the news spread through Paris that Longwi had been taken, that Verdun had been taken, and that at the head of an army of a hundred thousand men, Brunswick advances towards Paris. No stronghold separates us from the enemies. Our divided army, almost destroyed by the betrayals of Lafayette, lacked everything; it was necessary to think at the same time of finding arms, camp effects, provisions, and men. The executive council concealed neither its fears nor its embarrassment. The danger was great; it seemed greater still. 

Danton presents himself to the Legislative Assembly, vividly shows them the dangers and the resources, urges them to take some vigorous measures, and gives a great impulse to public opinion. He goes to city hall and invites the council-general to ring the tocsin. The council-general of the commune feels that the fatherland can be saved only by the prodigies which enthusiasm for liberty alone can give birth to, and that all of Paris must be set in motion to run to meet the Prussians. It rings the tocsin to tell all citizens to pick up arms; it obtains it for them through all its means of power; the alarm cannon thundered at the same time; in an instant, 40 000 men are armed, equipped, assembled, and marching towards Châlons... In the midst of this universal movement, the approach of foreign enemies awakens the feeling of indignation and revenge which smolders hearts against the traitors who had called them. Before abandoning their hearths, their wives and their children, the citizens, the conquerors of the Tuileries want the punishment of the conspirators that they have been promised so many times; one runs to the prisons... Could the magistrates arrest the people? For it was a popular movement, and not the partial sedition of a few scoundrels paid to assassinate their fellows, as has been ridiculously supposed. If it had not been so, how could the people not have prevented it? How could the National Guard, how could the Federals have made no movement to oppose it? The Federals themselves were there in large numbers. We know the vain requisitions of the Commander of the National Guard; we know the vain efforts of the commissioners of the Legislative Assembly, who were sent to prison. 

I heard some people tell me coldly that the municipality should proclaim martial law. Martial law, approaching enemies! The military law, after the day of the 10! Martial law, for the accomplices of the dethroned tyrant, against the people! What could the magistrates do against the determined will of an indignant people, who opposed to their speeches the memory of its victory, the development with which it was about to rush to meet the Prussians, and who blamed the laws themselves for the long impunity of the traitors who would destroy the bosom of their fatherland. Unable to induce them to rely on the tribunals for the care of their punishment, the municipal officers urged them to follow the necessary forms, the object of which was not to confuse the culprits whom they wished to punish with the detained citizens foreign to the August 10 conspiracy; and it is the municipal officers who exercised this ministry, the only service that circumstances allow of rendering to humanity, who have been presented to you as bloodthirsty brigands! The most ardent zeal for the execution of the laws can justify neither exaggeration nor calumny; I could cite here, against the declamations of M. Louvet, a non-suspicious testimony; it is that of the Minister of the Interior, who, while blaming popular executions in general, did not hesitate to speak of the spirit of prudence and justice which the people (that was his expression) had shown in this occasion. What did I say ? I could quote, in favor of the council-general of the commune, M. Louvet himself, who began one of his posters with these words: "Honor to the council-general of the commune, it rang the tocsin bell, it saved the fatherland.” This was at the time of the elections.

It is said that an innocent person perished; the number has been exaggerated; but one alone is doubtless one too many. Citizens, let us mourn this cruel mistake. We have mourned him for a long time; he was a good citizen, they say, so he was one of our friends. Let us mourn even the guilty victims, reserved for the revenge of the laws, who fell under the sword of popular justice; but let your pain have an end, like all human things. 

Let us save a few tears for more touching calamities. Weep for a hundred thousand patriots immolated by tyranny; mourn our fellow citizens expiring under their burning roofs, and the sons of citizens massacred in the cradle, or in the arms of their mothers. Have you not also brothers, children, wives to avenge? The family of French legislators is the fatherland; it is the entire human race, minus the tyrants and their accomplices. Weep then, weep for the humanity beaten down under their odious yoke; but console yourself if, imposing silence on all vile passions, you want to ensure the happiness of your country and that of the world; console yourself if you wish to recall exiled equality and justice to earth, and get rid, by just laws, of the source of the crimes and misfortunes of your fellows.

The sensibility that groans almost exclusively for the enemies of liberty is suspect to me. Stop waving before my eyes the bloody robe of the tyrant, or I will believe you want to put Rome back in chains. Seeing the pathetic depictions of the catastrophe of the Lamballes, of the Montmorins, of the consternation of bad citizens, and these furious declamations against men known in the completely opposite way, did you not think you were reading a manifesto of Brunswick or of Condé? Eternal slanderers, do you want to avenge despotism? Do you want to brand the cradle of the republic? Do you want to dishonor in the eyes of Europe the revolution which gave birth to it, and supply arms to all the enemies of liberty? Truly admirable love of humanity, which tends to cement the misery and servitude of peoples, and which hides the barbarous desire to bathe in the blood of patriots!

Finally, on January 20 and February 4 1793, Robespierre also opposed a suggestion to pursue ”the provocateurs, authors, accomplices and adherents of the murders and banditry of September 2 and 3 1792.”

[devouringyourson]

letterboxd had just posted the poster for rumours [2024] with cate blanchett on instagram and someone was asking in the comments 'should i think watch this or emilia perez tonight?' and having wasted my fucking time watching rumours at cannes i replied like 'absolutely emilia perez, i saw both at cannes' cos presuming this stranger is at a festival and it's a guessing game what to go for absolutely do not waste two hours of your time on rumours its such rubbish (whereas emilia perez is a fucking experience that's gunna blow up once it's on netflix in november) but low key forgot instagram is public and that's my actual name and face on my profile and that's the production company i wanna work for one day co-posting with letterboxd and why do i feel the need to give my opinion to strangers?? and deleted it sooooo quick. luckily commenter liked my comment instantly so he got the message lmaooo. but wow forgot all social media isn't tumblr then. people who have opinions online publicly are so brave omggg

[seandwalsh]

I would like you to give me some clarifications(if you can, of course) - I follow you on Reddit(and also the Mario verse project)*recently*; I noticed a post that was making fun of this project and I went to the comments section, and in one of the first comments to appear, these are the replies to it(yeah, I don't agree with his mindset about the series). I took some screenshots before they were disabled, and if you *could* clarify them for me(who is still a beginner in Mario Lore), I would be grateful.

I would be happy to clarify! I’m not trying to cause drama with this, but given there is a minor history here I should explain a couple of things. Just for context on the sort of source Slade Lucas is; They’re someone I’ve interacted with quite a few times and they generally tend to deny basic facts based on what they personally like or dislike. For example, they refused to acknowledge that the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass courses were ported from Mario Kart Tour. This also generally applies to their perspective on Mario lore. They write off any evidence they don’t like completely arbitrarily, constantly move the goalposts in any conversation and make up pseudo-arguments that don’t really mean anything when you try to inquire about them further (“Toad himself is a character that they try to use in so many ways that he alone breaks the idea of there being a consistent canon.”, anyone can see that this is ridiculous).

This is not an attack on their character, but similarly to when I used to respond to MatPat it’s important to understand why people make these types of flawed arguments. In any case, I’m going to debunk them piece by piece.

“But just because they bring something back and it is canon to one game, it doesn't mean it is canon to all games.”

Perhaps I’m missing some context but I’m not quite sure what they’re trying to say here. Obviously when a game references another game, those games are intended to share a canon - and every Mario game references other Mario games, prompting a web which connects essentially every Nintendo-published Mario game to each other. This is what Mario fans use as the basis for canon.

Not everyone is interested enough in or pays enough attention to the Mario games to see the patterns and lore they’re building, but to deny its existence outright entirely is incredibly silly.

Mario, of course, has been from the Mushroom Kingdom and grew up in what we now call New Donk City since at least the mid-90s with Donkey Kong (Game Boy) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. He had no officially disclosed backstory within the canon before that point and was certainly never stated to be from any real world country in the games themselves.

Captain Toad is obviously not Toad and never has been. Captain Toad first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy, while the main Toad first appeared in Super Mario Bros. (and was first singled-out in Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA)). There are several developer statements that prove this, as well as several descriptions.

That's right. We've made use of the technology cultivated through Super Mario Galaxy, and characters like Rosalina and Captain Toad, who came about through those games play a new role.

[Source: Yoshiaki Koizumi, Director of Super Mario Galaxy and Producer of Super Mario 3D World, Iwata Asks, November 2013]

Taking a cue from Mario Galaxy, there are games called "Captain Toad's Adventure," in which Captain Toad appears with his memorable little tune that goes "ta-dada-da-, ta-dada-da-".

[Source: Koichi Hayashida, Director of Super Mario 3D World, Iwata Asks, November 2013]

What is he Captain of, exactly…? Have you played Super Mario Galaxy™ on the Wii™ console? Well, during the events of that game the Toad Brigade was founded, with Captain Toad as its leader. Rumours that Captain Toad is the least reliable of the bunch are completely unfounded!

[Source: What They Say about Captain Toad, Page 5, Digital Manual of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, December 2014]

By the way, Captain Toad is actually not the same Toad as the Toad who's playable in games like Super Mario Bros. 2 and Wario's Woods.

[Source: Koichi Hayashida, Producer of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Miiverse, December 2014]

[Super Mario Galaxy is the] First appearance of Captain Toad!

[Source: Super Mario Galaxy Fabulous Firsts, Official American Super Mario 3D All-Stars website, September 2020]

iJustine

…I was wondering, is Captain Toad the same Toad from the original Super Mario Bros.? How many Toads are there?

Shigeru Miyamoto

[…] So Captain Toad, y’know, appeared in Super Mario Galaxy and there were other Toads in that game too, but I think maybe Captain Toad is just a normal Toad who just happens to be wearing those captain-type clothes. (laughs)

[Source: An exchange between Shigeru Miyamoto and iJustine, Director of Super Mario Bros. and YouTuber, respectively, YouTube, December 2014]

Illumination did whatever they wanted with the story of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Characters were merged or otherwise completely altered left and right, such as Donkey Kong the First and the modern Donkey being treated as one and the same despite having always been different characters in the games.

The main Toad has appeared in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario 64, Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario Run. He’s also mentioned in the manual of Super Mario Bros. 3, with several other potential appearances in main series games. That’s a better track record in the main series than a lot of characters, and with his appearances in spin-offs such as sports games, Mario Party games and RPGs Toad is a prolific and well-defined character. He’s a brave hero through and through, he’s selfless and he’s a long-time friend of Mario. While his spots are sometimes blue, they’re usually red and he consistently wears a blue vest.

Captain Toad is almost the complete opposite in terms of characterisation. He’s cowardly, he’s motivated primarily by his own greed and he barely knew Mario (if at all) before Super Mario Galaxy. He always wore red, separating his design from the main Toad’s.

Space Junk Galaxy does have an atmosphere, as does every Galaxy in the Super Mario Galaxy games as well as the moon in Super Mario Odyssey and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. As Slade Lucas point out, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyssey, have breath meters, clearly demonstrating that Mario needs air and therefore has air in the areas he visits throughout those games. The atmosphere might be a little thinner in certain areas, but it’s definitely present. Mario cannot breathe in the void of space as shown in Super Paper Mario and even with things like the REXA Toads in Mario Kart 8. This is just wasn’t thought through on Lucas’ part.

Whether or not Mario has an air meter in any given game is simply a matter of gameplay and says nothing about whether Mario can or needs to breathe in-universe. We know Mario needs oxygen and holds his breath while underwater thanks to dialogue and animations. In older titles, it was not possible to implement an air meter for underwater levels. This has been carried over into many newer linear titles to allow for more simple level design. In-universe, however, Mario can never breathe underwater. In fact in Super Mario 3D World we can clearly see Mario and the others holding their breaths when underwater despite the lack of an air meter. A game deciding to not have an air meter for the sake of fun and accessible gameplay says nothing about in-universe lore or canon. Nobody in their right mind would consider that a lore inconsistency, especially not a game developer.

Koopa Troopas walk on all fours and can learn to walk on two legs, as is stated in Mario Superstar Baseball (translated from Japanese):

[Koopa Troopa is] A member of the Koopa clan, familiar to the Mario series. He can protect himself by putting his hands and feet inside his shell. Long ago, he couldn't even stand up wearing shoes, but after hard work, he's gone as far as being able to play baseball. He can do anything with skill, but since he's a turtle, he's slow on his feet.

We’ve seen Koopas who walk on all fours stand up in Mario Bros. and Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. artwork. It appears shoes help Koopas stand upright, which explains why whenever we see them waking on all fours they aren’t wearing them. Clearly this isn't an inconsistency but rather a feature of the worldbuilding.

The Koopalings were retconned. Many people do not like this change, but that’s not an inconsistency. It’s not something they’ve gone back and forth on, it was a change they made a couple of decades ago to allow them to exist while considering newer lore. Explicit retcons like this are made for the sake of consistency and only prove that they’re considering an overarching narrative that needs consistent worldbuilding throughout these games.

In short, Slade Lucas bases their “inconsistencies” on personal bias, a lack of knowledge, gameplay mechanics and things literally done to make things consistent. Their arguments do not hold up whatsoever. Thank you for bringing your concerns to me, and I hope you found this response helpful!