#except the Parisian accent

[bad-entertainment]

I love french I hate french I may have a complicated relationship with french

[gemsofgreece]

10 best animated movies to watch in Greek

One of the best ways to practice a language is by watching a movie. Even more so, watching an animated movie dubbed in your target language can be really fun and useful, as these movies tend to include jokes (even inside jokes specific to the language) and songs. So, without further ado, here is my personal list of 10 best animated movies to watch in Greek.

10. Shrek 2

The reason I am recommending Shrek 2 instead of Shrek is just because I have the - maybe not standard, but certainly not unpopular - opinion that Sherk 2 is overall a funnier movie than Shrek. The Greek dub maintains successfully all the witty and somewhat adult-oriented humour. The voice casting done for characters like Donkey, Puss in Boots and Gingy is memorable and accurate.

9. Lion King

The voice casting is really good. Adult Simba has a sympathetic voice, Mufasa has a superb kingly radio voice, the hyenas are hysterical, Zazu is funny too, Nala's voice is warm and womanly. I also love Scar's voice. Scar has a sinister voice but it's a weaker, not as “thick” a voice as Mufasa’s, just like Scar relied on the evilness of his mind and not his muscles. Timon and Pumba's dub is iconic. Greek Can you feel the love and Be Prepared are fantastic versions of the songs. And Greek Mufasa just steals every scene vocally, especially those when he appears in Simba's memory.

8. Monsters INC

Another amazing voice casting for all characters but we all (Greeks) know that this is one man's show. Christos Hatzipanayotis just KILLS it as Mike Wazowski. I believe Greek Wazowski is much funnier than the original. Also let's remember "Fovízume yatí sas frondízume" lol the Greek "We scare because we care (for you)"

7. Finding Nemo

This dub did something special with the casting. It casted as Marlin and Dory two actors that had already worked together in a super famous comedy series as a couple. As a result, their chemistry is off the roof and Dimitra Papadopoulou's voice is incredibly accurate for Dory's character. Dory's whale language is hysterical and I also love the incredibly relaxed voice actor they found for that turtle reincarnation of Bob Marley. All other casting is good too, except I want to slap the extremely nasal Nemo.

6. Sleeping Beauty

Although I love this movie dearly and I really like its Greek version, I actually place it that high because I have found it to be really popular with foreign people. Some say they like Aurora's song better in Greek, which I find interesting as I really love the original. It is surely a masterful work though. It is an old movie and the Greek actors speak more elegantly, more sophisticatedly like people tended to, back then. The voices suit properly an aethereal princess and her dreamy prince, the fairies have these warm, elderly, ladylike voices and Maleficent also is imposing and very cold.

5. Aristocats

This is a perfect example where it is clear that both the voice casting directors and the actors worked their asses off. Every actor chosen is simply ideal for their character, including the kittens, Edgar the evil servant, the diva, the super SUPER old lawyer, the tomcats, Lady is so prim and proper, Uncle Waldo and the goose nieces with their Britsh accent Greek lol BUT. I have no idea how it dawned on them to make the dog couple have a comedic Heptanesian island accent but whoever that was, they were a bloody genius. Not only it's impeccably performed, it's twice as hilarious when you see them in an old Parisian environment speaking some really strong Heptanesian out of nowhere. The dogs in the original do not have any particularly heavy accent to my understanding, so if you watch the original after you have watched the Greek, you won't even understand they are supposed to be funny. I love that the Greek directors took the uneventful speech of the dogs and were like "Clearly, we 're gonna make them speak extreme Heptanesian" XD

4. Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron

Spirit has mostly narration and songs, it has very few dialogues. Its songs are amazing though and they really make a difference in the movie. In the Greek dub, both the narrating and singing role was given to singer - actor Yannis Savvidakis who is very talented. Not only he performed those songs wonderfully but I liked how well it maintained the feel of rock ballads coming from America, despite being sung in a language from a place that has nothing to do with any of this.

3. The Emperor's New Groove

Okay, we reached the Golden Triad. The Emperor's New Groove is, simply put, the best Disney comedy to date. If we consider that the Greek version is funnier than the original, as I strongly believe, you get a comedy for the ages. The voice casting is PERFECT. Every voice chosen is like it was created for the character, the characters get life and personality through the vocal performances. Kuzco sounds blasé, egocentric, sarcastic and you want to slap him silly, Kronk sounds like a soft dumbass himbo which is what he is, Pacha is your everyday good-hearted peasant, Yzma is killing it as the old ambitious narcissist. The humour is awesome and tranferred ideally into Greek comedy. It just works on every level. I can't explain it more, it's just perfect. While this movie is unfairly obscure and underrated on a global level, in Greece it was a hit and people still remember quotes by heart, exactly beause the dub was so god-tier level.

2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Okay. The dub of dubs. The Dub of Notre Dame. Seriously, this is a masterpiece on every aspect. Again, this is better than the original. Esmeralda has a sensual, really beautiful speaking voice and an outstanding singing one (Alcestis Protopsalti y'all), Frollo has an ideal casting in that he sounds like a bad person but in a totally realistic way (as he is also a very realistic villain) and he sounds so very sophisticated, very elegant. Sinister and elegant, which makes total sense as in the Disney version he is the supreme justice minister of Paris. Quasimodo is voiced by Sakis Rouvas (a sexy singer with a soft voice), who a few found like a somewhat odd pairing but it works perfectly since Disney's Quasimodo is soft, sensitive and considerably sophisticated as well. Clopin's singing is done by tenor Konstantinos Paliatsaras. The songs in the Greek version are in my opinion better performed than in English. Hellfire is quite possibly the most loved villain song in Greece. A small example to understand the level of perfection; the intro song "Bells of Notre Dame" has an extremely difficult ending note that only a few versions globally managed to hit. Even the original singer struggles with the note, he hits it but a little weakly, he is very supported and almost covered by backing vocals. In other versions, even this is not possible at all and singers just skip the note. The Greek version by Paliatsaras is one of the very few where the note is hit correctly, he essentially rips it apart, but I think it is also the only version (unless something escapes me) where the lyrics were different in a way that it made a difference to the singing. All versions I have heard are a variation of the original "bells, bells, bells, bells" which prepares the crescendo / raise of the pitch and then, "of notre DAAAAAME". Greek is the only version I have listened to where a full sentence is delivered effortlessly, without a repetition of "bells". "Ke ihún pandú kambánes stin karthyá tis panaYAAAAAS". It's a full sentence instead of a convenient one-syllable word over and over. Of course, it had to be done because the word for bells in Greek (kambánes) wouldn't work but it still was a harder thing to deliver than the repetition and it was accomplished even better. Okay, in short, Oscar worthy dub. Perfect in every way. I am in love with it, you can tell. The only reason it is not first is because the first spot had to be saved for the obvious one.

1. Hercules

The obvious first spot. Of course, it doesn't take it without deserving it. Greeks really made sure to give this one even more attention to detail. So, it doesn't only feel like it's natural, it also IS the most natural one, as contemporary languages go. All voice casting is once more ideal. Hercules, or Heracles as he is of course in Greek, has a sensitive, warm, sympathetic voice. They did a great thing with Megara when they gave the role to Evridiki who has a more mature, seasoned voice which fits Megara's character and not like a girly, princessy, out-of-place voice. Famous comedian Lakis Lazopoulos steals the show in all his scenes and they are MANY, since he plays Philoktetes and Pain AND Panic, all three of them! But he can't steal the scenes where Hades is in, as Konstantinos Tzoumas is in reality the big star of the movie. First and foremost, you watch this movie for Hades. One more fantastic detail in my opinion is what they did with the Muses. So you know, the original movie Muses are singing a liberal style of American gospel. Instead of ditching it as unfitting and entirely inaccurate, the Greek directors played along with it. Most notably, one of the Muses is voiced by Julie Massino, a vocal coach and singer born and raised in the US (I don't know if she has Greek descent) who lives and works in Greece, so she has a natural and strong American accent in her Greek! I just found this so cool. It is a really cool dub. They knew the stakes were very high and they delivered down to the very last detail.

*We really had to title this: Heracles - Beyond the Myth...!

[ladamedusoif]

An Inspecteur Calls

A Visiting Pedrotober One-Shot - Day 20, Merge Mansion

Pairing: Professor!Ben (College AU) x OFC Lydia/fem!Reader (reader POV/2nd POV)

Summary: Lyd is stressed and frustrated, and hit with a bad dose of Parisian nostalgia. Thankfully, Ben knows of a detective - sorry, inspecteur - Roquefort, who is free to investigate the cause of her woes, shoulder holsters included.

Word Count: 2.3k

Rating: Explicit (MDNI; 18+)

Content (series/one-shot specific): Visiting fic one-shot; Professor Ben College AU; Ben and Lydia are contemporaries; canon is not a thing here; smut; fingering; oral sex (f receiving); safe PiV sex; enthusiastic consent; strong language; praise kink; references to stress; bad French; terrible French accents; role playing; these two are fucking dorks; extreme silliness

A/N: This is @jack-whiskey-daniels' fault. I wrote up this smutty little vignette, heavily inspired by the photo of Tim Rockford above, last night. Today, Luce informs me that it's Merge Mansion day for Pedrotober and I should post this. Well, who am I to say no?

With apologies for Ben's deliberately terrible attempts at role-playing a cliched French detective (inspecteur is the more common title). No apologies for me using Lydia to work through my love of Tim "Shoulder Holsters Tight Shirt Undervest" Rockford.

(And, seeing as it's his birthday and these two are film nerds, I had to throw in a reference to a film by the French director Jean-Pierre Melville, creator of several exceptional French crime dramas in the 1960s and 1970s. Le Cercle rouge is one of his finest, but they're all brilliant and highly recommended.)

Read the main story on the series Masterlist.

Usual Visiting taglist: @jack-whiskey-daniels , @julesonrecord , @tessa-quayle , @vermillionwinter , @iamskyereads , @tieronecrush , @perennialdoll247 , @love-the-abyss , @imaswellkid , @intheorangebedroom , @javierisms , @fuckyeahdindjarin , @littlemisspascal , @khindahra , @pedrostories , @readingiskeepingmegoing , @rhoorl , @red-red-rogue , @princessanglophile, @katareyoudrilling @survivingandenduring, @trulybetty @fictionismyreality @sunnywithachanceofjavi, @joeldjarin , @lahoozaherr, @s-u-t, @its-nebuleuse, @lizzie-cakes

His warm, broad hand rests lightly on your shoulder as he passes you at the dining table. You turn to look up at him, handsome face full of concern.

“You’re not yourself. What’s up?”

You sigh and stare into your coffee. “It’s dumb.”

He pulls out a chair and sits down, quirking an eyebrow. “If it’s bothering you, I doubt it’s dumb. What’s wrong, love?”

“It’s this stupid essay I’m trying to get finished. I’m missing some of the stuff that would be really useful for it, and I should have gone to see it last time I was in Paris, and I’m frustrated with myself.”

“That’s not dumb, darling. Even if you are being too hard on yourself, as usual.”

You slump forward on the table, mumbling against the wooden surface. “And then I thought about how easy it used to be to just…pop over to Paris, whenever I could, and then I started thinking about it and how much I love it.”

He pats your arm affectionately. “Still not dumb.”

“And then we watched Le Cercle rouge last night and even all those dodgy cops and inspecteurs in their trenchcoats and hats and crime were making me miss Paris. See? Dumb.”

Ben shakes his head and smiles softly. “Not dumb at all. It’s a part of you, of who you are.” He traces a circle on the back of your hand. “And anyway, didn’t you once tell me you had a thing for dodgy cops with moustaches?” He looks at you mischievously and you grin.

“You, Benjamin, are a very tolerant man.” You reach out and trace your fingers over the coarse hair on one side of his face, and he closes his eyes and hums happily.

“I love you, Lyddie. It’ll be okay.” He pushes himself away from the table and heads towards the hallway. “I gotta go for my early seminar, but keep Hemingway in mind.”

You laugh and roll your eyes affectionately. “Of course, the answer is in literature.” He pauses at the door, waiting for you to acknowledge the quotation. “‘Wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.’”

He does that half-smile that never fails to make you melt, blows you a kiss, and heads off to work.

You meet him later for lunch, having worked at home for most of the morning. In between bites of his sandwich, he excitedly talks about the graduate seminar he’d taught, and you discuss your plans for your workshop on gender and visual culture that afternoon while Ben listens attentively.

“You feeling any better?” he asks, as you brush a stray couple of crumbs from his moustache. 

“A bit. I’m sorry, I just spiralled. Probably mostly stress and frustration at my own shitty work ethic and crap ideas.”

He kisses the tips of your fingers swiftly and discreetly, and you giggle. “You have to be kinder to yourself. You’re working too hard, thinking about it too much.”

You clear your table and bring your trays to the designated area, hands brushing lightly against each other as you stroll out of the cafeteria and back towards your building and your offices. You smile to yourself at how, even now, the slightest touch from him sends a current of electricity sparking through your body.

Ben opens his office door and pulls you in for a quick kiss before you have to go and teach. He pulls away reluctantly as you whine softly. 

“Please be kinder to yourself, Lyd.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively as you move into the hallway. “I’m happy to help distract you, you know.”

“I’m home, love!” 

You drop your bag beside the hall table and hang your coat up on the rack before kicking off your shoes and stretching upwards as you walk towards the kitchen, where you expect to find him. On days when you have a later teaching schedule, Ben likes to get home earlier, finish his work in his attic study, and then get dinner started for both of you.

Something delicious is cooking away in the CrockPot, but there’s no sign of your boyfriend. You pass into the dining room, noticing the light from the living room coming through the glass-panelled doors. 

Ben is sitting on the sofa, wearing his glasses - nothing out of the ordinary there. But he’s also clad in the trenchcoat he wore for his Dave Toschi costume on Halloween, which is decidedly weird. 

“Uh, baby? You okay?”

He turns to face you, arching an eyebrow and running his eyes up and down your body as if he’s appraising you. 

“Ben?”

“Bonsoir, mademoiselle.”

You scrunch your face up in absolute confusion, and wonder if you should call Jen. Maybe some kind of accident happened at work? Did he take a knock to the head?

“Ben, I’m…what the fuck is happening?”

He holds a hand up to one side of his face and does a sort of stage whisper. “Go with it, Lyd! Just an attempt at cheering you up. You want to stop, just say the word.”

You burst out laughing and shake your head. “No, I’m… I’ll see where this leads, monsieur.”

He grins in satisfaction and stands up. “Je suis Inspecteur Timothée Roquefort, and…uh, I mean, et je suis un…Parisian police homme.”

“Baby, I know your French is better than this.”

Ben holds up a hand and continues speaking in what can only be described as one of the worst comedy French accents you have ever heard. “Mademoiselle! Do not interrupt moi.”

You bite your lip, body shaking with laughter. “D’accord, monsieur.”

“I received une message at the commissariat de police that une jolie femme was…” He looks away as he thinks. “Triste parce que she is not in Pareeeeee.”

“D’accord, mais je ne sais pas pourquoi les flics doivent intervenir dans une question personnelle, en fait, et alors -” [Okay, but I don’t know why cops have to intervene in a personal matter, really, and anyway -]

Ben looks panicked, and starts to rub at one side of his moustache with his pointer finger.

“Uh… HON HON HON. OMELETTE DU FROMAGE.”

That does it. You collapse against him in a fit of laughter, eyes creased and tears rolling down your cheeks. He holds you close against him as you look up at his open, handsome face. 

“You are a very goofy man, Benjamin Morales, and I love you for it. Though I don’t really understand how I want to fuck you this badly even with that accent.”

He grins. “You want to fuck moi because je suis a sexy Parisian police homme, non?” 

He plants a kiss to your forehead as he hugs you tightly. “L’Inspecteur did have une question de plus, Lyddie.”

“Eh bien?”

You can see him struggling not to laugh as he makes a cheesy, cliched “sexy” face at you. 

“La question, s’il vous plait.”

“Well, mademoiselle…” Ben shrugs off the trenchcoat to reveal the shoulder holsters he’d worn at Halloween. The ones that had helped show you just how beautifully broad he was. The ones you’d held onto as the two of you sat as close as it was possible for two friends to sit, both taking any opportunity to make contact with the other’s body. 

The ones you’d asked him, a while back, if he’d kept. “Just because,” you’d explained. “They were kinda hot.”

You reach out and trace your fingers over the leather of the straps, biting your lip and feeling the flame of your desire building steadily into an inferno.

“La question, monsieur l’Inspecteur.”

He arches his brow and gives you his most seductive smile. “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”

You make it to the bedroom in record time, laughing as you race up the stairs and sit down on the bed as he stands in front of you. 

“Where do you want me for the, uh, investigation, monsieur l’Inspecteur?”

Ben grins delightedly and leans forward, encouraging you to lie back on the mattress as he shifts his broad form over you, arms caging your body as you run your hands over his warm, solid chest and that tummy that makes you absolutely feral. His white shirt is perfectly snug, sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms, and your hips are already shifting upwards to meet his crotch, desperate for him.

You grip the shoulder holsters as Ben chuckles, bringing his head lower and whispering in your ear. “Je think that les clues are hidden dans your body.”

You both burst out laughing, but your eyes stay trained on each other, never breaking the intense intimacy and erotic power of the shared gaze. 

“You should probably do some searching, then, Inspecteur.”

Ben kisses you deeply as he moves you towards the middle of the bed and loosens his tie before unbuttoning your blouse, bringing his mouth to every new area of skin exposed. “Might be here?” he murmurs, lips brushing off the velvety flesh of your breasts before sucking on your nipples through the pink lace of your bra. 

Your back arches as you gasp. “No, don’t think so…sir.”

You feel his cock twitch in his pants at that and you smile wickedly. “Liked that, did we? Sir?”

Ben hides his face against your tummy and laughs. “Maybe.” His broad hands roam up to your shoulders as he helps you out of your blouse, before tracing the outline of your waist and the curves of your hips and ass as he unbuttons your dark green pants and slips his fingers into your panties. 

“Fuck, Ben, fuck, that’s -”

“Maybe the clues are here? What do you think, mademoiselle?”

He shifts his body down the bed and looks up at you lasciviously, eyes burning black with lust as he pulls your pants down and discards them. He eases your legs apart and you react with a gasp and a giggle as he works his way up your thighs. 

“Looking for treasure, sir?”

He laughs, low and warm, and brings his face to your core. “Found it, mademoiselle.” The heat of his mouth hits your pussy through the fabric of your panties, and you moan loudly. He hums happily as he kisses your soaking cunt, pulling the fabric aside to grant him more access before he drags them off you completely and buries his mouth between your legs. His tongue moves between your folds, flicking your clit every now and again before diving into the warm wetness of your entrance while the strong line of his nose keeps the pressure on the sensitive nub. 

The first orgasm hits you hard, and your hips bear down on Ben’s face as he groans with pleasure. He slips two fingers inside you to sustain the climax a little longer, and with the other hand unbuckles his belt and undoes his zipper, slipping off his pants and boxer briefs while he continues to massage the spot inside you that he knows, having had you so many times, will deepen the orgasm and build to an even stronger one next time.

“Need you, baby,” you whine, eyes drifting to his hard cock, tip glistening with pre-come. “Need you so badly.”

You reach up as he shifts his weight over you, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his white undervest, clinging perfectly to his gorgeous, solid form. He makes as if to take off the holsters. 

“Don’t you fucking dare take those off. They’re staying on, sir.”

He raises his eyebrows and laughs. “Oh, mademoiselle likes them, does she?”

You giggle, feeling his warm breath against your lips, and slip your fingers under the straps around his shoulders. “She really likes them, monsieur. Liked them from the first time she saw them on you.”

He kisses you hard, one hand groping your tits while the other gives his cock a few strokes as he shifts into position. “Sometimes I wish you’d told me back then, that night,” he murmurs, sucking lightly on your neck and making you cry out.

“Think we made up for lost time, though,” you gasp, tilting your head to look at his hard length notching at the wet folds of your cunt. “Please fuck me, baby.”

He slides into you in a fluid motion, moaning long and slow as he bottoms out and the tightness of your pussy takes hold around his cock. He drags back out of you slowly, luxuriantly, savouring every bump and ridge inside you and trying to restrain himself from driving back into you too quickly.

“Jesus, baby, your pussy is fucking incredible. So warm and tight for me.”

He starts to fuck you, picking up pace quickly as you keep hold of the shoulder holsters.

“Tell me, darling.”

He closes his eyes, face a perfect expression of ecstasy. “It’s just fucking perfect. Like you’re made for me, made for my cock. Made for each other.”

You tilt your pelvis slightly so that he’s grinding a little more on your clit as he moves in and out of you, and before long the friction has you coming again. Ben groans at the sensation as your pussy clenches around him and you ride out your orgasm on his cock. 

“Fuck, Lyd, I - oh, fuck.” He seems surprised at how quickly his own release comes, spilling into you while he buries his face against your neck, muttering a litany of curses and praise. 

“Oh fuck fuck fuck baby, that’s fucking it, that’s - my good fucking girl, fuck.”

When he lifts his head again, his face and upper body are drenched in sweat, dripping onto your neck and chest. He kisses you slowly, deeply, before he pulls out. You whine with pleasure at the taste of yourself, of your cunt, on his lips.

He flops back onto the bed, turning to kiss you again and stroke your cheek as he whispers his love for you, over and over.

You return the gesture, nuzzling against him, sated and feeling completely loved, completely adored, completely safe. 

The sight of the shoulder holster makes you giggle affectionately. This beautiful, goofy, sexy man, who would come up with something so silly and so sweet and so insanely hot, just to make you feel better.

“Can the inspecteur come by another time, baby? I think there might be more cases to solve.”

(tape warning by @cafekitsune; star dividers by @saradika)

[cyanide-latte]

On the topic of more TWST OC headcanons and thoughts, a personal favorite I keep coming back to is one about French accents that I discussed with @tixdixl . (I know it's "not technically French" because this is TWST but for the sake of argument, the language is French so I'm fucking calling it French, flex your rubber band labeled Suspension Of Disbelief a little.)

The idea was that my boy Toussaint "Tea" Anatole is in discussion with their OCs Rémi and Eve, because iirc they're all from Fleur City and speak a more Parisian dialect of French.

Rook overhears this because of course he does, he's Rook, and since he's the dorm brother of my boy Copper and giving him some additional tutoring during lunch hour to help him brush up, Rook decides he's pulling Copper along with him and they're going to just join in on their conversation. They all speak French of course!

Except there's a very slight learning curve. Even their Fleur City dialects differ in minute ways between Tea, and Rémi and Eve, as they're from different parts of the city. That dialect is also different from Rook's French since he's from Sunset Savanna (I headcanon it's probably like West-African dialects of French) and it's also different from Copper's Cajun French. So it probably takes them all a second to adjust a little here and there. They do get there pretty quick though!

Taglist: @blithesharem @ramshacklerumble @inmateofthemind @tixdixl @elenauaurs

@rainesol @distant-velleity @thehollowwriter @theleechyskrunkly @twst-migraine (dm me if you want to be added or removed from the taglist for my TWST OC stuff!)

[theyrealllesbians]

Wedding Season- Chapter 3

Regulus walked along the streets of Paris, stuck in his own head replaying the conversation he and Sirius had a couple nights ago. It would be virtually impossible for him to find a date in these next two weeks, let alone someone who would be willing to go to a wedding with basically a stranger. He was doomed. He'd just have to come to terms with the fact that he would have to deal with the pitiful looks and all the prying questions. His mind briefly flickered towards the thought of going with James as his date, but he just as quickly shook the idea out. The only reason it was even in his head is because Sirius had stupidly put it there, no other reason. Besides, that would just be awkward, and would likely cause way more trouble than it was worth. I mean, him 'dating' his brother's best friend would no way go down quietly and discreetly. Ironically, it would probably mean answering way more questions than going alone would. Just another showcase of his brother's genius.

Stopping in front of a small café, Regulus forced the thoughts of dates and weddings into the back of his mind as he took in a calming breath. This was the reason he was in Paris, to meet an artist one of his clients had asked him to scout. He didn't usually meet artists that he didn't know, much less fly to a different country in order to meet with them. However, this was an exception. The client who had asked him was incredibly loyal, and incredibly rich. Regulus really wasn't in much of a position to say no to them. Especially not after he actually took the time to research the artist, finding out fairly quickly that they were incredibly talented. They did a lot of monochrome work, which was clearly what had drawn his client to them in the first place. Regulus himself wasn't too fond of the abstract movement, he found that it lacked personality and the emotion he searched for in paintings. But there was something different about this collection, it contained a warmth that was previously unrecognisable to Regulus in the shades of steely grey used. It also caused Regulus's throat to tighten and his heart to burn slightly in his chest. He'd probably end up taking more than the painting his client had asked for home, which he was more than okay with.

The only problem was that Regulus could not find the artist's name or photo anywhere. And he had searched high and low for it. Meaning that as he walked through the door of the café, he honestly had no idea who he was even looking for, or what name to ask for. As he pushed open the door, he really hoped that they'd be wearing a beret, or wearing paint splattered clothes or another painstakingly obvious indicator of an artist. Regulus scanned his eyes around the room and spotted an A3 sized portfolio. Yeah that'd do. He slowly walked over, letting himself take in the sight of the quite frankly, beautiful man sat in the back corner of the room.

He was sat cross legged, facing the door while somehow still looking relaxed. He was wearing a black crew neck and black jeans, a bit of a Parisian stereotype, but ah well. His hair was chestnut brown, cut very short, but was clearly curly if the slight waves draped over his forehead were anything to go by. The guy was surprisingly tanned and more toned than Regulus had expected. Most of the artist's he had met in the past were rather pale, it was to be expected given their line of work. But apparently that wasn't the case for every artist. Regulus looked down to meet his eyes, half expecting to see a handlebar mustache balancing on his lips, but alas this guy was not a total walking stereotype. Regulus smiled softly at the guy, reaching his table. He stook out his hand and introduced himself.

"Regulus Black, I believe you're the artist I'm meant to be meeting?" He really hoped that this was the right person, otherwise he may just have to crawl into a hole and die.

"Yes, that would be me." The guy laughed slightly, a velvety french accent coming out alongside it. "My name is Hugo."

"Ah nice to meet you." Regulus pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

"Yes. I was shocked that an English gallery owner wanted to meet with me. I haven't worked with anyone outside of France." The guy seemed to be surprisingly humble for an artist. Usually their enormous egos got in the way of any deal Regulus was attempting to make, reducing Regulus to an angry and frustrated mess. He didn't think that he'd be having the same trouble here though.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. It was actually a client of mine who reached out and asked if I could get in contact with you."

"Ah, well I'm glad that they did. The painting you asked about is actually one of my favourites, so I'm a little sad at the prospect of it going to someone else, but from what I've seen, I'm glad it's going to you." The guy, Hugo, smirked at Regulus. His cheeks felt a little warm all of a sudden.

"It'll only be mine for a week or so, then it'll go to the client who asked for it. But I won't lie, I am very interested in some of your other paintings and would be open to discussing a larger deal in which you'd get a permanent place in my gallery." Regulus schooled his expression into that classic business one he'd worked so hard to perfect. He pulled his elbows up to the table and rested his chin on his fist. "I think you are incredibly talented and I want that talent in my gallery. I know many other clients who have been after something new and exciting, and I think that you could be it for a lot of them."

Clearly Hugo was also well versed in the hustle and bustle side of art. Instead of becoming flustered and overly excitable like Regulus had anticipated, he simply leaned back, crossed his arms and levelled Regulus with an expression that forced him to fight a squirm.

"You've only seen the stuff on my website right?" Regulus was not expecting that.

"Yes. It is the only stuff I could find, and believe me, I scoured for it. I mean I couldn't even find your name or what you looked like."

"That's how I like it. Forces people to make a judgement solely based on my paintings, nothing else." Hugo smiled a little, leaning towards Regulus.

"Can I see some of these works that I came after?" Regulus didn't want to let the conversation stray too far. He needed to keep some semblance of control.

"How about I show you them in person? The copies barely do them justice, and I'd hate for you to have come all this way and not be able to make a proper decision." So apparently he wasn't as humble as Regulus previously thought. He'd also leaned impossibly closer in the short span of time.

Regulus quickly leaned back into his chair. "If you're offering."

"You could even see the stuff I'm currently working on." This excited Regulus. He loved seeing unfinished pieces and trying to guess what would come of the few brush strokes placed haphazardly on the canvas.

"Lead the way."

Both of them stood and carried on a lighter conversation of small talk as they made their way to the metro. A couple stops later, Regulus was being shown the way to an apartment that looked quite nearly abandoned. Once they were inside, he realised that it was anything but abandoned. The place was full of life. Covered in canvases adorned with dark, cool tones that inspired peace and quiet. Regulus took a couple moments to look around and take in the series of paintings, mentally post-it noting a couple that he wanted in the gallery. He found himself wandering slowly towards one that looked somewhat like a street lit path at night. Everything was a blur of navy and warm grey. Everything apart from the moon. The moon provided a bright light that caused deja vu to course through Regulus's veins. He felt as if he recognised the street, from his childhood, high school years, adulthood, even last night when he walked back to his hotel in the dead of night.

"That one isn't quite done yet." Hugo clarified, standing behind Regulus, clearly looking at the painting rather critically.

"I like it. It feels familiar." Regulus couldn't find it in himself to tear his eyes away from the canvas, eyes trailing over the brush strokes and how purposeful each one felt.

"I know what you mean. It reminds me of my teenage years. Specifically the summers. I don't know why it just does."

"No I get it. It reminds me of a lot. A lot of different periods of my life." Regulus was not about to overshare with this guy he had known for less than an hour. He was not going to start talking about how it reminded him of when he'd sneak into Sirius's room after a particularly bad night. They would both just stare out of the window, knowing that there nothing was worth saying, hoping that the moonlight was enough to begin healing their wounds. It reminded him of Hogwarts and wandering around the grounds with Barty, Evan and Pandora, all laughing and giggling before summer came and broke them all up, scatter gunning them across the country. It reminded him of sitting in the garden of the Potter's house after Sirius had convinced him to come down for at least one day in the Christmas holidays. He felt the cool breeze calm his burning lungs every time, the wind blowing away all his troubles, as cliche as it sounded.

"That was my intention. I'm glad it's had that affect." The voice snapped him back into reality. He wasn't in the house he grew up in, he wasn't at Hogwarts, or the Potter's house. He was in an apartment in Paris, trying to make an offer for a series of paintings.

"It really has. Are you interested in selling it?" Regulus fixed his face before turning around.

"Does that mean your interested in buying it?" Hugo asked, quirking his eyebrow.

"Yes. This one, the one my client asked after and a couple others. I'd be willing to negotiate." He was desperately trying to quickly crunch the numbers in his mind. He knew that his client had already set out a budget, but he wasn't entirely sure what he could sell the others for, or if he even wanted to sell them all. He could keep one for himself right? "What about 10 grand for the four of them?"

Hugo's jaw dropped. "Ten grand?"

"Is that too little?" Regulus never usually went higher this quick, or ever really, but he was desperate for these paintings.

"No, it's just that that would be 2,500 for each painting." He still sounded shocked.

"Yes?" Regulus questioned.

"I didn't think that you would offer that much."

"Oh, well I was serious when I said you're talented. If I could, I'd buy more from you, but I need to find out if my clients will be as interested as I am. How about this, I fly back to London in 3 days. We can make a decision before then, or I can give you my contact details and we can discuss it further."

"Well I'm in London in 2 weeks for another event. So we could meet then?" A lightbulb went off in Regulus's head.

"This is going to sound really odd, and you can absolutely say no, we can figure something else out. But, how about I give you these next 2 weeks to decide, and then on August 15th we go out to dinner and discuss it properly. Now this is the odd part, there's this wedding I have to go to, and I would not be asking if I had any other solutions, but I need a date. So, if all goes well, I take you to this wedding as my plus one and we just have a good night celebrating? I'll pay for all your drinks the entire night." Regulus held his breath, fully aware that Hugo could just turn around and tell him to fuck off, loosing him a lot of business and a good deal of his reputation.

"I will take you up on that offer." Hugo replied, shocking Regulus. He flashed him a small smile before sticking out his hand.

Regulus shook his hand, feeling rather accomplished. That was one problem solved. He had a date for the wedding, and it was with a hot French guy. He could have definitely done worse.

[spiderdreamer-blog]

2023 at the Movies: A Year in Review

2023 has been an odd year for American cinema in particular, between overall tepid box office outside of a few big hits and the combination of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes affecting release dates as well as promotional tactics. (Just so we're clear, this is a Union Solidarity Blog) But it was a fascinating year artistically nonetheless, especially on the blockbuster end. What this list aims to achieve is sort of a capsule review of the theatrical releases I saw (not counting streaming-only films even if I ended up seeing theatrical releases ON streaming) and how I felt about them in capsule review form. And even then, there's still stuff I need to catch up on like Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Oppenheimer, Elemental, or Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Anyhoo, on with my list, in chronological release order:

John Wick: Chapter 4: Much like its titular hero, there are perhaps some signs that this franchise could benefit from taking a bit of a rest. Some of the worldbuilding is going from knowingly absurd to just plain absurd, and a couple early action beats, while fun (NUNCHUCKS), are a little familiar in terms of director Chad Stahelski's neon-as-fuck aesthetics. Ultimately, it's not too much to derail things, as Keanu Reeves proves a capable grounding lead like always, and the Parisian third act is giddy, comically overblown violence in the grand John Wick tradition that reaches an unexpected poignancy. The supporting cast might also be one of the best in the series; while Asia Kate Dillion's unflappable Adjudicator is missed from the last installment, we do receive Bill Skarsgard doing an OUTRAAGEOUS French accent as a smarmy villain you really want to see dead by the end of this, Donnie Yen as a clever, funny spin on the blind swordsman trope, Rina Sawayama is both badass and touching, Shamier Anderson stands out by dialing down, and my beloved Clancy Brown has some of the best implicit "are you fucking kidding me" reactions I've seen in a while.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie: I was honestly dreading this for a while. Illumination Entertainment is a perfectly cromulent animation studio who makes films that, with a couple exceptions, represent pretty much everything I dislike about American family filmmaking: loud, hyperactive, deficient of nutritional value, and did I mention loud? But the trailers started impressing me in terms of how well they adapted the candy-colored toybox Nintendo aesthetic to a wider theatrical scope. And if nothing else, casting Jack Black as Bowser would probably be pretty awesome (spoiler alert: he was). Thankfully, it manages to be an immensely entertaining, zippy adventure film that minimizes potential annoyances at nearly every turn. This is primarily thanks to a ready-to-play, enthusiastic voice cast (outside of Black, I particularly like Pratt and Day's brotherly dynamic and Anya Taylor-Joy doing a Disney Princess-esque comedy action spin on Peach), a smartly simple story structure, and leaving a lot of potential open for the future like Seth Rogen's lovable ready-for-spinoff-movies Donkey Kong. It may not rock the boat, but it was better than it had any business being, and that counts for a lot in my book.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: The Marvel Cinematic Universe and I are admittedly on a bit of a break. Not because they're doing anything WRONG per se, just that a lot of their shows and movies haven't enticed me as much in the past year. I did get out to see this, though, which is both the best all around MCU film since Endgame and very possibly the best film of its own trilogy. James Gunn pulls out all the stops emotionally for his Marvel swan song (godspeed to you over at the still-in-progress trashfire that is Warner Bros. Discovery, good sir), crafting a beautiful, resonant journey for all the characters. The ensemble cast fires on all cylinders, for one. While Bradley Cooper is the obvious vocal standout as Rocket takes center stage, it's assuredly the role of Chris Pratt's career (other non-Mario/Marvel directors, take note! You can in fact have this guy be funny, credibly tough, AND sympathetic instead of missing out on the other two), Zoe Saldana navigates a difficult emotional dance, Pom Klementieff finds real heart in Mantis, Dave Bautista is still one of our most interesting wrestlers-turned-actors in the choices he makes, Karen Gillan has slowly become of the MCU's MVPs as Nebula, Will Poulter is endearingly dunderheaded as a comedic take on Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji proves a truly vile villain who exemplifies the maxim of "if you really want an audience to just HATE a motherfucker, have him torture cute animals". And of course Gunn's musical tastes remain impeccable, such as a Beastie Boys needle drop that prompts a truly bitchin' fight scene (oddly the second time this specific song happened this year in a Pratt-led vehicle). It's funny, it made me ugly cry at SEVERAL points, and I got to see a psychic cosmonaut dog beat people's asses with her mind. What more could I want?

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse: Into the Spider-Verse was a revolution and a revelation for what the American animated film industry could accomplish artistically and technically. How could a sequel possibly live up to it? Across does, against all odds, proving to be the Empire Strikes Back to the original's Star Wars in terms of going darker/more complex on the emotions and to greater visual heights (albeit with the caveat that maybe next time, we can manage the production better and not crunch people so much). Co-directors Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers, and Joaquim Dos Santos (who I've stanned as one of our best animation action directors from Justice League Unlimited through Voltron Legendary Defender) craft a propulsive narrative that asks big questions about who and what Spider-Man is. And while those will have to wait to be fully answered in the third installment, what it sets up is no less compelling or thrilling. Shout-outs in particular go to Hailee Steinfeld, who has to anchor this film with Gwen as much as Shameik Moore's still-iconic Miles; Daniel Pemberton for an outstanding score; Oscar Isaac for giving rich complexity to Miguel O'Hara, who could have felt like a boorish bully in lesser hands; and Jason Schwartzman for not just proving he transitions REALLY well into voicework between this and projects like Klaus, but being by turns pathetically funny and terrifying in ways I've never heard him be as the Spot. Can't wait to see where that goes next time in particular.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: "Pleasant surprise" comes to mind. While I never hated Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as much as most, it was definitely a little underwhelming as a possibly final Indy adventure. (Not helping is that Steven Spielberg immediately turned around and made an infinitely better indy movie in the form of The Adventures of Tintin) So I was curious to see how going to the well for seemingly the real final adventure would work this time around. Thankfully, director James Mangold proves he has a good eye for creative action, even if nothing here quite reaches the heights of the original trilogy, and Harrison Ford does some of his best acting in ages as a weary, burnt-out Indy; one always got the sense that THIS was much closer to his heart than Han Solo. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a terrific foil to him, joyously amoral (or so she says), while Mads Mikkelsen finds a new spin on coldly cruel cinematic Nazis; he has a tense reintroduction scene that had me squirming in my seat. Add in a slam-bang ending and a touching epilogue, and I'm pretty happy with where things end up for our favorite archaeologist. A solid B+, which we could use more of nowadays.

Also they Poochie-d Shia LaBeouf, which is hilarious to me on several levels.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One: The Mission: Impossible franchise has undergone a curious metamorphosis from where it started as one of many oldies TV adaptations in 1996 to a purposefully old-school action franchise. Director Christopher McQuarrie has become a pro at these over the last three installments, and Dead Reckoning (now no longer a part one, as the back-in-production followup will be retitled) has lots to offer both large and small for action fans even outside of the continued spectacle of Tom Cruise Possibly Wants To Die On Camera. Obviously the big stunt sequences remain a draw, like a terrific car chase through Rome or the climactic journey onboard the Orient Express because trains are ALWAYS bitchin' locations in movies. But just as good are pleasures like a tense cat-and-mouse game in an airport where nobody's quite sure whose side Hayley Atwell's thief Grace is on, Henry Czerny coming back to the franchise after 27 years and looking as shiftily patriotic as ever, Pom Klementieff on this list for the second time looking really hot as she whoops ass, and Cary Elwes getting an unexpectedly choice exposition monologue. Plus the whole deal with the A.I. villain ended up being, uh, fairly relevant.

Barbie: A brilliant human comedy from an unexpected source. This could have gone wrong in so many different ways, I can easily imagine a version that's WAY more lugubrious and, crucially, much less funny. But director/co-writer Greta Gerwig has quickly become one of our best talents between this and the wildly-different-but-has-more-in-common-than-you'd-think Little Women (I also still need to see to heard-it's-excellent Lady Bird). With an infinitely clever script (I love in particular that the "real world" is just as ridiculous in its own way as Barbieland) and Sarah Greenwood's impeccable production design, Gerwig and her cast craft a feminist fable that remains light and funny even at its most strident and angry. Margot Robbie has never been better, hilarious and gut-punching by equal measure, America Ferrera ends up as the unexpected heart of the piece, and Ryan Gosling is absolutely hysterical as Ken while still making him intensely sympathetic. He and Robbie deserve Oscar noms in particular. No, I'm not kidding. Might expand this one to a full review at some point tbh.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: I missed this in theaters and regret it immensely, given that this is a hilarious, cheerfully irreverent take on characters who've really managed a surprising amount of relevance in the modern age. Actually having teen actors voice the Turtles makes them feel so authentic, and they're matched well by an equally game cast like Ayo Edebiri's thoroughly modern April O'Neill, Jackie Chan as a more bumbling-but-heartfelt version of Splinter than usual, and Paul Rudd going full surfer bro as Mondo Gecko. And of course the scribbled-notebook underground comics vibe of the animation is a neat bit of full circle aesthetics if you know these guys' origins.

Wish: All of you are wrong and being dumb about this movie. It's not that I can't grok some of the criticisms as being legitimate, to be fair; for example, the songs, while very good on their own IMO, don't always hit the iconic level of a Frozen or Encanto. But the vitriol with which they've been expressed, and this odd narrative that Disney is in the toilet artistically and needs to nebulously "fix" things, is something I can't at all agree with. It's gorgeously rendered, for one; yes, I would potentially like to see a return to full 2D animated films for the studio at some point too. But if they're gonna experiment even marginally with CGI, I applaud co-directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn making it look this painterly as a starting point. And as with a lot of modern Disney, there's real richness and inner life to these characters. Ariana DeBose is a winning heroine as Asha, who feels distinct from other "princesses" by essentially being working class and unionizing the kingdom. And Chris Pine as Magnifico is a Disney Villain for the ages, blending real complexity in his relationships with scenery-chewing madness. (Also am I the only one who got major "studio executive/CEO" vibes off him?) If this is "mid" or "bland" Disney, I really question what some of y'all are seeing that I seemingly can't.

Also I liked the 100th anniversary references, sue me. The last one in particular gets points for quiet charm rather than grandstanding.

The Boy and the Heron: Hayao Miyazaki, anime's favorite grumpy old man, comes back out of retirement for like the fifth time. Seriously, remember when Princess Mononoke was supposed to be his last film 25+ years ago? I'll believe his "last film" is truly his last when he's in the cold, cold ground. Regardless of the continuing saga of Old Man Won't Retire Because He Seemingly Can't Be Alone With His Own Thoughts, this is a brilliant, haunting spectacle of animation that might be a new favorite for me. Some have called it confusing, whereas I go for "dreamlike", possibly his most to date. Nearly every frame is suffused with longing and melancholy (though this also has some of Miyazaki's best comedy in a while), and, oddly like Wish, this feels like a true career reflection, if a bit more fraught and questioning what legacy truly means. Joe Hisaishi contributes possibly his moodiest, most dissonant score, with little of the bombast or whimsical charm that typifies his music, but it works unfathomably well. Credit also to the dub, with Robert Pattinson as funny and menacing as you've heard, but Luca Pandoval is also excellent as our stoic lead Mahito, Florence Pugh manages to be both a total badass and a funny old woman (it makes sense in context, I promise), Christian Bale puts forth a fascinating two-step with his boisterous father, Gemma Chan and Karen Fukuhara nail some complex emotional turns, Willem Dafoe nearly steals the whole thing in under two minutes, Dave Bautista makes a real meal out of a part not much bigger than that, and Mark Hamill finds resonance as a tired old man.

[dross-the-fish]

So, what kind accents do you think the rest of the gang has? I like to think that Erik has thick French accent that would be like Parisian gentlemen would have and would pride himself in. But that's just me.

Erik definitely has a distinctive French accent and his accent is more prominent than Adam's. Selma has a south western accent, typical of a Texan woman but it's also touched by Spanish as her mother was from Mexico.

Theo has a cockney accent, pretty thick too.

Jekyll/Hyde is Scottish in my canon but to blend in with posh English society Henry covered his brogue, though it still comes out in Edward, especially when he's agitated. This is a nod to Robert Louis Stevenson having been Scottish.

Everyone else has fairly typical middle class London accents except for Hafiz (the Daroga) who struggles a bit with English and has a strong Farsi accent

[wild-houseplant]

10 things about yours truly

oh gosh I love hearing facts about people :D go ahead and lay them on me! Thank you for the tag @scribbledquillz ; now I wish to pester (if interested): @rlainarin ; @heniareth ; @icylook ; @siriskulksnerding ; @anna-the-great-and-terrible i am a nosy bastid and am ready for facts 8D if you’re not tagged, yes you are please tell me about yourself!!!

1. Despite what my overall appearance would suggest (thin, not masc), my speaking voice is low, and my most comfortable singing range is baritone (preferred) to tenor. I can sing up to high mezzo soprano but I don’t like it. I sound terrible at all of these tessituras.

2. With the above fact in mind, one of the high points of my life was watching an old man flinch back from me when he heard me speak for the first time. Poor bugger came up to ask for a dance and ended up taking a seat instead, god bless him.

3. I love watching Big Weather Events. Storms, blizzards, cloudbursts, rough seas, you name it. Longstanding obsession since early childhood.

4. My three signature dishes are: scrambled eggs (Mum’s favourite), butterscotch cinnamon pie (made every year for my darlin’), and steamed satay buns (vegetarian).

5. Additional cooking fact, since we’re here: I absolutely loathe the taste of my own cooking and will avoid eating what I’ve made wherever possible. Even if I make it the way I know I love, I can taste my effort and it spoils the dish for me.

6. My earliest memory is at 1 1/2, when I was preverbal. My family and I were at a Chinese restaurant. I still remember understanding my mother suggesting we go home because Baby Plant was tired, and feeling agreement but not having the words for it to either speak or think in my head.

7. Favourite comfort video game is Dynasty Warriors 3. Nothing but happy memories from that absolute ripper of a game! Gan Ning is my favourite PC. :D

8. I speak a handful of French, Indonesian, and Polish, and I’m told I speak these without an accent (except French, where I apparently sound Parisian). Compare this with Norwegian, which I speak fluently but still sound foreign. Fuck me, right?

9. My favourite poem is “Out, Out,” by Robert Frost. Nice short one for you-- the fact, that is, not the poem.

10. My personal hell is a lack of variety. I’ve had to study at least two different degrees concurrently (and shuttle between different universities to do so), and work 1-3 jobs on the side-- totalling about an 80-90 hour workweek, all to keep my enclosure enriched enough for my tastes.

[reversecreek]

welcome to marina, WILLA DENEURVE ( woman, she/her ) ! they are a TWENTY-EIGHT year old who has lived on the island for TWO MONTHS. word on the street is they’re currently living in HYLAND PARK and works as an ACTRESS. everyone also says they look a lot like ASHLEY MOORE. what do you think?

PINTEREST

“Her voice was trained, supple as leather, precise as a knife-thrower’s blade. Singing or talking, it had the same graceful quality, and an accent I thought at first was English, but then realized was the old-fashioned American of a thirties movie, a person who could get away with saying “grand”. Too classic, they told her when she went out on auditions. It didn’t mean old. It meant too beautiful for the times.” — Janet Fitch, White Oleander.

HISTORY:

willa ws born to honestly like….. the perfect family not to honk my own tit bt……………. they were jst rly quite wholesome. her mum celeste was this larger than life person who could never b contained by the four walls of any room she was in. she hd the presence of a gold glitter chess piece on an otherwise mundane wooden board. her dad marlon used to always joke that he had absolutely NO idea how he landed her bc he was just this like. rly average guy by all accounts n purposes….. blended into the sea in high skl……. had a few close friends but was never rly Notable or made a proper impression anywhere…… he always retold it as him coasting thru life until he met her in college. kind of like he’d been half awake before

willa always very much took after celeste…… there’s this one quote i remember reading that goes vaguely like “my mom and i would sit and listen to leonard cohen and joni mitchell lyrics together. from a young age i remember her being like “i’m playing this song and when it’s done i want u to tell me what’s happening in it” n she would give me a fake glass of wine when i was 8 and i would listen and b like. i think there was an affair.” which so much summarises their dynamic…… she ws just so like. dramatic n fun n always encouraged that in willa too. her mum was like. everything she aspired to be…… got scouted by a modelling agency in college n shot one campaign before blowing it off simply bc she was bored. starred lead in a play. spent a few weeks travelling asia selling handmade candles shaped like koi fish or curled up foxes or elegantly stretched hands. dated a parisian movie star during a break she and her father took n was featured in tabloids on his arm at the premiere. sm fun n exotic stories willa literally cldn’t get enough. whenever she’d tell them to willa as a kid her dad wld roll his eyes like ohhhhh here she goes again but it’d all b playful n he’d smile bc he honestly cldn’t get enough either. the stuff dreams are made of luv (lizzie mcguire stans rise)

(car accident & death tw) so u know when ur walking down a flight of stairs n then out of nowhere u miss a step n u get that lurch in ur stomach like ur in free fall? yeah. i won’t go into it too much but one night they were driving back from getting frozen yogurt and then suddenly they weren’t. she doesn’t rly remember much about it except for completely ignoring the doctors trying to give her the news and just saying “dad chose pecan. who chooses pecan?” n repeating that over n over n over until it didn’t rly register in her ears as english any more.

willa was uprooted from marina at 11 to go n live w her aunt in NY. this was like. a huge adjustment honestly….. her aunt blanche hd always been a little unconventional bt extremely glamorous. she lived in an old defunct theatre she’d bought out n came from a lot of money. willa’s mum’s side of the family hd always been well off bt celeste opted to live a little more Ordinarily shall we say after settling whereas blanche ws jst balls to the walls dripping w eccentric excess…. wld say she was never naked bc she ws always wearing black opium by yves saint laurent…… probably the living embodiment of la vie boheme….. she’d been admitted a yr early to a rly prestigious parisian design school n is an AMAZING seamstress. a corset she stitched a broadway star into got commissioned fr an actress’ red carpet walk at an indie film festival. rly just lived such a life rich w lots of stories n lots of talent too…… had that star quality essence tht her mum had n that was smthn willa found quite comforting everything considered.

(grief tw) u would think maybe a situation like this (one involving so much sudden change) wld cause a kid of tht age to withdraw into her shell bt willa only came out of her shell MORE. she coped w her situation by spinning it into a celebrity origin story inside her head. the tear jerker tale someone tells during their x factor audition to get the judges rooting for them. mentally streamlining things. repackaging all that hurt as a surefire ticket to success bc it had to be useful for something right? there had to b a point to it right? willa decided the point was she’s a star. KFHSGKFHGFKHGKJSFHG. get it girl….. she ws literally just like ok well clearly i’m destined to be famous n i’m the main character of this story. this story called earth. it’s all about me.

rly heavily immersed herself in her high skl theatre scene……. loved experimenting w fashion n literally wore the most outlandish things like. she treated the hallways like her milan f/w debut every new school yr…… a lot of the things she wore were actual like. costumes frm her aunt’s collection…… she has a multi-story closet u have to climb ladders to reach things in like a very rustic library…. it rly wasn’t uncommon for willa to turn up one day corsetted like a pirate with billowing sleeves or sporting the baby blue gingham of a swedish milk maid. it’s like she literally jst…… became a role. always. every day. the world ws her stage. the cameras were always rolling. her aunt only encouraged this tbh n honestly? icon. we love to see it. willa partied a bunch n rly lived a lax lifestyle where responsibility was concerned…. her aunt ws her best friend…… made rly gd friends with performers in the drag club scene n loved the glitz of that….. lots of wild nights turned grossly bright mornings

snagged an agent fresh into her first yr of college (she gt accepted to a pretty competitive theatre program at [redacted] in NY bc i haven’t looked into what that wld be yet <3 i’m merely a helpless british lass <3) n booked a few commercials n things….. when i say willa wld enter audition rooms like she owned the place i’m rly not exaggerating…. once she turned up to a casting call for MEN n just walked right to the front of the line scraping a random chair along the way n then took a seat w her legs crossed popping a bubble in her gum as they all glared at her like wtf is literally going on who are u. she received several complaints n she was just like “ur all acting so jealous of me….”

i feel like she got a pretty big role in a theatre production in her last yr at school. haven’t decided what yet. maybe smthn rocky horror or even mimi in rent. this was meant to b some like huge moment for willa like yes girl finally making it ur on ur way this is what u wanted n she WAS happy abt it but once it was wrapped she jst had this strange like Huh feeling in her chest……. n a la celeste w all her exciting stories was just like well i’ve done that so what’s next?

SO basically i feel like she finally moved back to marina a few months ago n lives in the big empty house in hyland park tht used to belong to her parents. she inherited it n never sold it. it's kind of eerie n weird n like a giant frozen shrine. she hd a brief stint starring on a reality tv show beforehand where her dog gained a handful of fan accounts dedicated to him……. u maybe will see why in the first bullet point of her personality section………… FKGHKSHFGGKFSHKHG. honestly she ws received pretty well too (mostly bc she’s so fking dramatic n like a caricature of a person) bt it wasn’t anything to warrant actual Fame (despite what willa herself might think). she’s mostly jst like. chilling honestly. accepting scripts n flying out fr auditions still. she’ll nab the occasional part bt she’s looking for that One Thing that rly feels like her big moment….. otherwise i cn just imagine her treating marina like a little dollhouse compared to the roaring mansion of NYC n having fun playing around in it. strikes a pose w a hand on my hip…. and now to personality.

PERSONALITY:

got a very large n lithe greyhound n named him marlene dietrich bc she was a black n white hollywood starlet famously known for her affairs n “bedroom eyes”. willa was like ugh. icon status instantly. didn’t rly foresee the responsibilities tht came w owning a dog tht loves exercise n complains abt him being like “ugh he wants to run soooooooooo much 🙄 like where are u literally going”. having said tht loves him dearly n he can often be seen wearing little clothes. a baby’s bonnet. a quilted leather waistcoat. a custom dog boa. he’s very glamorous. willa calls him a gay icon despite no evidence to support this theory. she also says he can sniff out evil in ppl so she brings him sometimes when she’s first introduced to a friend’s new bf n if his nose quivers a certain way she’s like “marlene has spoken. it’s done”. her friends r like omg? what’s done? willa gets up n walks away without elaborating. marlene’s little paws clicking along the floor w attitude.

literally dressed as marie antoinette for her high skl prom even tho there was no theme pertaining to this. jst loves the spotlight. can fake cry and WILL to get out of a parking ticket or teach someone to watch their tone or even simply for the theatrics of it all. the Most dramatic………….. rly fits being an actress like when people find out what she does it’s very like oh that makes sense.

says she doesn’t get hangovers. she’s just like “i revoked that it doesn’t happen to me”. alludes tht this is bc she’s an all powerful deity that was Chosen to be Blessed bt really she’s jst great at bouncing back n acting fine even w a blistering headache. it’s about believing the performance so much that u even convince urself.

has an extremely elevated sense of self importance bc this is kind of the equivalent of several layers of bubble wrap to cushion her frm the world. strives to b extraordinary bc ordinary honestly feels like a death sentence n there’s nothing she’d want to b seen as less. despite this weight she puts on that she rly doesn’t tend to let ppl’s opinions affect fr the most part like she’s quite firmly set in this I’m Literally The Most Gorgeous And Beautiful Angel Star Creature To Walk This Narsty Little Earth view

probably an incredibly big fan of dramatic short lived love affairs. she wants the glamour of it all. the scandal. the randomly breaking up w someone in a public place n sliding on sunglasses after delivering the words over a freshly ordered coffee (tht she’ll leave without drinking bc that’s star power babey she waits fr no man or no hot beverage)…….. has no preference gets w any n all regardless of gender……… romanticises things so they hv a better spin or story in her head n doesn’t rly take things seriously like jst has fun in her fantasy world…. she’s like ugh chuck i know u wanted to marry me but i’m a beautiful bird in a cage n u literally need to undo the latch n set me free……. the guy’s like……. my name’s chase n we’ve only been on two dates….. willa’s like…… please don’t take this so hard i can tell ur besides urself but people r starting to stare……. gets up n leaves. no-one was staring. chase is confused n honestly probably semi concerned fr her welfare.

always has to b the hottest n most glamorous person in a grocery store…. probably goes to them when she doesn’t even need anything jst holding a basket nonchalantly over her forearm glancing over at a cashier in her wizard of oz corset seamed interpretation on a dorothy dress thinking he wants me soooo bad it’s not even funny….. seduces him over the check out counter jst for him to ask her to come back to his so she can lean back scandalised n cry “IS THAT THE KIND OF WOMAN U THINK I AM, PAUL?! YOU’RE A GHASTLY LITTLE MAN, YOU ARE….” with all the gusto of a telenovela. attracts the shocked glances of all surrounding elderly.

speaks fluent french. probably on her brief stint on tht reality show i mentioned earlier was like “ugh can you believe Deneurve of this guy?” n in her head was like this catchphrase is sensational it’ll catch on fast the twittersphere is abt to implode but it didn’t become a thing except for in a small isolated community. despite this she’s like “yeah it went viral….. go figure. just another day in the life.”

honestly like a lot of fun bt also a huge handful at the same time. keeps her real Serious emotions in a locked box bt is always overflowing w melodramatics n rly giving her all at the drop of a hat where Performing is concerned. probably Loves parties n sees them as another form of production in which she wants to b the lead. rly just. loves herself. except does she? 🤔 lifts my hand up like rihanna n winks. find out next time. lucky by britney plays as i slowly disintegrate in spiderman rp…..

[jiejie-eonni-onee-sama]

All against odds...

For the wonderful @mlmxreader​ 🥐✨

Hope you’ll enjoy the story!

In wartime, living means getting by from day to day and seeing what fate has in store for you.

For (Y/N), a young Parisian orphan, anything was possible to survive in German-occupied France. The young man did everything to eat his fill between odd jobs and shoplifting while avoiding arrest.

He knew he was leading a dangerous life, but when hunger was tugging at your stomach, there was no choice but to take risks.

Everything changed for the young man the day he crossed paths with the Basterds. That day, starving as he had never been before, he tried to steal the commando's supplies.

But as he stuffed the food into his pockets, he felt the cold kiss of a gun barrel on his neck and heard a deep voice say:

"Stealing food without knowing whose it is... That's really not very smart."

Raising his hands in surrender, (Y/N) turned his head slightly and met the dark gaze of a man in civilian clothes holding him at gunpoint.

He was terrified of dying, but he couldn't help but be fascinated by the man's physique: he wasn't imposing, but his appearance exuded charisma and courage that commanded respect.

As for Wilhelm, he was surprised to see that the thief was a very young man. One only had to see his eyes filled with terror to see that the young thief had no evil intent. And his face, hollowed out by hunger, clearly indicated the reasons for his action.

Putting his weapon away, Wicki asked:

"Who are you?"

(Y/N) stammered:

"My name is (Y/N)."

When he heard the accent, the Austrian man could tell that his interlocutor was French.

"And what are you doing here?"

"I'm surviving, at least as best I can."

Just as Wilhelm was about to answer, the rest of the Basterds arrived.

"Everything all right, Wicki?" asked Aldo.

"Who's that guy?" growled Donny, pointing (Y/N) with his bat.

"If he's a Nazi spy, we'll kill him," Hugo scolded and pulled out his knife.

"Calm down, guys: can't you see he's a kid?" exclaimed Utivitch.

Wicki tried to calm things down:

"No need to get upset, guys. This kid's name is (Y/N). He is French and is starving. That's why he tried to steal food from us, but as you can see, he didn't have time! And he is not armed!"

The other commando members stared at (Y/N), who felt uncomfortable, and confirmed that the young man was not a threat.

Lieutenant Raine approached the young thief and asked:

"And what's your speciality, kid?"

"I can do a lot of things, sir. Mechanics, cooking, you name it."

The lieutenant smiled in amusement:

"Underneath your shy exterior, you've got a way with words. And I like that..."

He held out his hand to (Y/N):

"Are you ready to follow us?"

Without hesitation, the young man took the outstretched hand and answered:

"So, where are we going, sir?"

"Call me Lieutenant Raine, kid. And for the rest, trust me!"

Since that day, (Y/N) had found his place in a group that had become a family.

And he had also found more than that in the person of Wilhelm Wicki.

From the first days, the Austrian had taken the young man under his wing, helping him integrate into the group and explaining the use of weapons to defend himself.

The more time passed, the more they got to know and appreciate each other.

But what started out as a mentor-protégé relationship gradually turned into a romance. While first, this had surprised the other Basterds - except for Hugo, who had guessed it quickly - everyone had accepted the relationship and had been supportive.

(Y/N) loved being with the Basterds: they became his new family.

And he adored Wilhelm as much as Wilhelm adored the young man.

(Y/N) would do anything for his lover.

Anything to save him.

His torturer could do whatever he wanted with him, but the young man would say nothing.

He would never denounce the Basterds.

He would never hand Wilhelm over to them.

The young Frenchman would rather die than betray his friends.

But his jailers had decided to keep him alive a little longer.

"Are you going to talk, traitor?" barked the German soldier, hitting him in the ribs with an iron bar.

The blow caused (Y/N) to spit blood.

Even though he could not see himself in a mirror, the young man knew he was injured.

His mouth tasted of blood, every breath he took caused him horrible pain, and he could feel the wounds on his body.

Despite the pain, (Y/N) wanted to show those Nazi bastards he was tough.

With a mocking smile, he asked:

"Are you okay, Hellstrom? Are you enjoying yourself? Admit it, you're turned on?"

Sitting in the back of the room, Hans Landa's henchman frowned.

He thought capturing the youngest member of Lieutenant Raine's commando would lead to the downfall of those American barbarians.

Much to his disappointment, (Y/N) endured the torture without saying anything relevant.

The Nazi officer replied coldly.

"You're getting tiresome, (Y/N) (L/N). I could kill you now: after all, who would care if a pathetic orphan from Paris died?"

"Please: I heard this sentence since I was a kid. I thought you would be more creative !" mocked Y/N.

Annoyed, Hellstrom got up from his seat and took his horsewhip.

He raised his arm and violently hit the young man in the chest.

"You're wasting my time and my patience, you tramp!"

He grabbed (Y/N) by the jaws, forcing the young man to look at him.

"I don't care about you. You're only a paw that I use!"

(Y/N) spat on his face.

"You'll never have them. But you should watch your Nazi ass because they will catch you and make you pay for it."

Hellstrom grinned sadistically.

"You think so? Well, you have faith in your pathetic friends. Or should I say that you believe in a certain Austrian Jew?"

(Y/N) tried to keep a neutral face, but the gleam of concern in his eyes did not escape Hellstrom.

"You didn't think I knew about your little romance with Wicki, did you? I heard rumours about two men in an ill-natured relationship within your group. What could I expect from your team of unruly bastards?"

His grin got wider.

"And now, I will have all of them. And it is thanks to you, little Parisian rat."

Hellstrom turned and left the room, declaring:

"Untie him and put him in his cell! I had enough for today!"

Bruised by the hours of torture, (Y/N) could no longer feel any part of his body.

But he could still feel the bite of the cold floor of his cell when the German soldiers threw him in before closing the door.

Once alone, (Y/N) cursed himself: if only he had not been so careless, none of this would have happened.

As he curled up on the floor, the young man swallowed his tears of frustration: deep down, he hoped the Basterds wouldn't come and save him. He could never forgive himself for sending them into the jaws of death.

But he feared he would never see Wilhelm again. His Wil.

(Y/N) let out a tear as he thought of his lover.

He owed him for giving him a second chance in life, for protecting and loving him as no one else had ever done before.

The Austrian embodied a quiet strength that reassured the young Frenchman.

The young man crossed his arms against his chest, trying to remember Wilhelm's warm and reassuring embrace, protecting him from the cold.

He could recall his smell, his deep voice whispering sweet nothings and his lips offering love to his skin.

These sweet memories comforted (Y/N), who felt his strength gradually leaving him.

As he sank into unconsciousness, the young man murmured:

"I am sorry, Wilhelm. But I have no strength left..."

💣💣💣💣💣💣💣

Meanwhile, a real massacre occurred.

The soldiers there had the misfortune to face Aldo Raine and his men.

"Forward, boys. Let's find (Y/N) and get out of here!"

The commando searched the place, freeing the prisoners in the process.

Donny, Hirschberg and Utivich looked for their friends.

"Where the hell is he?" snarled Donny.

"I don't know. I hope we are not too late!" sighed Hirschberg.

"Wilhelm would never forgive himself if something happened to (Y/N). Neither us, you admit it," added Utivich.

The three men stayed silent: they feared for their friend.

They got along with the young French boy after he integrated their team.

They supported his relationship with Wicki.

They could not imagine how Wilhelm would suffer if (Y/N) died.

Hirschberg arrived in front of the jail and peeked through the keyhole.

"Hey, Don! Open it: there is someone here!"

"Got it!" replied the Bear Jew who shot the door.

Hirschberg opened it and immediately recognized the man lying on the floor.

"OH, MY GOD! (Y/N)!"

The trio rushed to their friend, appalled by the multiple wounds on their friends' body.

Utivich gently shook (Y/N):

"(Y/N)! It's Smitty! Do you hear me?"

(Y/N) murmured weakly:

"Smitty..."

"I'm here. Donny and Geri are here too. We're going to get you out of this, I promise."

Donny gently took the young man in his arms.

"Gosh, what have these bastards done to you?"

"He needs medical care ASAP!"

"Luckily, the French Resistance will provide us with some help. Let's go!"

They rushed outside and joined their teammates.

"Guys, we found (Y/N)!"

When he heard this, Wicki turned around and noticed his boyfriend in Donny's strong arms.

Zimmermann held back a cry of horror while Sakowitz and Kagan turned their heads, horrified.

As for Hugo, he felt his blood boiling: his bloodthirst increased tenfold. No one ever laid a hand on his friends!

Aldo clutched his fists out of frustration: he could not imagine what (Y/N) endured.

The Austrian man rushed to (Y/N) and saw with horror the extent of the injuries on the young man's body. 

The erratic breathing of his young lover painfully raised a torso covered in bruises and cuts.

And what about his beautiful face, no longer recognizable?

Wilhelm barely dared to touch (Y/N's) cheek and whispered:

"Why did I come so late?"

Suddenly, (Y/N) opened his eyes weakly and whispered:

"Wil..."

"It's all right, I'm here. We'll get you out of here!"

The young man tried to explain:

"They wanted me to betray you... But I didn't say anything... I didn't say anything..."

"We know that, kid. You're one of us: we know your value. " Aldo reassured him.

He gently stroked (Y/N)'s hair.

"Hold on, boy. We're getting you out of here!"

He motioned to his men.

"Now, let's go! We need to go before some stupid Krauts arrive!"

The commando rushed outside, Donny carrying (Y/N) in his arms.

The young man fell gently into a torpor, reassured that he would not die in a Nazi cell.

And if he should not survive to his wounds, at least he would die by the side of the man he cherished the most.

🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹

Slowly opening his eyes, (Y/N) understood that he survived his ordeal.

The young man tried to move, but he felt sore.

"Stay still: you need to recover," told him a familiar voice.

The French man gradually turned his eyes and saw Wilhelm standing next to him.

"Wil..."

"I am here, liebe," said Wilhelm while stroking his lover’s hair.

The Jewish man picked a cup of water and handed it to (Y/N).

"You might need it, I guess..."

(Y/N) gently took the cup and drank it before asking:

"How long I slept ?"

"You lied in this bed for two days."

"QUOI? TWO DAYS?"

Wilhelm nodded.

"You need this to recover from all your wounds. I do not know how you managed to survive..."

The older man stopped in his speech, trying to contain his emotions. 

(Y/N) understood that Wil blamed himself for arriving late.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry."

(Y/N) sighed.

"Wil, don't start lying. I see something bothers you, so you better tell me what. Please!"

The older man bit his lip before answering.

"I'm sorry for failing you!"

"What?"

"I failed you. If I went with you, nothing would happen!"

"Wil, nothing is your fault. And I prefer being the only one being captured rather than you!"

The young man lowered his head.

"They knew about us... And Hellstrom told me that I would be your downfall. I'd rather die than betray all of you!"

Tears started to roll down his face.

"I was so scared about you. I thought I would never see you again, but at the same time, I accepted my fate. After all, I'm only a lost boy from Paris, and I know nobody used to care about me. You're the best thing that happened to me, and I would not let these Nazi bastards lay a hand on you!"

The Austrian man wrapped his arms around his lover's waist and pulled him close.

"I'm so glad to find you in time."

He gently stroked (Y/N)'s face.

"You're not just a lost boy from Paris. You mean more than that to me, and I would do everything for you. Never forget that, Schatz!"

Smiling, (Y/N) gently kissed Wilhelm's lips.

"Je t'aime, Wilhelm."

"Ich liebe dich, (Y/N)."

The Austrian helped his boyfriend get up on his feet.

"Come on, I have a surprise for you!"

Intrigued, the young French man followed Wilhelm.

The pair get a warm welcome from the rest of the team.

"Here you are!"

"Welcome back, (Y/N)!"

Aldo smiled.

"Look who is back! You're right on time, (Y/N)! We got a little something for you!"

"Yeah! We got a special guest!" laughed Hirschberg, pointing to a man tied to a tree.

(Y/N) looked at the man and recognized Hellstrom.

The latter no longer showed arrogance; instead, he was scared to death.

The young man smiled and said:

"Well, well, well! I thought I would never see you again. But hey, it's good you're here! Because my ill-natured relationship with Wilhelm would survive the war... unlike you!"

The Nazi officer shook with fear: he assumed capturing (Y/N) would bring the Basterds to the downfall. Instead, it pissed them off, and it angered an Austrian Jew man who would devastate Germany for his French lover.

All against odds.

Thanks for reading: I hope you enjoyed!

Don’t hesitate to send a message!

Take care of you! 😘😍😍

[aquaburst3]

I'm bored, so I'm listing off some of my voice headcanons for the TWST boys. I'm not casting anyone specific in these roles. This is just how they sound like in my head.

Grim: He'd have a west-coast American accent, sounding exactly like King from The Owl House.

Crowley: He would have a Conservative RP accent (aka the posh British accent like Prince William and Kate Middleton).

Heartslabyul

Ace: Working-class Estuary accent. (A character example would be Jay or Simon from The Inbetweeners.)

Deuce: Normally, he would have a very awkward sounding posh Conservative RP accent, but when he goes into his Delinquent Mode, he would slip into London roadman slang and takes on a working-class Estuary accent.

Riddle: Conservative RP accent

Trey: Working-class Yorkshire accent

Cater: Unlike the other guys, he's from the Land of Pyroxene. He would have a strong Hochdeutsch or Parisian accent.

Savanaclaw

Ruggie: Has a slight lower-class Kenyan accent, which becomes far more obvious when he's speaking Swahili, angry or passionate.

Leona: Same as above, but with a higher class one.

Jack: Unlike the other two, he's from the Land of Pyroxene. He would have a slight Hochdeutsch accent (average higher class German accent).

Octanivelle

Azul: Slight Sicilian

Jade & Floyd: Slight Sicilian, but Jade sounds kinda like a toned down version of Sebastian from the Black Butler dub.

Scarabia

Jamil: He would take on a "UAE English" (basically standard American accent with a hint of an Arabic one) while he's at NRC or speaking English. But back home or when he's speaking Arabic, he would have a thicker Arabic accent.

Kalim: Same as Jamil, except he speaks in slight Conservative RP accent when he's talking in English

Pomefiore

Vil: Hochdeutsch naturally, but talks in a Conservative RP accent when he's in movies or at NRC.

Epel: Schwäbisch (the rural German accent), but is forced to talk in Conservative RP accent by Vil.

Rook: Stereotypical French accent

Ignihyde

Idia: Greek

Ortho: Greek

Diasomnia

Malleus: Slight North Russian

Lilia: North Russian

Sebek: North Russian

Silver: Slight North Russian

[gibmb]

In a new skin chapter 5

It felt like every inch of Chloe’s body was sore from sitting in a plane all day but she would have preferred going through another all day flight than finally facing the end of her journey as the sign for it being safe to leave the plane turned on. She sighed as she undid her belt and stood up to grab her bag before making her way off the plane towards her new start.

When Chloe disembarked from the plane she saw all the signs welcoming people, but Chloe couldn't bring herself to care as she made her way towards the exit where she had been told someone was waiting to pick her up. As she made her way through the airport she couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief from being here and not in Paris anymore. She no longer felt the stares or the judgment for what she did as she stepped onto an escalator that took her down to the ground floor. She wondered if anyone would miss her or be happy she was gone but she just decided to push that thought from her head. She had messed up too much to be forgiven.

Once she reached the bottom she saw multiple people holding signs up with names, though none of them had her name. She continued towards the exit and it was there she saw a new sign.

“What the-?" Chloe said to herself as her brows furrowed and her hands tightened into fists.

The sign was being held by a man in a cowboy hat that clashed with his high end business suit and read: Welcome to America, Parisian Exile

Chloe felt her eye twitch at the mocking sign, her ire growing as she walked over and he smiled like a fool at her.

"I take it you're my new problem?" he spoke with a carefree and humorous tone and a thick Southern accent as he tipped his cowboy hat to her. "Don't worry, the jokes will get better from here on out, Miss Bourgeois, but for now-"

"How do you know I'm Miss Bourgeois?" Chloe asked, mainly to spite him or hopefully throw him off his game since he started it.

"Well you’re blonde, you're dressed like someone fleeing from her home, and most importantly you look just like the several pictures from the news that I was given just in case. I didn't care enough to listen to the debrief on you." His grin widened as he continued to tease her, "Plus if it weren't you, this sign wouldn't have hurt your fragile pride so much."

He winked as he tossed the sign in the trash and began walking towards the exit. Chloe grumbled before grabbing her bag and stalking after him. He walked without a care in the world towards the most hideous looking car she'd ever seen in the parking lot.

"What is that abomination?" she demanded, watching him walk to the driver side and unlocking it before looking to her as he opened the door.

"It's a 1972 Gran Torino and it is a beautiful work of art. Come on in, we have to get you to your new home and settled, so I'll give you the rundown on the way,” the man said as he got into the car.

Chloe frowned but followed suit, clutching her bag close as she got into the passenger seat and buckled up. She watched him start the car and as it roared to life, the engine was quickly drowned out as the ugliest and angerists music started playing. Chloe’s hands leapt to her ears before he turned it down.

“Sorry bout that, Miss. Don't normally have passengers in my car," he said as they began the drive to the city. "Ok, so I'll start this off. I'm Roman, your New Life Program officer, which is a fancy way of saying parole officer honestly. But moving on, you are here because you signed up for the New Life Program. You did this because you or a member of your family was affiliated with a villain. Whether you were the villain or not does not matter, you chose this program so that you can start a new life without anyone knowing where you went or who you are. As such you will have no contact with anyone from your previous life, except for the select few that do know you are here, and outside of that there will be no ifs, ands, or buts about what has been chosen for you.

“We have already picked out an apartment for you where I or one of my fellow heroes will be making regular check-ins at. We have also looked into your career choices, it’s a shame you never got that degree for art, you look like you had a real knack for it,” Roman said as he glanced at Chloe and flashed her an earnest smile. Chloe was stunned by the sudden compliment and could only stare at the dash of his car.

Roman returned his focus to the road as he continued, “Since you did graduate from a teaching program, we have already found you a job at a nearby school. Starting next week you'll be teaching there. We'll have the paperwork and every thing at the apartment. Also, I didn't know what you liked so I just ordered pizza. It should be there hopefully by the time we arrive. Any questions. Miss Exile?" Roman asked, slipping back into his flippant tone. Chloe hugged her bag close to herself and glared at Roman as he smiled and drove.

"Are you just going to treat this like a game?! And don't call me that! It's Chloe Bourgeois, ok Roman?" Chloe snapped as they stopped at a red light.

Roman adjusted his posture and his smile faded as his gaze suddenly sent chills down her spine.

"Would you prefer I be like how you expect me to be treating you? Like a criminal who sided with a villain and so on? I mean is it Chloe Bourgois or Soul Destroyer or Queen Banana? How about Queen Wasp? Or was it Miracle Queen?” Roman said, causing Chloe to shrink with each name he listed off. “I'd prefer we joke around and not point fingers. I’m sure you’ve had enough of people accusing you after what you've been through.” Roman’s tone was solemn and annoyed as the light turned green and he began driving.

"This is America, land of the free, home of the brave, and also lots of heroes and villains. Plenty of which don't care about who you are. Like me, I sure as shiii-” Roman’s words suddenly trailed on as he glanced at Chloe and his cheeks flushed, “Saint Patrick don't care, but I do know it's my job to help ya adjust to your new life and that's what I'm gonna do."

Roman huffed before passing another car, a smile creasing his face again, “So instead, let's have some fun and only be serious when we absolutely need to. Chloe, let’s try this from the beginning."

He held out his hand to her as they came to a stop at a building. His smile still made him look like a goofy fool but she found that this time she couldn't help but smile back as she reached out and shook his hand. In that moment, she suddenly felt more sure about all this than she had before boarding that plane when the sound of an alarm snapped her awake.

Chloe shot up from her bed, blearily looking around her grande suite disorientedly as the sun began to crest over the tops of buildings.

Edited and co-written by GrayNeko

[omarcfs]

Elegance Redefined: French Bookcases Infusing Parisian Flair

When it comes to interior design, few styles capture the essence of refined sophistication like the Parisian allure. French bookcases, with their exquisite details and timeless appeal, offer a pathway to infusing your space with that coveted Parisian flair. This article explores how these bookcases can effortlessly blend sophistication and flair, creating a chic and curated ambiance within your interiors.

Sophisticated Craftsmanship:

Parisian style is synonymous with an impeccable attention to detail, and French bookcases are no exception. Intricate carvings, ornate moldings, and delicate hardware converge to create furniture pieces that exude a sense of artistry and elegance.

Harmonious Blends:

The charm of Parisian interiors lies in their ability to balance opulence with comfort. French bookcases, with their refined lines and ornate accents, provide a perfect contrast against more relaxed furnishings, contributing to an inviting yet upscale atmosphere.

Chic Display Spaces:

French bookcases serve as exquisite platforms for showcasing cherished items, from vintage books to curated decor pieces. Their design invites you to create visually captivating arrangements that mirror the curated elegance often seen in Parisian apartments.

Timeless Color Palette:

Parisian decor often embraces a neutral color palette, allowing statement pieces to shine. French bookcases, usually adorned in soft whites, creams, and muted tones, seamlessly integrate into this aesthetic, providing a backdrop that enhances other design elements.

Reflective Ambiance:

Mirrors are a staple in Parisian decor, adding depth and luminosity to spaces. Some French bookcases incorporate mirrored panels or intricate reflective elements, amplifying light and giving a sense of expansiveness to the room.

Fusion of Eras:

One hallmark of Parisian style is the fusion of eras. French bookcases, with their ability to span various design periods, effortlessly blend vintage charm with modern sensibilities, allowing you to create an eclectic yet harmonious ambiance.

Incorporating French bookcases into your decor offers more than just functional storage; it's an opportunity to encapsulate the spirit of Parisian sophistication. As you curate an atmosphere that embodies timeless elegance and a curated eye, these bookcases serve as a testament to the harmonious blend of flair and finesse, elevating your interior design to new heights of chic allure.

[mywrittengartgallery]

Is French a difficult language to learn? I know the accent kills me every time 💀

I believe it is, because even for me as a French, I find it tricky. There are a lot of exceptions and trap in the French language, especially in grammar, but since most of us don't even speak it perfectly, we probably even won't hold you uncountable if you ever make grammar mistakes.

For the accent, I don't really know how to help. Maybe try to watch a lot of French shows, podcasts... from Parisians though, because if they aren't from there, their accents will probably feel weird and you won't really catch on what they are saying. It's easier to learn with the Parisian accent.

[bestluxurybags]

why are Hermes Bags are so Expensive?

The Crocodile Kelly bag is a leather handbag made by Hermès, a Paris-based designer of high-fashion luxury products. The bag was altered multiple times before Grace Kelly, an American actress and princess of Monaco, popularised it and gave it her name. The bag is currently a costly status symbol.

Why hermes bags are so costly?

My impression is that Hermès is neither pricey nor costly. The majority, if not all, of Hermès's items are handmade, which is the primary reason for their exorbitant prices. This luxury house takes pleasure in its distinctive products, and hence, the production of these items has long been regarded as an art form. The expert workmanship and meticulous attention to detail that go into every Hermès product come at a price.

The Birkin bag is a renowned illustration of craftsmanship, exclusivity, and uniqueness. There are no other manufacturers of these accessories, and it takes one artisan seventeen hours to build one purse from start to end. As a result, the wait time for consumers to purchase these special gems can be up to two or three years; this is widely recognised and well worth the wait.

Since its founding in 1837 as a harness workshop in the Parisian neighbourhood of The Grands Boulevards, the company has maintained its high standards. It also challenges consumerism by slowing the production of high-demand goods, so making them more desired. Hermès is not an overpriced luxury brand due to its solid marketing strategy, attention to detail, limited manufacture of items and needless to say, its exceptional products.

Reasons why hermes are Expensive

Exclusive

The reason Hermès Birkin bags are so expensive is because they are among the world's most exclusive accessories. Obtaining one of these bags might be a lifelong struggle, especially if you are not among the world's wealthiest people.

The first hurdle is the price. The least expensive of these bags costs as much as a lightly used automobile or a tiny prefabricated house. The most expensive options can cost more than the priciest brand-new Lexus!

Very High Quality Material

Numerous of the most costly handbags and purses in the world incorporate precious diamonds, metals, and animal skins. This is true for expensive brands such as Gucci and Hermès Birkin bags.

The Hermès Diamond Birkin is an outstanding illustration. Its façade is adorned with glittering diamonds. The alligator leather and gold version of this purse is one of the most expensive!

In addition, there are Birkin bags made of lizard skin and tanned cow leather, with gold or palladium accents. These opulent materials make these bags considerably more costly than regular cloth or stainless steel purses.

Additionally, animal skins are more difficult to deal with than cotton, nylon, or polyester. Skins are often more robust, coarse, and textured than cloth. It takes talent and patience to sew this cloth into a fashionable and properly angular handbag.

Impossible to purchase new bags

Hermès Birkin bags aren't as easy to buy as they seem. Hermès sells a limited quantity of these bags each year.

To buy a new Birkin bag, you must contact Hermès and request an invitation. Still, the brand invites celebrities, fashion designers, and wealthy folks to buy.

Those with the means can acquire a like-new bag on one of numerous internet resale markets. It's different than buying new.

[tf2fansderogatory]

more thoughts about spy because he’s infested my brain

I think that when speaking French he has a Parisian accent, but not because it comes naturally. He changed how he spoke, because a) Parisian is generally considered an accent of higher class and b) if his accent sounds like everyone else’s it makes him harder to distinguish. he does let it slip sometimes. Not on purpose, of course, but when he’s tired, or kinda out of it from blood loss, or he’s gotten a few drinks in him. Nobody can really tell except for medic, who can distinguish it as coming from a bumfuck nowhere in the French countryside.

Medic doesn't actually care about someone's "social standing" or where they come from, since he too comes from bumfuck nowhere, but he thinks it's funny how much this man tries to make himself seem posh. Sometimes he will just look at a map of france and try and find all the smallest towns, then go up to Spy and ask "How do you feel about zhis one?" He is waiting for the day he gets a reaction because then he'll know where the bastard comes from.