#i know they went to paris at the end of september

[repressedgaymer]

I saw a beautiful photo on pinterest and my rpf brain went wild, i also studied paul's handwriting while doing that stupid photo caption. the lengths the artist will go to be accurate

[mclennonlgbt]

Paris in John and Paul’s life

30th September 1961:

“John and I went on a trip for his twenty-first birthday. John was from a very middle-class family, which really impressed me because everyone else was from working-class families. To us John was upper class. His relatives were teachers, dentists, even someone up in Edinburgh in the BBC. It’s ironic, he was always very ‘fuck you!’ and he wrote the song ‘Working Class Hero’ – in fact, he wasn’t at all working class. Anyway, one of John’s relatives gave him £100 for his birthday. A hundred smackers in your hand! That was a real windfall. None of us could believe it. To this day if you gave me £100 I would be impressed. And I was his mate, enough said? ‘Let’s go on holiday.’ – ‘You mean me too? With the hundred quid? Great! I’m part of this windfall.’” - Paul McCartney, Anthology

“We planned to hitchhike to Spain. I had done a spot of hitchhiking with George and we knew you had to have a gimmick; we had been turned down so often and we’d seen that guys that had a gimmick (like a Union Jack round them) had always got the lifts. So I said to John, ‘Let’s get a couple of bowler hats.’ It was showbiz creeping in. We still had our leather jackets and drainpipes – we were too proud of them not to wear them, in case we met a girl; and if we did meet a girl, off would come the bowlers. But for lifts we would put the bowlers on. Two guys in bowler hats – a lorry would stop! Sense of Humour. This, and the train, is how we got to Paris." - Paul McCartney, Anthology

“And Paul and I also did the same thing, once. We just cancelled. We’d made it, in Liverpool. We were making good money, for those days. I can’t remember what it was – maybe a couple of hundred dollars a week – but enough that you’d have a little extra. You’d have it in your back pocket. And Paul and I just— A relative of mine gave me a hundred pounds, for my birthday, which I’d never seen that much money in me life. Paul and I just canceled all the engagements, and left for Paris… And George was furious, because he needed the money – to work, you know. But that was another time when the group was in debate as whether it would exist or not.”  - John Lennon, 1976, an interview with Elliot Mintz

“Last night I heard that John and Paul have gone to Paris to play together – in other words, the band has broken up! It sounds mad to me, I don’t believe it…” - Stuart Sutcliffe, Anthology

"They were brothers. They were the Nerk Twins, and now they were taking a break from the Beatles and going off to Spain. En route, they’d stop a day or two in Paris, to size up the Brigittes, check out the kind of clothes Jurgen Vollmer wore, and perhaps see Jurgen himself, if he was around. [Johnny] Gustafson happened to bump into them the day they left, Saturday 30 September. “They both had bowler hats on, with the usual leather jackets and jeans. They said they were off to Paris, so I walked down to Lime Street station with them and watched them go. They were an incredible pair: always great fun, irreverent, and so close.” - Mark Lewisohn, All These Years: Volume One

“We’d never been there before. We were a bit tired so we checked into a little hotel for the night, intending to go off hitchhiking the next morning. Of course, it was too nice a bed after having hitched so we said, ‘We’ll stay a little longer,’ then we thought, ‘God, Spain is a long way, and we’d have to work to get down there.’ We ended up staying the week in Paris – John was funding it all with his hundred quid.

We would walk miles from our hotel; you do in Paris. We’d go to a place near the Avenue des Anglais and we’d sit in the bars, looking good. I still have some classic photos from there. Linda loves one where I am sitting in a gendarme’s mac as a cape and John has got his glasses on askew and his trousers down revealing a bit of Y-front. The photographs are so beautiful, we’re really hamming it up. We’re looking at the camera like, ‘Hey, we are artsy guys, in a café: this is us in Paris,’ and we felt like that.

We went up to Montmartre because of all the artists, and the Folies Bergères, and we saw guys walking around in short leather jackets and very wide pantaloons. Talk about fashion! This was going to kill them when we got back. This was totally happening. They were tight to the knee and then they flared out; they must have been about fifty inches around the bottom and our drainpipe trousers were something like fifteen or sixteen inches. We saw these trousers and said, ‘Excusez-moi, Monsieur, où did you get them?’ It was a cheap little rack down the street so we bought a pair each, went back to the hotel, put them on, went out on the street – and we couldn’t handle it: ‘Do your feet feel like they are flapping? Feel more comfortable in me drainies, don’t you?’ So it was back to the hotel at a run, needle and cotton out and we took them in to a nice sixteen with which we were quite happy. And then we met Jürgen Vollmer on the street. He was still taking pictures." - Paul McCartney, Anthology

“Jürgen had a flattened-down hairstyle with a fringe in the front, which we rather took to. We went over to his place and there and then he cut – hacked would be a better word – our hair into the same style.” - John Lennon, 1963

Interviewer: I heard you took a trip to Spain before once, didn’t you? On Holiday? Paul: I didn’t go to Spain, no. I tried once to make Spain but… and John and I were gonna hitchhike. We hitchhiked down from Liverpool… We didn’t hitchhike. No, we got the train down from Liverpool ‘cause we thought we won’t hitchhike down the first bit. And we got the boat over to Paris. Then we got the train into Paris ‘cause we thought: “Well, it’ll be too hard to get a hitch here”. And we just stayed in Paris all week. And eventually… I mean, all the time trying to get out of Paris and make Spain! We never made it, we just flew home at the end. What a lazy hitchhiking Holiday!

“The thing was all the kissing and holding that was going on in Paris. And it was so romantic just to be there and see them even though I was 21 and sort of not romantic. But I really loved it, the way the people would just stand under a tree kissing. And they weren’t not mauling at each other, they were just kissing.” - John Lennon

"John’s 21st birthday was a month away, and he knew he was getting money — 100 pounds cash, more than he or Paul had ever seen in their lives. (…) Bob Wooler was party to their planning, and fought with them:

They were bored, and decided they would go away for a month. I thought this was disastrous because they would be away from the scene too long and lose their fans, Fans were very capricious: they moved from one group to another. And anyway, what about the other two members, George Harrison and Pete Best?. What about them, what do they do? We argued a lot about this — we argued in the back room of the grapes pub to a large extent —- and they said ‘Well, we’ll go away for a fortnight only’

(…) Equally, the promoters who paid the Beatles over-the-odds to present them every week had to “lump it” (….). To a man, and woman, they were incensed by it - but John and Paul hadn’t a care. They didn’t mean to be rude about it but basically it was tough shit.

it was tough too on Dot and Cyn, Dot simply had to accept the situation, but Cyn had a greater case of grievance. John was heading off without her when he could so easily gave waited for the art school holidays. (…).

That John was taking Paul, no one else, accentuates the renewed closeness since Stu quit The Beatles. They were the Beatles force, an unstoppable and authentically powerful pair. “Lennon had the attitude”, Wooler said, “and taking his lead from Lennon, McCartney could be similar. At times they reminded me of those well-to-do Chicago lads Leopold and Loeb, who killed someone because they felt superior to him. Lennon and McCartney were superior human beings”

"You’d always see them together, in the pub or walking along the street", says Johnny Gustafson of the Big Tree. "They were a duo, and seemed each other’s equal". Bernie Boyle, the young lad hanging around with them at every opportunity, says, "They were like brothers, with John as the elder and Paul’s mentor. They were so tight it was like there was a telepathy between them: on stage, they’d look at each other and know instinctively what the other was thinking"

They were brothers. They were the Nerk Twins, and now they were taking a break from The Beatles and gofin off to Spain. 

Gustafson happened to bump into them the day they left, Saturday, September 30. “They both had bowler hats on, with the usual leather jackets and jeans. They said they were off to Paris, so I walked down to Lime Street station and watched them go. They were an incredible pair: always great fun, irreverent and so close. - Mark Lewisohn, Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years (2013)

As was written in this post: That last picture is one Paul took of John sleeping in Paris. From what I remember of a performance he did of ‘Here Today’, and earlier comments, this picture hangs framed on a wall in Paul’s house.

Unconfirmed quote (may or may not be true): 

"He must have been fond of me to spend that money. He let me have all the banana milkshakes I wanted.”  - Paul McCartney

In January 1964, only a few scant weeks before the Beatles took America by storm, the band mates settled in for an extended stay in Paris. For the group, the Parisian visit proved to be a magical experience, with the Beatles playing 18 shows at the Olympia Theatre between Jan. 16 and Feb. 4 (source).

The Beatles were staying at the George V Hotel at the time. John and Paul composed "Can't Buy Me Love", "I Should Have Known Better" and "If I Fell" on the piano.

The photo Paul took of John (in the "Eyes Of The Storm" book):

1966: Paul, his girlfriend Maggie McGivern, John and Brian Epstein spend 5 days in Paris. "All of them flew into France separately — Lennon had been filming abroad and Epstein had been away on business. Maggie and Paul, she says, traveled apart ‘as part of keeping the relationship secret’. During the five-day trip the foursome stayed at the same Paris hotel where she and Paul shared a luxury suite. ‘It was a marvelous holiday,’ she says. ‘. . . just walking around the streets of Paris.��My abiding memory is of me, John and Paul lying under the Eiffel Tower, gazing up at it. We couldn’t go up because we would have been recognised, and we were masters at the art of avoiding people." [x]

1969:

Hoping to get married in France, John Lennon and Yoko Ono flew to Paris on this day [16th March].

The couple had decided to marry on 14 March 1969, two days after the wedding of Paul McCartney to Linda Eastman; whether it was in response to this event on some level is open to conjecture.

On McCartney’s wedding day Lennon and Ono were travelling to Poole in Dorset, where he introduced her to his Aunt Mimi. During the journey he asked his chauffeur Les Anthony to go to Southampton to enquire about the possibility of the wedding being held at sea, on the cross-channel ferry to France.

(source)

“On March 12, Paul married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office in London, amid scenes of hysterical grief from his female fans. None of the other Beatles was present. The news reached John as he and Yoko were driving down to visit Aunt Mimi in Poole. Yoko’s divorce decree had become final a few weeks earlier, and, in a resurgence of Beatle copycat, John told her they, too, must get married as soon as possible” - Philip Norman, John Lennon: The Life (2008)

"We chose Gibraltar because it is quiet, British and friendly. We tried everywhere else first. I set out to get married on the car ferry and we would have arrived in France married, but they wouldn’t do it. We were no more successful with cruise ships. We tried embassies, but three weeks’ residence in Germany or two weeks’ in France were required." - John Lennon

1974:

“After a late lunch, Linda launched into a long paean to the joys of living in England. When she was finished, she turned to John and said, “Don’t you miss England?”

“Frankly,” John replied, “I miss Paris.””

— May Pang, Loving John (1983)

1978:

Wings album "London Town" is released. It includes the song "Cafe on the Left Bank", the lyrics of which clearly refer to John and Paul's trip to Paris.

Late 1970s (maybe 1978?): John is singing to Paul about Paris in a home recording. Longer version

1970s: John writes "Skywriting by Word of Mouth", a book that would be released in 1986. One story is about sex he had with a woman in Paris. Here it is. As anon noticed here: "...the woman is called Amie L'Nitrate and Amyl Nitrate is a reference to poppers. He talks about grabbing her 'pomme de frites.' Her potatoes? He uses the term 'tread lightly on some loafers' which is an old euphenism for being gay. Amie says they should have sex to God Only Knows. Then John says their relationship ended in a seething rage but he still thinks of 'her.'" @sgtsaltsband concluded in the same post: "so he writes a story about PARIS ( where he and paul went on a trip for his 21st bday and never stopped talking about it ) , in the HOTEL where the Beatles stayed later on [Hotel V in 1964] , names the girl after POPPERS ( a drug commonly used by gay men during sex ) , the girl wants to have sex to PAULS fave song and he uses this PHRASE." Also: this is an excerpt of the story:

"Boogie" is a slang word for sex or dance (also, "Born to Boogie" is a 1972 movie starring Marc Bolan, Elton John and Ringo Starr). "Band on the Run" is a Paul McCartney and Wings' album which John loved. "Sue you sue me" can be a reference to to the Beatles' legal and business disputes and the fact that Paul sued John, George and Ringo in December 1970, and to "Sue Me, Sue You Blues", a song by George.

(thank you @menlove for uploading the story and pointing out interesting words!)

1994 - Paul inducting John to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

“And then on your 21st birthday you got £100 off one of your rich relatives up in Edinburgh, so we decided we’d go to Spain. So we hitch-hiked out of Liverpool. And we got as far as Paris, and decided to stop there for a week. And eventually got our haircut, by a fellow named Jürgen, and that ended up being the ‘Beatle haircut’.”

I also remember watching an interview with Paul about his album "Memory Almost Full" (2007). Thank you for adding, @ringompreg!

(it's like 7 minutes in) Interviewer: There is a very beautiful song called "The End Of The End", the way you talk about your whole ending, and the lyric goes: "It's a start of a journey to a much better place." You mean, better than England? Paul: It's basically a start of a journey to France. Or Spain through France. Yeah, that's what it is. It's a much better place, Paris.

Also worth mentoning:

"All You Need Is Love" begins with La Marseillaise.

"Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)" contains French-language speech by BBC broadcaster Pierre Le Sève.

Bonus

[psychologeek]

It's long and incoherent, bc I'm sick (39.3 bb) and tired and everything hurts. Might try to edit/make a more organised about it later. But anyway.

[ID: a twitter screenshot of a poster in Paris, France, showing an olympic podium. On the the first place, there's a bodybag with two Israeli flags waving on it. The second and third place has missiles on the podium. Under every number (1,2,3) is written "Israel". The whole podium is flooded with blood, dripping and staining it. There's a big writing: "when it comes to killing for sport, there's no competition". Smaller writing: "from using starvation as a weapon of war to bombing hospitals, there's no war crime off limits for the team"./ID end].

So, this is not only wrong and inaccurate (on all accusations), this is also antisemic af. Historically, this is where I'd be telling ppl to be super careful. But I guess we all are. Also love how ppl ignore the bloody history of Olympics. Murder of 11 Israeli participants rings a bell? No? Ah of course. Why would it. Jews being murdered is no news.

Why is it antisemic?

Oh, hello OG blood libels! Didn't miss you at all.

Subtext of this poster is: (The Jews Israelis) Kill for profit (ritualic reasons, sports).

Which is. You know. Very normal thing to do TM.

Why is it problematic?

In England in 1144, the Jews of Norwich were falsely accused of ritual murder after a boy, William of Norwich, was found dead in the woods with stab wounds. William's hagiographer, Thomas of Monmouth, falsely claimed that every year there is an international council of Jews at which they choose the country in which a child will be killed during Easter, because of a Jewish prophecy that states that the killing of a Christian child each year will ensure that the Jews will be restored to the Holy Land. According to Monmouth, England was chosen in 1144, and the leaders of the Jewish community delegated the Jews of Norwich to perform the killing, after which they abducted and crucified William. The legend was turned into a cult, with William acquiring the status of a martyr and pilgrims bringing offerings to the local church. This was followed by similar accusations in Gloucester (1168), Bury St Edmunds (1181) and Bristol (1183). In 1189, the Jewish deputation attending the coronation of Richard the Lionheart was attacked by the crowd. Massacres of Jews at London and York soon followed. In 1190 on 16 March 150 Jews were attacked in York and then massacred when they took refuge in the royal castle, where Clifford's Tower now stands, with some committing suicide rather than being taken by the mob. The remains of 17 bodies thrown in a well in Norwich between the 12th and 13th century (five that were shown by DNA testing to likely be members of a single Jewish family) were very possibly killed as part of one of these pogroms.

~

At Bösing (Bazin, today Pezinok, Slovakia), it was charged that a nine-year-old boy had been bled to death, suffering cruel torture; thirty Jews confessed to the crime and were publicly burned. The true facts of the case were disclosed later when the child was found alive in Vienna. He had been taken there by the accuser, Count Wolf of Bazin, as a means of ridding himself of his Jewish creditors at Bazin.

~

The Massena blood libel was an instance of blood libel against Jews in which the Jews of Massena, New York, were falsely accused of the kidnapping and ritual murder of a Christian girl in September 1928.

On September 22, 1928, two days before Yom Kippur, four-year-old Barbara Griffiths went for a walk and did not come back home.

After a long search by townspeople and state police, a rumor began to circulate that the girl had been kidnapped and killed by the town's Jews for a religious ritual associated with the impending holiday

.....

Barbara Griffiths was found in the woods later that afternoon roughly a mile from her home. She told authorities she had become lost during her walk and slept in the forest. Nevertheless, some citizens of Massena continued to believe that Griffiths had been kidnapped by the Jews. They attributed her safe return to the discovery of the Jews' plot. The mayor may have led a boycott of businesses owned by Jews.

Does it sounds familiar?

"oh, but it was long ago!"

The Matzah of Zion was written by the Syrian Defense Minister, Mustafa Tlass in 1986. The book concentrates on two issues: renewed ritual murder accusations against the Jews in the Damascus affair of 1840, and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The book was cited at a United Nations conference in 1991 by a Syrian delegate. On 21 October 2002, the London-based Arabic paper Al-Hayat reported that the book The Matzah of Zion was undergoing its eighth reprinting and it was also being translated into English, French and Italian.Egyptian filmmaker Munir Radhi has announced plans to adapt the book into a film.

~

In 2002, the Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi said, "People always talk about what the Germans did to the Jews, but the true question is, 'What did the Jews do to the Germans?'"[140] Gilad Atzmon stated, "Jewish texts tend to glaze over the fact that Hitler's 28 March 1933, ordering a boycott against Jewish stores and goods, was an escalation in direct response to the declaration of war on Germany by the worldwide Jewish leadership."

~

In 2003, a private Syrian film company created a 29-part television series Ash-Shatat ("The Diaspora"). This series originally aired in Lebanon in late 2003 and it was subsequently broadcast by Al-Manar, a satellite television network owned by Hezbollah. This TV series, based on the antisemitic forgery The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, shows the Jewish people engaging in a conspiracy to rule the world, and it also presents Jews as people who murder the children of Christians, drain their blood and use it to bake matzah.

~

In an address that aired on Al-Aqsa TV, a Hamas run TV station in Gaza, on 31 March 2010, Salah Eldeen Sultan (Arabic: صلاح الدين سلطان), founder of the American Center for Islamic Research in Columbus, Ohio, the Islamic American University in Southfield, Michigan, and the Sultan Publishing Co. and described in 2005 as "one of America's most noted Muslim scholars", alleged that Jews kidnap Christians and others in order to slaughter them and use their blood for making matzos. Sultan, who is currently a lecturer on Muslim jurisprudence at Cairo University stated that: "The Zionists kidnap several non-Muslims [sic] – Christians and others... this happened in a Jewish neighborhood in Damascus. They killed the French doctor, Toma, who used to treat the Jews and others for free, in order to spread Christianity. Even though he was their friend and they benefited from him the most, they took him on one of these holidays and slaughtered him, along with the nurse. Then they kneaded the matzos with the blood of Dr. Toma and his nurse. They do this every year. The world must know these facts about the Zionist entity and its terrible corrupt creed. The world should know this." (Translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute)

~

In April 2013, the Palestinian non-profit organization MIFTAH, founded by Hanan Ashrawi apologized for publishing an article which criticized US President Barack Obama for holding a Passover Seder in the White House by saying "Does Obama, in fact, know the relationship, for example, between 'Passover' and 'Christian blood'...?! Or 'Passover' and 'Jewish blood rituals?!' Much of the chatter and gossip about historical Jewish blood rituals in Europe is real and not fake as they claim; the Jews used the blood of Christians in the Jewish Passover." MIFTAH's apology expressed its "sincerest regret".

~

In a sermon broadcast on the official Jordanian TV channel on 22 August 2014, Sheik Bassam Ammoush, a former Minister of Administrative Development who was appointed to Jordan's House of Senate ("Majlis al-Aayan") in 2011, stated (as translated by MEMRI): "In [the Gaza Strip] we are dealing with the enemies of Allah, who believe that the matzos that they bake on their holidays must be kneaded with blood. When the Jews were in the diaspora, they would murder children in England, in Europe, and in America. They would slaughter them and use their blood to make their matzos... They believe that they are God's chosen people. They believe that the killing of any human being is a form of worship and a means to draw near their god."

[flightfoot]

Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic Recs for 2022

As a lot of you know, I read metric butt-ton of Miraculous fanfics, so I wanted to share with you 19 multi-chap fics, and 16 Miraculous one-shots (I just went through all the ones I really wanted to rec people instead of trying to fit a particular number) that I think y’all should take a look at. I tagged people’s tumblr blogs when I knew them, but I may well have missed some, especially if their username was different between AO3 and tumblr. Feel free to tag authors who I missed. Note that I’m only counting fics that were completed in 2022, so no ongoing fics. Enjoy!

Multi-chap fics:

When The Morning Comes by @into-september:

Gabriel Agreste has been unmasked as Hawkmoth, and the girl who was fighting him all these years turns out to be Tom Dupain's daughter. And standing between them is Adrien Agreste with his life in shatters that Tom Dupain has no way of piecing together.

But baking is at least a place to start.

I love how this not only digs into Adrien’s character, but Tom’s as well, especially how both of them have been estranged from their fathers. I haven’t seen that come up much.

---

Walking That Mile by @nomolosk

Nino and Alya wake up in the wrong bodies. Several things result from this, including, but not limited to, identity reveals and a better understanding of what their respective best friends are going through.

Never knew I needed Nino!Plagg and Alya!Tikki in my life, but there you go XD. It’s not all fun and games though, this is a Hawkmoth Takedown fic as well, and dealing with the effects of that.

---

The Sidekick Conspiracy by @bring-the-storm:

It's common knowledge among the heroes of Paris that their sidekick, the civilian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, is actually secretly their leader, pretending to be a normal girl who just ‘happens’ to show up at battles. Common knowledge to everyone except Marinette. What do you do when you're in the center of a conspiracy that doesn’t actually exist? In which Marinette is confused, Chat has no idea what's going on, Master Fu just wants Marinette to be safe, and everyone is misinterpreting the situation.

This one is just fun! Marinette has no idea she keeps on being given jewelry all of a sudden, and Fu’s frustrated that she won’t actually USE the damn Miraculous already.

---

As the dust settles by @pengirl91:

After Ladybug lost everything and yet her partner stood by her, she realized what she had been trying to lie to herself about for months. She is undoubtedly in love with him. The only problem is that she's terrified of what that could lead to and there's a monumental task ahead of them before it might be safe to act on her feelings for him... more than she already has.

Post Strike Back with my hopes, wishes, and predictions for season 5 as I wait with great impatience. Now complete.

The meat of this story is mostly a SentiAdrien fic. Adrien discovers that Gabriel is Hawkmoth, so Gabriel orders him to stay silent about what he found out, as well as giving orders to help him with plans to obtain the Miraculous he needs. Luckily, he doesn’t know that Adrien is Chat Noir...

---

A Little Fall Of Rain by @funnydoesntlookdruish:

Unable to transform in time, Marinette sacrifices her life to save Adrien from an assassin. With the help of the Kwamis, Adrien is able to bring her back to life, but it comes at a price. One that Adrien alone must pay. Now, Adrien is forced to keep even more secrets. The fact that Marinette is alive and that she has been his Lady all long. More than ever, they must defeat Hawkmoth. Only then can Marinette return to her life.

This one’s pretty angsty, arguably even more on Adrien’s end than Marinette’s. As part of their cover, Adrien has to be injured pretty badly, in ways that couldn’t be reversed if not for magic.

---

Strangely Familiar by @sunfoxfic

Alya Césaire’s life is perfect. Indeed, between the success of the Ladyblog, how well she’s doing in school, and the fact that she’s a superhero who has never bore the weight of a crisis of epic proportions, her life almost couldn’t be better. Almost.

But Alya has always been a go-getter, and so she’ll chase after that perfect life if it kills her. Which is how she ends up rushing to move out of her father’s apartment and in with Marinette, Adrien, and a complete stranger: Nino Lahiffe. And in fact, her life does seem perfect — she and Nino are fast friends. They spend a lot of time together and get to know each other really well.

But in the end, fortunate situations will bear unfortunate truths, and she learns things about herself that aren’t quite comfortable. Like I said, though: Alya has always been a go-getter, and she won’t let new feelings deter her from chasing after her perfect life.

This is the single longest DJWifi-centric fic on AO3 (which is a travesty) and it is GLORIOUS. Alya and Nino are both well fleshed-out here, with their own problems and baggage they’re dealing with, but it’s easier together.

---

final girl by @picayunearts:

Marinette has ninety-nine problems, and the superhero trio of Paris counts for a hundred.

[AU where Marinette follows through on giving up her earrings after Stoneheart, but becomes the Guardian to protect her replacement.]

This is just great. Marinette thinks she failed, but the other heroes wouldn’t agree. And eventually, she gains some confidence in herself as well.

---

Over and Over by @stcrsquad:

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has had the worst day possible. She's failed to confess to Adrien (again), made an embarrassment of herself, and got into a fight with Chat Noir.

Adrien Agreste has had the worst day possible. He is tired of being pushed aside by everyone, including his crime-fighting partner Ladybug.

Luckily, fate (and Bunnyx) works in mysterious ways because they wake up again on the same day. A do-over. Except it keeps happening. Can the two figure out what they need to fix to break the loop, or will they be stuck forever?

Look these two will sit down and has things out even if it takes being stuck in a time loop together to make that happen.

---

When Bunnyx Brings A Baby by @funnydoesntlookdruish:

Marinette thought she was up to any challenge. She was Ladybug after all! But when Bunnyx arrives with a baby in her arms asking her to babysit, Marinette quickly learns that Akuma battles are easy compared to taking care of a baby. A baby that seems to know her and for some strange reason... Adrien?

Anentry in the “Lovesquare has to babysit their future children” genre! This is just adorable. Has an ongoing sequel too.

---

The Call of the Running Tide by @nemaliwrites: 

To escape an arranged marriage, Adrien runs away from home, leaving behind all that he has ever known. In search of easy transportation, he sneaks aboard a ship at the docks. Everything seems like it is going according to plan — until he finds out that the ship belongs to the fierce pirate captain Ladybug.

I’m amazed this isn’t more popular. I mean, Lovesquare pirates!AU, with the Miracuclass as Ladybug’s crew? Come on! 

It mostly has Adrien trying to fit in with the crew, find his way, that sort of thing. Though there is a confrontation with his father at the end.

---

metamorphosis by @peachcitt:

“I was thinking about that time you hated me.” “Why?” "I don’t know." “I didn’t.” “I know.”

or

three years after hawkmoth's defeat, marinette is still trying to figure out her version of normal. there's also sleepovers.

This has been a very popular fic so most people probably at least know of it, even if they haven’t read it themselves, but in case someone out there hasn’t: basically, Chat runs off with the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses after Hawkmoth’s defeat and never shows up again, worrying Ladybug sick and making her fear that he died. But then a mysterious new Butterfly Holder starts attacking Paris, only he seems a lot nicer than the last one, more of an Anti-villain than anything...

A Major Test of Strength by @nemaliwrites:

There is only one thing in Paris hated as much as the akumas: Ladybug herself. In an effort to help the Savior of Paris, Adrien winds up on the wrong end of an akuma attack — only to find himself stuck reliving the same day.

With enough time, anyone can be a hero, and as he continues dying over and over, he is forced to confront the idea that these loops may be just as much of a blessing as they are a curse.

This is loosely inspired by “All You Need Is Kill”, but no knowledge of that manga is needed to understand the story. There’s a bit of a mystery element going on as Adrien tries to figure out why he keeps dying even when he takes steps to prevent it, how he keeps coming back, and what the deal is with Ladybug, anyway. 

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Cataclysm by Lucid:

When Chat Noir uses Cataclysm on an akumatized ring that ends up being his amok, Marinette is left alone to solve the mystery of Hawkmoth's motives and bring back her missing partner.

This Sentiadrien fic does something I haven’t seen really explored before: it delves into what might happen if Adrien had to be recreated after having been destroyed, and the problems that might arise from that attempt. I love when we get to see Adrien’s perspective especially.

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in case you don’t know me tomorrow by @thelibraryloser:

“We live in a crazy world where pieces of our lives can be erased like they never even happened. I just wanted to memorize this moment so… so I could keep it, if that makes sense.”

Adrien's heart gave a little flutter. She wanted to keep this moment, meeting him. She wanted to keep… him.

“I understand exactly what you mean."

In a world that has created a way to selectively delete memories, no moment is truly safe. So how do you hold on to something when the memory of it is gone? And how do you keep fighting for someone when you're the only one who remembers?

This is a SEVERELY underrated fic. It’s got some shades of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” in the world, though the plot is very different - the memory erasure ain’t willing. 

Basically, the first few chapters are establishing Adrien’s and Marinette’s romance, and then the rest of the fic is dealing with Gabriel being an absolute DICK and using any means at his disposal to break them apart. It’s fantastic and I highly recommend reading it!

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Shelltering Others by @rosie-b:

When Ladybug wakes Nino up in the middle of the night to scold him for revealing his identity, he thinks his career as a Miraculous holder is over. But instead, Ladybug gives him the opportunity to prove himself by becoming Chat Noir's confidant and learning his secret identity through a scavenger hunt of sorts. Will Nino pass Ladybug and Chat Noir's test, or will he fail to put the pieces together in time?

Quick disclaimer here: the first chapter looks kinda salty towards Nino, with Ladybug laying into him for revealing his and Alya’s secret identities to Adrien and Marinette. She’s mostly just trying to scare him into taking them seriously, though, since she herself has just proposed that Nino become Chat’s secret-keeper, and he can’t afford to be lackadaisical with that identity. I highly recommend getting through at least chapter 2 of the fic when giving it a shot, because this had some great character development and introspection for Nino, on Chat Noir, Adrien, Ladybug, and himself. 

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run boy run by tinuviel_tinuviel

Nino was sprawled on the floor of his room with Alya when his phone chimed, in the quiet of a premature autumnal sunset. It was one of those lazy evenings that had become rare lately. Contrary to popular belief, he and Alya could get studying done when in the same room, and he was elbows-deep in late assignments, which meant his phone was on Do Not Disturb, which meant the notification could only have come from one person.

ADRIEN 🐈: cmoe ove rnow ADRIEN 🐈: like riggt now ADRIEN 🐈: plag NINO: that is literally incomprehensible NINO: wait is that you plagg ADRIEN 🐈: mov faster

So this is a “Adrien finds out that his father is Hawkmoth and consults with Nino about what to do” fic, with Nino throwing Hawkmoth off Adrien’s track, though inadvertently at his own expense. Love Nino’s perspective here, and I always enjoy a good Hawkmoth-takedown fic!

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Restorative Justice by @kasienda:

Chloé has never been a fan of Ms. Bustier’s community building activities. In fact, she detests them. She doesn’t want to learn about the drab boring lives of her peers. And she absolutely can’t stand it when their confessions make her feel things. Feelings that she doesn’t even have names for. But when Adrien unknowingly shares his struggles with his double life, Chloé vows she will do anything to get Ladybug to set things right. Even if it means pissing off the heroine. Chloé was already mad at her anyway.

I ADORE people talking out about what hurt them, with everyone growing to understand each other, and focusing on making recompense rather than just punishment, so this was fantastic. This isn’t all about Chloe either, Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino all get to hash things out with each other as well in a group session, and it’s just really, really nice to read.

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48 Hours To Make You Love Me by @mysticraven20:

“When did you stop?”

“Stop what, M’Lady?”

“Stop loving me?”

When two heroes miss the minibus for their winter get away with the gang they have no other choice but to make their way to the resort by themselves.

After avoiding their feelings for years, a freak snow storm makes them reconsider more than just whether to carry on driving.

Luckily, they find a quaint little bed and breakfast where suddenly they’re thrown into a situation where their feelings can no longer be held back; but, is it too late?

The interference of an elderly couple after an eavesdropping accident helps both Adrien and Marinette come to terms with their feelings and their actions.

Through movies, hot chocolates and snuggling to keep warm, Marinette wonders if it’s possible to make Adrien love her again, and more so can she do it by the time they need to leave their little sanctuary?

This just has a lot of adorable Adrienette shenanigans, with a fun time travel twist that had me inwardly squealing XD. If you want some Lovesquare fluff, this is a good one.

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team is a four letter word by @ladyofthenoodle:

Alya didn’t want to come between Ladybug and Chat Noir. But she didn’t want to stop being Rena Rouge either. And if Chat Noir didn’t want to talk to her, then she’d need to find a different way to prove all three of them could be a team.

Her plan unintentionally brings a few secrets to light, which leads to even more secrets coming to light, which leads to... well, Alya is sure it'll all work out eventually.

This is a season 4 fic, with a heavy emphasis on repairing the relationships that were damaged, or could have been damaged, during that season. I love how everyone gets to really feel and react, be hurt and then gain understanding, with a happy ending to cap it off!

One-shots:

hella enchanted by @xiueryn:

Years ago, Marinette's father died and she was left with her awful stepmother. With magic forcing her to obey every command, she lived as a servant and gave up hope. When a man appears, searching for the very fairy that blessed her, Marinette decides to give life one more try. AU.

(a different ella enchanted au.)

Even though it’s a one-shot this one is pretty long, clocking in at over 30k words. Absolutely worth a shot, though. The first third is basically Marinette dealing with being pushed around because of her “blessing”, and the other two-thirds is just some adorable fluff of her and Adrien touring the country together. 

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Is it cool that you’re in my head? by @bring-the-storm: 

Alya stared at the picture plastered across the homepage of every single tabloid and news site, whispering every curse she could think of under her breath. SHOCKING SECRET ROMANCE BETWEEN LADYBLOGGER AND PARISIAN SUPERVILLAIN REVEALED!!! the headline announced, casually shouting the words she had been dreading for all of Paris to read.

--- Alya had always assumed that someday Paris would discover that she had secretly been kissing their most wanted vigilante, but she had never thought it would happen so soon. As the domino effects of her relationship with Ladybug go spiraling through her life, Alya turns her sights towards the one responsible: the elusive superhero Hawkmoth.

AKA Someone outs Alya and her girlfriend so she retaliates by deciding to take down Hawkmoth

I recommend this to anyone who either A. Loves Alya and wants to see more of her in a starring role, or B., wants to see an AU where Parisians could feasibly believe that Hawkmoth is the good guy, and that Ladybug and Chat Noir are, if not villains, at least reckless. 

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We’re breaking free (there’s not a star in heaven we can’t reach) by @pauliestorylover:

Wing binding was a symbol of prestige in high society, but Adrien would much rather be born a pauper than be forced to bind his wings for another day. Becoming Chat Noir might be the chance he had been waiting for to break free and gain a taste of the heavens.

Meanwhile, Nino and Marinette were quickly learning the joys of the pastime called ‘hating rich old white men who moonlighted as supervillains’.

Excellent Wingfic here! It’s got some excellent worldbuilding in it. I especially like how it’s customary to exchange feathers with people you’re close to, and put them in particular places on your wings to symbolize what they mean to you, whether they’re friends, family, or lovers. That particular piece of lore is used to great effect in the story.

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How Could I Not? by SorryJustAnotherPerson

In fairy tale books, Princesses were saved by nights from ferocious dragons. Those books were not their story, but Rose was happy to flip over a new page with her Juleka every single day.

Many years ago, she was put to this tower by her parents and her kingdom, along with a fire breathing dragon, so she could find her prince charming one day. How foolish for them to not calculate her falling in love with the dragon. I mean seriously.

How could she not?

I love fairy tale type stories, especially fractured fairy tales. And Juleka being a dragon is awesome. This is just a fun and adorable story.

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Once Upon A Time by kao_rei:

"Humans fear wolves. I mean, we're horrible, sickening creatures, aren't we?" Adrien laughed.

"I don't think so," Marinette muttered. "Well, not anymore when I met you."

Marinette's days are all the same—she puts on her red cape, makes deliveries for her parents' bakery, and goes home to rest before another busy day. Adrien is a wolf-boy who watches her from afar, awaiting the day they finally meet to change their stories.

While falling in love may bring about some challenges, they're willing to fight through them together because they'd never settle for a "the end". They want a "happily ever after", too.

(In which Marinette is Little Red Riding Hood, Adrien is the Wolf, and they fall in love somewhere between deliveries, flower fields, and shiny red apples).

Did I mention I love fairy tale stories? Because I do.

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(pockets full of) stones by felledstar:

Even though he wants to be “normal” and go to a “normal school” and have friends just like everyone else, Adrien’s discovered that he’s… not very good at it. It isn’t that he’s a superhero in his nonexistent spare time, or that he’s got a job modelling for his father, or that he’s got so many activities that it takes a whole other person to keep track of his schedule. It’s that… he’s always tripping over things that everyone else seems to know that he… just doesn’t know.

First day of school and we already have two lovebirds.

But there are some things that he does know, no matter what anyone else—Nino, Plagg, the entire population of Paris—thinks.

How he feels is one.

Whatever. She’s just a friend. A friend.

He loves Ladybug. Marinette is his friend.

Why doesn’t anyone believe him?

This is an aroace!Adrien story, that digs into the effects of amatonormativity on people. Especially with how the class all assumes that Adrien would be romantically interested in Marinette, and tries to matchmake him and Marinette in order to make both of them happy, much to his frustration. Based on what the class did in Guiltrip, I could see this happening. They love and care about their classmates and want to help them as much as they can, but that doesn’t mean they always know how best to do that.

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Lady... bird? by @graaythekwami:

“Marinette!” Tikki called, flying towards the small room of water. “Marinette there’s an akuma– we need to transform!”

The parrot’s head popped up, recognizing these words. They were always said when the report came on TV– a routine he had come to know well. Akuma report, we need to transform, and finally–

“Tikki!” The bird cawed happily. “Spots on!”

This story is just hilarious. Tikki ain’t happy afterwards XD

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I Won’t Let You by @generalluxun

After Gabriel's defeat, two individuals not party to the celebration run into each other, and find each other.

The summary doesn’t give much of an idea of what the fic’s about. Post-Hawkmoth Defeat, Chloe and Felix run into each other at the celebration of Gabriel’s downfall, and vent about their problems. Neither of them think the other one has it too bad - Chloe’s worried about disappearing, since her worth was entirely tied to her family’s prestige and wealth, and being seen as friends to a terrorist is gonna cripple both of those, while Felix is on edge about Ladybug having the Peacock Miraculous, since she has the ability to kill him at a moment’s notice (yes this is a Sentifelix fic). 

They both make each other understand the turmoil the other is going through in extremely visceral ways, showing the other what it’s like to be them, in the circumstances they’re in. I don’t want to spoil what, exactly, they do, but needless to say, it’s worth a read.

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don’t you worry child by kopycat_101

Marc and Nathaniel have a good life, married and living together in a cottage in the woods. But they consider having children at some point.

Marc in particular really wants to start a family with his husband. He knows the fey are real, so he goes searching in the woods to find one to strike a deal.

He may get a bit more than he bargained for in the process.

This is based on a tumblr post that’s been going around, which I think a lot of people will recognize as they continue going through the story. That post is credited at the end of the fic, so as not to spoil the plot.

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Chat Walker’s Trial by @pearl484-blog

Instead of Catwalker showing up to serve as her new Chat Noir, Ladybug is stunned to find that Chat Noir has returned to her, having "improved" himself by repressing his emotions, memories, and willfulness. Deciding that this will not stand, she organizes her teammates to convince Chat Noir that giving those traits up and becoming the perfect partner was not the right move, but how can she argue against perfection?

Adrien Augreste 2022 entry for the day 23-24 prompt: Swap

This is a really intriguing fic. Instead of becoming Cat Walker in Kuro Neko, Adrien instead runs across a mage who helpfully provides some spells to make him into the “perfect” partner for Ladybug, magically suppressing his emotions and urge to rebel, as well as his memories of being Chat Noir, in order to make sure he doesn’t love her anymore. Ladybug, naturally, is distraught about this, but since Chat did all of this of his own free will, she needs to actually persuade him it was a bad move, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s exquisitely painful at times with the amount of self-hatred Chat has for his previous self, and how the Miracuteam is divided on how bad these changes actually are, since he does seem more focused now - though the holdouts are a lot less on board when they think of someone who’s closer to them going through this process.

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disconnected by @just-an-ordinary-fan

Lady Wifi believes she might be the only one who does not want to obey Hawkmoth's orders.

When she sees another akuma hesitate in the battle, she finds she might not be entirely alone.

I actually wrote my own fic, Nullius in Verba, based off of this one. It’s short but has an intriguing premise, with all the akumas being transported to this warehouse after the fight’s over, having been basically forced to do Hawkmoth’s bidding. The akumas also don’t seem to remember who they were before, or even that they WERE ordinary people before, which is an interesting twist.

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Shadow of the Chat by @pearl484-blog

Chat Noir discovers that he has a living Shadow. Unfortunately for him, it is not fond of Ladybug.

Inspired by the prompt: 5 times Character A and B thought they didn’t have anything in common and 1 time they realized how similar they are.

I wrote a fic based on this one and @wackus-bonkus-maximus fic “One Does Not Love Breathing”, basically importing Shadow into odnlb in order to help take down Monarch. It’s called “One Does Not Love Shadows”, btw.

Anyway, I love how this one-shot uses some of Carl Jung’s ideas about everyone having “shadows”; parts of ourselves that we consciously reject or suppress, and using that to get Chat some help. If you’ve ever played a Persona game, this will be familiar to you, as those games are based off of Jung’s ideas as well.

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Day 7: Book by @andromeda612

During one of his works, Marc comes across a rather interesting book.

MarcNath AU fic here! Basically Marc is a super powerful warlock, and is brought in to help with the case of a lying witch who apparently caused a lot of problems for people, using her magic to help fool everyone. She’s actually dead by the time the story starts, and everyone’s trying to go back through and figure out what she’s done and why memories surrounding her seem to be foggy. Meanwhile there’s a book she left behind which appears to be sentient, and which Marc’s taken a liking too...

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Find the Sentimonster by @taketwoinink:

Nino has a lot of conspiracies. He watched one too many mystery movies and now fancies himself a detective. It's not often that he gets the entire class together for an interrogation, but it's never fun. Chloe makes everyone's life miserable and Marinette and Lila never get along.

And this time? Secret sentimonsters in their class? The fate of Paris hanging in the balance?

Mylene doesn't need this stress in her life.

This is based off of an episode of Glitch Techs, so if you’ve seen the show, it might be familiar. I just really enjoyed watching the class trying to puzzle out who the sentimonster spy might be, with all the wild accusations and theories being hurled around, especially knowing the actual truth.

Come Take My Hand by @carelisswriting:

Luka heard his soulmate for the first time when he was ten. All he knows about her is that she likes fencing. It's just a coincidence that Kagami likes fencing, right?

(Lukagami Soulmate AU, written for the Miraculous Ladybug Secret Santa Exchange!)

I’m a sucker for soulmate fics, and this had an interesting take on it, with your soulmate able to hear you thinking only about the thing you’re most passionate about. Loved Kagami’s way of showing Luka she’s his soulmate especially!

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When Feelings Are Too Big For Words by ClockworkCaptain:

When Luka takes a gig playing for a drag show he's falls hard and fast for the drag queen Buttercup who uses her performances to work through her own emotions. Meanwhile Adrien's been using drag to work through his own emotions and thinks maybe Luka coming back into his life and showing interest might mean a second chance.

Made for @mlsecretsanta 2022

Published on New Year’s Eve, this just barely makes it to the deadline for this list. I’m glad I don’t need to wait a year to talk about it though! One of the issues I tend to have with Luka shipfics, and with Lukadrien especially (though I think Lukanette actually has this problem worse) is how Luka tends to disappear within the fic and the pairing, feeling more like “The Love Interest” than his own person. Not so here! While most of the intrigue surrounds Adrien, I still got the sense of Luka being his own person, not just existing in the fic for Adrien.

 I adored Adrien getting to display an aspect of himself through persona and performance - that does align well with how he approaches Chat Noir -  and overall I just had a lot of fun with this fic!

[nesiacha]

Pierre Gaspard Chaumette

Chaumette is, in my eyes, one of the most complex revolutionaries of this period. He is very interesting, but at times I wanted to applaud him and shake his hand, and at other times I wanted to booed him or even punch him in the face. It's really strange, and this feeling lasted until the end. Frankly, the mix of admiration and exasperation (an understatement for the two feelings mentioned) he inspires in me is disconcerting even to myself.

In a way, he embodies one of the most generous aspects of the revolution and, at the same time, one of the most conservative, even reactionary, aspects, sometimes verging on the lamentable. He is truly a paradoxical character, much more so than other revolutionaries. That’s why, in my eyes, he is one of the most fascinating figures of the French Revolution to study.

Positive Aspects:

He went much further in the fight against slavery than others (notably compared to Olympe de Gouges); for example, he supported the Haitian revolts with great enthusiasm. One could say he was an anti-colonialist, which demonstrates that he firmly believed not only in the freedom of metropolitan France but also in the freedom of other peoples (perhaps this idea took root when he was a naval officer in the American War of Independence, but we know his fight against slavery was due to his stay in the West Indies).

Like other revolutionaries, he was against the issue of war, a decision that proved to be the right one.

He sought to emancipate the French people from religious aspects that infantilized them.

Contrary to the black legend, he did not participate in the September massacres.

Let’s not forget that he lived with other revolutionaries in a very complicated and infernal period, aggravated by a war he did not want and fight. Plus the royalists threats were not empty words

He fulfilled his role as the prosecutor of the Paris Commune with great care. He championed the principle of providing individual beds in hospitals, for example, and the equality of funeral rites for both the rich and the poor. He advocated for the maximum and only intervened in the Convention with the sections of the sans-culottes when he deemed it necessary for measures that proved to be good, such as the maximum and the raising of a revolutionary army. He fought against poverty. He did not use armed force to throw deputies out and get elected (at the same time, the sans-culottes would have dismantled him if he had tried, and he wouldn’t have succeeded). As for the Girondins (the 21 placed under arrest), let’s not forget they were responsible for a war that Chaumette and many others did not want, which worsened the revolution’s situation, and moreover, the Gironde wanted their heads and other deputies had gravely disrespected them (an understatement when we consider Isnard's speech). I feel that Chaumette did not want power; he was part of that group of revolutionaries who would oversee the government to ensure it responded to the people's needs and would only intervene if he deemed it necessary, which is ultimately a good thing. Moreover, he was pragmatic and more reasonable than others; he refused to rise alongside other Hébertists for an insurrection against the Montagnards (some argue he was satisfied with the Convention's compensation on the Ventôse law, ultimately not applied, and knew the Convention was in a tough situation and it was better not to push). Ultimately, his execution was a grave mistake. One could say he was a man who lived for the revolution until the end and died with disinterest.

Negative Aspects:

The gross opportunism he displayed, along with others, to eliminate the Enragés and resume his petitions. Just a big no for me.

Apparently, but this needs proof, so maybe what I'm saying is false, he was complicit with Hébert (alongside Pache and Jacques-Louis David) in the disgusting false accusation concerning Marie Antoinette and her son (so horrible I won't repeat it). He should have died of shame for even thinking of doing that.

His great misogyny, which is appalling, even worse than other revolutionaries who refused to grant more rights to women's citizenship. Just reading his speeches makes you facepalm and want to hit him. And apparently, it was worse for prostitutes.

When he invaded with Hanriot and the sans-culottes to demand the arrest of the Girondins, they made a grave violation of the law, regardless of whether they had good reasons or not.

It’s true he supported the harshest laws, no matter how understandable his frustration was with many others, you don't "play" (forgive the expression) with judicial safeguards. He let Hébert, his deputy, unleash demands for executions, including those of innocents (General Custine among many others). So in the best case he is responsible and in worst case he encourage or maybe give him orders as Hebert was less senior as he didn't have the same rank in Commune than him although Hebert acted freely.Plus somewhere it allowed madmen like Carrier, Barras, Fouché (although more out of opportunism than a fervent revolutionary, especially when we know Fouché well) to try to exonerate themselves from the horrible acts they committed while trying to rely on the unusual harshness of certain aspects of the revolution.

The imposition of dechristianisation of people that didn't want that. Can't answer intolerance by other intolerance . Yes secularism is very important but cannot prevent people from following a religion. Plus it exasperated a lot of French people at that time bad move ( already talk in one my post of this https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/744960791081631744/the-difference-in-treatment-between-the-indulgents?source=share)

It's interesting to see that by lowering "the safeguards" and legal security, the revolutionaries programmed their own disappearance in a way (I simplify because it's more complicated than that they were not bloodthirst and there is too much black legend on them). I know wartime laws cannot be the same as peacetime laws, but one must be very careful even if there was an infernal situation. And if Chaumette’s execution can rightly be judged as unjustified, he, in a way, also programmed his own disappearance with others. But whatever happens when we analyze all the aspects of the frev we can only be admiring but also disappointed in the missed appointments of this period which could have been magnificent. And that’s really what comes out of Chaumette

[sparklepocalypse]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to @cha-melodius, @kiwiana-writes, @anincompletelist, @orchidscript, @myheartalivewrites,

… aaaaand @firenati0n for the tags! (This five tags per line thing really is for the fucking birds, y’all.)

How many works do you have on AO3?

106 works and counting.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

461,281 😱

What fandom(s) do you write for?

Currently? Red, White & Royal Blue, and RWRB RPF.

Historically? Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series, Queer as Folk, Supernatural, That One Fandom With The Wizards and the Bigoted Creator, Smallville, Glee, and a handful of other RPF fandoms.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Even though, IMO, kudos are a poor metric of the quality of a fic…

What’s Symbiotic will Always Be | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 2.6k words — my Kinktober 2023 breeding kink fic.

Be Worthy Love, and Love Will Come | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 30.8k words — my epic childhood friends to lovers AU.

Wrap Me Up, Unfold Me | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 4.3k words — my mile high club smut inspired by one of Hann’s incredible art pieces.

Take it Down Low / Make Me Get High | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 2k words — my Kinktober 2023 rimming fic, which has been described as that rimming fic.

I’d Wanna Be Held By You, Felled By You | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 2.3k words — my lake house smut inspired by Henry sharing Alex’s clothes.

More under the jump to save you a scroll!

Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I’m horrendously behind, but I promise I’ll catch up one of these days… I hope.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

We’re just gonna focus on my RWRB works here so I don’t have to dig too far. I don’t really do truly angsty endings in this fandom, but I did write one piece with an open-ended ending:

Back, Bring it Back | RWRB | Alex/Henry | T | 1.2k words

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

It’s a toss-up between two of them, so have them both!

Single Sad-Sack Seeking Same | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 7.7k words, and

Count to Ten & Breathe Real Deep | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 8.1k words

Do you get hate on fics?

I have had an anon throw a tomato emoji at one of my fics, which still stuns me. I used to get significantly more hate when I was writing in more problematic fandoms… 😅 but if you want to read the fic where Alex bottoms for the first time, and I got this comment, where they not only flung produce but also… felt the need to censor the word “top” for… reasons:

… then you should read In the Low Lamp Light, I was Free | RWRB | Alex/Henry | E | 3.1k words, which is my take on what happened with that second condom wrapper in the Paris scene.

Do you write smut?

Oh, fic meme creator, this is the cutest, funniest question.

Do I write smut? Hilarious.

What’s your craziest crossover?

Speaking of smut — I don’t really write crossovers, but I’ve written a few monsterfucking or monsterfucking-adjacent fics:

If We’re Caught in a Wave, I Will Carry You Over | RWRB | Alex/Cecaelia!Henry | E | 5.9k words

Just Let the Night Go Down | RWRB | Alex/Henry/Oviposition Toy | E | 2.2k words, aaaaand

All the Ocean was Sleeping | RWRB | Alex/Siren!Henry | E | 6.4k words

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. Fic (and fandom) are pretty reductive though. For example, I know that there’s someone writing a King Henry AU for @aroyallybigbangrwrb, and I’ve been working on my own King Henry AU since last September. There will probably be some similarities; can’t be helped. I’m not worried about it though, unless there are wholesale chunks of paragraphs that are somehow magically identical.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don’t believe so, but I have a blanket permission statement on my AO3 account, so if someone wanted to translate my work I’d be down!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Eons ago, I used to co-write Kurtofsky fic in the Glee fandom. Pretty sure all of those works have been lost to the ether, as this was before AO3 was absorbing archives as they went kaput. I’m not completely heartbroken about it.

All time favorite ship?

Darcy/Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. No, I’m not kidding.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a couple really old WIPs from previous fandoms that I put a lot of work into, and then the ADHD took hold before I could complete them. It would be interesting, at the very least, to revisit these. Maybe retool them into something usable for this fandom, IDK.

What are your writing strengths?

Making people absolutely collapse in a heap of devastation with my angst, as @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, @kiwiana-writes, and @ad-astra13 will attest; smut with “multiple different positions laid out in such detail you can almost see the gifs used as reference,” according to @bigassbowlingballhead. I also like to think that my spicy trauma makes me pretty funny.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Brevity — given the option, I’d rather write 5k words than a drabble every time. I also really struggle with saccharine sweetness and fluff for the sake of fluff, despite what y’all keep saying in my comments section; my sweetness is always bittersweet. And kidfic gives me the ick, as the youths would say, even if I’m the one writing it.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Yes! Just make it something that I can Google Translate and I’m good.

Which fandom was the first you wrote in?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, way back in the 1990s. (Yeah. I’m that old.)

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

So, I have two. My favorite fic overall is my King Henry AU, Facing Tempests. I affectionately refer to this fic as KHIX (King Henry IX) and The Big Giant AU, and it’s my baby. I’ve commissioned some really incredible art from @seanchaidh7 for Facing Tempests that I can’t wait to share with y’all when the fic is ready to post.

My favorite published fic is If We’re Caught in a Wave, I Will Carry You Over, for which I commissioned some absolutely stunning art from @artofobsession which is now embedded in the story on AO3. There are several other fics that come close, but octoHenry is my beloved.

My tag is always open! Because this meme has been out for a couple days, I’m not gonna cold call anyone, but if you’re reading this, yes you with the clenched shoulders and the mild headache from staring at a screen, then consider yourself tagged!

[verfound]

FIC: "Of (Not) Telling the Parents" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list?  We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

Direct continuation of Of Lost Luggage, Shirts, and Other Things. Quick & Rierse know what they did. 😂🖤

Read on Ao3

Prompt 63: Stage Fright

Luka wasn’t used to having this problem.

He was a professional rock star.

Like…still starting out on his solo career, sure – he had a handful of EPs under his belt, and he was working on his first full-length album.  He had opened for Jagged friggin’ Stone – had played in Jay’s own band! – before sold out arenas across the globe.  He’d been on TV – he’d been on Saturday Night Live!

And every time he took the stage it was…effortless.  Making music had always felt like breathing to him.  Playing was second nature.  There was nowhere that felt more like home than behind his guitar.

…well.

Maybe one place.

Marinette’s arms were starting to feel more and more like home with every passing day.

…which was probably what had led to the current problem.

Standing outside her parents’ bakery.

Marinette tucked against his side, her arms wrapped securely around his middle.

And scared absolutely shitless to go inside.

“…I can’t do this,” he said, shaking his head.  “We should come back tomorrow.  Darning, I am not rested enough for this.  I am not caffeinated enough for this.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” she giggled, looking up at him.  “Breakfast.  Decent coffee.  Exciting news.”

“We can come back tomorrow,” he insisted, squeezing her hand.  “Or the day after.  Technically, there is no news yet.”

“Bullshit,” she said, tugging him down for a kiss.  “There’s news.”

“I haven’t technically asked yet,” he insisted.

“There is news, Luka Llewellyn Couffaine,” she huffed, kissing him again.  “You aren’t taking this one back.”

“I can’t take back something I didn’t –” he tried again, but she just pulled him into another kiss that…honestly?  Left him a little dizzy.  It probably wasn’t safe for public display, either – even in Paris.  Especially in front of –

“SABINE!!!!  SHE SAID YES!!!!”

…shiiiiiiiiit!

The next thing Luka knew, Marinette’s mouth had been jerked away from his own as Tom hoisted them both up in a bear hug.  The world started spinning around him, and he groaned as he ducked his face against Tom’s shoulder in an attempt to calm his flipping stomach.  That probably wasn’t the best idea, because Tom was still whooping and hollering and was entirely too exuberant for the way his head was pounding.

“I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” Tom whooped.  “See, Luka?  What did I tell you, son?  There was no possible way she’d ever say no – she’d be crazy to!”

He clapped a hand on his back, and Luka hadn’t even realized he’d put them back down until his knees buckled under him and he went tilting towards Marinette.

“Luka!” she cried, rushing forward to catch him.  He groaned as he slumped against her, and she laughed breathlessly – maybe a bit manically – as she rubbed his back.  “He’s had a long couple of days – maybe…go easy on him?”

“Isn’t that what I should be telling you, mon choux?” Tom asked with a wink that had Marinette shrieking at him as her face lit up with a fiery blush.  “Oh, relax – I’m not that ignorant to what young people in love get up to!  Especially young people in love who are about to be married!”  He leaned in even closer, and Luka wasn’t looking but he was pretty sure Tom winked at them.  Winking would be a very Tom thing to do, especially when he followed it up with: “Besides, where else are my grandbabies supposed to come from?”

“…kill me now,” Luka groaned, his voice just low enough that he hoped only Marinette heard him.  She smiled and patted his back, and he almost smiled when she kissed his shoulder.

Until Tom laughed, grabbed his other shoulder, and pulled him back into a half-hug.

“Now, now, Luka, none of that,” he chided gently.  “This is good!  We need to celebrate!  Have you two thought about any details yet?  Themes, colors, your cake, a date…?”

“Tom, please,” Sabine chided as she followed a customer out the door.  She waved goodbye to the woman, who was giving her a knowing smile, and turned back to her husband.  “He just got in today – within the last hour, from the looks of it.  Let the poor boy find his footing first.”

“Oh, pah – he’s fine!” Tom said, shaking him.  He turned to Marinette with a grin.  “Well, mon choux?  Let’s see it!  I’ve been waiting years for this!”

“Papa…” Marinette sighed.  Luka looked up just in time to notice Sabine’s eyes had looked to Marinette’s obviously, painfully bare fingers.

“Marinette, sweetheart?” she asked.  Marinette looked up, her eyes widening when she saw Sabine’s pointed look.  “Is…there something you maybe don’t need to tell us?”

“What?  No,” Marinette said, quickly tucking her hands into her pockets.  “We’re engaged.”

“We are not,” Luka groaned, dropping his face in his hands.  “We can’t be engaged until I ask you, and I’m not asking you until…just tell them, darning.  This day can’t get any worse.”

“Luka, stop it right now,” she huffed.  She stepped over to him and pulled him into a hug, thwacking the back of his head before bringing it down to her shoulder.  “Dummy.  I don’t want to wait for a stupid ring – yes, you dummy, it is just a stupid ring,” she bit when he tried to argue, because it wasn’t.  It was her nonna’s ring that she’d been in love with since she was a little girl, and using it as her engagement ring was supposed to be this big, stupid, romantic gesture that she was going to love, and he’d gone and lost the damn thing like the damn idiot he was.  Why would she want to marry him after he lost her nonna’s ring?  “I want to be engaged to you now.  I want to be married to you now.  Stop making such a big deal out of this – it’s just the jetlag talking.”

“It is not,” he insisted, but then he shook his head and pulled away, blinking at her.  “…you still want to marry me?”

“Yes, you idiot,” she laughed.  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you since the airport!”

“But I lost the ring,” he insisted.

“You what?!” Tom yelped, and he winced as he glanced back at him.  He leaned closer to Marinette, whispering probably not quiet enough as he kept his eyes on her father.

“…don’t tell Tom,” he said.  “Marinette.  He’s going to kill me.”

“Oh, son, I’m not…” Tom sighed, his expression crumpling, but Marinette was already turning Luka’s face back towards her for another kiss.

“You didn’t lose the ring, Luka,” she said.  “The airline did.  You just…made a rookie mistake.”  She looked around him as he slumped against her, smiling sadly at her parents.  “He left it in his suitcase.  And the airline put it on the wrong plane – we’ll have it back in a few days.  He’s just…it’s been a rough couple days, and he’s too tired to be sensible about it.  Or to accept that I’m saying yes with or without a stupid ring.”

“He was really excited about…” Tom started, but he shook his head and chuckled.  “It’s all right, son.  These things happen.  Next time you’ll know to keep the important stuff in your carryon.”

“Ask him about the time he lost his lucky rolling pin sometime, dear,” Sabine said, reaching over to rub a hand along his back.  “It took us a month to get it back, all because he was afraid security would consider him a terrorist.  He was inconsolable.”

“All right, all right – don’t get me started on questionable packing choices, sweetheart,” Tom said, smiling fondly at his wife, “or I’ll tell them how your brother got us hung up in security for three hours for smuggling contraband into the country.”

“Oh, he’s already done that,” Marinette teased.  If he was more awake, he would probably beg her to not spill his secrets like that.  Especially the embarrassing ones.  Especially to her parents he needed them to keep liking him…  “He loves his Lucky Charms.”

And he might have laughed, if he didn’t feel like they were all ganging up on him.

“Why do I feel like I’m losing here?” he asked, sighing as he pressed his forehead against her neck.  She was too comfortable – he was going to fall asleep where he was standing, if he wasn’t careful.

“You’re not losing,” she said softly, her fingers running through his hair.  “You get to marry me.  How is that losing?”

“…I can’t marry you yet, though,” he sighed.  “Stupid Crusher.  Stupid Fang.  Stupid airline.  Stupid me.”

“I should get him home,” she sighed.  “I thought coffee might help, but I think sleep will work better.”

“Of course, dear,” Sabine said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.  “Get him home.  We’ll celebrate later – because we are celebrating, yes?”

“Yes,” Marinette said, nodding firmly.  “It wasn’t how he wanted to…ok, fine, technically he didn’t ask, but you can’t tell someone you have a ring waiting for them and then…yes, we’re celebrating.”

Tom laughed and scooped them all up in one last hug, and Luka groaned as he lost his balance again.  It was all right, though: Marinette was still holding him, and Tom was holding all of them, and Tom would never drop them on their asses like that.  He was pretty cool like that.

“Of course we are,” Tom said, and Luka groaned as he ruffled his hair a bit too enthusiastically.  “You two are getting married!”

Luka glanced up at Marinette as those words sunk in, and a stupid smile filled his face as he saw the grin on hers.

Suddenly, he wasn’t so afraid anymore.  They were going to get married.

And that…that was pretty damn cool.

[blacknwhitemood]

I'm still buying DM stuff, I think over it more or less. I bought a 40 years old American collection LP (up here) that I already have in CD (40 years old and American). Is it logical? Of course.

I bought my second Construction Time Again (down here, Made in Sweden) and sold my first one for 12€ (in the middle , Made in West Germany, bye-bye...), because it hasn't got this black sleeve with the lyrics and the paper cover is in really bad condition, though the record is perfect. My 1st selling! Rocks.

I bought an interesting double CD from Taboo Records, seems Hungarian but it is written "Made in Pangea", like the 100 million years old, ancient continent. This is Dream On Budapest!, the Exciter Tour concert in Hungary, 12th of September, 2001. Fans made a short video on the day of the gig about Dave while he's speaking on his cellphone next to the hotel they stayed (it would've been a hard day after the 9/11 attack, leaving his family or friends back home in NYC).

Booklet has beauties, I put one here:

Another Videos 86>98+ DVD (2002) which is double DVD compared to the first edition and the 2nd record has treasures including Condemnation (Paris Mix) official video that was made in Hungary and But Not Tonight's video which song I love somehow, that's why I bought Black Celebration's U.S. edition LP. I have the DVD's 1998 version (scroll down), now could sell it but I need this for the full story: Corbijn finally agreed to put this beauty to the official selection.

First I ordered this double DVD from Antal, I've found it on his shop's website. He went on holiday for whole July and August, so I had to wait until 2nd of September. He was much friendly this time although I didn't buy anything, because he talked me out of it! In fact the DVD has the European bar code on his website, but he has the US version, that I couldnt' have played at home in his opinion. Weird, but I believed him and went home empty-handed.

Than I was searching for it for hours, 22 years old stuff, does it exists in Hungary at all? I found it only at French Amazon. You can bet, after 1,5 months the DVD lost somewhere in Europe, luckily I got back my money after 4-5 e-mails. Without any hope I visited an infamous online used stuff market and I found a piece that was sold already. I didn't know why, but I called the seller by phone, he answered "actually I still have the DVD because I haven't sold it last weekend at the blablabla festival". Wow. On the same day I got it <3

Short report: I have 38 vinyls so far - including a Soulsavers album, 12"-7" together, 5 more singles is coming in couple of weeks. After that I'll sell 3 of mine which are the same pieces but other editions, I prefer British copies if I find somewhere. Also have 14 CDs (with Paper Monsters), it's funny, because I promised earlier that I don't buy one, and actually I need 2 more (Precious and an other edition of Only When I Lose Myself because of its lovely B-side songs: Free and Surrender). 5 DVDs and a cassette and 6 books/magazines (one more is coming by my "dealer"), some pins, shirts, jewelleries and other clothing. Like a teen, OMG. Bizarre. Laugh, I do the same. Happily.

Details (occasionally mixed): #vinyl collection; #non-vinyl collection

And a little fun at the end from @cultureconnoisseurs.

[eventinelysplayground]

From The Future To The Past

So this was semi requested by the delightful @nani-nani-nani. It is the first of two parts because it was too long to keep as one fic. I loved this idea I wrote about half this fic in one go then came back and have it almost finished. I've used this fic as a way to explore a direction for my Theo and Mitsuki headcanon that I'm not sure I want it to go that way but since it never really leaves my mind it's good to put it to 'paper'. Just a few notes for this fic, I don't speak Dutch so if there are language issues sorry blame google translate. Also you will see some the guys refered to as Oom and some as Uncle, that is intentional on my part as the Ooms are the ones they're closer to and more like family if that makes sense. You will also see they use no title for Leonardo and that is also intentional on my part. Not wanting to sit through another lesson Theo and Mitsukis twins end up on an adventure through time. Tiniest mention of blood and a minor injury, mostly fun with some sadness. WC approx 2532.

“I don't know about this Vincent.”

“Oh come on, it'll be a great adventure.”

“But Papa and Opa said the door is dangerous.”

“Opa goes through it all the time, and so did Mama.”

“She used it one-”

“Boys! Where in God's name are you!?”

The twins' eyes went big when they heard their Oom Isaac shouting for them.

“I am not sitting through another physics lesson!”

Vincent reached out and grabbed the door handle and without any hesitation he flung it open and dashed into the corridor of antiques.

“Vincent!”

Arthur stood there looking frantically between the corridor and down the mansion's hallway where he could hear his Oom’s footsteps getting closer.

“Why couldn't I have had a sister instead?”

Arthur's shoulders dropped as he sighed and took off after his brother, the door slowly shutting behind them with a thud. As he ran down the hallway it began changing around him before being completely enveloped in a bright white light making him shut his eyes. When he opened them again he was out in the Paris streets. He quickly scanned the surroundings for his brother and it didn't take him long to find him.

“Vincent!”

Vincent turned around at his name and waved at his brother who was already running over to him.“I knew you'd come along, wish we would have ended up somewhere other than home but…”

Back at the mansion Isaac had just turned the corner.

“Vincent, Arthur? Where are you two-”

It was then Isaac heard a thud coming from the direction of the door.

“Oh good God!”

Isaac ran up to the door and pulled on it but it wouldn't budge. He started banging on it and called out for the twins but there was no answer.

“They're going to kill me!”

“Who is going to kill you?”

“Leonardo, you have to help me!”

Meanwhile in the past the twins were taking in their surroundings.

"It seems different somehow.”

Arthur looked around noticing that there were only carriages on the roads and that the way the people on the streets were dressed was slightly different.

“I don't think this is our time Vincent. Excuse me Madam.”

Arthur went over to an elderly lady sitting outside a cafe.

“Would you happen to know the time?”

“Why certainly child.”

As the old woman reached into her pocket to check her watch Arthur read the date on the paper in front of her.

“It's a quarter to eleven.”

“Merci.”

Arthur walked back over to Vincent who crossed his arms.

“So, when are we then?”

“The paper said September 2nd 1899.”

“1899! That's thirteen years ago, or it will be…”

Vincent raised his eyebrows and Arthur rubbed his hand on his forehead before both boys let out a loud sigh.

“Cheer up Arthur, it won't be that bad.”

“Not that…Vincent we aren't even born yet!”

“I know that but come on, where's your sense of adventure!”

“Papa and Mama are going to kill Oom when they find out we're gone!”

“Mama wouldn't hurt Oom and I doubt Papa will even notice he's been so busy lately with that new exhibit.”

“He’ll notice, maybe we can go back through the door in this time…”

“Can't we at least explore a little first? I mean it's not like we can just walk all the way back to the mansion and knock on the door saying hi we're your grandkids from the future can we use your time travel door please.”

“We probably could say that actually but you're right it's best we not alter the past.”

“Perfect, let's go then!”

“No I didn't mean…Vincent wait for me!”

So Arthur ended up chasing after his brother around Paris. They explored, bought sweets, and played in the park where they had run into a group of children and joined their play. As it became late afternoon the group of kids stopped playing saying they had to go to school the twins looked confused when one of the boys spoke up.

“It's not a real school, it's better than that! Napoleone teaches us fencing and sometimes Isaac comes and teaches us to read and history and stuff.”

“Would you like to come with us?”

It was a young girl that spoke while she looked pleadingly at Vincent, clearly wanting him to join them. Arthur was just turning to Vincent to suggest they tag along thinking this would be a good chance to get back to the mansion when Vincent laughed.

“I'd love to learn fencing! Come on, let's go!”

The young girl who had invited them to join clapped her hands excitedly before grabbing Vincent's and running off with him leaving Arthur standing there. He was about to shake his head when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Your brother's quite a handful isn't he?”

“You don't know the half of it Gav.”

Arthur smiled at his new friend before they hurried after Vincent and the girl. When they caught up to them they had already reached the school and both Napoleon and Isaac were starting lessons. Arthur couldn't help but stare, they looked exactly the same as they always did but yet he found there was something off about them. Just then Napoleon noticed him and called out.

“You must be the other new boy, Victor's younger brother?”

They had decided not to give anyone their actual names, well Arthur had decided and Vincent just went along with it.

“Yes, I'm Alexandre.”

“It's always nice to meet new students.”

And so Vincent and Arthur split off for lessons, Vincent of course choosing fencing. The time went by fast and soon it was growing late and Arthur had begun to worry. He went and pulled his brother aside to talk with him.

“We better figure out something soon or-”

“Don't worry about it, I already have a plan.”

“You do?”

Arthur's face twisted slightly as he looked skeptically at his brother.

“Take this.”

Vincent handed him his training rapier then fished through his pocket pulling out a dagger.

“Is that Uncle Jeans?”

“Maybe.”

“Vincent I don-”

But he objected too late, Vincent had already stabbed himself and cut along his arm before stepping against the training blade and quickly hiding the dagger back in his clothes.

“Oh my God!”

Vincent smirked before beginning to cry, his brother's exclamation drawing the attention of everyone around them.

“What happened?!”

“Good God he's bleeding!”

Arthur was stunned, able to do nothing more than stutter and watch as the others crowded around his brother. It took only a moment for their Uncles to take over and begin treating the wound all the while Vincent cried and sniffled.

“That should do for now, but you'll need to make sure your parents take care of it tonight to make sure it doesn't get infected, understand?”

“But..but.. our parents and grandpere aren't home right now! They won't… be back …for a few days!”

Vincent's wails and tears clearly affected their Uncles and they went to have a hushed conversation between themselves.

Vincent had covered his face with his hands hiding his tears and devilish smile.

“Alright you two, you'll come home with us for a bit so we can keep an eye on your arm.”

“You'll really… help… us? We don't want… to be…any trouble.”

“You’ll be no trouble at all. Isaac is going to call a carriage and then we'll all go back together okay?”

Vincent nodded while his tears began to dry.

“Good, now you both just wait right here while I see the others off and gather everything up.”

Isaac and Napoleon began their tasks leaving Vincent and Arthur alone for the moment. It only took a moment for Vincent's whole face to shift from scared and in pain to looking proud and delighted.

“I told you I had a plan, and all that time visiting Shakespeare with Oom has come in handy.”

Vincent looked over at Arthur, his smile immediately falling. Arthur was giving him the same look their Oom would give their father when he was mad at him.

“Come on Arthur cheer-”

Arthur stepped closer to Vincent.

“I swear to God Vincent, if you keep doing stuff-”

Vincent placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

“It’ll be fine Arthur, trust me.”

Arthur opened his mouth to say something but just then Isaac came back telling them he'd found a carriage so he just walked off to the carriage instead. The ride to the mansion was uneventful except for Isaacs fretting over Vincent's arm, and Vincent's theatrics. When they arrived at the mansion they were greeted at the door by a man they didn't recognize.

“You have company?”

“It's a long story.”

“Do you think you could get a room prepared for them Sebas? They'll only be here for a few nights.”

The twins exchanged a look before glancing back at the butler. Sebastian had passed away from an illness when they were barely three so their memories of him were faint and few. They knew their Opa had offered to make him like the rest of them but he had declined for reasons they didn't know.

After that exchange Napoleon led the twins to the thermae to wash up before dinner. When they were done Isaac was there with one of his shirts for Vincent to wear, seeing as his was covered with blood, and then took them to the dining room for dinner. They sat down at the table waiting patiently for food and listening to the idle chatter of some of their Uncles. Several of their Uncles were missing, as was their mother, father, Opa and Leonardo. They had just begun eating dinner when they heard familiar footsteps and voices coming from the hall and soon they saw them. Their Oom Vincent was in front and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw them causing their father to bump into him. He looked annoyed and went to say something until he followed Vincent's gaze.

“I thought so, is there something you need to tell us Theo?”

The twins looked between their Oom Arthur and their father.

“He does look almost exactly like you Theo.”

“Broer!”

“Maybe something about a lovely woman and a passionate night?”

“Don't be insulting.”

“You're right of course, I'm sure whoever their mother is she has more sense than to-”

The twins saw the glare their father shot at their Oom and they instinctively shrank back in their chair.

“That’s enough Theo, I think you're scaring them.”

The twins' gaze shifted to their Oom Vincent, who wore a familiar and calming smile and they couldn't help but smile back with smiles almost identical to his.

“Sorry, but just who are these little onruststokers?”

“Be nice Theo.”

Theo sighed but didn't say anything else and the twins couldn't help but laugh a little which made their Oom Vincent smile but just seemed to annoy their father.

“Don't worry about my little brother, he's harmless and actually really nice.”

“Broer….”

The familiar scene made Arthur truly relax for the first time since coming through the door and he straightened back up in his chair.

“We're new students at Isaac and Napoleone’s school. My brother's arm got hurt during fencing and our parents and grandpere aren't home to take care of us so they brought us back here. It's only for a few days though, just until they come back.”

“Hmmph.”

“Theo…”

“Fine, I'll be keeping an eye on you two though.”

So the twins began their stay, they learned during dinner that their Opa and Leonardo were visiting one of their friends and would be gone for several days which made them sad, but even worse was that they also learned they had arrived before their mother. They quickly found out they didn't have time to be sad about it though as before they could fall asleep that night their father and Oom were checking in on them with mugs of hot milk and fudge their father had ‘borrowed’ from Oom Arthur.

The next two days were lively and filled to the brim. The twins spent them following around someone and engaging in all sorts of things. Arthur spent his time painting with Oom Vincent, studying with Oom Isaac and cooking with Sebastian. Vincent on the other hand convinced Uncle Napoleon to continue his fencing lessons, he could also often be found reading in the library or playing violin. Their nights weren't any less hectic as their father, Oom Arthur and Uncle Dazai often came by before bed to check on them.

Because of all this company it wasn't until the third day when one of them was finally able to sneak away to go and check the hourglass in their Opas room.

“It still has half its sand. How do we get them to let us stay for another two weeks?”

Vincent sighed and turned to leave the room when a half finished letter sitting on his Opas desk caught his eye. It was addressed to Shakespeare, an invitation to come to a banquet two weeks from now. Sudden realization came over Vincent's face and he quickly put the letter back and left the room.

Before dinner that night the boys went into town with Sebastian so they could ‘check if their parents or grandpere had returned’. Vincent was still preoccupied thinking about earlier when he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Arthur's eyes, a silent conversation only the two of them could ever understand going on between them. After a few moments Arthur's hand slipped from Vincent's shoulder and he walked over to the fountain sitting down on it's edge.

“We can't go home can we?”

“Not through the door in the mansion no.”

“Why not?”

Vincent sat beside Arthur who had begun swinging his legs, a nervous habit from since they were toddlers.

“Well the hourglass was still half full and-”

“And?”

“And there was a letter on Opas desk. An unfinished invitation to Shakespeare for a banquet in about two weeks time.”

They said nothing to each other but they were both thinking the same thing. How many times had they asked to be told the story about how their Mama traveled through the door? If they used the door now their Mama wouldn't be able to travel into the past, she would never meet their Papa.

“This is all your fault.”

Arthur's voice was barely above a whisper.

“Broer…”

Vincent stared at his brother, tears were now freely running down Arthur's face.

“If you hadn't run off we wouldn't be stuck in the past with no way home, with people who don't know us, without Mama!”

Arthur was sobbing now and Vincent wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.

“I want to go home, Ik wil Mama!”

“Het is oké kleine broer.”

As they sat there lost in their own melancholy thoughts the space around them once again began to shift before surrounding them with a bright white light. Instinctively they closed their eyes against it and when they opened them again they couldn't believe what they saw.

Tag List: @nightghoul381, @queengiuliettafirstlady also tagging @nani-nani-nani and @goddesswitchmother.

[austinslounge]

As much as I do believe their is truth in that L&S article that was published a few months ago, I don't see this relationship ending anytime soon either.

Austin will be filming his movie September-November. Kaia will be in her own promo tour in September-October. They'll be apart. So I could see them potentially calling it quits then. But who knows.

Kaia beelines back to NYC every time she gets the chance. Which tells me she's there for Austin. I don't know if they live together necessarily. I don't think so. But I'm not getting break up vibes. Not yet.

If there was a time I thought it happened it was after the book club event where they both seemed mad at each other. She went to LA then Paris. He was spotted out a nightclub without her. But of course, they magically got spotted by a fan, after K got back from Paris. Then Austin parades her merch at JFK. It's getting tiring watching these two pretend to be in love. But it is what it is.

Yea girl, same.

That's why I'm not even worrying about it. When I start seeing some real signs of a breakup, then I'll get more excited. But as for right now? They just look like they're in a dying relationship lol 😆

The best and biggest sign is if either of them start cozying up to other people. That's the most reliable sign that a couple has broken up imo. 👀

We'll see Austin acting single, and we'll see Kaia acting single as well.

But yea, the constant back and forth wishing and hoping game is too much for me.

I'm just going to ride this out and let things happen how they're supposed to happen. 😅

This relationship isn't going to last forever, trust us, haha 😅

[chaotic-history]

The Nouvelle Biographie Générale's article on Villette, 1866

Because my sleep-deprived brain decided last night that translating Villette things was clearly my top priority. Footnotes like this (1) are original; the ones like this ¹ are added by me.

VILLETTE (Charles, marquis DE), born December 4, 1736, in Paris, where he died on July 9, 1793. His father, treasurer extraordinary of war, left him a 150,000 livre pension; his mother was popular for her wit and her beauty: he therefore had an easy path in the world. After having gone on a handful of campaigns, he returned to Paris (1763) with the rank of quartermaster general of the cavalry [maréchal général des logis de la cavalerie]. He was imprisoned, for what reason we don’t know¹, in the Strasbourg citadel; as soon as he had left at the end of six months, he went to Ferney to seek out Voltaire, who had been a friend of his mother. ‘I currently have at home with me to cheer me up’, wrote Voltaire, ‘a young M. de Villette, who knows all the verses that have ever been written, and who writes them himself, who sings, who does impressions of other people quite amusingly, who tells stories, who is a pantomime, who would delight even the inhabitants of this sad Geneva’². With the support of the philosophe, whom he didn’t hesitate to call his father, Villette threw himself into the literary world, wrote many verses, competed for prizes from the Académie Française which he didn’t win, and above all sang in every tone praises of Voltaire, who reciprocated doubly by calling him the French Tibullus. Displaying with effrontery his taste for unnatural vices, as was attested to by his contemporaries, it was thought that he would not marry, until he married a person equally distinguished by her virtues and by her amiable qualities in the Ferney chapel in 1777, and he thus became, according to a rueful joke of the patriarch of Ferney, a doctor in utroque³. He had with her a son, whom he had baptised in 1792 under the name of Voltaire-Villette. This marriage did not prevent him from returning to his vicious habits, nor from engaging in scandalous intrigues with fashionable women, among whom were Mlles Arnould et Raucourt. At the time of the revolution, Villette drafted the cahiers du bailliage for Sentis, in which he spoke warmly of the new principles, and he collaborated on the Chronique de Paris. Named deputy of Oise for the National Convention (1792), he protested strongly against the September massacres, and voted, in the trial of Louis XVI, for his imprisonment [rather than his execution]. He succumbed a few months later to a languishing illness. He owned the hôtel where Voltaire lived in Paris, on the quai which today bears his name; he acquired the château de Ferney and preserved the heart of his protector (1) in an urn bearing this inscription:

His spirit is everywhere and his heart is here.

Of a very slim literary talent, Villette was truly what Mme du Deffand called him: ‘a comic character’⁴. The wits of the time did not spare him; people laughed especially at his belief that he could share in Voltaire’s fame, and this epigram ran for a long time throughout Paris:

Little Villette, it is in vain

That you aspire to glory;

You will never be anything but a dwarf

Who plays a giant on the comic stage.

However, he was kind, devoted to his friends, and during the revolution he showed real courage in standing firm in his beliefs against the prejudices of the nobility and against revolutionary excesses. Palissot assures us that Villette’s best works should be attributed to Gugeland, his secretary. Be that as it may, these are the works which he had printed: Éloge de Henri IV; Paris, 1770, in-4°; Éloges Historiques de Charles V et de Henri IV; Amsterdam (Paris), 1772, in-4°; La Patroclée, ou Commencement du Seizième Chant de l’Iliade, Traduction Littérale en Vers; Paris, 1778, in-8°: Palissot attributes this to Voltaire; various pieces in the Almanach des Muses, reprinted in Œuvres de Boufflers et de Villette; London (Paris), 1782, in-18; Œuvres du Marquis de Villette; London and Paris, 1784, in-12, and 1786, in-16; Edinburgh and Paris, 1788, in-8°: in general, his Lettres contain interesting anecdotes. Between 1784 and 1792, Villette presented eight operas to the Académie Royale de Musique, which seem to have been neither put on nor succesful.

(1) This relic, preserved by his son, was given in 1864 to the government, which had it placed in one of the rooms of the Bibliothèque Impériale [now the Bibliothèque Nationale de France].

¹Like pretended father, like son, it was for causing a stir by planning to duel a lieutenant-colonel whom he had publicly insulted, according to Grimm’s correspondence.

²Voltaire to the comte d’Argental, February 27, 1765

³In utroque jure, meaning a doctor of both civil and ecclesiastical law, ie., if Villette gets married he will have sex with women as well as with men. Voltaire uses the term in this way in a letter to Villette from June 7, 1765.

⁴Mme du Deffand to Horace Walpole, February 12, 1775

[impetuous-impulse]

Victor Meets Bonaparte, 1793

7 December, 1764 is Victor’s birthday. To be topical on the same day, let me detail the first meeting between Victor, then still using the name Claude Perrin, and the young artillery captain Napoleone Buonaparte at the Siege of Toulon. I will use the two Victor biographies I have access to: one by veternarian-turned-writer Jacques Le Costumier, the second by Jean-Pierre Tarin, who, in his avant-propos, accuses Le Costumier of publishing "a catalogue of errors" instead of a biography. The two authors illustrate the ways the same historical evidence can be spun in different ways to further different narratives about Victor and Bonaparte’s initial relationship. All translation errors are my own.

To set the scene, the man who would become Victor went to Toulon under the command of General Carteaux, where he was appointed adjutant-général chef de brigade (colonel) of a brigade of volunteers on 2 October 1793. Bonaparte, as I will call him for clarity, had been called to replace Carteaux’s commandant of artillery Dommartin on 7 September 1793, after the latter was shot in the shoulder and was unable to make his appointment to Toulon. General Doppet came to aid Carteaux after quelling resistance in Lyon, and Carteaux was replaced by General Dugommier on 16 November.

Here is how both biographies describe their meeting, with Tarin more extensively quoting Victor’s unpublished Memoires (1846):

Following his valourous conduct during the affair [a counter-attack at Arenes] on 30 November, Bonaparte was appointed adjutant-general [basically colonel]. "It was then that he became more particularly acquainted with Victor, whom Dugommier had brought from the left to the right of the Army. The Commander of artillery visited the quarters of the colonel of Volunteers every morning and took him to visit the batteries; relations of esteem and intimacy were promptly establisehd between them. In this moment perhaps, Bonaparte inscribed Victor among the number of Napoleon’s lieutenants, and perhaps Victor foresaw the conqueror he was to accompany, throughout all of Europe, on triumphant courses. Already, no doubt, he admired the surety of his certainty of his glance, the boldness of his plans, the promptness of its execution and the energy of his character.” (p. 34)

Le Costumier is eager to reinforce how dazzled Victor is by Bonaparte.

The Lorrainian historian Michel Caffier reproduces the remarks Victor would have made in Paris, two years later on Bonaparte. “What surprises me most about this man who entered the [military] career by his mathematical spirit is his appetite for reading. At Toulon, I saw him devour the works of Tacitus, [Michel de] Montaigne, Plato, Racine, and Livy which are not habitual companions of the bivouac. I was surprised by him. He replied to me: ‘I always find something to learn.’ Bonaparte for me, has a mind that thinks, and above all as we have seen in his reactions on the night of 12 Vendemaire, he has a mind that thinks fast. [...] His career will not end here. He knows how to command, to act. He also reflects and I saw him at Toulon writing a document for the Academy of Lyon on the verities and feelings that are most important to instill in men for their happiness.” (pp. 27-28)

Let us put aside the fact that the veracity of Victor’s statements, not to mention the later date at which he wrote them with how he uses “Bonaparte”, a spelling only used since 1796, instead of “Buonaparte”. Let us admire that Le Costumier has created a perfect picture of Victor being won over by Bonaparte during the Revolution. Tarin is not so sure, however:

Let us refrain from all abusive extrapolations: fraternity of arms, no doubt, esteem certainly, but as to intimacy… The general Doppet wrote in his memoirs about Bonaparte: “This young officer never left his batteries.” […] It was therefore at this moment that relations were established between Victor and Bonaparte which, “without having presented a great character of intimacy, nevertheless did not remain without influence on the state of the military career" of the Vosgien. (pp. 34)

Here’s the kicker: the first quote is from Doppet’s memoirs (he died in 1799, so there is no doubt they are contemporary). The second quote is from Biographies contemporaines, Vol. I by A. Boullée, published in 1863. Tarin uses these quotes combined to declare Victor and Bonaparte’s intimacy as only “plausible”. He also posits that rapport was borne of a similar career path, not of natural friendship, and that Victor was quite normal about Bonaparte:

Furthermore, the fact that both were artillerymen had obviously played a role, even if Victor did not have the same level of theoretical knowledge as Bonaparte; this is what we call espirit de corps. […] On this occasion, it seems fair to say that Victor admired Bonaparte’s qualities. He experienced what all his contemporaries recognised. (ibid.)

So, was Victor under Bonaparte’s spell from the start? Quite hard to tell, considering we only have Victor's memoirs as evidence. It is still highly interesting to read Victor's account of their meeting, considering he was one of few soldiers Napoleon had known since Toulon, aside from Junot and Marmont, that stayed under his influence until the Empire collapsed. And out of these three, two went over to the Bourbons at the first chance, while the other went mad in his devotion.

[nancypullen]

The 23rd

I haven't posted here since September 5th because, quite frankly, my life is just a yawning canyon of nothingness. Dramatic much? Seriously, Monday is just like Tuesday, which is just like Wednesday, and so on. You know I'm a big fan of creating happiness where you are, and I'm killing myself trying to do that. No one likes to read the blog of a sad sack, I know I don't, so there's just not a whole lot to write about. I miss who I used to be. Because it's nearly the end of September, and because the 22nd was officially the first day of autumn, I decided to go all in decorating the porch. I'm not finished, but it's a start. Surely if I build it, fall will come. No more red gingham and pink roses, I'm all about pumpkins now.

I bought one of those $1 pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets and covered him in ModPodge and fall napkins. SO stinkin' easy. After popping a little battery powered votive in him, he glows at night. Cute!

The front steps are a hot mess right now. They need to be power washed, but I went ahead and put a few things out. I still have to get the garland above the door and swap some of that stuff around until it looks right.

Would it have killed the builder to center the damn door? It makes my left eye twitch. Of course I threw down my "Hey there, pumpkin" door mat.

I've only purchased two small mums so far ( and you know how much I love mums) because we're leaving town in a couple of weeks and they'd likely die while we're gone. A neighbor will check on the cats, but she's not a plant person so I don't ask her to water anything. I'm sitting on my hands to keep from filling the steps with pumpkins and mums. It's hard. This is my season and I want to enjoy every minute of it. And by enjoy it, I mean buy all of the pumpkins in the county.

I need an intervention. As much as I'm channeling autumn, Mother Nature seems determined to ignore me. As I type this I'm sitting in my craft room, burning my favorite fall candle - a yummy spicy, warm patchouli fragrance.

It smells like fall in here. Maybe I should crank down the a/c and pretend. Last weekend the Edgewater gang came over and we all took the Little Miss to an alpaca festival. LIke most festivals here, it wasn't much. A dozen or so skittish alpacas in a pasture, a store selling expensive alpaca goods (not even local), an ice cream truck, a handful of vendors selling their wares, a small bouncy house that needed more air, $10 pony rides, $8 face painting, and a free train ride. This was the train.

All that matters is that the grandgirl had fun and she did enjoy most of it. It was too hot and muggy for me. I'd planned to make dinner for everyone, but we just ordered pizza instead. I call that a win. I'm lucky enough to have a sweet daughter-in-law that is an incredible cook and baker, and she brought my favorite cake. It's called Bienenstich Kuchen, or Bee Sting Cake. Honey and almonds, need I say more? It's to die for! So we had a little early birthday celebration and their thoughtful gifts brought me to tears. My sweet grandgirl made a bracelet for me with her own little hands. She chose the beads and made it herself! She's crazy about mermaids, so this is indeed an honor. How precious is this?

Anywho, that's what's been going on here. Days and days of nothing, with lovely sprinkles of sweetness now and then. Did I mention our upcoming trip? We'll leave Baltimore on the 7th and fly to Paris.

We'll grab our bags and clear customs before hopping a train to Strasbourg. That will be our base for most of the trip. From beautiful Strasbourg we'll explore the Alsace region. It's the spot where France, Germany, and Switzerland bump noses. We'll visit Colmar and Riquewihr. Riquewihr (pronounced Rik-a-veer) is the town that inspired Beauty & the Beast and supposed to be one of the most enchanting villages in France! We'll probably take a train to Basel, Switzerland as well. If time and energy permits we can also take a quick train to Heidelberg, Germany - it's just a couple of hours away. Eventually we'll make our way back to Paris for a couple of days before flying home on the 17th. It'll be a whirlwind, but a beautiful one. Since the Alsace region is considered the "wine route", they may be very disappointed in the two of us.

I know I'll sound like, "Dee loo, see voo play." I hope they appreciate the effort. Time for me to sign off. It's 5 o'clock and I've got brown butter carrots in the crock pot that need me. We grilled chicken this weekend and have leftovers, so this meal is simple and quick. The mister has a photo meeting at 6 o'clock and I'll probably sit at my desk and make a few Halloween cards. Still trying to make fall happen. That's it from me, dear friends. I hope that you are all well and happy. If not, trust that it won't last. Good or bad,nothing is forever (except for the fat on my thighs, that's apparently permanent). Sending you lots of love, hope you feel it. Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[incendio22]

FOR THE HOPE OF IT ALL

Chapter 1: The letter

Summer slipped away and as the evenings started getting darker and colder, I could not help myself thinking about him. It had been over three months since he did the worst things one could do, right in front of my eyes. When I close my eyes I still see how the light went out of his. One small action with massive consequences. Yet, I kept finding myself wondering about him. Why he wasn't there to celebrate when Slytherin won the house cup. How he was holding up, now that he no longer had Anne by his side in Feldcroft. If he ever thought of me. 

I walk over to my small desk and sit down. The blank paper stares in my face, almost as if it's mocking my inability to actually sit down and write him. I tried multiple times before, but each attempt was unsuccessful. Eventually I reach for my quill, hesitating but then I decide that it's time.

Dear Sebastian,

I hope summer has treated you well. It has been some time since we spoke and things were pretty messy where we left off before the school year ended. I spent the summer with my parents travelling around Europe. We saw the most beautiful places and met lots of their friends from school. My favorite was Paris. I don't know if you've ever been there, but it sure is a magic place. There must be something in the air because artists from all over the world choose to come there to pursue their dreams. The city is filled with hope, since it did not so long ago almost turn to ruins from revolutions. But they built the city back up and it is almost as if you can touch your dreams whilst in Paris. You should go there if you ever get the chance.

I miss Hogwarts. Of course I have friends in the muggle world, but I can't tell them about the events of last year. My parents don't understand and fear to send me back there, but I know I must go back because it is the first place I ever felt like I belonged surrounded by people who understand me.

I have been thinking about you and I want to know about your summer. How are you holding up?

Love,

Y/n

I let out a sigh of relief. Now that I've finished the letter it was not so hard to write. It was not a very deep message I was trying to send him, but rather a hand reaching out. I hand it over to Aurora, my snow owl that I bought in Diagon Alley right after getting off the Hogwarts Express in London.

''Take this to Sebastian in Feldcroft.'' I say. Aurora looks back at me before she flies out the window and grabs the letter with her feet.

A cold breeze from the window strokes my cheek and I look at Aurora flying in the night. She looks majestic. I see a leaf falling from one of the trees in my backyard and I feel something flutter in my chest, as that indicates that September 1st is not far away.

As I wake up the next morning I wonder if Aurora already got to Feldcroft. I smile to myself, imagining Sebastian sitting at his kitchen table writing me back. These kind of fantasies have kept me going all summer, but during the nights the flashbacks drags me down. As I approach the kitchen I see my parents sitting at the kitchen table sipping on their morning coffee.

''Good morning'' Y/n my mother says. My father gives me a kind nod.

''Morning'' I reply trying to reach one of the coffee mugs on the highest shelves. I shrug, thinking to myself that it would be so much easier if I could just use magic to get it down. My father is reading the newspapers and my mother is reading one of her cooking magazines. I glance at the pudding on the page she's currently reading and hope that she does not decide to cook it.

''It is almost September 1st, how are you feeling?'' My mother asks me, barely looking up from her magazine.

''I'm thrilled for a new year, all the courses are so interesting'' I say with passion.

''I presume you intend on staying behind the castle walls this year'' My father says with a determined tone. ''I want to hear nothing about you chasing dark wizards or sneaking out of that castle''

''I will try my best, but I cannot promise such a thing.'' I say lightly but with a serious tone to it. My father shrugs his head and my mother looks up from her magazine.

''You must promise. I cannot stand the thought of you fighting those old and skilled wizards by yourself. It is your life you're risking!'' She says and I can see that her eyes are filling up with tears.

''I never fought alone.'' I lie.

''You stay on the school grounds, or you will come back and continue school here.'' My father ends the conversation. I let his message sink in, as I finish my cup of coffee.

Days pass and I hear nothing from Sebastian. I wonder if he's okay. Maybe he moved after all the turbulence and wanted a place that would not remind him of his sister. I pull out my coffin from under the bed and open it up. I did not even bother to pack it up when I came back home, except for my Slytherin scarf. Not that I needed it during summer, but I wanted to see it to be reminded of my house and Hogwarts. I carefully fold it and put it at the top of the coffin, as I close it. I am ready to leave for Hogwarts tomorrow. Just as I walk up to the window to close it I see a brown owl flying in the night sky. I tell myself I'm just imagining things. But it is coming closer, and closer. It lands on my desk and has a letter tied to its leg and I quickly unfold it. I recognize the handwriting. It's Sebastian.

Meet me at the Hogwarts Express.

[tieflingkisser]

The Covid Summer Games

You’ve probably seen by now that one of the stars of the Olympics collapsed in Paris last night with covid. Noah Lyles, the American 100m Olympic champion, was wheeled off the track after falling to the ground at the end of the 200m race, struggling to breathe.

[...]

More than 40 Australian athletes alone went down with covid, including almost half the Australian swimming team. Then Britain’s Olympic champion swimmer Adam Peaty pulled out from races, saying the illness had caused him to suffer ‘the worst week of his life health-wise.’ American swimmers swam below par with covid. A German decathlete withdrew with covid, then the German long-jump champion Malaika Mihambo, after being beaten into second place was, like Lyles, wheeled off the track, struggling to breathe. Her collapse came after she caught covid in June and didn’t fully recover. American boxer Jennifer Lozano caught covid before her gold medal fight, lost and then said she struggled to breathe. The American gymnast Jade Carey, the Tokyo Olympic floor gold medallist, didn't even qualify for the final after covid led to a mistake-riddled qualifying. These are just the ones I know of. I’m sure there are more. And many more athletes who never disclosed they were ill.

[...]

All of this while covid infections in the US top one million per day, as this summer wave builds to infect more than any summer wave since the start of the pandemic. Covid deaths in the US are climbing to 600 a week. In August. Forecasts are for a peak of 1.4 million infections per day by September.

[...]

Then there were the athletes who never arrived because they have long covid. One of these was Nathan Ikon Crumpton, American Samoa's 100m sprint national record holder. Earlier this week he uploaded a video where he talks about how a covid infection in January this year developed into long covid and stopped him from competing in the Paris Olympics.

[doctors-journal]

20 September, Later

From Paris, we went on to Strasbourg on the border with Germany.

It was while we were having a quick lunch at a cafe there—I picked at my food and Justin had nothing—that he got the call from the London police. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good news.

When he hung up the phone, he said, “I might have known it—he has escaped! They have secured the whole gang except for our Moriarty.”

“So, he’s the one who’s been following us? Then we’ll lead him back to London?”

Justin shook his head. “I know my man and he is too clever for that. No, there is only one chance that he might reveal himself. And if we do not secure him then all is lost; it would be the work of mere months for him to rebuild his empire. So long as he is at large, then I fear all of Europe is in danger.”

“What are you planning on doing?”

He gave me a grim smile. “You do yourself a disservice, Doctor. It is at this point that I ought to turn you away. This is not a good business. It may not all have a happy ending and it is not fair of me to drag you with me into the depths. However, I find that I cannot dismiss you; this is not a thing that can be done alone. There must be some witness and it cannot be anyone else. Without you, I might abandon the cause entirely. So, I have no choice but to beg your forgiveness and try your patience a little longer.”

He didn’t really give me a choice and even if he had I couldn’t have possibly left him to do whatever it is he has planned. I don’t know what it could be, but I’m afraid he’s barreling toward disaster, whether his Moriarty confronts him directly or not.

Now, we’re on a train into Switzerland. The Alps rise up around us, beautiful, yet foreboding. Even the foothills are already dusted with snow, and the sharp peaks are white against the blue and grey sky.