#madeleines gallery

[cr-another-kingdom]

Maple Float Cookie

At the Royal Cookie Academy, one of the sweetest Cookies study there—Maple Float Cookie! The maple syrup-infused soda in his dough makes him a sweet, savory yet refreshing at the same time! His maple ice cream hood makes him even more cuter, striking his freshness to the max! And whats even sweeter than his ingredients? His always fizzy soda bow he carries with him! With any arrow he shoots, it's always guaranteed they'll refresh oneself in a heartbeat!

[believing-is-seeing]

The stairs up to the organ

Open Gallery Night

At the Cathedral of the Madeleine

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

February 2023

[thenerdsofcolor]

The First Haunting Images For 'IT: Welcome to Derry' Float Their Way Online

The First Haunting Images For 'IT: Welcome to Derry' Float Their Way Online @StreamOnMax @HBO #ITWelcomeToDerry

It’s been a while since we visited the New England haven of Derry, Maine. After all, vacations there tend to end pretty tragically. However, thanks to the magic of HBO, we’ll be booking another stay in the form of the new upcoming series IT: Welcome to Derry. And this week, we got our first look at the new project. Continue reading The First Haunting Images For ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Float Their…

[rehsgalleriesblog]

Place de la Madeleine art by Edouard Leon Cortes | Rehs Galleries

Explore the vibrant Parisian scenes captured by Edouard Leon Cortes at Place de la Madeleine art. Immerse yourself in the artistry of this French master. Discover more at REHS Galleries.

[donnapalude]

i understand the discomfort around it, but the idea of madeleine being attracted to claudia both because of her apparent youth and developed intellect, apart from textually supported, feels thematically much fuller to me than either isolated alternative and, in a fictional setting, far from antithetic to the construction of a romantic fantasy.

claudia is not a neatly compartimentalised adult with a physical condition. despite similarities, to reduce her experience to easily parsable human categorisations does not capture the full horror and potential of her existence. she is a child-adult hybrid monster, twice parentless through death and abuse and left stranded without true companions or guidance. she has decades of experience, but she is as small as a child and presumably stuck with puberty's imbalances and brain reactivity. her situation serves as a partial reference to the arrested development caused by trauma, but it exceeds the metaphor by causing material impediments that facilitate people around her in removing physical and emotional agency from her. she is denied the complete abandon of daughterhood, burdened with the responsibilities of a partner, and never quite recognised for either. the removal of the more overt incestual undertones between her and her parents, does not erase the covert ones. she may not want them to fuck her exactly, but they are the only two people in the world for her and there is true pain in being placed close enough to witness their union, but never enough to be an equal part to it. as there is true pain in the knowledge that she was created for them, to save louis and their marriage, but she can never quite be all that they need. her desire to find an external companion stems as much from the suffering generated from this inherent failure and exclusion, as from an abstract wish not to be infantilised. moreover, infantilisation, for her, is closely related to the suffering of failure and exclusion. she is supposed to be everything for them, but this translates to a gallery of roles rarely donned by her choice, more than a consistent merging. the disavowal of childhood towards sisterhood is not (only) an uplifting impetus of empowerment. it's a stoic recognition of parental disappointment and an attempt to recover louis's love in a way she hopes he'll be able to give and she receive more stably. it's a boundary and, as such, it's also spiteful. despite louis's loving attempts and lestat's mild objections, this is not an ideal solution for anyone. she was created to be child and sister and partner all together. to be just small pieces of this, and so often the worst ones at that, chafes. by denying them access to a part of her, she regains control and twists the knife back (though it still cuts both ways).

it's in this context that the show places madeleine's love as the narrative fulfillment of all of claudia's fantasies. with a wholly negative value assigned to her childhood and youth, the achievement or failure of those fantasies would hinge on whether madeleine's love is read as contingent on honoring claudia's adult mind or coveting her adolescent body. but this binary reading reflects neither claudia's nor madeleine's story.

madeleine holds a fixation for youth that is not really dependent on the thrill of unilaterally lording power over it. her story about fucking a young invading soldier and her attraction for claudia getting fully expressed in light of vampirism, imply a much subtler connection between youth and power and death in madeleine's figurative cosmology. as an unstoppable definitive force, death has something of the sublime for her, inspiring both awe and terror in equal measure. in the romantic tradition, which bleeds into the gothic, the irrational state created by fear is not madness, but clarity of feeling divorced from the confines of reason. and once the barriers are down, madeleine seems to glimpse one truth: if death steals all life, it must be, by now, full of it to bursting. "he was alive", she says, when recalling what made her encounter with the nazi soldier so essential to her survival: "i know it sounds like a joke, but when there's death all around...". she calls him a "frightened boy", cradled to her chest. and to claudia, later, she asks "what's it like to drink blood? is it like drinking life itself?". claudia is much more pragmatic: "it's not an answer to life's mystery. it's food." but for madeleine it holds another significance, it is the answer to life's mistery. to survive one must steal life from death. youth, as a source of life, found in someone holding death in their power, is a direct tap into the vein, even before literal veins come into play. yet she would not like to drain it, hers is not a destructive design. she longs to nurture that life and let it flow freely and bask in its glow. forever if possible. this is her love for claudia. a feedback loop where she nurses the child and draws from the monster, drinks from her girlhood, to return belonging and wisdom. in the flow, a true joining.

this does not accurately reflect how people attracted to pubescent girls act and reason in real life. the preying on innocence and inexperience does not normally get offset by interest and care for genuine independence. the fact that claudia is not an actual child and is initially the only vampire in the relationship eliminates issues of consent and elides the power imbalance, so that we are left with the possibility that madeleine can nurture claudia's childishness, enjoy the role of emotional protection and guidance she derives from it, as well as feel intense attraction towards the body that holds these signifiers, while at the same time affording her the shared authority and admiration of a true adult relationship. as anticipated, it's a fantasy. it's claudia's fantasy, but also a human fantasy. and it's a cloying one, in its sweetness. the pain claudia holds comes not from being forcibly treated as a child, but from the imposition to live both adulthood and childhood together (not only through her body, but also through familial enmeshment) without being able to experience either in full, as one side of the balance naturally undermines the other. she is presented the illusion of a blissful coalescence of their offerings and is always left wanting. as a child she should be cherished and protected, as an adult she should be respected and powerful. she often finds herself powerless and undefended, needing to choose which wound to tend. and whatever the choice, it can never fill her parents' needs in full measure. with madeleine she can let go and be all, and joyfully. she is daughter and sister and lover and partner and teacher and maker. she can even transcend singularity to fill out a family and a coven. it's suffocating and labyrinthine and recourseless, but it's ultimately about the difference between being deprived of other options and being freed of the need to ever search for them. the wound madeleine heals, the fantasy she fullfills, live in claudia in a heightened state, but fundamentally draw from an incredibly common human want. to be loved in full. to be loved in all the past, present, and future iterations of ourselves, completely and equally. without sacrifice, without maiming, without choosing. it's the illusion given by the love of any parent that, even in the best of families, sooner or later is broken. we learn to parcel our love and to parcel ourselves for people to love different morsels. but claudia can stay whole. for madeleine, at the end, she really is everything.

[design-is-fine]

Thayaht, Tuta, 1920. Galleria Russo. 2/ Thayaht, Tuta sewing pattern, 1920, La Nazione magazine, Italy. La Stampa. Aleksander Rodchenko in the Soviet Constructivist overall, 1922. Thayaht, Female Tuta sewing pattern, 1920, Museum of Costume and Fashion, Pitti Palace, Italy. Uffizi Gallery. Thayaht’s illustration for Madeleine Vionnet, Automnale, 1923, Gazette du Bon Ton. Thayaht’s illustration for Madeleine Vionnet, De la Fumée, 1922, Gazette du Bon Ton. Panteek.

Ernesto Michahelles, better known as Thayaht was inspired by the concepts of functionality expressed by Giacomo Balla. He invented the famous suit Tuta, designed as a cheap, unisex, uniform overall where the shirt, jacket, and trousers were condensed into a single piece of practical, simple, hygienic, and synthetic clothing. Daily Art Magazine

[cowplant-snacks]

Cowplant Academy Class of 2026

The Cowplant Academy is a place for youth with special abilities to hide and well… maybe thrive? I originally shared these teen sims last year, however, they have been updated and now have families!

They are CC free and have at least 1 outfit in every category, pronouns, preferences, likes and dislikes, lifestyles, established relationship dynamics, skills, & turn-offs and turn-ons. Some also have jobs and/or are signed up for after school activities as well.

Gallery ID: Cowplant-Snacks \ alt download (sfs, free, no ads)

The Halversons are Werewolves

The Halverson are a family rooted in their community. Silas can be found conducting lectures on werewolf history and acceptance, while Genesis is often in the kitchen cooking for community events and giving out relationship advice to neighbors. Amaya is such a big help with her siblings and is always putting her parents' goals before her own, but she recently started a streaming channel playing her favorite games. Will she be able to keep up with all the demands of her time?

The Boldens are Spellcasters

Isaias Bolden is a notorious crook. While his very presence can make other sims cower, you can often find him doting on every single whim his beloved daughter, Aaliyah, has. He hopes that his son, Abram, will follow in his footsteps. However, Abram finds himself wondering what life might look like outside of organized crime but gosh… he's sorta good at it. He's at a crossroads, what will he do? Hopefully his pals at the Cowplant Academy can help him find his own way.

The Londons are Werewolves

The London's are a loud and chaotic werewolf family working to achieve their individual dreams. Poor Duffy can barely hear his own thoughts or his favorite TV shows over the cacophony of sounds his family creates. Whenever a family member is feeling down, Duffy is always there to cheer them up with one of his corniest jokes. But who cheers Duffy up? Hopefully that girl he's been crushing on at school has a matching romance bar.

The Comer & Gale Families are Mermaids

As a beloved King of a prosperous and peaceful Kingdom, you’d think there wouldn't be anything troubling Tobias but the reality is he is surrounded by a mess of his own doing. He ventured outside of his marriage and brought a second child into the world. After creating this riff, can he bridge the gap and bring these two families together as one? Poor Kingston and Madeleine can feel everyone's curious stares at school; they both avoid the topic AND… each other.

The Hernandezs are Spellcasters & Humans

Pedro fell for Annabelle's quick wit and creative spirit. For her, it was his commitment to family and his big beautiful brown eyes. While they may not always be on the same page about their love life, they both agree that their children are their greatest joy. Theo fills his time climbing trees and collecting knee scrapes. Lizbeth's happy place is Theater Club and it’s the only reason she stays in that crappy high school, but will it alone be enough to get her to graduate?

The Sus are Vampires

Mei and Hao are old fashioned and enjoy living a simple life unburdened by the advances of technology. However, their daughter, McKinley, prefers to keep up with each new changing decade as they come. Can these #technophobes and their tech obsessed daughter bridge the gap and coexist in a loving and peaceful household? That's not the only thing her parents don't understand. The other is her choice in a crush. A mermaid? Why can't she just fall in love with a decent vampire?

The Benedicts are Vampires

Leonard and Keisha have drifted apart over the centuries. They hoped bringing Caiphus into the family would solve their problems, but unfortunately, all it did was bring another soul into their mess. Caiphus attends the Cowplant Academy and plays on the football team, He’s only truly happy when he’s gripping pig skin, racing across the plastic turf, and tackling boys. He finds himself curious about one young man in particular, will he get up the nerve to ask him to the next school dance?

Important Notes:

I didn’t make the pets so they are not included. However, I am happy to answer WCIFs about them if folks are interested.

Stairwell pose: Thanks @keirosims for this awesome pose.

(Optional) default eyes + skin are here

Original post of the teens is here

[chopinski-official]

Chopin’s Wardrobe — What I Wore

Today I would like to share with you all the manner in which I dressed. It is interesting to see how fashions have changed over the course of 200 years. Some might say style has slipped… Anyway! Here are some details on my wardrobe:

My Suit

I liked to wear sober colours: black, mauve, blue… and especially grey. For instance, I once asked Julian Fontana to have made for me a pair of dark grey winter trousers, without a belt, which were smooth and stretchy.

Grey trousers, 1840.

At a concert in Glasgow, a pupil recalled that I had worn a pale grey suit. Which included a frock-coat of identical tint and texture.

(Left) Frock coat, 1840. (Right) Frock coat and trousers, 1852.

Under my suit, I would wear a modest waistcoat in a fabric such as a black velvet with a tiny inconspicuous pattern, something very quiet and elegant.

(Left) Provençal waistcoat with mauve silk seedlings, 1860. (Centre) Waistcoat with floral pattern, 1838. (Right) Striped waistcoat, 1850-70.

My preferred shirts were ones made of cambric or batiste fabric. They had small mother-of-pearl buttons, two breast-pockets, and could be bought for 14 francs.

For my cravat, I would wear muted colours during the day. Usually, I would tie it in a bow. However, when performing in a formal setting, I would wear a broad, white silk cravat.

Winter Clothes

To keep warm in the winter months, I wore a thick redingote or over-frock coat, as can be seen in this daguerreotype of myself from 1849.

(Left) Wool coat, 1840. (Centre) Winter costume. Paul Gavarni, 1846. (Right) Frock coat. Wool, trimmed with silk velvet. 1820-1830.

At one point, my sickness rendered me so sensitive to the cold that I wore three flannels under my trousers.

Underpants, mid-nineteenth century.

Accessories

Because I had small feet, I often found shoes uncomfortable. I mourned the day, Moos, my shoemaker died. No one made my shoes like him.

1840s men’s shoes.

On my head, I would always have my hair curled, and, when outdoors, I would wear a top hat. I bought my hats from Dupont’s because he made them lightweight. They were originally made of beaver felt but, by my later life, they were made of silk plush.

(Left) Top hat made of beaver felt, 1830s. (Right) Top hat made of silk plush, 1850.

My outfit was only complete with white gloves. Without them one would not be in good taste. Kid gloves were common, but I also liked wearing Swedish (suede) gloves. Always in white.

Evening gloves. 1848.

A pocket handkerchief was also a necessity.

Finally, I had a miniature pocket watch. According to one concert-goer, it was “In shape no bigger than an agate stone, on the forefinger of an alderman.”

Where did I shop?

I bought my top hats from Dupont’s at No 8, rue de Montblanc (the previous name for rue de la Chaussée-d’Antin). I lived on this street myself, both at No 5 (1833-36) and No 38 (1836-38).

(Left) 9, rue de la Chaussée-d’Antin, the fabric shop across the street from the milliners, 1840s. (Right) Rue de la Chaussée-d’Antin, 1858-1878.

My shirts came from No 37 in the Palais Royal galleries, on the theatre side.

(Left) View of the Galerie d'Orléans in the Palais-Royal, 1838. (Right) Jardin du Palais Royal, 1840s.

The white suede gloves could be acquired from À la Corbeille de Fleurs, Houbigant’s shop at No 19, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

(Left) The corner of rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, 1820-1840. (Right) Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 1814-1885.

There were also many shops along the Grands Boulevards. This is where I got my trousers made by my tailor, Dautremont.

(Left) Boulevard de la Madeleine, 1799. (Right) Boulevard des Capucines, 1830.

Boulevard des Italiens, 1840s (left), 1835 (right).

So…

As you can see, in spite my reputation for being picky and perhaps… prissy, with regard to fashion and furniture, I was far from what was called a dandy. My dress was never over-the-top and nor did I put on the airs that were so pertinent to dandyism. My desire, if anything, was to be refined and respectable. Although, perhaps my efforts to do so were occasionally cause for frenzy or distraction.

[tessa-liam]

The One Who Got Away 

Thank you @kyra75 for your ask --  Prompt #4, ‘This is all my fault’ for @choicesprompts – Angstgiving Event 

Choices Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2 

Pairing: Liam Rys x Riley Brooks (F!MC) 

Rating: mature 

Category: angst/fluff, one-shot, ask/prompt 

Words 3.5k, with sprinkles of Canon 

A/N1: not Beta’d, please excuse all errors 

Premise: Liam and Riley are in love, but due to circumstances, they are pulled apart. Riley leaves Cordonia to go back home to New York, heartbroken. Liam marries Madeleine, reluctantly, to fulfill his duty as King. A year later, while visiting New York, Liam runs into Riley.... 

ONE YEAR AGO ...

New York. The place where dreams come true. The Statue of Liberty. The Empire State Building. Central Park. 

As the limousine pulled up in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a sea of reporters and cameras flooded the sidewalk, all desperate to catch a glimpse of the young King of Cordonia. 

He'd arrived in New York earlier that day to spend the next two weeks on a goodwill tour, courtesy of his PR team. He'd already spent several days in Washington, DC, before stopping by a few other major US cities. New York City was the grand finale. 

King Liam stepped out of the limousine, his personal security flanking him, and walked into the throng of reporters. He was met with a barrage of flashing cameras, blinding him. His bodyguards tried their best to hold the crowd back. 

"Your Majesty! Over here! Look over here, please!" 

Liam put on his most dazzling smile and waved, walking towards the doors, surrounded by the press. 

"What are you hoping to accomplish during your stay in New York?" 

"Who will be accompanying you?" 

"Do you have a message for the people of Cordonia?" 

"King Liam! What is the state of the relationship between your country and the US?" 

"Will you be making any important announcements soon?" 

Liam smiled politely at the reporters, but refused to comment on their questions. He reached the top of the steps leading into the museum, and stopped for a moment, taking in the view. It was a gorgeous, but chilly,  November day in New York. The trees had long since lost their leaves and were now a dark brown, contrasting with the gray skies above. The weather had forced most New Yorkers to stay indoors. 

Liam glanced at his watch. It was 10:45 am. 

"Your Majesty? The exhibit is waiting for you." One of the museum staff motioned him inside. 

Liam walked through the massive, imposing entrance doors and made his way through the crowd of museum visitors, down the marble-floored hallway, towards the room where the exhibit was waiting for him. 

The museum staff, dressed in black-and-white, were all huddled near the door, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. 

"This is going to be a huge draw for our museum." 

"I can't believe they let us borrow these artifacts." 

"We're lucky the King agreed to open the exhibit." 

Liam cleared his throat and the museum staff immediately stood at attention. 

"Welcome, Your Majesty. We're honored you're here," the museum director bowed in respect.

"Thank you, but there's no need for all the formality," Liam smiled warmly. "Please, please call me Liam." 

The museum staff beamed as the director held out his arm to escort Liam into the gallery.

"If you'll please follow me, Your Ma—, uh, Liam. We've prepared the exhibit for your inspection. Please take as much time as you'd like." 

Liam followed into the spacious, exhibition room, his personal security standing outside. The staff were bustling around, checking the artifacts and displays. Liam took a few steps further into the room, and his breath hitched in his throat. 

At the end of the room, on a plinth, was a large display case, with a crown encased inside. It was a golden circlet, embellished with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. 

The Queen's Crown of Cordonia. 

He recognized it immediately. It had belonged to his mother, Queen Eleanor, before she had died. She had never had a chance to wear it. 

Liam's hands were trembling, and his knees were weak. He slowly approached the crown, his eyes fixed on it. The last time he'd seen this crown was at his mother's funeral. After that, it had been kept locked away in the Royal Treasury. He'd thought it would stay there forever. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" came a familiar voice. 

Liam's head snapped up and his heart skipped a beat. 

There, standing in front of him, was the love of his life. 

Riley. 

He couldn't believe his eyes. What was she doing here? 

"Riley," Liam gasped, taking a few shaky steps towards her. 

They stood inches from each other, but neither could make a move. There were a million thoughts running through each of their minds, but they couldn't utter a single word. 

"You look stunning," Liam finally said, breaking the silence. 

Riley blushed. "I didn't realize you'd personally be here." 

"My PR team set up this visit."  Liam softly spoke.

"I'm glad they did." Riley nervously responded.

They both stood in silence, staring at each other. 

Liam took a step closer and reached for her hand. 

"I've missed you," he whispered. 

"Me too," Riley replied, squeezing his hand. 

They gazed into each other's eyes, their hearts filled with longing and desire; even after all the time apart.

"Liam, I..." Riley started to say. 

"What is it, Riley?" 

"Nothing. It's just...I'm happy to see you." 

"I'm happy to see you, too," Liam said. "And I'm sorry, about everything." 

"It wasn't your fault." Looking down, Riley shook her head.

"Yes, it was. I should've done more. I should've fought harder. This is all my fault" 

"No. Liam, don't blame yourself." 

"But I do." 

Moving their conversation to a secluded alcove, Riley placed her hands on his cheeks. "None of this was your fault. You did the right thing. And you're an amazing King. You're the best King Cordonia has ever had. You made the right decision." 

"But I lost you." 

"It was my choice, Liam. I chose to walk away. I chose to leave." 

"Why?" Liam searched Riley's eyes for an answer.

"Because I knew you would never choose me over your duty. And I would've never forgiven myself if I forced you to make that choice. That would've been too selfish of me. You were always going to make the right decision for your country. And that's what made me fall in love with you." 

"Riley, I—" 

"Wait, Liam, before you say anything... there's something I need to tell you. It's important." 

Liam frowned. "What is it?" 

Riley hesitated for a moment, then looked up into his eyes. Closing her eyes, her heart was pounding inside her chest. "I was pregnant." 

The color drained from Liam's face. He stared at her in shock. "What did you just say?"  Liam didn't trust his hearing.

"I was pregnant, with our baby. I found out right after the coronation." 

Liam couldn't believe what he was hearing, shaking his head, no. He was completely stunned. He couldn't speak. 

"I didn't know how to tell you," Riley continued. "So I didn't. I was afraid of what you'd say. Of how you'd react. I didn't want to ruin your life. So I kept it a secret." 

"Riley, why didn't you tell me?" Liam asked, his voice hoarse. 

"I don't know. I guess I was scared. Scared of what you'd think. Scared that you'd hate me. I'm sorry, Liam. I should've told you. But I didn't want to put you in a difficult position. I didn't want to force you to make a choice. That's why I left. I knew that if I told you, you'd try to figure something out, and I couldn't let that happen. Not when the future of your kingdom was at stake." 

Liam was speechless. His heart was pounding. 

"I didn't want to ruin your life," Riley said again, her voice breaking. "It was all my fault." 

"How could you say that? Riley?" Liam was heartbroken.

"What do you mean? It was my fault. I was the one who got pregnant. I was the one who kept it a secret. I was the one who left."  Riley covered her face with her shaking hands.

"No. Riley, it's not your fault. It was my mine. I should've protected you. I should've done more. But instead, I failed you. I'm so sorry, Riley." 

Riley shook her head. "No. Liam, don't. Please don't. It's not your fault." 

Liam wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "It's okay, Riley. It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you. Not ever." 

[present day] 

Liam's eyes slowly opened and he was greeted with the sight of his sleeping wife. He was lying on his side, facing her, his arm draped over her waist. She looked peaceful. Her hair was splayed across the pillow and her lips were slightly parted. 

Liam gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. She stirred a little, but didn't wake up. 

He smiled to himself. 

They were together. They had another baby on the way. He'd done the right thing. 

His kingdom would be safe. His people would be safe. His family would be safe.

Everything was going to be all right. 

And yet, he couldn't help but wonder what might have been. If he had known Riley was pregnant; when she had left after the coronation... would things have turned out differently? Would they have chosen a different path? Would he have married Riley instead of Madeleine? Scandal be damned.

Or would the same thing have happened? Would he have still made the same decision, to choose his kingdom over his heart? 

It was too late to find out. 

He couldn't go back. 

He didn't have to.

***

🌹Thank you for reading.

📌 @choicesficwriterscreations @choicescommunityevents @choicesprompts @choicesmonthlychallenge

📌 @bascmve01 @busywoman @kristinamae093 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @kingliam2019 @ao719 @alj4890 @emkay512 @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @malblk21 @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @emersyn-in-cordonia @dutifullynuttywitch @charlotteg234 @lovingchoices14 @selina012 @kyra75 @imjusthereforliam @703cowbarn @irisk12 @imashybish @walkerdrakewalker @jared2612 @fadingreveries @mockingjay19 @queenwalton @thosehallowedhalls @umccall71 @rafasgirl23415 @mainstreetreader @shanzay44 @custaroonie @guineveresgarden @ownworldresident @amandablink @choicesfrog @mysticalfangirl @iluaaa @belencha77

[cr-another-kingdom]

Black Cherry Cookie

Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside—Black Cherry Cookie was baked with firm black cherries and a pinch of sugar, perhaps all the cherry pits shelled his outer wall to be colder? No matter, as the King of the Black Cherry Kingdom, he has a status to uphold—to be the Kingdoms protector and ruler. Many visit his Kingdom for the sights, or maybe just to learn about the culture, either way, when he watches someone leave with joy, he can't help but put on a small smile.

[afanofmanyth1ngs]

Yellowjackets/IWTV Fanfic

So, about a week ago I put out a poll about doing a weird IWTV fanfic that's basically set in the Yellowjackets verse... And now I'm doing it... YAY!! but I do just want to come on here to basically throw around some things I'm going to do :P So this is going to be where I update people and just basically talk about how I'm going to do this, what my schedule is going to look like, things I need opinions on. This is more so a motivation thing so IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, please please please comment and follow along. I lose motivation quickly, but this is something I'm pretty dedicated to. but either way THIS IS HAPPENING.

______________________________________________________________

First things first. YES I have started working on it. Im not even close to finished with the first chapter because each chapter is going to be LONG. This is not going to be everything that happens in Yellowjackets happens in here, and not even close. Even as I started it... I will sometimes use direct quotes, but thats only if im stuck and cant figure out what im doing.

NEXT as I said this is not going to be yellowjackets word for word, but I will be using each episode as a starting point. scenes might mirror each other, and I will cut between scenes as they do in the show.

Some things that are automatically going to be different from Yellowjackets:

They will not be on a Sports team of any sorts. The one thing each character has in common, is that they all are passionate about one or more forms of art (ex: Louis: Photography - Lestat: Acting - Madeleine - Sewing and dress making and altering (not the right words sorry lol)) SO im having them go to an art school :P little bit of a long shot but not only is it just convinent for me because of all the art forms they like, but also I think it would be kind of cool for just normal (LMAO) IWTV kids who have never touched a sport in their lives to now have to like hunt and stuff... kind of Lord of the Flies with half of the kids being CHOIR KIDS core.

Theyre all gonna be in High school. i was like well im not aging them up cause what fun would that be, so lets just age them down and keep a whole bunch of that trauma and see what happens... and im not super far into the writing process but its working rn!!

Theyre crashing in the Alps. I have zero knowlege of the Alps whatso ever BUT i know i went over them when i flew to Italy so Im having them go to the Uffizi Galleries!!! and then BAM Alps. so get ready for some major inaccuratcies about that cause im gonna make them how they are in Yellowjackets... just in like Italy. Maybe I'll reasearch a bit more... dw about it its ok :D

As I said before each chapter is going to be LONG. so rn I have around 4ish scenes (ones not finished yet) and by the time I'm finished with those and edit it's going to be close to around 4,000 words I'm estimating... that's 4,000 words for not even a quarter of THE KIDS STORY LINE. on that topic, because each chapter is going to be so incredibly long, I've decided to split each chapter in about half. I was originally planning to do one chapter = one episode of yellowjackets but again it's going to be WAY too long, so kids' storyline, adult story line. I like that a lot too because a big pet peeve of mine is in stories where it keeps switching through times and then i get so lost and have to reread like 10 times to understand... LIKE PLEASE JUST SPLIT IT INTO A FEW CHAPTERS SO IM NOT CONFUSED

Last thing! Most of each character's backstory IS WORKED IN... so for example (A HUGE example) is for at least the first few chapters Armand will be called and referred to as Amadeo. Marius is his adoptive father who rescued him from some sex trafficking scandal or something and renamed him, before he eventually changes his name to Armand while out in the mountains. So, like obviously he's not going to get the name Armand from Santino, but you know... working in what I can :P

OK ACTUALLY LAST LAST THING: I don't know when this will come out... I have a deadline for myself and I'm certain I will get to it, HOWEVER I do not have access to the other Yellowjackets episodes, which is pretty crucial if I want to get into a schedule of posting each week regularly. As of right now I am hoping to get the first chapter out on October 3rd... Yellowjackets will be accessible to me AND then I'll be able to post a chapter on Halloween... YAY!! if that does not work out because the following chapters are taking too long and I release before I can make sure the Schedule is set, it will most likely be one of the Thursdays in October because I REALLY want to get one out on Halloween!!

OK!! hope you guys liked my little rant!! I'll keep everyone who's interested updated on here so if you want to be in the loop follow me (or don't! if you don't you can just check my page!) and again comments motivate me, so if you have any questions or just think it's a cool idea let me know!

[wouriqueen]

Claudia, vampire rules and double standards

S2E06 is a nail in the coffin in many aspects, among which are the double standards Claudia is constantly subjected to in the family and/or society she exists in, from the moment she is made.

The episode makes it explicit through her asking why she can't cry and be forgiven like Lestat does, even though he's fine now like Louis is fine now. This excellent post covers that.

But the trend of "rules for thee, not for me" is a motif throughout her entire life, not limited to the parallels between Lestat and her, and I just wanted to list them off somewhere.

New Orleans

"We do not get close to humans". Lestat's words as he makes her watch Charlie burn - but he met Louis as a human, and dated Antoinette on and off.

Making a vampire. A boy being turned against his will would have been as horrifying as it was for Claudia, but Lestat's reaction to her trying over and over was so angry... even though he made four fledglings himself.

Love. Lestat gets to wax poetic about both Nicky and Louis, but Claudia's grieving for Charlie and yearning for new love is ridiculed. In fact, her finding love is punished (what other point would there be in forcing her to watch Charlie burn)

Freedom. Lestat left his home for the monastery, left again for Paris, left Paris for America. But God forbid Claudia goes to any place from where she can't keep Louis alive for Lestat's sake.

Living, in general. After Charlie, Lestat says they don't get close to humans because they end up dead" Okay, and? Claudia can decide for herself if she'd rather keep on getting close and endure that grief, or stay away. Preventing someone from living a life because "you know how it turns out" is controlling and hypocritical.

Europe

... which brings me to Armand doing the same. "She'll throw herself in the fire" okay, AND? Just because you thinks someone is going to die doesn't mean they can't get to live the days they do have! And who are they to decide that anyway.

Coven chores. Sam fails to do his chores 4/5 times in a row and it's all good with Armand (cf the coven dinner scene), Louis runs around cafes and galleries, and Santiago get close to women in town, but God forbid Claudia misses one (1) chore because she made one (1) friend.

Love and companionship. Armand and Lestat are doing the most horrible things to be with Louis but are themselves complicit in punishing Claudia for finding Madeleine and having her turned.

+ the coven is not enough for Armand but God forbid Claudia isn't satisfied.

+ Claudia is not enough for Louis but him not being enough for her is very terrible...

Vampire rules. The vampires from the theatre reveal themselves to humans (Santiago, some guy screaming it on the streets) aka they break the vampire rules, but Claudia's on "trial" for breaking the same rules.

+ Lestat revealed himself to Antoinette years before turning her - not a problem. Lestat turned Claudia - not a problem.

And that's of course not even including the double standards she faces due to racism and misogyny and the general acceptance of children abuse. The myriad of slights she endures as a black person in Jim Crow America. The double standards when Louis lets Lestat come home after E05 and Claudia is the one expected to control her anger. In Paris, Armand strangling her doesn't get a reaction, but him hitting Santiago gathers a crowd.

Of course, the vampire rules were always arbitrary/tools of control, but on of Claudia's challenges throughout her vampire was life was really that no one would allow her full personhood. (and of course she was a person anyway but God forbid she'd show it).

[believing-is-seeing]

Open Gallery Night

at the Cathedral of the Madeleine

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

February 2023

[showbiziz]

Attention, fans of Ed Hogg — the Royal Shakespeare Company has just posted some stunning photos of their current production of Othello on their site, and there’s this lovely pic of Ed as Cassio with Madeleine Hyland as Bianca. Fun fact: when he and I chatted afterwards, Ed told me that he thinks when the play ends and Cassio’s governor of Cyprus, he and Bianca get together. Love that take; it’s so refreshingly optimistic.

Here’s the link to the gallery, if you want to check it out: https://www.rsc.org.uk/othello/production-photos

[rehsgalleriesblog]

Place de la Madeleine wall art - Antoine Blanchard | Rehs Galleries

Uncover the romantic ambiance of Place de la Madeleine art through Antoine Blanchard's brush at REHS Galleries. Immerse yourself in the classic charm of Parisian artistry.

[thegoldensanctuary]

Part II : The Room Where The King Dresses(Part 2 A : architecture and overdoor paintings)

2.1 The Architecture of the room

In the end Mansart settled for composite pilasters pilasters for the central salon(fig11),and Corinthian ones for the attic, as a way of remaining consistent with the spirit of the Grand Gallery. The style of the western wall with its three archways giving access to the Gallery was mirrored on the eastern(the one on the cour de marbre side), which unlike its western counterpart is still visible to this very day(fig12). 

Fig 11 : Western wall of the central salon, before 1701, AN O1/1768-A fol. 2

Fig 12: Eastern Wall of the King Bedchamber today, Goole Maps.

While planned as a common room linking the Gallery to both the King and Queen apartment, the premature death of the Queen in 1683(before the completion of the construction), meant that from the very beginning its status would change. Indeed, upon reentering Versailles and rediscovering the palace with its brand-new Gallery, and new rooms, the King decided to annex to his apartment the rooms with view on the Cour de marble, which were originally destined to be part of the apartment of his defunct spouse. He chose the room next door as his new bedchamber(fig13), which soon became too narrow for the increasing number of courtesans attending the morning dress up ceremony. The central salon therefore became the room in which the King is dressed.

At that point there was no plan to turn the salon into a bedchamber, despite its central position behind the Cour de Marbre Avant corps, there was no room left to create an alcove, indeed the western wall had three archways linking it to the Gallery, similar to the eastern wall but with 3 windows instead and, the northern and southern walls on the other hand had two doors each as part of the enfilade.

Fig 13: Blueprint of the first Floor of the central wing, 1687-92 , with the King’s Bedchamber (before 1701) in green, BnF VA-448 (B)-FT 6, IFN-53128547

2.2 The paintings

The list of the paintings present in the room is given by various contemporary authors[7], as well as Painting inventories[8]. The layout of said painting partly known thanks to several elevations and blueprints[9], with 9 attic paintings with three frames on each of the attic walls except the eastern one, four paintings in the frames at the center of each of the four overdoors, and two large paintings at the center of the northern and southern wall respectively. Piganiol de la Force in his 1701 edition of the Nouvelle descriptions des Chasteaux de Versailles et de Marly provides lists the following paintings[10]:

Portrait the marquis of Ayton

Fig 14 Van Dyck, François de Moncade marquis d’Ayton, , 76,3 x 65,3 cm,  Château de Versailles, MV 7315

The portrait the marquis of Ayton by Van Dyck(fig14), depicting Francisco de Moncada y Moncada, a Spanish general and diplomat, it was purchased from the Jabach collection by King Louis XIV in 1671[11]. The portrait in question is a reduction based on a larger equestrian portrait by same artist dated from 1634[12] (fig 15). Piganiol paces it right in from of the Van Dyke self portrait.

Fig 15 : Van Dyck Francisco de Moncada, III marqués de Aytona, 305,2 x 240,3 cm, Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia, Inv :494

Van Dyke’s Self-portrait

Fig 16 : Van Dyck by himself 76,5 x 65,5 cm Château de Versailles, MV 7316

Portrait of Van Dyck by himself(fig 16), painted around 1630, it was acquired by King Louis XIV from the Jabach collection in 1671[13].Pignatol places the portrait above the door at the entrance of the appartement which at that time would have meant the northern wall on the enfilade side, which puts the marquis of Ayton portrait above the door on the southern wall just in front.

Saint Magdalene

Fig 17: Domenico Zampieri, dit le Dominiquin, Sainte Madeleine 76,5 x 66,5 cm Château de Versailles, MV 8377

Saint Magdalene by Domenichino(fig 17), the origins of this painting aren’t that well known. A similar painting superior in quality exists at the Pitti Palace(fig 18). Pignatol places the painting above one of the fake doors.

Fig 18 : Domenichino Saint Magdalene, Palazzo Pitti

Saint John the Baptist

Fig 19 : Giovanni Battista Caracciolo (dit il Battistello) ,Saint Jean-Baptiste 80,5 x 63,2 cm Château de Versailles, MV 8326

Saint John the Baptist attributed to Battistello(fig 19); it was acquired from the Jabach collections by King Louis XIV in 1662[14]. Pignatol attributes the painting to Caravaggio, that attribution changed to Valentin and later to Battistello[15]. Pignatol locates right in front of the Saint Magdalene painting above one of the fake doors.

[7] Felibien,Description sommaire de Versailles ancienne et nouvelle . Avec des figures, 1703, p.344-345 ;Pignatol de La Force, Nouvelle Description des Chasteaux et Parcs de Versailles et de Marly, 1701, p.120-122

[8] AN O1/1964

[9] Three of the attic paintings on the northern wall can be seen on an elevation attributed to Blondel dated 1735, BnF,Ms FT 6-VA-448 (B);

[10] Pignatol de La Force, Nouvelle Description des Chasteaux et Parcs de Versailles et de Marly 1701, p.120-122

[11] Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée ,L'inventaire Le Brun de 1683 : la collection des tableaux de Louis XIV, 1987,number 320 of Le Brun’s inventory.

[12] Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia, Inv :494

[13] number 229 of Le Brun’s inventory, see note 11.

[14] number 59 of Le Brun’s inventory, ibid

[15] Betatrice Sarrazin, Chefs-d’oeuvre de la chambre du Roi, 2022, p. 25