#marshals and wives

[josefavomjaaga]

Bessières' letters from Russia...

... or at least some snippets thereof, translated to the best of DeepL's ability from a sales catalogue (Osenat 15 June 2014). At sale was a collection of letters from Bessières to his family and from his family to him, starting in 1805 (?). Volume III contained the correspondence during the Russian campaign, and there were several quotes in the catalogue that I thought somebody might find interesting:

– Mayence, 12 May [1812] : ‘... Here we are at Mayence, despite heat and dust. The emperor got here a long time before anyone else, because the other carriages had to be repaired en route... We are going to a country where the climate may well be variable at times...’. (volume III, no. 239).

- Dresden, 17 May 1812: ‘... The Emperor and Empress of Austria are expected tomorrow, and everything suggests a few days of Court and festivities. I am very satisfied with all these meetings; the Empress has borne the journey very well. I confess that I feared she might be indisposed. The Emperor is in good health. As for us whose health is of no consequence, we are doing well or badly, depending on whether we are treated well or badly...’. (volume III, n° 240). - Dresden, 26 May [1812]: ‘... The stay in Dresden has been longer than we thought, it is likely that the arrival of the King of Prussia will delay the departure until the end of the week...’. (volume III, n° 241, with autograph apostille signed by the marshal's father-in-law). - Dresden, 28 May [1812]: ‘... This mark of esteem infinitely flattered me on behalf of the Emperor of Austria. Empress Marie-Louise will remain in Dresden for a few more days, after which she will go to Prague where she will stay for some time...’. (volume III, no. 244). - Dresden, 29 May [1812]: ‘... We are leaving today. The emperor has allowed me to spend a few days in my estate while he stays in Thorn [Bessieres had received an endowment in Kruszwica in Poland]...’. (volume III, no. 243)

- Thorn [Toruń, in present-day Poland], 6 June [1812]: ‘... I spent a few days in Crucewice [Kruszwica in present-day Poland]. It is a vast piece of land, as big as a province, and earns nothing... The Emperor leaves this evening for Danzig. I'm not going, I'm going to wait for His Majesty in Osterode. Until we arrive at Conisberg [Königsberg, i.e. Kaliningrad in present-day Russia], there will be gaps in my correspondence, because the couriers do not leave regularly, and the passage of the army has temporarily interrupted the postal service...’. (volume III, no. 246). - Schippenbeil [Powiat Bartoszycki in present-day Poland], 15 June [1812]: ‘I have not written to you since Torhrn [Toruń in present-day Poland]; it would have been difficult for me to send you my letter, because not having accompanied the Emperor to Danzig and Königsberg [Dansk in present-day Poland and Kaliningrad in present-day Russia], I found myself far from the line of the estafettes. I am not to join His Majesty before Insterburg [Cherniakhovsk in present-day Russia] on the 8th...’. (volume III, no. 247).

- Gumbinnen [Goussev in present-day Russia], 19 June [1812]: ‘...Yesterday I rejoined the Emperor. (volume III, no. 251). - Kowno [Kaunas in present-day Lithuania], 24 June [1812]: ‘We crossed the Niemen this morning... I hope that this campaign will soon be over... I do not write to you as often as I would like, the passage of the army temporarily affects communications; we ourselves sometimes remain three or four days without news from Paris...’. (volume III, no. 249) - Wilna [Vilnius in present-day Lithuania], 4 July [1812]: ‘... You complain that I rarely write to you. It is the effect of circumstances; communications are often interrupted because of the march of the troops...’. (volume III, no. 251).

- Wilna [Vilnius], 8 July [1812]: ‘... The enemy is on the other side of the Duina. So far he has done nothing but retreat. You are probably involved in politics in Paris; here we leave politics to the side, and we are very busy looking after our stomachs which, although they are no more difficult than usual, are always afraid of running out of the necessities...’. (Volume III, no. 252). - Gloubokoié, [July 1812]: ‘I'll give you some news of me... Since I left Vilna I have not been able to write to you because no couriers are sent on the road... I'm doing very well. I'm arriving a little tired...’. (Volume III, no. 268). - Witebsk, 1st August [1812]: ‘... Always on the march, and continually on horseback since we left Vilna, I have not been able to give you my news as often as I would have liked. Here we are in Vitebsk. We were hoping for a battle; the Russians have withdrawn again; so, with the exception of a few partial affairs, everything has been manoeuvres and marches...’. (Volume III, No. 255).

- Witebsk, 6 August [1812]: ‘...It is excessively hot here... we have been resting for eight days and we needed it.The enemy is still withdrawing...'.(volume III, no. 256).- Witebsk, 11 August [1812]: ‘... I am going to get on horseback to go to the Nieper where the Emperor has his headquarters. But I will write to you in three days because then we will have arrived, and as long as we are marching we must give up giving and receiving news… Do you know that we are a long way from each other... it is to be hoped that it will not be long; we want it as much as you do, but we have no will but that of the master...’. (Volume III, no. 257). - Smolensk, 24 August [1812]: ‘... I would have liked to write to you at length, but I cannot do so today, I am going to accompany with His Majesty on horseback...’.(volume III, no. 258)

- Dorogobouj, 27 August 1812: ‘We are now well on the way to Moscow... I am writing to you 60 leagues from this capital. It is a long way from here to Paris. I am bearing the fatigue very well and although I sleep in the bivouac most of the time, it does nothing to damage my health... I'm writing to you in a shed, sitting on a bench and on a table, both of which have the feel of the country. I have my horses left and right under the same roof, and I wait until after dinner ... which I find quite idle when I am hungry. His Majesty is very kind to me, and I have been very grateful. When I arrived from Smolensk I had my carriages at the rear. His Majesty sent for me to have lunch and dinner with Him. We were promised that we would be fine in Moscow. It seems to me that this is where this war should end... The army is marching; we will probably leave tonight. Tomorrow I shall be 8 leagues further from you. I hope we make enough of the war and of the journey to keep our children quiet and at rest...'. (volume III, no. 260).

- Gjat, 2 September 1812: ‘... You are ingenious at tormenting yourself. However, you must be reasonable and not believe that cannonballs always fall where no cannon is fired, because I must tell you the truth: I have travelled three hundred places without seeing a single one... It would be very strange if we arrived in Moscow without a battle. We are now only forty places away. I will tell you that everyone wants a battle, because they believe it will end the war...’. (Volume III, no. 261). <On the battlefield of Borodino> - From the bivouac’, 8 September [1812], “at 4 a.m.”: ’Yesterday we had a great battle... I am doing very well. I have often told you that I would make the epitaph of the world. All the Marshals are doing well. My brother [General Bertrand Bessieres] was slightly wounded in the shoulder. He is with me and will be riding in a few days' time. Write to my sister; he has nothing missing, he is doing very well, his wound means nothing although it is a little sore. Everyone around me is well. The Guard has not fought. The Russians got a good thrashing...’. (volume III, n° 262).

<In Moscow> - Moscow, 17 September [1812]: ‘I haven't written to you since we arrived in Moscow... because, with the city in flames, we had to relocate a lot and spend a lot of time on horseback. Imagine Paris in flames; you can't imagine such horror. This governor must be a great villain...’. (Volume III, no. 263).

- Moscow, 20 September 1812: ‘... We are in Moscow but all we have left are ruins, with the exception of a few districts that escaped the flames. These people must be very barbaric to burn down their capital. I've made a decision you'll appreciate. I have almost no carriages left - I've decided to get rid of them. The viceroy [Eugene de Beauharnais, viceroy of Italy] will probably take them. All I have left is a wagon and a chest of silverware. If things work out, you will be paid in Paris. One must know how to do without what is not necessary. I am very dissatisfied with my House. Pillage demoralises everything, and I don't like my people getting involved. If I see the banks of the Rhine again soon, I promise you a clean house...’. (volume III, n° 264).

- Krasnoié, 2 October 1812: ‘I have not written to you since 20 September... because I was detached for a few days with an army corps... I hope to return to Moscow in the next few days and I will compensate you for my silence... The viceroy [Eugene de Beauharnais, viceroy of Italy] has taken some of my equipment and silver. The bills had to be sent to Paris. I think the total is at least forty thousand francs. You must take care to have this money withdrawn... These funds will be used to replace what I have sold... An inventory of the items sold had to be sent. The two carriages were taken for 10,000 ff. each...’. (volume III, no. 265).

- Smolensk, 10 November [1812]: ‘It is a long time since I wrote to you... Since leaving Moscow, i.e. for nearly a month, I have not had the opportunity to do so. We learned of the follies and extravagances of some brigands in Paris [General Malet's conspiracy]. You can imagine what an impression it made on us; we find it quite extraordinary that all this should have happened without anyone knowing about it. Here we are in Smolensk, and soon closer, I hope. The weather is dreadful, snow and ice are the roses of the country...’. (Volume III, no. 266). - Witebsk, 16 December 1812: ‘I am doing very well... I am very much looking forward to embracing you, you, my son and our family...’. (volume III, no. 267).

- Posen [Poznań in present-day Poland], 27 January [1812]: ‘... I beg you... to calm down about me. I am well, and you know very well that I am not of a complexion to suffer from serious illnesses. I saw that the Corps législatif was to be convened on 1 February. I hope that this time I will be able to see the deputies from Prayssac at my leisure [the Marshal's birthplace]... Poor Fajol died in Konisberg [Königsberg, Kaliningrad in present-day Russia]...’. (volume III, no. 269).

- Posen, 29 January 1813: ‘General Lanusse [Pierre dit Robert Lanusse] left yesterday for Paris... he will probably give you a hundred louis that I lent him for his journey because he had only paper and could not get any money. So I'm increasing my little treasure, as you can see, and I'm sure of my guardian. Which doesn't prevent me from sleeping. I didn't want a receipt, as you can well imagine... Prince Eugène, who has a thousand regards for me, wants me to tell you that he sometimes talks to me about you, and that he esteems and loves you very much...’. (volume III, n° 270).

[flowwochair]

I cannot stop thinking about Must be Love by Laufey in an aimevout context specifically in Davout's perspective as he falls in love with Aimée, like just the line "You made a sappy stupid something out of me... The kind I swore I'd never be..." AGJSHHJFKJKDS CRYING AND SCREAMING AND THROWING FURNITURE YOU CANNOT TELL ME THIS ISN'T DAVOUT FALLING IN LOVE WITH AIMÉE PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SONG AND THINK ABOUT WHAT I AM SAYING HERE

anyways, speaking of aimevout: I am planning to release the other chapters of my fic when I finish chapter 4, I didn't even realize till now but I received my ao3 invite finally, I'll post here when I upload the other chapters ^-^

[jksimmonscompletist]

The First Wives Club (1996)

Format: Live-action feature length movie.

Director: Hugh Wilson

Writer: Robert Harling

Is J.K. Simmons in this? Barely, but yes.

Who does he portray? A nameless federal marshall, acting (I believe) on behalf of the IRS.

What does he do? He announces himself and arrests a guy.

How bald is he? Reasonably bald. He's obviously not trying to hide it, but he's also kept a bit of a crown.

Is anybody else in this? Yes, it's mostly about women, so some of them are in this.

Is it worth seeing if I’m not a J.K. Simmons completist? It is. It's an uplifting and funny story about women finding comfort in each other's friendship and thriving in middle age after a divorce. Having watched it, it's a bit sad that I can't think of more movies in this mold, but this one is definitely worth checking out.

[ladykailolu]

Ok ragazzi, My Demon Slayer self-insert is married to Gyro, Jake, and Godot and had one kid with each of them.

But then they're never around because they're hunting down demons, and so the fathers raised the children.

[josefavomjaaga]

I have been thoroughly castigated by a couple of folks in the Naps community regarding my opinions/posts about the Lovely Louise.

Well, I can see how hard it is to accept that some people whom we were so fond of may have been quite the opposite of what we imagined. It's very much happened to me, and frankly, you ruined some wonderful story ideas I had had 😁. Thank you so much... 😥😉

But I feel it's so important to keep questioning the stuff we believe to know, and to look into how we came to acquire this knowledge. To look at events from new angles so we can see connections that so far have been overlooked. (And you feel about Louise Lannes very much like I feel about Hortense de Beauharnais.)

Louise Antoinette Scholastique Guéheneuc, Duchess of Montebello (1782-1856) by Pierre-Paul Prud’hon, 19th century

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

Horatio Hornblower:

a. “He is the wettest soggiest boat man who hates being on a boat and hates his life but is actually very good at being a boat man and fighting Frogs. He canonically invented the shower and has a lot of other boat men hose him down every day. He has so much sexual tension going on with Lieutenant William Bush.”

Arthur Wellesley:

"So, I saw that you had no propaganda for the Iron Duke himself and thought that should be corrected, because I cannot let this man go unloved.

He is the ultimate sexyman. I don't really get that title or the requirements but I do know this man and he is the ultimate in Regency-era sexiness.

Field Marshal Sir Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington, whose full list of titles merits its own Wikipedia page, he had so many (including Prince of Waterloo of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), was so well known for his debonairness that he was often called "the Beau" or Beau Wellesley.

Our dear Duke with his eyes of "a brilliant light blue," is quite the underdog made good. The fourth son of an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family, he was a bit of a loner as a child, whose star was eclipsed by the academic success of his older and younger brothers. Yet he had a remarkable talent for the violin, which as we know from Mrs. Jefferson is quite a good quality for a man to have. As a young man he was considered extremely good humored and drew "much attention" from female society. The Napiers of Celbridge thought he was a "saucy stripling" and he was also considered quite mischievous. Yet he also had a rich inner life, reading and contemplating the great philosophers of the day.

Yes, we know about his military victories in the Peninsula (the position of Field Marshal of the British Army and the accompanying baton were created for him) and his success at Waterloo, but he was also both romantic and a ladies' man. (I could go on about the military success but that's not really what this is about, is it?)

Want the romantic side? He fell in love with Kitty Pakenham while a lowly aide-de-camp in Dublin but, with no real position or prospects, was laughed away by her brother when he sought to marry her. In a fit of pique he destroyed his violin and turned firmly toward progressing his career. Over a decade later, after he had made something of himself in India, he learned she hadn't married, supposedly because she was still pining for him. Reader, he married her, despite thinking she'd grown ugly, and got two children from her in less than two years. I'm not kidding, this man was virile. They married in April of 1806, their first son was born in February, 1807, and their second son was born in January 1808. Although he wasn't sexual faithful to her, Wellington wore an amulet she gave him for over twenty years, and was still wearing it when he sat with her on her deathbed. When she was surprised he still wore it, he told her if she'd just bothered to check in the last twenty years, she'd have found it. Despite surviving her by twenty years, the Duke never remarried.

Now, please don't think badly of him for the lack of sexual fidelity. It was the Georgian era. Sexual fidelity was not a part of marriage in high society. Men didn't sleep only with their wives and some wives could be quite happy with that (for one, it's much easier not to have one pregnancy after another when your husband is sleeping with someone else). Not that women weren't also sleeping around. Which brings me to one of Wellington's more… interesting conquests: Lady Caroline Lamb, wife of William Lamb (the future Second Viscount Melbourne and Prime Minister). Why do I know that name, you ask? The OG pixie manic dream girl, Caro's much more notably known for her affair with Lord Byron. After that particular bit of nonsense, she was in Brussels with the rest of the English aristocracy during the 100 Days/post Waterloo. She and the Duke supposedly slept together and she took his cloak away as a souvenir.

Who else did the Duke liaise with? Well, there were the usual flings with actresses and singers, such as La Grassini. As previously noted in another post on this tumblr, he was noted as a stronger, better lover than Napoleon by another of their mutual lovers. Wellington also was a client of Harriette Wilson. He visited her when she was in Paris after the Duke of Beaufort bought her off, though this was before Beaufort stopped paying her, prompting her to publish her memoirs. She canvassed her old lovers, including Wellington, to see if they'd pay her not to be in them. Wellington send her a note in return saying "Publish and be Damned." Something about his succinct dismissal of her is just so hot.

Oh, want a bit more of Wellington being a bad boy? In 1829, while Prime Minister, he got into a duel that still is commemorated almost two hundred years later. King's College, London, was set up while Wellington was also advocating for Catholic Emancipation and this led to Lord Winchilsea publicly insulting Wellington's honor to the point that the Duke (who'd never dueled before or supported dueling generally) called him out. They went to Battersea Fields and settled the matter with pistols. Wellington won and Winchelsea apologized. King's College celebrates "Duel Day" every March.

Even better, want to read about Elizabeth Bennet and the Duke being witty and falling in love? Complete with scenes of the Duke showing he knows what to do with his cannon? Then let me recommend the third variation of An Ever Fixed Mark, A Dalliance with the Duke. I dare you not to vote for him for all eternity with that portrayal in your head."

[josefavomjaaga]

Napoleon visits Bessières' castle (1810)

Elie Baudus in the first volume of his "Études sur Napoléon" has a description of Napoleon, after he had divorced Josephine, visiting Bessières' home. That's interesting insofar as Elie argues that Bessières' close friendship with the Beauharnais family had before gotten him in trouble with his master:

For a long time Napoleon had been haunted by the distressing thought that he would leave no direct heir to succeed him in this colossal empire, the creation of his genius. The empress's age meant that it was no longer conceivable that she would bear him children, so ideas of divorce had been on his mind since 1807. Some rumours about this project were spread during the trip he made to Italy shortly after returning from Tilsitt.

This journey to Italy happened not quite that shortly after Tilsit, actually, but only in late 1807 (November/December). At the same time as the preparations for the coup in Spain, by the way.

Marshal Bessières, who would always accompany him on such occasions, had been left in Paris to await the return of the guard, to lead it when it made its triumphal entry, to receive the celebrations that the capital intended to offer to these elite legions, and to preside over those that the guard was to give. The Marshal was very attached to the Beauharnais family. General Bonaparte, doing justice to Bessières' perfect manners and the noble qualities that distinguished him, had given him as a mentor to Eugène during the Egyptian campaign. After 18 Brumaire, this young man, in his capacity as colonel of the Guides, who had become the chasseurs à cheval of the consuls' guard, again found himself under the command of Bessières. The Marshal therefore learned with chagrin of the rumours that were spreading. Having acquired the certainty that the police were not uninvolved, he committed the noble imprudence of listening only to his initial impulse, went straight to Fouché, and confronted him with a very heated argument on the subject. His intimate conviction was, first of all, that the divorce would be an impolitic act; after that, he believed that the Emperor's attachment to Josephine was such that no consideration could decide him to pronounce it, and that consequently this prince had nothing to do with these manoeuvres.

When Napoleon returned, the Marshal was quickly proven wrong; the Emperor welcomed him coldly and immediately removed him from court by sending him to take up a command in Spain. The almost constant disfavour with which he was treated for several years proved to him that if Fouché had taken it upon himself to spread such rumours, at least he had not been disagreed with. Marshal Bessières was in South Beveland when the dissolution of Josephine's marriage to the Emperor was announced. On arriving in Paris in January 1810, he hastened to Malmaison to court the repudiated empress, and continued to be a regular visitor. Far from resenting him, the emperor seemed, on the contrary, to return some of the favour he had once shown him; he even chose this moment to spend two days at the Château de Grignon, owned by the marshal.

We have only had this one opportunity to see the emperor in his private life; we are going to recount how these two days passed. The character he displayed during these two days is quite unusual; besides, isn't everything of interest in the life of such a man?

Napoleon arrived at Grignon in the morning; his entourage was numerous; the King of Bavaria accompanied him, as well as the Queens of Naples and Holland and the Grand Duchess of Baden; then came the Prince de Neufchâtel, Grand Marshal Duroc, Marshals Moncey and Davoust, General Lauriston, Prince and Princess Aldobrandini Borghese, an equerry, a chamberlain, some officers of the hunt, the Duchesses of Bassano and Cassano, Madame de Broc and Mademoiselle de Mackau. When he got out of the carriage he went hunting; the park was very large and contained a lot of game; there was even a very fine pheasantry.

The emperor killed a large number of pheasants and partridges, but missed almost as many. Every time he fired his rifle, a hunting officer, standing next to him, whether the game fell or not, would still say "Broken wing, dangling thigh". Napoleon, who had misfired several times in succession, became impatient with this eternal refrain, and said at the last mention of a broken wing: "Well, go and fetch it". This order would have been difficult to carry out, because the bird was flying away. The clumsy courtier complied willingly and replied: "That's right, Sire, I was mistaken". After hunting for a few hours, the emperor retired to the appartment that had been prepared for him, and did not reappear until a few moments before dinner.

We do not know what whim had passed through the imperial mind, but Napoleon was already at table when he realised that he had forgotten to invite to dinner with him la Maréchale Duchesse d'Istrie, who had the honour of receiving him at her home, and, far from compensating her later for this singular distraction, he showed himself to be in a detestable mood towards her. Wanting to play the little game known as "le furet du bois joli", a piece of ribbon was needed; this was requested from Madame la Maréchale, who unfortunately did not have one in her possession; she enquired of all the other ladies to obtain it: Princess Aldobrandini was the only one who could provide her with this service. All these enquiries had taken a long time; so the emperor said to the maréchale, who presented it to him: "Since the time you have kept me waiting, you should have cut up all your dresses." - "Sire," replied this excellent woman, "if I had done so, it still would not have given you a single piece of ribbon." - We have never been able to find out the reasons for this rude behaviour on his part towards a woman of admirable and well-deserved reputation, who, sharing the Marshal's noble feelings, had not waited for his return to Paris before going to bring consolation to the august banished woman of Malmaison.

In the evening, the Marshal presented his aides-de-camp to the Emperor, who said to him on seeing the youngest: "Isn't it that little chap, Bessières, who, on the road to Wels, came to give me an inaccurate report about the direction you had made the cavalry take?" Despite the Marshal's protests, assuring him that the officer he was referring to was not at Grignon, he persisted for a long time in blaming this young man for the unfortunate blunder which was so close to his heart. In any case, he was only mistaken about the face of the culprit, for the fact was correct.

Afterwards there was dancing; everyone took part, whether they liked it or not, in this kind of entertainment, even the King of Bavaria, to whom the emperor said rather brusquely: "King of Bavaria, dance". And this monarch, then aged fifty-five, with a roundness that must have made this exercise very painful for him, hastened to take a dancer and place himself at one of the quadrilles. However, Napoleon had no grudge to satisfy against this sovereign at the time, so it did not occur to him to imitate our good Henry IV, who quickly made the king of the League, the Duke of Mayenne, walk through his park of Monceaux in revenge for the embarrassments the latter had caused him. But that was how Napoleon treated his vassal kings. No one, moreover, escaped his singular fantasies in this regard; the hero of Auerstædt and Ekmülh, whose appearance and manners were not particularly suited to this kind of pleasure, was also obliged to take part.

Though Davout apparently loved to waltz. It may just have been the wrong dance for him.

Not even the old duchess of Cassano, lady-in-waiting to the queen of Naples, who vainly objected to the dancer Napoleon sent her that she had given up dancing thirty years ago; she had to appear in a quadrille: the emperor wanted it that way. The public was not misled when it was said that the tune of Monaco was the one he preferred to any other, for it was repeated every time the emperor danced. The evening ended with the figure known as le grand-père.

Apparently Napoleon spent a good night because his attitude seems to have changed completely the next morning:

The day passed in much the same way as the day before, with the difference that Napoleon was constantly friendly to everyone and surprisingly cheerful for a man whose mind was always occupied with serious matters. The next day, at eight o'clock in the morning (it was winter at the time), it was unexpectedly announced that the emperor was leaving for Rambouillet; all the ladies who were travelling were obliged to throw themselves into the carriage, having barely had time to put on a dress. This sudden awakening, this lack of toiletries, did them no favours; there were only a few among them whose beauty, already tired by too many vigils, nevertheless triumphed over this harsh ordeal; we will mention the Queen of Naples, Madame de Broc and Princess Aldobrandini.

[moriaarts]

ARC Trooper Corporal Jaig

Blorbo the second, Jaig the ARC of the 343rd. In house mother and bleeding heart in disguise. With the text under the cut.

CT - 8407 “Jaig” has proven herself to be a survivor. Calm, collected and aloof, Jaig comes across as a cold and unapproachable soldier. But its a mask of a hunter observing the world for signs of danger.

The name “Jaig” was given to her early in the war when a B1 droid got in close and disarmed her. It’s not in Jaig nature to go down without a fight. It’s not in her nature to go down at all. All clones are trained in hand to hand combat, made stronger and more agile than base humans. But these are necessary against unyielding mechanical fists. Knocked off her feet by a metal backhand, she remember the raw of the wind across the sands, of the LAAT’s, of blaster fire.

She registers the B1s flooding in and going for her batchmates, her squadron, helmet forgotten she goes for the nearest one and shreds out the wires in its neck. It’s a valiant effort. It’s luck. The droid reaches back, grabbing her by the face to pull her off. It’s joints seize and all thats left as it turns on her is the command prompt to shoot and keep shooting. The fucker took her eye. Tore the skin off around it.

The scar that it left was triangular shaded, the skin too smooth for the rest of her face. A jaig eye, Jai’galaar’la sur’haii’se, a shreik-hawk eye, they said. Said her quick thinking took out a platoon of clankers when the droid she hardwired mindlessly shot a downed LAAT, blowing it, sending it crashing on top of the ones storming their trench. She just remembers being pissed because they knocked her bucket off and didn't finish the job. So she gets to trained as an ARC. It’s an honour. And she agrees but it doesn't feel real. Even assigned to the 21st Nova Corps, under the command of Commander Jet, Clone Marshal Commander Bacara, and General Ki Adi Mundi.

She never really like red. Liked the long kama though. She also had not like General Mundi. The rumour was that he had ten wives. The number changed depending on the battalion they were bunking with. It was more like four. But knowing the jedi’s no string policy she's even less of a fan. Even less in the coming months before. Jaig would be with the nova corps for few campaigns. Used to smile when Block chased her around with hair shears. How Duke would always grumbled getting dirt off his armour, and asked how she kept hers so clean and not smelling of wet bantha. But besides that she hadn't known much about herself until they had met them. Two of General Mundi’s wives met them at a medical station one a doctor the other visiting from a relief mission. Pamania. She was lovely. Covered in simple jedi cream robes all except for her eyes. Eyes of deep pools of dark purple, nebulas set in russet skin. They creased when she smiled. Lashes fluttered when she cried. They visited the medical base often. Pamania was gentle with them. Patient and kind, and fierce as a forests fire when they came back in a state. Jaig thinks she liked her. The first one to call her sister. The first to run fingers through her hair rather than playfully pull it when she gave her some self sacrificing crap. The first person to kiss her on the cheek and tell her she had a right to live in this world. War or no war.

Jaig had been younger then, Naive and unsure what to do with such gentle treatment. Who knew an innocent kiss to a clothed cheek would do such damage? Jet had scolded her and within a week she was decommissioned for improper behaviour, officially. Unofficially reassigned in shiny armour to the 343rd.  

Bonus:

Jaig loves the twins like her own. Especially Lash, whose quiet sarcasm is a family brand of deflection. She wants more with Ro, but Ro has a whole host of issues to make up with before Jaig is next in line. Doesn’t stop her having the ARF troopers back though. They both got on best, both being recon troops and with her 3rd in command and Ro in 2nd, they often share looks of exasperation and concern at the expense of Kiss.  

Here is Captain Kiss x and the rest of the company.

WIP Playlist

[sapphicbookclub]

Pride Flag Book Recs #4 🌈

Another pride month is upon us and as per tradition, I bring you more books to make your shelves more rainbow-er than ever!

If you missed the previous posts, find them here: #1, #2, #3.

Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott, Cow Girl by Kirsty Eyre, Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson, Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers, The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard

Easy Nevada and the Pyramid's Curse by Georgette Kaplan, The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark, The Unbroken by C. L. Clark, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield

Scorpica by G. R. Macallister, Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey,  For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake, Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather, The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri, Laurel Everywhere by Erin Moynihan, The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores

Catch and Cradle by Katia Rose, Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn, These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall, Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan, Afterlove by Tanya Byrne, The Shattered Lands by Brenna Nation

Happy Pride Month Reading!  ❤️💛🧡💚💙💜

[senechalum]

I found a CSP brush I'm in love with (finally)

I decided to work on facial expressions, inspired by their statues on Rivoli's street 👉👈

Yes, you can suggest 1 Marshal, General, or even their wives (bc I don't draw enough women) + 1 emotion and I'll try to draw it

Sorry for only posting sketches, I'm busy with work recently :c

[bones4thecats]

I see you have your requests open! :D

May I please request Loki, Shiva, Thor and Beelzebub from SNV with a S/O who's like Hastur/The King In Yellow from Lovecraftian mythos?

(They walk around in a tattered yellow cloak and a crown, maybe have more than 2 eyes?) Humans are terrified of them and are even scared to mention their name. How would they react to seeing their S/o in their cosmic horror/non-humanoid for for the first time?

(Sorry if it's a little long... Have a great day! 🥰)

A/N: This has to be one of my favorite requests ever! I love H.P. Lovecraft and other mythical writers, and Hastur has to be one of my favorite creations in these stories! Now, before I start rambling again, enjoy!!

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

Known as the God of Shepherds, you were feared by many, so feared that the mention of your name scared others to their core. 

You were set in a battle against a human known as William Marshal, the Most Loyal Knight in History. 

Your yellow cloak hung to your form as the man pulled out his sword and began his attack while Humanity and the Gods’ roars echoed throughout the arena.

The Gods had put up a barrier protecting the people inside, knowing if you got too mad, the ring would get destroyed very quickly. 

William was getting on your nerves as he sliced off six of your tentacles.

Ragged breathing filled the ears of everyone in the arena as you grew in size, your frame becoming unrecognizable as you began to fight with all the being you contained.

Everyone was shocked, but your husband was the most shocked…

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🐍 Loki watched as you grew in size and his eyes widened, you had never gotten this mad while in battle

🐍 He yelled in anger as one of William’s sword’s hit your appendages, cheering as your threw him to the opposite side of the arena

🐍 The sound of colliding weapons echoed as the Valkyrie transformed into a sword and shield, protecting the former knight

🐍 But it was no match for your strength

“ You humans are pathetic, when you want something you get arrogant and expect more, yet when you don’t get it, you get mad and petty like nothing. “ “ You know nothing of Humanity… monster. “ “ Good riddance, worm. “

🐍 Loki was so proud as you slayed the human for his disrespect of his creators

🐍 Now he had to wait for his round and you to join him, or maybe he’d visit you? Who know~

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🪩 Shiva watched with his wives, son, and pantheon as you grew in size and became your true form

🪩 He smirked as William’s valkyrie stepped back and became a sword and shield

“ Idiot humans. They think they can defeat Y/N. “

🪩 You glared at the human as he fought you, trying to hit you with any chance he could take, honestly it was quite pathetic

🪩 Though even Shiva had to admit, the human was quite smart with his hits

🪩 But his brain was no match for your anger

🪩 You grabbed him with a rogue tentacle and threw him against the wall before chocking out his valkyrie and snapping his neck

🪩 Shiva laughed as Humanity cried, they really believed that human had a chance against you? The Hindu God of Shepherds? The one everyone feared so much as to not mumble their name?

🪩 After you were dragged to the infirmary, he visited with his wives and son

🪩 They checked your pale face and dark eyes and scolded you for letting your emotions get out of hand, in which Ganesha hugged you, asking how you were

🪩 Shiva just stood off to the side and waited for them all to leave, and when they did, he gave you the biggest hug and happiest smile you’d ever seen him give anyone

“ Good job, my dearest. “

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🌩️ You and him were not ones to anger, as it lead to major destruction

🌩️ And anyone could tell this was one of the rare moments of your anger taking over

🌩️ Thor stood up and watched as the human’s valkyrie protected him, giving the most bloodthirsty smirk as the duo talked about how they would destroy you

🌩️ How pathetically arrogant

🌩️ You mopped the floor with them with so little energy

“ Remind me to never prank them anytime soon. “

🌩️ Odin looked at Loki and back at Thor, he could tell his son was admiring his S/O’s battle with so much love and dedication

🌩️ Now everyone knew why you guys got married

🌩️ You had the same amount of bloodthirstiness inside, hidden behind a dead and cold appearing front

🌩️ Once the battle ended, Thor met you at the entrance, assisting you to the infirmary, and when you were all healed, he hugged you from behind while resting

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🪰 Beelzebub was getting bored of watching these battles, but seeing you walk onto the field made him perk up

🪰 He knew you were getting mad with the human’s attacks with the support of his valkyrie, but he didn’t know you were that mad

🪰 You stood tall and launched the biggest and most dangerous assault that you ever had before

🪰 Your husband watched with interest as you kept throwing and harming the human with bloodlust driving through your head

🪰 He was monitoring how plagued your mind was getting, and when he saw the human nearly dead, he messaged Zeus, telling him to wrap this up, saying you were about to the level of genocidal rage

🪰 Beelzebub watched you get dragged away while William shattered away, his smirk ever present as he looked over your sitting form

🪰 Your pale face still had some blood from the human, so he wiped it away and patted your head

“ My wilted rose, my heart fluttered as you fought. “

[josefavomjaaga]

Thank you for putting together this list! Davout may have had a bit more time with his family than Soult, but surely not as much as both spouses would have loved to have. 😥

How Long Was Davout Separated From His Family After 1805?

@josefavomjaaga reblogged your post:

When did Davout even get home to France after he had marched out for the Third Coalition War in autumn 1805? Does somebody know?

This is an interesting question that I am attempting to answer. I know that Marshal Soult after leaving camp in Boulogne in 1805 almost never returned to France until he was finally able to in 1813, and Marshal Davout was likely to have a similar situation.

According to Davout's biographer, he had not had leave since the army left camp in Boulogne and was set to stay with the III Corps even as it settled down in Southern Germany throughout 1806. However, in September 1806, Napoleon granted both Ney and Davout leave to go back to France as both their wives had given birth to children,

You may grant to Marshal Davout a leave of absence for twenty days for the same reasons [as Marshal Ney] and on the same conditions -- if he wishes to take advantage of it

In Davout's case, this child, named Josephine, would be his first to survive infancy after the sad deaths of the previous two.

Sadly Davout was not to stay with his family and new daughter for long as he was ordered to return to his Corps by the 28th of September for the 1806 Prussian campaign. Davout arrived in Paris on the 15th...

Davout was with the army the rest of 1806 and the whole of 1807. He was in Poland in 1807 where he was helping administer the Duchy of Warsaw alongside Prince Poniatowski. He had submitted another request for leave which was rejected as his presence in Poland was crucial. I think he wanted to go back as Aimée had given birth in July 1807 and probably wanted to be with her. However, in April of 1808, Aimée went to Poland to visit him, bringing their two infant daughters with her. It's not very clear but Aimée probably stayed in Poland until 1809 when Davout had to leave for the 1809 Austrian campaign in the middle of March that year. She also gave birth to another child, a son, during that time.

The best years of Davout's life during the Empire years were probably in 1810 as after the 1809 campaign, there was peace in central Europe for the first time in many years. This allowed Davout to leave his Corps stationed in Germany to return home to his family. He was able to spend a whole ten months with Aimée and the children. Sadly, the son that was born in 1809 died which plunged Aimée into inconsolable grief, similarly to the first two deaths.

In 1811, Davout was stationed in Hamburg but he managed to race back to be with his wife after the birth of another son. 1812, the Russian campaign, we know how that went. Davout took part in it and after the disastrous retreat was sent to Hamburg again and would remain there until Napoleon's first abdication in 1814. During that time, Aimée was able to visit him once in 1813 after the birth of their seventh child, a son, as Davout's leave had once again, been cancelled.

So as we can see, Davout was luckier than some of the Marshals were, especially Soult. He was able to go home and spend time with his wife and kids. Aimée himself too visited Davout at some of his various postings which were probably a source of strength and comfort for him.

Gallaher, John. The Iron Marshal: A Biography of Louis N. Davout. The United States of America: Southern Illinois University Press, 1976.

[nerdsbianhokie]

Reading the World

In 2023, I challenged myself to watch a movie from every country in the world during the year, which I more or less succeeded. At the start of this year I decided to read a book from every country in the world (without the time restraint) and got a map to track my progress along with a challenge on Story Graph.

List of countries and books below the cut

Current count: 46

Afghanistan:

Albania:

Algeria:

American Samoa:

Andorra: Andorra: a play in twelve scenes by Max Frisch

Angola: The Whistler by Ondjaki

Anguilla:

Antigua and Barbuda:

Argentina: Our Share of the Night by Mariana Enríquez

Armenia:

Aruba:

Australia: Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia edited by Alexis West

Austria:

Azerbaijan:

Bahamas:

Bahrain:

Bangladesh:

Barbados:

Belarus:

Belgium:

Belize:

Benin:

Bermuda:

Bhutan: Folktales of Bhutan by Kunzang Choden

Bolivia:

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Botswana:

Brazil:

British Virgin Islands:

Brunei:

Bulgaria:

Burkina Faso:

Burundi:

Cambodia:

Cameroon: The Impatient by Djaïli Amadou Amal

Canada: The Gift is in the making: Anishinaabeg Stories retold by Amanda Strong and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Canary Islands: Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu

Cape Verde:

Cayman Islands:

Central African Republic: Co-wives, Co-widows by Adrienne Yabouza

Chad:

Chile: The Twilight Zone by Nona Fernández

China: The Secret Talker by Geling Yan

Christmas Islands:

Cocos Islands:

Colombia:

Comoros:

Cook Islands:

Costa Rica:

Croatia:

Cuba:

Curacao:

Cyprus:

Czech Republic:

Dem. Rep. of Congo:

Denmark:

Djibouti:

Dominica:

Dominican Republic:

Ecuador:

Egypt:

El Salvador:

Equatorial Guinea:

Eritrea:

Estonia:

Eswatini:

Ethiopia:

Falkland Islands:

Faroe Islands:

Fiji:

Finland:

France: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

French Guiana:

French Polynesia:

Gabon:

Gambia:

Georgia:

Germany: At the Edge of the Night by Friedo Lampe

Ghana: Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

Gibraltar:

Greece:

Greenland:

Grenada:

Guam:

Guatemala:

Guernsey:

Guinea:

Guinea-Bissau:

Guyana:

Haiti:

Honduras:

Hong Kong:

Hungary:

Iceland:

India: Coming Out as Dalit: A Memoir Of Surviving India's Caste System by Yashica Dutt

Indonesia: Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

Iran: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Abid Khorram

Iraq: Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

Ireland:

Isle of Man:

Israel:

Italy:

Ivory Coast:

Jamaica: When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten

Japan:

Jordan:

Kazakhstan:

Kenya:

Kiribati:

Kosovo:

Kuwait:

Kyrgyzstan:

Laos:

Latvia:

Lebanon: Beirut Hellfire Society by Rawi Hage

Lesotho:

Liberia:

Libya: Zodiac of Echoes by Khaled Mattawa

Liechtenstein:

Lithuania:

Luxembourg:

Macedonia:

Madagascar:

Malawi:

Malaysia:

Maldives:

Mali:

Malta:

Marshall Islands:

Mauritania:

Mauritius:

Mexico: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Morena-Garcia

Micronesia:

Moldova:

Monaco:

Mongolia:

Montenegro:

Montserrat:

Morocco:

Mozambique:

Myanmar: Smile as They Bow by Nu Nu Yi

Namibia:

Nauru:

Nepal:

Netherlands: We Had to Remove this Post by Hanna Bervoets

New Caledonia:

New Zealand: Tahuri by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku

Nicaragua:

Niger:

Nigeria: Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Niue:

Norfolk Island:

North Korea: A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea by Eunsun Kim

Northern Mariana Islands:

Norway: Blind Goddess by Anne Holt

Oman:

Pakistan: Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Palau:

Palestine: The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Panama:

Papua New Guinea:

Paraguay:

Peru:

Philippines:

Pitcairn Islands:

Poland: Return from the Stars by Stanisław Lem

Portugal: Pardalita by Joana Estrela

Puerto Rico:

Qatar:

Rep. of the Congo:

Romania:

Russia:

Rwanda: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

Saint Barthelemy:

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha:

Saint Kitts and Nevis:

Saint Lucia:

Saint Martin:

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

Samoa: Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel

San Marino:

Sao Tome and Principe:

Saudi Arabia:

Senegal:

Serbia:

Seychelles:

Sierra Leone:

Singapore:

Sint Maarten:

Slovakia:

Slovenia:

Solomon Islands:

Somalia:

South Africa:

South Korea: The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong -Mo

South Sudan:

Spain: Mammoth by Eva Baltasar

Sri Lanka: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

Sudan: The Translator: A Memoir by Daoud Hari

Suriname:

Sweden: Fire from the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot

Switzerland:

Syria: The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War by Delphine Minoui

Taiwan:

Tajikistan: The Sandalwood Box: Folk Tales from Tadzhikistan by Hans Baltzer

Tanzania:

Thailand:

Togo:

Tokelau:

Tonga:

Trinidad and Tobago:

Tunisia:

Turkey:

Turkmenistan:

Turks and Caicos Islands:

Tuvalu:

Uganda:

Ukraine:

United Arab Emirates:

United Kingdom: Poyums by Len Pennie

United States of America: Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America by Gregory D. Smithers

United States Virgin Islands:

Uruguay:

Uzbekistan:

Vanuatu: Sista, Stanap Strong : A Vanuatu Women's Anthology edited by Mikaela Nyman and Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen

Venezuela: Doña Barbara by Rómulo Gallegos

Vietnam:

Wallis and Futuna:

Western Sahara:

Yemen:

Zambia:

Zimbabwe: We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

[seeinganewlight]

2024 books read

2024 goal: 150 books

january: 1 - heartstopper vol. 1 → alice oseman (reread) 2 - heartstopper vol. 2 → alice oseman (reread) 3 - heartstopper vol. 3 → alice oseman (reread) 4 - heartstopper vol. 4 → alice oseman (reread) 5 - heartstopper vol. 5 → alice oseman 6 - a fragile enchantment → allison saft 7 - some shall break → ellie marney (audiobook) 8 - only if you're lucky → stacy willingham (arc) 9 - over my dead body: a witchy graphic novel → sweeney boo 10 - notes on an execution → danya kukafka (physical & audiobook) 11 - murder on the orient express → agatha christie (reread) 12 - our wives under the sea → julia armfield (physical & audiobook) 13 - the invocations → krystal sutherland (arc) 14 - red string theory → lauren kung jessen 15 - the breakup tour → emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka (arc) 16 - the name drop → susan lee 17 - the secret of the old clock → carolyn keene (reread) 18 - bright young women → jessica knoll (audiobook) 19 - last call at the local → sarah grunder ruiz (audiobook) 20 - no one can know → kate alice marshall

february: 21 - worst wingman ever → abby jimenez 22 - drop, cover, and hold on → jasmine guillory 23 - with any luck → ashley poston 24 - the atlas six → olivie blake (reread, audiobook) 25 - that's not my name → megan lally 26 - not here to stay friends → kaitlyn hill 27 - this golden state → marit weisenberg 28 - today tonight tomorrow → rachel lynn solomon (reread, annotation) 29 - past present future → rachel lynn solomon (arc, annotation) 30 - the atlas paradox → olivie blake (reread, audiobook) 31 - the guest list → lucy foley (audiobook) 32 - in the market for murder → t.e. kinsey (audiobook) 33 - the neighbor favor → kristina forest 34 - in the mix → mandy gonzalez 35 - everyone in my family has killed someone → benjamin stevenson 36 - the seven year slip → ashley poston 37 - veronica ruiz breaks the bank → elle cosimano (audiobook) 38 - finlay donovan rolls the dice → elle cosimano (audiobook) 39 - the simmonds house kills → meaghan dwyer (arc)

march: 40 - the mysterious case of the alperton angels → janice hallett 41 - the book of cold cases → simone st. james 42 - what the river knows → isabel ibañez (audiobook) 43 - cut loose! → ali stroker & stacy davidowitz 44 - how i'll kill you → ren destefano 45 - the reappearance of rachel price → holly jackson (arc) 46 - when no one is watching → alyssa cole (audiobook) 47 - outofshapeworthlessloser: a memoir of figure skating, f*cking up, and figuring it out → gracie gold (audiobook) 48 - julius caesar → william shakespeare (rerad, audiobook) 49 - the family plot → megan collins (audiobook) 50 - if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread) 51 - alone with you in the ether → olivie blake (physical & audiobook) 52 - disappearance at devil's rock → paul tremblay (audiobook)

april: 53 - shakespeare: romeo and juliet graphic novel → martin powell & eva cabrera 54 - shakespeare: macbeth graphic novel → martin powell & f. daniel perez 55 - shakespeare: julius caesar graphic novel → carl bown & eduardo garcia 56 - shakespeare: a midsummer night's dream graphic novel → nel yomtov & berenice muniz 57 - twelfth knight → alexene farol follmuth (arc) 58 - kill for me, kill for you → steve cavanagh 59 - murder road → simone st. james 60 - everyone on this train is a suspect → benjamin stevenson 61 - listen for the lie → amy tintera 62 - king cheer → molly horton booth, stephanie kate strohm, jamie green 63 - twelfth night (musical adaptation) → kwame kwei-armah & shaina taub 64 - in juliet's garden → judy elliot mcdonald 65 - fat ham → james ijames 66 - death by shakespeare → philip l. nicholas, jr 67 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread) 68 - good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread) 69 - as good as dead → holly jackson (reread) 70 - dark corners → megan goldin (audiobook) 71 - the one that got away with murder → trish lundy (audiobook) 72 - funny story → emily henry 73 - imogen says nothing → aditi brennan kapil 74 - people we meet on vacation → emily henry (audiobook, reread)

may: 75 - episode thirteen → craig dilouie 76 - the girls i've been → tess sharpe (reread) 77 - the girl in question → tess sharpe (arc) 78 - wild about you → kaitlyn hill (arc) 79 - just for the summer → abby jimenez 80 - my best friend's exorcism → grady hendrix 81 - second first date → rachel lynn solomon 82 - the ballad of darcy & russell → morgan matson 83 - the good, the bad, and the aunties → jesse q. sutanto (audiobook) 84 - truly, madly, deeply → alexandria bellefleur 85 - your blood, my bones → kelly andrew 86 - amy & roger's epic detour → morgan matson (reread) 87 - romancing mister bridgerton → julia quinn (reread) 88 - the viscount who loved me → julia quinn (reread) 89 - bittersweet in the hollow → kate pearsall 90 - to sir phillip, with love → julia quinn (reread) 91 - when he was wicked → julia quinn (reread) 92 - it's in his kiss → julia quinn (reread) 93 - on the way to the wedding → julia quinn (audiobook, reread) 94 - emma → jane austen (audiobook, reread)

june: 95 - first lie wins → ashley elston 96 - we got the beat → jenna miller 97 - firekeeper's daughter → angeline boulley 98 - chlorine → jade song (audiobook) 99 - what stalks among us → sarah hollowell 100 - hollow fires → samira ahmed (audiobook) 101 - part of your world → abby jimenez 102 - the road trip → beth o'leary 103 - yours truly → abby jimenez 104 - finally fitz → marisa kanter 105 - the last love song → kalie holford

july: 106 - dead girls walking → sami ellis (audiobook) 107 - home is where the bodies are → jeneva rose 108 - we used to live here → marcus kliewer 109 - the children on the hill → jennifer mcmahon (audiobook) 110 - what moves the dead → t. kingfisher 111 - my throat an open grave → tori bovalino 112 - dashed → amanda quain (arc) 113 - asking for a friend → kara h.l. chen (arc) 114 - beach read → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 115 - book lovers → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 116 - happy place → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 117 - you have a match → emma lord (reread, annotation) 118 - bonnie & clyde musical script → ivan menchell (reread) 119 - such charming liars → karen m. mcmanus (arc) 120 - she left → stacie grey (audiobook) 121 - let the games begin → rufaro faith mazarura (audiobook) 122 - death at morning house → maureen johnson (arc)

august: 123 - cleat cute → meryl wilsner (audiobook) 124 - i wish you would → eva des lauriers 125 - the break-up pact → emma lord (arc) 126 - water for elephants → sara gruen 127 - when you get the chance → emma lord (reread, annotation) 128 - come out, come out → natalie c. parker (arc) 129 - my lady jane → cynthia hand, brodi ashton, jodi meadows 130 - the lies of alma blackwell → amanda glaze (arc)

september: 131 - the spare room → andra bartz 132 - late bloomer → mazey eddings (audiobook) 133 - savor it → tarah dewitt (audiobook) 134 - triple sec → t.j. alexander (audiobook) 135 - the skeleton key → erin kelly 136 - the examiner → janice hallett (arc) 137 - the dark we know → wen-yi lee (audiobook) 138 - pretty girls → karin slaughter 139 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, annotation) 140 - lady macbeth → ava reid 141 - the pumpkin spice café → laurie gilmore 142 - the main character → jaclyn goldis (audiobook) 143 - queen macbeth → val mcdermid (arc) 144 - the cinnamon bun bookstore → laurie gilmore (audiobook)

october: 145 - midnight on beacon street → emily ruth verona (audiobook) 146 - make me a mixtape → jennifer whiteford (arc) 147 - haunt sweet home → sarah pinsker 148 - graveyard shift → m.l. rio 149 - the bitter end → alexa donne (arc) 150 - morbidly yours → ivy fairbanks 151 - someone in the attic → andrea mara 152 - a new lease on death → olivia blacke (arc) 153 - the christmas tree farm → laurie gilmore 154 - staged → elle cosimano 155 - the reunion dinner → jesse q. sutanto 156 - a crime of fashion → emma rosenblum 157 - the nosy neighbor → nita prose 158 - one lucky subscriber → kellye garrett 159 - a classic case → alicia thompson 160 - interview with the vampire → anne rice (audiobook) 161 - horror movie → paul tremblay (audiobook) 162 - everything is poison → joy mccullough (arc) 163 - romeo and juliet → william shakespeare (reread) 164 - no place left to hide → megan lally (arc) 165 - macbeth → william shakespeare (reread)

november: 166 - dinner for vampires → bethany joy lenz (audiobook) 167 - make the season bright → ashley herring blake 168 - a bánh mì for two → trinity nguyen (audiobook) 169 - merriment and mayhem → alexandria bellefleur 170 - a novel love story → ashley poston 171 - guilt and ginataan → mia p. manansala

december: 172 - looking for smoke → k.a. cobell (audiobook) 173 - seven lively suspects → katy watson 174 - the rival → emma lord (arc) 175 - a lively midwinder murder → katy watson

[nesiacha]

Camille Desmoulins and Antoine-François Momoro

Antoine-François Momoro Camille Desmoulins

I couldn't say exactly how, but I have the impression that the printer-bookseller Antoine-François Momoro and the pamphleteer Camille Desmoulins had very opposite paths and were very different despite having similarities, if you know what I mean. Camille Desmoulins was a republican from the start, while Momoro was cautious on the matter and hesitated to publish Desmoulins' pamphlet "La France Libre" in June 1789, only releasing it on July 17, 1789. However, Momoro increasingly engaged in the revolution, eventually becoming one of its key figures and a regular at the Cordeliers Club. He was arrested after the Flight to Varennes, having signed the Champ de Mars petition. Desmoulins, on the other hand, had to go into exile. In this regard, they shared the common ground of being among the harshest critics of the monarchy, although Desmoulins had been vocal much earlier, opposing the property-based suffrage in 1789 and circulating 3,000 copies of his journal "Les Révolutions de France et de Brabant." During the Varennes episode, Momoro ensured that many issues of the Cordeliers Club Journal, which became virulent towards the king due to his escape, were distributed.

Both Camille Desmoulins and Momoro participated in the events of August 10, 1792. While Desmoulins left his mark as a key figure of July 14, 1789, Momoro, alongside Mayor Pache, inscribed the words "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" on public buildings in the summer of 1793. Both played roles in the expulsion of the Girondins. Desmoulins was elected to the Convention, whereas Momoro, though not elected, played a significant role in the Paris Commune, overseeing supplies and soldier morale, among other tasks. He recruited volunteers from various departments and regions and was sent to Vendée alongside Charles Philippe Ronsin. Both men remained actively involved in what was considered a faction until the end, in contrast to their leaders Danton and Hébert, who were less ardent or coherent (although there were no real leaders, if you understand my point).

Their wives played more significant political roles alongside their companions than often portrayed in films. Lucile Desmoulins' journal shows her as a fervent critic of the monarchy, writing dark texts about Marie-Antoinette, approving the King's execution, and defending Camille when the future Marshal Brune asked him to temper his critiques in "Le Vieux Cordelier." Sophie Fournier, Momoro's wife, played a crucial role in her husband's dechristianization campaign, representing the Goddess of Reason armed with a pike at each ceremony (when you consider the struggle of the women of the Revolution to bear arms, in my opinion, it only demonstrates her great determination ). Both Momoro and Desmoulins had only one son from their marriages, and their wives were subject to sexist attacks, similar to Manon Roland, Louise Gély, Marie Françoise Goupil, and even Marie-Antoinette.

However, their paths diverged significantly. Initially cautious, Momoro became increasingly revolutionary, ultimately considered an ultra-revolutionary, while Desmoulins became more moderate. Momoro began to advocate for property rights redistribution, a stance not shared by Desmoulins or many Montagnards, who were moderate on this issue. Momoro supported de-Christianization, while Desmoulins opposed it. Momoro called for harsher measures against counter-revolutionary suspects, whereas Desmoulins, in "Le Vieux Cordelier," called for leniency (except for approve the mock trial of the Hébertists) and advocated for the mass release of counter-revolutionary suspects, many of whom were innocent. During the harsh winter of 1793-1794, Momoro prioritized the suffering of the Parisian masses, a concern Desmoulins did not share.

Despite this, Momoro and many considered Hébertists were sent to the guillotine. It is said that Momoro died bravely, like most of his colleagues except Hébert (his bravery was remarkable given that his wife Sophie was arrested ten days after him, and he knew she could die, yet he refused to show fear in public). Desmoulins, calm when preparing for death, panicked when Lucile was arrested (as unjustly as the arrests of the Hébert and Momoro wives) and expressed his despair all the way to the scaffold. The most horrifying part is that Desmoulins and Momoro learned of their wives' arrests the day before their execution.

My personal reflections: Honestly, I believe there is a golden legend about Camille Desmoulins, which he does not deserve, and a black legend about Momoro's faction, which is also undeserved . As I mentioned in this post https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/744960791081631744/the-difference-in-treatment-between-the-indulgents?source=share, in my eyes, Camille Desmoulins is highly overrated. While I do not deny his talents, I do not think he was fit for great responsibilities, unlike men he mocked, like Ronsin, Saint-Just, or Momoro, who worked tirelessly during the revolution's most challenging period. I must say in my eyes that once Desmoulins became a Convention deputy, he seemed to rest more than other revolutionaries. Consider Sonthonax, labeled a Girondin, who accepted a mission to Saint Domingue to better fight against colonizers who denied equal rights between people of color and whites, or Condorcet, who worked with Carnot on women's education with Pastoret and Guilloud, or Charles Philippe Ronsin. Many members of the Committee of Public Safety had grueling schedules in addition to their missions. Other Convention deputies, unlike Desmoulins, were sent on missions, such as Charles Gilbert Romme (and many others). While Desmoulins advocated leniency in "Le Vieux Cordelier," he approves the mock trial that led to the Hébertists' guillotining and said nothing about their wives' arrests (perhaps he planned to call for their release to be fair, but I don't know). Besides being partly responsible for the fall of the Brissotins, he remained silent on the illegal harassment Jacques Roux faced, leading to his suicide, and once said he understood the need to curb liberty for the people's salvation. Nonetheless, Camille Desmoulins should never have been arrested, let alone executed, as he only wrote articles.

In comparison, Momoro, a victim of a black legend, was clearly more honest about following a consistent line. Initially more cautious than Desmoulins in 1789, he ultimately advocated for more social rights. Despite not being elected to the Convention, he played a significant role in the Paris Commune, carrying out various missions during the revolution's most challenging period, from late 1792 to early 1794. During the Convention's invasions, he was among those who demanded vital laws for the revolution, such as the maximum or the revolutionary army's levy. His attempted insurrection was mainly due to the severe suffering of the Parisian masses in the winter of 1793-1794 and the frequent attacks on the Hébertists by the Convention (the arrests of Ronsin and Vincent in 1793), while dubious characters like Danton were free. Momoro was never rehabilitated, unlike Desmoulins, who was falsely accused of sabotaging supplies and destroying his reputation by accumulating 190,000 livres in cash, although he always refused to elevate himself, leaving behind only 26 livres and 400 livres in assignats. As Mathiez Albert, a historian harsh on Robespierre's opponents, said, "One of the main leaders of this Hébertist party, who first tried to translate and represent the popular aspirations against the wealthy bourgeois of the Convention [...] He died poor, as he had lived."

However, Momoro also had his faults, and Desmoulins was right on some points. Nothing is entirely black or white, especially among revolutionaries. The dechristianization campaigns often caused problems for the French Revolution. I understand the anger of incorruptible revolutionaries like Momoro, given the religious intolerance of that time, but intolerance cannot be fought with more intolerance. These campaigns also alienated many French people.

Moreover, if Desmoulins had dubious political allies in Danton, Momoro could be worst. He counted as an ally the horrible Nantes drowner, Carrier (Momoro didn't drown people by the way, but still a bad point for him...). Many French Revolution characters made alliances with dubious figures (like Robespierre, who knew the criticisms against Danton were well-founded but largely allied with him until a certain point), but it's still a big no for me for the alliance with Carrier. Not with one of the most hateful characters of the French Revolution. His last insurrection attempt, which led to his guillotining, was understandable, but the Convention was at a critical point and could not afford a new insurrection. Unlike Hanriot and Chaumette, he was not lucid enough on this point. He should have been more lenient with the suspect laws. Plus let's not forget that the faction call hebertist who after denunce the faction call enragés took them petition.

Even if I am harsh on Camille Desmoulins, I must acknowledge his great courage and contributions to the French Revolution, and like Momoro, he never betrayed his principles. Moreover, I fully agree with him on press freedom and often highlight his reasoning on freedom of expression. It's worth noting that Camille Desmoulins' father died shortly after his son's execution, heartbroken by his loss, just as Momoro's mother, a servant in Besançon, died a week or two after her son's death. Regardless of what one might say, both revolutionaries earned the right to be considered important figures in the 1789-1794 period.

I would like to end with two phrases these two revolutionaries reportedly said shortly before their deaths:

Momoro, during his condemnation: "I am accused, I who gave everything for the Revolution!"

Camille Desmoulins in jail : "I had dreamed of a republic that everyone would have adored."

P.S.: I have searched everywhere for a biography of Sophie Fournier, Momoro's wife. I found it in PDF and French, but I don't know its value.

Here is the link : https://www.sh6e.com/images/publications/Lettre_d_information/2023_05_Lettre_info_Sh6.pdf

[josefavomjaaga]

That's really amusing. Especially the part about the "pompous proclamations" - is he trying to imply there were proclamations at the time that were not? If so, I have yet to find them

As to the singer in Turin whom he was allegedly "besotted" about - considering that Soult had his wife with him at the time, I would love to learn more details! 😋 Must have been quite the situation in Turin.

Amusing (to me) Description of Soult

"A curious type of man, this Soult; a soldier with the temperament of a politician. The son of a notary, he had a very sketchy classical education, but had acquired a taste for pompous proclamations. He had a haughty manner which went with his severe mien - although he did not look people in the face. As with many senior officers raised under the Revolution, money did not displease him. His contemporaries spoke with admiration, or with snigger of envy, of the magnificent balls followed by suppers which he gave in 1800 at the Duke of Aosta's palace at Turin in honour of a singer about whom he was besotted.

Later, his immense fortune, which Napoleon was not alone in regarding with reservations, allowed him to fulfil his obligations opulently. People did not visit him solely to dine or sup, but also to admire - with murmured observations - his superb picture gallery."

Georges Blond. La Grande Armée. 1997.