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fred-erick-frankenstein · 2 years ago

Note

Hello,

First of all i am sorry if it may be diffcult so tw for the holocaust.

My late grandmother passed away four years ago

My late grandmother was a proud Jew holocuast survivor. One of the things that were natural to her was the speaking of multipal languages, including German which was her mother's tonge.

What would you recommend A. Going to Germany for the first time and B. The best way to learn German? I already know Hebrew, Russian and Yiddish, i jut want to honor her memory in the best way possible.

Thank you

Hi anon, sorry for the late answer, I was thinking about what best to recommend.

To answer your first question, I'd say it depends on what you want to see in Germany. Like, do you want to visit memorials and similar places for the Holocaust? Then Berlin is probably your best place to start/visit. There you find the biggest (?) memorial in Germany - here's the link to their website (in English) with the different memorials, exhibitions, news etc. Although that's obviously not the only memorial ("Mahnmal") for the victims of the Holocaust. You'll also find so-called "Stolpersteine" in many places in cities of Germany and several other european countries. Here's a website (in English) with more informations about them. Again, those are not the only memorials, if that's what you want to visit in Germany. Here's an article about several more places - it's in German tho but I'm sure if you put the link into Google translator it should be fine.

If you just want to visit sights or "famous" places in Germany, here are some other recommendations:

If you like castles and historic places, then Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria might be something for you ("Schloss" is castle). That or Schloss Sanssouci and its gardens in Potsdam near Berlin.

If you like to go hiking then the "Sächsische Schweiz" in Saxony or the "Elbsandsteingebirge" or the "Alpen" in the southern part of Bavaria close to the Austrian border might be something for you. The "Sächsische Schweiz"/"Elbsandsteingebirge" ("Gebirge" is mountains) has smaler mountains than Bavaria but they are liked by free climbers (?), while the "Alpen" (alps) are higher/better for longer hiking tours.

If you prefer big cities and shopping, Munich in Bavaria and Berlin are probably more for you. It's been a while since I've been to Munich but I read that the "Marienplatz" is a good starting point, as it's in the "Altstadt" (the historical part of a city - if you like historic places look out for the "Altstädte" of the cities that you visit - they often have buildings that have been there since Medieval Times), and it's also apparently the starting point of the part of the city for pedestrians/for shopping. If you like second-hand stuff there are a lot of small second-hand shops in Berlin and there's also a four-stories building, the "Humana Secondhand-Kaufhaus Friedrichshain" ("Kaufhaus" is department store). Here's a little more info about it (in German). If you prefer smaller cities with a pretty "Altstadt" Dresden or Görlitz in Saxony might be something for you. In Dresden you also find a cool interactive science museum, the "Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden".

If you like amusement parks and such then the "Euro-Park Rust" near Rust or "Belantis" near Leipzig, Saxony, might be something for you. Or the "Leipziger Zoo" if you like zoos.

If you prefer coasts or seaport cities then the cities Hamburg, Bremen or Lübeck might be something for you. All three also have pretty "Altstädte" with many historical buildings and places. In Bremen the "Schnoor" ("Schnur" is Thread) or the "Schnoorviertel" ("Viertel" is quarter) is pretty famous. It's a quarter in Bremen with very narrow streets and high buildings, owing to building restrictions and few space. Here's a little more information (in English) about it. Or, if you like museums about the sea the "Ozeaneum" in Stralsund might be something you'll enjoy - and while you're in Stralsund you might like to visit Rügen, the biggest island of Germany, which is very close by. On the other side of Northern Germany you can find the "Wattenmeer" (Wadden Sea), which is famous for its ecosystem, including many birds and seals. Tho some parts are only visitable with guides to save the environment (and the visitors as the sea/tides can be fast and dangerous). Another interesting museum about climate in different parts of the world is the "Klimahaus Bremerhaven" ("Klima" is climate, "Haus" is house). It's an interactive museum where each room simulates a different climate/region.

Here's a link to an article with more recommendations (it's in German but again, I'm sure if you put the link into Google translate it should be find).

Which brings me to the second part of your question. I'm currently learning one completely new language and one I've learned in school in the Duolingo-App, which I like because it's free (or at least there's a free version which, in my opinion, is as good as the pay version). Depending on your starting-language the quality of the course can differ - I found that the English course for French speakers includes more vernacular (?) French than what I learned in the French course for German speakers. There are also some German blogs on here that you might like to follow to practice German (not all their posts are in German, just some). For example @official-german-medienlandschaft @official-kinderkanal @langernameohnebedeutung @useless-germanyfacts @deutsche-bahn @official-german-gaming @official-german-schulsystem @official-nordrheinwestfalen @officialgreifswald.

@salvadorbonaparte also made a wonderful (!) post with language learning resources - it's their pinned post.

Hope this helps - have a nice day :)

If you have more questions feel free to ask 😊

#asks #thanks for the ask!#links

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rueroyale · 3 months ago

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Science and Art, a collection

Vladimir Nabokov, Drawings of the undersurfaces of Blues from the argyrognomon Bergstraesser 1779 and insularis Leech 1893 complexes (Berg Collection, NYPL)

J. S. Bach, Musical Offering, Ricercar à 6, performed by Alan Feinberg

Vladimir Nabokov, Excerpt from Speak, Memory, 1966

J. S. Bach, Manuscript of Ricercar à 6, 1747 (“6-stimmige Fuge, von J. S. Bach u. origineller Handschrift”)

Photograph of Vladimir Nabokov in 1947

Adolph Menzel, Detail of the Flute Concert of Frederick the Great at Sanssouci, 1852 (far left, C. H. Graun, ancestor of V. Nabokov; at the keyboard, C.P.E. Bach)

#vladimir nabokov #johann sebastian bach #js bach #ricercar #musical offering #butterflies #science and art #web weaving #frederick the great #cpe bach #nabokov

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sumsebien · 4 years ago

Text

by design pt.1//Prince Friedrich

prologue // series masterlist

summary: the journey from london to sanssouci is long. what will y/n and friedrich do with all this free time?

word count: 3.4k

warnings: none

a/n: hello i am sorry for being so late with this one. the next ones will also be a little further apart than you’ve come to expect from my last series but i think this quality-wise will be improved (hopefully)

The carriage was spacious enough so that Friedrich could sit without bumping his knees against whoever sat in front of him. Right now, that was you. Heinrich was next to Friedrich, briefing him about the itinerary for the day. And Friedrich tried to pay attention. He really did but his eyes kept landing on you every couple of seconds.

You sat quietly. Your face turned away from them as you gazed out of the windows. But then, he heard the faintest of sniffles. He turned to Heinrich. His valet stopped talking.

And then, he heard it again. This time, Heinrich heard it as well, laying the map down in his lap. Their eyes directed towards you.

You were crying.

The two men gave each other a look.

Friedrich hadn’t a clue what to do. He could not recall the last time he had had to comfort someone in distress. He figured it was because a Prince was not the most ideal person for people to confide in.

Heinrich, on the other hand, had three little sisters. Therefore, he was way more knowledgeable. He nudged the Prince’s shoulder, tipping his head towards your figure and mouthed ‘Do something!’

Friedrich shrugged. ‘What?’

‘Just do something!’

The silent conversation and stern looks Heinrich threw him forced a few words out of his mouth. All of them formed without any forethought. “My lady, would you like a handkerchief?”

His voice startled you. You quickly wiped the back of your hand under your eyes and shook your head. “I’m alright. Just something in my eyes,” you said, a weak smile on your face.

“Are you sure?”

You nodded, a little bit too quickly for someone who was actually telling the truth. “It’s just been a long day. That’s all.”

You thought they didn’t notice or perhaps at the least would ignore it if they did. You obviously thought wrong. How you wish you could swing the window open and flap away.

It was a completely normal thing that all girls must go through at one point. You should be thinking of yourself as lucky even. The ladies of the ton would happily die to be you right now, moving to Prussia with your husband, the Prince. That was what you kept telling yourself.

Tears began to prick at your eyes again as you thought about a life that was foreign in every sense of the word.

Maybe life in London was not all that bad. Sure there was a certain face you had to keep up at all times but at least there was your best friend Olivia. You never thought you could ever miss the horrible balls and tea parties, the cruel gossip and the contemptuous looks. But as London disappeared behind you, the thought of never returning frightened you.

You inhaled a shallow breath, afraid of alarming the Prince and his valet. They probably thought you weak and pitiful now.

“Shall I get you a blanket? We still have quite the journey,” said the Prince.

You shook your head, not even dreaming of requesting anything from him. “I will just admire the countryside for now. Don’t worry about me.”

You promised yourself that you would stay awake. One of the things your mother managed to say to you in the carriage ride to the abbey was to not fall asleep as “it might put your husband off” in her exact words. She always made it a point to tell you just how ungraceful you looked when you were sleeping. And perhaps you should take her advice. The last thing you would want is for your husband to find you ungraceful just after your wedding ceremony.

Of course, not long after that, you fell asleep.

When you woke up, everything was pitch black. The last thing you remembered was trying to keep your eyes open. But the repetitive sights and the quiet droning of the Prince’s valet made it too difficult to resist giving in to the heaviness weighing on your eyelids.

As you blinked and regained your vision, you noticed that you were alone in the carriage. The blinds had been drawn on all windows. You felt yourself panic. Was something wrong? Where was everyone?

As you began to think up millions of ways the trip could have gone wrong, the possibility of a raid came up.

You drew a shaky breath and moved. That was when you realized that you had someone’s coat covering you this whole time. You held it up to the little sliver of light peaking through the curtains and recognized the navy blue color. It was the Prince’s.

Just as you were holding the coat, the door was opened. You nearly froze when you saw Heinrich on the other side.

“Your Highness,” he bowed, “you’re awake.”

The title threw you in a bit of a loop in your drowsy state. It took you a moment longer to realize that he was referring to you. It was going to take a while to adjust.

You masked the initial shock by clearing your throat. “Yes. What time is it?”

“It’s 9 pm, ma’am. Would you like to board the ship now?”

You nodded, picking up your skirt and making your way down the steps. He took the coat for you and held your hand to help you.

“You should wear this, your Highness. It’s a little bit cold.”

The night breeze sent goosebumps up your arms and you carefully draped his coat back on, now noticing the citrusy scent clinging onto it. You held onto the lapels of the coat and followed Heinrich.

The sailing ship was anchored just by the dock, a couple of steps away from where the carriages stopped. It was an absolute beast with towering sails for wings, a strong body made of wood and a long pointy bow spirit as a fearsome horn. The sails flapped in the wind, wanting to stretch free of its frames and fly off into the night sky.

As you and Heinrich made your way up the stairs to the main deck, you could hear the commotion happening before you could see it. Thumping footsteps, shouts and grunts as the crew got ready to set sail.

They did not care that you were here and you liked that. Being invisible was nice. Heinrich, however, did not enjoy it as much. He seemed a bit anxious to have you witness all of this and quickly led you away from all the noises down one flight of stairs. You could still hear heavy footsteps but they were muffled, less prominent than before now that you were one floor below.

The air heavy with moisture and salt filled your lungs as you made your way down a lengthy and narrow hallway. Not too far away stood two ladies. Heinrich confirmed that it was in fact your room.

“These are your lady’s maids-Lea and Ilse. Should you need anything, they shall help you.”The girls curtsied at the sight of you and each nodded at the mention of their names.

You studied their faces, trying to cling to certain features so that you would not forget their names. Both of them had perfectly combed blonde hair, although instead of just a simple bun, Ilse’s hairdo was a little more intricate with the way she wrapped her hair. Lea was a little taller and seemed a little tougher than Ilse with her strong eyebrows and tall gait. Ilse, on the other hand, was bright-eyed and more youthful, reminding you of Olivia.

“Thank you, Heinrich.”

He nodded and bowed his head. But before he could walk away, you called him, prompting him to spin around again.

“May I ask where the Prince is?”

“His Royal Highness is speaking to the captain of the ship, ma’am. Should you like me to call for him?”

You shook your head firmly. “No, thank you.”

When he was out of sight, you suddenly remembered you were still wearing the Prince’s coat. But he had gone too far for you to call him back again now.

You sighed quietly, turning to face the door. Reaching out your hand, you were just about grab the doorknob but found that Lea was already there too.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” you held your hands up to your chest, allowing her to open the door.

“It’s alright, your Highness,” she said with a smile.

You took a moment to admire the room before you. Almost everything was made from walnut wood-the walls, the floors, the furniture, covering the whole room in a rich chocolate brown color. The candles washed the room in a soft orange glow, accentuating the warm earthy tones and setting a completely different mood from the shivering wet deck.

You wandered inside, running your hand along the wall panels, delighting in the little crevices on the surface.

“I hope you don’t mind. We’ve drawn you a bath, your Highness,” Ilse said.

You shook your head. “No, of course not. Thank you.”

“Would you like us to assist you with your dress, ma’am?”

You shook your head. “I shall be quite fine. You can take your break now, ladies.”

You expected the two of them to leave right away. After all, it had been a very lengthy day and even though you intended on getting to know the both of them, now was simply not the time for sharing childhood tales. But they lingered on by the door, prompting a “Yes?” from you.

“Would you like supper brought to you, ma’am?” Lea asked.

“I can do that?”

Both of them nodded, probably finding you the oddest lady they had ever served.

“Well, if it is not too much trouble, I’d love it.”

The girls curtsied and left the room.

Now completely alone, you let out a long, tired sigh. It was a terrible habit of yours and you were well aware. You always thought too much whenever amd wherever you could, especially when you were left on your own. Your mind instantly ran over every little detail, picking out anything that might have left a bad impression on your new husband and staff members.

There were simply too many.

With a sigh, you shrugged the coat off of your shoulders, carefully placing it on the bed. If you must admit, you missed the comforting weight of it on your shoulders and the faint smell of orange and cinnamon. You then thought of him. The Prince.

For reasons unknown, you felt intimidated by him. So far he had been nothing but kind and he had done nothing that could warrant such a feeling.

Something inside you just wished you would not disappoint him like you did your parents. It was difficult because you had no idea what his expectations were of you. All you knew was that Miss Bridgerton was who he really wanted. And if that was the goal, you found yourself far from ever reaching it. You might have been born into a higher born family but you lacked the charm that she had. She was always the older ladies’ favorite when they were small. Even now, she had the favor of everyone she met.

You prepared different conversational topics for when he would come into the room eventually. There was nothing less attractive than a tone-deaf lady and you made sure political icebreakers were left far far away for the night. Maybe you could talk about the weather or music. They seemed to be perfectly proper matters of discussion for a lady. Far better than overly formal issues currently happening.

The bath you took wasn’t as relaxing as you had hoped for. Not even the slight sear of the water and the faint lavender scent could rid your mind of thoughts. You decided not to sit for long, your legs growing a bit restless in the water. Just as you finished tying your dress robes, you heard a knock and a voice from behind the door.

“Your Highness! We’ve brought you supper!”

“Yes. Come in!” you called.

At the sound of approval, your maids brought in a tray with silver dish covers on top. They opened the covers for you, revealing a piece of steaming roasted salmon and pudding. You then realized that you were starving. The piece of bread you managed to shove into your mouth earlier today was definitely long gone.

“Would you like some wine, your Highness?” Lea asked.

You shook your head. All you wanted was to sit down and eat everything. And as helpful as they had been, their questions at this moment was not. “No thank you. This shall be perfect.”

“Should we bring you more food?” Ilse added.

“No. I am happy with this. Thank you.”

They finally left. But you had barely sit down when there came another knock on the door. You groaned to yourself. Again?

“What?” you poked your head out, expecting your maids and more questions. But the last time you saw them they didn’t wear blue and there were certainly two of them.

Oh crap.

It was the Prince of Prussia.

Blush crept onto your cheeks as you became aware of your curtness. “Your Highness!”

He had his brows raised at the curious sight of you poking only your head out, leaning against the door rather inelegantly. He stepped away almost immediately. “Oh, am I interrupting you? I apologize-“

“No! I apologize, your Highness. Would-would you like to come in?” You stood up straight, opening the door a little wider. Your heart thumped loudly in your chest, wishing to break free from your ribcage.

He shook his head. “I am just here to ask you if everything was alright.”

He didn’t want to come in?

“I am alright. Thank you for asking, your Highness.”

He cleared his voice. “Good. Well, it’s been a long day for you. You should get some rest. There will be a lot more traveling for tomorrow.”

“Oh thank you. So should you. Oh-and before I forget.”

You disappeared into the room. In the meantime, Friedrich managed to catch a quick glimpse of your room. He had assigned the largest one to you, his was half the size. But it did not matter where he was. After all, he wanted the best for his bride, no matter who she was.

You appeared again moments later, thanking him for lending the coat to you. He held his coat in the crook of his elbow. “Good night.”

You leaned against the door, your back landing on the surface with a dull thump. You were relieved that he didn’t come in because you were not ready at all. Yet, you could not help but feel the clouds of dread forming over you. Was he being thoughtful or did he want nothing to do with you?

...

The next morning when Lea and Ilse came into the room, you could practically hear their thoughts.

Lea was a bit better at hiding her surprise while Ilse had to look away, turning to the curtains for an escape. As they got you ready, they distracted you with their millions of questions about what you would like for your hair, your dress and your food. But what all three of you were thinking about was the reason why you were alone on your wedding night.

“Do you know where the Prince is?” you asked, finally tired of dancing around the topic.

Ilse gasped, no longer brushing your hair. “Your Highness, was he not here?”

“Ilse, I mean no offense but you are a terrible liar.”

Your comment made Lea choke back a laugh. Meanwhile, Ilse’s face grew bright red as she began to comb your hair again, laughing quietly. “I apologize, your Highness. I just cannot see why he wasn’t here with you. You’re beautiful!”

“Well, I don’t think he likes me very much.”

“I don’t think that is the case, your Highness. Maybe you just don’t know each other,” Lea added, putting on a diamond necklace for you. “You still have plenty of time for that until you arrive at the palace.”

Perhaps she was right. But whether right or wrong, you felt some weight lifted off your shoulders. You felt that way with Olivia too, back in London. It gave us great comfort to know that at the very least you and your lady’s maids would get along perfectly fine.

“Will you two be with me then?”

“Of course!” Ilse assured you, placing the comb down, happy with how your hair looked. “Right, Lea?”

“Yes and there will be another lady too. Your chief of staff.”

You had finished getting ready but your appearance was the last thing on your mind right now. You turned in your chair, curious as to how the Prussian court worked. “Oh?”

Ilse was more than glad to pass around the gossip. “Rumors have it that the King had someone in mind for you. But we left before he made the decision. I bet Heinrich knows.”

...

It was definitely not a good time to ask questions.

When you and your maids got off of the ship onto French soil by noon, there were new carriages that awaited you. Just as you were marveling at the beautiful paintings on the side of the carriages and the gold ornate trims on the wheels, your attention was quickly drawn to the people standing next to the largest carriage at the front.

It was the Prince and Heinrich.

They were in quite a heated discussion when they noticed you looking and promptly paused their conversation.

“Your Highness,” Heinrich bowed.

You looked between the two of them, sensing the tension but did not dare ask for the reason. The Prince offered his hand and helped you into the carriage wordlessly.

Outside of the window, Heinrich got on horse, charging away before your carriage even began to move. It was awfully curious.

“Did you sleep well?”

You tore your eyes away from the window, deciding to focus on him instead. Inside of the carriage, the Prince was a completely different person than he was a mere second ago. He was sighing, his brows knitted, his hands waving about as he spoke to his valet about very important matters surely. But now, he had a friendly grin on his lips, his gaze soft as he engaged in small talk with you.

“Yes. Thank you for asking, your Highness.”

That made him laugh. You did not know just what it was that he should be laughing about though. “You know, you do not have to call me that.”

“I-I don’t?”

He shook his head. “Call me Friedrich. We are husband and wife, after all.”

You nodded. “Well, then, please call me Y/N.”

“We have a deal.”

Silence fell on the two of you after that.

Friedrich looked out of the window, observing the French countryside in the distance, the sound of waves crashing ashore was mere memories now.

You had always been a little impatient in these awkward pauses, never quite sure what to do. You had been rehearsing for this moment in the bathroom yesterday. But perhaps going by a first-name basis gave you the boost of confidence you needed to be the one to break the silence, without the help of scripted conversations.

“Is Heinrich not joining us?”

Friedrich shook his head. “He will meet us at the train station. There was just a little something that needed to be checked.”

As soon as he said it, he regretted it.

“Is there anything wrong?”

“Just a mix-up with the train schedules. No need to worry though. We will just have to switch the rooms around a bit.”

That was a lie. And you’d find out the truth eventually when you got to the train station. Heinrich seemed pale as a ghost when he saw you and Friedrich emerge from the carriages, rushing towards the both of you. He did not seem to mind that you were there to listen, frantically speaking. “Your Highness, the state train is not coming.”

“When did this happen?”

“I just checked. Apparently, they cancelled it from Potsdam.”

You had no idea what was happening but from the sigh leaving Friedrich’s lips you knew it was not good news at all.

“So we’ll take the standard then?”

“I am afraid so, sir.”

It was exactly what he had feared.

His father was mad and now that they were about to enter Prussia, there was no escaping his wrath. Friedrich did not mind, in particular. He was quite used to his father’s tantrums by now.

Whenever his father lost, he would make sure no one could win.

When Friedrich made the decision to marry you in England, he had prepared himself to face the King once they arrived at the Berlin Palace. He just felt bad for you having to get the wrong end of the stick because of him.

“I apologize,” he said, “I am afraid there is no other way.”

You waved your hand. “It is fine. I don’t think it is a big deal at all. I shall be good with anything.”

“Heinrich, see to it that you book her highness the room. I’ll sit where ever.”

You held up your hand. “Wait, excuse me?”

“There is only one room on the standard train, ma’am.”

“I-I will sit with my maids. I can’t-”

Heinrich looked to the Prince who was looking at you, his lips parted.

He shook his head furiously. “You are the Princess of Prussia. I will not allow you to sit in the back.”

There was only one solution.

Simple and straightforward to all of your current troubles. Friedrich did not want to suggest, he knew you were forced into this mess as much as he was. He was not going to make you do anything. And he was quite ready to sit with his staff, giving you your privacy when out of the blue...

“Then-then we’ll share the room.”

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beingevil · 4 years ago

Text

if there be thorns, Guardian Yang AU

title: if there be thorns

pairing: none here

Rating and warnings: Gen

author’s notes: In honour of a very special day, for Neon’s Guardian Yang AU. You can read it on Ao3 here!

summary: Annerose POV, set largely after Yang goes missing.

wordcount: 1690 words

Even the Kaiser’s palace walls cannot keep the whispers out.

When Reinhard was taken into custody after the attempted assassination, Friedrich kept that knowledge from her, whether out of a misguided sense of kindness, or to keep her sweet and compliant – she did not know, and it made little difference either way.

His court had no such reservations.

It is Benemunde who first springs the knowledge on her like a steel trap, gleefully detailing how Reinhard had been taken away in chains, fighting the guards like a mad dog.

It had taken much to listen with a pleasant, detached interest, to nod and smile, to thank Benemunde for telling her how Reinhard was getting along.

Perhaps if it appeared she did not care, she would be less of a weapon against Reinhard.

There is little enough she can do in the Kaiser’s grasp, but she can do her utmost not to be turned into a weapon against her brother.

Life under her father’s hand had taught her all too well not to show weakness, and here in the Kaiser’s court of vipers she knows she needs every lesson she learned and more.

She finds a quiet joy in Benemunde’s dissatisfaction, knowing she had denied the Marquise her satisfaction, as the other woman storms off, loudly calling her a disgrace.

After all, she learned long ago never to act as if the names hurt her.

So it is now, months away from Reinhard’s arrest, that she recognises the look in Reinhard’s eyes as he descends from the carriage. She has known her brother from the day he was born, she knows his hundred different tells better than anyone else: the haunted circles around his fever-bright eyes, the rigid set of his mouth before he shapes it into a brittle smile for her and everyone watching.

It seems he has dressed today with little care for how he looks. His blue coat seems carelessly rumpled, and the edges of his cuffs appear to have been worried at.

She knows why. His life has been transformed since they last met.

The Kaiser’s walls had not kept those rumours out either.

The cravat around his neck is at odds with his ensemble, its cut a little too old. It must have been cream-coloured, once, but time has turned it off-white and its best days are clearly far behind it.

Her musings on Reinhard’s odd sartorial choices on this day is interrupted by his approach.

She puts her arms around him as he nears her. “I’m sorry,” she whispers into his ear, hidden from the guards by the crook of her arm and the curve of his shoulder. When his arms close convulsively around her, she has never more wished to be able to speak freely to her brother. But they are ever under the gaze of the Kaiser’s men, and both of them know to be careful.

Yang had been good for him, Reinhard’s complaining about his strange ways and fussiness notwithstanding. It had been good fortune that Annerose had learned long ago not to expect for either of them.

She had thought that the savage wildness in Reinhard calmed, however momentarily, during his time with Yang. At their last meeting, she had smiled to herself as her wilful brother poured Yang tea as if he had done it a thousand times, even as he complained to her about how Yang couldn’t do a thing for himself, not even getting up in the morning.

Then Reinhard had reached out and adjusted Yang’s cravat over Yang’s feeble protests – it had gone askew somehow – all the while deploring his choice in clothing and chiding him for not paying heed to Reinhard’s suggestions for suitable palace fashion.

She had liked him, the quiet unassuming man whom court politics had unexpectedly thrust into their lives. She too knows what it is like to be plucked from the world you knew and thrown in the midst of a court where every smile could hide a dagger. She liked that Yang never made it seem like he expected anything of her or Reinhard, not even conversation, for even silence was comfortable around him.

Above all, she appreciated that Yang was a safe pair of hands for her brother. It did not escape her that Reinhard, in his own way, turned towards Yang like a flower to the sun. She had thought it was good that finally, Reinhard had an adult in his life that he could trust.

But Yang is gone now.

And in her brother’s place is a wild creature that looks out at Annerose from behind his fevered blue eyes.

She leads Reinhard to the conservatory, where heliotrope blooms in dreamy violet clouds. Deep magenta fuchsia hang their heavy lantern blossoms from the trellises, vivid petals tumbling down the conservatory walls. Hydrangeas unfurl their storied petals here, and honeysuckle trumpets grace the air with their sweet fragrance.

Over and under it all, the scent of the Kaiser’s prized roses perfume the air. Summer is approaching its peak and so are they, petals of the deepest crimson, the palest pink, the purest white all unfolding to the air.

Reinhard barely seems to notice. He is standing right next to her, but he might as well be a thousand miles away.

In a way, he is.

Never has she more regretted that they cannot speak freely here.

She pours him tea, amber liquid swirling in its gilded cup. He glances once at it and not again, and she knows then who he must be thinking of.

Under the table, she reaches out and takes his hand.

His nails are ragged to the touch, and there are healing scars scattered across the back and sides of his hand, recalling to her the destructive rages he would fly into as a child. How many fragile things already been consigned to his rages?

How much more could he bear before he too would shatter?

He rests his cheek on his hand, the very picture of an indolent, spoiled noble.

“The weather is so very hot recently,” he says. “Sister, I do think that the next two or three weeks would be a perfect time for a sojourn into the mountains. I hear Freuden would be a wonderful place.”

The question is in her eyes as she smiles at him, wondering what game he intends to play this time.

“Did you not summer there last year?” He continues, without waiting for her answer, “If you go, I may join you there too.”

Under the table, his hand tightens almost convulsively on hers.

She laughs gently to give herself time to respond.

“Dear Reinhard, whatever it is you wish, I shall certainly endeavour.”

“Do,” he says, and his fingers once again close, painfully tight, around hers.

She knows for certain then that he has no intention of joining her there.

When he takes his leave from her, he rests her head on her shoulder for a moment, and he is her brother Reinhard once again, running into her arms with skinned knees and bruised knuckles from yet another fight.

But her brother fights different battles now, far beyond the schoolyards of their childhood years.

This time he is wounded with hurts she cannot heal.

She would like to believe that he can draw strength from her presence like this.

She embraces him and strokes his hair gently. Briefly, his shoulders shake as she holds him.

It is all the emotion he allows himself in her presence that day.

“Be well,” she says, reluctantly releasing him.

“Always,” he answers, smiling.

There is a strange fey light burning in his eyes, one she knows too well.

He takes his leave, striding to his carriage without looking back.

Never once has Yang’s name crossed their lips.

She wonders what her brother has become, what new creature birthed in tragedy and resolve now loosed upon Odin, planning his vengeance.

It is then that she remembers where she had last seen the cravat around Reinhard’s neck.

It had been around Yang’s neck.

They had laughed, all three of them together, on that day a lifetime ago.

She sleeps poorly that night. Soon after midnight, she wakes to watch the moon traverse the sky until the dawn greets her weary eyes.

A week later, as Reinhard has asked – no sooner, so as not to arouse suspicion – she seeks the Kaiser’s leave to holiday in the Freuden mountains, away from the summer heat.

The Kaiser grants her request, of course. She asks him for so little, after all.

Here, where mountain ranges cradle her villa, alpine springs feed the lush green gardens and their wildflowers.

Though she has been here before with the Kaiser, the silence feels different this, portentous as it weighs on her shoulders. There is bite in the cool winds as they tug at her skirts and echo through the ravines.

She waits for news, but never expected it to come on wings this swift.

Even guarded in the heart of the mountain fastness, the news reaches her, through the newspapers and the whispers from the villa’s servants.

The capital has been plagued by a sudden rash of unexplained accidents and deaths – odd, for their frequency and occurrence, amongst the mid-ranking military and minor nobles. Stabbed, shot, poisoned – they meet their end through means as varied as their victims.

Annerose is not naïve enough to fail to see Reinhard’s hand in this – the timing, the coincidence, fits all too well.

A mysterious letter arrives at Neue Sanssouci which evidently threatens her safety, the Kaiser has her guard doubled as a result and asks her to be watchful. He has decided she is safer in the mountains than she is in the palace, a decision she knows Reinhard arrived at weeks ago.

Her heart aches for her brother even as she wonders about his purpose – are all these deaths to lay at a dead man’s feet? Yang would never have wanted this for him.

One day a letter from Reinhard arrives, and in its wake, when she returns to the heart of Odin, everything has changed.

#legend of the galactic heroes #ginga eiyuu densetsu #yang wen li #reinhard von lohengramm #annerose von grunewald #my fic

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niqhtlord01 · 5 years ago

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Humans are weird: We can play the game, and play it well. (A Earl von Morgan story)

(For the initial story that introduced several of these characters please follow this link: https://niqhtlord01.tumblr.com/post/186229837551/humans-are-weird-threatening-a-human-does-not-end ) The summer breeze warmed the air outside the Sanssouci Palace as nearby tourists walked on their way, stopping every now and then to take a picture of the majestic German estate. A monument to the mixture of beauty and symmetry that had made one sentient machine envoy break down in joy at finding another species in the universe that could understand the beauty balance. Inside however, in a small out of the way office, a group of officials were having a heated discussion with such language being thrown between them that if one were to have heard them would have mistaken the people inside to be brothel goers rather than government officials. The gilded room wore golden embroidery trim, the table and chairs carved from wood some several hundred years that had been painfully maintained with great expense, and the windows polished so cleanly that all manner of creatures ran head long into them on an hourly basis. One such bird struck the window with such force it woke Morgan from his light slumber. He rubbed his eyes as if he was in deep thought and took a look around the room. His aides were still as lively as they were before he nodded off and some looked as if they were about to lunge over the table and grapple with those they were arguing with. He straightened himself out and smiled at such youthful vigor and that was partly why he had picked them for his staff. They saw things in a different light and were not constrained by standards or protocols the such that Morgan was bound to follow. He chuckled at the idea when he remembered how he had pulled a gun on several representatives several months ago when they threatened him with war unless he complied. Thankfully none of them had spoken to their governments or issued a censor to him so he felt like had flown under the radar safely. Suddenly realizing something he took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. “That’s enough now.” Morgan said as he tapped his cane against the table three times to get his staff’s attention, their arguments dying down as one by one they returned to their seats. “Unlike the British I am not fond of going round in circles which this conversation has inadvertently turned into.” Several of them chuckled as they straightened themselves and their papers out. A knock on the door stole everyone’s attention but Morgan simply nodded to one of his aides to go and let their guest in. The door slowly was drawn open and in stepped the Insectoid hive’s representative, Tilith. She still wore her peoples beaded strands to hide her face but she now donned a modified Japanese kimono. Her spider legs clicking as they touched the ground and caused the fabric to flutter. Morgan rose from his seat to greet her as did the rest of his staff. “Hive Lord Tilith, your presence is as always a ray of sunlight in this bland political landscape.” he said as he bent down to kiss her outstretched hand. Tilith cocked her head to the side and chuckled, “And your formality is as ever respectful though unnecessary. Come, let us speak as friends.” Morgan stood up and motioned for his aides to bring in a specialized chair for the hive lord to sit upon. “Tilith, I have already told my staff about the coming meeting but I think it would also be best for them to hear it from you as well.” Tilith nodded and stared at the surrounding faces. “In the next three days the daughter of the Hive queen will be visiting Earth and staying at our embassy. Should you wish to improve your standing with the Hive, you must first win her over.” A low murmur spread across the table as the staff took it in. “Pardon me Hive lord.” A young female staff member spoke. “Forgive my ignorance but you are a representative, surely your words would be of higher regard to your government rather than the words of a princess.” Morgan eye Tilith as she shifted in her chair, her beaded cover rattling. “I can forgive you but I recommend you never say such things again. Some of the more traditional of my species would take grave offense to your words.” The young woman who spoke shrunk back into her chair and remained quiet as Tilith continued. “What you must understand is that the government of our people is centered around the queen and her royal princesses to a far greater sense than any of your previous kings or queens. It is difficult for me to explain as you have never been part of the Hive and are all individuals, so it would be as if explaining color to the blind.” Morgan rested his hand on his chin and stroked it. “So we need to win this princesses favor then, yes?” Tilith nodded. “Indeed, for the queen cares deeply for her daughters and has great value in their words. They are young, but they are not foolish. I am only here because I see great value in humanity and wish to further our friendship, but I will not assist you. You must be the ones to win her favor for this friendship to have any meaning.” “Well said!” Morgan clapped his hands together. “For our partnership to grow we will show this princess the worth of humanity.” The surrounding staff applauded and nodded as well at Morgan’s declaration before he waved them to silence. “And of course we would never ask you to betray your people Tilith, though could we trouble you for some small details?” “Such as?” Morgan returned to his seat. “For instance, can you tell us the princesses name and where she will be staying?” “The princesses name is Roxana, and she will be staying at the embassy.” “Does she have any places she wishes to visit during her stay?” Tilith reclined into her chair and crossed her taloned fingers. “She will not be leaving the embassy during her visit.” Morgan stared at her for a moment as if comprehending her statement and scratched his head. “Is there a specific reason as to why?” Morgan ventured, unsure how much information Tilith was willing to divulge. “Some of her retinue are the more traditionalists I spoke of and are afraid of what exposure to humanity might do to the princess. They see your individuality as a cause for concern and wish to limit any influence you might part on to the princess. Therefore they have decided to keep her within the confines of the embassy, claiming to the princess that humanity is dull and uninspiring and not worth her time.” Some of the staff scoffed at the notion. “Then why even have her come at all then?” “Her arrival has nothing to do with humanity and more to do with me. All members of the royal family make regular trips to the Hive’s embassies to get familiar with the ambassadors to ensure they are acting in the Hive’s best wishes. In truth I doubt you would be able to arrange an audience with her with how heavily they are screening her.” “I see. Very clever of them.” Morgan leaned back in his chair while rocking and looked at the ceiling. He stared at it for about a minute before leaning forward and staring at Tilith, a clever grim creeping across his face. “We can not meet the princess, but I think I have a way for her to meet us.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three days later the princess arrived at the Hive’s embassy and had remained there ever since. Shortly after Morgan arrived in his governmental vehicle and approached the gate of the Hive embassy, one hand holding his trusty cane while the other carried a diplomatic package. Though the wall surrounding the embassy was human in nature, the embassy itself was a massive upside down bee hive like structure that pushed out of the ground and towered into the air. The wall was more or less to stop ignorant tourists from trying to get up close and take a picture of the structure as the insectoids were highly territorial and would take their actions as a threat to their domain and would most likely rip the tourists limb from limb. As he neared the gate two armored insectoids stepped out from the gatehouse and moved to intercept Morgan. They were easily twice his or Tilith’s height and their armored exoskeleton was strong enough to deflect point blank small arms fire and in some cases even tank fire as well. They carried no weapons as their talons were strong enough to slash through solid steel like it was paper. Morgan tilted his head upwards and looked up at the warriors and nodded a greeting. “Good morning my fine giant friends. I am representative Earl von Morgan and I have an appointment today.” The warriors looked at each other and then back at Morgan. “No....visitors....today...for...princess....” the taller one stated. His voice was thick with clicking and he struggled with the words but Morgan was able to still make them out. Morgan smiled. “I would imagine so, but I am here to see Hive Lord Tilith, not the princess.” The warriors again stared at each other and then back at Morgan. They were far from simpletons but the way their brains were wired they needed more time to process their thoughts and memories. They were probably combing their memories to see if they had been told to block any entry to the embassy or just those wishing to meet the princess. The other one raised a talon and pointed at the box Morgan was carrying. “What.....is....in....the box?” Morgan hefted it so the warrior could better see it. “This is a package Hive Lord Tilith requested me to get for her the next time I was traveling.” “Must....be....scanned....” They held out a hand for the box and Morgan handed it to them. They then returned to the gatehouse and closed the door leaving Morgan and the other warrior standing awkwardly in silence. A few moments later they returned and handed the package to Morgan. “You.....may.enter..” The guards stepped aside and motioned for Morgan to continue in. He nodded to both of them and entered the embassy. As he gazed up at the towering structure Morgan reflected that he had never been inside of the structure before and wondered what it looked like. He had seen the inside of bee hives on Earth but he doubted it would be exactly the same. Standing in front of the entrance to the hive was Tilith who waved to him as he approached. “Good afternoon Mein Fräulein.” She motioned for him to join him at a small table. They both sat down and Morgan placed his package on the table. “It is a pleasure to see you again, though I am unsure how meeting me is going to help you meet the princess.” Tilith remarked as she rested her head on a hand. Morgan simply chuckled and tapped the package. “That is what this is for.” She regarded the covered package questioningly. “Please tell me you did not sneak another weapon in?” Morgan laughed louder and slapped his hand against the table. “No, no. Nothing so dastardly this time. Why don’t you open it up and see?” Tilith reached out and gently opened the coverings to reveal another box inside. With a nod from Morgan she removed the lid. Before the cover was even fully removed a sudden rush overcame Tilith. A tingling sensation that ran along all of her legs and caused her fingers to twitch and she dropped the lid back down on to the box. She let out several gasps before looking at Morgan. “What is this?!?!” she demanded of Morgan. “This my dear,” he said as he reached over and pulled off the lid in one go, “is chocolate.” The sudden sensation returned and it was even stronger than before. “We have them as treats. This is from a local bakery I know of here in town.” “What do you mean by “treats”?” Tilith asked as she focused all of her eyes on the chocolates. There were a variety of different sizes, shapes, and colors; no two were alike. “We eat them. Try one and see for yourself.” Tilith cautiously reached out with a hand and selected one and slid it under her strand covers and took a bite out of it. Morgan watched in silence as she did so and was somewhat confused that after the first bite she stopped moving. Though he had done extensive research and selected chocolates that would sit well for her people, he couldn’t help but become concerned that he had missed something. That feeling didn’t last long however as Tilith quickly devoured the rest of the chocolate with such vigor that her silver strands covering her face flew away revealing her face below. She munched on it for several seconds before swallowing and letting out a long gasp. “These are beyond anything I have every tasted in my life!” She remarked as her arms and legs outstretched, as if the very excitement now inside her could barely be contained. Morgan himself let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “They really are aren’t they? Why don’t you try another?” Without needing more prodding Tilith happily devoured another one. “I remember you once told me how heightened your peoples senses are and how you crave sweet flavors. So I figured I would introduce you to some of our best desserts.” She nodded enthusiastically as she finished the second one. “We do indeed. I can see now why you’d bring these to win over Roxana, but how will you get them to her when her retinue won’t let you get close?” Morgan leaned back and clasped his hands. “I won’t have to judging by your reaction. Being here in front of the main entrance to the hive with a soft breeze carrying blowing inside, coupled with your heightened smell, I imagine that the aroma of these treats is now finding it’s way through the Hive. So when the princess smel-” A loud scuttling sound from behind made Morgan stop and turn around to see a massive insectoid come storming out the Hive entrance and come straight at him. This form would have easily towered over the guards Morgan had met at the entrance and was roughly the size of a bus in length with a maw on the front large enough to swallow Morgan whole in one bite. It scuttled on a dozen rows of feet and moved rapidly across the ground like a centipede. It came charging at Morgan and Tilith and for a moment he thought he was about to be trampled to death when the new figure dug its feet into the ground to stop its forward motion and halt directly in front of them. The dust cloud it generated from stopping made Morgan cough and attempt to wave away the dust. He looked over at Tilith to make sure she was okay when he saw her bent down bowing her head to the dirt at the newly arrived figure. Sudden realization hit him and he wondered if this large figure was in fact princess Roxana. He quickly straightened himself and bowed to the large insectoid. “It is an honor to meet you Princess Roxana. I am humanities representative Earl von Morgan.” “What is that delicious smell coming from?” came the reply in a soft childlike voice that confused Morgan. He looked up again to see a new figure suddenly appear on top of the massive form that looked similar to Tilith in shape but much smaller. They wore elaborate carvings of gold the sculpted to their legs like a glove and along with a vibrant gown. Unlike Tilith they wore no face cover and her insecotid face was on full display. Morgan pointed to the table with the box of chocolates still open. “They are delicacies of my world your grace called chocolates.” He motioned to Tilith who was still bowing on the ground. “Representative Tilith had heard tales of them and wanted me to bring her some samplings to be given as a gift to you during your stay.” Roxana moved lower along the massive insectoids side to be closer and inspect the box, but her legs never touched the ground nor left the massive insectoids body. Roxana frowned and glared at Morgan. “If they were meant to be a gift for me why are two missing?” She turned her gaze to Tilith who trembled slightly. Morgan took a step forward but the massive insectoid let out a low growl that made him stop dead in his tracks. He wagered this was some form of specialized bodyguard cast meant to protect the royal family. “That would be because I ate them your grace. Tilith wanted to be sure that they weren’t poisoned so she randomly selected two and made me eat them, observing me to see how I would react. She is very protective of you.” Roxana’s glare softened for a moment before it returned to a frown which she then directed at Morgan. Speaking to an insectoid without a face cover was an interesting experience to say the least, let alone one of royalty. “The scanners would have detected any poison when they were examined at the gate.” Morgan shrugged and smiled. “Like I said, she is very protective of you and wanted to be sure.” He took hold of the box and held it out to the princess. “Would you like one?” Roxana’s face lit up as the box was held in front of her. “Yes!” She reached out with a hand to grab one but stopped suddenly as if torn between wanting and not wanting before withdrawing her hand. “Is something wrong your grace?” Roxana pouted and crossed her arms. “My retinue said I’m not supposed to touch anything human.” Morgan looked at the box and then at Roxana. “I see. Then how about I chuck one into your mouth?” Roxana glared at him intensely and the massive form growled again as if sensing her ward was being insulted. “You dare treat me as if I’m a child?!” “Heaven’s no my grace.” he said as he wave his hand to the side as if to dispel the idea. “I was merely thinking of a way to get what you want without breaking your word to your retinue.” She perked up at that and placed a hand on the bodyguard who then promptly calmed down. “I’m listening.” With his free hand he picked up the chocolate she had been originally reaching for. “If I throw it to you and you catch it in your mouth, then you did not touch anything. In fact, you would be tasting it, which is different from touching.” Her face began to light up again as she eyed the chocolate in his hand. “That way, you still keep your word to your retinue while at the same time getting what you want. Am I wrong?” “I like your thinking!” she loudly announced and moved closer to him. She opened her mouth as wide as she could, which to his somewhat horror was now large enough to fit the head of a small child inside of. He tossed the chocolate at her with his best aim and she quickly caught it and began devouring it. Roxana had the same reaction Tilith had had before and was twitching around excitedly to a point she almost lost her grip and fell to the ground before righting herself. “Another!” She demanded as she finished. “Of course, which would you like?” Morgan pointed between the remaining ones until Roxana nodded rapidly over one with a white rose on it. He picked it up and was just about to throw it again when a loud voice interrupted him. “HOW DARE YOU!!!!” Morgan turned to see a group of robed insectoids pouring out of the hive and surround him. Morgan nodded to the one who had originally shouted to him. “Good afternoon. My name is-” The robed insecotid strode forward and slapped him across the face causing him to tumble to the ground, the chocolates now strewn across the ground. “How dare you treat our princess as if she is one of your live stock!” the same robed isnectoid declared. “Have you now shame?!!?” A chorus of acknowledgement came from the other robed insectoids as they began issuing their own insults. Morgan was rubbing his face and reached for his cane to help him rise. Seeing this the cane was quickly snatched from him and held out of reach leaving him no choice but to rise to his feet unsteadily. “I feel there has been a grave misunderstanding.” Morgan began, his words slightly slurring as he realized his cheek was beginning to puff out from the slap which had more force than he originally thought. “I was only-” Another slap sent him once more to the ground, harder than before. “You will stay silent if you wish to live human.” “But you don’t understand.” Morgan began again just as the robed insectoid raised their foot to stamp on him. Suddenly, all of the insectoids grabbed hold of their heads and began curling up into balls on the ground. Morgan looked over through blurry eyes and saw Tilith doing the same as if she were in pain. Morgan turned his gaze upwards and saw the princess with her mouth wide open once more but not a sound coming out. Maybe something humans can’t hear?, Morgan wondered as he lay on the ground. This went on for a minute before the princess closed her mouth again. The bodyguard outstretched a massive leg and scooped up Morgan as if he was made of paper and stood him up straight, One by one the robed retinue rose to their feet and bowed to the princess. “Princess Roxana-” the robed figure that had slapped Morgan began before being cut off by the bodyguards foot crashing into them. It slammed them to the ground hard and kept them there by pressing down on their chest. “You are the one with no shame.” Roxanne began as she slowly moved down the bodyguards leg. “You attacked a representative of a friendly nation, and one who had brought me a gift at that which is now ruined by your actions.” She stood just above the struggling robed figure as the bodyguard’s leg began to apply more pressure on their chest as if to crush them. She looked over at Morgan. “You are the offended party here. What should I do with them?” He looked down at the insectoid that had struck him now looking at him with desperation in their eyes. Morgan brushed some dirt off his coat and coughed. “No need to be so harsh my grace. This was all brought about by a misunderstanding.” Roxana looked at him surprisingly, then tapped the bodyguard who moved their leg off the robed figure who began gasping for breath. “That still leaves the matter of my ruined gift though.” Roxana looked down at the figure as they began inching away expecting the bodyguard to crush them. Morgan calmly stepped between the two of them and smiled at the princess. “Think nothing of it. I can get you another box and have it to you by tomorrow.” “But I want it now!” Roxana pouted and the bodyguard growled at their wards displeasure. Morgan calmly placed his hand on his chin and paced back and forth. Finally stopping and snapping his fingers he turned and looked at Roxana. “Very well. How about I go and contact the chocolate maker and have him make you a fresh batch today at his bakery? He would be honored to have you taste them fresh.” Roxana rocked her head back and forth considering the option. “Why can’t you make them bring the chocolates here?” “I could, but I would have thought you would like to try them fresh when they are even more delicious then the one you had just now.” Roxana’s mouth begin to open and close at the idea of the chocolates being even better. “They taste better fresh you say?” Morgan nodded. “Of course. The ones I was presenting to you I got yesterday when he was open. Today he closes his shop but I am sure he would open it for me if I asked.” Roxana began clapping her hands in excitement. “How very thoughtful of you. You do me a great kindness after my retinue treated you so poorly.” He smiled and shrugged. “All water under the bridge your grace. I shall take my leave and contact the baker. I shall return within the hour and then we can proceed to their bakery.” Roxana nodded and then tapped her bodyguard who turned around and began returning to the hive, her retinue following quickly behind. The one that had slapped him glared at him before following after the others. Once the princess had gone Tilith rose from her knees and reached out to Morgan who was now swaying on his feet slightly. “Are you alright?” She helped him sit down as he rubbed his cheek. “Nothing a few shots of spirits can’t fix.” She sat down across from him and looked him over. “You did me a kindness by covering for me before. Your cleverness knows no bounds it seems, using the chocolates to draw the princess to you.” Morgan chuckled but stopped as it hurt his cheek to laugh. “That reminds me.” He said as he looked at her with his smile back on his face. “When we go to the bakery I need to get you a box of chocolates as well.” Tilith slammed he hands down on the table and looked at him in the eyes. “You better not be joking.” He waved his hand to the side and grinned. “I’ll make it two to prove that I’m not.”

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #scifi #story

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magicallygrimmwiccan · 6 years ago

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I’ve Read This Script

Summary: It always ended the same way. He really should have learned better by now, but he hadn’t.

Notes: For the @secretsanders! Happy Holidays, @im-not-leaving-my-room-fuck-u!! Hope you enjoy my present!!

Also, yes, I forgot to put in a German translation, I’m sorry. I’ll explain what was going on there at the end, okay? :))

Title from Cleopatra by the Lumineers. Fight me, it works perfectly for this fic.

Can’t think of any trigger warnings... maybe betrayal? Mention of death (of old age)? Some non-descriptive blood? That’s all I can think of... let me know if you see something else! On with the story!

He swore to himself that he would never fall in love again, not after last time ended in disaster and the complete shattering of Logan's heart for the fifth time in his extremely lengthy life. He should have known better, he should have known that Declan would only end in heartbreak, yet he foolishly listened to his heart and trudged onwards, deeper and deeper into a relationship founded on lies. Logan sighed and rested his head on his arms, leaning forward until the ribs were digging into his marble countertop. Colours and scents and sounds pushes against the barriers of his mind, and Logan groaned as he realized what was happening. After decades of this curse, he still triggered it because he couldn't handle his silly, illogical feelings. Logan gritted his teeth and shook his head, attempting to clamp down on the leaking memories of half a century ago. He couldn't risk going under, he had work in only a couple hours, he couldn't do this…

His brain, however, would not listen to logic or to his pleas. These memories were determined to be acknowledged, to be remembered, to be seen, and Logan could not stop it, quickly losing the fight to the swirling technicolour vortex from his limbic system. He spiraled down, down, past kisses and missions, past stargazing and dinners, past betrayals and flashes of silver, and landed at The Beginning.

Lauren Johnson walked down the sidewalk towards her work, hurrying to her destination. She had awoken extremely late that morning, and while her employer would surely be fine with just this one instance of tardiness, Lauren did not wish to push. She was so focussed on her goal that she did not notice the change in traffic until she was tackled to the ground just before a loud screech cut through the air. She managed to push the person off of her and look around, her breath freezing as she took in the destruction before her. A car was flipped on its roof, flames streaming from the shattered windows. People were screaming and running, and Lauren barely registered a cool hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” a smooth voice asked, the hand squeezing Lauren's shoulder as they spoke. She nodded, still rattled, and turned around to face the stranger who had saved her life. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in her savior, the most handsome man she’d clapped eyes on in this lifetime. Amber-gold eyes gleamed above a pair of dark sunglasses that rested on a sharp nose and high cheekbones. Sleek brown-blonde hair poked out from underneath his hat, and a sharp black and white suit accentuated his slim, perfectly proportioned and muscular figure. In short: Lauren was faced with an angel.

“Er… yes, I am alright, thanks to you,” Lauren finally murmured. The stranger grinned and pulled her up, brushed her off, and then pressed a slip of paper into her hand before pecking her on the cheek and bouncing off. Lauren stood there, dumbfounded, staring after the vanishing stranger who had saved her life. Finally, she shook himself out of her shock and started to sprint for work. She couldn’t be late.

Logan snapped out of his memories, heaving. He hadn’t remembered Declan before, and he’d forgotten how… charming he’d been. How wonderful those first few months had been. He’d forgotten the moonlit rendezvous, the fancy dinners, the kisses after Declan returned from missions… He’d forgotten all the good as soon as Declan stabbed him in the stomach for accidentally helping another spy agency. He’d barely had enough magic to transform, so heartbroken as he was pushed backwards off the roof, the last thing he saw before the Change being Declan’s amber-gold eyes, now cold and uncaring.

Logan forced himself to his feet. He needed to let go of those memories; they would only hurt more in the end. With that, Logan locked cool rain, searing adrenaline, and amber-gold eyes back inside a heavy iron-wrought box and locked it. He could not be distracted by these meaningless romantic notions anymore; he had work to do.

He managed to stave off the memories for another month, until… until a shy, anxious, darkly-dressed boy walked into Logan’s library, checked out a book of faerie tales, and smiled at Logan with a smile Logan hadn’t seen for 300 years. The last time he saw that smile, it was on the dying face of a young Prussian captain, slain by a rival in the halls of Sanssouci. Logan managed to hold on until the young man left, but the second his final black combat boot left, Logan sunk to the ground, breathing erratically. His coworkers were used to this and bundled him off to the Panic Corner to allow him to become lost in memories. Logan screwed his eyes shut, blushing at the feel of warm tears, and tried to stop the flood; he didn’t want to remember her, he didn’t want to go back there, he didn’t want his heart broken again-

Ludwig Amsel stepped into the large ballroom, eyes wide in shock. They had never been inside a room this large or extravagant before, and they were honestly a little nervous. So many people, so many new faces… Ludwig couldn’t handle this. They wanted to go home already. Ludwig was not looking where they were going, and they found themself crashing into another person.

“Ah, es tut mir leid! Bist du verletzt? Haben Sie noch einen Wunsch, Sir?” the person babbled, their high-pitched voice cutting through the fog in Ludwig’s head. Ludwig shook their head and faced the person, their heart hammering in their chest. Short black hair framed a delicate, pale face. Blue-violet eyes locked into Ludwig’s own crystal orbs, and a deep flush rose on the soldier’s cheeks (for that was what he was, Ludwig realized, a soldier).

“Nein, mir geht es gut. Ich bitte vielmals um Verzeihung… wie heißen Sie?” Ludwig asked, extending their hand for a handshake. The soldier snapped to attention, flustered.

“Ähm… ich heiße Hauptmann Viktor Hinterberg. Und Sie?” the captain answered, voice high and shaky. Ludwig nodded and shook the hand, smiling bashfully.

“Ich heiße Ludwig Amsel. Nett es Sie kennen zu lernen, Hauptmann Hinterberg,” Ludwig returned, slowly releasing Viktor’s hand. Viktor flushed and stammered, causing Ludwig to smirk at the adorableness.

“Ich… ich muss gehe. Schönen Feierabend, Herr Amsel.” With that, Viktor walked away, leaving Ludwig alone in the centre of a crowded room.

Logan snapped out of the memory, still crying. His coworker Neah knelt down, large amber-gold eyes (so much like Declan’s, yet not at all like his) boring deep into his soul.

“Which one?” they whispered, gently squeezing his shoulder in a show of support. Logan sniffled, wiping his eyes with his Doctor Who scarf that Thomas had gotten him for Christmas only a few days ago.

“... Viktoria…” he whispered. Neah nodded and sat back, smiling softly.

“The Evans boy, yeah?” He nodded, and Neah nodded back again. “Do you believe that reincarnation is possible?”

“Of course I do,” Logan mumbled. “How could I not, after everything I’ve seen?” Neah shrugged and passed him a Rubik's cube to take his mind off of things and began to speak.

“Could you tell me about Viktoria? Maybe that would help. I know telling people about Laurel helped after… that, so maybe this could help you?” Logan pondered for a second before shaking his head. He wanted to talk about Vik, truly he did, but how was he supposed to tell Neah about all the little trysts as even the Prussian king supported them and gave them a room and privacy at his balls? How was he supposed to explain the sunshine in his stomach every time he saw Viktor’s smile? How was he supposed to explain the feeling of pure love and trust that exploded out of him when Viktor revealed that she was in fact Viktoria, and Ludwig had been allowed to reveal that he was in fact Louisa, but they had despised both names equally? How was he supposed to describe the feeling of pure… death, that came when Viktoria was stabbed through the heart by a fellow captain, jealous of all the attention Viktoria was receiving from Frederick? How in the world was he to speak about the cold, empty, hollow feeling of wrath as Frederick had the captain executed and Ludwig watched? It all still hurt too much to recall, let alone recount to another person.

Neah nodded before standing up. “When you’re ready, come out, okay?” and left him alone to hug the black cat plushie with the mismatched yes that reminded him so much of Viktoria’s sparkling green and brown eyes that if Logan didn’t believe in human reincarnation, he’d believe Viktoria had become this cat that he hugged and cried into on a weekly basis. There was… an odd sense of comfort in that thought, no matter how illogical and false it was.

The next flashback occured only two weeks after the Viktoria one, this time while Logan was out getting coffee with another coworker, Sascha. He walked up to the counter to order his coffee (black, three sugars, no cream), when the sight of the barista caused him to freeze. The soft blonde curls, the clear blue eyes, the freckles, the soft sunshine smile, everything pointed to her and Logan just froze. Sascha noticed, grabbed both their coffees, payed the barista, and quickly walked Logan out to his car, muttering assurances and soothing platitudes until Logan was safely in the car and the coffees were safely out of his reach.

“Okay, Logan, talk to me, what’s going on?” Sascha requested, pushing his sunglasses onto his head so he could look Logan straight (ha) in the eyes.

“B… barista… Pénélope…” he stammered. Sascha nodded in understanding and took Logan’s hands into his own, rubbing his fingers along the knuckles soothingly.

“Just let it all out, Logan, it’s okay,” Sascha soothed. Logan sucked in a breath and tried to stop this, but it was too late and he was yanked under, the last thing he registered in the present being Sascha turning the keys to start the car.

Léone LeClair glanced up as the bell above her shop door tinkled. “Good morning! What can I get you?” she called, turning to face the new customer. Her next question died in her throat as the stranger gave her a bright, sunny smile unlike any that Léone had seen before.

“Good morning! Could I take six loaves of bread, some eggs, and a bit of milk?” the stranger asked, blonde curls falling into her crystal blue eyes. Léone snapped herself out of her stupor and grabbed the items the beautiful girl requested, smiling awkwardly.

“Of course.” They exchanged payments, and the stranger left, leaving Léone feeling incredibly sad and lonely.

The stranger kept coming back, however. She kept coming back to buy more bread, more eggs, more milk. She came to buy butter and cheese and pastries of all kinds. Eventually, Léone learned her name. Pénélope Bisset, a weaver in the next town over who only came here because the products were cheaper and the people nicer, in her opinion. Léone didn’t argue with her.

It was about a year after Léone first met Pénélope when Pénélope asked the question.

“Léone, I love you. You are so kind and sweet and just… I love you. But… I don’t know how to be with you.” Léone’s heart froze in her chest. Pénélope felt the same way as she. They… they had a chance.

“Pénélope, I must confess that… I also love you,” Léone murmured. She flushed, shifting in discomfort, as she waiting for Pénélope’s response. Pénélope clapped her hands together, grinning.

“Oh, Léone! Thank you! I… I’m so glad!” Pénélope cried, dancing around. She paused soon, though, her smile dropping. “What… what are we going to do?” Léone thought for a moment before slamming her fist into her open palm.

“We run. We run to another part of the land and live our lives alone out there.” Pénélope pondered this idea for a moment before agreeing, and Léone’s heart fluttered. She loved this wonderful beam of sunshine more than she could ever quantify.

So, without even another thought, both packed a couple bags of clothing, food, and money and ran. They ran to the edge of the countryside, bought goats along the way, and settled down, telling everyone nearby that they were sisters to avoid being murdered. They raised their goats, and three orphaned children, and finally, finally, after 40 long years, Pénélope died, breaking Léone’s heart for the second time in her life. She held her wife’s body and cried, crying even harder when she realized that Pénélope’s sunshine had left, never to face her again.

Logan snapped back to the present, heavy tears fogging his glasses and dripping down onto his knees. He startled as he registered a soft, warm blanket wrapped around him and his coffee shoved into his hands.

“Logan? You good? Do you need anything else?” Sascha whispered. Logan shook his head, and Sascha nodded. After a few minutes, Sascha murmured: “... Want to talk?” and Logan shook his head again. A few more minutes of awkward silence, and then: “... Want to go home?”

“Yes please,” Logan whispered. Sascha yanked out his phone, fired off a quick text (most likely to Thomas), and then put the car back in gear to drive Logan home.

“Mi corazón, come here! I have something to ask you!” Prince Raúl called, his deep, smooth voice bubbling with excitement. Prince León poked his head into the room, confusion and concern stirring in his mocha eyes.

“Yes? What is it?” León answered, his voice high. Raúl spun to give him a large smile and presented a gleaming gold and ruby ring.

“We’re getting married! Well, in secret, but we’re still getting married! Isn’t this wonderful?” León’s eyes widened and tears bubbled in them. He was… getting married? To the love of his life?

“Of course! Yes!” León yelped, throwing himself into Raúl’s arms, crying and laughing at the same time. Raúl was just as much of a mess, grabbing León and spinning him around before pulling him into a passionate kiss. León giggled and smiled into the kiss as Raúl slipped the ring onto his finger. For just one moment, all was peaceful and happy with the two princes.

Logan snapped back to awareness, sobbing his eyes out. “Oh, sweetie, shh, shh, it’s okay,” a voice was soothing him. Thomas. That was Thomas. His employer. “Logan, I’m not mad, I need you to breathe with me.”

Logan tried, he really did, but nothing was working. Raúl had been the beginning of the end, the last time he was uncursed, the last time he was human.

A small scuffle, and then a new, cool presence was in front of him, telling him to breathe. He shook his head because he couldn’t, he was sorry but he couldn’t, he was too lost…

“Ludwig Amsel, I need you to look at me right this instant,” a soft voice firmly stated, cutting through the mess that was Logan’s thoughts. Logan’s breathing and heart froze. Only… only one person should still know that name; himself. So how… who… what?

“Logan, it’s Viktor. Viktoria. I need you to breathe with me,” the soft voice continued. Logan managed to finally suck air into his lungs, and the voice (Viktoria, but no, she was dead) cheered him on and praised him. Logan finally, finally managed to get his breathing back to normal, and he finally glanced up, only to meet one brown and one green eye, the same eyes of Viktoria.

“Logan. My name is Virgil, but you used to know me as Viktoria. I’m here, darling, and I need you to calm down so we can talk.” Logan nodded, still confused. How did Vik-Virgil know who they used to be?

Virgil pulled Logan to his feet, giving him that small shaky smile. “Thomas told me everything,” Virgil murmured. Logan swallowed. How had Thomas…

“I met the witch who cursed you, Logan. They feel sorry for what they did, and they decided to help me help you break it,” Thomas explained quickly, arms crossed over his chest as a warm smile dimpled his cheeks. “So, I reached out to the three who mattered, found out they all lived here, and told them everything.”

Logan blinked, surprised. The witch… was… sorry? “And Patton- you’d know him as Pénélope- and I are good friends, so I told him. He’s running to get you some tea; Sascha told us you like tea. So, Patton and I are friends, and Roman is Patton’s boyfriend- you’d know Roman as Raúl I believe?- so he’s with Patton getting tea. And I’m here to calm you down.” Virgil rattled off nervously.

“Ah… my… apologies for freaking out…” Logan mumbled.

“Hey, hey, no. No need. You’ve been through a lot, Logan, and no one is going to fault you for some breakdowns,” Virgil cut in, eyes fierce yet soft. Logan bit his lip. He didn’t believe him.

“Logan. Thomas has closed the place, so we’re going to sit down when Patt and Princey get back and talk this all out, okay L?” Logan nodded, and Virgil nodded before stepping back. “Now,” Virgil continued, arching a dark eyebrow. “Tell me about yourself?”

Notes: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Okay, so, the conversation was basically: Virgil apologizing to Logan after bumping into him and asking if he could do anything. Logan says that he’s fine and then asks for Virgil’s name. Virgil gives his name, Logan gives his, and then Virgil runs off in Gay Panic.

Hope you liked it! Happy New Year everyone!

#Secret Sanders 2018 #sanders sides #logan sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #deceit sanders #thomas sanders #some ocs #angst #fluff #immortality #mentions of magic

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totallyhistory · 3 years ago

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Frederick the Great - Great 18th Century Prussian Statesman, Military Leader and Man of Culture

Frederick II of Prussia (1712-86), commonly known as Frederick the Great, was King of Prussia and one of that country's greatest rulers. He had a multi-faceted personality, being a great statesman, a military commander, a writer, a musician, and a social reformer.

The Statesman and Military Leader

When Frederick the Great was born, Austria was the leading power in the German-speaking area of Europe. Frederick opposed Austria' s overbearing power. He had ambitious plans for Prussia: he thought it should increase its military influence and economic power and become the leading German-speaking state.

In 1740 Frederick reactivated Prussia's old claims to the Austrian province of Silesia. When this claim was rejected by Austria's ruler, the Empress Maria Theresa, Frederick seized Silesia. This move upset Maria Theresa and helped provoke the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48). and the Seven Years' War (1756-63).

With Frederick's outstanding skills as a military commander, some good luck and much effort, Prussia ended up not only keeping Silesia but also ended up, in 1772, taking part of Poland.

By the time that Frederick died, Prussia comprised twice the surface area than it had at the time of his birth.

Frederick the Great fostered the growth of a strong economy in Prussia, by encouraging modernization and greater smartest military leaders efficiencies in both Prussian agriculture and industry. This development, combined with the fact that Frederick managed to wage his wars without incurring debt, brought much prosperity to the country.

With its enlarged geographical area, its larger army (having 195,000 soldiers by 1786) and its strong economy, Prussia not only prevailed over its rival, Austria, and became the largest and most powerful of the German states, but it ended up during Frederick's reign as a leading European power.

The Man of Culture

Unlike his rigidly militaristic and Calvinist father, Frederick William I, Frederick the Great (Frederick II) was interested in culture and in the ideas of the Enlightenment, particularly the ideas of the French philosophes (philosophers) such as Voltaire.

Frederick played and composed music. He played the flute very well (there is a famous painting by Adolph von Menzel of Frederick playing a flute in the music room of his palace, Sanssouci) and some of his musical compositions are still played today.

He read French literature and wrote poetry. He corresponded with French writers and Enlightenment philosophers such as Voltaire (the latter visited Frederick in Berlin in 1750) and studied their works.

A famous observation written by Frederick in a letter to Voltaire dated March 18, 1771 has been preserved and says: "Drive out prejudices through the door, and they will return through the window."

Frederick wrote a great deal - always in French - on politics, history and military science. His works have been published in 33 volumes.

Frederick was a patron of architecture and had many wonderful buildings constructed in Berlin. These buildings, including such gems as the Berlin State Opera, mostly still exist today.

Frederick also constructed a beautiful summer palace named Sanssouci (French for "carefree" or "without worry") at nearby Potsdam. This palace is the best example of the Northern German Roccoco style of architecture. The palace and gardens of Sanssouci, often seen as the Prussian equivalent of the Palace of Versailles, were placed on the United Nations list of World Heritage Sites in 1990.

The Social Reformer

Frederick the Great increased freedom of speech and promoted freedom of religion. He improved the efficiency and honesty of government administration. He abolished torture and corporal punishment. Serfdom, however, was not abolished.

Enlightened Despotism

Frederick's form of government is what we call enlightened despotism or benevolent despotism (that is, the country was ruled by an absolute monarch, but one who tried to rule his people justly, rather than according to his own selfish whims and desires).

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studyflwr · 6 years ago

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Let's hear cotton candy, strawberry, cheesecake, black cherry, and ginger for the ice cream ask meme!!!! I adore this ask meme (but you don't have to do them all if you don't want)! Have a wonderful day / night!!

fvwihow thank you! sorry this is a little late, i was kind of busy beforehand and i couldn’t do it until now.

cotton candy: three places you want to travel to?

germany! i love king frederick the great, so i really want to see sanssouci and his grave and maybe put a potato on it. i also want to go to china, because i haven’t been there in ages and it’d be nice to see the place my parents came from. and korea, just because i think it’d be fun.

strawberry: a language you wish you could speak?

if you mean fluently, then chinese, because while i do technically “speak” it my chinese is pretty horrible. if it’s in general, then definitely german.

cheesecake: what’s your zodiac sign?

i’m an aquarius! fits me tbh

black cherry: four words that describe you?

ambitious, lazy, funny, organized

ginger: a new feature you wish tumblr could have?

if tumblr could stop showing me long ass tags i’ve only used once whenever i write a word and go back to showing me the ones i use most often, i will weep tears of joy.

send me an ask?

#asked #thanks for asking!#cactii-studies #about me

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sanssouci-sims · 1 year ago

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I'm about to "remake" my grilled cheese aspiration sim. I originally made her look kinda ugly and gave her a really stupid name and I just want to turn her into a cute little celebrity chef. She lowkey deserves better. 🧀✨

#sanssouci speaks #sneak peak for a sim i'll probably share in the future!!#grilled cheese aspiration kinda fun tho #sims 4 #the sims 4 #the sims community #sims 4 simblr #simblr #simblog #ts4 simblr

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azvolrien · 7 years ago

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Berlin - Day 7

The weather had turned much sunnier than the last few days, though thankfully not as hot as those first few, so I decided to make my last day here a bit of a wind-down after a week of non-stop sightseeing and took the S-Bahn out of Berlin proper to the smaller town of Potsdam. The train ride itself was much nicer than the last few I’ve taken, as most of the other passengers left by the outskirts of the city and then it travels through a large area of woodland called Grunewald, which with spring finally underway lives up to its name.

Potsdam Hauptbahnhof is fairly big and houses an arcade of shops, less a group of snack bars than a small mall, but I wasn’t there for shopping and left the station, at which point I discovered that Potsdam is bigger than the map makes it look. It’s still walkable, just a little more time-consuming, so I set off undeterred. On the way I found out that Potsdam has its own little natural history museum which wasn’t mentioned in my guidebook, so I paid a visit. It’s not as big as Berlin’s but still has a respectable taxidermy collection and, of course, Things In Jars, both focussing mainly on wildlife found in the Brandenburg region. One interesting display concentrated on introduced species, such as the raccoon (‘Waschbär’), while another looked at the return of wolves to Germany. They’re not yet common, but with legal protections in place they’re making a comeback.

I finished up at the museum and walked along to Schlosspark Sanssouci, the favoured playground of Prussian royalty such as Frederick the Great and a deeply picturesque place to spend a few hours. The little signs here and there with the park rules politely ask people to stick to the paths, and unlike… basically every other park I’ve ever been to, people listen. This means that there are some gorgeous fields of long grass and wildflowers alongside the more manicured lawns and regimented avenues of trees. I found a bench in a shady corner and sat for a couple of hours, having a picnic lunch and reading my book, before I got up to see what else the park had to offer.

Quite a lot, as it happens; the park is absolutely enormous, with several old palace buildings (which I did not bother to tour) and a historic windmill (which I did). The windmill was particularly interesting. Inevitably, it had to be reconstructed after WWII, but is now fully operational: today had enough of a breeze to turn the sails, so you could stand on the highest public floor and look up to see all the huge wooden gears moving above. I understand they still grind flour sometimes; they had some for sale in the gift shop, but I didn’t buy any as I wasn’t sure it would make it home in one piece, and I don’t really need flour anyway.

After the windmill I walked along past the Orangerie to have a look at the Drachenhaus, a small pavilion decorated with statues of dragons on the roof. Interestingly, while there was a certain Chinese echo about the building, the dragons are definitely of the European variety. The Drachenhaus now houses a café, but I’d already had lunch and they weren’t selling ice cream, so I walked back along to the visitor centre gift shop and bought a lolly and, unrelatedly, a Playmobil version of Frederick the Great, because Why Not.

Lolly finished, I walked up to the colonnade at Schloss Sanssouci itself where I found a bench and drew a picture of a unicorn. There wasn’t a statue or anything, I just felt like drawing a unicorn. After most of the afternoon and a segment of the morning in the park, I began to make my way back to the train station. On the way I went along Brandenburger Strasse, a pedestrianised street with a wide range of shops. While walking I passed a group of probably-students playing in a brass band, some people waltzing in the street for no obvious reason, a guy who either was a Buddhist monk or just really liked saffron robes, a stylish person with blue hair, and a branch of GameStop, a chain I didn’t know operated outside America. I also found a shop devoted entirely to Lindt chocolate and promptly went a little nuts in their pick’n’mix section.

The train ride back took about the same time through the woodland, and I rode it to Alexanderplatz for a look in the huge Alexa shopping centre. I’d heard they had a model trainset in there, but couldn’t find it and left without buying anything.

For my last dinner in Berlin I decided to treat myself to a fancy restaurant (‘fancy’ here defined as ‘has multiple chandeliers’) and went to a place in Hackescher Höfe called Oxymoron, though nothing about it seemed that contradictory.

(chandelier count: minimum of 3, possibly more.)

Main course was a wild garlic and ricotta ravioli, served with lemon butter and roasted almonds as well as unadvertised peas. The ravioli was delicious, without much taste of lemon in the butter, and I did try a couple of the peas to see if my palate has matured into liking them. Verdict: no. Dessert was something that the menu described as a ‘yoghurt cupcake’ but was in fact something between a cheesecake and a jelly, served with blueberry sorbet and a couple of mini macarons. Afterwards, I returned to the hotel to get packed up in preparation for leaving tomorrow. I plan on an early start just in case, but if today was any indication the S-Bahn should get me to the airport in good time.

Berlin is a fascinating city, having made it through the fire and steel of the 20th Century to become a busy modern metropolis. The people have been friendly, as people usually are when you’re polite to them, and apparently my German accent is better than I thought it was; people kept talking to me under the assumption that I speak it more fluently than I actually do, while I realised that my German vocabulary still has a lot of holes in it. (Nobody understands cases.)

I would like to come back one day. I did manage to tick off most of my list, though I never did get to the Reichstag, and I’d like to revisit the Pergamon once it’s fully reopened. Overall, a thoroughly interesting week.

#holiday diary #berlin

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verbalists · 5 years ago

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Discover Berlin and make the most of your summer with a German study program by the lake!

The Verbalists Language Network is famous for its young learner programs, which are designed and coordinated with the world’s best language schools in such a way as to extend language learning beyond a classroom setting.

The Berlin Water Sports program is action packed, providing students with an opportunity to practice German during a great variety of the outdoor and indoor activities – sailing, canoeing, surfing, barbequing, biking, climbing walls, playing sports… That’s not all! In the camp, our students will meet German teenagers who often participate in the activities, so there will also be lots of opportunities to speak German in informal settings with natives of the same age group. And Berlin is not far away, so every week there are 2 excursions to Berlin.

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Educator

The program is organized by our long term partner, GLS (German Language School), who was awarded by Study Travel Magazine five times the “best German language school in Germany” award. Established in 1983, GLS is one of the largest language schools in Europe. It has its own 16.000 sqm campus with two hotels, located in the very center of Berlin. More than 5000 students from up to 60 countries attend GLS courses every year.

Camp location and facilities

The Berlin Water Sports summer German language camp is located in the village of Blössin, about 30km from Berlin, and right on the edge of one of the beautiful lakes that surround Berlin – Lake Wolzig. Please see the camp location here.

The camp is very safe, with classrooms, accommodation, restaurant, playgrounds and private beach all in one place. The water sports center has a campus with several little houses on it, where students live. The 10 classrooms are in a central building, and there is a cafeteria. The center has fantastic water sports facilities – with lots of canoes, sailing boats and surfing equipment. Additional facilities: indoor gym, fitness studio, basketball court, beach volleyball field, soccer field…

Program

German course: 20 lessons, each 45 minutes long per week. The courses are provided on site by qualified and experienced German language teachers. Lessons are interactive, with all four levels offered – beginners, elementary, intermediate, advanced. There are maximum 12 student per class.

Activities, excursions & sports: Every week there are activities and excursions outside of the camp. It is during this time that students get to visit Berlin or other famous places in the region, like Potsdam.

2 activities daily in international groups: sailing, surfing, canoeing, badminton, volleyball, climbing

1 full-day and 1 half-day excursion to Berlin per week

The activities change every week. If it is raining there will be different other indoor activities.

There is a 24-hour student supervision. Members of GLS staff and tutors live on campus and are available all the time.

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Sample week at the Berlin Water Sports camp

Day Morning Afternoon Evening Sunday arrival until 5 pm, introduction and language test, welcome evening Monday 4 German lessons canoeing or badminton barbecue Tuesday 4 German lessons volleyball or inlining breakdance Wednesday 4 German lessons excursion to Berlin camp fire Thursday 4 German lessons surfing or football Film Friday 4 German lessons sailing disco Saturday full-day excursion to Potsdam and Sanssouci Castle party Sunday departure or swimming badminton

Accommodation

Students are accommodated in 2-3 bedded rooms, with own shower/WC. Program is delivered on a full board basis (the restaurant is on the campus).

Date and prices

28 JUN – 09 AUG 2020 Arrival / departure: on Sundays

1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks add. week € 1,130 € 1,980 € 2,910 € 930

Included in the price:

20 lessons/week

12 per class

4 levels: beginners, elementary, intermediate, advanced

2 activities/day on campus or nearby, i.e. surfing, canoeing, swimming

2 excursions/week to the city center of Berlin

on campus accommodation: 2-3 bedded rooms, own shower/WC

full board

transport costs and entry fees for GLS activities

transfer from Berlin airports and stations on Sundays 8 am-10 pm

Insurance (medical, luggage, liability)

24 hour tutoring by GLS staff on campus

Not included:

extra transfer out of schedule: EUR120 one way

extra day: EUR100

In addition to airport transfers, the Verbalists Language Network offers an Unaccompanied Minor service for children under the age of 18, where a member of GLS/school staff will meet your child at the airport on arrival and wait at the airport until your child’s departing flight leaves the ground. If you would like us to provide this service for your child, please notify us. If your child is under the age of 15, it may be a mandatory requirement for you to register your child as an Unaccompanied Minor. It is your responsibility to check this with the airline and pay any relevant costs to the airline as well as the 100 EUR Unaccompanied Minor fee to GLS/school.

Application process

Please note that filling out the PRODIREKT Application Form and Terms & Conditions does not secure a place on the program, nor does it mean you are under obligation that your child attends the course you are inquiring about. It is simply the first step in the application process, so that we can give you precise program details and check program/accommodation availability. A contract is signed directly with the school, and a place is confirmed after a deposit or the whole course fee is settled. Please fill out and sign:

Application Form (download here) and

Terms and Conditions (download here), and send back to [email protected]

The Verbalists Language Network is part of the PRODIREKT Education Group, which is a certified representative and partner of prestigious schools and colleges in world renowned university centers. When you enroll for foreign language study abroad with the Verbalists you are not only getting the expert advice, guidance and dependability of an accredited organization and a world’s leading language network, but you also enjoy special privileges, such as:

scholarships offered only to PRODIREKT/Verbalists students and our International Ambassadors;

special discounts – you often pay less than what a school charges for the same program;

enrollment advantages – faster processing, lower deposits, no charge when you change your booking;

priority of campus and home stay accommodation;

less strict cancellation policy;

free visa application assistance;

travel and airport transfer arrangements;

in case of group young learner programs, guidance and care of our staff and group leaders during the duration of a program.

PRODIREKT and its Verbalists Language Network are accredited by the leading language travel and higher education associations – English UK, Alphe UK, FEDELE Spain, FELTOM Malta, ICEF Germany, and many more. You will find more information about our international accreditation here.

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underthewingsofthblackeagle · 7 years ago

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Chapter 6: Days of Bliss, Part 22

A Royal Visit - Part 2: The same sorrow affects Kings and Commoners

Fraser closed the door of the study behind him and entered the hall. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then he considered how Claire would react to the message that the King wished to see her. He was not sure what this news would do to her. How could he tell her without frightening her? He concentrated and then walked quietly through the hall towards the kitchen. Just before he reached the table, which was prepared by some maidservants for lunch, Claire came down the stairs from the first floor. She carried a pile of tablecloths she had taken from the linen room and smiled as she saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"I have to talk to you," he whispered when she reached him. "Please instruct the maidservants for about half an hour and then come to me, quickly please." She looked at him in surprise, but did what he had asked her to do. "What's so important?" she asked in a whisper as she returned to him.

He gently took her hands, then, after taking a deep breath, he said softly: "Please, stay calm. The King wishes to see you." "Me?" she asked in astonishment.

"Yes, he wishes to meet the woman I want to marry," he answered not without a certain pride in his voice. "You do not have to be afraid, he can be strict and direct, but I'm convinced, he means well with us."

Fraser looked around for the maids who had completely covered the table and were yet to return to the kitchen. When they disappeared behind the small wall to the kitchen entrance, he pulled Claire gently to him, kissed her hands and said: "I stay with you, you do not have to worry." "What do I have to pay attention to? Formal curtsy or kneeling down? How ... how do I address him?" she asked tense. "Better, you kneel down. Call him 'Your Majesty'. Oh, and do not be surprised if he says 'my child' to you. He says so to all the young women, at least I remember that from his last visit. It's not ... negative ..."

He looked at the door of the study, where two soldiers stood guard, then said: "Come on, we have to go!"

"Just a moment!" she replied, holding him back. "How do I look? Is everything in order? My dress? My hair?"

He turned to her and looked at her with a searching look. Then, gently tucking a free curl of her hair behind her left ear, she smiled: "Perfect!" Claire blushed, but she did not have much time to think. He took her hand and together they headed for the door of the study. Once there, Fraser took another deep breath, looked at Claire and then nodded to one of the guards. The soldier stepped forward, knocked and then opened the door. "Your Majesty! The Bailiff of Balfenberg, Mr. Fraser."

(”Studierzimmer” by stux)

When they entered, the King and Paul von Trebitsch were still standing in front of the windows. His grip on her hand, which felt cold and almost lifeless, tightened for a moment. Then Claire felt him release her hand, gently placing his arm on her shoulder and guiding her slowly to the centre of the room. She saw the two men coming to her. Everything else in the room seemed to blur until she heard Jamie's voice and everything became clear again. "Your Majesty, allow me to introduce Ms. Claire Beauchamp." She wanted to kneel, but at that moment the King had already caught her hands. "Please, please, my child, I am glad to meet you!" Claire indicated a bow. "Thank you, my King!"

The King took his walking stick, which he had clamped in his left armpit in order to greet her, and leaned on it. His eyes never left her. Jamie, almost physically aware of Claire's discomposure, took her hand again. "So you're the young lady to whom I owe it that Mr. Fraser wants to settle down here permanently." Claire took all her courage together. "Thank you, your Majesty, but the thanks are completely due to you. Mr. Fraser told me that it was your book that inspired him to come to Prussia. So, without your book, I suppose, we would never have met."

The King smiled mischievously. "Let's put it this way, Ms. Beauchamp: We work together well! My book brought him here, but your love will keep him here."

She blushed.

"I will do my best, your Majesty."

"Now tell me, when you will marry?" the King asked, his voice reflecting the joyful anticipation that was evident on his face.

How gladly Claire would have told him a date in the near future and, together with Jamie at her side, gladly accepted the congratulations of the King. But his question did not cause any joy in her. Exactly the opposite. It was as if someone had hit her in the stomach. Frightened and avoiding the King's gaze, she looked to the side. But she knew only too well that she could not hide her reaction. Her glass face would betray her. And indeed, when she turned her face back to the King, she realized that he had already noticed her discomfort.

"My child, what worries you?" Claire could not help it. Soft sobs emerged from her throat. "Your Majesty ...," she began, but Jamie interrupted her: "Claire, please ..." "No, Jamie, His Majesty must know the truth." "Speak, my child," the King encouraged her, and then she felt his reassuring hand resting lightly on her arm. She pulled a handkerchief out of her coat pocket and dried her tears. Then she said in a placid voice:

"Your Majesty, my father ... my father refuses ... his permission to our marriage covenant." "Well," said the King thoughtfully, "who is your father, Ms. Beauchamp?" "My father is Henry Beauchamp, the headmasters of the school in Orndorf." "I see. The town with the large Huguenot Community, right?" "Yes, your Majesty." "Then your father is a follower of Calvin's doctrine, I suppose?" "Yes, your Majesty." "And he refuses consent to your marriage because ..."

"... Mr. Fraser, who comes from the Scottish Highlands, is a 'papist', as Mr. Beauchamp used to say," Paul von Trebitsch finished the King's train of thought. His Majesty turned around, took a few steps away, and softly uttered some angry words that none of the three understood. Several times he vigorously pushed his walking stick on the ground. They looked at each other in astonishment, then looked at Paul von Trebitsch. But he just stood there quietly and smiled back, as if to say: 'No reason to worry!' After a moment of silence, the King turned back to them.

"Is not it enough that they had to torment me that way?" he asked in a low voice. "Do all my subjects have to suffer in this way? Is not it enough that I made that sacrifice?" Seeing the questioning looks on Claire's and Jamie's faces, he walked slowly toward them. "I wish that what I am telling you now does not leave this room. Do you promise me that?" Fraser was the first to answer: "Your Majesty, you have my word!" He had his arm around Claire and pulled her close. Then she nodded too.

"Of course, your Majesty." The King took a deep breath.

(”Queen Elisabeth Christine of Prussia” by Antoine Pesne [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

"When I was still crown prince, I was forced to marry a woman. It was against my will. I did not know her, she did not know me. She did not love me, I did not love her, first. We had to marry because some European powers wanted it that way. Even my father had hardly any say in this matter: Prussia was a young and weak kingdom, and again and again the ambassadors of certain states requested an audience with my father ... England and Austria put pressure on him. In the end Austria retained the upper hand and decided with whom I had to share my table, my bed and my life. I obeyed my father's wish and married her. It's not that I did not love her at all and I really do not know why we never had children. We had a good life as long as we lived at the palace in Rheinsberg, but at some point ... after my accession to the throne ... it did not work anymore, she had no interest ... no understanding ... for the things that ... are dear to my heart. I vowed to her and I would never break my vows, but I could not live with her any longer. She moved into a palace that I gave her as a gift and ... I ... I built Sanssouci … for me. She fulfils her duties for our kingdom with great loyalty and commitment, the same as I do. Only that we do it ... in separate places."

The King was silent for a moment. Then he continued with a serious face:

"Many people do not understand this. Some people have circulated the worst, most disgusting stories about me and my wife, and in that they are even supported by people belonging to ... nations hostile to us ... I have accepted my fate. Perhaps it is the sacrifice I have to bring because I am a King, but to watch my subjects suffer a similar fate is unbearable! " He stepped toward them and put his hands on their arms. Then he looked at Claire: "My child, I can not order your father to give his consent to this marriage, he has the law on his side and in Prussia even the King must respect the law. We do not live in Russia, where the Czar executes anyone whose face displeases him."

Then he looked up at Fraser. "And right now I can not change the law. Imagine what would happen if I change a law that has granted the fathers this right for centuries. We would have a nationwide uprising on the day the new law would be promulgated. Our enemies would take this opportunity to weaken us even more. No, what Prussia needs now is unity and solidarity. A new war is dawning on the horizon and this war will decide the well or woe of Prussia." After a short break, he looked at them both. "But that does not mean you have to give up your hope, on the contrary, keep your confidence and keep your love for each other, we ..." - he glanced over to Paul von Trebitsch with a conspiratorial smile - :

"... will find another way to convince Ms. Beauchamp's father. Right, Mr. von Trebitsch?" "If Your Majesty endorses this bond and wishes ..." the Baron answered. "It is the King’s wish." "Then, Your Majesty, we will certainly find a way." The Baron's face showed a broad smile. Fraser had followed the short conversation between the two men with astonishment, wondering for what the King had just given permission to the Baron. But then the King turned back to them. "I can not tell you how long it will take, but we will do what we can."

From the right corner of his eye, Fraser saw how much Claire was touched by what they had just experienced. He himself did not understand all of what had happened in the last few minutes, and he was burning to speak to Paul von Trebitsch in private. At the same time, however, he also felt a sense of great gratitude towards the man standing before him. And this feeling was now seeking a way out of his heart with all its might. He tried to kneel again.

"We are deeply grateful, Your Majesty ..." But again he was prevented from doing so. "Mr. Fraser, you are not yet married, but if your wish comes true, then I expect you to write and inform me." "Of course, your Majesty." "And for you, my child, I hope I do not have to wait too long for this letter," the King said to Claire. She indicated a bow. "And I hope," said von Trebitsch with a bright smile, "that we do not have to wait too long for our lunch, it's nearly twelve o'clock."

#outlander #outlander fanfic #jamiefraser #claierebeauchamp #prussia

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