#something something something paris catacombs tunnels leading underground

[nerdylilheathen]

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag - Part 1

I read a whopping 24 books this year which isn't my greatest reading year. But as long as I'm reading, that's good enough for me.

1. Best book you've read so far in 2024?

Hands down, Under the Surface by Diana Urban. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC by #penguinteen and I DEVOURED this book in 3 days. After I finished it, I watched a documentary and a couple Youtube videos about the Paris catacombs and it's insane. I highly recommend watching this one cause it really reminded me of the book:

Synopsis:

An epic survival-thriller about four teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope… even when all seems lost. Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart. Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further. But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party. Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs… and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light. Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.

2. Best sequel you've read so far?

Another book I devoured in 3 days was Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig. Not gonna lie, it took me a while to get into the 1st book and I ALMOST DNF'd it, but my book club peeps urged me to keep going and I'm so glad I did.

I'm obsessed with the magic system. The concept of Providence Cards is so interesting and I hope the author comes out with an official deck.

image source

Synopsis:

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders. If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom. And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth's head. The Nightmare. And he's not eager to share any longer.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston. The last 2 books she came out with (The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip) have this supernatural element to them that's never really explained but just.. accepted? I'm not mad about it cause I think she does it SO. WELL. and that's why I'm excited to read this one.

Synopsis:

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures��no matter what.  But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel… Because it is.  This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.  Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending. Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.  Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of 2024?

The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of the 1st book last year and I FELL. IN. LOVE. with the world and the characters. I'm a huge fan of time period books, movies, and tv and this novel is on the top of my list! Even though it takes place in the early 1900s, it still gave me Bridgerton (Netflix) vibes and I'm a huge fan of that show.

Synopsis:

Like the blazing Chicago sun, the drama is heating up for the Davenports and their social set. Before the summer of 1910 drops its last petal, the lives—and loves—of these four young women will change in ways they never could have imagined: Newly engaged Ruby Tremaine is eagerly planning her wedding to the love of her life when a nasty rumor threatens her reputation and her marriage.  Olivia Davenport has committed to the social justice cause and secretly hopes she’ll be reunited with dashing lawyer Washington DeWight—until her parents decide she’s to marry someone else. Amy-Rose Shepherd is making her lifelong wish of owning a salon come true, but when an incident forces her to return to Freeport Manor, she’s back in the path of John Davenport, who still holds her heart.  Helen Davenport is determined to get over her own heartbreak and bring the Davenport Carriage Company into the new century, even if it means teaming up with a thrill-seeking racecar driver who just loves to get under her skin. Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, More Than This is the second book in critically adored Davenports series, following four empowered and passionate young Black women as they navigate a rapidly changing society and discover the courage to steer their own paths in life—and love.

5. Biggest disappointment?

I'm sad to say that Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson was my biggest disappointment so far. My expectations were VERY HIGH because I know this series is soo loved in the bookish community. I just wasn't a fan of the magic system. I didn't like the concept of coins but I did think the science of the magic was interesting? I'm sure if I continue reading it would just get better and better but right now, I honestly have no interest in continuing.

Synopsis:

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark. Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot. But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

6. Biggest Surprise?

Good Material by Dolly Alderton. This book is advertised as "funny and hilarious" which I think is very misleading in my opinion. I bought this BECAUSE I thought it would be a hoot. It's really just about a comedian mending his broken heart while also trying to figure his life out. I honestly found this book to be quite serious BUT it was still VERY GOOD, just not what I thought it would be.

Andy's story wasn't meant to turn out this way. Living out of a suitcase in his best friends' spare room, waiting for his career as a stand-up comedian to finally take off, he struggles to process the life-ruining end of his relationship with the only woman he's ever truly loved. As he tries to solve the seemingly unsolvable mystery of his broken relationship, he contends with career catastrophe, social media paranoia, a rapidly dwindling friendship group and the growing suspicion that, at 35, he really should have figured this all out by now. Andy has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story. Warm, wise, funny and achingly relatable, Dolly Alderton's highly-anticipated second novel is about the mystery of what draws us together - and what pulls us apart - the pain of really growing up, and the stories we tell about our lives.

____________

Part 2 will be posted sometime this week! Have any of you read these books/are you going to read them? Let me know in the comments!

[dsmroleplay]

#GodsAndMonsters #DSM #SPN Part One

Written by @Dark_Torement & @DeanWinchester_

Colt: -The flight into Paris had been quick and painless, on the ground a six man team deployed to move into the underground catacombs. There had been abnormal activity on the dark web, a purchase of a “tablet” had been bought and they couldn’t find out what it really was or who had bought it. The cost in the trillions of dollars. Something major was going down but they had no real idea what it was but chatter had brought them here. They had gotten unlimited access from the French Government disguised as scientists and engineers that would provide structural design improvements to ensure the catacombs would never collapse.

Rolling in the “equipment” and left to their own devices they set out descending down into the tunnels.- ::::::::::: Angel: *Reaper didn’t know how twitchy he had become, until he was aboard the plane to Pairs. Something settled inside of him when the wheels lifted off the ground. This is what he was born to do. Not sit on the sidelines, have a normal life. He was made for war, fighting. His flesh tingled at the thought of what might await them on the ground. Some monster? A fucked up crazy ass that needed to be put down? He flexed his large hands, itching to get a weapon into them. He wanted to shed some blood of some fuckers. And he would do it with a smile on his face. Yeah he was as crazy as they came. And he was fucking proud of it.

He wanted to laugh, him trying to pass as something he wasn’t. Yeah that never went well. But it was just to get them in.

The descent into the tunnels, it was cooler down here. It smelt musty to him. What crazy fucker would want to come into this shit? *weapons strapped to his wide thighs, knives in each heavy boot, a 9 mm on each hip and across his body. He felt better to be ready for anything. He smirked at Colt.* Let’s go find the party.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Colt: Thrill-seekers for one, morbid lovers, over the years there have been all kinds of people come through here. -The air began to get colder the deeper they went and damper, people could get lost and die down here it made the hairs on the back of Colt's neck stand up.- There are all kinds of rumors associated with this place, people believe all these bones draw in power from death and make things happen here. I guess we'll find out, do you sense anything Angel? -Glances over as they walk, angels had powers they made the technology of humans look trival.-

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*Angel, rolled his eyes. Some humans weren’t the brightest. Dabbling in shit you knew nothing about. Got you into trouble. Shit like that was like fucking quick sand. Before they knew it, they would eye balls deep in shit and need their asses saving.

Angel listened, as Colt talked. He could the souls that passed through this place.

The skulls lined the walls, the deeper they went, hollowed out stone greeted them.* Fucked up shit. *he replied, as he they walked deeper. Angel locked his powers away most days. On occasions he would let them out. Today was one of those days. He let his eyes drift closed. Relaxing his body, he could feel his powers filling his body. Reaching out in search of what lay beyond them, what laid in the darkest corners, for none to find. But all would be shown.

As his powers reached, like tendrils of smoke, hidden from human eyes, creeping and filling every corner and hallway. Seeping into the cracks, deep into the bed rock and towards the earth, reaching and expanding high above.

The beating of hearts, the breathing without heart beats. Angel, pulled to a stop. His large hand resting on Colt’s arm. Something old and dark lay sleeping beneath the earth. Slowly Angel opened his eyes. A sliver band glowed around his black pupil. Flickering his gaze to Colt.* Evil and darkness sleep beneath the ground we walk. It’s fucking dangerous. If that thing wakes up, all in this city are gone. There are ten heart beats. Those are the assholes playing with fire. There are many without heart beats. They have deep hunger for flesh. There are things here that will make a normal human shit themselves. We have to watch our asses. *a smirk crawled along his lips.* The party is really going to be bloody. :::::::::::::::::::::::: Colt: -Pulled up short by Angel, Colt listened taking a deep breath "awesome" what's a little death and mayhem.- Can you tell which direction? We'll take out the assholes before said monster wakes up. -Least that was the plan.- :::::::::::::::::::::::: Angel: •Angel, let his powers once again push out. Brushing up against the first fucked up creature.* Follow this tunnel half a mile. Turn to right, go for another half a mile. They are at the end. It’s a fucking long tunnel. It will open up to the first dome like junction. They spread out from there. The deeper from there you go. The closer you get to the sleeping one and the ten heart beats. •Angel grinned wide, he loved to kill. It made his whole body tingle. Oh he was going to love sending each of these fuckers to hell. Angel moved, taking point Colt had a family, these men had a family. And he would be damn if any of them not come out of here alive. He looked back to the Colt and the few men they had with them.• Any of you get in a fucking tight spot, you call for me. •He wasn’t playing. Without a word, he started down the tunnel. Gun at the ready. Anyone of those fuckers could come this way. Even being mindless, he wouldn’t let them fucking pass.• ::::::::::::::::::::: Colt: -The groups moved down the darkened corridors wearing night vision, it was still hard to see and claustrophobic but they trooped on. The air was damper as they went following Angel down into the maze.- ::::::::::::::::::: Angel: *Angel, lead them the scent of rotting flesh filled the air as they turned the corner. He could actually taste death on his tongue. The darkness seemed to move like a slow moving body. It breathed and pulsed. Letting his powers come forward. Eyes adjusting to the darkness. The shuffling of feet, groans of death could be heard. Angel looked at the men behind him.* One shot, one kill. *he wouldn’t fuck around. Angel dropped his gun, letting it hang off his side. Reaching down and taking two long Rambo knives from his thighs. He wouldn’t risk a shot hitting the men behind him. Flipping the long knives along his forearms.

Four dead walking came into view. Angel’s eyes glowed with a purple ring. A dark chuckle rumbled through his chest. The flesh hung from the bodies. Weeping, pus filled wounds dotted their bodies. drool hung from their mouths. Angel popped behind one in the middle. Flipping the blades, across the fuckers neck he sliced hard a fast. Taking the bastards head clean off. Blood spurt from the dead’s neck. Showering Angel. With speed, Angel, shoved up hard into the head of another. The Reaper, came out. As move dead poured from the corners. Reaper, spoke.* More coming, watch your backs! Light it up boys! *his cackle echoed around the walls. He was in his moment, he felt alive.*

[wheres-my-sanity]

We were just children pt.1

Summary:  What happens if you meet your childhood best friend after 15 years again? On the other end in a nightmarish fog that only seeks to kill its inhabitants. Old wounds get reopened and scars show. But there always a change of forgiveness. You just have to take it.

Pairing: Felix Richter x Élodie Rakoto

A/N: I wanted to write this since I read Élodies lore for the first time, but never had the time or motivation to do it. In this first chapter I will heavily focus on Élodies arrival. Felix will only be mentioned. The second chapter will be focused on their reunion. Also I want to thank harcourtholmesii again. I hope you enjoy my story.

„Come Felix, it’s going to be fun!” “Élodie, I really think we should turn back.” “Oh, don’t be such a coward, it’s just abandoned tunnel. See, I go first, just trust me.” “O-Ok I’m coming.” “See, as long as we are together nothing can happen.”

Élodie woke up, tears in her eyes. The moon wash shinning on her sweaty skin. She stood up from her bed and walked out on the balcony. Another nightmare. They had become more frequently than usual. She looked down at the messy streets of Paris. Why now? Her life was going ok. A few weeks ago, the doctors came to the conclusion that Élodie had fully recovered from the loss of her parents. She had found this apartment, which, granted wasn’t really big, but it was enough. Élodie didn’t want to sit in some house, no, she wanted to explore and discover. While she had told the doctors that she just loved being outside, the only thing she really wanted was to continue the search. Her parents were somewhere out there, she just knew it.

Élodie let herself fall on her couch and thought about what she had missed. She had been at every graveyard of the city, on every dark and dusty corner, but hadn’t found anything out about the whereabouts of her parents. Where had she not looked? What did she not see? The catacombs. Unlikely, but possible. Tomorrow she would inform herself about how to get into the underground. In a week she could maybe find a guide. She would find her parents, no matter the costs.

Élodie awoke with a groaning head. Of course, the catacombs were a bust, what did she expect? Élodie expected to be either in police station or the clinic. Neither of both was the case. She was at some kind of wreck yard, as the hundreds of crushed car-piles told her. She also could make out the distant shape of a giant lodge. The whole area seemed to be surrounded by a stone wall with a metal fence on it. The place seemed forsaken. Élodie stood, wondering how the hell she got here. On her left she could some kind of giant generator. The wires of the thing seemed to reach over the whole place.

“Hello, is anybody here?” No answer. As Élodie wanted to ask again, she could suddenly feel strong hands covering her mouth and a male voice say: “If you don’t shut up, he’s gonna hear us!” As Élodie turned around she could see the face of big man with a nose that looked like it has been broken more then once. Suddenly Élodies heart began to beat loud and fast. Apparently, the man seemed to feel the same. He gestured to come with him. Since Élodie had no idea where she was and the man seemed really worried, she decided to follow him. The man leaded her to a pile of tires where he hid behind. Élodie raised an eyebrow, but questioned not any further. Seconds after she hid too, a giant man, at least 2 meters high, walked by. He wore a black worker attire and long shoes, but the two most notable things on him were in his hand and on his face. A giant kitchen knife and a white emotionless mask, both covered in blood.

After a minute Élodie could feel her heart beating slower and they could see the man with the mask walk away. Just when she started to feel relieved, she could her a scream that made her flinch. The man with the broken nose cursed and then said: “Wait, here, until me or another man named Dwight return. The names David by the way.” With that he took his leave. 5 minutes later, Élodie heard another scream, this time a different one. A few seconds after she could see something huge moving on the sky. A paint breathing made her look down again. Another man approached. He had a pair of glasses and a key in his hand. And he was bleeding. A lot.

“D-Dwight?” Élodie asked nervously? The man nodded. “Where’s David?” Dwight shook his head and pointed at something behind her. Élodie turned around to see a hatch, she could have sworn wasn’t there before. The man slowly walked over to it and opened it. He waved at her, before he said: “Come.” With that he straight up jumped into it and disappeared. Before Élodie could even blink she could feel her heard beating again. She looked back only to see the man with the knife approach. Without even thinking Élodie jumped into the hatch, only to see darkness again.

When Élodie could see anything again, she could make out Dwight next to her. Magically he seemed to have stopped bleeding. They were in some kind of forest it appeared. All of the sudden Dwight rose up and began walking in a direction. Élodie sprinted after him. She chose the most obvious question first: “Who the hell was that?” Dwight seemed to be exhausted but still answered: “His name is Michael Myers, but we just call him the shape. Could you please wait with any other question until we reach the campfire?” While Élodie wanted to know where she was and how she got here, she decided to be quiet. Since this man saved her life the least, she could do was to leave him alone for a bit. After 10 minutes of walking, they reached a clearing. In the middle was, what she guessed to be the campfire that Dwight had mentioned. Around it sat around 25 people. “Hey Guys we have a new one again.” Élodie looked up to see the semi-interested looks of all of the people. “May I present to you Meg, Claudette, Jake, Nea, Laurie, Ace, Bill, Feng, Quentin, David, Kate, Adam, Jeff, Ash, Nancy, Steve, Yui, Zarina, Cheryl and… “FELIX?” Élodie shouted. “Élodie?”.

[my-world-travel]

Catacombs, Paris, France

After a day at the Louvre, what could be better than to spend the next day surrounded by literal dead bones, right?

I am, you may have gathered, a big fan of tombs, bones, burial grounds, cemeteries, and other ways humans try to mark their brief existence into a more lasting form. So of course I was interested in the catacombs, not to mention that the whole network of tunnels is mysterious, underexplored, largely illegal, and has claimed at least one life and also has a movie theatre in it.

Some backstory: Paris is built on a largely limestone foundation, and early in the city’s history, limestone was mined for use in buildings. These mines were a) underground and b) outside the original urban center, therefore c) over time they were forgotten about until d) a building inevitably collapsed.

From 1774, the French government began mapping the tunnels in order to hopefully prevent further building collapses, but the situation shifted dramatically in 1780, when something seemingly unrelated happened: Weight of the stacked dead bodies in the walls of the Holy Innocents Cemetery collapsed a basement of an adjoining house. For centuries, burials in Paris had been limited to certain graveyards, or you could be buried in the suburbs--and for centuries, these graveyards had been filling up. By 1780, Holy Innocents was literally 6 feet deep in bones, and the parish’s attics and basements had been filed with older corpses--leading to the collapse.

Thinking to solve two problems with one massive body transfer, Police Lieutenant-General Alexandre Lenoir supported the idea of moving the ancient dead into the tunnels. From 1785 to 1787, wagons carried bones from the cemeteries to the most explored section of tunnels--totaling 2 million from Holy Innocents and an estimated 6 million overall.

At first, bodies were dumped in with no clear plan. But in 1810, Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury decided that this could actually be a grand tourist attraction and also much more attractive, and began stacking bones by type and making patters in the resulting walls of bones.

When I visited, you could still queue up for a cheaper ticket than booking online (looks like today you can have the best of both worlds by booking only a day in advance), so I spent about 2.5 hours queuing and talking with a couple from Boston.

Once inside, it’s important to know that the vast majority of the tunnels (~140 miles) are closed to the public. Even about 2/3 of the catacombs (~1 mile) are off limits. What you see is a small, intensely curated portion.

And it’s amazing.

Some quick notes on photos: The warning about entering the empire of death was put there by de Thury, who by all accounts was a bit of a drama queen. The bricks with dates were placed there by the mining teams who first stabilized that particular tunnel--so some of these tunnels have been open since 1784. Some since 2014. Yes, there’s a lot of crosses, and also several of the supporting columns have been entirely surrounded by bones.

It’s actually a huge source of frustration for medieval archaeologists, because for once they have access to a near complete cross-section of society--and also every body has been completely disassembled, they’ve been stripped of all context, and many of the key bones (teeth and fingers for diet and jobs, ex.) are missing, piled behind the more dramatic long bones, or have disintegrated.

But mostly it’s amazing. One of the creepiest places I have ever been in.

[dafukdidiwatch]

As Above So Below

This somehow both scared and bored me at the same time

<Lots Of Major Spoilers>

Overview

: After years of searching, Treasure Hunter Scarlet finds a clue that would lead her to the fabled Philosopher's Stone somewhere in Paris. She gathers together a crew to find the stone in the catacombs of Paris, but there are other things that lurk down below.

I would consider myself a big time movie/tv person. Have I seen everything? No. Do I like watching anything? Yeah, I'll give it a chance. I like most genres.

Horror though, I have mixed feelings.

Now, I'm gonna be honest, it was hard trying to go into this movie open minded. I have a love/hate relationship with the Horror genre of movies. Older classics like John Carpenter's Thing, Alien, even Scream are movies I adore. But...modern horror movies are a pain to me. I hate how they use shortcuts to try and scare me with random ass Jump-scare for no purpose other than to scare me. It's ridiculous! I can call out when the jump-scares happen, and they Still scare me because of the freaking sound track!

Anyway. I felt it would be unfair for me to say how much I like/dislike the movie without mentioning my preferences. If you like the newer horror movies, awesome, you do you, but for me, its like one of those gatchapon machines where theres a 50/50,chance you'll like it or not.

With that out of the way, lets Actually start talking about the movie.

The movie is shot in Found Footage style and that already added a tally against it in the 1st minute. I am not a fan of found footage. I know that it's popular to make it cheap and personal, but it makes it so hard to follow what is going on. When they are being chased or attacked, I don't know whats happening! Its too dark to tell, the camera is jostling around making me slightly nauseous, and if it does show something, its only for like 5 seconds unless it is stupidly close! There were parts that felt more like watching a Let's Play of a 1st person horror game. Run Run Run, Punch Monster, Run.

It is due to this 1st Person view that, not gonna lie, I barely followed how they got into the catacombs in the first place. Scarlett was in Iran...then she went to France, then...a church to pick up a reverse vandalizer, club, tunnel, catacombs. I can remember the place order, but like hell can I remember what exactly they were saying. All of that took 30 minutes and I was bored out of my mind. And the things that I do remember, they just sort of randomly popped up? Like, they were discussing on whether to jump into the hole

There are parts of the movie that I think was their attempts to build atmosphere, but sort of came out of left field. They say a pale woman walk away from a club: ok. They see her...directing the creepy ass ghost choir?? No idea what that was about. Then They ran into statues that just....came to life to bite at them??? This,was Never Mentioned as potential threats anywhere, it was as if the movie decided it needs random encounters to fill the climax, which is a shame because the tension in this in the middle was really good.

In the middle, when they are Finally going underground to when things got fucked, had a good tense build up. Showing landmarkers that shouldn't be on their route later on. Local lore of "don’t go down the cursed tunnel" (PSA: If the locals say don't do something, don't do it). They get trapped trying to crawl through a pile of bones. Now that part wasn't scary, but was Very Uncomfortable, especially if you have claustrophobia. They have just...random ass things appear like a Piano and Phone which, these people are dumbasses for thinking those things are natural to be there, but does add a good "what the hell" moment that just pikes on. I thought they might go the whole "vague supernatural tunnel turning tricks and getting them to turn on each other" route instead of "slowing pick one off one by one" type. And maybe that’s what they were trying to have, but it was still random monsters popping out to attack so... c'est la vie. 

Another thing I take issue with is part of the lore they use for the Philosophers stone. First, they use the legends and work of alchemists. And that’s pretty cool. Like mystical National Treasure, unlock secret symbols and solve chemical problems. There was a part where they had to figure out the number of celestial planets in the sky based on what century the stone came from since it kept changing over the years, that part was pretty clever. I didn’t know the information, but i appreciated the history.

But they just add random bits from around the world to be like "ooh they connected" like, ok. They have alchemist lore, 14th century Flamel. Makes sense. Then they add a mummy of a crusades guy. I don't know which crusades, but it doesn't matter since he was used more as a prop than plot device. Hell it might be Flamel himself, I don’t know. Then they throw...Ancient Egypt....Sure. Why not. Alchemists could go to Egypt to learn then stick hieroglyphics and traps in the french catacombs. Given how I don't know anything about alchemists history, I'll go with it.

What I WONT accept is them calling Dante's Inferno Mythology! That is Bullshit! I call BullShit! That! Is where I DRAW THE LINE!!

Because they carved "abandon all hope he who enter here" into the tunnel wall when things turned batshit and thats where i gave up on the lore.

Dante's Divine Comedy is not a myth! It is a poem! A poem written by Dante about Christain ideology of what heaven and hell is like! But the movie doesn't give a shit. The line just sounds cool to have as they go deeper into the tunnels!

If they just went with Dante references and alchemist lore, I would have been fine there. The main reason I got angry at that part with Scarrlet saying about "Dantes myth" is that she knows like 5 languages + 2 dead ones, all this backstory and alchemist stuff, and she doesn't know that inferno was a poem? Yes, part of that is semantics and technicalities, but it sort of pulled me out of the world a bit. Because at that point, it felt like they were picking and choosing lore to fit in because it sounded cool. Have an egyptian trap! Why? Because it was cool! Have hieroglyphic puzzle to find the stone? Sure, don’t know why it’s in France but whatever!  I dont know. It threw me off because it felt like they were adding too much, which is a shame because some of the Dante references like traveling through a pool of blood was really good.

I don't get the visions. I really don't. Like...random pianos and telephones just appear on level one of their journey, that calls out to their memory. Which is...bizzare. Especially since they actually touch the freaking things. Like, don't touch the childhood piano! It will make things worse! Seriously! White people!

You later learn that the visions come from their sins (like the one and only tormented sin they got) and it is only when I googled the end of the movie did I learn that they have to acknowledge their sins or die. Which if you have to google the movie to understand the message, the message didn't go through. And opens up to more questions.

Because there were other people that died that didn't get to see their sin visions. George and Scarlett got taunted with pianos and objects since the 1st floor. What about Benji? He was followed by the creepy ghost choir and fell down a hole. Tell me what sin that means. Do They....all have sins, or did the vague demons here have to kill off the innocent ones first before putting the focus on the true targets?

And Scarlett finding out that the power was in her all along? What? Did she...consume the power? Was it transferred? Did she have it since she was born? Does she still have it? It felt like a bad moment to throw in a self esteem psa in this movie.

I will give the movie credit though, i liked how they were forced to go down to get out. When everything turns to shit and they have to do the same things they did but in reverse order, but still forced to go down, that was good. It adds to the tension of "holy fuck how are they gonna get out is this even the right path?" And that last scene with the manhole, gorgeous. Really truly gorgeous. It just shakes you to the core with what you are seeing.

But Overall.....yeah did not like this movie. Wasn't a fan of shakey cam. Wasn’t a fan of the "gotcha" jump scares. The movie felt a little more uncomfortable than scary to me with the claustrophobia. There were a bunch of times where I had to check how long was left in the movie because I was really bored with what was happening. I did like the use of alchemist lore, the Egyptian trap scene, and the end scene, but just wished they stuck to one part than try to mash up different myths to fit.

And if they wanted to stick with Dante, fine. Apparently this entire movie was an allegory of Dantes inferno. (Thanks google) But while i can appreciate looking back on it in hindsight, it doesn't change the fact that I really didn't "get" the symbolic nature of what they were trying to do in the initial watch. Maybe if I rewatch it I would appreciate it more, but I would just skip like half the movie to the actual cave exploring part because I am not sitting through the full thing again. 

If you like horror movies with historic flair, this might be for you. But its not my cup of gatorade.

[hexthelore]

The Graveyard Below Paris: The Catacombs

(photo by Andy Delcambre)

In the late 18th century, the smell of rotting flesh was in the air... literally. Paris was in a health crisis that came from it’s former population; their cemeteries were overflowing, and it was starting to affect people's health. Especially after Paris’s largest cemetery, Les Innocents, flooded and one of their walls broke, causing dead bodies to litter the streets of Paris. Come 1786, and enough was enough - a solution had to be found. So they exhumed the bodies, and over a course of 12 years, 6 million dead people were moved to the ancient stone mining tunnels beneath Paris. It isn’t surprising that it’s thought to be one of the creepiest, most downright unsettling places in the world. It is a liminal space, where the veil gets thin and reality wavers.

The Catacombs are an incredible labyrinth, so expansive and confusing that even those who are well versed in the tunnels can, and have, gotten lost. Not only is it large, but it’s dangerous; there is the possibility of cave ins, and at the rate that secret entrances/exits get shut off, it is no easy feat to escape the parts of the tunnels that no one is allowed in. Of course, the danger pulls some people further in. The Cataphiles, as they’re called, have made it their business to discover all there is to uncover of the Catacombs. Fortunately for them, there is a lot to uncover.

(photo from the catacombs website)

There has been many interesting things that have happened in the Catacombs, including a theater built in (without permission) and a sort of club or bar built in (also without permission). But it isn’t all fun and games; death is attracted to death, so to speak, and some terrible things have happened in this underground graveyard. Countless people have gotten lost in the endless tunnels. Some have been found, but others have not been. In some cases this means unknown missing persons, and in some cases it means another grave to be added to the collection. A case of both of these have left their mark on the Catacombs and the overall lore to the place based on real life horrors.

Philibert Aspairt, a doorman for a local hospital, entered the tunnels in search of a secret stash of liquor on November 3rd, 1973, only to end up dangerously lost. It’s thought that he wandered the underground graveyard with just one candle as light to guide him through. Once the light burnt out, though, so did his chance of escape. Aspairt died in the Catacombs, and wasn’t discovered for 11 years. They buried him in the tomb they found him in. Morbid, yet also fitting. He is the only specific ghostly presence I’ve found in my research, as he is said to wander the tunnels now. Primarily, he is known to protect the Cataphiles from the dangers of the Catacombs - namely, getting lost - but he is also known to blow out the candles of visitors, and speak in whispers into tourists’ ears, specifically on the anniversary of his death. More skin tinglingly, Aspairt is also thought to be heard calling out through the tunnels, sadly still trying to find his way out. There is a warning to not follow his voice, or you’ll end up lost too.

(photo by reddit user brokenbonessociety)

It’s likely that Aspairt is not the only person to have gotten lost and not been found until it was too late. In some cases, the missing people have not been found. As recently as 2010, a Cataphile exploring the forbidden areas of the underground found evidence of a person having gone missing in the tunnels. He brought it to a filmmaker that was trusted by the Cataphiles, and while it is unknown if the footage is genuine, there is also nothing indicating it isn’t. The footage shows a man wandering deep in the Catacombs, definitely beyond where he was allowed to go. It goes for a long time with the man wandering more or less aimlessly, following the occasional marker that points him in a direction that he must have been hoping was the way out. During this time, he would film details of the buried bodies, picking up bones and showing them to the camera. Eventually, though, either something externally, although unknown to the camera's view, scares him. Or, he simply snapped and the fear took him over like madness. Because the unidentified man dropped the camera and then ran off into the darkness. He didn't return, and the camera rolled until it ran out of film, with nothing else significant occurring on the tape.

(photo from Syfy show Ghost Hunters)

The filmmaker, with the help of some Cataphile friends, adventured to the labyrinth in search of answers about the eerie footage and the man they had seen lost. While they did find parts of the path he had taken based on imagery from the video, they did not find anything that explained what came of the unknown man. The crew barely got out of the Catacombs on their search for the man, which also means they found nothing to indicate that the man could have escaped on his own. It is unlikely he had any idea how to navigate the tunnels, as none of the Cataphiles recognized the man in the footage. But with that said, the crew didn’t find his remains, either. While it may be hard to find one person’s specific remains in a place literally piled high with bones, he likely would have not been fully decayed, or he would have had more modern clothes on. This could indicate that the whole thing was faked, but there is also much of the tunnels that the crew did not go through, and its impossible to say how far the mystery man may have gone once he dropped the camera.

With all of the mysteriousness of the Catacombs, the thought of what might be down there is haunting. Amongst lore extending from true happenings, as it is with the missing people, there is another popular legend believed of the Paris Catacombs. It is said that the believably endless tunnels lead to somewhere otherworldly; specifically, that if you go far enough into the Catacombs, that you may find yourself in the upside down. Or, more simply, in Hell. It is commonly believed that the Catacombs contain the entrance to hell. With so much darkness, both metaphorical and literal, in the infinite graveyard, it leads some to imagine that something even darker exists there. Some even think that the mysterious man from the found footage may have ran straight into hell, or at the very least seen something come up from it. If not hell or a hoax, he was simply driven mad by the terrifying Catacombs.

Whether or not the Catacombs house the gates of hell, or if they are haunted, it is definitely one of the most macabre places in the world. It is overwhelmed by restless death, with dark energy that leaves some people in fear and some people addicted to risking their lives just to know what they might find in the ancient tunnels. The horrors there have lasted for centuries, and will likely continue for many more. The dead have been disrespected, starting with being uprooted from what was meant to be their final resting place. Their bones simply tossed into the underground, one enormous nameless grave for millions of people, similar to the mass graves of those that fell victim to the bubonic plague centuries before. This, as well as those who have died in modern times due to getting lost in the dilapidated tunnels. Since its start, the Catacombs have been vandalized, pieces of corpses broken and stolen, and it was even rearranged by commission from the city to be more aesthetically pleasing, years after the bodies were moved down below. Regardless of if ghosts, ghouls, or demons roam the graveyard beneath Paris, the Catacombs are surely haunted by something.

sources: Amy’s Crypt (1) (2) - Discover Walks - Sarah Winkler & Mark Boyer

[regdaran]

Revenant~Noir Chapter 1

Revenant~Noir Part 1

(Marinette)

  It had been months, months since the akuma attacked. Months since she saw her best friend and love of her life die to try and save her. She had barely left her house since then. The akuma disappeared as soon as it came. Alya had called everyday, tying to keep her from completely closing in on herself. It hurt, it still hurts, but she was still Ladybug. That, and Alya (With Tikki's  help) had finally convinced her to go out on a patrol. It hadn't taken much, not after she was told about how Nino was nearly put in the hospital by some new threat. Something that shattered his 'Shelter' with a single attack. As much as Marinette still wanted to lay down and sob, an entire month of that had done nothing but put everyone left in danger. So here she was staking out an abandoned  metro station in the middle of the night, in hopes of finding this black clad shadow. This new villain that rushed through alleyways and streets to brutalize random citizens and then vanish as quickly as they appeared. "What do we know about you?" Ladybug asked herself. First, she had to consider how they only ever seemed to strike at night, and all of the attacks were at or near entrances to La Petite Ceinture and the Catacombs. A cold shiver went up Marinettes spine. The last time she had to deal with the catacombs involved a newly awakened caster, and a small army of skeletons. Not pleasant memories. In-fact, she wouldn't have made it out of the tunnels if not for... "Chat..." She whispered under her breath.

There was movement. The shaking of a bush near the station entrance.

Ladybugs head shot up at the sound. While she couldn't hear as well as Rena Rouge, her miraculous still enhanced her hearing a fair bit.

There it was again, movement by a walking path that leads into the stations tunnel.

"Hey, are sure we should be hanging out here tonight?"  said a the young voice of a boy. They entered a space in front of the station. "Dude, chill out. A few people come by here. Its remote enough that the cops can show up quickly, and if we need to we can make an escape in the tunnels."  This was said by an older boy, about 17 maybe 18. Now that she could see the pair, she could definitely rule them out as the suspects to her mystery villain. The kid was in baggy shorts and a baggier hoodie with the sleeves rolled up. The older one had jeans and a tee shirt on, he also had had a headband on and the sound of a chain bouncing against itself. His clothes weren't what drew her attention, the switch knife he kept opening and closing in increasingly complicated ways was the focus of her gaze. "That's not what I meant and you know it! Dude the others all got hit around places like this, dude... Jackie is still in the I.C.U." The boy stopped just outside the entrance to the underground part of the station. "I know, but don't worry about it. Ever since that akuma attack a month ago, tourists have been flooding the city. Lots of cash filled pockets and purses that need cleaning out. Even better, no one has seen Ladybug out an' about since Chat Noir died! It's our time to shine!" The older one said, evading the topic the younger one was trying to bring up.

"Okay." Ladybug said to herself. She understood that she had been gone for awhile, but where muggers and street thieves really capitalizing on it this much.

"Now all we gotta do is wait, and even if Ladybug was done crying over her precious 'Chat Noir'  I doubt she would even come by this part of the city."  The older one said, the emphasis he placed on Chats name made her blood boil. Just as she was about to jump down and relieve some of her frustrations, the younger boy screamed and scrambled toward the older one. "What! What the hell is wrong with you?!"  The younger one just cowered and hid behind the older one, pointing a trembling hand toward the underground entrance he had been at moments before. "Fine! ill go and 'take care' of whatever spooked you so bad."  He started walking toward the entrance and made to go down the steps. Then he left the ambient light behind and went into the darkness.

Ladybug heard him fish around in his pockets the chains on his belt making ample sounds. A flashlight clicked on and light seemed to seep out of the station. He had left the line of sight of both the boy and Ladybug at this point. "I swear to GOD! If this is just another big rat or stray dog, I'm actually going to-"  Another scream ripped through the night. Where as the previous one was filled with fear and panic, this was full of terror and pain. It was a throaty thing that cut off abruptly. Then the light went out.

Ladybug wasted no time in getting down from her vantage point and started running past the now fleeing kid and through the entrance of the station and into the abandoned tunnel. She could hear footsteps echoing through out the tunnel but she couldn't tell where they were coming from started to look around, but it was too damn dark, she brought her yoyo up and activated its light. At the bend of one of the tunnels a shadow left her sight, carrying a limp teenager. Again, she was running. She really wished that who or what ever this thing was had chosen a lair that was more yoyo friendly. As it was, she was having to sprint after a barely visible figure that seemed to out pacing her by simply walking. It was 30 minutes before she realized she was lost in the catacombs. Not the abandoned metro that she entered but the catacombs...  Sconces along regular intervals lit up the cavern walls. Crap. Why didn't she notice the change in location when she was following it? She had gone through what she had assumed was a collapsed tunnel, maybe it was really a breach into the crypts.

She opened up her yoyo, and tried to bring up her map. Which isn't working... great. What about calling Carapace? no signal. How did she not have any signal? Her carrier was magic, literal magic.  She was going to have to talk to Tikki about this later. For now, she had to either find the shadow or find her way out. Both presented challenges, however if this was the same thing that nearly put Nino in the hospital after only a brief fight, she would rather not fight it in an enclosed space. All she could see where rows and rows of bones and remains, it took her an hour  before she found something she remembered. Which was a section of the wall that looked like the remains in it had exploded outward. One of the places that the freshly minted necromancer, from several months ago, had raised  one of his 'Skeletal guards'. The entire team was still stumped on how they reanimated remains got weapons and armor.

"Tell me!"  A familiar yet cold voice commanded. "I don't know! I don't know! Please let me go, I won't tell no body your here. Please!"  The teenager said voice cracking in more than one place. Ladybug became flush with the wall. Where was that coming from? "Tell me who she is. Now."  The first voice demanded of the teenage. There was another crater in the wall, where an undead was summoned. A hallow in the stone work left by the energies the necromancer was wielding. Oh crap... she new exactly where she was. Near the center of the Catacombs, where the necromancer had created a literal hole in the wall. He had used his new workforce to carve out a new section in the catacomb walls. Ladybug had seen it exactly once, when she had been lured into a trap and then subsequently rescued by the rest of the team. She turned her head around the corner and saw 3 things which chilled her to the bone. 3 Things that would haunt her dreams for weeks to come.

A rotting pile of filth, meat, and bones. Which, from the shredded remnants of robes, must have been the necromancer. Why was he dead, from the checks they all did, he had left Paris.

The teenager from earlier, now being held up by his throat, and pressed against the wall. The skin of his neck was pale and the veins were a dark unhealthy color. As though oil was being pumped through those arteries.

And a man in black leather with a long tail like belt trailing behind him, black and green ring prominently on his finger. Mask hugging his pale face. His hair was a dull blonde like filthy sunlight. He was holding up a teenage kid with one hand, while positioning the other hand in a threatening manner over the head of his young victim.

It couldn't be. It was impossible... "Chat?"  Marinette said before she could stop herself. HE TURNED. Quickly, he drop the kid and stared at her. "You."  he said. His tone quiet and hushed. Now that he was no longer lined up in a profile view. She could see his chest. She could see the hole in his upper torso, right where a heart would be. Ladybug fell back onto her rear. What was going on? Had she hit her head? Maybe Volpina was back, and it was an Illusion. Yes! that's right. This was an illusion! She would ju- He screamed. An ear shattering yowl. Then, he started running. He was halfway down the longest hallway in the catacombs before she snapped back to herself and once again ran after him. "Don't follow me!"  He yelled at her, voice cracking apart near the end. "Chat! Come back! Please!"  Marinette called after him. She knew exactly where this tunnel would lead if he just kept running!

A few more minutes and more yelled warnings later. Ladybug was standing in front of the only exit the dead end had. 'Chat Noir' was panicking and trying his best to dig through the stone and bones. "Chat Noir." She said. Trying to be as calm as possible considering the circumstances. Which where that her partner was either an illusion and she was about to fall into a trap, or that he had come back from the dead and started beating random citizens. She was slowly stepping closer towards him. He looked at her wide eyed. The slits of his iris's where like needles in a sea of emeralds. His ears where pressed flat against his head. He wasn't breathing, but he did take a breath now if only to say "STOP!  Stay away from me! For the love of all that is holy or unholy please stay back!"  Ladybug was both confused and concerned by his words. She needed him to explain what the hell was going on. "Adrien I-"  He clutched his head in his hands. "Stop please! Ahh! Don't say that name. Please don't say his name!" Now she was just concerned. All thoughts of her own confusion where replaced by worry for her partners mind. What had dying done to him. besides the obvious. She was close enough to touch him easily now. He was curled up on himself, and shaking. he kept muttering "No please... don't do it. Not her! Anyone but her..."  She reached out to hug him. Then she was blind. In the blink of an eye her had changed from a cowering mess, to a storm of claws and teeth. His empowered hand reached for her throat, but jerked into her shoulder at the last minute. Tthe sound her suit made when it broke was like hearing church glass shatter, and then the pain. She was on the ground, right hand clutching her now broken and nearly mangled left shoulder. She looked up, magical darkness being replaced with tunnel vision, in time to see his eyes, just pale green embers, flare and burn in their sockets. She felt something inside her click, and she was out.

When she woke up, she was untransformed, she felt like death. She tried to sit up, only to find that she could barely move. "Tikki? Are you there? Please tell me your here."  A flash of pink light from her side. Oh hey, her arm didn't feel like scrambled eggs. Then Tikki flew in front of Marinettes face. A troubled, and slightly angry look on her face. "Marinette! Oh, I'm so glad you woke up! I thought you were going to die! There was so much blood."  Now that is was mentioned Marinette could feel the puddle she was laying in... These cloths would need to be burned... "How did he do that? Why did he do that!? Are you ok? Oh what am I saying of course your not! Can you move?"  The gale force speed of Tikki's questions finally subsided, giving Marinette time to actually answer some of them. "I'm not sure about how well I can move right now. How... How am I alive at the moment. I was bleeding so much."  Tikki gave her 'The Look'. The one that meant 'I saw that you did not answer all of my questions. We WILL talk about that later.' Tikki then settled onto Marinettes shoulder, the one that should be just a mass of hamburger. She felt like she was going to be sick. "I am the Kwami of healing, remember? Lets get you back home. Then We can 'ALL' talk about this."   Tikki said, as she pulled multiple macaroons out of Marinettes bag. "Ill gwide ou frough the cag-"  Marinette gave Tikki a look. Who then sheepishly swallowed and gave an innocent smile. "I'll guide you through the catacombs Then we can zip back home. You should call Rena, and Carapace." Tikki informed Marinette.

Ladybug walked shakily outside the Catacombs.  

She spent twice as long as she needed to get home. She did, after all, have to find someway to tell her remaining best friends that Chat Noir... That Adrien... was now undead, and that he was haunting the streets of Paris.

Notes:

[quicksilversquared]

Lost Heart Chapter 9

Chat Noir: Part 2

Magic can be a dangerous thing to play around with, particularly when that magic is tangled up in a curse. When Nathalie Sancoeur experiments with magic that she doesn’t fully understand, it sends her on a path to become Paris’ most dangerous supervillain and tips the balance between superheroes and supervillain.

But which way will the balance fall?

links in the reblog

                                         tumblr why did you get rid of page breaks

Adrien had never dreaded going home so much. Fencing had provided a bit of a distraction- he needed to be focused and in the moment to hold his ground against Kagami- but now he was going back to the house where two supervillains who wanted his Miraculous lived.

How he was going to manage sleep, Adrien didn't know.

Now that he was on the lookout for it, Adrien noticed how much of an effort the adults were putting in to keep Nathalie away. The Gorilla got him for dinner and set down a printout of Adrien's revised schedule for the week with the changes highlighted, something that Nathalie normally did. His father stuck his head in briefly to let Adrien know that he wouldn't be able to make it to dinner, instead of having Nathalie do it. He was left alone for all of dinner, and then the chef came up to collect Adrien's dishes.

For the few seconds that he saw his father, Adrien noticed how incredibly stressed he looked. Some people might not notice, but his father had always been impeccably put together. For his clothes to be not quite straight, and for his necktie to be crooked like that…

Without meaning to, Adrien's eyes had locked on that necktie. Now he knew that his father hid his Miraculous under that tie, he hated it. He wanted to rip it off and take the Miraculous, ending the whole charade now.

Instead, he had to keep a straight face and nod as his father told him that Adrien would be having dinner alone (as usual). As soon as his father retreated again, Adrien sighed and slumped in his seat again.

"Only a couple more hours," Plagg reminded him. "Then we'll be seeing Ladybug again."

"And Jade Turtle." Adrien scooped up another bite of food. He wasn't very hungry, but he should probably force himself to eat at least half of his dinner. "And Mom."

Adrien's phone dinged, and he reached for it automatically. It was a message from Chloe, and he opened it with a groan.

Chloe: Ms. Bustier gave Nino your notes and homework from the class you missed but I took it and the note. Got it signed already. Xoxo

Adrien sighed. Okay, well, that was one less thing to worry about, at least, but now he had to go get something for Chloe as thanks. He texted her back, setting up a time when she would drop by and give him his things through the gate, so that Nathalie wouldn't spot her.

He wasn't going to be able to do a very good job on his homework, Adrien knew that already. But he could manage something passable, at least, and maybe he could put his head together with Marinette in the morning to check his answers over before he turned things in, since she was super-smart and wouldn't interrogate him about why he wasn't as focused as usual.

As a bonus, if Marinette noticed that he was off, she would bring him treats from the bakery. While sugar wouldn't make his father not a supervillain (or give Nathalie her heart back, or make his mom immediately better), it was tasty and made him feel better, at least for a while.

Time crept by, and then Adrien was transforming and sneaking out of his window, glancing around nervously to make sure that he wasn't getting picked up by any of the security cameras.

He couldn't get caught now. Not when it was looking like they might finally have a chance to wrap up the akuma fights.

Ladybug was sitting half-hidden in a tree when Chat Noir arrived, and he joined her. She smiled at him, waving her yo-yo before popping it open to look at the screen inside.

"Did you get the directions?" Chat Noir asked as he settled on the branch next to her. "And did Hawkmoth get your message about the grimoire and the scrolls?"

"Yes and yes. They'll be waiting for us down there." Ladybug tilted her yo-yo towards him. "Finding the entrance might be difficult. I think it might be in the basement of some restaurant. And then it goes through the catacombs for a while. I think the tunnel doubles back on itself several times."

Chat Noir sucked in a breath. He had heard stories of the catacombs, of course, and being in there for any extended length of time? That would not be fun. And his mom was laying down there somewhere, all by herself.

Unconscious, which…. Well, Chat Noir wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.

"That's not exactly a great place to suddenly wake up," Ladybug added, pulling Chat Noir's attention back to her. "So maybe the space that she's in is cleaned up a little? I guess we'll see."

Chat Noir nodded. He was feeling really nervous now, and he was starting to regret not having squirreled away his dinner in the mini-fridge in his room instead of eating it.

"I see Jade Turtle!" Ladybug announced suddenly, elbowing Chat Noir and pointing. "I think he's ready to go. Maybe he'll have some ideas on where we should look for the entrance."

"Is it anywhere near the park?"

Ladybug shook her head as she jumped down from the tree. "Not really. It's across the river."

"Wait, we have to go across the river? Underground?"

Jade Turtle smiled as they joined him. "It sounds like it's a good thing that we have super-suits, then. But things shouldn't collapse," he assured them. "The tunnels have been there for a long, long time. The chances of something giving way now are very, very low. But if we have to walk a distance, we should get going before it gets too far past my bedtime."

Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded in agreement, and they headed across Paris, keeping to rooftops and staying out of sight as much as possible. The cold weather was keeping a number of people off of the streets and indoors, but there were still some people out and about who might spot them.

The last thing that they needed was Alya livestreaming them as they headed down into the tunnels, announcing to all of Paris (including Hawkmoth and Mayura) that they were in a small, contained space that they didn't know well.

Fortunately, the darkness and the height of the rooftops kept them out of sight, and soon they were touching down behind a small cafe. A café that looked strangely familiar, actually. Chat Noir recognized the storefront from pictures that his mom had shown him years ago, from way back when Gabriel was a single storefront boutique instead of a worldwide fashion house.

Well, that explained how his father had known about this particular entrance.

"My yo-yo says that the entrance to the catacombs that we want is here," Ladybug reported. "It's probably in their basement."

Chat Noir glanced around nervously. "Uh- it's closed. So…?"

"I would like for you to pull out the Bee and the Fox," Jade Turtle told them. "We can pull Pollen and Trixx from their Miraculous and they can do the scouting for us. They've had experience doing it before, and they're a little more familiar with modern technology than some of the other kwamis."

Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded, each popping open their weapons to pull out the box containing their extra Miraculous. Before long, Trixx and Pollen floated free.

"I'll unlock the door!" Pollen volunteered at once, doing a loop-the-loop through the air and ending up right in front of the lock. "And Trixx can look for any security system that you'll need to avoid. Just remember to lock up after you come in!"

"Will two be enough?" Chat Noir asked anxiously as the kwamis phased through the door. "Should we be getting the others out, too?"

Jade Turtle shook his head. "No, just these two should be enough. But you have your other extras along in case we need them, right?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded in unison.

"Good. Now- oh, Pollen is giving us the all-clear. Let's not waste any time, now, in we go-"

The three superheroes piled into the shop, and Ladybug paused to click the door shut behind them. With Chat Noir leading the way, they headed down to the basement.

"I feel a cold draft coming from this corner," Ladybug said once they got to the bottom. "They probably boarded over the entrance."

"I wonder how Mr. Agreste found the route in the first place," Chat Noir commented as he worked towards the corner that Ladybug had indicated- and yep, there was a large padlocked door over in that corner. "Trixx, Pollen…?"

"On it!" Trixx zipped over and into the lock. Seconds later, it popped over with a muted click. "You're going to have to find a different entrance if you're going to be going down there a lot. It's just going to be a matter of knocking down a divider wall or moving a cave-in out of the way, I bet."

"Just, he says." Chat Noir pulled the door open, stepping through first. It was dark, dark, dark. "Is that all?"

"You have your Cataclysm, do you not?"

Chat Noir blinked. "Oh. I had forgotten about that."

Jade Turtle brought up the back of the group, tugging the door closed behind him. Trixx flew back out to re-do the lock, and Jade Turtle waited for him to return before gesturing for Chat Noir to start forward.

With the press of a button, Chat Noir's staff turned into a flashlight, lighting the corridor in a slightly eerie shade of green. The slight red light from Ladybug's yo-yo joined it after a second, and then Jade Turtle's helmet-hat lit up like a beacon.

"We're going to be in trouble if we do end up having to fight," Ladybug commented with a laugh. "The light will be all over the place."

"Neither Hawkmoth nor Mayura should be able to see in the dark," Jade Turtle said as they headed forward. The tunnel was sloped downward steeply. "So if Hawkmoth decided to double-cross you for some reason, we would simply have to turn our lights out and let Chat Noir use his night vision to take him out."

"Can you see where Hawkmoth is if he's transformed?" Chat Noir asked suddenly, struck with an unpleasant thought. "And can he see where we are? I mean, he can send us messages now."

"Tikki said that she and Nooroo set it so that we can see where Hawkmoth is, but he can't see us," Ladybug told him. "Which he had to agree to on his end, Tikki told me so earlier." She was smiling. "I think he's honestly- well, not on our side, exactly, but he's waving a white flag of surrender. Not that I think we should let our guard down for a moment because Mayura might have picked up on something and forced him to tell her about his talk with us, but by himself I don't think he would be an issue. Not unless he's the world's greatest actor and was counting on us not telling anyone else his secret identity before we came in."

They headed down the tunnel for a while, and it kept on going down, down, down. Chat Noir started glancing around as they walked, and to his surprise, there weren't any bones. Instead, there were just rough rock walls and the occasional bit of graffiti.

"I was expecting piles of bones," Chat Noir commented as they reached a fork in the trail. Ladybug pointed him down one of the tunnels once she had consulted her yo-yo, and they continued. "But was this just never filled?"

"Yeah, it was only really one section of the tunnels that got the bones. The rest just….exists."

"Okay, so we're going through abandoned mines, not the catacombs, technically," Chat Noir commented as he followed Ladybug. He glanced back and forth as they worked their way along the tunnel. "Still creepy. Also concerning that we have, like, buildings and whatnot built over all of this."

He could see Ladybug shudder. "Don't say stuff like that while we're down here!"

"Is this a bad time to point out that all of the support beams that I've seen have been super-rotted, then?"

"Yes!"

Chat Noir grinned at the clear irritation in Ladybug's voice. He had no doubt that if she didn't need her yo-yo to see where she was going, she would have used it to conk him over the head. It helped to be goofing around right now, because then he wasn't overanalyzing their interactions with his father- with Hawkmoth- earlier in the day to try to find any signs that his father had some ulterior motive behind revealing his identity.

They went lower, and lower, and lower. At one point, they even went down a bit of a ladder into a lower tunnel, and it just kept on going.

"We've gone under the Seine by now," Ladybug said after a bit. Chat Noir glanced back to see her consulting her yo-yo. "And we don't have that much further to go."

"And we haven't taken a wrong turn?" Chat Noir checked. "Because there are a lot of forks down here." He grinned, spotting a glint of metal near his foot. "Only a couple knives and spoons, though."

"What are you- oh!" Ladybug exclaimed, surprised. "Silverware! One of the people who likes exploring these tunnels must have left it."

Chat Noir almost tripped over his own feet when he whirled to stare at Ladybug. "People come down here for fun?"

"Yeah. It's illegal to go past the guided area, but since when do people listen to rules?" Ladybug took the lead this time, determination in her stride. Chat Noir found himself jogging for a few steps to catch up. Behind them, Jade Turtle floated along on his shell. "They like the adventure, I think. But the tunnels can flood or collapse or people can get lost, and then what are you going to do? It's not safe."

"And yet here we are, going through the catacombs."

Ladybug giggled. "We'll try to find a shortcut out on the way back. I know that there's an entrance in the sewers near the park we met at, so if we can either find or make a way to that one-"

Chat Noir spluttered at that again. "Wait, how do you know these things?"

Ladybug's laugh was louder this time. "Tikki, partly. She likes exploring. And I had a friend when I was younger who had a much older brother who was a- they call them cataphiles, the people who go in and explore the catacombs on their own. We overheard him talking about it once, and it just stuck with me. I had nightmares about it, actually. I didn't like the thought that there were exits in the neighborhood from these underground tunnels, because obviously dark tunnels under the city had to have some scary monsters living in them, right-"

It was official: Ladybug was adorable. Chat Noir grinned as he pictured Little Ladybug glaring suspiciously out her bedroom window at the streets below, waiting for creepy-crawlies to come crawling out from between the sewer grates. Maybe she had piled stuffed animals at her windows to protect her. That was what he had done when he had heard his parents talking about a kid who had been kidnapped, years and years ago. Then he had gotten upset that he didn't have enough stuffed animals to guard all of his windows and to sleep with.

His father's solution had been to buy a no-frills nightlight. His mother had bought several packages of animal gel clings- dinosaurs, cats, and dogs- and helped him decorate the windows so that all of his stuffed animals could come back to bed with him.

"Okay, one more turn and then we're going to reach a door," Ladybug announced. "Normally we would need a key for it, but we have Pollen and Trixx."

Jade Turtle laughed. "I should probably wake them up, then. They dozed off in my shell after the first ten minutes."

Chat Noir frowned. "Wait, how long have we been down here?"

Ladybug checked her yo-yo. "Uh, thirty-five minutes."

"Oh gosh, what if an akuma hit while we were down here?"

Ladybug tilted her head as she thought. "Uh, if we heard about it- and I did set an akuma alert on my yo-yo- then you could just Cataclysm a tunnel to the surface, I guess? We would have to either drop back down before casting the Cure or just find another entrance and try again."

"You think of everything, my Lady."

"Okay, quiet now," Jade Turtle urged them. "Trixx, Pollen, be on alert."

Chat Noir nodded, dimming the light on his baton slightly and working to keep his footsteps light. Ladybug's steps were soundless, and Jade Turtle was, of course, floating.

After a tense minute, Trixx's voice floated through the dim corridor. "Door ahead. There's no traps that either Pollen or I can sense."

"Open the door, then."

"On it, Master!"

There was a click, and then a crack of dim light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Ladybug's silhouette reached out and pulled the door all the way open. She sucked in a breath, and Chat Noir stepped up behind her quickly to see what had startled her.

The answer became obvious very, very quickly. The door opened into a huge space, a cavern the size of a cathedral. It was largely dark, lit only by flickering flames spaced evenly along the sides of the space and a faint beam of moonlight filtering down from somewhere, just barely illuminating a cluster of trees and something faintly reflective among them.

"Trixx, Pollen, if you would," Jade Turtle murmured, and there was a faint whizz as the two kwami shot off. Chat Noir shifted anxiously as they awaited their report. Next to him, he could feel Ladybug doing the same. In the eternity before the kwamis returned, Chat Noir stayed still and listened, cat ears flicking to try to pick anything up.

There was a faint beeping coming from somewhere, really slow but fairly steady. A barely-audible whirring of something distinctly mechanical. A faint sloshing came from below, and with a start Chat Noir realized that there was water under the walkway- like, a lot of water. Was it possible that this had been some sort of natural cavity before it had been built up?

It was eerie. Not eerie like bone piles everywhere eerie, but still.

"No traps or anyone waiting up!" Pollen reported, materializing next to Ladybug's head and making all three of them jump. "You're safe to go."

"We're pretty much right under the Agreste mansion," Ladybug reported from next to his elbow as they started out across the walkway. Even with as light as they were trying to walk, their footsteps on the metal grating echoed in the large space. "That's…. convenient, I guess?"

"Under it?" Chat Noir asked, trying not to let his voice pitch higher. He didn't entirely succeed. "Someone thought that it would be a good idea to build right on top of this thing? What if it collapses?"

"I mean, there's a pretty thick layer of rock and stuff between the ceiling of this and the basement of the house," Ladybug commented. She stumbled, tripping over an uneven part of the walkway as she consulted her yo-yo. Chat Noir caught her automatically. "And if you think about it, something had to be built over it."

Okay, fine, maybe she had a point. Still, there was no way that Chat Noir was going to be able to sleep now.

"And half of this place is under the park," Ladybug added, focus intent on her yo-yo. Chat Noir kept one hand on her arm to make sure that she wouldn't trip and fall again. "So I guess it isn't accurate to say that we're right under the mansion. We're under one wing."

"Which one?"

"Uh…." Ladybug's tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth as she zoomed in and out and up and down on her yo-yo, playing with the layers as she tried to figure it out. "I'm not good with east and west and I'm all turned around down here anyway, but… the one with Mr. Agreste's office? Yeah, that one."

So Adrien's bed wasn't directly over a gaping pit, then. That was good to know.

(Still. He wasn't sleeping.)

"Look up ahead," Jade Turtle urged from behind them, and both superheroes looked up in unison. They had drawn closer to the garden, and now it had become obvious that the thing in the middle that was reflecting the light was some sort of glass thing, gently curved enough to hide whatever was behind it at this angle-

And then Chat Noir took three more steps forward, and the moonlight shifted enough for him to see his mom behind the glass, eyes closed and looking not particularly alive. A machine was hooked up to the- there was no other way to describe it besides a coffin- and it was clearly tracking her breathing and her heartbeat. Printouts sat next to the machine, and a few more steps made a graph come into view. Chat Noir wasn't sure what it was showing, but the declining line probably wasn't a good thing. Definitely wasn't a good thing.

"Oh, that's Mrs. Agreste," Ladybug said quietly. "And- Jade Turtle, look. The scrolls and the grimoire, on the ground at her feet."

"I'll have Trixx check them for tracking devices," Jade Turtle said. "The three of us will do the spell. Or, rather, you two will assist me. We're going to need to have this glass case opened."

Chat Noir tried to look normal as he stepped into the circle of moonlight with Ladybug. They each took a handle on the glass top and swung it open. Jade Turtle set down on the ground, getting out of his shell and pulling out the kit that Adrien had helped him prepare earlier. There were several sticks of various incenses, and a number of candles. Ladybug grabbed several of those, getting them set up as Jade Turtle instructed her. Chat Noir could only watch, torn between helping out and staring at his mom. His mom, who he hadn't seen in over a year.

She was breathing, at least. It was slow- so slow that he hadn't been able to tell at first- but it didn't seem labored.

Soon enough, Master Fu was ready. He shooed Ladybug and Chat Noir out of the circle of candles and they obeyed, Ladybug perching on the metal side rails of the walkway and Chat Noir retreating enough that he wasn't within hovering distance, but could clearly see what was going on.

Jade Turtle started chanting, lighting the candles and incense as he did. Swirling tendrils of magic appeared in the air, forming a dome. Once the last candle was lit, a faint blue trail appeared, leading from Mrs. Agreste's chest upwards.

To the Peacock Miraculous, Chat Noir realized. Hopefully Nathalie was too busy to notice, or maybe she didn't wear it all the time.

The candles flared up, and a break appeared in the trail, tearing it into two before it faded away and the candles all went out at once. Jade Turtle's chanting stopped, and he looked pleased as he waved his hands in the air above Mrs. Agreste.

"The bond is broken," he announced. "The Peacock will not continue draining her. Now Chat Noir, you may administer the potion as I showed you earlier. Ladybug, if you could help me pick up?"

Chat Noir nodded at once, jumping forward to pull out one vial of the potion. Master Fu had explained that they could only give Mrs. Agreste one dose per day, because otherwise they would risk stressing her body too much with a too-sudden recovery. He uncapped the vial, stepping forward to paint his mom's hands and wrists with the potion. It sparkled as it was absorbed through her skin, making her look even less part of their world.

The beeping picked up just ever-so-slightly as he finished. Chat Noir glanced over in concern, but Ladybug's grin as she surveyed the monitor told him that it was a good thing.

"That's measuring the pace of her breathing," Ladybug reported. "It's still not normal, or anywhere close, but it's better than before."

"And it should continue to improve," Jade Turtle told them. "Tomorrow, I will work on a potion that should help strengthen her muscles before she wakes up, since they will have atrophied a bit over the year, even with the spell that she's had placed on her. There might be others- I need to consult my book of healing spells, and we'll need to wait until she's responsive enough to swallow reflexively to give them to her. But we want her to be ready to move as soon as possible."

"Where will she move to?" Chat Noir asked, re-capping the empty vial and putting it back in the bag. "It would be dangerous for her to be near Mayura, right?"

"I'm thinking a hotel might be good." Jade Turtle took one last glance around to make sure that he had everything, from the materials he had used in the spell to the scrolls and grimoire that Mr. Agreste had left. "All right, I think we're done for tonight. Ladybug, can you try to find an alternate route out of the tunnels?"

Ladybug looked supremely dubious. "You want me to walk and look at my yo-yo at the same time?"

For the first time all evening, Chat Noir laughed. "I can carry you on my back while we walk. Then you don't need to worry about tripping." He grinned. "Or about getting your ankles nipped by those creepy-crawlies that live down in the super-spooky catacombs."

Ladybug stuck her tongue out at him. "Ha-ha, very funny."

"The snakes and the spiders and the slime monsters-"

Ladybug crossed her arms and honest-to-god pouted. "I hate you so much right now."

                                  just pretend that there’s a page break here THANKS  SO MUCH TUMBLR

 It wasn't hard to find a new and significantly shorter path out. Sure, Chat Noir had had to Cataclysm a small hole in a wall that had been erected between two tunnels and then had to recharge and clear out a whole pile of debris from a small cave-in, but other than that it had been smooth sailing right out. Ladybug recorded the whole path on her yo-yo, ending when they clambered out of a large sewer via manhole cover.

"It's so late," Ladybug said with a yawn once they had gotten the cover back in place and had retreated back to the sidewalk. "I'm glad that our trip to the cavern is going to be cut down to ten minutes, though. That'll make all of the other trips easier."

"How many trips do you think there'll be?" Chat Noir asked Jade Turtle. "I mean, given what we saw tonight…?"

"Mrs. Agreste's condition is fairly serious," Jade Turtle started, looking somber. "I tried a couple tests while you two were getting things ready- a knee tap, squeezing her hand, that sort of thing- and got no response. And of course, the machines showed that her breathing and heart rates were far below normal. But she responded well tonight, and we'll keep on giving her the recovery potion until I'm sure that we have the final spell ready- and that will determine the number of trips we take more than anything else. Additionally, in a day or two, we might try the other potions. Ladybug, I might have you administer those."

Ladybug looked nervous at that, but she nodded sharply. "Of course."

Chat Noir was glad that he didn't have to do that. It sounded like a delicate task, trying to get his mom to swallow bits of potion safely, and he would probably be so freaked out about the possibility of screwing it up that he would actually mess up somehow. He would much rather do the externally applied potions.

"But for tonight, we are finished." Jade Turtle turned his face up to the moon, clearly enjoying the cool light for a few seconds before continuing. "Good night, both of you. Same time tomorrow?"

Both Ladybug and Chat Noir made noises of agreement, and then the group scattered. Chat Noir slipped back into the mansion and detransformed, slumping onto his bed with a heavy sigh.

Today had been… well, it had been something. It had been a lot. From finding out that his father and Nathalie were supervillains to seeing his mom again, it was a wonder that Adrien was still even upright at all. That was a lot of ups and downs to take in in one day, and frankly he deserved a prize for holding it together like he was.

For now, though, Adrien had to at least try to sleep.

[elenavolkovatravelblog]

Secrets of Paris

Everyone knows what to see first of all in Paris - the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees. But the true face of Paris is in strange sights: the cat's house on the Trocadero, the Bastille - a meeting place for informal, Johnny Depp's house, the gay quarter of the Marais, the ghost of Victor Hugo. Travel blogger Elena Volkova discovered a completely different side of Paris and shared her impressions.

After admiring the Eiffel Tower, walk towards the Trocadero Metro. There is the Palais de Chaillot, from which an excellent view of the Tour Eifel opens and where there are always a lot of people with cameras. But few tourists descend into the Trocadero Park, which stretches below. On the left side of the park (as viewed from the site of the Palais de Chaillot), there is an actual abode of stray cats created by kind people. Cats live here in numerous boxes covered with rags. Bushes serve as a hedge for a detached cat world. You can drop in to visit them with something delicious.

Opposite the famous Notre Dame, on the opposite bank of the Seine, next to one of the oldest Parisian churches, Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, grows the oldest tree in Paris, which is more than four hundred years old. Presumably, it was planted by its namesake botanist Jean Robin already in 1601 and had a "passport" - an official plate confirming its venerable age. The trunk of this long-lived plant has rotted in places from time to time and climatic conditions, so it is supported by two concrete supports. It lost the upper branches of its crown during the First World War, but the annual flowering testifies to the surviving vitality.

Andre Citroën Park - located next to the Citroën plant. It consists of three luxurious gardens, masterpieces of landscape design, with mini waterfalls. Ducks splash in the reservoir almost all year round. And, besides, on a vast field, there is a balloon, on which, if you wish, you can go up into the sky.

It is worth seeing the very unusual architecture of the Palais des Sports Paris-Bercy (better known as the primary concert venue in Paris), waterfalls-paths in Bercy Park, and stunning bridges across the Seine leading to skyscrapers and so reminiscent of New York.

The Bois de Boulogne is worth killing a day out on. But the Shakespeare Theater, located in Pré Cattelan Park, is indeed worth it. Fans of the great English playwright created it specifically to stage his plays in the open air. A Midsummer Night's Dream looks especially impressive here. Natural scenery with lianas, flowers, intricate paths, even caves serves as backstage here. It resembles a magic garden from "Alice in Wonderland," the feeling - as if you are in a fairy tale.

A very romantic place - the gazebo in the Botanical Garden, is located on the top of a hill in the middle of the forest, which you need to climb for a long time in a spiral. Still, the magnificent view from this gazebo is worth it, especially against the backdrop of the sunset.

The Catacombs of Paris are a vast network of winding underground tunnels and artificial caves that have grown in the very belly of Paris. The total length is from 187 to 300 km. Their origin is associated with the extraction of limestone, located under a significant layer of soil. The average depth of workings is about 25 m. Since the end of the 18th century, due to the overcrowding of Parisian cemeteries, the remains of almost six million people have been reburied in the catacombs. The famous ossuary is a gallery of bones and skulls laid along the walls.

For lovers of picturesque green landscapes, the Bois de Vincennes will become a natural paradise. After all, this is a park with ​​995 hectares - the largest green area in the city. It is also called the lungs of Paris.

Discover your Paris, and there are so many exciting things.

[dsmadmin]

#GodAndMonsters

Written by @DeanWinchester_ & @Dark_Torement

Colt: -The flight into Paris had been quick and painless, on the ground a six man team deployed to move into the underground catacombs. There had been abnormal activity on the dark web, a purchase of a “tablet” had been bought and they couldn’t find out what it really was or who had bought it. The cost in the trillions of dollars. Something major was going down but they had no real idea what it was but chatter had brought them here. They had gotten unlimited access from the French Government disguised as scientists and engineers that would provide structural design improvements to ensure the catacombs would never collapse.

Rolling in the “equipment” and left to their own devices they set out descending down into the tunnels.-

:::::::::::

Angel: *Reaper didn’t know how twitchy he had become, until he was aboard the plane to Pairs. Something settled inside of him when the wheels lifted off the ground. This is what he was born to do. Not sit on the sidelines, have a normal life. He was made for war, fighting. His flesh tingled at the thought of what might await them on the ground. Some monster? A fucked up crazy ass that needed to be put down? He flexed his large hands, itching to get a weapon into them. He wanted to shed some blood of some fuckers. And he would do it with a smile on his face. Yeah he was as crazy as they came. And he was fucking proud of it.

He wanted to laugh, him trying to pass as something he wasn’t. Yeah that never went well. But it was just to get them in.

The descent into the tunnels, it was cooler down here. It smelt musty to him. What crazy fucker would want to come into this shit? *weapons strapped to his wide thighs, knives in each heavy boot, a 9 mm on each hip and across his body. He felt better to be ready for anything. He smirked at Colt.* Let’s go find the party.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Colt: Thrill-seekers for one, morbid lovers, over the years there have been all kinds of people come through here. -The air began to get colder the deeper they went and damper, people could get lost and die down here it made the hairs on the back of Colt’s neck stand up.- There are all kinds of rumors associated with this place, people believe all these bones draw in power from death and make things happen here. I guess we’ll find out, do you sense anything Angel? -Glances over as they walk, angels had powers they made the technology of humans look trival.-

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*Angel, rolled his eyes. Some humans weren’t the brightest. Dabbling in shit you knew nothing about. Got you into trouble. Shit like that was like fucking quick sand. Before they knew it, they would eye balls deep in shit and need their asses saving.

Angel listened, as Colt talked. He could the souls that passed through this place.

The skulls lined the walls, the deeper they went, hollowed out stone greeted them.* Fucked up shit. *he replied, as he they walked deeper. Angel locked his powers away most days. On occasions he would let them out. Today was one of those days. He let his eyes drift closed. Relaxing his body, he could feel his powers filling his body. Reaching out in search of what lay beyond them, what laid in the darkest corners, for none to find. But all would be shown.

As his powers reached, like tendrils of smoke, hidden from human eyes, creeping and filling every corner and hallway. Seeping into the cracks, deep into the bed rock and towards the earth, reaching and expanding high above.

The beating of hearts, the breathing without heart beats. Angel, pulled to a stop. His large hand resting on Colt’s arm. Something old and dark lay sleeping beneath the earth. Slowly Angel opened his eyes. A sliver band glowed around his black pupil. Flickering his gaze to Colt.* Evil and darkness sleep beneath the ground we walk. It’s fucking dangerous. If that thing wakes up, all in this city are gone. There are ten heart beats. Those are the assholes playing with fire. There are many without heart beats. They have deep hunger for flesh. There are things here that will make a normal human shit themselves. We have to watch our asses. *a smirk crawled along his lips.* The party is really going to be bloody.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Colt: -Pulled up short by Angel, Colt listened taking a deep breath “awesome” what’s a little death and mayhem.- Can you tell which direction? We’ll take out the assholes before said monster wakes up. -Least that was the plan.-

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Angel: •Angel, let his powers once again push out. Brushing up against the first fucked up creature.* Follow this tunnel half a mile. Turn to right, go for another half a mile. They are at the end. It’s a fucking long tunnel. It will open up to the first dome like junction. They spread out from there. The deeper from there you go. The closer you get to the sleeping one and the ten heart beats. •Angel grinned wide, he loved to kill. It made his whole body tingle. Oh he was going to love sending each of these fuckers to hell. Angel moved, taking point Colt had a family, these men had a family. And he would be damn if any of them not come out of here alive. He looked back to the Colt and the few men they had with them.• Any of you get in a fucking tight spot, you call for me. •He wasn’t playing. Without a word, he started down the tunnel. Gun at the ready. Anyone of those fuckers could come this way. Even being mindless, he wouldn’t let them fucking pass.•

:::::::::::::::::::::

Colt: -The groups moved down the darkened corridors wearing night vision, it was still hard to see and claustrophobic but they trooped on. The air was damper as they went following Angel down into the maze.-

:::::::::::::::::::

Angel: *Angel, lead them the scent of rotting flesh filled the air as they turned the corner. He could actually taste death on his tongue. The darkness seemed to move like a slow moving body. It breathed and pulsed. Letting his powers come forward. Eyes adjusting to the darkness. The shuffling of feet, groans of death could be heard. Angel looked at the men behind him.* One shot, one kill. *he wouldn’t fuck around. Angel dropped his gun, letting it hang off his side. Reaching down and taking two long Rambo knives from his thighs. He wouldn’t risk a shot hitting the men behind him. Flipping the long knives along his forearms.

Four dead walking came into view. Angel’s eyes glowed with a purple ring. A dark chuckle rumbled through his chest. The flesh hung from the bodies. Weeping, pus filled wounds dotted their bodies. drool hung from their mouths. Angel popped behind one in the middle. Flipping the blades, across the fuckers neck he sliced hard a fast. Taking the bastards head clean off. Blood spurt from the dead’s neck. Showering Angel. With speed, Angel, shoved up hard into the head of another. The Reaper, came out. As move dead poured from the corners. Reaper, spoke.* More coming, watch your backs! Light it up boys! *his cackle echoed around the walls. He was in his moment, he felt alive.*

[myfallbucketlist]

2/30 Horror Movies

I put this one off for a long time and almost didn’t watch it this year again because for some reason I thought everyone in it died so what was the point. I may have gotten that idea from the trailer or people who didn’t like the movie. But I am really glad I gave it a shot. It’s almost a Lara Croft horror movie, with the lead girl having some life goal of finding the philosopher’s stone. She wrangles some paris kids and her old fling to help her find it in the catacombs under paris. She is half likeable half hateable but the other people are chill. I assumed they would go underground and get lost or hunted by a creature or something and all die. Turns out they are both being hunted/guided by the evil spirits down there. Immediately it’s supernatural with tunnels changing from their maps and weird phone calls and seeing dead people they know. They go deeper and deeper on accident but it’s all somehow intentional by the tunnel to lead them to the stones. They have to go deeper to get out which is insane but they have no choice. Almost everyone dies in increasingly supernatural ways until they can’t rationalize it and realize the whole thing is just pure evil and they may or may not be in hell. Anyway you do care about the 2 leads by the end and the characters go through a real journey of coming to terms with their pasts and atoning for them and some other bullshit about how the philosopher’s stone was inside her all along... but 3 people live which was better than I expected and it did follow a clear plot, character arc, and decent conclusion so I was pleasantly surprised! 

[allienthiel-blog]

The Catacombs

The city of Paris is mainly known for its grandiose architecture, such as, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph and many palaces.  There are a lot of hidden and less popular attractions in Paris, one being The Catacombs.  Many visitors have no idea that this exists in the middle of the city because they come to Paris for the architecture.  The Catacombs were created in the late 1700s, but tourists were not allowed to enter this space until 1874.  This place served and still serves as an ossuary.  In the 18th century, the Parisian cemeteries were overflowing and the burying of dead bodies was causing sanitation issues, ultimately leading to public health concerns.  At this time, the largest cemetery in Paris, known as the Saints-Innocents Cemetery, was officially closed and the bones and remains of those buried there were transferred into this underground ossuary.  When Haussmann was urbanizing the city of Paris, many of the other cemeteries throughout the city began to move the bones stored there into the Catacombs.  Something that I found interesting was that in some sections of the underground tunnels, there were signs that were carved in the stone indicating what cemetery the bones around it came from.  I also thought it was sort of odd that there were some parts that had the skulls and bones placed in a particular order and pattern so that it created a design for people walking through to see.  Before coming to Paris, I had no idea that The Catacombs even existed and visiting here was one of the best things I got to experience on this trip!

Michelin Guide

Catacombs Pamphlet

[tripstations]

Episode 2: Top five Paris must-dos

Bonjour, fellow travelers! Finding Alexx here. On my quest to visit 52 countries in 52 weeks based on the cheapest flight every Tuesday, my first stop took me to the City of Lights – Paris.

From bread and cheese all day every day, to sparkling monuments around almost every corner, it’s just one of those cities that is impressive in every way. Here are my tips and tricks for what to eat, what to see and how to get around –  and how to do it on a backpacker budget if you have to.

The Eiffel Tower

Let’s start with the obvious, the Eiffel Tower! This iconic metal triangle was actually hated by Parisians when it was first opened back in 1889 but has since become one of the most famous buildings in the world. Going up to the top with the lift will set you back €25.50, and you might be waiting a while for your turn, but you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of the Champs de Mars and Trocadero on the other side of the Seine.

If you’re really tight for money and don’t want to pay to go up, there are plenty of stunning viewpoints to get a glimpse (and a great shot) of the tower. Visit Trocadero to get a straight-on view from right across the river. Have a picnic dinner in the Champs de Mars and see the tower sparkle every hour from sunset, or take the perfect Instagram shot from Pont Alexandre III or Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Take a history or art lesson

Culture, art or history buffs will LOVE this city, with museums and galleries of all different types dotted around the city. Say bonjour to the Mona Lisa and thousands of other works of art at the Louvre, dive into Europe’s largest collection of modern art at Le Centre Pompidou, visit Musée des Arts et Métiers to wander around exquisite buildings filled with scientific treasures, or head to Musée Picasso to see some masterpieces from Picasso himself as well as his fellow artists.

Looking for something a bit more obscure? Be sure to check out the Catacombs, a 3000km network of tunnels running under the city, home to the bones of over 6 million Parisians. In the 1700s the city’s cemeteries were getting full, so a bit of ingenuity kicked off the movement from graves to the tunnels underground. Insane? Yes. Incredible to see? Also yes. Not for the faint-hearted, for obvious reasons!

Shop up a storm

Whether you’re into fancy designers, chic boutiques or vintage threads, Paris is guaranteed to satisfy any shopaholic’s needs… But maybe at the detriment of their wallet! If you’re looking to treat yourself to a special purchase you’ll need to check out the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district, you can find flagship stores of all different brands and budgets down the Champs-Elysées, and Le Marais neighborhood is home to some of the trendiest boutiques around.

If your budget doesn’t stretch past window shopping then I’d still recommend paying a visit to the gigantic Galeries Lafayette flagship department store on Boulevard Hausmann in the 9th arrondissement, just to see the exquisite stained-glass dome ceiling. It’s absolutely stunning!

A cabaret show

I haven’t been to Moulin Rouge so I can’t speak for that one specifically, but I can say that it was way out of my budget (at least €100 per person not including food or drink). This was a shame because I was super keen to see one of Paris’ famous cabaret shows!

Then a friend of mine told me about La Nouvelle Eve, a smaller cabaret just down the road from the Moulin Rouge with fantastic reviews and much lower prices. We paid €59 each which included half a bottle of champagne too, plus the venue was smaller and less people than the ‘main’ shows so it felt a lot more intimate. There were the usual cabaret dancers plus some acrobats and other performers, and some hilarious audience participation. If you’re looking for a cabaret show on a budget, La Nouvelle Eve should be on your list!

Seine

The lifeline of Paris is the River Seine, which snakes its way through the middle of the city, separating the Right Bank from the Left Bank. The river brings some calmness to the craziness of the capital, and its banks are hang out spots for locals throughout summer, spring and autumn.

Take a wander along the river banks, grab a drink at one of the many riverside bars, or hop on a Bateaux Parisiens (that’s what the river boats are called) and cruise past all the major landmarks. If you can afford an evening cruise then that’d be even better, as most of the city’s main monuments light up after dark.

Neighborhoods

Paris is made up of 20 different arrondisements, numbered from 1 to 20, which are administritave districts (kind of like boroughs). Then there’s suburbs within the arrondissements. Slightly confusing! Here are some of my favorite Paris suburbs.

Latin Quarter

Located right by the river on the Left Bank, the Latin Quarter is a youthful suburb packed with loads of cheap eats. The Latin Quarter is home to restaurants of all different ethnicities, and most of them offer fixed price menus that will give you a two or three course meal from only €10, sometimes even including the drink. That’s a win! I’d recommend Mobster Diner for a casual dinner, Chez le Libanais for a takeaway shawarma, or L’Époque for classic French fare, and you can’t miss the panini, crepe and soft drink deal for €5 at Crêperie Genia.

There are plenty of delicious eateries that fit a backpacker budget in this part of town, so I’d suggest heading there for lunch to wander the streets and find a menu that tickles your fancy.

Champs-Elysées

More of a main road than a neighborhood, this stretch in the central city is 1.2 miles long and leads from the Place de la Concorde all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. It’s the most touristy part of the city for sure but the wide footpaths make it not too difficult to get around, despite the thousands of shoppers and visitors. You can shop ‘til you drop, refuel with a sugar hit with macarons from Ladurée or Pierre Hermé, then wrap up your day with a walk up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for a gorgeous view over the city.

Montmartre

This hillside neighborhood has got to be one of the most arty places in Paris, with local sketchers and painters lining the side streets surrounding the beautiful Sacré-Coeur sitting on top of the hill. Pick up a piece for your wall, opt to sit for a caricature if you’ve got the time and funds, or simply wander around admiring the artists’ skills.

Visiting the Sacré-Coeur is free and it’s open from 6am. It’s a fantastic place to go for sunset too, with an unmissable view of the sprawling city and loads of spots for a picnic dinner. Be sure to stop into Crêperie Brocéliande for a Nutella and banana crepe for dessert!

Le Marais

Hands down the trendiest suburb in the city, Le Marais is home to the most stylish boutiques, cafés, bars, restaurants, hotels and even offices! This place is best discovered by strolling the streets with no particular end point in mind, and I guarantee you’ll stumble across something special. It’s also the heart of Paris’ LGBT scene, with rainbow installations scattered throughout the neighborhood during pride month each year.

For a true Parisian experience, dress up in something nice, head to Le Marais in the early evening and grab a patio table and a glass of wine and people watch the night away. Les Philosophes is a local favorite!

How to get around

One of the best things about Paris is that it’s super easy to walk between loads of the key spots, and on the way you’ll definitely come across some gorgeous corner cafés, funky gift shops and ultra-cool boutiques. If you have the time and energy, I’d really suggest challenging yourself to a no-transport day, and see what you discover.

If you’re in a hurry or want to give your feet a break, Paris has a decent public transport system with buses, RER trains and the Metropolitain (underground). You can buy single tickets, packs of ten, or multi-day passes from most train and Metro stations. A single ticket costs €1.90, a pack of ten costs €14.90 and a 5 day pass costs €38.35.

Paris also has loads of bike (JUMP is the main one) and e-scooters (like Lime, Dott and Bird) available for rental, but note that you can only ride in bike lanes or on the road or you could be stung with a €100+ fine.

Taxis can be expensive but there are Ubers available all over the city which are more affordable.

Where to stay

Paris is huge, and with that comes thousands of accommodation choices! The city on a whole is pretty expensive, but there are plenty of hostels that will suit a wallet-friendly budget, as well as some decent cheap hotels.

Generator Paris is one of my faves, right across the road from Colonel Fabien Metro station which means easy transport into the central city. They’ve got modern, functional hostel rooms plus a sweet rooftop bar with views of the Sacré-Coeur. They don’t have a kitchen though and you can’t take food or drink into the hostel, which means you’ve got to spend money on meals out or at the hostel bar.

St Christopher’s also has two hostels in Paris, I stayed at the one next to Gare du Nord (a major train station and the arrival point for the Eurostar) and there’s another one next to St Martin’s Canal, a quieter, more residential area.

The Gare du Nord hostel was an ideal location for me as I was catching a train to Beauvais airport, but the area around the train station was kind of seedy and I didn’t feel particularly safe walking around by myself at night. If you’re in a group or pair, if you’re a guy, or if you’re only planning on going out during the day then this spot is probably fine, but for solo female travelers who might be out and about after the sun’s gone down then it’s not ideal.

How much to budget for Paris

My week in Paris was the first week of a year-long trip, and I blew through my budget more than I should have. If you stay at a hostel with a full kitchen and cook your own meals then it’s definitely doable on a budget, but unfortunately for me (and my bank account) I just LOVE French food and want to eat at all the best cafés and restaurants!

Hostels will set you back anywhere from €15 to €30 for a dorm bed depending on the time of year you go, and cheap hotels will start at around €60 per room (but that’s truly no frills and probably no breakfast included).

Breakfast at a café will be between €5 for a coffee, juice and croissant through to €14-ish for a full cooked breakfast in the fancier parts of the city, and a sit down dinner is likely to cost at least €15 unless you get a fixed price menu in the Latin Quarter.

Picnics are a great choice for Paris on a budget, and you can get bread, cheese and deli meats as well as a bottle of wine to share for between €10 and €15.

Expect to spend around €4-6 per day on transport if you’re taking two or three trips, and you’ll need to budget extra if you’re planning on visiting museums and galleries.

Some extra tips for your Paris trip

If you ever have the chance to visit Paris for Bastille Day, you HAVE to go. The fireworks are the most incredible display I’ve ever seen! They start at 11.30pm and go for half an hour, and they’re set to an epic soundtrack too. You can see them from any high vantage point in the city but I recommend getting a spot in the Champs de Mars (the park right under the Eiffel Tower) for free. The gates this year opened at 4pm and there’s a security check, but if you get there early you’ll be sure to get a decent spot pretty quickly. You can bring food and drink but no glass bottles, so pour your wine into a Dopper bottle, an eco-friendly drink bottle that comes with a makeshift wine cup! Paris has some of the best parks in Europe, so if you need a break from sightseeing during the day then you probably won’t be far from somewhere to rest your legs. Jardin du Luxembourg is on the Left bank and is home to a stunning palace and gardens, definitely one of my favorites. To get photos away from the masses you’ll probably need to wake up early, I was there in summer and took all my photos at the key tourist spots between 6am and 8am. Some of my favorite photo spots in the city are Pigalle basketball court, the columns at Palais Royal, and the view of the Eiffel Tower from Pont Alexandre III. If you want to explore outside of Paris for the day, consider a day trip to the Palace of Versailles, Monet’s Garden in Giverny, or the castles in the Loire Valley You’re never too old for roller coasters! If you’re keen to visit Disneyland Paris I’d suggest trying to visit on a weekday outside of school holidays, for obvious reasons.

And after all that, now I want to go back! I hope this Paris travel guide has helped you plan your upcoming trip, and if you’re keen to follow all my adventures over the next year you can see.

The post Episode 2: Top five Paris must-dos appeared first on Tripstations.

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6 Daredevil Photographers on the Secrets of Urban Exploration

There’s more to urban exploration than hidden alleys and abandoned buildings. Dive behind-the-scenes with these six daring photographers as they seek out and shoot the secret corners of major cities.

“Urbex” is an abbreviation of “urban exploration,” the practice of exploring the undiscovered areas o f metropolises around the world. Within the urbex community, there are several niches. There are those who seek out abandoned houses and industrial structures, those who prefer systems of underground tunnels, and those who climb rooftops for an unexpected city view. They are all united by a shared passion for the unknown, and they almost always bring their cameras. To give you a sense of the scope of this particular trend, Instagram hosts over five million photographs tagged #urbex.

While viewers recognize urban explorers for their daring feats, this kind of photography is about more than the adrenaline rush. Great urbex photography carries a message about our history and its preservation. When others turn their lenses to the “next big thing,” a few courageous individuals seek out the forgotten, the invisible, the derelict, or the overlooked. Without some of these artists, records of certain areas simply wouldn’t exist. In that sense, urbex is a kind of visual love letter to our cities and a reminder of our past.

For that reason, we asked six urbex photographers of all sorts to give us a behind-the-scenes look at some of their adventures. Time and again, they stressed the importance of safety, and they also explained the rules associated with the urbex community. If we are to preserve these places, we must respect them, so throughout this article, you’ll also find variations on the popular urbex saying, “Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints.” So, read on to learn more.

1. “I like adventure, but I always stay within certain limits.”

Cristian Lipovan

Image by Cristian Lipovan. Gear: Canon 5D Mark III camera, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 lens. Settings: Focal length 16mm; f10; ISO 100 (this frame is made of 5 exposures: -6, -3, 0, +3, +6).

What’s the story behind this photo?

This photo is one of my favorites. The first time I found this place on the Internet, I knew I wanted to explore it. I made a big effort to get there, and I had great expectations. This is a mansion on the outskirts of Paris in a wealthy neighborhood. Getting inside was an adventure. I had to climb a two-meter wall, walk through the yard to the building, and then climb the facade to the balcony, where I managed to get inside.

Image by Cristian Lipovan.

Pro Tip

I find locations from my travels and explorations all over the world, and I also find some during my many hours on the Internet, where I look for all sorts of clues and information. Additionally, I have a few virtual friends, and we share locations with one another because we trust each other not to destroy or take anything from those locations.

In most places, I can get in without asking for someone else’s approval, but it’s very important to remember the saying, “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos!” I always respect this rule, without exception.

Be appropriately equipped, and always be careful when shooting in places that are in serious degradation because most are in the process of collapsing. Many of the places I photograph are pretty risky, so I’m very careful about where I’m going. I like adventure, but I always stay within certain limits.

Instagram | Facebook

2. “Make sure you know exactly where you’re going and how safe the location is.”

Benjamin Beech

Image by Benjamin Beech. Gear: Canon 5D Mark III camera, 28mm lens. Settings: Exposure 1/90 sec; f8; ISO 400.

What’s the story behind this photo?

I am interested in abandoned places, or haikyo in Japanese (I live in Japan). It has been my hobby to explore and photograph abandoned places for the past five years, mainly in Japan but occasionally in other countries too.

This is an abandoned Iron Smelting Factory in rural Japan. It was first built in the 1880s, and it was used for over a hundred years before finally closing its doors in the year 2000. It has sat abandoned and unused ever since. I visited this place two years ago on a cold, wet late-autumn day as a storm was moving into the region.

The imminent storm with the moody skies overhead and the deep red autumnal colors created an amazing atmosphere, which made for some great photographing. Inside the building were rooms of belongings and work offices untouched for almost two decades. This has to be one of my favorite explorations to date.

Benjamin Beech

Benjamin Beech

Benjamin Beech

Pictured: [1] Benjamin Beech [2] Benjamin Beech [3] Benjamin Beech

Pro Tip

Plan your trips well. Make sure you know exactly where you’re going and how safe the location is. Be well prepared with face masks, torches, tripods, and a smartphone. Always go with a friend, or, at the very least, let somebody know where you are going. A lot of these places are extremely old and dangerous; accidents can and do happen. Covering all of the above steps should be standard practice.

I tend to find the locations I visit through online research, and occasionally by accident when I’m out exploring another place. There’s an unwritten rule in the haikyo world that locations cannot be shared online, so if you really want to visit a particular place, you need to look for clues online as to where the location is. You might also spend hours looking at sites like Google Maps to pinpoint its exact location. Once you have found the location and successfully photographed it, go ahead and share the images, but don’t post the location details online!

One other unwritten rule that people within the haikyo community take very seriously is “Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.” I can’t stress enough how important this is. All too often, these locations are ruined by people who don’t respect these rules and either take items from inside the locations or leave their mark there by either vandalizing or damaging the area.

Instagram | Website

3. “Be careful, and do not approach the edges of tall buildings.”

Marianna Ianovska

Image by Marianna Ianovska. Gear: Nikon D7200 camera, Sigma 8-16mm f/4-5.6 lens. Settings: Focal length 8mm; exposure 15 sec; f18.0; ISO 100.

What’s the story behind this photo?

Cities are not only about streets, cafes, and houses. So many interesting things are hidden from the eyes of ordinary passersby. My urbex work includes pictures shot from both high-rise roofs and underground mines. I made this particular shot this winter in Panama, where there are no observation decks at all. I found a roof, but the door was locked. So, I had to climb through a window in the engine room, and from there, I climbed two more floors on a ladder to get to the very top of the roof. I spent several hours standing on a dangerous parapet to make this photo.

Pro Tip

Look up to find higher ground. Or look down to find small, hidden doors that lead to historic catacombs. When you pass by buildings that seem abandoned, look carefully, and perhaps you’ll find something unique. Shooting from towers and roofs is not always safe. Be careful, and do not approach the edges of tall buildings. Test out the reliability of any stairs before climbing, and refrain from shooting in windy weather. And keep in mind that entering some of these places might be prohibited. In many countries, however, you can negotiate with the guard or the owner of the building.

Image by Marianna Ianovska. Gear: Nikon D3100 camera, Sigma 10-20 mm f/4-5.6 lens. Settings: Exposure 30 sec; f8.0; ISO 200.

As for shooting underground, remember that tunnels and mines are often old and delicate. I took the image above in a gypsum mine in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Watch your step, and be careful. Take a good lantern, comfortable shoes, and gloves. When I’m shooting in underground mines, I use an amateur Nikon 3100 and 5100 camera. Taking expensive devices underground always poses a risk due to their bulky size and the damp and dusty conditions. Different lighting sources are also an important part of my kit since there is no light underground! Any powerful LED lamps will work, along with filters and lenses of different colors. Additional light sources can include carbide lamps, gas lamps, and candles.

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4. “Timing can be everything.”

Sherman Cahal

Image by Sherman Cahal. Gear: Nikon D810 camera, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens. Settings: Focal length 14mm; exposures 1.3s, 2.5s, 5s, 10s, 20s sec (5 merged shots); f13; ISO 64.

What’s the story behind this photo?

I have traveled the Middle West and Appalachia, photographing residential, industrial, and commercial buildings that exist in various states of disrepair and decay, creating a visual record that invokes the peculiar appeal of old and worn. This is one of my favorite photos. It comes from St. Joseph’s Church in Albany, New York, an example of stunning Gothic Revival architecture with an interior that is immaculate, even after over twenty years of closure.

Church bell towers are always difficult to photograph, partly because of their tight quarters and partly because of neglect. You have to deal with shaky stairs and ladders, a massive amount of hazardous bird dung, poor air quality, and nearly impossible vantage points for shooting. These church bells were not as difficult to access as others, owing to fairly routine maintenance of the stairs and the tower by the church and then by the city.

Image by Sherman Cahal.

Pro Tip

It’s now easier than ever to use topographic maps and cross-reference them with aerials to locate structures. For instance, many abandoned industrial areas are located along railroad tracks, so I spend many hours tracing active and abandoned lines, where I have discovered anything from mammoth power plants to coal and limestone mines. Timing can be everything. There are many places that I would have loved to visit but came upon just a bit too late; by the time I arrived, they were either demolished or under renovation.

Most of the time, the only safety gear that I bring along is a full MSA face mask with a combination cartridge to protect my lungs from particulate and gaseous contaminants. Many of these old hospitals and industrial sites are riddled with asbestos, mold, and bird droppings, all of which can present health obstacles either in the short term or long term. I am thankful that I have not had serious injuries other than pulled muscles from carrying around my camera backpack!

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5. “Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints.”

R. Wellen Photography

Image by R. Wellen Photography. Gear: Canon 6D camera, 17-40mm L series lens. Settings: Unknown.

What’s the story behind this photo?

This is an old factory in the Southeast. These large machines were just left there to sit and rot. They have this cool steampunk feel to them, and I hope someday at least one of them gets put into a museum for industry.

Pro Tip

Safety comes first. These places are often located on the outskirts of nowhere. Always be aware of your surroundings. Never park your car on the property you intend to explore if it can be avoided. If you run into the police, I believe your vehicle can be impounded if it’s on the property with you. If you have to park on the property, try to obscure your car as best you can.

Bring a heavy-duty flashlight, one of the large metal ones you often see security guards using. It gives good light and can also act as a weapon if you run into serious trouble. Assuming we are talking about real exploring and not a tourist attraction that looks abandoned, an explorer is entering a sort of no man’s land. There’s no telling who or what may be inside. It’s always better to go with others, as empty buildings make all sorts of weird noises. If you go it alone, remember to keep breathing. Keep your head on a swivel, and don’t ever get too comfortable.

Pants are better than shorts, but keep in mind these places have no temperature controls, so they get hotter in summer and colder in winter than the outside temperature might suggest. Gloves are good but not necessary. Bring shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. And always bring a tripod. Be prepared to navigate thick vegetation. If you’re in snake country, try to sweep the grass in front of you.

R. Wellen Photography

R. Wellen Photography

R. Wellen Photography

Pictured: [1] R. Wellen Photography [2] R. Wellen Photography [3] R. Wellen Photography

In terms of finding places, don’t ask others. It’s considered bad form to ask and to tell. Sound impossible? It’s definitely getting harder. Here’s where you can find some information: If you see a video of an explorer on YouTube, there’s usually someone in the comments spilling the beans on the location. Also, keep an eye out for any street signs or recognizable landmarks. Even an old sign can be enough for Google. Use Google Maps, and follow the train tracks.

Most small towns got their start supporting some sort of industry that eventually got shipped overseas. The buildings they operated out of got left behind. It can take a while, and it can be frustrating, but the research is half the game. Driving is also key. Pick an obscure town on the map, and take any back roads you can find to get there. It’s a good way to find abandoned houses. Stay off major freeways; you won’t find much of anything there, other than maybe an abandoned restaurant.

Access is different for every spot. Personally, I only go after the ones that don’t require superhuman physical feats. But I’m old. If you don’t mind climbing a fence, then you’ll find more opportunities. If you can, drive around a property. There’s almost always a better way in than the first one you see. Sometimes it isn’t obvious. I’ve had to walk back through the woods behind a location or down train tracks to find a hole in a fence.

Finally, it’s been said a million times but always rings true. Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints.

Instagram

6. “Read up on the spot first, especially in cases of industrial archeology sites.”

Maurizio Sartoretto

Image by Maurizio Sartoretto. Gear: Canon EOS-1DX Mark II camera, Canon EF 16-35 mm / 2.8L III USM lens. Settings: Focal length 18mm; exposure 1/125 sec; f11; ISO 100.

What’s the story behind this photo?

Urbex is about rediscovering forgotten places. Photography and documentation are essential elements of this activity. This sugar mill has been abandoned since 2001. It is one of the many examples of industrial archeology in Italy.

Maurizio Sartoretto

Maurizio Sartoretto

Pictured: [1] Maurizio Sartoretto [2] Maurizio Sartoretto

Pro Tip

Abandoned places can found through internet searches, exchanges of information between urbexers, and following urbex groups on social networks. The urbexer’s motto is: “Leave only footprints, and take only emotions.” When you are at these sites, touch nothing and take nothing away. Practicing this kind of exploration involves several risk factors, from the actual physical dangers to the possibility of breaking the law. It is worth taking precautions and following some rules:

Never go alone.

Read up on the spot first, especially in cases of industrial archeology sites. It is better to know which products the place used to avoid unpleasant surprises. There is always the risk of running into potentially toxic processing residues.

In crumbling buildings, look where you put your feet, and watch what’s above your head. Carefully evaluate any stairs. It’s better to avoid wooden ones if the humidity is significant.

Do not park your car near the places you explore. Inside, stay away from windows and openings so as not to be noticed from the outside.

Beware of possible unwelcome guests.

When in doubt, do not enter or follow unsafe passages.

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Top Image by Marianna Ianovska.

The post 6 Daredevil Photographers on the Secrets of Urban Exploration appeared first on The Shutterstock Blog.

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Paris, City of Love... and many other amazing things!

So as all of you know, we packed our backpacks and embarked on a 10 day adventure to Paris/Rome and now we are sharing our experience with you. I’m going to tell you a little bit about Paris, France. But, before I go into details, let me debunk the saying “French people are rude” or “Paris is not that great” which I sadly heard numerous times before we decided to experience it ourselves. Parisians are incredibly nice, and the city itself is nothing short of amazing. There are so many places to see that in all honesty, we probably needed a whole month to see them all!. Many locals went out of their way to help us out and to give us directions when they recognized a "we're lost" face- even when we didn't speak each other's language. All you have to do is be polite to them and they will be polite to you. 

RELATED: WHEN IN ROME

So we made sure we had a metro map, and toured this fascinating city by ourselves.  Here are my top 5 must see places while in Paris:

1.       THE LOUVRE MUSEUM.  

 This is perhaps my favorite place in Paris. The Louvre Palace was originally built in the 12th century and extended over the centuries to what it is today; a magnificent, massive palace, home to thousands of the world’s most renowned works of art. The actual museum opened in 1793 and is divided into several wings, from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities, to Islamic art, sculptures, paintings, prints, and drawings.  You can see world famous paintings like the Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci, to Greek art masterpieces like the Aphrodite sculpture (The Venus de Milo).  There is so much to see and experience in the vastness of this museum that it can be a little overwhelming. The Napoleon III apartments are a must see area of the Louvre. The extravagance and magnificence of the exhibit shows you how luxurious it was to live in this palace. I can totally picture myself living here (as a princess in a fairy-tale). Oh! and don't forget to stroll by the "carousel" and see the, also very famous, inverted pyramid.  It's beautiful!

2.       THE PARIS CATACOMBS

Equal parts amazing and macabre; the underground Paris Catacombs are definitely something different. Get there early (before they open!) so you don't have to wait too long in the line.  We got there thirty minutes before opening and still have to wait over one hour to get in.  When you enter, you have to go down, and down, and down a spiral staircase that seems never-ending (So beware if you are claustrophobic), but it's worth it!  There are miles and miles of underground tunnels and secret passages under the city of Paris and most of it is covered by the bones and skulls of more than 6 million people. Of course, only a portion of these tunnels are open to the public, but it is still shocking to see this osseous display with your own eyes.  Back in the late 1700’s when the cemeteries of the city were overflowing with centuries of dead Parisians, mostly from disease, famine, and wars, millions of remains and bones were transferred to the underground tunnels, establishing the largest ossuary in the world. They say there are several secret entrances around the city, and if you are not an expert in the tunnels, better not attempt to explore the non-public areas of the catacombs on your own…legend says a man got lost in the catacombs in the late 1700’s and died without finding the exit. 

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 3.       NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS CATHEDRAL.

Everybody has heard of Esmeralda and Quasimodo, right? Well, Our Lady of Paris (exact translation) is one of the most beautiful medieval/Gothic structures you can visit. It is surreal to think that you can step foot in a building that has stood tall for so many centuries. Construction began in 1163, but it wasn't until the mid-13th century that the design and the façade were completed. You can appreciate the magnificent Rose window and the Cathedral’s gorgeous inside. The Gothic architecture and the many engravings, and sculptures will keep your jaw dropping. We took an extra step (or 387 to be exact) and climbed all the way to the dome. I mean, you can’t go to Notre Dame and not see the very famous Gargoyles! It was a narrow, endless spiral staircase to the top, but we made it. After shaking the claustrophobic moment off, you can see it was well worth it when you catch your first glimpse at the amazing Gothic gargoyles. They have been watching over the city of Paris for centuries and they are still standing. Another quick step inside the bell tower (another smaller staircase) and you can see the Cathedral’s majestic bell. But, just so you know, this part of the tower is (all) a wooden structure, so you will feel it move underneath you. Or that could’ve been my legs feeling like jelly after going up 31 flights by foot.

 4.       THE EIFFEL TOWER.

I get it. You can’t be in Paris and not see the very famous Eiffel Tower. Located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, this gigantic iron tower was built in 1889 as an entrance to the world’s fair.  When you are under it, you can actually feel its energy and magnificence on your own body. Security was very high when we went (the EuroCup 16 was in effect), and Paris celebrated with European soccer fans by hanging a colossal soccer ball from the tower. We didn’t go up to the floors allowed to the public, but we enjoyed some good ice cream, and shopped for souvenirs at the Champ de Mars. 

 5.       SACRE-COEUR BASILICA

Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this basilica built in the late 1800’s, sits on top of the butte Montmartre, which is the highest point in the city. Prepare to walk up many, many steps, since the roads that lead to this point are filled with stairs.  There’s no avoiding this fellows, so get your legs ready. You can take a little funicular car (your metro ticket will work for this one) to the top of the hill. Once you reach the top, you will be amazed by the view. It’s totally worth it. After your visit you can stay in the area and visit the little museums and galleries nearby. My favorite, the Dali Gallery, is within walking distance of Sacre Coure. 

Bonus tip, wear comfortable shoes when sightseeing in Paris.  You will do a whole lot of walking and stair climbing.  

Besides my top 5, I also have to mention the Chateau de Versailles. Located 45 minutes south of Paris (just take the C line and it will take you directly there), it was the luxurious home of Louis XIV in the late 1600's, early 1700's. We got there pretty early. They open at 9am and the lines can get very long, very quick. Since the early bird gets the best worm, we were among the first in line and were able to buy a "passport" ($18 euros) which grants entrance to the palace, the gardens, and other smaller house-museums inside. The golden gates of the lavish Chateau gave us a good preamble of what to expect once inside.The furniture, the decor, the chandeliers, the statues, everything evoked an extravagant way of life. A royal way of life.  *sigh*

We walked and got lost in the gardens (yes, they are that big), ate lunch at one of the several little restaurants, and rented a row boat for a romantic sail in the Palace's Grand Canal (it is so big, it took 11 years to be built). By the way, this is a must do! So the next time you are in Paris, don't hesitate to visit all of these places and take lots and lots of pictures!

**** Read about our other adventures around the world! HERE

Fellow travelers, what are your favorite parts of Paris?