#the girl is italian the priest is english

[austin-friars]

Short Story Snippet - Of Natural Sin

A conversation in 1542, between a soon to be married woman, and her friend and priest - who is gay and a bastard.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

What Would They Name Their Children? (Headcanons)

Rise!Turtles

A/N: More names!💚 And for some reason, I decided to use gifs that made me laugh lol.

Warnings: None💚

Raphael:

Big brother Raph might very much want some more “traditional” names for his children. Names that might be a little bit more common, but still very beautiful. Of course, Raph would very much want to hear what his future partner thinks of these names, before settling on any of them.

For Boys:

Edward, meaning “rich guard”.

Arthur, meaning “strong as a bear”.

Adam, the name of the first human man in the Bible.

For Girls:

Beatrice, from French, Italian and Latin origin meaning “voyager” or “traveler”.

Eleanor, meaning “one who is as bright as sun rays”.

Alice, meaning “of the nobility”.

Leonardo:

Would it surprise anyone that Neon Leon would want to give his children a Spanish name? Not really. Most people would have seen that coming from a mile away. A very avid Spanish speaker himself, it just feels natural for Leo. And if his future partner is up for it, then he already has a few ideas.

For Boys:

Marco, most likely derived from Mars, the god of war.

Joaquín, the Spanish version of the name Joachim.

Alejandro, the Spanish variant of the name Alexander.

For Girls:

Gabriela, meaning “God is my strength.

Esmeralda, meaning “emerald”.

Lucia, meaning “light”.

Donatello:

Donnie’s partner wouldn’t even have to ask - Donnie would name his children after some of the greatest scientists there have ever been. However, with Donald being the way that he is, he would want to be extravagant with those names. He would want them to have old and long names, thinking that they sound not just nice, but beautiful.

For Boys:

Archimedes, after the Greek mathematician.

Pythagoras, after the Greek philosopher, mathematician and music theorist.

Avicenna, after the Persian doctor, philosopher and politician.

For Girls:

Mercuriade, after the 14th century Italian female physician and surgeon. One of the few of her time.

Aglaonice, after the Greek astronomer.

Guillemette, after Guillemette du Luys, the royal French surgeon of king Louis XI of France.

Michelangelo:

Mikey would want to decide on a name, before the birth of his child. A name he can use to reference the child, in a way that feels more natural to him. But he would do this very early on, seeing that as one of the many reasons why Angelo would only want to give his children gender neutral names. A name he would be able to use early on, while giving his child a chance to explore their own identity, with a name that wouldn’t upstruct that.

Phoenix, after the mythological creature.

Peyton, from the Old English language, with an unknown meaning.

Lennox, meaning “place of elms” in Gaelic.

Madhu, from Sanskrit meaning “sweet”.

Presley, meaning “priest” or “clearing” in Old English.

Bellamy, meaning “beautiful friend” in Old French.

[pransobrave]

An 'Il Bisbetico Domato' (The Taming of the Scoundrel) reference in my thai assassin show?!?! It's more likely than you think!

Okay, so I am fully aware that probably a very small group of people have watched the movie 'Il Bisbetico Domato' or 'The Taming of the Scoundrel' and are also watching The Heart Killers.

'Il Bisbetico Domato' is an Italian movie from 1980 that was also very famous in Germany (and how I came to know about it). The story follows the farmer Elia Codogno (Adriano Celentano) and the city girl Lisa Silvestri (Ornella Muti). The story is very loosely inspired by 'The Taming of the Screw' and also why I think a scene from the movie is referenced by Fadel in the last scene of Episode 3.

While I have no idea what it is Fadel is hitting or why, I did notice the extreme similarity to this scene from 'Il Bisbetico Domato':

Now, while I do think this could be just a nice homage at another adaptation of the Taming of the Screw, I like to explain why this could also hint at more. The reason Elia is chopping wood in the middle of the night, is expressing emotions he isn't acting on. The Audience learns this in the very beginning of the movie when Elia talked to his friend, a priest. [The English translation is made by me from the German dub, since it is the only one I have access to.]

Now in the movie we see Elia chopping Wood after the beautiful Ornella Muti makes her move on him. (which he did not accept btw and instead sent her off to bed instead.)

Which brings us back to this scene in THK right before Fadel's nighttime activities:

I would argue they do not suppress desire, passion or impulses in this scene at all. So, I wonder what this could hint at. In my opinion, these two do not really like each other just yet, but there is an interest in getting to know the other one from Style's side at least. Even if it is because he thinks there is more at play than what he is aware of. For Fadel it's more complex. He was thinking of an ex, after Keen reminds him of why he can't have a boyfriend or even just someone else at his side. I think Fadel is suppressing his desire to get to know Style too and to express and/or explore the feelings he has.

[imaginesgirl]

Summary: You and Seonghwa are from two different mafias. Your father controls the Italian mafia and he controls the Korean mafia. He has always loved you, that's a fact. He manages to manipulate your father into giving your hand in marriage

Warning: Arranged marriage, mafia, death, mild distress, insinuation of sexual intercourse , reference to The Godfather

Please note: English is not my first language.

Being the daughter of a mafia leader means having to carry the burden of having to honor the family.

What better way to honor your family than to marry the leader of the Korean mafia?

That's what Federico Corleone, the leader of the Italian Mafia I thought

It took years for Seonghwa to find something he could give to Frederico in exchange for his beautiful daughter.

Power

He made sure that Frederick would have power in Korea. What did he want most? His little daughter being married to the Korean boss? Obviously he would have power there too. After all, they would be family.

The wedding day arrived. Too soon. Seonghwa didn't want to wait too long to call her his.

The dress she was wearing was very expensive. The shoes were too tight on her feet and the jewelry was too heavy. It was unbearable to breathe in that dress.

If you felt like someone you weren't.

The ceremony began, the priest talked non-stop. All that was going through his head was that he wanted it all to be over soon.

I was getting irritated by the smirk on Seonghwa's face.

The entire ceremony would be in Italian. Seonghwa won't have a problem with that since he will learn Italian to speak to you.

"Park Seonghwa, are you willing to join Y/n Corleone for the rest of your life?" The priest asks Seonghwa who answers looking at you "Yes".

"Y/n Corleone, are you willing to join Park Seonghwa for the rest of your life?".

Your throat is dry and everything seems to be in slow motion. What should you say? You didn't want to... But it was your duty.

"Y/n?" The priest calls her. At this point all the guests were looking at her. Seonghwa looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes" was all he could say, and all he needed to say.

———

His father now stood before him with a glass of wine in one hand and a cigar in the other.

Seonghwa beside you couldn't stop smiling. His smile was strangely beautiful. You hated that you thought it was.

"These rules have been in our code for centuries. I need you to follow them to the letter," his father says. "cheating is not allowed, don't hang out with the police, Don't look at any woman other than your wife, Your wife and family will always be your priority, don't go to nightclubs".

He finishes speaking and Seonghwa begins "I will never break your rules father-in-law. I will honor my wife" he takes her hand "I will love your daughter for all eternity" he leaves a chaste kiss on her fingers.

"my little girl, i know you will be well taken care of by Seonghwa. It just makes me sad that you have to go so far away from your old father" you can't hold back the tears any longer and you break down running to your father and throwing yourself on your knees laying your head on his legs "Daddy!"

"Don't cry, dear. I will always bring you to see your father," Seonghwa says, but you are suspicious.

———

You have just arrived at your prison. Your luxurious prison. Korea was really very beautiful.

The house you will live in is really beautiful .

"Welcome back sir" the maids bow. Until now you won't understand why they always bow to greet each other. "This is your lady. My wife" he says with his hand on her waist, it was hard not to flinch at the touch "Welcome lady".

"I ask that you take the rest of the week off. I want to enjoy my honeymoon with my wife. She refuses to travel, can you believe it? Haha" he laughs.

"Thank you sir".

They leave.

Seonghwa presses you against the nearest wall "let's start our wedding night"

(an error ended up happening hahaha.)

(Up is Yes and down is No)

[ineffable-suffering]

Ceci n'est pas une plume.

(from this doc of all of Neil's answered asks)

The meta goes a little like this: I like nerdy stuff about language (and also Good Omens), so I wanted to elaborate on why Angels and Demons don't actually ever speak any language except their own. They simply have the ability to flick a translation switch and (make anyone) understand what's being said in whatever other language.

Also, I end up making a way deeper point of it and why it's so telling that Aziraphale would learn French (and magic) the hard way, in the end.

Find out with me under the cut!

(Word count: 1820 | Reading time: ~8 minutes )

Aziraphale and Crowley's exchange in front of Marguerite's restaurant started me down this path and I'm pretty sure that this is actually how it works. Because it ties together a few other loose strings that have been floating around in my head about the whole langue deal in Good Omens.

Let's structure this by the questions Neil has already answered about it.

The Lead Balloon

I feel like the "in the beginning"-scene in S2 showed us that Crowley did not actually have much of an idea what exactly the plan for Earth and the humans were (instead, Aziraphale did). He might have found out later still, after asking his questions, but I feel like the second part of that answer is more likely to be true, since they both seem to understand this metaphor. This is further supported by:

Ergo: They're speaking in the language of Angels but we understand it in English (or whatever language we selected on our Amazon Prime). Automatically translated for us because Crowley and Aziraphale wanted us to understand them.

"Ciao. It's Italian. It means Food."

They sort of are, yes. Idiots who either forgot to turn on their own auto-translator, or idiots who aren't aware that they have one for other languages except English, or idiots who were miffed that Crowley actually knew-knew a word in another language and didn't want to admit that they didn't.

Où est la plume de la jardinière de ma tante?

Right, so. The exchange that fuelled this meta. First of all, as a funny side note, the origin of that peculiar sentence:

La plume de ma tante ("my aunt's quill") is a phrase in popular culture, attributed to elementary French language instruction (possibly as early as the 19th century) and used as an example of grammatically correct phrases with limited practical application that are sometimes taught in introductory foreign language texts. As Life magazine said in 1958, "As every student knows, the most idiotically useless phrase in a beginner's French textbook is la plume de ma tante (the quill of my aunt)." The phrase is also used to refer to something deemed completely irrelevant. [link]

So basically, it's historically the most nonsensical and dumb phrase any student of the French language gets taught. And yet Aziraphale has been "wittering on about it for the last 250 years". Even looking smug about it, to this very day. Gave me a good chuckle.

Also:

In the 1973 horror film The Exorcist, Catholic priest Damien Karras interviews [...] a girl believed to suffer from demonic possession. While Karras probes to determine whether the possession is a hoax, the demon Pazuzu—who has possessed the girl—speaks in Latin and French, languages presumably unknown to the girl. When Karras demands "Quod nomen mihi est?/What is my name?" in Latin, the demon exclaims "La plume de ma tante!", using the phrase as a non sequitur to mock and evade Karras' line of questioning. [link]

Using that particular phrase to avoid answering a question you're being asked? Like: "You speak every language in the world perfectly ...

Neil, Neil, Neil, *shakes head fondly*, is there anything that you don't give layered meaning to, ever? No. No, of course you don't. And I adore you for it.

The whereabouts of the aunt's gardener's pen questioned, Aziraphale then says "But you still understood me" when Crowley calls him out for his bad French.

This is curious and affirming of my auro-translator theory for two reasons:

1) Aziraphale wouldn't have said this if he'd uttered this sentence in the language of Angels and simply hit the auto-translate button. Because if he had done it that way, of course Crowley would have understood him. But the reason Crowley understands him is not because Aziraphale used his language auto-translate, but because, again, Aziraphale, for two hundred and fifty years, has been wittering on about the plume of his imaginary tante.

2) Point one is further proven by a tiny French nerdy fact I can provide because I actually did learn and graduate in French back in school, lol. Because Crowley actually makes a mistake while trying to not-automatically translate the sentence. He says:

But "jarndinère" is actually a female gardener (le jardinier = male, la jardinière = female). So, when Crowley says "he doesn't have a pen", he actually gets it wrong, which further proves to me that he (as well as all other angels and demons) doesn't actually understand the phrase like someone does who has learnt the language in a human way.

Crowley doesn't have the automated translation on in this moment, so he doesn't translate it correctly. Because he doesn't actually speak French. At least not in the sense that us humans interpret "speaking a language".

Comment ça?

Basically, what I'm trying to get at is: Would you say that Google Translate speaks every language in the world? That it's native and fluent in every tongue ever spoken? Or is it simply a program that can access all the language knowledge its been fed and as soon as you hit enter, it translates any and every language back to you?

Google Translate never learnt any language, it never sat down and went through the onslaughts of vocabulary and grammar that studying a language comes with. It never got frustrated with seemingly nonsensical sentence structures, subjonctifs (French-learnes, you know what I mean) tenses and conjugations. It never spent ages trying to understand different dialects and accents, never spoke with natives to figure out the hidden slangs and sarcasms that would never be translated on paper. It never went to night classes where the teacher wittered on about pens and gardeners and aunts.

No. Google Translate is being told a sentence and it soullessly, programatically recognizes the language through its binary coded translation filter and mirrors the equivalent in whatever other language you want it to.

It's furthest any-a thing could be from speaking a language.

And exactly like that.

Exactly like that is how angels and demons "speak" every language in the World. Hitting an imaginary auto-translate-and-auto-recognition button.

Aziraphale and French (and magic)

Just like with Aziraphale being giddy about the idea of human magic, of learning card tricks and pulling coins out from behind ears, Aziraphale chose to never hit his translate button when it came to French.

Why does Aziraphale learn magic the human way? Because he knows how to do it the ethereal way but that's "no fun."

And why does Aziraphale learn French the human way? Because he knows how to do it the ethereal way, but that's "no fun".

Let me recap real quick: Two of the very base principles of any angel's job and/or purpose (on Earth) is to 1) do miracles for humankind to ensure their souls will at some point be added to Heaven's tab and 2) be a being of Love and love all of Her creations.

Or, the condensed version: Magic and Love.

And what are the two things Aziraphale finds no fun (= boring and unsatisfying) to do the way it was intended for all angels?

Magic and (the language of) Love.

Aziraphale chose to try and learn magic as well as the language of love organically, without the God-given ability and the binary coded translation system Heaven provided his corporation with.

He wanted to learn it the human way. The hard way. The fun way.

Neil: "It's like magic tricks, which he is terrible at but loves to do, and miracles, which are no fun, but which he does very well."

Because that's the point, isn't it? Most of us think: "Wow, wouldn't it be great to be able to do actual magic? Simply snap your fingers and have any-a wish come true? Speak every and any language in the universe and never have to pick up a dictionary ever again?"

Sure, for the first few exciting moments, miracles and conversations maybe. But sooner or later, it renders everything meaningless. Soulless. Flavourless. And who loves flavour more than Aziraphale?

It's somewhat similar to why typing a sentence into Google Translate is never going to be as exciting as being able to finally translate it yourself after years of practising. Or why telling an AI to conjure up a picture of a beautiful landscape will never, ever be the same as working years on your own painting skills to one day finally be able to paint it yourself.

Heaven (and ultimately Hell) don't care about the process. The hardship. The pain and passion of putting work and effort into the journey. They only care about the end result. The means to an end.

Crowley: "They don‘t care how it gets done, they just want to know they can cross it off their list."

Want to speak any language in the world? There you go, automatic translator. Want to ensure humans will be added to the Heavenly/Hellish soul tab? Boom, you can do real magic. Get to work, then!

So, for Aziraphale to choose to learn the two things he was provided with to do his Heavenly work in the most efficient, soulless and flavourless way possible the human way instead, really says it all, doesn't it?

But he learnt the most important one the hard way, without his auto-translator.

The one language all angels are supposed to know fluently and wordlessly anyway.

The one language that makes an angel.

The language of Love.

Except that when it's programmed into you with the intent to only ever work as a means to and end instead of the beautiful journey it is, it will never be the real, organic, passionate, hard and wonderful thing it was meant to be.

And Aziraphale knows this.

Which is exactly why he learnt magic and French the real, human way.

***

Small addendum that I couldn't really fit into any paragraph up there: I think it's also really telling that Aziraphale only properly committed to learning French the right way by going to Monsieur Rossignol's (for those who haven’t seen it yet: rossignol means nightingale in French) night classes in 1760 after the first time we see Crowley rescue him (Bastille, 1739). There might have been a time before that where Crowley got him out of a precarious situation, but for all we know, it was the first one where Crowley really showed up for an angel in need who was absolutely swooning over it. Time to let the nightingale to teach you how to become fluent in Love!

[starlight045]

The Price of Revenge

Chapter 3

Summary: Eliza Shelby prepares for her wedding to none other than Luca Changretta. Luca promises to care for her. Can he keep that promise? And after the party and the move to New York she struggles with her feelings fighting with her mind afraid that things won't work.

A/N Happy holidays to those who celebrate! This chapter comes just in time and I hope you all like it! Thanks again for reading.

Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror smoothing down her dress and fixing her flyaway hairs. She fidgeted nervously biting her lips.

Today was the day.

She was finally getting married to Luca Changretta after a few weeks of delegations.

Polly came up behind her both of her hands on her shoulders.

“You look beautiful,” Polly said smiling at her niece’s reflection in the mirror.

Eliza nodded her head.

“You know you don’t have to do this. Tommy can get you out of here and onto the first boat to Australia.”

Elizabeth then turned to look at her aunt. “Thanks, Pol. But I have to do this. I don’t think my younger self would forgive me. I’ll survive.”

Ada came upstairs into the room a pregnant Lizzie behind her. “Are you both ready? I think they are waiting.” Ada said.

Elizabeth looked at Polly one last time before hugging her and then going to Ada and hugging her and then Lizzie.

“Thank you all for helping me today. Wish me luck on the other side.”

She smiled tears in her eyes.

“Oh now don’t ruin your makeup darling,” Lizzie said grabbing a handkerchief that was on the table and blotting at Eliza’s eyes. “We can’t have you crying at your wedding.”

Eliza nodded and looked at all of the women in the room.

“Come on let’s go. I don’t want to be too dressed up for long.” She said as they all left for the church.

At the front of the church at the altar there stood Luca and Matteo next to him as his best man.

On the other side of Luca was an Italian priest straight from New York.

The church was divided up into two families. One side was all of Luca’s family and friends the other side was full of the Shelby family. Well most of them at least.

Elizabeth wished John could be here. But then again she thought that if he was he probably would have snapped Luca’s neck.

When the music started everybody stood as Arthur walked Eliza down the aisle.

Eliza could feel her heart racing. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. But then again she was marrying someone she felt she had barely known.

Luca had his eyes trained on Eliza and Eliza had her eyes trained on his.

She looked him up and down for a moment. His suit was nice and he was wearing no rings. But when Eliza looked back up at him she noticed a hint of softness in his gaze and her heart skipped a beat.

She hasn’t felt that since she was a teenager. And here she was on her wedding day as Arthur handed her off pressing a kiss to her temple.

_________________________

A few weeks before the wedding Arthur had caused a scene during one of the meetings. He had threatened Luca and his family. Saying that if he hurt Eliza he would personally shoot Luca himself.

And that caused both sides to fight as all of the men stupidly drew their guns.

This caused Polly, Eliza, and Audrey Changretta to stop the madness.

“Stop it! All of you.” Polly said as Eliza tried harder than she was already not to cry.

“This is madness. You should know especially Luca. You’re trying to marry this girl not make it worse.” Audrey Changretta told her youngest and now only son.

Luca nodded and put the gun back in his coat pocket before mumbling an apology in Italian.

And after Arthur apologized Luca looked down at Eliza a sorry look in his eyes that made her nod.

_________________________

Here she stood now in front of Luca as he gently held her hands in his. She looked up at him and he looked down at her.

The priest started speaking switching from Italian to English.

“Do you, Luca Changretta take Elizabeth Shelby to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness, and health, for richer or poorer and till death do you part?”

The priest asked Luca.

“I do.”

He then turned to Elizabeth before asking her a similar question.

“Do you, Elizabeth Shelby take Luca Changretta to be your lawfully wedded husband to solemnly swear to love and honor, in sickness and health and for richer or poorer.”

“I do.” She said before swallowing.

“With the power invested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Luca stepped closer and craned his neck down pressing a tender soft kiss to Elizabeth’s lips.

As they kissed she swore she felt a spark somewhere. Maybe she was just imagining things.

As Luca pulled away his side of the church was cheering and and whistling calling out words in Italian.

Meanwhile the Shelby side clapped out of despair and fear for Elizabeth.

__________________________

About an hour later everyone was back at Arrow house for the after party.

Elizabeth sat next to Luca at the head of the table her head down and her hands in her lap as she picked at her nails.

Luca was talking to his friends and family on his side of the table. When he noticed that Eliza wasn’t talking as much.

“Hey…you ok?” He asked looking down at her.

Snapped out of her trance Eliza looked up at her new husband and nodded.

“Yeah…I think I’m going to go get a drink.” She said standing up and Luca nodded slowly.

Over at the bar as she poured herself a drink she seen Audrey Changretta.

“Mrs.Changretta.” Elizabeth smiled rembering the woman who taught her how to read and write.

“Hi darling. Please just call me Audrey no more Mrs.Changretta. Afterall you’re Mrs.Changretta now.” She said pointing off to Luca.

Eliza nodded stiffly looking back at Luca who was taking to Matteo.

“I just wanted to say congratulations. I know it might not seem like it. Especially considering the circumstances that this is coming about. But trust me he’ll take care of you. Luca is a good boy.”

Audrey said putting a hand on her daughter in-laws arm.

“I think he could be…but if he really was a good boy Audrey. He wouldn’t be apart of the Mafia. And he wouldn’t get into fights like this.”

Eliza said softly taking a sip.

“Trust me he’s good at heart.”

She said squeezing her arm softly.

Eliza sure hoped he was.

“Now the bride and groom will have their first dance.”

Someone announced off in the distance and Eliza set down her drink. She walked over to Luca who stood alone in the middle of the floor and she took his hand.

As she took his hand his long fingers wrapping around her own. They swayed and moved slowly as Luca pulled Eliza closer.

“What did my mother say to you over there?”

He whispered close to her ear his warm breath giving Eliza goosebumps.

“She told me you’d take care and look after me.”

Luca nodded his head. “I will. I promise.”

And Eliza looked up into his hazel eyes.

“I didn’t just do this out of revenge doll…I really do wanna take care of you again. See you happy like when we were kids. It makes me happy.”

Elizabeth looked down at their hands as them music slowly stopped her heart doing funny things.

Was he truly serious? There wasn’t a thing in those eyes that told her he wasn’t.

Once off the dance floor Eliza had to get away walking off a separate way in to the house as Luca watched her go

They both didn’t see each other for the rest of the night.

_______________________

Polly found Eliza on one of Tommy’s balconies looking out into the night her dress still on.

“What are you doing out here? You’re going to get sick.” She said wrapping her coat around her niece’s shoulders.

“Can’t sleep can’t do anything. My head won’t stop going…he told me he wanted to take care of me.”

She sighed her eyes wet.

“And nothing in his eyes told me I shouldn’t believe him Pol. I don’t know how to feel.”

Polly hugged her niece rubbing her back.

“It’s ok. I think I trust that boy. Something tells me you’ll be more than ok with him.”

Polly reassured her.

Eliza nodded her head, sniffling as she wiped her eyes.

“Thanks, Pol. I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too. Now let’s get inside. It’s cold out here.”

And for the rest of the night, Eliza painted the scene from the wedding that was ingrained in her mind.

She used the rest of her paints and was up until 2 AM when she finally was tired.

Eliza went upstairs to the room that she got ready in earlier. She picked up the clothes that she had brought and walked over to the bathroom to change.

When she came out though she saw Luca sitting on the edge of the bed taking off his suit jacket and slowly unbuttoning the top two buttons.

“oh sorry,” Eliza said turning her head, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink.

“It’s ok. The maid told me I was in this room for the night.” Luca explained.

Eliza nodded her head before moving out of his way and into the bedroom as he went to change.

Eliza settled into one side of the bed and when Luca came out she looked up seeing him walk over in only his boxers and undershirt.

Eliza turned in the sheets her back facing Luca.

He felt bad. He didn’t want it to go this way but he did know that this wasn’t the most likely situation to get married in. Luca just needed to give her time.

But as she laid there unable to sleep Eliza cried silently conflicted on how she should feel.

_________________________

The next few weeks went fast and we’re all a blur of a memory to Elizabeth.

After they got Married Eliza packed up all of what she brought with her to small heath before going to her house to pack the rest. She was heading to America.

She was beyond nervous. She has never been out of the country before and never traveled far. But now here she was heading to New York with her new husband and mother-in-law.

She had heard of stories from Micheal who had called her in the last week before they left and she didn’t know how to feel. But at least her cousin would be there.

The following weeks did a number on Eliza. Luca had managed to get her, her own room and Eliza was thankful despite the weird feeling inside.

She had always been feeling a mixture of guilt or something akin to a feeling of love but it definitely wasn’t that.

When the boat got to America Eliza stepped outside when Luca called for her. There it was the statue of liberty. And Eliza looked up at it in awe having a new found inspiration to paint.

Luca walked up behind her and looked down smiling. “That’s the statue of liberty. it’s beautiful isn’t it.”

Eliza just nodded her head. Her mind was saving details for later.

“It’s stunning.” She said after a minute.

“She was given to the Americans from the French. It was to celebrate their new allegiance during the American Revolution. Maybe sharing beautiful things to celebrate allegiance is a good thing.” He said.

Eventually, the boat docked and they got off getting into a black car.

“M Signor Changretta, dove vorrebbe andare?” the driver asked.

“portaci a casa. Ho alcune cose che devo fare.”

“Does everyone who works for you speak Italian?” She asked looking at him.

“No. They speak English too.” He said sighing as he looked out the window and the car drove off.

After a minute or two of silence, Elizabeth spoke up. “It’s definitely way busier than London…or Birmingham. Is it always like this?”

“Pretty much. Whatever you want desire or need you could find it in New York.” Luca explained to her.

About 20 minutes later the car pulled in and stopped in front of a beautiful home. It wasn’t as big as Tommy’s but it was comparable.

It had a long driveway and it had a beautiful brick exterior with accents of black and gold. It was also far enough for there to be less noise but close enough for Luca and his work.

The newlywed pair went up the stairs and Luca opened the door revealing a line of people standing by the door as they stepped in.

“Eliza these are our maids, butlers, and cooks. They are here to help assist you with anything you need.” Luca explained as one woman stepped aside.

“This is Maria. She’s our housekeeper.”

Maria stuck out her hand and Elizabeth shook it giving her a polite nod and a smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs.Changretta.”

She said stepping back as the Driver brought all of the bags in.

“It’s nice to meet you too Maria.”

Elizabeth said before Luca checked his watch speaking up.

“Maria, could you show my wife around the house and take her upstairs to our room please?” Luca asked.

“Yes, of course, Mr.Changretta.” she said taking a few of the more important bags.

“Luca I thought you were showing me around?” Elizabeth asked her arms crossing and brow furrowing.

Luca sighed. “I know I have some calls to make.” He said motioning to his office down the hall.

“I won’t be long. I promise” He told her before turning on his heels an leaving.

Suddenly Maria called out “Bene, tutti quanti! Tornate subito al lavoro.”

And with that the rest of the maids, butlers, and cooks scattered throughout the house.

Maria then picked up another one of Luca’s bags before going to show Elizabeth around. She took her to the large dining room which held a portrait of the Changretta family (From when Angel and Vicente were alive at least) at the front.

Elizabeth looked at it for a moment before Maria quickly scooted her along taking her for a glimpse into the kitchen before out into the main drawing room.

Then it was down the hall showing off several other exquisite rooms before taking her into the breathtaking sunroom. The full glass room was beautiful and the light from the sun that tried to peak through the thick grey clouds filled the space. She then followed Maria upstairs.

“This is both yours and Mr.Changretta’s room.” She said placing the bags down neatly.

“Both of ours?” Elizabeth asked as she looked around.

“Of course Mrs.Changretta you are married after all right?”

Elizabeth just stood there staring out the window for a minute lost before she turned to her and nodded.

The room was massive. Sure with the money and commissions she got from her art going to big museums her apartment in London was nice. But it was rather minute compared to this room and house as a whole.

The bed was a four-poster canopy bed and there was an attached ensuite bathroom that looked massive. How could a person ever live like this she asked herself.

“Well, Mrs.Changretta I will leave you and let you get settled. If you do need anything do call.” Maria said turning to leave.

“Maria?” Elizabeth said making Maria spin around.

“Yes, Mrs.Changretta,” she asked.

“you don’t always have to call me Mrs.Changretta. It doesn’t need to be so formal. You could just call me Elizabeth or Eliza.” Elizabeth explained.

“I’m sorry Mrs.Changretta. I cannot do that for you. Mr.Changretta specifically instructed for all of us to only refer to you as Mrs.Changretta.” She explained.

“Ah…: Elizabeth said looking the dark-haired woman in the eyes.

“Will that be all?”

“Yes, thank you, Maria,” Elizabeth said as she walked out.

Elizabeth stood in the room for a long time staring at various things her mind on overload. How could a person have all of this and nobody live in the house but servants?

Why would someone want servants anyway? Couldn’t you just do all of that crap yourself. God, she missed home horribly. She missed Polly and Ada. Finn and Arthur.

What was of her now?

Luca Changretta’s wife? No, she still felt more like a Shelby. Maybe she always would. She thought as this feeling inside of her gnawed at her slowly. Could she find that same spark for Luca that they had? or would her life forever be miserable tied to this man and his bloody ambitions? Forced to bare his children who would carry on the same name and work just to be killed by bad blood.

The thought made her shiver.

Could she ever adjust to being his wife?

___________________________________________

Eventually, after forcing herself out of that fog she went downstairs into the main drawing room. It had luxurious furniture and a fireplace. Eliza slowly walked over to the mantle noticing an array of pictures on it.

The biggest frame was a picture of the whole family extended. She recognized a few from the wedding. All of them were Italian. Looking at the next picture was a picture of a middle aged man and two smaller boys.

Eliza could tell the taller one was Angel meanwhile she shorter one with black hair was Luca when he was a kid. The older man must have been Vicente. The next picture was Luca around the time he was 16 when she and him were first together.

She had looked at that photo for a long time before looking around. She found a phone nearby and decided to try to call Polly or somebody.

Elizabeth dialed the number and the phone rang for several minutes before it was picked up and she heard a familiar voice that she hadn’t heard in a few days.

“Watery Lane 5-5-2,” Polly said which made Eliza smile.

“Hi, Polly.” She said softly as she brought the phone closer.

“Elizabeth?” Polly asked sounding somewhat confused.

“It’s me Pol.”

“Oh, my lord. Where are you at?” She asked as Eliza heard some noise come from the other end.

“I’m at Luca’s home…well, I guess it’s technically our home now.

“How’s being married? Is he treating you well.” Polly asked.

“Well I don’t know. I really don’t Pol. I think I still care for him. I just don’t know if that spark isn’t going to ever go back. We were 16. A part of me hope it does but…I don’t know if I can live like this either. There’s maids and the house is so expensive all of it.

Elizabeth sighed sitting down in the nearby armchair.

“It’s ok love you’ll figure it out eventually. Out of everyone you can always figure a way. Micheal is there in New York too. Maybe you can arrange to go find him. Pay him a visit.” Polly said.

“Yeah I’d really like that.”

Elizabeth smiled.

She seen Maria coming up and looked at her before looking back out the window.

“Mrs.Changretta, Mr. Changretta is asking for you in his study.” Maria told her.

Eliza nodded before moving the phone and covering the speaker. “Ok, thank you Maria.”

“Pol I’m uh sorry I have to go. I’ll call you back later hopefully.” She told Polly wishing she didn’t have to hang up.

“It’s alright Eliza. Trust me. Something tells me everything will be alright. You’ll be ok.”

“Thank you Pol. Goodbye.” She said before putting the phone up and going down to Luca’s office.

Once she was there she hesitated for a minute before knocking on the door.

“Come in.” Luca called from the inside.

Elizabeth pushed open the door her hands shaking for some reason. Why was she like this?

It’s not like she didn’t know him. Did she though? He was a completely different man. He killed for a living.

“Maria said um…she said you wanted to see me?” She said shutting the door before standing still as a statue in front of his desk. Her hands shook as she picked at her nails.

“Yes, did Maria show you around the place?” Luca asked. He was sitting in his office chair slumped back into the chair. His suit jacket was discarded onto the coat rack by the door. His shit was also unbuttoned on the top three buttons and he rolled a match between his teeth.

“Yeah she did. It’s very beautiful…we’re sharing that room upstairs?” She asked still nervously fidgeting with her hands.

Luca’s eyes narrowed a bit in confusion. “Yes Eliza. We did get married no? We are man and wife.”

“Yes…I suppose so. Luca…I um…normally I know that married couples spend time together before. And I know that we had a past when we were 16. But Luca what if that spark doesn’t come back?”

“Well. Amore we’re different. And I want to try. I want to try to bring it back. If not forge something new.” Luca explained taking the match out and rolling it between his fingers.

“But I’m not going to force anything on you that you’re not comfortable with. I just want to get to know you again.”

He said.

Elizabeth nodded. “So we went pretending to be some lovey dovey couple in front of people right?”

“No. Not that I know of.” Luca answered scratching his head.

“Ok…was that all you wanted to talk about?”

Elizabeth asked and Luca nodded.

She was about to leave when a question popped into her mind. “My clothes…most of them are back in Birmingham. They won’t be here for weeks at best.”

Eliza explained to Luca.

“Your clothes are not coming. I’ve arranged for my friend who’s a dressmaker and fitter to come see you. She has some ideas in mind. She’s coming tomorrow for your measurements.”

“Okay.” She said softly before leaving.

As she walked out she thought about how different he was. All this money. Tailors and dressmakers. A big house. Could she ever love this man that was so horribly different than the boy she once knew.

What would be of her future? Of theirs?

[kitsunebishake]

Welcome to my blog!

Hello, this is my fandom blog, this is where I freely queue 500 posts about my newest obsession(s). :)

If you'd like to see only art, please check the # "#this is my art tag" or my art only account, kitsunezagreus.

Minors' discretion advised, I reblog all types of stuff.

Check below for art related info (links, OKs, DON'Ts, etc) and a lengthy section of my interests.

Art related info:

Program(s) I use: Clip Studio Paint (regular art) and Aseprite (pixel art) on Windows.

Tablet: Huion Inspiroy H640P.

Requests: CLOSED.

Trades: Mutuals only.

Commissions: OPEN.

Things I'm ok with drawing: furry, fanart and OCs, yume/self-shipping, blood and gore, armor and weapons.

Things I'm not ok with drawing: sexual loli/shota, mechas, vehicles.

I generally like drawing pretty guys, pretty girls, and cute/cool creatures, but honestly for money I'm willing to get out of my comfort zone unless it's in my DON'Ts.

Disclaimer: Just because I'm ok or not ok with drawing something does not reflect on how I feel about that thing, much less on how I feel about it in regards to other people. These are just limits for myself.

Link to my VGen for commission details, my Ko-Fi for tips, and my commission carrd.

SNS:

Bluesky

Instagram

Twitter

Others

*All Pokemon Dividers are by adornedwithlight

Personal info:

Hello :) My name is Zagreus Caelum (he/him/él) but I also go by any of my several internet nicknames such as Kei, Kitsune, Marquesa, Kaye, etc.

I'm a 26 years old Venezuelan artist and Veterinary Medicine student. I am also AuDHD and generally like games and pretty things. :3

My special interests are:

Pokemon (the true special interest)

Zoology

Fantasy

Cinnamoroll

Kirby

Sonic the Hedgehog

Other interests are:

Chibi/Pixel art farming sims

JRPGs

Hades (game)

Fashion (lolita, goth, and decora specifically)

Rain

Sweets

Cute things

Horror

Animals in general

Boys Love

Nintendo

Square Enix

SEGA

HSR

Click on the title of some categories to see more:3

Favorite games:

Stardew Valley

Hades

Fields of Mistria

Okami

Mario Party

Kirby: Squeak Squad

Pokemon B2W2

Dragon Quest XI

Alice Madness Returns

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

Honkai: Star Rail

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Pikmin

Favorite characters:

Kirby, Cinnamoroll, Hríd Fire Emblem Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, Gepard Landau, Raihan Pokemon Sword and Shield, Luo Wenzhou.

Favorite ships:

hrífonse (FEH), GePo (HSR), zhoudu (MoDu), raileon (PkMn), thanzag (Hades), sonadow (STH).

Streamers/YouTubers:

Alpharad

Fir

Wild/Card

Moriah Elizabeth

Dollightful

Favorite manga:

Gochisou Omega wa Chuu to Naku

Sugar Dog Life

Outcasts Bound by Love

Lovesick Hypocrites

Bakemono no Hanayome

CardCaptor Sakura

Ookami-sama no Koiwazurai

Favorite novel (just one yes):

MoDu (默读) by Priest (P大).

Favorite anime:

Hoozuki no Reitetsu

Nichijou

CardCaptor Sakura

Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

YuYuHakusho

Ao no Exorcist

Favorite movies:

Klaus

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie 3

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse

Languages: Spanish (native), English (fluent), Japanese (intermediate). I'm in the very slow process of trying to learn Chinese and Italian. I can't conversate in either of these languages so pls don't try LOL

Might add more stuff if I consider it's worth adding.

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E Bios: Judith Ibarra / Judi Marino

The Second of Damien's Hounds Judi Marino (2020)

The sister of Billie and one of Damien's Hounds, Judith Ibarra (Née Marino), is a very powerful woman. Judith is a wrestler and a third generation wrestler, being part of the youngest generation of wrestlers in the Marino family.

"Rule four of wrestling, street fights mean street clothes, be inconspicuous."

Name

Full Legal Name: Judith Martirio Ibarra (Née Marino)

First Name: Judith

Meaning: From the Hebrew name 'Yehudit' meaning 'Jewish Woman', feminine form of 'Yehudi', ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of Judah

Pronunciation: khoo-DHEET

Origin: English, Jewish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French, Biblical

Middle Name: Martirio

Meaning: Means 'Martyrdom' in Spanish.

Pronunciation: mar-TEE-ryo

Origin: Spanish

Surname: Ibarra (Marino)

Meaning: From Basque place names derived from 'Ibar' meaning 'Meadow' (Marino: Derived from the given name 'Marino' which itself is the Italian and Spanish form of 'Marinus'. 'Marinus' comes from the Latin word 'Marinus' meaning 'of the sea')

Pronunciation: eye-BARR-ah (ma-REE-no)

Origin: Basque, Spanish (Spanish)

Alias: Judi Marino

Reason: Ring name

Nicknames: Jodi, Jodie, Jody, Jude, Judi, Judie, Judy, Jodene, Ma, Mar, Mari, Ti, Tiri

Titles: Miss, Mrs, Ma'am

Characteristics

Age: 31

Gender: Female. She/Her Pronouns

Race: Human

Nationality: Cuban

Ethnicity: Hispanic / Latina

Birth Date: January 30th 1989

Symbols: Rings, Sticker Sheets

Sexuality: Bisexual

Religion: Catholic

Native Language: Spanish

Spoken Languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese

Relationship Status: Married

Astrological Sign: Aquarius

Theme Song: 'That Girl' - Maxi Priest, Shaggy (2009-)

Voice Actor: Josie Loren

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Bayamo, Granma Province, Cuba

Current Location: On the road / bayamo, Granma Province, Cuba

Hometown: Bayamo, Granma Province, Cuba

Appearance

Height: 5'7" / 170 cm

Weight: 150 lbs / 68 kg

Eye Colour: Brown

Any Specific Diet: None

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: N/A

Facial Hair: N/A

Tattoos: (As of Jan 2020) 5

Piercings: Ear Lobe (both)

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social Drinker

Illnesses/Disorders: None

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Allies: N/A

Enemies: N/A

Friends: Sabina Volkov, Zinnia Turner, Brighid Pritchard, Eithne O'Hannagan, Tydfil McFarland, Gwen McDermott, Branwen McCormick

Colleagues: Too many to list

Rivals: N/A

Closest Confidant: Xavier Ibarra

Mentor: Florencia Marino

Significant Other: Xavier Ibarra (32, Husband)

Previous Partners: None of note

Parents: Yago Marino (57, Father), Florencia Marino (58, Mother, Née Palomo)

Parents-In-Law: Tácito Ibarra (58, Father-In-Law), Narcisa Ibarra (59, Mother-In-Law, Née Nasato)

Siblings: Bienvenida Marino (37, Sister), Urbano Marino (34, Brother), Quirino Marino (28, Brother), Natividad Marino (25, Sister), Macario Marino (22, Brother), Rosaura Marino (19, Sister), Isaac Marino (16, Brother)

Siblings-In-Law: Hortensia Marino (35, Urbano's Wife, Née Lozano), Valerio Ibarra (38, Xavier's Brother), Oriana Ibarra (39, Valerio's Wife, Née Muraro), Wilmar Ibarra (35, Xavier's Brother), Purificación Ibarra (36, Wilmar's Wife, Née Muggia), Yoel Ibarra (29, Xavier's Brother)

Nieces & Nephews: Emperatriz Romero-Marino (17, Niece), Antonio Huerta-Marino (14, Nephew), Triana Santos-Marino (11, Niece), Lorenzo Marino (14, Nephew), Paz Marino (11, Niece), Alcides Ibarra (18, Nephew), Rocío Ibarra (15, Niece), Benigno Ibarra (12, Nephew), Sol Ibarra (9, Niece), Cruz Ibarra (6, Nephew), Tamara Ibarra (3, Niece), Damián Ibarra (15, Nephew), Virtudes Ibarra (12, Niece), Emilio Ibarra (9, Niece), Yurena Ibarra (6, Niece), Fulgencio Ibarra (3, Nephew)

Children: Casilda Ibarra (11, Niece)

Children-In-Law: None

Grandkids: None

Great Grandkids: None

Wrestling

Billed From: The Underworld

Trainer: Sabas Marino, Yago Marino, Tercero Marino, Ramiro Marino, Pastor Marino, Olegario Marino, Nicanor Marino, Jair Marino, Heliodoro Marino, Gonzalo Marino, Facundo Marino, C.R.C Wrestling School

Managers: Florencia Marino

Wrestlers Managed: None

Debut: 2009

Debut Match: Judi VS Brighid. Judi won via pinfall

Retired: N/A

Retirement Match: N/A

Wrestling Style: Grappler

Stables: The Lucifarians (2009-)

Teams: The Hounds (Judi & Bano / Quirino / Natividad / Macario / Rosaura / Isaac)

Regular Moves: Big Boot, Diving Clothesline, Sitout Rear Mat Slam, Electric Chair Drop, Electric Chair Facebuster, Flapjack, Half Nelson Bulldog, Inverted DDT, Missile Dropkick, Spinning Heel Kick, Somersault Senton Plancha, Sharpshooter, Sitout Powerbomb, Crossface, Spinebuster

Finishers: Leg Hook Reverse STO, Spear, Lifting DDT, Standing Arm Triangle

Refers To Fans As: The Watchful Eyes

Extras

Backstory: Judith is the second eldest daughter of 'disgraced luchador' Yago Marino, wrestling is in her blood and she grew up around luchadores. She joined the Lucifarians as one of Damien's hounds in 2009, being a hound means she's mindless and does everything Damien orders her to

Trivia: Nothing of note

[aviculor]

I'm giving The Pope's Exorcist a watch, and I really wish the closed captioning gave a little more than "[speaking Italian]" when the entire opening scene is in Italian.

...Scratch that, it's more like "a significant portion of the dialogue is in Italian and they started adding Spanish too". You'd think there would be an English translation added onto the film itself but no, I guess we're just not meant to understand entire conversations that are clearly meant to be important. And again, the closed captioning on this site is a joke but that's neither here nor there.

It gives a certain The Conjuring vibe which is unsurprising since they're both dramatizations of a real person's life that portrays them as some demon-hunting hero and glorifies the Catholic church. This Gabriele Amorth is more or less a special ops agent who is given case files on demonic possessions by the pope himself. Meanwhile, the real Gabriele Amorth said yoga and Harry Potter are satanic and Hitler was possessed by the devil.

I see this film wants to be The Exorcist. But it cannot be The Exorcist. It lacks the narrative themes and subtext that made The Exorcist good. This is not a priest with a crisis of faith struggling with the relevance of the Catholic Church in modern society and psychiatry gaining ground as a legitimate field of science. The Pope's Exorcist lacks substance. I do like the way it looks, like it has excellent cinematography and effects. I'd even go so far as to say that I hope the upcoming Exorcist sequel looks like this. But even if this is good, it can't be great if all it does it imitate a different film's visuals without the soul behind it. And also if the soul it does have is "this real guy who actually lived was a total badass with mystical powers from Jesus".

There's also a fictionalization of an actual teenage girl who went missing, which according to Amorth (as in, the real one) may have been part of a sexual abuse scandal within the Vatican. Which circles back around to how I compared this film to the Conjuring-verse with how they glamorized actual people and events. It's not exactly uhh copacetic.

Ah, yes. There is a deep, dark secret being covered up by the church. There's been a sinful, sordid act literally buried here that they hope no one finds out about. It is...The Spanish Inquisition.

Oh. The Spanish Inquisition itself happened because the devil possessed Alonso de Ojeda (the historical friar who convinced Queen Isabella of the need for an inquisition) and tricked the church into performing atrocities. That's very hmm that's very convenient.

That's not how you tie a noose.

[asteriasfallingstarsandtears]

My mother was reading through Baby Name books up until I was born, maybe even after.

I was very nearly named for my grandmother's, who have a very traditional Danish name or a very traditional English name.

She was just so determined to not name me for a Saint like she was named for because the Priest who baptized her told my grandparents that they couldn't call her what they had chosen because it wasn't in the Bible so he gave her a biblical name that was close to what they chose.

Somehow, this Portuguese and Norwegian girl ended up with an Italian name.

(Hilariously, I think there is a saint with my name)

For the purposes of this poll please just stick to birth names! I'd like to do another poll for names people chose themselves later in life.

[impossibleperfectionnerd]

2 weeks timeframe. For the bank CEO. No girls. No provincial feel. Capable of getting along with English speaking people.

TOEFL- at least 85

IELTS (British English)- at least 7

Seminars on British & American & Filipino culture. Trade. Economic matters. Intellectual property matters. Treaties. Executive agreements. War tribunal matters (NATO). War games.

NATO & FTAF & OSCE values & seminars on collective defense, anti terrorism, no to Russian aggression, deterrence, anti crime.

Talks abt the New Vatican state - Beda & UST boys & are priests & monks

peacekeeping missions of NATO & the New Vatican state

ODAN seminars (not obvious)

Must be graduates of city universities. secular & non secular schools with ties to the New Vatican state are preferred. Extensive work experience. Very good English speaker. Adaptive to change. Dominican (Italian) & Benedictine (British & German) & Norbertine (British & Luxembourg) religious orders. Franciscans (Italian).

[dizzygirlfriday]

notes of a restless girl.

I could write a book...

I should always listen to my gut instinct on employee situations. That is all I'm going to say about that.

My husband says the shows I watch he can write them. Like Virgin River for instance, he knows what's going to happen. So do I but he likes to brag about it. ha-ha. I still watch them.

When my phone rings and it's an odd number or it says scam likely on it. I always answer it and just sit quiet... until I hear Noice in the background like telemarketers or they hang up. Sometimes I speak in a different language. Is that bad? I know a few things in Italian, Spanish, and French. I should know full on Spanish, since my mother is. But she never taught us. I cringe when I say that. I took it in School, but I can't fluently speak it. My grandmother spoke broken up English... but I understood a lot of it. I have a best best friend, that is Italian, and lives in Italy. She's actually like a sister to me. Her uncle was our family priest, and she use to come to America and visit him as a teenager and she would stay with our family. She used to be a flight attendant for Italiano Air, and fly into America quite frequently but when they shut down during covid, she lost her job, and is currently going back to school to be a pharmacist. I haven't seen her in three years, but hopefully I can make my way to Italy soon. I do miss her. When she first came to America her English was very broken up, that was back in 1995. Now... she is really good. She has that European flare...

Reading back some of my old poetry, makes me want to write again. I crave it. I can't explain it, but I do. My last entry was a couple of years ago. But I can't for the life of me think why I said, see you in August, on my last post. I probably was so busy I wasn't going to emerge again. That was the year, I got fired, then was place on Admin leave for 7 months. My father was really sick and passed away. A mystery.

[thewahookid]

Miracles at the National Shrine and Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Euclid, Ohio (I)

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France has a connection to a Lourdes shrine in Ohio; 64 years after Our Lady first appeared to St. Bernadette, the National Shrine and Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Euclid, Ohio, had its beginnings. In 1922, on pilgrimage to Lourdes, 3,986 miles away from Euclid, the mother superior of the Good Shepherd Sisters was inspired to build a replica of the grotto on the land donated to the congregation 10 miles east of Cleveland.

On May 30, Trinity Sunday, the nuns promised God they would build the shrine. Four years later, in 1926, again on Trinity Sunday, Archbishop Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland dedicated the Euclid shrine. Two years later, the grotto was named a national American shrine. Then, in 1952, the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity — the Trinitarians — took over the work of the shrine.

In France, a Dominican priest asked the sisters if they could help with the English-speaking pilgrims. “As a thank you, he gave them relics that they brought back,” recalled Sister Phyllis Ann, today’s shrine administrator, to the Register. One is a piece of the rock that Our Lady stood upon when she appeared to St. Bernadette. “That’s where you see the pieces of stone that the water flows over at the Grotto; there’s also one embedded in a piece of marble on the side so that people can actually put their hands on it.” Near the statue of the Immaculate Conception, the slivers from the Lourdes stone are embedded in a sculptured marble book that looks like an old Communion book. And a third piece of the Lourdes stone “is in the gift shop,” along with “a little piece of St. Bernadette’s shoulder bone.”

“We are considered a satellite of Our Lady of Lourdes in France,” Sister Phyllis Ann explained.

“There was an apparition of Mary here. It’s part of the story that over the years has been pushed back or forgotten,” she added, before recounting the story. “This used to be a grape farm owned by the Harms family, very good Catholics. Julia Harms was married to the eldest son. And every day, she and her friends would go at noon to where the grotto [now] is, and they would say the Rosary there while she was pregnant. One day, Mary appeared to her and said that she would give birth and that the child would live, but that she, Julia, would pass away. Lo and behold, she gives birth to a little girl. Before she does, she tells her husband about the apparition and makes some promise that if the family should ever let this property go that it would be for a religious purpose dedicated to Mary.” Two weeks after she gave birth, Mrs. Harms passed away.

In 1919, when the Sisters of the Good Shepherd brought girls they cared for from Cleveland to the farm to pick grapes, the superior considered this a good place for the young women to live amid the peace of the outdoors away from the city. She got the property from the Harms family, and it was dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.

For some long-forgotten reason, the sisters were not able to continue overseeing the shrine; but, providentially, the Trinitarians arrived in the United States to teach Italian immigrants. They have administered the shrine since 1952.

Throughout the years, the piece of Lourdes stone embedded in marble at the feet of Our Lady in the grotto, with a steady stream of water flowing over it, has become more than a replica of the healing spring in France.

Joseph Pronechen, October 22, 2023

Adapted from www.ncregister.com

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

[famousinuniverse]

Histoire de ma vie

Book by Giacomo Casanova

Histoire de ma vie is both the memoir and autobiography of Giacomo Casanova, a famous 18th-century Italian adventurer. A previous, bowdlerized version was originally known in English as The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova until the original version was published between 1960 and 1962

Originally published: 1822

Author: Giacomo Casanova

Adaptations: Fellini's Casanova (1976), Casanova Variations (2014)

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova was born in Venice in 1725, back when the city was a hotbed of vice, famed for its gambling, its courtesans and its carnival. There’s a reason it was such an essential stop for well-to-do youths set loose on their Grand Tours, and it didn’t have much to do with St Mark’s Basilica.

Casanova was born in Venice in 1725, when the city was a hotbed of vice and pleasure

Giacomo Casanova Was An Adventurer, Libertine, And Child Molester

Giacomo Casanova's memoirs are celebrated for their thorough depiction of life in 18th-century Europe, but they also detail the escapades of a serial rapist.

Travelling widely, he associated with European royalty, popes and cardinals, along with luminaries such as Voltaire, Goethe, and Mozart.

He spent his last years in the Castle Dux in Bohemia, as a librarian in Count Waldstein’s household; where he also wrote the story of his life.

His autobiography guaranteed Casanova an enduring reputation as a womaniser on a heroic scale and he was not immune to the attraction of his own sex either; but there was  much more to him than that.

Portrait of Giacomo Casanova, via The Times of London; with map of Casanova’s travels

Forced into exile in 1756 from his native Venice, Giacomo Casanova traversed Europe in search of adventure, wealth, and of course, women. Find out more about Casanova’s legendary travels.

Eighteenth century Venice was a city of twisting canals, deceptive masks, seductive music, mysterious fog, cutthroat politics, and dreaded prisons. For a place nicknamed La Serenissima, or serene, the Republic of Venice conjured a fair amount of unease.

 He was born in April 1725 to two actors, Gaetano Casanova and Zanetta Farussi.

Young Casanova: The Youth Of A Libertine

When he was nine years old, little Casanova was sent 20 miles inland to Padua — for the drier air, and to receive an education.

After a flea-bitten start in Padua with a neglectful landlady, Casanova roosted with the schoolmaster-priest Dr. Antonio Maria Gozzi. Thanks to the priest, the boy grew familiar with theology, classical languages, and music. Above all, he became acquainted with Bettina, Gozzi’s pretty teenage sister.

Bettina cared for his hair, brushing out the vestiges of neglect from the Paduan landlady.

“She washed my face and neck and chest,” Casanova later recalled, “and gave me childish caresses which, since I was bound to consider them innocent, chided myself for letting them trouble me all the more….She aroused the most intense emotions in me.”

Casanova’s encounter with Bettina awakened a lifelong pursuit of women in the world’s most notorious womanizer.

“I was born for the sex opposite to mine,” Casanova later reflected. “I have always loved it and done all that I could to make myself loved by it.”

A rake’s progess

Returning to Venice, he took holy orders and lost his virginity – to two sisters of the non-religious kind. The gambling continued and mounting debts eventually landed him in prison. Shortly afterwards, scandal chased him from his position as a cardinal’s scribe. He then joined the army but by age 21, had decided to become a professional gambler – another short-lived career move. Next came violinist.

Returning to Venice from Padua as a young man, Casanova’s course was set when he won patronage from a Venetian nobleman 

Throughout all, he dabbled in dalliances with myriad young women, from serving girls to musicians, to sisters and nieces of friends.

Two such instructive examples were Nanetta and Marta, sisters of his sworn — at the time — love, Angela, all Dr. Gozzi’s relatives.

One night, sharing a bed, he turned to one sister — he wasn’t sure which — and deflowered her. He turned to the other and did the same, losing his own virginity in a lascivious, quasi-incestuous ménage.

Thus the career of this libertine was conceived, born, and nursed in the lagoons of Venice. His sexual travels stretched the whole of Europe, from the alleys of Rome to the Domes of Constantinople, whether on a Pope’s pretext or to satisfy his own wanderlust.

One evening during the carnival of 1745 Casanova and his friend notices a beautiful commoner from St Giobbe who was drinking with her husband and two other friends, and thought it best to organize an incredible hoax. They stood by them as public officials and imposed her husband and friends to follow them to the island of St Giorgio, in the name of the Council of the Ten, leaving the unsuspecting woman alone in Rialto.

Rialto Bridge-Bridge in Venice, Italy

After abandoning those poor fools in St Giorgio, Casanova and his friend returned to Rialto and led the woman to the 'Do Spade' inn where they had dinner and enjoyed themselves with her all night; after which they sent her home.

Cantina Do Spade

Inside Cantina Do Spade, bacaro and restraurant Venice.

A 600-year-old trattoria in Venice where Casanova once dallied with his girlfriends

Now in the capable hands of Martina and Sebastiano and their young staff, Cantina Do Spade is still going strong after 595 years.

A few years back, Giorgio Lanza expanded to full osteria status this venerable little cicchetti bar, which was first documented in 1415 and named "two swords" after a long-forgotten duel between noblemen on a nearby bridge.

Here’s four more minutes of fun! This episode of Quattro Minuti con Casanova tells the story of what happened at the Alle Spade (now called the Cantina Do Spade), a restaurant and former inn where Casanova spent a night during the Carnevale season.

Unforgettable Henriette

On one of these jaunts through Europe, Giacomo Casanova met his match.

While in his 20s, Casanova encountered a lovely young Frenchwoman disguised in men’s clothing and escorted by a Hungarian officer. In his memoir, he called her “Henriette.”

Her seductive mélange of wit and polish belied her masculine weeds — this was clearly a noblewoman on the run. Some have posited her true identity was Anne Adélaïde de Gueidan, daughter of a French aristocrat and government official, though no one knows for sure.

Anne Adélaïde de Gueidan and her sister. Anne is suspected of having been Casanova’s precious “Henriette.”

Casanova followed this fugitive lady, and as she slowly peeled back layers of herself, such as her aptitude for music, he grew more and more in love with her.

“They who do not believe that a woman is capable of making a man equally happy all the twenty-four hours of a day have never known a Henriette,” he wrote. “The joy that flooded my soul was far greater when I conversed with her during the day than when I held her in my arms during the night.”

Casanova’s Hitchcockian love inspired him to turn inwards — it was during this time that he learned French, the language of choice of European courts in the 18th century.

The love between a libertine and a noblewoman was ultimately doomed, but it would become a pattern of Casanova’s to fall for an ultimately unattainable woman in trouble, help her, seduce her, and say his goodbyes.

Ultimately, this is what happened with Henriette. When the star-crossed lovers reached Geneva, she informed Casanova it was time for them to part ways. She left nothing behind but a 1700s-style “Dear John” letter, etching “Tu oblieras aussi Henriette” — “You will forget Henriette too” — onto a windowpane using a diamond ring Casanova had given her.

She was wrong. He’d never forget Henriette.

He did move along, first to Paris, where he became embroiled in the court of King Louis XV at the sumptuous Versailles, setting the king up with one of his cast-off lovers, the Irish-descended Marie-Louise O’Murphy.

But like pigeons circling the piazzas and cross-hatched canals, Casanova always found his way home to Venice.

Marie-Louise O’Murphy, one of Casanova’s cast-off lovers who later became a king’s mistress, captured by French painter François Boucher, c. 1752.

Casanova’s Arrest in Venice

On a sticky night in the summer of 1755, Casanova was arrested for nearly every 18th century vice imaginable: blasphemy, cabalism, gambling, astrology, and Freemasonry.

His sentence included a stay at the dreaded I Piombi prison, high in the attic of the Doge’s Palace, so named for the lead roof that crowned the building. In summer, the roof attracted the hot Venetian sun, transforming the cell into an oven. In winter, it attracted the cold maritime drafts. Year-round, the cells attracted fleas and vermin.

Giacomo Casanova, libertine, dreamed day and night of his liberty.

Escape From The Prison At Doge’s Castle

Illustration from Story of My Flight

Thirty years later in 1787, Casanova wrote Story of My Flight, which was very popular and was reprinted in many languages, and he repeated the tale a little later in his memoirs

From there Casanova continued his wanderings, first to Paris, where he helped establish a lottery to enrich France’s coffers — as well as posing as a magician, opening a silk factory, and having sex with about every woman he encountered.

Casanova, the wolf of women, was on the lam. He drifted to Amsterdam and Dresden, finally finding his way to the Castle of Dux, in the coal country of modern-day Czech Republic where he was employed as a librarian.

From his own account, he had 120 sexual partners and sexual victims — nuns, underage girls, possibly some eunuchs. By his own account, he even impregnated his own daughter, Leonilda, years after he engaged in a threesome with her and her mother

Giacomo Casanova lived from 1725 to 1798. He was born and raised in Venice, later moved to Paris, and lived the last 15 years of his life in Dux – Duchcov in today’s northern Czech Republic. He is famous for his escape from the prison in Venice, but more so for his erotic adventures. His name has become synonymous with Ladykiller, and he’s one of the most famous Italians of all time.

Final years in Bohemia: , he became the librarian to Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein, a chamberlain of the emperor, in the Castle of Dux, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic)

The last years of the 18th century. In the Castle in Duchcov in modern-day’s northern Czechia, on the border with Germany, an old man sits at a wooden desk. The room is of considerable size but dark, and the walls are covered with bookshelves from floor to ceiling… It’s the library. The desk is lit by a single candle.

Wrinkled fingers protrude from under the heavy fabric. They’re holding a pen. The man is writing. To his left, full-written pages pile up, and to his right, a stack of white papers are eagerly awaiting the continuation of the story. Despite the crooked shape and the tired posture, the figure is vital and energic. The pen moves quickly and the words fill up the sheets… A river of stories, tales, and myths.

The man is Giacomo Casanova, and what he is writing is his memoirs… A 3700 pages giant book in 12 volumes… Histoire de ma vie – The story of my life. And this book will make his name live forever. He will be remembered as the greatest lover and the most successful seducer of women of all time. 

But let’s leave him there in the library before his arthritis gets too painful, and the memory fails him, and go back to Venice, where this extraordinary story begins…

When he left Venice, he was almost sixty. His health was still good, but his capacity as a lover and socialite was considerably reduced. He felt old and the world he knew was slowly changing.

He went to Trieste. Then continued to Vienna where he stayed for a while working as a secretary for the Venetian ambassador. He reconnected with some of his old friends, but when the offer came to become a librarian at the Castle of Count Waldstein at Dux, Bohemia, he had kind of run out of options and accepted. His life as a rake was definitely over.

Castle of Dux, Bohemia, via Radio Prague International

In Dux – Duchcov, he witnessed from a distance the French Revolution and the fall of the Venetian Republic. Venice was seized by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. Casanova died the following year. He was 73 years old.

His world crumbled, and he died on June 4, 1798. 

His last resting place is unknown.

“I have never been able to understand how a father could tenderly love his charming daughter without having slept with her at least once,” he wrote.

A portrait of Casanova in 1788, when he was 63 years old.

Casanova wrote about the purpose of his book:

I expect the friendship, the esteem, and the gratitude of my readers. Their gratitude, if reading my memoirs will have given instruction and pleasure. Their esteem if, doing me justice, they will have found that I have more virtues than faults; and their friendship as soon as they come to find me deserving of it by the frankness and good faith with which I submit myself to their judgment without in any way disguising what I am

Giacomo Casanova was many things in his life, including an inveterate traveler. Best known for the numerous women (and, according to some, a few men) who he seduced in addition to some who beguiled him, he was also a lottery organizer, spy, silk producer, violinist, con man, philosopher, prisoner, duelist, author, playwright, gambler, military officer, Freemason, poet, priest, lawyer, and more. Casanova lived in an era when few people traveled, and when they did, it was usually with a destination in mind or for a single grand tour of the Continent. It wasn’t until several years after his death that the first parts of Casanova’s memoir were published. When the first modern, complete edition of History of My Life was published in 1960, the full extent of his resourceful and cosmopolitan character became known to the general public.

Auguste Leroux’s illustrations for Giacomo Casanova’s Story of My Life.

[chaoticpuff17]

A Dangerous Game

epilogue

masterlist

Here it is my darlings! The epilogue! I fully expect you all to come for my head, but enjoy! It’s been a pleasure to write it!!-- chaotic puff

Y/N enjoyed the August sunshine as she wandered the market. Her life had been peaceful since coming to the Italian countryside taking on a new name, a new life. She had taken a job at a local restaurant and found them a small house bordering one of the olive orchards that littered the countryside where Mark was able to find a job. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was freedom, blessed freedom.

Italy had been good for her. There was no JB, no Namjoon, no mafia to worry about. No one knew her here. It was the fresh start she needed after her time in Korea. Here she was a Canadian woman from Quebec by the name of Alice Morin living with her husband of a year Matthew, also from Quebec. It was quiet. The only unexpected thing had been the baby.

The baby had been a rather rude surprise. She’d only just escaped Namjoon when she’d begun to show early signs. It had been a doctor in Prague, one that she was not entirely sure was practicing medicine legally, that had given them the news. She was several weeks along in a pregnancy that she had never wanted to begin with, but she was determined to make the best of it, even if the child was Namjoon’s. 

She could remember turning to Mark with panicked eyes once the doctor had given them the news. They were on the run. They were trying to start a new life. They were both still grieving the death of a dear friend, more than one on Mark’s part. But Mark had taken her hands in his and smiled at her and told her that it would all be alright, that they could do this. It would be her tiny miracle, not Namjoon’s. He would make sure of that.

Eventually they’d made their way to Italy, establishing themselves in the northern countryside. It was a good life, more peaceful than she had ever known. The village was out of the way, vineyards and olive trees and above all sunshine. She loved it there, and for the first time every she was able to enjoy a pregnancy. 

She’d been almost too scared to acknowledge the baby at first. Mark had been more invested than she had worrying over the constant movement and stress it would cause to her and the little buddy as Mark called him. They didn’t actually know the sex of the baby. Because of the restraints on both funds and access to proper medical care, Mark had chosen the remote Italian countryside, and had settled on using the local midwife to deliver the baby when the time came which left them with no clue of the baby’s gender. 

Little by little, she had been able to become more excited about the baby. The nonnas of the village were more than happy to help with the pregnancy teaching her how to knit and sow, helping her put together the nursery, teaching her how to make proper Italian food. She couldn’t say how many times, she’d heard her boss being scolded by the local nonnas about letting a pregnant woman work so much. Mark also got his fair share of scoldings from the nonnas. 

They’d melded into the village quite well after being there for so long now, they had their own routines and rituals, a peaceful life. Part of which included her weekly visit to the local church to light a candle for Jackson.

The church was one of her favorite parts of the village. It was small but beautiful, like so many other things in Italy. The local priest was always kind enough to say a few words to her before he left her in peace to grieve and contemplate in silence. She’d never been particularly religious before, but this brought her comfort. After her trip to the church, she’d go to the market before she walked home.

“Buongiorno, bella donna!” An old man she bought flowers from every week called out as she came into view of his stall.

“Buongiorno, signore!” Her smile was bright, happy as she walked over “Come stanno i fiori oggi?” She asked looking over the flowers he had laid out.

“Oggi abbiamo bellisime dalie. Il tuo italiano sta diventando motto buono.” He complimented with a wrinkled smile already preparing the dahlias he had just mentioned. It was their tradition. Every week she would ask about the flowers, and he would tell her what he thought was the most beautiful that week and prepare a bunch for her.

“Grazie.”

“Come sta il bambino?” He asked motioning to the rather large swell of her belly.

“Calcia come un giacatore di futbol.” She replied with a tired but happy smile looking down at her belly with playful exasperation. She swore that the little one was trying to kill her from the inside out sometimes or at least enjoyed using her organs as a punching bag. “Sono pronto per la sua nascita.”

“Quanto tempo fino alla nascita, Alicia?” He asked handing her the bunch of dahlias.

“Sei settimane.”

“Cosí presto!” He cheered as she paid for the flowers. “Non veds l’ora di incontrare il piccolo. Io e mia moglie ci piacerebbe averti a cena quando nasce il piccolo.”

“Grazie. Mi piacerebbe molto. Ciao, signore!”

“Ciao, bella donna!”

She continued through the market stopping at stalls and bopping into the bakery to pick up some fresh bread all the while oblivious to the dark gaze that followed her movements. He watched as she laughed with vendors and smiled at the Italian boys that paid her compliments. His blood boiling. That was his wife, and she was pregnant with his child, and yet she was here with Mark. He was getting to play the father to Namjoon’s child. 

He’d been searching for her for months. Her disappearance had wreaked havoc on the manor, had wreaked havoc on him, but here she was perfectly alive and well and happy, and with another man no less. The entire organization had gone through an in depth cleansing, and GOT7 had been dealt with for good, all in preparation to bring her home. There was only one more pest to take care of.

 Namjoon had never once doubted that he would find her. There was nowhere in the world she could hide from him, though he was impressed by how long she had managed to hide from him. It had been eight months since he had last seen her, eight torturous months, but that would all be over soon.

It took every ounce of his self-control not to take her right then and there, but there were too many people there now for her to take her now. She would be in his arms soon enough though, and then she would never leave him again. To say he was shocked when he’d received news of her with a picture of her swollen belly would have been an understatement. He hadn’t even known she was pregnant at the time of her escape, but both she and their child would be home soon. From the look of her, it wouldn’t be long until they welcomed their little one into the world. Namjoon had immediately started preparations for both her and the baby as soon as he’d found her. Everything would be perfect for her and their child. All that was left to do was to bring her home. Her pest was already on his way back to Korea to suffer a slow and torturous death by Namjoon’s own hand. 

Namjoon followed her home carefully following her in watching from the shadows as she clipped the stems of the flowers and arranged them in a vase in her kitchen humming softly as she did.

“Hey, Tono.” She cooed as a cat jumped up on the counter next to her. She smiled down at the creature gently rubbing it behind the ears. “How did you get in here? You don’t live here, silly kitty.” 

She didn’t seem bothered though by the cat’s presence even if it wasn’t hers. She continued about her business arranging the flowers in their vase occasionally cooing at the creature in a mixture of Italian and English. Eventually moving into singing silly Italian children’s songs to the cat as it basked in the sunshine on her kitchen counter. 

The cat knew something she didn’t though his hair standing on end and hissing before jumping out of the open kitchen window much to her confusion. 

“Tono?” She asked moving over to the window to see where the cat went. 

“Hello, jagi.” He cooed coming up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist so that his hands rested against her belly as he breathed her scent in. “Did you miss me?”

She gasped dropped the vase to the floor as she spun around to face the man who still haunted her nightmares. “Namjoon.” She whimpered backing up until she was pressed back against the counter. “Don’t come any closer!” She yelped grabbing a knife and brandishing it in his direction. “Where’s Mark?” 

“Put the knife down, jagi.” He sighed approaching her slowly. “You’re already in enough trouble don’t you think?”

“Get away from me.” She whimpered keeping the knife pointed in his direction her eyes flashing wildly as she looked for an escape. “What did you do to Mark?”

“It’s time to go home, jagi.” He cooed growing increasingly annoyed by her asking after the other man.

“I’m not going back there.” She hissed inching her way towards the door.

“You don’t have much choice, jagiya.” He chuckled darting forward and grabbing her wrist, He pulled her closing putting pressure on her wrist to an almost painful amount until she released the knife with a clatter. He wrapped her in his arms again pulling her into his chest tightly though keeping her belly in mind, not wanting to hurt her or the baby. 

“Stop fighting me.” He hissed holding her still even as she struggled against him. “It isn’t good for the baby.”

“You son of a bitch.” She hissed continuing her struggles.

“That’s no way to talk to your husband, jagi, especially not after the trouble you’ve caused.”  He growled tamping down his annoyance at her continued defiance. Didn’t she know that there was no escape for her now? “Think of the baby, jagi.”

It was those words that ceased her struggles as she hung in his arms. She couldn’t risk hurting the baby even if it meant she had to go with Namjoon.

“That’s my good girl.” He cooed moving his hands to rest against her belly again. “It wasn’t very nice of you to hide our baby from me, but it will all better once we’re home.” He assured her 

She shuddered but didn’t fight anymore as the baby stirred uncomfortably responding to her distress. “Wait!” She yelped pulling against his hold again as he began to drag her out of the house. “Please wait!”

His gaze was annoyed as he looked back at her. “I have waited. Seven months is a long time, jagi.” He spat tugging her forward again.

“Please, I just need to grab something. Please, it’s for the baby.” He quirked a brow at her curiously as she looked up at him with desperate, frightened eyes. “Please.” She begged again eyes watering as she pulled against his hold.

“If you’re lying to me, jagi…” He warned but released her wrist and following her closely as she moved through the little house to the bedroom where a crib was situated by the window. The village had made that for them when she’d first started to show. Placed carefully over the edge of the crib was a blanket hand knitted with love for the baby.

She picked up the blanket folding it against her chest tightly almost like a shield. “I made it for the baby.” She breathed out with a shuddering under his harsh gaze.

He nodded lips set in a grim line before placing a firm hand against her back and leading her out of the house, shuffling her into the car that was waiting outside her home. They drove through the village to what she assumed was an airport waiting to take her back to her gilded cage, back to their game, and it was time to decide what to do, now that the chips were down. 

to be continued...

Italian translation: May not be entirely accurate. My Spanish is much better than my French (which is dismal), and my Italian is practically non-existent much to the shame of my godfather. 

good morning, beautiful lady.

good morning sir. How are the flowers today?

we have beautiful dahlias today. Your Italian is becoming very good.

thank you. 

how is the baby?

he kicks like a futbol player. I’m ready for him to be born. 

how long till the birth?

six weeks

so soon! My wife and I would love to have you for dinner after the birth. I can’t wait to meet the little one.

thank you. I would love to. goodbye sir. 

goodbye, beautiful lady.

[opera-simplified]

Opera Simplified #7: Les Huguenots—Notes for Act V and an Appendix!

Notes:

** For some bizarre reason (possibly a combination of length and the fact that this act does not portray the Catholic Church in a good light at all), it was surprisingly common performance practice for a very long time (although not anymore) that this act would be cut entirely and the opera would end with Raoul getting shot outside Valentine’s house at the end of Act IV. If you’re scratching your head too...yeah.

*** Partly because this scene is often seen as not really necessary for the main plot and partly because it primarily consists of an extremely difficult tenor aria, this scene is frequently cut.

**** The version of the aria given in the main text is the version commonly performed; due to a combination of cuts and censorship of anti-monarchical content, the aria here is much shorter than originally written. Below is an English translation of what was to have been an additional verse of the aria and would have been inserted after this line:

RAOUL

When he [Coligny] was alive, they did not dare look upon

this noble face honored by victory without paling—

and in death, they insulted him!

Friends, here is his blood!

Do you still doubt?

And these are Frenchmen!

And these are Christians

who claim their support from Heaven and the royal throne for this!

Roving and full of fury, cursing their torture,

I ran to the Louvre, running through the danger,

to plead with King Charles! What a crime! May he be cursed!…

I saw the King himself shoot down his [Huguenot] subjects,

whom he is supposed to protect, from the top of his balcony!

Everywhere, murder and fire!

Everywhere, furious priests

proclaiming the wrath of Heaven!

And alas, no one, not even

the young girl in prayer

or the baby at its mother’s breast,

escapes their blows!

Will we helplessly watch this blood flow

when it cries out for vengeance?

It is waiting to be avenged! And they will have that vengeance from us!

***** The Louvre Palace was the royal palace of France prior to the building of the Palace of Versailles. It did give its name to the art museum now partially housed within it, but to be clear, Valentine is not telling them to take refuge at an art museum.

****** Props to Olivier Py (director of La Monnaie De Munt’s 2011 production) for apparently being the only director with enough common sense to let Nevers die onstage.

******* The ending of the previous scene is often modified so that this and the previous scene take place in the same setting.

Appendix:

so as you may have guessed, there was a shitton of research and online articles and things used in the making of this very long, very detailed project!

the following are some of the resources used in the making of this Opera Simplified:

-Wikipedia

-Google Translate

-Collins French-English online dictionary

-Wiktionary

-five (5) different libretti:

Google Books previews of Giacomo Meyerbeer: The Complete Libretti

Nico Castel’s word-for-word English translation

this webpage of Eugène Scribe’s original libretto before Deschamps (and others) made changes to it

this French/Spanish libretto

and this French/Italian libretto

-a piano/vocal score and a full orchestral score both available on IMSLP

-this delightful post from my dear @monotonous-minutia

-this post i wrote over two years ago