#wrote this thinking about Claude and was like

[platonic-qpr-selfshipping]

F/O: summer's so hot in here that I almost feel like I'm at home

S/I: heh, to be honest, in my case I don't even know where my home is

F/O: well, you will always have my arms. I bet they are warm, too

[foone]

I love finding out there's weird drama behind a song.

So, in 1967, a french songwriter named Jacques Revaux composes as song called "Comme d'habitude" (As Usual) with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibaut. Claude François releases a version with him singing it, and it's enough of a hit that some music execs are trying to get someone to do an English version.

David Bowie's publisher happened to share an office with another publisher who brings in the record, and Bowie's publisher suggests Bowie could sing it. Bowie's manager thinks it's a sure-fire hit: He thinks Bowie is a good singer and lyricist, but not so good a composer, so by using the music of Jacques Revaux and Bowie's lyrics and voice, it'll easily sell lots of copies.

Bowie writes new lyrics, calls his version "Even a Fool Learns to Love", and records a demo in 1968. The French publishers of the original song turn him down, however: They want some big name singer if they're gonna sell the rights, not some unknown "David Bowie" guy (Space Oddity wouldn't be until 1969, so he wasn't a star yet, especially internationally).

So Paul Anka enters the picture, after hearing the song on French radio while on holiday. He's been a successful songwriter since the 50s, and he's a big enough star that the publishers of "Comme d'habitude" agree to sell him the rights (for 1 dollar. But Jacques Revaux's label retains the rights to the music, so they get royalties).

He then has a meeting with a singer and "some mob guys". The singer says he's getting out of the music business, he's sick of it. Paul Anka rewrites the lyrics to be about that idea: at the end of your career, looking back, and not having any regrets. He calls up the singer and offers the song.

in 1969, Frank Sinatra releases "My Way" to immediate success.

And this pisses Bowie off. He was going to release a version of "Comme d'habitude"! He wrote his own lyrics and even recorded it! Reportedly he was angry about this for a year, and decides "screw it, I can write a big song like that!". So he does, makes it sound "a little like My Way", and

So in 1971 he writes "Life on Mars?", as a parody of "My Way" and proof he can write songs like "My Way". It's included on his 1971 album Hunky Dory, and released as a single in 1973.

And since it's considered one of his best songs (as well as one of the best songs of all time), I guess he really succeeded in proving he could do that.

But yeah. Listening to "Life on Mars?" I never would have guessed it was connected to Frank Sinatra's "My Way"

[francis-writes]

Could you do a NSFW Alphabet about Claude Frollo or any other Disney Villain you prefer?

Judge Claude Frollo NSFW Alphabet

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Perhaps you wouldn't expect this but he gets very soft and cuddly. He's too tired and high on serotonine so for some time you don't see him scowling. Instead he just nuzzles his head in your chest and pulls you closer to him.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Claude doesn't pay that much attention to his look, he rather brags about his wisdom, power and righteousness but if he had to choose something, it would probably be his figure in general. The fact that he's tall and slender, yet still strong despite his age.

In your case, it would be your thighs. He likes to squeeze them, lay his head on them, have his head squeezed by them

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

It isn't that important to him but if Frollo had to choose, he would decide to come inside of you. First, because he's catholic and it's one big breeding kink, second - because it makes him feel that he possesed you more.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

You are his dirty secret. Other people probably don't suspect that Frollo has a lover and even if he makes it official, he wants everybody to thing that your the most proper christian couple, sleeping together only to make kids, in complete darkness, without any light, missionary and God forbid any additions to spice things up. If any of you have any marks from heated session, you must cover them and play a virgin in front of Paris.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

I headcanon that before meeting you, Claude was a virgin or had maximum a few intercourses. In general, he was celibate in repressed, avoiding even thinking about carnal desires.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He doesn't have one, it depends on his mood. Sometimes he prefers missionary so he can be maximally close to you, sometimes he likes to take you from behind to dominate and overpower you, sometimes he likes you on top. There's no rule.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

To quote Cabaret: "You know this funny thing about Frollo? Yeah... there's nothing funny about Frollo". Maybe once now and then he says something funny, but it's usually morbid/dark/threatening. You know, his kind of humour.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He doesn't pay attention to it but he doesn't have much hair there anyway. They are small, delicate and gray.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Well, he's very passionate, that's for certain. He always fuck you as if it was his last day alive and he uses every opportunity to savour your body.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Remember when I said that Claude avoided even thinking about carnal desires? Well, that's not completely true. Sometimes when he was laying sleepless in bed, he gave into his urges and jacked off, wondering how would it be to break his vows and feel someone's warm touch. But he always had a great remorse later.

Now when you're together, he still jacks off but usually when you're away and he has no choice but to take care of himself. Other things that changed is that now he thinks about you; and he doesn't feel any guilt later.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

A lot. I already wrote many posts about his kinks so now I will just give a quick summary: Frollo is a switch. He likes to torture and dominate you, perhaps roleplay, but he's also a big sub with mommy kink. And he has a foot fetish.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

He claims he's refined and picky, which is usually true but when it comes to sex, Frollo would take you wherever. Your bedroom, his office, dungeons of Palace of Justice, even his carriage. If he gets horny, he's not gonna wait until you come home.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

I know it sounds cliche, but everything. Once you get into his bed, it goes like avalanche of repressed desires. Everything in you turns him on, you don't even need to tease him. Your look, your joke, the delicate touch of your hand. Oh, and also murder and torturing people but that's by the way.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Despite his tendecy to fuck in risky places, Frollo would rather avoid getting caught or let people know more details about your intimate life. He has reputation to uphold.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Claude loves it, no matter which way. He enjoys being waken up with a blow job but he also can spend hours just to give you pleasure.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Depends on the moment but he usually likes it rougher, no matter who is in control. Still, there are times when he just wants some sweet loving.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He's all for quickies and nothing strange, considering how often he gets horny. No matter the place, he always can take you right here, right now.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

As I said, when you break that first "oh no, it's a sin", Frollo is pretty much open to experiments as long as they stay a secret.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He isn't that young anymore but he still has some vitality in him. Anyway I would say that if he takes a little break after each round, he can last long.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

How many toys existed in middle ages? Anyway, when it comes to basics like ropes and whips etc he's all for it but you would have to convince him to use a dildo for example. (It takes a bit convincing but it's not very hard)

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He doesn't tease you (he likes to keep his image of stoic cold judge) but enjoys when you do it. He can't stand it for long tho and he quickly pulls you to the nearest private place.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He tries his best to stay quiet but he fails miserably. He only can hold back his moans a bit when you're in a more public place and Frollo has to avoid ruining his reputation (never stopped him from fucking you in the carriage tho)

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

It's a tough topic because it can as well be one of no's as one of the kinks. Perhaps both because forbidden fruit tastes better. In short: blasphemy kink and hierophilia. If you convince him to read scripture or wear a cassock during sex, he will be secretly really turned on.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

According to 1st law of dick, he's packin, but tbh i would adore his dick however it would look.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Bigger than you would thought in his age. He would probably like to fuck a few times everyday, start and end every day with your body (and enjoying it in breaks from his job).

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Rather fast. As much as he likes it, sex tires him, he isn't so young after all, so he needs a quick nap.

[thechaoticplayer]

hihi <3 hope ur having a great day ! Seeing as your requests are open ... May I request Claude & shu using cock warming as a punishment :( I'm in love with your whole blog omg we need more niji writers </3

Author's note: OMAIGOSH TANK YUU 😭😭😭😭 real tho where u mfs at (stares at moots with a loving yet threatening gaze) I'm having a great... morning? I wrote this at 4 am chat go high or go low

Summary: aw shucks, you fucked up :[ COCK WARMING FOR PUNISHMENT FROM CLAUDE AND SHU 💥💥💥 (doesnt seem like a punishment tbh- I'll stop) Contains: nsfw, cockwarming, teasing, f! reader, Shu x reader, claude x reader, praises with a side of degradation, might be slightly ooc None of my works are proofread!

CLAUDE CLAWMARK

"Claude," you whine, squirming atop Claude's lap. "When can I-?"

The cleric quickly hushes you, leaving forward with your back pressed against his chest. "You decided to bother me during such a important time. It's your own fault."

Your core pulsates around his cock, walls fluttering as you roll your hips a bit. A groan, and Claude digs his nails into your thigh. Tears form in your eyes from the sting, as well as the torturous non-movement of his dick inside your warmth. However, his attention remains glued to the damn TV, one hand on the remote and the other pinning you down against him.

You feel so incredibly hot and bothered, Claude filling you up but not getting the sweet feeling of his length pistoning in and out of you like usual. His pre-cum covering your gummy walls, his rough chest against your back, legs spread wide for him for easier access, his whispers hot in your ear while he fucks you hard and slow. His sharp nails deep in your waist, not enough to bleed, but enough to leave a delicious sting and marks that are guaranteed to stay for a while. Your heat swallowing him each time he bottoms out, the squelching noises combining with the sounds of lewd moans and skin slapping skin. That string inside drawn taut inside you as your slick covers his pelvis, the stickiness from your legs proof of your arousal. Back arched, eyes rolled back, hands clenching the bedsheets, moaning the cleric's name like a whore. All the while he praised you for how good you're taking him, how you're being such a good girl for him while he fucks you relentlessly. His thrusts getting sloppy as he gets close as well, and you clamp hard around him. Claude tosses his head back with a drawn out moan as he empties his louds inside you, coating your insides with a white you always craved. You squirting hard around his girth, dripping down and all over the bed sheets. They'd have to get washed, but you didn't care. Not while he was making you feel so good.

But that wouldn't happen for a good while, not while Claude is playing this game. No matter how much you beg and plead for him to move, this is your punishment for not obeying him <3

SHU YAMINO

"So when you get this answer," Shu explains, circling an equation. "This is the y-intercept. So you'd plot down the points on the graph like so. And then you have to find the x-intercept, which is when you basically plug in the value for y into the equation to get x. Afterwards, you plot it down on the graph. However, we aren't done. To find the range and domain..."

God, he kept blabbing on and on. Don't get it wrong, you absolutely adored the sorcerer, but how did he think you were gonna focus with you on his dick? You could barely keep up with any of the numbers thrown about and letters... his veins throbbing inside you as you twitch here and there, your core searing hot. The head of his cock nestled against your g-spot as he had you at a certain angle, one that was slowly driving you insane.

"Hey," Shu says, slapping your thigh, making the area red. "Are you paying attention?"

"M-mhm!" You nod vigorously, squinting down at the paper. The words and numbers swirled around on the page as you tried to obtain your focus. "The... something about the horizontal asymptote? Right?"

"I didn't even say anything about that," Shu chides, thrusting up into your cunt and ripping a moan out of you. You grip the edge of the table, arms and legs shaking. "Now I see why you aren't doing so well in class. You don't pay attention. No wonder your classmates call you an idiot."

"Shu please..." You gasp. "Please..."

"As I was saying..." Shu continues on, as if he didn't hear your pleas. His cock deep inside you, unmoving, causing tears to brim your eyes. The redness on your thighs would continue to spread as Shu degraded you and slapped you, scolding you for not focusing. The few thrusts and rolls of his hips here and there barely offering you any kind of relief from the sorcerer. He was going to make you learn and remember.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Bette Davis (All About Eve, Now Voyager, Jezebel)—She is a bitch and I like her so much. Also: unf. She does it all: rage, vulnerability, romantic passion, hauteur that invites beholders to say "step on me" under their breath. Her work in the 1930s, from melodramas to romantic comedies, is excellent, but I've mentioned 1940s films above because I feel that she really was at her best once the studio allowed her star image to get edgier. Also her decades-long platonic friendships with male co-stars (e.g. Paul Henreid, Claude Rains) are very important to me. Anyway: bow down before Bette Davis, HBIC.

Vanessa Brown (Tarzan and the Slave Girl)—Was fluent in several languages, wrote and directed school plays in high school, was a movie critic and feature writer for the campus newsletter while she was majoring in English; had a career in film, television, radio, stage and was also talented in painting

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Bette Davis propaganda:

"The absolute GOAT of vintage cinema. An icon. Her EYES. Any time you see Bette on screen you know she's about to steal the spotlight. Her range is incredible, she can play coy, shy, mischevious, innocent, evil, hideous, beautiful, cunning, and wise all with the same self assurance and talent. I live in awe of her ability. And, of course, she's gorgeous. I think she peaked in 1950 with "All About Eve", at the age of 42- she was in full control of her craft, she's a milf, and her scratchy voice makes me nervous in a good way."

"She’s Bette fuckin’ Davis! She had a great sense of humor and a lovely pair of eyes! She was a camp icon and fuckin’ knew it. And she wasn’t afraid to make fun of herself!"

"shes got a whole song of saying how hot someone is bc they look like her"

"She's got Bette Davis eyes! Incredible character actress, charming, witty as all hell. Her favourite accessory was a lit cigarette."

[lizardkingeliot]

thinking about how canonically daniel hart lestat wrote the lyrics

Ruin each other Like star-crossed lovers Your Pelléas, my Mélisande

in his song for louis and just how this level of extra is going to translate to the sort of songs daniel hart lestat will be writing in season 3. specifically the songs he's going to write about louis. specifically the songs he's going to write for louis to try and get all of his attention the second they've forgiven each other but are not actually together. specifically the songs he's going to write about how deeply romantic it would be for the two of them to ruin each other while comparing them to characters from a claude debussy opera. specifically...

you see where i'm going here. lestat needs all of louis' attention all of the time and i'm already foaming at the mouth about just how over the top rockstar lestat's song lyrics are about to be... 😭

[nesiacha]

Revolutionaries with a Hard Fate after the end of the revolution

Gâteau, Saint-Just's friend, whose loss he never recovered from. He died in despair in 1815 during the Bourbon Restoration.

Marie Angélique Lequesne, widow of Ronsin, later divorced Turreau, who was also active in the revolution. She had a terrible marriage with him (Turreau betrayed the Ronsin couple twice, once while Ronsin was alive, pretending to be his friend and stabbed him in the back when Ronsin needed supportwhile he was being attacked as one of the representatives of the Hébertist faction during the period of the factional infighting. The second time by horribly mistreating Marie-Angélique after that he married her , even having her whipped). You will see in the links I’m sending. She also lost a son during her lifetime. It’s possible Turreau separated her from her sons’ custody. In fact, to punish her for their separation, he made her live in poverty during three years and she had to seek help from a judge to return to France. It’s likely that this poverty lasted until the end of her life, as her daughter, Alexandrine, died in misery and poverty (Alexandrine, who was also a victim of her father Turreau). Here are the posts: Letter from Turreau to Ronsin and the Complex and The Day a Judge Confronted Turreau for His Actions

Marie-Anne Babeuf, widow of Gracchus Babeuf, who had been her husband’s right hand. Before the revolution, she had already lost a daughter due to a boiling water accident. Gracchus never recovered from this loss. Then, under the Directory, their other daughter, Sophie, died of malnutrition caused by the high prices of rations (Gracchus wrote a letter of despair in prison, saying that people like Boissy d'Anglas had condemned his daughter: "I had a seven-year-old daughter; I soon received the heartbreaking news that she died from the murderous reduction of the two ounces of bread."). She was pregnant when her husband was arrested, and she walked miles with her son Emile to try to save him. She may have even tried to help him escape, according to certain letters. She continued to fight after her husband's execution and was repeatedly arrested by the police. But her son Camille went mad and committed suicide. As for her other son, Caius, he died in Vendôme during the foreign invasion of France at the age of 17. It’s possible that she even outlived her last son, Emile, as, despite being known as a militant with a strong character in adversity, and being arrested by the police under the Directory and Bonaparte, her death date is unknown. Some say she was still alive when her last son, Emile, died. She also saw many of her friends die under the mockery of justice, including Topino-Lebrun, executed under Bonaparte (see Topino Lebrun: A Revolutionary Jacobin Close to Gracchus Babeuf) or her friend René Vatar, who died in deportation (he had campaigned for her release when she was imprisoned).

Claude-Antoine Prieur, who lived his last years very painfully. He lost his beloved daughter and granddaughter. His friend Lazare Carnot died in exile, and Prieur’s friends Frilley and Monnet did not return his friendship. See the very good post ( and sad ) post by @aedesluminis on Prieur’s tragic end: https://www.tumblr.com/aedesluminis/758618574216724480/nigrit-i-dont-think-she-cared-much-about-the?source=share

Jean-Nicolas Pache. He withdrew from political life. He was close to his children, especially Sylvie Audouin (according to Mathilde Larrère, she was a fervent Hébertist and therefore supported her father ideas). He survived his daughter, who often visited him, while watching everything he had worked for collapse. I already talked about Sylvie here quickly here and her role during the revolution and the Directory with her husband Xavier Audouin ( https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/767044131014033408/very-mediocre-and-horrible-quote-from-buzot?source=share) . I really have to do a post about pache one day btw

Prieur de la Marne, who died in exile so poor that there was not enough money for his funeral.

Feel free to add because I know I've overlooked many and they all deserve more information

P.S: I hesitated to put Sophie Momoro in it after everything that happened in her life afterwards but if she died in poverty and had a failed marriage at least she was able to have her 3 children and her husband was not like Turreau ( here about some of the life of Sophie Momoro https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/758994396416016384/life-and-fate-of-sophie-momoro-n%C3%A9e-fournier-and?source=share). But she still have a sad end.

Sources:

Antoine Resche

Jean-Marc Schiappa

Claude Mazauric

Bloche

Mathilde Larrère

[yuri-is-online]

So I reread your rollo fic and I realized something.

You know the metaphor for trusting and loving someone even though they'll bring out your doom? You know the metaphor of going along with your loves every whim and desire even though you know in the back of your head that this is a bad decision?

It's the "Bite the Apple" metaphor. And Yuu LITERALLY bites the apple that Rollo fed them in the story! Religious metaphors go so hard especially for Rollo and I love it!

Either that or I'm reaching too far, which is also a very real possibility 🤙✨️.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *cough*

So no, you aren't really reaching that far I had a couple things going through my mind when I wrote that scene, all of them were religious metaphors.

Claude Frollo isn't a priest in the book or Twisted Wonderland, but the way the scene was structured was meant to be reminiscent of a priest giving holy communion. Taking communion is necessary for salvation in Catholicism, and in Rollo's mind he is offering all of Twisted Wonderland salvation with his scheme.

The apple is often the fruit used to depict the fruit from the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden that Satan tempts Adam and Eve with. What Rollo is actually doing in this scene is tempting Yuu to betray their friends and side with him. And he is lying about what his intentions are by omitting how he plans to save them from magic.

This one is not one you might have expected, but my mind did go here so I'll mention it. Apples and honey are often served during Rosh Hashanah for a variety of reasons, but the general idea is that it is to symbolize a desire for a new year filled with sweetness and hope. I feel a bit bad corrupting it like this but both Rollo and Yuu have hope for a better year so yeah. My jewish family members would not be proud of me for that one I don't think.

The other reason I picked honey is because it is something so strongly associated with good I thought it made sense to corrupt it, as Rollo's desire to protect Yuu is objectively good but it is being corrupted by his obsessions and just. Well he isn't exactly a good person is he?

[66sharkteeth]

Weekly thoughts, ep 177-

And do I have thoughts this week! As well as things to point out.

I was pretty excited about this episode and it's kind of something I've been building up to for a while. I've talked in the past about Claude's development being some of my favorite in the series, and this ep is kind of what these past few eps have been building up to. I know the last few eps haven't been the most thrilling- Which is normal, to have some calm eps after a huge events, and I have been sprinkling important scenes in there (I mean, Rex got The Memory™), but another big thing drawing these past few eps out were getting Claude to this moment. I think in the original outline, this scene actually came a lot sooner, and it just felt...far too sudden to me. It needed those scenes we've seen the past few eps of Jericho confiding in Claude and him realizing Jericho is too far gone.

Which honestly, I think is kind of sad in a way nobody's really pointed out- Jericho revealing all his plans to Claude because he's the one person he thinks he can trust, and then Claude going behind his back with the information. But like Claude said in the episode, he does this all with the best intention for Jericho- He realizes he's gone too far now and he's trying to put out the fire Jericho set before the bridge is entirely burned.

Now as for his actual plan and if he'll get away with it... Haha, well, I even said last week these panels were important information that I knew people were gonna gloss over and sure enough...

Maybe it would have been more obvious if I put him in...literally pants lol. but yeah, dude was under a blanket the whole episode and it wasn't because he was cold:

That said, I do think the majority connected all the dots, but there were definitely a few people who didn't quite catch onto Claude's plan.

Now I DO think a more valid question is if Jericho could feel what Claude was writing. Which honestly, I just... Didn't really even think about until people started asking, but...

Maybe he just wrote on his human leg

I actually don't think the blank space can feel anything? I mean, we saw Jericho getting ripped and torn apart by scientists and he talks about how it didn't actually hurt.

After people pointed it out, I got curious and tried to write the note on my own leg and... honestly I dont think I would have ever known what someone was writing. I think I would have just thought it was a grocery list. So I think even if Jericho COULD feel it...he still wouldn't assume it was anything but a list of medicine and maybe some other things he needed.

That said... I think everyone is very valid to see a giant death flag over Claude now LOL. You'll just have to keep reading in regards to that.

Hm... I feel like I'm forgetting something. I think the only last thing I had some thoughts on were the small percent of people who still hate Claude and don't see this as any kind of redemption. To which... damn, yall are harsh LOL, but okay. I do kind of think those people are missing...a lot... in regards to Claude's development and his struggles but... w/e he's a fictional character and the enabler of the guy who has killed two protagonists now, so I get it more than like... Lyss. Who just made made wrong choices with the best intentions.

[throwaway-yandere]

Saudade (Yandere!Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Reader)

A/n: it has been 500 years since I turned off my brain and wrote something out of pure passion lmao dimitri my beloved &lt;333

Unreliable Synopsis: Circumstances won't allow you to be around the crown prince of Faerghus' side, and it wasn't as if you want to be near him either after allying with House Gloucester. Besides, if there was one person you want from your past back, who else would it be other than your old womanizer best friend? (Cw: yandere themes, violence, war)

commissioned by: @poptartsthings (holy sht thank you for making my first commission to be dimitri fic aaAAHHHHH--)

“You should just send them your letter– say that you’re sorry.”

"Uhuh, but what if he doesn't remember me anymore, Raph?"

"Well," Raphael placed both his hands behind his head, lolling back as he reeled a fish in. "There’s just no way. Based on your stories, I think he’s in love with you, (Y/n). You can't just ignore him forever, ya know?"

You raised an eyebrow, "yes, I can. It's not like there are tons of situations where I need to interact with the crown prince."

"Okay, true... But maaaaaybe you can try eating lunch with him!" Raphael brushed against your shoulder "There's nothing that can get people to open up like a good meal together. Maybe you can steal a seat– oh, and sneak in his favorites on his plate too."

You chuckled softly, "I think that method only works on you, Raph."

"Nonsense!" He said, shaking his head earnestly. "It also works on my baby sister!"

You snorted.

Your housemates are endearing. Truthfully, you never would have expected that it's comfortable in the Golden Deer. Your heart desired to become a Blue Lions graduate like your parents, but familial circumstances or lack-there-of forbade any opportunity. Had life been easier on you, your dorm wall would've sported your family’s blue flag.

And not Gloucester’s.

Since your parents perished in what is now known as the “Tragedy of Duscur”, Count Gloucester assumed responsibility of being your legal guardian. Your parents had always thought of Lorenz’s father as a close ally. Plus, this arrangement was better than living up the frigid north with estranged minor noble relatives who gave you an even more colder shoulder.

However, thread any less carefully around the Alliance, and you might find yourself under his conservatorship forever. You just have to thank the Blue Sea Star that you didn’t bore a crest lest you’d be engaged to Lorenz. Uncle Erwin is a wonderful father to him and he doesn’t treat you with malice either— but of course, he keeps an eye open to morally gray opportunities to exploit your title.

And that includes listing your name amongst the Golden Deers.

At first, you were hesitant in showing that you're an “outlier” in class, but it seems you fit the mold quite easily. Too easily. Not because you had been accustomed to their social norms, it is more like the fawns are oddballs themselves. The youngest was an enchantment waiting to explode, your largest was a total muscle-head, the house leader has a screw loose when it comes to strategic retreat and poisoning, and the rest are just as eccentric.

No one cares if you told them you have an affinity for theater here, and spoilers: they really did not give a damn. Except for maybe when Ignatz genuinely went "oh, that sounds wonderful, (Y/n)!" before the conversation digressed about Leonie's mismatched socks she bought on the market.

Oh, but Raphael and Claude did care when they found out that you might've had a long but faded friendship with at least four of the Blue Lions. Compared to Claude, you trust that Raphael comes from a good place whenever he brings them up. Since he and Ignatz were childhood friends who slowly grew apart, he has your best intentions whenever he suggests something that could reignite your relationship with either Sylvain, Felix, Ingrid, or Prince Dimitri.

Claude, on the other hand…

The house leader first emerged as a shadow, then he sat down and squeezed between you and Raphael, with his arm encircled around your waist. Claude's apparent lack of etiquette went unmentioned by either of you (you suspect Claude is part-Almyran), but you do intend to ignore him later like your "foster brother" does.

"Trading secrets about Prince Dimitri, are we? Won't ya invite poor me along in your little secret meeting?”

You sighed tiredly, "Claude–"

"I was just kidding. No need to give me that face," Claude raised his arms defensively. “My lips are sealed— I never heard a single word between you two, promise.”

The deers were a little leery of your prior association with the crown prince of Faerghus. Claude, who frequently pries into everyone's private affairs, persistently diverted your focus to the Lions. In fact, he once burned your favorite book to forcibly draw your attention to the library so that you'll share the same room with Dimitri. Talk about extremes, really.

But you did notice that there's something off about Claude this time.

“So what brings you here? There’s no way you’ve come here to fish.”

“Yeah, no…” He cringed. “I’d rather do the eating part.”

“Haha, you get it, Claude!” Raphael said before the two men shared a crisp high-five.

Ah, these fawns…

You sighed, “can we skip to the part where you explain why you’re sitting beside me right now?”

“Sure. Leonie wanted me to tell you that Lysithea told her that Lorenz was told by Prof—”

“Do you not know the meaning of “skip”, Riegan?”

“Nah, course I do,” Claude smirked. “It’s just fun to tease people who live in House Gloucester.”

“Sothis, have mercy.”

“As I was saying, Lorenz was told by Professor Byleth to tell you that Sylvain is now part of the Golden Deer.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“… What?”

There was no dramatic gasp. Nothing sensational or derogatory comment was elicited from impetuous lips. You simply blinked and said the words "what? as if it were a simple joke. Claude needn’t explain that those were facts. Based on how he approached with worry written on his face that he failed to hide from you, he wasn't jesting.

You're reluctant to speak with Sylvain. You last spoke to him in earnest four years ago. Don't get it twisted, you do want to get back in touch with that philanderer's good graces, but where would you even start?

Dear Sylvain, I’m sorry for ignoring your letters? Dear Sylvain, I’ll reimburse you for all the theater tickets you gifted before without my consent? Dear Sylvain, I’m a garbage best friend?

… Knowing him, he’d likely frame that letter with careful preservation while the ink from his heaps of love letters faded inside his shelf collection. If you were to send similar letters to the other two, Felix would train to become a mortal savant and burn the letter out of spite, and Ingrid would have simply torn them up.

“WOAH!!!”

Raphael's chest caught your attention for a brief moment, and you quickly avoided him, concerned that those wooden buttons will suddenly protrude into your eyes. Your housemate captured the fish without even feeling his buttons tear apart from his outfit.

Goddess Messenger.

That’s quite an expensive catch right there.

But it felt like an omen for something.

“… I’m heading back to my dorm room.”

“Want us to go with you?” Raphael offered, but he reeked of fish.

“No, I’ll head there alone.”

Claude tilted his head, “Sylvain is probably there, you know.”

“I know,” you nodded. “But I’m tired.”

“I just can’t run away from the lions anymore.”

You should’ve taken your words literally.

Instead, the phrase "I need to get over this, fast" resonated in your thoughts, and you bolted as soon as the impulse to settle everything fueled your anxiety. You should have cared if someone got in your way, but you didn't.

“Ngh—” you flinched, bumping into someone’s back. “Whoops— sorry about that—”

You froze as you looked up.

Great. Just your luck.

“… What is there to be forgiven, (Y/n)?”

And of course, he called you by your first name. Your arguments against Raphael were demonstrably false. A futile hoax. Why even try to imagine that he might have forgotten about you?

Dimitri smiled softly, his eyes crinkling in delight. You gulped shakily.

After all, how can the crown prince ever forget his first love?

Now that you took a good look, his hair was much shorter than how it used to be and he grew positively taller. It’s a haircut you took a while to get used to, especially since you recalled how his hair used to hover near his shoulder. Not that you didn’t know about any of this information already. It’s just that you had to reassess those facts after seeing him up close. Perhaps a bit too close for comfort.

If only your last memories with him were as pleasant as his face.

He wanted you as his consort, but you had nothing to offer him. No land, no worthy title befitting for a king’s spouse, and no true inheritance in your arsenal at age 15. But when one has less to lose, they become more introspective. While clinging to Sothis' statue and pleading for life, they gain wisdom. Unlike the prince, you were not naive to what could befall the kingdom if you were to marry him. Instead, you sought asylum by knocking on Uncle Erwin’s door with the few loyal servants to House (L/n) left, and he accepted your offer after days of consideration.

His name will be tarnished as a young traumatized prince who copes by spoiling a love unrequited. But most of all? The loss of his friends and family would’ve developed his separation anxiety towards you more if you stayed.

The prince was something of a doormat teenager. He begged and nearly cried when you had accidentally slipped out that you’ll be allying with House Gloucester– but stopped his outburst the moment you chewed him out with hurtful phrases. Dimitri clung onto you like an affectionate pup and if his childhood self could latch on for the rest of his life, he would in a heartbeat. Perhaps it was the side-effect of being his first friend. He had always been a genuinely kind person, but he was always so caught up in whatever happened in the past.

Was it rational or heartless to leave him and the rest of your companions behind? Likely both, if you were to ask El.

That doesn't mean you don't occasionally catch a glimpse of him at the officer's academy. It's hilarious how, after Dedue performed his duties as a vassal, Dimitri now had to cope with a situation that was identical to yours. A "protector" so dependent… it was as though you were watching the prince try on your shoes. Your “you don’t have to shield me every time we go to the training grounds” line became His Highness’ catchphrase towards his retainer. And you’re not sure what to feel about that.

Was it comedy or plain karma? Likely both, if you were to ask Claude.

“Good evening, Your Highness,” you bowed. There would’ve been more eyes on you inside the cafeteria if you hadn’t. Gossips of lese-majeste would’ve stirred even Lindhart awake. “Do you require something from me?”

Formal.

Too formal for him, but not formal enough for you.

Dimitri's brows wrinkled, and you briefly saw his lip tremble. His hands were behind his back, and one of them was discreetly and firmly gripping his wrist. That man had a pained, speechless expression on his face, and you don't hold him responsible when words fall short.

But when words do fail, you wished he could just stop talking whenever he feels overwhelmed.

“I…”

I miss you. So much.

You didn’t need to hear it to know what he wanted to say.

Princess Edelgard was right, Dimitri is wholly predictable.

He cleared his throat, ears turning red.

“It had been so long since we had last spoken, has it not?”

“It has.”

“Around 4 years, so I'd say.”

“Hmm. So it has,” you doubt he noticed how your words were curt and redundant, since he's too busy trying not to melt. “So it has.”

“Are you enjoying the Golden Deer house, s-so far?” Dimitri manufactured a smile. “I’ve heard you and Lorenz made for a wonderful tag team at the last House Tournament.”

Bullshit.

He didn’t just “hear” about it.

You saw him cheer for you giddily in that tournament.

There is nothing he can conceal from you. If he were as cunning as Claude, it might take you some time to discover who was responsible for leaving sloppy, "anonymous" love letters inside your dorm. There were also petals tucked inside. Pink camellias, a sign of longing.

“It’s a feat not worthy of your praise, your Highness.”

Seriously, you don’t want to hear him flatter you anymore.

“Simply untrue,” he shook his head earnestly. “I’ve also heard that—… Y… You are fond of Raphael. As a friend— of course. It’s relieving to know that you have many companions from different walks of life— which is to say, I approve of whoever you talk to, but—”

You’re not deaf. You noticed how much his words were about your relations with others. There’s no other interpretation to this other than jealousy.

Still, his face was red. He must be too caught up in the joy of talking to you that he didn’t care for how envious his words sounded. You laughed curtly. You want to remind him the reason why you left, but you can’t explain a thing despite desperately wanting to, just like him.  

Dimitri wants you back, so much so that he's stuttering in every sentence.

But you didn’t reply to his ramblings. Save for the cafeteria hall’s chatter, it was silent. You’ve long accepted in your heart that your family is dead and you ought to coast forward. 

And there’s no future where you will cut through a path beside Dimitri. 

Besides, House (L/n) had histories of trading tactics with Leicester, and you cannot discount how people refer to your blood as sheeple with its loyalty. It’s a double-edged sword, one you’d utilize well if you close your eyes right now and ignored the heartbreak and yearning in his eyes.

And so, you closed your eyes.

“My apologies, I’m in a hurry so I’m afraid I have to get going. Farewell, Your Highness.”

Dimitri's eyes widened, trying to reach for your arm.

“(Y/n), please wait–”

But you were already gone.

“Hey there, (N/n)!”

It was only when you heard a familiar voice did you open your eyes again.

An attractive and familiar young man lazily leaned on one hand on your door, completely blocking your dorm room. “Are you gonna talk to me now, or are you just going to ignore me for the rest of the school year?”

He’s here.

You steeled yourself.

“Gautier…” You exhaled.

“Oof, “Gautier”, they said,” he frowned. “Not a single “I miss you, Sylvain”? No “gosh, sorry I didn’t talk to you for so long, I was just too shy to admit that I was wrong!”?”

You chuckled nervously.

“Perceptive as ever, I see.” But you weren’t wrong. Becoming a Golden Deer was the right path for you.

“Not perceptive, but hopeful really,” Sylvain shrugged. “Based on that reply, I’m glad my wishful thinking was spot on. You do miss me.”

“I do, but I now just realized I’m not prepared for this conversation,” you said, surprised by your upfront and composed anxiety. That talk with Dimitri seriously drained all the energy you garnered earlier. “Can we do this later?”

“No can do. I shall allow you passage if thee speaks from the heart,” he teased with his signature ladykiller grin. “Go on, say it~”

You sighed, burlesquely exasperated.

The two of you adore theater, so talks like these were commonplace. He’d mask his flaws when confessing sins in this manner, but you prefer to hear his real justifications. In any case, this is just another conquest for him to gad off and hunt some girls in another house— and your new professor is undoubtedly a sight to behold.

“Oh, Sylvain, mine dear friend, thou art missed for nearly half a decade, but mine fear did not condone myself to reach out.”

Like two birds of a feather, you also similarly mask your sentimentality.

Funny how you can easily say you miss Sylvain, but not Dimitri.

Sylvain smiled. Genuinely, this time.

“Good.”

The resolution was surprisingly fast. You were willing to bet you both anticipated a serious confrontation– a meeting that feels like a long-awaited class reunion after a war or so. But no.

The two of you are still flawed yet perceptive idiots after 4 years of not talking.

You both laughed in unison.

What were you worrying about anyway? You knew that at this point if Sylvain was angry at you for leaving, he should have grown tired of that emotion.

His primary grudge had always been the crest system, not you.

You should've had this talk earlier, he's the only one in the Blue Lions you were sure won't blame a crestless noble like you for those circumstances.

“Now move, Gautier.”

He stepped aside smugly.

…

You opened your mouth in surprised indignation.

“Why does my room look clean?”

“I had Mercedes help me clean it up the moment I took a look inside. Seriously, I can’t believe you managed to live in a complete pigsty—”

“It’s like you want to sour our reestablished friendship in under 5 minutes, Sylvie.”

“...”

“What? Too old to be called Sylvie nowadays?”

“No, keep calling me that,”

Sylvain never stopped smiling.

“Oh, and by the way? I miss you too, (N/n).”

“… There you are.”

As soon as Sylvain left the hall to your dorm, he was greeted by the sight of the crown prince lingering in front of the stairways. Unlike Sylvain, he was not leaning on anything while waiting. The prince stood straight, dignified.

Then again, Sylvain knew his royal motivations lie in jealousy— and that’s far from “dignified.”

Sylvain can tell from his stiff stance that Claude was particularly touchy-feely earlier, which was exactly why he requested Lorenz to relay the message instead rather than the house leader. His Highness must’ve seen how close you sat beside Raphael and then Claude. The Golden Deer's leader knew Dimitri was obsessed with you— he probably intended to provoke him for the upcoming Battle of Eagle and Lion. It didn't help that Dimitri had his eyes on you, always. If not him, then Dedue.

Not that Claude's scheme will work. Dimitri was satisfied just to see you smile, even when it pains him to acknowledge that it wasn’t for him or because of him.

Sylvain is an exception to that rule.

Dimitri had a cold glint in his azure eyes, but his gaze all but glared at Sylvain. He had a smidgen of control, for now. But it’s not long until what Sylvain had prophesied about the crown prince quipping a remark or two about staying away from you will occur.

“Waiting for me to explain my random decision, I’m guessing?”

“Oh, I simply liked standing here but sure, Sylvain! I’d dearly love to know the rational thought behind switching houses out of the blue. It is not as if Felix and Ingrid were worried about you,” Dimitri generously gave his princely smile.

Sometimes, Sylvain forgets it was physically possible for someone so austere with himself like Dimitri to say something laced with malicious sarcasm. But Sylvain knew Dimitri stood there because he was still worried about his friend, even when he pretends to be unbothered.

Like bread and butter, Dimitri and forced positivism complement each other disastrously well. The Blue Lions often caught him murmuring things like "I'm delighted (Y/n) is making new friends" or "I hope Claude continues to treat them well" despite having a glum expression on his face, obviously bottling up his envy. Felix finds it as easy as breathing to call him out on this behavior: "Why bother stalking them when you can't handle the envy you feel when they hugged Lorenz or held hands with Marianne? ”

His Highness never answered that question. He thinks had kept his feral thoughts at bay most of the time and will continue to do so.

Still… Raphael, Claude, and then Sylvain… Dimitri can’t catch a break.

Why do all these men keep approaching you?

Will you never recognize the perpetual anguish that befall him the moment you didn't reach for his hand and took Count Gloucester's that day? Have you no sympathy for the man that promised your protection— for the boy you trained and sneaked out when you thought the king wasn't looking? Whenever he wakes up the following morning without you, do you not experience the same emptiness and loneliness that he does?

Was it because he is a "troubled prince" nowadays?

Was it because he couldn't taste anything anymore?

Why did you eat saghert and cream with Ignatz instead of him at the cafeteria?

Why did these men have to ruin the one taste he can recall?

He lies awake every night to the sound of phantom screams from fallen soldiers, friends, and family against his hand-covered ears.

But you were his solace. His “God/dess”.

And just like with the Goddess Sothis, he lacked the means to grasp your hand...

If only his cold hands could wring those men's necks as well...

“... Do you really want to know, Your Highness?”

It took Dimitri a while before he snapped out of his trance. His voice dipped low, his breathing uneasy, and his eyes lacked focus.

Sylvain looked at him with pity Dimitri wished you spared him instead.

“Yes,” he exhaled. “It shall help our friends put their minds at ease.”

“Well, well, you're sure it's not because you'll miss me?”

“Sylvain.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll tell you,” Sylvain dreamily gazed up at the sky and boldly proclaimed:

“The new professor was hot.”

“Sylvain!—”

“Calm down, Your Highness! That was just a joke.”

Unlikely.

“I joined because (Y/n) is there.”

Dimitri froze.

The meaning behind those words could either be tolerable or impermissible enough to make the prince push Sylvain to the training grounds without remorse.

Sylvain’s not going to try and suddenly woo you now, will he?

You did grow more gorgeous after four years after all…

But Sylvain can't have you— Dimitri might just lose it. Out of everyone on campus, he refuses to let an adamant skirt-chaser take you.

“… Elaborate.”

“Elaborate? What’s there to elaborate?” Sylvain crossed his arms behind his back, now back to his laissez-faire attitude in life. He cackled to himself, absolutely unrepentant. “Is it bad that I want to reunite with an old friend? You know, before they were your friend, they were mine. Don’t forget that we’re both older than you, Dimitri.”

Multiple considerations led to why Sylvain chose to frolic with the deers rather than squander the school year at the lion’s den. One of these includes avoiding Ingrid’s nagging— he can’t be bothered having a pegasus pecking around while he galavants with (unfortunate) women.

But most of it boiled down to reunite with the one platonic relationship he missed.

Sylvain became Dimitri’s ally through you. Had you not approached Sylvain and Dimitri during one of King Lambert’s birthday celebrations, they wouldn’t have initiated a friendship through a children’s version of a bergamot tea party away from drunken nobility. More opportunities to befriend the prince would’ve likely presented themselves through Ingrid and Felix, but that memory of tiny cups and tea-stained shoes was special because it had you.

Because you were smart and kind enough to drag Sylvain out of his older brother’s schemes of public humiliation under the guise of being “invited” to an audience with royalty.

You were more of a sibling than Miklan ever was.

“By two years,” Dimitri stressed. “You’re only older than me by two years.”

“Your point? Doesn’t change the fact that compared to most students this year, we’re one of the older ones.”

He bit his bottom lip.

Age was one of Dimitri’s insecurities. It cannot be helped— if he were only older, people would’ve listened to his testimony for the people of Duscur more seriously— if he were only older, he would’ve had control over his uncle—

Dimitri’s knuckles grew white underneath his gloves.

If he were only older, then maybe you would’ve stayed by his side.

“What a lark. Are you attempting to compete on who had a better relationship with (Y/n)?”

“No, Your Highness, YOU are.”

Dimitri’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized that those pointed words he spoke aimed towards himself like a misthrown javelin.

"Let’s be honest, Your Highness. I’m saying this as a friend, but you could be a bit tone-deaf and insufferable around them,” Sylvain deadpanned. “You had some serious attachment issues and you never listen when they tell you to stop with all those creepy comments about protecting them forever.”

“Is… Is that so?”

Dimitri muttered to himself while looking at his shoes, sounding almost broken. He had doubts, but Sylvain’s words practically cemented that you’d be unwilling to spend time with him again.

“Besides, if this were a competition, you lost the moment I waited at their dorm.”

The prince’s head snapped back up like a confused puppy.

“Why is that?”

What a horrible thing to ask.

“Because (Y/n) just told me that they missed me,” Sylvain smirked.

“And if you were there, you could’ve heard them call me Sylvie too, just like the good old days.”

Since that talk with Sylvain, Dimitri wanted to make you as lonely as him.

Oh, how he badly wanted to whisk you away from that house– oh just how much he wished he could force you to wear his cape– to wear the color of the lions.

But none of that matters now.

You look prettier when doused in splattered red.

The soil sipped the blood that drained from Ignatz's head. It reminded you of the time you asked the painter if he could use blood as a dye. If he were to watch this scene, he would've waxed poetic about how he will be simply returning his life to the earth, but the beauty of death is lost on you. The gravity of war weighed far more than the theatrics of what-he-would've-spoken.

It’s been five years since the war started.

You had lost your voice two years ago the moment Dimitri kidnapped you on your expedition to Garreg Mach— you’ve mistaken him for a bandit and in a blind rage, he dealt a massive blow to your neck. Dimitri didn’t mind that you had lost your ability to speak he seemed to relish that you’re similarly deformed. He romanticized both your disabilities often. A “God/dess” who couldn’t speak and a “boar” who couldn’t quite see. What a royal pair indeed…

You can’t say your prayers now, but you hoped thinking about praying for Ignatz was enough…

Ignatz should've turned 22 this year. Based on the way he last behaved, he didn't seem prepared for this war and had been misplaced by Professor Byleth.

You’ll never be able to eat saghert and cream with him again.

You can't remember what tactic you used in this battle. Was it Felix who was assigned to stick ten feet away from you who had slain Ignatz? Or was it Ingrid who rode her pegasus to stab the sniper in a suicidal fashion?

This entire battle is a blur. You can no longer stand straight and aim your sword reluctantly toward anyone.

Why can't everything go back to how it was before? Why can't you just fish at the Great Bridge of Myrddin with Uncle Erwin again?

You wobbled down the grass as a wyvern obstructed your view with its proud albino scales cruising the sky. Claude sits atop, his face stony through a nearly unrecognizable expression of placid anger. His emerald eyes inevitably met yours.

You didn't stand with your sword supporting you, and he didn't draw his bow either. Instead, before leaving to find the bright red target everyone called an "Emperor", Claude mouthed words that only you two could understand. You uttered nothing in response. Even if Claude were to succeed, his scheme would be futile.

Sylvain can’t save you from Dimitri.

Like a fairytale, it begins and ends with the crown prince. It always had.

But if Dimitri was the protagonist of this story, then pray tell, what does that make you?

A damsel in distress?

The king's court jester?

All you ever wanted was for House (L/n) to survive, to preserve your family name and dwindling territory against House Charon. You desired the opportunity to emulate your father. A fearless front-liner and a skilled tactician.

However, you have not taken any real action to end this war. You moved like a weak infantry, unable to maintain balance on one leg or call out for upcoming danger.

You just can’t run away from the lions anymore.

"Get up."

You couldn't move, mortified.

His Highness is back.

"I said GET UP!!!"

His iron-like hands yanked your hair up, and you felt some of it weeded out by his sheer brute force. You wept immediately but held back tears. Despite your commitment to keeping your composure, he had torn away what little hold you had left on what you call "stability." Your knees shook as his tall figure began to drag you away. Each step felt more jagged than the last. Your heart beat erratically as you worried about toppling down– and when you inevitably did, he was there to pick you up.

For Dimitri, this situation was advantageous. Most Golden Deers are here, which meant he had opportunities to route them all. He had already stabbed Ignatz, incessantly. Each draw of his lance— each crack of the artist’s glasses and bones— rejuvenated whatever youth war had stolen from him. The future king of lions couldn’t stop grinning maniacally as his eyes lay upon a deer’s corpse. It was as if his sense of taste was coming back. All of his soldiers and classmates were too terrified to stop his senseless slaughter. If Gustave did not scold him about the oncoming army, he would’ve continued damaging the corpse senselessly.

But it’s only a matter of time until he shoots for the leader of the herd as well.

He still hasn’t forgiven him for using his beloved against him back at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. This was the perfect opportunity for revenge. Once they’re out of the picture, then it’s only Edelgard left who he had to worry about— but until then, he’ll have to take the deers’ lives for stealing his beloved away.

Shame that Lorenz had yet to be found.

"Tch. Fool."

He cradled you like a bride but gripped your jaw like a hostage. Dimitri's current appearance is much too different from what he used to be. Sweat and blood had greased up his unruly hair, and the blue cloak that was slung over his shoulders was much dirtier.

"I command you to eat."

It was almost sweet. Almost kind when his voice softened for just a millisecond. Almost touching how his one eye gazed upon your sunken features with disdain.

But your appreciation for it all vanished the moment he robbed something from Ignatz's corpse.

"Eat."

He shoved onto you Ignatz's last bloody loaf of bread. It was hard, yet soaked.

Your throat couldn't express how terrified you were upon holding it.

"Gone deaf as well, have we?"

He pushed the bread closer to your chest, effectively crushing it against you. Dimitri breathed against your ear.

"I SAID: EAT.”

Your tears and Ignatz's blood salted your food.

The bread tasted just like the ones Raphael's family had in their inn.

Ignatz… He probably got this from Raphael… Which means he's in Gronder as well…

You sobbed as you took a feeble bite.

Please… Please be safe, Raphael.

Dimitri saw your struggle. He saw your continued concern for those who were after his life and yours. Why do you spare sympathy for the bodies that got in the way between you and him? They did not warrant those tears. The weak must fall— even he too will join them someday.

And so, Dimitri closed his eye.

You’ve gone fragile in his arms, and that was not spoken in a romantic sense. He had fractured your right leg enough to make you use your sword as a cane, yet he insists on dragging you in combat. Time and time again, he forces you to witness what he is capable of and more till you’re unable to write complaints.

Dimitri wanted to reassure you that you’re on the right side of history.

That you can cut a path beside him— you just weren’t trying hard enough before.

And it was a challenge the prince can’t easily scale. You never showed your appreciation for longer than a minute. When he learned how to dance begrudgingly with El after she had poisoned him with thoughts that he could use her teachings someday to dance with you— you dared to ask Sylvain out during the White Heron Cup. When he tried to give you a more fancy dagger as well during El’s parting, you admired Sylvain’s coincidental parcel of theater tickets and tea leaves instead.

Sylvain, Sylvain, Sylvain—

It was always Sylvain.

His entire body shook from laughter. You shriveled in fear as his voice echoed throughout the battlefield.

The beast put you down underneath a tree's shade that he deemed as safe.

… and kissed your forehead.

“I can see him approaching us.”

Dimitri cooed mockingly.

“Shall I decapitate and mount that filthy rat's head on a silver plate?”

You didn’t need to hear him utter his name to know he was referring to Sylvain. It was tempting to challenge him on how he could say such a thing about someone who had once been a friend, but that inquiry wouldn't help. Dimitri cupped your face and wiped your tears away with his rough and heavy hands. You flinch so easily nowadays.

How adorable.

Five years ago, you won't move a muscle whenever he kissed your forehead good night.

Five years ago, he worried about accidentally waking you up and exposing himself for breaking into your dorm so often just to drop his unhinged love letters.

Five years ago, watching you rest allowed moments of respite.

However, it didn’t invigorate him as much as your tears did now.

“Fret not, my fellow monster, I shall fetch it for you,”

He tightened his grip on his areadbhar, scanning the right field. The lance's crest stone glowed, and there was no looking back after that.

You’re here now, and he will NEVER let you leave. He won’t have a repeat of what had occurred when Count Gloucester was present around nine years ago or so. He’ll protect you this time, and it no longer mattered to him if he were a corpse or a monster in your eyes. It mattered not that he no longer slept. He intends to keep you alive and by his side, just like what he had promised in his childhood.

You can't even begin to imagine how much being away from you ruined him.

He had reached the point where he will kill everyone that tried to touch you, and he won’t have someone else do it, too.

Was this love or obsession? Likely both, if you were to ask Lady Rhea.

But what does Rhea know about Dimitri’s mental state anyways? She’s been missing for years now, she might as well be dead to you.

Without thinking, you grabbed his cloak. He patted your head but his eyes were locked on the cavalry unit from afar, and the dark and sinister smirk on his face solidified your fears.

Sylvain approached faster, and you did your best not to cry.

If he dares to fight Dimitri in the state he is now, then he might as well be a dead man walking too.

You wished you didn’t have to join the Golden Deer house— you wished Sylvain didn’t follow suit— and you wish you didn’t leave Sylvain behind. You did not doubt that if it hadn’t been for you, Dimitri would have concentrated only on Edelgard and joined forces with Claude to eliminate her. It would have given this historical period a more coordinated scheme. History won’t have to remember you as the catalyst that made things worse.

"(N/n)!"

You heard Sylvain yell from behind Dimitri, which only made your heart ache more.

It's been years since you last heard his voice again.

Dimitri took your warm hands and brushed his cheek against it, no matter how obvious it was that your eyes yearned for someone else’s touch.

He looked at you with such a soft gaze that you nearly forgot the monster he had become.

“Once we hang his head on our bedroom wall, you have no right to complain about missing “Sylvie” ever again, my beloved.”

[tiffany-chan123]

Not gonna lie, I have a lot to say on this as an Asterix fan, mostly positive though.

First off, I was legit surprised that on the original French dub Alain Chabat is playing Asterix here, I was honestly kinda expecting either Jean-Claude Donda (His current French VA, who also took over a lot of other roles the late great Rodger Carel played before his death in 2020.) or Christian Clavier (The actor who did play Asterix in the Asterix Film Alain Directed, that being Mission Cleopatra, to even voicing the character in the French version of Secret of the Magic Potion mind you.), though to be honest…I kinda like his portrayal of the character actually, and from what I read up he has done a couple of dubbing roles before (In particular as the French voice of Shrek oddly enough) so Alain Chabat isn’t completely alien to voice acting.

Also in the French version, Gilles Lelouche (Obelix In Asterix and the Middle Kingdom, which is probably one of the few good things in the movie IMO) is voicing Obelix here, dude was a solid Live Action Obelix, so I don’t mind him voicing the character in this.

I would also like to say it’s cool to see Netflix keep up tradition of the English Dub for Asterix movies having English Voice Actors, really curious about the voice actors themselves, hope we get to find out the VA’s when it gets closer to the release of this mini series.

Second, HOLY CRAP this already looks really solid animation wise, especially in the colours and art direction. There definitely seems to be some vibes of the Alexander Astier Asterix films he wrote (Mansion of the Gods and Secret of the Magic Potion), as well as some Spider-Verse influence here as well with the addition of the comic onomatopoeia in certain shots, and while I am not that familiar with TAT Productions (Need to watch Pil and a few other of their animated films sometime).

While yes, it would have been cool to see an Asterix comic story that has never been adapted, at least in animation (Really want to see Asterix the Legionary someday be adapted personally), but in Big Fight’s defence, the 1989 animated adaptation wasn’t the most accurate and was essentially a fusion between Asterix and the Big Fight and Asterix and the Soothsayer, and while I will admit the 1989 movie was fun, getting to see a more accurate adaptation to the story would be a fun watch and they could even pull a Mansion of the Gods and expand on the story and speaking of…

Is that Caesar’s mother Aurelia I see?

For context, Aurelia has never been featured within an Asterix story, let alone in animation for that matter, so its really interesting to see her, though she is not called Aurelia in this, but instead is called Mother Caesar here.

But she isn’t the only new character in this adaptation. There is also a female character named Metadata, and I think she might be this girl, not gonna lie she has a cute design. I wasn’t kidding with those Alexander Astier Asterix Movie comparisons with them expanding on the original story a big

Even if this is basically a teaser, this has left me really curious for more, already miles better than Middle Kingdom and I cannot wait for this mini series to release. Especially with Alain Chabat at the helm.

[nordleuchten]

The man who hated La Fayette

I really struggled t find a fitting title for this post because I need you to read this letter! It is absolutely hilarious!

While in exile after the French Revolution and his time in prison, La Fayette and his family settled in Holstein in what was then Denmark on the country mansion Gut Wittmoldt. They were in contact with many of the local aristocracy. One family that was especially influential in that region at that time was the von Reventlow family. Now, I made a post in the past that not all of the von Reventlow’s were the biggest fans of La Fayette – I know Countess Frederike Juliane’s “this man” letter made not only me laugh. But now I found the one letter to rule them all.

Charles Claude d’Angiviller himself a French Émigrés, had settled in Holstein and was in contact with the von Reventlow’s. he even lived at their country estate Gut Emkendorf for some time. In 1798 he wrote a letter to Countess Frederike Juliane about her meeting the Marquis de La Fayette. I had to highlight the best part.

Eh bien! vous avez donc vu le froid, insipide et glacial Heros des deux mondes plus justement intitulé Gille César par le Duc de Choiseul? mot plaisant qui me semble le peindre parfaitement, car il s’est toujours présenté fierement à tous les événements, pour s’y conduire sans talent avec une insolence niaise et en sortir avec honte. Je doute d’ailleurs qu’au delà de la curiosité de la réputation appliquée sur le personage il vous ait infiniment satisfait, car toutes les fois qu’il a été dans le cas de parler, il auroit été au defrons de rien sans l’impudence d’immoralité qui a servi d’eclat à deux ou trois de ses mots, tels que l’insurrection est le plus saint des devoirs. Je crois que sa prison l’a conservé un grand-homme, comme ces fétus que l’on conserve dans l’esprit de vin. Je pense encore que la principale de ses qualités, qualité rare, et bien plus rare qu’on ne croit encore, est une sorte de ténacité et de suite dans la même idée qui fait qu’on veut, et ce qui est plus rare encore: qu’on veut longtems la mesme chose. Au reste ce n’est point une ame libre et indépendante, c’est un ambitieux hipocrite (…).

My translation:

Well then! you have seen the cold, insipid and icy Heros of the Two Worlds, more aptly named Gille César by the Duc de Choiseul? a pleasant word which seems to me to describe him perfectly, for he has always proudly presented himself at all events, only to conduct himself without talent, with foolish insolence and to leave with shame. I doubt, moreover, that beyond the curiosity of the reputation applied to the personage, he has greatly satisfied you, for every time he has been in a position to speak, he would have been a fool if it hadn't been for the impudent immorality of two or three of his words, such as insurrection is the holiest of duties. [d’Angiviller referenced the following quote of La Fayette here: “When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensible of duties.”] I think that his prison kept him a great man, like those fetuses that are preserved in the spirit of wine. I also think that his main quality, a rare quality, and much rarer than we think, is a kind of tenacity and continuity of the same idea that makes one want, and what is rarer still: that one want the same thing for a long time. Besides, he is not a free and independent soul, he is an ambitious hypocrite (...).

I personally lost it at the point where d’Angiviller compared La Fayette with a preserved fetus ... this is an insult even I have not seen before.

But as seething as this letter is, I can not bring myself to completely disagree with d’Angiviller. In fact, I completely agree with him, that La Fayette’s imprisonment almost certainly helped his status and reputation in the long run. This came at an awfully high price, but it did help. Furthermore, d’Angiviller, mentions that La Fayette’s talent was to be persistent, to want the same thing for a very long time. I agree with that as well. Moreso, many of La Fayette contemporaries seemed to agree with this statement. One of my favourite quotes about La Fayette is about him having blinders. French writer, politician and historian François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, a contemporary of La Fayette and himself an ardent royalist wrote:

M. de Lafayette had one idea only; luckily for him, it was that of the century. The fixity of this idea gave him a kingdom; it served him as a pair of blinders; it stopped him from looking to the right and left; he walked a straight line with a firm step; he went forward without falling into the precipice, not because he could see it, but because he didn’t; blindness served him as genius might have.

While this statement varies greatly form d’Angiviller letter, I find it interesting to see that still the same idea, the same in perception in different statement, made by people with differing opinions about the same person.

[the-bitter-ocean]

2 for the isat ask meme!

(Act 3/ Act 4 Spoilers) Thank you for the ask @beneathsilverstars ! I’ll be saying my response under the cut:

2- favorite npc?

Okay aside from the main cast (Loop, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Bonnie and Odile) I’d have to say my favorite npc would have to be Euphrasie!

I adore her design and I just grown to really appreciate her/ writing her in general when applying the theory/ hc I had that she’s from the island like Loop, Siffrin and the King are. I’ve talked about that theory in depth in the official ISAT discord server, as well as here on tumblr. You can find a huge summary of that theory/ hc I initially came up with compiled by my good friend @felikatze who wrote a master post analysis on it here. My personal ramblings and theories about her can be found here and here.

From what little we get to see of her I just think she’s neat! A very fun and sweet character! I personally enjoy both writing her and drawing fanart for her. I’m a sucker for the characters who adores are kind and lighthearted/silly but still willing to do what it takes to protect the people they care about! Euphrasie is cool and it makes me sad when people say she isn’t really a character bc that’s wrong imo! Idk man even if we aren’t given a lot in the game itself, I think Euphrasie is in a similar category with characters like Petronille (Bonnie’s sister) or Claude ( Mirabelle’s roommate) we can clearly see glimpses of what they’re like based on how others describe them and flavor text/ interacting with objects in game etc. Like in canon Euphrasie has: 1) helped guide Mirabelle and many other people in the house of change 2) was one of the few people who knows about wish craft/ did her own research on it to help stop the king and 3) literally gave her own powers/ blessing of being immune to the King’s time freeze to Mirabelle so that she could escape being frozen at the cost of her own safety. Hell even when the world seemed to be ending and Siffrin shoved her away when he went super fucking huge kaiju star mode, she seemed to be fairly lax on the whole situation. Holy shit. Nerves of steel. What a gal. I love her vibes.

I know most people think nothing of her because she doesn’t get to talk or do much, but I find her role fascinating in the context of the game especially knowing that in the loops Euphrasie is aware that the world is breaking apart or that she’s forced to repeat/ say things like a broken record against her wishes. If you don’t understand what I mean by that you should check out the ISAT script project website which can be found on the tumblr blog @isat-script-project

TLDR- I like euphrasie a lot and I like when people in aus or fanfic and fanart expand on her other npcs characters in depth in general. It’s very cool and awesome >:)!!

[katurdayss]

Okay so with Long Face being canon with a lyric video at this point, my brain was interested in the other lyrical song we have from Lestat in canon, i.e. Come to Me.

Out of the two, Come to Me is objectively a better written song. Bit repetitive, yes, but so is Sabrina Carpenter's Please Please Please or Taylor Swift's Shake it Off.

What makes Come to Me so intriguing to me though is that it's one of only 2 certified Lestat POV narratives we have currently. I've already mentioned Lestat's use of music terms to position himself as soft in his breakup song Long Face (like that song is anything else cmon). The interesting part is he does something similar in Come to Me.

In the song, he continually refers to himself as Pelléas and Louis as Mélisande. Who are these people, you ask? They are the star-crossed lovers of an Opera written by Claude Debussy (of Clair de Lune) about a love triangle between 2 princes, Golaud and Pelléas, and a mysterious lady found in the woods, Mélisande. TLDR Golaud happens upon Mélisande in the woods and marries her. He brings her back to the castle where she meets his half brother Pelléas. Over time Pelléas and Mélisande engage in an emotional affair. Golaud is jealous and controlling from the very beginning, but becomes even more so as he sees the two get to know each other. The opera ends when the star-crossed lovers meet outside the castle at a well, with Golaud spying on them. They confess their love as Pelléas is set to leave the castle but Golaud reveals himself and kills Pelléas in a jealous rage. Mélisande ends up dying after giving birth, with Golaud remorseful but realizing there will be no end to his torment because his wife has only loved Pelléas all along.

Now, remember, Lestat wrote this song as an apology/gift to Louis for almost killing him. If anything, Golaud is a more representative character for Lestat at the time. He's committed extreme violence out of a jealous love and has no resolution because Louis is silent. 'This silence is cruel Louis and you were never cruel.' Lestat however, thinks of himself as Pelléas, the softer of the two princes. Innocent and tragic in his love. This casts Antoniette in the roll of Golaud in his little love triangle, which shows us how he views Antoniette. A remarkably unfavorable/cruel view of his mistress considering Louis's POV sets up Antoniette as a shadow rival to Louis.

I also think it's worthwhile to note this opera he references was debuted in 1902. A relatively new opera (sung in French, written by a French man, Lestat really has national pride eh?) from Louis human lifetime. Lestat's positioning of himself of Pelléas also foreshadows his "death". Pelléas downfall is love, just as Lestat's fatal blindness was his love of Louis.

And this is all from a song that's only ever a background artifact in the show itself. Goddamn.

[centrally-unplanned]

I would be more gung-ho about the AI tools if literally every single time you see someone saying:

What it wrote stunned me. My jaw hit the ground, and I think my brain exploded and actually went blank for several moments, because I was so blown away by how uncannily it seemed to describe WHAT I thought was so profound in the interview, and WHY it was a profound insight!

Its from a guy having a meltdown over Claude Opus summarizing a section of a podcast transcript and saying why it "mattered" and giving back this:

That, that sure is a summary of the transcript, just putting out every possible idea in the transcript that could be important and rephrasing them, with no sense of judgement or selection!

And like, these "important insights" into a game company's business history are:

1: Early start-ups are lean

2: When they become bigger, they change

5: Small companies are free, big companies are strong! This definitely isn't literally restating points 1 and 2!

You can just see the source code, right? Its every single hagiography of a tech company's Basement-to-Series-B-Funding story mashed up in a blender. Which is fine, as a product, its neat to have a tool that can accurately summarize things. Totally useful in the proper context.

But come the fuck on. Your jaw did not hit the floor, that event did not occur. I'm not saying the author here is an idiot or anything, he is not a gullible rube who mistook a text summary for divine insight.

He is just lying to you for money and clout, because he hopes you are.

[sissylittlefeather]

Introducing:

Vivian Choquette

A new OC for the upcoming fic Your Love's Been a Long Time Coming.

Headcannons:

- Born in 1940, she's 19 when she meets Elvis

- Her mother, Delphine, was French and she never knew her father. Her mother was a dancer and she married Vivian's stepfather, Roland Everett, an American officer, during WWII in 1945. Delphine passed away when Vivian was 14. Now, she lives with her stepfather where he's stationed in Germany.

- She speaks English and French fluently and knows how to communicate in German fairly well.

- She smokes, drinks, and cusses like a sailor, but there's an elegance and grace to her that seems to make everyone forget how crude she can be.

- She writes poetry in English and French and is obsessed with reading, specifically literary criticism, philosophy, poetry, and classic literature.

- She's also an actress, a singer, and plays the piano.

- Her aesthetic is romantic academia and her favorite colors are light pink and mint green.

- Her birthday is February 26th, making her a Pisces.

- She's an outgoing introvert, meaning she loves to work the room at a party, but she also needs time alone to recover from the interaction.

- Her first love was a boy in high school who wrote poetry and played the violin. He promised to marry her, took her virginity, and then disappeared.

- She's a hopeless romantic who is obsessed with all things related to love and the beauty of human connection. She thinks people are poetry and nature is spiritual.

- Her hair is dark brown, her eyes are deep blue, and she's 5'2" tall. Her build is petite and slender and her hands and feet are small and almost fairy-like.

- Despite her French blood, she prefers American food. Still, she herself cannot cook to save her life. She's been known to burn toast and struggle with boiling eggs.

- The other thing she cannot do is any kind of visual art. She can't paint, draw, or sculpt and finds it infinitely frustrating.

- She has a quick, short temper and will explode easily and then forget why she was mad ten minutes later. She also has a sense of melancholy about her and when she's in a mood can spend hours weeping over a sad song or poem.

- She loves music, but her exposure is fairly limited to classical and pop. Her favorite music is her mother's collection of Claude Debussy, specifically Clair de Lune and La Cathédrale Engloutie.

- All in all, she's like a summer thunderstorm, beautiful, chaotic, calming, and poetic all wrapped into one.

******

Stay tuned to meet her as Elvis does

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@ccab @aliypop @your-nanas-house @rjmartin11 @elvisfatass @tacozebra051

Let me know if you want to be tagged in her fic!