#French Kiss: Tale of the Revolution | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

edupunkn00b · 1 year

Text

French Kiss: Tale of the Revolution, Ch. 15: The City of Light

Prev - The City of Light - Next - All - [ AO3 ]

WC: 2350 - CW: weapons, angst, arguing

10 July 1789

It was nearly dark by the time they arrived in Paris, but the streets were still hot and humid, the sweet, fresh air of the countryside a memory. Janus didn’t wait for either Logan or Patton to climb down from the driver’s perch and slammed open the carriage door the moment the wheels stopped turning. He carried with him the bag from Remus, his wig tucked safely in its box under his arm.

“Janus, wait—” Patton called after him, but he slipped down the stairs to the back entrance of the church basement.

“Let him go,” Logan muttered. “He has every right to be angry with me. What I said was reprehensible.”

Patton rested an impossibly strong hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly. “What you said was… pretty bad.” He gave his shoulder a little squeeze. “But you were speaking out of worry and… hurt.”

“Of course I’m concerned, but…” Logan shook his head. “What would I have to be hurt about? Janus seems perfectly happy with this arrangement, he’s the favorite of the future King. You should have seen the way he smiled when he… he—” His protest withered under Patton’s knowing smile. “He cannot know,” he pleaded, gripping Patton’s arm with both hands..

Patton pulled Logan into a hug and rubbed his back. “Your secret’s safe with me, Logan.” He shrugged and pulled back enough to grin up at him. “Well… I think Remy figured it out, too, but he’s just a busybody sometimes.” He squeezed his arms around Logan one more time, then leapt down from the perch and offered his hand. “Come on down and get Remy to make you something. I’ll take care of Naif and Petit. ”

“It… it would perhaps be best to give Janus a little more time to cool off before I attempt another apology.”

Nodding, Patton smiled up at him. “Now, go on, I’ll meet you inside.” He gave Logan a little nudge as he led the horses to their borrowed stable at the end of the road.

Logan watched him go, then took a deep breath and retreated into the warm glow of Café de Foy.

~~~

Janus didn’t light the lamp in the tiny room he shared with Logan and the city’s fetid heat had made their pathetic little pellet stove unnecessary. He stubbed his toe on the foot on the bed and swore. Perfect way to end the night. How dare Logan judge him without even hearing what he had to say? How dare he assume this was mere lust? He never even considered, never even asked if there was more.

He stripped out of his clothes in the dark, and hung them in their little shared closet. Not that either of them needed much space. Logan had two shirts and two trousers. One waistcoat, which he was already wearing. Janus had acquired a few additional pieces, mostly from Logan, actually. “You do it better justice,” he’d murmur when one of his wealthier parishioners gifted him something out of guilt.

Slamming the door shut, Janus threw himself onto his bed and pulled the threadbare sheet up to his neck. Despite the worst the humid July night could throw his way, his bed felt cold and entirely too large. Had it really taken only two weeks for him to become accustomed to not sleeping alone?

Evidently.

Hours passed. Starlight shifted and the moon set, darkening the room further. The low, steady click of Logan’s prized clock marked the time, droning on and on as though nothing had happened, as though Logan was simply already asleep and quiet in his own bed. But the room was empty, the only sound to accompany the clock was Janus’ own breathing. After what felt like half the night, Logan quietly shuffled down the stone steps, foot falls echoing in the silence of the night. The door was nearly soundless as it opened and Janus lay still, feigning sleep.

Logan would want to talk. Would want to confess, to gain his absolution the way he’d grant it to his parish. Janus was in no mood to grant him anything.

He listened as Logan prepared for bed in the dark. His heart clenched at the quiet sniffles from the other side of the room. Logan was crying. Why the hell was he crying? Logan lingered near the closet and after several minutes, he murmured, almost to the clothes themselves, “I’m so sorry, Janus.” His voice was barely louder than a breath. Had the city been awake, it surely would’ve drowned out his words and Janus would have never heard what he said next.

“If you love him even half as much as I love you, I understand.”

Janus froze in his bed, afraid to breathe, afraid to reveal he was awake and had heard Logan’s confession. Blood roaring in his ears, he didn’t hear what else Logan said before he gently pressed the wardrobe door shut and climbed quietly into his own bed.

11 July 1789

Sleep was elusive but not impossible and the dawn had just begun to soak the horizon when Janus’ eyes finally slipped shut. By the time they reopened, bright mid-morning sun streamed through the little cracks around their closed shutters. Logan was gone. Janus squinted against the light. He’d left the shutters open, letting in the thin starlight and the chance for a bit of a breeze in the sweltering night. Logan must have shut them when he’d left, perhaps hoping to give him a bit more sleep. The city was busy, voices raised and more foot traffic past their window than usual. Everyone was likely trying to get in a bit of work and errands and visiting before the heat of the afternoon took them all.

Janus rose and dressed quickly. He had no way of knowing when exactly Logan had left, and he hoped to catch him in the café before too much of the morning had passed.

The city buzzed with energy, hushed voices speaking fervently at each corner. What had happened while he was gone? He pushed open the heavy oak door to the café and let his eyes adjust to the dim interior. Logan sat with his back to the door, hunched over the table, a bit of graphite in his hand and a short stack of parchment near his elbow. Engrossed in his work, he barely moved when the door clunked shut, but still his head jerked up when Patton called his name.

“Janus!” he cheered. “Let me get you a coffee!”

He nodded and made his way to Logan’s table. Head bowed, Logan watched him from the corner of his eye. “May I join you?”

Logan looked up and nodded, eyes wet. “Please,” he whispered.

They were both quiet as Patton brought a pot of coffee, letting his chattering about the heat, the new—gently stolen—water pump he and Remy had installed to support the growing afternoon crowds from the Sorbonne. “Those University students do tip well,” he said with a little shrug as he refilled Logan’s cup. “They want to pretend they’re working class but their purses are heavy,” he laughed. Finally, he smiled at each of them and excused himself before returning to the kitchen.

Logan searched for his words in the swirls of steam coming off his mug. Janus waited and slowly sipped at his cup, the smoky taste almost painting a smile across his face. He’d missed Patton’s coffee. The world’s everything at their fingertips in the palace kitchens and they couldn’t compete against the love that little server infused in his brew.

“I am sorry,” Logan finally said, ripping back Janus’ attention. “I was wrong to make assumptions and to…” He shook his head. “I said horrible things and I am sorry, Janus. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Lo,” Janus reached across the table and Logan flinched when he hesitated before taking his hand. “It’s not what you said that hurt,” he frowned, fingers tapping against the side of Logan’s fingers. His knuckles were more pronounced, as were the bones in his wrist. His fingertips were cold, even in the heat of the day. “It hurt,” Janus admitted. “But what was worse was that you didn’t trust me, that you believed that I would betray everything for… for pleasure. ”

Logan hung his head. “I don’t really believe that,” he whispered. “I… I was… was afraid. Afraid for your safety. It’s an incredible risk and…” He set down his cup and gripped Janus’ hand between both of his. “How do you know he won’t have you arrested? Have you…”

“He won’t.” Janus said. “He’s known who I was since the night we met.”

“What?” Logan hissed, leaning forward. “How could you—”

“I didn’t tell him. He had a courtier ask about ‘Sir Henri Juriste.’ Apparently my cover wasn’t as strong as we’d believed. The real Juriste is now at least thirty years my senior.” Janus rolled his eyes and finished his coffee. “But Remus waited for me to feel safe enough with him to admit the truth.”

“He’s a fool,” Logan muttered.

Janus yanked his hand back and glared at his friend. “Excuse me?”

“I do not—” he sighed and folded his hands in his lap. “I mean he brought a known imposter into his palace. Into his bed.”

“That’s enough,” Janus’ voice was quiet but sharp.

“You could have caused him real harm,” Logan explained, softer. “How do you not see that?”

“I would never hurt him.”

“And if the cause demanded it?” Logan straightened in his seat, glaring back just as hard. “Have you forgotten what you’d gone to Versailles to do?”

“And I’m doing it. Prince Remus listens to my advice—”

Logan scoffed. “Perhaps in his private chambers.”

“It is not like that.” Janus insisted. “I am doing what you would advocate for. I’ve even gotten him to read bits of your treatise—”

“You what?”

“None with your real name,” Janus crossed his arms over his chest. “It seems the Prince isn’t the only one you take for a fool.” He lowered his arms and leaned closer. “Like it or not, Prince Remus is the eldest son. He will take the throne when the King dies and King Remus will be amenable to our cause and will have the power and the heart to enact real change.”

“What has happened to you?” Logan sat back, eyes narrowed as he stared at his oldest friend like he’d never seen him before. “You were the best of us, you used your talents for the cause.” He slapped his hand on the table, punctuating each sentence. “You never forgot where you came from, never forgot what we were fighting for! And now?” Logan looked at him like something he’d scraped off his boots. “Now you're betraying our brotherhood, betraying our ideals, all in the name of some false love. You’ve known him for weeks , you didn’t tell him your real name until just now. That’s not love.”

“And I suppose you are the great expert on love?” Logan’s face fell and Janus wished he could rip his words back. “Lo, I—”

He only sat up straighter and finished his coffee. Patton was at his side before the empty cup had touched the scratched table top. Logan waited silently while Patton poured, then shook his head at Janus. “You are blinded by the needs of your heart. And your flesh.”

Janus' hands shook and he stroked his ring. “Are you quite certain it is I who is blinded, Father Gérault?”

Logan paled and looked away. Before he could respond, the café door slammed open and a half-dozen of the Garde Royale stomped inside. Conversation in the café dissolved, the faint bubble of the oat gruel Patton was preparing roared in the quiet.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” Remy called out from the back room, clearly drawn by the sudden lack of ambient noise. “May I get you some coffee?” He raised a steel tankard. “On the house.” When they ignored him, he stepped closer, his full height suddenly obvious. “Or perhaps something stronger? A light ale on a summer’s day?”

Janus’s eyes widened when the palace steward stepped inside, peering through the relative darkness at each patron. His eyes landed on Janus and he pointed at their table.

Remy stepped forward, just barely in their path. “Surely it doesn’t take six guards to have a conversation with one of my patrons.” Janus looked around them. The guards had chosen their position well, blocking both the main entrance and the side door. There was a hatch hidden behind the counter, but there was no way Janus could reach it without being seen.

The steward ignored Remy and approached the table where Logan and Janus sat. “By order of the Dauphin, you are to come with me , Sir Juriste.”

“You have the wrong person,” Logan said in his ‘reasonable’ voice. He rose, shoving his papers to the side then held out his hands in benediction. “This is my friend, he is not a noble.”

“Well, perhaps your friend has been less than honest with you,” the steward remarked and pointed at the gold bracelet hanging from Janus’ wrist. “He wears the Dauphin’s fleur-de-lis. Besides…” The steward managed to sneer and simper at the same time. “I know his face.”

“It’s alright, Lo,” Janus said as he stood. “At least you get to say you were right after all.” His joke fell flat when he met Logan’s eyes. "Be safe," he murmured and gave shoulder a squeeze as he drew close and whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry, too."

The guards had fanned out, standing between Janus and the other patrons. And Patton and Remy. “Very well,” he said to the steward, chin held high. “More guards outside, I presume?”

The steward nodded and moved with staccato steps to the door. One of the guards held it open, and two led the way. The remaining three watched the patrons—and Remy—muskets at the ready. Just before he was swallowed by the glare of the midday sun, Janus nodded to Logan and Patton. And then he was gone.

The guards followed and the café door slammed shut again. Voices erupted in the café and Patton leapt out from behind the counter. “We have to do something!” Logan nodded, about to speak. He was interrupted by a loud voice carrying over the din.

“Oh, now you want to take action?” Colére spat from the corner, feet propped on the table. “Where was this fight when the people were ready to take up arms to defend our right to assemble?" He rose to his feet. "Where was this fight when the people were ready to defend our right to be heard in the Assembly?”

“You wanted to storm the palace with a handful of boys who could scarcely lift a musket.” Logan’s voice was low but the former priest knew how to keep an audience. “That’s not being heard, Lucas, that’s being massacred. They’ve likely taken Janus to the prison at the Bastille.” He gripped Colére’s shoulder. “There are more guns than prisoners there. We will not win this by might alone.” Colére’s eye twitched, but he listened and took his seat.

“We need information,” Logan said, and turned to address the small group that had assembled around him. “And we need a plan.”

23 notes · View notes

neflication · 4 months

Text

Kiss Your FOMO Goodbye: Secure Your Slice of Cognac's Rising Star

The world of luxury spirits is abuzz with excitement, not just for established titans like Scotch, but for a rising star – Cognac. And unlike its oak-aged peers, Cognac's ascent isn't a slow, predictable climb. It's a dynamic surge, fueled by innovation, diversity, and a captivating connection to its unique French terroir. So, before you miss out on the hottest trend in premium booze, here's how you can grab your slice of Cognac's shimmering star:

1. Ditch the "Grandpa's Drink" Stereotype:

Cognac isn't your grandfather's snifter-warming spirit anymore. While heritage and craftsmanship remain its cornerstone, a wave of fresh approaches is redefining the experience. Craft producers are experimenting with unconventional grapes like Chardonnay, pushing boundaries with contemporary cocktails, and even pairing Cognac with gourmet fare. Forget dusty decanters – think sleek coupes filled with effervescent Cognac cocktails garnished with edible flowers.

2. Embrace Cognac's Terroir Tapestry:

The Cognac region isn't a monochromatic landscape. It's a vibrant patchwork of limestone plateaus, clay slopes, and sun-drenched valleys, each influencing the character of the grapes grown there. Discover the Grand Champagne's floral finesse, the Fins Bois' fruity exuberance, or the Borderies' rich, earthy allure. Each sip becomes a journey through unique French terroir, a far cry from the homogenized offerings of many big-name spirits.

3. Go Beyond the XO:

Age statements like XO and VSOP once dictated Cognac's hierarchy, but today's discerning palates crave more. Look for Cognacs labeled "brut de fût" (uncorked directly from the cask) or "single cask," offering unfiltered expressions of specific terroirs and vintages. You might discover a vibrant young Cognac bursting with fresh fruit or an aged masterpiece whispering tales of oak and spice.

4. Craft Your Own Cognac Adventure:

Don't be a passive bystander in this exciting era. Dive into the world of Cognac through immersive experiences. Visit distilleries, chat with passionate producers, and participate in tastings that go beyond comparing brands. Learn about terroir, distillation techniques, and the art of blending. You'll become a connoisseur, not just a consumer, making every sip a personal discovery.

5. Join the Cognac Cocktail Craze:

Gone are the days of Cognac relegated to after-dinner snifters. Today, mixologists are weaving Cognac's magic into dazzling cocktails that tantalize the senses. From fruity spritzes perfect for brunches to complex, layered creations meant for slow sipping, the Cognac cocktail scene is exploding with creativity. Explore online recipes, attend mixology workshops, or experiment with your own twists on classic cocktails.

6. Invest in the Future:

Cognac isn't just a delicious drink; it's a sound investment. With its rising popularity and limited production, top-quality Cognacs are appreciating in value. Consider adding rare bottles to your collection, focusing on limited-edition releases, special bottlings from renowned producers, or Cognacs showcasing unique terroirs or grape varietals. You'll enjoy their liquid treasures today and reap the rewards of their increasing value tomorrow.

7. Connect with the Soul of France:

Owning a piece of Cognac's rising star isn't just about the drink. It's about savoring a taste of French history, culture, and craftsmanship. You'll connect with generations of families who have poured their lives into perfecting this liquid legacy. You'll support sustainable farming practices and traditional techniques, preserving a cultural heritage for future generations.

So, say goodbye to "fear of missing out" and embrace the Cognac craze. This isn't just a passing trend – it's a revolution in the world of luxury spirits. Dive into its story, explore its terroirs, and own a piece of its future. After all, who wouldn't want to be part of something this thrilling and delicious?

0 notes

excusethequality · 4 months

Text

My 2023 in Film

Part 2:

51-100

You would think at 100 we would be getting close to the finish line for this list. But you'd be wrong, my friends! We've only just begun.

So strap in (or scroll on).

Link to Part 1

* = rewatched

[++] = I loved it [+] = I liked it [=] = I am indifferent about it [-] = Not my thing [--] = I hate it

Click on the list number to get a trailer for it.

51.

Closed Circuit (2013) ---Crime Mystery Drama

A pair of lawyers are tasked with heading the defense for a man said to be responsible for a terrorist attack. But they soon learn that there is something deeply sinister lurking behind this case and bringing it out into the light may just cost them their lives. [=]

52.

Relic (2020) ---Horror Drama

A woman must go back home to take care of her mother who is experiencing increasingly serious signs of dementia. But while struggling to come to terms with her mother's condition she begins to wonder if the cause is really that simple or if something sinister is at work in this house. [+]

53.

The Quiet Girl (2022) ---Drama

A young girl from a troubled home in Ireland is sent to live with her aunt and uncle on their farm while her mother prepares to have another baby. But in this new place she learns what it means to be truly free and truly loved. [+]

54.

Pusher (1996) ---Crime

When a drug dealer's drug deal goes south he must scramble to come up with the money he lost before his boss makes an example of him. [+]

55.

Hanna (2011) * ---Coming-of-Age Action Adventure

A girl lives with her father in the wilderness and is taught how to survive in a dangerous world. But in order to be free and to truly experience the world, they must first stop those that seek to use her as a weapon. [++]

56.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) ---Horror Comedy

A group of friends go for a weekend cabin getaway. But when one of them winds up dead everyone becomes a suspect. [-]

57.

The Rundown (2003) ---Action Adventure

A man is sent to the jungle to bring back a mobster's son. But things are going to get a lot harder when the man doesn't want to come back until he's tracked down the treasure he's been hunting. [=]

58.

Come to Daddy (2019) ---Thriller Horror Comedy

A man tries to reunite with his estranged father only to find out that the experience is not at all what he was expecting. [=]

59.

INU-OH (2021) ---Animated Queer Fantasy Rock-Musical Revenge Tale

A blind musician and a cursed dancer meet by chance and form a band that seeks to tell the stories of those that history wants to forget. But their mission soon pits the pair against a government who wants to silence them forever. [++]

60.

Sicario (2015) ---Crime Thriller

An FBI agent is recruited to help with a joint task force to aide in the drug war along the US/Mexico border. Unfortunately for her Ethics and Morals were definitely not invited to join the force. [-]

61.

Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) ---Drama Comedy

An aging former movie star is attempting to make his theatrical debut, but his attempts at rebuilding his life and career are forever at odds with his desire for fame and fortune. [=]

62.

Never Been Kissed (1999) ---Rom-Com

A former high school outcast and current adult journalist infiltrates a high school by posing as a student in order to get a scoop. [=]

63.

Rudy (1993) ---Sports Drama

A young man dreams of playing college football for Notre Dame to impress his father and refuses to let his lack of physical aptitude get in the way of his dreams. [=]

64.

School of Rock (2003) * ---Comedy

A down-on-his-luck rocker pretends to be his roommate in order to get a job as a substitute teacher at a prestigious private school. But his mission for money soon turns into a mission of Rock when he learns the kids in his class are talented musicians. [+]

65.

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) ---Action Adventure Horror

During the French revolution a naturalist of the king and his Iroquois companion are sent to investigate the mysterious killings in the Gévaudan area. [-]

66.

Dante's Peak (1997) ---Natural Disaster Action Adventure

A volcanologist is sent to investigate some strange readings in a small town. But he soon begins to suspect that an unprecedented eruption is imminent. [+]

67.

Smoking Causes Coughing (2022) ---Surrealist Sci-fi Comedy?

A band of French Power Ranger-style heroes called the Tobacco Force are forced to go on team-building retreat. [=]

68.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) * ---Comedy Adventure

King Arthur and his knights of the round table are on a quest to find the holy grail. [+]

69.

The Wicker Man (1973) ---Folk Horror Mystery

A detective is sent to a small island town to investigate a report of a missing child. But he soon learns that something is afoot here and he might be in danger. [+]

70.

Possessor (2020) ---Sci-fi Horror Thriller

A secret organization uses a new technology to link their minds to a target's in order to perform untraceable assassinations. The process is not without risk, however, and the longer they stay in the target's body the higher the risk of the two minds beginning to meld together. [+]

71.

Tombstone (1993) ---Western

A former lawman is planning to retire to Tombstone, Arizona with his brothers. But a run-in with an outlaw gang is going to force his hand and postpone retirement for a little bit. [+]

72.

Witchfinder General (1968) ---Folk Horror

A family must struggle to survive when a corrupt witchfinder sets his sights on them. [=]

73.

The Birdcage (1996) * ---Queer comedy

A queer couple who own a drag club must pretend to be straight in order to try and impress the conservative family of their son's new fiancee. [+]

74.

Gattaca (1997) * ---Sci-Fi Drama

In a future where the genetics of babies can be tailored before birth, those created the old-fashioned way are marginalized. In order to fight against the fate of his birth a janitor teams up with a down-on-his-luck member of the upper class in order to live his dream. [++]

75.

Road Games (1981) ---Road Trip Thriller

A truck driver in Australia begins to suspect that the driver of a green van he keeps encountering has been murdering women along the way. [=]

76.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) ---Rock Opera

A movie adaptation of the 70s rock opera about the final days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. [-]

77.

Sputnik (2020) ---Sci-Fi Horror

A Russian psychiatrist is sent to investigate the mental state of an cosmonaut who has returned from a space mission with a dangerous stowaway inside of him. [=]

78.

She Dies Tomorrow (2020) ---Sci-Fi Horror

A woman suddenly becomes convinced that she will die tomorrow. But trouble is soon to follow when the idea starts infecting others as well. [-]

79.

Girl Asleep (2015) ---Coming-of-Age Fantasy Comedy

A 15 year old girl finds herself lost between childhood and adulthood in a world where nothing is stable and imagination is running wild. [+]

80.

The Rental (2020) ---Horror

A group of friends rent an airbnb. Unfortunately the reviews didn't mention anything about the place being rigged with hidden cameras and ill intentions. [=]

81.

Paddington (2014) ---Children's Adventure

A marmalade loving bear journeys from Peru to England in search of a home. A British family takes pity on him and agrees to aide him in his search. [+]

82.

West Side Story (2021) ---Musical

The remake of the 1961 movie which was based on the 1957 Broadway musical which was an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. [--]

83.

Rat Race (2001) * ---Comedy Adventure

A group of people from a Las Vegas casino are chosen at random to participate in a race for two million dollars and the amusement of eccentric rich people. [+]

84.

Return to Seoul (2022) ---Drama

A French woman finds herself in Korea and decides to try and find her birth parents. [-]

85.

INU-OH (2021) *

See #59

86.

Stone Turtle (2022) ---Magical-Realism Folk Tale

A looping Malaysian folk tale about a woman, a daughter, vengeance, guilt, and turtle eggs. [=]

87.

Hot Rod (2007) * ---Comedy

A wannabe stuntman tries to arrange a massive stunt in order to raise the money needed to save his ailing stepfather. [++]

88.

Isolation (2005) ---Horror

A genetic experiment to create faster growing cattle goes horribly wrong on a remote Irish farm. [=]

89.

Fire Island (2022) ---Queer Romance

A group of queer friends are traveling to an Island for the annual queer party that's held there in this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. [=]

90.

Antiviral (2012) ---Sci-Fi Horror

In the future genetic technology will allow fans to do everything from eat cloned meat of their favorite celebrities to being injected with the exact strains of diseases they've had—for the right price. But when one of the workers at a celebrity contagion clinic infects himself with unknown strain from the world's hottest starlet he will soon come to regret that decision in more ways than one. [+]

91.

West Side Story (1961) * ---Musical

A pair of star-crossed lovers in 1950s NYC inadvertently set off a gang war. [+]

92.

The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) ---YA Horror

After a zombie outbreak destroys the world as we know it, scientists at a military compound work with a group of intelligent zombie children to try and find the cure. [=]

93.

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) * ---Bollywood Musical Romance

A magical pixie dream man comes to town and works to repair the broken relationships of the family next door. [+]

94.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995) ---Indie Horror

A low-budget Japanese love letter to the Evil Dead movies. [=]

95.

A Cry in the Dark (1988) ---Drama Biopic

A biopic about the famous Australian case of a family that claimed a dingo ate their baby daughter while on a road trip and the world that didn't believe them. [+]

96.

Evil Dead Rise (2023) ---Horror

Hey...it's The Evil Dead...but it's in an apartment complex now...'ey it's the modern day too. Look at this modern stuff, that's cool, right? [--]

97.

Pulse (2001) ---Horror Mystery

The internet is haunted with ghosts. [+]

98.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 (2023) ---Superhero Space Adventure

The Guardians need to solve the mystery of Rocket's past in order to save his life. [=]

99.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) ---Superhero Sequel

When Eddie Brock and Venom accidentally get a serial killer infected with their symbiote baby it's up to them to set things right. [-]

100.

Pearl (2022) ---Horror

A young woman in 1918 dreams of getting away from the oppression and loneliness of her life. But the combination of desperation and trauma can lead a person to break in the most peculiar ways. [+]

#xcusethequality

1 note · View note

xmanicpanicx · 3 years

Text

Mammoth List of Feminist/Girl Power Books (200 + Books)

Lists of Real, Amazing Women Throughout History

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World by Ann Shen

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2 by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu, Montana Kane (Translator)

Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath

Tough Mothers: Amazing Stories of History’s Mightiest Matriarchs by Jason Porath

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky

Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World by Mackenzi Lee

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs

The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont

Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz

Warrior Women: 3000 Years of Courage and Heroism by Robin Cross & Rosalind Miles

Women Who Dared: 52 Stories of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and Rebels by Linda Skeers & Livi Gosling

100 Nasty Women of History by Hannah Jewell

The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser

Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World by Jane Yolen

The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton & Chelsea Clinton

Fight Like a Girl: 50 Feminists Who Changed the World by Laura Barcella

Samurai Women 1184–1877 by Stephen Turnbull

A Black Woman Did That by Malaika Adero

Tales from Behind the Window by Edanur Kuntman

Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights by Mikki Kendall

Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1100 by Max Dashu

Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch

Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History by Blair Imani

Individual and Group Portraits of Real, Amazing Women Throughout History

Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights: From the Vote to the Equal Rights Amendment by Deborah Kops

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart

The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice by Patricia Bell-Scott

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb

Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA by Amaryllis Fox

Native Country of the Heart: A Memoir by Cherríe L. Moraga

The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Ashley's War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Alice Diamond and the Forty Elephants: The Female Gang That Terrorised London by Brian McDonald

Women Against the Raj: The Rani of Jhansi Regiment by Joyce Chapman Lebra

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution by Sara Marcus

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt

The Women of WWII (Non-Fiction)

Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue by Kathryn J. Atwood

Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII by Sally Deng

The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II by Katherine Sharp Landdeck

The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II by Svetlana Alexievich, Richard Pevear (Translation), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translation)

Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation by Anne Sebba

To Serve My Country, to Serve My Race: The Story of the Only African-American Wacs Stationed Overseas During World War II by Brenda L. Moore

Standing Up Against Hate: How Black Women in the Army Helped Change the Course of WWII by Mary Cronk Farrell

Sisters and Spies: The True Story of WWII Special Agents Eileen and Jacqueline Nearne by Susan Ottaway

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell

The White Mouse by Nancy Wake

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II by Liza Mundy

Tomorrow to be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion by Susan Travers & Wendy Holden

Pure Grit: How WWII Nurses in the Pacific Survived Combat and Prison Camp by Mary Cronk Farrell

Sisterhood of Spies by Elizabeth P. McIntosh

Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan by Shrabani Basu

Women in the Holocaust by Dalia Ofer

The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos by Judy Batalion

Night Witches: The Untold Story of Soviet Women in Combat by Bruce Myles

The Soviet Night Witches: Brave Women Bomber Pilots of World War II by Pamela Jain Dell

A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II by Elizabeth Wein

A Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in World War II by Anne Noggle

Avenging Angels: The Young Women of the Soviet Union's WWII Sniper Corps by Lyuba Vinogradova

The Women of WWII (Fiction)

Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz

Night Witches by Kathryn Lasky

Night Witches by Mirren Hogan

Night Witch by S.J. McCormack

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

Code Name Verity series by Elizabeth Wein

Front Lines trilogy by Michael Grant

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

All-Girl Teams (Fiction)

The Seafire trilogy by Natalie C. Parker

Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

The Effigies trilogy by Sarah Raughley

Guardians of the Dawn series by S. Jae-Jones

Wolf-Light by Yaba Badoe

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Burned and Buried by Nino Cipri

This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow

The Wild Ones: A Broken Anthem for a Girl Nation by Nafiza Azad

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti

Kamikaze Girls by Novala Takemoto, Akemi Wegmüller (Translator)

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke

Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

Hell's Belles series by Sarah MacLean

Jackdaws by Ken Follett

The Farmerettes by Gisela Tobien Sherman

A Sisterhood of Secret Ambitions by Sheena Boekweg

Feminist Retellings

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh

Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue

Doomed by Laura Pohl

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

Kate Crackernuts by Katharine M. Briggs

Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn

One for All by Lillie Lainoff

Feminist Dystopian and Horror Fiction

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Godshot by Chelsea Bieker

Women and Girls in Comedy

Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin

Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim

This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry

Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer

Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliot

Bossypants by Tina Fey

We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy by Yael Kohen

The Girl in the Show: Three Generations of Comedy, Culture, and Feminism by Anna Fields

Trans Women

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock

Nemesis series by April Daniels

American Transgirl by Faith DaBrooke

Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace

A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt

George by Alex Gino

The Witch Boy series by Molly Ostertag

Uncomfortable Labels: My Life as a Gay Autistic Trans Woman by Laura Kate Dale

She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan

An Anthology of Fiction by Trans Women of Color by Ellyn Peña

Wandering Son by Takako Shimura

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Feminist Poetry

Women Are Some Kind of Magic trilogy by Amanda Lovelace

Wild Embers: Poems of Rebellion, Fire and Beauty by Nikita Gill

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill

Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters by Nikita Gill

The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill

A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration of African American Women from Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland by DaMaris B. Hill

Feminist Philosophy and Facts

The Creation of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner

The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-Seventy by Gerda Lerner

Misogyny: The World's Oldest Prejudice by Jack Holland

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Colonize This!: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism by Bushra Rehman

Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World by Kelly Jensen

The Equality Illusion by Kat Banyard

White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck

Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout & Jenn Abelson

Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World by Kumari Jayawardena

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ

Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color by Andrea Ritchie

Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment by Patricia Hill Collins

But Some of Us Are Brave: All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men: Black Women's Studies by Akasha Gloria Hull, Patricia Bell-Scott, Barbara Smith Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe L. Moraga, Gloria E. Anzaldúa

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDinn

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture by Roxane Gay

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by by Cherríe Moraga & Gloria Anzaldúa

Power Shift: The Longest Revolution by Sally Armstrong

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

Had It Coming: What's Fair in the Age of #MeToo? by Robyn Doolittle

She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement by Jody Kantor & Megan Twohey

#Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy

Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone

Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy, and the Fear of Female Power by Sady Doyle

Sisterhood is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women's Liberation Movement by Robin Morgan (Editor)

Girls Make Media by Mary Celeste Kearney

Rock She Wrote: Women Write about Rock, Pop, and Rap by Evelyn McDonnell (Editor)

You Play the Girl: And Other Vexing Stories That Tell Women Who They Are by Carina Chocano

Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl: A Memoir by Jeannie Vanasco

The Portable Nineteenth-Century African American Women Writers by Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Editor), Hollis Robbins (Editor)

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World by Jessica Valenti and Jaclyn Friedman Bread Out of Stone: Recollections, Sex, Recognitions, Race, Dreaming, Politics by Dionne Brand

Other General Girl Power/Feminist Awesomeness

The Edge of Anything by Nora Shalaway Carpenter

Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza

Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg

The Female of the Species by Mandy McGinnis

Pulp by Robin Talley

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

American Girls by Alison Umminger

Don't Think Twice by Ruth Pennebaker

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women by Alice Walker

You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down: Stories by Alice Walker

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Sula by Toni Morrison

Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell & Katie Cotugno

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis

The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr

Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Lady Luck's Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel

Fan the Fame by Anna Priemaza

Puddin' by Julie Murphy

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti

Gravity Brings Me Down by Natale Ghent

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

The Summer of Impossibilities by Rachael Allen

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Don't Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller

After the Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti

We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire by Joy McCullough

Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

The Prettiest by Brigit Young

Don't Judge Me by Lisa Schroeder

The Roommate by Rosie Danan

Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince

Surpassing the Love of Men: Romantic Friendship and Love Between Women from the Renaissance to the Present by Lillian Faderman

All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister

Paper Girls comic series by Brian K. Vaughan

Heavy Vinyl comic series by Carly Usdin

Please feel free to reblog with more!

#book list #feminism #girl power

79 notes · View notes

trenchcoat-full-of-recs · 2 years

Text

i read no fic worth reccing this week, so back to the archives it is. i’ll make it a les mis day, because why not. most of these are enjolras/grantaire, but also some valjean/javert and marius/courfeyrac in the mix as well.

canon setting

enjolras/grantaire

study in scarlet by arriviste - so good. it’s hard to describe this fic, but ultimately enjolras wants to evade a police tail, and grantaire helps him; except it’s also about grantaire being deeply, hopelessly in love with enjolras who does not and will never feel the same way, but who is there with him momentarily living this experience. it’s so very good, and so in character.

un oubli profond by arriviste - enjolras spends three days with grantaire after the july revolution in 1830s, flirting with oblivion. (a french history note--this isn’t referencing the uprising from the books, but rather the events of a few years before. enjolras is disheartened by the fact that this revolution overthrew one monarch only to install another.) grantaire is, as always, in love with enjolras; enjolras only seeks to escape the world for a while.

gros bisous by arriviste - kisses on the cheek. it is a very pretty fic, and the writing is amazing, as always with this author.

The Moment For Silence by chainsaw_poet - a nice sick fic; enjolras falls ill the day before an important rally, and their friends leave grantaire as a caretaker. it isn’t romantic, but it’s def focused on their relationship.

The tale was all a lie by Ark - I think it’s the only canon-based fic for them i like that actually has them getting together during the events of canon, and being together, and fixing things in the end. in this fic, enjolras and grantaire’s disagreements in canon were all a front--they are secretly together, and grantaire sort of acts as enjolras’s agent in sussing out treachery and all that, and it’s all very well-written.

The Transmission of Warmth by Carmarthen - a nice huddling for warmth fic! short but sweet.

What Remains by labingi - enjolras and grantaire are the only amis to survive the barricade, and are sort of emotionally stuck together afterwards, because for all their differences the other is also the only one who was also there.

after the barricades by Ark - a special shoutout to this super forever wip au in which enjolras and grantaire got captured on the barricade, but not killed, and sort of depended on each other to survive in prison and stayed attached through this experience after. it exists in tumblr snippets only, but they are so tantalizing!

valjean/javert

my heart lies buried like something dead by Cinaed - valjean rescues javert when he’s about to commit suicide and javert later returns the favour. i just remember it being lovely, with some very nice h/c. maybe things go a taaad quickly in terms of javert reconciling himself to things... but it is lovely!

Three Days (or The One Where Javert and Valjean Take a Road Trip Through France and Raise a Child) by zamwessell - javert thinks valjean is lying when he claims needing to go take care of some child, so he stipulates that he’ll come with (expecting to expose the lie). of course, there is no lie, so javert ends up co-raising cosette, and it’s all quite lovely.

The Curves of Your Lips Rewrite History by zamwessell - basically, javert and valjean both recognize each other instantly in montreuil-sur-mer, start having hatesex and then it evolves into an actual relationship, fixing some subsequent canon points.

marius/courfeyrac

A constant friendship in all other things by longhandnotebook - a fun fic where marius and courfeyrac sleep with each other when intoxicated and are horribly embarrassed the next day... spoiler: it doesn’t end there.

Irreconcilable Sartorial Differences by Elenchus - this is very funny, one of those crack fics that nonetheless stick the tone of canon and are very lovely. marius buys a hat courfeyrac doesn’t like and it all spins from there.

modern aus

to the sound of trumpets by arriviste - the forever unfinished e/R wip of my heart. grantaire comes back into the lives of his former friends because he needs legal advice, and they are lawyers actually willing to take on his case. what follows is painful, but also great and complicated and so well-told. (and it’s got the trope of exes meeting again, among many other excellent things, not least of which is this grantaire and his character voice.)

secret agent man by goshemily - i love this fic so much. e/R, enjolras and grantaire have to pretend to be a couple for an assignment. i went in expecting lighthearted fun and was punched straight in the feelings. it’s one of the rare fics in which pining actually IS unrequited for a whole bunch of the time--grantaire is hopelessly in love with enjolras, who genuinely doesn’t care for him but cares a lot about their mission. and of course things change along the way, and it’s just so, so well done. (it’s also one of the rare modern aus set in france.)

World Ain't Ready by idiopathicsmile - this is one of my favourite fics across all fandoms, ever, so i can’t be objective about it. i know it’s got flaws, but at the same time i love it so tremendously much and it’s so well-written and funny and lands such unerring blows in the feelings. e/R, a high school au, grantaire and enjolras pretend to be boyfriends for great justice. and i don’t even like high school aus normally, but this fic is just <3

First Dates by tellthemstories - this is cute! grantaire is a bartender on set of a dating tv show, and enjolras is a reluctant participant who better hits it off with grantaire than with any of his dates.

i'm not the moon (i'm not even a star) by serinesaccade - i’m trying not to say too much here, but essentially it’s got grantaire who wakes up with amnesia and finds out that enjolras is his boyfriend... with a twist. and apart from the cool twist, i also liked grantaire’s voice in this!

just very au

After the End by tellthemstories - e/R set in a dystopian au. enjolras is, naturally, with the resistance; grantaire parted ways with him--and with them--ages ago, but now needs to come back. it’s well-written and weaves in canon events very well, too, and some relationship beats are a++.

Under My Wings You Will Find Refuge (WIP) by Fiver - e/R, set in a supernatural fusion. i love the premise: grantaire is a cynical fallen angel, and he meets enjolras who is a hunter with an extra bright blazing soul. and of course grantaire falls in love with him. there are certain quibbles that i have with this, but at the same time this angel!grantaire is so excellent, and a number of things are just really well done.

A Christmas Miracle - e/R, cute, a harry potter au. enjolras is a pureblood bitten by werewolf, and he thinks grantaire doesn't want him for that reason. (he’s very wrong.) i make it sound ooc with that description, but no, it’s honestly sweet.

#enjolras/grantaire #valjean/javert #marius/courfeyrac #les mis #yeah this list is mostly #e/R #you can definitely tell from this that my take on canon e/R is 'grantaire pining forever #while enjolras is busy with the revolution'#but it HURTS SO GOOD #i just have so many feelings about les miserables okay

6 notes · View notes

carewyncromwell · 3 years

Photo

“Ah, dear friend, I remember the night -- The moon and the dreams we shared, Your trembling paw in my hand, dreaming of that northern land, Touching me with a kiss of a beast... I know my dreams are made of you, Of you and only for you! Your ocean pulls me under -- your voice tears me asunder! Love me before the last petal falls...”

~“Beauty and the Beast” by Nightwish

x~x~x~x

I’m sorry, I just...I couldn’t get this idea out of my head, so I had to get SOME sort of concept art for it down --

Yes, that is my book-smart, people-dumb spaceman Jacob Cromwell. Yes, those lyrics are referencing and named for the traditional fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. And so by process of elimination, for those of you who know my boy, yes, that Komodo-dragon/lizard-themed “Beast” is his boy friend, Duncan Ashe. The historical eras of choice are Early Modern France, just before the French Revolution (Ashe) and Napoleonic/Regency Era France, around the time when Jane Austen’s books are set (Jacob) -- so yeah, insta-culture shock! Just like Pride and Prejudice and the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, these two most definitely wouldn’t get off on the right foot -- it would take them both getting over their pride and initial bad first impressions of each other to find any common ground, and unlike his sister Carewyn, Jacob isn’t the smartest when it comes to reading people, let alone cursed nobility! No doubt Jacob only got thrown together with this Beast because he got way in over his head, as per usual. 😂

Jacob’s vest inspiration is here (though I imagined it to be a light blue, like Belle’s dress!), while Ashe’s outfit is inspired by this (though I imagined it emerald green and silver, Ashe’s house colors!). Regency haircuts for men were shorter than in centuries past, so unlike Ashe, who would’ve had his hair long and/or covered by a wig when he was human, Jacob’s more resembles a Cherubin haircut typical to the era, rather than the crazy-long ponytail he usually wears as an adult.

Have a lovely night, everybody! Much love! xoxo

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #duncan ashe #jacob cromwell #my art #au #batb au #beauty and the beast

16 notes · View notes

inkandpen22 · 3 years

Text

Time is Irrelevant (3/?): The Beauty of a Perfect Rose

Pairing: Eleventh Doctor x Female!Reader

Warnings: so much fluff

Word Count: 3k

Part Summary: Y/N finds herself alone amongst the French Court and she’s panicking. Then, she meets a charming young gentleman who becomes quite fond by her.

Masterlist

The Doctor ran off who-knows-where, so I decided to go on my own little adventure outside for some air. In truth, it’s hotter than the Sahara inside and I was feeling claustrophobic. A major flaw of mine, it doesn’t take much to get me to feel claustrophobic. Large crowds, small cars, closets, elevators, I can’t stand to be in any of them.

I take a breather on the grand terrace that overlooks the massive estate. Everything is so immaculate here. I’m amazed when I stare up at the night sky, in the future stars are too faint to see with all the lights. In 1778, the sky is lit up like a Christmas tree. Hundreds of bright tiny lights scatter the sky and they’re indescribably beautiful. The people who live in this time must take them for granted, unaware of their ancestors won’t have the pleasure of seeing them each night.

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves… ”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a man appear beside me. He admires the starry night.

“You know Shakespeare, impressive," I compliment without thinking.

I swallow hard, I don't know French, at least not well. If we're counting a high school education, I'm an amateur. Wait, how could I understand him? How can he understand me? I spoke in English.

The man chuckles lightly, “what is more impressive is you could identify the words as Shakespeare, shows you know him well.”

I sway my head from side to side. “I suppose you could say I know a lot about English literature.”

“Do you visit England often?”

Aware of the everlasting feud amongst the nations, I deny the chance. Better safe than sorry, right? Especially since there's the American Revolution happening this moment and I’m meant to be a French lady of a higher social status. I must be loyal to France whole-heartedly.

“Not as much as I used to when I was a child. I simply enjoy the art and literature the English produce among other foreign creators," I answer rather diplomatically.

The gentleman snickers lightly, seemingly impressed by my reply. “I take it you travel often? You appear well-aware and educated on world matters.”

I suppress my laughter, the irony doesn't go over my head. I've traveled further in the last twenty-four hours than I have my whole life.

“Yes, traveling is one of my many passions!" I enthuse. "Experiencing other cultures of the world is fascinating to me and I almost need traveling to survive I feel.”

The stranger nods in agreement, “France is home but when there’s an entire world to be discovered, I never feel content settling here when I could be out there. Especially now with the new world across the sea. One day I wish to see them for myself.”

I turn to the gentleman and without a second thought, I encourage him to do so. I may be giving him the chance to survive the French Revolution.

“I’ve heard they’re incredible! Of course, I suggest you plan a visit for the colonies after the war.”

He meets my eyes with a smile. He's young, just a few years older than me maybe. “Definitely, speaking of, what is your opinion on the war between the so-called “patriots” and England?”

In my mind, I’m thinking the revolution was the best thing to happen to the world. America exists because of the revolution and my era wouldn’t be the same without it. However, this is 1778 and I’m supposed to be a French aristocratic woman, so my answer can’t be so blunt.

“My belief is our alliance with the colonists was a wise political move. Economically, the alliance with benefit us greatly, and by being allies we’re hitting England directly where they’ll feel the effects. In addition, the war is not on our land, so the people of France ultimately go untouched. It’s the perfect situation.”

The man smiles brightly, "You know Madame are-"

"You're Majesty," a man interrupts us. He bows to the stranger and I see the smile falter from the young man's face. "You're needed, Sire."

My eyes nearly pop out of my head once I comprehend what's happening. I stare at the gentleman wide-eyed. I've been speaking with King Louis XVI this entire time!

I quickly snap out of my state of shock to curtsy properly. "Your Majesty."

King Louis scoops up my hand as I rise from my curtsy. He kisses the back of it softly.

“Excuse me, Madame,” he requests calmly. “I promise to find you again tonight to further our conversation. It has truly been a pleasure.”

Swiftly, King Louis follows the man back into the palace without another word. He doesn't acknowledge that he never announced that he was the king. This entire time I’ve been speaking with King Louis and had no idea! I thought he was just another noble or something.

“Holy-” I gasp, into the air, covering my mouth in shock. King Louis XVI just kissed my hand, this is unreal! _________________________

I’ve found that if I act as though I know what I’m doing, I blend in and they assume I’m one of them. I've also learned that they think I'm speaking French. I open my mouth and I hear English, but for some reason, they hear my words in French. I'm going to have to ask the Doctor about this whenever he decides to come back.

Look at me go, The Doctor was so worried I would stand out amongst the French court for nothing. Well, pish-posh to that! For a young woman of the 21st century, I'm killing it! I made friends with some of the women attending the party, especially Thérèse-Lucy de Dillon. Everyone here is mainly interested in palace gossip. Having grown up in a somewhat small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, I know how to gossip and make it interesting.

Thérèse is one of Marie Antoinette's closest friends and one of her ladies-in-waiting. The most interesting part, she married her second cousin.

“Yes, quite lovely indeed.” I agree with Lady Thérèse about summers in Paris. I've never been to Paris, but I've watched enough TV and movies to fake it.

Thérèse fans herself, I must agree the room is undoubtedly hot. The idea of air conditioning hasn’t even been considered yet and it’s August according to the women. I hope The Doctor finds whatever he’s looking for so we can leave sooner rather than later. Acting this posh is draining!

A man clears his throat behind me, interrupting the circle from our conversation. I turn around and am met with a familiar face. I find myself frozen for a moment until out of the corner of my eye I see Thérèse curtsying and I do the same.

“Your Majesty,” we greet in unison

“Madames,” he smiles kindly to each of us. “Pleasure to see you again Madame de Dillon," he addresses Thérèse.

"Pleasure is all mine, Sir," she smirks.

King Louis then directs his attention to me with a grin. He scoops up my hand as he did before and plants a kiss there. “I don’t believe we have met Lady…”

I play along. “Benoit,” I reply with the first name I could conjure up.

“Madame de Dillon, would you mind if I stole Madame Benoit for a moment?” He asks.

“Not at all,” she complies, sending me a mischievous look. “If you would excuse us,” she curtsies to the King.

He grants his permission with a slight nod of his head. Once they're gone, King Louis gestures toward the doors leading out to the hall. I stroll with him into the hallway, leaving behind the lively atmosphere and the security of others' presence. Now, it’s just him and I, excluding two of his guards following us.

I admire the art hanging on the walls as we pass stroll. The time it must’ve taken to paint such detail is beyond me. I also think of how priceless these pieces will be in the future.

“Would you like to see the gardens?” He offers.

I jump at the opportunity eagerly, "oh could we?!"

The King chuckles lightly at my enthusiasm. I’m sure he isn’t used to receiving such a genuine reaction from someone. Everyone has to be so uptight around him.

"I'm sorry I-"

"No, no, don't apologize," he waves his hands to ease my nerves. "I'm glad to see your interest." He places a hand on my upper back gently. "They're right this way."

King Lous guides me through two glasses doors leading outside to the gardens. The area outside is lit with tall torches lining the paths throughout the entire estate. If I let myself overthink the fact that I’m strolling in a garden with King Louis XVI then I’ll geek out and ruin the chance of speaking with him truthfully. Thus, I must remain calm and try to not think about the circumstances. After all, I spent almost five minutes with him before without any slip-ups. Then again, I didn’t know I was speaking with the King of France.

“Madame Benoit, tell me,” he implores. “How is it we have yet to meet before tonight? Unless we have, but I believe I would have remembered the pleasure and your beauty would be quite memorable.”

My cheeks become warm, though I think the excessive amount of white powder Joséphine plastered on my face may mask my blushing.

“I’ve been away in Italy.” I make up a story as I go. “My father sent me away from my education. He wanted it to be only myself and my tutor constantly.”

King Louis seems impressed, even fascinated by my tale. The secret to a good cover-up is to lie as little as possible, to basically sugarcoat the truth. That way it’s easy to remember but also simple to discuss.

He glances up from the pebble-covered path to me. He raises his brow slightly. “What are you favorite subjects?”

I notice his body language, his interlocked behind his back. It’s very informal. He must be becoming comfortable around me. I first noticed the shift in his demeanor when we left the crowded party. He almost instantly relaxed once when we were out of everyone’s view.

“I enjoy literature and history above all. Yet, I also find learning to speak other languages such as English, Latin, and Italian all very fascinating.”

I make it a point to name the languages I’m positive His Majesty is fluent in. If this works to gain his approval, perhaps I could use my knowledge on him to gain earn his good graces.

He halts and I immediately dread that I may have said something wrong. Reluctantly, I meet his eye.

“You are quite the fascinating lady, Madam,” he states as if it’s fact.

He’s dropping compliments like candy from a Piñata. Granted, he’s French, they’re known for their romance. Plus, I’m sure Louis is used to charming women in his court. He is a politician after all.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I manage to say though I feel very exposed under his gaze. I mean, he is iconic after all, for good and bad reasons.

The two of us continue through the paths, exchanging facts about one another. I find similarities between us, genuine ones too! Everything I say about my interests and background is practically true, just altered a little, so there’s an honesty in our conversation.

“What are some of your favorite pieces of literature?” King Louis asks as we stop in front of the Fountain of Apollo.

I hum, pretending to be thinking over my favorite when in reality I’m rushing to remember work from before the Colonial Era. I can’t exactly say A Farewell to Arms, it doesn't exist yet.

“I don’t have a favorite piece per se because I prefer to read all sorts of work. Authors, philosophers, playwrights, I will read them all. Including the essays written by Rousseau or Voltaire in particular. Though they challenge the essence of our beloved country's system, I believe it is important to be well-read and educated on all points-of-view to form a legitimate opinion.”

In reality, Rousseau and Voltaire were geniuses with the An Essay on Tolerance and The Social Contract. Yet, I’m a women currently in a male dominated world. I shouldn’t be speaking of philosophers or politics.

He picks up my hand and holds it in both of his gently. My heart starts beating rapidly as my breathing catches in my throat. I’ve spoken out of turn for sure. I suppose my modern views can’t be so easily suppressed despite my efforts. I prepare for any insults he could say.

“You, Lady Benoit, are by far the most alluring woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

Taken aback, I was expecting the polar opposite reaction. I bow my head in gratitude. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

He grins charmingly, “please, call me Louis.”

His request flatters me more than his compliments. It means far more to me that we share a bond rather than his appreciation of my appearance or words. Now, I know he respects which this time is rare to earn from a man.

This entire experience is so unreal and I feel as though I’m on cloud nine. In history books, these figures seems so far away, almost like fictional character. Yet, here I am, speaking to King Louis XVI and he just asked me to call him Louis.

“In that case Louis, please call me Y/N," I request in return.

In exchange for his respect, though I already did, I give him my real name. He is trusting in me by opening up, so the least I can do is give him my real name.

“Y/N,” he repeats to himself.

Boy, it sounds so beautiful with his perfect French accent. I could listen to him speak all day.

“So unique! Exquisite, the same could be said for the woman who possesses it," he smirks.

My gaze falls to the pebbles beneath us as we start to move again. I can feel Louis’s eye on me, but I can’t form the courage to meet his focus. In history, it’s said he is very shy and kept to himself. He certainly isn’t shy at the moment.

Unexpectedly, Louis jogs ahead a few feet and leans over the short perimeter of a small edge. I watch as he picks a flawless red rose from the massive bush.

He hurries back to me, gleaming. “For the girl who's beauty is unparalleled, even by that of the most perfect rose.”

Wow, he’s good, and he just came up with that? Smooth.

I accept the flower with a soft smile. “You’re too sweet.”

The back of his hand rises to my cheek and gently brushes against my skin.

“I see the world in your eyes,” he mutters under his breath, mere inches from my face.

My heart is pounding in my chest from both excitement and mere shock that this moment is occurring. King Louis is totally hitting on me right now. What am I supposed to do? This isn’t just some creep in a bar I can dismiss!

“You’re not what I expected… ” I blurt out in a whisper

It could never be more true. The history books don’t do him justice. Considering many of them were written off the accounts of people who were not close to him the lack of fact makes sense.

He laughs breathlessly, unfazed by my words. “‘expectation is the root of all heartache,’ as Shakespeare once said. What were you expecting?”

I shake my head, unsure in all honesty. Deciding to put a stop to his advances while things aren’t too complicated, I create some distance between us.

“I guess I was prepared to meet the person subject to the rumors and gossip. I was told to expect one person and was met with someone completely different,” I answer honestly.

“If it means anything, you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. You don’t treat me like the King, you treat me as you do anyone else and for that, I’m eternally grateful to you. It was that very fact that drew me to you! When we met you didn’t know who I was and I took advantage of that. Yet, hereafter you continue to treat me like the average man.”

“At the end of the day, we’re all human," I reason with a shrug. "Each of us play a role in life and yours happens to be King. You were born into your position, you didn’t choose it. The least I can do is treat you normally for all you do. When I look at you, I don’t see the King, I see Louis. The man who enjoys intellectual conversations, loves to travel, who one day will see the colonies for himself.”

I know the last part not to be true, but I can at least hope that he may listen to my advice and go.

Louis smiles softly, leaning in closer to me. I prepare to turn my cheek and dodge his lips when suddenly the rapid clicking of heels on the pebbles cause both of us to whip our heads toward the castle.

The same man before jogs up to us. He halts and bows to Louis, struggling to catch his breath.

“Your Majesty, you're requested by Her Majesty the Queen to give a toast and begin a dance."

Louis signs deeply, clearly not wanting to return to his duties. “Yes, very well, let us get it over with.” He starts to the palace in a brisk march.

I debate whether to follow Louis as I watch the man frantically tries to keep up with him. Suddenly stops in his tracks and the man nearly runs into him but skids to a halt. Louis turns on his heels and walks back to me, shaking his head.

“My apologizes, Y/N.” He offers me his hand, “accompany me please?”

If I do choose to return to the party hand-in-hand with him then it will be evident that we were alone together. People would have a field day for gossip. That wouldn't exactly count as 'laying-low.' Against my better judgement, I slip my hand into his. Louis kisses the back of it, then interlocks our arms. I place my free hand over his arm as well. Finally, he escorts me inside at a much slower pace than before, evidently not caring if he’s late.

“Tell me about your family,” he requests, glancing at me with a joyful grin.

_____________________

Masterlist

#eleventh doctor x reader #eleventh doctor x you #doctor x reader #eleventh doctor #doctor who

27 notes · View notes

doubleattitude · 3 years

Text

JUMP Dance Convention, Orlando, FL: RESULTS

High Scores by Age:

JUMPstart Solo

1st: Amanda Carpenter-’Hey Daddy’

2nd: Sophia Novo-’Red Hope’

3rd: Mila Simunic-’Never Enough’

4th: Amaya Rodriguez-’Fly’

5th: Mikaela Florez-’Stop Go’

5th: Macey Strickland-’Wind It Up’

6th: Lainey Hess-’Clockwork’

7th: Ella Venerio-’Signals’

7th: Ava Piedrahita-’Somewhere’

8th: Reese Braga-’Rule The World’

9th: Rylan Reynolds-’Hallelujah’

10th: Aislyn Frazier-’Paint It Black’

Mini Solo

1st: Michael Savio-’To The Stars’

2nd: Kya Massimino-’System Activated’

3rd: Bella Rey D’Armas-’Extraction’

3rd: Sophia Gil-’Film Credits’

3rd: Denise Torres-’Swan’

3rd: Camila Giraldo-’Welcome To Miami’

4th: Santiago Sosa-’Becoming’

5th: Ella Dobler-’Home’

5th: Abella Dorta-’In The Meantime’

5th: Adrianna Farris-’Will He’

6th: Jasmine Pando-’Amelia’

7th: Ashley Otano-’Dark Matter’

7th: Ava Rodriguez-’Survivor’

8th: Georgia Beth Peters-’Come Together’

8th: Raegan Hess-’Intertwined’

9th: Xiomara Aticune-’Discovery’

9th: Blake Metcalf-’New World’

10th: Layla Alvarez-’Fairy Tale’

10th: Jazmin Covos-’The Air’

10th: Lily Hackney-’Vanishing Point’

Junior Solo

1st: Daniela SanGiacomo-’Infinite’

2nd: Jazlyn Quintero-’Deep End’

3rd: Sophia Ortiz-’Turning The Dial’

4th: Gisele Gandarilla-’All Human Beings’

5th: Kylee Casares-’Underground’

6th: Zoe Hollborn-’How Will I Know’

6th: Zachary Roy-’The Evolution Revolution’

7th: Jazmine Raine Werner-’Zoilus’

8th: Samantha Hernandez-’The Descent’

9th: Manuela Riquezes-’The Walk’

10th: Haven Greene-’Diva’

Teen Solo

1st: Sam Fine-’Epilogue’

1st: Brady Farrar-’Once More’

2nd: Kaitlyn Santos-’Ave Maria’

3rd: Xander Perone-’Dawn’

3rd: Carmen Beiner-’Juxtaposition’

4th: Isabella Tagle-’Silence’

5th: Natalya Toirac-’See How They Run’

5th: Brooklyn Law-’Shadow’

6th: Brianna Tejeda-’Its a rainy day on a cosmic shore’

7th: Antonia Gonzalez-’Like The Wind’

8th: Rachel Leon-’Independent Woman’

8th: Destanye Diaz-’Pins and Needles’

9th: Mayra Santos-’Internal Defeat’

9th: Catherine Clayton-’No Choir’

10th: Georgia Greene-’Moonlight’

Senior Solo

1st: Jackson Roloff-Hafenbreadl-’Four’

2nd: Cameron Stedman-’An Evening I Will Not Forget’

3rd: Thiago Pacheco-’Strange’

4th: Daisy Armagost-’Midnight Express’

5th: Sarah Sutterfield-’Sun King’

5th: Kimora Miller-’Unchain’

6th: Ally Pereira-’Daring to Love’

6th: Kelly Sawyer-’Dreamer’

7th: Yareliz Rodriguez-’Held’

7th: Kelsey Ragin-’Photo Gravity’

8th: Maria Shaheen-’Together In Seperation’

9th: Kylee Gaitan-’Butterfly’

10th: Demi Ulatowski-’Hey Ma’

JUMPstart Duo/Trio

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I’ll Be There’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Fabulous’

3rd: Etudes de Ballet-’Hold Your Hand’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: New Level Dance Company-’The Crumbling’

2nd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Race to Erase’

3rd: Rolann’s School of Dance-’I Can’t Do It Alone’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Dance Unlimited-’The Mighty Two’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Elephants’

3rd: Duvall Dance Academy-’Cosmic Love’

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Wake Me’

2nd: Studio A-’Bulletproof’

3rd: Performer’s Edge Dance Center-’Sounds of Sunshine’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’To The Moon’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’The Dark Matter of Love’

3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Dream Team’

JUMPstart Group

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

1st: Dance Unlimited-��London’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’In Bloom’

3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Little Red’

Mini Group

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Not The End’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Ashes’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Descent Has Begun’

Junior Group

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Spa’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Fever’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Day Dreamer’

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Purple Rain’

Teen Group

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Glass’

2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Anything I Do’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’For My Help’

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’New Constellations’

Senior Group

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Round 3′

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Pith’

Mini Line

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’C-Breezy’

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Scrapers’

2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Day-O’

2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’I Don’t Speak French’

3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Human Touch’

Junior Line

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’For All We Know’

3rd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Replicas’

Teen Line

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Begins’

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Minus 61′

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Carbon Cycle’

2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’War It’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’One More Night’

Senior Line

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Volcanic’

Mini Extended Line

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Watch The Throne’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Dawn of Love’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Drumming’

Junior Extended Line

1st: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Reminiscent’

Teen Extended Line

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Papa Was A Rollingstone’

2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’YonceXTravis’

3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Time Warp’

Senior Extended Line

1st: Dance Unlimited-’POP’

Teen Production

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Money’

2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Weightless’

3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’After Hour’

High Scores by Performance Division:

JUMPstart Jazz

1st: Dance Unlimited-’London’

JUMPstart Tap

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Girls Just Want to have Fun’

JUMPstart Lyrical

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’In Bloom’ 3rd: Esprit Dance Academy-’True Colors’

JUMPstart Specialty

1st: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Little Red’

Mini Jazz

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’I Don’t Speak French’ 1st: Dance Unlimited-’Day-O’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Kiss Kiss’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Now I’m Back’

Mini Contemporary

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Not The End’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Dawn of Love’ 3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Descent Has Begun’

Mini Lyrical

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Drumming’ 2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’I Believe’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Humanity’

Mini Hip-Hop

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Watch The Throne’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’C-Breezy’ 3rd: Duvall Dance Academy-’Ice Cream’

Mini Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Do Your Thing’ 2nd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Stand By Me’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’This Will Be’

Mini Musical Theatre

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Don’t Rain On My Parade’ 2nd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Be Prepared’ 3rd: Duvall Dance Academy-’Bonjour, Paris’

Mini Acro

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Ashes’

Mini Specialty

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Scrapers’

Junior Jazz

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Fever’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Replicas’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Dance Like Your Daddy’

Junior Hip-Hop

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Mr. Brown’

Junior Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Five Guys Named Moe’

Junior Contemporary

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Day Dreamer’ 3rd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Frustrated’

Junior Lyrical

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’For All We Know’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Special Two’ 3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Shipwrecked’

Junior Acro

1st: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Nocturnus’

Junior Specialty

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Spa’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Purple Rain’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Rama’

Teen Jazz

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’One More Night’ 2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’Glass’ 3rd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Anything I Do’

Teen Hip-Hop

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’YonceXTravis’ 2nd: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Get Up’ 3rd: Xplosive Dance Academy-’Action’

Teen Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Sir Duke’ 2nd: Esprit Dance Academy-’March March’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Lovestoned’

Teen Contemporary

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’Papa Was A Rollingstone’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Begins’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Minus 61′ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’War It’ 3rd: Stars Dance Studio-’Weightless’

Teen Lyrical

1st: Dance Unlimited-’Beyond The Image’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’New Constellations’ 3rd: The Dance Collective-’I’ll Stand By You’

Teen Musical Theatre

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’One’ 2nd: West Florida Dance Company-’Time Warp’ 3rd: On The Edge At Frank Rey Dance-’Mein Herr’

Teen Ballroom

1st: Stars Dance Studio-’After Hour’

Teen Specialty

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Money’ 2nd: Stars Dance Studio-’Carbon Cycle’ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Pieces’

Senior Jazz

1st: Dance Unlimited-’POP’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Round 3′ 3rd: West Florida Dance Company-’Goodbye’

Senior Tap

1st: West Florida Dance Company-’Come Together’

Senior Contemporary

1st: Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’ 2nd: Dance Unlimited-’Pith’ 3rd: Dance Unlimited-’Volcanic’

Senior Lyrical

1st: Duvall Dance Academy-’Vincent’

Best of JUMP:

JUMPstart

New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

Dance Unlimited-’London’

Mini

West Florida Dance Company-’I Believe’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’C-Breezy’

Stars Dance Studio-’Dawn of Love’

Xplosive Dance Academy-’Now I’m Back’

Dance Unlimited-’Not The End’

Junior

Duvall Dance Academy-’Short Skirt Long Jacket’

Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’

Dance Unlimited-’Fever’

Xplosive Dance Academy-’Nocturnus’

West Florida Dance Company-’Dance Like Your Daddy’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Replicas’

Teen

Dance By Holly Rock-’Crazy’

West Florida Dance Company-’Money’

Dance Unlimited-’Beyond The Image’

Stars Dance Studio-’Papa Was A Rollingstone’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Get Up’

Senior

West Florida Dance Company-’Come Together’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’

Dance Unlimited-’Pop’

Best In Studio:

West Florida Dance Company-’Money’

Studio 61 Dance Company-’Lonely Too’

On The Edge At Frank Rey Dance-’Missy’

Xplosive Dance Academy-’Action’

Stars Dance Studio-’Anymore’

Duvall Dance Academy-’Short Skirt Long Jacket’

Dance Unlimited-’Pop’

#2021 #dance #jump #orlando #florida

11 notes · View notes

kmomof4 · 4 years

Text

Of Darkness, Vampires, and Soulmates

Ch. 7 Of Vampires

It is that time, y’all!!! Are you ready? It is time for vampire smut!!! Feel free to skip if its not your thing. Nothing happens until after the first scene change. We are nearing the end of this journey and I so hope that you enjoy what I have in store. Thank you all for coming along on this journey with me! It means more than I could possibly say!!!

If possible, I would heap all of the LOVE, HUGS, and EVERY good thing upon @profdanglaisstuff and @hollyethecurious for everything they did to help me in the crafting of this story, from betaing to being a sounding board and a fount of encouragement when I didn't know if I could continue. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ladies. Words are not adequate to express how thankful I am for you both!!!

Thank you to the ladies of the CSSNS and CSMM discords for all their encouragement, sprinting appointments, and help with a title.

And finally, to @spartanguard. Kaitlyn, your talent continually ASTOUNDS me and it has been a TREMENDOUS blessing to be paired with you for this event. I am in AWE of everything you’ve done to bring this story to life, and I CANNOT express in words my gratitude!! Just loads and heaps of love!!!

Thank you all so very much!!!

Chapter summary: Vampire smut, Emma is turned

Rating: M (Violence and smut)

Words: 3456 of 41.5K total

Tags: Vampires, Soulmates, Reincarnation, Prophecy, Black Death, French Revolution, Magic, True Loves Kiss

Prologue | Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ao3 chapter link | Ao3 fic link

Tag list: @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @snowbellewells @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @jennjenn615 @kingofmyheart14 @profdanglaisstuff @thisonesatellite @branlovestowrite @ultraluckycatnd @flslp87 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @let-it-raines @shireness-says @kymbersmith-90 @darkcolinodonorgasm @bethacaciakay @searchingwardrobes @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @aprilqueen84 @qualitycoffeethings @superchocovian @artistic-writer @donteattheappleshook @doodlelolly0910 @seriouslyhooked @tiganasummertree @lfh1226-linda @nikkiemms @xsajx @klynn-stormz

Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

It had been nearly a week since they’d returned to Killian’s estate after getting away from Rumplestiltskin. Emma had pretty much remained in the rooms that were prepared for her, finding plenty to keep her occupied, with computer access and a library that was unparalleled, only coming down for meals or to spend some time on the green lawns sloping down to the Atlantic. She knew that although it pained him to do so, Killian studiously avoided her presence to give her space and time to come to terms with everything that had happened and to make a fully informed and sober decision. That didn’t mean that he avoided her completely however.

The morning after they arrived back, Starkey arrived at her room with breakfast and a note written in a beautiful flowing script that she knew must belong to Killian. After he left, she helped herself to homemade French toast with scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee and settled in to read.

My darling Swan,

I hope this morning finds you well and that you had restorative and restful sleep last night.

Please know that you may count the estate as your home away from home from this day forward and that you are welcome to explore any area. Starkey prepares all the meals and you may enjoy them in your room or any other area of the house. May I recommend breakfast on the patio where we first met? Enjoying the meal as the sun rises over the ocean is my personal favorite way to start the day. This morning’s breakfast was your sisters favorite and I hope that you enjoy it as much as they used to.

As I said, please feel free to roam and explore anywhere on the estate. I would ask, however, that until we meet again face to face and you’ve made your decision, that you do remain on the estate for your own personal safety.

I do not want to exert any undue influence over you or your decision, so until you seek me out, I will remain here in the house, but away from you. Physical distance doesn’t mean that I’m not here for you. You may reach me at any time with any questions or if you just want to talk by phone or text. Again, this is only until you are ready to make a decision. I will never be far, even if we are not in the same room.

Until then, my Swan, I am forever your devoted and faithful soulmate. And you remain my dearest love.

Your Killian

She had to admit, she wasn’t thrilled about not being able to see him, but knowing that she could hear his voice and ask him any question about this entire bizarre situation was comforting.

Over the ensuing days, she had called him every evening, telling him about her day, hearing about his, talking long into the night. He had debunked many myths, that she had just assumed were fact, about being a vampire. He also shared the logistics of becoming a vampire with her. She had asked about when he knew her in the past and about his adventures. She heard the true story of the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale and about the Blue Fairy and everything she had done to facilitate his final downfall. She was especially intrigued to hear about his history with her mother. She felt herself fall that little bit more in love with him as he told her about her earliest years and Anna and Elsa’s antics before they had moved away.

After speaking with her sisters the day before and filling them in on certain aspects of her trip to deliver the letter, she arranged for a conference call between the four of them that evening. It was a joyous and heartfelt reunion between her sisters and Killian. The love between them all was crystal clear through the line as they talked all about their growing up years and what their lives were like now. She could only hope that they would all be able to meet again in person in the near future. She knew however, that that wouldn’t be possible until Rumplestiltskin was destroyed.

Killian had shared with her in one of their evening conversations that he was hopeful that killing his sire with the dagger would not only accomplish what he intended, but also destroy the Darkness that made him what he was. If that was true, Killian, and she, if she decided to become one too, would no longer be vampires and would be able to live out their lives, their natural lives, in peace. Until that happened, they decided it would be best to keep her sisters ignorant of Killian’s true nature.

But now, she was ready to inform him of her decision.

~*~*~

Killian had retired for the evening, awaiting his nightly call with Emma when he perceived soft footfalls at the other end of the hallway leading to his room. His heightened senses had been attuned to her ever since he brought her back after evading Rumplestiltskin so he had no problem hearing her from so far away. He couldn’t help the leap of joy in his heart at what this might mean.

She stopped outside the door and he could clearly hear her elevated heart rate as she took several long calming breaths before knocking.

Opening the door, Killian beheld his pale and beautiful Swan. She wore only one of his old pirate shirts, leaving little to the imagination, although it hung about halfway down her thighs. She took a deep breath and met his eyes with her own veridian orbs.

She stared at him for a long moment. He held her gaze, hoping beyond hope that she could see everything he felt for her as he allowed all his love and devotion to flood his entire being.

“I’m ready, Killian.” Her inhale that time was much more steady and a calm assurance filled her eyes that he couldn’t help but respond to. He reached out and with the gentlest of touches stroked her cheek. She leaned into the tender gesture, before turning and placing a gentle kiss to his palm. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so cared for. “I’ve thought about everything. What this means for me, for our possible future. And I’m certain of one thing,” she professed, turning her eyes upon his again. “Two things, actually,” she amended, shrugging.

“And what are those, my love,” he asked.

“That I love you. And I belong with you,” she asserted. “I think I’ve known this since the moment we met.”

“Then come with me, dearest,” he requested, as he held his hand out to her. She placed her delicate hand in his larger one and allowed him to draw her into his bedroom and into his arms. “I’ll never hurt you, my beloved,” he murmured into her hair, gathering her to him.

He could hear her heart thundering in her chest, the blood that he longed to taste on his tongue thrumming through her veins. She raised her face to his, eyes filled with love and a profound trust that made him want to weep. “I know,” she replied.

He could hold back no longer. He gathered her closer and lowered his mouth to hers. The finest wine, the most decadent morsel couldn’t begin to compare to the sweetness he savored as his tongue requested and received entrance. She shivered in his arms and placed her hand over his pounding heart, its beat so accelerated that it nearly matched a human heartbeat.

A low moan came from the back of her throat as he leisurely sipped from his love’s mouth. He could drown in her kisses, and he would die happy. Lifting her into his arms, he felt her legs wrap around his hips as he walked them to his bed. “So beautiful, my Swan,” he praised, pulling back to look in her lust glazed eyes. He felt drunk off the aroma of her blood mixed with the scent of her arousal. He lowered her to the bed and hovered over her, eyes raking over her form. She arched herself toward him and reached out to draw him down to her.

Please, Killian,” she begged.

““Patience, my love,” he cajoled. “We have all night. We have forever.”

He lowered his face to hers and claimed her lips with all the passion that he had held back over the centuries. Hands roamed and made their way under clothing that kept their bodies shielded from one another’s eyes. When her hand wrapped around his hardness, he couldn’t hold back the moan she elicited from him as she began stroking him from base to tip. Burying his face in her neck, he inhaled deeply the fragrance of vanilla and cinnamon, along with the overwhelming redolence of the blood pulsing just below the skin. He remembered the very first time he had met Emma, how her scent nearly drove him mad with the blood frenzy. He couldn’t believe that they were finally here, after centuries of waiting. He had to be careful. Exercise perfect control over his baser instincts. What this night promised required the utmost care, the most careful execution, or all of his dreams would be reduced to ash.

Killian thrust himself into her hand, before placing a gentle kiss on her pulse point and rising above her once again. Her hands pushed his pajama bottoms over his hips, freeing his pulsing member. He stared into her emerald gaze, conveying with his eyes all the love in his heart.

He smirked at her aroused perusal of his body. Lowering himself down next to her on the bed, he began opening the buttons on the shirt she wore. He murmured endearments into her ear as he slowly made his way down her torso, revealing her creamy skin inch by glorious inch. Once he reached the end, his hand brushed her damp panties, the last piece of fabric hiding her from his sight.

“Ahhhhhh,” he cooed, “All this for me?” he inquired, dipping his long finger underneath the offending fabric and dragging it through her folds.

She moaned, her eyes rolling back in her head as she arched into his touch. “Yes, for you. All for you,” she affirmed before his lips claimed hers again. He thrust his finger into her heat, mimicking the action of his tongue. He added a second, and then a third finger when she began to ride them.

“So gorgeous, my Swan,” he murmured, watching her chase her release. Her eyes were closed, cheeks flushed, chest heaving, sweat gathering in the hollow of her collarbones. “Come for me now, my love,” he commanded, curling his fingers inside her just right as he felt her walls start trembling around them.

She came with a scream of his name, and he nearly lost himself in the rich aroma of her climax infusing her blood. Killian buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply again and felt his fangs snap into place. He pulled away from her as she came down and opened her eyes. Trepidation filled him as he knew exactly what she would see. Red pupils, fangs exposed. He wouldn’t blame her a bit if she ran away screaming. Instead he beheld a face full of wonder, awe even. She lifted a hand to his face and caressed his cheek. He couldn’t help but lean in to the simple gesture just as she had earlier.

“I love you, Killian,” she said, bringing her other hand to cup the other side of his face. “Now that we’re here, there is nothing I want more than to be with you forever.” Her green eyes bore into his until it touched the deepest part of his soul. “Make me yours. Please.”

“As you wish, sweetheart,” he breathed. “Now, you know what will happen. Are you absolutely sure you want this?”

“Yes, Killian. A thousand times, yes!”

“Then yes, Emma, I’ll make you mine.” His lips met hers again with all the renewed passion and longing that stole both of their breaths.

Holding her to him and rolling so that she straddled his hips, he never released her lips and plunged his hands into her hair, thrusting his hips into hers, creating desperately needed friction. One hand left her hair and moved with purpose toward her core where he found her still deliciously wet. She moaned into his mouth as he started to work her clit. She rose above him, giving him better access and threw her head back in ecstasy. His Swan’s long, luxurious hair brushed his thighs as he watched the flush from her cheeks reach down nearly to her breasts. He reached for one with his other hand, testing its weight, flicking her nipple until it was a sharp peak. Killian turned his attention to its twin, ratcheting up her pleasure as evidenced by the gasps and moans that poured from her lips.

Grabbing her hips with both hands, he lifted her up until she hovered over his throbbing member. Lining himself up, she looked down into his eyes as he pushed inside her heat. Twin groans escaped them as they became one.

“Gods, Emma,” he moaned, “You feel so good around me.” He thrust up into her even deeper, thrilling at the tight clench of her walls around him.

“Yes. Gods, yes, Killian,” she breathed, rolling her hips against his. Her head fell forward, her golden locks creating a curtain around them. He gazed into her eyes, pupils blown with lust and arousal, as he set an easy pace designed to slowly build the tension until they shattered in ecstasy.

“So wet, my love,” he choked out, “You fit me so well. Like you were made just for me.” After a few more thrusts, he pulled her down to him again and claimed her lips. Kissing along her jaw and down her neck, he rolled them again until she was on her back, wrapping her long legs around him.

Emma pulled him in even tighter, meeting him thrust for thrust, her passion matching his own. He could feel her walls beginning to tremble along his length, and the spike of endorphins flooding her blood. Her moans and breathy sighs told him she was close and when the throb of her walls signaling her orgasm pulled him even deeper, he sank his fangs into the vein that had been tempting him since she had stood outside his door. Her blood hit his tongue and overwhelmed his senses. She tasted of sunshine, wildflowers, spring rain, and new birth and he lost himself completely in her essence. Her climax continued along with the gasps of pleasure as he drank from her. His soulmate. His Swan. Her entire body tightened around him as he pumped furiously into her chasing his own release.

With a loud groan, his climax swept over him. He was dimly aware of the loosening of Emma’s limbs as her heartbeat began to slow. Continuing to pump into her as her heart rate slowed, he released her and raised his wrist to his mouth. The sharp sting of his fangs barely registered as his own blood began to flow. Holding his wrist to her mouth, he implored her, “Drink, Emma.”

After a few moments in which he could hardly breathe, Emma’s mouth latched onto his wrist and he felt the telltale pull of suction. After a few pulls from her, her eyes snapped open and locked on his. If he thought his connection with Emma before this was strong, there was truly no expressing in words their connection now. He could feel the gentle probing of her mind against his. He opened himself to her tentative explorations as she continued to drink from his wrist. Everything in his heart and mind was open to her. She’d be able to see all the memories as well as feel all the despair, anguish, and love that he had shared with her over the past week. The history of his family with the demon Rumplestiltskin, his love for his brother and devestation at his gruesome murder, his vow for vengence, the demon turning him into the very thing he hated, all the centuries he had waited for her, every connection, every miss, and finally the prophecy. Everything was revealed.

Killian searched her face as he waited for her eyes to open again. He could feel the intimacy of the connection in their minds confirming that she was turned and she was his. She finally released his wrist and stared into his eyes.

“It’s true. It’s all true,” she breathed. “We will defeat Rumplestiltskin. You’re the blue eyed prince and I’m the golden haired Swan. How did you know?”

“Your birthmark, Swan. And your blood.” He shrugged. “When I first met you in London, way back when, your blood called to me like nothing I’d ever known before. I wanted you more than I wanted to breathe, wanted to feed. I’d never felt a connection like that with anyone. Once I noticed the swan on your neck, I knew. It was like everything clicked. The prophecy, what it meant, how we were connected. It was also how I found you again and again, even if I was too late.”

He smiled as he saw her tongue touch her new fangs.

Delight danced in her eyes as her lips stretched into a grin. “So, I’m a vampire now?” she asked.

He couldn’t stop his chuckle. “Aye, Swan, you’re a vampire.”

“So, what do we do? Are we going after Rumplestiltskin now?”

“Not quite yet,” he said, bopping her on the nose, “We need to get you fed, then we’ll need to give you some time to adjust to this new life.” She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “I didn’t say it’d take long. But we can’t go after him half-cocked,” he quipped, thrusting into her, testing her readiness for another round as he felt himself stirring again within her depths.

“Yeah,” she gasped, meeting his hips with her own, more than ready for round two. “Half-cocked isn’t a good idea. We definitely need a plan that is ship shape before we weigh anchor.”

He buried his face into her neck again, inhaling deeply the scent of her blood, sweat, and sex. He could quite happily drown in the heady perfume of their lovemaking. His hips met hers again in a slow thrust that took both their breaths away. Continuing with slow, deep strokes, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

“Emma,” he groaned. “I love you so much. You have no idea. I’ve waited so long for you to be mine. I just can’t tell you. There are no words…” he trailed away, taking her with harder thrusts as his passion overcame his control.

His hands plunged into her golden strands and pulled her head back, giving him access to the tender skin of her neck. He placed open mouth kisses along the cords as a shuddering groan passed her lips.

“I know,” she whispered, meeting his thrusts with her own. “I love you, too.” She forced her head back up and pulled his hair back, nosing at the cords in his neck. “May I taste you again?” she murmured into his skin.

“Yes,” he moaned.

No time at all passed before he felt her fangs pierce the skin of his neck. She latched on and drank deeply as their climaxes hit simultaneously. Her fluttering walls pulled him over into unadulterated bliss that continued on and on and on. Was this what she felt like when I fed from her? He pulled her leg up over his hip as he drove himself into her one more time, more deeply joined than they’d yet been.

Long moments later, he felt her release him and pull away, collapsing back onto the bed, fully sated. He looked down at his blissed out Swan with a lascivious smirk. “How about that, darling?” he drawled.

“Mmmmmm,” she hummed, contentedly, her eyes still mostly closed.

He slipped from her and rolled onto his side. Drawing her back into his arms so that every part of him was lined up with her, he nosed her hair aside and laid a tender kiss to where he had earlier drunk from her. “Sleep now, my Swan. We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

Emma’s breathing evened out and she relaxed even further into his embrace. She turned her face to his and he lowered his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. “Goodnight, Killian.”

“Goodnight, my love.” She turned away and snuggled back into his arms as he fell into dreams.

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing. Only one more chapter, so you can probably guess what that means! See you next week!

#cssns20 #of darkness vampires and soulmates #krystal writes #art by spartanguard #ch7

36 notes · View notes

lineffability · 5 years

Text

the best omens // prompt list

HISTORICAL

Roman Empire

WW2

Crusades

Spain 1492

French Revolution

Ancient Greece

American Prohibition

Maya Empire

Edo Era Japan

Ottoman Empire

WW1

Berlin, Germany 1989

[insert any of your choosing]

KISSES

hello/goodbye kiss

kisses on nose/forehead/eyes

passionate kiss

trying not to kiss you - kiss

distracting kiss

I’ve waited 6000 years for this - kiss

routine kiss

deep kiss

reassuring kiss

happy kiss

comforting kiss

laughing between kisses

innocent kiss turns heated

angry kiss

making up after fight - kiss

kiss on hand

kiss on belly

open-mouthed kisses

first kiss

SENTENCE STARTERS

“You go too fast for me.”

“I missed you.”

“What is that?!”

“I love you.” / “I know.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Don’t tell me this is what I think it is.”

“Is this your doing?!”

“What if I did...a bad thing?”

“We’re on our side.”

“You look ridiculous.”

“Please. No.”

“Try not to die.”

“They want you to do what?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Let me help you.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Please stay?”

“Good Night/Morning.”

“Let me tempt you?”

Tattoo/Flower Shop

Cop/Criminal

LOTR

Disney

Genie/Adventurer Who Finds Lamp

Wizard/Familiar

Pirate/Mermaid

Ghost/Fool Who Bought Haunted House

Vampires

Space Travel / SciFi

Romeo & Juliet

Knight/Dragon / Knight/Prince(ss)

Mary Poppins

Teacher/Parent

Rival Chefs

Greek Gods / Myth

Fairy Tales

ONE WORD

Kitchen

Ducks

Scrumptious

Colours

Hug

Umbrella

Dream

Wine

Wings

Trip

Flowers

Water

Hands

Sweat

Ring

Bicycle

ABSTRACT

Chrysalism: the amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm

Vellichor: the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time

Sonder: the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own

Exulansis: the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it

Kenopsia: the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet

Anchorage: the desire to hold on to time as it passes

Liberosis: the desire to care less about things—to loosen your grip on your life

Serendipity: good luck in finding valuable things unintentionally

Petrichor: a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather

#good omens #prompt #prompts #prompt list #good omens prompts

2K notes · View notes

mor-beck-more-problems · 4 years

Text

Song for Autumn: Home || Morgan & Deirdre (pt.1)

TIMING: A few days ago

PARTIES: @deathduty & @mor-beck-more-problems

SUMMARY: Morgan’s ritual needs a very specific conduit. Deirdre knows exactly what she’s looking for.

CONTAINS: Brief discussions of past physical and emotional abuse

One a single minute had passed between the last time Deirdre glanced over at Morgan and tried to stir her attention with a pout, and the horrific realization that Morgan was too entrenched in her reading to even notice Deirdre’s piteous gaze. She’d finished sharpening the knives she sat down with minutes ago, now bored with reveling in the warm silence that filled these afternoons shared with Morgan. It was one singular, burning, terrible, minute from the last time she tried to stir Morgan’s attention, and another two minutes from the time she tried before then. And she knew it would be more agonizing minutes before Morgan remembered she was there at all, and that the sound of scraping against whetstone no longer claimed the air. Sometimes, action needed to be taken into her own hands. With the grace of a cat, she pounced on Morgan’s legs--careful of her files and folders--and crawled up until she could put her face in front of whatever decidedly less attractive text she was reading. Her eyes sparked with curiosity, but her mouth twitched with the tell-tale mark of a fae that wanted attention. “I know you physically can’t get wrinkles, but---” Deirdre offered a wide smile, raising her thumb to wipe away the concentration that fraught between Morgan’s brows. “You’ve been very interested in your papers lately.” The and not so much in me, your adoring and very attractive girlfriend hung unsaid in the air, having been said enough times before to be an echo in the way she pouted. “What are you up to? Anything I can steal you from?” She eyed the cup of once boiling tea---brewed as strong as tea could be---now lukewarm and staining the inside of one of several mugs Deirdre had bought for Morgan. It was a trait that persisted even through death, but Morgan always touched her tea more when it was grading or lesson plans on her mind. “This is Constance stuff, isn’t it?”

The books Morgan and Cece had stolen from the professor’s house were more of a gold mine than she had wanted to believe. She was so used to the world falling around her or promising doors slamming in her face. But this--? Whatever retribution game the original owner of this book had been playing at was, it had been thorough. The one Morgan was settling on was particularly insidious, calling for extra sources of energy, for objects to stabilize and direct the energy safely, for even wielding the pain brought on with precision, ramping it up more as the ritual progressed. Finding someone with the stamina for an hours-long ordeal, and the nerve to go through with this kind of harm, wouldn’t be easy. But Morgan had money, and she could front her own materials. It was only right that she invest herself in her ritual, even if she could do nothing in its execution. The ingredients ran the gamut from easy to forage herbs to...the obscure. Some of the terms were things Morgan hadn’t even heard of…

Deirdre’s voice shocked her out of her stupor. She hadn’t even heard her climb onto the couch. Morgan squealed, then deflated with relief and leaned over to kiss away her pout. “If you want to cuddle, you just have to ask, my love,” she said sweetly. “But yes, it’s Constance. This book has everything I need and then some, but as I’m trying to get my lists together, what I need, where and how am I going to get it, who is going to help and/or bodyguard me from more ghost attacks...I’m not actually sure what all of this stuff is?” She shifted the papers she wasn’t using to the coffee table and guided Deirdre to lay against her so they could look together. “Now, thanks to Evelyn’s help, I’m getting through this weird blend of Latin and French way better that I would have on my own. But this--” she pointed. “Translates to a comb of iron? Iron comb? Is that like...a hair comb?” She laughed, self deprecating at her own confusion and stroked Deirdre’s hair, bringing her in for another kiss.

Deirdre continued to crawl her way between the couch and Morgan, resting her head on the woman’s chest as she’d so often done to her. It, admittedly, was not as comfortable as they would be on more forgiving furniture, but it was better than being sat in her separate chair, sharing longing looks with the side of her girlfriend’s head. “I have been asking, you just hadn’t looked up a single time to see it,” she tried to sound hurt, but her grumble couldn’t last under the delight of finally being able to hold Morgan. She draped her arms around Morgan’s stomach and pressed tight, tilting her head down to see what Morgan was talking about. She stared at the words under her girlfriend’s finger. Blinked. Closed her eyes and kissed Morgan eagerly, imagining the words would shift when she opened them again. But there they were. Peigne de fer. La carde. A jumble of French she didn’t understand, but the English Morgan translated, she did. Her body tensed by reflex, then shivered. “It’s for sheep.” She explained plainly. “Or for the wool, more specifically.” Her hand tightened around Morgan, gripping the fabric of her clothing tightly. “You card the wool to straighten the fibers and pull out any clumps so you can begin spinning it.” She slumped against Morgan and closed her eyes. Memories she would have done well to forget drifted back to her. Her mother held one such Warden designed iron carder in her hands, and spoke something or another about the old fashioned ones and the torture they enjoyed. Somewhere, beyond their bodies, a pig squealed. “The more modern hand carders look just like combs, that’s all they really are, anyway. But the older ones are…” She swallowed and opened her eyes. “That’s what I think your passages are talking about, at least. They aren’t used for much else.”

Laying sprawled together like this delighted Morgan to no end. Toes curling, legs tangling, she folded herself around her girlfriend and showered her head in yet more kisses. “Mmm, I’m sorry, babe,” she murmured, gathering Deirdre’s hair so it would be easier to play with. “I suppose I’ll have to make it up to you, or else be severely punished.” She giggled and tilted Deirdre’s chin up to steal another kiss, a proper lingering one that left cotton tingles on her cheek and lips and reminded her of what touch had once been. The memory grew harder to find each month, but warmth of feeling beneath it never faltered.

Morgan’s pleasure didn’t last for long. Deirdre tensed in her arms, trembling, and looked away from the text. Morgan couldn’t connect her girlfriend’s explanation about the comb to her distress, but she knew something was wrong. “Hey…” she cooed, leaning down to give more kisses. “What is it, my love?” Was it the iron? The sheep? Morgan looked at the text again, putting the image of a plain farm tool in place of the words. “It is a weird choice for a conduit, I guess,” she mumbled, “Are the kind of combs this is probably referring to kind of big or bulky?” The ritual had been written during the French Revolution, after all, when a band of exorcists and casters determined the guillotine had been too good for some aristocrats, and destroying their ghosts was their second chance. Whatever they determined would suit their purpose probably wasn’t subtle, which suited Morgan just fine, in theory. “The uh...the sheep aren’t still attached to the wool, right?” She asked, still trying to make sense of Deirdre’s reaction. “I don’t have to bring it into the house, you know. It can stay in the garage, or a lock box in the shed if we ever get it back. Somewhere you won’t touch it by accident?” Morgan set aside her book altogether and wrapped Deirdre up in her arms. “Talk to me,” she said in a whisper. “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”

“And I’m not known to be merciful, my love.” Deirdre hummed, and then her voice spilled into laughter. Of course, if anyone would pick up on what she was feeling, even before she processed it herself, it would be Morgan. By some miracle, her love knew her exceptionally well, and Deirdre was thankful for it. If it wasn’t for her gentle assurances and nudges, Deirdre never would summon the strength to bear honesty with such ease. She laughed again, and shifted to bury her head into Morgan’s neck. There, enveloped in Morgan--surrounded by her scent and the gentle tugging of her undeadness--she imagined that there was a world without iron combs. Without their truth. Without pain. A world that they deserved, and could have. A happy, gentle world, where Deirdre might just have been the bright and brilliant person Morgan seemed to think she was. A good world. A kind world. Their world. Deirdre was stirred to reality by the rustling of paper, pulled back and opened her eyes to their house--filled with their things. It wasn’t too far off from some magical land where terror couldn’t find them; most days, it felt like that. Her eyes moved to the papers, books, notes and folders scattered around them. The scene looked eerily like the one in the Haven Hotel, months ago, when there was a heartbeat pressed against Deirdre’s cheek. Back then, there had been a lump in her stomach, a gnawing fear that Morgan would be lost to fate. She’d been right, and left to wonder if her fear was premonition or simple anxiety. When the same lump settled inside of her again, she didn’t know what to think. “I don’t know how someone touches a pointy comb by accident,” Deirdre laughed, pressing a firm kiss to Morgan’s cheek. “And the sheep aren’t attracted, no. Wool processing is long; you have to shear it and then prepare and wash it. Then it dries and---” Deirdre reddened, coughing as she remembered that yarn production was not Morgan’s concern now. Anything, perhaps, to save a few seconds before the truth. “Torture,” she said after a moment. “It’s probably an effective conduit because it was used for torture. You rake it across someone’s flesh. The iron must be effective for ghosts.” Just as it was for fae, and just as Deirdre knew how such devices worked against her kind. Not that it mattered. “Hm, the hand carders aren’t so big. There are, obviously, bigger ones out there. What do the books say you need?”

Morgan knew from Deirdre’s hesitation that what followed would be anything but good. She even knew from the deliberate plainness her girlfriend spoke with that she hadn’t gotten the knowledge out of a book. There had been enough references to the extracurricular torture Sibohan had put Deirdre through, but the image of a comb bristling with iron points had never crossed Morgan’s mind. She brushed her knuckles down her soft, freckled skin, trying to imagine someone tearing and burning it at once. Was that something Wardens did for fun that Sibohan thought she needed to impart? Or was it just another barbaric lesson. “Oh, Deirdre…” she whispered. “I had...no idea…” She tucked them closer together, curled up and all but locked in place, as if that could do anything for how she’d been thoughtfully tortured and broken from the outside in years ago. “You know we…” she grimaced and buried her face in her hair. “I know what we said before, but you don’t have to do this with me. I can…” her stomach turned at the thought of trying to find something like this, holding it in her hand, knowing what it was really for and how it had been used to hurt Deirdre. “I can figure this one out on my own. I can...I don’t know. But I don’t want you to have to relive anything like that because of me.” She didn’t know how to say it, but she feared Deirdre conflating her with that torture just as much. But Constance was different, and so was Morgan. She wouldn’t do something so monstrous for no reason, and never to anyone she wasn’t certain deserved it. But hurt did funny things to people, and trauma haunted in ways that didn’t always make sense.

“What?” If Deirdre had the strength to sit up and ruin the tight, tangled hold the two of them had perfected, she might have from the shock. “No, no,” she calmed her voice. “I’m not reliving anything, I’m not--I wouldn’t be. It doesn’t---” She sighed, and lifted her head up, trying to catch Morgan’s to pepper with reassurance and affection where she could. “The things that I’ve seen, and been through...they exist everywhere. In iron combs, spoons, mugs--” Deirdre gestured around their house. “At one point, one of these things has been bad for me in some way. By what was done with them, by them having been witnesses. With what I’ve seen, what I’ve been made to see. I don’t look at a mug and always think about each that my mother threw at a wall anymore than you must look at a lock and imagine the one of your bedroom. I’d much rather see a cup as being something you hold, something I get to pour your boiling tea into. I’d rather see it as good. And that’s exactly what I think about when I look at it.” She pressed into Morgan, holding her tighter. “And if I can help you, if a tool like that can be used to deliver justice, then it gets to be good. And I get to see it that way. The rest doesn’t matter to me. You are good, and you will use whatever tool you see fit, however you want to, and I will love you all the same.” Deirdre smiled softly, twisting her body up so she could kiss her girlfriend with as much love as she could muster. And again. And again, and again until she was sure her point was clear. She raked her teeth along Morgan’s lip as she drew back, thinking nothing of the iron and the way it could tear at her own flesh. “Thank you, my love. But it’s okay. The torture done to my kind is never a pleasant thing to think about, but it’s not new to me, and it’s not so terrible a thought that I won’t help you. I want to. I know it will serve you better than it would anyone else. I trust you, Morgan, and I love you. More than anything else. Now, what does your research say about the comb? Is there a specific kind you need?”

Morgan threw herself into Deirdre’s kisses, returning them with her own, firm and earnest and bursting with an affection she couldn’t put into words. She couldn’t say, ‘you dodged your mother’s mugs, too?’ and ‘I love your resilience and your courage and how much you love me,’ and ‘you are the wisest and most wonderful woman I know’ at the same time, much less in the seconds it took to take her lip between her teeth. And even these thoughts, swimming around her head as they slipped deeper into the couch cushions, didn’t quite get to the heart of the recognition that cut through her, or how it mixed with horror, sympathy, pride, affection, gratitude. She hoped that the alchemy between them would translate and Deridre would understand what even she couldn’t. Morgan didn’t bother with words at all until she felt Deirdre’s breathing grow strained against her.

“You’re incredible,” Morgan whispered. “I am so very proud to know you, Deirdre.” Another kiss, chased and sweet. “And, about that, I’m sticking hard to the original to minimize surprises, and I don’t want some stodgy exorcist to turn me down for not being through enough, so…”

#wr deirdre #wr chatzy #wr deirdre chatzy #abuse tw #physical abuse tw #//it's actually really short!#song for autumn #wickedswriting

9 notes · View notes

edupunkn00b · 11 months

Text

French Kiss: Tale of the Revolution, Ch. 20: Happy Endings

Colorized version of Fighting at the Hotel de Ville, 28th July 1830 by Jean Victor Schnetz. (embedded image description)

Prev - Happy Endings - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Summer, 1830, Café Procope

Virgil leaned forward, elbows on the table, and he watched, eyes wide, as the bearded man took a long draw on his coffee. “Then what happened? Tell me, did Patton and Remus free them? Did they… did they go back for Logan’s body? Maybe… maybe he was really still alive?”

The bearded man’s eyes shot over to the bartender, but his back was turned to them.

“Patton didn't slept at all that night,” the bearded man shook his head. “Remus tried, if for no other reason than to mollify him. And to…" He lowered his voice. "Give him a little privacy while he grieved." The bartender faced the other side of the bar, studiously busy polishing a beer stein. The bearded man cleared his throat and nodded. "At first, Remus imagined making his way back to the palace, fighting and sneaking his way past the rebels, convincing the guards he was who he said he was, and breaking in to free his love and his brother.”

He drank more of his coffee. “But as the night wore on, the fires at Versailles grew brighter. And his hope dimmed.”

15 July 1789

Patton stirred at the first hint of pink along the horizon. “Your—Remus?” he whispered, moving closer and resting a hand on Remus’ shoulder. “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” his voice cracked. Patton was on his feet, stomping dirt into the embers. Remus scrambled up after him. “The horses stayed,” he murmured.

“Petit and Naif are good horses, aren’t you?” he cooed, scritching across the shorter one’s back before strapping down his saddle.

“So you’ll take Petit,” Remus copied his movements and buckled the other saddle. “And I’ll take Naif?”

Patton chuckled dryly. “Petit’s the taller one. You’ve got her now." He stroked Naif's mane and his voice went soft. "Logan used to pretend he didn't like that joke.” He dragged his hand across his face and watched the sun inch her way over the horizon. Remus lifted his hand, about to grip his shoulder or… Do something. Anything. Anything to cut through the blanket of grief wrapped around the other man.

But Patton straightened and pointed to the thinnest part of the trees. “We’ll head that way on foot, then see how the road looks.” He nodded and clicked his tongue. Both horses followed him. “With any luck, we can ride most of the way.”

~~~

The City of Light burned.

Black, oily smoke billowed from the Bastille and several of the larger estates along the far shore of the Seine. The tall, windowed doors of St. Germaine were barred with a crooked iron brace. There were scorch marks on the doors and more on the loose pages from the prayer books gathered in clumps along the gutters.

They walked the horses slowly, and Patton clucked soothingly when a loud bang sounded north of La Chapelle. “Welcome to Paris,” he murmured to Remus. The bright sunshine illuminated every cracked window, every pile of trash, every dirty puddle. Every beggar. Patton took them past du Foy, but Remy had boarded up the windows and was likely hunkered down inside, his stolen musket by his side, lead pipe in his hand. Remy had told him stories of the food riots in the '70s, and he was not the type to take chances after that.

A rumbly wave of voices spread out from the center of the city and they followed the noise. A large gallows had been assembled in the middle of Jardin Square. The air was thick and acrid with the fires dotting the city and July’s heat already rising up from the cobblestone streets. The memory of the forest's cool air and the babbling creek seemed unreal.

The gallows platform was empty save for a pair of rebels fastening nooses to the heavy beam. Either end was rough and splintered, probably plundered from one of the estates before the structure was torched. “Look,” Remus tugged at his sleeve and his eyes darted over to the floor of the gallows. It was built tall, with the stage higher than eye level. “There are trap doors.” Patton looked and under each rope was a jagged square. “If we can stop those from triggering, it could buy us time to cut them down.”

Patton nodded. “Let’s tie off the horses, then cover me while I get under there.”

Less than an hour later, Patton and Remus mingled with the crowd at either edge of the gallows, mere paces from the steps leading up to the stage. The moment the doors failed to open, they would rush up, clad in red scarves, and promise to help. They had to be fast, and cut the ropes before anyone else could reach them.

They had one shot.

Remus fidgeted, his curls, even dirty, bouncing as he shifted. He jumped when someone clapped his shoulder, laughing. He laughed along and said something Patton couldn’t decipher from the other end of the stage. A little boy beat out a steady rat-tat-tat on a dented drum and the crowd’s volume grew. The mass of people moved as one, breathless and faces bright with excitement. One of the Garde Royale emerged from the commandeered shop behind the gallows. His uniform was torn, epaulets ripped from the shoulders and a deep purple bruise covering one eye. The crowd jeered as he was led to the end closest to Patton and two students he recognized from the café tightened the noose around his neck.

More boos erupted from the men and women and children gathered around the stage. Janus stumbled out, eyes downcast and his hands tied in front of him, like the guard. He didn’t appear to be in as bad of shape, but he favored his left leg as he walked and he moved far too slowly. Remus’ eyes were fixed on him and he inched a little closer to the steps.

“Not too soon, Your Majesty,” Patton whispered under his breath, willing Remus to remember to wait.

Patton didn’t think the crowd could get louder but a flash of green drew a roar from the mob. A head taller than the men leading him, Prince Roman walked with shoulders squared and chin tilted up. If it weren’t for the split, bloodied lip and his blood-matted hair, he could have been making his entrance at a grand ball. He didn’t react when one of the men tried to trip him, catching himself before falling on his face, arms tied behind his back, one final loss of freedom they could inflict before at last taking away his life.

From where he stood, Patton could see the lever that was meant to open the hatches. Beneath the stage, he'd jammed thick cedar shims into the mechanisms, his sabotage invisible from the outside. The lever would work, but the hatched would remain closed just long enough for him and Remus to cut everyone down.

The drums intensified, riling up the crowd until there was a crack of gunpowder and the executioner pulled the lever. When the hatches didn’t open, panicked voices rose up from the students who’d squeezed through the crowd to get a better view of the hanging. They were now penned in, caught between the head-high hanging platform and the growing mob.

It was now or never.

Moving as one, Remus and Patton dashed onto the stage. Before Remus could reach his brother, the shim splintered and the hatch dropped beneath his feet. Remus shouted, a wordless, panicked cry, as he dragged Roman back up and began to hack at the rope. While that was going on, the guard had managed to wiggle one hand out from his ropes and freed himself before he abandoned his distinctive coat and jumped off the back of the execution stage. The crowd was stunned, and time seemed to stand still as Patton ran to Janus’ side.

With all eyes on the “King,” he sawed through Janus’ ropes and half ushered, half carried him to the other end of the stage. “Trust me,” he hissed at the twins, then ripped open Roman’s tattered green coat and shouted, “Everyone! Faites attention! He’s wearing red! The King’s a fraud, he’s just a guard." He pointed behind the stage, away from where the guard had escaped. "That man was the King!”

The mob roiled around them, a bubble waiting to pop. As they moved down the ladder, Remus spotted a familiar young woman dressed in rags, clutching her elderly grandfather’s arm. Her rough woven skirt and apron, stained and threadbare blouse looked like anyone else's but he knew that face. Relief flooded his heart and he almost smiled. Philomene! She’d gotten out and taken Maitre with her. She met Remus' eyes, bowed her head, then stepped in front of a rebel attempting to get to the stage. She grabbed his arm, speaking quickly and pointing to Maitre.

“Get to the horses while they’re distracted,” Patton ordered, pulling the princes along. He squirmed through the crowd as they pushed their way around the stage, hunting for the long-gone guard. Dirtied and bloodied, friend and foe, royalty and Jacobin all looked alike and they managed to get to the edge of the square where Petit and Naif nickered nervously.

“You found me,” Janus slurred once they’d stopped, hanging from Remus’ arm.

“Of course I found you, mon douceur,” he murmured and lifted Janus up into the saddle before climbing up behind him, one arm wrapped around his love’s waist, the other hand tight on the reins. “I promised you, ‘til my last breath and beyond.” He nuzzled gently against the side of his neck, shoulders trembling. After a moment, he straightened and turned toward the others. “Race you, brother,” he started to laugh, but it came out more like a sob at the sight his brother’s bruised and bloodied face.

“If you think I’m going to let you win merely because you saved my life,” Roman’s smile was weak but real as he mounted the other horse behind Patton. “You’re dreaming.”

Patton chuckled at the brothers’ banter and tugged on the taller man’s arms. “Hold on tight, Your Highness” he muttered.

“Mon héros petit,” he said quietly, both arms looped tightly around Patton’s waist. He looked over his shoulder when the sound of the mob changed. Someone in the crowd pointed their way, and the mob seethed, undulating toward them like some giant sea creature.

“We need to move,” Patton said, clicking his tongue at the horses. “Now!”

Urging Naif and Petit into a gallop, the four of them took off just ahead of the crowd, leaving the chaotic mob in their horses’ dust.

Summer, 1830, Café Procope

“Mon dieu,” Virgil murmured. “They made it?” Tears pouring freely down his cheeks, he accepted a handkerchief from the bearded man. He scrubbed his face dry and shook his head. “That was a beautiful story, monsieur. Thank you.” He swallowed hard and nodded. “Where are they now? The stories say they—”

“Last I heard, the four of them were still guests of King Fredrick in Berlin.” He shrugged and finished his coffee. “Exile beats death.”

Virgil tapped the sides of his cup and leaned forward, eyes drawn to the gun the bearded man still held. His gun. “Did Patton ever return to Paris to seek revenge? To find… um… Raúl?" He stared at his gun with hardened eyes before looking up at the bearded man. "Make him pay for killing Logan?”

Shaking his head, again the bearded man gazed out at the bartender working his way through his closing tasks. The bar counter gleamed in the lamplight, every glass shone, bright and glossy. Just like the bartender’s clear blue eyes. “Patton was never the type to hurt someone out of revenge.” He returned his attention to Virgil. “Besides, they all knew Logan wouldn’t’ve wanted that.”

The dark fire that had filled Virgil’s eyes faded, and the coffee had sobered him. He stared down at the table for a long time, rubbing his hands over the scarred but polished surface. Finally he looked up and jerked his chin toward the gun. “I listened to your story, monsieur.” He bowed his head and pulled the ring out from under his shirt. He kissed it, then left it out, hanging just over his heart. “May I have my gun back now?”

“How about…” Picking up the gun, he opened the chamber and knocked the three bullets it contained into his palm. “You keep your gun, and I keep your bullets.” He offered Virgil the revolver, handle first. “Fair?”

Virgil chewed on his lip then finally nodded. “Entendu. Fair.” His mouth regained a bit of the shaky smile he’d had at the end of the bearded man’s story. He accepted the gun and, after a moment, tucked it in his belt. “Good night, monsieur. Thank you for the coffee and… the story,” he said, uncertain, like he’d pushed and pushed and pushed at a door only to have it fling open when pulled. He gave the bartender a little two-fingered salute then slunk out into the night.

The bartender followed and locked the door behind him before lowering the shade. Smiling with a faraway look in his eyes, he filled the bearded man’s cup with the last of the coffee. “You gave ‘Patton’ a larger role in the rescue tale this time.” As he turned to extinguish the lamps at the next table, the flames cast golden light over the bartender's unruly mop of greying hair, momentarily restoring his formerly blond curls.

The bearded man smiled sadly at him.

“He deserves it. Roman was right. The little kitchen scullery was a hero that night.” He took a long drag of his coffee, relishing the way the hot, bitter brew scalded his throat. He set down the mug and wiped his mustache with the back of his hand. “Saved His Majesty’s life.”

The bartender nodded. “It’s too bad I couldn’t save you both. That I couldn't save you all.”

The bearded man rubbed the edge of Janus’ gold ring, back on his pinkie where it had been the night he’d given to him. “You did what we all did that night, Pat,” he shrugged, leaning over to extinguish the last light. The lamplight accentuated the bump in his nose from the decades-old fracture. He contemplated the light, then blew it out. Gas streetlights spilled into the suddenly darkened space from the transom, hiding the surrounding ghosts in long shadows. “You saved who you could.”

~~~

Side by side of the edited and original versions of Jean Victor Schnetz' Fighting At The Hotel De Ville (1830)

#French Kiss: Tale of the Revolution #final chapter #Chapter 20: Happy Endings #dukeceit #ts virgil #Virgil Gamin #ts remus #ts patton #ts janus #ts roman #Crown Prince Remus Capetian #Patton Cœur #Prince Roman Capetian #Janus Robespierre #demus #one-sided logicality #ambiguous ending #sanders sides fanfiction

22 notes · View notes

dweemeister · 3 years

Text

2020 Movie Odyssey Awards

Because the 2020 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song final was extended, the 2020 Movie Odyssey Awards themselves are late once more - and all because of me this time out (oops). As you may know, this is the annual awards ceremony to recognize a year of films that I saw for the first time in their entirety in the calendar year. All films featured - with the exception of those in the Worst Picture category - are worth seeing.

The full list of every single film I saw as part of the 2020 Movie Odyssey can be seen in this link.

Best Pictures (I name ten winners, none of which are distinguished above the other nine)

The African Queen (1951)

The Haunting (1963)

The Irishman (2019)

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

Mädchen in Uniform (1931, Germany)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Ordet (1955, Denmark)

Parasite (2019, South Korea)

The Shop on Main Street (1965, Czechoslovakia)

The Trial (1962)

Seven of these films received 10/10 ratings. The others received 9.5/10 ratings. This Best Picture lineup were the ten best films I saw in all of 2020. The African Queen is a rollicking adventure film with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn that took me by surprise (I was long put off from the film because of its reputation). It displays some of the most charming moments that only Golden Age Hollywood can offer. Golden Age Hollywood horror may not be scary to viewers; but what it lacks in elicited screams, it makes up in goosebumps. The Haunting is one of the great haunted house movies of all time with its thick atmosphere, fantastic production design, and spectral ambiguity. Watch it in the dark, if you dare.

Two gangster epics with a mournful disposition are also here in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America. The former sees Robert De Niro seeking absolution despite personally not being fully regretful; the latter sees a regretful Robert De Niro seeking not absolution, but peace.

Made in Weimar Germany in the years just before the Nazi takeover is a classic of queer cinema, Mädchen in Uniform. Beyond its LGBTQ themes, it is a tale of young women finding friendship amongst each other. On the other side of Europe after its Nazi takeover is The Shop on Main Street - which switches gears between drama to lighthearted comedy to tragedy so nimbly. Another film exemplifying mastery in tonal shifts was the headline-grabber Parasite - an explosive, justly historic movie.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s A Letter to Three Wives is a suburban feminist ensemble piece, reflecting on the martial anxieties of women questioning their spousal bliss. The ending there, though not quite storybook, is poignant. Questions of faith, too, are asked in Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Ordet - not in others, but in God. The film, one of the greatest films ever made about religious faith, ends impossibly, provocatively.

Best Comedy

The Battle of the Century (1927 short)

Best in Show (2000)

Elmer, the Great (1933)

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)

Klaus (2019)

One Hour with You (1932)

The Princess and the Pirate (1944)

Road to Utopia (1945)

Soul (2020)

Three Little Girls in Blue (1946)

Now I typically give this category to the film that elicits the most belly laughs from me. None of these comedies did that for me this year. So I went with Ernst Lubitsch’s One Hour with You - starring Lubitsch regular Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald. It is what some folks might call a sophisticated comedy. But if you read between the lines, this pre-Code romantic comedy was probably one of the raunchiest things I saw all year.

For example:

POLICE OFFICER: Come on, come on. Where do you think you are? What are you doing? What’s going on here? ANDRE BERTIER: The French Revolution! [resumes kissing Colette] POLICE OFFICER: Hey, you can’t make love in public. ANDRE BERTIER: I can make love anywhere! POLICE OFFICER: No, you can’t! COLETTE BERTIER: Oh, but officer, he can! ANDRE BERTIER (joyously): Darling!

Otherwise, runners-up included It Happened on Fifth Avenue and Best in Show.

Best Musical

Blue Hawaii (1961)

Flower Drum Song (1961)

Hamilton (2020)

The Magic Flute (1975, Sweden)

My Dream Is Yours (1949)

New Orleans (1947)

New York, New York (1977)

One Hour with You

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947)

Three Little Girls in Blue (1946)

You know, if Hamilton was an original musical and not a filmed version of the original Broadway run, it would certainly threaten in this category. Instead, it rounds things out. Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York - as a deconstruction of the mid-century MGM musical - wins out not only its strong soundtrack, but glossy aesthetic that one would not associate with Scorsese. Runners-up are Flower Drum Song (the last movie with at least a majority Asian-American cast until The Joy Luck Club thirty years later and Crazy Rich Asians after that) and Bergman’s adaptation of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute.

Best Animated Feature

I Lost My Body (2019, France)

Klaus (2019)

The Last Unicorn (1982)

Mad Monster Party? (1967)

Marona’s Fantastic Tale (2019, France)

Melody Time (1948)

Saludos Amigos (1942)

Soul

Weathering with You (2019, Japan)

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Perhaps the least known animated feature of these nominees takes the prize. Anca Damian’s Marona’s Fantastic Tale is gorgeously animated, attempting to tell its story through the point of view of its small canine protagonist. The film appears as a dog might understand the confusing mess that is humanity. Close behind is Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers and Pixar’s Soul.

Best Documentary

Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963)

Diego Maradona (2019, United Kingdom)

Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970)

The Eyes of Orson Welles (2018)

The Great Buster: A Celebration (2018)

I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

I Am Somebody (1970 short)

The River (1938 short)

The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)

Tokyo Olympiad (1965, Japan)

This was the best year for documentaries in a year’s Movie Odyssey for a long, long while. As a part of the tradition of Olympic films, Kon Ichikawa’s Tokyo Olympiad is a chronicle of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The film resembled nothing like the Olympic documentaries before it - choosing not to concentrate on just gold medalists and reportage, but a story of Japan’s reintroduction to the Western world and the pains of the many also-rans in any Olympics. I also considered Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (a JFK/RFK real-time documentary on the racial integration of the University of Alabama system), Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, The River (a New Deal-funded documentary short about the importance of the Mississippi River - narrated in free verse!), and The T.A.M.I. Show as potential winners, but nothing could eclipse Ichikawa’s monumental effort.

Best Non-English Language Film

The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005), Mongolia

Emitaï (1971), Senegal

Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), India

Olivia (1951), France

Ordet, Denmark

Parasite, South Korea

Persona, Sweden

The Shop on Main Street, Czechoslovakia

Sleepwalking Land (2008), Mozambique

Tokyo Olympiad, Japan

My god, this is always a stacked category. So why do I even bother? Because non-English language films - though they shouldn’t be ghettoized and considered a specialty - are nevertheless ghettoized and considered a specialty in America. This sort of category also gives some attention to a few films that don’t make much of an impression in other categories (namely the wondrous Sleepwalking Land and stunning The Cave of the Yellow Dog). But it is Ordet the reigns supreme here, edging out The Shop on Main Street, Parasite, and Kaagaz Ke Phool for this prize.

Best Silent Film

The Battle of the Century

Body and Soul (1925)

Bumping into Broadway (1919 short)

The Dragon Painter (1919)

I Do (1921 short)

Next Aisle Over (1919 short)

Ramona (1928)

The Scar of Shame (1927)

Shoes (1916)

Young Mr. Jazz (1919 short)

Lois Weber was as instrumental to shaping early American cinema as D.W. Griffith or Cecil B. DeMille. And in Shoes, she brings her sense of social righteousness and cinematic innovation to the fore. It is one of her best feature films, and its release came at the height of America’s Progressive Era - a time of greater awareness of industrialization and unregulated capitalism’s ill effects. Distant runners-up are new National Film Registry inductee The Battle of the Century (a Laurel and Hardy film with one of the best pie fights you will see) and Body and Soul (Paul Robeson’s theatrical debut).

Personal Favorite Film

The African Queen

The Cave of the Yellow Dog

The Haunting

A Letter to Three Wives

Marona’s Fantastic Tale

McFarland, USA (2015)

Murder Most Foul (1964)

Stars in My Crown (1950)

Three Little Girls in Blue

The Trial

An understated but nevertheless eloquent screenplay, light humor, and careful attention to all three of its lead actresses roles define A Letter to Three Wives. It is one of the best exercises of empathy I saw all year, amid its tremulous and anxious narrative backdrop. We like to deride post-WWII American film as depicting an idyllic suburbia that never existed... but not here. Byambasuren Davaa’s The Cave of the Yellow Dog captured my heart, too. The film, from Mongolia, was one of the gentlest movies I’ve had the pleasure to see in the longest time. McFarland, USA revived memories in me of high school cross country days; Murder Most Foul was a Ms. Marple whodunit that cements Margaret Rutherford as one of my favorite actresses; the homespun Stars in My Crown is Americana at its finest.

Best Director

Ingmar Bergman, Persona (1961, Sweden)

Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ordet

Guru Dutt, Kaagaz Ke Phool

John Huston, The African Queen

Kon Ichikawa, Tokyo Oympiad

Sergio Leone, Once Upon a Time in America

Joseph L. Mankiewicz, A Letter to Three Wives

Leontine Sagan, Mädchen in Uniform

Ousmane Sembène, Emitaï

Orson Welles, The Trial

Dreyer is in command of the film’s mise en scene from the beginning - culminating in breathtaking scene set-ups for conversations spoken in hushed tones. The style is never oppressive, never showy, and just right for a deeply introspective movie of tried and troubled faith.

Best Acting Ensemble

Edge of the City (1957)

Gosford Park (2001)

The Irishman

A Letter to Three Wives

Little Women (2019)

Marriage Story (2019)

Once Upon a Time in America

Ordet

Parasite

Stars in My Crown

Subtract any one actor from Parasite and the film cannot work as well as it does. Perhaps Song Kang-ho has the best performance in the movie, but that isn’t possible without his fellow cast members putting out the incredible turns that they offer. Ordet is a close second. Behind by a country mile are Gosford Park, A Letter to Three WIves, and Little Women.

Best Actor

Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen

Maurice Chevalier, One Hour with You

Guru Dutt, Kaagaz Ke Phool

Jozef Kroner, The Shop on Main Street

Alan Ladd, This Gun for Hire (1942)

Joel McCrea, Stars in My Crown

Paul Robeson, Body and Soul

Howard Vernon, Le Silence de la mer (1949, France)

Jon Voight, Deliverance (1972)

Denzel Washington, Malcolm X (1992)

Arguably Denzel’s finest. He inhabits Malcolm X - the bravura, the attitude, the pastor-like (and occasionally incendiary) rhetorical devices, the early rage, the standoffishness. It is a magnificent performance. Just behind is Bogart and the irresistible Chevalier.

Best Actress

Bibi Andersson, Persona

Edwige Feuillère, Olivia

Helen Hayes, The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931)

Katharine Hepburn, The African Queen

Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Ida Kamińska, The Shop on Main Street

Liza Minnelli, New York, New York

Lucia Lynn Moses, The Scar of Shame

Madhabi Mukherjee, The Big City (1963, India)

Waheeda Rehman, Kaagaz Ke Phool

As Ms. Lautmannová, Kamińska - in the autumn of her career - gives us a portrait of devout religiosity, elderly naivete, and otherworldly trust. She and co-star Jozef Kroner play off the other’s performance, one benefitting from the other. It is a delicate, heartbreaking performance. Some ways away are our two Indian actresses, Madhabi Mukherjee and Waheeda Rehman, as well as Bibi Andersson in the dizzying Persona.

Best Supporting Actor

Stephen Boyd, The Man Who Never Was (1956)

Haren Chatterjee, The Big City

James Edwards, The Steel Helmet (1951)

Moses Gunn, Aaron Loves Angela (1975)

Victor McLaglen, The Princess and the Pirate (1944)

Victor Moore, It Happened on Fifth Avenue

Sidney Poitier, Edge of the City

Song Kang-ho, Parasite

Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death (1947)

James Woods, Once Upon a Time in America

For the sixth straight year, Best Supporting Actor - a category almost always filled to the brim with villains - goes to an actor playing a menacing villain. That smirk, that creepy laugh. Holy crap. Widmark knocks it out of the park as the psychopathic Tommy Udo in his debut role. The role, taken by some the wrong way, inspired Tommy Udo frats in American colleges and universities (their central premise: male chauvinism and anti-feminist beliefs). Who else did I consider for a win here? Victor Moore, Sidney Poitier, Song Kang-ho, and James Woods (before he became a twitter conspiracy theorist).

Best Supporting Actress

Tsuru Aoki, The Dragon Painter

Ethel Barrymore, Pinky (1949)

Ruby Dee, Edge of the City

Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Nancy Kwan, Flower Drum Song

Maggie Smith, Gosford Park

Genevieve Tobin, One Hour with You

Emilia Unda, Mädchen in Uniform

Ethel Waters, Pinky

Dorothea Wieck, Mädchen in Uniform

Emilia Unda beats out fellow co-star Dorothea Wieck as the headmistress of the boarding school featured in Mädchen in Uniform. As the strict, uptight disciplinarian, one can see hints behind the facade she displays in front of the girls at the school. Nevertheless, yet another antagonist takes home this award. Also contending are Nancy Kwan and Ethel Waters.

Best Adapted Screenplay

John Huston, James Agee, Peter Viertel, and John Collier, The African Queen

Ladislav Grosman, Ján Kadár, and Elmar Klos, The Shop on Main Street

Steven Zaillian, The Irishman

Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Vera Caspary, A Letter to Three Wives

Christa Winsloe and Friedrich Dammann, Mädchen in Uniform

Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, and Sergio Leone, Once Upon a Time in America

Samson Raphaelson, One Hour with You

Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ordet

Teresa Prata, Sleepwalking Land

Orson Welles, The Trial

And unlike the mistake the Academy made in just giving the Oscar to Mankiewicz back in the day, the award also goes to his co-screenwriter, Vera Caspary.

Best Original Screenplay

Juan Antonio Bardem, Death of a Cyclist (1955, Spain)

Ousmane Sembène, Emitaï

Julian Fellowes, Gosford Park

Jérémy Clapin and Guillaume Laurant, I Lost My Body

Everett Freeman, Vick Knight, and Ben Markson, It Happened on Fifth Avenue

Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite

Ingmar Bergman, Persona

Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, Road to Utopia

David Starkman, The Scar of Shame

Delphine Girard, A Sister (2018 short, Belgium)

This is Sembène’s first Movie Odyssey Award, and I think he was probably one of the most overdue. As one of the fathers of African cinema, Sembène’s movies are colored by politics, specifically anti-colonialism, racism, tribal relations, and the destruction of traditional Senegalese life. His biting work to Emitaï is an excoriating piece, and essential to anyone seriously wanting to learn more about movies. No real challengers, in my mind, but the next ones up would have been Bergman and Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won.

Best Cinematography

David Schoenauer, The Cave of the Yellow Dog

Michel Remaudeau, Emitaï

Davis Boulton, The Haunting

Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman

V.K. Murthy, Kaagaz Ke Phool

Norbert Brodine, Kiss of Death

László Kovács, New York, New York

Tonino Delli Colli, Once Upon a Time in America

Kazuo Miyagawa, Shigeo Murata, Shigeichi Nagano, Kenji Nakamura, and Tadashi Tanaka, Tokyo Olympiad

Edmond Richard, The Trial

The Trial unfolds and is shot as if it was a nightmare, albeit a nightmare without any dreamlike elements. With Dutch angles and unconventional use of focus, it is a remarkable film to look at. Having the soon-to-be Orsay Museum as an interior certainly helps. The Cave of the Yellow Dog, The Haunting, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Once Upon a Time in America, and even Tokyo Olympiad would have been worthy winners too.

Best Film Editing

Don Deacon, Born Free (1966)

De Nosworthy and Nicholas T. Proferes, Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment

Tom Priestly, Deliverance

Ernest Waller, The Haunting

Barry Alexander Brown, Malcolm X

Nino Baragli, Once Upon a Time in America

Yang Jin-mo, Parasite

Ulla Ryghe, Persona

Tatsuji Nakashizu, Tokyo Olympiad

Yvonne Martin and Frederic Muller, The Trial

Best Adaptation or Musical Score

S.D. Burman, Kaagaz Ke Phool

José Feliciano and Janna Merlyn Feliciano, Aaron Loves Angela

Nat W. Finston, Woody Herman, Louis Alter, and Edgar De Lange, New Orleans

W. Franke Harling, Oscar Straus, Rudolph G. Kopp, and John Leipold, One Hour with You

Maury Laws and Jules Bass, Mad Monster Party?

Joseph J. Lilley, Don Robertson, Hal Blair, George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, Sid Tepper, and Roy C. Bennett, Blue Hawaii

Alfred Newman, Flower Drum Song

Edward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith, and Charles Wolcott, Saludos Amigos

David Raksin, George Gershwin, and Ira Gershwin, The Shocking Miss Pilgrim

Harry Warren, Ralph Blane, and Howard Jackson, My Dream Is Yours

Oh geez what a line-up. But this category favors original musicals above all. And though some might hesitate to call it a musical, Kaagaz Ke Phool’s soundtrack - in its melding of dramatics and music - is as cinematic as they come. As opposed to the let’s-just-put-a-song-here-to-kill-free time attitude of some of these musicals, Kaagaz Ke Phool uses its songs purposefully. In other words, with feeling. Alfred Newman’s adaptation of Flower Drum Song was probably up next.

Best Original Score

John Barry, Born Free

Elmer Bernstein, The Comancheros (1961)

Akira Ifukube, Destroy All Monsters (1968, Japan)

Zdeněk Liška, The Shop on Main Street

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Tokyo Olympiad

Ennio Morricone, Once Upon a Time in America

Alfred Newman, The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Leonard Rosenman, Edge of the City

Virgil Thomson, The River

John Williams, Empire of the Sun (1987)

This is not a sympathy prize for the recently-departed Italian composer. The key cue is the second one featured, "Deborah's Theme" and, when you listen to it, I think it tells you all you need to know about this movie. It's deeply expressive. And in the movie, it's allowed to be prominent. I've seen people say the late Morricone considered this his best score, but I can't find any official word of that anywhere. It is tremendous work, with Bernstein, Newman, and Thomson just behind.

Best Original Song

“Angela”, music and lyrics by José Feliciano and Janna Merlyn Feliciano, Aaron Loves Angela

“Can’t Help Falling in Love”, music and lyrics by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, Blue Hawaii (1961)

“Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari / Bichhde Sabhi Baari Baari”, music by S.D. Burman, lyrics by Kaifi Azmi, Kaagaz Ke Phool

“(Do You Know What It Means to Miss) New Orleans”, music by Louis Alter, lyrics by Edgar De Lange, New Orleans

“Farewell to Storyville", music by Louis Alter, lyrics by Edgar De Lange, New Orleans

“Happy Endings", music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, New York, New York

“Here They Come (From All Over the World)", music and lyrics by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, The T.A.M.I. Show

“Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?", music and lyrics by Yôjirô Noda, Weathering with You

“Theme from New York, New York”, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, New York, New York

“Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, music and lyrics by S.D. Burman, Kaagaz Ke Phool

Thank you to all of those who participated in the 2020 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song!

Best Costume Design

Uncredited, The Duke Is Tops (1938)

Irene Sharaff, Flower Drum Song

Jenny Beavan, Gosford Park

Jacqueline Durran, Little Women

Henry Noremark and Karin Erskine, The Magic Flute

Ruth E. Carter, Malcolm X

Marcelles Desvignes and Mireille Leydet, Olivia

Gabriella Pescucci, Once Upon a Time in America

Travis Banton, One Hour with You

Bonnie Cashin, Three Little Girls in Blue

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Daniel C. Striepeke, John Chambers, Verne Langdon, Jack Barron, Mary Babcock, and Jan Van Uchelen, Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

Sallie Jaye and Jan Archibald, Gosford Park

Judy Chin and Fríða Aradóttir. Little Women

Uncredited, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)

Uncredited, The Magic Flute

Marietta Carter-Narcisse and John James, Malcolm X

Michael Westmore, Christina Smith, Mary Keats, June Miggins, and Sydney Guilaroff, New York, New York

Carmen Brel, Simone Knapp, Jean Lalaurette, and Maguy Vernadet, Olivia

Ben Nye, The Shocking Miss Pilgrim

Ben Nye, Three Little Girls in Blue

Best Production Design

Norman Reynolds and Harry Cordwell, Empire of the Sun

Alexander Golitzen, Joseph C. Wright, and Howard Bristol, Flower Drum Song

Stephen Altman and Anna Pinnock, Gosford Park

Elliot Scott and John Jarvis, The Haunting

Bob Shaw and Regina Graves, The Irishman

M.R. Achrekar, Kaagaz Ke Phool

Henny Noremark, Anna-Lena Hansen, and Emilio Moliner, The Magic Flute

Harry Kemm, Robert De Vestel, and Ruby R. Levitt, New York, New York

Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales, 1917 (2019)

Carlo Simi, Once Upon a Time in America

The production design, or the haunted house, was a character. Nothing else in this category could compare.

Achievement in Visual Effects (all are winners because it would be unfair to compare the visuals of 1917 against When Worlds Collide)

Babe: Pig in the City (1998)

Destroy All Monsters

The Irishman

1917

Red Dawn (1984)

Plymouth Adventure (1952)

War of the Worlds (2005)

When Worlds Collide (1951)

Worst Picture

Age 13 (1955 short)

Fireman, Save My Child! (1932)

Frankie and Johnny (1966)

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Red Dawn

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Fuck Fallen Kingdom.

Honorary Awards:

Colored Players Film Corporation, for its thematically courageous race films, tackling issues neglected by Hollywood

Harold Michelson, for his contributions as an illustrator and storyboard artist (posthumous)

Lillian Michelson, for her dedication as a film researcher and archivist

Tadahito Mochinaga, for achievements in stop-motion animation with Rankin/Bass

Floyd Norman, for his pioneering career in cinematic animation

FILMS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS (excluding Worst Picture... 57)

Ten: Once Upon a Time in America Nine: Kaagaz Ke Phool Seven: New York, New York; One Hour with You Six: The African Queen; Gosford Park; The Irishman; Parasite; The Shop on Main Street; The Trial Five: Flower Drum Song; The Haunting; A Letter to Three Wives; Mädchen in Uniform; Ordet; Persona; Three Little Girls in Blue; Tokyo Olympiad Four: Edge of the City; Emitaï; The Magic Flute; Malcolm X; New Orleans; Olivia Three: Aaron Loves Angela; Blue Hawaii; The Cave of the Yellow Dog; It Happened on Fifth Avenue; Marriage Story; The Scar of Shame; The Shocking Miss Pilgrim; Stars in My Crown Two: The Battle of the Century; The Big City; Body and Soul; Born Free; Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment; Deliverance; Destroy All Monsters; The Dragon Painter; The Greatest Story Ever Told; I Lost My Body; Kiss of Death; Klaus; Mad Monster Party?; Marona’s Fantastic Tale; My Dream is Yours; 1917; Pinky; The Princess and the Pirate; The River; Road to Utopia; Saludos Amigos; Sleepwalking Land; Soul; The T.A.M.I. Show; Weathering with You

WINNERS (excluding honorary awards and Worst Picture; 28) 3 wins: A Letter to Three Wives; Ordet 2 wins: The Haunting; Mädchen in Uniform; Once Upon a Time in America; Parasite; The Shop on Main Street; The Trial 1 win: The African Queen; Babe: Pig in the City; Blue Hawaii; Destroy All Monsters; Emitaï; Gosford Park; The Irishman; Kaagaz Ke Phool; Kiss of Death; Malcolm X; Marona’s Fantastic Tale; New York, New York; 1917; One Hour with You; Red Dawn; Persona; Plymouth Adventure; The Shocking Miss Pilgrim; Shoes; Tokyo Olympiad; War of the Worlds; When Worlds Collide

92 films were nominated in 26 categories.

#2020 Movie Odyssey Awards #My Movie Odyssey

5 notes · View notes

theawkwardterrier · 4 years

Text

Chill Book Recs

It’s a tense time (obvious) and for all those who are social distancing (which should be as many people as possible!!) as well as those who are out there keeping essential services running and caring for those who need it (thank you!!), sometimes we need a chance to relax with a book that’s somewhat low stakes. So I’ve put together some of my faves which are light and funny (and, not coincidentally, often romantic and/or tropey - not sorry!) for you to download as ebooks or audiobook, or order from a bookstore (especially recommend that you check if your local indies are still shipping, or look at Biblio, or the Bookstore at the End of the World collective). Not saying that all the selections below are without obstacle or issue, but I’ve tried to keep it pretty upbeat and noted what I can. Feel free to add your own faves like this, and happy reading!

(Sorry for the abundance of parentheses.)

(No, I’m not.)

Analee, In Real Life by Janelle Milanes (fake dating, MMORPG, Latinx MCs, own voices, family drama, YA)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (boarding school, friends to romance, Paris, cancer cw, YA)

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson (humor, fantasy, enemies to friends, fantasy political intrigue, illustrations, confusion!, middle grade)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (semi epistolary, company approved spying, early 2000s, newspaper, best friendships, Getting Yourself Together, very good food descriptions, miscarriage cw, romance, adult)

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (enemies to romance, chicken marsala, a familial yikes but very good friends, did you adopt the cat or did the cat adopt you, snow globes, shoe descriptions, fat MC, this is my favorite romance tbh, adult)

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (Scotland, power of books, side romance, small town, precariously balanced large vehicle, running your own small business, misunderstanding the role of libraries but I’ll overlook it, job loss cw, adult)

Bossypants by Tina Fey (humor, short chapters, memoir, “Mrs. Fey's change of life baby,” Jimmy Fallon getting owned, adult)

Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot (epistolary-ish, baking, complaining about NYC real estate, labor disputes, eating disorder cw, romance, adult)

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (historical fiction/alternate history, math/physics/science, supportive husband, Jewish MC, awesome women, worldwide catastrophic event cw [I know but try it], side romances, adult)

A Countess Below Stairs/The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson (historical fiction, WWI/Russian Revolution trauma cw, eugenics cw, quirkier Downton Abbey, romance, YA/adult)

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (historical mystery, side sexiness, butterflies, I keep talking about this series, adult)

Don't Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno (Gilmore Girls but make it Florida, Latinx MC and LI, bi MC, family curses, own voices, character death cw, romance, YA)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (fantasy/fairy tale retelling, classic, curses, you’re allowed to like the movie I guess but read the book for real, romance, middle grade)

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (small town Maine, overcoming past trauma, spousal death cw, depression cw, The Yips, friends to romance, adult)

The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty (fantasy, cool aunts, journeys, middle grade)

Faking It by Jennifer Crusie (con men/people, messy family, murder?/fleeing the scene/technically I’m homeless, delicious sounding muffins, art theft, romance, adult)

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith (train journeys, sextuplets, romance, YA)

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez (zines, music, Latinx MC, middle grade)

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (graphic novel/available as a webcomic [@heartstoppercomic], cute, gay MC, bi MC, school uniforms, bullying cw, romance, YA)

How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom by S.J. Goslee (fake dating, gay, bad boy?, YA)

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest (dance, road trips, Black MC and LI, dog, parental death cw, own voices, enemies to romance, YA)

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (statistics, autism/Asperger’s, escort, Asian/biracial MC, family owned restaurant, own voices, romance, adult)

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo (quirky small town, funnier than she knows narrator, a little bittersweet, middle grade)

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills (radio programming, family drama, neighbors, banter, contest mistakes, romance, YA)

The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson (marriage of necessity, Holocaust/WWII cw, Jewish MC, scientific sheep, paleontology, quirky side characters, romance, YA/adult)

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (epistolary-esque, Boston, gay MC, Asian MC, Latinx MC, musical theater, friendships!, baseball, romance, YA)

The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin (multiple POV/semi-epistolary, new girl in school, contests, small town, middle grade)

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (graphic novel, fake fantasy but make it fashion, genderfluid MC, middle grade)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman (uncategorizable, funny, classic, fake politics, satiric genius is at its fullest flower, fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles, etc., YA/adult)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (politics, royal family, Texas, Latinx/biracial MC, bi MC, gay LI, everyone’s already talking about it but I listed it anyway, enemies to romance, adult)

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (pen pals, small/rural town, translated, character death cw, power of books, side romance iirc, adult)

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (graphic novel, roller derby, friendship, finding yourself, middle grade)

Sorcery & Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (historical fantasy, Regency, cousins, side romances, estates, The Season, epistolary, middle grade/YA)

The Summer of Jordi Pérez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding (fashion, burger bros, lesbian MC, fat MC, queer LI, Latinx LI, own voices, romance, YA)

To All the Boys trilogy by Jenny Han (fake dating, baking, sisters, Asian MC, own voices, romance, YA [I mean, if you’ve seen the movies...])

To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan (epistolary, enemies to friends, matchmaking youth, gay dads, sleepaway camp, middle grade)

#books #book recs #p.s. feel free to send me an ask if you’d like other or more specific recs #or if you’d like help figuring out what you can access through your library/library network

20 notes · View notes

snowbellewells · 5 years

Text

Happy Birthday Krystal!!! ~***~

{Okay, @kmomof4, I think I have dithered over this and fretted and edited as much as possible for one day. I genuinely hope that you will like this addition to my French Revolution CS AU universe! Probably because it was for you, but this isn’t going to be all of it either. I think there will be a couple more parts - if not three - though I’m not going to promise any sort of time frame for them until I have written some of the other pieces I’ve committed to this month.

Anyway, I am so lucky to have you as a fandom friend and a dedicated reader and encourager. I feel so blessed to have met you and am grateful for your support constantly. This really isn’t enough, but I hope that it will add a bit of enjoyment to your special day. All the best to you today and always!!}

On the eve of Revolution, when it seems his whole world is falling down around him, nobleman Killian Jones is given a reason to keep fighting for his life…

Previous Installments: Part One Part Two

Part Three

The pounding rush of hoofbeats outside the makeshift tent where she was attempting to suspend and dry the clothing she had washed in the nearby stream sent her heart into her throat as the thundering drew up outside, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Though Emma had now been living in temporary encampments with Killian and with Liam’s regiment nearly six months, under his brother’s watchuful eye and protection (despite Killian’s chafing at the overprotectiveness) she still found herself tensing at the sound of new arrivals. Would this be an angry mob? Messengers bearing horrible news? She couldn’t help it when she thought of the climate around them and the way she and Killian had fled their home with pursuers on their heels.

This time though, she did not have to worry or wonder very long, as within moments, she heard Killian’s rich, strong voice calling out her name just before he threw back the tent flap and appeared, beaming at her, in the opening. “Swan!” he greeted breathlessly, his eyes alight with joy and his crooked smile spread across his face, his dark hair ruffled by the wind and a long, hard ride. “Aren’t you the most beautiful sight to which a man could return?”

Emma’s tensed shoulders fell loosely, and she was across the tent in two seconds, throwing her arms around him tightly and clinging to him with a sob of relief.

Killian might have found purpose and fulfillment in the ensuing months since they had fled his family’s estate and life of privilege, but for Emma, his new vocation had led her into constant waiting and praying for his safery each time he rode out as a scout for Liam’s regiment, and fear that he might not return. Though not officially enlisted, he could do that - and had proved quite adept in both stealth and attention to the details necessary for giving his brother’s forces all the intel they could have on the land and who or want awaited them before they marched forward. It gave the two of them a place in the camp and let Killian feel truly useful, something he had rarely felt in the life of a sheltered aristocrat, he had confessed to her as they huddled together for warmth, both their heads sharing a single bedroll for a pillow, in the chill night air inside their tent.

More than anything, in that moment, she could only be grateful that he had returned whole and safe to her once again. Her insides were still quivering with the anxiety she always held that it might be word he had been discovered and shot down or captured out there alone. Liam, of course, instructed his younger brother to only collect what information he could gain from a reasonable distance - but she also knew Killian. The thrill of riding on the edge of danger, and his reckless lack of self-preservation, made him an excellent scout, but constantly had Emma’s stomach in knots until he rode back into the camp after each reconnaissance mission he undertook.

So much so that she had made up her mind not to bear it any longer. If her love, her best friend, the sole reason she left her home and family and the bucolic countryside she had always known, was going to be out risking life and limb for a cause he believed in, then she would be as well. Waiting helplessly for word or sight of his return would little by little drive her mad with imagining all the worst possibilities one after the next. There had to be some way that she could help him out there on the rough, dirt-packed trails. She was a decent horsewoman, could track and shoot to keep them fed, and she would be able to take down his observations, speeding the work and lessening the chance of being caught. Not to mention that she could mend his wounds if he were hurt, would know if something bad happened. They must be stronger together; she simply would not believe anything else.

Killian, however, unaware of the determination she had reached in her mind, was more involved in showing her just how much he had missed her and how glad he was to see her again. His once delicately soft fingertips, indicative of his family’s prestigious station, were now roughened by callouses from work and the elements, as they traced along the slope of her neck, then lightly brushed an escaped curl from her chignon back over her shoulder. The sensation made her insides quiver in a wholly different manner than the worry which had shaken them before his arrival - one that was deliciously addictive. “Swan, truly, what enchantment do you use to grow even more lovely each time I return? It is not fair, ma Chérie. How can a man hope to compare?”

She rolled her eyes lightly, his silver tongue having always been one of his many attributes capable of charming her, even if his actual words were overeffusive flattery to her way of thinking. He meant what he said, but he was more than a bit biased and pre-disposed to see her in her best light, through very rose-tinted lenses. Huffing out a light breath of air, she shook her head at his ridiculous compliment, even as his head dipped to lightly trail his lips along where her shoulder met her neck, making the air escaping hitch slightly with the tingles he sent chasing down her spine. Where she had opened her mouth to chide him for being such an incorrigible flirt, she instead only released a blissful sort of sigh, allowing her whole body to sway towards his never-failing warmth, drawn under his spell as inextricably as an unwitting fly might first enter the spider’s web.

“Mhmm...Killian…” she breathed shakily. “One might also question how you become a better and better kisser after each time we have been apart. Have you been obtaining practice elsewhere? Or are you the one making use of some enchantment?”

Her handsome gentleman raised his eyes then, to stare into her questioning green gaze with unblinking sincerity. There was nothing for her to do but believe him as he rasped devoutly in a voice hoarse with emotion. “I would never so much as think of another before you, mon amour. Please tell me you know that.”

Emma smiled back tremulously, her emotions making her a bit teary-eyed at the fervor he proclaimed. Leaning her forehead against his, just savoring their closeness once again she whispered, “Of course I know, Killian. Of course. You have never given me any cause to doubt your word or honor.” And it was true. This man had lost much in the last half year. Nearly everything about his life and circumstances had changed, and yet there he stood, as gallant and true as ever. His heart was still as open as it had been when they played together in the flowering fields or splashed into the fountain of the front circle at his father’s chateau, despite the scolding it had earned her and the whipping it had undoubtably bought him. He was still that boy as well as the man now standing before her. The only man she had ever loved… or ever would.

“Good,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before sweeping in to capture her lips with his own, “because not a day went by when I did not think of you.”

In spite of the sturdy, practical bent to her nature, Emma swooned a bit at the admission, honestly wondering what a simple maid like her had done to earn such ardent courtship. Though Killian smelled of sweat and horse and the dust of the long miles he had crossed, she couldn’t get enough of him as she returned his kiss, opening to his questing tongue and teeth and savoring the soft scratch of the stubble that had grown on his once smoothly clean-shaven face. The overwhelming masculinity her childhood friend now bore might cause her to unravel, but as the fire rose in her blood, she felt it would be a more than worthy capitulation..

Humming with pleasure, she was just truly beginning to reciprocate and to give back as good as she got when they were interrupted by the tent flap being thrown open once more. “Killian! You’re needed back in the saddle at --” his brother’s deep, commanding voice called out, speaking with such intense urgency that he had carried on in a rush before choking off, embarrassed, and averting his eyes upon realizing that his younger brother and childhood friend were caught up in a quite passionate embrace, Killian’s hand tangled in her hair, Emma’s chest heaving undeniably and eyes glazed over, and both of them pressed so close together that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Killian’s other hand had even begun to conspicuously bunch up her skirts - a tell tale giveaway of what they had been about, even if he dropped it quickly and took a step back, flushed beneath the dark beginnings of a beard covering his cheeks. “Liam - bon sang! A little warning before you charge in, Brother!”

Liam shook his head in consternation, still looking determinedly off to the side rather than at either of them, his voice clipped with awkward chagrin as he continued speaking more calmly. “As I was saying, Little Brother, I realize that you have only just returned, but we have need of yours skills again - as soon as you can make ready.”

Frustration worked the muscle in her love’s jawline, not doing anything to ease the unsatisfied flame in Emma’s blood, but before he could protest or speak at all, she reached up to touch the side of Killian’s face with a tender, staying hand. Looking over to Liam, she nodded dutifully. “I am sure we can make ready by nightfall.”

“We?!” both Jones men spluttered indignantly, eyes wide with disbelief.

Killian’s clearly affronted chivalry had him practically gaping at her in shock as he drew her closer. “What are you thinking, Emma?”

Meeting his gaze head-on, having known this would be cause for a fight, she answered in a voice steely with resolve. “I am thinking,” she put emphasis on the same word he had used to question her, “that waiting here imagining what might go wrong or how you might not return is torment I can bear no longer. I can help you, Killian. … And I am going with you.”

Tagging a few others who might enjoy (even if it is Krystal’s present): @jennjenn615 @searchingwardrobes @hollyethecurious @therooksshiningknight @darkcolinodonorgasm @resident-of-storybrooke @winterbaby89 @thisonesatellite @scientificapricot @bmbbcs4ever @aloha-4-ever @effulgentcolors @thislassishooked @angellifedeath @ilovemesomekillianjones

#cs au ff #cs French Revolution au #a private revolution #fandom bday gift fic #for @kmomof4 #part three

26 notes · View notes