#I like the part where he gets the violin(ce) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

monotonous-minutia · 3 years

Text

It’s here! The ridiculously long (about 9 pages on Word) and totally unnecessary literary analysis of the absolute gayness of one of my favorite operas!

you guessed it: Les contes d’Hoffmann. I spent way too many hours over the past months writing this thing.

I just think of all of this altogether too much so I decided to just write it all down in one place like the lit crit nerd I am.

As I’ve mentioned before, there is a LOT of evidence in Les contes d’Hoffmann that the two main characters (the titular Hoffmann and his friend Nicklausse, aka the Muse) are absolutely an item. To the point where I honestly can’t understand how a director can look at this opera and think “oh that’s not gay” and proceed to stage it as if it’s not. It is SO GAY. I can only imagine that directors who stage this differently are deliberately trying to specifically remove the gay content (e.g., taking out the Violin Aria, messing with edits, doing weird things with the productions that I won’t get into lest I fall into a rant and forget what I’m here to talk about).

For some, the only way to acknowledge that Nicklausse and Hoffmann are an item is it ignore the Nicklausse part and have the Muse be a girl for the entire opera. Because, well, we can maybe admit to the romance, but at least it’s not gay, right?

Well, no.

Often, we get a strange dynamic where productions can’t seem to decide how to mitigate the gayness. Is Nicklausse a girl so there’s no gay with Hoffmann? But what about when he’s flirting with Giulietta (and come on, it’s really hard to stage the Barcarolle, which is basically a love song, without Nicklausse at least vaguely flirting with Giulietta and vice versa, because they’re singing it together). How is that not gay if you insist Nicklausse is a girl? There’s no way to get around it.

No matter how you spin it, it’s gonna be gay. And like I said, if a production tries to insist otherwise, it’s specifically to push back against The Gay. That usually fails miserably for two reasons. One, those productions are garbage, I don’t care who the director is and how fabulous the rest of their work might be. And two, by trying their hardest to get rid of the gay, they are flat-out admitting that it is there. If it wasn’t so blatantly obviously gay, people wouldn’t try so hard to prove that it isn’t.

On another note, it’s pretty obvious that the character of Nicklausse/the Muse is genderfluid. The Muse introduces herself in feminine terms in the Prologue (and Muses are typically associated with femininity), but navigates the majority of the opera identifying as Nicklausse, who’s a man. Ironically productions that try to lessen The Gay get stuck on this because if Nicklausse is definitively a feminine Muse, she’s gonna be gay with Giulietta, in which case the only way to avoid that is to say that isn’t gay because Nicklausse is a man, and, well, whoops, you just admitted the character is genderfluid.

Like I said, there’s no way around it.

I feel like even this super-vague analysis should be enough to convince people. But, because it’s not lit crit if we don’t get all in-depth and nerdy, and because it’s really fun, I’m going to plumb the depths of my research and analysis and share with you this 4,000-word essay proving that yes, indeed, Nicklausse is genderfluid; and yes, indeed, he and Hoffmann are a couple, and a very gay one at that.

Let’s begin.

(Note: the following contains a lot of references to outside sources and I’m just too lazy to properly cite them especially because I just spent the last three years of my life doing that for all my research papers and it sucks. But if anyone is curious and wants to know where specific pieces of information come from, let me know.)

Nicklausse is genderfluid.

This honestly seems like a no-brainer. The dictionary definition of genderfluid is “of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is not fixed,” so the fact that the character spends part of the opera in a feminine form (the Muse) and part of the opera in a masculine form (Nicklausse) is pretty much the definition of gender-fluid since the character’s gender identity is not fixed. Yeah, maybe the Muse is just in drag for the night, but either way, they’re obviously extremely comfortable in the masculine form so it seems more than likely it’s something they’ve done many times before and are not only okay with but very used to. There’s debate as to how much time, exactly, the Muse spends with Hoffmann as Nicklausse, or even whether Nicklausse is a real person or has been the Muse all along. The solution to this could affect the way the character is or is not defined as genderfluid, but the fact that there is no way to tell what the answer is—because the authors deliberately left that ambiguous—renders it a moot point. We could argue back and forth about that all day and never come to a conclusion because there isn’t one. At the end of the day all we can agree on is that the Muse is acting as Nicklausse the night Hoffmann tells the stories, and likely has done so before.

There is other, non-textual evidence that backs up the concept of Nicklausse as genderfluid. The biggest one is that Barbier and Carré were not strangers to the idea of gender fluidity in their work. About 14 years before Hoffmann premiered, another work from these two hit the stage: Ambroise Thomas’s opera Mignon. The titular character is, for all intents and purposes, genderfluid, presenting as both male and female throughout the course of the opera and seeming comfortable in both roles. Even earlier than that, the two of them translated da Ponte’s libretto for Le nozze di Figaro into French for the Paris Théâtre Lyrique. Anyone who knows this opera knows the multiple levels of gender-bending that occur here and the extremely meta exploration of gender primarily through the portrayal of Cherubino, a boy, who is played by a woman and frequently dresses up as a girl. You can hardly talk about Nozze without acknowledging the genderfluidity it contains. So, before writing the libretto for Hoffmann, Barbier and Carré had worked with at least two other stories dealing with canonical genderfluidity. It’s not much of a stretch, then, to say that they were deliberate in their portrayal of the Muse/Nicklausse as a genderfluid being.

That being settled, on to the next point:

Hoffmann and Nicklausse are a couple.

You wouldn’t think so watching the way most Hoffmanns treat Nicklausse onstage, but there’s a lot of textual evidence that supports this claim. There are multiple facets of Hoffmann and Nicklausse’s relationship that indicate they are, at least in some sense, an item, even if Hoffmann doesn’t always acknowledge it.

We still don’t know if the Nicklausse we see in the tavern has been Nicklausse all along, or if he’s taking on the position of someone who’s actually been hanging out with Hoffmann all this time. That doesn’t necessarily mess up the analysis, though, because: if the Muse has been Nicklausse all along, then all of the evidence in Hoffmann’s stories is true (as “true” as they can be, being a result of Hoffmann’s drunken storytelling) of the person who is sitting next to him in the tavern right now. If, however, the real Nicklausse is absent, Hoffmann is still admitting the extent of the relationship to the Muse/Nicklausse who’s in the tavern tonight. We know this because Hoffmann is presumably making these stories up since it’s revealed at the end all these “loves” are manifestations of the real-life Stella. In which case, it is Hoffmann who is describing all of these things about Nicklausse that indicate they are in a relationship, consciously or unconsciously admitting that they are an item. Since the Nicklausse who is sitting with him during the storytelling is also the Muse, it’s not really a stretch to assume Hoffmann is talking about them during the telling, even if there is a “real” Nicklausse who’s absent tonight, because Hoffmann is taking details from things in the immediate vicinity to tell these stories tonight.

Now on to some more specific details:

They are a packaged deal. Before Hoffmann enters the tavern, Luther announces his arrival, adding that Nicklausse is with him (“Messieurs, il ouvre la porte,/Et Niklausse est avec lui!”). No one questions this or asks who Nicklausse is. They are all used to the idea of Nicklausse coming along with Hoffmann, so it clearly happens on a regular basis.

It’s also clear that Hoffmann is much closer to Nicklausse than he is to anyone else in the tavern. And that’s probably saying something, as it’s clear the friends at the tavern know a lot about him: they are familiar with his many different stories; they look forward to seeing him and hearing his tales; they know he enjoys singing, and convince him to do so to cheer him up; they tease him; they ask him personal questions; and they know his schedule well enough to notice when he’s late coming to the tavern. So, Hoffmann clearly has a lot of people here who know and care about him—but none nearly to the extent that Nicklausse does, as we will see. That indicates his relationship with Nicklausse is much more intimate.

Here are some examples:

When Hoffmann and Lindorf are facing off in their insult duet, before they can get too far, Nicklausse intervenes with a metaphor about shepherds and their girlfriends, distracting them before they come to blows. The others in the tavern join in, but no one else was motivated to stop the fight. Nicklausse was the only one who cared enough to break it up.

When describing his role in the stories that are to come, Hoffmann says Nicklausse takes the prize for common sense; he thinks highly of Nicklausse’s perceptions and opinions, even if he doesn’t always show it.

HOFFMANN Tu m'auras sans doute compris, O toi qui dans ce drame où mon cœur se consume Du bon sens emportas le prix!

At the beginning of Act I (Olympia), Nicklausse makes several statements that indicate he knows Hoffmann extremely well. Upon his entry, he exclaims “J'étais bien sûr de te trouver ici!” (“I knew I would find you here!”) He is familiar with Hoffmann’s usual haunts and knows exactly where to look for him. Further, he already knows about Olympia; when Hoffmann shushes him after his entrance, Nicklausse asks, “C'est là que respire la belle Olympia?” (“Is there where the beautiful Olympia is?”) He teases Hoffmann about being in love with her, so Hoffmann has obviously told Nicklausse all about her. Given no one else in the tavern knew anything about Hoffmann’s love life, we can assume he only talks about things like this to people he’s particularly close to.

Further, when Nicklausse is trying to get Hoffmann to reach out to Olympia before proclaiming his undying love, we have this exchange:

NICKLAUSSE Alors, chante, morbleu! pour sortir d'un tel pas! (Then sing to her, for heaven’s sake, if there is no alternative!) HOFFMANN Monsieur Spalanzani n'aime pas la musique. (Mr. Spalanzani doesn’t like music.) NICKLAUSSE Oui, je sais! Tout pour la physique! ... (Yes, I know! Science is everything!)

So not only had Hoffmann told Nicklausse about Olympia, he has also told him about Spalanzani’s obsession with science and aversion to music. Which means Hoffmann very likely talks to Nicklausse a lot about his studies and his intention to pursue a science education.

Out of all the names and titles Hoffmann is given in the tavern—poet, writer, artist, drunk—no one mentions the fact that he is a student. It might be because the group consists almost entirely of students, so it’s a given; but it might also be that, in addition to not discussing his love life with his friends, he also does not talk to them about his studies. Once again, this indicates that he is much closer to Nicklausse than anyone else in the tavern.

Nicklausse also knows the best ways to interact with Hoffmann. After Nicklausse sings his song and Hoffmann brushes him off, Coppélius enters and tries to get Hoffmann’s attention. However, Hoffmann does not respond, to which Nicklausse replies “Voilà le seul moyen d'être entendu!” (“There is only one way to be heard/get his attention”). Then we get the stage direction “il frappe doucement, puis plus fort sur l'épaule d'Hoffmann” (“he hits softly, then harder on Hoffmann's shoulder”). It works; Hoffmann turns and asks him what he needs. This is a very particular way to get someone’s attention. The fact that Nicklausse knows it means he gets Hoffmann’s attention a lot, and knows him well enough to understand the ways in which Hoffmann needs people to interact with him. This once again indicates a more intimate relationship, as no one else in the opera expresses having this kind of knowledge.

In less specific examples, Nicklausse spends a great deal of this act teasing Hoffmann about his love for Olympia. However, Hoffmann doesn’t seem annoyed or put off by his behavior. He goes to Nicklausse repeatedly to make sure he stays involved in the action. He’s used to Nicklausse’s banter, but it doesn’t annoy him enough to keep him away. He’s too attached to him to let the teasing get to his head.

Though Nicklausse does leave with the other guests so Hoffmann can be alone with Olympia, he returns much sooner than any of the others, looking for Hoffmann and asking “Veux-tu qu'on se grise sans toi?” (“Do you want us to get drunk without you?”) Apparently the party isn’t nearly as fun as it would be if Hoffmann were there with him. He misses Hoffmann and wants him to come join him. Then, he tries to warn Hoffmann that Olympia isn’t what she seems, and that he should be careful. When Hoffmann doesn’t respond to that, Nicklausse suggests he come to the ball and dance with Olympia—anything to get him to come to the party.

When Hoffmann does begin to dance with Olympia, she goes out of control. Nicklausse intervenes, afraid for Hoffmann’s life; in the process he gets knocked over himself, but continues to focus on Hoffmann’s well-being (while no one bothers to check in with Nicklausse). (This is rarely staged but it’s in every version of the libretto I’ve read.)

Finally, when everyone else is laughing at Hoffmann for falling in love with a robot, Nicklausse goes to him and tries to comfort him among the madness.

In Act II (Antonia), we obviously get the Violin Aria, which I wrote a really long thing about earlier. In short, it is clearly a love song, and since he’s singing it to Hoffmann, what’s really left to be said? That alone should be enough to convince folks that there are romantic implications (to say the least) between Nicklausse and Hoffmann. I’m at a loss as to how anyone could come up with any other reason Nicklausse would sing that song. “Love victorious”? “Poet, give your heart”? What else could he possibly be talking about?

Unlike almost every other number in the opera, the Violin Aria has no precedent in the play. It’s only here now because we have the Muse doubling as Nicklausse, singing a love song to Hoffmann. Though he spends a great deal of the opera discouraging Hoffmann from pursuing the objects of his affections, he’s not against the idea of Hoffmann being in love. He’s against the idea of Hoffmann being in love with anyone who isn’t him.

Of course, this song is sometimes (often) cut. There’s more evidence that it’s supposed to be there than evidence against, though (according to a bunch of people’s research), so edits that exclude it are probably trying to lessen The Gay as much as they can. I don’t see any other reason for taking it out.

In addition to that, though, in the dialogue version of the libretto, Nicklausse gets a paragraph or so describing just how long (six months) and hard they have been looking for Antonia. You’d have to be pretty devoted to someone to follow them around for six months helping them look for the supposed love of their life. And on Hoffmann’s end, you’d have to like someone quite a bit to have them around you nonstop for six months, and feel extremely close to them to be able to expect that kind of devotion from them.

In addition, Nicklausse once again risks his own safety in order to save Hoffmann (though this is also rarely staged). When Crespel goes after Hoffmann with a knife at the end of this act, Nicklausse literally throws himself between Hoffmann and the knife. Y’all, if that’s not devotion, I don’t know what is.

Act III (Giulietta) is much more complicated because there are just so many versions of it. Of course there’s Kaye’s edit which is heralded by many is definitive and I’ll admit his research seems pretty sound so I’ll allow that to stand (because obviously I have the authority to have any kind of say in the matter). However there are several things from previous edits that Kaye takes out that also contribute to this discussion, so I’ll be referring to them as well.

First off, we get this line here which I’ve seen exactly once out of (n) productions:

GIULIETTA (se tournant vers Nicklausse) Et son ami! Pardon, Pylade or Pollux?

Giulietta is introducing Hoffmann to her company, and of course wherever Hoffmann goes, Nicklausse is as well, and since they’re a packaged deal, Giulietta introduces him as well, immediately after. And not only that, it’s precisely what she calls him that really drives the point home.

“Forgive me, was it Pylades or Pollux?”

I wrote a thing about this too. Here I’ll say:

Pollux refers to Castor and Pollux, who are typically used as a symbol of platonic affection between men, since they’re half-brothers. However, Pylades and Orestes are a different story. As I mentioned in the other post, if you’re familiar with Greek mythology discourse, you’ll know that most people agree there’s more to the relationship between Orestes and Pylades than a little bromance. So Giulietta is clearly suggesting something here when she refers to Nicklausse in these terms. It’s almost like she’s asking the question: “Are you two bros or are you romantically involved?” The fact that neither Hoffmann nor Nicklausse attempt to address that point seems significant to me. Nicklausse simply introduces himself, neither confirming nor denying the implications Giulietta is making about his relationship with Hoffmann. Nor does Hoffmann make a comment. If they didn’t want people thinking of them as a couple, one of them would have probably spoken up, but neither do.

In some Oeser-based edits we get an extended gambling scene, during which Giulietta serenades the guests, Hoffmann is distracted by her, Dapertutto gets some side dialogue, Schlémil acts shady, Pitichinaccio has some fun, the chorus gets philosophical, and Nicklausse tries to convince Hoffmann not to gamble away all their money. (Even if the extended scene isn’t included, Nicklausse gets a line to this effect in many versions of the libretto.)

Their money. Throughout, Nicklausse isn’t just worried about Hoffmann throwing away his own life savings. He’s worried because, despite the fact that he himself is not involved in the game (until Hoffmann makes him take his cards so he can go be with Giulietta), Nicklausse’s funds are at stake here too. I don’t know all the historical intricacies of finance at the time, but it sounds to me like the equivalent of these two having a joint bank account. You don’t share a joint bank account with just anyone. If Nicklausse and Hoffmann’s funds are collective to the point that Hoffmann losing money means Nicklausse is losing money too, the two of them are clearly financially dependent on each other, and if that doesn’t scream domesticity, I don’t know what does. I almost feel like the entire argument could ride on this alone.

The rest of the act is all over the place in terms of the order of events and even if some or others happen at all. The one most of us are probably used to honestly doesn’t have much Nicklausse material after the Barcarolle and his spat with Hoffmann, but others have more—like the conversation with Giulietta and the gambling scene described above. One of the most significant, which is based on a similar scene from the original play, concerns Nicklausse trying to get Hoffmann to leave with him, begging him to leave Giulietta behind, telling him this place is sketchy AF and they should leave before someone tries to steal their souls (which, incidentally, is pretty much exactly what happens). Eventually he gives up and goes to find a means of transportation (usually horses) and someone to help him physically remove Hoffmann so they can finally get out of there. After that, we only see him when he returns after Hoffmann gets his reflection taken; sometimes he doesn’t say much, sometimes he laments their fate, sometimes he finally does get around to dragging Hoffmann away once Hoffmann finally gives up, rescuing him yet again as they escape just before the police come looking for Schlémil’s murderer.

An interesting side note: In one performance I saw, Nicklausse tries to go after Hoffmann when Hoffmann goes with Giulietta, but is held back by Pitichinaccio (who then attempts to give him a poisoned drink, similar to an event in the original play). I also found a libretto and an album where a similar event occurs, except it’s Dapertutto who pulls Nicklausse away and makes him go back to the room where everyone else is still playing cards. In both cases he was able to return to Hoffmann right after Giulietta steals Hoffmann’s reflection. This bit isn’t included in any of the critical editions as far as I can tell, but it’s an interesting event, Nicklausse trying to go after Hoffmann to protect him (yet again) but being prevented by one of the villains. And, because Nicklausse isn’t there to help him, Hoffmann does get hurt this time (Giulietta steals his reflection). The one time Nicklausse is prevented from helping Hoffmann, Hoffmann winds up in a whole lot of trouble.

The epilogue is pretty self-explanatory, I feel. Nicklausse doesn’t get too many lines, but his altercation with Hoffmann is pretty significant. Nicklausse makes the connection between the three ladies in his stories and the real-life Stella, joking that they should make a toast to the lady. Hoffmann yells at him, basically telling him “shut up or I’ll slap you” (and in some productions I’ve seen, he actually does get slapped). Nicklausse is definitely offended by this.

NICKLAUSSE se levant Ah! je comprends! trois drames dans un drame Olympia ... Antonia ... Giulietta ... Ne sont qu'une même femme: La Stella! LE CHŒUR La Stella! NICKLAUSSE Buvons à cette honnête dame! HOFFMANN furieux, brisant son verre Un mot de plus et sur mon âme Je te brise comme ceci! ...

NICKLAUSSE Moi, ton mentor? Merci! ...

This isn’t the kind of fight you have with an acquaintance. Banter like this, that borders on threats and insults, typically happen between people who are very close and have a lot of history. Nicklausse is trying to draw attention to Hoffmann’s failed loves, comparing them to Stella, to point out how futile it is for him to continue to pursue this siren. It’s about time Hoffmann notices him. Hoffmann, on the other hand, is furious at Nicklausse for revealing the fallacy in his tales. Saying “I’ll break you” is a pretty savage way to respond; Hoffmann feels betrayed by Nicklausse. He’s also pretty drunk. Either way, it’s clear his reaction stems from the closeness he feels with Nicklausse; upset that his “mentor” and confidante would reveal him like that.

After this, Nicklausse usually ducks away, though some edits give him the line “Il faut se décider!” (“You need to decide!”) as Stella enters. He’s giving Hoffmann the final choice, the one he delineated in the Prologue:

Il faut en cette heure fatale qu'il choisisse entre nos amours, qu'il appartienne à ma rivale ou qu'il soit à moi pour toujours!

(In this fatal hour he must choose between our loves; he will belong to my rival or be mine forever!)

Hoffmann is too drunk to recognize Stella, and she leaves him to go with Lindorf. The students leave as well, and Hoffmann is alone—until Nicklausse returns (or maybe he never left, depending on how it’s staged), revealing their identity as the Muse. Again, it’s unclear if they were Nicklausse all along, or just borrowing the identity for the night. Either way, the character that we’ve spent the last two and a half hours with (or longer depending on the edit)—the one who, as the last six pages will attest, is almost definitely Hoffmann’s boyfriend—is here declaring their love for Hoffmann. In some versions they literally say “I love you!”

Je t'aime, Hoffmann: confie-toi à moi! fie-toi à moi!

(Interestingly, when this line is included, it is spoken under the name “Nicklausse,” before their transformation back into the Muse. To me, that’s a decent indicator that Nicklausse has been the Muse all along, even before the events of tonight.)

We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen next, and what precisely we assume will happen once again depends on the Muse’s status as the actual Nicklausse in Hoffmann’s life or imagining. I haven’t seen any two productions (save revivals of the same production) that stage the ending in the exact same way. There’s a lot of ways to interpret it.

But after all this, I’d venture it’s pretty safe to say the ones where Hoffmann and the Muse get together at the end are accurate.

#aaaaaan there you have it #have i reached peak nerd level yet?#Les contes d'Hoffmann #The Tales of Hoffmann #literary criticism #literature analyisis #character analysis #opera #opera analysis #opera tag #also none of these translations are mine i got them all from libretti and subtitles #i may have this opera memorized but that doesn't mean i can translate haha

25 notes · View notes

shortyisweird9 · 4 years

Text

'Lonely ghost serie'

Chek and heartache- part III

Tw⚠️:swearing, referring of dark themes such as suicide attempt and mental illness.

The morning rays hit your eyes gently, tangible by their warmth,as you forced yourself from another dream of nothing but blank.

You groaned as your cat,Didi, comes running towards you: purring, meowing and chirping in pure happiness. You knew the reason she does this; your previous cat, Martha or Dildo- your roommate Sergiu called her that because of her dickish attitude with him- used to do this everytime so the little one, Didi, just followed her mother's lead.

Everytime she does that is like a small needle stabs at your heart especially when just 2 weeks passed since Martha died of old age- the black cat was adopted when she was senior, abused and malnourished, your heart knew you couldn't leave her to be laid to rest like a nothing. You adopted her, she bit you and you petted her, she hissed you hugged her, you did everything you could think of to show love even brush her fur with a wet toothbrush end to mimic sweet kisses coming from her mom. The cat soon realized that and started living again. Cautious of your other 3 roommates, cuddly with you.

Anyway, you got sidetracked with reminiscing. You heard your friends in the kitchen, Sabrina throwing away the take out boxes and Sergiu preparing some tea, probably to calm his stomach after all the spicy curry he ate last night.

You fixed the oversized white t-shirt and pull the marine blue shorts out of your bottoms, Didi already waiting you by the door.

You all, Sabrina,Sergiu,Ace and you, live in a quaint apartment, turned from campus housing, right next to one of the malls of the city. It had two small bathrooms, a living room , three petite bedrooms ,a tiny kitchen, a rounded balcony and a hallway. It was much smaller than your family home but it was in a central zone where your family home was outside the city's boundaries. You chose it not only because you wanted to spare your family from driving you to university but also because you needed your freedom, your space. Your parents were very understanding of that.

-Y/n e trează? ( "Is Y/n awake?") Ace asked as he sipped on his black cofee.

Without, he would pretty much be a grumpy hedgehog with spiky tealish mohawk. And who wouldn't love that?

-Nu încă, ah! Uite-o! ("Not yet,ah! There she is") Sabrina exclaimed, getting up to hug you and leaving the smoking tea cup by the window.

"Hello." You said ,voice grungy and eyes shut from the light.

You felt the warm hands of your Arabic friend on your face filled with moles and couple of marks from recently popped pimples, you let yourself be engrossed into it ,the touch starvation you carry like a cross chosing for you.

You hear her laugh, she always had a pretty laugh and a prettier smile . She was the beauty of the group, with big puffy sand yellow curls, brown skin with red undertones and black eyes who glow in pure happiness. She was stunning and a sweetheart with an obsession on the colour red and butterflies.

"Someone is needy." Ace teased.

"Shut up or I will staple those hair triangles on your scalp. "

You wanted to say something better but Sabrina then started massaging your lower face in a circular manner with her thumb. You knew you couldn't do anything anymore except melt.

-Anyway ,unde e Sergiu? ("Anyway, where is Sergiu?")

-Ți-o făcut ceai, cane e pervaz. S-o dus până sus să o ajute pe Florentina.("He made you tea, the cup is on the windowsill. He went upstairs to help Florentina.") He said, taking another sip of his cup.

-Ooooh, Florentina. You two began as Ace shook his head in amusement.

You and Sabrina were known to be ruthless in your teasing of the guitarist with long brown locks and beard.

Florentina was a crush of his, a freshman in the University of Arts who played the violin beautifully. Small,with olive skin, long red hair keept in a 1960s hairstyle and green petite with a triangular shaped face. She was a sweetie with a love for fantasy book ,autumn and ferrets.

-Oh, yeah?

-Dup, iubitul ei se mută cu ea. ("Yup, her boyfriend moves in with her")

-Oh.

Ace sucked in his lip ,his face filled with disappointment just like theirs now.

-That sucks.

-Numai spune,Sabrina.("You don't say,Sabrina")

Just then, the door clicked shut. Sergiu is back, this will be awkward.

-Ce vă uitați așa la mine?("Why are you looking at me like that?")

Neither of them could properly looked into the warm brown eyes of the man whose glow seemed to fade a bit, Sergiu was a stubborn man who shut his feelings deep inside, only through his song you could tell he was suffering. Just like you, I suppose.

-Am auzit...("We heard...")

You bit your lips as your long fingers played with each other, twisting and tugging while your nerves grew. Last thing you wanted was another fight where you all force the man to open up. He had suicidal tendencies, sometimes he came too close to actually do it but you were there and you needed to be there now too, even if he doesn't like being taking care of.

Sergiu rolled his eyes at you, his heart hurt from how rigid your posture was, eyes were worried about him but also scared, teeth grinding themselves not out of anger but out of care and fear.

He knew you hated arguments and shouts with dying passion. You always cried when someone raised their voice in less than friendly manner, you hated this reaction of complete terror, you hated looking weak but now you hated letting your friend burn himself because of an unfortunate love triangle. So you swallowed your nerves and braved on, it's about him ,not you.

Sergiu wanted to protect you all from this negativity, especially you and Ace. You had a big event to organise , Ace's sex reassignment surgery is coming up soon. You both have your own problems to dwell ,you didn't need to have him as one too.

However somewhere in his head, a voice telling him that he was wrong ,that voice that took the shape of you in the night of July.

You were crying, your grey hoodie wet from the rain as you cling desperately to him, not daring to move.

He was the reason why you crying, why you yelled profanities our of worry for what he was about to do. He...He tried to throw himself off a bridge ,the same bridge you two first shared your kiss.

That dark episode still irked your minds in the darker moments, late in the night nothing but your mind to keep you company and that's torture in itself.

You thought you could help him, change whatever hurts him and make it go away. That was your biggest mistake, you can't change a person that's not your duty , your duty was to support them through tough times and help them see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. A duty you solemnly swore to uphold even if he didn't liked you to. There's no fucking way you let him do that again,not if you can be there for him. Like he was always there for you, your big guardian with a guitar that spews flames in shape of songs.

-Y/n..

-Te rog, Sergiu. Nu ascunde. ("Please, Sergiu. Don't hide.")

Your eyes were desperate for him to talk it out in any shape or form. They implore for him to vent, to not hid between fake lies like " I am okay" or "I'm fine."

-Bine,bine. Tu ești șefa. ("Fine,fine. You're the boss.")

————————————————————

They talked and talked and cried and laughed and cried again. A never ending circle of venting ,small earthquakes which instead of fracturing the friendship , it onlyakes it stronger as it should.

-Te simți mai bine?("You feeling better?") Your voice ran timidly on the top of your apartment building, watching over the brutalist styled architecture.

-Un pic, doare știi dar asta îmi arată cât de îndrăgostit sunt de ea. Iubirea adevărată pentru mine nu se referă doar la a iubi doar dacă te iubește reciproc, nu , să iubești fără să forțezi persoană să te iubească înapoi. Să îi porți de grijă, să o protejezi, să o ajuți fără să fi un egoist, fără să te aștepți să fi iubit înapoi. ("A little, it hurts you know but this shows how much I love her. True love for me doesn't mean to love just so they will love you back, no, to love someone without forcing them to love you back. To care for them, to protect them, to help them without being an egotistic, to love without expecting to be loved back.")

-Poetic.

He laughed at that , starring at the setting sun ,his lit cigar forgotten fumed between his painted fingers. His hair blown gently by the wind , he looked like a masterpiece.

-Scuze..pentru tot.("Sorry...for everything. ")

-N-ai de ce. Mi-ai făcut chec până la urmă așa că balanța eternă este restabilită.("You don't have a reason to be. You made me chek in the end and thus the eternal balance is restored.") You joked, munching quietly on the piece of cake, his jacket keeping you warm.

-Haha. Cine ar fi crezut că checul are fi o gustare bună când îți dai vent.("Haha. Who would have thought that chek will be a good snack when you vent.")

Indeed, who would have thought of that but one who cried in the sore days filled with heart ache.

————————————————————

Hey,guys!💖

Hope you like the third part of the serie, I wanted to focus on "your life" and your friends backgrounds this time. The translations are not 100% word to word but enought to give you context.

Anyway, I hope you like it. Stay safe!

Tagged 💗💗:@moolujk @gaysludge @simonsbluee @yoyoanaria @cherry-piee @magenta-skyline @yikesyikesyikes95

#corpse husband x reader #fanfic #hopefully not cringy #lonely ghost serie

55 notes · View notes

countrymusicandcher · 3 years

Text

A not so silent Night: Virtually together REVIEW

Basically my short rundown of this amazing livestream show. And remember, tickets are still available with a give-what-you-want prize of $25 and up on Veeps for unlimited streaming until January 6th. All money goes straight to the Kate McGarrigle Fund cancer charity!

So let's get on with it!

Oh my lord...there is so much I could say about this...where to start?

Viva, Rufus daughter with Lorca Cohen, unexpectedly (as in, not billed on the poster) appeared in the live stream! And BY GOD, Kate McGarrigle and Leonard Cohen are high-fiving on a Cloud somewhere up in heaven, because they created a monster! A musical Showbiz monster! Born in 2011, Viva Catherine Wainwright-Cohen is only 9 years old...but not only does she sing like an angel , she has a star personality and no fear -staring straight at the camera every second and constantly interrupting her dads. Me and my mum jokingly called her 'Diva Viva' because she could not get enough of the limelight. I tell you, I'll be buying her records one day!

Also at Rufus home in Los Angeles (one of the several locations that artists appeared from), we had who Rufus claimed to be 'his second cousins' - though I doubt the math work out, as they are actually the daughters of his cousin Anna Catherine Dow. Either way, these two girls - Gabrielle (Gigi) and Islay - were quite talented toom They sang Come on, Get happy and did it remarkably well. I could see these two becoming something in the future - which really would be a first for that branch of the family, as they are Jane McG's grandkids, and their mum is possibly the most elusive McG out there.

The others at Rufus home were Jörn and two musicians who did not sing - I do not know who they are or if they're relatives. Jörn did a good job but it was not much to talk of.

In Montreal, Martha tried her damndest to make her kids a part of it all. They did a french language cover of little drummer boy which, while not so musically pretty, was adorable to watch. Martha's youngest, Francis Valentine, can't really be faulted -he's only six and bit antsy/hyperactive by the looks of it, so did well. Her oldest, Arcangelo is 11 and even more hyperactive than his brother - though not very musically inclined, if his singing is an indication. Still, they were charming.

Martha did several solos, including I'll be home for Christmas/Trois Anges sont venus ce soir, absolutely nailing it! 100% perfect pitch.

Anna McGarrigle participated on Montreal and did sing a little, though nothing solo. She played both guitar and accordion, which she did very well. Jane McGarrigle was also there, though she did not at any point sing - only played the piano on a few chosen songs.

Lily and Sylvan Lanken helped out on backing for Martha et al. Lily did the biggest job, actually singing an almost solo rendition of Cherry Tree Carol which was glorious. She and Sylvan also did Entre La Bouef with a tiny bit of help from Arc, which was so good.

Joel Zifkin played violin, another unexpected contributor not billed. Did it very nice, though he had a clothpin as a mute - typical McGarrigle enginuity.

Finally, in New York (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and 'downtown'), we had Roches and Wainwrights.

Loudon had put on a santa hat (to go with his big white quarantine beard), streaming from "an undisclosed location" on Long Island and singing a hilarious rendition of I saw mommy kissing SC! Late her also had an elf hat for 12 days of christmas. On 12 days, he also added a few lines of his own clearly not planned on: 9 McGarrigles drinking, 10 Wainwrights crying, 12 Roches singing. Very funny.

Sloan did a breath taking rendition of Thank god it's christmas with the help of Lucy and Suzzy on backing. God, that woman can sing! And the way she bend the notes...magnificent! She also did a few nice collabs with Suzzy and Lucy that sounded great- including a song I'd never heard before about christmas in the city (NYC).

To my disappointment, Suzzy didn't really do much. She sang backing or trio/duet with Lucy and Sloan, but that was it. She was very adorable as she did it though and I could never get enough of that smile.

Lucy sang a soul crushing rendition of Joni Mitchell's River. It was amazing!!! She also wore a sweater during 12 days of christmas that said It's Christmas we're all in misery and I need it so bad!

Finally, I got to mention some of the people who weren't there.

There was a tribute slide show and speech from Martha for their aunt Teddy Wainwright, who unfortunately passed away from cancer a couple of months ago. Teddy had been runming these christmas shows, and the Kate McGarrigle memorial shows, and so this show was run in her honoure, as well as Kate's.

Chaim Tannenbaum, who was billed to appear and had indeed made a Facebook event for it, failed to appear at all. For some reason he must've had to bow out last minute - there was some evidence that he had been supposed to accompany them on one of the songs, a traditional german rendition of O Tannenbaum (which would have been a hilarious joke of sorts).

In the middle, we were given a short rundown of the latest in Saracoma cancer research from two researchers who were recently given a grant to continue to work on learning more about the disease and finding new ways of treating it.

Finally, Martha closed out the night with a heartwrenching rendition of Proserpina. Proserpina being the last song Kate McGarrigle wrote, and indeed the one that has definied her sinc eher death, it is always performed at event related to her charity. It really killed me, it was so tender and amazing! Martha had little Francis Valentine with her (Francis was Kate's middle name, after her dad - Frank McGarrigle) in the studio and they sort of danced together during the instrumental bit. It was adorable, you could see all that tender love Martha has for her son.

It was an amazing livestream well worth the $20 I payed in advance. Not to mention, the money goes to a good cause. I will be rewatching this many times leading up to January 6th.

#rufus wainwright #martha wainwright #anna mcgarrigle #sloan wainwright #loudon wainwright #suzzy roche #lucy wainwright roche #jane mcgarrigle #arcangelo wainwright albetta #francis valentine wainwright albetta #viva catherine cohen wainwright #islay mcmillan #gabrielle gigi mcmillan

1 note · View note

project-ces-sds-blog · 5 years

Text

“SOW DON’T SING”-Beta Reads First Draft Impressions Reflection Paper

First draft reflection paper HERE.

Last Thursday I received my feedback for the first draft of “Sow Don’t Sing,” so today’s reflection paper will be in accordance to organizing my thoughts on what has been said about it and how I’ll move forward with the second rewrite.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE STORY DISCUSSED BELOW!

I’m still pretty stunned how the feedback overall has been mostly positive. I’ve never considered myself an adequate writer because of some hiccups and negative experiences back in elementary school where my enthusiasm for writing was squashed...so this is really great for me to know that I have some footing.

She also said she “can’t wait to see where this project will end up??” and that I “could send her the next drafts of the scripts in full so that she could read the whole thing comprehensively??” Cries??? I’m so thankful for her support.

My prof who did the read likes to repeatedly mention that I have “an ear for natural dialogue” (for the most part) and that I’ve “clearly got something here,” which is the greatest thing I can hear right now since the role of the binders is ground zero for spit-balling ideas and accumulating the ones that seems to stick.

How well some parts in the script operate is directly proportionate to how much material has been tinkered/stored in the design works binders...good to know, since I’d be doing something REALLY wrong if the more I do, the worse it gets. Guess I’ll continue to hammer away in this particular writing process I’ve composed for myself.

With the way things are turning out, I might only really be able to submit this script to screenwriting contests at the earliest in Fall 2019...I really hope it would be earlier or around this estimated time.

I sometimes forget about the roots of my influences of this story. It surprises me that my professor really wants to bolster the whole “Ole Lukøje” concept more in the film...I kinda held back since I was certain the idea was really, really stupid? Especially in practice lmao?? But I guess in context of the story it operated rather well...To think something I slapped on for trailer fodder became coherent...wow.

That said, I must not forget about my roots of influence. The better ideas here came directly from anime lol... (Bungaku Shoujo, Detective Conan, and Haibane Renmei, anything Yamada Naoko directs, are all subtly, but directly influenced in this mess--just not in the way you’d think.)

APPARENTLY THE BEST SCENE I WROTE IN THIS THING IS THE SEX SCENE???? THAT’S PROBABLY THE STRONGEST PART??? LMAO HOW DID I END UP HERE???

Probably the most profound question my prof asked me was “what kind of story are you trying to tell?” and that “I should have that question posted on a sticky note and slap it on my PC as I write.” This was less negative criticism, and more of a response towards my asking of her on “whether or not Ramon should live in the end.” However it’s good to reflect on that since for a hot second when I honestly blanked out and forgot at the time she asked.

I remember now though--this story is my life and how I view the world personally. But I must not forget my transition between thinking “like a child” and thinking “like an adult.” It started with a dream I had, where I was among dilapidated ruins of a cityscape--with the dust and acrid smell of chipped concrete filled the air--but the clouds above emitted a strong but gentle, golden light onto the gray from down below. That very specific feeling of listlessness is what I wish to properly convey. I’m creating a story that just drips and oozes with that emotion--painful, but poignant and glimmering with a golden sheen but the very end. I should never forget that.

A similar body of work that had deeply influenced the emotional confine of this project would have to be @rapparu33 ‘s film “カナメヲ,” which they have mentioned on twitter that it was an idea stemmed from a dream. I’m glad to be on a similar path here.

Okay, so goals for the second draft:

I’ve been told that the first couple of pages are rapid-firing information that is difficult to grasp all at once which was the intended purpose haha since I’ve heard that “if you don’t impress on the first page script readers will throw it out.” My prof complimented me on listening to that but gave me the relief that for the purposes of this story, I won’t have to do that. (Thank God.)

I’ll be able to slow down the start and give more time for the audience to chew on Ondine and Camille.

I didn’t realize that I was caught up in the fascination with Bentley because of novelty. Since he’s technically the newest addition to the cast and the last to be added to this ensemble, I was just distracted by how shiny and new he was. Now that he’s taken time to simmer in my head, I can think about him a lot more prospectively.

My prof said his dialogue is probably the weakest/clunkiest part of the army segment and that “he spiels like every self-help book I’ve ever read, ever.” That hit it hard on the nail--that is exactly what I did. I tried very hard to write this sort of “infallible mentor figure” but since I’ve never had that sort of figure in my life, it was very hard to write. I ended up writing what I wanted to hear instead of something more genuine.

I need to make a list of diction....

Bentley will now take a different turn in this second rewrite in the hopes of him coming off more organic--and I’ve figured out how. I’ll have to write his backstory and just focus on him and Susan before I can attempt to rewrite his bits.

Bentley and Luca will now hug in the story because I am Satan.

Jimmy and Luca will also hug to balance them out because I am still Satan.

Speaking of Jimmy, I want to give more focus on their friendship--so I hope I’ll be able to add in more characterization--hopefully to also mention that Luca played violin for a time.

Ramon will indeed live in this draft since I have found a way to alleviate some of the burden of Isidore’s role around the ending.

Ramon will also spit less fire this time around, and will visually drop his affections towards Nelson more.

As I’ve tinkered with Ramon, Virgil ended up being much more fleshed out than I could have ever anticipated despite being a one-note character. Dang. Go me.

I somehow added a third instance where Luca tries to kill himself. Go me again, lol.

Wondering if a fake-out kiss between Luca and Nelson is possible...lol...

I’ll really have to focus that around the end it’s less about Luca “embracing his darkness” and more along the lines of “accepting a suicide mission where he will die as Ole Lukøje and not as Luca Russo.

Luca lost in his reverie when he speaks to a wounded but alive Ramon at the end is probably my newest favorite scene since the visuals are a la Haibane Renmei (hello Reki) so I can’t wait to sketch it out and really explore that idea. It also a reference to that one scene in Breaking Bad’s “The Fly,” I guess. At least, that’s what I’m going for.

Also wondering whether or not Luca will be killed off this time around. The ending where he lives is giving me trouble, and it’d be easier to kill him off. As much as possible...I want a happy ending. It’ll be quite a ways away before I can accomplish that, though.

I feel that the more I start to focus on “Cogito Ergo Sum,” the better off “Sow Don’t Sing” will also eventually be. At this point in time however, I’m very intimidated about Project-CES, but hopefully I can forgo that fear in the nearest future.

#Sow Don't Sing #writing #script #screenplay #reflection paper #film production

4 notes · View notes

goodbysunball · 6 years

Text

Best of 2017

Countering the truly embarrassing news cycle of the past year was the deluge of great new music released upon the world, so much so that I’m leaving a good chunk of more than deserving albums hanging. To simplify everything, this is a compendium of what was played most around here, along with a handful of new-to-me reissues/archival releases.

I skipped doing the rap recap this year because my list was so pathetically brief, and doing so seemed both short-sighted and irrelevant. That being said: Quelle Chris’ Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often was my favorite album, followed by Starlito’s Manifest Destiny and Playboi Carti’s vapid, relentlessly fun album. Goldlink’s “Crew” featuring Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy was my favorite song, like everyone else.

Full list of 30 records below. We’ll do better next year.

12. Mount Trout, Screwy (self-released)

This unassuming, digital-only gem crept up on me as the months turned cold. Scraps of paper with notes written on them are held afloat by spare guitar lines; elsewhere winds whip in and chaos overtakes clarity. Lots of the lyrics sound like half-thoughts that forced themselves out after extended periods of solitude, sometimes peaceful, sometimes anguished. Screwy rewards patient attention without dragging you through the mud - but it’s there, should you need to cool off.

11. Group Doueh & Cheveu, Dakhla Sahara Session (Born Bad)

The intriguing pairing on Dakhla Sahara Session turns out to be one of the best surprises of the year, and easily one of the most listenable. Cheveu’s robotic yet effervescent contributions are immediately recognizable, as are Group Doueh’s swirling guitar lines and sweeping vocals; the two fit in and around each other, explosion welded together into a foundation for a colored smoke tower.

10. Leda, Gitarrmusik III-X (Förlag För Fri Musik)

The two people behind Neutral put out a lot of music this year, most of it well worth hunting down despite its highly limited, premium price barrier. I can’t claim to have heard everything, but by my count the two best were Neutral’s När mini-LP and Leda’s limited-to-100 Gitarrmusik III-X LP. Most of this sounds like King Blood collaborating with Robert Turman, looping machinations mixing with heavily distorted shredding, all of it recorded in a metal-walled bunker. Doesn’t sound like much on paper, but when you arrive at “Gitarrmusik VIII” and “IX,” time just about stops. (If you missed out, “Gitarrmusik I” and “II” are available here.)

9. The Body & Full of Hell, Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light (Thrill Jockey)

The first collaboration between these two heavyweights was a slow grower, both bands clearing the land by seeing how far out they could push their respective versions of extreme metal. Ascending, then, is the sound of the two bands communicating as one. The immediate standout is “Farewell, Man,” exactly what comes to mind when one imagines what kind of song the Body and Full of Hell could write together. But tracks like “Our Love Conducted With Shields Aloft,” all free drumming, violently humming noise and sandblasted vocals, hint at a broader, uglier horizon.

8. Bad Breeding, Divide (Iron Lung/La Vida Es Un Mus)

One of the year’s nastier hardcore records, and a reminder that the shitstorm at home extends across the Atlantic, too. The band’s got enough chops to rip through every track here - check out that stuttering riff on “Anamnesis,” and how it comes roaring back after a quick respite - but the best songs close each side. The screaming of “Now what?” that concludes “Leaving” is chilling, and serves as one of the best summations of this mess of a year.

7. The Terminals, Antiseptic (Ba Da Bing)

I’ve been hankerin’ for more Steven Cogle ever since that self-titled Dark Matter LP, and if that’s one of your favorite records of recent yore like it is mine, you oughta get your mitts on Antiseptic. The long-running band is absent Brian Crook, but he is ably replaced by Nicole Moffat, who also appeared on Dark Matter; her violin seeps into the empty pores, creating a dense, beautiful atmosphere ripe for Cogle’s powerful vocals. The deal’s done by the time “Edge of the Night” hits.

6. Taiwan Housing Project, Veblen Death Mask (Kill Rock Stars)

Wrecking crew led by Kilynn Lunsford and Mark Feehan brings the heat, here as two parts of a six-piece ensemble. The ten tracks on here range from caustic to catchy (”Eat or Be Eat” into “Luminous Oblong Blur” for the former, “Multidimensional Spectrum” for the latter), accentuated by sax blurts and ever-present static grime. If that ain’t enough, lyrics acidic enough to melt bone make Veblen Death Mask a complete meal worth droolin’ over.

5. Sida, s/t (Population)

The Theoreme LP that came out last year turned into one of my favorites this year, syrupy-thick industrial body music from one Maissa D. She fronts Sida, and she turns in the vocal performance of the year on their first LP. She seemed more restrained as Theoreme but that’s all out the window here; "Qu'Est-Ce Qui T'As Pris?” ups the ante and things don’t slow down from there. The band, for their part, turn in a burly and caustic punk/no wave hybrid that does all it can to keep up. An aural steamroller.

4. Omni, Multi-task (Trouble In Mind)

It was a real mistake to not include Omni’s deceptively catchy debut Deluxe on my year-end list last year, so when they came back and made an even better record, credit is due. Not sure how Frankie Broyles doesn’t sprain his wrist or let melodies go off the rails, but his snappy drumming and spindly guitar work are the stars of the show. The lyrics slyly present a general malaise with modern romance, and when it all clicks, like on “Supermoon” into “Date Night,” strap in.

3. Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Rot (R.I.P. Society/What’s Your Rupture?)

Ready for Boredom was a great album full of weary-headed anthems, and it looks like growin’ up hasn’t come any easier for these bedwetters on Rot. The Boys left their glam rock tendencies (i.e., “Sally”) behind this time, and they stick to making gruff pop songs for people whose weeks slip by uneventfully more and more frequently. Songs like “Plastic Tears” and “Device” are urgent and unbelievably catchy, and whoever did the vocals on “Work Again” needs more time at the mic. The Replacements are still a good reference point for these guys, but after two rock-solid albums, it’s time they get to shed that flattering-yet-overbearing label and lay claim to this sound that they’ve perfected.

2. Dreamdecay, YÚ (Iron Lung)

Man, Dreamdecay are so good. They’ve softened the edges from N V N V N V but they’re even more potent this time around, figuring out how to include big slow-moving guitar riffs in a nominally punk framework. Songs like “Mirror” just about leave you on the floor with the guitar theatrics, while “IAN” is a one-way ticket to the stratosphere. All of it sounds incredible, and I think Andrew Earles said it best, so I’ll let him do the honors: “YÚ could easily rearrange how someone thinks about music… in that unforgettable way that stays with the experiencer forever.”

1. Aaron Dilloway, The Gag File (Dais)

What more can I say about The Gag File? I have gushed. Not only a complete statement of an album, but one of the only records to force a localized shutdown when it’s on, keeping everything else at arm’s length. A world unto its own. Clear the cobwebs out.

7″/12″

Anxiety, Wild Life 7″ (La Vida Es Un Mus)

There’s a good bit of cornball humor present in Anxiety’s lyrics and credited band member names, the sort of thing that has persisted/pervaded a lot of modern punk and hardcore. But these guys sell it, and more: with better (read: less juvenile) lyrics, sly and self-deprecating; a monster vocal performance (”Dumped” especially); and a blistering intensity that oughta put their peers on notice.

Bent, Mattress Springs 7″ (Emotional Response)

Bent’s been on my radar since their Non Soon tape, and this year they dropped the Snakes & Shapes LP, every bit the shifting, shambling and at times annoyingly silly experience Non Soon prepped me for. The Mattress Springs 7″ came soon after, and compressed all the best parts of the LP (including “Mattress Springs”) into several minutes of leaky roof drums, hypnotic bass lines and smothered, frantic guitar parts.

Crack Cloud, Anchoring Point 7″ (Good Person)

Whereas Bent are happy to let their songs droop and flow, Crack Cloud come across as almost militaristic in their approach. Perfectly rehearsed, not a hair out of place, and yet as urgent as anything released under the banner of post-punk in the past however-many-years. The first three jagged and dense tracks whip in and cut out, just in time but somehow just too soon; “Philosopher’s Calling” is the payoff.

Hothead, Richie Records Summer Singles Series 7″ (Richie)

The Richie Records Summer Singles Series once again distinguished itself in a household where 7″s aren’t really given the time of day. Sure, Writhing Squares Too breathed life into krautrock in 2017, and David Nance’s "Amethyst” is kingdom come on the right day, but Hothead? Their shambling take on two covers (and a quick sketch) netted them the gold.

Mordecai, What Is Art? 7″ (Sophomore Lounge)

Mordecai is one of America’s great treasures, ain’t no way around it. Their Abstract Recipe LP on Richie from this year is great, reclaiming the highs of Neil’s Generator while pushing further from their influences - but the two disparate sides of this 7″ compress everything great about the band into a tidy package. The A-side rambles out of the gate in the same way Abstract Recipe does, whereas the B-side goes all Don Howland: low fidelity, downtrodden but toe-tapping. Buy everything they’ve recorded.

Mutual Jerk, s/t 7″ (State Laughter)

“He’s really a nice guyyy” begins the A-side track “He’s Harmless,” and hoo boy you better sit down for this one, because that bass line is not quitting anytime soon. Feeble excuses pile up, a disinterested defense of a friend presented with a mocking snarl until the constant pummel causes the dam to burst. The flip cynically covers comfortable suburban lifestyles and macho hardcore, two new takes on No Trend's vast influence, but not quite reaching the impossible heights of song-of-the-year “He’s Harmless.”

Neutral, När 12″ (Omlott)

Neutral’s self-titled LP quickly turned into a favorite here in the early months of 2017. The duo kept busy all year, eventually releasing this mini-LP that favors electronics over guitars. The brittle backbone is the perfect support for Sofie Herner’s fragile yet mechanical vocals, a fitting soundtrack for a walk home so cold your eyelashes freeze. Shadow music that lacks a distinct time or place but leaves a flood of sensory overload in its wake.

Scorpion Violente, The Stalker 12″ (Bruit Direct Disques)

“The Wound”’s slow ooze remains one of my favorite musical moments of the year; there’s a reason it’s the only one you can’t stream via Bandcamp. Pay up, because if any modern label deserves your money, it’s Bruit Direct Disques.

The Shifters, “A Believer” b/w “Contrast of Form” (Market Square)

Brilliant little single of downer pop from the Shifters, whose self-titled cassette gained them a lot of Fall comparisons and was previously mined for a 7″ by It Takes Two. But it looks like they’ve got ambitions beyond the record nerd cadre: both songs are immediately satisfying without imparting a sticky sweetness - who can find fault with that?

Straightjacket Nation, s/t 12″ (La Vida Es Un Mus)

This is the punk record of the year for me, one that maybe got lost in the deluge of releases from La Vida Es Un Mus. If you wanna learn about effective vocal delivery in hardcore, please see “2021.” Eight tracks, all meat. Please tour the US.

Reissue/Archival

I don’t really feel too qualified to comment on music largely made before I was born, especially since I am the owner of several 2017 reissues with flowery press kits that I will probably never listen to again. But if you’re gonna be a sucker, let a sucker clue you in to these tried-and-true slabs deserving of any and all accolades. Unrepresented here, somewhat criminally, is the Black Editions, a label doing really amazing work reviving the P.S.F. catalog.

The And Band / Perfect Strangers, Noli Me Tangere split 7″ (Look Plastic/Noisyland)

Noli Me Tangere is two sides of barely-music from early ‘80s Christchurch, with this new edition featuring extensive liner notes from George Henderson, he of the And Band (and perhaps more recognizably, the Spies and the Puddle). Both sides showcase a coupla outcasted NZ bands supporting each others’ avant-scrawl, as inspirational as it is baffling.

Byron Morris & Gerald Wise, Unity LP (Eremite)

Freedom music, full of raw intensity (”Byard Lancaster did push-ups when not playing”) and fiery exchanges. The two sidelong pieces are demanding of your full attention, repaid in kind with chills so deep you’ll swear a spirit passed through ya.

Cosey Fanni Tutti, Time to Tell LP (Conspiracy International)

Gorgeous reissue with a foil-stamped gatefold and a huge booklet full of ephemera from the recording period. Less Throbbing Gristle menace than new age shimmer, especially on the B-side; the gentle ascent is the natural conclusion once you’ve lived through the stunning title track. Cosey, take me away.

Die Tödliche Doris, “ “ LP (États-Unis)

Brutally minimalistic post-punk from early ‘80s Germany, painstakingly restored by the Superior Viaduct sub-label États-Unis. The A-side is full of blistering, manic bursts; the flip smoothes things out, allowing ideas to stick around, proving this approach works in both short- and long-form. Call it ZNR meets DNA.

Harry Pussy, A Real New England Fuck Up LP (Palilalia)

Two live sets, one on each side, both monstrous and in shockingly high fidelity, especially given the circumstances detailed by Tom Lax and Tom Carter on the sleeve. The show from T.T. the Bear’s is the performance I always want (”Harry Pussy took the stage and sandblasted the night into oblivion”) and rarely get.

Khan Jamal Creative Art Ensemble, Drum Dance to the Motherland LP (Eremite)

Capping off a brilliant year for Eremite was a beautiful reissue of Drum Dance to the Motherland’s cosmic transmission. All of the hyperbolic reviews ring true when “Inner Peace” stumbles into a groove, but my favorite part is the almost painfully shrill horns on the title track.

Meat Thump, “Metal Gun” b/w “Left to Rust” 7″ (Coward Punch)

Coward Punch Records kept the memory of Brendon Annesley alive with a couple of archival Meat Thump 7″ers this year. The earlier one was good, but didn’t quite hit home; here, “Metal Gun” could be twice its length, and “Left to Rust” rambles down my spine in the same way that still-great “Box of Wine” 7″ does.

V/A, Oz Waves LP (Efficient Space)

I did not have more fun this year than when I was dancing along to this record like a poorly operated marionette, which was every time “Will I Dream?” started. Efficient Space continues to deliver the goods I didn’t know I needed.

31 notes · View notes

sonofhistory · 7 years

Link

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

American Revolution RPF, American History RPF, 18th Century CE RPF

Nathan Hale (1755-1776)/Benjamin Tallmadge

Tags: Young Love, Last Kiss, Brief Smut, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Emotional Roller Coaster, Cuddling & Snuggling, This is the last time they ever see each other, Foreshadowing Death, Fight Scene, Tags will be updated

Part 2 of the Early American History | Stories They Won’t Tell series (fics places in the series get rearranged by date in happens in)

All Fic Total Words: 9,187

____________________

September 15th, 1776 || 3:47 p.m.

6 days, 7 hours, 50 minutes till Nathan Hale’s death

“But here, I think you’re wrong, to blame,

your gen’rous muse and and call her lame.”

_______________________

Nathan Hale could not sleep. His eyes floated back up to the roof of the tent, staring at the sheeting fabric sewn together at the corners in the flash of a simmering candle in the oil lamp. He lifted Ben’s head off of his bare breast, setting it on the single pillow he was lying on and sat up on the cot stiffly, his space filling. With goosebumps rising on the sleeping man’s surface, he tugged the blanket up to the undercut of their chin, slipping off feet onto the ground, grabbing his shirt from the corner of the bed, sliding it over his arms and shoulders but not bothering to button the front up.

He ran his fingers through the front of his hair, combing it back with his nails, sitting back down on the edge of the cot, narrowing his shoulders and his eyes once again dipped to the sleeping man on the bed. With his curly, unruly cinnamon locks, without a ribbon now, the strands tumbling messily against his lower back and his collar bone, barely sweeping the curve of his spine. Nathan sighed, his shoulders declining, fixing out his tense muscles. He wondered what time it was now, it was still dark, perhaps three in the morning? There was no ability to rest left in him, wide awake now. He gazed at Ben’s chest as it fluttered up and down, and his ears twitched in their state making him wonder just what kind of dreams played behind those eyelids this night.

Their brows arched, etching out further those two wrinkles at the center of his brow--he was only twenty-two, why were there already markings on his sheath?

Tenaciously, his own hand departed the cot and aligned upon those two nicks, tracing them with his cracked nail as one would gentle rub a stain from their clothing; they were anything but so. Riveting longingly at a portrait of the most perfect being in his perspective. Fingers stumbling across a dancefloor of flesh, with hands that had already memorized the contours of his spine, ears absorbing the music of those sleepy sighs escaping from his lips. He wanted to write down exactly how he felt as his vision scoped down, trailing the indigo veins until they culminated at his wrist, he knew the paper would remain empty. He could not of described it any better.

Of everything he’d ever seen in his twenty-one years, of anything he’d touched, he kept on touching him , wrapping his grip around that wrist where it lay limp, rising it to his lips, pressing a kiss into his lifelines. It was his bronze laughter, it spread across rooms as hues of the same shape transform the skies. The Connecticut boy felt like scarlet and the most consuming passion, with its vehement divulging shades ripping their pictures around his silhouette. Their lips would meet delicately enough to not crush the rose petals of his skin, no less the devotion as the colors erupted together in the atmosphere revealing the most dazzling display of light.

Dawn was breaking as their interaction stole form across the heavens. A fleeting juncture in a world that romanticized the universe. Nathan’s palm glided up to flicker down his abdomen his touch merely ghosting with fluttering wings like a butterfly, Ben’s gut tightened, coiling in on itself. His smoothing caress arrived to those hips that did not feel quite the same, protruding a little too much and a stomach that now revealed the bottom rib when he inhaled. Nathan frowned, just as exquisite as before in his most innocent form. But, Nathan Hale craved so much more than just form. He wallowed for depth, and for a soul. Something to burn him up with purpose and desire, wishing to be reduced to ashes by it but learn that he could rise from the embers just as fast. An attraction for things that would destroy him in the end.

Nathan lay his now tired skull back upon the pillow, his face falling allineate with the man he’d studied so earnestly. Their noses brushed, he shut his eyes slowly, edging closer and pressing a kiss against Ben’s lips. Maybe it was an aspiration for the taste of his lips that flashed him to the scent of everything after it had rained, but the sunshine comes out. The lapping sound against the slippery cobblestones and the shamrock moss in between each carving pebble. Tree bark, pine needles weaves with how calm lakes feel against his skin on steamy summer nights with beads of sweat shimmering down the back of his neck and Ben’s form slipping between the water, stunning in the reflection of the moon across the rippling water.

It was every marvelous memory swaddled at the corners of his mouth. He eased his burdens to share his joy and content in his sorrow. Every breath exchanged between urged jaws tasted limitless. Boundary lines pleading with ardent flesh with only that nods could utter. Out of his mortality, that hungers and his tongue that comes to know the semblance in seeking reason. The curvature of his lover’s waiting body fits into his wanting hand, breast warm as sunlight, pressures quick between his thighs. Ben was still asleep as he let go, sensing a stranger shift in his bones as if doing something for the very last time without knowing it. The last time he’d kiss, or the last time he’d kiss Ben?

He felt his heartbeat on his fingertips as he shifted phantom strokes over Ben’s eyelids, spiraling down his nose and around his cheek before sloping to his chin and he drew his pads off, stationing a hand on their chest above his frantic heart. Air plummeted all to quick out of his lungs and he failed to breath, something warmed his veins and his eyes widened. Underneath the layers of skin, and the ribs, the muscle and bone, he was closer to anybody that he had ever been in his entire life. His palm was becoming a prisoner to the rhythm of that pulse.

“You keep your soul in your eyes, Damon.”

“Is that so, Pythias?”

“You unlock it for selective few, but whenever it tis’ there, it guides its arms to the center of my chest.”

“Then you must keep your soul in your chest.”

“How so?”

“Silly question. My soul can always find you.”

Nathan blinked, as the absence of day ceased and darkness crawled back towards the Earth. Those ravenous tinctures of bronze and scarlet brimming up the heavens, shallowing across the tent. Still blind to the time, it must be four-thirty.

It was time to leave.

Reluctance with strings like a violin swarming about him and leaping him back, he shook them off loosely, tipping back up, throwing his feet to the floor and hovering off the cot. He buttoned up the front of his open shirt, plucking down the sleeves to where they washed the coat of his forearm. Pausing to pull the blanket back up to Ben’s chin before passing across the tent; gathering his coat, slipping it over his arms, straightening out the collar remembering Ben’s tormented eyebrows meeting at the center of his brow as he did the same, standing above him, his outline against the eventide and Nathan’s arms behind his head with the most innocence he could establish. For justice, perhaps a copy to keep with him so that he’d carry a movement with him, he mirrored Ben, rubbing two fingers over his collar to straighten the material.

He stood, tugged his boots on, rounding up all of his hair with two hands at the center of the base of his neck, re-doing the ribbon and looping it into his golden fibers once again. He circulated his eyelids, ripping at the corner of his eyes and not sensing the least bit of exhaustion. He tucked his waistcoat into his waist and slid the jacket completely over his torso, ceasing; he was done. Something plunged in his stomach, a cloudy pit of despair; there was nothing left. A moment of dread waded over him. He was done.

Nathan Hale glanced back over to the cot and the man with his face buried in the pillow and rouge coating his eyelids. He didn’t want the chaos to leave him, not ever. It kept him wild, in strange ways of unique attraction. Tonight everything seemed to of made sense, except for the way Ben made him feel. He would depart from his eyes and he wondered if he would remember when he was gone how beautiful it was to feel. How guilty he felt knowing Ben would be waking up in the morning with half shut eyes, reaching automatically for the spot in the bed and remember just about all of his depression.

Tears threatened to drowl from him, but he blinked them back sternly disciplining himself, composing, clenching a jaw in retaliation. He strided back towards gape of the tent, prepared to step out when he heard the cot’s joints creek. Incoherent murmurs flooded the room and he turned back, following the sound and landing on Ben. What began as a mere rustle revolved into kicking, rolling his neck back and forth whimpering. Nathan breathed, rejoining the foot of the cot when the screaming started. “No!”, a shout forced from the sleeping man’s throat, his chest racing up and down, sticky sweat clinging to the strands touching his forehead, “You can’t take him!”, a sob billowed in his chest.

Nathan gathered on his ankles, throwing himself onto the cot, “Ben! Wake up!”

Ben didn’t change, tears flooding onto his cheeks like oceans. His eyelids barely parted, and a sob emerged from his lungs, throwing himself into Nathan’s neck. “Nathan?”

“It’s me”, he pulled him close into his neck, whispering softly in his ear.

“You were gone,” he let out another whimper and covered his eyes with his hand, still half asleep, “You were gone.” He buried his face in the crook of Nathan’s neck, shaking, hands clinging to his shirt, balling his fists, his neck began to feel wet. “Please, Nathan…”

Nathan’s own chest began to ripple, holding back his own emotion by cupping a palm over his aperture, muting himself. “Benjamin, I am not going anywhere.”

“You were gone…”

“I promise.”

Ben grew limp again, flirting with sleep it seemed. A few mutters passed the space in his lips before there were words, “...soft as rose petals…” mentioning the hands clinging to his back.

Nathan quivered, stamping the tears from his eyes, squeezing them shut, “I’m not going anywhere.” He breathed, setting Ben back down on the pillow once again and rising back again on unsteady feet. He held clamped knuckles between his teeth and his trembling chin where it landed in the palm of his hand, inclining, feeling bile rise in his throat that he swallowed down. He smoothed his shirt again with vibrating hands, zipping over the creases Ben’s fists had formed by those nightmarish portraits behind his dreams. He shook his cranium knowing just as well that he would never be back and in a violent or delicate acceptance, a battle shuffled in his chest; the place where Ben had once pointed to his soul.

He grasped the lapels of the tent, parting them patent and treading out into the shimmering dawn luminescence. Breathing in the meadow air, gratified that there was not breeze to mask the warmth. He deviated the opening, peering his eyes back to Ben where they navigated the curve of his body on the cot. Reluctance to blunder away. The parts of the New York boy pulsated inside of him, knotting fingers around his ribs, daisies danced across his spine, pushing between the vertebrae, a garden of dashing roses wilting away. The floating petals plucked off of the stem, gliding to his domestic layers. He witnessed them poking up through his skin and already felt homesick for the places that were never really his own.

“Goodbye, Damon.”

Nathan knew Ben’s lips were moving to form syllables, Pythias. .

Nathan Hale took his last look of Benjamin Tallmadge before shutting the opening, hesitant to step off into bigger things as he landed into their air. The very same bronze and scarlet coasting across the horizon, trailing up towards the sky where he said he might find his words written in the clouds. He smiled, fluttering lashes; the fusing intensities were searing his skin and he knew the familiarity of watery rain-slickened petals.

He started away, not looking back; his lover’s kisses singing to the flowers inside him.

#this is the last chapter #i am sad #halemadge #enjoy #nathan hale #pressles musing #benjamin tallmadge

32 notes · View notes

fuckyeahfrenchsongs · 7 years

Audio

Urbanisme – Vald (traduction) Translation: Dear, those youngsters, you should see them See them and hear them Seeing how they shout every night And then eat some shit You should see them at the lane For Kebab or at the square For drugs or some shit They smoke weed, what’s that ? Back in my days, they were blocks Because there were already blocks But these blocks were clean There were flowers, there were doors Now, it’s gloomy, there are only halls Halls with youngsters Who do nothing but trash Then drink, then stink What do they talk about ? Besides guns, life and dogs ? With the world’s misery on their shoulders Getting up early is too hard ? Well then, let them run away forever Let them go far, yeah, far away I live upstairs Back in my days, there were teachers Kids who enjoyed work Great police forces and underground punks We were funny, but not vulgar We were young and careless But them, they scream Leaning on the walls of the building They’re unemployed, drugged They��re worth nothing, let me tell you They’re stealers, marginals They’re worthless, I know them They graffiti, they tag They trash the stairs They piss in the elevator For god’s sake, you gotta be crazy For these youngster, there’s no censor No, they’re worth shit. They whine about the streets When it’s actually them who ruined it Me, I watch TV I heartily insult them I hate their jeering looks And I mostly hate it When I wake up in the neighborhood Dear, if only I was rich, sitting down on my barge Yeah, I hate my neighborhood Everything’s ugly and grey Everything nods, it’s horrible Dear, if only I was rich (Chorus) Dear, if only I was rich (dear, if only I was rich) Sitting down on my barge Dear, if only I was rich (dear, if only I was rich) Dear, if only I was rich Dear, if only I was rich (dear, if only I was rich) Sitting down on my barge Sitting down (Dear, if only I was rich) Sitting down on my barge, there was V on the playlist When I was born, there were towers Towers and then towers I had friends who were crazy They jumped classes and travelled Down the towers, I didn’t get it I told him “Buddy, you’re crazy ?” We see towers all day You get out, only to come back next Make detours, I don’t know Go around, see something else “V, you’re deaf or what ? I told you, down the towers I make cash Between classes and towers I prefer cash for my groceries” Yeah, there are courses and then groceries And then cash down the towers And the red eyes, everything’s pretty It’s pretty when you’re drunk Or else it’s crazy how it’s dirty Yeah, it’s blurred Clean up, it’s a mess Excuse me ladies But these damages are not ours These old hags, I know them Bitches avoiding death From above, they watch us and mock us One day born, then gone Everybody reads the news It’s legendary to be such a… (slut, slut, slut) Dear, if only I was rich Sitting down on my barge I’d like to leave Beriz Live the dream of being a peasant In the ranks, I feel the danger I only care about eating Avenge ? Avenge what ? I’d like to think I don’t have a plan B It’s not me, it’s what’s around I don’t care, I raise my voice But you don’t know what’s going on Down the towers Crazies making a scene Nutcases making a fuss Rooftops getting full So much, I lose my head So each night, with weed I think that if I was rich I’d be on my barge With V in the playlist So each night, with weed I think that if I was rich I’d be on my barge With V in the playlist But I’d need weed for that. Dear, if only I was rich (dear, if only I was rich) Sitting down on my barge Dear, if only I was rich (dear, if only I was rich) Dear, if only I was rich Dear, if only I was rich (dear, if only I was rich) Sitting down on my barge Sitting down (Dear, if only I was rich) Sitting down on my barge, there was V on the playlist

The artist: Vald (a pseudonym based on his first name Valentin) is a rapper originating from Ausnay-Sous-Bois. Lyrically, his universe is based on a heavy use of dark, absurd humor which mixes social commentary, egotrips and conspiracy theories. Throughout his projects, he has developed an inconsistent style which is mostly influenced by American rappers of his kind such as Young Thug or Future, as well as French rappers such as Booba and Alkpote. Songs such as Bonjour and Eurotrap are one of his most recognizable bangers and efficiently present Vald’s humor. The song: Outside of the usual trashy humor Vald is known for, Urbanisme is a song telling the story of two characters living in the same neighborhood. One is old, the other is young. Comprised of two major verses, each character has a verse where they talk about their daily lives. The first one presents the old character as an irritated grump who blames society’s current state on the current youth while second one presents the young character who is struggling with selling drugs. We start off with the complains of the old character about the modern days he lives in. Even though he was also a punk in his old days, he was doing it in his own right way, thinking that the new thugs are just plain vulgar and trashy. While the old character criticizes the youth, he’s also complaining about the current society, its modern architectures and how the authorities have become more permissive towards vandalism (a fact which is debated between young and old people in urban cities). In the chorus, he wishes he could become rich, own a barge (which is known as a luxury type of housing in France) and listen to V (one of Vald’s pseudonyms). The fact that the old man listens to Vald’s music might come off as odd, but it could mean two things: either he enjoys modern music while hating the young people which are affiliated to it, or Vald just makes a boastful statement about how his music could be listened by everyone. The old man also asserts the fact that everybody nods to what’s currently happening in his society, thinking that it has become passive to what’s going on. The second verse shows us the young character, who is most likely based on Vald himself. His main complaint is about his friends who make money by selling drugs. Vald makes alliterations around the words Tower, Course and Groceries (Tour, cours, courses). Vald’s friends ditch class and go out, strolling around towers (which is a way of calling HLMs which are common public housings in the Parisian region). Obviously, these towers are spots for them to sell drugs, hence the line “Between courses and towers, I prefer cash for my groceries”. The other line “Yeah, it’s blurred / Clean up, it’s a mess” is a reference to the states of consuming drugs (taking the drug, having a trip, and regretting it). After our young character’s daily life is presented, the second verse ends with him (probably) talking to the old character. He defends himself about the fact that he isn’t causing the trouble mentioned in the first verse, by blaming other youngsters (“But these damages are not ours“). There’s also a nice double meaning with the term “These damages”. It could simply translate to “ces dégâts” in french which, misheard, gives us “C’est des gars” (It’s those guys). No matter how it’s written, it still stays in context. The young character also defends himself about how he’s easily blamed for being part of a generation which is disliked by the previous ones. It’s all a matter of perspectives and the young character just tries his best to live his life, besides living in a troubled neighborhood. This is heavily asserted in the line “But you don’t know what’s going on / Down the towers / Crazies making a scene /Nutcases making a fuss /Rooftops getting full / So much, I lose my head” Just like the old character, he also wishes to become rich, own a barge, and listen to V (but also wishes to smoke weed along with that) before the song ends. Besides their differences of age and background, the two characters are connected by the ideal life they want and also have their own problems. The instrumental also portrays the two different times that the characters are from: the violins are reminiscent of Yann Tiersen’s works, which were inspired by popular music during the first half of the 20th century. Meanwhile, the hip-hop influenced drumloop marks the tempo and is common in modern rap beats.

Trivial note: There are three music videos for the song based on a single scene of Vald going out to buy cigarettes. Each music video films the scene at a different period of the day.

#vald #music #french music #rap #hip-hop #urbanisme #NQNT2 #music analysis #music explained #french rap

11 notes · View notes

jibrillenyan · 7 years

Text

Episode 15 Guide

You can find it [here] (Italian) or [here] (English)

Thanks to Arcidaide for all her help on this guide.

Total Maana: around 3000 Outfit: Black Wave, 6 pieces: Bag, top, shoes, shorts, bracelets, hood Companions: None Required Items: None Received Items: None Illustrations: 3; 3 replays needed Exploration areas unlocked: Emerald Lake, Torii of Memories Companions unlocked: O’orulay (epic, exploration)

Ep 15 – Ezarel

Ep 15 – Valkyon

Ep 15 – Nevra

The Illustrations will unlock automatically for this episode.

Episode Videos: [NA]

NOTE: During the replays of this episode you will be able to change the boy that made the potion with you.

!! Spoilers Ahead !!

⊗ Locations marked with ⊗ are not guaranteed but highly probable

(0) L’O’M doesn’t change (+) L’O’M increases (-) L’O’M decreases

Like episode 6, this episode will start with Purreko, asking you if you want to change boy who helped you with the potion. You can’t do it on the first try, but the option will be available starting from the first replay.

Purreko:

Were you happy that it was him that worked with you in that challenge?

Obviously not!

*sigh* It doesn’t matter, let’s just say it was… swell…

Yes!

Once you’ve listened in, you will look for Karenn, to find out more.

Objective: You know it, Karenn is Miss-I-Know-Everything of H.Q. She surely knows who got hurt, go ask her!

At the [Fountain Park] ⊗ you will find Floppy

Valkyon

(Oh, that’s Floppy !) (+5)

(Eeeek, it’s Floppy ! I hate mice!!!) (0) (Dialogue 2)

(Awww! It’s little Floppy ♥) (+10)

Dialogue 2

(La laisser faire.) (0)

(Refuser de la prendre avec soi.) (0)

You will go to Valkyon to bring her back anyway, but he won’t be in his room.

You might meet Cryllis, Alajéa, Chrome, or Purroy (the alchemist cat), on the way. Once you’ve found Karenn (often at the forge), the girl will leave without answering you and you will have to look for clues.

Objective: She seems to know the victim, but you didn’t get a chance to ask her. Try to find more clues

Go to the jail, you’ll have a monologue

(I hope not… Although, given that Karenn is crying, Floppy’s master is missing, and Purroy is looking after the potions instead of Ezarel…)(0)

(It kind of would be karma coming back to them, given what they’ve done to me)

When you meet Ewelein on the way, she will drop some medical supplies.

Objective: Ewelein dropped some medical materials. Go give them to her!

Go to the infirmary, you’ll have the chance to help her.

Ewelein

Gardienne, If you want to stay, you’re welcome. If not, you should leave.

Will there be a lot of blood? (0)

I’ll stay, I’m not scared of blood! (+10)

What can I do to help? (+5)

(I looked away, a little embarassed.) (0)

(I watched her work, as if hypnotized by her technique.) (0)

(I’m watching Ewelein Maythz and Violine in turn. Please tell me everything’s going okay!) (0)

I hope it didn’t make you feel uneasy

A little bit… but that’s because I’m not used to seeing so much blood… (+5)

No worries, it was actually pretty interesting. I hope I can help you again some time! (+10)

I Don’t really know, that was my first time. (+5)

Once you’re done, Miiko will join you. Follow her in the Crystal Hall.

Objective: Follow Miiko in direction of the Crystal Room, she wants to talk to you.

You will find all of the light guard inside. You’ll talk about the attack to Enthraa.

Valkyon:

(I made a gesture as if to say “don’t worry about it”.) (0)

(I’d rather turn my head away and not reply) (0)

Miiko:

It’s about the attack on Enthraa.

Oh, that’s not difficult to guess. (+5)

You don’t say? Who would have thunk it?!!! (My voice was dripping with sarcasm) (-5)

Ok, and? (0)

Ewelein:

(Whoa, Eweleïn… you just won points in my heart.) (+5)

(Ouch, Miiko can’t have liked that.)

Miiko:

What about, exactly? Because you have several things to choose from! (-5)

What do you mean? (0)

Miiko:

And what if *you* are Ashkore’s ally? (0)

Do you really think that will change anything? (0)

Monologo:

(Part of me is quite happy to see them so worried about Ashkore) (0)

(It can’t be easy to manage all this) (0)

(He must have his reasons. I shouldn’t judge him before hearing his version of the story) (0)

(Now I understand why they get so tense when we bring up the subject) (0)

Miiko:

(I can’t really understand this compliment… it’s actually annoying me more than anything else.) (0)

(I don’t think I was as good as all that, but oh well… I’ll take all the compliments I can get!) (0)

(I’m delighted to know I’ve been useful to them, despite everything that certain people have done to me.) (0)

Objective: Lead the investigation on the attack on Enthraa.

and

Objective: Get Enthraa’s testimony

Once the meeting is over, go to your room to pick up your note pad. Then go to Ewelein, at the infirmary, to complete the objective:

Objective: Go see Ewelein and take some packets or other containers for your clues

She will send you to the [Alchemy Lab]. After collecting the containers, go to the [Prison].

Monologo:

(It’s pretty disturbing. I have to hold back a wretch.)

(Looking at all this, I think I understand what happened to Enthraa)

(This job is repulsive… it’s work though!)

Go to the isolated beach; you might find several characters on the way. Karenn, Valkyon, and a few members of the guard don’t have multiple answers, but some do:

Kero:

It’s Exhausting…

It’s just paperwork, it’s not a big deal. (-5)

I get it, but just tell yourself to keep pushing yourself through it! (+5)

Keep your spirits up though, Kero, it’s just a bad stage. (+10)

Chrome:

I hadn’t thought of that… it’s stressing me out, now. (+5)

Oh, no, don’t stay that… I’m the queen of bait, I don’t want to be elected victim of the year. (0)

The wind must be changing direction. (0) (Dialogue 2)

Dialogue 2

Sympa! Tu peux rêver pour que je t’en offre à l’avenir! (-5)

Les trèfles de Fortuna? (0) (Dialogue 3)

Dialogo 3

Ah oui, c’est vrai… (0)

(Je ne m’en souviens pas…) (0)

Nevra:

And guess what?

Were there H.Q. plans in amongst them? (+10)

What? (0)

I don’t know… (+5)

Ezarel:

Donc je prends de quoi tenir.

Good decisions this time, I hope. (0)

What sort of decisions? (0)

…

You could have taken something a little more substantial. (+5)

I hope you haven’t stolen it. Karuto is not going to be happy. (0)

Oh, Lordy, you and your love for honey. (+10)

Ykhar:

I forgive you. I understand you were angry. (+5)

I’m not sure if I want to forgive you. (Dialogo 2)

It means a lot that you apologized! (+5)

Dialogue 2

(Après tout… ce qu’elle a fait est loin d’être aussi grave que cette potion d’oubli.)

(Ça n’est pas suffisant à mon sens, mais c’est déjà ça.)

At the beach, pick up the clues:

A monologue will follow:

(I’m pretty relieved… I don’t really want to bring evidence that implies him any fruther to the eyes of the Guard.)

(I honestly don’t think he’s guilty in all this… at least, not this time)

Go to the [Centenary Cherry Tree], on this phase you can still meet the people listed above.

Go to the [Hall of Doors], Enthraa woke up. Talk to her at the [Infirmary]

Objective: With everything that you know now, go back to see Miiko

Miiko:

Maybe a Kraken?

I’d have bet a mermaid! ✓ Right answer

Are there leviathans in Eldarya?

Even though I have major doubts about this: Charybde and Scylla!

This answers affects only your thoughts, later on.

Listen in until Jamon interrupts you. You will be moved to Hall of Doors, where your stomach will growl loudly.

Objective: Rest up a bit then go to the dining hall to eat.

Go to the dining hall and talk to Karuto. Bring your meal to the park.

Objective:It’s beautiful out. The gardens are a delightful place for you to eat in peace and quet. Go!

Go to the [Fountain Park]

Objective: It’s really the end of the day this time. Go back to your room.

Go back to your room, the morning after you will decide to look for someone to teach you self-defense.

Objective: Try to find someone who can teach you how to defend yourself.

Go to the Library ⊗ to ask Ykhar and Kero for advice; they will suggest you to go to Cameria, she is in the dining hall ⊗

Cameria:

Hmm, and why do you want to be able to fight?

To be able to defend myself, no matter what the circumstance is. (0)

Because I want to be able to handle the things that could hurt me, myself. (+5)

Because I want to become stronger and more independent. (+10)

Go to the beach, after this dialogue:

Cameria:

Imagine que je suis un être maléfique et je pointe une arme vers toi alors que tu es « sans défense ». Comment réagirais-tu ?

I’d try to run away. (0)

I’d attack before you do. (0)

I’d be terrified, and I think I’d try to reason with you. .. (0)

You will have a QTE. The choice:

(But how?!)

(I’m ready!)

is to get an explanation on QTE (first option).

Once you’ve won you can go on with the story and finish the training. You will decide to shower.

Objective: Get rid of this “kappaesque” fragrance. Go to the showers. They’re near your room!

Go back to your room, when you’re in front of it, Ykhar will send you to Miiko, but you will still have time for a quick shower. Go to the Crystal Room.

Nevra:

(Take the scarf) (0)

(Catch the scarf but don’t take it) (0)

(Don’t catch the scarf) (0)

When you’re done go to the beach (to the cliff)

Objective: Go to the beach to capture the creature!

Valkyon:

Stay close to me and take action when we tell you to!

(I then went to Valkyon’s side, listening to his warning…)(0)

(I didn’t want to stay close to him, and maintained a certain distance from him, though staying covered.)(0)

A QTE will follow:

(Control your fear… control your fear… easier said than done!) (QTE explanation)

(Let’s do this!)

Ezarel:

Don’t touch me! (I moved away, brusquely.) (0)

No, I’m fine… (0)

Objective: QUICKLY go to the H.Q. before the creature awakens!

When you get to [Hall of Doors] you will be sent to [Crystal Room]

Objective: Go to the Crystal Room. Come on, go, go, go!

Miiko will ask you to find Alajéa.

Objective: Look for Alajea so she can give you her opinion. Sh’s a mermaid too.

Look for Alajéa, I went toward the [Fountain Park] and got lucky XD

You might meet Karenn or have these dialogues during your search or just after finding her:

Chrome:

(Good Lord, he went there… what a moron!) (+5)

(You really are just a kid. (-5)

… Seriously? (+10)

Ezarel:

So congratulations. Good job.

(Ezarel giving praise, I’m not sure how to take this.) (Dialogue 2)

Thank you. (+5)

Dialogue 2

Gardienne ? Tu pourrais dire merci, je te fais un compliment là.

En général, quand on fait un compliment, c’est de bon cœur. Non pas pour attendre un remerciement en retour. (-5)

C’est quoi l’entourloupe ? Tu n’es jamais aussi « gentil ». (0)

Je ne cède jamais aux caprices des enfants, donc tu peux dire adieu à ton merci ♥ (+5)

Nevra:

(Go right) (Dialogue 2) (0)

(Go left) (0)

Dialogue 2

(Go right) (0)

(Go left) (0)

That explains it. In any case, that’s cool… that you’re getting better and better at defending yourself.

Given my predisposition for ending up the bait, I thought it might lend me a non insubstantial advantage. (+5)

yes, we never know when people are going to try and hurt me… (0)

You guys are good at attacking people, huh? (-5)

Valkyon:

I’d have liked to be in your Guard, too. (0)

I’m doing just fine in my own guard, thanks (I was pretty harsh there) (Dialogue 2)

I’m very happy in the shadow guard. (0)

Dialogo 2

Ho detto qualcosa di male?

Detto, no. Fatto, sì. (0)

Tu te paies ma tête, là ? Tu as déjà oublié ce que vous m’avez fait subir? (-5)

After you’ve talked to the 3 boys you should be able to meet the mermaid you’re looking for:

Alajéa:

OK… see you later then?

That’s a promise! (+5)

(Sorry Alajea, but I don’t really want to talk about what happened to me with you…) (-5)

I’ll see… (0)

Objective: Bring Alajea to Miiko so she can give her opinion. Fingers crossed that the captured mermaid is in good health.

Go to the [Crystal Room] then to the [Prison]

Obiettivo: Follow Miiko to the prison.

Alajea will have a break down, follow her outside the prison.

Objective: You don’t know why, but your heart is telling you to look for Alajea.

You could meet Cryllin and Chrome outside the HQ. I found Alajea at the [Fountain Park]

Alajéa:

No… wait… Why did you follow me?

I was worried about you (+10)

I’m a very curious person. (0)

I don’t know… I just did, that’s all. (+5)

Objective: Alajéa has something important to tell you. Bring her to your room.

Go to your room. Talking to Alajea will start a flashback and the POV will move to hers.

Objective: Don’t let your little sister catch up to you,. So swim!

Objective: Go back with the others.

Objective: There is nothing, nothing at all… Go look for something.

There is only one possible route, just follow it 🙂

Alajéa:

Thank you, Alajea. (0)

Thanks, Al. (+5)

Thanks… Allie. (+15)

(The warmth she’s communicating to me means so much.) (0)

(I’m truly happy to be able to count her amongst my friends. Her hug is doing me a crazy amount of good. (0)

Once done go to the dining all for:

Objective: After all these emotions, a bit of relaxation! Go get some goodies from the dining hall.

Get your sweets and go back to your room:

Objective: Go back to your room to indulge in those goodies.

Alajéa:

This guy must really like you! Go for it! (0)

If he stayed that must be because he likes you. (0)

Karenn will bring back bad news. You’ll have a flashback in her POV.

Objective: Go to the crystal room to talk to your brother.

Go, listen in, Once you’re back in control of Gardienne, you will decide to do something about it but Alajéa is shaken up.

Alajéa:

(Shake Alajea)

(Keep calling Alajea’s name)

Karenn:

Gardienne, are you with us?

What a question! Of course! (0)

Yes… (0)

Karenn:

We could use the poison from Balenvia. That sure did it for [Poisoned Guy] and me. (0)

(I could use the poison from Balenvia, but that’s a bit extreme…) (0)

After thinking of a plan you’ll get the objective:

Objective: It’s time for the first part of the intervention: save Colaia. Go to the infirmary.

On the way you can find:

Nevra:

… (0)

Non posso parlarne, mi dispiace. (0)

Da quando ti interessi a Alajéa? (0)

Objective:

If you have to steal the notes go to [Hall of Doors]

Once there, go to the infirmary, you have to get this:

If you have to make a diversion go to the infirmary and take Ewelein to your room.

Then go find Karenn: go to the infirmary again then back to your room, she is there.

Both scenarios lead to your room.

Objective: It’s time to prepare the sleeping pill. Go to the Alchemy Lab.

Karenn:

That has always surprised me.

At the same time, when we know it’s the favorite hangout of that tyrant, Ezarel…

I don’t come here that often, either.

After talking to your accomplices go to the Alchemy shop and buy 2 Moogliz Milk.

You’ll start making the potion but Ezarel will startle you. You will have to divert his attention!

You will decide who gets the honor with a rock-paper-scissor match. It should be randomly determined.

If you win Alajea will take Ezarel away. You will have to help Karenn. Pick up the lavender and the sand:

If you lose, you will have to take Ezarel away. Go to the village and back. You will have this conversation with him:

Je ne doute pas que tu deviendras un des piliers de cette garde.

Tu es malade?

Tu le penses vraiment?

J’ai du mal à te croire.

Once you’re done the last, hardest, step:

Objective: Last mission: Convince Karuto to let you help him in the Kitchen. Good luck.

Go to the kitchen, past the dining hall.

Karuto will try the meal you prepared and drugged and… will collapse on the floor. Hide the body!

Objective: You didn’t account for this problem. Make sure no one notices.

by just exiting the kitchen.

Objective: Go back to the kitchen, quickly.

Go back to the kitchen and serve the meal. When you’re done you’ll get:

Objective: Your mission is now over. Go find Alajea and wait several hours for the last part of your plan.

Go to your room. You will get the outfit Black wave for free:

Karenn:

It’s really pretty, I love it! (+5)

I don’t like it at all… (-5)

It’s perfect! (+10)

Objective: Go around the H.Q. to make sure no one is lurking around.

Go to the Cherry tree and back, it should be enough to unlock the 2 monologues. Go in front to the Crystal Hall, Valkyon is there.

Ashkore-Rapunzel, winner of the “Best Moment” Prize.

Ashkore will knock him out with a frying pan.

Yes, you read that right.

Let’s continue.

Ashkore:

Ashkore! Take me with you! (I caught him by the arm to hold him back.) (0) (dialogue 2)

(No, I can’t ask him if I can go with him… I don’t know him well enough for that.) (0)

Dialogue 2

Insistere

Non insistere.

Go back to [Hall of Doors].

Objective: Free Colaia from the prison.

Go to the [Prison], you will have to drug Colaia too.

Objective: Bring Colaia to the beach so she can be free.

Go toward the [Isolated Beach], you will spend all the night moving the mermaid.

Alajéa:

Can you help me carry her to the water?

(I’m still too scared to approach the water…) I… (0)

(Come on, Gardienne, face your fears. It’s just water!!!) (0)

The Guard members will catch up to you.

Objective: Reassure Alajea as much as you can.

Go to the rock, cliff… whatever:

(Force everyone away, using the advice Cameria gave me) (0)

(Try to find another way of dealing with the situation) (0)

(unsheathe your weapon) (0)

(don’t) (0)

Miiko:

(Was she looking for me? Well, here I am!!!)

(Come on now, Gardienne, violence never solves anything… even though she deserves my fist right in her face.)

If you “willingly” drank the potion there will be no reference to the kiss, and no reaction on the ladies’ part. The dialogue will just skip that scene.

Objective: After so many emotions, go back to H.Q.

Go to the [Hall of Doors].

Ykhar:

But you can’t predict everything either. (0)

I don’t think I’m your friend. (0)

You were there for me, I was the one who didn’t want to take the helping hand you held out to me… (0)

Objective: You deserve a bit of rest! Go to your room!

The boy who made you drink the potion will knock at your door. The illustration unlocks here and has no prerequisites. If you drank the potion “willingly” you won’t talk about the kiss.

Objective: Quick! Go to the crystal Room!

Talk to Miiko.

Objective: Go out because Miiko has nothing to say to you.

Go out, Leiftan wants to talk. Once you’re done, go to the dining room for the objective:

Objective: You’re hungry! Go to the kitchen and fingers crossed… Karuto hopefully has something good in store for you.

A time-skip will follow.

Zifu:

Feng Zifu, is that you? (0)

Zif, is that you? (0)

Huang Hua?! (0)

Objective: Follow Feng Zifu to find out what he’s doing here!!

Go to the Crystal Room, the dialogue that follows will conclude the episode.

#eldarya 15 guide #eldarya guide #eldarya 15

1 note · View note

beenchantd · 7 years

Text

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Get ready for all the fluff and Sherlock speaking French!

Read on AO3

__________________

Johns pushes the front door open, letting out a loud sigh and rubbing one hand over his face. He’s tired, hungry and wants nothing more but to curl around Sherlock and let the exhaustion of the day fade away. He knows there is a high probability Sherlock isn't even home right now, most likely out seeing Lestrade about the case they’ve been working on for the past three days. John shakes his head, smiling as he heads up the stairs. Somehow it feels strangely normal to think he’s going to spend the evening of Valentine’s Day alone at the flat.

It isn’t that they’ve never celebrated it, and John can only remember too well their first Valentine’s Day together. Sherlock had (stupidly) thought John would love something ridiculously romantic and over the top, and after the third romantic cliché, he had made sure Sherlock knew there was only one thing he needed for Valentine’s Day and that it involved a certain detective naked in bed. Ever since, they had celebrated in their own way, not always with a gift but with small gestures and affections.

Heading directly for the kitchen, John calls Sherlock’s name once, twice and only hears silence. Considering sending a text, he goes to put the kettle on and that’s when he finds the first note, right next to his mug. He frowns, immediately recognizing the language but digging into his high school memories to understand what’s written.

J’aime savoir qu’il y aura toujours une deuxième tasse de thé

à remplir lorsque je me l ève le matin.

John catches the words tea and love , but gives up on understanding anything else. Sherlock must be working on some experiment, and it’s not the first time he’s switched to some other language. He stares at the note, waiting for the water to boil, and is vaguely certain there’s also a morning there. He pours himself some tea, careful not to spill any on the note, and gets some biscuits.

The second note is on his chair, and John rolls his eyes as while he sits down. French again, and this time John realises it starts the same as the previous one.

J’aime te voir assis ici quand je joue du violon, tes yeux fermés

et ce sourire réservé juste pour moi sur tes lèvres.

He fidgets with the notes, staring at Sherlock’s handwriting and trying to guess by the force of his will to decrypt what he wrote down. Violin isn’t hard to understand, and there’s love again. John frowns, moi is me , right? Letting out a loud sigh, John looks around the flat, suddenly wondering if there are more of these notes, and his eyes find the one pinned to the wall above the sofa immediately. He stands up, setting the one still in his hands back on the chair and rushes to the other side of the room.

J’aime le fait que tu restes un mystère.

Un puzzle que je ne résoudrai jamais.

Mystery? Puzzle?

John isn’t so sure about the meaning of these notes again, and tries to remember if Sherlock talked about any new experiments lately. There was the one with the nails, and the one with their bed sheets, but John is fairly certain both were finished already. Sherlock hasn’t mentioned a new one, and certainly not a new one involving so much French.

Love , again. Could this be...

John feels himself smile, something warm spreading throughout his chest, and he scans the living room one more time. There’s nothing on the table or Sherlock’s chair, nothing on the shelf, nothing by the TV. Licking his lips, John tries to put himself in Sherlock’s place. Where would he leave another note? He turns towards the stairs, wondering.

“We never go up there anymore,” he murmurs to himself, but he’s already heading up to his old bedroom.

He finds the note in the center of his old bed.

J’aime me souvenir de notre premier baiser, debout devant ce lit.

Tu te souviens?

Same pattern, but a question this time. John wishes more than anything he could answer, but decides he’ll have to wait a bit longer for that. For now, he has more notes to find, more evidence to gather. He rushes back downstairs, abandoning the notes. He checks the kitchen once more before heading to the bathroom.

The note is taped to the wall.

J’aime quand tu m’embrasses lorsqu’on se douche, quand tu me touches,

quand tu me fais perdre la raison.

“Christ, Sherlock, what are you doing?”

John reaches for his phone and starts a text before stopping. If Sherlock has a plan, it surely doesn’t involve John questioning it. There must be an end to it, and John only needs to play a little longer. Shaking his head, he puts away his phone in his pocket with a laugh. The placement for the next one is obvious, and John feels his heart beat just a little faster as he opens the door to their bedroom.

There is a note, of course, but there is also a small box, and suddenly John finds it much harder to breathe. His hand is shaking as he picks up the note and reads his name on it, finding himself wishing Sherlock was here so he could kiss him for a very, very long time.

John, je t’aime.

Veux-tu m’épouser?

Shutting his eyes tightly, John lets out a small laugh. Christ, where is Sherlock? He’s about to take out his phone again and call him this instant when he hears careful footsteps behind him. Eyes fluttering open, John inhales deeply and sets the note down on the bed again.

“What do you think?” Sherlock asks in a whisper.

John turns around, reading on Sherlock’s face all there is to know, and smiles, “I’m thinking I should have paid more attention in French class.”

Sherlock’s lips stretch into a smile, “Need some help?” He’s still standing in the doorway, and when John nods, he takes a step forward. “I love knowing that there’ll always be a second cup of tea to fill every morning.”

Another step, “I love seeing you sitting here as I play my violin, your eyes closed and this smile reserved just for me on your lips.”

“Just you,” John whispers, and Sherlock’s smile widens.

Another step, “I love the fact that you remain a mystery. A puzzle I will never solve.”

Sherlock is standing in front of him now, and John closes one hand around his coat.

“I love remembering our first kiss, standing in front of that bed. Do you think about it too?”

John nods, laughing again and feeling tears form in his eyes, “All the bloody time.”

Sherlock rolls his eyes but moves closer, his voice much lower as he translates the next note, “I love when you kiss me when we shower, when you’re touching me, when you make me lose my mind.”

John exhales loudly, feeling Sherlock’s own breath against his lips. God, he wants to kiss him. Sherlock remains silent, the final note having yet to be translated, and John pulls him ever closer. He nudges their noses together.

“I think I can deduce the last one,” he whispers against Sherlock’s lips.

“Can you?” Sherlock asks, both of his hands coming up to cup John’s face.

John nods, “I already did, actually,” he smiles. “Truth is, I’ve been thinking about making the same kind of note for a while now.”

Sherlock’s breath catches, pulling away just enough so his eyes can search his face, and John lets all the love and adoration he feels for this brilliant man show.

“You really did,” Sherlock asserts after a few seconds.

John nods again, “I did.”

“Does that mean...you’re saying..” Sherlock’s voice falters, eyes still roaming all over his face, and John pulls him back against him.

“It means I’m going to marry you, Sherlock Holmes,” he breathes against his lips, feeling Sherlock smile before they’re kissing.

Sherlock hums into the kiss, his entire body relaxing into John’s arms. John kisses him harder, parting his lips and letting their tongues meet. It still amazes him sometimes, how different every kiss feels. John smiles against Sherlock’s lips, knowing he will be remembering this one for a very long time.

“John,” Sherlock breathes out when they part, “You never really replied.”

John pulls away to pick up the note, “Read it to me.”

Sherlock stares at him, “John, je t’aime,” he begins, not reading any of the words.

“I love you too,” John smiles.

Sherlock leans for another kiss, lingering for a moment. When he pulls away, he reaches for the box and places it in John’s hand, “Veux-tu m’épouser?”

John holds the box in his hand tightly, realising he might sound ridiculous but finding he does not care as he finally says, “Oui.”

Read on AO3

__________________

Thank you to Heather @astudyinsnoggy for the edits!

@clueingforlooks @ishaveforsherl @johnnlocked @yorkiepug @consultingpurplepants @conversationswithjohnlock @lmirandas @daringlydomestic @blueink3 @ladymacphisto @chinike @artfulinanities @missmuffin221 @johnandsherlock @beejohnlocked @blanketjohn @bobenlugares @totallysilvergirl @your-holy-nerd @wilde-grrrl @my-sun-my-baelish @consultingbeekeepers @thespiritualmultinerd @shaaghaayegh @ioweyou-a-proposal @absolievable

#Pauline writes #johnlock #my fic #valentine's day

742 notes · View notes

cflaesgems16 · 7 years

Text

A Caroline in Salzburg

The last destination of my “Eastern Europe” trip was Salzburg, Austria. A city very close to the German border, surrounded by the Alps. Salzburg, is known for being used in the popular 1965 film The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews, which tells the story of the Von Trapp family singers. Salzburg, is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most prolific and influential composer of the Classical era.

DAY ONE

One my first day in Salzburg, I took a Bavarian Salt Mines tour recommended to me by my friend Kiersten. This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. On the tour, you get to put on a protective miner’s suit (mine fit so cozy, I didn’t want to take it off) (Photo A). Then you board a tiny train to ride through the tunnels. At the end of the train ride, you get to slide down a wooden slide. What an adrenaline rush! With a tour guide, you wander around the mines learning about the excavation techniques and technology to remove the salt. Towards the end of the tour, you get to see this 6 foot deep underground lake, that is crystal clear. In the lake, they soak the rock and extract the salt from it (Photo B). We rode a little boat across the lake, then boarded the train to exit the tunnels. Honestly, it was one of the best experiences I’ve had, 10/10 would recommend it, especially to families with kids.

Photo A

Photo B

The tour continued, and we rode through the Bavarian Alps. Technically, we were in Germany, and not Austria for this trip. We saw the Eagle’s Nest, which was Hitler’s second headquarters located on top of Kehlstein. It was a very expensive structure to build and a few people lost their lives in the process. Hitler only visited the site a total of 14 times, because he was afraid of heights.

We stopped for lunch in Berchtesgaden, I went and got the best schnitzel and potatoes ever for lunch, while admiring the amazing view of the alps. I think, one of the places I will miss the most is Germany, especially Bavaria (Photo C).

Photo C

The bus returned to Salzburg, and after a quick nap to recharge, I explored the city. I walked through the Mirabelle Gardens, to Mozart’s Birth House (Photo D). Albeit a little pricey, I visited the museum, which had some artifacts from his life, including his violin and a model of his piano (the original is in the other Mozart museum in Salzburg) (Photos E & F). After the museum, I visited the cathedral that was built in 1614 (Photo G). It’s a very beautiful cathedral, especially the ceilings (Photo H). It’s crazy how the ceilings are so detailed; maybe it’s because people look up to pray? The cathedral also has four organs total; that’s a lot of organs. I wonder if they play them all simultaneously?; how would that sound? It had been cold and rainy outside, so I warmed up with some goulash and strudel for dinner, before heading back to my hostel for the night.

Photo D

Photo E

Photo F

Photo G

Photo H

DAY TWO

On my second day and last full day in Salzburg, I began my day with The Sound of Music tour. If you’re a fan of the movie, then this is the tour for you! We drove around Salzburg, and the surrounding area visiting sites that were used in the movies, all while learning some behind the scenes secrets (Photos I & J). Did you know that little Gretel almost drowned in the canoel scene? After this incident, Kym Karath (the actress) immediately wanted to go home. So, the directors started to bribe her with candies and cookies so she would stay. She ate so much that when it was time to film the final scene, Christopher Plummer refused to carry her up the mountain because she was “too fat”. So, they ended up using a doll.

Photo I: the back of the Von Trapp house was entirely different from the front; they filmed in two different locations. The lake with the canoe scene, where Gretel almost drowned!

Photo J: The Gazebo, where Something Good was filmed

The second part of the tour, we drove around the Bavarian Alps, which were covered in snow, singing along to songs from the movie. Our tour guide was so nice, and energetic. it was a ton of fun. We stopped in Mondsee, which is home to the church where the wedding scene between Maria and the Captain was filmed (Photos K & L).The last stop on our trip was Mirabelle Gardens, I ran around the gardens with my new friends, I met from the tour, playing around like the Von Trapp children (Photos M & N).

Photo K

Photo L

Photo M: Do Re Me Steps

Photo N: Troll Garden

Afterwards, I went up to Hohensalzburg Castle (Photo O). The weather was bad on and off, it was very windy, cold and snowy. When I was outside, enjoying the amazing view from the castle, thankfully the weather was cooperative and I got amazing photos (Photo P). When I was inside enjoying the exhibits, I’d look out the window and see a snow storm. The exhibits in the castle were cool, you had your typical rooms full of china and cutlery, refurbished rooms and armory. There was even a small marionette museum too (Photo Q)!

Photo O

Photo P

Photo Q

The weather was getting really bad in Salzburg, so I called it a day and went back to my hostel and had dinner then watched The Sound of Music for the second time in a row, to see if I could point out the secrets I learned from the tour. It’s such a good movie, but it’s also VERY long!

This “Eastern Europe” trip was great, I’m so glad I found the time to explore these Germanic and Slavic countries. Even though I was by myself, I met some great people in my hostel and got to explore the cities at my own pace and see things that interested me. I’m going to miss Europe in general, so much once I’m back in the states; I’m going to miss the spontaneity, freedom and adventuring.

La dernière destination dans mon voyage à “l’Europe de l’Est” était Salzbourg en Autriche. Une ville très proche à la frontière d’Allemagne, qui est encerclé par les Alps. Salzbourg est connu pour le cadre du film très populaire de 1965 The Sound of Music, avec Julie Andrews, qui a dit l’histoire de la famille chanteuse Von Trapp. Aussi, Salzburg est le lieux de naissance de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, le plus prolifique et influent compositeur de l'ère Classique.

JOUR UN

Pendant mon premier jour à Salzbourg, j’ai pris une tournée des mines de sel de Bavière, qui m’a recommandé par mon ami Kiersten. C'était, probablement, le plus chouette chose que j'ai jamais vécues. Dans la tournée, vous avez porté un costume de protection de mineurs (mon costume était très confortable, que je ne voulais pas l'enlever) (Photo A). Puis, vous montez dans un petit train à traverser les tunnels. À la fin du voyage, vous pouvez glisser dans un grand toboggan bois. Quelle montée d'adrénaline! Avec un guide, vous explorez les mines, et apprendre au sujet de la technique et la technologie pour sortir le sel. Vers la fin de la tournée, vous voyez un grand lac sous terre, qui est clair comme de l’eau de roche (Photo B). Dans le lac, ils trempent la roche et extraient le sel de roche. Nous avons pris un petit bateau au-dessus de lac, puis nous sommes montées le train pour sortir les tunnels. Honnêtement, c'était l'une des meilleures expériences que j'avais, 10/10 le recommanderait, en particulier pour les familles avec enfants.

La tournée continuait, et nous avons traversé les Alp de Bavière. Techniquement, nous étions en Allemagne, et pas en Autriche pour ce voyage. On a vu le Eagle’s Nest, qui était le deuxième siège d’Hitler, situe dans le somment de Kehlstein. Qui était une structure très cher de construire et quelques personnes ont perdu leurs vies pendant le processus. Hitler, a visité le siège 14 fois, parce qu’il avait peur de la hauteur.

Nous avons un arrêté pour le déjeuner à Berchtesgaden, où j’ai mangé le meilleur schnitzel et pommes de terre dans ma vie, en admirant la vue incroyable des Alps. Je pense que l’un des endroits où je vais le plus me manque est l'Allemagne, en particulier la Bavière (Photo C).

Le bus est revenu à Salzbourg, et après avoir fait une petite sieste pour recharger, j’ai exploré la ville. J’ai traversé le Jardin Mirabelle à le lieux de naissance de Mozart (Photo D). Bien qu’un peu cher, j’aie visité le musée, qui avait des artefacts de sa vie, comme son violon et une modèle de son piano (l'original est situé dans l’autre musée de Mozart à Salzbourg) (Photos E & F). Après le musée, j’ai visité la cathédrale qui a construit en 1614 (Photo G). C’est une très belle cathedral, particulièrement les plafonds (Photo H). C’est très foule comment les plafonds sont très détaillé; peut-être la raison pourquoi est les peuples regardent en haut pendant la prière? Aussi la cathédrale a quatre orgues; c’est beaucoup de orgues. Je me demande s’ils jouent les orgues ensemble? Comment ça sonnerait?

Il faisait froid et pluvieux à l'extérieur, alors je me suis réchauffé avec du goulash et du strudel pour le dîner, avant de rentrer dans mon auberge pour la nuit.

JOUR DEUX

Dans mon deuxième jour et dernier, entier jour à Salzbourg, j’ai commencé mon jour avec une tournée de The Sound of Music. Si vous aimez le film, cette tournée est parfait pour vous! Nous conduisait vers Salzbourg, et la région qui encercle, nous avons visité les sites touristique du film, et on a apprendu des secrets du film (Photos I-J). Par exemple, saviez-vous que le petit Gretel s'est presque noyé dans la scène du canoё? Après cet incident, Kym Karath (l'actrice) a immédiatement voulu revenir aux Etats-Unis. Ainsi, les réalisateurs ont commencé à la soudoyer avec des bonbons et des biscuits pour rester. Elle a tellement mangé que quand il était temps de filmer la scène finale, Christopher Plummer a refusé de l'emporter sur la montagne parce qu'elle était "trop grosse". Alors, ils ont fini par utiliser une poupée.

La deuxième partie de la tournée, nous avons traversé les Alps Bavière, qui recouvrait en neige, en chantant les chansons du film. Notre guide était très gentille et dynamique. C'était très amusant. Nous avons arrêté à Mondsee, qui a l'église où ils ont filmé la scène du mariage entre Maria and le Captain (Photos K-L). Le dernier arrêté dans notre tournée était le Jardin Mirabelle, j’ai couru autours de jardins avec les filles j’ai rencontré dans la tournée, jouer comme les enfants Von Trapp (Photos M-N).

Ensuite, je suis allée au château de Hohensalzburg (Photo O). Le temps était mauvais, c'était très venteux, froid et neigeux. Quand j'étais dehors, j'adore la vue étonnante du château, heureusement que le temps était coopérative et j'ai pris des photos incroyables (Photo P). Quand j'étais en train d'apprécier les expositions, je regardais par la fenêtre et voyais une tempête de neige. Les expositions dans le château étaient chouette, vous aviez vos chambres typiques remplies de porcelaine et de couverts, des chambres rénovées et de l'arsenal. Il y avait même un petit musée de marionnettes aussi (Photo Q)!

Le temps devenait vraiment mauvais à Salzbourg, alors et je suis retournée dans mon auberge et j'ai mangé le dîner puis j'ai regardé The Sound of Music pour la deuxième fois de suite, pour voir si je pouvais souligner les secrets dont j'ai appris le tour. C'est un bon film, mais c'est aussi très long! Ce voyage "Europe de l'Est" a été génial, je suis tellement heureux d'avoir trouvé le temps d'explorer ces pays germaniques et slaves. Même si j'étais seul, j'ai rencontré des gens formidables dans mon auberge et j'ai pu explorer les villes à mon rythme et voir des choses qui m'intéressaient. Je vais manquer l'Europe en général, tant qu'une fois que je suis de retour dans les États-Unis; Je vais manquer la spontanéité, la liberté et l'aventure.

#salzburg #austria #germany #bavaria #soundofmusic #julieandrews #vontrapp #adventure #saltmines #travel #studyabroad #explore #mozart

1 note · View note