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#art gallery sa
SET SIX - ROUND ONE - MATCH SEVEN
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"The Handmaidens of Sivawara Preparing the Sacred Bull at Tanjore for a Festival" (1886 - Valentine Cameron Prinsep) / "Ajax and Cassandra" (1886 - Solomon Joseph Solomon)
THE HANDMAIDENS OF SIVAWARA: i thought this was an actual photo at first. the little details are *biting my hand off* it is just so sfdbkjfhwiuef you get me? (anonymous)
AJAX AND CASSANDRA: the lighting. the fucking vibes of this artwork are INSANE. (anonymous)
("The Handmaidens of Sivawara Preparing the Sacred Bull at Tanjore for a Festival" is an 1886 oil on canvas painting done by British artist Valentine Cameron Prinsep. It measures 58 x 73¾ in. (147.3 x 111.5 cm.)
"Ajax and Cassandra" is an 1886 oil on canvas painting done by the Jewish-Brit artist Solomon Joseph Solomon. It measures 304.5 x 152.5 cm (10 x 5 ft) and is currently held at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in Ballarat, Australia.)
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lemonlimetoast · 2 years
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What if we both boarded a magical train.... And our numbers synced 😳😳
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maylorscardigan · 5 months
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Spread this.
This is just some of the sinister ways that AI can be used. There’s ways that are far more sinister that most couldn’t even begin to imagine.
One of the things I’ve come to see working with the people I do - is how much AI is used in the trafficking and 🌽 industry. From using AI to create CP to taking videos of trafficked victims and using AI to alter their appearance and keep them hidden in that horrible existence longer… to much much more.
AI isn’t all fun and games.
Be careful out there.
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themuse-if · 3 months
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DEMO (TBA) | Cast Profiles | Cast Interviews
The Muse is a 18+ slice of life interactive fiction novel set at NYU focusing mostly on the art departments in the Steinhardt and Tisch schools. Inspired by my love for shows and movies like Felicity, Fame (the show), Skins UK, and Center Stage. This will not be an accurate depiction of school life at NYU, I'll be taking lots of creative liberties.
Content Warnings: explicit language, sexual themes, substance use, violence, mention of SA
You come from a family of artists and art lovers. Your mother is a passionate curator for a small gallery in the city and your father is a sculptor and painter with a very dedicated cult following. They met when they were just starting out and have built a lovely life for themselves and their two children, you and your older brother Cameron.
Your parents have always been super supportive of you and your brother’s dreams and ambitions. They were a great source of encouragement and guidance for your brother on his path to discovering his goal to become a game designer and you on your path to become whatever you choose.
Growing up surrounded by such creativity just so happened to inspired you to want to create something of your own.
Now that you’ve graduated high school it’s time for you to head off to university! You’ve decided to leave the mid sized city that you call your hometown, and go to the big city NYC! You’ll be attending NYU more specifically, but you won’t be making this move alone you’ll be attending with your best friend Maxine!
What will you discover in your university life?
Will you solely focus on schoolwork or wind up in the raging party scene?
Will you explore new creative endeavors or solely focus on honing your craft?
With so much going on will you even have the time to possibly find your muse, or maybe even become someone else’s?
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Design your mc from clothing style to physical appearance to pronouns, gender identity, name, looks, and more.
Choose 1 of 9 majors that grant you different classes with new students and professors: (Studio Arts, Dance, Drama, Photography and Imaging, Jazz Studies, Songwriting, Recorded Music, Collaborative Arts, Dramatic Writing )
Curate your MCs personality and how they react to all the drama and excitement university life has to offer. Style your MC’s dorm room and their aesthetic style.
Navigate the cliques and scenes to figure out where your MC fits in. Maybe you're a social butterfly and you just float from one social group to another!
Engage in a romance with 1 of 10 characters. 5 female/male gender selectable and 5 gender set characters. And 2 poly routes one with The Rebel Rejects and on with The Exes.
Choose one of three part time jobs to give you a little extra spending money for things like spring break and birthday gifts for your new friends.
Follow The Muse through your MC’s freshman and sophomore years. Junior and senior year will come much later in Book Two of The Muse. The third and final book in The Muse series will cover the start of MC's new life after graduation.
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Roxanne/Robbie Sawyer: (f/m) The lead singer and guitarist of The Rebel Rejects. Ro is everything you would want in a lead singer cool, charismatic, and super talented. Don’t let their dazzling aura intimidate you though because though they may have a raging wild side they can also be extremely down to earth.
Joleen/Johnny Nielsen: (f/m) The drummer of The Rebel Rejects. Jo is the oddball of the band with a sunny exterior and twisted flower child past. They may be a sweet boho bimbo with a heart of gold, but there’s a lot more that lies behind those blue green eyes.
Delphine/Desmond Hartley: (f/m) The bassist for The Rebel Rejects. De is the super glue propelling the group forward. With high expectations from her parent, and dreams that soar even higher, success is the only option.
Rina/Ren Fukushi: (f/m) R is the best ballet dancer in this incoming freshman class, and no one would ever think to say otherwise. They’re cold and closed off, if it isn’t about ballet then they don’t want to hear it.
Everly/Everett Thompson: (f/m) Eve is a triple threat. Singing, dancing, acting they can do it all. They hope to complete their EGOT before they turn 40.
Karla Reyes: (she/her) Karla is a sophomore at NYU studying Studio Arts. Their favorite medium is watercolor on canvas. They’ve dabbled with sculpting and ceramics...until they broke up with their ex, Faye, and can’t stand to be in the same studio with them.
Faye Winters: (she/they) Fae is every bit the ethereal being they seem to be, and just as flighty. She is a sophomore majoring in dance with a minor in studio arts. She has this effortless charm and beauty that extends to her art whether its her dancing or her sculptures.
Sebastien Auclair: (he/him) Sebastien is in his third year of university, he’s an exchange student from the Paris College of Art. He is studying photography and imaging. Sebastian loves Paris, but he is excited for this change of scenery.
Maxine Matthews: (she/her)Max is your best friend in the world! Your parents are friends so you were destined to best pals since birth, thank god you actually like each other or all those shared family functions would have been really awkward. Max is funny and always has great commentary for every show or movie that you watch together. Which is why you weren’t surprised when they decided to major in dramatic writing. Some people think that you’re too close. They wonder how is it possible that you could be just friends.
Silas Walker: (he/him) Silas is your RA. As your Resident Advisor he's super helpful and friendly. You have question about the best study spots, bad professors, how to use the subway, well he's got answers. He keeps all his advisees at arms length because everyone knows RAs can't canoodle with their advisees. And that just makes it all the more enticing.
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rosanna-writer · 4 months
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Love at First Sight's for Suckers (2/5)
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Summary: [A Feysand Newsies AU] Rhysand had a reputation. A big reputation. But fortunately for Feyre, a newsie selling papers on the streets of Velaris, tabloid gossip about the handsome, charismatic, hard-partying war-hero of a High Lord's heir means business is booming. That is, until the city's newspaper magnates get greedy, Feyre finds herself an unwitting labor leader at the center of a strike, and Rhys becomes an unexpected ally... Warnings: None
We're back with Feyre continuing to unwittingly make Rhys lose his mind in second part of my gift for @the-lonelybarricade for @acotargiftexchange! Thank you to @itsthedoodle for beta reading <3
Ch. 1 - Got a Feelin' 'bout the Headline | Ch. 2 - Beautiful. Smart. Independent.
You can read the second chapter Here on AO3 or under the readmore.
Feyre really didn't like the way that cop was looking at her. He'd already passed her corner once, and she'd forced herself to ignore him and just keep hawking papers. There were hundreds of lesser fae newsies just like her on the streets of Velaris—even though she was shouting headlines, she might as well have been invisible.
And when you were technically a fugitive, nothing less than invisible would do.
But something had made him turn around and come back. Lucien, at least, was long gone, back to his spot by the docks to finish work for the day. Feyre hoped he wouldn't come looking for her again; if she needed to bolt, Lucien couldn't travel through shadows, and Feyre would never, ever leave her best friend behind.
Recognition flickered in the policeman's eyes. He broke into a run, straight towards her. "Feyre Archeron!" he shouted.
Heads turned. Feyre's heart pounded. The faeries in the square turned their attention to her, putting it together that they had a criminal in their midst.
So Feyre became a shadow again.
To everyone else, it looked like she'd disappeared entirely. But Feyre had merely made herself impossible to grab, nothing more than a wisp of darkness, and she slid into the shadow that the nearby streetlight cast in the late afternoon sun.
She couldn't stay like this forever, so like a ghost, she passed through the solid walls and doors of the Rainbow. Feyre tried to ignore the pang of longing at the workshops and art galleries—there was no time to linger. The Rainbow had always been a safe haven, but there was one place in particular she knew she wouldn't be found.
Once she was backstage at Ressina's theater, Feyre let herself become corporeal again…only to be greeted by an ear-piercing shriek.
"High Lady! " Ressina cried. "Do you really have to do that right in the middle of my dressing room?"
"Sorry. Had a bit of an emergency, Mind if I hide out here for a while?" Feyre said.
Ressina smiled. "My favorite scenic designer can stay here as long as she likes."
Feyre leaned in and kissed the air just above both of Ressina's cheeks, careful not to touch the actress's heavy stage makeup. If Ressina hadn't been wearing an elaborate sequined costume, complete with feathered hat perched precariously on her head, Feyre would have given the female a hug.
"Painting a few trees hardly makes me a scenic designer."
"I made sure you're credited as one in the playbill. And we've been getting such good reviews, I can finally pay instead of owing you a favor. Rhysand and Morrigan are even in the audience tonight."
"Rhysand is…here?" Feyre almost didn't believe she'd heard correctly. As far as she knew, the prince spent his free time at parties and pleasure halls—not in small, lesser fae-run playhouses in out-of-the-way corners of the city.
Cauldron, did he even like musicals?
"Probably some arts patronage thing. Morrigan is on the board of damn near every charity in Velaris."
That made a bit more sense, Feyre supposed. It was common knowledge that Rhys and his cousin were close; perhaps she'd dragged him here. And regardless of why, the buzz from the prince's attendance would do wonders for ticket sales, and Ressina deserved that. In addition to performing, she owned the place, having built the business from the ground up herself. "That's fantastic news."
Ressina shrugged. "We'll see if anything actually comes of it. I don't count my dragons before they hatch. Intermission is almost over, but feel free to stay and watch the rest."
And with that, Ressina left. From previous experience, Feyre knew that backstage in the middle of a show was a busy place, so she crept up to the front of the house and hoped she could find an empty seat.
As she passed one of the private boxes, a familiar voice drifted through the open door. Feyre did her best to ignore the way her heart gave a traitorous little flip at the sound.
"Mor, are you positive that your contacts at the food bank will be prepared for the increased demand?" Rhys was saying.
That was…odd. Whatever this was about, he sounded deadly serious, not at all like a person who was out to enjoy a night at the theater. Feyre froze and strained to listen for Mor's reply, telling herself that obviously the matter was something of political importance if more people in Velaris were suddenly going to need assistance.
Yes, definitely that and not just her own inherent nosiness.
But Mor's reply never came. And neither did the chance to fade back into the shadows. When Rhys's voice drifted out from the open door again, his purr was unmistakably aimed at her. "Hello Feyre darling.
If he wasn't accusing her of anything, Feyre certainly wasn't about to apologize. "Twice in one day. Think it's fate?" she said evenly, letting her voice carry to him.
He materialized in front of her, leaning against the doorframe. At some point since that morning, he'd changed into a formal black tunic embroidered with silver swirls. Feyre found herself wondering idly if the design matched the Illyrian tattoos she'd never seen for herself—the Herald ran plenty of headlines about Rhys in compromising positions, but tragically, a picture of him completely shirtless had never made the front page.
But of course, Feyre was only thinking about that because the plunging neckline he'd worn last Starfall had sold out papers in record time.
"If it is, then I'm the luckiest male in the world." Something in Rhys's smile was just a bit too knowing. Feyre didn't like it.
But still, there was something comfortingly familiar about hearing more of his teasing. "It's nice to see you, too."
His voice floated into her head, which nearly made her jump out of her skin. Rhys had never used his daemati abilities on her before. You shouldn't be out here, not with the police still after you. The box is secluded enough to hide, and there's an extra seat. Join me.
For a long moment, Feyre just stared at him, blinking in surprise. She'd merely stolen a loaf of bread for Lucien in a moment of desperation when he'd spent several days too sick to work and her own earnings hadn't been enough to support them both. Avoiding arrest by fading into darkness hardly made her a notorious criminal, not when any other shadow-wraith could call upon the same abilities.
But Rhys knew. And Feyre couldn't fathom who might have told him or why he'd care. She didn't trust it. "You'll want something in return, won't you?"
"I might." He gave her another one of those annoying feline smiles. She scowled back.
"Fine. What do you want?"
"Draw something for me on the blank newsprint in your bag, and we'll call it even."
Feyre had never heard him sound so earnest, and his violet eyes had gone soft in a way she'd never seen from him before, either. She couldn't shake the feeling she was missing something. "I— What? Why would you want that?"
"My walls are looking a bit bare. What better way to fix that than with something you made?"
More teasing, then. They were back on familiar ground, and Feyre would have thrown a punch—mocking her art was a low blow—if Rhys hadn't praised her work before. When they'd met, she'd been sketching the skyline over the Sidra on a spare bit of newsprint leftover at the end of the day. He'd asked if she was selling newspapers to pay for art school, and she'd laughed in his face.
But after that, he'd returned to buy the paper from her every morning without fail.
"Alright. It's a bargain."
Magic crackled in the air as the bargain tattoo appeared on Feyre's arm, a swirling design that covered everything from the elbow to the fingertips of her left hand. She'd spent her whole life in the Night Court; she knew what bargain tattoos were. But by the Cauldron was this one elaborate. And beautiful.
Rhys was looking at her as if he could hear her thoughts. Feyre frantically double-checked that her shields were up—it was so easy to forget she was in the company of a daemati. "You have an artist's eye. I hope it's up to your standards."
"Bargains go both ways. Where's yours?"
"If you're that curious, undress me and find out."
It must be exhausting, Feyre supposed, to go through life unable to stop flirting for more than a few minutes at a time. But then again, Rhysand never looked tired. "Will you manage to keep quiet during the show? Or am I going to hear you blathering on about how my eyes are like stars the entire time?"
"That's something else you'll have to find out for yourself."
Before Feyre could get another word in, he took her hand and tugged her into the box. The door snicked shut behind her on a night-kissed wind.
A blonde female Feyre only recognized from newspaper photos turned and smiled at them. Morrigan, Feyre realized. She'd heard Rhys use his cousin's name, but after shouting so many headlines about her, Feyre was still caught off-guard by the sight of the Morrigan in the flesh.
"You must be Feyre Archeron. I'm Morrigan, but call me Mor. It's so nice to finally meet you," she was saying, holding out a hand for Feyre to shake.
"Oh. Um. Hello," Feyre said. There was an awkward beat of silence as she tugged her hand—which was still in Rhys's—back so she could shake Morrigan's. "Nice to meet you, too."
There was more uncomfortable silence as Rhys and Mor just stared at each other, and several different expressions cycled across their faces in quick succession. At first, Feyre didn't know what to make of it. But then she realized they must have been speaking about something mind-to-mind. Whatever the topic was, it seemed…contentious.
And that had almost distracted her enough not to notice that Mor had said nice to finally meet her. Feyre couldn't imagine who could possibly have been speaking about her to Mor so frequently.
Rhys indicated for her to sit, and Feyre did. He was right about the box being secluded; the seats were set far enough back that she'd be difficult to spot if someone came looking for her. It put her at ease.
"Do you need something to write with?" he asked, dropping into the seat next to her and stretching his long legs out in front of him.
Feyre always carried a pencil. She reached up under her cap and pulled it out of the messy bun it had been keeping in place all day. Her hair—light brown now that she was fully corporeal—tumbled down her shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Rhys staring at her, mouth slightly parted.
Before he had an opportunity to say something cutting, Feyre said, "You left a loophole, you know. I could just draw a line on the paper, and I'd keep my half of the bargain."
He shrugged. "Maybe I just wanted to see what you'd do."
Feyre had no idea what to say to that. But at that moment, the lights dimmed, and Mor took a seat on Rhys's other side. Musicians began to play the opening notes of the entr'acte. Feyre tuned it out; she'd heard it enough times when she'd been painting sets during rehearsals.
The bigger question was what she was going to draw for Rhys. As a shadow-wraith, she could see perfectly in the dark theater, so there was nothing stopping her from spending the next hour perfecting a sketch. And uninterrupted time to work on her art was vanishingly rare.
But still, it was Rhys, so the temptation to draw the outline of a cock just to spite him was strong.
Even stronger, though, was the urge to sketch his face. Rhysand was without a doubt the most beautiful male Feyre had ever seen, and since the day they'd met, she'd been eager to try her hand at capturing his strangely sensual-yet-swaggering demeanor on canvas. But a prince could have his portrait done by any artist he liked, and Feyre doubted that he'd agree if he asked him to model for her.
So even though it was against her better instincts to do something that might inflate his ego, Feyre wanted to sketch a portrait of Rhys. To her surprise, he kept quiet and still, actually paying attention to the show.
It was the longest Feyre had ever seen him go without smirking. His features were soft, and she did her best to capture that instead of the smug mask he presented to the world. Something told her moments where he looked this unguarded were rare.
She finished just as the show ended and the lights brightened again. Before Rhys could see what she'd drawn, Feyre rolled up the portrait and held it out for him with a pointed look, daring him to unroll it and examine it in front of her. The bargain tattoo on her hand faded.
Wisely, he merely thanked her and tucked it into a pocket dimension.
"Feyre, the sets you painted look like dreamscapes," Mor said, brown eyes bright. If Feyre wasn't mistaken, that was admiration.
Feyre shrugged. "The actors just needed something pretty to stand in front of while they sing."
Mor locked eyes with Rhysand again, probably having another wordless conversation. Feyre took it as her cue to leave—she could easily slip into the crowd headed for the exit, then find Ressina backstage. But Mor let out a decidedly unladylike snort, squeezed Rhys's shoulder, and winnowed away.
Rhys looked at her, and something in his eyes pinned Feyre to the spot. "Will you allow me to walk you home?" he said.
***
Rhys wasn't entirely sure he was breathing as he waited for Feyre to answer. Not that it was the point, but he wasn't sure his already-bruised ego would survive slinking back to the House of Wind alone after he'd just urged Mor to leave him alone with his mate.
"Why?" Feyre said. At least it wasn't a no.
He slid his hands into his pockets, hoping he looked nonchalant. "Because I'd like to see you get home safely, and no one will bother you if you're with me."
She nodded once. "Alright."
"I can meet you at the stage door once you've gotten your coat."
"I— I don't have one."
He was pulling his own off the back of his chair and wrapping it around her shoulders before he knew what he was doing. This late in the year, Velaris was cold after dark. And perhaps it was reckless, but the risk of a few headlines about Feyre taking him home was worth making sure she didn't freeze.
At least she'd put her arms through the sleeves while she'd scowled at him, though.
Rhys looped his arm through hers and winnowed them outside to the street. Without thinking about it, he started walking towards the tenement she shared with far too many newsies crammed into the small space. Hopefully she wouldn't ask why he knew exactly where it was.
For a while, they said nothing, but to Rhys's immense pleasure, Feyre didn't pull away from him. The silence was comfortable, and for a moment, Rhys just let himself imagine that they were walking home at the end of a proper night out.
But he'd gone to Ressina's in hopes of finding Feyre there for a reason, so Rhys broke the silence. "In a turn of events, I have news for you this evening."
"Do you?" Feyre raised her brows expectantly.
"Starting tomorrow, the owners of Velaris's newspapers will increase the price they charge the newsies. Sixty cents per hundred."
Her hand tightened on his arm as Feyre's entire body went stuff. Their mating bond was still unaccepted—and therefore, faint—but Feyre's anger surged down it anyway. The force of it was nearly enough to knock him off his feet.
When Feyre spoke again, her voice was low and deadly. "Who told you?"
"I was there when they petitioned my father for assistance today. He said no, so they moved on to another strategy."
"And why are you telling me?"
"Because if this develops the way I anticipate it will, then I want to make sure you're the first to know that I won't be buying the paper from a scab. I'd publicly support a strike."
Feyre went quiet, and to keep himself from succumbing to the temptation to read her thoughts, Rhys forced himself to focus on the lights reflected on the river in the distance. Her fingers on his arm never relaxed.
"We don't have a union," she said eventually.
"Then consider this a head start to remedy that." If anyone could form one in a matter of hours, it was Velaris's High Lady. Rhys was sure of it.
"Thank you."
They lapsed back into silence again. Even if Rhys weren't a daemati, he'd be able to see the wheels turning in her head, just from the determined set of her chin and the way a muscle ticked in her jaw. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen a more beautiful sight.
All too soon, they arrived at Feyre's stoop. Before Rhys had a chance to insist she keep the coat, she shrugged it off and handed it to him. "I'm not a charity case," she said, as if she could hear his thoughts.
Rhys took the coat but didn't slip it back on. "I know better than to suggest you are."
"Good." Despite the cold, Feyre made no move to step inside. Rhys was torn between urging her to go warm up and wishing that she'd stay out here with him forever. Something in her face softened, and Rhys could almost fool himself into believing she'd let him kiss her goodnight after a night at the theater as he courted her properly.
But Feyre, he reminded himself, didn't want him like that.
Rhys started to say goodbye, but Feyre added, a bit more softly, "For what it's worth, you're going to be one hell of a High Lord one day, Rhys."
Maybe Rhys didn't have Feyre Archeron's heart, but he did have her respect. And maybe that mattered more.
"My father's not a dreamer, and the Night Court suffers for it. Good luck tomorrow."
Rhys refused to waste any more of her time; unable to resist preening for her just a bit, he stretched his wings out wide, then launched himself into the air to return to the House of Wind.
When Feyre had shown up outside the box, he hadn't been able to avoid telling Mor exactly who she was to him. And now, Rhys could practically feel his cousin's mind vibrating with curiosity as he reached for it. She reassured him—not for the first time that day—that Velaris's charities were prepared to handle an influx of newsies in need, and Rhys pointedly ignored his cousin's request for updates on what she'd termed the moonlit stroll with his mate.
Alone in his bedroom with the door firmly locked behind him, Rhys finally pulled the newsprint out of the pocket dimension. And if Feyre's art hadn't been so precious, he would have dropped it in shock.
She'd sketched him. There was something soft about Feyre's portrait that had been missing from the stiff, official ones he'd sat through with his family. It gave Rhys the strangest feeling that Feyre had seen something soul-deep within him and recreated it with a pencil on a spare bit of newsprint.
If the next day weren't likely to be long and uncertain, he would have spent half the night staring at it.
When he woke early the next morning, Rhys could still feel Feyre's anger simmering in the back of his mind. He resisted the urge to tug on the bond for reassurance she was alright—the last thing he needed was for her to feel the pull just behind her ribs and realize what it meant. So all he did was keep alert as he dressed, ate, and made his way to his father's study.
And as if on cue, when the High Lord's daily briefing was barely through, Pulitzer himself burst into the study. Darkness swirled around Rhys's father, dimming the room, a clear warning that the interruption was unwelcome.
"My apologies, High Lord, but it's urgent," Pulitzer said, bowing politely.
"What, exactly, is urgent?" Rhys's father snapped.
"The newsies of Velaris are forming a union. They intend to strike, and I'm here on behalf of the city's newspaper owners to ask for your support with breaking the strike."
Rhys stilled. For a long moment, the study went silent. The slight deepening of his father's frown—and the fact that a tendril of darkness hadn't already thrown Pulitzer from the room—made it clear enough that the High Lord was weighing his options.
"Who's their leader?" Rhys said, though he suspected he already knew the answer.
"An upstart shadow-wraith named Feyre Archeron. They call her the High Lady," Pulitzer said with a sneer.
Rhys felt a warm glow of pride—despite the darkness that rolled off his father in waves. The High Lord jealously guarded his power, and it seemed that even a poor lesser-fae female couldn't get away with a nickname he took as a threat or a jibe.
"You can't possibly—" Rhys said.
The High Lord cut him off. "What sort of support?"
"Police, if you can spare them," Pulitzer said.
Rhys stood so quickly, he nearly knocked over his chair. "There is no reason at all this needs to escalate to violence."
"As my heir," the High Lord said coldly, "you need to learn that in situations like this, it's necessary. If we make an example of the newsies, the rest of Velaris will hesitate to disturb the peace going forward. Pulitzer, you have all the crown's resources you need."
Pulitzer was bowing again and thanking the High Lord for his support, but Rhys hardly noticed. He was already storming off towards the Rainbow.
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mote-historie · 2 months
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Edward Robert Hughes, Night with her Train of Stars, La Nuit avec sa traîne d'étoiles, 1912.
Watercolour, bodycolour and gold medium.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, England.
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leclerqueensainz · 1 year
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A Family of Three (C.L 16) - Part.I- Discoveries, Reunions, and Surprises
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Paring: Charles Leclerc X OC!Marie Anderson
Synopsis: Charles and Marie ended any chance of a relationship years ago. They just didn't expect to have to share custody of a child after the death of their best friend.
⚠️ Warnings: Mention of death and murder, swearing, Charles being a little aggressive in his reactions, mention of sex and drug use. (This chapter may contain triggers!) (+16)
**In this story, Jules Bianchi died in 2019, not 2015, which changes some facts in the careers of the drivers.
A.N: Hello! How are you doing? After a long time, I finally brought Part 1 translated into English! Remembering that English is not my first language, so there may be some mistakes! I tried my best!
Feedback is always welcome. Let me know if you liked it!
Word Count: 7.882
Read the prologue here!
🇮🇹 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
January 15th, 2023 - Milan, Italy
"Good morning, Marcella!" I greet my secretary as I enter the office. "Any news for me?" I ask the blonde girl who is sitting with her eyes fixed on the computer in front of her.
"Good morning, Marie! And...HA! I did it!" Marcella suddenly jumps, startling me. "I'm sorry! It's just that I managed to schedule the meeting with Fred Lacroix for next week." She says, trying to compose herself, and I smile."
"That's great! You're amazing," I say, leaning over next to her at the table and taking a peek at her computer. "Do you think he'll be in a good mood? He's not exactly known for being pleasant when it comes to selling and buying his art," I ask and Marcella just shrugs.
"I don't know, and honestly, I don't worry about it," she says, and I can see a smug smile spread across her face. "Either way, we're awesome! We always get what we want," she finishes, and I laugh at her enthusiasm. 
I agree with Marcella. We are awesome and always get what we want when it comes to work.
After Jules died, I moved from Monaco to Italy. I felt like I needed to leave it all behind, even if it meant burying a part of who I was with my past. I needed a fresh start, and I closed my eyes to my old life. I had nothing left in Monaco. Nothing held me back or was even worth staying for.
I needed time and a new life, and that's exactly what I found when I came to Italy, where I was able to enroll in arts just in time to continue the school year. And a year and a half later, I graduated and started interning at one of the best galleries in Milan. Shortly after that, I realized I had a lot of potential for curating and dedicated myself to the field, of which today I am still a part, with the highest success rate in recruiting and selling new artists.
Today, I can say that my life is more than comfortable, and I spend so much of my day occupied with work that I hardly have time to think about everything I left behind a few years ago.
"Ah!" Marcella screams and catches me off guard, making me take a few steps back.
"Oh my god, Marcella! You're going to kill me, girl!" I say and put my hand on my chest, feeling my heart skipping like crazy.
"Sorry! I just remembered you got a letter this morning," she says, and I swear my confusion is written all over my face. "I mean, you didn't really get it, it's more like 'they passed the envelope under the door while we were closed, and I stepped on it when I got here'," she says and pulls out a crumpled white envelope with a half footprint on it. "I tried to clean it up, but as you can see, it didn't go very well. Seriously, someone should clean the streets of Milan more," she says and hands me the envelope.
I examine the envelope to find the sender, but I only find "Marie Anderson" written in delicate handwriting.
"There's no sender. That's strange." I say and Marcella nods.
"I thought it was kind of creepy too. I mean, who still sends letters In 2023? Isn't it easier to send a message on Insta? Or like, an email?" I nod my head and shrug.
"Well, let it be," I say and start walking towards my office. "Please let anyone who wants to speak to me know to leave a message. And that includes my mom, okay?" I say and Marcella nods. "Great, thanks," I say, entering my office and closing the door behind me.
I throw my bag on the desk and sit in my chair. I analyze the envelope in my hand again and for a moment, I feel a strange sensation as I stare at it.
"Okay, let's end the suspense, Marie," I say to myself and I grab a staple remover from the pencil holder, passing it over the glued part of the envelope.
Opening the envelope, I take out a sheet of paper with the same handwriting as the envelope, and two photos of a little boy with dark hair and eyes who I swear I've never seen before, but who somehow seems very familiar to me. I turn over the photos to see if there's anything written on the back.
"Vincenzo. 24/12/2021" 
Was written in one of the photos. The little boy was sitting next to what looked like a Christmas tree. I took a look at the next photograph, where the same boy, who seemed a bit older, was sitting on a mat surrounded by toys. "Vincenzo. 19/12/2022."
Feeling even more confused and with a strange sensation spreading through my chest, I picked up the letter I had left aside on the table and began to read it.
France, January 2nd, 2023.
Marie,
I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've thought about how I would write to you. You don't know me, and to be honest, I don't think anyone in his circle of friends and family has even heard of me.
My name is Cecilia, and that's all you need to know about me right now, aside from what I'm about to write to you next: I was engaged to Jules Bianchi.
I know this is strange and perhaps even unbelievable, but it's true. Jules and I had a brief but passionate love story. I loved Jules, and I can say that he loved me too.
Two days before his death, I found out that I was pregnant. I gave birth to Vincenzo on December 24th, 2019. He was a healthy and strong little boy, very similar to Jules.
I loved him from the moment I found out he was growing inside me. The result of something so pure and beautiful, from my relationship with Jules.
I know it's a lot for you to process right now, but so that you can know that I'm telling you the truth, there are two photos of Vincenzo. I want you to look at them and see Jules, just as I do every time I look at my son.
"I've been wanting to write to you for a long time. Jules saw you as a sister. I'm sorry I hid this from you and his family too, but I was so afraid. Afraid of rejection, of being seen as a liar. I couldn't go through any of that. I only had Jules, and after he left me, there was no one else I could trust, so I've been raising Vincenzo alone until now, but I don't think I can do it anymore. Vincenzo has a family besides me. And I need him to grow up knowing that he is loved.
I promise I to explain everything you need to know. Please meet me at the café where you used to meet every time you came together to Nice. January 18th at 4 pm.
- Cecilia.
My hands tremble as I put the letter back on the table.
What the hell is this? Is this some kind of sick joke?
I take the two photos back in my hands and stare at them, now realizing why I found that boy so familiar. It was Jules. That boy is the spitting image of Jules.
But how is this even possible? Why didn't Jules tell us he had someone? That's not like him. Jules was always an open book to us. He told us everything, just as we did with him. He wouldn't hide this from us...would he?
With my head swimming with questions and my heart heavy as lead, I found myself shouting Marcella's name, and less than a minute later, her short locks appeared through the door.
My hands tremble as I put the letter back on the table.
What the hell is this? Is this some kind of sick joke?
I take the two photos back in my hands and stare at them, now realizing why I found that boy so familiar. It was Jules. That boy is the spitting image of Jules.
But how is this even possible? Why didn't Jules tell us he had someone? That's not like him. Jules was always an open book to us. He told us everything, just as we did with him. He wouldn't hide this from us...would he?
With my head swimming with questions and my heart heavy as lead, I found myself shouting Marcella's name, and less than a minute later, her short locks appeared through the door.
"Yes?" She asks before looking at me for a moment and entering my office complete with a worried expression. "Are you okay, Marie?" She says kneeling by my side.
"Book a flight for tomorrow morning. I need to go to France."
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January 18th, 2023. - Nice, France.
I stare again at the clock hanging on the wall above the counter of the small café. 3:45 PM.
15 minutes. Just 15 minutes until I could find out who Cecilia was and why she decided to contact me now, after all this time. And why me? Yes, Jules, Charles, and I were always very close despite the age difference. But why reach out to me? If she intended to introduce the boy to Jules' family, why didn't she contact Christine or Philippe?
I hadn't seen Jules' family in a long time, we didn't even exchange messages. I left them behind when I decided to move on to Italy. They were buried with my past in Monaco.
The bell on the entrance door rings, indicating that someone has entered the premises. My head quickly snaps toward the sound.
And it's like in one minute, everything I struggled so hard to forget and leave behind comes back with force and without control like waves of a tsunami.
Standing just a few meters away from where I'm sitting, my gaze meets Charles'.
Charles. My ex-boyfriend whom I haven't seen in almost four years. The part that hurts the most from my past, besides the death of Jules.
He looks different. So different from the last time I saw him at Jules' funeral. This time he's not dressed in mourning black, no. He's wearing casual clothes, dark jeans, and a moss green sweater with the word "FERRARI" stamped in black. There's a scruffy beard on his face and his eyes...damn. The eyes that last time reflected so much hopelessness were now more alive, but still with certain traces of concern.
Charles walks up to where I'm sitting, his steps quick and wide as if he wanted to corner me before I could escape again. He stops half a meter away, and his gaze curiously roams over me. His expression is stern but also covered in doubt. I bet that, like me, he wants to understand why I'm here.
"Charles..." I'm the first to say, my voice low and uncertain. He nods slowly, his gaze still fixed on me, as if he wants to uncover all the secrets I gained during the years we were apart.
“What are you doing here, Marie?" he asks, direct and determined, without any hesitation. It's a tone I would have never expected to hear from the Charles I left four years ago. Yes, he really has changed.
I wished I could answer him with the same intensity, but honestly, I don't think I could. There's so much going on here and my head is spinning with so many questions and emotions. Why is Charles here? What the hell is going on? Did he set all this up?
"Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, I swear to God it's not funny," he says, his tone now rough.
I sit there staring at him, completely confused.
Charles runs his hand through his hair, messing up his brown locks even more. He sighs heavily and closes his eyes, his tongue quickly passing over his lower lip. He used to do that all the time when he felt anger or frustration. At least that hasn't changed.
"What are you doing here, Charles?" I ask, and he opens his eyes, once again staring at me.
Charles's hand reaches into his back pocket and pulls out an envelope identical to the one that was left for me in the office in Italy. The difference is that I can see that this one was addressed to Charles, only his name, and also without a sender.
"Please tell me it wasn't you, Marie," he says as his eyes shift from the envelope to my face. I look at him with all the sincerity I can muster and answer, "No, it wasn't me." He nods his head, his expression softening a bit. He moves and sits in the vacant chair in front of me, his hands going up to his face to rub it.
"Jules has a son," he says.
"I know," I reply.
"Charles lowers his hands and stares at me once again, confusion etched on his face. Before he can say anything, I reach into my bag on the table, open it, and take out the white envelope. Charles looks at my hand for a moment before reaching over the table to take the envelope from me."
"You got one too," he says, not looking at me, even though it's not a question,  I nod my head in agreement.
"It seems she arranged to meet with both of us. I think it's easier if we hear the story at the same time, that way there's no risk of getting the wrong versions," I say, and his gaze shifts from the envelopes on the table to me.
"Do you think it's a lie? That the boy isn't Jules's son?" he asks seriously, and I just shrug in response.
"I believe it could be Jules's son. I just don't know why she waited all this time and why she chose us. Obviously, we're not the best people to show Vincenzo that he has a family on his father's side," I say, and I see Charles's jaw tighten.
"We were friends with Jules. He trusted us," he says, once again his voice sounding rough.
"It seems he didn't trust us enough to tell us he fell in love," I say, and immediately regret it.
I look at Charles and if we were part of a cartoon, he would have flames in his eyes.
“You don't know what happened. You don't know his reasons, just like me,” he says through gritted teeth. “Don't doubt his motives. Not when he's not here to defend himself.”
In all the years I've spent by Charles' side, I've never seen him so angry. And if I didn't know him, I'd be scared.
But do you still know him? I silently ask myself.
"That's not what I meant," I defensively reply. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. Of course, Jules had reasons and we'll find out when Cecilia arrives." Charles relaxes his jaw and adjusts in his seat.
I look at the clock on the wall again. 4:10 PM. She's late. I look at Charles, a little anxious.
"Do you think she's coming?" he shrugs, but his hand goes into his hoodie pocket and pulls out a cell phone. 
"She's late," he states what I already know. "But I think so, she's coming." Charles carelessly tosses the phone onto the table, his anxious fingers fidgeting with his rings.
"Congratulations on the runner-up, by the way," I say, trying to ease both of our anxieties, and he looks back at me.
"Did you follow the races?" he asked, a little surprised.
"Yes," I admit, somewhat embarrassed. "My secretary is a huge Formula 1 fan," I add, which is not a lie. 
Like all Italians, Marcella is a devoted Tifosi. And even though I wanted to leave everything I knew behind, I couldn't escape one of the most beloved sports in Europe, especially in Italy, the home of Ferrari.
Charles lets out a low laugh, his look adopting the expression of a mischievous boy. Oh no.
"Your secretary, huh?" he says with a teasing and suggestive tone.
"Ah, shut up, Leclerc!" I say, trying to sound serious but failing when I let out a laugh. "I'm serious! My secretary is a diehard Tifosi. She can't shut up for a minute about Ferrari and makes me watch all the races," I say, shrugging.
"Yeah, yeah... And I bet I'm your 'secretary's' favorite driver, right?" he says, making air quotes with his fingers and having a smug smile on his face.
"Actually, she prefers Sainz," I say, and instantly his smile turns into a serious expression, which makes me laugh.
Soon, Charles' dimples appear on his cheek and my heart skips a beat at the sound of his typically somewhat flawed and exaggerated laugh. Oh, how I enjoyed hearing that horrible but at the same time very cute laugh again.
At that moment, even though I hated to admit it, I realized how much I missed that feeling of familiarity and lightness. And even though just a few minutes ago, I was doubting whether I still knew the person that Charles had become, I could see that regardless of the years and tragedies that life had subjected him to from a young age, that kind and playful boy that I had once fallen in love with was still there. And maybe he would never leave. And I liked that.
Looking at Charles smiling, sitting in front of me, I wonder for just a second if it would have been different if I hadn't left. But as soon as the thought came, I pushed it away. Because even though I was happy to know that Charles still had something familiar to me inside him, we were not meant to be even before Jules' death. And I doubt that we could have maintained a good relationship with all the pain and mourning that surrounded us. I made a good choice. Yes, I did the right thing.
Leaving Monaco was one of the hardest things I had to face. But it made me grow and become a strong woman. I learned to deal with loss, even if it may not be the healthiest way, it still worked for me. I was able to finish college, got the job I wanted, and met new people. I fell in love, and even though I didn't love them like I loved Charles, I still allowed myself to feel and try happiness. Clearly, it didn't work out, but the experience was worth it.
And I can also say that Charles has achieved what he wanted, or almost everything. He is one of the best Formula 1 drivers and drives for Ferrari, which is almost every motorsport athlete's dream. He has a successful career and is known worldwide for it. And even though he didn't get the title he so desperately craved last year, he may get it this year. He is focused, grateful, and kind. The golden boy. Il Predestinato.
Even though Charles is so young, he has given his family and friends everything they ever dreamed of. Pascale must be so proud of him, and if Harvé were still alive, I'm sure he would also be proud of the son he raised. And Jules would also be proud to see Charles' progress.
And then the emptiness appears again. Jules. I try my best not to think about him. The memories are still painful even after all these years.
I think I let my thoughts reflect too much because Charles, who was laughing before, now looks at me with a compassionate expression. He probably thought of Jules too.
"I miss him too," he says and I nod my head. "And I missed you too," his hand meets mine on the table.
There were no ulterior motives. Just a gesture. A gesture to affirm what he was saying. And it hurt. It hurt in my heart and soul.
I quickly withdraw my hand from his and stare at the table. Charles withdraws his hands and keeps them close to his body.
"I know you didn't owe me anything, Marie. No explanations, not loyalty," he starts, his voice a little broken, making my heart tighten. "But Jules died and you left. Why did you leave?" he asks, and I can hear the hurt in his voice.
I wished I had the strength to lift my gaze and tell him while looking him in the eyes that everything I did was out of fear and thinking that there was nothing left for me in Monaco. That I still loved him even after he broke up with me and that losing Jules to death destroyed me, but knowing that I would lose Charles while he was still alive would only ruin me even more. I couldn't see him every day and know that he no longer belonged to me. And that every minute I spent mourning and heartbroken without him reminded me that love was impossible for me. That I didn't deserve to be loved. That there would never be anyone to love me.
"I had to go," I say, still staring at my hands. "I don't expect you to understand or forgive me. Because I'm not asking for any of that, Charles," my voice sounds firm but my eyes burn.
I take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before releasing it. I raise my gaze to meet his when I'm sure the tears won't fall.
"I had to make a choice and I did. I chose myself," I say simply, perhaps trying to convince myself.
Charles nods his head and goes back to fiddling with the rings on his fingers. This time it was difficult for him to look at me.
"I'm happy to see who you've become, Marie. And I hope you've achieved what you wanted when..." he pauses for a second, unsure of what to say, "when you left Monaco." A tired laugh escapes his lips. "I'm not going to judge you, especially since when you left, we were no longer a couple. But I was an idiot to think that we were still friends." He looks back at me. "I was foolish until I realized that there would be no possibility for us without Jules being here."
I wanted to scream. I wanted to stand up and throw everything in front of me at him. I wanted to curse at him and tell him that he didn't have that right. But to be fair, I could never do that. Not when I left, when it was me who left what was left of the three of us. Jules had died and I had fled. When I left, I didn't think of Charles or his feelings. I only thought of myself and how I could never live with that.
I don't regret it. I did what I thought was necessary and would do it again. Charles might have needed me, but I needed to leave and heal. And that's what I did. Charles still had friends and family to rely on, and I had no one. No present family, no friends, and no boyfriend. Charles and I both mourned, of course, but we mourned in different ways. He had lost a friend, and I had lost everything.
There was no one to come home to and hug. There was no one there to tell me that they were sorry for my loss and that everything would be okay. So I went after what I thought I needed and I got it. I went in search of myself, a new life, new choices, and opportunities, and I found them. I found myself. Of course, I let go of a lot, and the void left by Jules and Charles was never filled, but I learned to cope and use it to my advantage for other things, and that was enough, at least for now.
Before I could respond to him, I'm interrupted once again by the sound of the damn doorbell.
Charles and I turned our attention to the door at the same time. Both of us were staring at a slim blonde woman, wearing a green coat and leggings. But what caught our attention the most was the little boy in her arms. He was about 3 or 4 years old, with dark hair, lying with his face hidden in the woman's neck, and his small hand clutching onto her collar as if he were afraid she would leave if he let go.
Charles and I stood up in rehearsed gestures, all at the same time. He stopped beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder, covered by my own coat this time. The woman looked at us and came slowly towards us. When she got closer and stopped about a meter away from us, I could analyze her.
Her face was thin and perfectly symmetrical, and even though it seemed like she hadn't slept in days, her tired eyes were a beautiful shade of greenish-brown. She is very beautiful. Her lips opened in a small smile, and there I could see that she easily fit Jules' type.
"I assume you are Charles and Marie, right?" She says, her voice sweet and tired.
My gaze moves from her to the little boy in her arms, and then they cross with Charles'. He tells me through his eyes the same things I am thinking. We return our attention to the blonde in front of us and nod.
"Great!" She clears her throat before continuing, "I'm Cecilia, and this little guy here is Vincenzo." She gently shakes the child, who tightens his grip on her coat collar even more. "Jules' son."
Charles' grip on my shoulder becomes stronger, and I swallow hard. I can't take my eyes off the little boy, and now up close, I can see his profile. His chubby childlike cheek and long eyelashes, just like Jules'.
Cecilia shifts uncomfortably, her feet shifting the weight from one to the other, and she adjusts Vincenzo's position in her lap.
"I know you must have thousands of questions, and I promise I will answer them all. But before that, would you mind if I sit down? Vincenzo is a bit heavy, and I walked here with him in my arms," she says, embarrassed.
"Of course not. Please," Charles approaches her and pulls the chair he was sitting in a few minutes ago. Cecilia sits down, careful not to make any sudden movements and wake Vincenzo.
Charles points to the empty chair, and I sit down. He takes a few steps hto the table next to us and takes an unoccupied chair to sit on. Once the three of us are seated around the table, Charles calls the waitress, whom I only now notice has been staring at us this whole time. The redheaded and smiling girl, who probably can't be more than 19 years old, approaches with her gaze fixed on Charles- she probably recognized him.
Charles is the one who orders. A cappuccino for me- which causes a sensation in my stomach that he still remembers- an iced tea for himself, and he asks Cecilia what she would like to drink, to which she responds that coffee would be enough. The redhead writes down the orders and asks for permission to leave. Her eyes still glued to Charles.
I roll my eyes internally, but I know I can't blame her. After all, it's probably not every day that she serves a public figure. When we used to come here with Jules, the employees were different, and the small café is located on a somewhat isolated street in Nice, so it's unlikely that many famous people come here.
I take my gaze off the waitress and turn back to Cecilia, who was already looking at me attentively with a small smile on her lips.
"Well..." Charles begins. "Why are we here, Cecilia? Why only now have you contacted us?" He leans forward a little more, his arms resting on the wooden table.
Cecilia shifts in her chair carefully and her eyes briefly glance at Vincenzo before turning back to us.
"I wanted you to meet Vincenzo. While he was alive, Jules always mentioned you as part of his family. He loved you both very much," she says, and I feel my chest tightening.
"But why only now?" I speak for the first time. "I know you wrote in the letter that you were afraid, but it still sounds strange that you would come looking for us now, without any reason," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
Cecilia falls silent for a few seconds as if she wants to formulate the next words carefully.
"There's a reason," she confirms. "Look, I know it's strange, and I assure you that I'm not looking for any money or anything like that." Her gaze shifts from me to Charles, as if she wants to confirm the latter part specifically for him. "Jules and I met about six months before he died, and it was love at first sight."
"He never told us about you," Charles responds cutting her off and she nods. 
"I know he didn't. I asked him not to," she says and Charles and I exchange confused looks before turning our attention back to her.
"What do you mean? Why would you ask him not to?" I ask, finding it all very odd.
"When I met Jules, I was in a complicated time in my life," she answers and I see her face darken. "I was only 19 and had run away from Italy." Her voice trembles as if it's hard for her to mention those times again.
I wish I could tell her that she didn't need to tell us if she wasn't feeling comfortable, but the truth was that it was really necessary. After all, that's what Charles and I are here for.
Charles nodded for her to continue and I could feel his tension.
"I got involved with the wrong people in Italy," she continues. "There was a boy I had been in love with during my teenage years, Paolo was his name. We were very young and stupid, you know?" Cecília laughs and her eyes fill with tears. "Like every teenager, we thought we were invincible, but we weren't. When I was 17, I spent most of my time at parties and clubs with him. We drank and did drugs, and everything was fun and happy until it wasn't anymore. Over time, the drinking and drugs stopped being just for parties and began to become necessary for anything. From being able to concentrate on studies, to being able to get out of bed. My parents assumed that Paolo was to blame for my addiction and banned me from seeing him. I obviously went against them and they made me choose between a life with them or my ruin with Paolo. I, being young and foolish, chose love and abandoned my parents without looking back. I left the life I had to chase adventures with Paolo and he did the same, running away from home. But the thing is, we were two addicted people without a home and money. There was no more money from our parents, so we started doing whatever we could. Small thefts and even..." She stops for a moment, thick tears streaming down her face.
"Here." Charles extends a napkin and she takes it, wiping her face immediately after.
"Thank you," she says and he offers her a half-smile. "Even prostitution," she continues, and I feel my stomach churn. It wasn't disgust, but rather a pity for imagining someone in that situation. Beside me, I could see that Charles was equally uncomfortable. It was hard for him to put himself in her place.
Charles grew up with great parents who did everything for their children, and even though they weren't millionaires at the time, they still managed to have and offer a comfortable life for them. And I bet that if any of the three, Charles, Lorenzo, or Arthur, had gone the wrong way, Pascale would never have abandoned them.
And me, well, I was lucky. I spent my teenage years with Jules and Charles, who had a structured enough family to share with me because my parents were absent.
Obviously, Charles and I had our rebellious phase with occasional drinking and smoking weed. But Jules, being almost ten years older than us, always kept us in line like a good older brother. And if he knew that we had crossed the line at parties or anywhere else, oh God! He would freak out.
- "Cecilia, I know it's difficult for you to say this, but I think it's important for Charles and me to understand," I say and she nods.
Cecília takes two deep breaths before continuing, and that's when I'm sure the story would only get worse. I try to prepare myself to hear what she had to say.
"I prostituted myself a few times without Paolo's knowledge. Some traffickers gave me drugs in exchange for sex and since many times I had no other choice, I accepted. But one day he found out and that ended us. With us." Tears returned to stream down her face. "Paolo went crazy when he found out and went after the trafficker I had slept with. He got a gun and killed the guy. We were on the run for a few weeks, but it was too hard for two homeless addicts to hide in Italy. Soon they found us and..." She closes her eyes and sobs.
I stretch my hand across the table and take Cecilia's hand. There was a lot of pain there and part of me wanted to curl up and stop listening, but I couldn't. I glance at Charles and he meets my gaze, his eyes reflecting distress at hearing everything that came out of her mouth. It was too surreal for him to hear all of that.
"They killed Paolo and thought they had killed me too. But by some miracle, I managed to survive and ask for help at a church. The priest there was friends with my parents and managed to find a family in Nice who were willing to help me. So I came to France, went through rehabilitation, and started attending meetings for drug addicts." Her eyes become distant again, and I continue holding her hand. "It was on the way back from one of those meetings that I met Jules, and that's where I understood the reason why I survived. We fell in love, but he had a public life and I couldn't expose myself because I was afraid that they would come after me. I told Jules what had happened and unlike what I thought he would do, he embraced me. He promised me that he wouldn't tell anyone, not even you two until I was ready and safe. And he did that. He kept us a secret for months. We saw each other every time he came back to Nice, after the races." She finishes.
Charles and I watched as Cecilia tried to calm her breathing, her grip on the sleeping Vincenzo's body tightening as if afraid he might disappear from her arms at any moment.
It breaks my heart to see all her pain and gives me a completely different perspective from when I walked in here today. She loved Vincenzo, and that was clear, just as she had loved Jules. And that's the part that hurts me the most.
Knowing that the reason Jules never mentioned her to us, his friends and family, was sole to protect her, made my heart heavy and warm at the same time. That was so Jules.
I remember months before he died, he started to spend more time in his hometown and whenever we asked him about it, he said he wanted to spend a little more time with his family. We even found it a little strange, but Jules always had a great relationship with his parents and closest relatives, which made us simply let it go and just enjoy the time we spent together before he and Charles had to go back to racing.
"I'm sorry for all of this, really, Cecilia," Charles is the first to say after she seems calmer. "But we still need to know why you're only coming to us now," he says, and I agree.
Cecilia nods and looks at Vincenzo in her arms. The tension emanating from her makes me shiver, and Charles probably noticed it too as his hand finds my thigh under the table.
"About two days before Jules' death, I found out I was pregnant with Vincenzo," she says and I nod in understanding. "Jules was racing in Shanghai and I was scared and alone here." The tears that had ceased returned in stronger waves.
My mind teleports back to 2019, to Jules' last race. He was so happy to finish seventh that day. But, all of a sudden, he just wanted to go home and rest, not even celebrating with the boys on the grid.
"I sent him a message after the race. I said I needed him to come to Nice as soon as possible because something had happened," Cecilia looks at Charles as she speaks. "Then he sent me a message saying he would take the first available flight back to France."
As Cecilia talks, Charles' grip on my thigh gets stronger. I look at him from the corner of my eye and I can see the moment his Adam's apple goes up and down.
"So that's why he left so quickly that day," Charles' voice sounds low. "He left before I could talk to him..." His eyes fill with tears and his breathing becomes a bit unstable. Cecilia just nods and closes her eyes tightly before continuing.
"When Jules arrived in Nice, it was already early morning and it was raining heavily. He tried to get a taxi or Uber, but couldn't get either," this time I feel my breathing falter a bit as she continues. "He managed to rent a car from a nearby 24-hour agency and sent me a message saying he would arrive soon and that I didn't need to worry because no matter what was happening, everything would be okay and that he loved me."
Charles stood up abruptly. His face adopted a look of disbelief.
"It was you..." his voice was weak and accusatory. "It was because of you that he... My God!" He flinches and his hands pass through his face and his hair.
"Charles..." I try to calm him down, even though I am also anxious. "Charles, please sit down and try to calm down." I try to grab his hand, but he recoils in a sudden movement.
"Calm down? It's her, Marie!" he says, pointing to Cecilia who only shrinks into her chair and holds Vincenzo even tighter, as he moves uncomfortably in her lap. "She killed him! IT'S HER FAULT THAT JULES DIED!" he screams.
My breathing becomes difficult and my heart races. In front of me, Cecilia sobs and holds Vincenzo even closer to her body.
All that commotion made some employees start to appear and approach at a safe distance from the table.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Cecilia pleads. "I swear I never wanted this to happen, I was so scared and..." She stops when she hears Vincenzo's low cry.
Charles' attention goes to the little boy as he realizes he is now awake. He shakes his head in a negative motion and leaves the café in a hurry, slamming the door hard behind him. We are startled by the noise and the little boy cries even louder. I quickly get up to go after Charles, but before I do, I turn to Cecilia.
"Please wait here, okay? I'll try to calm him down. Don't leave," I say, and she nods, her face stained with tears that continued to fall, and her breathing accelerated as she rocked Vincenzo, trying to calm him down.
A dark-haired waitress approaches with a glass of water in her hands and places it in front of Cecilia. I thank her with a gesture and quickly leave through the door to find Charles.
It doesn't take me long to find him, he was in front of a black car. His body leaned against the driver's side. Even from a distance, I can see his body shaking and hear the sound of his erratic breathing. I approach him slowly, so as not to startle him.
When I get close enough, I think about touching him, but the thought leaves my mind when I realize it's not a good idea.
"Charles..." I call him softly to get his attention. "I'm sorry, but we need to go back there. She-"
"No!" he exclaims. "Please, Marie! Don't ask me to go back there. She killed him! It was her fault!" He stares at me with red and swollen eyes.
My heart tightens at the sight of him like this. I find myself being sent back to the year of Jules' death, specifically to the day of his funeral.
I wanted to hug Charles and tell him that everything would be okay, but in reality, I didn't know if it would. Jules had died almost four years ago, and yet it still hurt every time his name was mentioned. And hearing today from a stranger the reasons that resulted in his death was not easy. But there was a reason why Cecilia wanted to contact us after all this time, and we needed to know.
I take a deep breath and decide to approach Charles more. One of us had to try to be rational at this moment, and if it had to be me, okay. I wasn't going to go back to Italy without an answer.
"Charles, I understand that it's difficult to hear all of this suddenly," my hands go to his face. "I know it hurts, Charles. I'm feeling it too." He closes his eyes and I feel tears rolling down my face. "But we can't blame her entirely, Charles. She was scared and just wanted to talk to him.”
“And it resulted in his death." He says, his eyes opening and meeting mine. "Marie, if she hadn't done what she did, he would be here now. He would be alive and he would have met..." His voice trails off. "He would have met his son." He cries and I pull him into a hug.
Jules died without knowing his son. Jules died without knowing that he would have a son. Jules died in the dark without knowing what was happening to Cecilia. Jules died alone and worried, and nothing we can do will bring him back. He died. It's over. But Charles and I are still here.
"Jules died without knowing his son, but we're still here and we can do this for him," I say and he squeezes me tighter.
 "We're still here, Charles. And we can do this." He breaks the hug and looks at me with a face full of sorrow. I nod. 
"We need to go in there together. Together," he looks down at his feet. "Charles, I need you to go in there with me because I can't do this alone." His eyes come back to me and he understands that I used the same words he did a few years ago. "Please, Charles. I don't want to do this alone. I can't." He nods and I take his hand and slowly lead him back to the cafe.
When we walk through the door, my eyes meet Cecilia's. I nod my head to let her know it's okay, and she nods in understanding. I look at Charles who stares at her expressionlessly. His gaze is icy, totally different from the one I once knew.
Still holding Charles' hand, I walk toward the table where she uncomfortably waits for us. I notice that Vincenzo is no longer in her lap and feel momentary concern that quickly passes when I see him playing with the same red-haired waitress who had served us.
We sit in our chairs and I see that our orders are placed on the table. I feel my stomach churn just looking at the cappuccino in front of me. I take glance around and notice the employees trying to avoid looking at us. I make a mental note to "solve" this problem so it doesn't follow us when we leave.
"Just say what you want," Charles breaks the silence, his eyes still staring at Cecilia who nods and swallows hard.
"I understand your anger, and I know I have no right to ask for what I'm about to ask," she says and my hearing sharpens. "I live with guilt for years. Whether it's for Paolo or Jules, guilt and remorse follow me wherever I go. No matter what I try to do, they're always there." She looks at her hands. "Last year, I relapsed. I used heroin, once, but I used it. After years of resisting and not even going near drugs, I let my messed-up mind fall into the hole and I shot up." She lets out a desperate laugh and her eyes fill with water.
My body freezes and Charles makes a sound of scorn beside me. When he opens his mouth to say something, Cecilia cuts him off.
"Yes, I know I'm a whore, and I deserve the worst shit life has in store for me. But that's the thing. I deserve the bad things, but my son doesn't," she says firmly, looking at us seriously. "I need Vincenzo to have a good and decent life. I need to make sure he grows up loved and that he never lacks anything." She looks away for a moment to the table where Vincenzo was happily playing with the waitress and then back to us.
Cecilia takes a deep breath and leans forward. I could swear she was capable of asking for anything at that moment. Money, a house in a distant place, a period in rehab, anything.
"I can't take care of Vincenzo anymore," she asserts, her tone exuding bitterness. "I promised Jules that I would do everything to make him different from me. And that's why I came to you after all these years."
My head spins. She's asking for...? No, it's not possible.
"What do you mean by that?" Charles asks anxiously.
"Cecilia wipes the tears from her face with her hand, blinks a few times, and adopts a determined look, a look that I knew well. The same look I gave to myself in the mirror when I decided to leave Monaco. Suddenly, I feel afraid because my suspicions are confirmed.
"She wants us to take care of Vincenzo," I say.
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straykidsmoonlight · 1 year
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SKZ react- how and when they met their partners
A\n: included a few extra fun facts bcs it’s a Friday and I’m feeling nice. Love you all and hope you have a great day 💕.Tiny trigger warning for mention of inf3rtility in Han’s.
Please comment your bias guys it’s for part of a new post!!
Chan:
You guys met when Chan had his 27th Birthday party, he saw you form across the room and couldn’t stop himself from approaching you
You guys got married three years later
You had your first kid around a year after your wedding
Lee know:
You guys met when he was about to go on stage. He was standing on one side of the stage and you were on the other… he held up the entire performance by going to find you and get your number before he performed
You guys never married… Lino never felt the need because just like his cats, he kind of just of just adopted you and decided to keep you ..definitely walks up to you daily and just goes mine >:(
You guys had a kid first out of all the members, Byeol was a huge “surprise” just like I.N’s twins. I would say Lee know was quite young, having just finished military service
Changbin:
Met you at a barbecue restaurant and was SO impressed by how much you could eat (you had a big appetite that day I guess 💀) just knew he had to get your number
You guys married four years after you met… his proposal was the cutest
You had your first kid literally nine months later
Hyunjin
Aw our romantic boy… he saw you when he was in an art gallery.. you were just staring at this piece of art and he could not physically believe how beautiful this person in front of him was… you guys just stood and spoke for hours
You guys married just over two years later in the most beautiful wedding in all of Korea
You had Cheon- Sa around three years later after wanting to have time to yourselves (unlike jeongin and his wife💀)
Han:
The second Han saw you his face dropped into shock. He couldn’t believe he was seeing his best friend he met in Malaysia again. Literally ran up to you and tackled you into a hug… the rest is history
Han proposed around five months after you guys met.. not wanting to wait to start his life with you
You guys had a baby around five years later, after trying for a long time.
Felix:
Was back home in Aussie land when he saw a beautiful figure laying in the sand of bondi beach… approached you and you guys just sat for hours watching the sun fade over the waves, talking about everything
He proposed to you in the same place you met on your second anniversary of meeting
Had a Milo around a year and half after your wedding
Seungmin:
Met you at the JYP annual party… absolutely loved your whole character and approached you
You guys married four and a half years later…. Wanting time to just live and travel (imagine on this coming soon)
You had you twins three years later… when you were both 100% sure its what you wanted
Jeongin:
You guys knew each other for ages before you started dating… you knew you were just bound to fall for each other but there was always something in the way.
He proposed around two months after your first date…( I wonder why…)
You were two months pregnant when you guys got married, meaning the twins were born seven months later ( fun fact…his wife has been pregnant at every one of his members weddings😭)
I’m also now writing personalised stories for small tips… unemployment is real in my country… please message or ask (anons more than welcome) for more info!
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sciatu · 2 months
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Autoritratti dei pittori siciliani Daniele Schmidt, Pippo Rizzo, Gagliardo, Alfonso Amorelli, Bruno Caruso, Giuseppe Migneco, Lia Pasqualino Noto, Martinelli, Saro Mirabella, Ugo Attardi Verso l’inizio degli anni ’50, Salvatore Salvia De Stefano ebbe l’idea di collezionare gli autoritratti degli allora pittori viventi. Chiese aiuto ad amici galleristi e pittori per poter convincere i pittori che non conosceva a dipingere un loro autoritratto secondo il loro stile e la loro poetica. Il problema era che Salvia chiedeva questo autoritratto in un cartoncino di 15 per 18 centimetri di lato, quindi minuscolo e, per chi era abituato a grandi tele e opere ad ampio respiro, quasi limitativo. Non di meno, essendo un’opera minimale, la realizzazione degli autoritratti era sempre rimandata. Alla fine comunque Salvatore Salvia riuscì a raccogliere un buon numero di dipinti, ognuno ritratto umano ed artistico dell’autore. Una raccolta che passava da grandi pittori come Guttuso o Alliata a pittori minori ma pur sempre isolani nel tratto e nelle sembianze. Dove sia questa raccolta, non ve lo dire. Non appare in nessun museo o raccolta d’arte. C’è solo un piccolo libro che ne parla. Anche Salvatore Salvia è scomparso nel nulla tanto che neanche Wikipedia lo cita e di tutta la sua raccolta di “cose siciliane” non si sa più nulla. Alle volte l’amore non sopravvive a chi ama, anche se il soggetto di quest’amore immenso e totale, la Sicilia, resta è ancora madre di artisti e di grandi, sconosciuti, amanti dell’arte.
Self-portraits of the Sicilian painters Daniele Schmidt, Pippo Rizzo, Gagliardo, Alfonso Amorelli, Bruno Caruso, Giuseppe Migneco, Lia Pasqualino Noto, Martinelli, Saro Mirabella, Ugo Attardi Towards the beginning of the 1950s, Salvatore Salvia De Stefano had the idea of collecting the self-portraits of the then living Sicilian painters. He asked for help from gallery owner and painter friends to be able to convince painters he didn't know to paint a self-portrait of them according to their style and poetics. The problem was that Salvia asked for this self-portrait in a cardboard measuring 15 by 18 centimeters on each side, therefore tiny and, for those used to large canvases and wide-ranging works, almost restrictive. Nonetheless, being a minimal work, the creation of the self-portraits was always postponed. In the end, however, Salvatore Salvia managed to collect a good number of paintings, each a human and artistic portrait of the author. A collection that ranged from great painters such as Guttuso or Alliata to minor but still Sicilian painters in terms of style and appearance. Where this collection is, I won't tell you. It does not appear in any museum or art collection. There is only one small book that talks about it. Salvatore Salvia also disappeared into thin air, so much so that not even Wikipedia mentions him and nothing is known about his entire collection of "Sicilian things". Sometimes love does not survive those who love, even if the subject of this immense and total love, Sicily, still remains and is the mother of artists and great, unknown, art lovers.
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the-paintrist · 1 year
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Jacob More - A distant view of Rome across the Tiber - ca. 1774
oil on canvas, height: 78 mm (3.07 in); width: 106.50 mm (4.19 in)
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Jacob More (1740–1793) was a Scottish landscape painter.
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SET FOUR - ROUND TWO - MATCH FOUR
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"Statue of Vincent and Theo van Gogh" (1963-1964 - Ossip Zadkine) vs "Judith Slaying Holofernes" (c. 1620 - Artemisia Gentileschi)
STATUE OF VINCENT AND THEO VAN GOGH: i'll let geoff dyer (from his book of collected essays and reviews, titled 'otherwise known as the human condition') explain why i love it so much: “It is not immediately obvious which of Zadkine’s figures is Vincent and which is Theo. Like all who relieve the suffering of others, Theo—in a process that is the exact opposite of a blood transfusion—has taken some of Vincent’s pain into himself. Soon, however, it becomes obvious that while the sky weighs heavily on both figures, one, Vincent, feels gravity as a force so terrible it can drag men beneath the earth. From this moment on you are held by the pathos and beauty of what Zadkine depicts: despair that is inconsolable, comfort that is endless. One figure says, “I can never feel better,” the other, “I will hold you until you are better.” (@carryingpitchers)
JUDITH SLAYING HOLOFERNES: no first of all, just look at how 'intimate' it looks. if you've seen Caravaggio's interpretation of the same paining this one will stand out so much, with how up close and personal judith is. look at the blood spurting and dripping down. look at the struggle!!! look at how judith has taken holofernes hair in her hands oh my god. also she was sa ed by her art teacher, amd ofc the shame was put on her (she was literally tortured so she would not lie). so she channeled her rage in the painting. there was her first version to this painting too, but this is so much more personal to her own story. because she has tried to portray herself as judith here. you can feel the rage and the scrunching of eyebrows in her expression and ofc the hair grasp. moreover the bracelet she is donning, has goddess artemis cameo. which artemis= artemisia. also this detail was not present in her original draft. moreover if you zoom in near the bracelet, holofernes blood spurts parallel to it, which adds such a personal touch!!! moreover women were excluded from all social and cultural resources from 1400-1900, so her involvement is even more significant. (anonymous) (also unmentioned last time but submitted without commentary by @titipounamu and another anon)
("Statue of Vincent and Theo Van Gogh" is a 2.5 m (8.2 ft) high bronze statue by Ossip Zadkine. It is located close to the Van Gogh church, and near the house where Vincent and Theo were born.
"Judith Slaying Holofernes" is an oil on canvas painting by Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It measures 6′ 6″ x 5′ 4″ (158.8 cm × 125.5 cm) and is located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.)
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theflagscene · 4 months
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I just had a wretched, horrible, no good thought while I was making a coffee and I just; I legit hate my brain for going there.
We know Saint is very big into social commentary, human rights and because of his experience as a teenager, believing the victims. So far The Sign has dealt with some very heavy topics whilst trying to evenly handle the idea of a non-corrupt police force, which is a fallacy but I figure Saint’s not looking to piss anybody (the government) off considering he funds these projects all himself.
But I digress, point is, the series has dealt with SA and the aftermath and the victims and their mindset, what it can lead to people to do, etc. In todays episode we see that Chalothon has started to get desperate enough to keep Phaya and Tharn apart that he’s willing to use his magic, he also is willing to kill Tharn to keep him from Phaya.
At this point I think it’s less about the ‘ownership’ of Tharn and more about making sure Phaya suffers heartbreak from not having his lover in his life, considering the Grauda ‘stole’ the Naga’s love from the other Nagas.
So today we’ve seen Phaya accidentally put another wedge between him and Tharn, we’ve seen Chalothon use magic to control Tharn, however small that may have been in the moment. Tharn is also being pushed by his brother and friends towards Phaya, which he is not appreciative of. So now he’s being actively, however underhandedly, pushed closer toward Chalothon. He refuses Phaya’s apology, he’s keeping space between them because he knows he likes Phaya and he thinks his cursed past life means his lovers are all doomed to die.
There’s been a NC scene teased since before the series started to air, that a couple will be together whilst covered in paint, it was teased last week and again this week and was also part of the series trailer. But this weeks teaser for the next episode also shows someone curled up in the shower covered in that same red paint, sobbing into their knees. You never see the faces of these people and the tattoo on Phaya’s back isn’t really seen either, so…
Chalothon is at the art gallery, Tharn is at the art gallery. The Doc is looking very smug and obviously pulling strings. Phaya is being distracted by his family and the fact that he cannot get Tharn to listen to him, you don’t think… That scene couldn’t possibly be between a mind controlled/under the influence Tharn and Chalothon, ya don’t think?
That the person sobbing in the shower naked and covered in paint is Tharn because Doc SA’d him at the art gallery? It’s just too terrible to think, but like, it’s possible. Especially with how Chalothon’s true colours are starting to show, and it would be a direct personal connection to their first case. Tharn’s trauma and Phaya’s need to vengeance, they’d be direct parallels to the SA victims and their captor seeking justice against their abusers.
That’s probably not it, I freaking pray to the QL gods that’s not it, but my mind just had a moment where it was like; what if this terrible thing happened?
So I just had to get it out because if I have to suffer then so do you lol.
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justajoshe · 15 days
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Sorted my gallery by creative license! So now there's no confusion about what can and cannot be done with my pieces. All fan art pieces are under CC BY-NC-SA for obvious reasons, and my pieces are sorted from CC0\Public Domain to CC BY-NC-ND. Take a look for yourself!
Looking for a piece I made a while ago, but don't see it here? Message me about it! I might have it tucked away elsewhere.
Don't see what you're looking for? Need something specific? Message me about commissions!
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toshisims · 3 months
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SALIM BENALI
EN In the introductions to the Behr sisters, I told you about the little relationship between Salim and Candy. So here's my version of our favorite San Myshuno procrastinator. He lives among books and empty bottles with his dog, Leila. Salim is struggling to write his book and has a bit of a drinking problem. Candy seems to be the only thing that gets him off the couch.
Salim has grown up in the Arts Quarter, surrounded by poets, musicians and artists. He's determined to become a great writer… right after he's finished that book. Oh, and that video game he needs to beat. Come to think of it, he needs a nap too.
FR Dans les présentations des soeurs Behr, je vous ai parlé de la petite relation entre Salim et Candy. Alors voilà ma version de notre procrastinateur préféré de San Myshuno. Il vit au milieu des livres et des bouteilles vides avec sa chienne, Leila. Salim peine à écrire son livre et a des petits problèmes de boissons. Candy semble la seule chose qui arrive à lui faire lever les fesses du canapé.
Salim a grandi dans le quartier des arts, entouré de poètes, de musiciens et d'artistes. Il est bien déterminé à devenir un grand écrivain… quand il aura terminé son livre. Ah, et il aussi une partie de jeu vidéo en cours. Et puis à bien y réfléchir, il doit aussi faire une sieste.
DOWNLOADS
Google drive : Download tray + cc EA Gallery : Toshiki84
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panicinthestudio · 1 year
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Yakushi Nyorai triad, 17th century-18th century
Edo (Tokugawa) period, Japan
Hanging scroll, ink, colour and gold on silk
89.1 x 44.2 cm; 160.0 x 64.0 cm scroll
Yakushi (sansk. Bhaisajyaguru) is the name of the Buddha associated with healing. According to the 'Yakushikyō' ('Sutra of the Master of Healing'), Yakushi made 12 vows, two of which specifically dealt with physical healing, when he was still a Bodhisattva. Upon fulfilment of these vows, he became the Buddha of the realm known as 'Jōruri' (sansk. Vaiduryanirbha-sa) or 'Pure Lapis Lazuli' in the eastern quarter. The Yakushi cult started in the late 7th century in Japan, whereby the followers were among the imperial household and court nobility rather than the common populace. From the Muromachi period onwards, his healing functions were taken over by the increasingly popular Jizō Bosatsu. Yakushi, however, has continued into the present day to figure among the 13 Buddhas, presiding over the important memorial service on the 49th day after a person’s death. Although not specified in the sutras, Yakushi Nyorai is often depicted with a jar containing medicine in his left hand, while his right hand is raised, palm out, showing the gesture of 'bestowing fearlessness' ('semuiin'). He is accompanied by Nikkō Bosatsu (Bodhisattva of the Sunlight) on his left and Gekkō Bosatsu (Bodhisattva of the Moonlight) to his right. Asian Art Department, AGNSW, August 2008.
Collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales
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luxe-pauvre · 1 year
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DECEMBER 2022
Read:
The price of ‘sugar free’: are sweeteners as harmless as we thought?
Personal Style Is Dead And The Algorithm Killed It
Your sense of right and wrong is interwoven with your personality
run your own race
The Philosopher of Feelings
On the internet, we’re always famous
All Pathology, All the Time
The Art of Negativity: On Rejecting Positive Thinking
How to Fix Social Media
How Being a Stalled Novelist Led to an Unexpected Career in Data Science
A Neuroscientist Prepares for Death
On the Surprising Link Between Physical Strength and a Healthy Brain
The Very Real Decline of All We Hold Dear As Told Through the Progressively Shittier Spider-Man Movies
Young, Male and Anti-Feminist - The Gen Z Boys Who Hate Women
Your work is not your god: welcome to the age of the burnout epidemic
The speed of science
The Value of Everything: Making and Taking in the Global Economy by Mariana Mazzucato
Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism by Mariana Mazzucato
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
The Brain: 10 Things You Should Know by Prof. Sophie Scott
Watched:
Ian Hislop reviews an insane year of British politics
SAS Rogue Heroes
The White Lotus (S1&2)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Severance (again)
Listened To:
Kids With Guns by Gorillaz
Patrick by Angèle
If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) by AC/DC*
World War by The Cure*
I Fought The Law by The Clash*
Went To:
UCL Brain Cancer Seminar Series
Bulgari Serpenti Metamorphosis by Refik Anadol @ Saatchi Gallery
The Fabulous World of Dior @ Harrods
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