#i kinda want to bring the claude drawing to the next level | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crackimagines · 4 years

Text

The Knights of Nemesis (evil!Byleth AU)

Withering Flower - Chapter 4

AU Masterlist Here!

After retaking Garreg Mach Monastery, Byleth begins his crusade against the Church and Empire for the next 3 years.

All the factions start to take note of this rising power.

-----

The Elites of the Fell Star Journal - “The New Order”

With the fall of Garreg Mach and the elimination of any evidence linking back to us, Byleth's rise to power was complete.

In recognition of our service and loyalty during those two years, the Elites of the Fell Star were placed under the direct command of Shamir, Alois, and Leonie.

Byleth then began ordering the Elites on a series of covert operations to begin getting resources and magical power towards a super weapon he had in mind.

Of course, he did not send us under-equipped.

Armed with deadly new weapons, blazing new mounts, and shining new armor, our presence let Fodlan know that the days of pointless wars were coming to an end.

We were establishing a new era: An era of peace.

-----

Imperial Capital, Enbarr

2 weeks before events of Chapter 3...

Several politicians and generals left the war room, leaving Hubert and Edelgard by themselves.

(Hubert) “Lady Edelgard, you look troubled. Is something wrong?”

(Edelgard) “How long has it been since we heard from Aurendel?”

(Hubert) “About three weeks. What concerns you?”

(Edelgard) “He doesn’t check in often, but he has mentioned something that would give us an edge in the front against the Kingdom. We should have heard back from him by now.”

(Hubert) “True, he’s not known for being tardy. Should we send a scout to investigate what they are up to?”

Edelgard put her hand to her chin, narrowing her eyes.

(Edelgard) “...No. They would’ve at least sent a proxy.”

(Hubert) “There’s no way they could have been attacked. They are one of the most secretive forces on this planet.”

(Edelgard) “We have to assume the worst. At the very least, if they stop us, we know they will be up to no good.”

(Hubert) “Shall I ready the Black Eagles Strike Force?”

(Edelgard) “No need. I will be accompanying you all, so I shall be the one to tell them. Get our carriages ready.”

(Hubert) “At once, Lady Edelgard.”

1 week later...

Edelgard and the rest of the Strike Force finally reached the Hyrm Mountains, accompanied by a small battalion of soldiers.

(Hubert) “Set up a perimeter and stay on guard. Even though we’re in friendly territory, we should not let our guard down.”

Soldiers started to patrol the area as Hubert walked back to Edelgard.

(Ferdinand) “Is it me or...does something look off about the mountains?”

(Petra) “I am afraid I do not have understanding. What is different?”

Everyone looked to where Ferdinand began pointing at.

(Ferdinand) “I remember that peak being...taller.”

(Dorothea) “Uh. That’s not just you Ferdie, I...I saw the mountains plenty of time during my time in the opera travelling. That mountain definitely looks off.”

(Bernadetta) “Yeah now that you mention it, it looks kinda...crushed?”

Edelgard’s eyes went wide hearing what Bernadetta said. It didn’t just look like it.

It was completely crushed.

(Edelgard) “Everyone, up the mountains! That’s where the base is!”

(Linhardt) “Oh boy, this is going to be fun...”

(Caspar) “That’s the spirit, Linhardt!”

(Ferdinand) “Would you all start taking this more seriously? Don’t you realize what this means, our allies base got crushed by the mountains!”

(Everyone) !!!

(Petra) “How is that possible?!”

(Hubert) “We’ll have the answers when we get up there...”

Bodies were strewn everywhere across the rocks, blood had dried onto the grass, and the entrance and everything around it was completely laid to waste.

(Bernadetta) “W-W-What happened?!”

Everyone drew their weapons before Edelgard raised her hand on Ferdinand sword, slowly angling it down.

(Edelgard) “Whoever did this is already long gone...”

(Dorothea) “Such destruction...!”

(Caspar) “Who could’ve done this?”

(Linhardt) “Whoever it was, they had lots of magical power to level an entire mountain.”

(Hubert) “Lady Edelgard this isn’t the work of some other magic. This is-”

(Edelgard) “Those Who Slither In The Dark...”

(Ferdinand) “Come again?”

(Hubert) “Briefly, they are a secret organization who wanted revenge on the Church of Seiros and sided with the Empire. They had technological advancements and magical capabilities that would make you soil yourself the moment you realized what they’re able to do-”

(Petra) “But the way you have phrased the sentence, it sounds as if they had done the destruction on themselves.”

(Edelgard) “It certainly looks that way.”

(Hubert) “It’s quite unbelievable they would destroy their own base after thousands of years of being here. Yet...”

(Bernadetta) “Do you think someone raided the place and...I don’t know...used their own magic against them?”

Hubert and Edelgard slowly turned to Bernadetta, leading everyone to do the same.

(Bernadetta) “W-What?”

(Edelgard) “We have the Church of Seiros, The Holy Kingdom, and the Alliance. None of them could infiltrate Imperial territory without no one noticing. And Claude is too busy trying to keep neutrality.”

(Hubert) “And Cornelia is about to have Dimitri executed so...Hold on a second my lady, have we heard from the professor as of late?”

(Dorothea) “Wait a second...You don’t think our old professor could-?”

(Linhardt) “An interesting take. He’s been gone for two years, everyone assumed he just left the continent but...”

Her heart pained everytime someone mentioned Byleth.

Edelgard could never forget the look of betrayal on his face when she revealed herself as the Flame Emperor.

Then again...this would explain how no one’s said anything. Byleth’s forces were extremely small, but at the same time they were a deadly force.

Though, it was too early to draw conclusions like that.

(Edelgard) “We’ll be sending warnings to all the Generals who are defending and are on the frontlines. We’ll be looking into this matter personally.”

Everyone started on the path back down the mountains, Hubert turning to Edelgard.

(Edelgard) “...Byleth...”

(Hubert) “Lady Edelgard?”

(Edelgard) “Apologies, Hubert. Let’s catch up with the others.”

Holy Kingdom of Faerghus Capital, Fhirdiad

3 weeks after the events of Chapter 3...

Rhea stood in the church alone, wondering what to do next. Dimitri was falsely accused of the murder of his uncle, Grand Duke Rufus, which he didn’t commit, and was sentenced to execution, so the defense of the Kingdom was left to her.

As much as she wanted to send the Knights of Seiros to strike down the heretics who were no doubt working for the Empire, she had no choice but to stand down unless she wanted to have the Kingdom attack her.

It was then she heard someone enter through the door, and from the sounds of it they were in a hurry.

(Catherine) “Lady Rhea!”

(Rhea) “Catherine. What news does Cyril bring from Garreg Mach? Are Imperial forces still present?”

Catherine didn’t look her in the eye.

(Catherine) “...There were no survivors.”

(Rhea) “May their souls find peace with the goddess...Those Imperial bastards will pay-”

(Catherine) “Lady Rhea...The thing is, it wasn’t Imperial Forces that did it.”

(Rhea) “...What?”

(Catherine) “We could only tell that they didn’t do it because, well...their bodies consisted of both Imperial and Church symbols...Everything else was mutilated. Their faces, their limbs...-S-Sorry I’m...I’ve seen a lot things in my day but...”

(Rhea) “And Cyril...?”

Catherine remained silent for a moment.

(Catherine) “Putting it gently, my lady...There was barely anything of Cyril to bury.”

Rhea clenched her fists.

Such a young soul lost, but to an enemy she could not even see.

(Rhea) “What evidence have you gathered that this is not the work of the Empire?”

(Catherine) “Nothing conclusive yet but, all we could tell that some form of black magic was used.”

(Rhea) “Those Who Slither...!”

(Catherine) “Lady Rhea?”

(Rhea) “I want you and your best troopers to investigate if any other faction has been working behind the scenes. I will try to lead the loyalists against Cornelia and the Empire in Prince Dimitri’s stead.”

(Rhea) “At once!”

Catherine turned around and left the church as Rhea stood alone, her determination growing more fierce than ever.

(Rhea) “They took away everyone I loved...Once I find Byleth, I will get you back mother, and we can take revenge against those who killed you and everyone else!”

Battlefield near the Imperial/Kingdom Border...

Same time...

(Annette) “Mercie, we have to go!”

Kingdom forces were retreating from the Imperials who were closing in on this sector. It was being led by the Death Knight, completely destroying the general stationed here.

(Mercedes) “We have to get the wounded out, and I won’t be leaving them!-”

(Annette) “Then I won’t be leaving you either!- Oh crap! They’re here!”

Mercedes and Annette went out of the tent and prepared their spells to attack.

Imperial soldiers were about to attack them until a deep voice stopped them.

“Halt.”

Annette put a hand in front of Mercedes as the Death Knight slowly approached them on his horse.

(Annette) “I-I WON’T LET YOU HURT MERCIE!”

(Death Knight) “Mercedes...?”

Mercedes gently held Annette’s hand before putting it behind her.

(Mercedes) “Emile...That’s you, isn’t it?”

The soldiers slowly looked at the Death Knight, who still hadn’t said anything.

(Mercedes) “It’s alright if you want to kill me, but please, don’t hurt her, Emile!”

(Annette) “Mercedes, what are you doing?!”

(Mercedes) “Please...!”

(Death Knight) “...I...”

(Annette) “Huh?! BEHIND YOU!”

Annette and Mercedes saw swords emerge out of the Imperial soldier’s backs, prompting the Death Knight to turn around. He drew his Scythe and swiped at the invisible enemies, trying to fend them off.

From the mist-like shadows, there were 5 of them.

(Mercedes) “EMILE!”

Mercedes shot off an ice spell at one of the attackers, blasting him back.

It was then their attention turned to the two of them.

Two of the attackers charged Annette and Mercedes, making them join the fight.

(Death Knight) “DUCK!”

Annette grabbed Mercedes and dove to the side as the Death Knight threw his scythe where they were standing.

The scythe’s blade landed into the attacker’s head, making him fall down.

The horse kicked back the ones near him as he went for his scythe.

Annette and Mercedes used a fire spell to set them ablaze, and revealed their location once their cloth was on fire.

As they were screaming, the Death Knight cut off both their heads in a single slice, all the invisibility spells wearing off and revealing themselves.

(Death Knight) “...These were not your forces, were they?”

(Mercedes) “N-No! And they weren’t Imperials either, right?”

The Death Knight looked at the bodies and thought to himself.

“These are not Those Who Slither either...This appears to be something else...”

The Death Knight slowly approached the two, lowering his hand.

Annette backed up a little while Mercedes stood her ground.

(Death Knight) “We are not the only ones wanting each other dead. Get on, and I will ensure you will die at a later date once I get you back to your forces. The Kingdom would not be so brash to attack 2 of their own, let alone myself.”

(Annette) “W-Why would we take that deal?!”

(Mercedes) “Annie, he’s trying to say if we want to live, come with him!”

She sighed and slowly got on, holding Mercedes’ waist.

(Mercedes) “Who were these people...?”

(Death Knight) “...I do not know.”

Capital City of the Leicester Alliance, Derdriu

Same time...

Claude sat in the war room, trying to decide on what to do with the houses who were siding with the Empire.

knock knock knock!

(Claude) “Come in.”

The door creaked open, Hilda’s head popping around the corner.

(Hilda) “Hey um...Claude?”

(Claude) “Hey there, HIlda! Got any news for me?”

She nodded and stood next to Claude.

The first thing he noticed is that she wasn’t smiling.

(Hilda) “...Did we ever find out what happened to the professor during the battle of Gareg Mach 2 years ago?”

Claude blinked for a moment and turned to HIlda.

(Claude) “I hear you right?”

(Hilda) “Didn’t stutter, did I?”

(Claude) “Hm...From what I saw he just up and left the place alongside his mercenary teams after getting the students to safety.”

(Hilda) “Who else was with him?”

(Claude) “Let’s see, from what I heard, Shamir went MIA, Alois was supposedly killed in battle and...We never found out what happened to Leonie.”

(Hilda) “Well there’s...been rumors around the inns lately that they may have found Leonie.”

(Claude) “Really?”

(Hilda) “That’s not it though. She was also being accompanied by a man with bright green hair, a scary mercenary woman, and a person who looked like he worked for the Church!”

(Claude) “...”

He didn’t know how to process this information.

Byleth, as far as he was concerned, left the continent after not wanting to deal with the scraps his dad left him once he made sure the kids were alright.

The fact he was back was not a good sign, and could render his plans obsolete.

And Leonie was with him too?

(Claude) “...Keep me updated, will ya?”

(Hilda) “Can do.”

The Fortress City, Arianrhod

Same time...

CRACK!

The body of an Imperial soldier fell over as Dedue silently took down a guard near the exit.

(Dedue) “The coast is clear for now.”

Dimitri nodded and followed Dedue as they made their way across the hallways.

As they got closer to the doorway, they saw several guards patrolling the area, though no one seemed aware of their presence.

(Dimitri) “Dedue, you are risking your life breaking me out of here, you know this right?”

(Dedue) “Yes. But you must lead the Kingdom against Edelgard. Rhea cannot do it by herself.”

Dimitri nodded. He winced in pain as he reached for his now missing eye.

He had lost it during his time in prison, and he still wasn’t used to his now tampered depth perception.

(Dedue) “Until we get spotted, we must be as silent as we can.”

(Dimitri) “Understood.”

(Dedue) “...Alright, let us go!”

He quietly opened the door and they both snuck out into a nearby alley, avoiding any detection from the guards.

As they got closer to the gates, it suddenly shut on them, with soldiers surrounding them at all sides on the main road.

(Dimitri) “Damn it!”

(Woman’s Voice) “Dear Prince, did you really think escaping was going to be that easy?”

They both turned around as soldiers stepped to the side for Cornelia.

(Cornelia) “Well, so much for the grand execution I had planned out for you! Looks like I’ll just have to do it now!”

(Dedue) “Your highness, when I count to three, I want you to run as fast as you can.”

(Dimitri) “What? I’m not leaving you he-”

(Dedue) “Your highness. Please.”

(Dimitri) “Tch...Damn it, Dedue!”

(Cornelia) “Everyone, take ai-”

Whatever Cornelia was about to say didn’t matter, as she was caught in a massive explosion that blew everyone back.

Dimitri and Dedue landed into an alley. As they tried to recover from the ringing in their ears, they looked up and saw soldiers cladded in black warp in from beams of light, killing any soldier they saw.

(Dimitri) “Dedue, are these our men?”

(Dedue) “No, this is someone else! And we’re not going to stick around long enough to find out!”

(Dimitri) “Agreed, let’s get out of here!”

As they got back out onto the main road, Dimtri looked back and stopped dead in his tracks.

(Dedue) “Your highness what a-”

When Dedue looked back as well, he didn’t need an answer.

He was staring at the exact same thing Dimitri was.

Cornelia was trying to crawl away when the Sword of the Creator stabbed her straight in the eye.

(Dimitri) “B-...Byleth...?”

Byleth slowly looked up and saw the two standing near the gates.

(Shamir’s Voice) “Don’t move.”

They both looked up to the roofs and saw Shamir and other snipers aiming their bows at him.

Alois and Leonie warped in and saw the two.

(Alois) “Y-Your highness!”

(Dimitri) “Alois?! I thought you died during the battle of the Monastery!”

(Dedue) “What are you all doing with the professor?”

(Alois) “W-Well...”

(Byleth) “Allow me to explain.”

Byleth walked towards them, sheathing the Sword of the Creator.

(Byleth) “Dimitri. This war is not yours to fight.”

(Dimitri) “What?! But I must kill Ede-”

(Byleth) “She was not responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur.”

Dedue and Dimitri eyes widened.

(Dedue) “She...what?”

(Byleth) “Leonie.”

She nodded and gave papers to Dimitri.

(Leonie) “Yes, Nemesis.”

(Dimitri) ”Nemesis...?”

(Leonie) “This is a detailed report of what happened and who caused everything. Those responsible have already been killed.”

Leonie gestured to Cornelia at the back.

(Byleth) “So, your fight is over. If you wish to join us, come to Garreg Mach and join the Knights of Nemesis. If not, then I pray for you two to live a life in peace.”

Byleth and the others started to walk off towards the carnage, but Alois stopped and turned around.

(Alois) “Please your highness...Don’t get involved in this.”

Alois caught up with the others and the battle continued.

(Percy) “Excuse me, Dimitri.”

They both turned around startled. They had no idea when this mage appeared behind them.

(Percy) “Nemesis has ordered me to prepare a carriage here for you, it contains a week of food and water, should you decide to travel a long distance.”

(Dedue) “...You...have our thanks.”

Percy nodded, and guarded the entrance.

(Percy) “You two are the only ones allowed to leave so, if you would.”

Dimitri looked back at Byleth before heading to the carriage.

(Dimitri) “The Knights of Nemesis...?”

As the Elites of the Fell Star swarmed the streets killing every soldier in sight, Leonie took a deep sigh.

(Leonie) “Do we have to kill every civilian? We just let Dimitri and Dedue go.”

(Shamir) “It’s not leaving a good taste in my mouth either, sir.”

(Byleth) “I don’t suppose you’d have them volunteer in our experiments?”

(Alois) “Still, there must be some use for them!”

Byleth remained silent as he watched his soldiers kill the guards with brutal efficiency.

(Byleth) “I suppose we could use the memory wipe spell we’ve been experimenting with.”

(Leonie) “Did that even work?”

(Shamir) “Supposedly. Using it on Fleche made her forget why she was missing her eye, but I think that might be due to psychological factors.”

Leonie shuddered. She never saw the interrogation and experiments that Randolph and Fleche suffered, but hearing about it was enough to send shivers down her spine.

(Byleth) “Though, there is a point to Dimitri leaving. We’re finally ready to have news of our faction spread. And what better way than to have the King of Faerghus tell the world? We’ll bring Rhea and Edelgard straight to us.”

Byleth started chuckling to himself, making everyone slowly look at him.

[Arrival of the Undead King - Overlord]

Byleth walked up to an elevated pile of rubble, catching the attention of his men.

(Byleth) “MEN! TODAY IS STEP ONE FOR THE KNIGHTS OF NEMESIS! WE HAVE ALLOWED ENOUGH TIME FOR US TO STRIKE OUT INTO THE WORLD, AND REVEAL OURSELVES!”

He drew out the Sword of the Creator high into the air, having the other men respond by pointing their weapons up.

(Byleth) “THIS IS THE DAY OUR ENEMIES SHALL KNOW FEAR! WE WILL SHOW NO MERCY, NO RESPITE TOWARDS THE EMPIRE AND THE CHURCH! WE ARE THE HARBINGER OF THE NEW DAY THAT IS DAWNING UPON FODLAN, AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE LAST OF OUR ENEMIES ARE DROWNING IN THEIR OWN BLOOD!”

Leonie, Shamir, and Alois slowly looked at each other and said nothing.

(Byleth) “RAZE THE SILVER MAIDEN TO THE GROUND! LEAVE NO STONE STANDING!”

“OOORAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

----

Edelgard stood in front of the Black Eagles Strike Force and put her hands behind her.

“Black Eagles, listen well. Arianrhod, the city known for being an impregnable fortress has been completely obliterated. Even worse, our fears are confirmed. The professor is back, and was the one who destroyed our allies. This means that Byleth is now the most dangerous adversary we will face...”

----

Rhea punched the wall closest to her, the stones crackling and bits of debris from the ceiling dropping down.

“What kind of joke is this? ‘The Knights of Nemesis’?! So, that child wishes to destroy the Empire and the Church? I should have killed him from the start! Mother, NOTHING WILL KEEP YOU FROM ME, AND I WILL NOT ALLOW ZANADO TO BE REPEATED! BYLETH WILL DIE BY MY HANDS, AND I SHALL TEAR HIS VERY HEART FROM HIS CHEST!”

----

Dimitri read the papers he had in his hand over and over again as Dedue used the carriage to travel as quickly to Fhirdiad as possible.

“Mother...Father...”

----

Claude sighed loudly, sitting back down in his seat after Hilda had told him the news.

“So teach, you’re alive after all. Leonie, just who have you gotten yourself involved with...?”

----

The Elites of the Fell Star Journal - “Arrival”

If there’s one thing that everyone didn’t expect, it was us. We were such a wild card at first that we threw all the forces near Garreg Mach astray. People tried advancing closer, some retreated back as far as they could.

I’ll tell you right now, those who backed up were spared a gruesome fate.

Attack after attack, no one could even make it to the entrance before they were crushed.

We were the advent of change, and Byleth was the one who was forever going to change history.

For better, or for worse, we didn’t know. But, we did have our job.

And that was to make the Empire and Church pay.

----

[Escape - Darling in the Franxx]

50 notes · View notes

ithefuturist · 6 years

Text

EUROPE INITIATION - PART 3: PARIS

It’s hard to pin down when my French awakening started.

It might have been in 1992 when as a little boy I watched the Roland Garros Ladies Final on tv with my father. While watching the match I heard him cuss like like a sailor as Monica Seles and Steffi Graf slugged it out in a thrilling final set which Seles eventually won, 10-8. This match was bananas! And I also learned my first French words from the match:

Égalité = deuce, but literally “equality” or “tied” (when the game is at 40-40). This term would then later come in handy when I learn about about egalitarian societies.

S'il vous plaît = literally means “please” or “if you would please” but in tennis speak it’s basically used by the umpire to tell the crowd to “Shut up please. And thanks!” So picking it up as a young boy whenever I hear someone being loud or plainly saying something ludicrous I would precociously say, “S'il vous plaît.” “Shut up please. And thanks!” 😁

I also learned to count in French but only with the numbers 15, 30 and 40. Teehee! 😁

Well, on second thought, my French awakening may have happened on another occasion. It might have been through Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Mostly through the music, I must say. Tom Hulce’s version of “Out There” is a long time favorite and of course Lea’s Eponine singing “On My Own” is quite remarkable. (Side note: while I was in Paris, I stayed near the river Seine and the Notre Dame cathedral and literally heard the bells of Notre Dame and couldn’t help but hum, well, The Bells of Notre Dame. It felt so surreal! I also imagined Quasimodo ringing the bells himself! Haha!)

But then there was French art. Claude Monet’s work has always fascinated me. So maybe Monet was the one responsible for my French awakening.

There was also French cinema. In my teens, the Embassy of France would hold a French Film Festival at the Shang and I would queue up every year to see some of the best French movies. Three films particularly moved me:

Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion (The Grand Illusion) probably the best war film ever made

The wonderfully acted La Vie rêvée des anges (The Dreamlife of Angels)

Indochine starring the amazing Catherine Deneuve

There’s a lot to draw from, and as I look back I couldn’t pin it down to a single moment in time where my deep fascination to anything French began. I can tell you this - the moment I arrived in Gare de Lyon and as I emerged from the train station and into Paris it didn’t feel like I was in a foreign city. It almost felt like I’ve been there before, many times over. It almost felt like I was coming home.

****

Picture story time! They’re not chronological - yet again - coz Tumblr.

****

This was at the train ride from Barcelona’s Sant station going to Gare de Lyon in Paris. Funny story - I booked a first class seat because, well, who doesn’t wanna be comfortable when they travel right? At the train station I was asking someone where the first class lounge was and I got weird reactions or I dunno maybe somebody pointed me to a set of chairs that were in some corner somewhere - I don’t remember. But what I learned was - first class train seats in Europe aren’t any special. Also, you literally have to carry your own luggage into the train. I actually asked a fellow passenger while we were about to board if that was normal. He laughed. So to the uninitiated (me), first class train ride does not equal first class airplane ride. I got over that unmet expectation coz baby I was going to Paris! Woohoo! Nothing else mattered at that time! 😁(UPDATE: after researching this over on YouTube it looks like this depends on the train you’re taking. It’s like PAL business class (meh) vs. Qatar or Emirates BC experience (wow!))

This was at the summit of the Eiffel Tower. Got the “VIP skip the line” ticket but still had to queue up for hours. As far as I’m concerned, going up the summit isn’t worth it. I feel like queueing up that long for anything is a waste of time. And then going down, you still have to queue up for the elevator as well. So just to go up and down the Eiffel Tower becomes a half day affair at least. My good friend Mona told me they should have offered me the option to rappell down the tower LOL! Between wasting time and something fun/dangerous, I would have taken the latter option easily.

My favorite piece of art from the Louvre.

This was the Japanese garden in Monet’s estate in Giverny. It’s like being in his famous Lilies painting. It’s quite an experience. Book the trip at Viator!

Isn’t Paris beautiful? Alex brought me here to see this view. Actually, he brought me everywhere in Paris. Memorize ko na nga ang Paris guys kasi nilakad namin lahat. Haha! But I’m glad he did coz I really now feel like I couldn’t get lost in Paris. He also taught me how to use the Metro - and if you ask me, the Paris Metro is easier to navigate (and waaaay cleaner) than the New York subway.

Venus de Milo. In the world of art - the powers that be dictate what’s valuable. Kinda like hype machinery. Just like the Cambell soup “art” by Warhol - madami kasi syang friends na alta who backed him up and hailed his work as “art”. I think same story sa Venus de Milo pero with this one it was during a time when civilizations were upholding their cultures by amassing (and salvaging) art. The French needed to collect significant pieces of art - and if I heard the story right - when they found the Venus de Milo they declared it as “the one” - the piece of art that they have that they can be proud of. In a way, it’s significant na rin but if you ask me about its artistic value - I’ve seen a lot of better sculptures but we also have to remember that art is also something that describes a moment in history so we couldn’t deny Venus de Milo’s significance. Ok na rin. Choice naman nila yan. Haha!

iPhone only. Didn’t even get to use my G7X camera. Used and abused the portrait mode feature of the iPhone.

Thumbs up pose again. Note to self in the next travel photos - surf’s up pose naman for variety. LOL!

Dilaw na dilaw.

To be fair, I like this photo from the inverted pyramid at the Louvre. Pero naka thumbs up na naman. Ugh.

When in Paris - Vuitton.

Don’t I look giddy here? Romanticism guys. Cupid bringing Psyche back to life. The placement of the sculpture at the Louvre was perfect too coz it gets natural lighting that makes it look even more dramatic. I was totally in awe of this sculpture!

Eiffel Tower again. Still not Facebook banner levels. Oh well, next time.

Sacre Coeur. Sacred Heart.

I thought I was being bold when I decided to go for this shot. I would later find out that a lot of people do this. Yung nakatayo sa gitna ng daan. K. 😂

I tried doing an emotive pose here. But still not Facebook banner quality. Check out the flip flop too.

Monet’s garden. In fact, I got to go inside his house! BFF levels! Just kidding!

This was another attempt. But so casual. Pambahay look. Hahaha!

This was taken from the window of Monet’s bedroom. Nice no?

Eiffel Tower at night taken with an iPhone.

French countryside. Nag traditional French lunch lang.

This window type of photo is very Paris.

Versailles. I highly recommend going to Versailles to understand the French better and why aesthetics is an intrinsic part of their culture. Their King literally wanted the French to be the best dressed and best looking people in the world. He even cared so much about his hair - hence the pictures of people with wigs back then. And then there’s the Palace of Versailles which he wanted to be the grandest palace ever. Na achieve naman nya. Daming gold.