you know i’m actually kind of concerned about the younger people on social media (for various reasons but for right now…) because they’ve been surrounded by this cutting off version of self-care/love from the get-go. and i’m not saying that’s… necessarily a bad thing, because self-care is good and removing yourself from toxic people and situations is good, but we’re also seeing a huge rise in cancel culture (some famous person somewhere does one thing wrong and they’re #canceled, #blocked, and #reported) at the same time, and it’s hard to imagine that these two things can’t get at all intertwined. like… people make mistakes, and no single person has been put on this earth to cater to you, specifically. people are going to make you mad and they’re going to do things that you don’t like, and guess what? you usually find a way to move past it, either by having a Real Human Conversation with that person, or by deciding that this is something you can just live with. and actually now that i’m all the way down here, i’ve realized that i’m concerned about all of you, not just the kids on here. i think most of us could take a moment to realize that the people worth keeping around are going to make us upset some days, and that ghosting everyone in your life who thinks or says something you don’t Love is, in fact, toxic behavior that will leave you dissatisfied and friendless

LITTLE WOMEN (2019) dir. Greta Gerwig  |  EMMA. (2020) dir. Autumn de Wilde  |  BELLE (2013) dir. Amma Asante  |  PRIDE & PREJUDICE (2005) dir. Joe Wright  |  NORTH & SOUTH (2004) dir. Brian Percival

Découvrez le Palais Garnier.

© Jean-Pierre Delagarde / OnP 

[photo credit]

A Dangerous Method (2011)

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Did you miss me?

Constance & d'Artagnan → Faceless

💬 + I heard a rumor about the woman working for Prince Salvatore. The red-haired one. She was the one who seduced Andrea - she did. Slinked into his rooms to do so! One of his Guard is a cousin and swore on his own health about it. Probably thinks bearing a bastard might get her somewhere.

It wasn’t often that Ramon ventured into the palace’s kitchens seeking necessary supplies for the Prince Salvatore’s manor, as the Prince paid his own butchers and merchants for produce and goods to keep the kitchen stocked. Being only himself, Ramon, Lachlan, and Beniamino and his former nurse, the kitchens were kept stocked easily enough. But now? With the inclusion of the Princess Carlotta and her four children and now Linn as an extra hand to look after the children, however, and the daily provisions having not yet been increased, Ramon had to make trips down the mountainside to the much fuller, more bustling palace kitchens.

Being what he was, a half-dragon, naturally his pecking order remained rather low, despite his full capability of utilizing his magic and access to the transformation into a draconic form. He just kept his head down, his mouth shut, and often listened.

Not that he wanted to hear what he heard this time between the palace head cook and his sou-chef.

Ramon ground his teeth, filling a basket with some pans of flour and oil and spices, pilfered a couple smaller wedges of cheese, just to complete the meal he wanted to fix tonight.

Words crawled up his throat, biting and snarling, to deny what they claimed of the Princess Linn. If only they could see the shadow in her eyes, the hesitation, the insecurity that he tried her best to keep hidden. How nervous she became when a man alone was in the room with her. They would not be so quick to cast their chittering gossip.

Swallowing those words, Ramon took his produce and left, though deftly turned up the heat of the fire under the stove with a flick of the wrist as he passed by. Let’s see how well the other Princes enjoy their food burned tonight. And how well the head chef fairs after the mistake.

💬 I heard that the sullen Princess from Inis Fáil refuses the King's advances. All that time growing up in the North made the little bitch frigid.

Had the king’s stride been just a step quicker, Ramon would have surely missed the casual conversation taking place between members - outspoken at that - of his court.

The days before his brides’ appearance before the nobility were quickly closing in, as Ramon had postponed their presentation to allow them their rest and to be educated further on the manners and expectations of the Issamul Unseelie Court. And as people were wont, they took to speculation about this decision he made, namely as a means to besmirch him by using his wives.

Ramon stopped short, his long robes bellowing about his feet before he turned, catching the eye of the man who listened and devoured this sort of tripe. His stiffened expression and stance caught the attention of the gossiper, who likewise startled at the level of amused fury on the king’s face.

“You speak of one of my brides as if you know her well. Which I find very strange. Either you are spouting lies at the whim of your foolish fancy, or you have seen her act according to your insistence. So which is it? Do you lie, or have you been unlawfully venturing into the royal gardens without invitation?”

The lights of the club dance cross her dark skin. His own man and her Dog are absent. There is no one to stop him as he walks up behind her. Hand smoothing up her spine then grasping gently at her neck to pull her back against himself. There is that spark of fight in her eyes but is not spoken. It is in how those hips work against him with the music. Teasing him. How little it would take to pull up that thing she calls a dress- remind her who has the power here. As far as she lets him think.

He loved that look in her eyes. Defiant. Contrary. Maybe even a little bit of hatred, but, oh he’d devour every drop of it. Not as if she’s denied herself from him yet either. That carnal, animalistic drive between them has pulled them back for more and more. He’s had a taste of blood now, and he’s become addicted to her. How she moved, how she felt. How she lost herself around him when they were the only ones in the room.

How she barely let herself slip as they moved together, asserting her own stance in this twisted, gluttonous relationship.

Even in his dreams, Carlotta made him hunger. Wondering if he’d ever be slaked of her.

In the waking world, however, his thoughts lingering on the images he’d seen, the mock sensations he felt, all he need do was shift. And there she was. Her hair a glorious mess, half tossed across her face as she slept off the night’s activities. He seemed rather lethargic himself, but satisfied. For now.

💬 + "That delicious bit from Lypzig got moved to Prince Salvatore's personal house away from the palace. Working for his household. More like warming his bed, no doubt. You think I might get a bite once he finally gets bored?"

Hard to say how many days since the king…the former king had been paraded before the Venn population, striped of his dignity, and set within the dark prison in which he now resided. A few days, Albrecht knew, at least, for his beard scratched at his chin now, and the previously shaved hair upon his head itched. Days enough to wonder what has happened to his wife and children since he’d been ripped away from them upon arrival in this accursed land. Not a word reached him down here, and the guards were lacking any forthcoming information, especially when directly asked.

Here, his word was not law, his demands not met with an expected obedience. He was nothing. Below the world, alive yet in all purpose dead, he was not a husband or a father any longer. The things he once took for granted, thinking them to be nothing but titles to be worn much like kingship. A younger, more jaded Albrecht expected to marry a princess presented to him, to have a minimal number of children, enough to be secure on the throne, and he expected to perhaps have his dalliances once the duty between king and queen were accomplished.

But that did not, in fact, happen anywhere close to his expectation. No, instead he married a princess whom he met all of once yet knew he did not want to let slip by him, a woman whom he loved and who loved him, who shared in his thoughts and her own, who bore him four children simply because he loathed the idea of never touching her again, and she welcomed his ridiculous advances at nearly every turn. He never once, after meeting her, wedding her, sharing his true nature with her, imagine ever leaving Carlotta behind.

Yet here he was, listening to the joking words from men who were not fit to touch the ground upon which she walked. No, on which she glanced.

And he could do n o t h i n g about it.

N o t h i n g.

When she needs him most…he is nothing.

Curling both hands up across his shaven head, Albrecht likewise curled into himself upon the stone floor. Damn the cold at his back and clutching his feet. Damn the leather chord about his neck that sapped the magic from his body.

And damn himself for failing her…and everyone else this badly.

💬 + You know - Mackintosh never really got over her. She went off and became some cracked out musician. This guy has the most brilliant woman in the program on a hook. Ready to say yes the moment he asks. And yet, the instant one of Her songs turns on - you would think it was some private performance. He completely tunes everything else out. He is an idiot for holding on to whatever was there.

In the dim light of The Druid’s bar floor of course these damn chatterboxes wouldn’t see the actual person of their gossip sitting at a table, presently by herself. Waiting.

Waiting…for something. Mona didn’t know what she was doing back here, not after what happened the other night. Their conversation here, the one at Lotta’s apartment. Their..mistake that wouldn’t leave her alone.

Colin hadn’t seen her come inside earlier, she was pretty sure, as he worked like a horse behind the bar. A distracted horse who was forgetting to smile at his customers, but a horse nonetheless. He never did prefer to do his thinking with idle hands. With his whole world suddenly going sideways with Mona’s arrival, no wonder he was so deep in thought.

He had a girlfriend, someone he’s been steady with for a while now. Someone on his level, a match for his intelligence and skill in the medical field. What these people said was all true…but Mona had no idea that he stopped to listen to her sing. Probably like some siren or something, reaching out from the past to drown him in it so he couldn’t move on.

Mona wiped her half-gloved hand under her eye, blaming this whole mess of fresh tears on her total lack of sleep the last couple days. Airports were still shut down; she wasn’t leaving Boston anytime soon, so here she sat.Torturing herself, Colin, and Lotta. All because she couldn’t stay the hell away.

💬 + Barozzi can't keep his eyes off of her during practice. Everyone can see it. Poor Grace probably has no idea.

//That face but a lot younger. OK._______

Heading back to the locker room, Sal couldn’t help but overhear whatever junk the defense had to talk about today. That apparently being himself. Like he was the only one watching the cheerleaders when they practiced outside. What a joke.

Tossing a glare over his shoulder to the pair sauntering behind him, Jones merely smirked a lifted his chin in a casual greeting. “Sup, Barozzi. Dreaming today again? Didn’t see you get flattened so bad this time so it’s hard to tell.”

“Shut up,” he growled, picking up his pace to catch up with Mordi.

Grace wasn’t gonna find out about anything because there wasn’t anything to tell. Sal wasn’t some cheat. Didn’t matter that his childhood crush showed up in his life yet again. They lived in the same district for crying out loud; he couldn’t do anything about that.

💬 + Jacques' kid is totally banging DiRusso.

Ah, shit.

Nothing even happened in the office. Not like actually happened, anyway. Just the sheer pull between them was already starting to get them into trouble. Or, really, it’s gonna get Lotta in trouble real fast if he doesn’t nip this thing in the bud now. And as the manager here, Ray knew exactly what to do.

“Heeeyyy, my guy.” He slung an arm around the offender’s shoulder, gripping the bartender maybe a bit too tight around the neck. Smiling a little too sharp, enough that the slight points at the edges of his canines showed a bit more prominently. “If there’s any shenanigans going on here, I’d be the first one to know about it. And anyway, someone’s got to help me keep an eye on our girls, right? Who better than Lotta? So watch your fucking mouth before I send you off into another dimension or something.”