#Hotel Anglais

[rabbitcruiser]

The Baltic Exhibition in Malmö opened on May 15, 1914.  

[greywritesthings]

Too tired to make sense

Spencer Reid x Bilingual!Reader

Fluff

Warnings - None

A/N - I'm still learning so my French isn't perfect! Thanks to @itsleilabxtch for proofreading it <3

This may become a series!

Masterlist

SR Masterlist

You were like a breath of fresh air to the BAU. With Hotch, Reid, Morgan and Emily returning to the team and the newer agents leaving to other posts or retiring to spend time with their families the team looked the same as it had a decade a ago but far less bright eyed and hope filled, apart from you. You were added onto the team as a transfer from the Foreign counterintelligence unit due to your masters and in progress doctorate in forensic psychology and linguistics. You were considered young for the BAU but you had the intelligence and experience so Hotch took you on after a quick interview and a look over your paperwork and completed cases from FCI. He was happy to have a new agent that had a new skill set and didn't carry the same traumas the rest of the team did, he just hoped the job wouldn't break your spirit the same it did the rest of the team. 

You had just been introduced to the team when a case came in. “Crime fighters we are off to Amarillo Texas” Garcia announced as she walked back into the round table room, Causing you to take a seat and look up to the screen she was now standing in front of, you would get settled in later. 

You didn’t get time to get settled in for a week, the case itself was short but so was your sleep. You were doing twenty hour days for six days straight and by the time you reached your hotel, showered and did your other nightly routine items you had a total of two and a half hours of broken and unsettled sleep. It meant by the time you sat down on the jet your brain was running at 2 miles an hour on nothing but adrenaline and shitty police coffee. 

“So, how you feeling after your first case, sweetheart?” Derek asks as he settles in opposite you. “Bien, nous avons attrapé le gars et sauvé une victime, c'est donc une bonne chose, mais je suis tellement fatigué que ce n'est même pas drôle.” “Fine, well we caught the guy and saved a victim so that's good but I'm so tired it's not even funny.”  You smile at him, slurring your words together slightly, not registering the language change. 

You had grown up in England but you were raised by an American Father and French English Mother, it meant you had a mixed accent when you were speaking English if you were exhausted or drunk and that you often reverted back to French.

“What’d you say? I don’t speak that whole French, Italian, Spanish thing. Care to repeat for us English only speakers?” He responds to you jokingly, you still hadn't registered the switch so you were confused, thinking your accent was just coming on heavier than usual. You ask “Qu'entendez-vous par français, italien, espagnol ? Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?” “What do you mean by French, Italian, Spanish? What's wrong?” Derek continues looking at you in confusion before smiling at you and standing up.”You are clearly too tired to make sense, talk to you later honey” He ruffles your hair as he leaves, going to take up the seat opposite Spencer, whispering something to him as he sits down. Spencer then nods, finishing his page before standing up and making his way over to you. 

“y/n, vous parlez en français, pas en anglais, c'est pourquoi Morgan était confus.” “y/n, you're speaking French, not English, which is why Morgan was confused.” He says as he sits down where Derek just left. “Quoi? Mon dieu, Désolé, je n'avais pas remarqué” “What? God, sorry I hadn't noticed.” You give him a sheepish smile.

“C'est bon, Emily et moi le parlons de toute façon, donc vous pouvez nous parler en français aussi, et si vous voulez dormir, les lits sont libres, on peut y aller ensemble si vous voulez?” “Its okay, Emily and I speak it anyway so you can speak to us in French too, and if you want to sleep, the beds are free, we can go together if you want?” He asks quietly, nodding to the long empty bed behind you both. You smile at him and nod, shifting around to stand up, shivering slightly against the cooler air in comparison to the small cocoon of warmth you had built around yourself during the flight so far. 

You both make your way over to the sofa bed and Spencer sits down first. “Voulez-vous poser votre tête sur mes genoux ? Les coussins sont comme des pierres, croyez-moi.” “Would you like to put your head on my lap? The cushions are like rocks believe me.” He asks, folding up a blanket when you give him a nod and a smile, a small blush covering your features, thankfully not visible in the dim lighting of the plane given that mostly everyone was trying to sleep. 

Soon enough you were settled on the sofa, curled into a ball with your head on Spencer's lap. He had pulled out a book and began reading while you stared ahead or at the floor, at the point of exhaustion where you were unable to sleep. You were growing restless, your foot was tapping against the edge of the seat as you tried counting sheep as a last resort, knowing it wouldn't work when Spencer started talking again, lowering the book in front of you, you noticed he wasn’t just talking, rather reading to you. “Calmez-vous, ma chérie” “Calm down darling.” He whispers to you when he takes a pause in a paragraph. And with him reading the book and the low whirr of the engine you eventually fall asleep.

Taglist - @reidstheyfriend , @oosnapitskat, @lover-of-books-and-tea , @cultish-corner, @pleasantwitchgarden

Join my taglist here!

[mclennonlgbt]

Paris in John and Paul’s life

30th September 1961:

“John and I went on a trip for his twenty-first birthday. John was from a very middle-class family, which really impressed me because everyone else was from working-class families. To us John was upper class. His relatives were teachers, dentists, even someone up in Edinburgh in the BBC. It’s ironic, he was always very ‘fuck you!’ and he wrote the song ‘Working Class Hero’ – in fact, he wasn’t at all working class. Anyway, one of John’s relatives gave him £100 for his birthday. A hundred smackers in your hand! That was a real windfall. None of us could believe it. To this day if you gave me £100 I would be impressed. And I was his mate, enough said? ‘Let’s go on holiday.’ – ‘You mean me too? With the hundred quid? Great! I’m part of this windfall.’” - Paul McCartney, Anthology

“We planned to hitchhike to Spain. I had done a spot of hitchhiking with George and we knew you had to have a gimmick; we had been turned down so often and we’d seen that guys that had a gimmick (like a Union Jack round them) had always got the lifts. So I said to John, ‘Let’s get a couple of bowler hats.’ It was showbiz creeping in. We still had our leather jackets and drainpipes – we were too proud of them not to wear them, in case we met a girl; and if we did meet a girl, off would come the bowlers. But for lifts we would put the bowlers on. Two guys in bowler hats – a lorry would stop! Sense of Humour. This, and the train, is how we got to Paris. - Paul McCartney, Anthology

“And Paul and I also did the same thing, once. We just cancelled. We’d made it, in Liverpool. We were making good money, for those days. I can’t remember what it was – maybe a couple of hundred dollars a week – but enough that you’d have a little extra. You’d have it in your back pocket. And Paul and I just— A relative of mine gave me a hundred pounds, for my birthday, which I’d never seen that much money in me life. Paul and I just canceled all the engagements, and left for Paris… And George was furious, because he needed the money – to work, you know. But that was another time when the group was in debate as whether it would exist or not.”  - John Lennon, 1976, an interview with Elliot Mintz

“Last night I heard that John and Paul have gone to Paris to play together – in other words, the band has broken up! It sounds mad to me, I don’t believe it…” - Stuart Sutcliffe, Anthology

“We’d never been there before. We were a bit tired so we checked into a little hotel for the night, intending to go off hitchhiking the next morning. Of course, it was too nice a bed after having hitched so we said, ‘We’ll stay a little longer,’ then we thought, ‘God, Spain is a long way, and we’d have to work to get down there.’ We ended up staying the week in Paris – John was funding it all with his hundred quid.

We would walk miles from our hotel; you do in Paris. We’d go to a place near the Avenue des Anglais and we’d sit in the bars, looking good. I still have some classic photos from there. Linda loves one where I am sitting in a gendarme’s mac as a cape and John has got his glasses on askew and his trousers down revealing a bit of Y-front. The photographs are so beautiful, we’re really hamming it up. We’re looking at the camera like, ‘Hey, we are artsy guys, in a café: this is us in Paris,’ and we felt like that.

We went up to Montmartre because of all the artists, and the Folies Bergères, and we saw guys walking around in short leather jackets and very wide pantaloons. Talk about fashion! This was going to kill them when we got back. This was totally happening. They were tight to the knee and then they flared out; they must have been about fifty inches around the bottom and our drainpipe trousers were something like fifteen or sixteen inches. We saw these trousers and said, ‘Excusez-moi, Monsieur, où did you get them?’ It was a cheap little rack down the street so we bought a pair each, went back to the hotel, put them on, went out on the street – and we couldn’t handle it: ‘Do your feet feel like they are flapping? Feel more comfortable in me drainies, don’t you?’ So it was back to the hotel at a run, needle and cotton out and we took them in to a nice sixteen with which we were quite happy. And then we met Jürgen Vollmer on the street. He was still taking pictures." - Paul McCartney, Anthology

“Jürgen had a flattened-down hairstyle with a fringe in the front, which we rather took to. We went over to his place and there and then he cut – hacked would be a better word – our hair into the same style.” - John Lennon, 1963

Interviewer: I heard you took a trip to Spain before once, didn’t you? On Holiday? Paul: I didn’t go to Spain, no. I tried once to make Spain but… and John and I were gonna hitchhike. We hitchhiked down from Liverpool… We didn’t hitchhike. No, we got the train down from Liverpool ‘cause we thought we won’t hitchhike down the first bit. And we got the boat over to Paris. Then we got the train into Paris ‘cause we thought: “Well, it’ll be too hard to get a hitch here”. And we just stayed in Paris all week. And eventually… I mean, all the time trying to get out of Paris and make Spain! We never made it, we just flew home at the end. What a lazy hitchhiking Holiday!

“The thing was all the kissing and holding that was going on in Paris. And it was so romantic just to be there and see them even though I was 21 and sort of not romantic. But I really loved it, the way the people would just stand under a tree kissing. And they weren’t not mauling at each other, they were just kissing.” - John Lennon

"John’s 21st birthday was a month away, and he knew he was getting money — 100 pounds cash, more than he or Paul had ever seen in their lives. (…) Bob Wooler was party to their planning, and fought with them:

They were bored, and decided they would go away for a month. I thought this was disastrous because they would be away from the scene too long and lose their fans, Fans were very capricious: they moved from one group to another. And anyway, what about the other two members, George Harrison and Pete Best?. What about them, what do they do? We argued a lot about this — we argued in the back room of the grapes pub to a large extent —- and they said ‘Well, we’ll go away for a fortnight only’

(…) Equally, the promoters who paid the Beatles over-the-odds to present them every week had to “lump it” (….). To a man, and woman, they were incensed by it - but John and Paul hadn’t a care. They didn’t mean to be rude about it but basically it was tough shit.

it was tough too on Dot and Cyn, Dot simply had to accept the situation, but Cyn had a greater case of grievance. John was heading off without her when he could so easily gave waited for the art school holidays. (…).

That John was taking Paul, no one else, accentuates the renewed closeness since Stu quit The Beatles. They were the Beatles force, an unstoppable and authentically powerful pair. “Lennon had the attitude”, Wooler said, “and taking his lead from Lennon, McCartney could be similar. At times they reminded me of those well-to-do Chicago lads Leopold and Loeb, who killed someone because they felt superior to him. Lennon and McCartney were superior human beings”

"You’d always see them together, in the pub or walking along the street", says Johnny Gustafson of the Big Tree. "They were a duo, and seemed each other’s equal". Bernie Boyle, the young lad hanging around with them at every opportunity, says, "They were like brothers, with John as the elder and Paul’s mentor. They were so tight it was like there was a telepathy between them: on stage, they’d look at each other and know instinctively what the other was thinking"

They were brothers. They were the Nerk Twins, and now they were taking a break from The Beatles and gofin off to Spain. 

Gustafson happened to bump into them the day they left, Saturday, September 30. “They both had bowler hats on, with the usual leather jackets and jeans. They said they were off to Paris, so I walked down to Lime Street station and watched them go. They were an incredible pair: always great fun, irreverent and so close. - Mark Lewinsohn, Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years (2013)

As was written in this post: That last picture is one Paul took of John sleeping in Paris. From what I remember of a performance he did of ‘Here Today’, and earlier comments, this picture hangs framed on a wall in Paul’s house.

Unconfirmed quote (may or may not be true): 

"He must have been fond of me to spend that money. He let me have all the banana milkshakes I wanted.”  - Paul McCartney

In January 1964, only a few scant weeks before the Beatles took America by storm, the band mates settled in for an extended stay in Paris. For the group, the Parisian visit proved to be a magical experience, with the Beatles playing 18 shows at the Olympia Theatre between Jan. 16 and Feb. 4 (source).

The photo Paul took of John (in the "Eyes Of The Storm" book):

1969:

Hoping to get married in France, John Lennon and Yoko Ono flew to Paris on this day [16th March].

The couple had decided to marry on 14 March 1969, two days after the wedding of Paul McCartney to Linda Eastman; whether it was in response to this event on some level is open to conjecture.

On McCartney’s wedding day Lennon and Ono were travelling to Poole in Dorset, where he introduced her to his Aunt Mimi. During the journey he asked his chauffeur Les Anthony to go to Southampton to enquire about the possibility of the wedding being held at sea, on the cross-channel ferry to France.

(source)

“On March 12, Paul married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office in London, amid scenes of hysterical grief from his female fans. None of the other Beatles was present. The news reached John as he and Yoko were driving down to visit Aunt Mimi in Poole. Yoko’s divorce decree had become final a few weeks earlier, and, in a resurgence of Beatle copycat, John told her they, too, must get married as soon as possible” - Philip Norman, John Lennon: The Life (2008)

"We chose Gibraltar because it is quiet, British and friendly. We tried everywhere else first. I set out to get married on the car ferry and we would have arrived in France married, but they wouldn’t do it. We were no more successful with cruise ships. We tried embassies, but three weeks’ residence in Germany or two weeks’ in France were required." - John Lennon

1974:

“After a late lunch, Linda launched into a long paean to the joys of living in England. When she was finished, she turned to John and said, “Don’t you miss England?”

“Frankly,” John replied, “I miss Paris.””

— May Pang, Loving John (1983)

1978:

Wings album "London Town" is released. It includes the song "Cafe on the Left Bank", the lyrics of which clearly refer to John and Paul's trip to Paris.

Late 1970s (maybe 1978?): John is singing to Paul about Paris in a home recording. Longer version

1994 - Paul inducting John to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

“And then on your 21st birthday you got £100 off one of your rich relatives up in Edinburgh, so we decided we’d go to Spain. So we hitch-hiked out of Liverpool. And we got as far as Paris, and decided to stop there for a week. And eventually got our haircut, by a fellow named Jürgen, and that ended up being the ‘Beatle haircut’.”

I also remember watching an interview with Paul about his album "Memory Almost Full" (2007). Thank you for adding, @ringompreg!

(it's like 7 minutes in) Interviewer: There is a very beautiful song called "The End Of The End", the way you talk about your whole ending, and the lyric goes: "It's a start of a journey to a much better place." You mean, better than England? Paul: It's basically a start of a journey to France. Or Spain through France. Yeah, that's what it is. It's a much better place, Paris.

Also worth mentoning:

"All You Need Is Love" begins with La Marseillaise.

"Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)" contains French-language speech by BBC broadcaster Pierre Le Sève.

[gotankgo]

«Green Room Murder, in a Hotel on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice

from the series White Women (1974)

• Helmut Newton»

[kilfeur]

Ce combat avec Adam montre la différence de pouvoir entre Alastor, Charlie, Lucifer et Alastor. Lors de la chanson entre Lucifer et Alastor il parle de ses possessions et de son pouvoir. Mais quand l'hôtel est en danger ainsi que sa fille, il montre vraiment de quoi il est capable. Donc ouais Lucifer aurait pu tuer Alastor si il avait posé une menace bien plus présente à l'hôtel. Toutefois bien qu'il y ait un marché entre Charlie et Alastor, je penche plus sur le fait qu'elle devrait le sauver à un certain point contre les anges voir même Lilith.

D'ailleurs la partie chanté d'Alastor dans la chanson final. Il y a des différences encore une fois dans la vo et vf. Dans le passage où justement où on voit son ombre puis son visage. Parlant du "Great Alastor Altruist died for his friend. Sorry to disappoint that is not( where it's end" (Le grand Alastor altruiste meure pour ses amis. Désolé de décevoir mais ce n'est pas comme ça que ça se termine) en anglais. Mais en Français ça dit "Alastor reviendra soyez bien préparés, il vous éblouira". (Alastor will be back, be well prepared, he will dazzle you) Là il ne s'agit pas d'amis mais avant tout de lui même.

Quand il se retourne en anglais il dit "The constraints of my deal will surely you have a back door". (Les restrictions de mon marché a sûrement une porte de sortie.) En français, il dit "Par mes choix, me voilà un peu plus vulnérable". Ce n'est les restrictions dont il parle mais les choix en français pourront faire allusion à Lilith, le fait qu'il reste à l'hôtel. Une dernière pour la route, en anglais "Once I figure out, how to unclip my wings, guess who will be pulling the strings. (Quand j'aurai compris comment enlever mes ailes, devinez qui va tirer les ficelles). Closer to the angels, but this time those wings are a hindrance to his freedom. En français "Lorsque j'aurai trouvé le moyen de me libérer, devinez qui va régner" ("When I find a way to free myself, guess who's going to rule".) Ce qui est j'avoue plus direct comparé à la vo mais j'imagine qu'ils voulaient plus se caler au rythme de la chanson qu'un traduction littérale.

This fight with Adam shows the difference in power between Alastor, Charlie, Lucifer and Alastor. In the song between Lucifer and Alastor, he talks about his possessions and his power. But when the hotel and his daughter are in danger, he really shows what he's capable of. So yeah, Lucifer could have killed Alastor if he'd posed a much more present threat to the hotel. However although there's a deal between Charlie and Alastor, I'm leaning more towards her saving him at some point from the angels or even Lilith.

Moreover, Alastor's singing part in the final song. Once again, there are differences between the english version and the french version. In the passage where we see his shadow and then his face. Speaking of "Great Alastor Altruist dying for his friend. (Le grand altruiste Alastor meure pour ses amis. Désolé de décevoir mais ce n'est pas comme ça que ça se termine.) in english. But in French it says "Alastor reviendra soyez bien préparés, il vous éblouira." (Alastor will be back, be well prepared, he will dazzle you) Here it's not about friends, but about himself.

The constraints of my deal will surely have a back door".(Les restrictions de mon marché a sûrement une porte de sortie.) In French, he says "Par mes choix, me voilà un peu plus vulnérable". It's not the restrictions he's talking about, but the choices in French could allude to Lilith, the fact that he's staying at the hotel. One last for the road, in English "Once I figure out, how to unclip my wings, guess who will be pulling the strings."(Quand j'aurai compris comment enlever mes ailes, devinez qui va tirer les ficelles). Closer to the angels, but this time those wings are a hindrance to his freedom. In French, "Lorsque j'aurai trouvé le moyen de me libérer, devinez qui va régner" ("When I find a way to free myself, guess who's going to rule").

Which is admittedly more direct than the english version, but I imagine they were more intent on keeping to the rhythm of the song than a literal translation.

[lilpotatjj]

Can you do Bella Ramsey x French fem!reader pls :)?

Masterlist

A/N: Took me some research for the Language. I don't know much french soooo...pls don't throw the Baguettes on me.🙈 If there is something totally wrong pls text me.

Summery: Just a short funny and sweet story about Bella in Paris, a day after her Dior Fashion Show

Bella ramsey x frenchReader

Many people, paparazzis everywhere and the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Paris. The Dior Fashion Show is finally over and Bella totally exhausted.

Finally arrived at the hotel, she falls directly into bed and immediately falls asleep.

Paris is great. Many sights and all the culture promises a lot of fun.

The next day, freshly showered Bella wants to look around the city. After all, she's not in France every day. Dressed a bit more covered with cap, open hair and sunglasses, she sets off.

First, she goes to one of the popular bakeries for breakfast and then straight to the Eiffel Tower. When she arrives, she is completely amazed at how big the tower is in real life.

"Cooool" She takes a few photos and was just about to go on when you of all people suddenly collides with Bella

"Aïe! attention!" You look at Bella and pause for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, are you ok?" Her British accent gives you chills.

You know the voice.

As if you heard it only yesterday.

"Bella? Bella Ra-"she almost smacks her hand right over your mouth.

"Ssshh" She puts her index finger over her lips and finally takes her hand away. "Please don't say this so loud, otherwise paparazzis will come again" you nod, collect your thoughts and try to realize that in front of you is a British actress, who is also forbidden good looking and...whom you just ran into.

"Sorry. I was just taking pictures and didn't see you." You remain silent and still can't believe it.

"Aah...Parles-tu anglais?(english?)"..."Tu m'entends? (Can you hear me?)" She tries hard to speak french.

"Oh oui, I mean yes I can speak english"

"I thought you didn't understand me."

"It's ok. I just didn't expect to find you here. I'm surprised" you look at the Eiffel Tower. "Shall I show you around? Maybe I can help you if there are communication problems" you say helpfully.

Bella takes a breath while she thinks. "Why not, ok?" Suddenly two women come towards you.

"Ce n'est pas (isn't that) Bella Ramsey?" one of the girls says.

"Tu te trompes (you're mistaken)" You grab her arm and the two of you move on quickly.

You go to the Palace of Versailles and look around inside. Huge halls and beautiful paintings from the baroque period adorn the rooms.

Old, large furniture stands around as if you were in the past. Bella is obviously getting nervous. "Hey is everything ok?"

"There are some from yesterday's show...if they see me then everyone will know I'm here" she sounds almost panicked.

This is not how Bella had imagined the day. She wanted to spend a chill day in Paris.

Your eyes fall on one of the huge cupboards and without hesitation you grab her arm again.

"What the-" with a jerk you are both in the cupboard, almost body to body, you both look at the door and hope that no one will open it again.

"Pardon......"

"For wha-" she begins but falters as she looks you straight in the eye.

"M...merci?" Her cheeks turn red, but it's almost completely dark in the cupboard, the reason you can't see it.

You both hear your breathing, quickly, as if it's not oppressive enough, your heart puts in a speed run.

"mignon" just a whisper from your mouth.

"what?" Bella looks at you questioningly. "I said you're cute"

Bella can't find an answer and just stares at you.

"Sorry..." you look at the door and hear no more voices outside. As you try to open the door, you only feel a hand on yours.

"Wait...please" she speaks softly and your eyes fall on her. "What is it, we can get out. Nobo-" a kiss interrupts your sentence. Completely surprised, you close your eyes anyway and respond to her kiss.

"Pardon" now it is Bella who speaks while you look at her silently.

"Why did you do that?" You look at her guiltily.

"I just...you're cute too."

"Oh....well, we should probably go and see the rest before we fall asleep in here" you smirk sweetly at her which she returns and you both sneak out.

[fashionbooksmilano]

Le Style Windsor

Suzy Menkes

Chêne, Paris 1987, 224 pages, 22,5x28,5cm, reliure pleine toile éditeur, titre doré sur le dos, jaquette illustrée en couleur, ISBN 2851085344

Préface - 1. Art de vivre - 2. Distractions - 3. Les Windsor et la mode - 4. Objets de désir - Epilogue : La dispersion - Le livre de cuisine de la duchesse

euro 90,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Le Style Windsor est le premier ouvrage qui traite de la vie menée après la guerre par le duc et la duchesse dans leur hotel particulier de Paris. Là, l'ancien roi s'adonnait aux plaisirs du jardinage dans son jardin anglais aux mille fleurs. L'auteur nous trasporte également sur la Cote d'Azur dans une somptueuse villa nous suivons le duc et la duchesse dans un périple qui nous conduit entre autres à New York et à Palm Beach. 

La vie du duc et de la duchesse de Windsor, la décoration fastueuse de leurs maisons, leurs grandes soirées, les modes vestimentaires et culinaires qu'ils ont lancées et les objets de leurs collections.

[mxdimitrescu]

Love Found in Cafe

Synopsis: Krashlyn meets a charming stranger and falls for her charms.

Genre: Fluff

Pairings: Ashlyn Harris x August Kane x Ali Kreiger

(Masterlist)

As Ali stood outside their hotel room, tapping her foot impatiently, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. She had been ready for ages, while Ash seemed to be taking an eternity to perfect her hair. "Ash, come on!" she called out, her tone a mixture of impatience and amusement.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ash emerged from the room, still fussing over her hair. "You can't rush this hair, babe," she explained with a grin, completely unfazed by Ali's exasperation.

Rolling her eyes, Ali reached out and grabbed Ash's hand, urging her to hurry downstairs to the conference room. As they made their way through the hotel corridors, Ali couldn't help but tease Ash about her meticulous grooming routine, earning herself a playful swat on the arm in response.

Upon entering the conference room, they were greeted with a mix of cheers and teasing remarks from their teammates. Some chuckled knowingly, while others offered playful jibes about Ash's apparent tardiness.

"Looks like someone had a late start this morning!"

"Trouble in paradise, ladies?"

Ali shot a playful glare at the teasing voices, but couldn't help but chuckle along with them. She then turned to Ash and, with mock seriousness, declared, "You know, Ash, I think you might have set a new record for the longest time spent on hair maintenance this morning."

Ash laughed and playfully nudged Ali in response. "Hey, you know I have to look my best for our big day," she replied with a wink, earning herself an eye roll from Ali and a round of laughter from their teammates.

Ash huffed in mock annoyance as she flopped down into one of the empty chairs, earning a laugh from Ali as she settled in beside her. Jill, the team leader, approached the front of the room and cleared her throat, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Now that everybody's here," Jill began, her gaze lingering pointedly on Ash, "Today is your free day. We'll start training for the finals tomorrow. So, go out, explore, have fun, but be back here before 7pm for dinner and one last meeting."

With that, the team dispersed into smaller groups and headed out of the hotel. Ali, Ash, Christen, Tobin, Kelley, and Alex found themselves together, wandering the streets of Paris, France. They visited various shops and iconic landmarks, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city.

As they strolled along, something caught Ali's eye, and she tugged on Ash's hand, leading her away from the group. Curious, Ash followed, trusting Ali's instincts.

They soon found themselves outside a charming little café, the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods wafting through the air. Ash's stomach rumbled in response, and they eagerly joined the queue at the register, greeted warmly by the café staff.

"Bonjour, que puis-je faire pour vous aujourd'hui?" The café worker greeted them in French, her warm smile faltering slightly when she noticed the puzzled expressions on Ash and Ali's faces. Translation: Hello, what can I get for you today?")

Ash turned to Ali with wide eyes, silently mouthing, 'I don't know French.'

Ali's brows furrowed with concern. "Oh, um, we don't speak French. Perhaps English?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas anglais. Laissez-moi trouver quelqu'un qui le parle," the woman apologized, scanning the room for assistance. (Translation: "I'm sorry, I don't speak English. Let me find someone who does.")

Before Ali could respond, a smooth, slightly deep, raspy voice cut in, interrupting the frantic search. "No worries, I speak French," it declared confidently.

Ali and Ash turned to see a tall figure stepping forward, his voice exuding calm assurance. He gave them a reassuring smile, indicating that he would assist them.

Both Ali and Ash turned to see their savior, greeted by a very tall, tanned girl standing at about 6'2. She had shoulder-length curly hair that cascaded in wild waves and stormy gray eyes that seemed to hold a hint of mischief.

"What do you guys want?" she asked, her voice confident and friendly, her demeanor exuding a casual charm that put them at ease.

"Uhh um, two espressos, two macaroons, and one of those mocha cake slices," Ali mumbled out, feeling a bit flustered by the sudden assistance.

The stranger smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and turned to the café worker, effortlessly switching back to French. "Ils auront deux expressos, deux macarons, et une de ces parts de gâteau au moka. Je vais prendre un café glacé au caramel avec des crêpes fourrées au chocolat. Je vais les payer," she ordered, her tone polite but firm, her command of the language impeccable. (Translation: "They will have two espressos, two macaroons, and one of those mocha cake slices. I'll get an iced caramel coffee with chocolate-filled crepes. I'll pay for them.")

She handed her card over to the worker, who took it and swiftly swiped it through the machine before handing it back with a nod of approval. As Ash reached into her purse to retrieve the money, the stranger interjected, "No worries, I got you."

"Are you sure? It seems like quite a lot," Ali asked, her concern evident in her tone.

"I'm sure," the stranger replied with a reassuring smile, her eyes twinkling with sincerity.

"Well, then you should sit with us if you're going to pay for us," Ash offered, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"I will gladly take up the offer of eating with two gorgeous women such as yourselves," the stranger replied with a wink, causing a slight red tint to appear on both Ali and Ash's cheeks.

The three of them made their way to find an empty table and settled down, exchanging introductions as they waited for their order to arrive. "I just realized that I never introduced myself. I'm Ali, and this is my girlfriend, Ashlyn," Ali said, extending her hand in greeting.

"No worries, I'm August," she responded with a warm smile. "So, based on your accent, you're American. What brought you here?"

"The women's tournament actually," Ali replied.

"Oh, that's right, the women's soccer World Cup. You two soccer players?" August asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yep, Ali's a defender, and I'm the goalkeeper," Ash chimed in just as the café worker arrived with their food and drinks.

"Merci beaucoup," August said with a grateful smile as the lady walked away, leaving the three of them to enjoy their meal.

"Mmh, this is so good," Ash hummed happily after taking a sip of her coffee, earning chuckles from Ali and August.

"What about you? I can hear a slight American accent," Ash asked, intrigued.

"Ah yes, I'm from Florida actually, but I moved here when I turned 18 to attend a cooking school. I haven't been back since then," August explained.

"Oh, may I ask why you haven't come back?" Ali inquired gently.

"Sure...my parents died when I was 20 years old, and I don't have any other family, so there was nothing to come back to. I just decided to stay," August shrugged, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes before she quickly composed herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss," Ali said, her smile tinged with sadness.

"It's fine. I've grown to love this place anyway," August replied, her smile genuine despite the somber topic.

Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a phone, which turned out to be Ash's. She took the call and listened intently before hanging up with a sigh.

"Hey...it's 6:30 already? Yeah, we'll be there. Okay, bye," Ash informed Ali, turning to her with a sense of urgency. "We gotta go. Dinner is at 7 and then a meeting after that."

August's expression flickered with disappointment, but she quickly masked it as they glanced back at her. Despite the reluctance to end their conversation, they all stood up, disposed of their trash, and made their way out of the café. They stood in silence for a moment as the breeze gently brushed against them.

"So, umm, I guess this is goodbye. Good luck at the World Cup," August said softly as she turned to walk back to her home.

Ash and Ali felt a pang of regret as they watched August leave. They had shared a connection with her, a brief but meaningful moment that left an impression on them both. As August disappeared from view, they exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging the mutual feeling of reluctance to let her go.

But just as they were about to part ways, Ash's expression suddenly changed, a realization dawning on her.

"WAIT!"

August turned around to see Ash and Ali running toward her, their expressions filled with urgency.

"We have finals in two days. Come see us? We'll provide tickets," Ash asked hopefully, her voice tinged with desperation.

August bit her lip, considering their offer, before smiling at them. "Sure...gimme your phone."

Ash handed her phone to August, who quickly typed in her contact information before handing it back.

"You have my phone number. Text me about the tickets," August said as she turned and walked away, waving her hand back at them. "See ya gorgeous ladies later!"

Ali and Ash watched August as she disappeared around a corner, their hearts pounding with anticipation. Just as they were about to discuss their encounter, Ash's phone buzzed with a notification. Her face paled as she read the message.

"Ali..."

"Yeah?"

"We're ten minutes late..."

"Shit..." Ali cursed, realizing the gravity of their situation.

•••••

As the day of the game arrived, Krashlyn and August had been texting each other throughout the night and the next day, learning new things about each other. It was safe to say that Ali and Ash were slowly but surely developing feelings for August.

On the other hand, August was a bundle of nerves. She found herself attracted to both women, who were already in a relationship with each other. The late-night conversations only fueled the fire of emotions she felt for Ali and Ash, leaving her in a state of turmoil.

As the women's team entered onto the field for the game, Ali and Ash scanned the stands in hopes of spotting August, but she was nowhere to be found. The other girls on the team noticed their searching gazes and decided to inquire when they returned to the locker room.

Upon their return, Alex couldn't help but ask, "Ali, Ash, who or what were you looking for out there?"

Ash glanced at Ali for confirmation before she spoke up. "We met someone, two days ago when we went out. We ended up at this little café, and there was a communication barrier. Luckily, a stranger named August helped us out, and we invited her to sit with us. It was... amazing. We connected so well with her," Ali explained, her voice tinged with longing.

"When you guys called us that day, we didn't want to leave her so soon, so we invited her to the game," Ash added.

"So, you were looking for August, but I'm guessing she's not here?" Kelley asked, and Krashlyn nodded in confirmation.

"GAME TIME!" Jill's voice boomed into the locker room, putting the conversation on hold as the women geared up and headed outside to start the game.

In the first 20 minutes of the game, August finally arrived and took her seat in the stands. She watched in awe as Ash demonstrated pure concentration while managing the defense lineup, and she cheered enthusiastically when Ash made a crucial save. Meanwhile, Ali proved to be a formidable force in defending the ball from the goal box. Overall, August gained a newfound respect for the players and developed a newfound love for soccer.

The shrill sound of the whistle pierced through the air, signaling the end of the first half of the game. Players streamed off the field, seeking respite and hydration on the sidelines. Amidst the flurry of activity, Ali's gaze once again wandered to the stands, where she immediately caught August's eyes. A wide smile adorned August's face as she proudly sported Krieger's jersey, cheering fervently for Ali and Ash.

Ali's heart swelled with warmth as she called out to Ash, who initially looked at her in confusion until Ali motioned towards the stands. Ash followed Ali's gaze and spotted August, a surge of happiness coursing through her as their eyes met.

The second half commenced with the resounding blow of the whistle, and Ali and Ash shifted their focus back to the game, determined to give it their all and put on a show for August. For the next 45 minutes, they poured their hearts into every play, fueled by the desire to make their newfound friend proud.

As the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the game with a resounding 3-0 victory in favor of the USA, Ali and Ash's jubilation knew no bounds. They rushed towards each other, enveloping one another in a tight embrace before pulling back to share a celebratory kiss.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team made their way to the stands to reunite with their families, leaving Ali and Ash to make their way towards August, who was waiting at the barrier.

"Congrats, champs!" August exclaimed as they reached her, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "That was an amazing game—"

Before August could finish her sentence, Ali seized the moment, pulling her in by the jersey and pressing her lips against hers in a sudden, passionate kiss. The world seemed to stand still for a moment as they shared the intimate embrace.

Seconds later, Ash joined in, pulling August into another kiss, their connection electric and undeniable. As they finally pulled away, August was left speechless, her cheeks flushed with a deep blush as she processed the whirlwind of emotions that had just washed over her. And as they stood there, enveloped in the afterglow of victory and newfound affection, the surrounding spectators bore witness to the unexpected but undeniable chemistry between the three of them.

"I-I..." August stuttered, her mind reeling with a whirlwind of emotions.

Ali's voice broke through the tension, her tone filled with vulnerability. "Here's the thing," she began, her nerves palpable. "We like you. Like, a lot. And we want to date you... if that's something you're up for?"

August felt a rush of warmth flood her chest as she looked into the earnest eyes of Ali and Ash. Their sincerity was undeniable, and for a moment, all of August's doubts melted away. She found herself nodding slowly, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

But words seemed to escape her, and before she could respond, Ali leaned in and pressed her lips against August's, a gentle yet passionate kiss that spoke volumes. Ash followed suit, her touch equally tender as she captured August's lips in a tender embrace.

As they pulled away, August felt a surge of warmth and acceptance wash over her. "I like you two, and I'm all for it, gorgeous," she finally murmured, her voice filled with sincerity and affection.

The three women grinned at each other, a newfound sense of connection blossoming between them.

Their tender moment was interrupted by Kelley's booming voice echoing across the field. "ASH! ALI! We need to take pictures!"

Reluctantly, Ali and Ash broke away from August, their fingers lingering as they exchanged one last smile.

"We gotta go, talk to you later?" Ash asked, her eyes shimmering with excitement as they began to descend from the barrier.

"Of course. Have fun, and I'll call you later, loves," August replied, waving at them with a smile.

As she watched them walk away, August couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude wash over her. She knew that this was just the beginning of something beautiful, and she couldn't wait to see where this newfound connection would take them.

[maenoakasuna]

Façade Angélique - French Version of An Angel in Disguise

( FRENCH ) Hello ! J'ignore combien d'entre vous parle Français ici ou bien sir la communauté francophone ( canadienne ou Européenne ) est présente sur Tumblr, mais je prend tout de même le temps de vous mentionner que vous pouvez retrouver la version française de mon histoire sur Hazbin Hotel, sur wattpad.

Vous pouvez retrouver mon profil ici ( et je post plus vite en francais que en Anglais, car j'écris la version française d'abord )

Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas l'histoire, voici un petit résumé

Arrivée aux Enfers il y a un peu plus de deux semaines, Dagger, nouvellement morte, ne sait plus trop ou donner de la tête. Son nouvel environnement de vie est quelque peu perturbant. Confuse et sans le moindre souvenir de sa vie humain, elle tente sa chance à l'hotel Hazbin afin de trouver un peu d'aide. Elle ne cherche pas la rédemption, mais après avoir vu l'annonce de la princesse, elle se dit que cette dernière peut peut-être lui amener des ressources ou des indications afin de survivre ici.

Cette nouvelle vie offrira à Dagger de nouvelles émotions et sensations, des choses qu'elle n'a pas souvenir avoir pu expérimenter lors de son passage sur terre, mais tous cela à quel prix ? Entre la découverte d'un incroyable potentiel, de nouvelle amitié, l'amour, la luxure, la trahison, l'abus et le meurtre, la jeune fille apprendra l'atroce raison qui la conduite au cœur de se chaos Éternel.

[yodaprod]

Hotel Ruhl, Promenade des Anglais Nice. Detruit en 1970

[rabbitcruiser]

The Baltic Exhibition in Malmö opened on May 15, 1914.  

[postcard-from-the-past]

Hotel des Anglais in Menton, Côte d'Azur region of southern France

French vintage postcard

[mclennonlgbt]

Cafe On The Left Back is a McLennon song

Cafe on the left bank, ordinary wine Touching all the girls with your eyes Tiny crowd of Frenchmen round the TV shop Watching Charles De Gaulle make a speech English speaking people Drinking German beer Talking far too loud For their ears

We ended up staying the week in Paris – John was funding it all with his hundred quid. "We would walk miles from our hotel; you do in Paris. We’d go to a place near the Avenue des Anglais and we’d sit in the bars, looking good. I still have some classic photos from there. Linda loves one where I am sitting in a gendarme’s mac as a cape and John has got his glasses on askew and his trousers down revealing a bit of Y-front. The photographs are so beautiful, we’re really hamming it up. We’re looking at the camera like ‘Hey, we are artsy guys, in a café: this is us in Paris,’ and we felt like that. - Paul

source

[countrymusiclover]

70 - Fighting the Bite

Part 71

Her Life Means Everything

Sorry for the wait writer's block sucks. Send in any ideas you'd like to see ❤️

@mrs-fanfiction-2001 @the-big-bad-klaus @dragonixfrye @samsgirl93 @elijahmikaelsonbitch

Rubbing my neck I moaned, hating the feeling of getting it snapped and it was even worse that it was my husband and mate who had done it. Slowly moving my gaze around the room I could see that it was a large hotel room. Rising to my feet I looked out the window seeing it was broad daylight until I heard someone speaking behind me. “Je commençais à m’ennuyer en attendant que tu te réveilles, Maddison" (I was getting rather bored waiting for you to wake up, Maddison)

"Je n’ai pas fini mes cours de français. Pouvez-vous parler en anglais s’il vous plaît ?" (I didn't finish my French classes. Can you speak in English please?) I shook my head trying to remember the little bit of French that I knew from high school.

Turning around on my heels I already knew who it was by the tone of their voice. Throwing my hair over my shoulders seeing my husband standing before me. His blue eyes trained on me like I was some prey he was hunting. “If you’re so insistent then that must mean you are choosing to join me.”

“I’m not turning it off, Niklaus. How many times must I say that. I won’t go down that road again.” I snapped back at him with a glare.

My husband titled his head to the side with a smirk. He brushed his fingers over part of my neck so when he pulled back showing me that there was still some blood on them. "I would have thought that you would be begging by now for me to heal that bite. The effects will only start to get worse and unbearable."

"Niklaus Mikaelson how dare you! I am your mate. Your love and wife!" Pushing past him I moved my hair to the other side going to the bathroom mirror seeing that he had really bitten me.

He slumped down on a couch in the corner tapping his fingers on the armrests with one leg crossed over the over smirking in my direction. "And you refuse to listen to me. I mean come on, Maddie. Humanity must be killing you. You were asked to run an entire school while your sister ran all over the Earth hoping to find a solution to her daughter's merge. Then our daughters had to turn it off because Nikola killed her soulmate. Honestly you should be drowning in emotions."

"Well I'm not, Klaus! I won't take away the only part that makes me still be human. I did it once and it nearly broke me to deal with all the damage that I had created….now I am asking you to please come back to me. Turn it back on and help me reach our children." I begged him, clasping my hands together over my mouth.

He vamped up to his feet shoving me in between his body and the wall where I grunted on the impact. “I’m the Hybrid, love. I have more strength than you. I’m faster and smarter than you. If I wished to kill you I would do so right now without a second thought. I don’t need anyone.”

“Then why haven’t you?” I croaked out softly meeting his blue eyes. Moving my hands over his wrist I wrapped my fingers around it knowing he wasn’t using all of his strength now. “If you wanted me dead you would have killed me like you said. But you haven’t and that isn’t like you…You don’t have it in you because you now have that you care about more than yourself.”

He shoved himself away growling under his breath showing me his hybrid eyes. “You’re out of your mind, Maddie. What makes you think that I will care if you die. You have given me my children, who are adults now basically. I don’t need you to have fun with my switch flipped.”

“You think that you can live without me but that’s a lie.” Moving around the room I reached down into my boot revealing a tiny stake that I had taken from Alaric’s weapon system hidden in the bookshelf in his office. Twirling it in my fingers I met his gaze hoping that this worked like last time. “Well let’s see if you can handle the pain of possibly dying again…ugh mom.”

Over my husband’s shoulder I could see her standing there wearing her policeman outfit. She slowly walked up to me where I shuttered not expecting to see her again. “How could you let this happen, Maddie. How could you let your children become monsters? I gave my blessing to that hybrid to let him marry you and you let them kill people.”

“I didn’t mean to do anything, mom. I - I’m trying to fix it.” I responded toward her ignoring that Klaus had walked around me sipping some blood from a glass watching me basically talk to the wall.

My mother stomped up, slapping me across the face and throwing the tiny stake across the room. Which in reality was just me throwing it away myself. “You’re not doing a good job. If anything I will say it is your fault and that you should be the one to suffer.”

“You don’t mean that, mom.” I shook my head sniffing some tears that were falling down my face.

“Who the hell are you talking to, Mads. Oh that’s right I don’t care about healing you of your precious werewolf bite. Unless you turn it off. Piece of advice: hallucinations can be a nasty side effect from what I heard from Damon Salvatore.” Klaus whispered in my ear where I sucked in a breath turning my head so our noses were brushing up against each other.

“Shut up, Nik. I said bloody no!” I raised my voice at him before I turned my head back to focus on my dead hallucination of my mother. “Now what are you talking about, mom. I won’t flip my switch if that’s what you want.”

She lifted her hand up grabbing my hand that had my twin and also known as my daylight ring on it. “Take this off for a moment and maybe it will snap you out to figure out how to fix the problem. Or realize that this could have been avoided if you never gave birth to Tribrids.”

“I’m not gonna do that. And my children are not monsters. They are good.” I spat in her face turning my hands into fists until I felt dizzy and I stumbled backwards against the window. “Agh Nik please I’m begging you… make this stop!”

He bends down on a knee lifting my left hand in his twirling the ring in between his fingers. “Sssh love. Take your ring off for a brief moment and stand in the sunlight. Then I will heal you from the bite.”:

“Nik, you can’t be serious. You won’t let me die in the sunlight. We love each other and we are mated for life. You’ll feel it too-“ I attempted to say but he slid it off rising to his feet while I remained pressed up against the corner where the sun wasn’t coming through.

He leaned forward dangling the ring in front of my face where I reached for it but he yanked it back and kept it away from my reach. “Ah ah nice try, Mads. But here’s what we are going to do. Either you do as I say and get this back or I let you die from the werewolf bite. It’s your choice.”

Blinking some tears through my eyes seeing that his facial expression hasn’t changed. No matter what I say until I snap him back to normal he won’t care what happens to me. “Klaus, just so you know. I still love you, always and forever.” Rising to my feet he stepped back watching me take two steps toward the window feeling the burning the second I was in the sun. I screamed crying heavily until someone shoved me against the bed where I gasped, locking my eyes onto the baby blues.

“Maddie, bloody hell. I'm sorry - I’m so sorry.” He croaked, hovering over me reaching into his pocket grabbing my ring and doing his best to put it back on.

I gasped, releasing some happy tears hearing the change in his voice. Moving my hands up I ran my ring through his hair pulling his head down to rest his forehead against mine. “Sssh it’s alright. I know it wasn’t you, Nik….I love you.”

“I love you more than anything, Mads.” He declared, crashing his lips down onto mine. Wrapping my arms around his neck kissing him back where he started to tear my shirt until the phone was ringing like crazy. “You gotta be kidding me!”

Reaching for my phone from the side table I sat up answering the call. “Who is this?”

“Auntie Mads, it’s Lizzie. Your crazy daughter killed me. And now I am freaking sired to her!” I recognized the voice of one of my nieces. Klaus sat up and we both couldn’t hear her heartbeat meaning something must have happened.

Running a hand through my hair I dared to ask. “Lizzie, what are you saying?”

“I’m a Heretic. Half witch and half vampire.” She replied back.

Looking at my husband a smirk grew on his face when he started chucking at her response. “She’s a hybrid now.” Hanging up the phone I knew we had to find our daughters and get them back before they destroyed the world in blood.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[les-mirben-en-baviere-et-demain]

J3▪️Liebenburg - Obertal

23,5 km [76,0]▫️+495 m [+970]▫️23°C

De bon matin, nous prenons le bus 860 de 10:37 qui, pour 9€20, nous déposera à l’arrêt Liebenburg-Post, à l’endroit précis où le taxi nous avait récupérés la veille. Pas un mètre ne manquera à la continuité de notre parcours !

Nous repartons vers le sud à travers champs et forêts jusqu’à la charmante ville de Goslar, si charmante qu’elle est inscrite au patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco. D’un autre côté, c’est facile d’être charmante quand on est au pied de la montagne du Rammelsberg (636 m) qui regorge d’un minerai riche en argent exploité depuis le moyen-âge.

Nous quittons la foule des touristes pour nous élever sur les flancs du Rammelsberg jusqu’à un petit col d’où nous suivrons une vallée étroite qui nous fera rentrer dans le massif montagneux du Harz.

C’est au moment où le chemin rejoint la route que nous découvrons, au creux d’un lacet, le Harz-Hotel Waldhaus où nous devons passer la nuit. C’est une immense bâtisse dont l’architecture hétéroclite révèle une succession de propriétaires avec des desseins commerciaux différents, la cabane à frites sur le parking désert en étant certainement l’illustration la plus récente. Nous montons les marches menant à la terrasse, toujours un peu en mode « y-a-quelqu’un » quand on arrive dans de tels endroits. Là, nous ne sommes pas déçus. Un géant en crocks et bermuda à bretelles se lève de la table ombragée où il sirotait une petite bière pour venir nous accueillir en anglais. On était manifestement attendu, ça fait plaisir !

Et en moins de temps qu’il ne faut pour le dire, nous sommes assis avec une bière et nous savons que Klaas est Hollandais et qu’à 54 ans, réfléchissant au sens de sa vie sur la route des vacances, s’est dit pourquoi n’achèterais-je pas ce vieil hôtel abandonné depuis 10 ans devant lequel on vient de passer ? Sur le trajet du retour, il s’y arrête à nouveau. Pas de regrets, c’est là qu’il finira sa vie à accueillir les randonneurs, les motards de passage et les familles de Hollandais sur la route des vacances… Et pour manger ce soir ? Et bien, il y a le choix entre des Pannenkoeken, une spécialité hollandaise entre le crêpe et le pancake où on peut mettre dessus des pommes, de l’ananas ou du fromage, et… des Pannenkoeken. Ben, on va prendre des Pannenkoeken alors ! Et si j’étais vous je choisirais les Pannenkoeken aux pommes et fromage. Bon, ben on va prendre des Pannenkoeken aux pommes et fromage alors ! Et c’est ainsi que, pour tout repas, nous avons dégusté nos Pannenkoeken mit Apfel und käse au son de chansons françaises sussurées par le haut-parleur dissimulé dans l’arbre sous lequel nous dînons. So romantisch !

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹     this  whole  situation  was  unfair  to  himself.  brady  knew  that.  all  he  was  doing  was  pretending.  for  years,  him  and  indie  had  just  narrowly  missed  each  other.  each  valentine’s  day  for  the  last  five  years,  at  least  one  of  them  had  been  dealing  through  some  kind  of  (  difficult  and  often  forced  )  relationship.  even  if  he  had  wanted  to  spend  his  day  with  indie,  do  something  special  to  show  her  his  appreciation,  other  people  had  always  been  in  the  way.  what  would  his  girlfriends  think  if  he  had  put  more  effort  into  doing  something  for  her  than  he  had  for  them?  what  would  her  partners  think  if  he  had  outshone  the  mediocre  effort  they  had  ever  put  in  for  her?  they  were  circling  around  each  other  like  uncertain  sharks.  but  this  year,  things  were  different.  this  year,  neither  of  them  were  tied  down.  neither  of  them  had  obligations.  the  moment  he  realized  that  they  were  both  going  to  end  up  alone  on  valentine’s  day,  brady  knew  he  had  to  take  his  chance.  next  year  it  might  be  different.  after  all,  it  was  only  going  to  be  a  matter  of  time  before  indie  picked  up  someone  new,  before  he  was  yet  again  tossed  aside  for  a  shiny  new  toy.  

it  wasn’t  all  a  selfish  game  of  make-believe,  though.  that,  really,  was  only  a  small  part  of  it.  for  years,  he  had  watched  as  indie  spent  valentine’s  day  getting  less  than  what  she  deserved.  every  day  deserved  to  be  special,  but  there  was  inherent  expectations  that  came  with  february  fourteenth─  and  even  despite  the  obviousness  of  it,  indie  constantly  came  up  empty.  he  wanted  to  do  something  nice  for  her.  he  wanted  to  make  her  smile,  to  make  her  feel,  even  briefly,  special.  he  tried  to  convince  gina  that  it  was  just  a  friend  trying  to  look  out  for  another  friend  that  had  a  rough  year  romantically,  but  they  both  knew  what  it  really  was─  brady  was  madly  in  love  with  her,  and  yet  again  looking  for  a  way  to  set  himself  on  fire  to  keep  indigo  rodriguez  warm.  “  you  know,  everybody  always  says  that  paris  is  supposed  to  be  the  most  romantic  city  in  the  world,  but  think  about  how  god-damn  cold  it  is  there  right  now.  “  he  dropped  down  onto  the  comfortable  hotel  bed  beside  her,  accidentally  spilling  some  of  his  wine  on  himself.  he  frowned  at  the  droplet  as  it  rolled  off  his  hand  and  pulled  it  up  towards  his  mouth,  and  at  the  same  time,  he  held  her  glass  out  towards  her.  “  and  busy!  like  i’ve  been  to  paris  at  least  three  times,  and  it’s  the  most  over-rated  place  to  go,  i  think.  all  the  snooty  french  people��  ‘  non,  non,  je  ne  parle  pas  anglais.  je  suis  français  et  je  suis  meilleur  que  vous  les  américains.  “  the  accent  was  overdone,  but  it  was  an  attempt  to  make  her  laugh─  he  eyed  her  curiously  to  see  if  the  joke  landed.  “  and  italy  has  better  pasta,  in  my  opinion.  “  /  INDIE  (  @overwhlcmed​  )​