#frank to bastien

[cryptid-killjoy]

The Firebug always loves his lighters. He'll start keeping this one in his pocket and use this one down till the fuel runs out and then keep it in pile of special ones he keeps for memories. His little treasure box of lighters.

From Frank to Bastien.

[ozkar-krapo]

V/A

"Festival MIMI 88 - Scène Ouverte / Open Stage"

(cassette. Association AMI. 1989 / rec. 1988)

[just-chaotically-me]

Favorite Portrait Painters

1. John Everett Millais & Dante Gabriel Rossetti

2. Edward John Poynter, Tom Lea, Konstantin Flavitsky, Frank Cadogan Cowper, & Jules Bastien-Lepage

*Painters who have at one point painted a painting that is a portrait that is one of my favorites or I like their portraits as a whole

[cryptid-killjoy]

HC: Delta Castle / Feral Easter

Bastien's current phone screens - Lock and Home

Also Note: Of course he would stoked to get back into his role as the Easter Bunny again this year. Of course he's made that a tradition and will be seen mascot head bunny proud again for their kid this year. It makes him feel magical. Keeping things traditional this year. He's still up ringing the bells and taking his family to the cathedral for Easter service with Friar Tuck, The Minstrel, and Lord Claudius will be staying there for the holiday giving Piper her breathing space.

Delta will be in a mood and wear what she calls her spring acid green dress to the Hunch's service which we all know she'd never go to if it wasn't for the Hunch. That said she'll be in Easter mode for him. Even Diablo would have on tiny crow sized spatz around his birdy ankles that matched her dress. Middle aged avatar Diablo would take his first attempts at painting and gift the above image to Frank and Delta. Homage of the season, sure, but more a take on his double life, and his tribute to them both as one. The longer Maleficent stays in the fairy realm the more connected he becomes with Delta again. He's becoming very used to viewing her and Frank as one because he's in her head and feelings. She lives and breathes this way, so it's hard for him not to feel the same.

[personal-reporter]

Lucca Comics and Games 2023

Il Lucca Comics & Games torna, dall'1 al 5 novembre, come tema dominante dalla nuova edizione Together, l'importanza dello stare insieme nella capitale mondiale della cultura pop, con oltre 45.000 mq di area espositiva per migliorare sempre di più l’esperienza della community. Quest’anno tutti i linguaggi della Nona Arte saranno declinati da oltre 300 artisti e artiste, tra cui 45 ospiti internazionali provenienti da Stati Uniti, Giappone, Spagna, Francia, Corea del Sud, Cina, Canada, Inghilterra, Argentina, Israele, Turchia, Croazia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Belgio in cui i lettori e le lettrici di fumetti di ogni età potranno godere dal vivo di incontri, firmacopie, anteprime, variant cover ed eventi esclusivi. Oltre a nomi come Naoki Urasawa, Hiro Mashima, Mingwa, Masaaki Ninomiya, Usamaru Furuya sarà ospite di Lucca Comics & Games con incontri e firmacopie e sarà anche uno dei protagonisti delle esposizioni allestite a Palazzo Ducale con la sua mostra, dal titolo This Time is Different; Kan Takahama sarà protagonista della mostra off Kan Takahama: le storie nascoste e incontrerà il pubblico in sessioni di firme ed eventi, Keigo Shinzo sarò presente grazie alla collaborazione con Dynit Manga; Shintaro Kago presenta la sua prima serie a fumetti,  Eldo Yoshimizu, artista a tutto tondo, scultore e mangaka indipendente, incontrerà lettori e lettrici italiani grazie a Bao Publishing e  Satsuki Yoshino, autrice di Barakamon, è pronta a conquistare il pubblico italiano grazie alla collaborazione con GOEN - RW Edizioni. Dal panorama internazionale, anglosassone ed europeo, arriveranno Garth Ennis, Jim Lee, Don Rosa, Amélie Fléchais, Craig Thompson, Howard Chaykin, Tony Valente, oltre a Bryan Talbot, Declan Shalvey, Jesse Jacobs e il duo Joe Kelly e Ken Niimura, che presentano Sergente Immortale per Bao. Il panorama franco/belga ed europeo sarà esplorato da autori come Jordi Lafebre, David Rubin, Goran Sudzuka,Martin Panchaud, Elizabeth Pich e il duo Bastien Vivès e Martin Quenehen con la nuova avventura di Corto Maltese, La regina di Babilonia. Non mancheranno naturalmente gli ospiti italiani,con le figure della produzione contemporanea tra cui Gipi, Milo Manara, Leo Ortolani, Zerocalcare, Sio (e tutto il gruppo di Gigaciao), Pera Toons, Silvia Ziche, Paolo Bacilieri, Igort, Fumettibrutti, Werther Dell’Edera, Barbara Baraldi, Simone Bianchi e tantissimi altri. Ma il fumetto italiano è protagonista anche con due antologiche, dedicate a due maestri nostrani e diversissimi tra loro infatti, oltre alla mostra di Dino Battaglia nel quarantennale della morte, a Palazzo Ducale sarà possibile fare un viaggio nella multisfaccettata opera di AkaB, al secolo Gabriele Di Benedetto, scomparso nel 2019 ed eletto Maestro del Fumetto postumo nel 2020 a Lucca Comics & Games. Nel 2023 anche Magic: The Gathering, il gioco community-based per eccellenza, che rappresentò ai tempi del suo esordio un vera e propria rivoluzione per il settore ludico, compie trent’anni r Lucca Comics & Games fa un omaggio al primo trading card game della storia e alla sua community dedicandole una mostra in Palazzo Arnolfini e una Magic Alley a Lucca Games, che ospiterà ben 18 artisti di fama internazionale fra i quali Adam Paquette, Andrea Piparo, Jeff Laubenstein, Jesper Ejsing, Johan Grenier, Justine Jones, Marta Nael,Michele Giorgi, Mark Zug, Mila Pesic, Randy Vargas, Richard Kane-Ferguson, RK Post, Seb McKinnon, Svetlin Velinov,e Tony DiTerlizzi. È prevista l'anteprima italiana del documentario su Magic: The Gathering “Igniting the Spark”, che verrà proiettato per la prima volta proprio a Lucca alla presenza di regista, showrunner e produttori. I percorsi espositivi dedicati al gioco e al fantastico quest’anno vedranno ben 6 mostre, fra le quali un'esposizione all’interno del padiglione Carducci di stampe di altissima qualità e miniature del maestro indiscusso dell’illustrazione fantasy, Frank Frazetta, realizzato in collaborazione con Corner4Art e Mindworks, oltre alla presenza in fiera di un’ospite d’eccezione: Sara Frazetta, la nipote di Frank, che ha dato vita 10 anni fa al portale Frazetta Girls raccogliendo l'eredità del nonno per condividerla con i fan. Read the full article

[alexlacquemanne]

Mai MMXXV

Films

Deux Romains en Gaule (1967) de Pierre Tchernia avec Roger Carel, Jacques Morel, Roger Pierre, Jean-Marc Thibault, Jean Yanne, René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo, Robert Beauvais, Max Favalelli, Maurice Biraud, Roger Couderc, Pierre Dac, Francis Blanche, Anne Sand Anne Marie Carrière, Jacqueline Huet et Françoise Camplan

Dossier secret (Mr. Arkadin) (1955) de et avec Orson Welles et aussi Robert Arden, Akim Tamiroff, Grégoire Aslan, Patricia Medina, Jack Watling, Mischa Auer, Peter van Eyck, Michael Redgrave et Suzanne Flon

Psych 3: This Is Gus (2021) de Steve Franks avec James Roday Rodriguez, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, Jazmyn Simon, Corbin Bernsen, Kurt Fuller, Sage Brocklebank, Allen Maldonado, Curt Smith, Ray Wise et Sophia Reid-Gantzert

Deuxième Chance à Brooklyn (The Angriest Man in Brooklyn) (2014) de Phil Alden Robinson avec Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Melissa Leo, Peter Dinklage, Hamish Linklater, Sutton Foster, James Earl Jones et Richard Kind

Les Reines du ring (2013) de Jean-Marc Rudnicki avec Marilou Berry, Nathalie Baye, André Dussollier, Audrey Fleurot, Corinne Masiero, Isabelle Nanty, Jacques Frantz, Cyril Gueï, Philippe Chereau et Christophe Agius

Pour une poignée de dollars (Per un pugno di dollari) (1964) de Sergio Leone avec Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Antonio Prieto, Sieghardt Rupp, Wolfgang Lukschy, José Calvo, Joseph Egger et Margarita Lozano

Les Derniers Jours de Pompéi (Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei) (1959) de Mario Bonnard et Sergio Leone avec Steve Reeves, Christine Kaufmann, Fernando Rey, Barbara Carroll, Anne-Marie Baumann, Angel Aranda, Mimmo Palmara, Guillermo Marín et Carlo Tamberlani

L'Importance d'être Constant (The Importance of Being Earnest) (2002) d'Oliver Parker avec Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench, Anna Massey et Edward Fox

Et pour quelques dollars de plus (Per qualche dollaro in più) (1965) de Sergio Leone avec Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volontè, Mario Brega, Luigi Pistilli, Klaus Kinski, Aldo Sambrell, Benito Stefanelli, Panos Papadopoulos, Luis Rodríguez et Mara Krupp

Good Bye Lenin! (2003) de Wolfgang Becker avec Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Maria Simon, Chulpan Khamatova, Alexander Beyer, Florian Lukas, Burghart Klaussner, Michael Gwisdek, Christine Schorn et Jürgen Holtz

Entre les lignes (Mothering Sunday) (2021) d'Eva Husson avec Odessa Young, Glenda Jackson, Josh O'Connor, Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Sope Dirisu, Emma D'Arcy et Patsy Ferran

Mission: impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) de Christopher McQuarrie avec Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham et Mark Gatiss

Je sais rien, mais je dirai tout (1973) de et avec Pierre Richard et aussi Bernard Blier, Didier Kaminka, Luis Rego, Georges Beller, Pierre Tornade, Daniel Prévost, Danielle Minazzoli, Nicole Jamet, Robert Davain, Hélène Duc, Francis Lax et Pierre Repp

Le Bon, la Brute et le Truand (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo) (1966) de Sergio Leone avec Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffré, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Mario Brega et Antonio Molino Rojo

Jeanne du Barry (2023) de et avec Maïwenn et aussi Johnny Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, India Hair, Suzanne de Baecque, Capucine Valmary, Laura Le Velly, Diego Le Fur et Pauline Pollmann

Partir un jour (2025) d'Amélie Bonnin avec Juliette Armanet, Bastien Bouillon, François Rollin, Tewfik Jallab, Dominique Blanc, Mhamed Arezki, Pierre-Antoine Billon et Amandine Dewasmes

Les Buddenbrook, le déclin d'une famille (Buddenbrooks) (2008) de Heinrich Breloer avec Armin Mueller-Stahl, Jessica Schwarz, Mark Waschke, August Diehl, Iris Berben, Léa Bosco, Alexander Fehling, Justus von Dohnányi, Martin Feifel et Nina Proll

Séries

Asterix et Obélix : Le Combat des chefs

Episode I - Episode II - Episode III - Episode IV - Episode V

Le Flic de Shangaï Saison 2

Double jeu - Cieux inamicaux - Espion, réveille-toi - Virus mortel - Sammo Père Noël - Pas de quartier - Sammo contre Scorpio - Congé forcé - Un après-midi de chien - C’est pas du cinéma ! - Sammo, Texas Ranger : première partie - Chute libre - Peur de rien - Une affaire de cœur - Arme fatale - Ultime conflit : première partie - Ultime conflit : deuxième partie

Les Nouvelles Aventures de Zorro Saison 2

L'Enlèvement - La Séductrice - La Leçon d'escrime - Liberté de la presse - Le Refuge - La Traque - Le Tricheur - La Brebis galeuse - Seul contre trois - Le Défi de Plume Noire - Le Faucon - L'Ombre d'un doute - La Vengeance - Le Grand Frère - Être un homme - Le Voleur qui sifflait - Le Nouvel Alcade - L'Épée de Charlemagne - Des sorciers à Los Angeles - La Forteresse du Diable : première partie - La Forteresse du Diable : deuxième partie - Un pour tous et tous pour un : première partie - Un pour tous et tous pour un : deuxième partie

K2000 Saison 4

Joyeux anniversaire - Le vainqueur - Derrière les barreaux - Quartier en danger - Le parfum des roses - La machine à tuer - Abattage illégal - Attention : magie - La rédemption du champion - Los mil diablos - Les incendiaires - Le chemin de la liberté - Le saboteur - Le soleil levant - Knight et le vaudou

Friends Saison 10

Celui qui n'arrivait pas à se confier - Celui qui allait très bien - Celui qui avait décidé de bronzer - Celui qui transformait le gâteau d'anniversaire - Celui qui écrivait une lettre de recommandation - Celui qui a failli avoir la subvention - Celui qui bluffait l'assistante sociale - Celui qui ratait Thanksgiving - Ceux qui rencontraient la mère biologique - Celui qui se faisait coincer - Celui qui trahissait le pacte - Celui qui jouait le rôle du père - Celui qui jouait le rôle du père - Celui qui baragouinait - Celui qui n'aimait pas la maison - Celui qui faisait tout pour retenir Rachel - Celui qui n'aimait pas les adieux - Ceux qui s'en allaient

Affaires sensibles

Robert-François Damiens ou le régicide raté de Louis XV - L’incroyable histoire du magot des Postiches - L'ouragan Katrina. Une semaine en enfer - Prora, un symptôme allemand - Paris 1903, la catastrophe du métropolitain - Naissance du Festival de Cannes : le combat du monde libre - Le Palace : L’Apogée des branchés - 28 septembre 1978, la mort de Jean-Paul Ier - Israël contre le nucléaire iranien - 1938, La Guerre des mondes mise en ondes par Orson Welles

Doctor Who Season 2

Lucky Day - The Story & the Engine - The Interstellar Song Contest - Wish World - The Reality War

Hudson et Rex Saison 5

Justice ou vengeance - Fraude à l'investissement - Le naufrage de la dépêche - Bienvenue en Ontario - Cap au Nord - Une trop longue absence - Plus rien à perdre - Chacun ses goûts - Un dernier pour la route

Kaamelott Livre IV, V

Les Tacticiens : première partie - Les Tacticiens : deuxième partie - Drakkars ! - La Réponse - Unagi IV - La Permission - Anges et Démons - La Rémanence - Le Refuge - Le Dragon gris - La Potion de vivacité II - Vox populi III - La Sonde - La Réaffectation - La Poétique II : première partie - La Poétique II : deuxième partie - Le Jeu de la guerre - Le Rêve d’Ygerne - Les Chaperons - L’Habitué - Le Camp romain - L’Usurpateur - Loth et le Graal - Le Paladin - Perceval fait ritournelle - La Dame et le Lac - Beaucoup de bruit pour rien - L’Ultimatum - Le Oud II - La Répétition - Le Discours - Le Choix de Gauvain - Fluctuat nec mergitur - Le Face-à-face : première partie - Le Face-à-face : deuxième partie - L’Entente cordiale - L’Approbation - Alone in the Dark II - La Blessure d’Yvain - Corpore sano II - L’Enchanteur - Les Bien Nommés - La Prisonnière - Les Paris III - Les Plaques de dissimulation - Le Vice de forme - Le Renoncement : première partie - Le Renoncement deuxième partie - L’Inspiration - Les Endettés - Double Dragon - Le Sauvetage - Le Désordre et la Nuit - Corvus Corone - La Roche et le Fer - Vae Soli !

Meurtres au paradis Saison 14

L’armoire des scellés - Fin de course - Pour qui sont ces serpents - Un rhum frelaté - Carton rouge - Arnaque amoureuse - L'affaire Dorna Bray - Sous la carapace

Mademoiselle Holmes Saison 2

Suivez le chat - Dans la cage - Une histoire de sœurs - Reine de beauté - Toxique - Jour J

Le Voyageur Saison 4

La femme oubliée

The Rookie Saison 7

Une affaire pas comme les autres - Le retour - Trop belle pour moi - Le bon, la brute et l'Oscar

Top Gear France Saison 10

Ceux qui deviennent de vrais militaires

Walker Texas Ranger Saison 8

Le Grand Nettoyage

Mission : Impossible Saison 1

Complot à Santa Costa - Mémoire - Opération Rogosh

Spectacles

L'effet Miroir (2024) de Léonore Confino avec Eric Laugérias, Caroline Anglade, François Vincentelli et Jeanne Arènes

Deep Purple with Orchestra: Live At Montreux (2011)

Renaud : Tournée d'enfer (2003) au Zénith Arena de Lille

Une femme trop honnête (1978) de Georges Vitaly avec Judith Magre, Bernard Lavalette, Francis Lax, Danièle Deray, Madeleine Barbulée, Jacques Verlier, Maurice Teynac et Christiane Muller

Madonna : Drowned World Tour (2001)

Jacques Dutronc : Et vous, et vous, et vous (2010)

Tout va très bien ! (2025) de Ray Cooney et Michael Cooney avec Laurent Ournac, Arthur Jugnot, Zoé Bibaud, Michel Cremades, Sébastien Pierre, Gaëlle Gauthier, Manu Rui Silva et Lydie Muller

Le Professeur Rollin a encore quelque chose à dire (2003)

Si on savait (2022) de Eric Fraticelli avec Daniel Russo, Véronique Genest, Jean-Luc Porraz, Erwan Téréné et Bénédicte Dessombz

Livres

Simplement 2 : 25 ans de commentaires de Philippe Chéreau et Christophe Agius

Kaamelott : Un livre d'histoire de Florian Besson et Justine Breton

Astérix, tome 22 : La Grande Traversée de René Goscinny et Albert Uderzo

Le dimanche des mères de Graham Swift

[tchintchun]

February Readings:

Media Articles (ones I enjoyed, not every single article I read):

The Boorong Pride Themselves Upon Knowing More of Astronomy Than Any Other by Duane Hamacher, Amanda Goldfarb, Bridget Kelly, and Emma Barnett

Did Giant Ice Age Beasts Carve These Vast Caves in South America? by Meghie Rodrigues

The Environmental Wisdom Encoded in Endangered Languages by Katarina Zimmer

Extinction is Still Forever by Christopher Preston

Finding Meteorite Impacts in Aboriginal Oral Tradition by Duane Hamacher

How Hazelnuts Reveal Secrets from an Ancient BC City by Amanda Follett Hosgood

In Brazil, a Powerful Law Protects Biodiversity and Blocks Corporate Piracy by Mark Schapiro

In Hawai'i, Restoring Kava Helps Sustain Native Food Culture by Naoki Nitta

Islands of the Feral Pigs by Brendan Borrell

The Languages Lost to Climate Change by Julia Webster Ayuso

The Mashpee Wampanoag Work With a Cape Cod Town to Restore Their Fishing Grounds by Emma Glassman-Hughes

The Pleiades: Humanity's Oldest Story?

Return of the California Condor by Iván Carrillo

The Secrets of Machaj Juyai-Kallawaya by Carmen Beatriz Loza

The Three-Way Race to Exploit Deep-Sea Life by Rebekah White

What is Biocultural Diversity and Why Does It Matter? by Peter Bridgewater and Suraj Upadhaya

Where the Savior Fish Still Swims by Shanna Baker

Scholarly&Scientific Articles

"Courtly Love and Chivalry in the Later Middle Ages" by Larry D. Benson

"Differences Between Kallawaya-Andean and Greek-European Humoral Theory" by Joseph W. Bastien

"From Soldadera to Adelita: The Depiction of Women in the Mexican Revolution" by Delia Fernández

"Historical Indigenous Land-Use Explains Plant Functional Trait Diversity" by Chelsey Geralda Armstrong, Jesse E. D. Miller, Alex C. McAlvay, Patrick Morgan Ritchie, and Dana Lepofsky

"The Legacy of Cultural Landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon: Implications for Biodiversity" by Michael J. Heckenberger, J Christian Russell, Joshua R Toney, and Morgan J Schmidt

"Megaichnus igen. nov.: Giant Paleoburrows Attributed to Extinct Cenozoic Mammals from South America" by Renato Pereira Lopes, Heinrich Theodor Frank, Francisco Sekiguchi de Carvalho Buchmann & Felipe Caron

"Los Naturistas -- Healers Who Integrate Traditional and Biomedical Explanations in Their Treatment in the Bolivian Health Care System" by Henriette Bruun and Beth Elverdam

"Nineteenth-Century Experimentation and the Role of Indigenous Foods in Australian Food Culture" by Barbara Santich

"Observations of Red Giant Variable Stars by Aboriginal Australians" by Duane Hamacher

"Population Densities and the Range-Carrying Capacity for Large Mammals in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda" by George A. Petrides and Wendell G. Swank

"Seaweeds in Japanese Culture: An Analysis of Medieval Waka Poetry" by Felix Bast

"Societal Changes in Ancient Greece Impacted Terrestrial and Marine Environments" by Andreas Koutsodendris, Joseph Maran, Ulrich Kotthoff, et al.

"'Soldaderas' and the Staging of the Mexican Revolution" by Alicia Arrizón

"Spirit Eye Cave: Reestablishing Provenience of Trafficked Prehistoric Human Remains Using a Composite Collection-Based Ancient DNA Approach" by Bryon Schroeder, Tre Blohm, and Meradeth H. Snow

"The Thermal Performance of Chinese Vernacular Skywell Dwellings" by Gang Yao, Dongting Han, Li Zhang, and Zhongcheng Duan

"Why Are There Seven Sisters?" by Ray P. Norris and Barnaby R. M. Norris

Short Stories

"El Eclipse" by Augusto Monterroso

[jw-waterhouse]

Good Neighbors / Gossips (1885), by J.W. Waterhouse

In the second half of the 1880’s, Waterhouse had earned enough recognition to begin searching for his own style.  Next to the traditional classical subjects that were still highly appreciated by his clients, he painted more and more realistic scenes in which he experimented with the effects of natural light.

He was influenced by painters living in the same block of the Primrose Hill Studios, such as his friends: William Logsdail and Frank Bramley.  In this particular work, he also adopted the style of the French painter Jules Bastien Lepage and other painters of the so-called Newlyn School, named after the fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall.

[dontbotherwiththepronunciation]

Feel free to ignore all of this because I don't want to be obnoxious, but yes! Lots! I sometimes do collages so my mind is usually going through that question.

Trost by Edvard Munch is Theon-Jeyne coded in my opinion.

Zwei Männer mit Nimben by Egon Schiele is very Stavos to me.

Edmund Blair Leighton's The hostage is almost exactly what I picture when I think of Arya's first chapter during AGOT

This illustration by Florence Harrison is what I am manifesting for the wormlipped monster during TWOW.

Christen Brun's A Basket of Ribbons also makes me think of Arya in Braavos for some reason.

I don't like the Robb-Jesus comparison but I love Catelyn-Mary, two mothers who know their sons are doomed and have to suffer for that, so I am allowing myself to propose Luis de Morales' Pieta for some Catelyn-Robb feelings

Jules Bastien-Lepage' Joan Of Arc is something I associate to Brienne.

This detail of Edwin Austin Abbey's Cordelia's Farewell makes me think of Sansa and Petyr

Really curious on your Mary Magdalene picture for Jeyne Poole because I have my own Mary Magdalene picture for Jeyne: Santa Maria Maddalena by Archimede Bresciani (even started a small project with this)

Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan by Ilya Repin is Stannis & Renly to me and I'm pretty sure it has served as a reference to this, but I can also see it as Catelyn & Robb or even Cersei and one of her children.

Speaking of Cersei's children, Myrcella in Frank Cadogan Cowper's Vanity

And also Cersei in Frank Cadogan Cowper's Lucretia Borgia Reigns in the Vatican in the Absence of Pope Alexander VI

I also like Anselm Feuerbach's Orpheus and Eurydice for Theon & Jeyne's escape. It feels oddly fitting to Theon, ADWD.

With Rowan's help, Theon got Jeyne Poole into Squirrel's clothes. If the gods are good and the guards are blind, she may pass. "Now we are going out and down the steps," Theon told the girl. "Keep your head down and your hood up. Follow Holly. Don't run, don't cry, don't speak, don't look anyone in the eye."

A lot of Egon Schiele reminds me of Theon, but Man Bendind Down Deeply is the favourite.

The Chess Players by Thomas Eakins and this other illustration by Florence Harrison feel like the girls in the Vale Sansa, Mya and Myranda, to me.

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale's The Little Foot Page is also Arya-coded to me, especially Harrenhall Arya.

Another one by Edmund Blair Leighton, The Keys makes me think of Sansa escaping King's Landing with Dontos.

I have lots more but I don't know how much I should annoy you with this.

Is there a painting with a character/pose/whatever which reminds you of an ASOIAF character?

(For reference, i'm asking because I saw "A modern Magdalene" on Pinterest and went wow that's a kinda Jeyne Poole pose)

[cryptid-killjoy]

Bastien mosies up to Frank before heading out on his trip because he felt like he hadn't nodded at him enough lately. Those eye contact chin nods were important to silent bonding folk like Bastien who went periods of time without verbal communication. He did more likes smoked together with loud music on, drove around with music on, played wack a zombie in the square for squares. They never really had to say much at all. Hugo and the gargoyles often did more than Bastien around Frank when they'd hang, maybe chilling with Tree. Hang as is Frank possibly literally hanging from something while Bastien sat and Bastien-ed smoking up while deeply conversing through his three rock friends. Meanwhile the Hunch nods, just nods and shares looks with Frank because Frank gets it. Frank seems to see them too, at least Bastien feels like he does. But, in this instance he was all alone, no rock pals upon entrance.

"Frank, Delta said it'd be cool to go off for some time as long as we take the generic wannabe Frank I ordered from Wish with me. She's not taking care of her. So I said cool. So she said cool bring us souvenirs. I'm thinking a real shrunken head if I can find one. I have a feeling she could make her own but I want to get her something special to the region."

Hugo suddenly pops up with librarian glasses, "How very academic of him." Victor while rolling his eyes, "Yes." Laverne: "Very."

"Anyway, wanted to say bye for now I guess. Oh, and enjoy your trip too. Delta mentioned something about Thailand, something about giving the monkeys a real dragon to ohm at. Whatever that meant."

--

Then after his quick goodbye to Frank to he set off with his family to the Philippines and ended up in Cebu City. When he first stepped foot out of the airport and took his first look around he could see the nightlife of the city in full swing. He noticed the amazing view of the Taoist temple with the dragons high above. "I bet Delta would like that."

The city felt so fancy and they'd even go to a luxury hotel to check in seemed per usual though it wasn't why he was here. He'd let Maddy handle the checking them in and all the such details. They spoke Tagalog here, but luckily it was quite normal for them to be versed in English for foreigners. So, hopefully they wouldn't bump into too much language barrier trouble. That said if either of them have caught on to any of Kuz's Spanish some of it sounds similar and they might be able to catch on sometimes.

He was sitting in the lobby with Frankie as his detail girl checked them in when he saw something that triggered the Jetsam in his soul. It was a pamphlet wall and one was for a whale shark experience and another was a sea turtle swim. Both were in big letters. Oh boy, this was going to get him in trouble before he left. He couldn't stop staring at the tourist pamphlets. He picked them up waiting for Maddy to take them to their luxury room to get settled in.

[bobasheebaby]

Unwanted Guest- Lucky Number 7?: Crimson Rain 12

Pairing: Bastien x Liza; Olivia Nevrakis; Frank Moore (OC)

Written for @kinda-iconic @choicesjulychallenge Choices July Challenge

Word count: 1,098

Warnings: Angst

Summary: When the last person Liza wants to see shows up will they be able to put their past behind them or are things too broken to mend?

A/N: @darley1101 asked for the Bitterness prompt from @kinda-iconic Choices July Challenge for Liza x Bastien with Liza’s father. This is what the muse did with it, there will be a follow-up to this mess. This takes place on Mischief Night or October 30th. (It matters!)

Series warnings: talks of pregnancy loss, fear of pregnancy loss, anxiety, depression. Set within Crimson Rain but pulling the major pregnancy drama from the main series. All the fluff and angst with minimal mobster drama.

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist.

Disclaimer: I own my OC’s, the rest I’m simply borrowing from PB for a bit.

“I’m coming! I’m coming! Hold your god damn horses!” Liza shouted as she waddled to the front door. “Usually the house is full of people but no, not today, where the fuck is everyone?!” She muttered under her breath. She paused to catch her breath before throwing the door open, her jaw dropping slightly when she saw the familiar tall muscular frame, although his hair was much greyer than she remembered, having successfully shoved the last few interactions with him from her mind. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw tensing as she spoke, the words dripping with disdain. “What did I do to deserve the pleasure of your visit?”

The older man straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. “I heard what I thought had to be a rumor since you left, looks like it’s true.” He sighed shaking his head. “You couldn’t just see him for the bad news he was and get out could you?”

Liza felt the rage rise in her as she fought back hormone triggered tears of anger. “Listen up dad, because I only intend to say this once. You don’t get a say in my life anymore, you haven’t had a say in a damn long time. I obviously didn’t want you to know how happy I am because I knew you’d only try to tell me I made a mistake.” She paused taking a breath. “Only I’m not the one who made the mistake ten years ago, you are. You are the one who discounted a damn good man based on his profession and tried to deem him unworthy of me.” She paused, grimace spreading across her face as a sharp pain spread across her abdomen. No not now. Where the hell are they? “Then you chose to come here not because you missed me and regretted discounting the man I love, or even because you wanted to check on me, but because you wanted to again tell me that I was screwing up my life. I’m not the one who screwed up, you are!” Her hands curled into fists at her sides as another pain shot through her. “You wrote Bastien off before getting to know him, and in doing so you lost your daughter and two granddaughters, not to mention this one.” Her hand uncurled, gently caressing her stomach. Thump. She kept her face stern and flat, hiding the smile she could feel threatening to grace her lips at the baby’s response to her touch. I’m okay tadpole, just keep put a little longer. I am not going to be forced to give birth with this man present.

“You have two other kids with him? One wasn’t enough?” Frank Moore said with deep distaste.

Liza bit back the urge to scream, who the hell was he to come here after ten damn years and criticize the life she built? How dare he come in and destroy all happiness she’d been feeling as the birth of her healthy tadpole approached? “Olivia—”

“Oh yes the girl he raised. She’s still around?”

“I think you mean Olivia, our daughter. He stepped up at twenty five years old when her own aunt wanted nothing to do with her, he adopted her six years later. She hated me at first, I had to win her over and prove to her I was worthy of her trust and love and now she is as much my child as she is his. Blood doesn’t mean a damn thing, but then again I think you would know that wouldn’t you Frank? I mean it was so easy for you to walk away from your only daughter when she wouldn’t allow you to control her any longer!” She bit her lip, to hold back a scream as another pain shot through her.

“I wanted better for you than this!” He shouted gesturing at the large home, though she knew he meant everything that came with it.

“Why? It’s a damn good life. I have two girls now, a husband who loves me, a child on the way, who the fuck cares what he does. Besides you always taught me to protect myself and fight for what I wanted, so did it really surprise you when I fought against you and your control?”

He stared at her unsure how to answer, questioning why he had come across the country in the first place. Did I make a mistake in pushing her away? “I guess you’re right, I shouldn’t have been surprised that you would fight even me for what you wanted. I—” He shook his head. “ I should go.”

Liza doubled over, hands clutching her round stomach as she let out a pained scream as another pain shot through her.

“Liza!” Olivia sprinted up the path, hand instinctively going for her concealed dagger, eyes wide with fear. She rounded on the stranger. “What did you do?!”

Liza straightened slightly, gritting her teeth through the pain, one hand still clutching her abdomen. “Liv, I’m fine, he didn’t do anything. I’m nine months pregnant, Frank’s appearance just surprised me and now tadpole wants to come.”

“Okay, how close are the contractions?”

“I have no clue I’ve been here arguing with him!” She gestured at her stunned father.

Olivia shot Frank a look, considering if she could get away with stabbing him. She turned back to Liza. “Let’s go sit and we’ll track them, and I’ll call Bas.” She ushered Liza back from the door.

“Where the fuck is he?” She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to focus on anything but the pain. “Where were you?”

“Hope and I convinced him he needed to run a special errand and Hope went with him. I was putting the guys through the paces.”

“What errand?”

“Don’t worry about it, couch now.” She turned back to the door, quirking an eyebrow at Frank standing awkwardly before she slammed the door in his face. “Where’s Buttons?” She asked looking around as she guided Liza down on the couch. “He would have chased Frank away.”

Liza lifted her brow in question. “He’s in the bedroom. He and Pickles were sleeping and I closed the door.”

“Yes I know that was your father, don’t take me for a fool.”

Liza let out a laugh that turned to a pained scream. Further in the house they heard scratching and loud whining. Olivia looked down the hall as she pulled her phone from her pocket. “I’m not leaving you when you’re in pain, just know your door…”

“Yeah, I know, just call Bas and tell him to get his ass home!”

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment reblog or send an ask. Feel free to scream, I promise I can take it.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist will be reblogged.

[alexlacquemanne]

Juillet MMXXIV

Films

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (2024) d'Alexandre de La Patellière et Matthieu Delaporte avec Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, Laurent Lafitte, Pierfrancesco Favino, Patrick Mille, Vassili Schneider, Julien de Saint Jean et Julie de Bona

La Jalousie (1976) de Raymond Rouleau avec Daniel Gélin, Nicole Calfan, Jacques Toja, Annick Alane, Marc Eyraud, Anna Gaylor, Françoise Pages et Francis Lemaire

Maestro(s) (2022) de Bruno Chiche avec Yvan Attal, Pierre Arditi, Miou-Miou, Pascale Arbillot, Caroline Anglade, Nils Othenin-Girard et Caterina Murino

The Truman Show (1998) de Peter Weir avec Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone et Holland Taylor

Un crime dans la tête (The Manchurian Candidate) (1962) de John Frankenheimer avec Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, James Gregory, Lloyd Corrigan et Leslie Parrish

French Connection (The French Connection) (1971) de William Friedkin avec Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi et Frédéric de Pasquale

To The Moon (Fly Me to the Moon) (2024) de Greg Berlanti avec Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell et Christian Zuber

Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez (1964) de Jean Girault avec Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre, Christian Marin, Guy Grosso, Michel Modo, Geneviève Grad, France Rumilly, Nicole Vervil et Claude Piéplu

La Marseillaise (1938) de Jean Renoir avec Pierre Renoir, Louis Jouvet, Lise Delamare, Andrex, Edmond Ardisson, Nadia Sibirskaïa, Jenny Hélia, Gaston Modot et Julien Carette

Un éléphant ça trompe énormément (1976) de Yves Robert avec Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur, Guy Bedos, Victor Lanoux, Danièle Delorme, Anny Duperey, Martine Sarcey et Marthe Villalonga

Le Gendarme à New York (1965) de Jean Girault avec Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre, Christian Marin, Guy Grosso, Michel Modo, Geneviève Grad et Alan Scott

Le Secret de Green Knowe (From Time to Time) (2009) de Julian Fellowes avec Alex Etel, Timothy Spall, Maggie Smith, Christopher Villiers, Pauline Collins, Eliza Bennett, Rachel Bell, Dominic West et Carice van Houten

Raoul Taburin (2018) de Pierre Godeau avec Benoît Poelvoorde, Édouard Baer, Suzanne Clément, Vincent Desagnat, Grégory Gadebois, Victor Assié et Timi-Joy Marbot

Nous irons tous au paradis (1977) de Yves Robert avec Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur, Guy Bedos, Victor Lanoux, Danièle Delorme, Marthe Villalonga, Jenny Arasse, Christophe Bourseiller et Josiane Balasko

Drôle de drame (1937) de Marcel Carné avec Françoise Rosay, Michel Simon, Louis Jouvet, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Nadine Vogel, Pierre Alcover et Jean-Louis Barrault

French Connection 2 (1975) de John Frankenheimer avec Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Bernard Fresson, Philippe Léotard, Ed Lauter, Charles Millot, Jean-Pierre Castaldi et Cathleen Nesbitt

Le Gendarme se marie (1968) de Jean Girault avec Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre, Christian Marin, Guy Grosso, Michel Modo, Geneviève Grad, Claude Gensac et Mario David

Totally Spies! le film (2009) de Pascal Jardin avec Claire Guyot, Fily Keita, Céline Mauge, Jean-Claude Donda, Karl Lagerfeld et Emmanuel Garijo

Séries

Maguy Saison 6

Quitte ou rouble - Séparation de survie - L'injuste prix - Une nièce rapportée - Une occase en moins - Météo et bas - Une Maude passagère - Bénévole d'essai - Tata poule - Des routes en déroute - Débat des eaux - L'ami gratteur - Pinceaux périlleux - Termite errant - Troubles de la télévision - Étrennes à la traîne - Mégarde à vue - Golf: heurts - Mépris de Rome - Le rappeur sur la ville - Jaloux y es-tu ? - Clochard abstrait - Affreux d'emploi - Un clown chasse l'autre - Adamo.. tus et bouche cousue - Passe-moi le recel - Fissures la corde raide - Écoutes que coûte - Le carton de la plaisanterie - Un fils à la patte - Mur… aïe ! - Désaccords de guitares - Une mage d'histoire - Compagnons d'alarmes - Despote au feu - Dernière cartouche au tableau - Des pots en dépôt

Affaires sensibles

17 et 18 septembre 1981 : dernière cigarette pour la guillotine - 1er février 2003, l’accident de la navette spatiale Columbia - Les Dix d’Hollywood, ou quand l’Amérique voyait rouge - Challenger 1986 : une catastrophe en plein ciel pour la fin d’un rêve "étoilé" - La tornade Michel Polac - John Lennon, mort d'un enfant du siècle - “Nous irons les buter jusque dans les chiottes” Russie, 1999, les attentats, la Tchétchénie et Poutine - Essais nucléaires dans le pacifique, un mensonge français - Péchiney : délit d'amitié, délit d'initiés

Le Coffre à Catch

#174 : William Regal champion en Angleterre? - #175 : CM Punk de retour à la ECW ! - #176 : Shelton vs Christian : un banger en préparation ! - #177 : Trent Baretta & Caylen Croft : les vrais Best Friends ! - #178 : TLC 2009 : Un Show Stealer ?

WWE : les rivalités de légende Saison 2

Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper - The Rock vs. John Cena - Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart - The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton - Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels - Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns - The Undertaker vs. Mankind - Trish Stratus vs. Lita

The Durrells : une famille anglaise à Corfou Saison 1, 2

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6

Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3

Totally Spies Saison 7

Attention : ceci n'est pas un test - Espionnes à l'ancienne - Alerte chat-pardeurs

Spectacles

Patate (1982) de Marcel Achard avec Pierre Mondy, Michel Duchaussoy, Marie Dubois, Pascale Audret, Clémentine Amouroux et Philippe Dehesdin

Imagine Dragons Chambord Live (2023)

Elvis: The Comeback Special (1968)

Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York (1993)

Les Pigeons (2022) de et avec Michel Leeb, et aussi Francis Huster, Chloé Lambert, Philippe Vieux

Livres

Batman : The Killing Joke d'Alan Moore et Brian Bolland

Red Skin, tome 1 : Welcome to America de Xavier Dorison et Terry Dodson

Red Skin, tome 2 : Jacky de Xavier Dorison et Terry Dodson

Le coureur et son ombre d'Olivier Haralambon

Détective Conan, tome 23 de Gôshô Aoyama

Détective Conan, tome 24 de Gôshô Aoyama

Conversations avec A d'Alex Lacquemanne

Kaamelott, tome 7 : Contre-attaque en Carmélide d'Alexandre Astier, Steven Dupré et Picksel

[cryptid-killjoy]

HC: Bastien aesthetic. Ok hear me out. lol. But, if this isn't Bastien when he's out on the street "walking" meeting randos and they notice he's a little "different" and try to mess with him. Once upon a time they could, but nowdays since Frank and Delta and Maddy helped him gain his confidence those same scenarios might still happen only now the scenario ends up so different. This is that feel. His glow up.

a tear rolled down my leg omggg 🧁 !!

[goingtoweather]

Full crew list! With names, ranks, and ages! (tho some have less detailed portraits since they've only really shown up in the background at this point). I'll update periodically with better pics.

Name: Barzillai Waite Rank: Captain Age: 46

Name: Adelaide Waite Rank: Captain's wife Age: 34

Name: Eric Mathews Rank: 1st mate Age: 32

Name: Ezra Carter Rank: 2nd mate Age: 25

Name: Charles Allen Rank: 3rd mate Age: 34

Name: Lawrence Manner Rank: Greenhand Age: 26

Name: Josué Cabral Rank: Ordinary Age: 22

Name: Bastien Addo Rank: Ordinary Age: 28

Name: James Barnard Rank: Ordinary Age: 29

Name: Joseph O'Reilly Rank: Ordinary Age: 23

Name: Jackson Pells Rank: Greenhand Age: 17

Name: Silas Dickey Rank: Greenhand Age: 16

Name: Enoch Pike Rank: Cooper and Carpenter Age: 32

Name: Abnur Wright Rank: Ordinary Age: 20

Name: Luis Sela Rank: Ordinary Age: 21

Name: Samuel Nelson Rank: Greenhand Age: 21

Name: William Williams Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 27

Name: Frank Iona Rank: Greenhand Age: 19

Name: Francis Goldwhit Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 23

Name: Martin Amos Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 27

Name: João de Silva Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 24

Name: George Lee Rank: Ordinary Age: 26

Name: Ephraim Murray Rank: Cook Age: 41

Name: John Gillipse Rank: Steward Age: 18

Name: Apollo Delaman Rank: Ordinary Age: 21

Name: Peter Fortune Rank: Ordinary Age: 28

Name: Afonso Borges Rank: Greenhand Age: 23

Name: Ed Barker Rank: Ordinary Age: 25

Name: Josiah Ripley Rank: Ordinary Age: 23

Name: Scupper Rank: Mouser extraordinaire Age: 3

[vermikkobooks]

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Chapter 20

Book: TRR

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Warnings: Language and mentions of weird sexual stuff

**Thanks @burnsoslow​. for pre-reading and “The Army” girls for snippet reads.

-------------------

“An email from the Countess?” Ana questioned curiously, just before hitting the video attachment that came with it. Her plush lips soon curved into an enchanted grin when it became apparent who the subjects in the video were and precisely what they were doing together. “Looks like you’re about to get your hard-hitting royal news after all.”

Having finally retrieved his phone, Donnie situated himself upright in the bed and began playing the same email attachment as his lover. By the sounds of the grunts and groans coming from Ana’s phone, it was apparent to the ace-reporter what he was about to watch -- even if the occasional horse neighs were a little confusing. 

Within seconds of hitting play, the man’s jaw dropped wide open as he took in the content. 

“Holy shit, dude, Is that …?”

Ana's intrigued gaze tore from her phone screen and raised a brow at Donnie. “The King’s head guard dressed like a cowboy spanking Lucretia Nevrakis and licking another woman wearing a horse mask in a barn?” She shook her head. “Yes … and did you just call me ‘dude’?”

Ignoring her question, the couple resumed watching for a few more seconds, their facial expressions morphing from one of intrigue to utter disgust when finally Lucretia went full-frontal, nudity before the camera, then spreading wide for Bastien. “Oh, God! The hell?” Donnie grimaced as Ana slapped a hand over her mouth next to him and turned her head away. “I can’t watch this shit.” He lamented, quickly shutting his phone off.

After Ana followed suit and powered her cell off too, the pair sat in uncomfortable silence, simultaneously staring blankly at the same wall across from them, neither knowing what to say or think about what they had just watched together. Eventually, Ana lifted the satin sheet covering her waist up a little higher over her breast, a sense of sleaze and uncleanliness rooting itself and sprouting throughout her body. “I … I don’t know what part was worse: Mystery horsewoman with the guinea pig in Bastien or Lucretia’s wrinkled tramp-stamp with ‘Connie’ written inside what I can only assume is a dick.”

Donnie pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s be clear: there was no worse part. It was all worse! What the hell was that, anyway?”

The Trend editor just shook her head slowly with a glazed-over expression in her eyes; she finally spoke, “I … I think I’m going to go now.” 

“Ana! Don’t let this ruin our night.”

Her expression turned remorseful at his pleading; it had been a great night. “I’m sorry, Mr. Brine. I need to be alone.”

Neither one could look at the other. Ana slowly raised from the bed, gathering up her scattered clothes from the floor, tearing her bra from the doorknob, and then slipped on her heels. Why the Countess sent that video to them, she’d never know, but as she and Donnie exchanged a timid wave of goodbye, Ana left knowing she would never forgive Madeleine Amaranth for ruining the best night of sex she ever had.

This had to be some kind of bizarre and insane mistake.

And usually, Donnie Brine would call this “hard-hitting” new’s story into the station and scramble for the nearest camera to report on it. 

This was not something he would ever share with Cordonia, nor would the duo realize what they just watched was not the video the Countess intended to send them.

---------------------------------

A baby. My baby. I’m going to be a father. Those words were all Liam could think about as he rode through the glittery neon boulevards of Las Vegas toward the hospital. At that moment, the clear blue heavens above him could open wide and strike him down with a bolt of thunder, and he’d swear he wouldn’t have felt a thing. The King was riding a wave of euphoria unlike anything he’d ever experienced; Riley loved him and was carrying his baby. Nothing in all the world mattered anymore.

Before taking off, it was clear that Bastien likely escaped during the brother’s brawl in the front yard of Riley’s home and apparently took the keys to the Escalade they arrived in with him. The neighborly Burt, who moments prior had a shotgun aimed at the royal duo, reluctantly agreed to drive into the city to drop them off at the hospital on his way to pick up his daughter on the east side of town. He gruffly mentioned, "my girl never learned not to kick her customers in the frank 'n' beans and steal their shit," but neither of the brothers paid much attention.

Riding in the back of a truck while sitting on a spare tire through sunny downtown Vegas wasn’t the way Liam intended to get there, but he was dead set on finding his Pussycat by any means necessary. And, of course, Leo called shotgun but was nice enough to offer his little brother the opportunity to “ride bitch”.

Liam unequivocally declined.

During the bumpy 25-minute ride to Valley Hospital, Liam wondered how it was possible to get everything he ever wanted in such a brief span of time. Literally, his entire heart's desires were being gifted to him one by one; it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. All he ever wanted was to find happiness, a chance to love, and have a genuine family of his own -- Not an arrangement that would guarantee him a life of misery at worst or of mediocrity at best. When he stepped foot in Sin City several weeks ago, depressed and hopeless at the prospects of his impending marriage to Madeleine, never did he expect life and fate would throw him a twist in the tale. All it took was a weekend bachelor party, an awkwardly shy woman mistaking him for her Tinder date, and a ton of hard booze shared between them to change the entire trajectory of his life. 

Once the rusted-out truck came to a stop at the emergency entrance, Liam wasted no time climbing over the truck’s wooden rail sides and rushing through the revolving doors. Leo’s heavy footsteps could be heard racing behind him. 

Liam’s heart pounded as the seconds -- which seemed liked hours -- ticked by. Not since he was a young boy waiting on his mother to return from her trip in Auvernal had he been more excited to reunite with someone.

Escorted through the long, winding hallways by hospital security to the radiology department, Liam was led inside a room, where his breath instantly hitched at catching his first glimpse of Riley in two-and-a-half days.

Sitting at the foot of an exam table, dressed in a hospital gown, slender legs bare and swinging freely over the side, Riley’s head snapped up at the sound of the door opening. “Liam,” she whispered, relief dripping from her eyes before sliding off the table.

“Pussycat,” he breathed, unable to contain his emotions as she nearly sprinted the short distance between them and into his waiting arms. “I have missed you terribly, Love.”

Riley held onto him tightly, afraid to let go. “I’m so sorry, Liam. I’m so very sorry,” her strangled voice choked out. “I never should have listened to Madeleine.”

“Shhhh. You have nothing to be sorry about,” Liam assured, his hand threading and kneading through her bountiful hair comfortingly. “I watched the security footage, and I saw the way Madeleine confronted you. The way she grabbed you, the way she -- hurt you.” Liam’s face tightened before he kissed her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Riley answered meekly, “Because she threatened to release an old video of me being intimate during my first marriage. She told me if I didn’t leave, that video would get out and that it would look bad on you, and the council would likely strip you of your crown.” She squeezed him tighter. “I had to protect you.”

Liam looked down at his wife affectionately, placing both hands on the sides of her face, his thumbs wiping away the tears desperately clinging like morning dew to her eyes. “Sweetheart, look at me. The only thing you ever have to protect when it comes to me is my heart. I have guards -- although not the best -- to protect me physically. I have tradition and a birthright to protect my name and crown and a military to safeguard my country. But you, Riley ... you, have the power to destroy me. You’re the keeper of my heart. The one who makes it beat. Without your love to keep it going … well, let’s just say I  don’t ever want to know what that kind of pain would feel like.” They kissed once more as if it were their first and last one ever. 

Plucking out a blade of grass from his hair, Riley smiled brightly for the first time in days. “I’ll guard it with everything in me, Liam. I swear it.”

“You bet your sweet ass you will,” Liam smirked mischievously, grabbing a handful of her backside, causing her to belt out a laugh. “Besides, you took a drunken vow at the Graceland Wedding Chapel before Leo, Mongo, and Pinquee Kittee to love me tender, love me true; that’s about as sacred and binding of an oath as it gets.”

Riley chuckled. “I did. And we all know how those three are the greatest examples of loving and committed relationships.  Even if Mongo did try to steal you away from me.”

“Which worries me considering he’s apparently our ‘son.’” Liam said it tongue-in-cheek, but it instantly reminded him of the other reason he was in such a rush to get to his queen. The playfulness in his mannerisms tapered off, and he became more serious. Liam leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before working his way lower to the tip of her nose, her lips, and further to Riley’s chin. Slowly sinking to his knees, sliding his hands down her body until he had a firm grip on her slender hips, Liam rested his own forehead on Riley’s lower tummy.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“What’s that?” Riley asked softly.

Liam placed a lingering kiss onto the thin covering over her flat tummy and glanced up into her gleaming eyes, both filled with ceaseless wonder and rapture. “How you can love someone so much that you’ve never met.”

Riley blinked away a tear, her tiny fingers tracing feather-like trails through his hair. “I know, and yet somehow I’ve been asking myself that question since I met you.”

Liam’s eyes crinkled with a tender smile. “Me too.”

--------------------------------- 

Pacing languidly up and down the hallway outside the room where Liam and Riley were reuniting, Leo let out an exasperated huff before halting his steps to take a quick gander through the long glass window of the door. Leo smiled at watching his brother and sister-in-law embrace and seemed thrilled to be with one another again. And the prospects of -- in his mind -- becoming an uncle “again” was cool and all, but he was bored as hell. Liam was adamant about the former prince staying put and giving him this time needed to speak with Riley in private. Usually, Leo would pay no attention to what Liam asked of him, but maybe, just maybe, it was time for him to get serious and act like the adult he was. Read the room. Respect boundaries. Know when to quit.

Or maybe not.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he headed back in the direction that he and Liam had been led from moments ago, looking for something to kill time.  Strolling leisurely past a set of double doors that displayed “Emergency” in big red letters next to them, a thought suddenly struck, and he took two gliding steps backward. Leo lifted a speculative brow; there was something in the inner machination of his chaotic brain that told him to follow his gut, head inside, and he wouldn’t be sorry. Never one to ignore an instinct or impulse, Leo punched the large metallic button on the wall, causing one of the automatic doors to swing open. 

After stepping inside, he meandered around for a minute, not exactly sure what he was looking for but hoping he might catch a glimpse of a hot nurse walking around without a top on who would want to do naughty things to him. Or perhaps, a naked lady doctor with a nice ass who would manhandle him out of the emergency department, but who he’d eventually win over with his impeccable good looks and god-like sex appeal. He could pretend to be her patient, and if he were lucky, she’d have a bad bedside manner.

Passing a row of draped exam rooms, Leo noticed one curtain pulled open and a young brunette, with part of her thong showing, crouched on the floor, peeking stealthily through the blue drapery that divided the area from the patient on the opposite side.

Curious now to what this woman was so interested in from the next exam room, Leo crossed his arm and stared downward at the floor, lightly whistling a tune, as two doctors walked past him. When they rounded a corner, Leo edged closer to the curtain to listen in.

“Mr. Walker, do you feel any pain when I do this?”

“Ow! What the fuck do you think?” 

At hearing Drake’s irascible voice, Leo’s ears instantly shot up. “No way,” Leo mumbled in astonishment to himself. “Walker is here?” The last he knew, Drake was supposed to have headed back to Cordonia the day before. He leaned in closer.

“You pinched my dick with a pair of damn tweezers. Yeah, you could say there’s a little pain there. Shit!”

Leo clamped a fist over his mouth to keep from busting out. Of all the places his naughty gut had ever led him to, knowing Drake was here and having transplanted dick problems may have been in his top 100 --Nothing would ever beat running with the bulls in Barcelona with Kanye and a very stoned Prince Charles. Leo smiled fondly at the memory before shaking his head and getting back to business.

“We’re just making sure you have feeling in your penis, Mr. Walker.”

“Then touch it with a fucking finger. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? You wanna take a jackhammer to my knees next and see if they feel pain too?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Leo overheard the doctor tell Drake. “I expect you’re going to be fine, Mr. Walker. I didn’t see any major discoloration aside from a deep bluish hue to your testicles --” Leo snorted out loudly, causing the doctor to turn his head briefly to the disruption outside the curtain, before clearing his throat and continuing, “A hearty ejaculation or two should clear that right up. When was the last time you --”

“I’ll take care of it,” Drake hastily interrupted in a peevish tone, not wanting the physician to finish the question.

“Very well then. You should be fine. I’ll have the nurse get your discharge papers together, and you can be on your way … And, sir ... try to avoid getting ninja smacked by hookers in the future.”

“I’ll see what I can do …. asshole.” Drake snarled under his breath.

Feeling spunky, an impish grin crossed Leo’s lips as he strolled away undetected from Drake’s doctor leaving his room. “The Drakesters not going anywhere just yet,” he snickered, heading toward a cart with blue scrubs that he passed earlier. “Paging Dr.Wolfshitz to trauma room one. Stat.”

--------------------

Still peeking inconspicuously into the next exam room, Alyssa’s gaze followed Drake’s doctor and a nurse as they exited to work on his discharge. She remained motionless and quiet, barely breathing, fearful she’d get caught. Why she hadn’t looked away yet was beyond her. What was only supposed to be a little looksie at the man, to quench her gnawing intrigue over what was below his belt, had now left her drawn to him.

And while Alyssa saw for herself that everything was normal down there, -- humungous, actually -- it was the sadness and hurt in his deep chocolate eyes that kept the perky, petite woman in spy mode. 

“You can stop hiding behind that curtain, Riley’s friend,” Drake grumbled.

“Eep!” Alyssa yelped at being caught and took a quick step back, nearly toppling clumsily over her feet. He couldn’t have been talking about her. He wasn’t even looking in her direction when he said it. She had been so careful to remain hidden. But who the hell else could he be talking to? Alyssa held her breath, hoping another one of Riley’s friends was hidden on the other side.

“I saw your little beady eyes watching me. Might as well come out from behind that curtain and laugh in my face … you wouldn’t be the first one.”

There were no doubts he was talking about her now. Frozen in panic and unable to move, Alyssa’s cheeks burned, and her heart raced at getting called out. She wondered why she couldn’t have just left well enough alone. If curiosity killed the cat, Alyssa just spent all nine of her lives.

“That’s how it's gonna be, huh?” Drake called out to her again in a snarky tone, yet Alyssa didn’t dare move. “That’s fine. I know I’m just a big joke to everyone now.” He lowered his voice just slightly in self-pity. “Maybe in some ways, I always have been.”

That stung. Alyssa couldn’t discern whether he was actually upset with her about snooping on him -- he probably was -- or as the nagging feeling in her gut was telling her: he just needed a friend. Taking in a deep breath, she skittishly slipped the curtain aside, avoiding eye contact and forcing only a diffident smile. “I’m … I’m sorry.”

He smiled back. “I’m not. I’m Drake.”

---------

With Riley discovering she was pregnant, the E.R. attending opted to forego continuing with the ordered x-rays, believing she had nothing more than a bruised tailbone from her fall, anyway. With the pain she experienced since the encounter with Madeleine, the doctor wanted her to have an ultrasound to ensure everything was fine with the baby and date the pregnancy.

Riley laid back on the exam table, feet planted and legs separated. A technician gingerly moved around an ultrasound probe under the sheet draped from her waist to her bent up knees. Riley and Liam vigilantly watched the screen, anxiously waiting for the black-and-white image to produce the first glimpse of their baby.

Flashing a timid smile, Riley glanced up at Liam, who was hovering over her with his eyes transfixed on the screen. Noticing her unsure look, he leaned down and whispered, “Everything okay, love?”

She shook her head almost imperceptibly and answered meagerly with all seriousness, “What if … what if our baby has a beard, Liam?”

The bewildered king puckered his forehead, unsure what to say. “Wh--why would the baby have a beard, pussycat?” He squeezed her hand reassuringly before she yanked it away and covered her eyes in embarrassment.

She sucked in an unsteady breath, impervious to the prodding continuing below. “Because my Aunt Clem’s firstborn came out with a tiny goatee like that munchkin from the Lollipop Guild,” she began to whimper in increasing frustration, plucking at the tip of her chin.

Liam’s eyes widened as he blew out a huff of air. “Then … I suppose … we’ll stick him in a carnival or something.” He chuckled despite himself. “Or get him one of those top hats and a cane.”

“It was a girrrrrrl,” Riley cried out, covering her face again. “My dad’s family is from Kentucky … there’s gotta be inbreeding somewhere in the past. Our baby will come out looking like a mini Chewbacca, and it’s all my fault. Oh god! What have I done to our child?” She sniffled through her rant, “If you want a divorce, I’ll understand.”

Normally able to keep a stoic demeanor in any kind of situation, Liam just couldn’t do it in this instance. He turned his face away to prevent his wife from seeing the giant smirk on his face and to take a moment to regain his composure from wanting to bust out at her theatrics. He didn’t know what the hell he married into or why this woman he loved so much all of a sudden had forgotten she was adopted. 

It would be an interesting nine months.

Riley frowned with a simper, “You can’t even look at me. I’ll have to raise this little hairball all by myself. They’ll have us in the ‘weird things’ section of the National Enquirer next to Drake.”

She was correct: he couldn’t look at her -- she was being completely ridiculous. Liam’s shoulders bounced against his stifled laughter. “Dear God, Riley. You’ve got to stop.”

“You’re laughing at me.”

Unaware of the pair of eyes at the foot of the exam table, glaring between the couple in absolute confusion, the technician performing the scan cleared her throat to break the tension. “I hate to interrupt … this.” She nodded between the two.”But, here’s your baby.” She tapped her fingertip on the screen to a small oblong shape on the monitor with a tiny white form in the center. Riley lowered her hands from her teary face and whipped her head around at the same time Liam did, both wholly captivated. “It’s too early to tell if there is a … goatee. But this little flicker right here --” She pointed out. “-- Is where the heart is beating.”

Feeling his wife’s hand grip his tighter, Liam stood motionless for a moment as he watched the tech pause the screen to get measurements before sucking in his lips and dropping his head onto Riley’s shoulder. “Did you see the heart beating, my love? That’s our baby. Our perfect baby.”

Blinking back a tear of joy, Riley turned her head toward her shoulder to meet Liam’s adoring eyes. “Thank you for not covering your lizard.”

-----------------------------

Blushing from head to toe in guilt and embarrassment, Alyssa took a step inside of Drake’s room, letting the curtain fall back behind her. Twirling a section of hair around her finger, she continued to apologize, feeling it was the right thing to do. “Again, I’m really sorry, Mr. Walker --”

“I told you my name is Drake. Mr. Walker was my father’s name. Please, just call me Drake,” he insisted in a softer tone that took the awkward-feeling Alyssa by surprise.

“Drake,” she repeated as she picked at the cuticle of her thumbnail, “I shouldn’t have been watching you, and I know I invaded your privacy. I swear, in spite of what this looks like, I’m not some creeper. I just thought … “ Alyssa looked away bashfully, twisting on her feet. “you’re really handsome.” It was true, even if she knew damn well that’s not why she peeked in at him.

Drake cocked a brow, calling her bluff. “Really?” he replied skeptically. ”That’s the only thing you were looking at?”

Dabbing at her increasingly perspiring forehead and feeling the blood drain into her feet, Alyssa declared, “I think I’m going to pass out now.”

Sensing she was serious, Drake quickly tapped the rolling chair next to his bed and insisted she sit down. Walking on wobbly legs, Alyssa finally plopped down on the chair and fanned her ashen face with one hand. Drake quickly twisted the cap off an unopened bottle of cold water one of the nurses had given him and offered it to Alyssa. She gratefully took it and guzzled a giant swig from the plastic container. Soon her breathing normalized, and the color in her face started to pinken again.

Drake stared at her in concern. “Do you want me to yell for the doctor?”

Alyssa shook her head insistently. “No. I’m better now. I just got a little anxious, is all, but I deserved it. I shouldn’t have looked at you.” She paused for a moment before offering a genuine smile. “By the way: I don’t think you’re a joke, and I would never laugh at you. I really do think you’re handsome.”

He could tell what she was saying to him was true, and for the first time in weeks, it felt nice to have someone to talk to who didn’t want to discuss a certain medical procedure he’d recently undergone. “I appreciate that … Alyssa, right?” She nodded her head. “You have beautiful eyes --”

“I hate to interrupt this party, -- ay,” A doctor in blue scrubs, a surgical cap, mask, and a horrible Canadian accent came strolling in gleefully, almost out of nowhere. “It’s time for your surgery, Mr. Walkersan -- ay.”

Drake shot straight up in his bed, glaring at the man. “What?” he screeched. “I’m getting discharged. That other doctor said I was fine.”

“Oh no, no, no -- ay. Doctor … Pepper … Stein, sent me down here to wheel you at once into surgery. Your test results showed a lot of icky stuff that needs to be taken care of at once lest you lose your manhood again. Ay.”

Narrowing his eyes, Drake shot back. “What bad stuff?”

“Uh, let me see here -- ay,” Leo began flipping through a makeshift chart he was holding in his hands and pretending to scan over a particular page. “Oy me. There seems to be … algae overgrowth in the upper ... sphincter of the … Dua Lipa -- ay. And thees muy crabs have set up a colony on the Los ballsackos.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Drake asked incredulously while Alyssa patted his arm comfortingly. “What the hell is a Los ballsackos?”

“Es los ballsackos is los ballsackos.” Leo hastily scolded as he eyed Drake sternly. “We shan't have no time to waste. Das ist Viener schloggin … we remove the viewer and then the scloggin or there be little la cucarachas crawling everywhere -- la vie en rose, amigo.”

“No one’s removing my viener, or my scloggin!” Drake protested.

“Excuse me,” Alyssa rose to her feet, knowing there was something off with this sketchy acting doctor. “I speak fluent Spanish and French, and I can tell you, almost none of that made sense. Not to mention the fact that I believe part of that was German and ancient English. ¿De dónde sacaste tu título, doctor?”

Leo’s bright blue eyes dulled with uncertainty as Alyssa crossed her arms, awaiting a response. Scrambling for an answer and wishing he’d paid more attention during his language lessons, he ultimately replied with a shirk, “Eh … Despacito?”

“Despacito?” Alyssa challenged before glancing over at Drake, who was still glaring a hole into the perceived physician, then returning her gaze back to a cow-eyed Leo. “Who are you, really?”

"Who am I really?" Leo replied with a smug grin as he lowered the surgical mask that was hiding his face. "I'm Dr. Wolfschitz, baby."