#this is the 2015 versailles mood

[lacnunga]

Eating my medicine hidden in a ball of peanut butter (watching bad shows with awful people bc the costumes are cool)

[scentedwizardbookcollection]

Royals and Halfbloods

Can I do some shameless self-promotion? Yes? Brilliant.

I have been in a weird mood where I can not only find the time but also the muse to write a lot, and since three friends of mine follow me on here, I’m posting a link to my fanfic that I’m writing. It’s almost finished, so make sure to check it out!

It’s called Royals and Halfbloods and I’m really really proud of it.

Fandoms: Versailles (2015), Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Relationships: MonChevy (Monsieur; Philippe, Duc d’Orleans/Chevalier de Lorraine), Henriette d’Angleterre/Louis XIV

Summary: Philippe has always stood in the shadows of his brother, but an attack at school reveals that it's not just /his/ shadows that he's in.

Or, the Versailles - PJO crossover that nobody asked for.

It would mean so much if you were to check it out!

[margridarnauds]

Ronan/Laz and Wash/Mira

Thank you!

Ronan/Laz

To fully understand my relationship with this ship, we have to go into one of the darkest periods of my life, a period of time that, to this day, I struggle to talk about: The first time I was into 1789, circa 2015-ish. I was young, I was impetuous, I was heavily closeted (to myself; my mom had already given me my “YOU KNOW I WILL LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS” conversation) and…I shipped…Ronan/Olympe. 

100%. 

Like, “Google Translated French Fanfiction on FF.net to get more content” shipped it. (Now, I suspect it’s because I was a bisexual mess, but I digress). 

As I said, a dark, cursed time where I shipped the *100% canon* brother-in- law/sister-in-law. 

I barely remember it. I scarcely acknowledge it happened. It physically pains me to mention it.

I had the Takarazuka version, but I didn’t have subtitles to it and, as a result, I didn’t really…watch it…all the way through, instead skipping around as it suited me. I knew about Laz’s sex dungeon, but it really didn’t…register, I suppose? How very, very gay it was and the chemistry that was there. I did NOT like Lazare, I didn’t see why he occupied a considerable piece of fandom time (Not enough) when he has such a small role and he’s portrayed fairly consistently as an asshole throughout the musical (Yes, he’s an asshole, but he’s my asshole now). R/L has NOTHING on FF.net to this day and, I don’t think at the time, there was anything on AO3? And if there was, I don’t remember seeing it and, if I did, I’m pretty sure my initial reaction would still have been, “Who cares about Lazare? He’s so mean! EW!” (Oh, my sweet, naive, teenaged self. How the tables will turn. How the tables will turn.) 

Now, it’s hard to sustain an interest in a show with negative chemistry between the leads and the growing realization that French!Ronan is an asshole, and eventually my interest in 1789 dimmed considerably. Not entirely faded, but dimmed. 

Then came The Stream. 

So, last year, around June-ish, the Moraholics set up a series of European Musical streams that lasted around half a year and was an absolute masterpiece of cooperation, and among them, we had the Takarazuka 1789, as subbed and hosted by the utterly phenomenal @berncat, who I’m eternally grateful to but who is also still not off the hook for getting me back into this Hell. And, suffice it to say (1) Having the Japanese actually translated and, for example, hearing Lazare promise to “give [Ronan] release” while looking at him with bedroom eyes, (2) Watching Magee with that whip, answering many questions about my sexuality that I didn’t know I had, and (3) Watching it with a group of people who were likewise cheering it on was a completely different experience with the musical than I’d had before and I jumped onto the ship HARD. (Btw, whoever said, “Someone should write a smutfic with Peyrol/Ronan” fuck you because it’s been nearly a year and the Abomination is, well, the Abomination and my 2k-4k pwp is now a sprawling universe in its own right currently clocking in at around 31k words and most of them aren’t even smutty, damn it). And, the week immediately afterwards, we watched the French and, well…

If I had any doubts about the viability of French!L/R, this kind of showed me that they were unfounded, with the Other Maniaque video (You know the one to which I refer) being the clencher (Was it really necessary to nuzzle your future arch-enemy, Ronan? And Laz, couldn’t you have been at least a little more proactive in making sure you didn’t get peasant germs on your nice fur coat rather than leaning into him?) That’s the weakest ass intimidation tactic I’ve ever seen and the only way I can justify it is Laz being in a constant state of “CUTE PEASANT BOY ABORT ABORT. CONCEAL DON’T FEEL” Right now, the only production I’m not really certain about is the Toho, since it looks like the Lazare there is significantly more…brutal than we’ve gotten before but, tbh, I can probably find some way to ship it there by selectively ignoring the canon as I always do. 

So, yeah, I’ve basically been stuck in 1789 Hell since then, because apparently my brain said, “Special Interest? SPECIAL INTEREST?” It’s a bit unusual to me since I’m really not used to actually creating content for a ship this much (even if very little of it gets published). 

I still ship it as hard if not harder than I did when I first jumped on; I think that they both have the most potential for growth and development from each other and the most potential as far as an overall plot arc (and delicious, delicious angst, hence why, across the board, no matter how much of the French production I bring into a given WIP, I always keep Peyrol being the one responsible for Ronan getting shot, though there’s also significant angst potential in Peyrol not knowing, thinking bitterly that Ronan had gotten what he wanted but still going back to their apartment only to find it empty, keeping hope that he’s alive for the rest of the night even as it becomes increasingly unlikely, thinking that perhaps Ronan’s still mad at him for everything that happened in Nous ne Sommes, only to learn the next day that Ronan’s dead). I can drop them into roughly any situation, both in the French Revolution and outside of it, and, for the most part, I can have fun with it. September Massacres? Check. Zombie Apocalypse? Check. Being dropped into the Cretaceous Period? Check. One of them’s a dragon who abducts the other one? Check. Afterlife Fic? Check. Going to Disney World together? Check. I was going to say “Childhood Friends AU” but we both know that only leads to pain but, otherwise? CHECK. 

It’s very much a multipurpose ship for me; I can do basically whatever I want with it as it suits my mood, and Lazare de Peyrol is an absolutely fantastic torture subject.10/10 would recommend. 

Mira/Wash

I hadn’t even considered this one until you brought it up and I’m very, very grateful you did because ANGST! PAIN! BETRAYAL! ANGST! WASH GETTING CHARACTERIZATION! ANGST! BONDAGE! ANGST! It’s definitely my dominant OTP for Terra Nova, I absolutely love it to bits. I liked both Wash and Mira the first time I watched it; I thought that both of them were more interesting than the main plot we got and, tbh, I wanted Wash content that wasn’t necessarily Wash/Taylor centered because I tried it once and it just felt…off. It’s not “NO BAD WRONG” for me and I have the distinct feeling that it’s what the writers were edging towards (which, given the other relationships in TN, might be why it felt off), but I definitely ended up preferring it as mutual, longstanding respect/loyalty rather than an actual romance.

 So, Mira was definitely a better fit for me, in the sense that there’s a lot of potential there for Wash’s characterization that’s not really touched on in the show, there’s a chance for conflict for both of them, there’s a lot of potential as far as backstory, etc. And, looking at the trajectory of the series after Taylor goes, to use the clinical term, bat-shit insane, I think that there’s a lot of potential for a team up between the two of them and a moment where they basically end up meeting in the center so they can fuck up their respective old sides together, get Sienna, and live happily ever after. (Which is also why the Taylor/Mira team up was such a waste compared to Wash/Mira, because WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU SET UP THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A PARALLEL SCENE IN A FEW SEASONS AND NOT USE IT.) 

The only reason I’m not as active with it as I am with, say, Laz and Ronan is because I feel significantly more uncomfortable writing in sci-fi and fantasy settings than I am with historical fiction/modern day fics. Because with that stuff, I have a decent grasp of the world I’m dealing with, how it works, the basic technology I’m dealing with, how to navigate it, etc. whereas with a sci-fi/fantasy element, it’s harder to nail it down, especially with something like TN where we got so little time in the world and most of it was wasted doing other things. (GIVE ME A SERIES BIBLE, SPIELBERG YOU COWARD; NOT JUST THE ARCS AND MYTHOLOGY WITH CREEPY!!TAYLOR.) I can’t really do research on it the same way I can for, say, The Women’s March to Versailles, and I don’t personally feel like I have as good of a grasp on that universe as a whole. I’m fine taking the characters in places that would make the original writers faint, but I want to have a decent grounding for it when I do it. 

[versaillesao3]

touch

by peachesandlesbians

Fabien returns in an odd mood. Claudine helps.

Words: 854, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Versailles (TV 2015)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Claudine (Versailles 2015), Fabien Marchal

Relationships: Claudine/Fabien Marchal

Additional Tags: Fluff, No Angst, this is kinda similar to my other stuff oops

from AO3 works tagged 'Versailles (TV 2015)' https://ift.tt/3dPPKEi via IFTTT

[eternity-called-darkness]

Rock Press Tokyo HizakixKamijo interview 2016

The age when there is no guarantee that you can create music whole life even if you sell million CDs

Since the formation in 2007, having outstanding powerful performance, aesthetic worldview, having made it‘s aggresive expansion to overseas, Versailles hit Visual Kei scene with it‘s powerful presence. At the end of 2015, they announced that band will be revived from hiatus (which began in 2012) , on 8/7 at Maihama Amphitheatre.  And finally they will release the best songs album titled The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 on 9/14. At ROCK PRESS tokyo we talked with the brightest members of the band - vocalist KAMIJO and guitarist HIZAKI. Talking frankly about music and Visual Kei scene, the words of these two people were really impressive.

-First of all,I‘d love to hear about when you came up with the idea of revival.

KAMIJO：As Hizaki-kun started  suggesting the idea of resurrection more and more often , I thought that I want it to happen too . Then we decided to meet with all members and decide about it. And the result of it, and the visual proof of our mutual feelings was the event at the end of last year.

HIZAKI：After all, all members wanted to revive Versailles. But somehow we couldn't say the words "I want to be Versailles again". And it became forbidden words to pronounce. We with Versailles‘ members without KAMIJO-san made another band. And as I‘m the leader in this band, being the vanguard I had the feeling that I wanted to break that forbidden rule .

KAMIJO：If Hizaki-kun wouldn‘t have spoken those words, other members couldn‘t talk about it as well. And I didn‘t want to do Versailles without these 4 people, so I‘m very grateful for that .

HIZAKI：When you have a band, the most important thing is to respect each member, but in long term activities I started to become less and less engaged to it . We had an activity pause in order to come back, but if you would look from outside, Versailles was able to create excellent individual players. As we did it, we understood that it‘s the most important thing before going forward.  I think Versailles required these 3 years.

KAMIJO：By working outside Versailles, we became the biggest rivals as we played together as individuals. It turned out to be a big advantage to Versailles.

-Looking to each other from sideways, You were aware of each other.

HIZAKI：Rather than being alone on sideways, there were many faces beside me looking toward! (laughs) But when band was formed, everyone thought ‚‘‘I want to be the most outstanding!“ I also remember how I felt at that point.

KAMIJO：There were way too many people involved, and instead of speaking with members, we started creating even more situations to communicate with other people. It turned out into big amount of misunderstandings, even though I had a part of me that couldn‘t share feelings, I ensured that I could talk to members directly no matter what happens. I have a feeling that we returned to being a proper band.  

-Although it was activity pause of 3 years, if you look at the restart of the band by standarts of the world relativity, it‘s really a short period of time.  You also started solo activities besides Versailles and you want to keep both of them but now will you be putting more energy to Versailles . What are you thinking about development ?

KAMIJO：We are going to put the same amount of power to both of them. But, to begin with, if I didn‘t have Versailles as a mother band there wouldn‘t be any solo activities.

HIZAKI：I learnt to switch the feelings fast. In fact, I don‘t need time to switch anymore. Although my solo album Rosario comes out on August 3rd, even if events between solo and Versailles would overlap, feelings-wise it would be totally OK. I‘d go to both of them treasuring it equally.

KAMIJO：Conversely, before activity pause of Versailles, we only had Versailles as a place of expression. If we wanted to express the part of ourselves that doesn‘t fit with the image of Versailles all the time it would be difficult to find balance .  And now with everyone having an individuality of themselves, they can hit Versailles with suitable parts for the band . Therefore, our unity has improved. Or  rather we are able to feel comfortable now.

HIZAKI：Simultaneously, we did various things. It may look difficult , but when you have a part of comfort in the width of expression, feelings-wise it may be easy . I think this may be applied to only both of us (laughing)

KAMIJO :  It‘s a clear thing that we will do activities as Versailles,but it‘s very hard to understand the goal of it. But personally, there are thoughts ‘‘Can I express myself more?“, ‘‘Can I have space to do things I want to do?“ . Of course we have to spread the width of Versailles as well, but personally the most important thing for me as an artist is the mindset ‘‘What I can do in this field?‘‘. It turned out to be a big advantage for me .

—Recently , Versailles and other Visual Kei bands which were formed at the same time by disbanding or pausing activities makes an impression that they are tired. Upon revival, have you been aware of these thoughts thereabouts?

KAMIJO :  Yes.... As we felt sorry that only we have happy news, if you will bring positive thoughts into scene, I believe it will be alright.

HIZAKI：Now, it‘s a tough time to work on visual kei scene in Japan , to be honest.  But you know, no matter how much you can‘t sell CD ‘‘someone“ make one step forward. There are people like that in any era.  That‘s why, in order to become that ‘‘someone‘‘ I‘m going to do it with feeling.

KAMIJO：I can‘t say about Japanese music scene as a whole , but at least, being myself active and being able to live up the field called Visual Kei, I feel that we need to enliven it more.  If Versailles doesn‘t stand on the top when we have a pride as we would be.  I want everyone to think that it‘s more cooler for a rock band to go on a stage with a flashy make-up. I want you to know more. I want to walk possessing this feeling.

-To embrace such a passionate feeling, You are going to held full revival live ‚‘‘Chateau de Versailles‘‘.  It‘s a very important live.

HIZAKI：We stood on the stage together on December last year and on June this year, even though audience had a chance to see the new Versailles, but the real revival in it‘s true meaning will be on that day. I want to make the live which will make cry and smile at the same time. I want everything to be extreme, because I think that it‘s Versailles. I want to make live that will explore all sort of emotions.

KAMIJO：Rage, the listening not only with impression, performance, visuals, excitement, direction.  I want the scale of everything to be extended. I know that any band knows how to present themselves but I want to make a live which will make you think ‘‘Versailles is the best and the coolest no matter how you look at it‘‘. In fact, any musician would say these words. Versailles want to create that form of idealism.

-Now please tell us about The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 album which will be released on 9/14.

HIZAKI: 『The Greatest Hits 2007-2016』, how to say, we were in playful mood, so in the end, it‘s exaggerated title (laughing) . I think it‘s going to be an album packed with history and future of Versailles.

KAMIJO：This album instead of being re-mastered is completely re-recordered. Also it will include 2 new songs. While picking songs, other members unanimously said ‚‘‘Let‘s pick this‘‘ and that‘s how we decided our tracklist. All members thought that it‘s the best material of Versailles.  

HIZAKI：Well,because Versailles are epic-oriented all songs are long (laughing). We barely made it to duration.

KAMIJO:  (laughs) . Talking about personal listening place of course, microphone is important. During the single Ascendead master I adapted one method but I sing all songs holding microphone in my hand. There is microphone that musicians often use SHURE SM58(SM58-LCE). It is often being called GOPPA. As depending on distance sound may get scratched, so if you listen carefully, it may sound funny. I adjust my fingers on live depending on songs.

HIZAKI：Concerning instruments, basically I will make phrases of songs as it was.  As I‘ll fully include the gained experience into the way of overlapping sounds, I want everyone to enjoy the balance of our 5 personalities.  Fans especially are excited about two new songs, here will come the fighting spirit.

KAMIJO：As every sound came out to news songs , I thought  ‘‘Ah, this is Versailles after all‘‘. I think all the fans will feel the same. I want them to listen to it as soon as possible.  After all, if you don‘t feel the future, it is not revival then.

-As revived band there are two mindsets : ‘‘We will offer the things of former years ‘‘ or ‘‘We will move forward while creating new things‘‘, each of it has different style. Each has good points , but Versailles decided to strictly move forward.

KAMIJO： That‘s right. That‘s why we decided to include new songs as well. As Versailles will celebrate it‘s 10th anniversary next year, in order to make 2017 Versailles year, to head towards future, we have to go forward. Versailles as a band is in condition if we are constantly thinking about difficulties.

HIZAKI：Individual roles are more firm now. For example,now Teru tells about his views actively.

KAMIJO：Revival is not a reunion. Activities has a meaning if you have a goal , we are going to deliver this kind of music to fans.

-Talking about goals, what is current goal of Versailles?

KAMIJO：Versailles is a band that aggressively went to world tours, but we want our music to reach even more people around the world.  This goal was always clearly stated, but we want to be the only ones who can do it .

HIZAKI：When going to overseas , various people comes to our lives. From people who loves Japanese culture , cosplayers, metal fellows, to old people. There aren‘t many bands who have a chance to go overseas, we are a band who can use this opportunity.

KAMIJO：Steadily,with album coming out, everytime we repeatedly go to domestic and overseas tours.  As japanese artists, Japan is the country where we held our first live. As representatives of Japan, we also experienced a lot of pressure . We want to do activities as revived band not forgetting about those feelings.

HIZAKI：Not speaking about visual kei bands, but speaking about the music scene as a whole, there are many people who wanted to be a part of boom of Cool Japan and went overseas. Some had light feelings,others gave bad impression.  Local people thought  ‘‘It‘s stuff of this level. I‘m bored.‘‘ Tired people becomes even more tired, distant people becomes even more distant, but I think that if we can bring people back one more time I‘d be happy.

KAMIJO：As a boom of Japan was ceased, and more bands started going to overseas, I‘ve become more stricter . But even more people started going to Versailles‘ lives. Also, there are people who have waited for us, I want to meet with even more people from now on....  Besides, Hizaki-kun, do you have things that you want to do first? (laughs)

HIZAKI：Eh? ‘‘First‘‘ is very hard. I won‘t leave my dreams and goals to the end. I want to do various things.  I want to do them all. Of course, I want many people to look at us doing it. I want to roll out into TV and festivals (laughs). But simply I want to go to the top. Though I don‘t know what it takes to reach it (laughs).

KAMIJO：Speaking about now, like before, we can‘t say that success is a clear result. Success can be in different forms depending how person looks at it. Although we can‘t determine success by ourselves, but we can set it lower or higher. While we are aware of improvement, I think it‘s important how far we can set criteria of success. Even if our standarts and policy may differ from other people , we are going to pursue it firmly anyway. In our case, we are aiming to become the flashiest, the most beautiful band with the best melodies in the world. To achieve it, we must follow success and results that we get.

HIZAKI：No matter where you held lives, and try to sell million CD, we live in the era that doesn‘t assure that we can create music whole life. That‘s why I think it‘s a waste of time pursuing this goal. We should treasure ideas we want to deliver, activities we want to do .

KAMIJO：That‘s right. However, our timespan as a band is going to be longer as we will celebrate 10th anniversary next year, I want to deliver ideas and the best scenery in a shape of reward .

-In regards to revival, to continue creating music in contrast with tension, you feel strong feelings.

KAMIJO：We don‘t want to lose to any other band either. To firmly show that, we want to show the best we have got on 8/7 Maihama Amphitheatre. I want you to witness the miraculous moment of revival by all means. Even if people who live far away this time can come to see us I‘ll be very happy. Versailles is a band which consists of many dramas. Our biography is pretty grand. We can deliver many dramas even from revival , you don‘t know what will happen even on 8/7 . Please don‘t miss even a single moment of Versailles.

I hope I managed to express members’ feelings through translation. Perfect translation is not possible. Please forgive me for possible mistakes. Please credit me if you repost translation.

[my18thcenturysource]

We all, as the history nerds we are (yes, I’m talking about me and you all dear readers), have thought about what did a moment in time long gone was like, what it looked like, what it sounded like, what was worn and where it happened. Well, someone went a step forward and asked himself what did a moment in a certain time and place smelt like. That man is Carlos Huber and he’s the founder of Arquiste, a perfume brand that create fragrances meticulously researched with historical sources to transport us to another time and place. Each fragrance has its own little story with historical setting and place; so you can find something inspired by and Aztec festival in the 15th century or a night in the Paris Opera in the late 19th century. Sounds awesome, don’t you think?

And it smells even better.

Here are two of my favourite fragrances by Arquiste, both inspired by the wedding of Louis XIV and the Infanta Maria Teresa, and since we’re in a 17th century mood, I thought this was the time to share this with you all (this sounds like a commercial but it is not, this perfumes are just so so SO good that I wish everyone knew about this brand). Imagine this:

It’s June 1660, you are at the Isle of Pheasants in the Basque region of the French-Spanish border. Spain was France’s political enemy, so this marriage would give a new balance of power in Europe. Both royal courts are in a pavilion built for this occasion of pine and cedar wood.

On the French side is a 22-year-old Louis XIV, dubbed the ‘sweetest smelling monarch’, he had a never ending love for orange blossom (he imported a thousand orange trees from Spain and made the largest orangerie) and even had his own fragrance called Acqua Angeli, there he is all starchy and elegantly dressed and totally missing the protocol he presented himself to catch a glimpse of his new bride. His fragrance, Fleur de Louis, has notes of orange blossom, Florentine iris, Jasmine, Rose and cedarwood.

On the Spanish side is the also 22-year-old Infanta Maria Teresa, the Spanish Princess represents the peace between the two nations, perfumed with orange flower water (a quite clean and innocent scent), the rouge smells of roses, the Spanish perfumed leather gloves and the scented fan are there while Louis lays his eyes on her for the first time. Her fragrance, Infanta en Flor, has notes of Orange flower water, Spanish leather, cistus resin and immortelle.

Images from top:

“Portrait of Louis XIV”, 1661, Charles le Brun.

“The infanta Maria Theresa of Spain”, 1653, Diego Velázquez.

Fragrance Fleur de Louis, Arquiste, developed with Rodrigo Flores-Roux.

Fragrance Infanta en Flor, Arquiste, developed with Yann Vasnier.

Fleur de Louis main notes: orange blossom, Florentine iris and jasmine.

Infanta en Flor main notes: Spanish leather (17th century Spanish leather gloves, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), cistus resin, immortelle.

George Blagden as Louis XIV in Versailles, 2015.

Elisa Lasowski as Marie-Thérèse in Versailles, 2015.

So, if you go to a store that carries this brand (here in Mexico you can only find it at El Palacio de Hierro Polanco), check it out and try one of their perfumes all are genderless, you’ll not be sorry (actually I wear Fleur de Louis, after a LONG time for deciding which one I liked better). Or you can simply go to their website and read about all their fragrances and scented candles (there’s one about a Japanese ship traveling from the New Spain, imagine what that smells like. Hint: strong and delicious.)