Xenia - Tumblr Posts
the WIP is no longer a WIP >:D this is my longest works so far, I hope you enjoy
先日、NHK BSプレミアムで『追想』という古い映画が放映されていて、『追憶』の放映だと勘違いして観はじめたのですが、最後まで引き込まれました。ロシア革命の折に処刑されたはずの皇女アナスタシアが生存、その真偽はいかに❓というものでした🥲アナスタシア役のイングリット・バーグマンが素晴らしかったです✨
一方、偶然イギリスに居たことから一命を取り留めたのが皇女アナスタシアの従姉妹ゼニア王女で、左の画像が彼女のテディベア🧸「アルフォンゾ」です。コスチュームはお付きの乳母がコサックの衣装を真似て手作りしたそうです。
右の画像は私の持っているそれのレプリカで、当時、オリジナルを所有していたイギリスのテディベア🧸ショップから買ったものです（現在、オリジナルはベルギーにあるそうです）。レプリカはオリジナルに比べると平和そうな顔🐻をしていますが、オリジナルもゼニア王女に可愛がられて、今も展覧会などでみんなを楽しませて、なかなか良い熊の一生🧸のような気がします🥰
𝒞𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓈𝑜𝑜𝓃.
Hello everyone, soon I’l be posting these little stories for you all. They’re going to be oneshots for this quarantine life while I’m working on my ongoing series. For now, I have no specific member in mind for each of these, but I would really like for you to tell me who do like best! The member with the most mentions will be the protagonist! Just send me “BTS Member - Story name” and I’ll work on it this week! I hope you all are looking forward to it just as much as I am. Have a great week!
𝐁𝐓𝐒 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | angst, romance, mature. oneshot ― 𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬. ―𝐈n the dead of night, when the critters stop crawling and the owls retreat, when the wolves hide in the shadows and the children sleep. That is when the silence installs and the night is pitch black, not a chip, not a crip not ever a twig would dare to crack. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ For that is when 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 touches ground... when his bare feet meet the grass and the clouds carry him down. That is when he slowly walks in his wonder, listening for sleepless souls, a heart, breaking in the distance, somewhere within the shadows. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ It's when he seeks and he runs and reaches out, with a warm hand or embrace and gives you a smile without a sound. And he'll take you in his arms, show you wonders in his irises, filled with stars and 'what if's and you'll contemplate in following. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Because he's ethereal and he's real, is he a dream? Maybe not. And what if the man in the sky takes you back into the night? What if he shows you grace, a place with no heartbreak, if only. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺. Because his smile falters when the birds come to sing and the sun breaks at dawn. His charm cracks and his hands flinch when the grass gets too warm. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ The man in the sky is lonely and you notice. He looks up at his stars and you understand his purpose. Because the stars are his friends and the night is his journey... when his feet hit the ground, and the cold wind is blowing. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ And he seeks broken souls and the sound of one's heartbreak... ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ So he takes them back home... ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝘚𝘰 𝘩𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺.
𝐁𝐓𝐒 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | angst, romance, mature oneshot ― 𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬. XENIA: ❛ Greek: ξενία, romanized: xenía, meaning "guest-friendship" or 𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮. ❜ ―𝐓ake cover, whoever dares go to sea. Take cover for she is not inviting and does not caress with a gentle hand. She is a force to be reckoned and will toss and turn and throw you to shore. She'll remind you why the waters are dark and cold till you wander no more. But the sea wasn't always this rageful. She was once peaceful and steady and calm. She'd push sailors and their ships and made sure they'd return to their loved ones that have waited too long. Because back then, the sea 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. No one truly knew where the heart of the sea was kept. Protected and bound in the depths of the ocean where no man could touch, see or reach. A place where even light couldn't creep in, take a peek, see what the sea's heart looked like, felt like. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦. The story goes that a man tossed overbored a trading ship, slowly sunk and gave up his air. She, even if not one to interfere, could still feel his slowly withering heartbeat reverberate along the waters. So slow, calm, and gentle, almost like her own. And she pushed him ashore, watched from afar within the rocks, pitch-black hair flowing with the ocean breeze, dancing in the air like the algae in the ocean. She watched his almost lifeless body so still, like her waters when she slept. And she got closer, close enough to touch dry land, close enough to lean over him and take in the handsome man. She got close enough to take the water right out of his lungs just as he took the breath out of her own. She took a step back as he coughed and sat up, his lungs filling with something other than her. But the sea was a curious one and this man was so close, and even when his dark eyes met hers and when he asked who she was. She couldn't deny him an answer. "I am the sea, of course." And the man furrowed his brows, slowly standing, slowly approaching, she left one foot in the water, the other on sand, watching with a glinting wonder as he came closer. 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳. "The sea is a woman?" He questioned. And she smiled, laughed, crashed her waves in wonder. "There is nothing else the sea would be if not a woman, if not a natural mother, a natural destroyer." He lifted a brow as she lifted her nose, her pride swimming along her bare chest. "𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥." He whispered. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘥. The see suddenly fell quiet, calm, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭. A reaching hand searched curiously for hers and she allowed him to. And all at once, as they touched, the sea furiously shook. Crashing waves along the rocks, shaky waters far off land. The fish swimming aimlessly and the sea's heart shining, screaming: 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙤! Indigo blue! deep within the darkness. And she asked, "𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?" shaky voice like her waters. And with a smile maybe too sweet, he answered. "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧." And that is a tale for another time at most, for the moon was cursed to live amongst the men until he were gifted light to shine down upon. Realizing the man was indeed no man at all, the sea pulled away and he pulled her back. "𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙤," he whispered. And she stayed, slowly rehearsing what would become their usual dance, day after day as they met when the sun took its rest. And the tail goes that the sea fell in love with the moon and the moon loved her back. They touched, kissed, made love to one another, giving sailors a swift sale and people a view. The sea showed it's hospitality, the deep blue waters turning turquoise when it giggled. The villages were teeming with fish and food and sales as the sea found her home in the moon's arms. Until one day. Chest rich with unsparing love, the sea swam down, and down and lower. Retrieving her one true precious possession to gift to her lover. The light could finally see her Safire blue heart as she reached out her hand and placed it upon his palm. And her smile shone like the sun against the coral reef, but it never reached his lips. Because the moon knew what this meant as he held the light with all his might. And he cried as leaned in to reach her lips one last time, touch her one last time, love her one last time. Because it was indeed the last. In a blink of an eye, he was no longer there, the blinding light above shining in her indigo blue. That was 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. "𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚!" But he never spoke back, and he never returned. Yet he pulled while she pushed and she screamed. "𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘰!" She broke his curse while he broke her heart. And they danced every day, not a waltz, but a tango. Indigo blue turning red as she wrecked ships and sunk men. So take cover, whoever dares go to sea. Take cover for she is not inviting and does not caress with a gentle hand. For the sea has a broken heart and she shows no mercy to no men. Take cover and beware of the lady in blue, with her deep-sea dark locks and her 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯.
The Hispano Suiza “Xenia†by Soutchik. Check out this great video about this car on Jay Leno’s Garage. - Photo by Otis Blank
@katerinaaqu I love how you portrayed his anguish and sorrow, he thought it would be quick, non painful, only the cutting of a few branches, but he didn´t remembered the hatred in the hearts of the Achaeans, their longing for victory, BLOOD, for those who had fallen in the siege, it was a genocide, taking the tree down from the roots. How in war nothing is sacred, the rape of Cassandra, the death of Priam, these shows how, the Achaeans who feared the gods were having none of that, the bloodlust was so much than even Ares would be afraid, it was not hubris it was desire, desire to kill, desire of blood, desire of letting Tartarus lose, they didn´t give a damn care for the divine, the wanted REVENGE.
It really shows how war and it´s environment, change even the souls of people that didn´t wanted it, he is beyond repair, he´s internalizing everything, and Polites, as much of a joy is, is not understanding the scope of this as he hasn´t been there, HE doesn´t know what Odysseus has seen, the hell that was the sack....
I also like the juxtaposition of young Odysseus (cocky) with the man who has seen the horrors, he´s not him, he changed, he´s fearful of everything, he wanted to go home not stay there.
The horse His idea, was the catalyst for the genocide, he should have done it with a few soldiers, not with the whole troupe, Neoptolemus wanted blood, everyone wanted blood except Odysseus, Menelaus and Dio (he killed Hector) (to be honest the wanted blood, but not THAT level of blood, they weren´t saints after all, so many lifes had been taken by their swords too).
That´s something that Epic, fails to grasps, the sheer psychological tool that the Sack had in him, it was not pretty, it wasn´t heroic it was a blood bath, the killing of innocents, everything!!! (I don´t think Jay doesn´t know it, but because he wants to do a cool retelling, it doesn't align well with today´s audience, and I say it as a Winion myself, I really love so much the musical, but this part doesn´t sit well with me, for me Monster should have been after Just a man (hate that he´s the one killing Astyanax and is my favourite song of the Troy saga to be honest ).
Kinda a prequel to
Originally for @prompted-wordsmith so yeah something I have been working for ages. April 1st for our poor tormented little liar Odysseus 😆
~~~
Guilt (P1)
The noise was deafening. It was a sea of people cheering and whistling; a sea dressed in bronze, leather and blood. Odysseus was pacing among these people keeping his head low. He was trying very hard to avoid gazing someone in the eye. He could hear their praise and yelps of excitement. On occasion he could feel a pat on his back.
"Huzzah! Hooray for Odysseus!"
"Man of Many Ways!"
"The one Equal to Gods! Hooray!"
"Sacker of Cities!"
"Sacker of Cities!"
His ears were buzzing. All sounds around him were silenced or blended together in a mass of unknown origins. His head was throbbing painfully and the helmet adorned with boar tusks seemed to be weighting more than all metal in the world upon it. Just a little longer...just a bit further... Blood had become one with his skin and hair. He could feel it running down still even if it was long now clotted upon him. How weird! Normally every person would be delighted with this triumph. Why couldn't he?
"Sacker of Cities!"
Just a bit further...
"Sacker of Cities!"
His previous noble prancing became a half-run now. He was almost pushing his way through the mixed people of triumph and of woe. Eventually he reached his hut and felt like breathing in relief as he ran in with his close friend coming right behind him.
"Close the damn curtains, Polites!" Odysseus ordered
He half-collapsed over the bronze bowl containing fresh water they had picked up off the river. He remained there for a few seconds, supporting his body over the metallic water container. He looked down. What he saw scared him; it was a warrior staring back at him through the dark depths of the vessel. His head was adorned with a helmet of boar tusk, stained with blood and scratched by some sword. His expression was hard and had sunken eyes in their sockets. The beard was shaggy and splattered with blood. His onyx eyes had a worrying sheen of death, of triumph and of guilt...
"Gods help me...that's me!" He thought in terror
The ambitious, flamboyant and somehow a bit arrogant young man was long gone. He had given his place to this bloodthirsty killer, the face of that man was reeking of sweat, blood and tar from weapons and smoke; the Sacker of Cities. How had they come to this?!
*
A few days before...
The room was buzzing by the men talking almost at the same time. All the Greek kings were supposed to discuss their plan on their next move but it ended up being a buzzing hive of angry bees that fought for a better place in the sun. Neoptolemus was still thirsty for revenge for hi ls father, wearing his armor proudly. The kid seemed to be one with the damn thing! Odysseus was still cursing the moment he decided to bring him from Skyros. This boy seemed less and less like a good idea for his expedition. Agamemnon was there for the glory of his nation, Menelaus wanted his wife back, this time time from a new suitor that took her as a wife, after the murder of Paris. Nestor was trying to keep them all in check, Diomedes still held a grudge against Paris even long after the mutilation of his corpse. Odysseus thought his head would split by this cacophony of tired and frustrated kings that each one of them wanted something different!
"ENOUGH!" Odysseus bellowed
The silence that followed was deafening as the king of Ithaca practically pranced through the crowded hall and grabbed the bronze scepter, pushing it to the ground.
"EVERYONE KEEP QUIET AND LET ME SPEAK!"
His voice had echoed long enough for everyone to understand that there was no stopping this man now. Odysseus took some raspy breaths as if he tried to collect himself before speaking.
"How much longer must this go on? How much longer should we keep this siege? Can't you see it? It's been a decade already! Troy won't fall! Trojans get new allies and we grow weaker by the year. Year after year after year after year we held this city and for what? How much longer will we stay here? Another 10 years? 20? I do not know about you, my lords, but I refuse to stay here that long! My wife and child waited way too long!"
"Do not wish to be king among kings, son of Laërtes!" A voice was heard over others, "you are not the only one with home and family to return to!"
"My lords, I can speak of no one else but myself. However I believe you shall agree with me that this siege lasted way too long. I have no doubt that there are many people; younger people in this council that can withhold this for the decades to come, but I have long stopped being young, my lords, and I do not intend going back to my home when I reach the age of Nestor and pass the crown to my adult son to retire. There are other kingdoms that require our attention, my lords! Not just this one, but our own!"
A series of hums passed around but Odysseus could feel it already there were some objections or some hesitations. They obviously didn't know what he was talking about.
"The war won't last much longer, Odysseus" Agamemnon the son of Atreus spoke, "we have already cut the tree of succession to the Trojan throne. Both Paris and Hector are dead, you managed to capture Helenos. Troy is losing already. I highly doubt we will stay here much longer"
"With all due the respect" Odysseus interrupted, "as long as there is the line of Priam Troy is not finished. Helen has now joined in matrimony with a new husband. Undoubtedly the widow of Hector will do the same when her period of mourning is done. And line or no line, the walls are still there, my lord, they are mocking us. We cannot break them from the outside"
"Odysseus..." Menelaus now spoke, the man who still believed in him blindly, "What else is to be done? We are not gods to transform ourselves to birds and get in"
Odysseus's eyes sparkled in a determined way as if he managed to hypnotize everyone in the room with just his fiery gaze, his voice sounded clearer than ever.
"I could take Troy in one night if the plan works!"
The seer audacity of his words was greeted with a silent shock and then a wave of chuckle.
"I believe you lost your mind FOR REAL this time, Odysseus son of Laërtes!" Neoptolemus called out arrogantly
Odysseus shot him with a warning glare. He had no idea how that insolent boy had heard about his attempt to avoid that war in the first place pretending to be mad but that was not the time for quarrel.
"I am pretty sure that the black ships of the Acheans rest in this place over a decade for nothing! We could obviously have asked you! I am sure you can also guide us inside the city yourself!"
"I have already infiltrated Troy!" Odysseus claimed.
The wave of exclamations that passed among the kings of the Greeks was delightful as it was annoying to Odysseus!
"We were protected by the gods, Diomedes and I. We disguised ourselves as beggars and walked about the city, I found their secrets, I know the passages! I plundered their temple according to the prophecy!"
With a determined move he threw the palladium of Athena to their feet; proof to his words. The silence he earned was delightful.
"I have a plan...if you choose to accept it!"
"That is not fighting with HONOR!" Agamemnon pointed out, "We do not do that Odysseus!"
"We fought with honor, Agamemnon...10 years now! And where did it lead us? We are still here; debating whether we shall live and die to the foot of Troy when the price is right there before us! If you want results, hear me out!"
As his onyx eyes stared deeply into his audience, he knew he had them now.
"I shall uproot the line of Priam from the city! We can throw them all out of the castle walls of the holy city of Troy! So, my lords, long-haired Acheans, if you want results, hear me out!"
Their silence was his confirmation.
"Here's the plan, then..."
*
Odysseus growled and snapped out of his flashback. How easy had he made that sound at that time! Even in his own ears such a promise wouldn't appear nearly as horrendous as it was proven to be! He felt a drop of sweat rolling down his chin but it was thicker. He could still feel blood... He grunted in annoyance as he removed that helmet that was crushing his head and sank his hands in the water, brushing them intensely. The water took a reddish sheen almost immediately. Blood was sticking way too much... Odysseus splashed water all over his face maniacally, even passing water over his matted with blood head. It was still there...the memory was still there... he felt dizzy almost. He rushed to the wine jar resting at the side. He broke the wax seal and filled a cup for himself without watering it first. He downed it quickly before having the chance to feel the burning sensation down his throat.
"Odysseus..." Polites started, alarmed
Odysseus didn't hear him. He filled a second cup that was gone the same quickly. He was still shaking.
"Blood..." he whispered, "Blood and death everywhere... plunders and rapes...everywhere..."
He clenched the cup in his hand.
"What have we done, Polites! What have we done?"
"What have I done?!"
"Sire..." Polites began, "this is war..."
A dry laughter escaped Odysseus's lips.
"That was no war, my friend...that was a massacre...a slaughter..."
He drained yet another cup. He was feeling dizzy and he wasn't sure it was the red wine at fault.
"Priam is dead..." he whispered as if in delirium, "...killed upon the altar of Zeus where he sought sanctuary... Cassandra raped right outside the sanctuary at the xoano of Athena...and Astyanax...the child is..."
His voice broke. He covered his face with his free hand as if that could stop the sobbing that was coming out of his thick chest.
"We're cursed, Polites..." he whispered, "Cursed...doomed! The gods won't turn the blind eye in this hubris..." he finished the cup he was holding
"Odysseus...please!" Polites exclaimed concerned, "Even so...what you say is right but still...it was war..."
"I gave them the key to this, Polites..." Odysseus ignored him, "it was MY plan that put them in..."
"Please, Odysseus...you...you didn't know..."
Odysseus chuckled. It was a dry, humorless one...
"Yes I did, my friend...I did...I just chose to ignore it..."
He refilled his cup.
"Odysseus I beg of you at least...at least put some water to your wine...don't do this..."
He placed his hand upon Odysseus's large shoulder.
"And no, that was what you feared...not what you knew. There was no way you would know the magnitude of it...you gave them the city just like you promised. What they did with it it was their responsibility."
If only it were that simple, Odysseus thought.
~~
Soon comes part 2. It will be probably 3 parts plus a footnote section!
