I’m sorry there was no new entry yesterday. If you follow me on Patreon (which is doubtful judging by all on the zeroes I see on my page), you already know why. My laptop refused to turn on this past weekend. I took it to work and it got diagnosed as being an issue with the AC adaptor. I got it to turn on and work but I definitely need a new AC adaptor before it conks out completely.
Hopefully I can get back on track, so stay tuned! And thanks for your patience!
Luna gathered up all her shopping bags from the backseat of her car, kicking the door closed. She managed to press the lock button with her keys between her fingers as she hurried toward her front door, her arms starting to hurt. After some maneuvering, she got her house key into the lock and unlocked her door. It was a bit difficult to open the door with her hands full of grocery bags but she managed, almost stumbling into her dark and cool house.
She let the bags fall from her hands and land on the floor. As she wiggled her fingers to get the blood flowing into them again, she stepped outside to check her mailbox. Lifting the lid, she pulled out the envelopes inside before returning back to her house and closing the door behind her. It was time to relax at last.
Humming, she put away the frozen items she had bought but left the others for the moment. She padded through her house, up the stairs and into her bedroom. It was time to get out of her suit and change into comfy clothes for the night.
A crisp breeze blew through the trees, rattling the leaves that had yet to fall to the ground. Their rustling sound filled the quiet night, startling an owl who hooted into the inky blackness surrounding the area. It was the only living soul in the area.
A figured cloaked in shadows appeared on the gravel road, walking down it. Though the figure wore boots, there was no crunching of gravel or the sound of footfalls. It was as if the figure glided forward, making its way through the forest as shadows reached out tendrils to it, trying to ensnare it.
The figure stopped by a crystal clear lake in the middle of the woods. Clouds floating overhead parted to reveal the white waxing moon, its light reflected in the water. The figure smiled as it took in the sight. Soon all would be ready.
It was time.
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Thanks for reading! Remember, for early access to the remaining parts, please support me on Patreon.
This is going to be a short post. I was focused on getting my Paris posts out the week before last and I did mean this for last week but it never posted. And then I got distracted by the latest theme week and forgot all about it.
So you’re getting a slightly altered version now!
I just finished “Inspired by OQ” Week. The best way to describe the week is how it was first presented to us: “Fic the Art, Art the Fic.” Basically, writers picked an existing piece of Outlaw Queen fanart/manip/fanvid and based a story about it while artists picked a story and made some art for it. People also made moodboards, aesthetics or playlists inspired by fanfics as well. Everyone was really energized during this week and it reminded us just how amazing our fandom truly is.
Grace and I said our goodbyes Wednesday morning. She left to head to the British Embassy and I got a little bit more sleep before I headed into Paris myself. It was my last day before heading home and I had it all planned out.
I started off by going to the Arc de Triomphe. I walked up to it, admiring it, before following the pedestrian crossings through the roundabout that encircles it to get to the entrance. My Paris Pass let me use a separate entrance where I did have to pass through a metal detector. I then started to climb a narrow, metal circular staircase and I worried I had just signed up for a Bunker Hill mistake.
(For reference: My family went to Boston ten years ago and we did a bus tour, including a stop at Bunker Hill. It has a monument and you can go up to the top—but there are nearly 300 steps to do so. My family managed to do it, though I then had to crawl down the middle when curiosity got to me and I looked down a giant hole. There was nothing there but it triggered my fear of heights. Anyway, we all made it back down and our legs felt like jelly until we got back to New York a few days later).
Thankfully, it was not a Bunker Hill mistake as I only had a few minutes of climbing before I got to the big space dedicated to the arch’s history. It included some statues as well as video of the Allies marching through the arch after taking back Paris. There were then more stairs to the roof and I decided to go up there. It offered some great views of Paris but I never strayed from the middle of the roof as my fear of heights yelled at me to GET OFF THE ROOF!
(Pictured: The Arc de Triomphe)
For those not familiar with French—“musee” is the word for “museum.”
I actually slept late on Tuesday. Originally, I had planned on doing that on Monday but when my friends offered to let me into Paris with them, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. But I really needed to sleep in. The con had called for early mornings and Monday was even earlier. So I needed the rest.
Grace decided to stay behind to work on her situation, so I headed into Paris by myself. I went straight to the Musee de Rodin, dedicated to sculptor Auguste Rodin. You know—The Thinker:
(Pictured: The Thinker)
I must say, nothing seemed sadder than the hotel on Monday morning. The crowds of people that had been a constant presence were gone as most people had left or were leaving. It made me miss everyone but I was eager to head into Paris to finally see the city.
I had met one of my Twitter followers the day before at the con and she had invited me to come into the city with her and her friend. I accepted, grateful for the offer as I had been nervous about going into the city by myself. But I had them with me as I learned how to navigate the train system as well as how to get around the city. And it was nice to have the company.
They came with me as I went to pick up my Paris Pass, which I had to do right in the middle of the district bordered by the Louvre on one end and the Opera Garnier on the other. When I emerged from the Metro, I stopped to admire the buildings around me—gorgeous ones that I had only seen in pictures of Paris before. Now I was seeing them with my own eyes, drinking in the ornate architecture of the city.
Sunday started around the same time as Saturday. We all gathered in the panel room and the guests came in to greet us. This time they were joined by Robert Carlyle (Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold/ Weaver) and Emilie De Ravin (Belle). They stayed behind for a joint panel in which Robert shaded the writers and the show quite a bit.
(Pictured: Robert Carlyle on the left and Emilie de Ravin on the right)
After the panel, I had my meet and greet with Sean Maguire. There was about twenty of us who headed up to a private room where we sat in a circle. Someone from the con made sure we turned our phones off so we didn’t take pictures or secretly record the meeting and greet. These are private sessions where the actors can be more candid than they would be at panels, which are generally filmed and put on the internet. So I won’t get into specifics about what Sean said but it was essentially a master class in writing.
