Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, WW2 AU.
Rating: General audiences, except chapters 10 (which can be skipped) and 15 both of which are 18+/minors DNI.
Status: COMPLETE (40k words)
Synopsis
It is late summer 1939, when you arrive in Paris from New York to begin a year of adventure. A deal struck with your parents to see a little of the world before settling down and marrying your ‘childhood sweetheart’ Stanley.
You soon find yourself with a spirited young English housemate Eloise, enjoying all that the cosmopolitan European city has to offer…. Until a few weeks later when war is declared. In this newly uncertain world, Eloise’s mother dispatches her brother to bring her home. Your plan is to board a ship back to America… but circumstances conspire to leave you possibly trapped in France with no way home. Eloise refuses to leave the country without you, even as you secretly grow attached to her beguiling brother, Benedict, who is everything Stanley is not.
There appears to be only one solution to your dilemma to ensure safe passage out of the country as invasion seems imminent… but it will mean your life is forever changed, even when the world is free again.
Built from a story outlined and requested by @amillcitygirl
Chapter Links
Chapter 1 : Sous le ciel de Paris
Chapter 2: La Valse de Paris
Chapter 3: C'est Un Gars
Chapter 4: Le Rideau Tombe Avant La Fin
Chapter 5: Sans Y Penser
Chapter 6: J'ai Dansé Avec L'Amour
Chapter 7: Mon Ami M'a Donné
Chapter 8: Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin
Chapter 9: Partance
Chapter 10: Hymne à L'amour (18+ rating, minors DNI)
Chapter 11: Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Chapter 12: Je T'ai Dans La Peau
Chapter 13: С'est Lui Que Mon Cœur A Choisi
Chapter 14: Un Coin Tout Bleu
Chapter 15: La Vie En Rose (18+ rating, minors DNI)
Epilogue: Peace Ever After
Titles: Fic title taken from the song ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ By Vera Lynn (1942). Chapter titles will likely all be Edith Piaf songs.
Disclaimer: While I have tried my best to research the time period and the history of events, ultimately, this is a work of fiction and may have some factual inaccuracies. This may be due to the nature of the requested storyline and/or the author's unintended errors. Credits: dividers by @/saradika [x], gif by @/captainbucky-yt [x]
not safe for frog haters
Yay, unsolicited advice time! Or, not really advice, more like miscellaneous tips and tricks, because if there's one thing eight years of martial arts has equipped me to write, it's fight scenes.
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It's not uncommon for two people to kick at the same time and smack their shins together, or for one person to block a kick with their shin. This is called a shin lock and it HURTS like a BITCH. You can be limping for the rest of the fight if you do it hard enough.
If your character is mean and short, they can block kicks with the tip of their elbow, which hurts the other guy a lot more and them a lot less
Headbutts are a quick way to give yourself a concussion
If a character has had many concussions, they will be easier to knock out. This is called glass jaw.
Bad places to get hit that aren't the groin: solar plexus, liver, back of the head, side of the thigh (a lot of leg kicks aim for this because if it connects, your opponent will be limping)
Give your character a fighting style. It helps establish their personality and physicality. Are they a grappler? Do they prefer kicks or fighting up close? How well trained are they?
Your scalp bleeds a lot and this can get in your eyes, blinding you
If you get hit in the nose, your eyes water
Adrenaline's a hell of a drug. Most of the time, you're not going to know how badly you've been hurt until after the fact
Even with good technique, it's really easy to break toes and fingers
Blocking hurts, dodging doesn't
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Just thought these might be useful! If you want a more comprehensive guide or a weapons edition, feel free to ask. If you want, write how your characters fight in the comments!
Have a bitchin day <3
Impulsiveness : Acts on instinct without careful planning. Perfectionism : Sets unrealistically high standards, leading to self-criticism. Indecisiveness : Struggles to commit to decisions or choose a path. Arrogance : Overestimates one’s abilities and dismisses others. Pessimism : Habitually expects negative outcomes in most situations. Cynicism : Distrusts the motives and sincerity of others. Overconfidence : Places excessive faith in one’s skills, often underestimating risks. Stubbornness : Resists change and refuses to adapt to new ideas. Jealousy : Feels envious of others' success or possessions. Insecurity : Experiences frequent self-doubt and a lack of confidence. Procrastination : Tends to delay tasks, often leading to missed opportunities. Passivity : Avoids taking initiative and relies on others to act. Aggressiveness : Responds with hostility or force rather than reason. Selfishness : Prioritizes personal gain over the welfare of others. Fragility : Is overly sensitive to criticism and easily discouraged. Egotism : Constantly focuses on oneself and one’s own importance. Defensiveness : Quickly rejects or rationalizes away critique or new information. Manipulativeness : Exploits others to fulfill personal needs or desires. Recklessness : Shows a careless disregard for potential risks or consequences. Resentfulness : Holds lingering bitterness and grudges over perceived wrongs. Distractibility : Finds it hard to maintain focus amid competing interests. Impatience : Lacks the willingness to wait, often spoiling opportunities to learn. Perfunctory : Performs actions in a mechanical, uninspired manner. Self-Doubt : Consistently questions personal abilities and decisions. Arbitraryness : Makes decisions based on whim rather than reason or evidence. Rigidity : Is inflexible and unwilling to consider alternative viewpoints. Gullibility : Trusts too easily, often leading to being misled or deceived. Obsession : Becomes excessively fixated on particular ideas or details. Aloofness : Maintains emotional distance, appearing detached or indifferent. Intolerance : Refuses to accept differing perspectives or lifestyles.
Mix genres and time periods: Experiment by combining elements from different eras or genres to create unique settings and narratives.
Use "what if" scenarios: Pose unexpected questions (e.g., What if time travel operated on emotions rather than mechanics?) to spark novel ideas.
Draw from diverse mediums: Engage with art, music, or even scientific papers to inspire unexpected plot twists.
Embrace absurdity: Let illogical or surreal ideas guide you; sometimes the wildest thoughts lead to compelling stories.
Reverse clichés: Identify common tropes in your favorite genres and deliberately invert them to create fresh perspectives.
Incorporate personal anomalies: Transform your idiosyncrasies and personal struggles into rich, multi-dimensional characters.
Use mind-mapping: Visually plot your ideas in a freeform way to uncover hidden connections between disparate elements.
Elementary school kids:
Scholastic book fair: this man tattooed himself to become a lizard
The opposite of “manic pixie dream girl” is “depressed goblin nightmare man,” and, judging by this site, it’s just as attractive to some.
Shuri, knowing damn well Antman is bout’ to shrink directly next to Peter: GIMME YOUR FUCKIN MONEY
Peter grabs Antman and yeets his little ol’ ass into a wall
***
Thor, launches his battle axe into the ceiling
Loki, technically being ‘17’ (argument on that linked here): THIS IS WHY MOM DIDN’T FUCKING LOVE YOU
***
Peter puts on Only by Nicki Minaj
Steve, even though he still has no idea what a 'vine’ or a 'meme’ (pronounced Mehmeh) is, naturally reacting like: No. No! Turn that off! NO!
you telling me americans don’t have these tasty little morsels?
no greek god is inherently and wholly “good” or “bad” because they were all flawed and imperfect in some way with different facets of personality and character to serve as a reflection of society and human nature itself