<script data-pm-proxy="intercept"></script><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Tales from the Demimonde (Love Fragments)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Thoughts and feelings of a creature from the luminous depths...]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jEtP!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbde966ce-c9ec-4c17-a691-666e46bef51b_953x953.png</url><title>Tales from the Demimonde (Love Fragments)</title><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:44 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[fr]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[lovefragments@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[lovefragments@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[lovefragments@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[lovefragments@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[A Midsummer Day's Dream]]></title><description><![CDATA[...]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/a-midsummer-days-dream</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/a-midsummer-days-dream</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:13:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BUy0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb2808ac8-01dd-46c1-b11e-2aa423a44ac4_690x966.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BUy0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb2808ac8-01dd-46c1-b11e-2aa423a44ac4_690x966.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BUy0!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, 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style="text-align: justify;"><span>... lying on the sand beside you, the sound of the sea in the distance, this particular smell of iodine and sunscreen, of... salt? does salt have a smell? at this very moment, I quite think so, but perhaps it&#8217;s because slowly, I&#8217;m sinking into half-sleep, scattered, confused thoughts, in which logic withers away to leave room for fanciful reflections, my ideas flying off like scraps of paper, all the way there, in the wind, what was I thinking again, I really don&#8217;t want to reason anymore, follow a discursive path, just let myself be rocked by this salty scent, this couple on my left who seemed mortally bored faded away, this woman on my right who was reading, faded, space around me, lots of space, a universe, a universe opened up, immense, without any limit, my body is so limp, it sinks into the warm sand, I had a towel I believe, I was lying on a towel in a wet swimsuit, and here I am completely naked, straight on the sand, the grains are soft and warm, so fine, almost silky, they tickle my skin, make me want more, of wet and burning embraces, my thoughts become lascivious, as for the water, it laps at my feet, is that normal, that&#8217;s not normal, the sea was far, a few meters away, and yet it laps at my feet, I feel it, its tongue slips between my toes, grasps them, sucks them one by one, nibbles the sole, I never thought water had a tongue, teeth, oh I really want someone to massage me, for fingers to trace my body, brush against me, wring me out, twist me, a slight pressure on the inner edge of my foot, and suddenly, skilled hands move up along my calves, linger at the back of my knees, stroke my thighs, go up further, my legs spread slightly, of their own accord, without me wanting to control it, the sun makes like a warm veil on my skin, and these fingers, and this tongue (who do these fingers belong to, this tongue?) stop now at the top of my thighs, the groin, the crotch, this shouldn&#8217;t be done, there were people around, a few seconds ago still, the couple, the woman, they must see us, this isn&#8217;t done, and yet, I arch myself, I extend my sex toward the fingers, toward the tongue, what does it matter anyway, I&#8217;m already naked, and offered, if I keep my eyes closed, we can continue, who could take offense if I keep my eyes shut, nobody, nobody, oh I love how this man touches me, who is he exactly, couldn&#8217;t it be this playful passerby we crossed earlier, the laughing glint in his eye as our gazes met on the pier, our arms brushing as we passed, this spark at the corner of his lips, the one that shows he thinks otherwise, I know it well, you and I have the same one, a flame shaped like a question mark, the sea, once so distant, continues to caress me, from top to bottom, from bottom to top, and the passerby&#8217;s sex beats against my thigh, I want him, I want all of him, as called by my desire, the passerby moves up to my mouth and kisses me, our tongues mix, my lips are soaked, the man slides inside me, a wave between rocks, and the foam, and the sound of the water retreating, endless, he takes me with regular thrusts, I move my hips to the rhythm of his thrusts, I moan, I moan loudly, I don&#8217;t care about making noise, being indecent, I&#8217;m indecent no matter what happens and I know it, a warm breath embraces the inside of my wrists, delicately, it can&#8217;t be the passerby since his tongue is wrapped around mine, could it be the woman from earlier, the one reading, concentrating, her red hair falling on me in burning cascades as she moves up along my arm and finds a path to my mouth, her body presses against mine trembling, I want this body, this pale skin bristling with goosebumps, this skin that shivers and rolls like sand under the pressure of my hand, I slip my fingers between her warm lips, wouldn&#8217;t the passerby be fingering her too, no someone takes her slowly, from behind, but it&#8217;s not the passerby, oh it&#8217;s probably the wife from the couple who was bored a moment ago, she&#8217;s not bored anymore now, the reader presses against my mouth, I swallow her sighs of pleasure, it feels good, it feels so good, tiny shells scatter her long hair, you&#8217;d think Venus had risen from the waters, I&#8217;m making love with the goddess incarnate, as for the wife from the couple, she beats the ground with her long fish tail, I&#8217;d want to stand up to touch the slimy scales, but I&#8217;m anchored to the ground, there is only one thing I want, let myself be done and sink into luminous depths, the husband strokes me in his turn while the passerby continues to take me with this oceanic slowness, I kiss Venus, the mermaid sings, tongues and fingers flutter everywhere on my body, seaweed wraps around our limbs, the waves never stop rolling in my belly, the sea takes possession of me, and then, you appear, lying against my flank, dark eyes, concentrated, intense, you watch me take pleasure and it&#8217;s you I want to kiss now, you like it, do you whisper, you like it, I want you to take me in your turn please take me, I say, and that&#8217;s what you do, my desires are orders, you told me that several times, we&#8217;re alone together, and this immense wave crashes over us, a very high wave, several meters tall, but soft and warm, like summer rain, which caresses me too, oh this heat in my body, in my sex, that radiates everywhere, I cum, I cum, it&#8217;s wonderful and it should last a lifetime, I open my eyes in a moan, in a groan, in a cry, and you look at me, laughing, lying on the towel beside me, the calm beach, the woman reading, the couple who&#8217;s bored, the sea in the distance...</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>&#8220;Anna? You fell asleep I think, you... were dreaming...?&#8221;</span><br></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;S'abonner maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>S'abonner maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/a-midsummer-days-dream?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/a-midsummer-days-dream?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: justify;">Le Songe d&#8217;un jour d&#8217;&#233;t&#233;</h2><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>... allong&#233;e sur le sable &#224; tes c&#244;t&#233;s, le bruit de la mer au loin, cette odeur si particuli&#232;re d&#8217;iode et de cr&#232;me solaire, de... sel ? le sel a-t-il une odeur ? &#224; l&#8217;instant T, j&#8217;en ai bien l&#8217;impression, mais peut-&#234;tre est-ce parce que lentement, je m&#8217;enfonce dans un demi-sommeil, pens&#233;es &#233;parses, confuses, dans lesquelles la logique s&#8217;&#233;tiole pour laisser la place &#224; des r&#233;flexions fantaisistes, mes id&#233;es qui s&#8217;envolent comme des bouts de papier, tout l&#224;-bas, dans le vent, &#224; quoi songeais-je d&#233;j&#224;, je n&#8217;ai plus vraiment envie de r&#233;fl&#233;chir, de suivre un chemin discursif, juste me laisser bercer par cette odeur sal&#233;e, ce couple &#224; ma gauche qui semblait mortellement s&#8217;ennuyer s&#8217;est effac&#233;, cette femme &#224; ma droite qui lisait, effac&#233;e, de l&#8217;espace autour de moi, beaucoup d&#8217;espace, un univers, un univers s&#8217;est ouvert, immense, sans limite aucune, mon corps est si mou, il s&#8217;enfonce dans le sable chaud, j&#8217;avais une serviette me semble-t-il, j&#8217;&#233;tais allong&#233;e sur une serviette dans un maillot de bain humide, et me voil&#224; compl&#232;tement nue, &#224; m&#234;me le sable, les grains sont doux et ti&#232;des, si fins, presque soyeux, ils titillent ma peau, me donnent envie de plus, d&#8217;&#233;treintes mouill&#233;es et br&#251;lantes, mes pens&#233;es deviennent lascives, quant &#224; l&#8217;eau, elle l&#232;che mes pieds, est-ce normal, ce n&#8217;est pas normal, la mer &#233;tait loin, &#224; quelques m&#232;tres, et pourtant elle l&#232;che mes pieds, je la sens, sa langue s&#8217;enfonce entre mes orteils, les saisit, les suce un par un, mordille la plante, je n&#8217;aurais jamais pens&#233; que l&#8217;eau avait une langue, des dents, oh j&#8217;ai tellement envie qu&#8217;on me masse, que des doigts parcourent mon corps, m&#8217;effleurent, m&#8217;essorent, me tordent, une l&#233;g&#232;re pression sur le bord interne de mon pied, et soudain, des mains habiles remontent le long de mes mollets, s&#8217;attardent &#224; l&#8217;arri&#232;re de mes genoux, caressent mes cuisses, remontent encore, mes jambes s&#8217;&#233;cartent l&#233;g&#232;rement, d&#8217;elles m&#234;mes, sans que je veuille le contr&#244;ler, le soleil fait comme un voile chaud sur ma peau, et ces doigts, et cette langue (&#224; qui appartiennent ces doigts, cette langue ?) s&#8217;arr&#234;tent maintenant en haut de mes cuisses, l&#8217;aine, l&#8217;entrejambes, il ne faudrait pas faire cela, des gens &#233;taient l&#224;, autour, il y a quelques secondes encore, le couple, la femme, ils doivent nous voir, &#231;a ne se fait pas, et pourtant, je me cabre, je tends mon sexe vers les doigts, vers la langue, qu&#8217;importe puisque de toutes fa&#231;ons, je suis d&#233;j&#224; nue, et offerte, si je garde mes yeux clos, nous pouvons continuer, qui pourrait s&#8217;offenser si je garde les yeux ferm&#233;s, personne, personne, oh j&#8217;aime comme cet homme me touche, qui est-il au juste, ne serait-ce pas ce passant mutin que nous avons crois&#233; ce midi, la lueur rieuse dans l&#8217;oeil alors que nos regards se croisaient sur la jet&#233;e, que nos bras se fr&#244;laient au passage, cette flam&#232;che au coin des l&#232;vres, celle qui montre qu&#8217;on n&#8217;en pense pas moins, je la connais bien, toi et moi nous avons la m&#234;me, une flamme en forme de point d&#8217;interrogation, la mer, autrefois si lointaine, continue de me caresser, de haut en bas, de bas en haut, et le sexe du passant bat contre ma cuisse, je le veux, je veux tout de lui, comme appel&#233; par mon d&#233;sir, le passant remonte jusqu&#8217;&#224; ma bouche et m&#8217;embrasse, nos langues se m&#234;lent, mes l&#232;vres sont tremp&#233;es, l&#8217;homme glisse &#224; l&#8217;int&#233;rieur de moi, une vague entre les roches, et l&#8217;&#233;cume qui bouillonne sur nos corps, et le bruit du ressac, sans fin, il me prend par &#224; coups r&#233;guliers, je bouge mon bassin au rythme de ses coups de reins, je g&#233;mis, je g&#233;mis fort, je m&#8217;en fiche de faire du bruit, d&#8217;&#234;tre ind&#233;cente, je suis ind&#233;cente quoi qu&#8217;il arrive je le sais, un souffle chaud embrasse l&#8217;int&#233;rieur de mes poignets, d&#233;licatement, &#231;a ne peut pas &#234;tre le passant puisque sa langue est enroul&#233;e &#224; la mienne, serait-ce la femme de tout &#224; l&#8217;heure, celle qui lisait concentr&#233;e, ses cheveux roux tombent sur moi en cascades br&#251;lantes pendant qu&#8217;elle remonte le long de mon bras et se fraie un chemin jusqu&#8217;&#224; ma bouche, son corps se plaque contre le mien en fr&#233;missant, j&#8217;ai envie de ce corps, de cette peau claire h&#233;riss&#233;e de chair de poule, cette peau qui frissonne et roule comme du sable sous la pression de ma main, je glisse mes doigts dans son sexe ti&#232;de, le passant ne serait-il pas en train de la doigter elle aussi, non quelqu&#8217;un la prend lentement, par derri&#232;re, mais ce n&#8217;est pas le passant, oh c&#8217;est probablement la femme du couple qui s&#8217;ennuyait tout &#224; l&#8217;heure, elle ne s&#8217;ennuie plus du tout maintenant, la lectrice hal&#232;te contre ma bouche, j&#8217;avale ses soupirs de plaisir, c&#8217;est bon, c&#8217;est tellement bon, de minuscules coquillages pars&#232;ment ses longs cheveux, on dirait V&#233;nus sortie des eaux, je suis en train de faire l&#8217;amour avec sa d&#233;esse incarn&#233;e, quant &#224; la femme du couple, elle bat le sol de sa longue queue de poisson, je voudrais me relever pour en toucher les &#233;cailles gluantes, mais je suis ancr&#233;e au sol, plus qu&#8217;une envie, me laisser faire et m&#8217;enfoncer dans les profondeurs lumineuses, le mari me caresse &#224; son tour pendant que le passant continue de me prendre avec cette lenteur oc&#233;ane, j&#8217;embrasse V&#233;nus, la sir&#232;ne chante, des langues et des doigts vol&#232;tent partout sur mon corps, des algues s&#8217;enroulent autour de nos membres, les vagues ne cessent de grandir dans mon ventre, la mer prend possession de moi, et puis, tu apparais, allong&#233; contre mon flanc, les yeux sombres, concentr&#233;s, intenses, tu me regardes prendre du plaisir et c&#8217;est toi que je veux embrasser d&#233;sormais, tu aimes, me murmures-tu, tu aimes, je veux que tu me prennes &#224; ton tour s&#8217;il te pla&#238;t prends-moi, je dis, et c&#8217;est ce que tu fais, mes d&#233;sirs sont des ordres, tu me l&#8217;as d&#233;clar&#233; plusieurs fois, nous sommes seuls tous les deux, et cette immense vague s&#8217;abat sur nous, une vague tr&#232;s haute, de plusieurs m&#232;tres, mais douce et chaude, comme une pluie d&#8217;&#233;t&#233;, qui me caresse elle aussi, oh cette chaleur dans mon corps, dans mon sexe, qui irradie partout, je jouis, je jouis, c&#8217;est merveilleux et &#231;a devrait durer toute la vie, j&#8217;ouvre les yeux dans un g&#233;missement, dans un r&#226;le, dans un cri, et tu me regardes, rieur, allong&#233; sur la serviette &#224; c&#244;t&#233; de moi, la sage plage, la femme qui lit, le couple qui s&#8217;ennuie, la mer au loin&#8230; </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>&#8220;Anna ? Tu t&#8217;es endormie je crois, tu... r&#234;vais...?&#8221;</span></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-2J!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb8715a-f617-433d-b12d-76dd8e0c1fd9_1024x576.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-2J!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb8715a-f617-433d-b12d-76dd8e0c1fd9_1024x576.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-2J!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, 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1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-2J!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb8715a-f617-433d-b12d-76dd8e0c1fd9_1024x576.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Splendor And Wonder of Courtesans — Why I Am Becoming Anna]]></title><description><![CDATA[It is essential for me to be able to bring Anna to life, alongside my official work as an artist.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-splendor-and-wonder-of-courtesans</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-splendor-and-wonder-of-courtesans</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:23:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bN-Z!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebdcc10-3974-4776-8962-c1dbf00bc6e1_687x898.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bN-Z!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebdcc10-3974-4776-8962-c1dbf00bc6e1_687x898.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bN-Z!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebdcc10-3974-4776-8962-c1dbf00bc6e1_687x898.webp 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bN-Z!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebdcc10-3974-4776-8962-c1dbf00bc6e1_687x898.webp 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bN-Z!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebdcc10-3974-4776-8962-c1dbf00bc6e1_687x898.webp 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bN-Z!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4ebdcc10-3974-4776-8962-c1dbf00bc6e1_687x898.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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The two are intimately linked, even though I take care to draw a distinction and ensure that the two worlds do not overlap &#8211; yes, this will come as no surprise to you, I love multiple identities and masks; it&#8217;s my superheroine side &#8211; I also love sexy costumes, by the way: catsuits and vinyl thigh-highs, vintage outfits and latex lingerie&#8230; But let&#8217;s get back to the topic at hand!</p><p>When I entered the professional world, I very quickly realised that, in my career as a dancer, it wouldn&#8217;t just be discipline, research and creativity that would be required, but also a whole other side that&#8217;s far less pleasant &#8211; and which has absolutely nothing to do with art &#8211; namely networking, or, to put it another way, seduction: pleasing people, ensuring that those in positions of power within my field decide whether or not to give me work. The equivalent of courtiers at the king&#8217;s court, in a way, I thought, as I watched my colleagues at auditions or premiere receptions bowing and scraping before theatre directors and choreographers. Yet I have never liked kneeling to those in power, and no doubt precisely because I detest it, I do not excel at this game. In real life, I don&#8217;t like pretence or power games. I only like them on stage; I only like them in Shakespeare&#8217;s plays. I hate feigning. I don&#8217;t know how to lie. I take no pleasure in rivalry. I loathe being pitted against others. I&#8217;m not interested in issues of ambition or domination, and I don&#8217;t want to have to worry about that sort of dynamic in my artistic practice. I prefer to be straightforward; I prefer what is frank, direct and sincere.<br>But what I hate above all else, I think, is that hypocritical game: seducing while pretending that&#8217;s not what you&#8217;re doing.<br>Frankly, I told myself, if I have to court someone, I might as well do it for real; it&#8217;s more honest and it&#8217;s more fun. I&#8217;m going to become a courtesan, but in the noble sense of the word, in the grand tradition: a powerful and free woman, the opposite of someone who bows to obtain favours &#8211; a courtesan might kneel to grant them, but only if she chooses to, and that&#8217;s precisely the difference.</p><p>And that&#8217;s how I ended up sucking cocks for real instead of licking arses for show &#8211; and vice versa.</p><p>The advantage is that whilst I don&#8217;t like flattery, I do like sex. Whilst I dislike having to convince people who don&#8217;t convince me, I do enjoy intense encounters with strangers who don&#8217;t remain strangers for long. I love this direct access to the intimate realm of someone other than myself, which for me embodies authenticity in its purest form. I love giving and receiving pleasure. I love reciprocity. In other words, I prefer horizontality to verticality. <br>And whilst soliciting as an artist is absolutely unbearable to me, meeting people who appreciate me for what I reveal of my sensibility, for the texts I write, for the eroticism I portray through my photos, and who thank me by spoiling me for it &#8211; that makes sense and I enjoy it. It&#8217;s shared generosity. An exchange of joy and pleasure. No one has to bow down. Whereas artistic hustling leaves me with a nasty aftertaste, Anna&#8217;s encounters restore my faith in life, because they bring me closer to the very best in humanity&#8212;that which shines deep within, that which is usually so well hidden&#8212;rather than presenting me with puppets playing their little roles poorly, for the most part, in our little society. I share special moments rather than having to struggle to interact with masks. And isn&#8217;t that, ultimately, the very thing I&#8217;m seeking as an artist? To touch the heart of humanity?</p><p>It is, therefore, a balance I found a long time ago, placing me in the tradition of our glorious predecessors. Indeed, from the hetaerae of antiquity to the courtesans of the 19th century, from geishas to devadasis, I am neither the first nor the last to practise these two professions in parallel, each nourishing the other, in both a prosaic and a metaphorical sense.<br>Becoming Anna is a way of pursuing my artistic path with integrity. I am privileged not to have to make any compromises. As a performer, I do not need to accept projects simply because they are lucrative. I&#8217;m not on the lookout; I simply wait patiently for the seasons to fill up. As a creator, I can do what I want, how I want, knowing that I can earn money on the side, without having to seek validation from my peers, whom I pay little heed to. This gives me great freedom. Think of yourselves as my patrons, in a way!<br>Because in art, as in bed, as in life, my only compass is my intuition and my sensitivity. I don&#8217;t want what I create to be dependent on other people&#8217;s desires or fleeting fashions. It&#8217;s me. It&#8217;s unique. It&#8217;s true and whole. Anna allows me to hold this line.<br>She also allows me to gain a healthy sense of perspective on the art world. I&#8217;ve always enjoyed moving between different circles, existing between microcosms, being both here and there, belonging to nothing and no one, and always having the option to step aside and escape. That&#8217;s how you shake off the blinkers you wear without even realising it when you read the world from just one angle. I firmly believe that stepping slightly aside, choosing to take several paths at once, makes me stronger, more perceptive and freer.<br>At last, I can give free rein to my adventurous side, satisfy my need for parallel lives. After all, am I not seeking the same thing as an artist and as a courtesan &#8211; I who am not entirely satisfied with the flatness of reality and have a constant need for elsewhere? I escape into my adventures for a reason quite similar to why I take to the stage: to invent a parallel life, to put myself in play, to give depth to existence, to escape the contingencies of our human condition &#8211; it&#8217;s so powerful, and that&#8217;s what I invite you to do with me if you&#8217;ll join me! A secret agent on the trail of pleasure, an expert in leading a double life, Anna grants me the right to live more intensely in a realm of unreality that is terribly real, even surreal. And it goes without saying that my imagination and my work as an artist are only nourished by it all the more.</p><p>To tell the truth, up until now, I&#8217;ve always had enough work as an artist to make a living and feel fulfilled &#8211; touch wood. Work has always come to me. But perhaps it&#8217;s precisely because, thanks to Anna, I can afford not to go looking for it.<br>I don&#8217;t need Anna to make a living, but I do need Anna to live! More than a financial necessity, Anna is a source of support and stability, an emotional and life equilibrium. And it&#8217;s also because I&#8217;m privileged enough not to depend on her that I can give free rein to this kind of gift I have &#8211; the gift of listening, of sharing and of sensuality &#8211; by choosing to meet only those rare, good people who will nurture me and to whom, in return, I&#8217;ll do the same. And last but not least, I think I love deeply being one of the women of ill repute, this international &#8216;Girls Gang&#8217; of incendiary beauties. Sticking to the straight and narrow has never been my thing. <br>In conlusion? Long live the splendour and joy of courtesans!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;S'abonner maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>S'abonner maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-splendor-and-wonder-of-courtesans?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-splendor-and-wonder-of-courtesans?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><h2>Splendeur Et Merveille Des Courtisanes - Pourquoi Je Deviens Anna</h2><p>Il est essentiel pour moi de pouvoir donner corps &#224; Anna, en regard de mon travail officiel d&#8217;artiste. Les deux sont intimement li&#233;s, m&#234;me si je veille &#224; faire le distingo et &#224; ce que les mondes ne se croisent pas &#8211; oui, cela ne vous &#233;tonnera pas, j&#8217;aime les identit&#233;s multiples et les masques, c&#8217;est mon c&#244;t&#233; superhero&#239;ne - j&#8217;aime aussi les d&#233;guisements sexy d&#8217;ailleurs, les catsuits et les cuissardes en vinyle, les parures vintage et la lingerie en latex... Mais revenons &#224; notre sujet !</p><p>En entrant dans le monde professionnel, j&#8217;ai tr&#232;s vite compris que dans ma pratique de danseuse, ce ne serait pas seulement la discipline, la recherche, la cr&#233;ativit&#233; qui seraient requises, mais aussi tout un &#224; c&#244;t&#233; nettement moins plaisant, et qui n&#8217;a absolument aucun rapport avec l&#8217;art, un travail de r&#233;seau, c&#8217;est-&#224;-dire, de s&#233;duction : plaire, faire en sorte que des personnes qui d&#233;tiennent du pouvoir dans mon domaine me donnent ou pas du travail. L&#8217;&#233;quivalent des courtisans &#224; la cour du roi, en quelque sorte, ai-je pens&#233; en voyant mes coll&#232;ges, aux auditions ou aux pots de premi&#232;re, faire des courbettes devant les directeurs de salle et les chor&#233;graphes. Or je n&#8217;ai jamais aim&#233; m&#8217;incliner devant les puissants, et sans doute justement parce que je d&#233;teste &#231;a, je n&#8217;excelle pas &#224; ce jeu. <br>Dans la vie r&#233;elle, je n&#8217;aime ni les faux semblants, ni les jeux de pouvoir. Je ne les aime que sur sc&#232;ne, je ne les aime que chez Shakespeare. Je d&#233;teste feindre. Je ne sais pas mentir. Je n&#8217;&#233;prouve aucun plaisir dans le challenge. J&#8217;abhore la mise en concurrence. Je ne suis pas int&#233;ress&#233;e par les probl&#233;matiques d&#8217;ambition, de domination et je n&#8217;ai pas envie d&#8217;avoir &#224; me pr&#233;occuper de ce genre de dynamiques dans ma pratique artistique. Je pr&#233;f&#232;re aller droit, je pr&#233;f&#232;re ce qui est franc, direct et sinc&#232;re. Mais ce que je hais par dessus tout je crois, c&#8217;est ce jeu hypocrite: s&#233;duire en (se) faisant croire que ce n&#8217;est pas de &#231;a qu&#8217;il s&#8217;agit. <br>Franchement, me suis-je dit, si je dois courtiser, autant le faire pour de vrai, c&#8217;est plus honn&#234;te et c&#8217;est plus dr&#244;le. Je vais devenir courtisane, mais dans le sens noble du terme, dans la grande tradition : une femme puissante et libre, l&#8217;inverse de quelqu&#8217;un qui se courbe pour obtenir des faveurs &#8211; une courtisane peut &#233;ventuellement s&#8217;agenouiller pour en octroyer, mais c&#8217;est &#224; son bon vouloir, et c&#8217;est bien l&#224; toute la diff&#233;rence.</p><p>Et c&#8217;est comme &#231;a que je me suis retrouv&#233;e &#224; sucer des bites pour de vrai au lieu de l&#233;cher des culs pour de faux &#8211; et inversement.</p><p>L&#8217;avantage est que si je n&#8217;aime pas la flagornerie, j&#8217;aime le sexe. Que si je n&#8217;aime pas &#224; avoir &#224; convaincre des personnes qui eux, ne me convainquent pas, j&#8217;aime les rendez-vous intenses avec des inconnus qui ne le restent pas longtemps. J&#8217;aime cet acc&#232;s direct au territoire intime d&#8217;un autre que moi-m&#234;me, ce qui incarne pour moi l&#8217;authenticit&#233; &#224; l&#8217;&#233;tat pur. J&#8217;aime donner du plaisir et en recevoir. J&#8217;aime la r&#233;ciprocit&#233;. En d&#8217;autres mots, je pr&#233;f&#232;re l&#8217;horizontalit&#233; &#224; la verticalit&#233;. <br>Et si tapiner en tant qu&#8217;artiste m&#8217;est absolument insupportable, rencontrer des personnes qui m&#8217;appr&#233;cient pour ce que je montre de ma sensibilit&#233;, pour les textes que j&#8217;&#233;cris, pour l&#8217;&#233;rotisme que je mets en sc&#232;ne &#224; travers mes photos, et qui me remercient en me g&#226;tant pour cela, &#231;a fait sens et &#231;a me pla&#238;t. C&#8217;est de la g&#233;n&#233;rosit&#233; partag&#233;e. Un &#233;change de joie et de plaisir. Personne ne s&#8217;incline. L&#224; o&#249; le tapinage artistique me laisse un arri&#232;re-go&#251;t d&#233;sagr&#233;able, les rendez-vous d&#8217;Anna me redonnent foi en la vie, parce qu&#8217;ils me rapprochent de ce qu&#8217;il y a de plus beau chez l&#8217;humain, ce qui luit tout au fond, ce qui d&#8217;ordinaire est si bien cach&#233;, au lieu de me donner &#224; voir des pantins qui jouent, mal la plupart du temps, leur petit r&#244;le dans notre petite soci&#233;t&#233;. Je partage des moments privil&#233;gi&#233;s au lieu de me mettre p&#233;niblement en interaction avec des masques. Et n&#8217;est-ce pas, finalement, la m&#234;me chose que je recherche en tant qu&#8217;artiste ? Toucher le coeur de l&#8217;humanit&#233; ?</p><p>C&#8217;est donc un &#233;quilibre que j&#8217;ai trouv&#233; depuis longtemps, me pla&#231;ant ainsi dans la lign&#233;e de nos glorieuses pr&#233;decesseures. En effet, des h&#233;ta&#239;res de l&#8217;Antiquit&#233; aux courtisanes du 19&#232;me, des Geishas aux Devad&#226;s&#238;, je ne suis ni la premi&#232;re, ni la derni&#232;re, &#224; exercer en parall&#232;le ces deux professions, l&#8217;une nourrissant l&#8217;autre, dans le double sens prosa&#239;que et m&#233;taphorique. <br>Devenir Anna est un moyen de mener avec int&#233;grit&#233; mon chemin artistique. J&#8217;ai le privil&#232;ge de ne faire aucun compromis. En tant qu&#8217;interpr&#232;te, je n&#8217;ai pas besoin d&#8217;accepter des projets parce qu&#8217;ils sont r&#233;mun&#233;rateurs. Je ne suis pas aux aguets, j&#8217;attends tranquillement que les saisons se remplissent. En tant que cr&#233;atrice, je peux faire ce que je veux, comme je le veux, en sachant que je peux gagner de l&#8217;argent &#224; c&#244;t&#233;, sans avoir &#224; attendre la validation de mes pairs, dont je fais peu de cas. Cela me donne une grande libert&#233;. Consid&#233;rez-vous comme mes m&#233;c&#232;nes, en quelque sorte ! <br>Car en art, comme dans un lit comme dans ma vie, ma seule boussole, c&#8217;est mon intuition et ma sensibilit&#233;. Je ne veux pas que ce que je cr&#233;&#233;e soit tributaire du d&#233;sir d&#8217;autres personnes ou de modes &#233;ph&#233;m&#232;res. C&#8217;est moi. C&#8217;est unique. C&#8217;est vrai et entier. Anna me permet de tenir cette ligne. <br>Elle me permet aussi d&#8217;avoir un recul salutaire sur le monde de l&#8217;art. J&#8217;ai toujours aim&#233; naviguer dans plusieurs milieux, exister entre les microcosmes, &#234;tre &#224; la fois ici et l&#224;, n&#8217;appartenir &#224; rien ni personne, avoir toujours la possibilit&#233; de faire un pas de c&#244;t&#233; et de m&#8217;&#233;chapper. C&#8217;est ainsi qu&#8217;on se d&#233;barrasse des oeill&#232;res que l&#8217;on porte sans m&#234;me s&#8217;en rendre compte quand on ne lit le monde que par un seul angle. Je crois r&#233;solument que me d&#233;porter l&#233;g&#232;rement, choisir d&#8217;emprunter plusieurs routes &#224; la fois, me rend &#224; la fois plus forte, plus fine et plus libre. <br>Enfin, je peux laisser libre cours &#224; mon c&#244;t&#233; aventurier, assouvir mon besoin de vies parall&#232;les. Finalement, ne recherche-je pas la m&#234;me chose en tant qu&#8217;artiste et en tant que courtisane, moi qui ne me satisfais pas compl&#232;tement de la dimension z&#233;ro du r&#233;el et ai un besoin constant d&#8217;ailleurs ? Je m&#8217;&#233;vade dans mes aventures pour une raison assez similaire &#224; celle pour laquelle je monte sur sc&#232;ne : m&#8217;inventer une vie parall&#232;le, une mise en jeu, donner du relief &#224; l&#8217;existence, &#233;chapper &#224; la contingence de notre condition humaine, c&#8217;est si puissant ! Et c&#8217;est ce que je vous propose de faire avec moi si vous m&#8217;accompagnez... Agent secret sur la piste du plaisir, experte en double vie, Anna m&#8217;octroie le droit de vivre plus fort dans un pan d&#8217;irr&#233;alit&#233; terriblement r&#233;el, surr&#233;el m&#234;me. Et cela va sans dire, mon imaginaire et mon travail d&#8217;artiste n&#8217;en sont qu&#8217;avantageusement nourris.</p><p>&#192; vrai dire, jusque ici, j&#8217;ai toujours eu suffisamment de travail en tant qu&#8217;artiste pour vivre et &#234;tre combl&#233;e &#8211; je touche du bois. Le travail est toujours venu &#224; moi. Mais c&#8217;est peut-&#234;tre justement parce que je peux me permettre, gr&#226;ce &#224; Anna, de ne pas le chercher.<br>Je n&#8217;ai donc pas besoin d&#8217;Anna pour vivre mais j&#8217;ai besoin d&#8217;Anna pour vivre ! Plus qu&#8217;une n&#233;cessit&#233; financi&#232;re, Anna est un soutien et un r&#233;gulateur, un &#233;quilibre &#233;motionnel, de vie. Et c&#8217;est aussi parce que j&#8217;ai le privil&#232;ge de ne pas en d&#233;pendre que je peux laisser libre cours &#224; ce don que j&#8217;ai, celui de l&#8217;&#233;coute, du partage et de la sensualit&#233;, en choisissant de ne rencontrer que les rares bonnes personnes, qui me feront du bien et &#224; qui, en retour, j&#8217;en ferai. <em>And last but not least</em>, je crois que j&#8217;aime faire partie des femmes de mauvaise vie, ce <em>Girls Gang</em> international d&#8217;incendiaires beaut&#233;s. &#202;tre dans le droit chemin n&#8217;a jamais &#233;t&#233; mon truc. <br>En conclusion ? Vive la splendeur et la joie des courtisanes !</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f4cq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45c6d59f-09fd-4187-a088-3d25aa8845e7_869x1163.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f4cq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45c6d59f-09fd-4187-a088-3d25aa8845e7_869x1163.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f4cq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, 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later.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/human-all-too-human</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/human-all-too-human</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 08:46:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EpE2!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EpE2!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1002,&quot;width&quot;:1000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:239064,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Lee Miller&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/i/200994546?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Lee Miller" title="Lee Miller" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EpE2!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EpE2!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EpE2!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EpE2!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b02c984-9fdb-47cc-9520-5a684a2d258a_1000x1002.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" 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y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It all begins with the cancellation of a train I am supposed to take a few weeks later. I receive an email telling me that my trip has unfortunately been cancelled and asking for my full understanding regarding the inconvenience caused. I am not by nature resentful; I click on the customer service link to get reimbursed. I am then transported to a page where a conversational agent with a strangely childish-sounding name welcomes me enthusiastically: &#8220;Hello! I am the chatbot in charge of helping you submit your request, how can I help you?&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I explain my situation, quite simple after all: my train has been cancelled, there was a link in the email to click on, how do I proceed? But the chatbot answers that no one can affirm that the train will not run since it has not yet departed, before asking me if he indeed answered my request.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What you say makes no sense, I type patiently on my keyboard, the train has already been cancelled, I received an email.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Very well, I am aware that I am not yet fully operational but thanks to you, I&#8217;m improving second by second, the chatbot retorts to me. Please repeat your question. Did I answer your request?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I would just like to be reimbursed, I say, I followed the indicated link.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Very well, which link are you talking about? Did I answer your request?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I copy-paste the received email, explaining that I copy-pasted the received email and that I am simply following the detailed instructions inside.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Very well, I understand now that you wish to know the schedules of the replacement buses. Did I answer your request?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Realizing that our dialogue will lead nowhere, I express with insistence to the chatbot my wish to speak with a human being; in fact, that&#8217;s the only thing I say : I want to speak to a human, I want to speak to a human, I want to speak to a human, while checking the box: no, I did not have an answer to my request, and repeating again and again, I want to speak to a human, I WANT TO SPEAK TO A HUMAN.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I will put you in contact with our customer service, please wait, the chatbot finally says to me. Did I answer your request?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am then put in touch with a woman with a tired voice who, after listening to me silently, tells me that as I took my ticket on the internet, she can do nothing for me, that I must follow the link indicated on the email. I explain that it does not work, that it is precisely for this reason that I am on the line with her. She answers me that in this case, she will send me back to another service. &#8220;Press 1, then 2, then 1&#8221;, she tells me. &#8220;Pardon?&#8221; &#8220;You want to speak to someone? Press 1, then 2, then 1&#8221; and she hangs up without further ado. I press 1, then 2, then 1, and after ten good minutes of ringing accompanied by elevator music, the line cuts off without prior notice.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I decide to take the bull by the horns and I book a phone appointment for tomorrow, but at the appointed hour, no one calls me - I receive a notification two days later explaining that a bug is responsible for it and that I simply need to rebook. Then, I receive a satisfaction survey on the performance of the customer service, with a rating from 0 to 5, followed by multiple follow-ups over the next few days.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime, I went to the station where I wait patiently for a human, a real one, to call me by the number written on my ticket.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This human finally appears. Tall, salt-and-pepper hair cut in a crew cut, pale and slightly oily complexion. His name, Roger, is written on his jacket. He is smiling broadly, but with a slightly fake, frozen smile. He stares into my eyes but looks through me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">How can I help you? he asks me in a cloying tone, before entering my file number, tapping on his computer, then telling me in a flat tone: I can do nothing for you, everything is automated and I do not have access to the software. You must use the chat service on the internet. Look, you have a link there, in the email you received.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I start laughing nervously.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This link is not a link since it leads nowhere! I tried to follow it but I&#8217;m going in circles. This thread leads to an artificial intelligence that isn&#8217;t functioning properly. There is absolutely no possibility of obtaining any reimbursement. Get me out of this nightmare labyrinth!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Let&#8217;s do it together, he tells me. Do not worry. I am here to help. Let&#8217;s do it together. Here, give me your phone.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One needs to download an app, reset forgotten passwords and there we are, the man and I, on the same interface as yesterday, once again with the chatbot with a toy child&#8217;s name who invariably answers off-target. The man, hunched over my phone, retraces exactly the path I took yesterday.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, it is annoying, he repeats in a flat tone, at each new unsuccessful step. Very annoying, if you ask my opinion.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We continue trying to dialogue with the deficient AI, stumbling on automatic responses, constantly reformulating our request, when he suddenly stops, sighs, plants his eyes in mine and tells me: We are all like Ulysses on his boat, don&#8217;t you think, Anna?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A suspended second, I am not sure I heard correctly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Like Ulysses?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yes, on his boat.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">You mean we navigate from Charybdis to Scylla?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Roger gives a half-smile, a real one this time. Satisfied by my answer, he nods his head, looking mischievous.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Exactly. We constantly seek to escape the cyclops&#8217; den. In the end, that's all it comes down to, isn't it?"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Do you think so?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our destiny is tragic. Irremediably tragic. That is why we must hold on to positive things, to the light. Ithaca is far, and in the end, is it really returning there that we seek? Is it really Penelope? Doesn&#8217;t life lie in its many adventures?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">His tone is always slightly flat, he meticulously detaches syllables. He looks at me again a little too fixedly, but this time, he really looks at me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am listening to you, Roger, I say.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am going to explain my point of view to you, Anna. You see, one must manage to understand the rudiments of our modern world so as not to lose too much time in it, and then, one must resist and extract oneself. Do you follow me? One must extract oneself. One must read. Books. Watch. Movies.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He makes a small pause.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In black and white... It is the only way for us to get out. But I know you understand what I want to say, isn&#8217;t it? In black and white.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Silence. An atmospheric wash of Angelo Badalamenti could resonate in the distance and I would not be surprised.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I understand perfectly, I say. May I ask you a question, Roger?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The man nods, face neutral.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Would you say that you are happy?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am not unhappy, he answers me with a smile devoid of joy, devoid of sadness either. That is already a lot. And you, Anna?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I feel infinitely happy, I tell him. I cannot quite grasp why in view of the cruelty and injustice of humanity, but every morning, I wake up and I am happy for this new day that announces itself.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That is because you are a dancer.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">How do you know?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It shows. In your way of walking, in your bearing. You dance on the waves of life. That is why you are happy, because you know how to dance on the rough seas. Am I wrong? You dance on the waves, don&#8217;t you?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Suddenly, a woman appears and interrupts us with a dry voice.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hurry up, Roger, finish with the young lady. Others are waiting behind her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She casts me an annoyed look. We have obviously exceeded the allotted time per client, Roger and I. We have broken the locks of productivity.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Roger casts me a contrite look.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Well, I&#8217;m going to leave then, I say. I have no other choice.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But you have not solved your problem!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Well, I don&#8217;t know, would there perhaps be... an address? Someone to whom I could write? By hand? On a sheet of paper? I ask hesitantly, as if pronouncing an obscenity.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Perfectly, answers Roger, almost relieved. Excellent idea, Anna! Do it like that, it will be simpler.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He hands me a small piece of paper with an address, which he copied in excessively tiny and neat handwriting.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Roger, I whisper to him secretly as we take our leave under the wrathful gaze of the superior. Do you think Ulysses was happy?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That is an excellent question, Anna! But yes, I think yes. Ulysses had a magnificent life. He had wonderful encounters. Calypso, Circe, Nausicaa... Such wonderful women! Not to mention the sirens... And all that history does not say... Was he the toy of the gods? On the contrary, I think he truly enjoyed his journey. Contrary to what we might think, he fled Ithaca resolutely, and he was right. Did I answer your request?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">You&#8217;ve answered my request perfectly. Thank you Roger.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Outside, it is an unusually hot spring, almost sweltering, stifling for a month of May. Large lime trees envelop me with their scent. A bird flies low in the sky, almost brushing against me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One must extract oneself, said Roger.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In black and white.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;S'abonner maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>S'abonner maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/human-all-too-human?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/human-all-too-human?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p><h2>Humain, trop humain</h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Tout commence avec l&#8217;annulation d&#8217;un train que je dois prendre quelques semaines plus tard.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je re&#231;ois un mail me disant que mon trajet est malheureusement supprim&#233; et me demandant toute ma compr&#233;hension pour la g&#234;ne occasionn&#233;e. Je ne suis pas de nature rancuni&#232;re, je clique sur le lien du service client afin de me faire rembourser. Je suis alors transport&#233;e sur une page o&#249; un agent conversationnel au nom &#233;trangement enfantin m&#8217;accueille, enthousiaste : &#8220;Bonjour ! Je suis le chatbot charg&#233; de vous aider &#224; d&#233;poser votre demande, que puis-je faire pour vous aider ?&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: justify;">J&#8217;explique ma situation, somme toute tr&#232;s simple : mon train a &#233;t&#233; supprim&#233;, il y avait un lien dans le mail sur lequel cliquer, comment dois-je proc&#233;der ? Mais le chatbot me r&#233;pond que nul ne peut affirmer que le train ne roulera pas puisqu&#8217;il n&#8217;est pas encore parti, avant de me demander s&#8217;il a bien r&#233;pondu &#224; ma demande.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ce que vous dites n&#8217;a aucun sens, je tape patiemment sur mon clavier, le train est d&#8217;ores et d&#233;j&#224; supprim&#233;, j&#8217;ai re&#231;u un mail.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tr&#232;s bien, j&#8217;ai conscience que je ne suis pas encore performant mais gr&#226;ce &#224; vous, je m&#8217;am&#233;liore de seconde en seconde, me r&#233;torque le chatbot. Veuillez r&#233;p&#233;ter votre question. Ai-je r&#233;pondu &#224; votre demande ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">J&#8217;aimerais juste me faire rembourser, je dis, j&#8217;ai suivi le lien indiqu&#233;.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tr&#232;s bien, de quel lien parlez-vous ? Ai-je r&#233;pondu &#224; votre demande ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je copie colle le mail re&#231;u, en expliquant que j&#8217;ai copi&#233; coll&#233; le mail re&#231;u et que je ne fais que suivre les instructions d&#233;taill&#233;es &#224; l&#8217;int&#233;rieur.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tr&#232;s bien, je comprends maintenant que vous souhaitez conna&#238;tre les horaires des bus de remplacement. Ai-je r&#233;pondu &#224; votre demande ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Constatant que notre dialogue ne m&#232;nera &#224; rien, je fais part avec insistance au chatbot de mon souhait de parler avec un &#234;tre humain, je ne r&#233;ponds d&#8217;ailleurs plus que &#231;a : je veux parler &#224; un humain, je veux parler &#224; un humain, je veux parler &#224; un humain, tout en cochant la case : non, je n&#8217;ai pas eu r&#233;ponse &#224; ma demande, et r&#233;p&#233;tant encore et encore, je veux parler &#224; un humain, JE VEUX PARLER &#192; UN HUMAIN.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je vais vous mettre en contact avec notre service client, veuillez patienter, finit par me dire le chatbot. Ai-je r&#233;pondu &#224; votre demande ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je suis alors mise en relation avec une femme &#224; la voix fatigu&#233;e qui, apr&#232;s m&#8217;avoir &#233;cout&#233;e silencieusement, me dit que comme j&#8217;ai pris mon billet sur internet, elle ne peut rien faire pour moi, qu&#8217;il faut que je suive le lien indiqu&#233; sur le mail. J&#8217;explique que &#231;a ne fonctionne pas, que c&#8217;est pr&#233;cis&#233;ment pour cela que je suis en ligne avec elle. Elle me r&#233;pond que dans ce cas, elle va me renvoyer vers un autre service. &#8220;Tapez 1, puis 2, puis 1&#8221;, me dit-elle. &#8220;Pardon ?&#8221; &#8220;Vous voulez parler &#224; quelqu&#8217;un ? Tapez 1, puis 2, puis 1&#8221; et elle raccroche sans plus de d&#233;tour. Je tape 1, puis 2, puis 1, et apr&#232;s dix bonnes minutes de sonnerie agr&#233;ment&#233;e de musique d&#8217;ascenseur, la ligne se coupe sans pr&#233;avis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je d&#233;cide de prendre le taureau par les cornes et je r&#233;serve un rendez-vous t&#233;l&#233;phonique pour le lendemain, mais &#224; l&#8217;heure dite, personne ne m&#8217;appelle - je re&#231;ois une notification deux jours plus tard m&#8217;expliquant qu&#8217;un bug en est responsable et qu&#8217;il me faut tout simplement reprendre rendez-vous. Puis, je re&#231;ois une enqu&#234;te de satisfaction sur la performance du service client, avec une notification de 0 &#224; 5, suivie de multiples relances dans les jours qui suivent.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Entre temps, je me suis d&#233;plac&#233;e &#224; la gare o&#249; j&#8217;attends patiemment, qu&#8217;un homme, un vrai, m&#8217;appelle par le num&#233;ro inscrit sur mon ticket.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Cet homme appara&#238;t enfin. Grand, les cheveux poivre et sel coup&#233;s en brosse, le teint p&#226;le et l&#233;g&#232;rement huileux. Son nom, Roger, est inscrit sur sa veste. Il est tr&#232;s souriant, mais d&#8217;un sourire l&#233;g&#232;rement factice, fig&#233;. Il me fixe dans les yeux mais il regarde &#224; travers moi.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Comment puis-je vous aider ? me demande-t-il d&#8217;un ton doucereux, avant de renseigner mon num&#233;ro de dossier, de tapoter sur son ordinateur, puis de me dire d&#8217;un ton &#233;gal : Je ne peux rien faire pour vous, tout est automatis&#233; et je n&#8217;ai pas acc&#232;s au logiciel, il faut voir avec le service de chat sur internet, regardez, vous avez un lien l&#224;, dans le mail que vous avez re&#231;u.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je me mets &#224; rire nerveusement.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ce lien n&#8217;est pas un lien puisqu&#8217;il ne m&#232;ne nulle part ! J&#8217;ai essay&#233; de le suivre mais je tourne en rond. Ce fil m&#232;ne &#224; une intelligence artificielle pas tout &#224; fait au point. Il n&#8217;y a aucune possibilit&#233; d&#8217;obtenir le moindre remboursement. Aidez-moi &#224; sortir de ce labyrinthe cauchemardesque !</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Faisons le ensemble, me dit-il. Ne vous inqui&#233;tez pas. Je suis l&#224; pour &#231;a. Faisons le ensemble. Tenez, donnez-moi votre t&#233;l&#233;phone.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Il faut t&#233;l&#233;charger une appli, r&#233;initialiser des mots de passe oubli&#233;s et nous y voil&#224;, l&#8217;homme et moi, sur la m&#234;me interface que la veille, avec &#224; nouveau le chatbot au nom de jouet pour enfant qui r&#233;pond immanquablement &#224; c&#244;t&#233;. L&#8217;homme, vo&#251;t&#233; sur mon t&#233;l&#233;phone, refait l&#8217;exact chemin que j&#8217;ai parcouru la veille.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">En effet, c&#8217;est ennuyeux, r&#233;p&#232;te-t-il d&#8217;un ton &#233;gal, &#224; chaque nouvelle &#233;tape infructueuse. Tr&#232;s ennuyeux, si vous voulez mon avis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nous continuons d&#8217;essayer de dialoguer avec l&#8217;IA d&#233;ficiente, butons sur les r&#233;ponses automatiques, reformulons sans cesse notre demande, quand il s&#8217;arr&#234;te soudain, soupire, plante ses yeux dans les miens et me dit : Nous sommes tous comme Ulysse sur son bateau, ne trouvez-vous pas, Anna ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Une seconde suspendue, je ne suis pas s&#251;re d&#8217;avoir bien entendu.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Comme Ulysse ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oui, sur son bateau.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Vous voulez dire que nous navigons de Charybde en Scylla ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Roger &#233;met un demi-sourire, un vrai cette fois-ci. L&#8217;air satisfait de ma r&#233;ponse, il dodeline de la t&#234;te, l&#8217;air taquin.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Exactement. Nous cherchons sans cesse &#224; nous &#233;chapper de l&#8217;antre du cyclope. Au final, il ne s&#8217;agit que de &#231;a, non ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Vous trouvez ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Notre destin est tragique. Irrr&#233;m&#233;diablement tragique. C&#8217;est pour cela qu&#8217;il nous faut nous accrocher aux choses positives, &#224; la lumi&#232;re. Ithaque est loin, et au final, est-ce vraiment d&#8217;y retourner que nous cherchons ? Est-ce vraiment P&#233;n&#233;lope ? La vie ne r&#233;side-t-elle pas au sein de ses multiples aventures ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Son ton est toujours l&#233;g&#232;rement atone, il d&#233;tache m&#233;ticuleusement les syllabes. Il me regarde de nouveau un peu trop fixement, mais cette fois-ci, il me regarde vraiment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je vous &#233;coute, Roger, je dis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je vais vous expliquer mon point de vue, Anna. Vous voyez, il faut faire en sorte de comprendre les rudiments de notre monde moderne pour ne pas y perdre trop de temps, et ensuite, il faut r&#233;sister et s&#8217;extraire. Vous me suivez ? Il faut s&#8217;extraire. Il faut lire. Des livres. Regarder. Des films.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Il fait une petite pause.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">En noir et blanc... C&#8217;est la seule fa&#231;on de nous en sortir. Mais je sais que vous comprenez ce que je veux dire, non ? En noir et blanc.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Silence. Une nappe d&#8217;Angelo Badalamenti pourrait r&#233;sonner au loin que je n&#8217;en serais pas surprise.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je comprends parfaitement, je dis. Puis-je vous poser une question, Roger ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">L&#8217;homme acquiesce, le visage neutre.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Diriez-vous que vous &#234;tes heureux ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je ne suis pas malheureux, me r&#233;pond-il avec un sourire sans joie, sans tristesse non plus. C&#8217;est d&#233;j&#224; beaucoup. Et vous, Anna ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Je me sens infiniment heureuse, je lui dis. Je n&#8217;arrive pas tout &#224; fait &#224; saisir pourquoi au regard de la cruaut&#233; et de l&#8217;injustice de l&#8217;humanit&#233;, mais chaque matin, je me l&#232;ve et je suis heureuse de cette nouvelle journ&#233;e qui s&#8217;annonce.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">C&#8217;est parce que vous &#234;tes une danseuse.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Comment le savez-vous ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">&#199;a se voit. &#192; votre fa&#231;on de marcher, &#224; votre port de t&#234;te. Vous dansez sur les flots de la vie. C&#8217;est pour cela que vous &#234;tes heureuse, parce que vous savez danser sur les mers d&#233;cha&#238;n&#233;es. Je me trompe ? Vous dansez sur les flots, n&#8217;est-ce pas ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Soudain, une femme appara&#238;t et nous interrompt d&#8217;une voix s&#232;che.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">D&#233;p&#234;chez-vous, Roger, finissez-en avec la demoiselle. D&#8217;autres attendent apr&#232;s elle.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Elle me jette un regard agac&#233;. Nous avons visiblement outrepass&#233; le temps imparti &#224; chaque client, Roger et moi. Nous avons fait sauter les verrous de la productivit&#233;.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Roger me jette un regard contrit.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Bon et bien je vais y aller, je dis. Il le faut.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mais vous n&#8217;avez pas r&#233;solu votre probl&#232;me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Et bien, je ne sais pas, y&#8217;aurait-il par hasard... une adresse postale ? Quelqu&#8217;un &#224; qui je pourrais &#233;crire ? &#192; la main ? Sur une feuille de papier ? je demande avec h&#233;sitation, comme si je prof&#233;rais une insanit&#233;.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Parfaitement, r&#233;pond Roger, presque soulag&#233;. Excellente id&#233;e, Anna ! Faites comme &#231;a, ce sera plus simple.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Il me tend un petit papier avec une adresse, qu&#8217;il a recopi&#233;e d&#8217;une &#233;criture excessivement minuscule et soign&#233;e.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Roger, je lui chuchote en catimini alors que nous prenons cong&#233; sous le regard courrouc&#233; de la sup&#233;rieure. Pensez-vous qu&#8217;Ulysse &#233;tait heureux ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">C&#8217;est une excellente question, Anna ! Mais oui, je pense que oui. Ulysse a eu une vie magnifique. Il a fait des rencontres merveilleuses. Calypso, Circ&#233;, Nausicaa... Quelles femmes ! Sans compter les sir&#232;nes... Et tout ce que l&#8217;histoire ne dit pas... Etait-il le jouet des dieux ? Je pense au contraire qu&#8217;il en a bien profit&#233;. Contrairement &#224; ce que nous pouvons penser, il a fui Ithaque r&#233;solument, et il a eu raison. Ai-je r&#233;pondu &#224; votre demande ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Vous avez parfaitement r&#233;pondu &#224; ma demande. Merci Roger.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dehors, c&#8217;est un printemps inhabituellement chaud, presque caniculaire, &#233;touffant pour un mois de mai. De grands tilleuls m&#8217;enveloppent de leur odeur. Un oiseau vole bas dans le ciel, me fr&#244;le presque.</p><p>Il faut s&#8217;extraire, a dit Roger.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">En noir et blanc.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!abZd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F329fd6e1-f7ba-4a96-8a7a-7d0b8fde31a6_936x1300.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!abZd!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F329fd6e1-f7ba-4a96-8a7a-7d0b8fde31a6_936x1300.jpeg 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4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Marcel Proust Lost in Kafka’s World]]></title><description><![CDATA[I love lists and inventories.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/marcel-proust-lost-in-kafkas-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/marcel-proust-lost-in-kafkas-world</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 13:09:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7kMp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F24d146c0-573f-4a7c-befa-164216a9653e_911x1260.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7kMp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F24d146c0-573f-4a7c-befa-164216a9653e_911x1260.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source 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1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7kMp!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F24d146c0-573f-4a7c-befa-164216a9653e_911x1260.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I love lists and inventories. Those scribbled by loved ones and lost at the bottom of a pocket, a bag, or a drawer. Those written by strangers, found in notebooks or on the backs of photos at flea markets. Those written by authors, from Perec to Sei Sh&#333;nagon, including Marcel Proust, who on several occasions completed a series of questions from a 19th-century album for teenagers to record thoughts and feelings, lending his name to the famous questionnaire.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is as though this cataloguing of trifles, tastes, and memories makes individualities palpable, in all their uniqueness, humanity, and simplicity; compresses time; unearths moments and the dead; and, by giving substance to what has vanished, makes the present more vivid. A present where everything tends to flatten out, become uniform, and lose its humanity, in a dystopian world that increasingly seeks to mold and categorize us.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">How can we preserve our individuality when, far from setting us apart, it renders us invisible? When we are forced to exist partly through social media, which pushes us to blend into the crowd and feed others what they already like and know? When the more our posts are produced using pre-established templates, the more we add popular music and trendy hashtags, the more we are promoted? Meaningless &#8220;content&#8221; replaces meaning. AI, increasingly used without a second thought, pushes us to organize our ideas in a one-dimensional way&#8212;as evidenced by certain emails I receive, all following the same strangely impersonal template&#8212;which is very engaging, as you can imagine... Even now, as I type these words on my (old) computer, software suggests how to complete my sentences&#8212;I have to fight to say what I want to say, rather than what I&#8217;m expected to say. Artworks (when subject to market forces) are gradually being simplified due to the public&#8217;s attention deficit. And we know full well that by reducing things and narrowing our horizons, we reduce ourselves, we reduce our thinking and what surrounds us. At what point did the world tip over into a pale imitation of <em>1984</em>?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For me, having always tried to take the road less traveled, to go where the weeds grow and never do what was expected of me, this is utterly anxiety-inducing. How can one stand tall, stand out, and remain unique in an environment that demands we fall into line just to exist?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I love the world because it is complex, imperfect, and full of rough edges. Because nothing can be summed up in a single sentence, because it is violent and luminous at the same time, because neither emotions nor feelings can be censored, because it constantly overflows, and stands outside the frames, the margins, and the rules. That&#8217;s what I love: the overflowing. That&#8217;s what interests and draws me in life: what I don&#8217;t know, what bursts forth. The unexpected.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Au fond de l&#8217;Inconnu pour trouver du nouveau !</em></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So here, following in the footsteps of Proust and so many others, is my questionnaire. Like Proust, and because, as a choreographer I once worked with (for a long time!) told me, I am resistant to rules, I have altered certain questions to suit my tastes...<br>I don&#8217;t know what it truly reveals about me, though no doubt a little of my state of mind at this very moment. Which is, in itself, something. <br>A truth, however insignificant. <br>A heart beating, somewhere, in a body, on earth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>A TOUCH OF ANNA</strong></h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>My favorite virtue:</strong> Kindness. Inner calm. The two often go hand in hand.<br><strong>The quality I most admire in a man:</strong> Generosity&#8212;the genuine kind, meaning listening to others.<br><strong>The quality I most admire in a woman: </strong>Exactly the same.<br><strong>My main character trait:</strong> Independence. My inability to fit into any mold&#8212;even when the mold is pretty and it feels good to be in it!<br><strong>What I appreciate most in my friends: </strong>Their loyalty, their sense of humor, and that indefinable spark in their eyes.<br><strong>My main flaw:</strong> My inability to hurry.<br><strong>My favorite pastime: </strong>Daydreaming.<br><strong>My dream of happiness:</strong> To carry on like this.<br><strong>What would be my greatest misfortune?</strong> To no longer be in the present moment of my desires. <br><strong>What is my greatest extravagance?</strong> My quest for simplicity.<br><strong>What is my current state of mind?</strong> Bathed in light, without denying the darkness.<br><strong>On what occasion do I lie?</strong> On stage. In real life, I&#8217;m a terrible liar.<br><strong>What I&#8217;d like to be:</strong> I can&#8217;t imagine being anyone other than myself. Is that precisely why I chose a profession where, on stage, I have to slip into the skin of characters, don masks, and constantly inhabit other lives but mine?<br><strong>The country where I&#8217;d like to live:</strong> Here and now.<br><strong>What is your most treasured possession?</strong> My joy.<br><strong>My favorite color, flower, and bird:</strong> I love them all, without exception. I love diversity.<br><strong>My favorite artists:</strong> There are so many! I&#8217;ll name the first ten that spring to mind, right here and now. Tomorrow, the list might be completely different. (...) Lee Miller, Roberto Bola&#241;o, Louise Lab&#233;, Leon Spilliaert, Raymond Carver, Henry Purcell, Goliarda Sapienza, Meret Becker, Keith Jarrett, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Chris Marker (...) Oh, there are 11 of them &#8211; sorry, I did tell you I&#8217;m not one for rules!<br><strong>My heroes and heroines in fiction:</strong> The supporting characters. They harbour a mysterious story where<strong> </strong>they are the stars.<br><strong>My heroes and heroines in history: </strong>The unknowns. The anonymous.<br><strong>My heroes and heroines in real life: </strong>Those who hold their heads high.<br><strong>What I hate most of all:</strong> People who are smug. They think they&#8217;re generous when all they do is listen to themselves.<br><strong>What constitutes your perfect night out?</strong> Over a meal (yes, I love eating), with a glass of good wine (yes, I love drinking) and then between the sheets (yes, I love fabrics), sharing something profound with another human being&#8212;whether we already knew each other or not, whether it can be put into words or not. That is perfect for me: to feel that I&#8217;ve really lived a moment with someone.<br><strong>The natural gift I&#8217;d like to have: </strong>The gift of ubiquity.<br><strong>How I&#8217;d like to die: </strong>With a wry smile. Or in a fit of laughter.<br><strong>My favorite motto:</strong> &#8220;Every cloud has a silver lining.&#8221; So far, it&#8217;s always proved true, even during my greatest personal tragedies... It could also be: &#8220;Everything Everywhere All at Once.&#8221; Believe me or not, somehow it&#8217;s the same.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/marcel-proust-lost-in-kafkas-world?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/marcel-proust-lost-in-kafkas-world?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p><h1>Marcel Proust perdu dans l&#8217;univers de Kafka</h1><p style="text-align: justify;">J&#8217;aime les listes, les inventaires. Ceux gribouill&#233;s par des proches et perdus au fond d&#8217;une poche, d&#8217;un sac ou d&#8217;un tiroir. Ceux r&#233;dig&#233;s par des inconnus, trouv&#233;s dans des carnets ou au dos de photos dans des brocantes. Ceux &#233;crits par des auteurs, de P&#233;rec &#224; Sei Sh&#333;nagon, en passant par Marcel Proust qui a, &#224; plusieurs reprises, r&#233;pondu &#224; un test issu d&#8217;un album pour adolescents datant du XIX&#232;me, donnant son nom au fameux questionnaire.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">C&#8217;est comme si cette &#233;num&#233;ration de petits riens, de go&#251;ts, de souvenirs, rendaient palpables des individualit&#233;s, dans toute leur singularit&#233;, leur humanit&#233; et leur simplicit&#233;, compressaient le temps, d&#233;terraient des moments et des morts, et en mat&#233;rialisant ce qui a disparu, rendaient plus vif le pr&#233;sent. Ce pr&#233;sent o&#249; tout tend &#224; s&#8217;aplanir, s&#8217;unifier, se d&#233;shumaniser, dans ce monde dystopique qui cherche de plus en plus &#224; nous formater et &#224; nous cat&#233;goriser.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Comment conserver notre individualit&#233;, quand celle-ci, loin de nous d&#233;marquer, nous invisibilise ? Quand nous sommes contraints d&#8217;exister en partie &#224; travers des r&#233;seaux sociaux qui nous poussent &#224; nous fondre dans la masse, &#224; servir aux autres ce qu&#8217;ils aiment et connaissent d&#233;j&#224; ? Quand plus nos publications sont produites sur des mod&#232;les pr&#233; &#233;tablis, plus on y joint des musiques populaires et des hashtags &#224; la mode, plus nous sommes mis en avant ? Le &#8220;contenu&#8221; vide de sens remplace le sens. Les IA, de plus en plus utilis&#233;es sans conscience, nous poussent &#224; agencer nos pens&#233;es d&#8217;une fa&#231;on univoque &#8211; en sont t&#233;moins certains e-mails que je re&#231;ois, tous sur le m&#234;me mod&#232;le bizarrement impersonnel et extr&#234;mement engageant, comme vous pouvez l&#8217;imaginer... M&#234;me en ce moment, o&#249; je tape ces mots sur mon (vieil) ordinateur, un logiciel me propose de compl&#233;ter mes phrases &#8211; je dois lutter pour dire ce que moi je veux dire, et non pas ce qu&#8217;on attend de moi que je dise. Les &#339;uvres (quand elles sont soumises &#224; la loi du march&#233;) sont peu &#224; peu simplifi&#233;es en raison du d&#233;ficit d&#8217;attention du public. Et on sait bien qu&#8217;en r&#233;duisant les choses et les champs, on se r&#233;duit soi m&#234;me, on r&#233;duit la pens&#233;e et ce qui nous entoure. &#192; quel moment le monde a-t-il bascul&#233; dans un mauvais plagiat de <em>1984</em>?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Pour moi, qui ai toujours essay&#233; d&#8217;emprunter les chemins de traverse, d&#8217;aller l&#224; o&#249; poussent les mauvaises herbes et de ne jamais faire ce qu&#8217;on attendait de moi, c&#8217;est totalement anxiog&#232;ne. Comment se tenir droit, singulier, unique dans un environnement qui nous ordonne de rentrer dans le rang pour exister ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">J&#8217;aime le monde parce qu&#8217;il est complexe, imparfait et plein d&#8217;asp&#233;rit&#233;s. Parce qu&#8217;on ne peut rien r&#233;sumer en une phrase, parce qu&#8217;il est violent et lumineux &#224; la fois, parce que ni les &#233;motions, ni les sentiments ne peuvent &#234;tre censur&#233;s, parce qu&#8217;il d&#233;borde sans cesse, et se dresse en dehors des cadres, des marges et des r&#232;gles. C&#8217;est &#231;a que j&#8217;aime, les d&#233;bordements. C&#8217;est &#231;a qui m&#8217;int&#233;resse et m&#8217;attire dans la vie, ce que je ne sais pas, ce qui jaillit. L&#8217;inattendu.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Au fond de l&#8217;Inconnu pour trouver du nouveau !</em></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Voici donc, dans les pas de Proust et de tant d&#8217;autres, mon questionnaire. Comme Proust, et parce que, comme me l&#8217;a dit une chor&#233;graphe avec qui j&#8217;ai (longtemps !) travaill&#233;, je suis r&#233;fractaire &#224; la r&#232;gle, j&#8217;ai modifi&#233; certaines questions, selon mes go&#251;ts&#8230;.<br>Je ne sais pas ce qu&#8217;il raconte v&#233;ritablement de moi, sans doute un peu de mon &#233;tat d&#8217;esprit &#224; l&#8217;instant T. Ce qui est d&#233;j&#224; en soi quelque chose. <br>Une v&#233;rit&#233;, m&#234;me si d&#233;risoire. <br>Un c&#339;ur qui palpite, quelque part, dans un corps, sur terre.</p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>UNE TOUCHE D&#8217;ANNA</strong></h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ma vertu pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233;e :</strong> La gentillesse, le calme int&#233;rieur. Cela va souvent de pair.<br><strong>La qualit&#233; que je pr&#233;f&#232;re chez un homme :</strong> La g&#233;n&#233;rosit&#233;, la vraie, c&#8217;est-&#224;-dire l&#8217;&#233;coute de l&#8217;autre.<br><strong>La qualit&#233; que je pr&#233;f&#232;re chez une femme : </strong>La m&#234;me, exactement.<br><strong>Le principal trait de mon caract&#232;re :</strong> L&#8217;ind&#233;pendance. Mon incapacit&#233; &#224; rentrer dans le moindre moule - m&#234;me quand le moule est joli et qu&#8217;il fait bon y &#234;tre ! <br><strong>Ce que j&#8217;appr&#233;cie le plus chez mes amis : </strong>Leur fid&#233;lit&#233;, leur humour et ce quelque chose d&#8217;ind&#233;finissable qui p&#233;tille au fond de leurs yeux.<br><strong>Mon principal d&#233;faut :</strong> Mon incapacit&#233; &#224; me presser.<br><strong>Mon occupation pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233;e : </strong>R&#234;ver.<br><strong>Mon r&#234;ve de bonheur :</strong> Continuer comme &#231;a.<br><strong>Quel serait mon plus grand malheur ?</strong> De ne plus &#234;tre au pr&#233;sent de mes d&#233;sirs. <br><strong>Quelle est votre plus grande extravagance ?</strong> Ma qu&#234;te de simplicit&#233;.<br><strong>Quel est votre &#233;tat d&#8217;esprit actuel ?</strong> Baigner dans la lumi&#232;re, sans en nier les noirceurs.<br><strong>A quelle occasion mentez-vous ?</strong> Sur sc&#232;ne. Dans la vraie vie, je suis une pi&#232;tre menteuse.<br><strong>Ce que je voudrais &#234;tre :</strong> Je ne peux m&#8217;imaginer &#234;tre quelqu&#8217;un d&#8217;autre que moi. Est-ce pr&#233;cis&#233;ment pour cela que j&#8217;ai choisi un m&#233;tier o&#249; sur sc&#232;ne, je dois me glisser dans la peau de personnages, rev&#234;tir des masques et constamment me glisser dans d&#8217;autres vies que la mienne ?<br><strong>Le pays o&#249; je d&#233;sirerais vivre :</strong> Ici et maintenant.<br><strong>Quelle est la chose la plus pr&#233;cieuse que vous poss&#233;diez ?</strong> Ma joie.<br><strong>La couleur, la fleur, l&#8217;oiseau que je pr&#233;f&#232;re :</strong> Je les aime toutes, sans exception. J&#8217;aime la diversit&#233; des choses.<br><strong>Mes artistes pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233;s :</strong> Il y en a tant ! Je vais citer les dix premiers qui me viennent &#224; l&#8217;esprit, l&#224; maintenant tout de suite. Demain, la liste pourrait &#234;tre compl&#232;tement diff&#233;rente. (...) Lee Miller, Roberto Bola&#241;o, Louise Lab&#233;, Leon Spilliaert, Raymond Carver, Henry Purcell, Goliarda Sapienza, Meret Becker, Keith Jarrett, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Chris Marker (...) Ah tiens, il y en a onze, je vous avais dit que j&#8217;&#233;tais r&#233;fractaire aux r&#232;gles !<br><strong>Mes h&#233;ros et h&#233;ro&#239;nes dans la fiction :</strong> Les personnages secondaires. Ils cachent une myst&#233;rieuse histoire<strong> </strong>dont ils sont les vedettes.<br><strong>Mes h&#233;ros et h&#233;ro&#239;nes dans l&#8217;histoire : </strong>Les inconnus. Les anonymes.<br><strong>Mes h&#233;ros et h&#233;ro&#239;nes dans la vie r&#233;elle : </strong>Ceux qui gardent la t&#234;te haute. <br><strong>Ce que je d&#233;teste par-dessus tout :</strong> Les gens satisfaits d&#8217;eux-m&#234;mes. Ils se pensent g&#233;n&#233;reux alors qu&#8217;ils n&#8217;&#233;coutent qu&#8217;eux.<br><strong>Quelle serait, pour vous, une nuit parfaite ?</strong> Autour d&#8217;un repas (oui, j&#8217;adore manger), avec un verre de bon vin (oui, j&#8217;adore boire) puis entre les draps (oui, j&#8217;adore les tissus), partager quelque chose de profond avec un autre &#234;tre humain &#8212; que cela soit notre premi&#232;re ou notre &#233;ni&#232;me rencontre, que cela puisse s&#8217;exprimer avec des mots ou non. Sentir que j&#8217;ai v&#233;cu, pour de vrai, un moment avec quelqu&#8217;un.<br><strong>Le don de la nature que je voudrais avoir : </strong>Le don d&#8217;ubiquit&#233;.<br><strong>Comment j&#8217;aimerais mourir : </strong>Dans un sourire en coin. Ou dans un &#233;clat de rire.<br><strong>Ma devise favorite :</strong> &#8220;A toute chose, malheur est bon.&#8221; Jusque l&#224;, cela s&#8217;est toujours v&#233;rifi&#233;, m&#234;me lors de mes plus grandes trag&#233;dies personnelles... Cela pourrait &#234;tre aussi : &#8220;Encore plus, partout, tout le temps.&#8221; Croyez-moi ou non, au fond, c&#8217;est la m&#234;me chose.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NO0t!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e34ddaa-afcb-4316-891c-2517de50fedf_1260x962.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NO0t!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e34ddaa-afcb-4316-891c-2517de50fedf_1260x962.jpeg 424w, 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4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[In the Woods with Leila]]></title><description><![CDATA[When Leila laughs, the world sparkles.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/in-the-woods-with-leila</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/in-the-woods-with-leila</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:21:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg" width="1200" height="788" 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1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uABn!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e5d6c3-3b1d-4ab9-a3fa-2422515f511b_1200x788.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>When Leila laughs, the world sparkles. Is it her clear eyes that suddenly seem to fill with glitter, the light that emanates from her, so warm, so sunny, or her glowing smile, which sweeps everything in its path, hearts and gloom alike? Leila illuminates everything she touches with her radiance. To feel Leila&#8217;s laughter, beneath her lips, against her heart, is to bask in a shower of gold, to lick the rainbow.</p><p>I met Leila in Montreal whilst I was working there on a production with a Qu&#233;b&#233;coise choreographer. One evening, after rehearsals, a friend of one of the dancers in the troupe joined us at the bar.<br>Leila seemed to effervesce like a glass of champagne, as sweet as she was tangy, as tender as she was tart. We hit it off straight away, talking without restraint, swaying on the dance floor, far too close for two strangers who&#8217;d only just met.<br>It didn&#8217;t take us long to realise we were &#8220;in it&#8221;. It&#8217;s quite funny how we instinctively recognise one another, we creatures of the night, companions in debauchery, secret agents of the demi-monde on a mission in Middle-earth. As if we were part of a secret caste, yet equipped with an extra-sharp radar, we could spot one another in a dense crowd&#8212;where no one, apart from us, would suspect a thing!<br>As we parted, we kissed each other furtively at the corner of the lips, and promised to meet again soon, here or there.<br>&#8220;It would be so brilliant if we could be on a date together!&#8221; I whispered to her under the music, which was far too loud.<br>&#8220;I&#8217;d love that, so much!&#8221;<br>We smiled at each other. That mischievous gleam in Leila&#8217;s eyes&#8230; The sort that could set a blaze alight&#8230;<br>To taste Leila&#8217;s skin and the flavour of her kisses, I thought as I drifted off to sleep that night, gradually slipping into parallel worlds, to taste Leila&#8217;s skin and the flavour of her kisses, to taste her skin&#8230;</p><p>A few months later, Leila&#8217;s warm, cheerful voice filled my ear, as if she were lying right beside me, snuggled up in my bed, rather than thousands of miles away, on the other side of the Atlantic.<br>&#8220;I&#8217;m off to Paris next week with a thoroughly respectable gentleman; I&#8217;ve told him about you and he&#8217;d like to see us both,&#8221; she tells me over the phone, her voice trembling with excitement. &#8220;For a lunch date and the whole afternoon together. Fancy it?&#8221;<br>&#8220;Fancy it? Are you joking?&#8221; I blurt out a bit too loudly, as lightning pierces me right through. &#8220;That&#8230;&#8221; How could I describe this sudden emotion that&#8217;s overwhelming me? &#8220;That&#8230; that&#8230; excites me!!!&#8221;<br>Leila laughs. Her laughter, I could already curl up inside it, but first I want to devour it.<br>&#8220;So we&#8217;ll have the meal together and then we&#8217;ll take you to the hotel&#8230; Can&#8217;t wait, my dear!&#8221;</p><p>On the day of our meeting, a misty haze hangs over Paris. It&#8217;s the sort of day when it feels as though the sun never rises, when dawn blends seamlessly into dusk. The clouds are heavy with threat, the air charged with electricity; it&#8217;s bound to rain, but with a light heart, I make my way to you, in a slightly sheer red dress, beneath which one can just make out my sophisticated lingerie.<br>In this magnificent Art Deco Parisian brasserie that I love so much, we meet over a platter of seafood. Leila&#8217;s lover is just as charming as she had described him. Leila, whom I&#8217;d only ever seen in jeans and a T-shirt, is wearing a flowing blouse that flatters her figure and a touch of make-up. She fixes her eyes on mine over our plates, her lover studies me with wonder; we know what we&#8217;re heading towards, warmed by the promise of what&#8217;s to come, the desire rising between the three of us, palpable.<br>As we savour our dessert and Leila&#8217;s eyes sparkle over the whipped cream, her tongue licks the spoon and her moist lips never seem to dry, our hands intertwine beneath the table. I run my fingers down her thighs and back up under her skirt. Her crotch is so hot through the damp fabric of her knickers that my sex begins to throb immediately, in time with my heart, which has suddenly started racing. I have a violent craving for you, to feel you tremble, gasp and moan beneath the flesh of my fingers, beneath the flesh of my mouth.<br>Leila&#8217;s lover watches us, his eyes darkening, his jaw slackening. He has seen where my fingers have slipped, hungry for more, impatient, and as I slide my foot up his thigh, I brush against his hard cock. I melt.<br><br>&#8220;&#8230;Ladies&#8230; Sir&#8230; Would you like a coffee?&#8221;</p><p>The waiter has just repeated his question for the second time, looking as though he&#8217;s wondering why we&#8217;ve all suddenly gone deaf. Or perhaps he&#8217;s sensed the sexual tension perfectly well since the start of the meal and is pretending not to notice, content to speak loudly and over-articulate to compensate for our inattention. I pull my hand away from Leila&#8217;s thigh, my foot from her lover&#8217;s fly, a touch too quickly, for I drag the tablecloth with me, and we hastily catch the glasses clattering onto the table with a loud clink, before they spill and roll across the floor.</p><p>&#8220;Er, no. We&#8217;ll have it at the hotel, well, later&#8230; Er&#8230; Somewhere else, then? What do you think?&#8221; I say. &#8220;Brilliant idea&#8230; At the ho&#8230; Somewhere else!&#8221; &#8220;The bill!&#8221; we all blurt out in unison, before bursting out laughing as the waiter walks away with that serious, professional air that hasn&#8217;t left him.<br><br>My cheeks are so hot I need to go and cool off. Leila follows me.<br>In the toilets, we throw ourselves at each other and kiss wildly, leaning against the sink, our skirts hiked up, our hips pressed together, our hands fumbling inside our blouses, not caring in the slightest if someone comes in and catches us.<br>&#8220;You turn me on so much,&#8221; I whisper.<br>&#8220;So much,&#8221; you echo.<br>We hastily pull our clothes back into place just as two overly primped women enter in turn. I catch our reflection in the mirror. Beneath our brown fringes, our cheekbones are rosy, our lips scarlet. When we return to the table, our hair slightly tousled, our lover gives us a passionate look.<br>&#8220;<em>Allons-y Alonso !</em>&#8221; I exclaim, imitating Belmondo in <em>Pierrot le Fou</em>.<br>As graceful as Anna Karina, Leila rises and glides towards the exit.</p><p>It&#8217;s pouring with rain as we leave the restaurant. The storm has just broken, thundering and sweeping across Paris. The three of us huddle under the umbrella and rush into a taxi. In the back seat, Leila and I surround our lover. Our hands brush against his thighs, intertwine, drawn to the bulge of his cock that remains clearly visible through his trousers, to the damp heat emanating from our crotches, which seems to float like a halo.<br>&#8220;Kiss me, kiss me again,&#8221; Leila whispers to me, and we kiss, insatiable, just a few centimetres from our lover&#8217;s mouth as he casts impatient glances at the sat-nav to see how long it will be before we reach the hotel. I want you both so badly that my legs part without my control. Our lover&#8217;s breathing quickens as he slides his hand between my thighs and realises just how aroused I am. He slips a finger under my knickers, letting out a soft groan. The rain beats against the windows, making Paris invisible all around us. I kiss our lover, he kisses Leila, the three of us kiss; it&#8217;s raining, the rain is pouring down and rumbling. The driver stares at the road ahead, unflappable, whilst the windscreen wipers beat to the rhythm of our pulses.<br>It&#8217;s one of those moments when life meets my favourite films, in a rare collision between reality and fiction. That&#8217;s exactly why life is worth living, I think. For that, and that alone!</p><p>Once we reach our room on the sixth floor, Leila and I throw ourselves onto the bed, whilst our lover gazes at us, spellbound. The rain is beating down harder on the roof above us. Leila holds me gently around the waist, but her kisses are passionate, almost wild.<br>&#8220;Come!&#8221; we invite our lover with a gesture. &#8220;Join us!&#8221;<br>&#8220;I want to watch you,&#8221; he tells us, his voice hoarse. &#8220;Act as if I weren&#8217;t here&#8230;&#8221;<br>I roll Leila onto her back, towering over her with my whole body. I breathe in the scent of her hair, the smell of her neck; I run my tongue over her throat, down to the tips of her nipples, which are visible beneath her silk blouse. Panting, Leila tries to undo my dress. Our movements are jerky, made clumsy by our haste. I unbutton her blouse, frantically remove her bra, revealing her superb breasts, which I lick before moving down to her hot sex, throbbing through the tulle of her knickers, a damp, burning fabric against which the curves of her wet lips stand out clearly.<br>&#8220;Oh, I want you, I want you,&#8221; I moan in her ear, whilst she opens her eyes and smiles at me, her pupils glistening.<br>Our tongues entwine and our legs intertwine. I wish our kiss would never end. Naked, we run through the lush undergrowth, the air heavy with the scent of earth. Lush clumps of wildflowers, heavy and heady, line the path. Leila pulls me down beneath her in turn, holding my wrists firmly, a commanding gleam in her eyes. Under her breath, I melt. I desire her so much that my sex could explode.<br>&#8220;Surrender to me,&#8221; she tells me&#8230;<br>Under her kisses, my lips bud, sap courses powerfully through my veins, jasmine sprouts from my fingertips, my eyelashes grow out of all proportion, reaching towards the heavens. I tremble so much I want her mouth on my sex and that is precisely where she is heading, look how tall the trees are, feel how soft the earth is, touch these leaves bursting with sap, a deep, unfathomable green, my body bubbles like a torrent as the snow melts, I rear up, oh it&#8217;s so good, so very good, carry on, carry on, don&#8217;t stop.<br>Under Leila&#8217;s tongue and fingers, my sex swells, blossoming into gigantic pale petals. Through my half-closed eyes, the treetops form a canopy. The sky is clear up there; look, the rain has stopped. I could still hear it drumming against the roof just a few minutes ago, but the clouds have dispersed, oh how blue the sky is all of a sudden, and that smell of damp earth; I roll about in the bushes of red berries and gorge myself on blackberries. &#8220;Follow me,&#8221; Leila calls out to me, continuing to run naked ahead of me. Why is my body so hot? Why do these waves of violent tenderness wash over me from head to toe? &#8220;Follow me, come on, oh come,&#8221; sings Leila, drawing me along, holding my hand, her fingers intertwined with mine, and the giant petals swallow me up; is it my body or the surrounding forest? We have become one, mingled together; the pistils stand tall and dance in the dew after the downpour, until, without warning, the trees part abruptly, all at once.<br>I emerge into a vast, sun-drenched clearing; I cry out, the sun bathes my face, so blinding that I squint and I cry out, I cry out, the warmth of the air seizes me and soothes me, I let myself fall into the grass, Leila naked by my side, our lover beside us.</p><p>Leila, her lips still damp, looks at me and smiles. My hand has never stopped caressing our lover&#8217;s cock. A light breeze has picked up, laden with a musky, floral scent&#8212;the scent of spring, the scent after the rain, the scent before what comes next.<br>&#8220;Look, the rain has stopped, the sun is out!&#8221;<br>A golden ray floods the room. Birds are singing in the tree by the window, celebrating the end of the downpour.<br>&#8220;You&#8217;re the one who brings spring, Leila!&#8221; I whisper, before burying my face in her hair and rolling on top of her to kiss her again.<br>And with a burst of laughter, we throw ourselves onto our lover, who has no choice but to let us have our way&#8230;</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/in-the-woods-with-leila?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/in-the-woods-with-leila?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><h1><strong>Dans les Bois avec Leila</strong></h1><p>Quand Leila rit, le monde &#233;tincelle. Sont-ce ses yeux clairs qui semblent soudain s&#8217;emplir de paillettes, la lumi&#232;re qui &#233;mane d&#8217;elle, si ti&#232;de, si solaire, ou son sourire radieux, qui emporte tout sur son passage, les c&#339;urs et la morosit&#233; ? Leila &#233;claire de son chatoiement ce qu&#8217;elle touche. Sentir le rire de Leila, sous ses l&#232;vres, contre son c&#339;ur, c&#8217;est rayonner sous une pluie d&#8217;or, c&#8217;est l&#233;cher l&#8217;arc en ciel.</p><p>J&#8217;ai rencontr&#233; Leila &#224; Montr&#233;al alors que j&#8217;y travaillais pour une cr&#233;ation avec une chor&#233;graphe qu&#233;b&#233;coise. Un soir, apr&#232;s les r&#233;p&#233;titions, une amie d&#8217;une des danseuses de la troupe, nous a rejoints au bar. <br>Leila semblait p&#233;tiller comme un verre de champagne, aussi douce que piquante, aussi tendre qu&#8217;acidul&#233;e. Nous avons tout de suite accroch&#233;, parlant sans retenue, nous d&#233;hanchant sur la piste de danse, beaucoup trop coll&#233; serr&#233; pour deux inconnues qui viennent de se rencontrer.<br>Assez rapidement, nous avons compris que nous &#8220;en &#233;tions&#8221;. C&#8217;est assez marrant comme nous nous reconnaissons instinctivement entre nous, nous autres cr&#233;atures de la nuit, compagnes de d&#233;bauche, agents secrets du demi-monde en mission sur la Terre du Milieu. Comme si nous formions une caste secr&#232;te mais que munies d&#8217;un radar extra lucide, nous pouvions nous distinguer dans une foule compacte &#8211; l&#224; o&#249; personne, &#224; part nous, ne nous soup&#231;onnerait ! <br>Au moment de nous quitter, nous nous sommes embrass&#233;es furtivement au coin des l&#232;vres, et nous sommes promis de nous revoir bient&#244;t, ici ou l&#224;. <br>&#8220;Ce serait tellement g&#233;nial que nous nous retrouvions en rendez-vous ensemble !&#8221; lui ai-je murmur&#233; par dessous la musique beaucoup trop forte. <br>&#8220;J&#8217;aimerais tellement, tellement !&#8221; <br>Nous nous sourions. Cette lueur malicieuse dans les yeux de Leila... De celles qui pourraient allumer un brasier... <br>Go&#251;ter la peau de Leila et la saveur de ses baisers, je pense en m&#8217;endormant ce soir-l&#224;, basculant progressivement dans les mondes parall&#232;les, go&#251;ter la peau de Leila et la saveur de ses baisers, go&#251;ter la peau...</p><p>Quelques mois plus tard, la voix de Leila, chaleureuse et enjou&#233;e, envahit le creux de mon oreille, comme si sa propri&#233;taire &#233;tait allong&#233;e &#224; mes c&#244;t&#233;s, confortablement install&#233;e dans mes draps plut&#244;t qu&#8217;&#224; des milliers de kilom&#232;tres, de l&#8217;autre c&#244;t&#233; de l&#8217;Atlantique. <br>&#8220;Je suis en voyage &#224; Paris la semaine prochaine avec un gentleman tout &#224; fait recommandable, je lui ai parl&#233; de toi et il aimerait nous voir toutes les deux&#8221;, me dit-elle au t&#233;l&#233;phone, la voix palpitant d&#8217;excitation. &#8220;Pour un <em>lunch date </em>et tout l&#8217;apr&#232;s-midi ensemble. &#199;a te dit ?&#8221; <br>&#8220;Si &#231;a me dit ? Tu plaisantes ?&#8221; je lance un poil trop fort, alors que la foudre me transperce de part en part. &#8220;&#199;a...&#8221; Comment pourrais-je qualifier cette &#233;motion soudaine qui me submerge ? &#8220;&#199;a... &#231;a... m&#8217;enthousiasme !!!&#8221; <br>Leila rit. Son rire, je pourrais d&#8217;ore et d&#233;j&#224; me lover dedans, mais j&#8217;ai d&#8217;abord envie de le d&#233;vorer. <br>&#8220;Alors on d&#238;ne ensemble et ensuite on t&#8217;emm&#232;ne &#224; l&#8217;h&#244;tel... <em>Can&#8217;t wait </em>, ma ch&#232;re !&#8221;</p><p>Le jour de notre rendez-vous, un temps brumeux recouvre Paris. C&#8217;est ce genre de journ&#233;e o&#249; on a l&#8217;impression que le soleil ne se l&#232;ve jamais, o&#249; on passe sans transition de l&#8217;aube au cr&#233;puscule. Les nuages sont lourds de menaces, l&#8217;air charg&#233; d&#8217;&#233;lectricit&#233;, il va pleuvoir pour s&#251;r, mais le c&#339;ur l&#233;ger, je me rends jusqu&#8217;&#224; toi, jusqu&#8217;&#224; vous, dans une robe rouge l&#233;g&#232;rement transparente, sous laquelle on peut deviner, juste deviner, ma lingerie sophistiqu&#233;e. <br>Dans cette magnifique brasserie parisienne Art D&#233;co que j&#8217;aime tant, nous nous rencontrons autour d&#8217;un plateau de fruits de mer. L&#8217;amant de Leila est aussi charmant qu&#8217;elle me l&#8217;avait pr&#233;sent&#233;. Leila, que je n&#8217;avais connue qu&#8217;en jean et tee-shirt, porte un chemisier fluide qui la met en valeur et un soup&#231;on de maquillage. Elle plante ses yeux dans les miens par dessus nos assiettes, son amant me d&#233;taille avec &#233;merveillement, nous savons ce vers quoi nous tendons, sommes &#233;chauff&#233;s par la promesse de ce qui va venir, le d&#233;sir qui monte entre nous trois, palpable. <br>Alors que nous d&#233;gustons le dessert et que les yeux de Leila scintillent au-dessus de la cr&#232;me fouett&#233;e, que sa langue l&#232;che la cuill&#232;re et que ses l&#232;vres humides ne semblent jamais s&#233;cher, nos mains s&#8217;entrem&#234;lent sous la table. Je descends mes doigts le long de ses cuisses et remonte sous sa jupe. Son entrejambe est si br&#251;lant &#224; travers le tissu humide de sa culotte, que mon sexe se met &#224; battre imm&#233;diatement, au rythme de mon coeur qui s&#8217;est soudain acc&#233;l&#233;r&#233;. J&#8217;ai une envie violente de toi, de te sentir fr&#233;mir, haleter et g&#233;mir sous la chair de mes doigts, sous la pulpe de ma bouche. <br>L&#8217;amant de Leila nous regarde, les yeux assombris, la m&#226;choire desserr&#233;e. Il a vu o&#249; mes mains se sont faufil&#233;es, avides de plus, impatientes, et alors que de mon pied, je remonte sur sa cuisse &#224; lui, je bute sur son sexe dur. Je me liqu&#233;fie. <br><br>&#8220;... Mesdames... Monsieur... Vous voulez un caf&#233; ?&#8221;</p><p>Le gar&#231;on vient de r&#233;p&#233;ter sa question pour la seconde fois, l&#8217;air de se demander pourquoi nous sommes tous soudainement devenus sourds. Ou bien il a parfaitement senti la tension sexuelle depuis le d&#233;but du repas et fait mine de ne rien remarquer, se contentant de parler fort en surarticulant pour compenser notre inattention. Je retire ma main de la cuisse de Leila, mon pied de la braguette de son amant, un poil trop rapidement, car j&#8217;entra&#238;ne la nappe avec moi, et nous rattrapons avec h&#226;te les verres qui choient sur la table dans un grand tintement, avant qu&#8217;ils ne se d&#233;versent et roulent sur le sol.</p><p>&#8220;Euh non. On le prendra &#224; l&#8217;h&#244;tel, enfin, plus tard... Euh... Ailleurs, non ? Qu&#8217;en pensez-vous ?&#8221; je dis. &#8220;Excellente id&#233;e.. A l&#8217;h&#244;t... Ailleurs !&#8221; &#8220;L&#8217;addition !&#8221; lan&#231;ons-nous tous trois de concert, avant d&#8217;&#233;clater de rire quand le gar&#231;on s&#8217;&#233;loigne de cet air s&#233;rieux, professionnel, qui ne l&#8217;a pas quitt&#233;. <br><br>Mes joues sont si chaudes qu&#8217;il faut que j&#8217;aille me rafra&#238;chir. Leila me suit. <br>Dans les toilettes, nous nous jetons l&#8217;une sur l&#8217;autre et nous nous embrassons follement, adoss&#233;es contre le lavabo, les jupes relev&#233;es, collant nos bassins, fouillant nos corsages, nous fichant &#233;perdument que quelqu&#8217;un entre et nous surprenne. <br>&#8220;Tu m&#8217;excites tant&#8221;, je te murmure.<br>&#8220;Tant&#8221;, r&#233;p&#232;tes-tu en &#233;cho.<br>Nous remettons nos v&#234;tements en ordre &#224; la va vite juste au moment o&#249; deux femmes trop appr&#234;t&#233;es entrent &#224; leur tour. Je croise notre reflet dans le miroir. Sous nos franges brunes, nos pommettes sont roses, nos bouches &#233;carlates. Quand nous revenons &#224; la table, l&#233;g&#232;rement d&#233;coiff&#233;es, notre amant nous jette un regard ardent. <br>&#8220;Allons-y Alonso !&#8221; je lance, imitant Belmondo dans <em>Pierrot le Fou</em>.<br>Aussi gracieuse qu&#8217;Anna Karina, Leila se l&#232;ve et s&#8217;&#233;lance vers la sortie.</p><p>Il pleut des cordes quand nous quittons le restaurant. L&#8217;orage vient d&#8217;&#233;clater, tonnant et se r&#233;pandant sur Paris. Nous nous pressons &#224; trois sous le parapluie pour nous engouffrer dans un taxi. Sur la banquette arri&#232;re, Leila et moi entourons notre amant. Nos mains se fr&#244;lent sur ses cuisses, s&#8217;entrelacent, attir&#233;es par la bosse qui continue de se dessiner nettement &#224; travers son pantalon, par la chaleur humide qui &#233;mane de nos entrejambes, semble flotter comme un halo. <br>&#8220;Embrasse-moi, embrasse-moi encore&#8221;, me chuchote Leila, et nous nous embrassons, insatiables, &#224; quelques centim&#232;tres de la bouche de notre amant qui jette des regards impatients au GPS pour voir dans combien de temps nous serons &#224; l&#8217;h&#244;tel. J&#8217;ai tellement envie de vous deux que mes jambes s&#8217;&#233;cartent sans que je le contr&#244;le. La respiration de notre amant s&#8217;acc&#233;l&#232;re pendant qu&#8217;il glisse sa main entre mes cuisses et constate &#224; quel point je suis excit&#233;e. Il passe un doigt sous ma culotte, pousse un l&#233;ger grognement. La pluie bat contre les vitres, rendant Paris invisible autour de nous. J&#8217;embrasse notre amant, il embrasse Leila, nous nous embrassons tous les trois, il pleut, &#231;a ruisselle et &#231;a gronde. Le conducteur fixe la route devant lui, imperturbable, tandis que les essuie-glaces battent au rythme de nos pouls. <br>C&#8217;est un de ces moments o&#249; la vie, la vraie, rejoint mes plus beaux films, dans un rare t&#233;lescopage entre le r&#233;el et la fiction. C&#8217;est exactement ce pour quoi la vie gagne &#224; &#234;tre v&#233;cue, je pense. Pour cela, rien que pour &#231;a !</p><p>Arriv&#233;s dans notre chambre du sixi&#232;me &#233;tage, nous nous jetons sur le lit, Leila et moi, pendant que notre amant nous contemple, envo&#251;t&#233;. La pluie roule de plus belle sur le toit au-dessus de nous. Leila me serre doucement par la taille mais ses baisers sont fougueux, presque sauvages. <br>&#8220;Viens !&#8221; invitons-nous notre amant d&#8217;un geste. Rejoins-nous !<br>&#8220;Je veux vous regarder&#8221;, nous dit-il, la voix rauque. &#8220;Faites comme si je n&#8217;&#233;tais pas l&#224;...&#8221;<br>Je bascule Leila sur le dos, la dominant de tout mon corps. Je hume ses cheveux, l&#8217;odeur de son cou, je passe ma langue sur sa gorge, descend jusqu&#8217;&#224; la pointe de ses seins, qui se dessinent sous son chemisier en soie. Haletante, Leila tente de me d&#233;faire de ma robe. Nos mouvements sont hach&#233;s, rendus maladroits par la h&#226;te. Je d&#233;boutonne son chemisier, enl&#232;ve fr&#233;n&#233;tiquement son soutien-gorge, d&#233;voile sa superbe poitrine, que je l&#232;che avant de descendre jusqu&#8217;&#224; son sexe chaud, qui palpite &#224; travers le tulle de sa culotte, tissu humide et br&#251;lant, sur lequel se dessinent nettement les courbes de ses l&#232;vres tremp&#233;es. <br>&#8220;Oh, j&#8217;ai envie de toi, j&#8217;ai envie de toi&#8221;, je g&#233;mis &#224; son oreille, pendant qu&#8217;ouvrant les yeux, elle me sourit, les pupilles miroitantes. <br>Nos langues s&#8217;entrelacent et nos jambes se m&#234;lent. J&#8217;aimerais que notre baiser ne cesse jamais. Nues, nous courons dans les sous-bois luxuriants, dans l&#8217;air charg&#233; d&#8217;humus. De foisonnants massifs de fleurs sauvages, lourdes, capiteuses, bordent le chemin. Leila me bascule sous elle &#224; son tour, me tenant fermement les poignets, une lueur imp&#233;rieuse dans le regard. Sous son souffle, je fonds. Je la d&#233;sire tellement que mon sexe pourrait exploser. <br>&#8220;Laisse-toi faire&#8221;, me dit-elle...<br>Sous ses baisers, mes l&#232;vres bourgeonnent, la s&#232;ve circule avec force dans mes veines, le jasmin pousse au bout de mes ongles, mes cils grandissent d&#233;mesur&#233;ment pour tendre vers les cieux. J&#8217;en tremble tellement je veux sa bouche sur mon sexe et c&#8217;est justement l&#224; qu&#8217;elle se dirige, regarde comme les arbres sont hauts, sens comme la terre est douce, touche ces feuilles gorg&#233;es de suc, d&#8217;un vert profond, insondable, mon corps bouillonne comme un torrent &#224; la fonte des neiges, je me cabre, oh c&#8217;est tellement bon, tellement, continue, continue, ne t&#8217;arr&#234;te pas. Sous la langue et les doigts de Leila, mon sexe se d&#233;multiplie, fleurit en gigantesques p&#233;tales claires. &#192; travers mes yeux mi-clos, la cime des arbres fait comme un auvent. Le ciel est clair tout l&#224;-haut, tiens la pluie a cess&#233;, je l&#8217;entendais encore il y a quelques minutes tambouriner contre le toit mais les nuages se sont dispers&#233;s, oh comme le ciel est bleu soudain, et cette odeur de terre humide, je me roule dans les buissons de fruits rouges et je me gorge de m&#251;res. &#8220;Suis-moi&#8221;, me crie Leila, qui continue de courir nue devant moi. Pourquoi mon corps est-il si chaud, pourquoi ces vagues de violente douceur me prennent-elles de part en part ? &#8220;Suis-moi, viens, oh viens&#8221;, chante Leila en m&#8217;entra&#238;nant, me tenant par la main, ses doigts entrelac&#233;s aux miens, et les g&#233;antes p&#233;tales m&#8217;avalent, est-ce mon corps ou la for&#234;t environnante, nous nous sommes confondus, m&#234;l&#233;s, les pistils se dressent et dansent dans la ros&#233;e d&#8217;apr&#232;s averse, jusqu&#8217;&#224; ce que sans pr&#233;venir, les arbres s&#8217;&#233;cartent brusquement, d&#8217;un coup. <br>Je d&#233;bouche sur une immense clairi&#232;re baign&#233;e de soleil, je crie, le soleil baigne mon visage, tellement aveuglant que je cligne des yeux et je crie, je crie, la ti&#233;deur de l&#8217;air me saisit et m&#8217;apaise, je me laisse choir dans l&#8217;herbe, Leila nue sur mon flanc, notre amant &#224; nos c&#244;t&#233;s.</p><p>Leila, les l&#232;vres encore humides me regarde en souriant. De ma main, je n&#8217;ai cess&#233; de caresser le sexe de notre amant. La brise s&#8217;est lev&#233;e, l&#233;g&#232;re, charg&#233;e d&#8217;une odeur musqu&#233;e et florale, printani&#232;re, celle d&#8217;apr&#232;s la pluie, celle d&#8217;avant la suite.<br>Un rai de soleil a inond&#233; la pi&#232;ce. Des oiseaux chantent dans l&#8217;arbre qui borde la fen&#234;tre, f&#234;tant la fin de l&#8217;averse. <br>&#8220;Tu es celle qui fait venir le printemps, Leila !&#8221; je murmure, avant d&#8217;enfouir mon visage dans ses cheveux et de rouler sur elle pour l&#8217;embrasser de nouveau.<br>Et dans un grand &#233;clat de rire, nous nous jetons sur notre amant, qui n&#8217;a plus d&#8217;autre choix que de se laisser faire...</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fPtJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F97983ca9-9bb6-419e-8f45-33baa4ecd24e_876x668.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fPtJ!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, 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4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Eulogy of Slowness]]></title><description><![CDATA[If we cannot hold onto time, we can steal fragments of it.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/eulogy-of-slowness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/eulogy-of-slowness</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:40:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6BQb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f97232b-3c02-4f6f-aafc-f1cff16d13db_1800x1763.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6BQb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f97232b-3c02-4f6f-aafc-f1cff16d13db_1800x1763.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f97232b-3c02-4f6f-aafc-f1cff16d13db_1800x1763.webp 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6BQb!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f97232b-3c02-4f6f-aafc-f1cff16d13db_1800x1763.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6BQb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f97232b-3c02-4f6f-aafc-f1cff16d13db_1800x1763.webp" width="1456" height="1426" 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we cannot hold onto time, we can steal fragments of it. Embrace it. Curl up in it. Unfurl within it. Try to inhabit it as fully as possible. <br>Choose contemplation, wandering and gentleness. <br>Choose light and sensuality.<br>Affirm slowness.</p><p>Do not fear stripping away. <br>Shed your petals and shed the world. <br>Lay yourself bare. Lay it bare. <br>Delicacy is essential. Once the petals have fallen, you may gently blow on the pistil. <br>Feel how fluffy, silky, almost warm it is. Brush it, taste it. Kiss me. <br>Little by little, discard the superfluous. <br>Escape in order to shine brighter. <br>Prune so the sap flows more freely. <br>Inhale. Exhale.</p><p>Demand the best, even more, everywhere, all the time.<br>Demand poetry. Nothing less than the intensity of poetry. <br>Never live half&#8209;heartedly, and to do that, to be whole, you must slow down and make room for emptiness. <br>Expand the void. Inhabit the interstices. Let the silences grow.</p><p>And naked, <br>watch <br>touch <br>move <br>because that is how, in return, we are touched and moved. <br>It is there, in the heart, that life beats, don&#8217;t you think?</p><p>I run my fingers through your hair. <br>My lips travel down your neck, from the lobe of your ear to your collarbone, feeling the back of your neck shiver slightly, seeing goose&#8209;bumps appear before my eyes. <br>With my tongue I touch each of your vertebrae, brush each of your moles, taste the hollow of your navel. <br>My finger runs over the bridge of your nose, curls into the hair on your chest, caresses your stomach, follows the curve of your buttocks and the texture of your skin. <br>I take your penis in my hand. It is warm. I press my cheek to it, kiss its length, play with the head. And like a vine, I climb back up to your lips, to your eyes. <br>For long minutes we look at each other like this, immersing ourselves in one another. <br>Cultivate the art of contemplation, of human beings, of things. <br>Does the inanimate exist? For me, everything is inhabited. <br>The tree outside my window is my strongest pillar; each day it is there, unchanging and yet different, never the same. <br>Favor the small over the large. <br>What is within my reach and what is not. <br>So many precious things already forgotten, that just need to be found, rediscovered, re&#8209;explored. <br>In fact, everything is already there. <br>There is nothing crazy to go looking for, it is the secret: everything is already there. <br>This book I am picking up again, forgotten. <br>That memory resurfaces and makes me smile despite myself. <br>That appointment I have tonight, on the far side of Berlin, because I am in Berlin now, and since it is snowing I will walk there slowly, carefully, under the flakes. <br>I celebrate every moment, especially the journey. <br>The journey itself matters; it is not a means to an end, there is no &#8220;between,&#8221; it is wholly, completely, in itself. <br>Savour. <br>Everything.</p><p>Resolutely with my head in the clouds. <br>The sky above us. Watch the clouds drift slowly, moving, changing shape, looking like a huge question mark. <br>It is a clich&#233;, yet what could be truer, more beautiful than clouds? <br>Everything is already there. <br>In what lies beneath the clich&#233;s and in those clouds pushed by the wind that glide above us without hurrying, without ever stopping. <br>Write read walk make love eat talk laugh write. <br>Relish life while it lasts. <br>Life? What is it, really, if not a pause, a parenthesis? A flame in the void? <br>What has been lived has been. <br>What remains for me: the unknown ahead of me. <br>The horizon. <br>The splendor. <br>Three ellipsis points.</p><p>I travel through Berlin. Temperatures are below zero. In Paris this is rare, and Berlin under snow is really something. <br>I am amazed. <br>Why does snow automatically bring this magical, enchanted aura? <br>With a huge smile on my face I clumsily make my way across the icy surface.<br>My breath comes out in clouds, my fingers are frozen despite thick gloves.<br>The snow makes the world cottony, muffled. Even the sounds are muted.<br>I regularly slip on patches of ice and then catch myself.<br>Another allegory, I tell myself, another allegory.<br>Under my coat the fabric of my dress. Under my dress, bare skin, high up, between the ends of my stockings and the silk of my panties. <br>I am dressed in white, but my heart burns, bleeds, and beats, and my lingerie is carmine red. My skin is warm and in that spot of flesh, still bare beneath the fabric, I feel no cold.<br>Naked, I never feel cold. <br>As I cross <em>Alexanderplatz</em>, the wind could lift me off my feet. I could dance above the buildings, reach the top of the <em>Fernsehturm</em> and rest a little farther away in <em>Mitte</em>, where our rendez&#8209;vous awaits.<br>I strike the heavy revolving door. Heat washes over me like a wave. <br>I turn for a second. Outside it is still snowing, still cold, yet suddenly it feels so hot. Tiny beads of sweat appear at my hairline while my cheeks remain frozen. <br>In the lift I swap my fur&#8209;lined boots for high heels. The mirror reflects my face, bright eyes, rosy cheeks. No need for makeup, no need, no need at all. <br>The carpet is plush as I walk down the long corridor to your room. <br>I knock, three quick taps, and hear the sound of your body moving to open the door. And then you appear. <br>In an instant you see me, your face lights up with joy, like a child receiving an unexpected gift. <br>&#8220;Oh yes!!!&#8221; you exclaim, arms raised in triumph. &#8220;You&#8217;re so beautiful!&#8220; &#8220;So beautiful, so beautiful! Yes!!!&#8221; you repeat, in an excited, relieved exclamation, and without a second thought I burst into laughter too, leaping against your chest; we kiss fully, joyfully, so happy that we bounce on the spot like kids. <br>You shut the bedroom door with the tip of your shoe and we leave winter outside. <br>We&#8217;ve known each other for what, two minutes? <br>We have what, three hours? <br>&#8220;Let&#8217;s take our time,&#8221; I say, &#8220;let&#8217;s take our time.&#8221;</p><p>And as you undo the buttons of my dress one by one, how many, a thousand, a hundred, <br>caressing my hips, brushing my breasts through the silk, slipping your fingers under my dress, pulling aside the elastic of my panties, <br>gusts fill the hotel room, <br>tossing our hair, tearing our clothes, <br>and in the wind we fly, amid the snowflakes that continue to fall outside&#8230;</p><p>If we cannot hold onto time, we can steal fragments of it. Embrace it. Curl up in it. Unfurl within it. Try to inhabit it as fully as possible. <br>Choose contemplation, wandering and gentleness. <br>Choose light and sensuality.<br>Affirm slowness.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/eulogy-of-slowness?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/eulogy-of-slowness?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p></p><h1>&#201;loge de la lenteur</h1><p>&#192; d&#233;faut de retenir le temps, on peut en voler des bribes. L&#8217;embrasser. S&#8217;y lover. S&#8217;y d&#233;ployer. Essayer de l&#8217;habiter le plus pleinement possible.<br>Choisir la contemplation, la fl&#226;nerie et la douceur.<br>Choisir la lumi&#232;re et la sensualit&#233;.<br>Affirmer la lenteur.</p><p>Ne pas avoir peur d&#8217;&#244;ter.<br>S&#8217;effeuiller et effeuiller le monde.<br>Se mettre &#224; nu. Le mettre &#224; nu.<br>La d&#233;licatesse est essentielle. Une fois les p&#233;tales tomb&#233;es, on peut souffler sur le pistil, l&#233;g&#232;rement. <br>Sens comme il est duveteux, soyeux, presque chaud. Effleure-le, go&#251;te-le. Embrasse-moi.<br>Peu &#224; peu, se d&#233;barrasser du superflu.<br>S&#8217;&#233;chapper pour mieux briller.<br>&#201;laguer pour que la s&#232;ve circule mieux.<br>Inspirer. Expirer.</p><p>Exiger le meilleur, encore plus, partout, tout le temps.<br>Exiger la po&#233;sie. Rien de moins que l&#8217;intensit&#233; de la po&#233;sie.<br>Ne jamais vivre &#224; moiti&#233;, et pour cela, pour &#234;tre pleinement, il faut ralentir et laisser la place au vide.<br>&#201;largir le rien. Habiter les interstices. Faire grandir les silences.</p><p>Et nue,<br>regarder<br>toucher<br>&#233;mouvoir<br>car c&#8217;est ainsi qu&#8217;en retour, on est touch&#233;e et &#233;mue.<br>C&#8217;est l&#224;, au c&#339;ur, que palpite la vie, ne penses-tu pas ?</p><p>Passer les doigts dans tes cheveux.<br>De mes l&#232;vres, descendre le long de ton cou, de la pulpe de ton oreille &#224; ta clavicule, sentir l&#8217;arri&#232;re de ta nuque frissonner l&#233;g&#232;rement, voir la chair de poule se dresser &#224; vue d&#8217;&#339;il.<br>De ma langue, toucher chacune de tes vert&#232;bres, fr&#244;ler chacun de tes grains de beaut&#233;, go&#251;ter le creux de ton nombril.<br>Mon doigt passe sur l&#8217;arr&#234;te de ton nez, s&#8217;enroule dans les poils de ton torse, caresse ton ventre, suit la courbe de tes fesses et le grain de ta peau.<br>Je prends ton sexe dans ma main. Il est chaud. J&#8217;y appose ma joue, embrasse ta longueur, joue avec le gland. Et comme une liane, je remonte &#224; tes l&#232;vres, &#224; tes yeux.<br>Pendant de longues minutes, nous nous regardons ainsi, nous plongeons l&#8217;un dans l&#8217;autre.<br>Cultiver l&#8217;art de la contemplation, des &#234;tres humains, des choses.<br>L&#8217;inanim&#233; existe-t-il ? Pour moi, tout est habit&#233;.<br>L&#8217;arbre devant ma fen&#234;tre est mon plus pilier le plus solide, chaque jour il est l&#224;, immuable et pourtant diff&#233;rent, jamais le m&#234;me, jamais.<br>Privil&#233;gier le petit au grand.<br>Ce qui est &#224; ma port&#233;e de ce qui ne l&#8217;est pas.<br>Tant de choses pr&#233;cieuses d&#233;j&#224; oubli&#233;es, qu&#8217;il suffit de retrouver, red&#233;couvrir, r&#233; explorer.<br>En fait, tout est l&#224;, d&#233;j&#224;.<br>Il n&#8217;y a rien de fou &#224; aller chercher, c&#8217;est le secret, tout est l&#224;.<br>Ce livre que je reprends, oubli&#233;.<br>Ce souvenir qui ressurgit, me fait sourire malgr&#233; moi.<br>Ce rendez-vous que j&#8217;ai ce soir, &#224; l&#8217;autre bout de Berlin, car c&#8217;est &#224; Berlin que je suis &#224; l&#8217;instant, et comme il neige, j&#8217;irai &#224; pieds, tout doucement. <br>Pr&#233;cautionneusement, je marcherai sous les flocons.<br>Je c&#233;l&#232;bre chaque moment, y compris et surtout le chemin.<br>Le chemin en soi a de l&#8217;importance, il n&#8217;est pas un entre deux, il n&#8217;y a pas d&#8217;entre deux, il est, compl&#232;tement, en soi.<br>Tout.<br>Savourer.</p><p>R&#233;solument la t&#234;te dans les nuages.<br>Le ciel au dessus de nous, regarde comme les nuages d&#233;filent lentement, mouvants, changeant de forme, regarde, on dirait un immense point d&#8217;interrogation !<br>C&#8217;est un lieu commun et pourtant, qu&#8217;y a-t-il de plus vrai, de plus beau que les nuages ?<br>Tout est l&#224;, d&#233;j&#224;.<br>Dans les clich&#233;s, dans les instantan&#233;s, dans les tirages et ces nuages pouss&#233;s par le vent, qui avancent au-dessus de nous, sans se presser, sans jamais s&#8217;arr&#234;ter.<br>&#201;crire lire marcher faire l&#8217;amour manger parler rire &#233;crire.<br>D&#233;guster la vie tant qu&#8217;elle est l&#224;.<br>La vie ? Qu&#8217;est-ce que c&#8217;est au fond, sinon une pause, une parenth&#232;se ? <br>Une flamme dans le n&#233;ant ?<br>Ce qui a &#233;t&#233; v&#233;cu a &#233;t&#233;.<br>Ce qu&#8217;il me reste : l&#8217;inconnu devant moi.<br>L&#8217;horizon.<br>La superbe.<br>Trois points de suspension.</p><p>Je traverse Berlin. Les temp&#233;ratures sont n&#233;gatives. &#192; Paris, c&#8217;est rare, et Berlin sous la neige, c&#8217;est vraiment quelque chose.<br>Je suis &#233;merveill&#233;e.<br>Pourquoi la neige am&#232;ne-t-elle automatiquement cette aura magique, enchant&#233;e ?<br>Le sourire immense sur le visage, j&#8217;avance maladroitement sur la surface glac&#233;e.<br>La bu&#233;e sort de moi, mes doigts sont gel&#233;s malgr&#233; les &#233;pais gants.<br>La neige rend le monde cotonneux, &#233;touff&#233;. M&#234;me les sons sont &#233;teints.<br>Je glisse r&#233;guli&#232;rement sur des plaques de glace et puis je me rattrape.<br>Une all&#233;gorie, encore, je me dis, une all&#233;gorie.<br>Sous mon manteau, l&#8217;&#233;toffe de ma robe. Sous ma robe, la peau nue, tout l&#224;-haut, entre l&#8217;extr&#233;mit&#233; de mes bas et la soie de ma culotte.<br>Je suis habill&#233;e de blanc mais mon c&#339;ur est br&#251;lant et sanglant, et il bat, et ma lingerie est rouge carmin, ma peau ti&#232;de. &#192; cet endroit de chair, pourtant &#224; nu sous le tissu, je n&#8217;ai pas froid.<br>&#192; nu, je n&#8217;ai jamais froid.<br>Quand je traverse l&#8217;<em>Alexanderplatz</em>, le vent pourrait me faire d&#233;coller. Je pourrais danser au-dessus des buildings, rejoindre le sommet de la <em>Fernsehtur</em> afin de me reposer un peu plus loin dans <em>Mitte</em>, puisque c&#8217;est l&#224; que nous avons rendez-vous.<br>Je passe le tambour de la lourde porte. La chaleur d&#233;ferle sur moi comme une vague. <br>Je me retourne une seconde. Dehors, toujours, la neige, toujours le froid, alors que subitement, il fait si chaud. De fines gouttes de sueur perlent &#224; l&#8217;or&#233;e de mes cheveux mais mes joues sont glac&#233;es.<br>Dans l&#8217;ascenseur, je troque mes bottes fourr&#233;es contre des escarpins. Le miroir me renvoie mon visage, les yeux brillants, les joues roses. Pas besoin de maquillage, non, pas besoin, aucun besoin.<br>Je parcours le long couloir pour arriver jusqu&#8217;&#224; ta chambre. Mes hauts talons s&#8217;enfoncent dans la moquette moelleuse.<br>Je toque, trois petits coups secs. &#192; travers l&#8217;&#233;paisseur de la porte, j&#8217;entends le bruit de ton corps qui se meut pour ouvrir. <br>Et puis, tu apparais. <br>En une seconde, tu me d&#233;couvres. Ton visage s&#8217;illumine de joie, comme celui d&#8217;un enfant devant un cadeau inesp&#233;r&#233;.<br>Oh ouiiiii !!! t&#8217;exclames-tu, levant les bras en signe de triomphe, tu es trop belle ! Trop belle, si belle, ouiiii ! r&#233;p&#232;tes-tu dans une exclamation excit&#233;e soulag&#233;e, avant de m&#8217;ouvrir grands les bras, et sans que je r&#233;fl&#233;chisse aucunement, je me mets &#224; rire moi aussi, et me voil&#224; qui bondis contre ton torse, nous nous embrassons &#224; pleine bouche, tout joyeux, si heureux que nous sautillons sur place, comme des gamins.<br>Tu fermes la porte de la chambre du bout de ta chaussure et nous laissons l&#8217;hiver dehors.<br>On se conna&#238;t depuis, quoi, deux minutes ?<br>Nous avons quoi, trois heures ?<br>Prenons le temps, je te dis, prenons le temps.</p><p>Et pendant qu&#8217;un &#224; un, tu &#244;tes les boutons de ma robe, <br>combien, combien de boutons, mille, cent, <br>caressant mes hanches, fr&#244;lant mes seins &#224; travers la soie, passant tes doigts sous ma robe, &#233;cartant l&#8217;&#233;lastique de ma culotte, <br>les bourrasques emplissent la chambre d&#8217;h&#244;tel, <br>faisant voler nos cheveux, arrachant nos v&#234;tements, <br>et dans le vent nous nous envolons, sous les flocons qui dehors continuent de tomber&#8230;</p><p>&#192; d&#233;faut de retenir le temps, on peut en voler des bribes. L&#8217;embrasser. S&#8217;y lover. S&#8217;y d&#233;ployer. Essayer de l&#8217;habiter le plus pleinement possible.<br>Choisir la contemplation, la fl&#226;nerie et la douceur.<br>Choisir la lumi&#232;re et la sensualit&#233;.<br>Choisir la lenteur.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HKeA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F40e48fc5-5dec-4a7c-bf3f-cec14b94a829_736x1089.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HKeA!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F40e48fc5-5dec-4a7c-bf3f-cec14b94a829_736x1089.jpeg 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4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Substance of Reality]]></title><description><![CDATA[Recently, I reminded a lover who was once again raving about how flexible my body was that I really worked as a dancer, that was my real job.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-substance-of-reality</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-substance-of-reality</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:42:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eglY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4e1fc550-ffe8-45dd-9db8-ca83bfb7a12d_1936x969.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eglY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4e1fc550-ffe8-45dd-9db8-ca83bfb7a12d_1936x969.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div 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4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Recently, I reminded a lover who was once again raving about how flexible my body was that I really worked as a dancer, that was my real job. &#8220;I mean my job in real life&#8221;, I added after a moment of hesitation. &#8220;Real life&#8230; that is to say&#8230; my <em>actual</em> life&#8230; My <em>normal</em> life&#8230;<em>My</em> life&#8230; Well, you know what I mean!&#8221;<br>My lover looked at me with eyes that seemed to understand, but I noticed a slight blur, persistent though almost imperceptible, a discreet mist floating around his irises, which showed that in fact, he didn&#8217;t quite understand.</p><p>I was lying naked, still shivering from our embrace. My skin was damp from his kisses, my sex still throbbing with our pleasure. I wasn&#8217;t sure I understood either.<br>At that moment, I certainly didn&#8217;t feel like I wasn&#8217;t in reality, in the materiality of life in its most delightful form.<br>And yet, at that moment, my name was Anna, I mean a name chosen by me, far from the one on my birth certificate, an alias, a <em>false</em> name.<br>I stretched lasciviously, and my lover leaned toward me to kiss my lips.<br>I had only one desire, to snuggle up against him, overwhelmed by his kisses&#8230; We had known each other for what&#8230; a bit over two hours?<br>That&#8217;s one of the most spectacular benefits of <em>The Meetings with Anna :</em> sharing intimacy with strangers who, in the blink of an eye, become strangely familiar&#8230;<br>There was nothing fake about that moment&#8230; Those embraces? Nothing but authenticity&#8230;</p><p><em>Real life</em>? What is it, really?<br>Suddenly, I had no idea what reality meant anymore.</p><p>&#8220;In this society of appearances, this Society of the Spectacle, in this age of social media where everyone stages their own life to the point of losing sight of what distinguishes truth from falsehood, to the point where falsehood contaminates and swallows up truth, what does <em>reality</em> even mean?&#8221; I asked myself the next morning, as I walked in the gentle morning sun, strangely cheerful, my body numb, satisfied by the night it had just spent, toward my home, my apartment, my life.</p><p>Windows open. The smell of coffee brewing. A light cool breeze lifting and lowering the curtains, almost in slow motion. My heart still swollen with happiness.<br>I take my sophisticated lingerie out of my bag, a gift from my lover, garments I slipped on immediately for our mutual enjoyment. I wash it by hand and hang it up to dry above the bathtub. It will then go back to its box where other fine lingerie awaits it.<br><em>Anna&#8217;s lingerie.</em><br>It&#8217;s not that I can&#8217;t wear such lingerie in my everyday life, but let&#8217;s just say it&#8217;s more seldom. In my everyday life, I might scare people, wearing suspenders and pearl harnesses, it might seem out of place, as if I were dressed up or dressed inappropriately. What excites men in Anna&#8217;s encounters can strangely turn out to be intimidating in the life of the woman behind the mask&#8230;</p><p>But I love dressing up. It is no coincidence that I am a dancer. It is no coincidence that I love performing.<br>The lingerie, given to me by my lover for the night, I love it, I loved wearing it, I was turned on by wearing it. <em>This is reality.</em><br>The pleasure shared with my lover that night was real, felt by both of us<em>, this is reality.</em><br>An encounter.<br>Encounters.<br>Because that is what I am looking for, through Anna as through my others, always : encounters with my fellow humans. Deep, true encounters.<br>And sometimes, I have learnt thanks to living life to the fullest, that in order to get a better encounter with others, you have to take detours&#8230;</p><p>Isn&#8217;t that what I&#8217;m looking for via Anna, as I do with my plays and performances, reach <em>other lives but mine </em>?<br>A reality that I wouldn&#8217;t normally have access to?<br>A reality that is harder to get hold of, to catch, but all the more so dazzling?</p><p>I take a sip of my now lukewarm coffee in the sunlight rays that are still streaming the window through my apartment. The curtains seem to flutter in time with my breathing.</p><p>Far from being fake, what I experience in these encounters, as in my plays, is more like the<em> ultra-real</em>, in a way.<br>The ultra-life.<br>That&#8217;s why I chose to transform myself, at night (or sometimes during the day), into Anna.<br>Beneath the mask lies authenticity.<br>Anna, in a way, is freer, because she exists in the unreal.<br>The real unreal life.</p><p><em>Un jour j&#8217;irai vers l&#8217;Irr&#233;el</em><br><em>Un jour j&#8217;irai vers une Ombrelle</em><br><em>Y seras-tu ? Y seras-tu ?</em> sings Alain Bashung, whom I love so much, in the background.</p><p>Isn&#8217;t real life those moments we snatch from the relentlessness of existence, whose the flavor of which is too often diluted in everyday life? Isn&#8217;t real life those intense interludes?<br>I believe so.</p><p>When Anna and the person curled up inside her, in every millimeter, become one.<br>Dear Lover, it is me, us, right here, very much alive, who welcome you, who discover you, who embrace you!</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-substance-of-reality?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-substance-of-reality?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p><h1>De la Substance du R&#233;el</h1><p>R&#233;cemment, je rappelais &#224; un amant qui s&#8217;extasiait une nouvelle fois devant ma souplesse, que mon vrai m&#233;tier &#233;tait danseuse. &#8220;Enfin, mon m&#233;tier dans la vraie vie, ajoutai-je apr&#232;s un temps d&#8217;h&#233;sitation. La vraie vie... c&#8217;est-&#224;-dire... la vie <em>r&#233;elle</em>... Ma vie... <em>normale</em>... <em>Ma</em> vie... Enfin, tu comprends, quoi !&#8221; <br>Mon amant me regardait avec des yeux qui avaient l&#8217;air, effectivement, de comprendre, mais je remarquais un l&#233;ger flou, persistant bien que quasi imperceptible, une brume discr&#232;te flottant autour de ses iris, qui montrait qu&#8217;en fait, il ne comprenait pas exactement.</p><p>Allong&#233;e nue et encore frissonnante de notre &#233;treinte, la peau humide de ses baisers, le sexe toujours pulsant de notre plaisir, je n&#8217;&#233;tais pas s&#251;re de comprendre moi non plus. <br>&#192; cet instant, je n&#8217;avais en tout cas absolument pas l&#8217;impression de ne pas &#234;tre dans la r&#233;alit&#233;, dans la mat&#233;rialit&#233; de la vie dans ce qu&#8217;elle a de plus d&#233;lectable. <br>Et pourtant, &#224; cet instant, mon nom &#233;tait Anna, c&#8217;est-&#224;-dire, un nom choisi par moi, loin de celui qui figure sur mon acte de naissance, un nom d&#8217;emprunt, un <em>faux</em> nom. <br>Je m&#8217;&#233;tirais lascivement, et mon amant se pencha vers moi pour embrasser mes l&#232;vres. <br>Une seule envie, me blottir contre lui, submerg&#233;e par ses baisers... Nous nous connaissions depuis quoi... un peu plus de deux heures ? <br>C&#8217;est l&#8217;un des avantages les plus spectaculaires des <em>Rendez-vous d&#8217;Anna</em>, partager une intimit&#233; avec des &#233;trangers qui, en un clignement d&#8217;oeil, deviennent &#233;trangement familiers... <br>Rien de faux dans ce moment... Ces &#233;treintes ? Que de l&#8217;authenticit&#233;...</p><p><em>La vraie vie</em> ? Qu&#8217;est-ce que c&#8217;est, au fond ? <br>Tout &#224; coup, je n&#8217;avais plus aucune id&#233;e de ce que signifiait le r&#233;el.</p><p>&#8220;Dans cette soci&#233;t&#233; du para&#238;tre, dans cette soci&#233;t&#233; du spectacle, &#224; l&#8217;heure des r&#233;seaux sociaux o&#249; chacun met en sc&#232;ne sa propre vie, jusqu&#8217;&#224; perdre de vue ce qui distingue le vrai du faux, jusqu&#8217;&#224; ce que le faux contamine et avale le vrai, qu&#8217;est-ce que peut bien vouloir dire : la r&#233;alit&#233; ?&#8221; m&#8217;interrogeai-je le lendemain matin, alors que je marchais sous un soleil matinal et doux, &#233;trangement guillerette, le corps engourdi, satisfait par la nuit pass&#233;e, vers mon chez moi, mon appartement, ma vie.</p><p>Les fen&#234;tres ouvertes, l&#8217;odeur du caf&#233; qui infuse, un l&#233;ger vent frais qui fait se soulever et s&#8217;abaisser les rideaux, presqu&#8217;au ralenti. Mon coeur toujours gonfl&#233; de bonheur. Je sors de mon sac ma lingerie sophistiqu&#233;e, offerte par mon amant et port&#233;e aussit&#244;t pour notre r&#233;gal commun. Je la lave &#224; la main, la suspend pour qu&#8217;elle s&#232;che au dessus de la baignoire. Elle ira ensuite rejoindre son &#233;crin o&#249; d&#8217;autres lingeries fines l&#8217;attendent. <br><em>La lingerie d&#8217;Anna. </em><br>Non pas que je ne peux pas porter dans ma vie de tous les jours, une telle lingerie, mais disons que c&#8217;est plus rare. Dans ma vie de tous les jours, je pourrais faire peur, munie de porte-jarretelles et de harnais en perles, je pourrais para&#238;tre d&#233;cal&#233;e, d&#233;guis&#233;e, voire d&#233;plac&#233;e. Ce qui fait bander les hommes dans les rendez-vous d&#8217;Anna peut &#233;trangement intimider dans la vie de celle qui se cache derri&#232;re...</p><p>Or j&#8217;aime me d&#233;guiser. Je ne suis pas danseuse pour rien. Je n&#8217;aime pas la sc&#232;ne pour rien. <br>Cette lingerie, offerte par mon amant de la nuit, je l&#8217;aime, j&#8217;ai aim&#233; la porter, j&#8217;ai &#233;t&#233; &#233;rotis&#233;e par le fait de la porter. <em>C&#8217;est la r&#233;alit&#233;. </em><br>Le plaisir partag&#233; avec mon amant de cette nuit, il &#233;tait r&#233;el, ressenti de part et d&#8217;autre, <em>c&#8217;est la r&#233;alit&#233;. </em><br>Une rencontre. <br>Des rencontres. <br>Car c&#8217;est bien cela que je recherche, &#224; travers Anna comme &#224; travers mes autres, toujours, les <em>rencontres</em> avec mes semblables humains. Les profondes, les vraies. <br>Et parfois, je l&#8217;ai appris en vivant fort, pour mieux se rencontrer, il faut emprunter des chemins d&#233;tourn&#233;s...</p><p>N&#8217;est-ce pas cela que je recherche &#224; travers Anna, comme je le fais &#224; travers mes pi&#232;ces et performances, &#224; atteindre <em>d&#8217;autres vies que la mienne</em> ? <br>Une r&#233;alit&#233; &#224; laquelle je n&#8217;aurais pas acc&#232;s normalement ? <br>Une r&#233;alit&#233; plus difficile &#224; toucher du doigt, &#224; attraper, mais d&#8217;autant plus &#233;clatante ?</p><p>Je bois une gorg&#233;e de mon caf&#233;, d&#233;sormais ti&#232;de, dans les rayons de soleil qui continuent de traverser mon appartement, les rideaux tremblent, semblerait-il, au rythme de ma respiration.</p><p>Loin du faux, ce que je touche dans ces rendez-vous, comme dans mes pi&#232;ces, ce serait plut&#244;t <em>l&#8217;ultra-vrai</em>, en quelque sorte. <br>L&#8217;ultra-vie. <br>Voil&#224; pourquoi j&#8217;ai choisi de me m&#233;tamorphoser, la nuit venue (ou parfois le jour), en Anna. <br>Sous le masque, l&#8217;authenticit&#233;. <br>Anna, quelque part, est plus libre, car elle &#233;volue dans l&#8217;irr&#233;el. <br>La r&#233;elle vie irr&#233;elle.</p><p><em>Un jour j&#8217;irai vers l&#8217;Irr&#233;el</em><br><em> Un jour j&#8217;irai vers une Ombrelle</em><br><em> Y seras-tu ? Y seras-tu ? </em>chante Alain Bashung, que j&#8217;aime tant, au loin.</p><p>La vraie vie ne serait-elle pas ces moments que l&#8217;on arrache &#224; l&#8217;implacabilit&#233; de l&#8217;existence, dont la saveur se dilue trop souvent dans le quotidien ? La vraie vie ne serait-ce pas ces parenth&#232;ses intenses ? <br>Je le crois.</p><p>Quand Anna et la personne qui est lov&#233;e en elle, dans chaque millim&#232;tre, ne font plus qu&#8217;une. <br>Cher Amant, ce sont nous, moi, bien l&#224;, bien vivantes, qui vous accueillons, qui vous d&#233;couvrons, qui vous embrassons !</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0KLK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F190f2bb5-5489-4dff-9d87-8b45e1d4f5bc_500x216.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0KLK!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, 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/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F190f2bb5-5489-4dff-9d87-8b45e1d4f5bc_500x216.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0KLK!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F190f2bb5-5489-4dff-9d87-8b45e1d4f5bc_500x216.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0KLK!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F190f2bb5-5489-4dff-9d87-8b45e1d4f5bc_500x216.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0KLK!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F190f2bb5-5489-4dff-9d87-8b45e1d4f5bc_500x216.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Art of Joy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lately I&#8217;ve been inundated with gifts.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-art-of-joy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-art-of-joy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:43:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg" width="637" height="311" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:311,&quot;width&quot;:637,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:104852,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/i/179580572?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3889a65d-6466-4846-8188-aecece001dea_637x311.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s5h8!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2911f042-76fb-4834-b935-98d4ca7d9d62_637x311.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h1></h1><p>Lately I&#8217;ve been inundated with gifts. From lovers, of course, but also from complete strangers who liked the words and images I share, were moved by my sensitivity, or simply felt the need to make me happy.<br><em>Just the need to make me happy&#8230;</em><br>With nothing asked in return.<br>Every time I unwrap a new present, my cheeks flush, my heart warms, and an immense emotion overwhelms me. It isn&#8217;t merely excitement or contentment; it is gratitude mixed with a sudden, deep sense of fulfillment that floods me at once, and that profound happiness &#8211; this <em>joy</em> &#8211; stays with me throughout the day and the days that follow.<br>These small (or sometimes large!) gestures change my life. They brighten it, and they also give me strength because I feel profoundly encouraged, supported, and accompanied.</p><p>Am I happy simply because I receive <em>gifts</em>? That sounds a little foolish, doesn&#8217;t it? Am I just a vulgar, materialist person? I wonder that as I walk along the quays in this oddly warm December month (yes, you&#8217;ve probably guessed it, I walk a lot, and I think while I walk, and I walk while I think, as Rodolphe&#8239;Burger almost sings&#8230; &#8211; I never take public transport and only hail a taxi when, under the name of Anna, I&#8217;m meeting a lover; even then, most of the time I prefer to walk. Walking stimulates the brain, but that&#8217;s not all. It pulls you back into the present moment, into the concrete reality of the distance traveled between two places. Walking is as much meditation as it is a stroll; it grounds you in reality while allowing day-dreaming. &#8211; Sometimes I tell myself that one of the things my lovers find most appealing is that I walk to our dates, even if I have to cross all of Paris to do so, a rarity for a courtesan. &#8211; &#8220;Wait, where are you coming from, Anna? You really WALKED AN HOUR AND A HALF?&#8221; &#8211; &#8220;Of course! And without wearing knickers!&#8221; &#8211; A spark ignites. Your eyes darken, your jaw relaxes slightly. I see excitement in your gaze, and seeing that excitement excites me. Fire. Fire. &#8211; Or perhaps my greatest allure lies in my quick wit &#8211; my &#8220;staircase wit.&#8221; Anyway, enough rambling&#8230;)</p><p>Why am I so happy about presents? I ask myself as I wander the quays toward the <em>Beaux-Arts</em>, with no particular plan in mind, just feeling my body in motion and seeing where it would take me. They are just gifts, material things. I don&#8217;t care about material things; I&#8217;m above that.</p><p>I have lived several lives before I identified my kink, a simple one that conditions my entire sexuality and the rest of my fantasies: what titillates, excites, and deeply moves me is experiencing timeless moments with men so generous that I want to return the favor.<br>What turns me on are <em>The Meetings of Anna</em>.<br>It is the excitement that builds during the first email exchanges, swelling before the meeting, amplified by the attention and care my lovers devote to making our encounter as wonderful as possible. It is the careful preparation, choosing the outfit that best matches what I sense of you, or slipping into the lingerie you gave me beforehand, unveiling it for your eyes. It is the nervous anticipation of finally seeing each other in person, the smiles that turn into laughter, the connection that forms, and the desire that takes hold. There we are, two human beings facing each other, strangers a few minutes ago, now embracing, caressing, defying time and whatever others might say.<br>I have always found human interaction most authentic during these secret <em>rendez-vous</em>. Knowing, without prior acquaintance, exactly where we are headed (nude, in a bed &#8211; sorry for the spoiler!) paradoxically makes the encounter simpler and more natural, stripped of the artificial veneer that so often burdens us in everyday life. The shared intimacy is wildly free, plus that priceless extra spice: mystery and the forbidden.<br>When we part, we return to our lives. Days pass. When we arrange another meeting, the excitement remains, though it has shifted slightly: we now know each other, and we know that our mutual exploration is only just beginning. I can&#8217;t wait to see you again, to give and receive news and kisses, to tumble, to drown in cuddles and orgasms. The bonds we forge are intense yet unburdened, based solely on our sensitive, sensual understanding, free from societal expectations and, above all, from judgment. We can confide everything, dare anything, and say what elsewhere we would not.<br>These spaces we create, between you and me, free of any obligation are fiercely genuine, infinitely light. <br>Little by little, we have become regular lovers.</p><p>You are my part-time paramours. I am your professional mistress, your polyamorous, venal lover, engaging but without engagement. &#8220;I don&#8217;t pay you to sleep with me, but so you won&#8217;t call me back!&#8221; a lover once told me, half-joking. Rest assured, he still calls me, and he has done so for years.<br>I love being surrounded by this tight circle of exceptional lovers &#8211; mostly men from other countries, other cultures, other generations, fascinating and exciting people I would never have met in any other context, with whom I have so much to share.<br>Why do we live, if not to cross paths with others, to discover personalities beyond our own? Why do we live, if not for the unknown and the extraordinary? Together we push the limits of existence, we live more densely, more intensely. We share far more than sex: an exchange of energies and visions, mutual respect, lasting affection. Attachment without attachments. So many extraordinary memories flash across my mind, each one coaxing a smile, quickening my heart anew. It&#8217;s because we&#8217;ve done so many crazy things together, you and I!<br>My dear lovers, you belong in my life as my close friends, my family. Even though I know you can disappear overnight. We owe one another nothing &#8211; that&#8217;s the rule we both respect: not penetrating each other&#8217;s lives is the only limit &#8211; yet who cares, when there are so many other things we can penetrate?</p><p>I arrive at the <em>Invalides</em> and continue toward the <em>Grand Palais</em>. My brain has once again taken a detour. Multiply exceptional encounters? What a lovely program! I feel like a modern day sailor, a man in every port &#8211; a sailor in suspenders, of course, generously rewarded for the beauty of the gesture!<br>But let&#8217;s get back to the gifts! It was the joy they bring, which I wanted to contemplate. The fact that they are the fruit of generosity and kindness brings light and giving back to the centre. It isn&#8217;t about money; gifts can be modest. It is the attention, the positive energy, that does me so much good. <br>And according to the most elementary law of abundance, the more I receive, the more I want to give. Because I love giving, too. I am generous and kind, too. In truth, I cherish kindness &#8211; a quality often despised, yet one of my guiding lights.<br>I love being pleased and loving to please. I love spreading joy, literally being a <em>girl of joy</em>. In my small way, I try to illuminate this dark world.</p><p>Lately I have built relationships with people I have never met in person, yet who, from afar, have spoiled me with gifts and kind words. Sometimes it&#8217;s a brief message, sometimes a deeper conversation; we may plan to meet someday, or not, but in any case you are with me, watching over me, my good male fairies! Every time I come into contact with your offering, I think of you. It feels as if you accompany me every day.<br>You, too, are part of my life, like my lovers&#8230;</p><p>Without noticing it, I found myself on the <em>Champs &#201;lys&#233;es</em>, illuminated in grandiloquent splendor. It is late December, and as Christmas approaches the streets are draped in fairy lights. I recall the fierce excitement I felt as a child at the approach of this holiday &#8211; a feeling that faded with age, as most intense childhood emotions do. <br>Have I rediscovered it lately, thanks to you? <br>Yes, because of you, it feels like Christmas all year round!<br>Thank you for making me dream! For making me feel unique and precious, just like everything you give me!</p><p></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bW-J!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F40a890c1-4176-4af2-8863-353f4bf4c84e_583x1000.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bW-J!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F40a890c1-4176-4af2-8863-353f4bf4c84e_583x1000.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bW-J!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, 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1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bW-J!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F40a890c1-4176-4af2-8863-353f4bf4c84e_583x1000.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-art-of-joy?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-art-of-joy?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p><p></p><h1>L&#8217;Art de la Joie</h1><p>Ces derniers temps, j&#8217;ai re&#231;u &#233;norm&#233;ment de cadeaux. D&#8217;amants, bien s&#251;r, mais aussi de complets &#233;trangers qui avaient aim&#233; les mots, les images partag&#233;es, &#233;taient touch&#233;s par ma sensibilit&#233; ou ressentaient juste le besoin de me faire plaisir. <br><em> Juste le besoin de me faire plaisir... </em><br>Sans rien demander en retour.<br>&#192; chaque fois que je d&#233;balle un nouveau pr&#233;sent, les joues roses, le c&#339;ur chaud, je ressens une immense &#233;motion. Pas juste de l&#8217;excitation ou du contentement, non : de la gratitude mais aussi une sorte de pl&#233;nitude qui m&#8217;envahit aussit&#244;t, et ce bonheur profond, cette <em>joie</em>, m&#8217;accompagne durant le jour, les jours suivants. <br>Ces petits (ou ces grands !) gestes changent ma vie. Ils l&#8217;illuminent, mais aussi, ils me donnent de la force, car je me sens profond&#233;ment encourag&#233;e, soutenue, accompagn&#233;e.</p><p>Je suis aussi heureuse parce qu&#8217;on m&#8217;offre des <em>cadeaux</em> ? C&#8217;est un peu idiot, non ? Ne serais-je qu&#8217;une vulgaire mat&#233;rialiste v&#233;nale ? je me demande alors que je marche sur les quais, dans ce froid mois de d&#233;cembre (et oui, vous l&#8217;aurez sans doute compris, je marche &#233;norm&#233;ment, et je pense en marchant, et je marche en pensant, comme le chante presque Rodolphe Burger... - Je ne prends jamais les transports en commun et n&#8217;emprunte des taxis que lorsque, sous le pr&#233;nom d&#8217;Anna, je me rends &#224; un rendez-vous avec un amant, et encore, m&#234;me l&#224;, la plupart du temps, je pr&#233;f&#232;re marcher. - Marcher irrigue le cerveau, mais pas seulement, marcher ram&#232;ne &#224; l&#8217;instant pr&#233;sent, au concret de la distance parcourue entre deux endroits, marcher est une m&#233;ditation autant qu&#8217;une promenade, marcher plante dans le r&#233;el et permet la r&#234;verie. - Des fois, je me dis qu&#8217;une des choses qui s&#233;duit le plus mes amants est que je me rends &#224; nos rendez-vous &#224; pieds, m&#234;me si je dois traverser Paris pour cela et que c&#8217;est si rare pour une courtisane. - &#8220;Attends, mais tu viens d&#8217;o&#249;, Anna ? Tu as vraiment MARCH&#201; UNE HEURE ET DEMIE ?&#8221; - &#8220;Bien s&#251;r ! Et sans porter de culotte !&#8221; - Embrasement. Tes yeux s&#8217;assombrissent, ta m&#226;choire se d&#233;tend l&#233;g&#232;rement. Je vois l&#8217;excitation dans ton regard et voir l&#8217;excitation dans ton regard m&#8217;excite. Feu. Feu. - Ou bien mon plus grand attrait r&#233;side dans le fait que j&#8217;ai &#224; ce point l&#8217;esprit d&#8217;escalier ? Mais bref, assez tergivers&#233;...)</p><p>Pourquoi &#234;tre aussi heureuse &#224; cause de pr&#233;sents ? me demand&#233;-je donc en marchant sur les quais, vers les Beaux-arts, sans avoir de plan pr&#233;cis, juste sentir mon corps en mouvement et voir o&#249; cela me m&#232;nera. Ce ne sont que des cadeaux, du mat&#233;riel. Je m&#8217;en fiche, du mat&#233;riel, je suis au-dessus de &#231;a.</p><p>J&#8217;ai v&#233;cu plusieurs vies avant d&#8217;identifier que mon <em>kink</em> &#233;tait assez simple, et conditionnait l&#8217;ensemble de ma sexualit&#233; et le reste de mes fantasmes : ce qui me titille, m&#8217;excite, et oui, me bouleverse profond&#233;ment, c&#8217;est de vivre des parenth&#232;ses hors du temps avec des hommes si g&#233;n&#233;reux que j&#8217;ai envie de leur rendre la pareille. <br>Ce qui m&#8217;attise, ce sont <em>les Rendez-vous d&#8217;Anna</em>. <br>C&#8217;est cette excitation qui na&#238;t lors des premiers &#233;changes &#233;pistolaires, qui enfle avant le rendez-vous, amplifi&#233;e par les attentions et le soin port&#233; par mes amants pour que notre entrevue soit la plus merveilleuse possible. C&#8217;est la soigneuse pr&#233;paration, choisir la tenue qui correspondra le mieux &#224; ce que je pressens de vous, ou encore, rev&#234;tir la lingerie offerte en amont, que j&#8217;inaugure pour vos yeux. C&#8217;est le trouble avant de se d&#233;couvrir en vrai, les sourires qui se muent en rires, la connexion qui s&#8217;&#233;tablit et le d&#233;sir qui prend. Nous sommes l&#224;, deux &#234;tres humains en face l&#8217;un de l&#8217;autre, qui ne nous connaissions pas quelques minutes auparavant et qui maintenant nous enla&#231;ons, nous caressons, d&#233;fions le temps et les quand dira-t-on. <br>J&#8217;ai toujours trouv&#233; que les interactions humaines &#233;taient plus authentiques lors de ces rendez-vous secrets. Le fait de savoir, sans se conna&#238;tre au pr&#233;alable, tr&#232;s pr&#233;cis&#233;ment o&#249; l&#8217;on va (nus et dans un lit, d&#233;sol&#233;e pour le spoiler !) rend paradoxalement la rencontre plus simple et naturelle, d&#233;barrass&#233;e du vernis artificiel dont on s&#8217;encombre si souvent dans la vraie vie. L&#8217;intimit&#233; partag&#233;e y est follement libre - avec ce sel en plus, inestimable : celui du myst&#232;re, celui de l&#8217;interdit.<br>Quand nous nous quittons, nous revenons &#224; nos vies. Les jours passent. Lorsque nous nous donnons &#224; nouveau rendez-vous, l&#8217;excitation est toujours l&#224;, mais elle s&#8217;est l&#233;g&#232;rement d&#233;plac&#233;e. Nous nous connaissons d&#233;sormais, et nous savons que notre exploration mutuelle ne fait que commencer. J&#8217;ai h&#226;te de vous retrouver, de donner et de prendre nouvelles et baisers, de faire des galipettes, de nous noyer dans les c&#226;lins et les orgasmes. Les liens tiss&#233;s sont intenses sans &#234;tre compliqu&#233;s ou pesants, car uniquement fond&#233;s sur notre entente sensible et sensuelle, d&#233;barrass&#233;s des attentes soci&#233;tales, et surtout, du moindre jugement. On peut tout se confier, tout oser et tout dire, surtout ce qu&#8217;ailleurs, on n&#8217;ose pas... <br>Ces espaces que nous ouvrons, vous et moi, en dehors de toute obligation, sont furieusement vrais, infiniment l&#233;gers. <br>Peu &#224; peu, nous sommes devenus des amants r&#233;guliers.</p><p>Vous &#234;tes mes amoureux &#224; temps partiel. Je suis votre ma&#238;tresse professionnelle, polyamoureuse v&#233;nale, engageante mais sans engagement. &#8220;Je ne te paie pas pour coucher avec toi, mais pour que tu ne me rappelles pas !&#8221; m&#8217;avait dit un jour, non sans humour, un amant - qui lui, je vous rassure, me rappelle, et ce, depuis des ann&#233;es ! <br>J&#8217;aime &#234;tre entour&#233;e de ce cercle restreint d&#8217;amoureux exceptionnels. Des hommes pour la plupart d&#8217;autres pays, d&#8217;autres cultures, d&#8217;autres g&#233;n&#233;rations, aussi passionnants qu&#8217;excitants, que je n&#8217;aurais jamais crois&#233;s dans un autre cadre et avec qui j&#8217;ai tant &#224; partager. <br>Pourquoi vivons-nous, si ce n&#8217;est pour croiser d&#8217;autres trajectoires, d&#233;couvrir d&#8217;autres personnalit&#233;s que les n&#244;tres ? Pourquoi vivons-nous, si ce n&#8217;est pour l&#8217;inconnu et pour l&#8217;exceptionnel ? Ensemble, nous &#233;largissons les limites de l&#8217;existence, nous vivons plus dens&#233;ment, plus fort. Nous partageons bien plus que du sexe. Un &#233;change d&#8217;&#233;nergies et de visions, un respect mutuel, une affection durable. De l&#8217;attachement sans attaches. Tant de souvenirs extraordinaires auxquels je ne peux repenser sans qu&#8217;un sourire m&#8217;&#233;chappe, sans que mon coeur s&#8217;emballe de nouveau. C&#8217;est qu&#8217;on en aura fait des folies, vous et moi !<br>Mes chers amants, vous faites partie de ma vie comme mes proches, mes amis, ma famille. M&#234;me si je sais que vous pouvez dispara&#238;tre du jour au lendemain. On ne se doit rien. Ce sont les r&#232;gles du jeu, que nous respectons de part et d&#8217;autre : ne pas p&#233;n&#233;trer la vie de l&#8217;autre est la seule limite &#8211; qu&#8217;importe, puisque nous avons tant d&#8217;autres choses &#224; p&#233;n&#233;trer !</p><p>J&#8217;arrive vers les Invalides, continue vers le Grand Palais. Mon cerveau a encore une fois bifurqu&#233;. Multiplier les rencontres d&#8217;exception ? Voil&#224; un joli programme ! Je me sens comme un marin des temps modernes, un homme dans chaque port. Un marin en porte jarretelles, bien &#233;videmment, et que l&#8217;on r&#233;tribue g&#233;n&#233;reusement, pour la beaut&#233; du geste ! <br>Bon mais revenons aux cadeaux, c&#8217;&#233;tait &#224; la joie que me procurent les cadeaux prodigu&#233;s, que je voulais penser ! Au fait qu&#8217;&#233;tant &#224; ce point le fruit de la g&#233;n&#233;rosit&#233; et de la gentillesse, ils ram&#232;nent le lumineux et le don au centre. Il ne s&#8217;agit pas d&#8217;argent, les pr&#233;sents peuvent &#234;tre modestes. Mais c&#8217;est cette attention, cette &#233;nergie positive qui me fait tant de bien. <br>Et selon la loi d&#8217;abondance la plus &#233;l&#233;mentaire, plus on me donne, plus j&#8217;ai envie de donner. Car j&#8217;aime donner moi aussi. Je suis g&#233;n&#233;reuse et gentille moi aussi. &#192; vrai dire, je ch&#233;ris la gentillesse, une qualit&#233; souvent m&#233;pris&#233;e, mais qui est un de mes phares dans l&#8217;existence. <br>J&#8217;aime qu&#8217;on me fasse plaisir et j&#8217;aime faire plaisir. J&#8217;aime r&#233;pandre de la joie, &#234;tre, litt&#233;ralement, une <em>fille de joie</em>. &#192; ma petite &#233;chelle, tenter d&#8217;illuminer ce monde si sombre.</p><p>J&#8217;ai, ces derniers temps, b&#226;ti des relations avec des personnes que je n&#8217;ai encore jamais rencontr&#233;es mais qui, &#224; distance, m&#8217;ont g&#226;t&#233;e, par leurs pr&#233;sents et par leurs mots. C&#8217;est parfois un court message de temps &#224; autre, parfois des conversations plus denses, nous avons pr&#233;vu de nous rencontrer un jour, ou pas, mais dans tous les cas, vous &#234;tes avec moi, vous veillez sur moi, &#244; mes bonnes f&#233;es masculines ! &#192; chaque fois que je suis en contact avec vos pr&#233;sents, je pense &#224; vous. C&#8217;est comme si vous m&#8217;accompagniez au quotidien. <br>Vous aussi, vous faites partie de ma vie, comme mes amants...</p><p>Sans m&#8217;en rendre compte, je suis arriv&#233;e sur les Champs &#201;lys&#233;es, &#233;clair&#233;s avec grandiloquence. Nous sommes fin d&#233;cembre, et &#224; l&#8217;approche de No&#235;l, les guirlandes lumineuses ont envahi les rues. Je me souviens de cette excitation que je ressentais si fortement, enfant, &#224; l&#8217;approche de cette f&#234;te, et que j&#8217;ai peu &#224; peu perdue, avec les ann&#233;es, comme la plupart des intenses &#233;motions de l&#8217;enfance. <br>Ne l&#8217;aurais-je pas retrouv&#233;e, ces derniers temps, gr&#226;ce &#224; vous ? <br>Oui, gr&#226;ce &#224; vous, c&#8217;est No&#235;l toute l&#8217;ann&#233;e ! <br>Merci de me faire r&#234;ver ! De me faire sentir unique et pr&#233;cieuse, comme ce que vous m&#8217;offrez !</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-art-of-joy?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/the-art-of-joy?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Embracing Robert]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am a stage performer.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/embracing-robert</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/embracing-robert</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:21:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dlC9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F652e0b6b-76ee-4b1d-86b6-40bb605d058e_1000x618.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" 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y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h2></h2><p>I am a stage performer. I love being in front of the camera, not behind it. The spotlight has always drawn me &#8211; perhaps that&#8217;s why, in my spare moments, I like to become Anna. Your eyes are headlights, and the great bed is the stage from which we lift off together toward Venus.</p><p>But before <em>The Meetings with Anna</em>, there is a required prelude, far more down to earth than a trip to the seventh heaven: the game of virtual seduction that plays out on the illuminated surface of a screen between two people who, most often, have never seen each other. That is precisely the game you and I are playing right now.<br>Like a modern day siren, I must lure you into my nets&#8212;but don&#8217;t worry, my nets are soft, smooth, warm and comfortable, you&#8217;ll feel dangerously at ease in them, believe me. I have to stir you, excite you, make you want to meet me in person. While you await the discovery of my facial features, the velvet of my skin, the scent of my neck and the texture of my laugh, I wield two tools: my words and my images.</p><p>Writing, and having photographers whose aesthetic matches mine, capture me, this was an immediate certainty&#8212;no different from the showcase required by my profession. An artist must stage herself not only on the proscenium but also off it; it&#8217;s part of the job, as they say.<br>Conversely, having to play the social media game to this degree feels less familiar to me. I have always preferred to keep my head in the clouds, captivated by the sky rather than a phone screen.<br>Yet Anna must prove she exists, that she truly is who she claims to be, that she regularly lounges in lingerie within sumptuous hotels, and that she looks exactly like the photos on her website. She has no choice but to follow the current trend: photos taken by me, in the moment. This sense of immediacy masquerades as authenticity, even though it is wholly manufactured. Our modern society is riddled with such paradoxes.<br>&#8220;Oh no,&#8221; I thought at first, when I realized I would have to submit to this exercise. &#8220;Do I really have to take selfies?&#8221;<br>I can&#8217;t recall ever considering taking a photo of myself with a phone before Anna entered my life; I have always looked down on the practice a little. As a performer, I embrace my narcissistic side onstage, but I try to mute it when I&#8217;m offstage. Generally, I rarely take pictures. I simply don&#8217;t think about it, and on the rare occasions I do, the result feels disappointing compared with the power of the lived moment. I&#8217;m not a photographer. I prefer to retain impressions, sensations, emotions. I may try to translate them into words, but not always&#8212;the blur can be intense too. It is often a clearer way to keep memories vivid.</p><p>Then I remembered the long tradition of self portraits, which spread through painting from the 14th century onward before finding a home in photography.<br>With a lump in my throat from an unexpected surge of emotion, I revisited the self portraits of countless artists&#8212;from Artemisia Gentileschi to Vincent van Gogh, from Leonardo da&#8239;Vinci to Frida&#8239;Kahlo, via Albrecht D&#252;rer, Rembrandt and Caravaggio. They stand in front of us, embedded in their own canvases, surrounded by objects dear to them, immortalised forever in their work. Eternal.<br>Until the first daguerreotype self portrait by Robert&#8239;Cornelius&#8212;so modern, so audacious. Taken in the early 19th&#8239;century, Robert appears alive before us, eyes locked onto ours, hair still tousled as if he had just leapt from bed, possessing a dangerously contemporary beauty despite having lain dormant for over a century. He could have sent us that image right now, a selfie, to say hello.</p><p>Of course, where the classic self portrait belonged to a slow, deliberate process intrinsic to the artist&#8217;s practice&#8212;created in solitude and intended for a limited audience&#8212;the selfie is captured swiftly and instantly broadcast to the masses, judged and liked. Consequently we tend to give the public, or rather our followers, exactly what they want&#8212;a mindset almost opposite to the artist&#8217;s. The composition, reflexivity, and perspective that structured our ancestors&#8217; self portraits are devoured by the deconstructive rush of speed. Art has ceded ground to communication.<br>Haste, immediacy, instant dissemination&#8212;ironically, for someone who has made slowness the primary virtue of her life (me!), this feels ironic. Yet irony, so long as it does not slip into cynicism, remains a creative force, a force of life. Irony is the spice of existence.</p><p>Taking photos of myself. Staging Anna, magnified in her suroundings. Leaving a trace, as all those humans before us have tried to do. Transmitting vitality. Embracing Robert.<br><br>That&#8217;s it, I said to myself.<br>Let us reveal a fragmented self portrait of Anna, think like Georges&#8239;P&#233;rec, pierce windows of authenticity in the mirror lure of the Internet, while striving to transcend these foreign, vain, sterile concepts of content, communication, reel. I will resist the path laid out by algorithms&#8212;I never communicate better than face to face, skin to skin, eye to eye. I am not an advertiser. I favour intuition, fluidity, and cinematic screens over commerce.<br>I focus on moments of life&#8212;slices of happiness and sensuality. I aim to capture a few of those brilliant, burning instants, my escapades as Anna. From those secret peaks, forever lifted by you and me.<br>I refuse to dissolve into another disembodied image. I want to emerge more alive, sharing quotes, aphorisms, artworks I love. I wish to convey an aesthetic, Beauty&#8212;arguably even an emotion. Futile, perhaps, but maybe Beauty isn&#8217;t as harmless as we think. Maybe Beauty can make the world itself more beautiful. In a world that can feel so dark, don&#8217;t poetry, joy and pleasure illuminate and show the way?</p><p>A reflection in an old, scratched mirror. A Droste effect. An ambiguous&#8212;or harmonious&#8212;piece of d&#233;cor. Lingerie fragments. A corner of a tablecloth. A completely empty plate. Crumpled silk sheets. A cufflink. A glass of wine, still full, soon to be emptied. A dress tossed into a ball on the floor. Abandoned high heels. An arch. <br>That is what I can show, while a nipple peeks in the background, while in the subtext plump buttocks protrude from the fabric, while at the junction of two thighs a wetness gathers and fingers explore, while a red painted mouth swallows a penis to the hilt, tongues intertwine, deep kisses are exchanged, bodies interlock greedily. Saliva, hair, sweat, orgasms&#8212;and above all, lots of laughter.</p><p>Mirrors see it all: the real ones that capture my image, the ones that fill your imagination, and the ones that will unfurl on your retina should we ever meet.</p><p>Mirrors. Reflections.<br>Mirrors, reflections, reflections. More reflections.</p><p></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, 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/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg" width="1456" height="1848" 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/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfH7!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4d20cff-90dd-41a1-ba54-b579e53a0113_1654x2099.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" 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class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/embracing-robert?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/embracing-robert?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><h2><strong>Embrasser Robert</strong></h2><p>Je suis une artiste de la sc&#232;ne. J&#8217;aime &#234;tre devant l&#8217;objectif, pas derri&#232;re. C&#8217;est la lumi&#232;re des projecteurs qui m&#8217;a toujours attir&#233;e &#8211; et c&#8217;est sans doute aussi pour cela qu&#8217;&#224; mes heures perdues, j&#8217;aime me transformer en Anna. Vos yeux sont des phares et le grand lit, l&#8217;estrade de laquelle nous d&#233;collons ensemble, direction V&#233;nus.</p><p>Or il y a un pr&#233;lude obligatoire aux <em>Rendez-vous d&#8217;Anna</em>, bien plus terre-&#224;-terre qu&#8217;un voyage au 7&#232;me ciel : ce jeu de s&#233;duction virtuel qui se joue sur la surface &#233;clair&#233;e d&#8217;un &#233;cran, entre deux personnes qui, le plus souvent, ne se sont encore jamais vues &#8211; celui-l&#224; m&#234;me auquel nous nous pr&#234;tons, vous et moi, &#224; l&#8217;instant T.<br>Telle une sir&#232;ne des temps modernes, je dois vous attirer dans mes filets &#8211; mais pas d&#8217;inqui&#233;tude, mes filets sont doux, et moelleux, et ti&#232;des, et confortables, vous vous y sentirez dangereusement bien, croyez-moi. Je dois vous attiser, vous exciter, vous donner envie de me rencontrer <em>en vrai.</em> Pour ce faire, en attendant que vous d&#233;couvriez les traits de mon visage, le velours de ma peau, le parfum de mon cou et la texture de mon rire, j&#8217;ai deux outils : mes mots et mes images.</p><p>Ecrire, me faire prendre en photo par des photographes dont l&#8217;esth&#233;tique r&#233;pond &#224; la mienne, &#231;a a tout de suite &#233;t&#233; une &#233;vidence, pas si &#233;loign&#233;e de la vitrine n&#233;cessaire &#224; mon m&#233;tier &#8211; une danseuse se doit de se mettre en sc&#232;ne, pas seulement sur le plateau, mais aussi en dehors, &#231;a fait partie du job, comme on dit !<br>En revanche, devoir &#224; ce point me plier au jeu des r&#233;seaux sociaux, voil&#224; qui m&#8217;est beaucoup moins familier ! J&#8217;ai toujours pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233; vivre ma vie la t&#234;te dans les nuages, happ&#233;e par le ciel plut&#244;t que par un &#233;cran de t&#233;l&#233;phone.<br>Or, Anna doit prouver qu&#8217;elle existe, qu&#8217;elle est bien celle qu&#8217;elle pr&#233;tend &#234;tre, qu&#8217;elle se pr&#233;lasse r&#233;guli&#232;rement en lingerie dans des h&#244;tels somptueux et qu&#8217;elle ressemble aux photos d&#233;ploy&#233;es sur son site. Pas d&#8217;autre choix que de se plier au code en vogue actuellement : des photos prises par moi et sur l&#8217;instant. Ce sentiment d&#8217;imm&#233;diatet&#233; semble constituer un gage d&#8217;authenticit&#233;, alors qu&#8217;il est bien entendu compl&#232;tement fabriqu&#233;, lui aussi. Mais notre soci&#233;t&#233; moderne n&#8217;en est pas un paradoxe pr&#232;s.<br>Oh non, ai-je d&#8217;abord pens&#233;, quand j&#8217;ai compris qu&#8217;il allait falloir me soumettre &#224; cet exercice. Je vais devoir prendre des <em>selfies</em> ?<br>Je pense n&#8217;avoir jamais eu l&#8217;id&#233;e de me prendre en photo avec un t&#233;l&#233;phone avant Anna et avoir toujours un peu snob&#233; l&#8217;exercice. En tant qu&#8217;interpr&#232;te, j&#8217;assume suffisamment ma part de narcissisme pour essayer de la mettre en sourdine en dehors de la sc&#232;ne. Et de mani&#232;re g&#233;n&#233;rale, je prends rarement de photos. Je n&#8217;y pense tout simplement pas et les rares fois o&#249; l&#8217;envie m&#8217;en prend, je trouve &#231;a toujours d&#233;ceptif par rapport &#224; la puissance du moment v&#233;cu. Je ne suis pas photographe. Je pr&#233;f&#232;re garder des impressions, des sensations, des &#233;motions. Que j&#8217;essaie, &#233;ventuellement, de mettre en mots, mais pas toujours, car le flou peut &#234;tre intense lui aussi. Souvent une fa&#231;on bien plus nette de garder les souvenirs vivaces.</p><p>Et puis, j&#8217;ai repens&#233; &#224; cette longue tradition d&#8217;autoportraits, qui s&#8217;est g&#233;n&#233;ralis&#233;e dans la peinture &#224; partir du XIV&#232;me si&#232;cle, avant de se d&#233;velopper dans la photographie.<br>La gorge serr&#233;e par une &#233;motion dont la force m&#8217;a surprise, j&#8217;ai red&#233;couvert tous ces autoportraits d&#8217;artistes. D&#8217;Artemisia Gentileschi &#224; Vincent Van Gogh. De L&#233;onard de Vinci &#224; Frida Kahlo, en passant par Albrecht D&#252;rer, Rembrandt ou Caravage. Elles et eux se tiennent devant nous, ins&#233;r&#233;s dans leurs propres tableaux, entour&#233;s d&#8217;objets qui leur sont chers. Immortalis&#233;s &#224; jamais dans leur oeuvre. Eternels.<br>Jusqu&#8217;&#224; ce premier clich&#233; de Robert Cornelius, si moderne, si fou, premier autoportrait au daguerr&#233;otype de l&#8217;histoire. La photo a &#233;t&#233; prise au d&#233;but du 19&#232;me si&#232;cle, et Robert est l&#224;, vivant, devant nous, les yeux plant&#233;s droit dans les n&#244;tres les cheveux encore &#233;bouriff&#233;s, comme au saut du lit, d&#8217;une beaut&#233; dangereusement contemporaine, lui qui est irr&#233;m&#233;diablement endormi depuis plus d&#8217;un si&#232;cle. Il pourrait nous avoir envoy&#233; cette photo &#224; l&#8217;instant, un <em>selfie</em>, pour nous saluer.</p><p>Bien s&#251;r, l&#224; o&#249; l&#8217;autoportrait appartenait &#224; un travail long et lent, intrins&#232;que &#224; l&#8217;oeuvre de l&#8217;artiste, construit dans la solitude et destin&#233; &#224; n&#8217;&#234;tre montr&#233; qu&#8217;&#224; un petit nombre de spectateurs, le propre du selfie est de se faire vite et d&#8217;&#234;tre tout de suite partag&#233; au plus grand nombre, jug&#233;, lik&#233;. On a du coup tendance &#224; vouloir donner au public, que dis-je, aux followers, ce qu&#8217;ils veulent &#8211; d&#233;marche &#224; peu pr&#232;s oppos&#233;e de celle de l&#8217;artiste. La composition, la r&#233;flexivit&#233;, les lois de la perspective qui structuraient les autoportraits de nos anc&#234;tres, sont d&#233;vor&#233;es par l&#8217;action d&#233;structurante de la vitesse. L&#8217;art a laiss&#233; la place &#224; la communication.<br>La h&#226;te, l&#8217;imm&#233;diatet&#233;, la diffusion instantan&#233;e, pour quelqu&#8217;un qui a &#233;rig&#233; la Lenteur comme vertu premi&#232;re de ce qui meut sa vie (moi !), c&#8217;est quelque peu ironique ! Mais l&#8217;ironie, tant qu&#8217;elle ne vire pas au cynisme est force cr&#233;atrice, de vie. L&#8217;ironie est le sel de l&#8217;existence.</p><p>Se prendre en photo. Mettre en sc&#232;ne Anna magnifi&#233;e dans son environnement. Laisser une trace, comme ont cherch&#233; &#224; le faire tous ces humains avant nous. Transmettre cette vitalit&#233;. Embrasser Robert.</p><p>C&#8217;est cela, je me suis dit.<br>Donnons &#224; voir un autoportrait fragment&#233; d&#8217;Anna, pensons comme Georges P&#233;rec, per&#231;ons des fen&#234;tres d&#8217;authenticit&#233; dans le miroir aux alouettes de la toile, tout en tentant de transcender ces concepts, si &#233;trangers et vains, si st&#233;riles, de contenu, de communication, de <em>Reel</em>, tout en essayant d&#8217;ignorer le chemin tout trac&#233; que veulent me faire prendre les algorythmes, moi qui ne communique jamais mieux que face &#224; face avec un autre &#234;tre humain sans suivre aucun trac&#233; pr&#233;alable, peau &#224; peau et yeux dans les yeux. Je ne suis pas une publicitaire. Au commerce, je pr&#233;f&#232;re l&#8217;intuition, je pr&#233;f&#232;re les fluides et les &#233;crans de cin&#233;ma.<br>Me concentrer sur des instants de vie, des tranches de bonheur et de sensualit&#233;.<br>Capturer un peu de ces moments brillants br&#251;lants, mes &#233;chapp&#233;es en tant qu&#8217;Anna. De ces sommets secrets, &#224; jamais &#233;lev&#233;s par vous et moi.<br>Ne pas me dissoudre dans une &#233;ni&#232;me image d&#233;sincarn&#233;e. En ressortir plus vivante encore. Partager en regard des citations, des aphorismes, des oeuvres d&#8217;art que j&#8217;aime. Transmettre une esth&#233;tique, de la Beaut&#233;. Une &#233;motion peut-&#234;tre ? Du futile sans doute, mais peut-&#234;tre que le Beau n&#8217;est pas aussi inoffensif qu&#8217;on le croit. Peut-&#234;tre que le Beau peut rendre le monde plus beau lui aussi. Dans ce monde parfois si sombre, la joie et le plaisir n&#8217;&#233;clairent-ils pas, n&#8217;indiquent-ils pas la voie ?<br></p><p>Un reflet dans un vieux miroir piqu&#233;. Un effet Droste. Un bout de d&#233;cor &#233;quivoque ou harmonieux. Des fragments de lingerie. Un coin de nappe. Une assiette tout &#224; fait termin&#233;e. Des draps soyeux froiss&#233;s. Un bouton de manchette. Un verre de vin encore plein, bient&#244;t vid&#233;. Une robe chiffonn&#233;e en boule sur le sol. Une cambrure. Des chaussures.<br>Voil&#224; ce que je peux montrer, tandis qu&#8217;en filigrane se dresse un t&#233;ton, pendant qu&#8217;en sous-texte, des fesses rebondies d&#233;passent de l&#8217;&#233;toffe, qu&#8217;&#224; l&#8217;intersection de deux cuisses, un sexe s&#8217;humidifie et que des doigts s&#8217;y aventurent, qu&#8217;une bouche maquill&#233;e de rouge avale un p&#233;nis jusqu&#8217;&#224; la garde, que des langues s&#8217;entrem&#234;lent, que des baisers profonds sont &#233;chang&#233;s, que des corps s&#8217;encastrent avidement. De la salive, des poils, de la sueur, des orgasmes, et surtout, beaucoup de rires.</p><p>Les miroirs voient tout &#231;a. Les vrais dans lesquels je capture mon image, ceux qui tapissent votre imagination, et ceux qui se d&#233;ploieront dans votre r&#233;tine, si jamais nous venons un jour &#224; nous rencontrer.</p><p>Des miroirs. Des reflets.<br>Des miroirs, des reflets, des reflets. Encore des reflets.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TOXv!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79e98951-4922-4faf-9c2b-1421a5781916_495x466.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TOXv!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79e98951-4922-4faf-9c2b-1421a5781916_495x466.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TOXv!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, 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1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TOXv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79e98951-4922-4faf-9c2b-1421a5781916_495x466.jpeg" width="495" height="466" 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1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TOXv!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79e98951-4922-4faf-9c2b-1421a5781916_495x466.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/embracing-robert?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/embracing-robert?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[When autumn burns, I burn autumn (Fire Walk With Me)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Autumn makes many people melancholy.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/when-autumn-burns-i-burn-autumn-fire</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/when-autumn-burns-i-burn-autumn-fire</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:52:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg" width="1456" height="1760" 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/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67f8e4fa-4f3c-4148-b827-b2dcf51fedd9_1500x1813.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jDOq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, 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y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h1></h1><p>Autumn makes many people melancholy. For me, the season lights a fire inside. <br>I love how the days grow shorter and night falls early. It isn&#8217;t that I dislike daylight&#8212;closing the shutters at noon feels like sacrilege, even when the sun blazes and the temperature soars. Yet there is something profoundly joyous about night arriving before evening. I relish that twilight - not the deep darkness of late night, but the dimming that comes at the end of the day, when rehearsals finish and we head out for drinks. I enjoy my apartment bathed in the soft glow of lamps while it&#8217;s still early, slipping into long bubble baths scented with vanilla or tuberose. I savor hot meals and wrap myself in fluffy sweaters. I take the time to pull out my trench coat, long sleeved shirts, berets, boots, stockings, and suspenders beneath my dresses&#8212;just as I did as a child, delighted to rediscover my favorite, slightly forgotten clothes, my schoolbag, and my notebooks. The back to school rush promised new, unknown, and inevitably exhilarating possibilities.</p><p>There&#8217;s a feeling that everything slows a little, that everything becomes denser, thicker, perhaps a bit blurrier&#8212;but it&#8217;s not winter, not yet. The weather can still be mild, almost summery. The sun remains present despite gentle breezes. One morning I wake to gray skies and a city cloaked in fog; the next day the sun shines brightly, still summer, but a subtly different, <em>a reddish summer</em>. I add blankets to the bed yet leave the windows wide open. I slip on stockings to meet my lover at a hotel, then remove them on the way back, walking barefoot again in the warm air. Suddenly I quicken my pace home because the cold makes my skin prickle.</p><p>Days grow shorter while the future stretches ahead. We step back into the past and look toward tomorrow. A new season begins, full of promise.<br>And I cherish promises.</p><p>I receive a message from you: you want to whisk me away for a weekend far from the city. It&#8217;s only the second time we&#8217;ve met. The hotel you&#8217;ve chosen is charming, a touch old fashioned, with antique furniture, large windows, and a massive amber colored forest surrounding it. We wander through the flamboyant countryside, watching leaves turn yellow, pink, and red, bathing the tree trunks and the sky in incredible shades. The leaves carpet the ground, crunching under our feet as we walk arm in arm. High above, birds sing. We are far from everything, and the end feels far away.</p><p>It&#8217;s a little chilly on the hotel terrace, but the sun still shines, so we sip our first drink while the sky shifts from perfect blue to an almost unreal fuchsia pink before our eyes. Inside, dinner is simple and delicious&#8212;&#8220;the very definition of good taste without ostentation,&#8221; as you point out. &#8220;It&#8217;s unpretentious, and therefore priceless,&#8221; I add. We drink strong red wine, just the way I like it, sharing stories, memories, laughter, and flavors. At dessert our faces draw closer, our cheeks brush, our lips part, kiss me, kiss me again, keep kissing, lick my tongue and touch me lower&#8212;yes, there, exactly there, under the tablecloth, discreetly. Please don&#8217;t stop, I&#8217;m catching fire like the leaves of poplars, plane trees and maples, let&#8217;s get up from the table and take me hard until we see red&#8212;please do it.</p><p>The bed is soft; the night wraps around us.</p><p>We have breakfast under the duvet&#8212;warm croissants, fragrant coffee. Through the window the world glows gold. I know that in the city, far away, it&#8217;s burning just the same. In the gardens of the Tuileries, Tiergarten, Hyde&#8239;Park, the temperature has dropped; summer is truly over. I wish I could be there too. I want to be everywhere, to possess the gift of ubiquity. Life will never be large enough to contain the insatiability of my desires. My thirst for life is as great as the fever between my legs. I place your hand on my burning sex and we dive back under the sheets for another round of love.</p><p>We board a train, and you decide to keep me by your side for your last night in Paris before you leave, perhaps for a long time. You don&#8217;t want to go; you&#8217;re happy with me, and I feel the same. I reshuffle appointments, cancel a dinner, and we unpack our suitcases. &#8220;Let&#8217;s visit a place you love,&#8221; you say. &#8220;Anna, show me the city where you grew up.&#8221;</p><p>I&#8217;ll take you to New&#8239;Athens. I went to high school nearby. We stroll through the Gustave&#8239;Moreau Museum. &#8220;He was my favorite painter as a teenager,&#8221; I whisper in your ear. &#8220;I used to come here as if it were a sanctuary.&#8221; You smile and kiss my neck. &#8220;It&#8217;s beautiful, I love it&#8212;very French.&#8221; Then you brush my lips. Your scent, which I rediscovered just forty eight hours ago, fills me and sends chills down my spine, igniting me anew. How can a simple fragrance, tied to the contemplation of paintings, spark our bodies so intensely? I press against you, yearning to grab your cock through your pants and make love here, on the floor, in the middle of this empty room, under the frozen gazes of Salome,&#8239;Salammb&#244;,&#8239;Pha&#235;ton&#8212;the one who died for daring to touch the sun.</p><p>&#8220;I want more,&#8221; I tell you. &#8220;More.&#8221;</p><p>You look at me intently; your eyes are slightly darker, dilated. Desire has taken hold of you too. Have I passed the flame to you? I take you by the neck, bringing our faces together until our eyelashes touch. I&#8217;m not wearing a bra, and my light cardigan reveals my breasts, barely visible. I feel a diffuse heat radiating from me; I crave your cock, your breath, you.</p><p>&#8220;Shall we go back to the hotel?&#8221;<br>&#8220;Is that really a question, Anna? Yes, of course&#8212;let&#8217;s do it now.&#8221;</p><p>We walk through the burning landscape that Paris has become, hurrying to our room; it&#8217;s ablaze too, the walls are purple and the immaculate sheets catch fire. As soon as the door shuts, I throw myself onto you, unbutton your trousers, and want your cock in my mouth&#8212;first just the tip, then fully. Your moans excite me, feeding the fire within. I suck you, but I also want you to take me simultaneously&#8212;a paradox you remind me of, reasonably, before flipping me over with a playful slap on the buttocks.</p><p>Now on all fours on the large bed, my face buried in the pillows, I let you lick me. Under your tongue, under your fingers, I&#8217;m so aroused I arch my back like a Manara illustration&#8212;or perhaps the act of pretending to be a Manara drawing turns me on even more.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m burning,&#8221; I whisper between moans, &#8220;like autumn, I&#8217;m burning&#8212;can you feel it? I am a Daughter of Fire.&#8221;</p><p>Outside, the storm rages. Without warning, waves crash in an operatic roar, a deluge sweeping us away&#8212;two small, ardent, insatiable beings caught in the tempest.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/when-autumn-burns-i-burn-autumn-fire?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/when-autumn-burns-i-burn-autumn-fire?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p></p><h1>Quand l&#8217;automne br&#251;le, je br&#251;le l&#8217;automne (Fire walk with me)</h1><p>L&#8217;automne rend certains m&#233;lancoliques. Moi, cette saison m&#8217;embrase. <br>J&#8217;aime quand les jours raccourcissent et que la nuit tombe t&#244;t. Non pas que je n&#8217;appr&#233;cie pas la lumi&#232;re - fermer les volets en pleine journ&#233;e tient pour moi du sacril&#232;ge, m&#234;me si le soleil tape fort et les temp&#233;ratures sont trop &#233;lev&#233;es. Mais il y a quelque chose d&#8217;immens&#233;ment joyeux dans le fait de sentir la nuit tomber avant que le soir n&#8217;arrive. De red&#233;couvrir l&#8217;obscurit&#233;, pas la profonde, celle des heures tardives, mais celle des fins de journ&#233;e, de la sortie de r&#233;p&#233;titions et des ap&#233;ros. De profiter de mon appartement baign&#233; par la lumi&#232;re tamis&#233;e des lampes alors qu&#8217;il est encore si t&#244;t, de me plonger dans de longs bains mousseux, &#224; l&#8217;odeur de vanille ou de tub&#233;reuse. De prendre plaisir &#224; manger chaud et &#224; m&#8217;envelopper de pulls duveteux. De prendre le temps de ressortir mes trench, mes manches longues, mes b&#233;rets, de r&#233;enfiler mes bottes et de remettre des bas et des porte-jarretelles sous mes robes. Comme quand enfant je red&#233;couvrais avec d&#233;lice mes v&#234;tements pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233;s et vaguement oubli&#233;s, mon cartable et mes cahiers. Comme quand c&#8217;&#233;tait la rentr&#233;e, promesse de choses in&#233;dites, inconnues et donc forc&#233;ment follement excitantes.</p><p>L&#8217;impression que tout se ralentit l&#233;g&#232;rement, que tout est plus dense, plus &#233;pais, peut-&#234;tre plus flou &#8211; et pourtant, ce n&#8217;est pas l&#8217;hiver, non, pas du tout, pas encore. Le temps peut &#234;tre doux, encore estival. Le soleil tr&#232;s pr&#233;sent malgr&#233; les l&#233;g&#232;res brises. Je me r&#233;veille dans la grisaille, la ville est toute enti&#232;re plong&#233;e dans une chape de brume, et le lendemain, le soleil donne, c&#8217;est encore l&#8217;&#233;t&#233;, mais un &#233;t&#233; un peu diff&#233;rent, un<em> &#233;t&#233; roux</em>... Je rajoute des couvertures sur le lit mais je laisse les fen&#234;tres grandes ouvertes. J&#8217;ai enfil&#233; des bas pour rejoindre cet amant &#224; l&#8217;h&#244;tel et je les enl&#232;ve au retour, pour marcher de nouveau jambes nues dans la ti&#233;deur de l&#8217;air. Et soudain, j&#8217;acc&#233;l&#232;re le pas pour rentrer, car il fait si froid que la peau se h&#233;risse.</p><p>Les jours raccourcissent tandis que l&#8217;avenir s&#8217;allonge. On remet les pieds dans le pass&#233;, on se tourne vers demain. Une nouvelle saison commence, pleine de promesses. <br>Et moi, les promesses, je les ch&#233;ris.</p><p>Je re&#231;ois un message de toi. Tu souhaites m&#8217;emmener en week-end, loin de la ville. C&#8217;est la deuxi&#232;me fois que nous nous voyons. L&#8217;h&#244;tel que tu as soigneusement choisi est charmant, un peu vieillot, meubles anciens et grandes fen&#234;tres, et la for&#234;t tout autour, immense et ambr&#233;e. Nous allons marcher dans la nature flamboyante. C&#8217;est presque &#224; vue d&#8217;oeil que les feuilles jaunissent, rosissent, roussissent, se transforment, toutes ces nuances incroyables qui r&#233;chauffent les troncs d&#8217;arbres et le ciel. Elles jonchent le sol, crissent sous nos pas, tandis que nous marchons, enlac&#233;s. Tout l&#224;-haut, des cris d&#8217;oiseaux. Nous sommes loin de tout et la fin est loin.</p><p>Sur la terrasse de l&#8217;h&#244;tel, il fait un peu frais mais les rayons de soleil donnent encore, alors nous buvons un premier verre ici, &#224; regarder le ciel passer d&#8217;un bleu parfait &#224; un rose fushia d&#8217;une densit&#233; &#224; peine croyable, avec lenteur, sous nos yeux. Et puis on rentre pour d&#238;ner &#224; l&#8217;int&#233;rieur. Le repas est simple, d&#233;licieux, la d&#233;finition m&#234;me du bon g&#244;ut non ostentatoire, soulignes-tu. C&#8217;est sans pr&#233;tention donc inestimable, j&#8217;ajoute. Nous buvons du vin rouge, du vin fort comme je l&#8217;aime. Nous partageons des histoires, des souvenirs, des rires, des go&#251;ts. Au dessert, nos visages se rapprochent, nos joues se caressent, nos l&#232;vres se tendent, embrasse-moi, embrasse-moi, encore, l&#232;che ma langue et touche-moi plus bas, oui, l&#224;, exactement l&#224;, sous la nappe, discr&#232;tement, s&#8217;il te pla&#238;t ne t&#8217;arr&#234;te pas, je prends feu comme les feuilles des peupliers, des platanes, des &#233;rables, quittons la table et prends-moi fort, jusqu&#8217;&#224; ce que nous voyons rouge, s&#8217;il te pla&#238;t, fais-le.</p><p>Le lit est moelleux, la nuit nous enveloppe.</p><p>Nous prenons le petit d&#233;jeuner sous la couette. Les croissants sont encore chauds, le caf&#233; d&#233;licieux, parfum&#233;. Par la fen&#234;tre, le monde continue de briller, dor&#233;. Je sais qu&#8217;en ville, tout l&#224;-bas, &#231;a br&#251;le tout pareil. Dans les jardins, aux Tuileries, &#224; Tiergarten, &#224; Hyde Park, les temp&#233;ratures ont refroidi, l&#8217;&#233;t&#233; a bel et bien disparu. J&#8217;aimerais y &#234;tre aussi. Je veux &#234;tre partout. Avoir le don d&#8217;ubiquit&#233;. La vie ne sera jamais assez immense pour contenir l&#8217;insatiabilit&#233; de mes d&#233;sirs. Ma soif de vivre est aussi grande que cette fi&#232;vre au creux de mes jambes. Je place ta main sur mon sexe br&#251;lant et nous plongeons de nouveau dans les draps pour faire l&#8217;amour une nouvelle fois.</p><p>Nous reprenons le train et tu d&#233;cides de me faire rester &#224; tes c&#244;t&#233;s pour ta derni&#232;re nuit &#224; Paris, avant de repartir loin et peut-&#234;tre pour longtemps. Tu n&#8217;as pas envie de me quitter, tu es bien avec moi. Moi aussi. Je d&#233;cale des rendez-vous, annule un d&#238;ner. Nous rouvrons nos valises. Allons visiter un lieu que tu aimes, me dis-tu. Anna, fais-moi d&#233;couvrir la ville o&#249; tu as grandi.</p><p>Je t&#8217;emm&#232;ne &#224; la Nouvelle Ath&#232;nes. J&#8217;allais au lyc&#233;e pas loin. Nous fl&#226;nons au Mus&#233;e Gustave Moreau. Adolescente, c&#8217;&#233;tait mon peintre pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233;, je te glisse &#224; l&#8217;oreille. Adolescente, je venais ici comme dans un sanctuaire... Tu souris, m&#8217;embrasses dans le cou. C&#8217;est beau, j&#8217;aime bien, tr&#232;s fran&#231;ais. D&#8217;un baiser, tu effleures mes l&#232;vres. Ton odeur que j&#8217;ai red&#233;couverte il y a quarante-huit heures &#224; peine, qui m&#8217;emplit et me donne des frissons, m&#8217;enflamme de nouveau. Comment une simple odeur, li&#233;e &#224; la contemplation de tableaux, peut-elle &#224; ce point allumer nos corps ? Je me presse contre toi. J&#8217;ai envie d&#8217;empoigner ton sexe &#224; travers ton pantalon et qu&#8217;on baise ici, sur le parquet, au milieu de cette salle vide, sous les regards fig&#233;s de Salom&#233;, de Salammb&#244;, de Pha&#233;ton, celui qui est mort d&#8217;avoir voulu toucher le soleil.</p><p>J&#8217;en veux encore, je te dis. Encore.</p><p>Tu me regardes attentivement. Tes yeux sont l&#233;g&#232;rement plus sombres, dilat&#233;s. Le d&#233;sir t&#8217;a envahi &#224; ton tour. T&#8217;aurais-je transmis le feu ? Je te prends par le cou et rapproche ton visage du mien, jusqu&#8217;&#224; ce que nos cils se touchent. Je ne porte pas de soutien-gorge et je me serre contre toi. Sous mon cardigan l&#233;ger, mes seins se dressent, &#224; peine visibles. J&#8217;ai l&#8217;impression de d&#233;gager une chaleur diffuse tellement j&#8217;ai envie de ta queue, de ton souffle, de toi.</p><p>Retournons &#224; l&#8217;h&#244;tel, tu veux ?<br>Est-ce vraiment une question, Anna ? Oui, bien s&#251;r que oui !</p><p>Nous marchons dans le paysage en flamme qu&#8217;est &#224; son tour devenu Paris. Nous pressons le pas pour rejoindre notre chambre, elle est en flamme elle aussi, les murs sont pourpres et les draps immacul&#233;s prennent feu. &#192; peine la porte ferm&#233;e, je me jette sur toi et d&#233;boutonne ton pantalon. Je veux ton sexe dans ma bouche, m&#8217;attarder, juste le gland tout d&#8217;abord puis te prendre en entier, tes g&#233;missements m&#8217;excitent et continuent de m&#8217;embraser, je te suce mais je voudrais que tu me prennes en m&#234;me temps, ce qui est chose impossible, comme tu me le rappelles, raisonnable, avant de me retourner d&#8217;une tape sur les fesses.</p><p>D&#233;sormais &#224; quatre pattes sur le grand lit et le visage enfoui dans les oreillers, je me laisse l&#233;cher par toi. Sous ta langue, sous tes doigts, je suis si excit&#233;e que je me cambre comme un dessin de Manara &#8211; ou bien c&#8217;est le fait de jouer &#224; devenir un dessin de Manara qui m&#8217;excite encore plus.</p><p>Je br&#251;le, je te murmure entre deux g&#233;missements, comme l&#8217;automne, je br&#251;le, tu le sens ? Je suis une Fille du Feu.</p><p>Derri&#232;re les vitres, la bourrasque tonne, et sans pr&#233;venir, des flots se d&#233;versent, dans un grondement d&#8217;op&#233;ra, dans un d&#233;luge qui nous emporte, toi et moi, si petits, si ardents, si insatiables...</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!21Oi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8258c391-b97a-4903-8ecf-aadbae155610_719x305.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!21Oi!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, 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4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Faces without Faces (An Ode to My Sisters)]]></title><description><![CDATA[A while ago I happened upon a painting by Gideon Rubin.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/faces-without-faces-an-ode-to-my</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/faces-without-faces-an-ode-to-my</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:51:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg" width="1000" height="836" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:836,&quot;width&quot;:1000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:122394,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/i/174174945?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oHTq!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3153a81e-4163-476a-807f-28059ecccce6_1000x836.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>A while ago I happened upon a painting by Gideon&#8239;Rubin. He paints only faceless portraits, and his entire oeuvre is devoted to capturing a person&#8217;s essence without the precision of identifiable features. Any temporal or spatial context is deliberately blurred. Yet, when you look at his work you can still discern distinct <em>individuals</em>&#8212;their histories, their pasts, their present lives. You <em>see</em> people, or you recognize yourself, in an intimate way&#8212;sometimes it&#8217;s you, sometimes it&#8217;s someone you know well. Boundaries dissolve, imagination steps in. Rubin&#8217;s canvases summon memories, spark associations, and leave generous space for dreaming.</p><p>As my eyes glide over the flat swaths of paint and those erased yet present faces, I think of us, fleeting companions.</p><p>Our ancestors once strutted their allure in the parlors of brothels, the windows of red light districts, on tango dance floors, or down the narrow cobblestone alleys.</p><p>Today, we solicit on the internet.</p><p>Like Rubin&#8217;s anonymous figures, most of us present ourselves with hidden faces. We try to reveal who we are in order to attract people with whom we&#8217;ll click, while keeping our true identities secret. It is a strange dance of seduction: the challenge is to show ourselves without fully exposing ourselves. No faces, yet an attempt to hint at our uniqueness, our sensitivity, our beauty.</p><p>Consequently, profiles become surreal&#8212;blurred outlines, flowers, clouds or jewels replace facial features while bodies are revealed, limited only by the prevailing censorship. What matters most is transmitting energy, the spark that provokes emotion, the flame that makes a stranger want to meet us.</p><p>That, of course, is what we call &#8220;communication,&#8221; but it is more than that.</p><p>Behind the evocative pseudonyms that already say so much lie lace, dream like bodies, and all the trappings of luxury&#8212;plus humor, wit, flashes of strength and fragility, a deep humanity, and, very often,<em> poetry</em>. Picture vertiginous heels, garter belts, plates of delicate dishes, colossal glasses of wine, rumpled sheets, reflections in antique or bathroom mirrors, strands of hair, necks, navels, slender fingers, wrists, and moles. Artifice and naturalness coexist. Pieces, fragments, details&#8230; Intimacy.</p><p>You, pirate women, heroines of the greatest films, extraordinary beauties who navigate the edges of countless worlds&#8212;I love wandering the virtual web, admiring you. I want to meet you, talk and laugh with you, hold you, inhale your scent, taste your flavor.</p><p>Even though I have never met most of you in real life, it feels as if I already know you. And when we finally meet, it will seem as though we have always known each other.</p><p><em>Oh, you have that face.</em></p><p>Everything suddenly clicks into place.</p><p><em>I hadn&#8217;t imagined you exactly like that, but of course you have that face! It&#8217;s so obvious&#8212;how could it be otherwise?</em></p><p>As we stare into each other&#8217;s eyes, the puzzle pieces settle, forming a whole at last.<br>The glaze is applied.<br>Even if each of us remains a mystery waiting to be unraveled.</p><p></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p></p><p></p><h1>Visages sans Visages (Ode &#224; mes cons&#339;urs)</h1><p>Je suis tomb&#233;e par hasard il y a quelques temps sur une peinture de Gideon Rubin. Celui-ci ne peint que des portraits sans visage et son &#339;uvre enti&#232;re consiste en cela : capter l'essence d'un &#234;tre sans la pr&#233;cision, la sp&#233;cificit&#233; de ses traits. Toute contextualisation, qu'elle soit temporelle ou spatiale, est donc brouill&#233;e. Et ce qui est &#233;tonnant, quand on regarde ses &#339;uvres, c'est qu'on distingue, qu'on appr&#233;hende distinctement des <em>individus</em> avec leur histoire, leur pass&#233; et leur pr&#233;sent. On voit des personnes ou on se reconna&#238;t intimement, c'est selon, soi-m&#234;me ou des &#234;tres familiers... Les fronti&#232;res se m&#234;lent, l'imaginaire entre en jeu. Les toiles de Gideon Rubin appellent les souvenirs, les associations d'id&#233;es et laissent la place au r&#234;ve et &#224; l'imagination...</p><p>Alors que mes yeux caressent les aplats de peinture et ces visages effac&#233;s et pourtant si pr&#233;sents, je pense &#224; nous, les compagnes &#233;ph&#233;m&#232;res...</p><p>Afin d'attirer le chaland, nos anc&#234;tres se pavanaient dans les salons des maisons closes ou les vitrines des quartiers rouges, sur les pistes de tango ou les pav&#233;s des ruelles &#233;troites..</p><p>Aujourd'hui, c'est sur internet que nous racolons.</p><p>&#192; l'instar des personnages de Gideon Rubin, la plupart d'entre nous s'exposent visages cach&#233;s. Nous essayons de montrer qui nous sommes, afin d'attirer les personnes avec lesquelles nous nous accorderons, tout en pr&#233;servant notre identit&#233; secr&#232;te... Une sorte de danse de s&#233;duction &#233;trange, o&#249; tout l'enjeu est de se montrer sans se montrer. Pas de visages, et pourtant, la tentative de faire entrapercevoir en quelques traits qui nous sommes, notre sp&#233;cificit&#233;, notre sensibilit&#233; et notre beaut&#233;...</p><p>Cela donne des comptes &#233;tranges, o&#249; du flou, des fleurs ou des bijoux remplacent les traits, alors que les corps sont d&#233;voil&#233;s, dans la mesure permise par la censure ambiante. Il s'agit surtout de transmettre une &#233;nergie, l'&#233;tincelle susceptible de susciter une &#233;motion, la flamme qui donnera envie &#224; un inconnu de nous rencontrer...</p><p>C'est ce qu'on appelle de la "communication", bien s&#251;r, mais pas seulement...</p><p>Sous les pseudonymes &#233;vocateurs qui d&#233;j&#224; racontent tant, on trouve de la lingerie, des corps de r&#234;ve et tout l'attirail du luxe, mais aussi de l'humour, des traits d'esprit, des &#233;clairs de force et de fragilit&#233;, beaucoup d'humanit&#233;, et bien souvent, de <em>po&#233;sie</em>.... Chaussures &#224; talons vertigineux, porte-jarretelles, assiettes remplies de mets d&#233;licats et verres de vin bien trop immenses, draps froiss&#233;s, reflets dans des miroirs anciens ou de salle de bain, m&#232;ches de cheveux, nuques, nombrils, doigts effil&#233;s, poignets et grains de beaut&#233;... Des artifices et du naturel... Des morceaux, des fragments... Des d&#233;tails... De l'intime...</p><p>Vous, femmes pirates, h&#233;ro&#239;nes des meilleurs films, beaut&#233;s exceptionnelles qui naviguez &#224; la lisi&#232;re de tant de mondes.... J'adore errer sur la toile virtuelle &#224; vous contempler... J'ai envie de vous rencontrer, de parler et de rire avec vous, de vous enlacer, de sentir votre odeur et de l&#233;cher votre go&#251;t...</p><p>J'ai beau ne pas conna&#238;tre la plupart d'entre vous dans la vie r&#233;elle, c'est comme si c'&#233;tait le cas ! Et quand finalement, nous nous rencontrons, c'est comme si on s'&#233;tait toujours connues...</p><p><em>Oh, tu as ce visage l&#224; !</em></p><p>C&#8217;est comme si tout s&#8217;&#233;clairait d&#8217;un coup.</p><p><em>Je ne t&#8217;avais pas exactement visualis&#233;e comme cela, mais bien s&#251;r que tu as ce visage ! C&#8217;est une telle &#233;vidence, comment en aurait-il pu en &#234;tre autrement ?</em></p><p>Alors que nous nous plongeons dans les yeux l'une de l'autre, les pi&#232;ces du puzzle se mettent en place, et peu &#224; peu, forment un tout, enfin...<br>Le glacis est pos&#233;.<br>M&#234;me si nous restons toutes un myst&#232;re &#224; &#233;claircir.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Djj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcf561f33-77f3-4362-afbc-b8187e6b0ded_667x500.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Djj!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, 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data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/faces-without-faces-an-ode-to-my?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Partager&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/p/faces-without-faces-an-ode-to-my?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Partager</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Classified Ad – Sparkling, Flirtatious Mermaid Seeks Absolutely Fabulous Readers to Devour Her Juicy Prose]]></title><description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m Anna Blume &#8211; your graceful ephemeral fianc&#233;e.]]></description><link>https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/coming-soon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lovefragments.substack.com/p/coming-soon</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Blume]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:51:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_424, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg" width="1200" height="800" 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/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_848, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Llb_!, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/lovefragments.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d9c0a8b-6c47-4faf-89fc-c3e8f4694618_1200x800.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I&#8217;m Anna&#8239;Blume &#8211; your graceful ephemeral fianc&#233;e. <br>Your secret lover, joy provider, dream maker.<br>Your professional girlfriend. <br>Your favourite call girl, decadent courtesan and partner-in-debauchery.<br>Your Parisian paramour - a mischievous brunette, a talented masseuse and your ultimate dinner date (dessert included, cherry on top).<br>Your kinky girl-next-door, sugar&#8209;spice&#8209;girl, street girl, girl of the night, ill-repute girl, underworld girl, girl of joy &#8212; all those &#8220;girls girls girls&#8221; in just one.<br>Your western style geisha, generous purveyor of charms, ardent courtesan, cheeky <em>grisette</em>, <em>lorette</em>, Phryne, hetaera, <em>grande&#8239;horizontale</em>, and occasional working girl&#8230;<br>In short: your very own <em>Fleur de Macadam</em>.</p><p>A professional dancer, supple in body and spirit, I slip&#8212;when the lights are dim and the curtains closed&#8212;into the roles of <em>Belle&#8239;de&#8239;Jour </em>or <em>Belle&#8239;de&#8239;Nuit.</em> I love to fall into the arms of exceptional gentlemen and make strangers strangely familiar&#8230; Is the art of dance not the same as the art of love? Both demand listening, grace, self-giving and generosity.<br>Arabesques, escapades, double lives? Perhaps I&#8217;m simply an adventurer at heart.</p><p>Are you still there?</p><p>Are you tempted?<br>&#8230; More than tempted&#8230;?</p><p>Then&#8230; </p><p>READ ME! </p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Abonnez-vous maintenant&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="/__u/lovefragments.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Abonnez-vous maintenant</span></a></p><p></p><h1><strong>Petite annonce - P&#233;tillante Femme Galante cherche Lecteurs Absolument Fabuleux pour D&#233;voration d'&#201;crits Croustillants</strong></h1><p></p><p>Je suis Anna Blume, votre gracieuse fianc&#233;e &#233;ph&#233;m&#232;re. <br>Votre amante secr&#232;te. <br>Votre petite amie professionnelle. <br>Votre <em>call-girl</em> pr&#233;f&#233;r&#233;e, courtisane d&#233;cadente et compagne de d&#233;bauche. <br>Votre paramour parisien, brunette polissonne et talentueuse masseuse. <br>Votre compagne de d&#238;ner (dessert inclus, avec cerise sur le g&#226;teau). <br>Votre fille l&#233;g&#232;re, publique, des rues, de mauvaise vie mais surtout, de joie ! <br>Votre Geisha occidentale, g&#233;n&#233;reuse vendeuse de charmes, ardente cocotte, grisette espi&#232;gle, lorette, phryn&#233;, h&#233;ta&#239;re, grande horizontale et <em>working girl</em> occasionnelle... <br>En un mot comme en cent : votre Fleur de Macadam.</p><p>Danseuse professionnelle, souple de corps et d'esprit, je me transforme, pendant mon temps libre et dans le plus grand secret, en Belle de Jour comme de Nuit. J'aime tomber dans les bras de <em>gentlemen</em> exceptionnels et rendre les &#233;trangers &#233;trangement familiers. L'art de la danse et l'art de l'amour ne seraient-ils pas de la m&#234;me essence, eux qui requi&#232;rent &#233;coute, gr&#226;ce, don de soi et g&#233;n&#233;rosit&#233; ?<br>Arabesques, &#233;chapp&#233;es, double vie ? Il semblerait que je sois tout simplement une aventuri&#232;re&#8230;</p><p>Vous &#234;tes toujours l&#224; ?</p><p>Seriez-vous tent&#233; ?<br>... Plus que tent&#233;... !</p><p>Alors...</p><p>LISEZ-MOI !</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>