#are you still here? did you go to poland?

[comradesnufkin]

.

[blekitnyzamek]

Illustrations from "Blue Castle"

In Poland we have 5 translations of "Blue Castle" (and in the 1st one Valancy is not named Valancy but Joanna (Joanne); and I think it's funny enough to dedicate separate post about that in the future) and one of them has such a magical illustrations, that I need to share them <3

All of them are from this edition of "The Blue Castle"/"Błękitny zamek" (which was translated by Jolanta Bartosik) and were drawn by Katarzyna Karina Chmiel. Cover too, just look at it! I love this artstyle.

I will add quotes adjacent to the illustrations above them. That one is on title-page, gorgeous<3

Valancy went home by the short-cut of Lover’s Lane. She did not often go through Lover’s Lane—but it was getting near supper-time and it would never do to be late. Lover’s Lane wound back of the village, under great elms and maples, and deserved its name. It was hard to go there at any time and not find some canoodling couple—or young girls in pairs, arms intertwined, earnestly talking over their little secrets. Valancy didn’t know which made her feel more self-conscious and uncomfortable.

She [Valancy] had flatly refused to take either Purple Pills or Redfern’s Bitters. She had announced coolly that she did not intend to answer to the name of “Doss” any longer. She had told Cousin Stickles that she wished she would give up wearing that brooch with Cousin Artemas Stickles’ hair in it. She had moved her bed in her room to the opposite corner. She had read Magic of Wings Sunday afternoon. When Cousin Stickles had rebuked her Valancy had said indifferently, “Oh, I forgot it was Sunday”—and had gone on reading it.

Cousin Stickles had seen a terrible thing—she had caught Valancy sliding down the bannister. Cousin Stickles did not tell Mrs. Frederick this—poor Amelia was worried enough as it was.

Valancy had walked out to Roaring Abel’s house on the Mistawis road under a sky of purple and amber, with a queer exhilaration and expectancy in her heart. Back there, behind her, her mother and Cousin Stickles were crying—over themselves, not over her. But here the wind was in her face, soft, dew-wet, cool, blowing along the grassy roads. Oh, she loved the wind! The robins were whistling sleepily in the firs along the way and the moist air was fragrant with the tang of balsam. Big cars went purring past in the violet dusk—the stream of summer tourists to Muskoka had already begun—but Valancy did not envy any of their occupants. Muskoka cottages might be charming, but beyond, in the sunset skies, among the spires of the firs, her Blue Castle towered. She brushed the old years and habits and inhibitions away from her like dead leaves. She would not be littered with them.

“We’ll just sit here,” said Barney, “and if we think of anything worth while saying we’ll say it. Otherwise, not. Don’t imagine you’re bound to talk to me.”

“John Foster says,” quoted Valancy, “‘If you can sit in silence with a person for half an hour and yet be entirely comfortable, you and that person can be friends. If you cannot, friends you’ll never be and you need not waste time in trying.’”

“Evidently John Foster says a sensible thing once in a while,” conceded Barney.

“There’s our island,” he said gloatingly.

Valancy looked—and looked—and looked again. There was a diaphanous, lilac mist on the lake, shrouding the island. Through it the two enormous pine-trees that clasped hands over Barney’s shack loomed out like dark turrets. Behind them was a sky still rose-hued in the afterlight, and a pale young moon.

Valancy shivered like a tree the wind stirs suddenly. Something seemed to sweep over her soul.

“My Blue Castle!” she said. “Oh, my Blue Castle!”

Valancy and Barney turned under the mainland pines in the cool dusk of the September night for a farewell look at the Blue Castle. Mistawis was drowned in sunset lilac light, incredibly delicate and elusive. Nip and Tuck were cawing lazily in the old pines. Good Luck and Banjo were mewed and mewing in separate baskets in Barney’s new, dark-green car en route to Cousin Georgiana’s.

[four-comma-five-verse]

when the meeting is going so bad you gotta pull out a song and dance that wont exist for another 61 years. (A v cool song that i didnt use fully so click here to listen to it!!!)

Edit : FUCK I FORGOR TO SAY THANKS TO @hetaestoniahq FOR THE ESTONIAN TRANSLATION! THANK U SM!!! THE ACTUAL ESTONIAN U SEE IN THE ANIMATIC IS THANKS TO THEM!!

(historical notes under read more)

Ok! The animatic is mostly comedic and very much started out as a shitpost (hence the fact that nobodys clothes are era apropriate etc) , but i did make it with history in mind so heres some history!

the Bulduru conference of 1920 was a conference that lasted from the 6th of august to the 6th of september 1920 in Bulduri (a part of the city of Jūrmala), Latvia. (Latvia was the host which is the reason i'm having Latvia be the main one who talks to ppl through the animatic)

It was a conference between Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, Poland and Ukraine (Ukrainian Peoples's Republic) (sort of. Ukraine was either a member or an observer depending on the source.)

The UK and France were observers and Belarus (Belarusian Democratic Republic) was an unofficial observer (again. some sources say they were just an observer and some say they were unofficial).

Belarus and Ukraine at that moment held none of their land.

(Ukraine had lost the Polish-Ukranian war and was losing the Ukranian-Soviet war due to a lot of reasons that I'm not the best person to explian)

(one of them was France favouring Poland - a reason that i am mentioning bcs one of the things that i held in my mind during this whole animatic was the complex relations between the Baltic+Co countries and France and UK. both sides understood very much that they were just using eachother to get what they want. to France and UK these seperatist countries were needed as a shield against the Soviets (but they would have really prefered the Russian Empire to still exist and win the Russian civil war instead) and the Baltic+Co needed the wests guns and resources to win against the Soviets and/or Germans when they were involved.)

(Belarus, from what I can tell, lost all of its land to its Soviet alternative Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia very fast after German troops left its teritory. People who know Belarussian history better than me please correct me if im wrong.)

(also - just in general - if im wrong abt any of this history feel free to correct me. i did do reasearch but all of it was in latvian and english so i can very much be wrong abt things that consern the other nations)

The Bulduru conferences whole deal was creating a Baltic Union between Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

(the Next part is a bit Edited from the og post bcs i kind of downplayed Polands actions at that time originally)

A goal that was ultimatly hopeless because almost imidietly after the conference (about a month later or so) Poland invaded and anexed Vilnius.

The others tried really hard to be neutral on that - wanting both the Poles and the Lithuanians as allies. (Latvia once asked Estonia to make a Baltic Entente with them and Lithuania (and Finland if they wanted) - to which Estonia declined because they didn't want to get on Polands bad side (also Lithuania was also against the idea bcs their whole plan was trying to befriend the Soviet and German states in the interwar period while Latvia and Estonia saw them as a danger). Later in 1934 a Baltic Entente would still be made - but as history would later tell - it didn't really acomplish much, due to lots and lots of reasons that i wont bore you with atm)

None of the agreements that were signed during the Bulduru conference were ever ratified.

[bluetimeombre]

✧˚. ❃ ↷ Call it what you want to, part three

[I'm having way too much fun with these, but i'm gonna try and make the next part the final. i'm so glad you guys are as obssessed as me. and all i can say is i'm sorry to the tom blyth girlies, believe me, i am one of you and i promise i'll make it up to you!]

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You are texting ... Timothee Chalamet

Timothee Chalamet is calling... My Daisy &lt;3 [declined]

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liked by ... tchalamet, lola.tung, emmalouisecorrin, florenceough, louispartridge_ & others

yourusername: dreams do come true, can't wait to see you later graham norton!!

705k likes 304k comments

user: omg she's such a star

user: my bby moving up in the world

user: no omg cause this is a dream for her

user: ur so pretty

user: I LOVE U

tchalamet: let's go!!! can't wait

yourusername: wait for me at least

tchalamet: waiting...

user: they're so cute!!1

user: i BET he dumped kylie to be with her and she's dating tom

user: my two fave's

user: she looks so good

user: y does timmy only follow one person and it's her

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the graham norton show has been a dream since you started acting, you'd hoped to one day make it on and know that if you did, you'd have officially made it.

not only were you on the show with timmy, but cher, julia roberts and tom hanks. to say you were shaking in your boots was an understatement. back stage you were jumping around after spending some time with the guests. that time had been spent mainly at timothee's side and laughing when appropriate, because you just couldn't believe you were there with them. timothee just laughed, trying to ease your nerves even if he to was scared. in the end, he bounced with you.

you sat on the end of the sofa, next to timothee as the guests ran down the other end.

'and some stars we have on the sofa, look at them at the end. world premier of wonka!' celebrated graham.

you and timmy nodded, thanking the applauses.

'but it wasn't just the world premier, you filmed it over here?' he asked.

'yea we made it in leavesden, very close to here, we shot it almost entirely in london and er- as i always say- i feel like an honorary brit now,' said timmy, glancing at you as he called himself a brit.

you bite back something between a grimace and a smile.

'it was about six of seven months,' he continued, 'it was absolutely joyous as an ignorant yankee.'

'you guys drive on the other side of the road,' joked tom hanks.

'and welcome, at the end there being very quiet,' said graham gesturing to you.

'yea, hi!' you grin, taking a sip of your drink as the audience laugh.

'you're from here, aren't you?'

'yes, british. but it was still really nice to film in london and bath for a lot of it.'

'i can imagine and because, is it right, you were filming for the hunger games whilst you were filming wonka?' he asked. a picture of your poster for the hunger games flashed on the screen and timmy led the applause, whooping.

his attention was only focused on you. his eyes watching every movement, his lips curling up, arm around the back of the sofa.

'thank you, thank you. immediately after filming wonka i got a plane to poland to start filming for the hunger games, yea. literally still in costume for wonka on the plane, i-i got some looks.'

the crowd laugh.

'let's talk about that, hunger games, number one movie!' graham celebrated as everyone clapped.

'thank you, thank you- there we are,' you smile at the picture of tom and you in your characters in the zoo scene. you chose not to notice of timothee shifted around and coughed at the picture.

'and, is it true you did your own singing in that?'

'yes, well i do in wonka too, but for the hunger games it was live. you know, i play this character lucy-grey who's part of this covey band and they all sing so i did it all live on set. then recorded it for the soundtrack separately. this is boring to explain, but-' you said, laughing and fiddling with your rings nervously.

'she's fantastic in the movie,' said timothee, putting his attention on graham and his hand on yours to stop the fiddling. 'i remember working with her in wonka, it was just so much fun, she brings a sort of ... breath of fresh air into it, even though it's a light-hearted comedy, she still makes that difference. and i saw the hunger games, its so cool to be able to see her in an element that i'm not familiar with. but i can still see how she plays the role and how she plays it in such her own and charismatic way.'

you turn your head down, blushing as the crowd clap and as timothee rubs your back. he made it impossible to keep it cool, and on live tv.

'and she sang the songs so good in wonka!' he continued. you tried to get him to stop, but he went on. 'on our table read, she was singing the songs there with our music producer, james taylor, and even then she was singing her parts, our co-stars parts, my parts.'

'ok, shush, shush,' you put your hand over timothees mouth.

'you know what, i saw the new hunger games movie,' said tom hanks, breaking in between you. 'and i have to say, you were the best part of the movie.'

your jaw almost dropped. 'oh woah, thank you, thank you mr tom hanks,' you clasp your hands together, thanking him. 'woah, woody just complimented me, that means so much to me.'

the rest of the interview went on, talking about cher's music, pretty women and listen to tom hanks talk about space and science. sometimes, when timmy would take a drink, he'd bring you yours, offering it to you in a sweet move.

it went on to talk about timothee going to play the iconic bob dylan in a movie, so it was your turn to watch in admiration, eyes sparkling with it.

'no i haven't met him, i'd love to meet him but you know, i don't want to put any pressure on him in any way. but er- we just saw him live,' he said, gesturing to you as you nod, holding onto your drink, 'three weeks ago, in new york. sold out, kings theatre. it was brilliant, it was magical. they bag your phone on the way in, obliges you to be present, as hard as that may be,' he said again, glancing to you. because how could he ever be present when standing next to you?

a picture showed of bob dylan with sonny and cher.

'i can see it, there is a passing resemblance,' says graham.

'thank you, that is the biggest compliment. my god, i'm blown away,' he leant back on the sofa, arm brushing yours. 'this whole talk show has been like a trip.'

everyone laughed at that, tom hanks playing along.

'but cher, you're going to be played by someone soon,' prompted graham.

'please say it's me,' said julia roberts.

'well-' graham gestured down to you.

you laugh and sheepishly hold up your hand. 'i'll do it, i'm currently un-employed.

cher looked down at you, 'we've cast nobody, babe.'

'you have now,' you shrug. the audience laugh.

finally, you guys talked about wonka, leading timothee- the leading man- to talk about it.

'you sing and dance in it, don't forget that,' you nudge him.

timothee blushes, nodding. somehow the two of you had snuggled up on the sofa, pushed to the end and bodies pressed close together. 'it's blasphemy to say that on a sofa with cher!'

'no, i saw you on saturday night live, you were great. and you danced and you did that hot-guys, or cool-guys or something like that,' said cher.

the audience clap and you laugh loudly, remembering his saturday night live. you'd been in the audience, having done press for the hunger games. it was the best night.

'baby face!' you cheer.

'i can't believe you watched that,' said timmy to cher.

'do you want to re-fresh us?' invited julia.

the crowd whoop and laugh as you clap along.

'you sing it with me?' asked timmy, looking over at you.

'absolutely not, this is all you babe,' you pat him on the back as he leans forward and re-counts the song. you nod your head along with, mouthing the words and clapping, pretending to bow when he was finished. timmy laughed and held onto you.

'you two do seem very close down there,' said graham.

for a moment, you two pause and there's quiet. before you guys realise he's talking about the fact everyone on the sofa had shuffled down so that you were on the edge.

'timmy's magnetic field,' you say, rubbing his shoulders.

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instagram story... tchalamet posted!

caption: graham norton, let's go!!

tagged: yourusername

caption: she's calling

tagged: yourusername

Instagram story … yourusername posted

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user: guys, tom was out partying with friends and his ex-gf while yourusername was doing her graham norton interview

user: as he should after yourusername spends all her time with timothee

user: they’re friends

user: img party boy

user: why is this news? do we care

user: noooooo my parents

user: what if there relationship is just all pr for the film 😔😔

user: I love tom, let him do what he wants

user: she’s better with timmy anyway

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liked by… tchalamet, sadiesink_, rachelzegler, tomblyth, vanityfair & others

yourusername: thank you so much vanity fair for featuring me and coming to my home town (p.s I’m so sorry about all the sheep poo x)

771k likes 401k comments

user: love!

user: ONG the only one to ever exsist ever!

user: I can’t wait to see what she says about tom and timothee

user: she is her own person

user: OMG TAYLOR SWOFT

user: collab when???

user: I love u!!!!

user: I can’t wait to read and stare at you

tchalamet: let’s go!!!!

yourusername liked tchalamet’s comment

user: parents are interacting

user: anyone notice her and tom been really quiet? they went from making out in streets to barley being seen together

user: reputation era!!!

user: is this a reputation easter egg??

tomblyth: very proud, my dear !

yourusername: thanks bro ;)

user: what!!!!!

user: WHAT HAS HAPPENED

user: he got bro zoned

user: they went from quoting notting hill to calling each other bro 😭😭

yourusername in conversation with VANITY FAIR.

user: so she dating tom or what?

user: did you just not read the article?

user: tomblyth do me a favour and tell her to make up her mind

tomblyth: user do me a favour and get a life

user: HE DID THAT

user: tom so fr

user: tom a real bf

user: i love them!!!!

user: I love her!!!

user: she said what she said and left no crumbs

user: queen shit

user: MOTHER!!

user: the way she talks suggests they are only friends and my heart breaks

user: i'll miss them

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:) taglist: @callsignwidow @kodzuvk @dangelnleif @coconut-dreamz @destrolid @hermionelove @popejar @yesimwriting @slytherhoes @peachesandmon @zunin-msty (thank you all for enjoying it!!!!!)

[petermorwood]

Interesting post about costume here.

This paragraph in particular caught my attention...

What we think of as “peasant garb” is actually the product of a game of telephone that travels back from Romantic Revival art, and many of those (urban) artists got their idea of what rural peasants wore from opera costumes. The costumers working at the opera were not going out to the country side to take notes on what farmers actually wore, nor did they want to. Opera is show biz, you want it to be evocative, but not ordinary. Their costumes would have been based on what urban folks were wearing, with extra little touches like a shepherds crook to make it look “rural”.

... because it was Wagner's Ring Cycle that gave us horned helmets.

They didn't originate with the Vikings. They originated with the 1876 costume designs for a bunch of operas, and those designs by Carl Emil Doepler still exist.

For reference, all the horny characters are mortals.

Those helmets were probably based on archaeological finds, even though all Northern European examples are, AFAIK and depending on context, either religious headgear equivalent to a bishop's mitre, or ceremonial headgear equivalent to a crown.

In addition, every single one predates the Viking Age by a period ranging from a couple of centuries to a couple of millennia so - makes vague handwave gesture - they're more appropriate for the sorta-kinda mythic Migration Era setting of the Ring than any Vik who ever inged..

Doepler's designs also feature WINGED helmets, worn by immortals like Wotan...

... and the Valkyries.

Something else I encountered when looking for pics to illustrate this was that other clichéd armour error, the boob-plate.

Here's dramatic soprano Karin Branzell wearing one...

...while here's heroic tenor Fritz Vogelstrom also wearing one.

He's singing the role of Siegfried but wearing the costume of Brunnhilde, at least that's how it looks to an operatic Philistine like me.

Anyway...

Winged helmets are even more historically dodgy - no archaeological evidence at all - yet are actually more feasible as working combat helmets.

The difference is that horns, being heavy, need sturdy mountings so a horned helmet both provides catch-points for incoming blows and handles for an enemy to grapple, while a winged helmet does neither. The wings, being light, wouldn't need solid fixtures so would just shear off under a weapon or come off in an enemy's hands.

I'm well aware that other times, places and cultures - Indo-Persia, Poland, Japan etc. - had helmets with wings, horns and all sorts of other stuff, but this is about how the popular image of Vikings that headgear came from opera.

And went all over the place... :->

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hi!! First of all, thank for all your work and still being here!

Second, can I ask for Hale family recs, like they’re alive and well and they’re a big part of the story.

Thank you!!

Hi anon! @kevaaronday made this list for you!

Divided We Stand by KouriArashi (29/29 | 156,742 | Mature | Sterek) Derek is being pressured by his family to pick a mate, and somehow stumbles into a choice that they didn't expect and aren't sure they approve of....

No Homo by orphan_account (12/12 | 84,092 | Explicit | Sterek) Stiles' sophomore year starts something like this:

3 FourLokos

+ 1 peer-pressuring cat

- 1 best bro to end all best bros

= 1 Craigslist ad headline that reads "str8 dude - m4m - strictly platonic".

Derek is the fool who replies.

The Price we Pay by Gia279 (37/37 | 66,603 | Teen | Sterek) Twelve years after inadvertently stopping Kate Argent from burning the Hale pack alive, Stiles is sleepwalking again, dragged unwillingly to witness horrible accidents, floods, house fires, and other disasters. He wakes, confused and blindfolded, at the incidents with power rising sharp and exhilarating in his chest, and he doesn't know how to stop it. Is he the one causing these horrible things or is he just there to witness them?

Derek has been curious about the magic that saved him and his pack for years, and when Stiles's powers manifest again, he's determined to figure it out. With the whole of Beacon Hills being thrown into chaos and Stiles, apparently, just on the edge of that chaos, Derek finds himself being drawn to fix it all and keep Stiles out of the danger that keeps calling to him.

We Met, We Loved, We Made by Fogsy_Feel (3/3 | 56,820 | Explicit | Sterek) The Hales are the real American dynasty. Pinnacles of wealth. A powerful pack fiercely protective of their own, with all the resources to do it. They don't take kind to strangers infiltrating their ranks...Which means they definitely won't take kind to a Polish twenty year old marrying their oldest son. Stiles knew all this for the most part, but when you find the one? Well then all that drama suddenly seems inconsequential.

— Derek doesn't know what he expected from Poland. Maybe some great food and some less great snow? He certainly hadn't expected to meet the most annoying person he'd ever come across. Nor did he expect to fall in love and marry him, not all of a month after meeting the guy. Stiles is strange. He's weird and a little mean. He's probably Derek's soulmate. Who really knows. It's all progressing a little fast. He wouldn't change it for the world

Marking Against Instinct by fullmoontonightt (1/1 | 44,620 | Mature | Sterek) The guy in front of him is looking around the shop with interest, letting his eyes scan over the flash art on the walls. He's beautiful and Derek's wolf purrs in his chest, wanting to get closer. He frowns when he realizes the guy is human.

Derek faces him, eyes serious. “You know this is a wolves only shop right?”

Alpha Derek Hale has had his wolves only tattoo shop for years. Before Stiles Stilinksi walked in, asking him for help with a tattoo, he'd never thought about how a single tattoo could change his life.

One More Again by HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere (16/16 | 22,238 | Not Rated | Sterek) When a strange man appears in the Hale Pack territory with an unusual proposition for Stiles and Lydia, Stiles is unable to resist going back in time to stop the Hale House fire. 

Even after a few bumps in the road, Stiles finds himself in the past with one nearly-insurmountable goal - getting Talia Hale and the rest of her family to trust him with their lives.

Don't know how to reach you when you get like this (waiting for you to come home) by dearericbittle (1/1 | 21,339 | Teen | Sterek) Senator Talia Hale is going to be the first werewolf president. She is also his mother’s best friend, who’s in desperate need of a friendly mage to help her break the curse on her children. Stiles likes a challenge - and the free vacation in DC for his parents.

Chicken Soup for the Incredibly Fragile Human Soul by aurevell (1/1 | 3,029 | Gen | Sterek) Stiles comes to the Hale house to cram for a test with Cora as planned. Unfortunately, he's definitely coming down with something.

Even more unfortunately, no one in the entire Hale family seems to know what to do with a human who has a cold.

[netflix]

Spotlight: Adam Stockhausen

Production Designer, The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar

Oscar winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (not pictured above, that’s Benedict Cumberbatch), whose work you may know from Wes Anderson films like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Asteroid City, The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, and Moonrise Kingdom, as well as titles like Bridge of Spies, and West Side Story (2021), took the time to answer some questions.

Which details from or aspects of The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar did you focus the most on while adapting it to the screen? How did you meld Roald Dahl and Wes’s worlds?

The details on this one started with Dahl’s writing hut! We matched the details pretty carefully and exactly. As soon as we step outside of the hut though we start to move through the world of the story and the world of the stage at the same time. Wes had the idea of how he wanted to do this from the very beginning. My main challenge was trying to figure out how to pull it off—making the parts move and getting each to have the right detail.

What’s a small change you made on a project that ended up having an unexpectedly significant impact? 

Lots of times this happens—where what seems like a small thing at the time becomes a very significant turning point. I’m in Berlin now writing this and remembering being here scouting for East Berlin for Bridge of Spies. We were struggling to find a section of town that still felt old enough to show the early 60s, and decided to take a chance on a quick search in Poland. That quick search changed the whole production plan and ultimately gave us the look of our East Berlin.

How has technology changed the way you approach your work? 

Technology has definitely changed the way we plan the work. We used to model everything in cardboard or sometimes just plan in two dimensions with pencil and paper. We can now plan in 3-dimensional space using modeling programs and see what real lenses will do.  This allows for more accurate planning and makes scenery moves like the casino set in Henry Sugar possible.

Do you have any signature easter eggs you like to leave? Any small details that you are particularly fond of? 

I wouldn’t say there are easter eggs in this one. But there are loads of special details! I think my favorite might be the levitation boxes where we painted a perspective view of the background onto a prop box. The actor sitting on the box appears to be floating in a very special and theatrical way.

Did you talk about reflecting the iconic Quentin Blake illustrations in production design? How would you go about doing that? 

Not really. They are such incredible drawings and I’d say they’ve been inspiring me since I saw them as a child! But for this the starting point was really the machine Wes devised to move us through the story—and pairing that to specific references scene by scene.

There is such an intentionality to the aesthetics of a Wes world. Is there a set or frame that took you a long time to get perfectly right? 

All of them! It’s a very labor-intensive process getting these frames right. Occasionally one will click right away, but usually it’s a process of refining and refining. The jungle for instance went from sketches to models to samples and back again several times before the final look settled.

If you had to present one frame that showcases the best of your work, what would it be? 

Oh my. Maybe the jungle? I really enjoyed making the jungle!

With all the moving sets in the trailer for The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar, it feels reminiscent of a theatre production. Are there distinct differences in approach between film and theatre and how much do you blur the lines between them in your work? 

I think the lines are blurred completely! Or maybe they aren’t even there. I love that Henry Sugar is so incredibly theatrical in its storytelling.  It allows us to show the artifice of the sets all the time which somehow makes them even more satisfying when they finally do line up and create a complete picture. I think the casino set is a perfect example—the pauses where it all lines up for a second are even more enjoyable because we get to see it broken apart and sliding away.

Thanks, Adam!

[magnetokisser]

Pretend Lovers, Real Feelings - CHAPTER ONE

summary: surprisingly, you've already made a key discovery in your mission with bucky. things are starting to smooth out between the both of you, but you're getting cold feet, and it's been too long for bucky to know what he's feeling. -- you HAVE to read the prequel to have a full understanding of this part!

word count: 4.8k

warnings: experimenting mentioned in detail, as well as torture and violence. also reader drinks in this but not a lot.

masterlist previous chapter next chapter

three months had passed.

three months of you stuck in a polish village with one of the only people in the world you didn’t like. truth be told, it wasn’t that bad. but you liked to lie. while you had been sleeping on the couch every night and plastering one of the fakest smiles you could manage onto your face by day. 

the intel that you were given had yet to show itself. despite that, the people in the town were a bit odd. despite being only an hour away from warsaw, the town wasn’t nearly as populated and didn’t have nearly as many advancements as well.. any of the rest of the world did. that being said, you and bucky had to act as old fashioned as possible. it was a miracle you could still use your tv and phone.

one of the few good things about kazimierz dolny was the old woman that lived next door to you. she often brought you baked goods and an absurd amount of casseroles, and invited you over to crochet every weekend. it was a nice getaway from bucky, since the two of you argued over almost every little thing. the most calm times were meal times; the only time when you and bucky would have actual small talk. 

the two of you were currently sitting together on a bench, watching for a man natasha gave the two of you intel on. you were surprised her and sam even stayed in poland for this long. just as you were on the brink of zoning out, bucky spoke up and pulled you from your thoughts. “huh?” you murmured, looking up at him. “if you would ever pay attention, you’d know i just told you our guy is right over there.” he spoke, his voice a deep rumble in his chest. you furrowed your brows and frowned, looking in the direction he just gestured in. 

across the lake was a man who, to the normal person, looked inconspicuous. though to the trained eye, it was quick to notice how the man was looking over his shoulder a bit too frequently. it was as if he was nervous someone was watching him. “sam,” you murmured, pressing your face into bucky’s shoulder to mask your speaking. “can you tag the guy about a click in front of us? i promise i’ll thank redwing.” you asked, pulling away from bucky. 

while he wasn’t showing it on his face, he was exceedingly upset. “do you have to be so touchy?” he grumbled, shifting uncomfortably. “do you have to whine all the time?” you retorted, watching redwing discreetly fly by and attach a tracker onto the man’s jacket. “i wouldn’t have to if you’d just get away from me.” he growled, standing up abruptly. you sighed before thanking sam and redwing, following close behind bucky. 

“well? what do we do now? we can't just follow him.” you frowned, keeping a bit of a distance from the grumpy old war soldier in front of you. sam’s voice filled your ear, and you could hear the sound of music and people. “just wait. let the tracker do its job– hey! wait for me!” he shouted, his comm line abruptly going quiet. natasha had backed out earlier, too. they were definitely partying.

“they’re partying.” you said, looking around at the scenery around you as your shoulders slumped. “must be nice.” you murmured, prompting bucky to scoff and make a face at you. you could practically feel another argument about to happen. “why does it not surprise me that all you want to do is party?” he snarled, a certain glint in his eye that set you off. “excuse me?” you gasped, your eyes widening at his insult. “you heard me. that’s exactly why they don’t put you on any missions. i’d rather be here with, oh i don’t know, sharon? she’d be much better company than you are right now.” he spoke, his words dripping with venom. it wasn’t a low blow, but he knew how to push the right buttons to get you upset. the reason you didn’t like sharon was a reason that only natasha knew, and you’d like to keep it that way.

 “you say that as if i don’t hear you sneaking out to the bar every other night. how can you be at your best on a mission if you’re drunk all the time?” you hissed, turning away from him and started walking a bit faster. 

“repeat that?” he growled, matching his pace with yours. “you heard me. at least i’m trying to keep my mind on the job.” you said, glancing at him for a moment. “you do realize the only reason you’re still in the avengers is because tony took pity on you, right?” he snarled, his eyes burning holes into the side of my head. “i don’t care what they think of me,” you spoke, blatantly lying as you snapped at him, “at least they can trust me enough not to go rogue and become a mass murderer.”

yeah, that was definitely a low blow on your end. when you looked up at him, you watched as his eyes widened with vulnerability before darkening. he said nothing and continued walking the path back to your temporary home, and you knew that whatever relationship you two might’ve built had just been diminished under the weight of your words. sighing, you ran your hands over your face before following a large distance behind him, hoping natasha and sam were having fun whatever they were doing. 

dinner that night was..just you.you placed bucky’s plate next to the bedroom door, since you didn’t want him to starve. you spent the better part of the evening watching the tracker move around. nothing was happening, so you nearly fell asleep.. until the man started descending. at first, you chalked it down to him going into a basement. but then he kept going lower and lower. standing up from the couch, you peeked down the hall and looked towards the bedroom, seeing it still closed. the plate was still there with food on it as well. 

you hadn’t heard from natasha or sam since well before your argument with bucky earlier. so, you decided to investigate this yourself. was it a bad idea? maybe. did you care? yes, but not that much. stuffing some pillows under your blanket on the couch, you snuck out the back door clad in dark clothes and making your way towards the location. luckily, you were able to use your ice to move faster. the night was cold, and the sky was painted with stars that twinkled as you moved under them. 

by the time you got to the location, it was nearing midnight. you were on the outskirts of the town, standing about a hundred feet from a cozy looking cabin. emphasis on looking. sneaking around to the back, you made sure to peek through the windows and make sure there wasn’t some family or couple inside. if there was, you thought you’d die from the embarrassment. after checking thoroughly, you saw nothing, and picked the lock to the back door. the tracker said he was directly below you, so if there was a basement, he was there. if not, he was lower. 

despite feeling confident upon leaving the house, you couldn’t help but feel something was off. the cabin felt like someone lived here– not like it was rented out, but like someone’s home. it felt like an invasion of privacy. you silently opened the basement door, carefully walking downstairs. peeking around the corner, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. it looked like a normal basement.. until you made it to the foot of the stairs. 

under a blanket, a pool of blood was visible under what was shaped like a human body. inching towards it, you lightly pulled back the blanket to see who it was. unsurprisingly yet unfortunately, it was the man sam tagged with redwing. the only difference was that he wasn’t wearing the jacket the tracker was on. tilting his head to the side, it was beyond easy to tell that he had been hit with something hard and heavy– blunt force trauma. but that didn’t explain all of the blood. 

“shit,” you murmured, looking around and sighing. examining the body further, you found a stab wound in his chest as well as his side. that would explain the blood. there was definitely someone here, or they were here. “i have enough time,” you whispered to yourself, putting the body back and looking around the basement. luckily for you, tony gave you a pair of his fancy glasses that give you x ray vision– or something close to it. downside? friday was in them. 

putting them on, you smiled sheepishly as the ai’s voice filled your ears. “you must be insane.” she deadpanned, sounding very unamused. “just– scan the room for me? please?” you pleaded, moving towards a corner so she could get a good look. “you didn’t kill that man, did you?” she asked while you watched holograms appear on the glasses. “it looks like there’s some sort of elevator that descends what would be thirty floors underground.” friday spoke, causing you to look down. it was honestly so trippy. 

“should i go investigate?” you asked, chewing on your bottom lip. “does this look like scooby-doo to you? not only are you alone, but nobody knows where you are. you’re lucky i haven't pinged your location to sam and natasha yet.” she scolded, causing you to sigh and make your way back upstairs. just as you were about to start speaking, you heard someone trying to unlock the front door. “y/n, get out of there.” friday warned. “i know, i know.” you whispered, ducking behind the couch as the person walked inside. you put your hood on, thanking thor that the cabin had no lights. you peeked around the corner, seeing a man with brown hair. his back was turned towards you, and he didn’t seem to notice you. he also clearly didn’t know how to lock doors behind him, which you found out from friday’s voice in your ear. “you have an opening. if you don’t take it, i’ll call bucky.” she threatened, causing you to scowl and grumble quietly. 

when the man went towards the basement, you made a run for it– well, ice for it? either way, you were out of there. “thanks, friday.” you thanked, making it back to the back door to the house about an hour later. you felt grimy and tired, and the couch was looking less and less appealing to you as the days went on. just as you were sneaking back inside, you were met face to face with your housemate. “just where have you been? nevermind, don’t answer that. you clearly have an inability to telling me where you’re going in the middle of the night.” he spat, glowering at you

“you were ignoring me!” you exclaimed, walking inside. “does that matter?! not only could you have gotten hurt, you could have gotten captured. is there a single cell in your brain that does critical thinking?!” he snapped, grabbing your arm and dragging you inside. “i got valuable information and nobody saw me, okay? i’m fine!” you groaned, pulling your arm from his grasp. he narrowed his eyes at you, watching as you took the glasses off. “friday, help me out here,” you murmured, avoiding bucky glaring daggers at you. thankfully, friday projected a hologram of the cabin you were just in, along with the dead body and secret elevator. “see? i just gained a buttload of information.” you huffed, crossing your arms as bucky examined the display. “is that the man we saw earlier?” he asked, his voice a deep rumble in his chest. it was a bit hoarse, and if you weren’t so hellbent on hating him, you’d accept the fact that he was not only very built, but really hot. 

“yeah. there was someone else there too, but i dont know if he murdered the guy or not. the last thing i saw before i left was him going down into the basement, so he definitely knew what was down there at least.” you shrugged, sitting on the edge of the table. bucky glanced from you to the display, running a hand over his beard. his hair was growing out again, but with how strained your relationship was, or lack thereof, you didn’t know if he’d let you cut it again. 

“you did find valuable information,” he began, looking at you as he took a step closer, “but you could’ve gotten hurt. what if you had been captured? we wouldn’t have known where you were. the lower down that elevator goes, the less signal we could have. you nearly bit off more than you could chew.” he spoke with a gruff, angry voice. he was too close for your liking, and you had to stop yourself from staring at his face. illuminated by the moonlight, you could see the small scars he had from when hydra still had him as the winter soldier. huffing, you looked away, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “i’m sorry.” you mumbled, feeling more embarrassed than you’d like to admit. bucky smirked, leaning in. you could feel his breath fan against your cheek, causing blood to rush to your cheeks. “repeat that? did you, the most stubborn person to ever grace the planet, just say sorry? to me?” he grinned, looking into your eyes. 

“you’re pushing it. don’t make me take it back, because i’ll take it back.” you said, glaring at him. gosh, he was so close. he must’ve realized how close he was as well since he quickly backed away, his face falling back to it’s normal grumpy aspect. “pull that stunt again, and i’ll get them to send you home.” he warned, causing you to roll your eyes. 

“you do realize they trust you as much as they trust me, right? the only reason they might have a bit more respect for you is because you get the gracious word of captain america to back you. not everybody gets that.” you frowned, pushing past him to go shower. gosh, you really needed to apologize. 

as you sat in the bath, your mind had wandered to where you were three months prior. you and bucky didn’t even speak to each other. now, you were speaking with him on a daily basis, and had insulted him twice in one day. yikes. while you wished you could blame it on your sleeping arrangements, you knew that wouldn’t cut it. you knew deep down that you and bucky were the same. that, in a perfect world, you two would be closer than maybe natasha and clint. maybe it was the fact that you two reminded yourselves of each other; the similarities causing deep rooted self loathing to come to the surface in forms of petty insultes and inappropriate arguments. while you know what you said to him earlier was true, to an extent, you didn’t know if you meant it about him, or about yourself. and that’s what really scared you.

not only had bucky been right, but he had a point. if you had gotten captured, they would have thrown you into the same loop that you were in just a few years ago. it would have been even worse if they found out bucky was with you– who knew if he would’ve gone back to being what he was. that was only the first thing he had been right about. what he said about tony earlier was true, too. tony stark was the one who fought relentlessly– aka, threatening to cut off funds– to get you in the compound. he had saved your life, and in turn, you had saved his. he chose to ignore the fact you nearly froze his arc reactor.

sighing, you sunk into the warm water of the tub, pouting to yourself. you needed to get your shit together, and fast. there was finally a break in the mission, and if you let your petty feelings keep boiling over and taking control of you, you’d get the boot. and you were scared it wouldn’t just be off the mission.

you took your time getting out of the tub and getting ready for bed, or as you liked to call it:  couch. when you were done, you stopped in front of the bedroom door, noticing the empty plate on the ground. you picked it up and raised your free hand, hovering it over the door as you debated knocking.slowly and gently, you quietly knocked on the wooden door, waiting and hoping for bucky to answer. you waited a couple of seconds and sighed when you heard nothing, deciding to just walk away. at least you tried. 

just as you began making your way down the hallway, the bedroom door swung open. turning around, your gaze landed on bucky, who was also getting ready to go back to bed. “you knocked?” he asked, his voice clearly tired. this amplified your guilt by a hundred percent. “i uh,” you paused, glancing at the ground for a moment, “i just wanted to talk to you for a second. not argue or anything.” you said, shifting uncomfortably. this was hard. 

“about?” he questioned, raising a brow. “can i just come in?” you asked, setting the plate on a hallway table. you’d grab it on your way out. it took a moment for bucky to answer, and you took this time to take in his features. his sleep tousled hair, which had grown back out to be below his collar, wasn’t as messy as you thought it would be. he was wearing a tanktop, leaving the metal arm on display. you could see the scars on his shoulders, and while you didn’t want to imagine it, you knew just how much that had to hurt. the brunet snapped you out of your thoughts by speaking up. “fine. just don’t freeze me, or whatever you do.” he grumbled, backing into the bedroom. “thank you,” you murmured, following behind him.

the first few minutes were awkward. you sat on the edge of the bed with bucky next to you, not knowing how to start. “uh..” you paused, trying to force the words out. “i’m sorry,” you said, looking everywhere but where he was. “for what i said. all of it. it was out of place.” you sighed, finally mustering up enough courage to look at him. he was already looking dead at you, and god did it make you feel funny. it took a minute for him to reply, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “it’s fine. you were probably just projecting, anyway.” 

huffing, you looked at him and rolled your eyes. “it’s true nonetheless. partially.” he spoke, looking at the ground. “we can’t trust each other, our comrades can’t trust us, and we can’t trust ourselves. that’s what makes me so unsure of why they’d put us on this mission.” bucky had a point. he seemed to have a lot of those lately. “maybe they’re just looking for a way to get rid of us.” you joked, your voice weak as you tore your gaze from him. his lips curled up in a slight smile at this, and you were growing cold just at the thought of being back in a hydra cell again. “steve wouldn’t let that happen to you, though. you mean too much to him.” you spoke, moving your hand to touch his, only to stop halfway. it wasn’t that you were scared of touching his metal hand, you just didn’t know if he wanted to be touched. he wore the fake wedding ring, despite the hand not ever being shown when the two of you were in public. 

bucky looked up at you, his eyes meeting yours in a sort of understanding as he began speaking. “it was a long time without him. without anybody.” you tilted your head, listening as he continued. “fifty years. fifty years of me killing people under their control. they would put me on ice in between– fry my brain every time i would start acting like me again.” he spoke, his voice full of pain as he looked back at the floor. you put your hand on his, the cool metal settling against your warm skin. “it’s okay,” you murmured, scooting a bit closer to him. “they can’t hurt you anymore. they won’t hurt you anymore.” you said, feeling him slowly relax. he seemed more vulnerable– more docile. 

“what about you?” he asked, his voice a quiet murmur in the quiet of the night. “me?” you tilted your head, your brows furrowed slightly. “do..” he paused, his face scrunching up in thought, “what did they do to you?” he asked, his eyes meeting yours once more.

your mind felt like it had paused. any thoughts that were running through your head had stopped, sending you hurdling back into your time as hydra’s mutant experiment. “they would..experiment on me. do tests to see how vulnerable i was, make me go through tests to see how strong i was. no matter what, i always ended up strapped to a metal table.” you said, averting your gaze as you stared off into space. “since i’m a mutant, they wanted to see how much they could affect my mutated genes before i broke. my powers started out as me being able to make snowballs. i was only a kid, so i didn’t know what to do. luckily, they mutated into something that i can use to help people.” you murmured, feeling bucky’s thumb run over the back of your hand. despite it being metal, it was soothing. this was a position you never thought you’d find yourself in with him. 

“one time they tried to burn a chunk of my skin off. i ended up lowering my body temperature so low to the point i was under sub zero. i nearly killed myself and the scientists in the room with me.” you said, blinking out of your zoned out state. bucky was looking at you with a frown, though his eyes held a hint of understanding. while you two hadn’t gone through the same things, you were both victims of hydra’s heinous crimes. “but you’re free now.” bucky said, his gaze darting across your face. “we’re free now. except we still carry all the baggage.” you mumbled, letting out an airy chuckle.

the room fell into a comfortable silence, and you found yourself leaning into bucky’s side. you had to give it to him, the guy was built like a brick wall. despite that, he was warm and held a comforting air around him. part of you still wanted to hate him– but you really had no reason to. just as you found yourself dozing off, bucky nudged you with his shoulder. “do you want to sleep in the bed?” he asked, his voice low as to not disturb you too much. you made a small noise and reluctantly pulled away from him and his warmth before shaking your head. “no.. i’ll be fine. i don’t want to ice the room in my sleep and freeze you to death.” you shrugged, standing up and yawning. “goodnight, bucky.” you said, making your way towards the door to leave no room for argument. “goodnight, y/n.” he called out, watching as you shut the door. 

you would wake up in the bed the next morning, finding bucky sleeping on the floor near the door. 

after that, the air between you and the ex-hydra assassin was lighter. you two still argued over small things, but after the discovery of the ‘cabin in the woods’-- sam’s words,-- everything had slowed down. they had slowed down enough for you to visit the old woman next door, mrs. lakota. 

“ahh, y/n! you have finally come to visit me!” she exclaimed, ushering you inside. “where is your husband? has he left you at home alone again?” again? what was she talking about? “what do you mean again, mrs. lakota?” you nervously laughed, sitting down in one of the armchairs in the living room. “you two always leave the house at separate times and always look so angry with each other! and don’t think i don’t see you sleeping on the couch, young lady.” she pointed at you, waving a finger in your face. she had seen all of that? 

“we’re not angry all the time, we just.. agree to disagree. and we’re fine. i just don’t like the way the mattress feels.” you lied. no, you were scared that if you did manage to get close enough with him to start sleeping in the same bed that you would freeze him to death. you didn’t want him to get any closer than you two were on track to becoming. 

“i know a lie when i see one, ukochany. but keep lying to yourself and see where it gets you.” she sighed, waving you off. you watched and listened as she bumbled about the kitchen, grabbing things and mixing up a concoction of drinks. of course she was a day drinker. 

while mrs. lakota was feeding you borderline illegal amounts of alcohol, bucky was trying to think of what hydra could possibly want in poland. a base underneath a town or a city was a stunt they would pull in america, not in europe. to top it off, hydra hadn’t been active for the past two years. either they had been sent on a wild goose chase, or someone was trying to revive hydra. despite how much he wanted to go investigate, he knew he couldn’t make the same mistake you did the night prior. by this point, you had been gone for hours, and hadn’t even checked in with him. freshening up, bucky decided to head over to the neighbors house and see just what was keeping you so long. 

he wished he hadn’t stepped out of the house.

as soon as the old woman opened the door, he found you curled up in an arm chair. your pupils were dilated, and he didn’t think he’d ever heard you giggle this much. it made something flutter in his chest that he didn’t want to acknowledge. just as he was about to scoop you up and carry you home to scold you, the old woman he felt was the devil incarnate spotted him from the connected kitchen. “so you finally decided to tell your husband to say hi?!” she exclaimed, waddling over to him. awkwardly, he flashed her a smile, grabbing onto your hand. he thanked the gods above that it was cold enough for him to wear gloves. “i just stopped by to bring her back home.. we have an early morning tomorrow, and she doesn’t do good with anymore than one drink.” he spoke. bad move on his end, since you found that statement to be particularly offensive as he helped you to your feet. “hey!” 

“hay is for horses,” he murmured, effectively shutting you up as he directed his attention back to the judgy old woman in front of him. “you better not be breaking her heart, mister mysterious. i want you two over for dinner to make sure she didn’t choose the wrong man!” 

“dinner?” he repeated, his eyebrows raising. “yes, dinner! whenever you two can fit this lonely old woman into your supposedly busy schedules.” she huffed, waddling back into the kitchen. he grunted and looked down, feeling your cheek press into his sweater. he could feel your body temperature dropping as you fell asleep. “we’ll be seeing you, mrs. lakota. thank you for taking care of her.” he sighed, watching the old woman down a glass of alcohol as he backed out of the door. 

he carried you back into the house, taking your shoes off before bringing you to the bedroom. he laid you down, unsure of whether or not he should offer to grab you some pajamas. deciding on not wanting to invade your privacy, bucky covered you up and went to walk away when you grabbed his hand. his flesh hand. your skin was cool to the touch, a stark contrast against his warm and ever so slightly clammy skin. 

“stay,” you murmured, tugging him back towards the bed, “you’re warm. like a bear in the winter.” your voice was soft, your eyes peeking open at him as he stood over you. sighing, he relented and let go to change into a shirt and sweatpants before climbing into bed next to you. that was the first since regaining his past memories, he slept soundlessly.

[simplydnp]

WAD: Cover Art

dan is still working on selling the distribution rights for We're All Doomed! so i decided to make some DVD/Blu-ray disc jacket art!

this is my attempt at a traditional jacket design! none of the images used are mine, but i did create the concept and design:

as i was making the first one for myself, i was struck by the fact that 'well, it's for me, so it doesn't have to look like a stereotypical jacket cover' which led me to be more artsy in my approach for the next one:

i was really enjoying the creativity and space to explore, so i went looking for more inspiration for a third design. this led me to dan's favourite Muse album: Origin of Symmetry, which i paid homage to:

after the first Muse album, i looked at their catalogue to see if there was more inspiration there. i was just thankful dan's favourite was easy stylistically to mimic, unlike say, 2009's The Resistance...

thank you @danielhowell for the inspiration!

nerdy stuff & reference pics below the cut!

General notes

i don't know how to use photoshop! i entirely brute-forced my way through the whole project, and the only tutorial i looked up was for the gradient text in the 4th cover

this wasn't even the original project i was working on! you'll eventually get to see that though

and this one also inspired art for the disc itself so stay tuned 👀

i will do anything for authenticity so these are Full of intentional details

matching fonts is a nightmare

the traditional cover

took the longest, as it was the first.

the barcode numbers are the date of the first video he uploaded on dinof, and the last tour show date (in m/d/y)

i changed 'iceland' to 'poland' on the front cover, as he never actually went to iceland, and poland wasn't ever on the list even though he did go there

the orange may look a little off-center in the front, but these designs need to include space for a spine between the front and back cover, i promise it's right 😂

the black and white cover

inspired by the 'i want to believe' aliens poster

the cover art comes from his metal band merch shirt design

i had to manually shrink the text, line by line, and ensure it all lined up on the back!

i even made the logos on the back greyscale

the Muse: Origin of Symmetry cover

a shockingly perfect style for a WAD cover. i'm so glad i used the cubes, even if they couldn't be orange.

there's some versions of the art online where the sky is even more orange and it baffles me how i haven't seen any parallels like this before

the Muse: The Resistance cover

this cover was never supposed to see the light of day! i meant it when i said i was grateful i didn't have to try to adapt this complex design... and yet, i tried anyway.

i did all the grid lines by hand, including the jagged/broken edge parts, shading each section, and then drawing every star.

the hardest part was getting the gradient on the back text to cooperate. photoshop's gradient settings are surprisingly limited

gotta shout out @amazingphil for being the reason i knew what this cover looked like--it's the only muse album i knew the art of before embarking on this quest!

obligatory sob story:

i've been extremely and suddenly ill for 6 months. it is difficult to function moment to moment, but especially in doing little things just for me. this is the first and only art project i've been able to feel inspired to not only work on, but to finish, and despite the pain and long hours, i enjoyed every minute of it. thank you, dan, for creating this space for me to explore, and thank you, everyone here, for being wonderful support during this time 💞

[blue-jisungs]

bodyguard

[ song inspo ! ] bodyguard by beyonce

[ req ! ] yes! here<3 i hope u like it hehe

[ summary ! ] fall trip w bf intak

[ word count ! ] 1218

[ author's note ! ] listen i would never think id EVER write a fanfic abt going mushroom picking w an idol but here we are. and if this concept is very strange and weird to u... well, its a normal thing in slavic countries id say ESP here, in poland!! however, please DO research or consult a professional if u wanna consume the shrooms u picked!! they can be misleading sometimes, lil devils >:)

also, it’s the last post for the november jam session:( let me know if you enjoyed it!

the crisp fall air filled your lungs, the breeze swaying your hair. intak just grinned, taking a quick look at you. one hand on the steering wheel, the other in yours. fingers intertwined, he squeezed your hand gently. 

“man, i love fall so much” you sighed dreamily, eyes scanning the trees that you were passing by. intak wasn’t going too fast so you could admire the view. leaves in a variety of colors adorning the brown boughs. oranges, reds, yellows danced in a swirl moved by a gust of wind. the road was uneven; however, the muddy road made no resistance to your jeep. 

“do you want some tea?” you asked and reached for the flash bottle, in which you earlier prepared earl grey with honey and lemon. 

intak hummed and let go of your hand to grab it. 

you watched him take a sip, the temperature of the tea perfect. it didn’t burn his tongue nor was too cold. he let out a dramatic sigh of satisfaction and handed you back the flask.

“delicious” intak grinned and soon enough his warm hand was back in yours “the gps says we’re gonna be there in a second but we can stop wherever, sweetheart”

“let’s just leave our car nearby this path, i don’t wanna get lost” you hummed and pointed at the spot in front of you. 

this forest had a visible path, probably a lot of other people going here as well. there was some space to leave the car so it wouldn’t be on the way. 

intak followed your instructions and turned off the car, leaving. you did too, stretching widely with a satisfied groan. 

you took a deep sigh, the smell of forest filled your lungs. you glanced around, adoring the sway of colors nearer you now. even being able to touch the leaves, you crouched and gathered a couple of them. the texture a bit dry and flaky beneath your fingers, you creeped to intak and threw them at him with a giggle. 

your boyfriend let out a surprised yelp when they touched his face and fell on him. a big, red and yellowish leaf stayed on his shoulder. 

still chuckling, you swept it off him with a grin. intak was just looking at you, smitten – his smile was just screaming that he’s whipped. but he always looked at you that way. 

“let’s go, hm? i’m really excited” he asked and his hand found yours but you pulled away. 

“and did you bring the basket?” you asked and turned around to go take it. 

picking mushrooms seemed like a weird date idea. but intak didn’t protest, no. quite the opposite, he got really invested. two or three weeks prior he started researching the types of mushrooms and how to identify them. for example, most mushrooms with sponges underneath their caps are edible. those with gills – not really. there are exceptions though, like chanterelles… they are a quite interesting species: they have so called “false gills” and due to that they are considered edible– 

“takie, here! come on!” you yelped with excitement and dragged intak into the forest. 

you had your coat and rain boots on, ready to hunt for some mushrooms. intak thought you looked absolutely adorable.

“i hope they left some for us, we’re kinda late” you sighed dramatically, stepping over a big branch in the ground. the fallen leaves were crunching underneath your feet. technically speaking, the mushroom picking season wasn’t over yet but passionate pickers more often than not go hunting the day mushrooms start to grow.

“i see a bolete!” he yelped suddenly and kneeled down, causing you to stop in your tracks. 

kneeling down next to him, you observed him precisely twist the mushroom gently. a little bit to the left, then a little bit to the right… slowly but surely… and soon enough it was out from the ground. after putting it gently into your basket, he covered the spot with dirt and leaves. 

“i heard it’s better to cover back the ground to allow the mycelium to continue growing” he looked at you with a huge smile, noticing your shocked expression “what?”

“nothing” you laughed, poking his side “you’re just so professional!” 

he scoffed and stood up, offering you his hand. you took it.

“look, i know we’re going to let my grandpa check the mushrooms but i still wanted to make sure we don’t pick any poisonous ones” he grinned and leaned to dust off your knees from dirt. “now let’s keep looking here. they often grow nearby”

after two hours or so you and intak had almost two full baskets of various mushrooms. their caps created a colorful spread of different shades of brown. they were big, small… some had long and thin stalls, whereas others were thick. 

intak opened the trunk of the car and hid the treasure safely on the passenger seat. then, he grabbed a red and white checkered blanket and called you to the back. 

helping you sit in the trunk, he later joined you. sun started slowly setting down and you had a perfect view over the forest. 

your boyfriend draped the warm blanket over you, love beaming in his ebony eyes. you grinned and leaned quickly to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, which was cold. he should’ve worn a warmer scarf, you thought. 

you scooted closer, thigh next to his. your legs were swinging in the air happily and you started searching for his hand underneath the blanket. you felt him move it away with a boyish giggle and you just whined.

“don’t be a meanie” with a huff, you leaned again and grabbed his hand. with dramatic force you intertwined your fingers together, a spark of warmth spreading through your body. 

“you know…” he started, voice low. he took his sweet time to wrap his arm around you and pull you even closer, head naturally resting on his shoulder. you both stared in silence at the sunset, pinks and oranges blending into one on the sky. the shadows of the trees danced on the ground, getting longer and longer. you kept looking at the sky, colors gradually shifting. “sometimes i hold you closer just to know you’re real” 

you slowly turned around, just to meet his eyes. it was so cliche but intak was already staring at you; your beauty outshining the sunset. 

with a gentle smile you moved your head to kiss him. your lips crashing on his softly. soon enough his free hand went to cup your cheek. it was warm, a bit calloused but oh, so perfect against your skin. with a swipe of his tongue, intak dominated the kiss - but not in an aggressive way. it was his way of expressing his love. 

you didn’t even realize when you became breathless, only when he pulled away with pink dusted face and a lopsided smile. 

“i’ll take the wheel, i know the route to your grandma’s house. you should rest, my bodyguard” you teased and gave him a final peck, returning to rest your head against his shoulder. 

the sky was darker now, sun hanging lower above the forest. but the golden sunlight still framed your face in such a way, that intak couldn’t help but grin foolishly… and consider kneeling soon. 

piwon mlist | event mlist

taglist. @primoppang ,, @laylasbunbunny ,, @slytherinshua ,, @planetkiimchi ,, @weird-bookworm ,,

@mon2sunjinsuver ,, @litepowee ,, @l3visbby ,, @rubywonu

[doudouneverte]

Sunshine through the clouds

a/n: first fic of the year, and we're back with our favourite Polish player...

*not my GIF*

Pairing : Ewa Pajor x Léon!reader

Summary : Ewa is anxious about her game against Austria, but luckily for her, you're not too far away.

Type: fluff

word count : 1049

-----

Strange sensation on her chest, short breath, and heavy heart pumps. Anxiety. Ewa was there awake, a little earlier than usual. She looked trying to find something that could help her to calm down, but nothing.

She tried to ignore it, but it wasn't easy. But what was she even stressed about? Today was supposed to be her birthday. It's always a great day.

Yeah, but not today. She checked her phone, then scanned the room she woke up in.

It was not only her birthday but also a very important game day. Not only for her but for her country. The last game before potentially qualifying for Poland's first Women's Euro.

Of course it motivated her that they won the first round at home against Austria, but she knew that today's game was more important than the previous.

Ewa stood up from her bed, took a deep breath, and went to the bathroom. She stayed long enough to formally wake up her own and try to push her anxiety down.

The first part was easy, but the second was a little harder. Then she did the only thing she could think of. She took the magnetic key of her chamber and her phone before leaving the room.

There she was, visibly too early, in the hotel hallways, alone but with a place in her mind. She headed to the elevator and hit the button to the next level.

Once out of the metal cage, she already knew where to go. She made a straight line, not looking away from her destination and only stopping when she reached it.

The striker searched in her pocket for something before pulling out a second magnet key. She unlocked the door and carefully intruded herself in the room.

The Barcelona player quietly walked to the bedroom and then smiled a little when she finally noticed the shape of someone sleeping on it. The Polish striker didn't wait long before making herself a space on the bed with you.

She was not sleepy right now and didn't really want to wake you up, so she just stayed there stroking gently your hair out of your face while your mouth let out some undescriptive sounds.

Thankfully, her little shenanigans finally woke you up not too long after she started them. You took some time to process what was happening. You looked very surprised, which made your wife laugh.

You grumbled something in your tiredness that you didn't understand yourself, but Ewa didn't question it and just left a kiss on your forehead.

"What's happening? Did I miss the game?" You asked, still confused.

"No, don't worry, kochanie, it's still pretty early." She reassured you. "I just came here because I felt like I needed it." She told you, and your body immediately fully woke up.

"Has anything happened?" You asked, a little worried.

"No. It's just that I feel a little nervous about tonight." Your wife revealed. "I know you will say that I don't need to, but I can't really control it."

You were about to say something when Ewa's phone started ringing.

"That's my mom." She told you just before picking up.

You used this time to go to the bathroom and came back only after you finished to fully wake up and prepare yourself.

The striker was there, lying on the bed more in distress than you had ever seen her.

You got yourself next to her and just stared at her face with an undescriptive expression. She gave you a confused look, but you ignored that and just lay next to her.

You were both looking at the ceiling until something came back to you.

"Do you remember our first dfb-Pokal final?"

Ewa turned her head to look at you a little unsure of where you were going to.

"Yeah."

"You spent the entire night before at my place because I was very stressed. We didn't do anything special that night. You just held my hand and told me that everything will be okay." You held Ewa's hand and looked at her. "You don't have to stress out about this game. It's going to be alright. Everything will be fine; I can feel it."

The Polish striker lost herself for a few seconds in your eyes until she reacted, "No, you can't just use my own word on me like that." She had a little smile on her face and already felt a little lighter.

"Okay, but there was something I really wanted to do that night." You turned your body to your wife, who copied you.

"What?" She asked even if your eyes already told her what she wanted to know.

You slowly approached your face to hers, and she did the same. You both closed your eyes at the same time and enjoyed the moment your lips made contact with each other's.

It wasn't a lot, but for now it was enough for Ewa.

When you pulled back, you could see some relief in her eyes.

"Happy birthday, mi amor. Now get up from my bed and go get ready to kick some ass tonight."

"Can I have another one before?"

The face she was making made you smile, and you happily granted her wishes.

"I'll give you something better if you come back with the win tonight." You whispered in her ear, making goosebumps run all over her skin.

~~~~

The game against Austria was tough, but she made it; they made it. With a last-minute goal from your wife, Poland was finally qualified for the next Euro.

Ewa immediately made her way to the fans and, more precisely, to the family area in the stadium.

She found you there, with tears in your eyes but a big smile on your face. She ran to you and hugged you tightly while you were giving her some pecks on her neck.

"You did it, amor, I'm so proud of you." You cupped her face and let more pecks on her lips. "I'm so proud of you." You repeated.

"I couldn't do it without you. Thank you for being here for me."

You were both crying in each other's arms, celebrating this moment with all of her teammates.

It was absolutely magic, and she could share this moment with you.

[queenshelby]

Chemical Reactions (P. 4)

Pairing: Cillian Murphy as J Robert Oppenheimer x Student Reader

Warning: Smut in later parts, Age-Gap, Infidelity

Words: 2,567

Note: The fic is spoiler free and my own fantasy and imagination. It is not historically and scientifically accurate.

Previous Parts: 1; 2; 3

Two weeks later…

Just over two weeks had passed since you took up your scholarship at Berkley and it has been seven days since you began researching for your thesis about dark matter under the supervision of J Robert Oppenheimer who, unfortunately for you, appeared to be somewhat preoccupied with more important matters these days.

For the weeks and days, he had been visited by a man of statue who appeared to be a general of some sort and, whilst you were curious about this man’s visits to Berkley, you already some idea about what this may be about.

For months there had been some talks in the scientific community about the fission reaction of atoms which ultimately gave rise to the possible creation of a new innovative bomb. It was only a matter of time until the army caught on to this idea and you knew from your time at Harvard that several professors had already been lobbying for an atomic bomb project in this regard.

You thus assumed that, finally, the program was going to implemented, especially since now Germany had just invaded Poland. You knew that, an atomic bomb like this could end the war and your presumption was that the army was recruiting scientists, including J Robert Oppenheimer, to build this powerful nuclear weapon before the Germans did.

As such, you did not bother him much these days with minuscule issues about dark matter and Dr Oppenheimer certainly kept to himself whenever he could until Tuesday evening came around and he finally decided to check on you in the lab.

Your POV

Unlike your very own professor, in the lab, you were an ace and experimenting to prove a theory someone else or yourself has come up with excited you a lot even though the theoretical part of physics was what you desired to be involved in the most.

Unlike many other students in your department at Berkley, you had a high attention to detail when it came to experimental physics and since working with hazardous chemicals at high or low pressures required some planning and special precautions, you enjoyed to use the laboratory after everyone had left.

You often spent hours in the lab following your lectures for the day and today was not any different when, at 7 o’clock at night, you were still occupied by your attempts to create a chemical reaction similar to that of a star exploding.

Thus, when Dr Oppenheimer approached you from behind, just as you put the centrifuge you were using under negative pressure and connected it the exhaust system, you startled.

You were concentrating too hard and did not expect to see anyone at this hour in the laboratory, especially not him, your very own supervisor who had been too busy for your research in the past two weeks.

“Holy shit, you startled me” you thus spat as you dropped one of the glass vials on to the concrete floor which, luckily for you, did not contain anything but some pH solution.

“I don’t believe that I ever heard you swear like this, Miss Y/LN” Dr Oppenheimer said with some amusement in his voice before gathering a small broom and helping you to clean up the mess you made because of him, which was a gesture you appreciated.

“My apologies Dr Oppenheimer. It’s just, you don’t seem to be here often these days and I am behind with my research already, so…” you stammered as, together, you cleaned up the broken glass and, before you realised it, his hand was on top of yours, caressing it gently.

Immediately, you felt that same tingling again on your skin which, just a few weeks ago, you felt on your neck when Dr Oppenheimer adjusted the clip on the back of your necklace. It was an intense and rather pleasurable sensation which, ultimately, made you blush.

“There is no need to apologise. If anyone had to apologise, it should be me, for neglecting my engagement as your thesis supervisor. Unfortunatly, there have been some more pressing matters that required my attention” Dr Oppenheimer then said as he was letting go of your hand and raising back to his feet before helping you up as well by using his right hand.

“I figured” you barely stammered while allowing Dr Oppenheimer to pull you to your feet before, with a slight blush, walking towards the utilities room to dispose of the broken glass vail and to obtain a new one.

“You figured?” Dr Oppenheimer then asked somewhat confused by your statement as he followed you into the utilities room.

“I have seen an army general visiting your office twice last week and my presumption is that you have been recruited to build this goddamn bomb, which every physicist in this country has been talking about for months” you asserted with little to no reluctance before also voicing your concerns about it. “Do you really think that this is a good idea?” you wanted to know, seeing that such bomb could easily be a device of mass destruction and, just as you spoke the words, Robert pushed you further into the corner of the utilities room while closing the door shut behind you.

You then suddenly felt his warm but strong arm pull you against him before covering your mouth with the palm of his other hand.

“Shh” he whispered before shaking his head, indicating for you to stop talking and, by that point, your heart was pounding hard with adrenaline.

He must have thought that someone was listening in on you and presumed that the laboratory was bugged by government officials, but none of this mattered to you now as you felt heat everywhere now while his body was touching yours.

The feeling of his body against yours was so intense that you couldn’t even murmur a response into his palm and thus you simply nodded, which is when he spoke again.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, but you sure have a creative imagination” Dr Oppenheimer said, brushing off what you had alleged while still holding his arms around you and embracing the sparks of electricity emanating from each other's bodies.

“Now, about your research on dark matter, how does Sunday sound for a catch up?” he then asked as you looked up into his bright blue eyes while he looked down at you with a look of concern and a hint of desire.

“Sunday?” you murmured in response as you could not even manage to speak proper words just yet as you stood there like this for what felt like hours, but it could not even have been more than a minute or two.

“Yes. Sunday. I am away until then” Dr Oppenheimer then said as his arms finally fell from around you and he cleared his throat.

“And, I am leaving for a period of two weeks after that for which Dr O’Connell will be taking over as your supervisor. He will be a good mentor for you but I want to see where you are at with your research before he gets involved” Dr Oppenheimer then announced which broke your trance and you quickly stepped back, almost tripping over your own feet.

“Dr O’Connell?” you asked with surprise while you looked down at your feet, trying to avoid those magnetic eyes of J Robert Oppenheimer.

“Yes. I am afraid so” he confirmed, which is when you finally managed to look at his face again. His eyes were clouded with indescribable emotions and, clearly, so were yours.

“I understand” you eventually confirmed nervously. “Sunday it is but, since the university facilities will be closed, we will need to meet somewhere else” you managed to point out while your eyes began to water slightly from the overwhelmingness of everything that just happened, making you look like a fool.

Dr Oppenheimer, of course, noticed and his face changed from indiscernible to concern once more.

“You will do just fine Miss Y/LN. I have no doubt about it” he reassured you before suggesting the library as a meeting place which meant that, unbeknownst to him, you would have had to copy your calculations from your big chalkboard in your room to several pieces of paper.

“How about the Chevalier residence instead?” you thus suggested, causing Robert to furrow his eyebrows.

“I do not consider this to be a good idea Miss Y/LN. It would be highly inappropriate” Dr Oppenheimer pointed out, but you interrupted him.

“Haakon and Barbara are in San Jose for the weekend. You are friend of them both, so I have no doubt that they wouldn’t mind you visiting me in their absence. That is, of course, if your wife allows it” you explained with a little smirk on your face and your sudden sense of confidence surprised Dr Oppenheimer.

“My wife too, is away, staying with her mother for the time being” he explained before agreeing to your suggestion, but you would not just leave it that.

“Did you and your wife have a fight?” you asked out of curiosity, which is when Dr Oppenheimer shook his head and chuckled.

“We always fight, but that is not the reason. She is staying with her mother because I am busy and am travelling a lot these days and she needs help with our son, Peter” he then explained before stepping away from you again, increasing the gap between you.

“Now, I am afraid, I must go. I have another pressing engagement this evening” he told you and you had a sneaky suspicion that your professor was making the most of the time his wife was away.

“No doubt you do, professor. I shall see you on Sunday” you said with a slight chuckle, seeing that you already knew about his numerous affairs, including his on and off relations with Jean Tatlock.

Robert’s POV

It was later that same day, at around 8 o’clock that Robert went to a place that he had not visited in about three weeks, namely the apartment of Jean Tatlock’s in downtown San Francisco.

Ever since meeting you, he avoided her and whilst he did so subconsciously, he gave it some thought after Jean had addressed the fact that he had been ignoring her calls.

After almost three weeks, she now expressed a great desire to see him again and, considering her poor mental state, Robert reluctantly agreed.

As always, Robert brought her flowers which she disposed of rather quickly and just as she asked him inside, Robert began to explain to her that he was not there to see her for the usual reasons.

This was meant to be his final visit and he knew that, by ending their affair, he would likely break her heart. She would be devastated and that was something that concerned him a lot.

“I am not here for that Jean” Robert thus said just as Jean attempted to kiss him in a haste while pulling against his tie and suit jacket.

“And yet, you finally answered my call. Why?” she asked almost angrily, rolling her eyes before pushing Robert aside and pouring herself a drink. Clearly, she was confused and Robert had to provide an explanation to her.

“Because we need to talk Jean. This has been going on for far too long” he told her while adjusting his tie and jacket again. His facial expression was more serious than usual and that, in itself, concerned Jean.

“Oh my god Robert, after all those years you want to end it?” she asked as tears shot into the corners of her eyes. She shook her head in disbelieve and then smashed the glass she was holding onto the hard wooden floor, spilling her drink along with it.

“Jean, please…” Robert said calmly, trying to console her by reaching for her hands, but Jean pulled away.

“There is someone else, isn’t there?” she asked angrily, causing Robert to sigh deeply.

“I am a married man Jean, so yes, there is someone else, my wife” Robert tried to explain but Jean shook her head angrily and pointed her finger at him.

“No Robert! I am not talking about your wife and neither are you” she said sternly as slowly, but surely, her emotions got the better of her. She began to yell at Robert and, seeing that Jean was so upset, he did not know what else to say to her. He was lost for words.

“Who is she?” she then wanted to know and this is when she received yet another response from her lover that both, confused her and made her fume with rage.

“She is a woman who will help me change the world” Robert acknowledged somewhat reluctantly, causing the tears in her eyes to increase rapidly.

“You know that I love you, Robert. In fact, I never stopped loving you even after you married Katherine" she pleaded while trying to comprehend the situation. For years, Robert had maintained his affair to Jean even after he married Kitty and now this was going to be over because of someone else?

"And I have loved you too, but you have destroyed that love for me Jean. You pushed me away repeatedly and now I am finally it. I moved on” Robert said a little too honestly and with a lack of emotion in his voice, causing Jean’s reaction to worsen.

"I have said I was sorry, Robert!” Jean screamed almost hysterically while stepping one step towards Robert and pushing her hands against his chest, forcing him against the wall.

“So am I Jean. I truly am” he told her while cupping her face. Her tears were clouding her eyes and he sealed her faith with one final kiss before leaving her apartment for the last time, until she would call him again several months later.

Note: Unlike in real life, Jean will not kill herself in this fic. In fact, she will reappear in a few later parts, causing some havoc for the reader.

To be continued…

Please comment and engage. I love getting comments and predictions pretty please!

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[chaosfairy18]

Sarah had often been underestimated. It started back in Poland but hadn't gotten any better in America. Most of the time she didn't have a problem with it. People that weren't assumed to be smart or important heard things and knew things other people wouldn't expect, and she enjoyed learning of things others didn't think she could use.

And even if she also got underestimated in her family sometimes, she was okay with it.

It didn't mean she wasn't appreciating it when someone saw how sharp she could be.

She met Spot Conlon at the Rally, both sitting at the same table with Jack until he went to dance with the other newsies. Spot was of course sitting there, in the front row, to announce his presence, to remind the entirety of New York - or at least it's newsies - that he was here, that he had supported first, and that he was still the most renowned newsie in all of New York. Drinking Coke instead of water and wearing his signature suspenders it was clear he was here to promote his image just as much as the strike.

He wasn't in Manhattan often, from what she knew.

It was clear he was smart, calculative even, and she was pleasantly surprised when he asked for her opinion on the strike, for her work and if she thought others, kids like her, too, would strike, if this managed to hold for more than a few days.

He listened to her opinion on it and just smirked when he got another glance of Jack dancing in the front with David and Medda.

"Just look out for Kelly, he's meanin' well but also an idiot. Don't let 'im hold you back." The 'you're too smart for him' went unsaid, but implied.

Sarah smiled courteously. "I think we both know that sometimes, we have soft spots for newsies from Manhattan, if they're good for us or not." She had seen both Racetrack's looks when Spot was on stage giving his speech, as well as Spot's as he watched Race dance with the other Duane Street boys. She was observant after all.

That made Spot's head turn to her a bit faster than it had before, his smile bearing more of an edge to it. "Do we?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

He looked her over again, seeming to assess if she would do anything with the information she definitely didn't have, and seemed to settle on trusting her. For now. "Just see that you don't go paradin' any rumours around, Jacobs. Things travel fast, true or not."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

He sipped from his Cola again, his eyes catching on Jack pulling David into a dance. "Besides I think Jackie got his eyes on someone else."

Sarah hummed, watching her brother tentatively smile and have fun even admitst a throng of people like he never did before. "I have that feeling too."

They kept their talk about nothing but rumours and politics until Spot snapped at her to go to the side exit, jumping up and yelling orders to a girl on the upper balcony, evading running newsies and cops until she couldn't see him anymore and David was pushing her and Les outside, only to hear the commotion and fight inside, wondering what was happening but too unassuming for any policeman running around to be stopped.

They weren't here for her or her little brother. No, a lower-class girl and boy too young to even be put into the refuge weren't what they were here for.

But she'd remember what she saw and keep telling her colleagues and working friends what the men in power were willing to do to keep their workers obedient and quiet.

She was observant after all, and knew how to play her cards.

[paper-bird-n01]

Nonbinary Characters in Polish Dubbings

It's a very short list, there's a LOT more they/them characters in media but for many, I couldn't find any dubbed scenes of, and I can't afford to purchase every streaming service ever just to watch a short scene with that character so-

Onto the topic

I so stupidly enjoy finding out translation differences between languages, and what better topic that Nonbinary characters translated to a language that genders everything.

In Polish, if you say you did something, you change it depending on the gender

I was reading - czytałem (male) or czytałam (female)

I feel like it is becoming more popular to use "o" as a gender-neutral way to say something (czytałom) in friend circles but it's still faaaaaaar from being legally(?) recognized by many many other people and dictionaries.

But more on it later (kinda)

Some examples I found throught the years on how different shows handled the gendered words fir genderless/nb characters in Polish translations.

RAINE WHISPERS - The owl house

One of probably most popular characters here, Raine Whispers.

It's Disney. I think it answers a lot already.

The show already had one queer couple, why make another, Raine throught the show is using male pronouns but was voiced by a woman.

On my own note, I really was not a fan on how they changed things in the dubbing including many of the names (Amity-Anita, Willow-Witka, Flapjack - Franek)

The Collector's official pronouns are He/They but the They was simply ignored. 'Easy as that'

ANGEL and MEREKID - Craig of the creek

Never properly watched it but when we (aka my sibling and me being a parasite) had HBO I tried to find episodes with them to see.

There are 2 nb/agender characters in that show as far as I'm aware (for some reason I though there were 3, so sorry if there are actually 3 of them)

For one (Angel) they just used he/him.

Other episode with nonbinary kid (I believe it was merekid) is completly gone from hbo in my country.

(overall HBO has a strong problem with many episodes of shows missing, like Adventure Time missing around 30 episdoes...)

STEVONNIE and SHEP - Steven Universe

They just refer to Stevonnie as two people (we, for version that includes at least one guy. Since there is difference between polish we for only girls - robiłyśmy - and we for either girls+guys or only guys - robiliśmy - ).

SHEP

Well, uh. I believe there is some kind of dubbing for the "future" series but I don't have prime and so on so I can't confirm it as of now...Sorry :/

UPDATE: Managed to find an episode with Shep in polish dub. Shep is dubbed by a woman but the whole episode omits any kind of gendered words ("em" "am") by Shep and everyone else.

FRANKIE STEIN (G3) - Monster High

In the new cartoon and movie they are indeed referenced to as they. Even in polish dubbing Frankie uses "o" when doing something instead of just making them a girl (for both animated show and live action movie)

That's also a part of what I mentioned that the nonbinary way of speaking is becoming more 'common' in Poland.

DOUBLE TROUBLE - She-Ra

I adore them, honestly

Well, quick note or so on, their polish pronouns is He/Him (since thier body is more male presenting)

Also their name in polish is "Kłopotowski" I had no idea till now and I wish it stayed that way, I laughed

BATTLE KITTY - Battle Kitty

I so, so, soooo love this show/game (the ony interactive options is picking where you want to go next. It changes nothing in the story). It's not so popular because it's an 'interactive game' which means that many people didn't give it a chance or just skipped it but I beg you to watch it. Me and friend had a blast honestly. It's a 'game' so your only chance to see it is to watch it on netflix.

The main character Kitty is Agender and uses they/them pronouns which carries over to polish dubbing!

REVERSED EXAMPLE

Huuuuh, that's honestly unusual.

So-

Nimona, many loved it, it's a giant allegory for transidentity/ and gender fluidity. I watched it with my mom (hence in polish) that's why I even know of the change

In english Nimona refers to herself as a she and others refer to her as such.

!In polish though! (I will use Nimona's english pronouns)

While everyone else refers to Nimona as she (including Balister), Nimona refers to herself as they ("o"). Honestly, unusal, it took me a few takes of Nimona talking to herself to even catch that, not to mention be sure that it's an "o". So yeah, polish made a character even more queer! Honestly unusual.

Hope you enjoyed my little, not really insightful post. It's just something that I'm really interesed in thus decided to make this (albeit) short post. There's a lot of overall different language changes, including how polish really tries not to curse in trasnlation (amazing example would be deadpool 2) or other changes that are really random (spiderverse, the amazing digital circus).

Hey, maybe it will spark some interest in you too. Make check langauge differences as well, have fun! Or suffer. Probably the later one.

If you (somehow) have something you'd like me to check out translation vise, let me know and I'll try to do just that

Cheers!

Edit: Small add on, regarding the analisys.

You could probably figure it out yourself but it seema like big studios like Disney will be the ones pushing for characters to be of she/he pronouns. While smaller studios will have a better chance of character still being referenced to as they/them in other languages.

[sunarots]

so high school ━━━ atsumu miya

10. darlin’ ♡

Using the sleeve of your hoodie, you use the small mirror in an attempt to dry your tears from your eyes before Atsumu came back and caught you. Unfortunately for you, the door flies open with an instant complaint. "Can't do shit here. We need to- What's wrong?"

You bite your lip and try to stop more tears from flooding out at the thought, closing the sun visor and relaxing back into the car seat. Even though you may not be used to the doors yet, you couldn't deny that the seats were almost as comfortable as your bed. "Wakatoshi's moving to Poland." You can't stop your voice from breaking halfway through the sentence, a sign that you were very likely to keep crying about it until you would wake with a headache.

"Is he really? Wow, Adlers are going through it." He turns the key in the ignition and looks back to you when he catches you sniffle. "I'm sorry, it was rough when Shoyo left. Can't believe two of yer friends left. Let's go get KFC, yeah? Cheer ya up. I'll pay."

You look up from your lap, laughing through your tears when you catch him attempting to wiggle his eyebrows are you. "Thanks, Atsumu."

"Here, choose whatever music ya like." He passes you his phone, telling you to keep it unlocked before he carefully pulls out of the parking lot and turns to the main road.

You scroll through some of his Spotify playlists, trying your hardest not to laugh at some of the songs he had hidden among the regular ones. You settle for one of the Fall Out Boy songs in the album, and adding loads of random songs to the queue. "I can't believe he's leaving, too," you mumble, turning the music up a bit louder and settling back into the seat.

Atsumu glances over at you, catching the tear running down your cheek. "Aw, y/n, yer still gonna get to see him. He'll be playing volleyball, so ya can see him when he travels. It's not forever."

You know he's right deep down, but you still can't help but feel hurt that your two closest friends for the last two years have up and left so soon together, and so far away. You were happy for them, you really were, but... Wakatoshi was right, you did feel abandoned. Forcing the tears to stay in your eyes, you look back down at Atsumu's phone and start scrolling through his liked songs on Spotify. And, they were certainly something.

It went from Hollywood Undead, to Taylor Swift, to My Chemical Romance, to MARINA. He really did listen to everything.

"Your music taste is... something. You have Corpse Husband and Sabrina Carpenter in the same playlist." You turn his phone to him even though he can't look at it.

He glances over at you and turns into the gas station, turning his focus back onto the road. "Just means I have fun at any club," he defends himself, stopping the car. "Are ya coming in?"

You nod your head, pulling down the mirror and sighing at your red eyes.

"Here, take these." Atsumu pops open the glove compartment of the car, pulling out a sleek, black case. He removes a pair of gold aviator Ray-Bans, putting them over your eyes. "Problem solved. Can ya run ahead and grab some snacks for the apartment? Just anything, yeah?"

You nod your head, picking up your phone and purse from the floor. "See you in there."

You tuck your phone and purse into the pockets of your sweatpants, fixing the sunglasses over your eyes and walking inside. You lap around the different aisles, grabbing multipacks of crisps and some different types of biscuits. You pick up a packet of chilli crisps and scan over the different drink options waiting for Atsumu.

At the sound of girls squealing behind you catches your attention, turning around to see Atsumu being huddled by a group of four girls around your age. You catch a few words here and there, and Atsumu seems to be bathing in their compliments. You shake your head and turn back to the refrigerator, picking up a bottle of white peach Fanta and slowly walking towards the counter, hoping Atsumu would catch up to you before you were served.

Sure enough, he tapa your shoulder and squeezes in beside you in the queue. "Sorry."

"Oh my god, the Miya Atsumu is talking to me. Can you sign my boobs?" you laugh through your words, unable to keep a straight face. "You love being in the spotlight."

"So what if I do? It's nice having people who appreciate ya," he responds, nudging you forward in the queue towards the empty checkout. "Pump three, and all this."

Before you have a chance to reach for your money, Atsumu lifts his card over the reader. You sigh, picking up some of the snacks to carry them back to the car with him.

“What’s that sigh for?”

“I was gonna pay for that.”

Atsumu laughs. “With what pay check?”

Your jaw drops, a laugh escaping before you can trap it. “Wow, low blow.”

You catch the stares of the fangirls lingering on you and Atsumu, fighting your urge to stick out your tongue at them. Instead, you turn your back and focus your attention fully on the car in front of you. Atsumu dumps the snacks in the backseat, leaving you with your drink and crisps.

“White peach Fanta? Yer disgusting. Don’t drink that in my nice car.” He grimaces at the thought, walking around to climb into the driver’s seat.

“What? It’s nice!”

“Nah, yer gross. But those chilli crisps are nice. Can I get some?” He waits for you to nod your head before reaching over, opening the packet and stuffing a few in his mouth before pulling out of the parking lot and heading towards the nearest KFC. “Thanks, darlin’.”

You raise an eyebrow, side-eyeing him through his sunglasses. “Why’d you do that?”

He hums. “What?”

“You keep calling me darling.” You sit your drink down beside him, taking a couple crisps yourself.

“I call everyone that. Why, d’ya want me to stop?” Concern washes over his expression, taking a fleeting glass at you to see if you were uncomfortable. “I don’t want to make ya uncomfortable, I can stop calling ya darlin’.”

You think for a second, giving him a small smile and leaning back against the seat. “I was just curious. You can keep calling me it.”

masterlist. previous | next

summary. after your best friend reveals he’s moving out of your shared flat, you’re presented with a tough choice: let one of the creeps who are begging you to let them move in with you, or find a cheaper flat in another area of town. a do-over couldn’t have come at a better time for you, but your only option for a place to stay is with someone your best friend knew from high school, and his two teammates.

taglist (open!). @reignsaway @yuminako @thiisisntlovely @diorzs @aboutkiyoomi @spicana @bakingcuriosity @kr1nqu @savemebrazilhinata @dazqa @sereniteav @beckxisxinxlovexwithxjin @sleezzsister @hermaeusmorax @giocriedpower @sophosphorescent @gigiiiiislife @zazathezaer @rrosiitas @iaminyourfloors @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @sillygooseymood

[erbiumspectrum]

Maria Skłodowska-Curie. That's it, that's the post.

As per my poll, here's a post on MSC!

This post began as a bit of a messy thing. I wanted to write about MSC because she was a brilliant Polish woman who became one of the most important scientists of modern chemistry and physics and I, as a Polish woman and a science major, admire her greatly. But the whole thing was vague and lacked direction. I received some kindly advice though and decided to focus on this: what was Maria like? Everybody knows she had an exceptional mind, that she had close ties with Paris, that she discovered radium and polonium, that she received the Nobel prize twice… But did you know she was said to have “serious, gray eyes” or that her initial plan was to spend her life working as a teacher or that she loved her homeland deeply? Underneath her doubtlessly exceptional achievements she was a person, and I’d love to take a look at that.

Maria Skłodowska ("skwo-DOV-ska") was born on 7 November 1867 in Warsaw under Russian occupation. Her father was a mathematics and physics teacher, so it may seem natural that little Maria took an interest in science, but as a child she was a phenomenal student in general, no matter the subject; she read a lot of books, and she learnt to read very early. She was considered very gifted. 

Her family wasn’t rich by any means. Maria’s father – a Polish man, a school teacher under the tzar’s merciless reign – knew very well he couldn’t afford to give all his children the education he wanted for them, not to mention neither Maria nor her older sister Bronia were allowed to attend university in occupied Poland. Making their dreams come true – studying at the Sorbonne – depended on the money they didn’t have.

At 17 Maria made a decision: she was going to work as a teacher while Bronia pursued medicine in Paris with the help of the money earned by Maria. After Bronia’s graduation they would switch: Bronia was going to work as a doctor while Maria attended university.

It was by no means an easy task. During the following years Maria had to withstand not only immensely hard work and a longing for learning, but also unfair employers, lack of respect, and heartbreak. But she persisted. She was 24 when finally she was able to pack up and take the train to Paris.

[source]

Soon after taking up her studies at the Sorbonne did Maria realize how far behind the other students she was: they were able to pursue an official education in a free country, something she’d never gotten to experience before. She had been an excellent student back in Poland, a fluent French speaker, but now it turned out her knowledge was lacking. Obviously, this couldn’t discourage her. Bronia’s husband Kazimierz wrote in a letter to her father that Maria would spend entire days at her university, only coming home in the evening. She worked admirably hard to catch up. And she was happy: at long last she could study science and mathematics in depth, the way she had longed to do for so many years.

Of course, money never stopped being an issue. Even with her father’s and sister’s help, she was still poor. She definitely wasn’t eating enough. In winter, she was cold. Other than that, she mostly gave up on her colleagues, refused to waste her time on “insignificant” things: that is, everything but studying, unfolding the secrets of chemistry and physics, practicing her laboratory skills. She was living and breathing science.

[left / right]

Pierre Curie was older, an exceptional physicist, charming and calm, still unmarried at 35 – he wouldn’t love a woman who couldn’t be first and foremost his intellectual partner. But Maria wasn’t looking for love and she certainly wasn’t looking for a marriage. She had a degree in physics, was on her way to get a degree in mathematics as well, all the while working on the magnetism of steel. And indeed, when they met through a professor who thought Pierre might be of help to young Maria, it was mostly curiosity, mutual respect, and primarily a great scientific interest that bloomed between them and brought them closer together.

Maria didn’t give in easily. All along her plan had been to earn her degrees and return to Warsaw, to her elderly father, and remain working as a teacher for the rest of her life. But there’s no doubt that when she eventually agreed to marry Pierre, it was out of genuine, deep love. They had a sincere, precious connection, both emotional and intellectual.

Did you know Maria and Pierre loved to travel the countryside on their bikes? They did. It’s how they spent most of their time together after their wedding. And not for a moment did they forget about their shared passion for science – they discussed it even during their travels. They lived together and they worked together. Their first child Irène – future Nobel prize winner as well! – was born in September 1897, Ève – their younger daughter – seven years later.

Pierre’s family adored Maria, Maria’s family loved Pierre. The two of them would frequently visit Pierre’s parents and they continued their biking trips, but other than that their life was utterly devoted to science. I know, it sounds like I’m exaggerating, but it’s true. Along with the fact they always had very little money, work was all they had.

Radium appeared in Maria’s life when she was working on her doctorate. Her laboratory was cold, damp, and badly equipped, but it seems to me Maria’s determination was inexhaustible. She began by studying uranium, but she soon figured out she had to include other elements in her research as well in order to solve the mystery at hand. It was only after a year of this work that Maria realized she might have discovered an element previously unknown.

Pierre was interested in Maria’s research before, but – save from the occasional advice as an older and more experienced scientist – he mostly left her to do her own thing while he focused on his crystals. At this point however, he was so intrigued he abandoned his research to work with Maria on her project. In 1898 (two years into Maria’s PhD work!) they published a paper together – in it they announced the discovery of a new element: polonium, named after Maria’s beloved homeland. Later that year, they did the same for radium. They coined the term “radioactivity”.

Maria kept a meticulous journal, not only for her laboratory work. She was carefully tracking their spending as well as Irène’s development, the way she learnt to walk and speak and play with their cat.

And so, her life continued: filthy, hard work in the infamous shed, a ton of an ore for less than a gram of product (!), countless papers published with her dearest husband, watching their daughter grow, earning her doctorate degree; then, in 1903, her first Nobel prize (along with her husband and Henri Becquerel).

The Nobel prize brought Maria and Pierre fame – and it was a tragedy. For them, at least. Modest and humble as they were, they couldn’t stand the journalists almost storming their garden, going as far as “describing [their] black and white cat [in the newspapers]” as Pierre said in a letter to a friend. I allowed myself to translate a piece of a letter that Maria sent to her brother in 1904 amid the post-Nobel craze, as it’s both sad and hilarious:

“I wish you health [for your name-day], well-being for all of your family, and for you never to experience the sort of correspondence and assault that we are now subjected to. Ever since that accursed Nobel prize we’ve been unable to do anything, and I’m beginning to ask myself if the money we received will be of any consolation, as, after all, the people who sell me meat, coal, sugar, etc. are richer than me yet they do not experience such sorrows. […] and yesterday some American wrote to me, asking for permission to name a race horse after me.”

Maria’s life took a truly sharp turn when Pierre died in an accident in 1906. Despite the tragedy that irreparably crushed her heart, she never ceased her work. She became a professor, organized classes for her and her friends’ kids, ran the Radium Institute, continued her research, received her second Nobel prize. During World War I it was her mobile X-ray machines that saved countless lives: she was active and involved, operating the machines with her older daughter and teaching others how to do it.

[left / right]

She lived long enough to see her dear, beloved Poland become an independent country once more. To the very end she remained humble and uninterested in fame, hardworking and dedicated entirely to science.

I based this post mostly on Madame Curie by her daughter Ève which I highly recommend!