#friend is called jagoda…

[wikitpowers]

does anybody have any tips on how to stop thinking about kitty constantly??????? asking for a friend

[vacantgodling]

I don't remember the actual term for what OOMs do but tell me what weddings/wedding equivalents are like in tcol?

haha no worries! unfortunately this wip has a Lot of acronyms 💀💀 but Ooms are short for "Oracle of MUINENS" and that's exactly what it sounds like; its pronounced "oo-mh" lol. Not to be confused with Oomis, which are short for "Oracle of MIRANKA" the "mi" is the important part lol, and that's pronounced "oo-me" :)

when it comes to weddings... they're called bonding ceremonies. now, overall, bonding ceremonies don't have to be only romantic; the tl;dr version is that in terrae theres 3 types of 'bonds': kinship bonds (so biological, blended or adoptive family), bonds generally (what we would consider romantic ties, marriage, qprs, friendships--literally anything non family can be in this category), and pleasure (which is sex lol. basically to have a bond doesn't mean you have to have sex, and pleasure seeking is pretty fluid even among bonded pairs; its not considering cheating really. unless you're in eros. but that's a convo for another day).

anyway--there's a difference between a capital B Bonding ceremony (aka before the god MIRANKA) or little b bonding ceremonies in front of legal authorities, Oomi, or peers.

for a little b bonding ceremony its kind of no different than a courthouse wedding situation. people will go to their local government entity and register themselves as together, and have an Oomi sanction the bond and then you're on your way. by sanctioning the bond i mean, basically the Oomi gives the go ahead unless they get some divine intervention that says the union shouldn't be allowed for some reason. but that doesn't happen too much At least not with little b bonds. then most people will hold banquets with their families and celebrate in some way; the cultural traditions are something i'm still developing so i don't know all the nuances... YET.

however, when it comes to BIG B BONDS that's different. why? big b bonds have a magical binding component to them. if your Bond is granted before MIRANKA, you are bound for the rest of your life to it except in exonerating circumstances (ie: your partner or friend or kid dies or something happens idk man) and there is a chance that MIRANKA will refuse it. but should he grant it, that means that you are tied for life and will be killed or tormented with misfortune if you break your oath.

Big B Bonds also again aren't restricted to just romance. anyone can bond with anyone for any reason but i would YKNOW STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU NOT or at least think about it a lot bc if you fuck up like.... yikes for you.

there's actually a bonded group of friends in tcol--contingent 5 or the "what could've been" foil for the main characters -> moira, jagoda, kiba, eryn, and karenza. even though moira and jagoda are dating and will eventually have a bonding ceremony/kids/etc, they'll get little b bonded to each other because they're already Big B bonded as a group.

The reason big b bonds have magical components is because when you go to an Oomi and say that you want this, they'll usually assess you to ensure its something all parties want, and then they'll help you draft your prayer to MIRANKA, which states why you want this and the history of the relationship with this person. if MIRANKA accepts your oath, the Oomi will fall into a trance and they will provide you with your Bonded Script (or something i gotta think of what to call it). its basically a prophecy thing stating the rules of your bond, what benefits you get, and any draw backs. the bond for contingent 5 looks like this ->

“your strength is my strength your weakness is my weakness any pain unto you i share your triumphs, your victories your defeats, your shame i will reach my hand out and help you bear it nothing will separate us but the hands of fate for when Cerullius calls one home we all as one will join it”

and saying it as one to the Oomi will cement it in stone before MIRANKA. and it comes with magical benefits! one of the reasons team 5 is so formidable is because of the magical benefits they got from this bond.

so i hope that kind of makes sense? bonds are a newer idea in this world so i don't have all the kinks fully hammered out and with how fist my mind has been whirrling about this lately, i'd say that this could be subject to change.

[valandhirwriter]

For the ask game: Erland, of course :D

Sexuality Headcanon:bi-confused. He loved only one woman in his live (Jagoda) but had several relationsships with men over his long life. Would claim that his love for Jagoda is entirely different than what he shared with certain other Witchers. Doesn't really understand himself in that regard. Gender Headcanon: Male A ship I have with said character: I have several. There is Erland/Jagoda, with Jagoda being the one love he held onto, no matter what happened to him, no matter what he got turned into. With Jagoda long dead, she became an ideal to which no other woman ever measured up.I still want an AU where Jagoda lived, and they went that long road together. Then there is Erland/Arnaghad, which is tumultous and Erland/Coën which is just sweet and much fall/spring. A BROTP I have with said character:Talisien. A mentor who became a friend as Erland grew up and became a warrior in his own right, best friend, confidant, and a loss that again impacted Erland heavily, and lead to his fairly lonely leadership style, he practiced later. A NOTP I have with said character:Ivar.For many many reasons, but mostly because he is the total opposite of Erland's character. My headcanon is that of all the schools, Erland has the biggest problem with the vipers. A random headcanon:He has silver eyes, not golden. When they made him, they still experimented with cross-species substance to enhance him, and the eyes are a result of that. Totally different from the eye mutation later Witchers would get. General Opinion over said character:I am absolutely fascinated by the character.IThe knightly code, the decision to stick to code like that in a darkening world, thats absolutely fascinating for me. I don't see it as a weakness, or him being compelled by his erstwhile mentor, either. I see it more as something he did, to re-shape that cynic, brutalised youth he once was into someone better, someone worth living. To me that makes a compelling journey, and I have a weakness for the trope of the old knight, still holding to his long-outdated code in a so-called "more modern" world. Usually I find the knight and his code more compelling than all the modern stuff.

@lohrendrell same ask to you for Jagoda.

[slavicafire]

yo i am late to the game but while we are on regional differences, wtf is the difference between borówka and jagoda? my dad (zachodnio-pomorskie) & my stepmom (małopolska) got in a fight about it last time i asked and i didn’t want to say anything because i (who’s born in america but spent the most time in dolny śląsk) have always called *everything* jagoda

oh good gods, this word... this word. this fruit.

as most of you know because I ramble about it mercilessly all the time as if anyone cared, I grew up between Silesia and between the Carpathians - one part of my family is Silesian and the other are górale. a horrible, horrible mix.

so blueberries (or bilberries before someone starts giving me grief and I have to kill them) - vaccinium myrtillus - are borówki for highlanders. I ate them for the first time in the mountains, too, and so they have always been borówki for me. it makes sense, does it not - the plant itself is actually called borówka czarna in Polish. but somehow that word really is popular only in the very south of our country.

silesians can't really make up their minds about it and they call blueberries jagody - but they sometimes use jagody for other fruit as well. or call blueberries something else entirely, in their typical stubborn fashion.

and then I talk with someone from a different place entirely - or I read the label on the yoghurt - and so it is jagody, again. and just as suddenly, others seem to use borówki for the mountain cranberry (vaccinium vitis-idaea) even though that's quite clearly brusznica, and then I also hear my friends say czernice to mean blueberries even though that's very clearly a word for blackberries!

it's a whole wonderful mess - you can see this handy map (Elżbieta Belcarzowa „Czarne jagody, borówki i ich synonimy”, Język Polski, 1960):

[ughmerlin]

jagoda, happy birthday! i hope you have a great day!! 💖 thank you for being this amazing person and for your AMAZING gifsets. i still can't believe you logged into this website for free and you allow us to see your amazing and gorgeous content!!! you're such a talented and sweet person and i'm very happy to call you mutual and friend (even if we never really talked ekdhekdj) happy birthday again angel, love you!! 💖💗💞

MAAAAX 🥺🥺🥺 THANK YOU SO MUCH your sweet words are making me melt!! 🥺🥰💞 you’re just as talented as sweet as me, if not more!! thank you for being here, sending love!! 💞💗✨💖

[widevibratobitch]

Was tagged (and called her little sunshine????? that was so hella cute????!!!? it totally made my day, i didn't even think you recognized me at all, thank you, ily) by @babinicz.

and we all know I love to talk about myself so here goes:

1. are you named after anyone?

Actually yeah. When my mom was a little girl, her mother had a friend from work (and they worked at PEWEKS which was like s u p e r fancy back then) whose name was Jagoda (literally "blueberry" in Polish, srsly) and she was the most beautiful woman my mom has ever known (and apparently had a mole like Marilyn Monroe lol) and she had decided that she was going to name her daughter Jagoda too. And 30+ years later, here I am, with a name that used to make me cry in kindergarten because other kids made fun of me and threatened to eat me.

2. when was the last time you cried?

Uhm, today. And like really hard, I can't remember the last time I cried like that. And it was in front of my voice teacher because I'm just a bag of trash lol

3. do you have any kids?

GOD no. And I hope not, for the next 10 years at least. I would actually like to have kids, but I'm too terrified that I won't be able to raise them to be good, happy people and so I think it's better if I never have any :(

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

Me? Never.

5. eye color?

Depens on the light tbh, gray/blue/green.

6. scary movie or happy ending?

Scary movie. Pretty much all my favourite characters either die horribly or end up miserable af, sorry.

7. special talents?

Hahahahahahahhahahaha none. Some people tell me I'm a good actress and have some musicality but that ain't shit.

8. where were you born?

Poland, Toruń (you know that ugly guy who said that the Earth goes around the Sun, and not the other way around? Yeah, that's our boi).

9. do you have any hobbies?

OPERA!!!(listening, singing, making memes, criticizing and finding queer elements everywhere), playing the piano better than I ever suspected I would but worse than my teacher expects me to, classic literature, collecting really old things or just looking at them with my mouth hanging open in awe.

10. do you have any pets?

Yup, a cat, my lil bitch whom I love so much but am afraid the feeling is not mutual...

11. what sports have/do you play?

Uuuuuuuhm sport? i dont know her. It if involves moving any part of my body though, please don't ever mention it to me.

12. how tall are you?

Uhm, 170cm? Maybe a little less.

13. favorite subjects in school?

I HATE SCHOOL AND EVERYTHING IT STANDS FOR but back when I still had any motivation to study whatsoever... I used to really enjoy Polish, English and History (also Music history and Music theory... Ahh good days when I had a teacher who made me love Music theory hahahha good days)

14. dream job?

Opera singer. Period. I don't care for fame or money, I just want to sing. I can't do anything else. I won't do anything else. I refuse to spend my life having to get up early in the morning to go to a work that I hate. I refuse to end up like my mother, who used to be an actress and that was the only thing she ever wanted to be, but who now works in a city hall. I refuse.

I'm tagging my own little sunshines: @tornaloadir @acepolish @carlodivarga-s @simone-boccanegra @donnaimmaculata @lessthansix @amynion have some fun if you want

[deepintoforestwego]

What river keeps

Another one in my slavic folklore urban fantasy, this one for about rusalka (again, thanks a lot to @slavicafire for being inspiring person and lovely friend). So, on we go!

He casts your body in river.

It isn’t smart choice. It is done in heat of moment, desperate wish to hide evidence of his crime (mistake, he would claim if asked). The river is low, especially as summer has barely passed and rivers haven’t yet started, and there are always people here, but still somehow he casts you (your body, to be honest) in the water. Perhaps he hoped it would be carried away and smashed so it wouldn’t be recognized.

But no matter. He killed you. Yet you lived.

Forty days. That is how much time soul needs before it is ready to pass on. But sometimes, that period can be prolonged. Untimely, brutal deaths, sorrow and pain and hatred carried by deceased have power of their own. That is magic and sacrifice, gnawing on dead soul, which in turns strengthens it.

And your soul-your vengeful, wrathful, bitter soul-holds fast at your body, slips in it again, and says No, I must live, I was cheated. And death allows it.

The river flows around you, over you, through you. The river, which flows on and on, like time, like life, and water, that precious element, that source from which life sprang forth hears you scream and grants you it’s power, it’s blessing, it’s strength.

Girl has died. Demon is born.

Others help you.

You never before heard of rusalkas. Never been one for fantasy and magic and folklore, and honestly, you found mythology little dumb. But like calls to like, and they know when new one is born.

So they come. Those who were born such, from love of rusalkas and vodanoi, and those who became such through human action. Those who embrace monstrosity and drown all who approach, and those who are much...gentler. Those who rage and laugh at you, and those who croon and sit through your panicked tantrums. Those who disdain their new lives and those who embrace them. Those who are almost as young as you and those who are so old river dyed them wholly green, green hair green skin green teeth.

They come and they teach you. Its almost like having hundred sisters.

Rusalkas here aren’t typical you learn.

It makes sense after all, your city is built on two rivers and four more flow closely. This isn’t wild, abandoned river in woods you approach when there is nothing but fish to eat. There are metal bridges and similar things built over and around. Of course it’s demons are urbanized and modern.

Positive sides of it (arguably, but in your opinion): memes, toy collections, fashion, crazy schemes to get waterproof phones, attempts to get hands on some sort of magical television that is just now becoming popular in demon community, knowledge of recent pop songs.

Negative: Six rivers, each filled to brim with rusalkas trying to one-up their neighbors.

Your grandma’s blood-hungry gossiping provincial ‘’friends’’ got nothing on them.

You didn’t want to start drowning people. You were mad and you were broken about your family and you were demon but you didn’t want to become murderer.

Then you noticed amount of people littering your river. Never before were you much environmentally aware, and you wouldn’t have done so but neither would you have pulled out trash and yelled at people for that. But river is your home now.

You don’t succeed, because you are new to this and river level is rather low, but you get several approving congratulations from others.

They say river changes you.

When you are taken by it, it isn’t finished thing. It is new life, new experience. day by day, river accepts you more and more. You live and grow and change. As long as you are willing, you will live if not murdered (or so long it will seems so), you will become stronger, faster, heal better,  and grow scarier and stranger, as their human past is washed away, and memories of being demon pile on.

And as time passes, their body tints green.

She has many sisters now, but if forced to admit, she would say Jagoda is her favorite.

She is eldest of all rusalka in this river that accepted you, perhaps eldest in the whole country if not wider. Five hundred and counting, the only thing green hasn’t completely overtaken are her sclera and lips-red as tiny forest strawberries she was named after.

Rusalkas don’t have leaders, being all bunch of too wild and capricious demons, but Jagoda informally holds that position, because nobody is stupid enough to ignore advice of somebody so old and wise (Usually. World is full of different kinds of fools). She is one who gives best advices, one who defends weakest, one who knows most about river.

She is strangest of them all. She is old enough to be best beloved by river, to point you could put bullet through her heart, blow her head apart, and she would heal. And yet, she misses one eye and half hair, skin on that side of face scarred and rotten, one arm half bared from flesh and skin down to bone, other dried out and thin like reed, one leg swollen and bloody, parts of her back and torso covered by swollen, wrinkled, pungent flesh, more similar to sponge.

You don’t dare dream what scarred demon so powerful like that. You don’t dare wonder how she got away.

You don’t dare to ask how she exacted vengeance.

It feels strange to live in water, at first.

You can’t leave, not for long time, unless it is green week, rusalka week, your week. Like a fish, once Sun dried water off you you would be gone for last and final time, like a fish left on dry.

You don’t hate living in river, not really (most of time, that is). It isn’t even truly uncomfortable. But it is strange, swimming all the time, moving through such thick substance, feeling water enter your lungs each moment, all green and blue and black around you (as time goes on, your sight becomes clearer, sharper), always moving, always flowing, always pulling you. the rivers are never steady.

It is fun, to watch movements and waves of surface down below. If only you could touch it...

Summer used to be your favorite season. Now, you start hoping for it’s end in April.

The level falls, down, lower, until there isn’t enough room, until there are places tiny islands of pebbles are formed, where even small trees can grow, and you are left crawling, walking like dog, scraping bottom as you wait for it to pass, and move out of city, in deeper places.

You miss it.

You miss cars, and street lights, and television you watched in your bedroom, and your phone. You miss your school, and your mother, and your friends. You miss your dog, and your toys, and your songs.  You miss it all, and city around you is constant reminder of how close yet faraway they all are, for river is low and trees are few and bridges hang over your head.

Jagoda says it is usual, and she is kind, but she claims you will get over it soon.  You don’t tell her off, because you are aware she lost everything she had in mortal world, and probably forgot how much it mattered, and because she may be right or not but she is trying to be kind, and because her body, warped like wood that has been in seawater too long aches and hurts too much for her to concentrate on her words moments after, and she needs somebody to carry her.

The world is lovely. You have friends and family and so many opportunities. 

But still, something inside you aches-it wants to be alive again, and it wants to move on, but it is stuck in between.

Rusalkas are strange breed, everybody agrees.

It must be so. They are aquatic demons. And water is mercurial, capricious thing. It has it’s own magic and accepts no other. Spells done in water twist and change and misfire, and when water moves demons can’t cross.

But they live. They heal. And they allure.

Vodanoi, the water people, are your cousins. Born from drowned, they arise to drown others. born from criminals, they are called to punish others.

Yet there is difference. Vodanoi aren’t eternal and unchanging like rusalkas, expiring after decades, nor do they have powers like ones, just strength and breathing. But they are often Called, called to gather and join and hunt, ninety nine of them.

( And sometimes, a shape of memory comes, one all aquatic demons know in dreams. Ancient man, beard white as sea foam, of strong fish tail. The Devil of Waters, Water Spirit, Old One, The Father, The Leader, Master of Crystal Castle, He who can’t be escaped. 

They forgot his old names, taboo and unspoken in fear, and forgot to worship him properly, but they still need rain and rivers still flow and they still fear and revere ocean. And like all gods, he flows, and waits for time when he will lead them all across sea, to other shores, and other deceased).

It is finally the time, the week you have been waiting for months.

Decades have passed, but green week still excites you. You rise from water, and you breathe. You take all air you can, and hold it is long as possible, and breathe and breathe over and over.

It is early night, for dusk has fallen some time ago, and you come little father from shore, to pebbles and dust and grass where humans sit and laugh and drink- it is summer, and here, they have always gathered, young and lively, to laugh and celebrate and enjoy each other’s company.

You watch, and remember, and wonder whether some of them are your cousins, or children of your friends, standing aside, covered and hidden by veil that separates living and undead, human and demon, mundane and magic.

One boy turns, and his eyes lock on you seeing you. You knows those eyes, and curious, prepared look in them- a sorcerer child, whether by blood or choice. Human yet magic, standing between worlds in ways similar yet different from you.

He makes excuse of some kind, and leaves for trees and bushes and asks youto follow- and it is question, not command, kind way he moves.

Once you made same mistake and died. But now, you are dead and demon and this is your river, and sorcerer can not harm you there.

‘‘Hi. Sorry if I am being rude, but did you need something from us?’‘ He isn’t accusing you of trying to drown his friends, which to be fair wouldn’t be such stupid idea- you are rusalka and this is green week and you spent at least five minutes staring at them.

‘‘No, nothing.’‘ You answer, distracted for moment. You feel life inside him, as do all undead, and it is bright and strong and roaring and burning like zmey’s fire breath.

‘‘ Do you need help?’‘ he asks again, calm and collected too much for somebody who is aware his greatest weapon, his spells, would fail him near river.

‘‘You know, this is bit creepy.’‘ You say.

‘‘Oh. Sorry, should have guessed. I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable.’‘ And he apologizes and blushes.

‘‘I suppose I was creepy too. How long was I watching you all?’‘ You ask.

‘‘Um, I saw you first some twenty minutes ago?’‘ At his place, you would have already tried to get in fight if somebody stared at you for so long thinking you couldn’t see them.

‘‘Ah. I am sorry for that too.’‘ You speak, and he looks over you again, and you know he understands.

‘‘Do you- do you want to join us?’‘ He asks, and produces a charm out of his pockets. It is good quality, kind water won’t mess up, kind made to make demons visible.

‘‘I..thanks.’‘ You say, going off with him. It could be dangerous.

You could slaughter them all if they tried something, even if your sisters didn’t help.

You dance.

You drink.

You laugh.

You sing offkey.

You meet people, and lie you are only visiting cousins for week.

You feel almost alive.

In morning, he comes with gifts, old and new kind, flower wreaths and t shirts you mentioned you’d like to buy.

You make new friend.

You love your sisters, you do, but you need this. You need humanity, need mundane you once were, to remember and treasure, not mourn for as Lana or be ashamed of like Milica or forget like Jagoda.

He teaches you English, and how accounting works, and what spells he know though you can’t master them.

You teach him to dive, and jump in river, and what fishes live with you.

Biggest, strangest thing you ever did was when he had you transported from river-and it wasn’t green week.

It took aquarium, and cart, and lots of don’t notice me spells, but finally you visited pool your mother promised she will let you go on to train swimming.

You don’t need it anymore, but it is night and nobody is there, and you swim clothed in chlorine filled water, and giggle.

You marvel at his hand sometimes, though you do best not to stare. A quicksilver palm, seeming almost liquid, moving so lifelike and graciously though there are still days when it is hard, when it hurts and aches

‘‘‘My auntie made it. dad was angry, because he thought she refused to make it grow back, but she never cared what her siblings in-law thought. I told her that i didn’t want to try, that I wasn’t ashamed of living like this, and she understood.’‘ he says once.

‘‘Dad accepted it, of course, though he still grumbles why I couldn’t have taken gold one.’‘

He finds out what happened to your family.

How mom died, when, and where she is buried.

Your sister’s lives, and jobs, and accomplishments, and families they made.

Families you will never visit.

You admit that you are tired. that you want to be free. That you want to be human.

He nods and goes off despite your warnings.

They are both there. man you once loved above any, and your best friend.

He is older, stupid pig, so much older, bit older then you should have been (though your time scale is much larger now), had he not stolen that chance, that right, that life from you. He is older and bigger and stronger, but your friend is faster and younger and uses magic until they come near water.

You don’t know how he found your murderer, you don’t know how he dragged him here, only that they are fighting and you can’t help, bound to river.

And then they fall in.

His life is glorious, burning, sharp and harsh as dragon’s teeth, as great and majestic as meteor crossing down skies.

His life is sticky, horrible mess, feeling like tar bearing down on your throat, cold and muddy and making you wanting to vomit.

You could end it. Life of murderer, taken by hand of rusalka he created, or by blade of one desiring her favor, and she would be saved, would be free. It would only take moment, to carry him to depths, press your hands against his throat, crush his windpipe, force his jaws open.

It is winter and level is high and this part is deep, and you leave your murderer,  though you know he always could swim well, and swim towards your friend. You grasp him, hold him, swim up and up, but it is too much, and water has already invaded his lungs and...

And river parts.

Cleaved apart, in half is flow broken. It hangs in air, and you with it, and your friend floats safe and dry and living, as does your murderer, frozen in time, scream etched on face.

‘‘Honey, if you wanted to murder man out of vengeance as sacrifice to dead, you should have just asked for help.’‘ Out of nowhere, forming out of nothingness, a woman steps out. Everything on her is conservative and refined, from her skirt and laced gloves to her hat with netlike veil covering her eyes. her voice is soft, and lovely, and melodious. She is short, and her face is gentle, wrinkled and round.

You can’t sense her. It is as if she doesn’t exists, as if she is neither alive nor undead nor ghost. But you feel her magic,crashing down like tsunami, enormous like open sea, so strong and great even full river is nothing for her, and you think you might drown it.

‘‘s-Sorry auntie, didn’t want to bother you.’‘ More likely, didn’t want to face consequences of her dismembering man and leaving his bowels on streets in open daylight. her magic is cold and burns like salt on open wound, and you feel as if you swallowed whole river. Old magic, from older, darker times.

‘‘Old and dark are rather relative. But I must thank you for saving my nephew. What would you like?’‘ She turns to you, and you bite down urge to run and swim far, far away, if only out of fear she would chase you. Her gaze is  as heavy and crushing like pressure of ocean’s deepest trench, and her words and face are sweet and gentle but they hold so much power, feeling like high pressure beam of water, strong enough to cut through steel.

‘‘I..’‘ You don’t speak anymore, because words don’t carry through water as they do through air, but you know she could hear you, just as you know she can see inside of your heart. You don’t dare look at her in face, staring instead at her cute hat, black as bottom of river, like polar night, like pieces of world that never knew sunlight and warmth, only hunger and crushing force of depths.

‘‘Do you want us to slaughter him, in accordance to old ways/ or you want to gut him like fish yourself? Or maybe something worse?’‘ She smiles, and it is sweet and gentle as mother’s, and dark blue motes of light dance at her fingertips, and Jagoda’s cursed, scarred form rises to front of your mind.

‘‘Not like that, of course. This time, we wouldn’t be so forgiving. Misunderstanding and kidnapping carry much lighter sentence.’‘ Old magic is hunger and blood and secrets that should never be released from shadows, it is price and burden and things that survive by feeding on lesser creatures.

Things whose family isn’t to be touched.

‘‘I would prefer to do so myself.’‘ You say at last.

‘‘Of course! That is way things are done! Do it, and I will ensure nobody finds out what you did, and that everybody knows what he had done all those years ago. But they wouldn’t think it was suicide out of guilt, I promise.’‘ And there is relief, and pride and love in her voice, as if she has heard you were accepted at Oxford. A knife appears in your hand, and he floats to you.

It is quick, clean cut. He is dead in moment. Your friend’s heart skips beat, you feel it in bonfire that is his existence. You don’t feel his aunt at all, except for cold crushing weight that makes world, even water, bow down to her wishes, but you know that she is disappointed.

‘‘A day, to say goodbyes, and day to prepare ointment for seeing dead for his eyes.’‘ She says, and two of them disappear, and river closes again, almost relieved, and you try to bury memories of her far, far down.

It is done. Goodbyes are spoken and cried and party is held for you, moment they see blood fallen and frozen on you, mark of what you have done, seal on your fate.

That night, you feel bonds be broken, feel ache inside you disappear, and you rise, run, fly towards sky and stars, and you laugh and laugh.

He waits for you on bridge.

‘‘How was it?’‘ He asks.

‘‘I need to bring them gifts every other week for all effort they put in it. Now let us go at that concert.’‘ You says, and fly, and stretch out to feel life and death before and around you.

To feel it flow, on and on.

[kendallspussy]

hello, how are you! i wanted to ask if u have any polish music recommendations? anything to get me started in the churning wheels of the spotify algorithm is good, i like alt music.

Hello 💞 it took me a while to answer because I had to go through some of my playlists for this reply to make sense; and I have to point out that I don't listen to Polish music very often; I have some artists that I like a lot and listen to frequently but I definitely don't have knowledge of the whole Polish music scene

here's a playlist with relatively new Polish music that I like

it includes: Bitamina, Kwiat Jabłoni, Mery Spolsky, the Dumplings, to whom I return quite often and whom I like; their music is based on and known for interesting or unconventional lyricism

apart from that, there are artists like, Brodka, Krzysztof Zalewski, Dawid Podsiadło, Daria Zawiałow, Bovska, Ralph Kaminski, Mela Koteluk, Vito Bambino (and more) who are the quite popular and relatively young

LUNA and Jagoda Kret, on the other hand, are just entering the Polish music world, but I have recently become interested in them

and there is Taco Hemingway, who is one of the most popular rappers; I really like his first 3 albums, although I don't know if his music can appeal to someone who doesn't understand Polish, because my fondness for his music is based on his lyricism; however, if you like him (I have a friend from Austria who doesn't speak Polish and loves Taco), I will recommend listening to his first 3 albums; especially "Marmur" makes the most sense listened to in order, because it is a concept album

and I have another playlist with so called classics; it's music, mainly pop/rock, that I grew up with and that practically everyone in Poland knows; it's more of a cultural curiosity for you I guess, because I have no idea if this music can appeal to anyone who has no sentimental attachment to it.

I hope I could help you a little bit! and feel free to hit me up about it later and/or let me know if anything in particular appeals to you, maybe I can recommend you other artists that way 🖤

[hungarianbee]

We fancy ourselves a bit of a lore dragon, haha, many of us (me included) even edited the wiki; Jagoda's page for example was made from scratch (with the help of my dear @lohrendrell). I want to lowkey highfive you - twn is nowhere at the level the books and games go with juicy and somewhat consistent lore (the timeline is a mess either way).

This is gonna be a ramble, excuse my wordiness.

The funny thing about Arnaghad and Erland is that they are both right and so very wrong. Arnaghad fancies solitude and individualism - his school is founded at the top of a mountain where the trials have a high chance to freeze the cubs to death (just to quote the bear witcher adept card: "To become a Bear Witcher, all students must pass the Trial of the Mountain. This requires venturing to the peak of Mount Gorgon to retrieve a special runestone as proof of ascent—an especially brutal challenge, as many boys freeze to death long before they find the summit."). Ivo is a perfect example of what an ideal bear should look like (if we take what we know of him at face value and not as a coping mechanism): only out for coin, hating his brethren and consequently going out of his way to give a wide birth to his kin. To me, it tells me about how Arnaghad thought that he needs every member of his school to be able to rely on himself and *only* himself. Even their fighting style underlines it: like a moving fortress, their defense is their offense.

While Erland went in the exact opposite, believing that cooperation is not only possible but necessary for survival. Griffins are the most liked among the schools, around Poviss and Kovir they are treated with respect, and in the Golden Era, even among courts (while desperately clinging to neutrality). And even if they are portrayed as noble, they still have teeth. Lemme grab a few quotes from A Witcher's Journal, bc I'm overexcited haha.

"The fate of a witcher - no matter the school - can be harrowing but among the Gryphons you knew your suffering had purpose and your brothers would support you."

and

"It would be a lie to say I never raised my blade in opposition to a person. Even a Witcher hears the call of steel when faced with evil in the form of a man and I’ve drawn blood many a time in defense of my friends. But never for coin."

The Griffin style in Witcher 1 is used against multiple enemies, preferring glancing blows and magic against brute force, and in their trial, they are given a choice(!). That's super important - even if nobody memorized the Liber (aside from Keldar, my boo), they could still choose knowledge against risking their lives further.

But at the end of the day it's Erland's school that ends up in the waters, an avalanche burying his brethren with only a few survivors, while Arnaghad's still stands, albeit empty. The sting of that knowledge is a juicy plot point that I turned around in my head multiple times. They are just *clenches fist* so so fascinating. Especially since we only know Erland's side of the deal, there's plenty of wiggle room for Arnaghad. And I haven't even gone into how Erland tamed his Skelliger side, while Arnaghad stayed true to his Gemmeran roots, untamed and wild. There's a lot of repression going on in the dear Golubchik, and I'd bet my non-existent hat that it frustrates Arnaghad to no end.

Hello I'm the writer of that arnaghad/erland fic and all I have to say to your incredible rb tags is *yanks harder*

Thank you so much for the kind words, I really enjoyed writing that fic, and by the nature of rarepairs, the few people that DO care about it care about it a LOT.

Look, the least I can do is gush at you in the tags, bc I'm rather shy on AO3, and I *was* hoping you'd read them, so it worked out nicely :)

The OG husbands mean so much to me, they were probably the first rarepair our server came up with (The Breakup, man, still gets me going with feels), and anytime someone new writes for them I'm like a little kid in the shopping window, pressing my face against the glass at the shiny thing. (I may have also immediately gone and shared the fic around, bc it deserves the attention.) Erland, especially, is my tiny husband, and seeing his tag get used floods me with serotonin, so thank you for that <3

[startthechangeproject]

REFUGEES ISLAND

«She ran away with the whole family. She tried to get to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. She lost her husband and children on the journey. She said she couldn't see the point of living. Then I saw her praying curled up over the sea» said Jagoda Cieślik, student of 1st High school in Radomsko city and Amnesty International activist  speaking about her journey to  Lampedusa, Italy, and about the netting with refugees.

Jagoda Cieślik is 18 years old and this year she will be taking the graduation exam. She goes to high school and since almost two years is working in local Amnesty International group. This is an international organization dedicated to the prevention of human rights violation founded 60 years ago and supported by 7 million people.

The leader of the AI group from Radomsko is Agnieszka Skura-Garbaciak, the teacher in 2 high school in Radomsko and currently head of the education department of the district. 

«In our group most activist are young people but it's not the norm. There are countries where most involved members are elder people» Jagoda says.

She answers the question why she works in this organization this way.

«Being involved in such an organization IA part of growing up when you see what is going in the world and try to fix it. Political views do not matter for example I personally dislike and avoid politics. In AI you should only be convicted that human rights are something that belongs to everyone. The trip to Lampedusa was the final of the Start the Change project, which lasted from September 29 to October 5th” ».

 THE ISLAND

The island has an area of only 20 square kilometres. It is located in the south of Sicily between Malta and Tunisia. Just 6,000 people live there, the others are refugees.

The island lies on the route from Africa to Europe.

Six years ago, on 3 October 2013, the biggest refugee’s tragedy took place here. Just half a mile from the edge near the bay called Isola dei Conigli, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the ship sank 540 people, mainly coming from Eritrea. 360 people drowned, 155 survived, 20 disappeared. In remembrance of this tragedy on the 3rd of October, a hospitality remembrance day is celebrated.

«This project was about finding out what the refugee problem really looks like on the spot» says Jagoda. «There were many students from Italy but also from other European countries. We were there to gain the experience. I completed the survey where I had to write what I do and in what project I am involved in. On this basis, I have been chosen».

She went with two other girls, one from Kraków and one from Lódź. And, of course, international friends from others Countries. Formally, the project focused on workshops, discussing issues related to migration, sustainable development, the climate crisis and human rights. But the most touching moments were the small talks with people.

Jagoda says: «I remember conversations with survivors of that disaster and other refugees. One of them told us why he was escaping from his Country. Not because had no money but because of war. He could stay there without hope or decide to leave. He chose the second option. He had to pay smugglers to cross the border illegally, and risk his live.

Or the story of a man who came to Europe by feet from the Far East. He went two years in states. He paid smugglers for the episode, when he beat him he worked to earn money for the next one, month after month. He made it however he did not get refugee status because of regulation. Those who survived the disaster of October 3rd sailed to Europe with whole families.

I was shocked by the story of a woman who ran away with the whole family. They tried to get to Europe across the sea. She lost her husband and children during the journey. She said that she could not see the point of living. Then I saw her bent over praying over the water. Then I realised that hatred for refugees is really killing.

One of the things that surprised me the most was the attitude OD the inhabitants of Lampedusa. It was a positive surprise. They really felt the negative effects of the crisis.

It was once a touristic island but to be honest it is not anymore. People are afraid of refugees. The Italians are also afraid; therefore, they don't want to come to Lampedusa anymore. It's not even about crowds of people, because for example I have not seen the situation where  someone has just reached the island, the refugees are also living in their attire, it is difficult to meet people on the street who have not established legal sit.

And those residents who fell the negative effects of the refugee crisis themselves, went with us to commemorate the victims of that tragedy.

They gave us school, they met with us, they were really involved. The major was at the meeting, and many different organizations, mostly Italian and all with positive attitude. I think that this tragedy influenced them. Then that day when they saw the bodies coming to shore, many cutters from Lampedusa went to help.

This is probably the reason why the Italian weekly I'Espresso has applied for a Nobel Prize for the inhabitants of the island for the help they give refugees.

We look at man through the prism of his skin color, religion, nationality, and yet man is the result of many things not only race, religion and nationality. Many people do not want to confront with it. The media are also doing a bad job, because they do not portray refugees as individuals, only a wave a collective. And yet in this group there are different people, good and bad, with different goals and different opinions. The perception of Polish can also be changed. It's important to show them specific people. That they would know them, see that they have dreams, plans, views, beliefs that they are not a crowd».

[konychanwookie]

28, 29?

28. Do you want any kids? If so, how many? What do you imagine their names being?

Yes i do actually want kids 😂 (even tho i tell my mom i dont just to annoy her) 2 or 3 maybe?…. if 2 then one boy (youngest) and one girl (oldest) and if 3, two girls (oldest) and one boy (youngest) and i’m not sure about names, it really depends. I have this inside joke tho with my friend, that if i move to a different country (That’s not in scandinavia) if i get a girl i’ll call her blåbær which means blueberry in norwegian 😂 (there was a girl in my class who’s name was jagoda (Idk if i spelled it correctly) and it means blueberry in Polish

29. What’s your nickname?

Oml so many now 😂😂 if you dont count with all the ones @shimco has given me, then maybe 4 or 5?? There are a few name based ones, and then there’s the stuff like maknae, fresh lettuce, tiny puff pastry, sneaky little brat, baby moonlight….. there are a few more but can’t remember…..

[augmentedbrilliance-blog]

continuing from for @outbackiing

Jagoda had been out most of the day, truthfully. She needed to get groceries to make dinner and stuff - usually she was only feeding one person since her only other friend was an omnic. But now she had somebody else - a very tall, probably fuckin’ hungry man - that was staying with her for God knows how long. At least getting everything upstairs wasn’t a hassle; like Junkrat, she was outfitted with her own “fancy” cybernetics. Hanging a bunch of grocery bags off of that arm was a godsend, otherwise she’d have to take two trips, and nobody wanted to do that. Especially when you live in an apartment building on the second floor.

She had the suit as an afterthought - a leftover from her previous boyfriend. She was trying to move on. “Here, you can have this. It doesn’t fit anyone else that I know.” It wasn’t an insistence that he wear it, no. Just that he had something nice to wear if he ever felt like it.

The door to the apartment opened with little resistance - despite having a physical keycard, everything was logged into her arm just in case her hands were full. The living room and kitchen were empty. “...Jamison?” She called, setting everything down on her small dining room table, freeing her arm. Her leather coat was removed as well, and adjustments to her left arm were made as she walked back to her bedroom to see if he was there.

Upon seeing the Rat looking so.. dapper. Like, 1920′s dapper! It made her hand literally fall off of her arm, since she had lost her grip on it mid-adjustment. “J-Jamison-- you--!” She bent over to stick her hand back on her wrist stump, face darkening in color. “I didn’t... expect you to actually wear it when I told you it was yours--!” She gulped for a brief moment, standing in front of the man, adjusting his lapel a bit. “For someone who, uh. You know, lived in the Outback most of his life...

You clean up very nicely. Not that I prefer it, though.”

[vacantgodling]

#17: Eryn Arcus

There’s always been something about you; even from birth your parents could sense it. The call of the wild seemed to manifest in your very being; the crunch of dirt and leaves under your feet and the smell of a fresh breeze to call you home. You walk a thin line between civility and nature, and that nature is a part of you more than anything else. You cannot explain the things that you see, only know that they call it chaos touched, one eye unseeing but sensing it. Your friends and your bond to them keeps you tethered to society, but that they indulge you and follow you into the unknown… you know you’re far luckier than anyone else here.

“eryn” means peace. “arcus” means a dense cloud.

28. nb (they/he/she). romance: yes, but she likes to play coy with it. sex: some—he doesn’t mind but he’s not really fond of penetration of any kind (including bjs/eating out. pretty much their sexual preferences are restricted to hand jobs and grinding). doesn’t really have a high sex drive either. preference: none, just someone open to having a poly relationship. eryn would rather them seek their sexual needs elsewhere if they wanna do penetration etc.

stands at about 5’6” with sunkissed skin and cloudy green eyes that seem unfocused (due to blindness). their body is covered in freckles and beauty marks and their hair is short and kinky curly. they usually keep the front part braided but they have a hard time doing their own hair so either kiba or moira tends to do it for them. they prefer to wear tight clothing that won’t get caught on things and they wield a medium sized bow.

a RANGER, who studied at the illustrious and notoriously difficult to find Pinella’s Pass Survivalist School; eryn is a bit different from others in her same field due to being chaos touched. it is a specific blessing (or curse, depends on who you ask) from the god MIZDARR, which grants users to physically be able to see the manifestation of chaos in the world. it does however, usually come at a price—and in eryn’s case (like many) it came at the cost of his eyesight. technically he is “legally blind” (by our world’s terminology). their eyesight is murky, foggy and milky at best—however they are able to see and sense the presence of chaos and they describe it having a purplish hue. this is what allows them to shoot—and it gives them an edge in accuracy over other rangers because they’re able to find the point of chaos in a monster or beast and aim for that instead of having to guess where a weak point is. obviously being blind does come with its disadvantages; eryn uses a stick (similar to a white cane in our world) when they’re out and about and not in the Labyrinth. when they are in the labyrinth, they have telus footwear and gloves that draw on his vis (magic of the force of will) that helps him have vague inclinations of where things are located. if he concentrated more, he could definitely see more with the gloves and footwear, but because they were born blind/chaos touched they aren’t like in dire need of sight. they just use them as more agile mobility aids so that they know whats around them to move and dodge when they’re in the middle of a fight. either way, the rest of their contingent and best friends (kiba, jagoda, moira, and karenza) more than make up for it and their formations tend to center around keeping karenza and eryn safe and out of harm’s way.

sly and snarky, with a love of teasing and ribbing, eryn’s monotone delivery is usually what gets peals of laughter out of her friends and there’s nothing she loves to do more than make them laugh. they have a sort of pessmistically whimsical view of life, which contrasts karenza’s more openly optimistic view, and they tend to not take themself too seriously. they can be serious when they need to and they are comforting without being too smothering. their levelheaded coolness matches kiba’s fiery energy and they do love him dearly… though they enjoy teasing him and making him play chase a bit more. they’ll definitely say yes to his advances soon though 👀

[tren-fraszka]

Please tell us about the character who would be the happiest wearing a kigurumi PJs.

I didn’t know this was the name, so I needed to google it XD

Full Name: M0RD3K67G2L... and many more random letters and numbers. Friends call him MordkaGender and Sexuality: He has no gender and is asexual (all mascots are created as such)Pronouns: Any are fine by himEthnicity/Species: MascotBirthplace and Birthdate: Created in one of the labs of Good Organization Guilty Pleasures: Being the anarchist that he is at heartPhobias: He has some fears but nothing that could be classified as phobia What They Would Be Famous For: Being extremely competent for someone who looks like they are rather naive and innocent What They Would Get Arrested For: Helping out one of the more infamous criminals, because he genuinely likes herOC You Ship Them With: Reina, the criminal mentioned aboveOC Most Likely To Murder Them: librarian (whose name I always forget), not because she had anything personal against him, but the librarian really wanted to kill Reina and Mordka really didn’t like this ideaFavorite Movie/Book Genre: AdventuresLeast Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Killing characters for cheap dramaTalents and/or Powers: As all mascots he is a powerful and talented magic user trained mostly to provide support. However, meeting Jagoda has twisted him (Borderlines have that effect on people) and as a result he strayed from his rather standard upbringing into a much more creative magic user and much more willing to bend the rulesWhy Someone Might Love Them: He is actual sweetheart who genuinely likes to help peopleWhy Someone Might Hate Them: He is really competent at what he does and what he does usually involves destroying plans of some badguysHow They Change: As I mentioned earlier, he was made to be a sympathetic if plain magical support. Somehow he became a very competent magical spy.Why You Love Them:I like characters who start all naive and good-hearted and then go through some shit to become even more kind-hearted, but less naive and much more badass

[zso1chelmno]

Fat Thursday

The 'Fat Thursday' is in Catholic Christian calendar the last Thursday before Lent. It's a traditional feast dedicated to eating and on this day people meet friends, families etc. and they can eat as many sweets and cakes as they want because Lent is a time of fasting.

Its date depends on the date of Easter, so we can say that Fat Thursday is a moveable feast. It's 6 days before Ash Wednesday and 52 days before Easter.

OK, but what are the most popular dishes on this day?

Well, everyone eats doughnuts on Fat Thursday. Actually, you can't see a baker's window without doughnuts on this day. They are everywhere!

Another popular dish is 'faworki'. They are dry crispy cakes in a form of a twisted bow and usually they are sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Here we'll give you a recipe for doughnuts and the glazing that we found here 

Incredible Doughnuts

For doughnuts

80 g butter

30 g rapeseed oil

500 g milk

20 g dry yeast

940 g flour (the dough should be very lose, but still hold together, so if it’s more like a liquid batter, you might need to add a tiny amount of more flour, but be careful, too much flour makes it a compact bread that will make people hate you)

170 g sugar

2 large eggs or 3 small ones

6 g salt (that’s about two pinches)

50 g diastatic malt (it makes bread all fluffy and creates amazing crusts on bread)

This is how you make the doughnuts:

Melt butter with oil and milk. Make sure the mixture isn’t hot, add the eggs and mix it all up. If the mixture is hot, your eggs will coagulate and you’ll ruin everything. Use a thermometer and raise the mixture’s temperature to 40 degrees Celsius. Then mix in the yeast, and let it stand for about 10 minutes to activate it. Add sugar, flour, salt and diastatic malt powder into the yeast mixture. Make sure to sift the flour and malt powder! Kneed the dough for 20  minutes in a machine. At first it will look very lose, almost liquid. But slowly it will come together. You want a very, very, very soft dough! If it doesn’t come together at all, but rather looks like a batter even after 15 minutes, then you might need to add a little more flour. It all depends on what kind of flour you have. But add very little at a time, don’t overdo it or you’ll end up with compact doughnuts! Cover with plastic film (you can spray the plastic film with oil to prevent the dough from sticking).Put into the refrigerator. The yeast will do it’s job in the cold. It will take longer than in room temperature, but it will develop much better yeasty flavours if you let it take its time. When the dough has doubled in size, put it on a flat floured surface. Flatten the dough to about 2,5 cm using a rolling pin. PROTIP! - It helps a lot to use two books on each side of the ruling pin to flatten it all evenly. Use two ring moulds of any kind, but the finer they are the finer the edges will be. One large and one smaller. Cut out the doughnuts. Save the balls from the doughnut hole to make another cake. Then let the doughnuts proof on an oven paper in room temperature until they double in size. It takes between 30-60 minutes depending on the temperature in your room. Heat up vegetable oil (don’t use olive oil, you need an oil made for deep frying that can be heated to 170 degrees Celsius). Now, use a thermometer and heat it up to 170 degrees. It’s difficult to maintain a constant temperature without using a huge deep fryer, but that’s not a problem. Just aim at 170 degrees, and let it fluctuate between 160-180. But no less or not more than that! To facilitate the moving of doughnuts from the table to the oil, I recommend you cut squares around all the doughnuts. Then you can just lift them up individually with the paper. Fry for 80 seconds per side. You can easily turn them around using a chopstick through the hole. Let the doughnuts cool down for a couple of minutes, if they’re too warm the glazing won’t stick.

And speaking of glazing...

The glazing:

100 g milk

A pinch of salt

400 g sugar

And anything you wish, like vanilla powder, cocoa, fruit etc.

Mix the milk, salt and powdered sugar. Now you have the basic.

Add anything you like. Do you like vanilla glazing? Just a dash of vanilla powder or the content of one vanilla pod. Like chocolate? Add a couple of scoops of chocolate powder. Want a fruit flavour? Just puré for example a kiwi and mix it in. Just keep in mind that adding too much dry flavouring, calls for a little more milk. Adding too much liquid flavouring (such as fruit puré) calls for a little less milk. You’ll figure it out.

Put a doughnut in there, lift it up and place it on a flat surface. The glazing will slowly pour down along the sides and you’ll absolutely love it!

Ranking of the Best Bakery doughnuts in Poland  (especially Warsaw)

1 Bakery shop "Kozak" doughnuts with Rose frosting are fluffy, yellow solid stuffed with Rose and great to eat next Day

2 Bakery shop “Słodki”. This doughnut has a lot of buttery, eggs, chocolate, sugar and most stuffing of all!

3 Bakery shop "Irena” Doughnuts with jam from plums, frosting and Orange peeling

4 Bakery shop “Smoki Warszawy” classic doughnut, fluffy and delicious for long time!

Written by

Michalina Paradowska, Jagoda Malewicz, Karol Szczepański & Wiktoria Sondej

[jodybouchard9]

13 Decor Items Grown Adults Should Never Have in Their Homes

ExperienceInteriors/iStock

Millennials call it “adulting”—those triumphant/scary moments in life when we discover that we’ve actually got our acts together, that we’re grown-ups tackling grown-up things. In grown-up ways!

There are a few common milestones of adulting: Have steady employment. Pay your bills. Know how to cook for yourself. Contribute to a 401(k).

If you’ve checked all of those things off your list, you might be feeling pretty good about your status as a responsible member of human society. But before you pat yourself on the back, take a look around: Does your pad still look like a dorm room? If so, we’re afraid to say, you haven’t nailed this adulting thing just yet.

It’s time to grow up already! Kick these household items to the curb—and pick up a few chic items in their place—for a sophisticated style upgrade.

1. Futons

Futons are a great way to convince visiting friends and family to stay at a hotel.

AnikaSalsera/iStock

You knew this one would make the list: You’re out of college, so it’s time to upgrade to a regular mattress (and maybe a box spring) for you and your out-of-town guests.

If you don’t want the hassle of going mattress shopping, never fear: The brave new world of e-commerce has you covered, with companies such as Casper and Amerisleep offering premium, free-delivery options with generous tryout and return options. Is your space at a premium? Try a sophisticated Murphy bed instead. Ditch the futons, and don’t look back.

2. A bed in a bag

We’ll be the first to admit it: We loved a good bed-in-a-bag set for those first few lean years after college. (Four pillows, a bed skirt, and a matching throw to casually drape across the foot of our beds, all for $49 at Bed Bath & Beyond? Count us in!)

But here’s the thing about bedding sets: They tend to be made of swelteringly hot synthetic materials. Plus, they lend a vibe to your boudoir that’s decidedly matchy-matchy—and more than a little, well, generic.

Elevate your bedding game by choosing a high-quality sheet set like these from Cuddledown, and choose a textured duvet cover or coverlet in cotton or another natural fiber. You’ll spend a bit more, but it’s worth it, experts say.

“Quality linens get better with time,” says Christina Harmon, owner of luxury home goods purveyor Epitome Home. Essentially, “long-term, good linens are less expensive than basic cotton sheets.”

3. A cheap bed frame

What are you doing?

MirAgareb/iStock

Even the best linens can be instantly cheapened by a bad bed. Elevate your look by investing in a high-quality bed frame with a luxe-looking headboard.

If that’s not in your budget, get creative: Cover your rickety old metal frame with a floor-skimming bed skirt, and create a chic-looking headboard out of old doors.

4. Cowhide rugs

Photo by Jagoda Architecture  “Remember when you first saw a cowhide rug and you were all, ‘Oh man, that is so cool’? Yeah, that was 15 years ago,” says Justin M. Riordan of Spade and Archer Design Agency. “Let it go, sweetheart—it’s time.”

And here’s the good news: You don’t have to spend a mint to get a quality rug. If you’re on a budget, consider a sisal or jute option; you can always layer a patterned rug on top if you tire of the natural look.

5. Plastic furniture

“Whether it’s shelves, chairs, tables, or the bed frame, it’s time to retire the plastic furniture and replace it with quality furniture that will last,” says designer Kayla Hein, who’s also creative director for Modern Castle, a home product review site.

Look for real wood, quality composite materials, or aesthetically pleasing metals instead, Hein suggests.

6. Bicast leather

Once upon a time, pet owners flocked to stores for bicast leather furniture. Less expensive than natural leather, bicast leather is covered in polyurethane.

“The big pull was the fact that this stuff would survive a nuclear attack,” Riordan says. “The problem is it’s now 20 years out of style and still tough as nails—and ugly as all get-out.”

Now that you’re a grown-up, it’s time to step away from the fake leather and embrace buttery soft stuff that gets only better with age.

7. Paper lamps

Shred these sources of light.

KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock

“Nothing says big-box Swedish furniture store like a paper lamp,” Riordan says. “Seriously, everybody knows where you got it. You’re not fooling anybody.”

Trade in your Ikea special for a layered lighting concept that fuses upright, task, and overhead lighting—and will instantly up your style quotient.

8. Disposable plates

Experts are united: Plastic or paper plates are acceptable only at a child’s birthday party or Fourth of July barbecue. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.

“If you’re old enough to be cooking for yourself, then you’re old enough to own real dishes,” Hein says. “Corelle is a great place to start: They’re inexpensive, look great, and are high-quality.”

Same goes for glassware: Banish the plastic cups you snagged at sporting events, and buy a collection of cool acrylic ones instead.

9. Paper napkins

OK, there’s a caveat here worth mentioning: If you have kids, paper napkins definitely deserve space in your linen drawer. But for everyone else, ditch the disposable stuff for a more elevated, eco-friendly option, like these table linens from Wolf & Irving.

10. Bottles and shot glasses on display

“You’re not 22 any more,” Hein says. “Displaying empty liquor bottle trophies is just sad now.”

Recycle those old Fireball bottles and sorority shot glasses, and replace them with small accent pieces like (real) plants in chic concrete pots or timeless ceramic vases.

And remember: Less is more.

“You don’t need to fill every inch of space,” Hein cautions. “The space between your decor speaks as much as the accent pieces themselves.”

11. Neon signs

Photo by Kahrs Everyone knows it’s 5 o’clock somewhere—you don’t need to advertise it. Ditch those neon signs for sophisticated paintings and artistic photographs (like these from Gray Malin) that mesh with your more evolved design style.

12. Posters

You are so much more than the generic art you grabbed from the college bookstore. Trade in your taped-up Monet print for a well-framed piece of art or decorative mirror like this one from contemporary furniture company Modani.

If you absolutely must keep a poster, spring for custom framing and professional hanging.

13. Fake plants

If you can keep yourself functioning, you can keep a plant alive—especially resilient ones like air plants, which you literally just dip in water every 10 days, or peace lilies, which NASA claims can filter toxins from the air.

We’ll acknowledge there are some strikingly real-looking fake plants out there, and if you have the funds, go for it. Otherwise, opt for hardy houseplants you can’t kill and prove you’re a real adult taking care of real things.

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