#language tag: icelandic

[haveyouheardthisfolksong]

Culture note: US American initially, at the very least since the mid-20th century there have been French, Welsh, German, Norwegian and Icelandic versions with the same tune but sometimes vastly different texts (submission)

If you have heard any version of this song, vote "yes."

[bogkeep]

i can't believe how much i keep running into "well that explains this part about czech culture i've been wondering about" while trying to read up on the astronomical clock. in a different timeline maybe i would know these things already! alas i do not.

either way. i read this on orloj.eu:

In the end, we remind Czech naming of the planets, created by Karel H. Thám at the end of the 18th century, in the era of National Revival. Jupiter was Králomoc, Mercury – Dobropán, Mars – Smrtonoš, Saturn – Hladolet and Krásopaní meant Venus. The word “Nočena” for the Moon (after the name Luna) seemed quite queer even in the moment of its creation but the other names occasionally appeared in texts or poems of that time. These words “disappeared” in the course of time. Maybe some confessor of mysteries will use them once again, that is also why we remind them.

first of all. INCREDIBLE planet names even if i am a little bit relieved i didn't have to learn them as a kid, because trying to memorise them probably would've made me cry. second if all - is the czech national revival why they made new names for eVERY ELEMENT IN THE PERIODIC TABLE INSTEAD OF USING LATIN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE????? the answer is yes. is it also why every month has its unique czech name instead of deriving from latin also?????

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

I don’t get why people feel like the Duolingo owl is threatening, if I ever feel like he is I just get mad at him. I could fight an owl. I don’t know if I’d win, but I don’t think I’d lose (two things that can apparently coexist). I think I’d survive at least and that’s not really winning but also not losing.

You wanna be so threatening? Da bør du drepe meg!

[deathswcrn]

yes to continue the tradition of wizards having cats but tore has a big, extremely stupid cat named Dúnkenndur. and I'll let you put that one into Google Translate yourself

[frances-and-the-moon]

Has anybody started a new career in another country relatively late (32) who can give me any piece of advice about that? I'd love to hear some stories ❤️

[dejablonde]

I'm enlisting Tumblr for help expanding a playlist of mine on Spotify.

It's called "No English, Just Vibes" and the only rule is...right there in the title. But right now it's a little heavy on like, three artists in particular, and on just a couple languages.

Here's where you come in! Tell me your favorite songs that aren't in English. While I prefer rock, I'm polyjamorous and will take anything into consideration.

Playlist below for anyone who wants the existing vibes to see what we're working with.

(When I queued this, I didn't realize it would be Wrapped day, so honestly this is perfect, please tell me your songs)

[catharsis-in-a-bottle]

every language is so cool and i want to learn every single one of them right now but i have limited time on this planet and limited energy in this body and that is EXTREMELY UNFAIR

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The original Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, has been translated into over 50 languages. Norwegian, French, Icelandic, Navajo — and now Ojibway. Dennis Daminos Chartrand, a member of Pine Creek First Nation who voices Darth Vader in the film and helped translate the original text, says he hopes having his language incorporated into the "iconic" film will promote it — not just within his community, but beyond. Chartrand spoke with Day 6 host Brent Bambury ahead of the film's release on the national Indigenous broadcast channel APTN next month, and just days after the death of original Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones. He spoke about his hopes for the film, challenges translating the story into Ojibway and why Star Wars resonates so much with him as an Indigenous person. Here is part of their conversation.

Continue Reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[countriesgame]

Please reblog for a bigger sample size!

If you have any fun fact about Greenland, please tell us and I'll reblog it!

Be respectful in your comments. You can criticize a government without offending its people.

[nordickies]

What language(s) do you think the Nordics speak when they hang out?

Good question!

I personally like the idea of nations having to find ways to communicate past language barriers. I think it's an endearing thing people do in real life, too! That being said, nations have probably learned multiple languages throughout history, making them more language-savvy than the average person from their country. Even nations' own native languages have gone through significant changes in their lifetime, so the nations' language skills develop and change over time.

In real life, communication between Nordic people isn't as effortless as one might think. But I guess the personifications have a bit of an advantage here because they've constantly been exposed to each other's languages. They have needed to communicate for hundreds of years, so I'm willing to bet they have picked out a few phrases here and there. With a little bit of effort, they manage just fine.

But still, misunderstandings can happen between them, and sometimes they must resort to foreign languages. Though I feel like Denmark and Sweden stick to their own languages pretty stubbornly when they hang out - it's up to the other to understand them. Norway is somewhere in the middle. He can understand those two fine, but prefers to speak in his own language. However, he probably acts as an interpreter in the worst cases of confusion.

Finland speaks his robotic Finland's Swedish when it's convenient, and Iceland attempts to tag along with his Danish skills. I feel like Iceland can usually follow along and understand what others are talking about, but expressing himself back is a bit tricky. And sadly, no one else understands Icelandic. I also like the idea that Finland didn't quite understand Denmark for the longest time, but he was too embarrassed to bring it up.

So, the Scandinavians speak a weird mixture of their own languages to one another, and they can mostly understand it because they have gotten used to it. But when things get too complicated, or a common language isn't found, they'll switch to whatever the lingua franca of the given period is, so nowadays, it's English.

[traineecryptid]

NPSS Weibo Q&A (20240831) Part 9

This is a Q&A session held on Weibo. People will tag their questions with the hashtag #南派三叔藏海花在线答疑# (#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#) and NPSS will look through the tag to pick some to answer. The event started at 1500 hours on 2024 August 31st.

Folder with screenshots and big compilation google doc is here. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here. Part 5 is here. Part 6 is here. Part 7 is here. Part 8 is here.

1301

Q: Shu, what’s the flower language for the Tibetan Sea Flower? A: The distance of a step. (T/N: this is a proverb meaning something that is very close either in distance or as in close to success.)

1302

Q: If the black spot’s tunnels can go from Inner Mongolia to Mount Kunlun, doesn’t that mean that it’s a good candidate for making train tracks? Could it be that the few key locations have tunnels connecting them? When Xiaoge disappeared during the West Queen, did he go somewhere tens of kilometers away?

A: Uh… That’s not my profession. 

1303

Q: Sanshu, Sanshu, I really need to know this. When Hei Xiazi and Xie Yuchen finish their mission and go back to their hotel at night, would they chat and drink wine to unwind?

A: On the way, Hei Xiazi would suggest eating at all the street food stalls but would be rejected every time. In the end, the two of them would buy some bread and make do with sitting by the city’s river.

1304

Q: Why does the Zhangs' names always have to do with seafood? Then why isn’t there a Zhang Cuyu? (T/N: Zhang Vinegar Fish.)

A: Now there is. It’s you.

1304

Q: Does Wu Xie like to eat Chinese bayberries? Would he go up to the hills to harvest bayberry during summer while sightseeing the spring in the hills and then make bayberry wine?

A: He likes them but worries that there’s bugs [inside them].

1304

Q:Sanshu, Sanshu, can you describe Hei Xiazi and Xie Yuchen’s story in Iceland in three characters? A: Insanely crazy. (T/N: this was four characters in chinese.)

1305

Q: I would like to know how Sanshu picks the questions to answer. Do you just scroll and pick whichever that you like?

A: [I pick] the ones that I have answers for at first glance. I won’t answer those that require me to think for half a day.

1305

Q: Lei, why do you say that you want to lose weight every year? But why are you still a little fatty every year? Did you say that you’ll do Pilates? Didn’t you say that you want to act as Wu Xie? How will this work if you lack determination?

A: I walked ten thousand steps at 5am yesterday.

1307

Q: What is Hei Xiazi better at, the violin or the erhu?

A: Violin, but musical instruments are interconnected.

1311

Q: Shu, will we see Zhang Yixing act as Eryue Hong again in this lifetime? The prettiest Honghong.

A: I don’t know. Leave it to fate. I’m very chill. (T/N: the term he used here “佛“ is an internet slang meaning to be unconcerned, let things be like Buddha would. )

1312

#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A# A lot of people wanted to know how the paper dolls move around. You’ll understand it after looking at this explanation picture about the Kumuli Snake Disaster from Zang Hai Hua.

1317

Q: Is it a leader-follower relationship between the big paper doll and the small paper doll? Then why did Wu Xie see the big paper doll eating the small paper doll?

A: Snakes eating snakes.

1319

Q: I can't stop thinking about this: When Wu Xie and the gang are on the road of adventure for so long, would their hair get oily? How do they deal with this? Would they bring shampoo and wash up now and then? A: What’s wrong with Xie oil? Is Xie-oil inauspicious? (T/N: the comments say that there’s a pun here, but I can’t figure out what’s the pun.)

1323

Q: Does Zang Hai Hua’s Zhang Qiling’s muscular body fit your imagination? A: It’s not bad.

1326

Q: Sanshu, Sanshu, when there’s nothing to do around Yucun, would Wu Xie feel like his current life is like a dream?

A: This feeling is very nuanced. A dream is too shallow of a description.

just one update for today! i've gotten a bit lazy with translating today because there are a few long ones in a row... wah wah wah whine whine.

[vvalllerie]

okay whatever this thing is, thank you @kings-highway for the tag. i enjoyed delaying my getting out of bed at 3:30 in the afternoon in favor of this

how many works on ao3:

22! which considering i’ve been writing for less than a year, is pretty good in my opinion

top 5 by kudos:

1. the craving (shouyou’s version). i’m actually really proud of this one and it’s one of my favorites that i’ve written. based on the craving by twenty one pilots, of course

2. Illness, Injuries, and Iceland. guaranteed this is because i wrote it for king and they reblogged it. thanks pookie for making me write ushiten

3. Sweet. this one.. i wrote based on my own experiences with depression. it’s very difficult for me to express these types of feelings explicitly so i love to project onto my fav characters. daisuga especially

4. Love, In Itself. i’m actually really surprised at this one because it’s pretty short and it was actually a request from a friend!

5. Cry. my one and only oisuga fic, only got one chapter. apologies for making daichi the bad guy

do i respond to comments:

yes! i try very hard to respond to every comment i get. i love getting comments since i don’t get very many, and i know the amazing feeling of having an author acknowledge you and thank you for your comment, so i try to let people know that i appreciate each and every comment i get!

angstiest ending:

uhhhhh it’s not done yet, but run (until you feel your lungs bleeding) is gonna be SO angsty hehehe. iwaoi of course. i’m very excited for it. if you want one i’ve already finished, tho, it’ll have to be i know that losing dogs exist, because i bet on them and i am one. sakuatsu, mcd, entirely based on my own experience w a disastrous breakup i had. thank you to king again for being there when i needed it most.

happiest ending:

well most of them are. but in my opinion, it’ll have to be my iwasuga fic Quetzalcoatlus! one of my FAVORITE fics i’ve written. i just. *sniffle* i just love them so much

do i write crossovers:

no. honestly i don’t see the point. i like getting immersed in the fics and i can’t do that if they aren’t even the same fandom

ever received hate:

nope. only some very disappointed commenters begging for me to continue my fics. im sorry guys i promise im trying

do i write smut:

none that you’ll ever see. a very select few people have access to it.

ever had a fic stolen:

no idea. probably not. they aren’t good enough for that

ever had a fic translated:

nope. have had a few people comment in different languages tho that was pretty cool

ever co-written:

no way. i need control. what the hell. MY fics. did have an idea for a collab but dunno if the other person even wants to do it still. if you got this far down tho please let me know if u do 🙏

all-time favorite ship:

sorry to everyone who thought it was daisuga. it’s oidai. forever. my babies.

wip that i will probably never finish:

unfortunately, i have a trio of wips that all go together. all mcd fics, one happy, one sad, and one right in the middle. iwaoi is the sad one, daisuga is the happy one, and the one right in the middle is sakuatsu. all titled from/based on songs

writing strengths:

uhhhh. uhhh. the characters? making them relatable? no idea. not sure if i have any. i’m just vibing

writing weaknesses:

erm. probably the fact that i start long fics with only an idea and no plans, so then i never finish them because i was just writing as it came to me

thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages:

dunno. do what you want. i’ll only do it if i know that language

fandom/ship i haven’t written for yet:

oidai. i know, i know. i really want to but it has to be PERFECT so i just. haven’t done it yet

favorite fic i’ve written:

chaos theory, no doubt. haikyuu and dinosaurs? two of my favorite things ever? yeah, no hesitation, it’s chaos theory

tags:

i dunno who’s been tagged in this already so if you have just ignore this. buuuuut here pookies <3

@numericalpie @artisticxlly @thatfanficauthor107 @otakurooster907 @cabbybaby

[hetalian-veteran]

Hello Hetalians! :)

I've been meaning to do a pinned introductory post for a while now but never got around to it. Better late than never, amirite?

I am an adult woman in her mid-twenties and a Hetalia fan of many years. I've essentially been stuck in this lovely tarpit since 2012. However, this tarpit is a lot of fun, so I'm not leaving any time soon.

My favorite characters are Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Romano, Prussia, France, Scotland, America, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

My favorite ships are Iceliech, FrUk, Gerita, Pruhun, Aushun, and Swissden (or as I like to call it, Swissblade).

I also work in genealogy and research, so expect some Hetalia and even non-Hetalia posts about that.

I'm also learning German, so I'm always open to good tips on learning the language! 🇩🇪

This blog is a place where I like to post my thoughts and musings about literally anything Hetalia-related. Whether it be on events from fandom past, current events, or what have you, I love overthinking everything and posting about them. Original posts and musings are tagged #hetavet rambles.

I don't respond to asks or dm's super quickly, sometimes only getting to them in a few days. So please don't be upset or spam me if I don't respond as soon as possible. I don't always have the energy to respond right away. Just know that these delays are not out of ill intent.

I also do some reblogs here and there. So, while a majority of what I post is likely original content, not all of it will be. I just like cultivating a space that I personally enjoy, and I hope you can find some enjoyment here as well. <3

[toastthewolfie]

Notion - CoD OC

Info from a slightly altered version of the template by @olibird (sorry for the tag D:)

Full Name: [REDACTED] Alias: Notion Nationality: American       Ethnicity: Hungarian/Icelandic Birthplace: Vác, Hungary Age: 27              DoB: 9/27/1997 Pronouns: Any/All, primarily uses he/him         Gender: N/A Sex: M Height: 5’10 Languages: Hungarian (Native), English (Secondary), Knows the very basics of Icelandic and French. Education: Associates degree in Psychology Personality: Often described as aggressive, rude, cold, and unsympathetic. All of which are very accurate. He’s also an extremely salty person, he holds grudges, but if you’re on the same team/side as him, he’s not rude enough to leave you to die if you get hurt. Which CoD Universe: MW2019 (Mentioned in Advanced Warfare, though) Branches of Service: United States Marine Corps Affiliation: Unassociated Bounty Hunter, works with USMC, and the FBI/ATF occasionally (not often due to conflict of interest, mostly done to keep the government off his back) and works with Shadow Company closely. Former Rank: Lieutenant. Current Rank: N/A Specialties: Breaching, Water Operations, Reconnaissance

Backstory:  Notion was born in Hungary and immigrated to America (Wichita, Kansas specifically) at the age of 12, after completing high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps to gain access to the G.I. bill.

There, Notion shined and managed to rise through the ranks relatively quickly. However, he was injured in the line of duty at 23 and was honorably discharged from the military due to reduced mobility.

Notion was, in the words of his formed TO, broken by this. He had left so much for this and had even neglected being by his father’s deathbed, or by his mother’s side when she rapidly deteriorated and eventually died from a brain aneurysm, just to have his career taken.

After all that, Notion broke away from the military and became a bounty hunter. He called in a few favors and managed to get his name wiped from all public databases (and some private ones, including the U.S. Marine Corps database) and went off the grid before being rediscovered during an operation gone wrong when he was 25 (leaning on 26 (aka he was closer to 26 than 25 but he was still 25)).

This was the moment he sustained his face/shoulder scar, and he was brought back by the USMC after discovery where he was offered a deal that essentially boiled down to ‘work with us when we need you, which won’t be often, and we’ll keep the government off your back’, and he just agreed and split town the second he could walk again.

At 26, he was contacted by Graves. It was supposed to be a one-off thing, mostly intel exchange but one thing led to another and he’s since become a semi-regular person on operations. He sometimes stops by the base, though.

Issues: oh boy where do I begin? I’ll just list the main ones. - Holds grudges, like, extremely long, doesn’t help he has insanely good memory. - He’s very aggressive, even if unprovoked. - Trust issues, he has little faith in anyone. 3rd base with him is him trusting you to not fuck up something small. - Probably has a fuckton of mental and physical issues be hasn’t gotten diagnosed. - More on the physical aspect, he is very prone to collapsing and extremely bad pain. Not like he’d show it though.

Habits: He’s a breacher by heart, and checks each doorway as such. He reacts by muscle memory to rank.

Scars/Permanent Injuries Face/Shoulder: Knife scars that lead to the scar on his shoulder.

  Torso: Lower rib cage, mostly on the hip on the right - Nerve damage and shrapnel injury scarring from the incident that got him discharged. - Red scarring, mostly. Stab Wound on the left side of his abdomen.

  Legs: Right leg is a mess. Nerve damage, burn scar, and shrapnel scars from the injury that got him discharged. - His leg can’t move all that well and he’s made a makeshift leg brace that he wears 24/7 and he refuses to accept any replacements. Left leg has a few shrapnel scars (from the same injury that fucked his right) but is otherwise fully operational.

Preferred method of showing care/affection/love language: Gift Giving, it’s something he can just give and go. Preferred way of receiving care/affection: Any, except gift giving. He’s not big on gifts.

Eye Color: Blue (#6768ba) Skin Color: Light tan (#f0cec3) Scars (Main Color/Base Color): Red (#b2817d) Hair description: Messy, long, platinum blonde (#fcf3ec) Clothing description: Green hued tactical gear with a dark green scarf that covers the lower part of his face. A lot of his gear is secondhand or something he patched up, so it’s not very high quality. Body description: Average height, skinny, lean, and heavily scarred Blood Type: O-

Favorite Activities: - Going to cafes, he finds them relaxing - Taking photos of birds Favorite color: Green Favorite animal: Ravens, he thinks they’re funky lil dudes. Favorite food/Dessert: Eggs. Quick to cook and easy to nab a few of.

Other Fun Facts: - He’s terrified of dogs. He will actively avoid any and all MWD/K9 Handlers and anyone with a dog in general. - While he’s been all over the globe at this point, London is his favorite place by far.

[tinypandacakes]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @kneelingshadowsalome ! No pressure tags: @xoxunhinged @syoddeye @ethereal-night-fairy @stuffireadandenjoy @sprout-fics and anyone else who wants to join :3

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

25!

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

750, 075

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Call of Duty (mainly these days), Sandman, Apex Legends

4. Top five by kudos.

Trapper, Keeper, Delta Tango Foxtrot, Too Sweet Not to Share, Second Dances, Reminder

5. Do you respond to comments?

Always! I enjoy the engagement, back and forth dialogue it sometimes sparks, and the little community in the comment section. Comments are never expected, but make me so incredibly happy, so I try to carve out time to answer each one 💕

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I always like to write a tidy and relatively ‘good’ ending, but I have a lot of unfinished WIPs T.T so no one would know that I guess

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

My FuseHound story A Familiar Face will have a very happy and upbeat ending — but I need to finish it first ^^’

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I’ve been pretty lucky on that front. I have only ever gotten one hateful comment — it said I am an awful person must have endured some horrific abuse as a child to write rough sex / predator/prey and CNC between consenting adult characters. I just deleted and moved on.

9. Do you write smut?

It’s my favorite to read and write!

10. Craziest crossover.

I personally don’t write crossovers but love to read AUs!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, thank goodness.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No — idk if I would be able to do this, but I like the idea of it in theory

14. All time favorite ship?

Ohhh FuseHound from Apex legends still holds a special place in my heart, along with SoapGhost and Soap x Ghost x König

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The first fic I ever started posting — Fated. 300k and not finished. It was a labor of love and definitely helped me relearn how to write.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Sensory details (sight/smell/sound/tactile) as well as descriptions of food.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue, especially during smut. T.T it takes me multiple tries and edits to get it right, and even then I'm not always 100% happy with the result

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I adore it, when not used excessively. It works well for a story like Trapper, Keeper, imo because König is okay with the reader not knowing what he’s saying. And if the character sprinkles their language through their dialogue in canon (like Bloodhound using Icelandic words/phrases) it keeps the characterization on point.

But also as an American with a plain Midwest/mildly Chicagoan accent, I just think other languages and accents are incredibly hot! I’ve learned from some natives I’ve talked to (especially regarding German) that they tend to find like, pillow talk in their own language incredibly cringy and hard to read or listen to 😭 so I do try to limit it to certain contexts in my own work.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Metalocalypse when I was like 13. Thank goodness I never posted that anywhere and just scribbled it in a notebook. It was like, Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers level of goofy “erotic friend fiction” where I thought I was so raunchy even though everything was fade to black.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Probably a tie between Trapper, Keeper, Delta Tango Foxtrot, and my sandman fic The First of Many that still needs to be finished

[kirythestitchwitch]

Klaroline WIP Wed - Freaky Friday Time Travel AU - Klaus is a Master Baiter

It's been a while since put some of this out but i've been working on my plot issues and writing so here is some FFTT! as always @galvanizedfriend your tag!

Part One here Part Two here Part Three here Part Four here Part Five here

Pulling down a pink jacket, she wondered as she slipped it on if she’d be breaking any time laws if she brought it home with her. Shoes on, she went in search of Klaus.

The bedroom opened on a hallway lined with paintings with two closed doors and a staircase at the end, which curved around down to the landing. A living room was through one doorway, a kitchen and dining room through another. Klaus’ voice, sharp in tone, came from behind a door to the left that was cracked a smidge, and she padded quietly to the door to listen.

She needn’t have bothered, first off, he was speaking a language she wasn’t familiar with, and secondly, the moment she got within range of the door, he called out to her. “Caroline, do come in, love.”

Only slightly annoyed, she pushed the door open. The room was some kind of study or office, with a desk in the middle of the room and a couch over by the window and a corner fireplace, currently lit and casting patterns of light on the built-ins filled with books and small trinkets. A tumbler of some amber liquid in one hand, Klaus gave her a small smile, a phone held to one ear. It sounded like he was speaking maybe Icelandic or oh! probably Old Norse. She caught Kol's name flung out with irritation before he switched to English.

“I aim to enjoy time with my wife after that mess with the ifrit in Tehran that you elected not to join us for.” Klaus gestured to her to make herself comfortable, and trying not to think about how many times her future self had probably fucked Klaus on it, she sat down on the couch. Really tried not to think about it.

Looking at the firelight playing across Klaus' body, the jumble of necklaces tumbling over the neck of his shirt, Caroline very privately had to guess it was a lot of times for the couch. 'Stop that,' she told herself, 'You're with Tyler, and none of this has happened yet. You could make it all not happen.'

Kol's voice, heard by Caroline only once or twice before this, came through the phone clear to her hearing. "I knew you had it in hand, Nik. What's one teeny little fire spirit to the Original Hybrid?" His tone was mocking of Klaus' self-aggrandized title, and Caroline had to admit she was starting to see a future where maybe they could be friends, she and this nutjob brother of Klaus'.

"I don't suppose any of the Bennett witch's books happened to mention they're eight feet tall? Hmm?“ Klaus' voice was the epitome of murderous intent; he calmly took a drink, the corner of his mouth curling mischievously into a dimple that spoke volumes about how much he was enjoying leading his brother on.

”Uh. Eight feet? Really, they uh. Made them seem kind of... tiny.” Kol finished lamely. “We're at the Greek house for the month, don't have all the grimoires, you see.”

“So you've mentioned. I'll be sure to inform Caroline of your incompetence, little brother.”

“Caroline?” Kol's voice turned a little sharp. “She's okay, right? Nothing... happened?”

“Caroline's fine.” Klaus' voice was terrible and final, and for once Caroline thought he was speaking from the heart, like he was saying she would be fine because he willed it so.

“Nik, now just—”

“Like I said.” Klaus did a good impression of gathering himself. “I'd like to indulge in my wife without the family making a nuisance of themselves. Stay out of Brazil for the next month if you know what's good for you.” He hung up the phone.

“We're going to Brazil?” Caroline asked. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. The part of her that desperately wanted to see the world was thrilled. The other part of her that was already freaking out from being in Paris didn't know if going to a second location was a good idea.

Klaus smiled. “No, we're going to the library. Kol is going to Brazil.” Beckoning with one hand, he pulled her to her feet. Pinching the edge of the fabric between two fingers, he gave her jacket a small tug. “Excellent choice, will blend you in nicely, and you look lovely.”

Caroline beamed at him, and he licked his lips, sighed almost regretfully, and then turned away, draining his glass and setting it on the desk. Tapping a touchscreen in the corner of it, the fire went out, and Klaus waved at her to follow him. Feeling a little off-kilter, she did.