#voyagers 2021

[firemenenthusiast]

hmm pervert!kai that had no choice but to sneak into the laundry room, even though it’s far from his work area, as he’s assigned at electrical, halls away from the two points. one may think that what he’s doing is immoral, and call him a pervert but if that’s what he has to be called to sneak your panties into his back pocket, so be it.

thank god no one was in there, with the person in charge already settling in their dorm. he checked, plus, it’s the middle of the night and everyone’s supposed to be in their dorms. yet kai’s here, carefully reading the labels on the laundry basket to find one with your dorm number on it. he’s been so desperate for a little taste of you, and when he failed, it has resulted to this. he had no choice.

the second he spotted your basket, which was white and plain just like everyone else’s, the excitement in him, or should i say his pants, was almost uncontainable. he’s been keeping an eye on you for a while now, but to his defense, it started innocent. it was just a little crush until one day something in him just clicked, and he’s been really desperate, hungry, craving— for a taste. if he could track the moment down, it’s probably when your work section had to work with his, again, and the sweat clinging onto the skin of your collarbone made him feel like he just wanted to lick it all off

“ahh,,fuck— yes” he let out, your curled panties hung low between his fingers, his nose buried into the damp fabric, as the scent hinted a mixture of sweat and of course, your own sweetness

carefully tracing his fingers along the hems, he stopped right on the slim bridge sewn in the middle, before pushing the crotch right onto the tip of his nose. as he dragged a deep whiff of the slight wetness left on your panties with a moan, he could feel his hard on twitch

he felt disgusting, somehow even disgusted by himself but he couldn’t get himself to stop. there’s a moment where he thought that he shouldn’t be doing this, but instead of stopping, he felt the hand that was holding the delicate fabric of your panties slip underneath the hem of his sweatpants, and his other hand pushing the hem down, past his leaking hard cock, before it bounced off his lower belly.

“mhmm, ahh- ah,, fuck-“ wincing from the pressure, his feet bouncing repeatedly against the ground as he carefully wrapped the crotch around his shaft, before rubbing it against the sensitive skin. though the fabric is delicate enough to bring him over the edge of his orgasm, he found himself spitting onto his cock, further dampening your panties, lubing up the area in which he’s gonna fuck into for the next couple of minutes.

“ohh—mhmm, fuck yes, fuck- s’pretty” the crotch of your panties started rubbing against his cock, accompanied by the thrust of his hips into his fist, forming a makeshift toy. now it’s left to his imagination to think that it’s your pussy he’s fucking into.

the friction from fucking into his own fist was giving him instant pleasure, making him let out a low moan as he had to lean his hand against the steel wall, as he was bending slightly to accommodate his hips thrusting into your panties into his tight fist. even just fucking your panties was making him feel that good, he could only imagine what your pussy could do to him.

“ah— ahh, oh fuck yes,, such pretty panties baby” he let out, to god knows whom, since no one was there, except his horny self who’s moaning and was on the verge of cumming while trying to be quiet.

the thrusts of hips was getting faster and more erratic, before getting sloppier with each rapid stroke of his panties covered fist. he’s sweating, puffs of hot air being released into the room, his legs stepping around the same spot before he crouched against the wall, shooting a load of thick cum into your panties, careful as to catch all of it into the aimed spot on the crotch.

he’s moaning, letting out strings of yes’s, lips agape with his head thrown back, shutting his eyes from the pleasure. riding his high, his hand rapidly stroke his cock with your panties still in his palm, his red tip shooting load after load of cum into his hand. catching his breath, a small grin slowly creeping onto his face before he slid down the wall, holding the cum stained fabric close to his face, before continuing to sniff it, some of his cum getting onto his skin. sighing, kai let out a small laugh at the sticky substance clinging onto his fingers, thinking about what he just did <3

[baylardian-1]

local celebrity threshold!janeway from the threshold au

[voysubplots]

realizing that Voyager never got t-shirts because of how quickly they were deployed, Tom and Harry decide to replicate some. They immediately have a conflict over whether the shirts should say "YAGER" or "VOYAG." Neelix suggests that they compromise on "VOYER" but both refuse.

While Tom, Harry, and Neelix are bickering over abbreviations of Voyager, B'Elanna designs a shirt for the Maquis crew which says "VJEAN" on it for "Val-Jean." Janeway bans all ship-name t-shirts for being too divisive.

[merylqueenstreep]

Can you believe it's already been three years? 🙌

[lifewithaview]

The North Water (2021) Behold the Man

Ep1

Captain Brownlee is recruiting and preparing for an Arctic whaling voyage from Hull to a Highland island port, which only he and stingy financier Baxter know is meant as a front for ship insurance fraud. Harpoonist Henry Drax, the third scoundrel in the know, is thrown out of the harbor pub, having spent his last money on whores, but hopes to help himself to more cash ransacking the room of the new ship surgeon, Patrick Sumner, whom they found self-drugged on laudanum till the innkeeper had him ousted. Irishman Sumner's crooked leg and opium pipe bitterly refer to his traumatic past in the colonial Indian army, which still arouses chilling nightmares.

*Shot primarily in Hungary. The Arctic scenes were filmed in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard (Spitzbergen), just 500 miles south of the North Pole. This is the most northerly location that any TV series has ever shot.

[waspstar]

i just finished watching the episode where neelix leaves voyager so to bid him a proper farewell heres the scene that convinced me that voyager was worth watching after all

[tawneybel]

St. Vee Day

Song of the day: “Cute Aggression” by Nicole Dollanganger. 

Hope everyone had a decent Valentine’s! I was supposed to go out on the 13th, because Shrove Tuesday, but the weather interrupted that plan. (At least I got Ferrero Rocher.) Lately I’ve been keeping track of local events so I can plan cute non-work outfits.

Blog-related goals: 

Post more longer imagines. 500+ words, like school essay length. 

Post more imagines for characters played by celebrity crushes. David Dastmalchian keeps accidentally popping up in movies I’m watching. The Boogeyman, Last Voyage of the Demeter, Dune rewatch… For some reason Piter didn’t stand out to me the first time?? (Probably because Leto Atreides. ) His matter of fact way of speaking is so attractive. 

More would involves and N/SFW alphabets? 

Just get through the inbox. XD

Post ranked 2023 movie list. It would have been posted back in January, but I keep watching new ones. 

[fallenann]

Choose your fighter:

[rabbitcruiser]

Vasco da Gama with 15 ships and 800 men set sail from Lisbon on his second voyage to India on February 12, 1502.

[a-little-revolution]

It seems like you're a big fan of Warwick Davis, I was wondering if there are any other little people actors you really like, especially women and trans/nb actors?

Hello! Yes I do enjoy Warwick Davis! Willow (1988) remains one of my favourite LP films, and I've really enjoyed his career of fantastical characters.

Like a lot of industries, white men make up a lot of the most famous Little actors (Warwick Davis, Peter Dinklage, Danny Woodburn, Martin Klebba, Verne Troyer), so I'm happy to mention some of my favourites outside that group!

Linda Hunt is a favourite of mine - she's a Hollywood veteran best known for her role in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) where she was the first actor to win an academy award for playing someone of the opposite sex!! She's been on Broadway, done tv, film, and voice acting! You may know her as Lady Proxima in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

If you think you don't know Deep Roy, chances are you do! He's been a scale actor in countless award winning films including Star Wars (1980), Star Trek (2009-2016), The Never Ending Story (1984), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and so many more! We owe so many beloved characters to scale actors and people hardly know it - Deep Roy has been responsible for dozens of them, I adore him.

Despite Patty Maloney's vast career in acting, I know her as Lois Addams from The Addams Family (1991)! Before my time she was in a variety of tv shows and films including Star Trek Voyager (1996), Little House on the Prairie (1982), and The Lord of the Rings (1978).

Cara Mailey is a young actress, author, presenter and activist! She's known for her role in Derry Girls (2018) and Read all About It! (2021), as well as her ebook "I Got This" - which speaks on her experience living with Achondroplasia. I wanted to be sure to give her an honourable mention because at only fifteen she's already become an activist for the LP community! I'm excited to see how her career evolves!

Thank you for the ask! Be sure to check these folks out!

[firemenenthusiast]

i love how if i were on that ship in voyagers i wouldn’t exactly learn about sexual stuff but when i see kai i wanna deepthroat him. call that natural instinct

[firemenenthusiast]

HOOLLLYYYY GIRLY BEEN BACK FOR AN HOUR AND POSTED THIS PIECE OF GLORIOUS WRITING. what a day for little y/n, 2 huge earthy events in a day PHEW

—BREAKING POINT

kaı x reader

w.c: 3,066

disclaimers: nsfw, 18+, unprotected sex (stay safe out there guyz), fem!reader, withdrawals, praise kink, use of cannabis, da weed, tension, fingering, smexy time, missionary (bc we lovr intimacy)

—synopsis: you notice how irritable kai has been throughout the day, and it concerned you. later that evening, you make your way to his room, hoping you could help him out.

a/n: hola :D i am very slowly getting back into writing. this is a fic abt kai having withdrawals!! this is not my best work it feels so...meh. this was actually inspired by a post weeeeks ago by an account that deactivated BUT I KNOW @uch3na REPOSTED SO TY SWEETHEART.. but i hope you enjoy :) all love ♡

「divider by @/cafekitsune」

everyone was off of the blue now. the air within the whole ship was heavy within this past week. new emotions and new feelings emerged to define everyone differently as the days passed. everyone began to show different personalities and likings. it sort of felt like, well, life was breathed back into them.

some kids ran the halls and some got ..busy with each other. you and your friend sela stuck to one another in the midst of the emotional chaos. you, her and a few others would keep up with your tasks and maintenance checks around the ship. chris, voted new leader, had a hard time trying to keep the troublemakers in check. the ones who would wander off during tasks or play around recklessly, affecting other's work.

"please, stop being idiots and get back to your plants." chris spoke firmly. zac dropped whatever he was holding in his hand and stepped to chris, scoffing.

"or what? are you going to throw me off the ship?" zachary taunted with a smirk.

"that can arranged." foretold chris, stepping even closer to the boy in front of him. zac's smile left his face after his words, wearing a more serious expression.

"enough! zac, take a break. chris, get back to your job at hand. for god sake, we don't need any more chaos." sela scolded while stepping in front of the two men. zachary reluctantly backed off, holding his hands up in a mocking tone. he walked off and the tension in the room immediately became lighter.

you looked at kai, who seemed to be on edge as he did his tasks. his forehead was glistened in cold sweat while tending to the vegetables. his fingers trembled ever so slightly. he looked agitated, anxious. you worried yes, but you decided not to bother him. you made a mental note to ask him later and walked away in the hall, sela catching up.

"hey, do you...you wanna do something ...risky?" you couldn't help but arch a brow. a smile threatened your lips and you nodded. sela immediately took your hand and began walking briskly in the halls. you two ended up going to richards room. you were amazed by all the things he had from earth such as photos, trinkets, and clothing. you knew nothing of this supposed beautiful planet and were amazed at the things he had.

"he showed me all these things, i don't know why. maybe because i'm chief medical officer, maybe i was most responsible." sela sighed before opening a medium-sized box of richards personal belongings. she dug under the photos to find an even smaller, wooden box and held it up with a grin. it was the size of her hand. you rose brow and grabbed it, opening the box to reveal rolled cylindrical wraps. an intense smell made your face scrunch up. it didn't smell particularly nice but it wasn't bad either. it had the slightest hint of floral notes.

there were 5 rolled, opaque cream-colored wraps with a grinded plant in it. you heard of it before, vaguely reading about it in your books. it was cannabis.

sela locked the door and turned on the room air filter. she then grabbed the box full of joints and the black lighter. you sat down on the floor against richards bed. it felt odd to you, to be in the room of the dead. richard's death was tragic, and it disturbed you whenever you thought about it. you pushed the thought away quickly.

sela placed the filtered end of the joint to her lips before lighting the opposite twisted end, igniting it. she inhaled slowly, pulling away from the joint to fully inhale to the back of her throat. her face tightened in discomfort before finally exhaling. she then coughed roughly, giving you thumbs up.

"im okay– i'm okay, it just burns." she strained.

"burns? what the hell is in it?" you asked, nervous at her reaction. you felt like a delinquent. you’ve never done anything like this before. "it's only dried cannabis. on earth, they'd dry the plant cannabis sativa or cannabis indica. when burned and inhaled, the active chemical, THC travels through the lungs to the bloodstream." sela passed the joint to you, causing a nerving ache to fill your chest.

"the decarboxylation process for the active chemical occurs between 200° and 245° fahrenheit." a staccato sigh escaped your lips, mentally hoping you don't die before you took a small hit of the joint. the hot air immediately hit the back of your throat and caused you to go into a huge coughing fit. your throat burned like hot coal and your eyes glazed over with tears.

"easy [y/n], easy. reel it back in, slowly," sela laughs at your reaction, slowly patting your back.

"clear your throat and take small breaths." you did as told, your hacking settling down to staccato coughs. you sniffled, wiping your teary eyes as you continued to clear the unscratchable itch in your throat.

"wow." you strained out, beginning to laugh. sela chuckled while taking another hit, holding it for a few seconds then exhaling.

"as i was saying," sela started jokingly. "the active chemical makes the human brain have psychedelic effects on the body." you get the joint again and take an even smaller hit, slowly blowing it out. "effects such as altered senses like slow movement and brighter colors, difficulty thinking, and psychosis when taking high doses."

you freeze and look at her with slight concern, glancing between her and the joint. the blonde giggles, taking the spliff out your hand so hit it.

"don't worry, this is a normal dose." she chuckled, blowing the fumes in the air above her. for the next ten minutes you share the spliff, occasionally tapping the ashes in the box.

the effects engulfed you like a warm fuzzy blanket. you quickly acclimated to taking bigger puffs, enjoying watching the smoke dance above you. as you continued, your eyelids began to feel heavy and your movement slowed. you and sela giggled every few seconds, feeling amazing physically. you felt like a cloud, but heavy like gravity was pulling you down.

"do you feel good?" sela asks, smiling with low eyes. you simply nod, suddenly beginning to laugh when realizing you didn't answer audibly.

"yes, i feel..good. i feel so warm and light." sela nodded and stood, stumbling with a giggle. she grinned and turned to you with a hand out. you grabbed it and forced yourself up, the blood rushing to your head. you took a deep breath to begin wondering how to look as sober as possible.

you were only 3 hallways down from your room, and you needed to look as normal as possible out there.

"thanks for this ..earth experience." sela nodded happily, opening the door for the two of you. you parted ways with her, and walked to your room in a slower pace. you walked closer to the ship walls to keep you from falling like an idiot. your gaze was low and you felt so suspicious. but you couldn't second guess yourself. you kept walking with your eyes to the floor. almost there..one last turn and–

your head collided with something firm, and warm. you stumbled backwards but due to being intoxicated you fell completely on your ass. your red, [e/c] eyes looked up at dark brown ones.

"kai?" you asked and stood up with a hand on the wall.

"watch where you're going." he replied roughly. you scan his person, noticing his shoulders moving up and down. his breathing was deep and rough, and sweat glistening on his face and neck. he looks distressed, and even more fidgety than earlier.

"are you ..okay?" you asked, ignoring his snarky tone. kai furrowed his brows, lips parted from panting ever so slightly. your low orbs trailed down to the beads of sweat on his neck, then too the veins of his forearms were more visible against the surface of his skin. your head buzzed and you gulped thickly, a warmth building up in your core.

"im fine–.." kai mumbled, blinking rapidly. "just...just watch where you're going." the brunette pushed past you, walking away.

you watched as he walked away, staring at his back.

he has a nice back...

you continued to walk and finally made it to your room with no more obstacles. sitting on your bed, you watched the stars out the window. they seemed much brighter, nearly shining in your eyes. you enjoyed this feeling. you felt euphoric and everything fell away from your troubles. finally laying down, you let the slumber take you.

°°°

waking up much more clear-minded, you blinked your eyes noticing they didn't feel as heavy as before. your mind immediately went back to kai. you couldn't help it. you immediately get up and out on your shoes, exiting your room.

you walked the halls silently. it was late in the evening and so no one was awake. you made your way towards kai's room and stood in front of the door. anxious filled you now, knowing that only a door is what separated you and the brunete. suddenly, his door immediately opened and were now facing kai himself. he immediately froze for a split second before slamming the door in your face.

your heart dropped before hurriedly spluttering over your words, knocking this time.

"kai– i know this is abrupt im sorry but–" you rambled.

"what do you want [y/n]?" he asks behind the door, voice laced with irritance.

"i–...i wanted to check up on you. i didn't think you'd be awake at this time heh– but you looked unwell all day today." you laugh sheepishly, fiddling with your fingers.

"im fine." he cuts in. you purse your lips and sigh, turning your nose up to the ceiling.

"heh, you suck at lying kai. just tell me what's wrong." there was a long pause. you were giving up on the door opening anytime soon and nearly took a step back before kai opened the door. he simultaneously turned away while doing so to walk to his bed. you enteted and closed door behind you rubbing your neck at the unbearable tense silence.

"..so," you sighed gently at kai's stubbornness not to look at you. "what's wrong?" kai doesnt turn around, nor answer.

you don't say anything else and instead examine what you can see. his breathing was still ragged and his hands clenched and unclenched into first every handful of seconds. the light from the low LEDs that trailed the space window gently outlined his figure. his nape was listened from cold sweat. kai wasn't alright. something was wrong.

"..kai–?" you asked. kai groaned softly, rolling his neck out of agitation. your heart thumped loudly in your ears.

"[y/n]–.. i think– ..i feel weird. i-i feel hot." kai reluctantly explained. "ive been like this all day i– ive been irritated and uncomfortable all day. im sweaty and trembling and–..and my stomach right here feels.." he groans out, holding his core. it wasn't in a painful sense, but in a discomfort yet, yearning one. your body pulsed at the sound he made, causing you to take a step towards him.

"does it feel warm? too warm? do you feel a light fog in your head?" kai strained another whiny groan, holding his nape as he turned a 45° angle to look over his shoulder at you. he hesitantly nodded. he was trying so hard to be tough but had a needy look in his eyes, a gaze of hunger. you didn't know if it was the cannabis still in your system but you felt magnetized to him. the aura he radiated made you feel like small prey in front of an apex predator, but you enjoy the sense of thrill.

"well not to sound creepy but i've been sort of watching you all day. you seem to be having withdrawals, kai." you explained, walking towards him. his hand raised up to his forehead, humming. you placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the brunette flinch then relax again. you then decided to walk around him so you faced his front now, your big [e/c] looking up at him. kai forced himself to look at you but it only worsened the warm feeling in his core.

"what are you feeling right now kai?" you questioned, your hand gently grabbing his hand to pull away from his face. he gulped, staring at you intensely. the way your hair was slightly tousled from waking up, how your skin looked so soft and supple and your eyes stared at him so enticingly.

"my head is all light, my abdomen burns, i have cold sweats, and–.." kai bites back his has words, looking away from you. you tilt your head and tenderly cup his cheek to turn him towards you again.

"and..?" you ask, genuinely concerned. kai swallowed thickly. he suddenly flushed a more prominent rose color across his face before replying

"and ...i'm so, horny [y/n]. god, you being here isn't helping." he breathed out. before you could even respond, both of his large hands cupped the sides of your head before kissing you deeply. you squeaked into his mouth, kissing back as your hands gripped onto the sides of his clothed torso. he moved closer to you which caused you to move back, falling onto the bed.

"i couldn't stand looking at you all day because i couldn't take this pent up feeling [y/n]," he gasped between kisses. "but i can't take it anymore now, i need you now." you blushed deeply as you began to fail at keeping up with his kissing pace.

kai slid in between your legs and pushed his warm body up against yours. he kissed down your face and neck, licking and sucking at your skin. you allowed him to do so before the two of you started pulling off each others shirts.

the tall brunette kissed hungrily down your chest as his hands roamed your torso. you gasped at the difference in body temperatures of you and him, closing your eyes in bliss.

"i've wanted to do this even on the blue. i just couldn't explain the feeling until i got off it." he mumbled against your skin. butterflies erupted in your stomach as he spoke in such a low, seductive tone. his hand slipped in between your thighs and you lost nearly all strength as he teased your already wet second pair of lips. he hummed into your neck as you let out needy gasps, the pleasure radiating throughout your body.

he entered two fingers, finally getting a broken moan out of you. you threw your head back onto the bed, nearly riding his fingers.

"good girl." he praised, leaving deeply colored bruises all over your skin as his fingers thrusted into you. you squeaked and moaned all over, trying to keep quiet due to it being so late. you could feel your walls pulsate around his long fingers, kai occasionally curling them to hit that one sweet spot.

"o-oh please– kai..kaiii–" you mewled, eyes watering from the amount of bliss you were in. he hushed you in a soft tone before slowly pulling his drenched fingers out of you. he lifted your head up to make eye contact with you and he licked his fingers clean.

"i'm right here [y/n]." he nuzzled his face into tour cheek before planting a kiss. kai leaned up and pulled off his black pants and underwear, groaning as his hard-on bounced out from under the fabric. he stroked himself slowly to relieve some of the pressure before lining up at your entrance. brown orbs look up at you, silently asking for permission. you nodded eagerly, jaw slightly dropping as he pushed inside of you.

he was big, and thick. it burned ever so slightly but the pleasure overruled the pain. the ecstasy came in ways of pleasure as he slowly thrusted into you. your core tingled with warmth as he engulfed you. his sweat smelled like soft soap and you held onto his soft-toned arms for comfort.

"fuck–" he moaned out with a shudder. his eyes occasionally rolled back as he picked up speed. your moans became louder and you couldn't help it. you had never felt like this before. kai's hands trailed down to your hips and he leaned up to hold you in place as he rammed your insides.

"you're doing so good, [y/n]. there you go.." his voice felt like warm honey drenching your skin. it was like music to your ears and helped you edge closer to your climax.

"mmh– just like that, just like that–" you pleaded, nodding impatiently. you tilted your hips upward and it changed the feeling almost completely. kai was thrusting right up against your sweet spot. you moaned and whimpered and mewled all you could and became incoherent rather quickly. kai took notice of this and changed not a damn thing.

"you're so pretty under me [y/n]. i want you to finish all over me like a good girl, yeah?" he queried, a smile dancing on his pearly whites while erotic sounds occupied your mouth.

"yes. yes please– o-oh–" kai quickened his pace but kept his position, watching as you began to tremble. you made a face, signaling you were about to finish. watching you act so erotically made kai all pent up too. he tried his best to keep his pace, focusing only on you.

"oh god i– ..kai– ..i'm–" you cut yourself off with a loud shaky moan, your walls constricting around kai. your legs shook violently and your hips bucked wildly under his arms. your eyes flashed a brief white and you hear kai mumble a 'fuck' before feeling his cock puslate inside you.

"god–.." kai groaned, dropping his head below his shoulders.. his thrusts became shaky and eventually slowed to a stop. a comfortable silence fell over the room with only the sounds of panting occupying it. kai looked down at you, smiling cheekily. you couldn't help but giggle.

"you okay?" you asked, stroking his cheek with the pad of your thumb.

"yeah. i feel ..better," kai laughed at the slight coincidence. "round 2?"

you blushed and grinned, nodding before kissing the brunette above you again.

© r4vn ²⁰²⁴, do not repost my work.

see yall later :")

[weepingwidar]

Ian Felice (American, 1982) - A Voyage (2021)

[merylqueenstreep]

Happy 3rd 'Voyage' anniversary! 🥰🥳 On this day, November 5th, 2021, ABBA released their album 'Voyage'

[elizadraws]

Bulgarian Music in Studio Ghibli films

”Myth has it that Orpheus was born in what is now Bulgaria. It seemed to be fact, not myth, that his daughters are still singing there”

These words were written by the New York Times in the remote 1963 — the year in which the largest Bulgarian folk ensemble crossed the Iron Curtain to conquer an entire continent with its cosmic art.

The 1975 release of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, a compilation album of modern arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs, further popularized Bulgarian music, and in 1977, a vinyl record featuring the folk song “Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin” (Eng: Come out rebel Delyo) began its journey aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts.

From this point on popularity from the West spread to the East, and Bulgarian folk music made it to the entertainment industry, including legendary Japanese anime films, like the cult cyberpunk “Ghost in the Shell” or the heartwarming Studio Ghibli features.

In this short article I write about two occasions of Bulgarian music playing in Studio Ghibli’s films.

The record that inspired the creation of “Only Yesterday”

“Only Yesterday” is a 1991 Japanese animated drama film written and directed by Isao Takahata, based on the 1982 manga of the same title by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone. Set in rural Japan, the film draws parallels with the peasant lifestyle present in Eastern Europe.

The original work is a compilation of short stories about 11-year-old Taeko’s daily life in 1966. Director Takahata had a hard time making it into a movie since the manga, told in the form of a memoir, has no plot to hold a feature. Together with producer Toshio Suzuki, they came up with the solution of bringing the narrator of the story, adult Taeko, into the movie. But there is a curious anecdote about how this idea came to mind.

Taeko picks safflower as the Bulgarian song “Malka moma dvori mete” plays in the background. © Studio Ghibli

In a 2021 interview with students from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, producer Suzuki recounts how a record of Bulgarian songs performed by the children choir “Bodra Smyana”, introduced to him by director Takahata, inspired the creation of the movie. Moved by the cosmic voices of the children, they decided to make “Only Yesterday” a musical. He also recalls what a tiring process it was to acquire the rights to the music, but if you’ve seen the movie, I am sure you will agree that it was worth it; the haunting, beautiful songs with the pastoral images of farmers picking flowers contribute to one of the greatest scenes created in cinema.

Producer Suzuki showing the record that inspired the creation of ”Only Yesterday”. Source: Studio Ghibli’s Twitter

In “Only Yesterday”, we can hear two songs from the album Bulgarian Polyphony I by Philip Koutev Ensemble. The upbeat “Dilmano Dilbero” [Eng. beautiful Dilmana] sets a happy mood as the protagonist gets changed and ready to go on the field. As the scene shifts and Taeko starts narrating a sad story about the girls in the past picking safflower with their bare hands, the song and mood shift as well.

While the first song has a fast rhythm, with lyrics about pepper planting that can also be interpreted figuratively, the second one, “Malka Moma Dvori Mete” [Eng., a little girl sweeps the yard], is a ballad about a young girl who is forced into marriage but has never known true love.

Both compositions sing about life-cycle events like marriage and the regular coming of the harvests, with lyrics perfectly fitting the setting and plot of the movie, which makes me wonder if the filmmakers chose them by chance or if they had someone translate the words.

Bulgarian Cosmic Voices Enchanting Howl

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. Set in a fictional kingdom the movie draws inspiration from various places in Europe. One of them being Bulgaria.

The story focuses on a young girl, named Sophie, magically transformed into an old woman, and a self-confident but emotionally unstable young wizard, Howl, living in a magical moving castle.

A sketch of a Star Child. Source: The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle

If you’ve seen the movie, you surely remember the scene when Madame Suliman ambushes Howl and tries to strip him of his magic powers. Star Children encircle him and his companions; their shadows grow big, dark and intimidating. They start dancing and chanting unintelligible magic words and are almost successful in their devilish act.

This scene, together with the music played in the background, have been a favourite of many fans of the film. Some even recount it giving them nightmares when they were children.

Star Children encircle Howl in an attempt to strip him of his magic powers. © Studio Ghibli

It turns out, however, that these aren’t any incantations, but the lyrics of a folk song. In Bulgarian. And a love song! Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics have nothing to do with magic and are actually about a boy taking his sweetheart, Dona, to the market to buy her new clothes. The excerpt used in the movie is very short and a bit altered from the original, but the words used go like this: Trendafilcheto, kalafercheto, Done mamino, translated as “the rose, the costmary, my darling Dona”.

I am planing a follow up article where I will post the translated lyrics together with a brief explanation on how they are related to the movies.

If you want to comment on or add something, I would love to hear!

Source

[vestaignis]

PHLYCTENACTIS TUBERCULOSA.

Phlyctenactis tuberculosa, широко известная как блуждающая морская актиния или плавающая актиния, является видом морских анемонов семейства актиний. Она произрастает в мелководных морях вокруг Австралии и Новой Зеландии, а также встречается в Чили. Впервые была описана французским зоологом Жаном Рене Константом Куа и французским натуралистом Жозефом Полем Геймаром. Они были военно-морскими хирургами французского флота, которые собрали значительные коллекции различных организмов во время путешествий.

Эта актиния покрыта пузырчатыми мешочками и бывает разных цветов: от коричневато-оранжевого, лилового, светло-серого до коричневого. Щупальца светлее и могут быть бледно-желтого, серого, коричневого или оранжево-желтого цвета. Она вырастает до максимального размера 15 сантиметров (6 дюймов) в диаметре ,со стеблем, который может достигать 25 сантиметров (10 дюймов) в длину. В течение дня блуждающая морская актиния остается скрученной вместе, выглядя как шар из печеных бобов.

Этот ночной вид актинии, обитает на открытых побережьях и среди защищенных коралловых рифов на глубине до 35 метров. Он прикрепляется к камням, морским травам и водорослям, но может отцепить свой педальный диск и обычно дрейфует по морскому дну. Плавающая актиния передвигается по морскому дну, ползая с помощью своего базального диска, а ночью взбирается на морские травы или водоросли, чтобы найти лучшее мест�� для перехвата проплывающей мимо добычи.

Странствующий морской анемон ядовит, и прикосновение к щупальцам может вызвать болезненный укус. Пловцам рекомендуется избегать прикосновений к анемону и надевать защитную одежду.

Phlyctenactis tuberculosa, commonly known as the wandering sea anemone or floating anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Anemoneidae. It is native to shallow seas around Australia and New Zealand, and is also found in Chile. It was first described by the French zoologist Jean René Constant Coix and the French naturalist Joseph Paul Gaymard. They were naval surgeons in the French Navy who made significant collections of various organisms during their voyages.

This anemone is covered in bladder-like sacs and comes in a variety of colors, from brownish-orange, lilac, light gray, to brown. The tentacles are lighter and can be pale yellow, gray, brown, or orange-yellow. It grows to a maximum size of 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, with a stalk that can reach 25 centimetres (10 in) in length. During the day, the wandering sea anemone remains coiled together, looking like a ball of baked beans.

This nocturnal species of sea anemone lives on exposed coastlines and among sheltered coral reefs at depths of up to 35 metres (115 ft). It attaches itself to rocks, sea grasses and seaweed, but can detach its pedal disc and usually drifts along the sea floor. The floating anemone moves along the sea floor by crawling with its basal disc, and at night climbs onto sea grasses or seaweed to find the best place to intercept passing prey.

The wandering sea anemone is venomous, and touching its tentacles can cause a painful sting. Swimmers are advised to avoid touching the anemone and to wear protective clothing.

Источник://t.me/+E4YBiErj0A8wOGUy,/collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8618,/atlasoflife.org.au/creaturefeatures/2021/01/07/an-early-brief-snorkel,/www.reeflex.net/tiere/8754_Phlyctenactis _ tuberculosa.htm,//www.realmonstrosities.com/2015/01/wandering-sea-anemone.html,//shapeandtheidea.wordpress.com /2015/10/11 / wandering-anemone/,/animalia.bio/index.php/phlyctenactis-tuberculosa.