#there are words in french and german that can't truly be translated to english

[mylonelydreaming]

Since some people want to get on my case (despite apparently not knowing Japanese themselves) for how I explained "tadaima", here's several people explaining it more or less the exact same way I did:

As you can see, it is used 99% of the time with people who you live with and/or have a close relationship to.

[mamelukeraza]

My relations with the Duke of Reichstadt (1/?)

Hey, guys! First of all, happy Murat day! I know it's a bit contradictory that I'm posting King of Rome content on Murat's birthday, but I can't let go that the King of Rome's bday was the 20th! I wanted to draw something to celebrate it, but instead, I'll leave you with these memories of his best friend; Count Anton Prokesch-Osten about him. Please, forgive some misspelling you could find, since nor german, french or english are my native language! This text was translated from the german to the french, and so, I translate this to the english for you! Hope you enjoy it! For some context, the King of Rome/Napoleon II is living in Vienna (he started living there at the age of three) at the time this takes place. They refer to him by his title (Duke of Reichstadt) or by "Franz".

The Duke of Reichstadt was then for me, as well as for all circles of Viennese society, one of those appearances that were as attractive as they were endearing. However, I hadn't had a chance to get close to him until then. Now, precisely around this time, my destiny took me to Trieste, then in the midst of the battles where Greece shed its blood in floods on the mainland and on the islands, finally to Constantinople, in Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Nubia. After six years of absence, I returned to my native land, where I found a welcome full of kindness and consideration. At that time, when no steamboat had yet sailed the seas of the Levant, voyages to such distant lands, participation in events which, like the struggles of the Greeks against the Turks, had the privilege of exciting minds to the point of higher, they were considered almost as a merit, and reflected a certain brilliance in whoever had achieved them. My native city, Gratz, gave me a particularly flattering reception, when in June 1830, I went there for a few weeks to see relatives and friends, as well as to find these places still filled with the sweetest memories and that had been the theater of my early youth.

At the same time the court also came to reside at Gratz, and on the 22nd of the same month, I had the honor of being invited to the imperial table; placed in front of the Empress, I had the Duke of Reichstadt next to me, seated in front of the Emperor. This handsome and noble young man with deep blue eyes, a masculine forehead, abundant blond hair, silence on his lips, calm and self-possessed in all respects of him, made a truly extraordinary impression on me. I had a feeling similar to the one that comes over a teenager who first meets the young woman to whom he will give his heart. I only exchanged a few shy words with him the whole time we sat at the table; because the Empress and my former protector, Archduke John, were never tired of me telling them what I had seen and learned in foreign countries that we then considered so distant. Much better, after dinner they held me back for several more hours, and when I was finally allowed to retire, the Duke of Reichstadt barely had time to throw these few words at me:

"You've known me for a long time," and he squeezed my hand as if we were old friends.

This handshake was, in fact, a promise for the future. It could only have been given in this sense, and I did not attribute any other idea to it.

The next morning Count Maurice Dietrichstein, to whom the Duke's education was entrusted, came to my house. The count had shown me kindness from the moment that the favor of the princely house of Schwarzenberg had supported me. He reiterated the reproach already formulated the day before, namely, that, although he had been in the same city for a week, he had neglected the duke. The count offered to take me to the young prince at the same moment. I followed him with pleasure. At my entrance, the duke, whose attitude was not at all like that of the day before, rushed towards me with all the petulance of youth, his look animated and full of confidence. Repeating the words of the previous day, he exclaimed:

"You have known me and I have loved you for a long time. You defended my father's honor at a time when everyone was slandering him at will. I have read his memoirs on the Battle of Waterloo and, to better understand each line, I have translated them twice, first in French and then in Italian.”

I responded in terms inspired by the desire to bond closely with this handsome young man so neglected in this world.

Count Dietrichstein took the conversation to Greece. Expressing the most ardent wishes for prosperity for this people, who are now called to live their own lives again, already the day before, after having dinner with the imperial family, I supported the opinion that, despite the unfavorable conditions resulting from war, anarchy, factions, mismanagement, Greece, if given a prince of a European dynasty as king, and if its organization were not the work of diplomatic insufficiency, would move very rapidly towards a flourishing future. In the presence of Archduke Jean, Count Maurice, Colonel de Werklein, intendant of the Archduchess Maria Luisa, I, taking advantage of a moment when the Duke of Reichstadt was busy elsewhere, slipped into the course of the conversation the idea that the throne of Greece, devoid of claimants since the refusal of the Prince of Coburg, could not be handed over to a more worthy than the son of Napoleon: This proposal had received, to my surprise, general approval, The Empress herself, who, during this conversation had approached us, did not seem to oppose it. She had expressed this idea without yet knowing that they were the views of the Prince of Metternich; however, as early as 1825, I became aware of the statement made by this diplomat in St. Petersburg:

"One of two things: either the Greeks will again be subjected to Bonaparte, and given administrative autonomy; or an independent Greece will be constituted in such a way that it will not necessarily be Bonaparte's enemy."

However, Count Maurice had given me the chance to talk about Greece once more that morning, the duke soon guessed my thoughts and caught fire with my words. We were interrupted at that moment by the General Prince of (...). He wanted to say goodbye; however the duke insisted:

"The general," he told me, "he'll only stop for a moment, and I'd be very upset if I lost you soon."

I stayed. The Prince of (...) soon left, rebuffed by the duke's laconicism. So Count Dietrichstein brought up the conversation about Napoleon. The duke spoke with high spirits. We could feel in each of his words the warmest admiration, the deepest attachment for his father; however, he preferred to rely on his military talents. To take him as a model and thus become a great captain, at this point he was all fire, all flame. We discussed several of the Emperor's maneuvers, including Austerlitz. I was surprised by the prince's strategic judgment and the precision of his expressions. Of all the officers and generals then at Gratz, there was, of course, not one who had the keenest military eye and was endowed with the most pronounced aptitude for command-in-chief. He returned not only to my published account of the Battle of Waterloo, but also to "the memorable events in the life of Field Marshal Prince Charles of Schwarzenberg. The duke appreciated them with a sagacity that astonished me. Then he complained of his isolation, and poured out his soul in these words:

"Stay with me; sacrifice your future for me, stay with me! We are made to understand each other!"

He expressed himself with such warmth that he touched me to the bottom of my heart. Then he continued:

"If I am called to be another Prince Eugene for Austria, the question I ask myself is this: how will it be possible for me to prepare myself for this role? I feel indecisive in choosing a man capable of introducing me to the high demands and noble duties of the military career. I do not have and do not see any man of this merit in my entourage."

Count Dietrichstein witnessed this departure, and seemed to find it natural and fair. I reproached the duke, cordially shaking his hand, for judging too hastily. He accepted my guilt without taking offense and listened deferentially when I expressed the doubt he felt about my ability. Our interview was interrupted by the General Count of Leiningen, whom I could not refuse to receive. But, once again, he did not let me go, and as soon as the count left, he resumed the conversation about his father's feats of arms. As it was necessary to pay my respects to his mother, the Archduchess Maria Luisa, I could hardly delay any longer; I warned him about it and said goodbye to him. I had been at the archduchess's for barely half an hour when the duke went there in the same manner. His mother received him tenderly; he kissed her with a rather serious air. The conversation focused on his childhood. He wanted her to give him more precise information about Colonel Sèves, who had accompanied him from Paris to Blois in March 1814, and whom he had met in April 1828 in Modon, at Ibrahim-Pasha's house. I had to tell him what the colonel had taught me about this fatal escape.

We perceived each other as two men who were convinced that nothing could separate them.

Source: Mes relations avec le duc de Reichstadt : mémoire posthume / par le comte de Prokesch-Osten,. . . ; traduit de l’allemand [par A. de Prokesch-Osten fils]. Gallica. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6536278r/f38.item.zoom

[electragaming]

Language (and how the US is tightening its grip on mass media worldwide)

I am, again, reporting on an obsession, a passion, perhaps, a fresh spark, if you will. :3

This time, it's languages (and some other things later on)! Shocker, I know. Everyone and their mother is into that nowadays in queer online spaces. Not that I meet a lot of mothers in here, sadly. It's all just weird little guys (gender neutral). Now, I would hardly call myself a "linguist" or anything like that. But when has a lack of expertise ever deterred anyone on the internet from having crazy opinions?

With that said,

ELECTRA'S OPINION OF THE DAY:

(some of) Y'all are way too unwilling to like other cultures and languages. You keep pointing your fingers at French's orthography, or make fun of German for sounding "rough" (and ideally bring up the Nazis), or get all weird about Arabic's "unusual" (read: post-velar and scary to the English speaker) consonant inventory. (Those are just the ones I see the most often and not representative of every language in existence!)

The thing is, all of these are beautiful! Every single one of those languages, and all the other ones too, are really, truly wonderful! And the best thing is, you do not have to understand the words to engage with it to find the beauty in it that its speakers have watered and cared for for millennia. Sure, you can go and study it, you can devote your time and put effort in preserving the language, allowing others to care for what you have grown to love; this is noble and so, so important, yes, but it's not all that matters. What matters is cherishing and loving languages, and cultures, other than the one you run into most!

Maybe you should check out that weird experimental album you were recommended by your overseas friend whose English, while impressive, is still lacking in some aspects. You can't really blame them for that; you barely even know what language they speak. (And I promise the album would have been extremely influential and well known if they wrote it in English!) Maybe you should stand up for that person in your neighborhood who moved in rather recently and doesn't know how to speak the language people around you expect them to!

Or maybe, you can support and love and cherish stories and poetry and all kinds of things from all around the world. It doesn't matter that you have to read the translation (where there is someone dedicated enough to make one) instead of just being able to use the language that it was made in mind with; you're still showing support and love to those creators, supporting all sorts of odd little works in all corners of the world that are dying to be experienced, but often cannot be, because they aren't cared for by enough people. It's easier for everyone to give in and just import whatever Disney came up with.

It isn't worth it, though.

Some time ago, I saw screenshots of an old cartoon from my area with what were mostly Americans falling in love with it at first sight. There was some fan art and a lot of discussion. I think about that a lot. It might not have been as big as whatever media dominate the market, but it felt very genuine and it moved me in ways I really wasn't expecting.

Thanks for caring about us, if you did. If you didn't, that's okay! I do, however, invite you to watch it if you'd like. And you're in luck. It's all out there on the internet, for free!

As usual, thanks for reading! Love, Electra <3

[xslytherclawx-writes]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

stolen from @thebreakfastgenie - if you want to do this, consider yourself tagged!

How many works do you have on Ao3?

508, not including anon works

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

1,779,933

3. What fandoms do you write for?

uh... lots? i think i've written in upwards of 70 fandoms. mostly currently Harry Potter and Star Trek (Voyager & Lower Decks). Occasionally I'll toss in a Miraculous fic. My top 6 by works are: Harry Potter (187), Yuri!!! on ICE (62), Chronicles of Narnia (39), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn (18), The Umbrella Academy (TV) (12) - tied with Original Work (12)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

The Total Agony of Being in Love (Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston)  Two of A Kind (Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones) La Magique étude du Bonheur (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling)  i bloom just for you (Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston) enough contrition to spare (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! but i do have over 100 comments in my inbox so perhaps i am not like... the best at it haha

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

I think maybe either: (for you) i would ruin myself (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling) or: Death Date (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling)  OR: like my parents never did (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling)  but like i write a LOT of angst lol

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

I've written so much fluff so I'm just going to plug relationship advice (Miraculous Ladybug) (written for @nemaliwrites actually haha) because I think it has enough stakes for the ending to count as truly happy instead of just. fluff all the way through. (though it is pretty fluffy)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yeah. i wrote aged up characters once and got called disgusting like ok thanks you're the one who took the time to click on it and leave a comment. but ok. i also was told very rudely that sirius was ooc in a fic for not being fanon sirius. again: ok. read the books.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do, pretty often, actually. I've written F/M, F/F, M/M, F/M/M. I'll be posting some F/F/M soonish too.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not often? I think the craziest one I've written was Star Wars PT / Buffy the Vampire Slayer: friends in highly low places 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not just that, but I had a fic ripped off for a professionally published novel. not that i'm still bitter, or anything.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Введение в дипломатию by lyomna, translation of an introduction to diplomacy (Narnia) From English to Русский

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

Sure have! Mostly in Yuri!!! on ICE

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

don't do this to me. I genuinely don't know. all-time?? Jill/Eustace and Polly/Digory have stood the test of time better than anything for any of my other fandoms tbh. But like favorite???? I can't pick. Some evergreen ships: Katniss/Peeta (THG), Remus/Lily (HP), Drarry (HP), Hyacinth/Gareth (Bridgerton).

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i mean the entirety of the cat café universe is probably not being touched again. uh. beyond that? not one for being let down (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling) - I should probably just put an epilogue on it and call it done a matter of diplomacy (Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis) - I really do like this one, but my brain is just not giving me many more ideas for it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

dialogue and character voice!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

detailed description

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I did it before bc I was a pretentious ass and continue it in Ravenclaw AU for consistency's sake, but I probably wouldn't do it again, unless it was a language I spoke fluently (so French or German) and didn't want my POV character to understand, and even then... eh.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter, officially, but I wrote out some Halloweentown fanfiction in 3rd grade and submitted it for an assignment, so does that count?

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

making me choose a favorite child. jk it's probably Lost Causes (Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling) or, in a completely different vein, the proof is in the pudding (literally. no one tested the pudding.) (Succession (TV 2018)) 

[thyandrawrites]

You mentioned being Italian, how did you learn to speak or at least write English so well? Your Japanese translations are also pretty good too! I want learn Italian so what would you recommend that would help learn to read and write another language?

Thank you!

The genuine answer? Fandoms. Really. I've been studying languages for most of my life (english since elementary school, french in middle and high school, german since hs and japanese since college) but so far I've only gotten truly fluent in the only language I didn't just approach from a textbook learning angle. My fluency probably also comes from speaking english the longest, but what really improved my proficiency was consuming and engaging with my passions in my target language. Something that I struggle a lot with is staying motivated in the long run. I tend to run out of steam after a while, and I lose all the progress I made. But fandoms feed on my passions, so engaging with them helps me find the motivation to keep going, while also making it less like a chore that needs to be taken care of.

I was a B1 until I graduated high school, but then I started reading copius amounts of fanfic and meta in english, and began writing my own. Reading taught me a lot of common new words I had never encountered before in my textbooks, as well as several idioms, and the longer I kept at it, the more stuff I assimilated into my vocabulary. I spent a couple of years just reading ff, not thinking I had it in me to truly begin writing in my second language, but then it sort of... Just happened. I got a fic idea late at night and wrote a 6k oneshot in one sitting during an all nighter. The fact that I was tired and inspired probably lowered my remaining inhibitions and temporarily muted that part of my brain that was self-conscious. But suddenly, english didn't seem so scary anymore. When I reread what I wrote the next day, after getting some sleep, it wasn't as agrammatical and terrible as I had feared, and that motivated me to keep doing it. I find that a lot of the time what stops us from improving is the fear of making a fool of ourselves. I also didn't comment on fanfic for years in fear of outing myself, and on the rare occasions I did, I always prefaced my comments with an apology for my english. But when you finally get in the mindframe that people don't really care about any mistakes you might make, it was really liberating. Honestly, just have fun! Who cares! Native speakers make tons of mistakes too! I can see that so clearly now.

This was around the time I got into Tokyo Ghoul meta and timidly approached my first analyses. Meta is fairly different from creative writing, but it also helped me improve because it taught me essay writing better than my english teacher marking my mistakes in angry red. When you're trying to explain a concept so that others understand it, rather than just to get a passing grade, you will attempt to break it down into easier concepts and pace it better, instead of just paying attention to SPaG. This also had the side effect of teaching me how to better sort my thoughts and get them across clearly, which has always been a struggle for me in spoken conversations. My thoughts tend to be messy, and I trip over my words a lot (in my native language too), but thinking about going from point a to point b like I'm writing an essay helps me a lot, personally.

The last step was joining a discord server in 2019. I can't stress enough how language is constantly evolving, and how slang and everyday language isn't something you can passively learn from textbooks or online courses. Those are only good as the foundation of your skills. They teach you the grammar and the basic vocabulary, but then you have to engage with real people, you know? I've always struggled to hold a conversation because I'm socially awkward, but discord is useful to me because it is a group chat, so there is less pressure on my end to keep a conversation going. Interacting with people from all over the world taught me to be less self-conscious about my skills, and meeting people of different age ranges taught me a variety of slang expressions to pass for a not-boomer myself, at least at first glance :'D

Moral of the story, do follow courses and use textbooks (those are important!), but also keep in mind those are not the be-all end-all of language proficiency, like school and academia tries so hard to teach you. If you find yourself hitting a wall and not getting any better anymore, take it as a sign your grammar is good enough to take the next step in your journey. So then, try to think of something you have fun doing. A hobby of yours. And then think of ways you can engage with it in your target language.

I had different phases in my life where I explored various things thay way. I got obsessed with a band in middle school and started watching and rewatching the videos they posted online, trying to understand everything they said. This improved my listening skills considerably. Years later I got really into WoW and I learned vocab by playing it and by looking for tutorials online. If you read a lot, consider looking for titles in that language you want to learn. Stuff like this. Listening to music, watching movies or tv series with subtitles (esp if the subtitles are in your target language too). All this stuff helps a lot! And the added plus is that for however challenging it might be at first, you'll stay motivated because it relates to something you already enjoy

[spotofimagines]

Rivals Last ~ Jadon Sancho

A/N: So I had this in my drafts before he signed with man united but that's fine, we move, we adapt. A third piece for the @footballffbarbiex summer challenge. Hope you enjoy it :)

Warnings: none - reader is female

Summary: You love both your brothers dearly, but being in the football world with them can make some things a little complicated.

gif by @archivesbvb - gif by @ermuellert - gif by @italynt

Being a footballer meant living in a special world. Being in a footballing family meant living in a special world too. Being the younger sister of Lucas and Theo Hernandez meant living in a really special world. But nobody told you just how crazy it would be for all three of those things to apply to you.

You truly love watching your older brothers play football. They teach you something new during every match you see; even though you play as a striker, their movements and handling of the ball always inspire you to play better. After all, it was their defensive skills that helped you become a good goal scorer growing up since they never let a tackle go unchallenged in the park and you had to find out how to manoeuvre around them. A lot easier said than done.

Currently Lucas is signed with Bayern Munich. In his time there so far, he has learnt the heritage, history, and importance of wearing the badge and defending its honour in every match they play, especially derbies. Having supported Lucas, it quickly became easy for you to support Bayern Munich too and celebrate their victories like it was your own team. You'd always managed to do it with the clubs both your brothers played for, letting the atmosphere of the fanbase carry you away.

You have just finished your second season in England with Manchester City women's team. You'd settled in nicely now, having learnt a lot of the English language and culture already. The experience was made so much easier because of the help given by your welcoming teammates and the staff that translated things into French and Spanish during your first months there.

Fans were a little disappointed during the 2019 summer transfer window when it was confirmed all three Hernandez siblings would be leaving Spain to play separately in England, Germany and Italy, joking that no one could know what might happen with you all so far away. However, to you, it made things easier, as Lucas and Theo would stop making so many awful jokes about each other's clubs, only to join forces to diss your club even more afterward. Now the only connection you have to the clubs you all play for is the want for your sibling to win with them. And it is a great feeling. A welcome change of pace.

But no new change to your life felt as good as your blossoming "relationship", situationship, whatevership, you have with Jadon Sancho.

It all started with you flirting back and forth on social media, which turned itself into countless hours of DMs no one else could see. You congratulated his goals and he congratulated your wins. All the light-hearted teasing and the warm-hearted compliments stayed in your own little bubble. The only thing peeking out was your silly inside rule that if you were going to comment on a post, it had to be emojis only, stretching to a few words if you really couldn't help yourself - but it would earn you taunts from the other for the rest of the night.

Some eagle-eyed fans noticed how you'd been liking each other's posts every time they appeared for a while now, but it just added to the fun and thrill you got from flirting with him so much.

You weren't meant to be forming a bond with Jadon. He played for your brother’s rival. He was supposed to be the enemy. Someone you should dislike with a snap of your fingers. Certainly not a boy to fall for like you have.

You couldn't help yourself. Lucas and Theo had helped you since you moved to England by being the steady rocks they always were, cheering you on from afar. Your new teammates had helped you since you moved to England by introducing fun things for you all to do together and taking you under their wings. But Jadon had helped you in a different kind of way. He gave you a new kind of comfort and reassurance when you talked. He became someone to turn to with all your interesting news and your curious problems. He told you the good places to visit around the city that he remembered from his time there and taught you English slang to make your teammates laugh. You spoke three languages to varying degrees now, and you'd managed to pick up more German vicariously through Lucas in two years faster than Jadon had done living in Germany in four years, so you'd clue him into rude German phrases you had asked Lucas about, alongside the French and Spanish swear words he used more often than English ones now when you text. 

Even though a language barrier comes up once in a while, you have both learnt behaviours from each other and crave the contact you share. Jadon was starting to drop everything to send replies to you, a change his teammates have noticed and jokingly mock him for. Little did they know the unknown girl they joke he is smitten over is the sister of their rival.

Theo is the one in your family you usually tell about the boys you go out with; boyfriends and dates have been shared with him since you were 13 and doting on your first crush. He does the same with his girlfriends; asking advice and telling you more than you need to know at times. So, when you all went home for a bit of family time around Christmas, nothing could stop him from noticing the tell-tale signs that you had something going on. He already figured out through persistence that it was another player you were getting involved with, and his insistent questioning hasn't stopped in his search for who the player is.

But you keep it hidden from Lucas, and you don't know when you'll tell him. He has been your protector since you were kids, comforting you on sad nights when no one else was there, teaching you little secrets about how to navigate through the world, he even punched a boy who teased you once at school. The idea of telling him you were chatting romantically to another player would be trouble enough, but telling him it was a Dortmund player might just end up in another schoolground incident. You hadn't wanted Theo to know for fear he'd go dishing your dirt to Lucas, but he discovered it on his own and there was nothing you could do.

Who knows what might become of this thing you have with Jadon, and lord knows your eldest brother owns a hard as nails death stare that just might do Jadon in, but for now you actually quite like having the secret. A little mystery tucked away up your sleeve.

The rush you always get when Lucas calls your phone as you're typing a text to the Englishman,  feeling as though the first words from the other end will be shouts of how he knows everything and he'll never speak to you again for keeping it a secret, fills you with dread at times. But it never is the reason he calls, and it turns out he is just making plans or has something funny to tell you. But the way your heart thumps as you go back to texting Jadon, that is part of the chase you have to admit you enjoy.

Hardcore fans online have noticed the past few months that when you do interviews in English, the odd slang term comes up during jokes - terms you hadn't used before and stem more from London boroughs than northen towns - so speculation of how you'd learnt these things easily coincided with dating rumors.

Lucas had seen the speculation online; seen fans trying to put your interactions with the Dortmund player together through both your instagram stories and comments and the tweets you both had liked about the other. Lucas had even grown suspicious of the little questions you asked him about Germany, German phrases and his lifestyle there, not knowing why you would need nor want to know those things. But Lucas doesn't believe it. He knows that you know better to mix with a Dortmund boy.

Sometimes an older brother just doesn't get it quite right…

Soon, the chance will come to really see if your connection is something you can build on. Jadon's new signing with Manchester United has been confirmed and he will be moving back to England. It is a great opportunity to get to see him more often, rather than the odd rendezvous point or clandestine trip during small breaks in the season. You'll spend more time face to face instead of over the phone. You'll get to wake up in his bed and him in yours, without needing to sneak away from hotel rooms afterwards. You'll maybe even get to go on a proper date, just the two of you, where you can flirt across the table your joined hands rest upon. Hanging out with Jadon won't be the first time you've spent time together in person. However, getting a full day with only the two of you where you won't have to pretend you hardly know who he is, and you won't have to pretend your eyes aren't meeting across the group of people you're in - it fills your stomach with knots and butterflies.

A certain pressure has fallen off you now Jadon has no growing rivalry with Lucas, but not completely. You won't be able to take back the way their teams made the other feel in the past, but the fact there won't be more of it next season comforts you a little. The biggest thing that will hold you back from going public before the new season starts will be the media, but that is an issue you can't even begin to worry about yet. You are too caught up in the excitement of being in the same town as Jadon to care. Rumours are spinning crazier than ever about you two as some of your liked tweets about his move got reposted by sports pages and fan blogs - now joking about him being your rival instead of your brother's - and yet it didn't stop you, no longer all that bothered about keeping a low profile now you both will be living away from Lucas. If he gets mad, all he will be able to do is shout down the phone, and whilst you never want that to happen, you know the time to flourish with Jadon and capitalise on the foundation you have already built is better than ever, brothers be damned.

There are big changes coming for the both of you, yet one thing will remain the same no matter the outcome of your relationship. You can't quite stop being football rivals.

[petekaos]

Hi Rahul ! I rewatched My Country: the New Age because you were watching it. And this time I watched it with french subs and not English subs. The ICONIC line "Even your sword feels affectionate" isn't translated the same way at all in french. It's "Je sens l’amour jusque dans ton coup d’épée." which means "I can feel love throughout your sword." or "your sword's blow" like Hwi's love for him is so strong it radiates through his sword. Here "amour" doesn't mean affection (in french affection is the same word as in english) it's LOVE LOVE. I can't get over it, the french subs said gay rights.

hiii nonnie!! AAAAH MCTNA BEST SHOW! and yes i’ve seen the translation of that line in french! the love that drips from it is insane like… what a beautiful line. i speak some french so i was watching parts of mctna with french subs as well and the way i jumped out of my seat when i saw ‘amour’ used in that context! 🥺💗

but generally all the translations of that line are truly so stunning… i remember in german it was something like “dein schwert fühlt sich liebevoll an.” which means “your sword feels loving.” don’t hold me to it bc i don’t remember the exact line in german (will go search for it later and then edit this post) but it’s just … so lovely. i hope you enjoyed your rewatch, nonnie! 💛

[theelliottsmiths]

So anyway, Mein Herz Brennt Making of liveblog, one of my favourites

First of all, I do take any use of piano MHB as a slight towards my tiny hands. -1 point

I really would love to visit this place, it's beautiful

I love that Oli introduces it and then Till is straight in there talking about murder and stabbings. Trust that to be what intrigues him. I feel like 'smells like murder' isn't a direct translation but that's purely because I spent like ten minutes trying to work out what words he says. It rhymes, which is suspicious.

Oh this was before he let his chest piercing reject all the way out in the grossest way

When schneider says Krankenhaus it sounds very Geordie and I'm convinced that kind of thing is why Auf Wiedersehen, Pet was created

Richards eyes light up when he's talking about the room he's in and it's one of those looks where it's just. I would love to listen to anything anyone has to say when their eyes have that sparkle.

"the scavengers had already been here" cue Paul talking about his criminal past thieving from there. See, another example everyone forgets of him being the biggest bastard of them all. The smile is a front.

One of my favourite ever Rammstein things is the combined joy and mockery from Paul when Richard is revealed to be wearing the bird mask and it wiggles as he nods. He looks like a little black cockatoo. Richard looks embarrassed to be wearing it but Paul is having the time of his LIFE.

The way is echoes in his mask makes him sound like he's clucking

Flakes glasses perching in his cone make him look like that sesame Street doctor or scientist

They all suit this make up so much and I wish they'd consider it as a stage look

Peck. Not intimidated.

Considering the nightmares Till has/had, ouch

Richard looks so much like a little vampire prince but like, a character from what we do in the shadows. He makes his own smokescreen entry/exist and everything.

Melanie!!!

Richard has many tendons in his neck huh.

The sounddd. I used to always be curious as to whether or not people in music videos were making the sounds it looks like they're making and now I know and I'm uncomfortable. This and also later when till does the heart

His laugh is never what I expect it to be

That uh. That doesn't look like he's in pain the way the injection sounds implied. At all. Not that I'm complaining but it gives mixed messages.

I'm so sure Richard is the only one I've ever heard use the word quasi. It makes sense for him if true but maybe I only notice because of the tone he uses? His is quite a punchy nasal tone it might just be more noticeable.

Till with kids is always the most adorable wonderful thing. He's really helping to keep them relaxed despite the creepiness of the stuff they're shooting.

"if you look at the cover then you'll recognise a morbidity to the whole thing" till, my darling, do you think people don't already ~see the morbidity~?

I googled and the lady doesn't pronounce renaissance with a g like Till does and that interests me. In fairness I have to assume it's like in Norwegian how words like restaurant are pronounced with a g sound because it's closer to the French sounds? It's not like we in English donut the French way either but the Google translate lady does. This is why I always suspect that when I'm learning a language I'm learning the language wrong and at some point I'll find out there's a Real, For Adults version if the language that's totally different. This is irrelevant. Accents are fun and I like being able to notice them.

It feels so strange seeing this knowing what Eugenio did

Paul taking pictures because he knows better than them

Something about a child saying "ah yes, I know Till and Flake very well" is hysterical.

You can feel the dismay and disapproval radiating off till as he tries to be diplomatic about the Spanish understanding of linear time. He struggles to find a positive and only comes up with the fire walls. "It should have gone out before we filmed anything because they were fucking around with the playback so long but it didn't" is his only compliment.

The German word for French is wild.

Do they know they could have hired an interpreter? Interpreters existed in 2012 I know this

This whole thing with Melanie is beautiful you can't deny that the arm Eugenio made with then was lovely.

Till in the dress with Melanie in his lap. I don't off the top of my head remember seeing it in either video so I simply must assume that it was just what he was wearing that day when he showed up. She's so tiny on his knee I'm glad they're still friends.

"you're left in a state of trauma when everyone stares at you all the time" did this need to get so heavy? It's interesting that he focused more on her voice than her appearance there, though in fairness it's pretty high

They all love her so much and it's totally understandable.

Mit rock n roll und cola trinken

I have to skip the screaming the secondhand embarrassment is too much.

Part 2

Again, this liveblog is so long

Sometimes Oli speaks like his body isn't used to talking.

I want, so badly, to know if Richard was having memories of his dreadlocked youth The tiny cup in his elegant hand is so pleading and then you look left and. It sure is something.

Are they freckles or acne scars across Tills shoulders?...cute. The first set of arm/chest wounds, not so much. I do spy his lil tummy scar

Richard does look like he almost swooped in for a kiss and then changed his mind because of the camera. Paul turns his head that way and then Richard tries to save with a step back and face rub (his own). Just saying.

The fact that a few of them have taken pictures on their personal phones warms my soul it's such a nice reminder that they're good friends outside of work and My Heart

Schneider and Paul ready at a moment's notice to be Dumbasses. J'adore.

What if Zoran was more of a background character tho actually

God, schneider is beautiful. An ethereal, pure beauty that exists no matter how he's being styled.

See okay how is flake almost taller than Oli right now he's not even doing his standard open legs and swan spine thing

It must be so hard to find Oli sized clothes. Flake is also tall and slim but he's a lot more leg, whereas Olis height seems largely to be torso. I have to assume a lot of his stuff is tailored or custom made now.

I always forget about the marks on tills back when he's in the nightmare dress

The child staring with great confusion at a bright red flake reading. I would love to know what his favourite books are.

The childs plural poking and prodding at a very patient Oli, who gracefully bends his spine in ways I've never seen a human do before. I wonder if he's ever dressed up as Lurch from the Addams family.

The actress playing the woman in this half is so beautiful and has a power her younger counterpart lacked when she was threatening him with her weapon.

I am a dummy and was like weird why is Paul speaking Norwegian. I know full well he wasn't saying unnskyld because I've heard Germans say their equivalent before and I assume Entschuldigen either sounds like that fast or shortens so what the fuck, rhi

Till guiding people through him murdering them is truly one of life's greatest pleasures. They trust him so completely. I would like to watch them dance the elegance would be astounding.

Paul lurking watching with what I choose to see as pride as till slaughters an old woman.

Paul being critical (again, as always, rightly so) of the hallway mouthing the lyrics decision.

"for this in prepared to make compromises" he says, hating every bitter word of it

I would like to know what he wanted to say about till and then see him get into trouble over it.

I would like to see till in a bouncy castle. He's adorable jumping into the comfy pit I want to see him in a bouncy castle. Child, utter child.

Paul takes every opportunity to say how hot he thinks they all are and I love that about him. Sometimes your friends are all hot and everybody needs to understand that fact.

Their approaches to pretending to play cello are all so uniquely them. Flake and Richard are taking the time to try and understand what they're being told, whereas Paul just fucking. Lays into it, attracting the weirdest looks from Oli. Richard looks beautiful with that cello and I think he should learn to play. For fun not for work. It's not just that he looks so handsome, but I think that's the easiest way to convince him. I think he'd be good at it, and not being the lead at something might be good for him.

I appreciate that Oli is skeptical because yeah they do all look like they've never held a cello before.

They do, however, all look lovely in their dresses. I'm trying but actually I can't not say that Schneiders little sternum dip makes it seem like he has breasts in that dress and it's a good look for him.

Till singing it in such a high voice, more like his speaking voice, is both interesting and lovely. Oli is trying... So little compared to the others. Laughably incorrect

Why yes, I am laughing at the sheer length of the spikes. They're just... They're so fucking long. So long.

Paul is actually probably the best one there, ironically. They're all comically out of time. They're professional musicians. I know they aren't used to bowed instruments I do understand and I don't want to be uncharitable but also they are struggling. I want to see cellists react to this.

Pretty dresses! And the nightmare but with the most awful and worst fingers! Like the Grinch but goth.

Both Schneider and Richard had the same neverending shoot idea and I am Intrigued.

Till waiting for Schneider with the umbrella :)

Wir brennen! Paul is always so happy to play with fire.