A Stranger in Falushtain - DaWanda competition

“What on the beard of the Nolens twins was that?!” cried Arnulf the cuddlecreep, more intrigued than startled, picking himself off the ground and dusting his sleeves.

The Nolens twins were instrumental to the smooth running of all affairs in Falushtain. Joint at the hip, they shared everything: one body (an arm and a leg each, judiciously distributed and fiercely protected as valued private property), one vest, one beard, one place of employment. Their boat carried travellers across the river Painn, the only way in and out of the city gates.

But the little ball of fur cowering in the middle of the path did not know that. He was obviously not from those parts. It looked up at Arnulf with large, pitiful, apologetic eyes, but said nothing. He obviously had not stopped there intentionally, for Arnulf to trip on him, as was the habit of other tricky creatures of the forest. He looked quite lost and out of place, dragging along the ground a fork that looked twice his size, as he moved cautiously to the side of the path.

Arnulf, short as he was, had to bend to have a closer look at the strange creature.

“What are you?” he murmured. “And what’s with the fork? Are you into shiny stuff too?”

Many of creatures of Falushtain loved stealing people’s teaspoons, keys, coins or everything else that had an irresistible metallic sheen. But this furry thing? He certainly didn’t look like he was from around there! Apparently it could not speak either. It just blinked and held on to its fork.

“Ahem, terribly sorry to interrupt, my dear sirs. But being that the little cutlery-loving gentleman here seems of an entirely novel species, I felt compelled to conduct some research into his nature and origins. I do hope you don’t mind. At first inspection, he seems to be a Furball of the Home and Living subspecies.”

It was Basil the zombie. With a mighty yawn, he sat on the leafy ground, trying – rather unsuccessfully – to look friendly. He stared attentively at the creature’s fur, examined the dusty fork, made mental notes of height, width and colour and even ventured to touch one of the two fangs that protruded most unevenly from the creature’s mouth. But the creature still seemed clueless and mute. It blinked at the inspection by the zombie intellectual, and remained silent.

“Where have you come from, sir?”

The creature blinked.

“Hmm” said Basil like a knowledgeable doctor. “Trust must be gained one way or another in order to facilitate communication. Do you not agree, Mr. Arnulf?”

“Munication?” said Arnulf, now as clueless as the creature. The creature blinked.

Basil produced a wrinkled apple which seemed to have survived as many centuries as its owner. Carefully, he offered it to the creature. Arnulf suddenly felt sure he understood what munication was. He pulled a half-chewed liquorice stick out of his sleeve, brushed the lint off it and offered it to the stranger, with a wide smile.

The strange creature blinked and sniffed and blinked. A silly two-fanged smile stretched over its entire face (which incidentally also constituted its entire body). With amazing strength, he lifted the fork over his head, in a little dance of joy.

“Ready for namnam!” he cried in delight. “Ready for NAMNAM!”

Green-eyed Monday

Today, I am envious of Katalin. She's a wonderful illustrator, her characters are very expressive and she always creates lovely dream-like settings.

Azi sunt invidioasa pe Katalin. E un ilustrator minunat, personajele ei sunt foarte expresive si intotdeauna reuseste sa creeze decoruri de vis. A ilustrat si un volum de Ispirescu, din cate am vazut pe blogul ei.

Basil

This is poor Basil, the zombie. He suffers from a chronic impossibility to die. Don't laugh, it's a serious condition! He managed to die once, a looong long time ago, of natural causes (fresh mushrooms), then again around 285 (Goth invasion), and then once more in 1710 (plague). But he hasn't been dead since then at that makes him very tired.

Acesta este saracu' Basil; el e un zombie. sufera de o imposibilitate cronica de a muri. Nu radeti, ca e o conditie foarte serioasa! A reusit sa moara o data, cu muult mult timp in urma, de cauze naturale (ciuperci proaspete), apoi a mai murit o data prin 285 (invazia gotilor), apoi inca odata pe la 1710 (ciuma). Dar n-a mai fost mort de atunci si asta il face foarte obosit.

Having lived through most of known history, he is very knowledgeable, and people of Falushtain sometimes employ him as a tutor for their children. He is well bred and has very elegant manners, a true gentleman!

Avand in vedere ca a trait cam toata istoria cunoscuta, Basil este foarte bine informat, si oamenii din Falushtain il angajeaza cateodata ca profesor particular pt copiii lor. E bine crescut si are maniere foarte elegante, un adevarat gentleman!

Even if he is so tired, he does not believe in suicide. He likes to hang around the cemetery pub, hoping someone might help him to another period of not-so-eternal rest. His favourite pick-up line is "do you ever feel like killing someone?"

Chiar daca e asa de obosit, Bazil nu crede in sinucidere. Ii place sa piarda vremea prin barul cimitirului, in speranta ca cineva il va ajuta cu inca o perioada de odihna mai-mult-sau-mai-putin vesnica. Replica lui de agatzat favorita este "iti vine vreodata sa omori pe cineva?"

P.S. Is it just me or does he look a bit like Morgan Freeman?
P.S. Mi se pare mie sau seamana un pic cu Morgan Freeman?

Orasul meu

For the English version of this post, go here.

La initiativa peticelelor (desi cu mare, mare intarziere), pun aici poze cu locurile preferate din orasul meu. Mi-a luat ceva timp pentru ca am vrut sa fac poze cu manutza mea, la lucruri asa cum le vad eu, si a trebuit sa astept o vreme ca sa fie soare. Ca doar asa le vad eu intotdeauna: cu soare!

In ordinea departarii de casa, puteti admira:

Biblioteca judeteana, un colt dintr-o cladire frumoasa foc. Si anume Palatul Culturii, despre care puteti afla mai multe aici.

Imi place la biblioteca. Se nimereste cateodata sa ies cu un rucsac plin de carti si cu tot avantul intelectualicesc de care pot da dovada, ca sa ma intampine in curte muzica unui cor, de la etajele de sus, unde se fac repetitii. Si cum sa nu te patrunzi de constiinta rolului divin al cartilor? ;D

Tranzit: locul unde se bea bere, se mananca pizza de marimea unui sens giratoriu modest, se barfeste, se fac si se asculta confesiuni, se fac si se desfac relatii... si se admira pe furis bikeri secui ;)

Casa mea. Inca de la 16 ani obisnuiam sa stau pe banca in parc cu prietena mea, uitandu-ne ore in sir la mansarda acestei case. Ne doream sa locuim acolo "cand crestem mari". E, am crescut, si tot visam la mansarda aia. Am urmarit-o atata ca parca simt deja ca-i a mea.

Art & Hobby- singurul magazin de profil din oras. As putea sa locuiesc in el.

Cetatea, bineinteles. Sau mai bine zis unul din bastioane:

Facultatea unde m-am informat, inspirat si enervat 6 ani de zile:

Drumul spre casa, de-a lungul unui zid al cetatii. Urmat timp de 5 ani de zile, dupa fiecare sesiune de informare, inspiratie sau enervare la facultate:

Biblioteca Teleki, despre care puteti citi aici.
Ma fascina bufnita aia de la poarta cand eram copil, ma uitam indelung la ea de fiecare data cand treceam pe acolo:
Si, dupa un circuit complet, acasa la mine, unde-i comod si mic si dezordonat si relaxant:

Si astea sunt locurile mele preferate. Sper ca v-am distras atentia destul incat sa uitati de intarziere ;)

Leac pentru plictiseala

I've decided this blog is getting boring. So, in order to keep you guys from falling sleep, I thought I might infuse it with the works of others. As of now, I am instituting GREEN-EYED MONDAY, the day when I express my envy of the talent of others.

M-am decis ca blogul asta devine plictisitor. Asadar, ca sa nu adormiti, ma gandeam sa-l infuzez cu creatiile altora. De acum incolo se considera instituita LUNEA INVIDIEI, ziua cand "ma racaie" talentele altora.

Today's winner is Rita, a Portuguese dollmaker whose dolls simply make me happy. There's a lot of detail in their clothing, and such pretty fabric combinations! Not to mention there's a cat in the picture... what's not to love?

Castigatoarea de azi este Rita, o portugheza ce face papusi care ma fac pe mine sa zambesc. Hainele lor sunt foarte detaliate, si combinatiile de materiale tare dragute! Ca sa nu mai vorbim ca este si o pisica in poza... cum sa nu-ti placa?

P.S. Descoperirea de azi de datoreaza Carminei. As face un link si catre ea, dar nu cred ca are blog.

New creeps!

I made 3 more cuddlecreeps. The pictures are not so great, as there's not so much light. The weather has been gloomy for many many days now, it feels like I haven't seen the sun in a year! Poor creeps have no names yet, but I'm open to suggestions.

Am mai facut 3 monstruleti. Pozele nu-s foarte bune, ca nu prea am lumina. Vremea e tare mohorata de multe multe zile, am impresia ca n-am vazut soarele de un an!
Saracii monstruleti n-au nume inca, dar astept sugestii.