#'us?' 'hawk and thrush"

[the-kingbo]

The much anticipated second part to this posted just intime for the hawk and thrush micro bang

If you like to see more follow my kofi

[robo-dino-puppy]

hawk and thrush

[holodaxy]

Okay so stay with me as I've been having thought...mostly Hawk and Thrush Thoughts...sort of...

Is there a fic (and there isn’t because I’m about to get oddly specific – maybe this is more of a cry to write this because I won’t) where somebody has inadvertently gotten close to Beta (on purpose seems a bit cruel and horrible) as an Aloy replacement?

In my head it’s Talanah – in some way this seems wrong and a touch out of character, but you know those oddly specific details? Well yeah, she works for those oddly specific details so stick with me here…

So Talanah crosses paths with Erend and naturally they get on about Aloy and he mentions that she’s spending a lot of time helping reunite the Quen Fleet and rather innocently makes a joke about how Aloy is more interested in spending time with a Quen Marine than reuniting the fleet (because of course the GAIA Gang have been gossiping about Aloy and Seyka – not to mention they’ve got an inside source! Alva is right there!) Talanah isn’t impressed by this information, though doesn’t know why (Erend has a good idea, but he’s already opened his big mouth once so he’s not doing that again).

How Talanah makes her way to the base I’m not sure (I can’t work it all out!) and cue an awkward first meeting with Beta because of course Aloy didn’t mention that there’s this anxious identical ‘twin’ wandering around. So Talanah is about to leave (because this wasn’t on her ‘Life with Aloy’ bingo card) when she discovers Beta doesn’t know how to use any weapons and really, how could Aloy be so careless as to leave her twin sister all alone in the base with no way to defend herself? Anybody could walk in! As evident by the fact Talanah had just walked in – that’s her argument and she’s sticking to it, she won’t hear any objection from Beta about how the base security was likely programmed by Aloy to let Talanah in because she's been there once before.

So Talanah sticks around to show Beta how to use a bow (or any weapon really) and Beta totally isn’t her Thrush because that would just be weird (not that the whole situation isn’t weird to either of them, but its just a little nice for Beta to have company and for Talanah to be away from the stress of the Hunters Lodge). And I can totally see Beta being the one to tell Talanah everything – about Nemesis, about Zero Dawn and Elisabet Sobeck, about how she and Aloy are clones (again, none of this was on Talanah’s ‘Life With Aloy’ bingo card). She’d also give her a Focus (because Beta doesn’t understand why Aloy isn’t handing these out like sweets to people!) and shows Talanah how to use the Focus and oh look! They’ve taught each other things and that’s nice.

So one day they decide to venture out of the base (again, I don’t know, I really don’t know why) and who do they stumble across? Well Amadis of course (because every story needs a villain – that was harsh, he’s not actually going to do anything wrong this time). He doesn’t get a close look at Beta and just thinks Aloy has drastically cut her hair and changed her clothes (she did it like three time the last time he met her, where is she hiding those armour sets???) and he passes comment about how both he and Talanah were using each other to get over other people the whole time. Talanah has an ‘oh fuck’ moment and Amadis goes on his way again not realising he's caused total turmoil again.

So Talanah’s ‘oh fuck’ moment hits home that she’s drawn to Beta because of Aloy and she’s done exactly what she never wanted to be and made somebody her second choice. And deep down I think no matter how close the two of them were getting, Beta knows she’s an Aloy replacement and her self esteem is so far in the ground that she’s just pretty much ‘that’s just it for me, I’ll never be anything other than the inferior copy’ (and my poor baby Beta, I want to hug her) so she’s just kind of clung to somebody being nice to her even if it’s possibly (keep possibly in your mind) not meant for her in the first place.

I didn’t say this wasn’t angst – I mean, my opening summary of this didn’t indicate there wasn’t angst!

How this ends I’m not sure – I have two options, again…stick with me…

Aloy returns to the base right in the aftermath of the ‘oh fuck’ moment and is totally confused about what Talanah is doing there, but she’s kind of grateful that Talanah was looking after Beta. Then she finds out how close the two have gotten and is not impressed because how dare Talanah go near Beta! And Aloy totally won’t admit to being jealous and what Quen Marine? She’s be reuniting the Quen Fleet!

The two then have a long overdue heart to heart and all their feelings laid bare, happily ever after Hawk and Thrush. This ending seems a bit harsh on Beta who I don’t think deserves that so from stage right enter some unseen original character who has never, ever laid eyes on Aloy and knows nothing about her so they can like Beta for being Beta.

Option 2 goes totally the opposite way, enters rare pare mode and Talanah realises Beta is a totally different person to Aloy and while the original reason she spent time with Beta was Aloy (and was totally wrong) she’s actually rather drawn to Beta’s totally different personality and quirks. Cue Aloy returning to the base with Seyka and being totally confused about what’s going on – and has Beta just stolen her moment? She was about to introduce her girlfriend to the gang and now Beta and Talanah are a thing and…well…typical sibling bickering.

Of course there’s hidden option 3 which is everybody is miserable and unhappy, but that seems a bit bleak even for me.

Well thanks for sticking with me for this long…whatever this is – I don’t know what this is. I’m going back under my rock now, I’ll keep these wild idea to myself as this got out of hand 😁

[mbirnsings-71]

YOU'RE WELCOME JAY PLEASE-

ITS BEEN BROUGHT 2 MY ATTENTION THAT ALLENS HUMMINGBIRDS EXISTS SO UHM

THIS IS BART ALLEN BIRD UH HUH

IF I EVER DRAW BART W/WINGS YK WAHT IM REFERANCING NOW

[aloyxtilda]

New painting I did of Hawk and her Thrush!

A new commission piece I painted of Aloy and Talanah. And by request from many of you in this amazing community, I finally put up an art shop. You can order this painting and all my Horizon art prints from my shop at:

Help a starving artist out and get yourself a print! ❤🙏😌 As a plus Inprnt is having 15% off! 👍❤

It really helps specially with the cost of food today and the tough game industry that us game devs are facing right now. 🙏

Thank you to everyone in this community for being so supportive. I will keep feeding you Horizon art and more. 💪☺❤

[dogblessyoutascha]

AND TO END BARDUIL MONTH HOW ABOUT SOME BIRD SONG? @bi-widower-dads

Bard knew many things about elves — things that came only with continued exposure over many decades. The kinds of things that did not make it into the stories. For example: Elvish trances were much like human sleep in the sense that such restfulness was deeply tainted by their mood and surroundings.

"Do you hear them?" The Elven King murmured, barely cracking open an eye to prove to Bard his awareness.

"The squab?" Bard had to take a moment and focus his ears, trying to find a sound beyond the cooing. Pigeons were not Bard's favorite bird, though he still liked them far more than the rest of Esga- Dale. Than the rest of Dale. "Quite the racket, if I am to be honest, my lord."

"Thranduil." The Elven King corrected precisely as he had every time. "And yes. The doves of Eryn Galen sing when they are pleased. Listen closely, as you did the thrush. Only then will you know why."

Understanding the language of the birds was a gift, Bard knew, but he still struggled with it. Yes, the birds helped him slay the dragon, Smaug, but the little song birds had more to lose should the people of the lake died that day. Pigeons... Doves... Squab... Whatever they wished to be called, they were less keen to talk to Bard (and harder to understand in the bargain).

The coos repeated. Loud, clear. Present. "Mates." Bard's eyes opened in surprise when the sounds finally translated themselves in his mind. "They have found each other, and they are happy despite the end of the season drawing near. They will build a life together."

Elven King Thranduil's lips curled into the smile as he stood, a sweeping motion so smooth that Bard's trained eyes could still only catch a fraction of it. With a coo of his own, Thranduil coaxed the pair to him, each dove landing on his outstretched hands. He balanced them there, whispering something to them only he and the birds could understand, before he offered the thicker of the two to Bard.

It was a strange sensation, holding a bird so oddly sized. It was smaller than a hunting hawk and yet much larger than the pretty mountain flocks. Bard hardly knew what to do with his fingers as he tried desperately not to wrangle the beast like an undignified meat bird.

"They will feast here tonight with us, in celebration of their long life ahead." Thranduil declared, his smile unwavering as he slipped in closer to Bard. He was taller and his many layers took up significant space, yet Thranduil's presence was never an intrusion into Bard's own sphere of comfort. "And perhaps, if we are equally as lucky, we will share in their bounty as well."

Bard balked at the thought that the Elven King might eat birds after lying to them, the part of his brain more attuned to the mortals of his land speaking up well before the part that assured him Thranduil would never. Thranduil, who pressed in close enough that his skin found Bard's, reuniting the doves in their possession. "Their bounty?"

"Love."

[proton-wobbler]

Great Backyard Bird Off - Schedule & Info

Round Two Schedule

Africa - July 1st - 5 polls

the Americas - July 10th - 8 polls

Asia - July 19th - 7 polls

Australia - July 28th - 10 polls

Cosmopolitan - August 6th - 7 polls

Eurasia - August 16th - 7 polls

Europe - August 25th - 4 polls

New Zealand - September 3rd - 3 polls

*Loser's Battle Royale - September 15th - 2 polls

Poll Info

8 brackets, 208 species. Who will be declared the favorite backyard bird of Tumblr?

Ranges were determined either using the self-report feature added to the submission box or with eBird sightings. "Cosmopolitan" is a bracket involving species of birds which were found on at least three continents, regardless of which they were submitted for. "Eurasia" are birds which seem to appear equally between Europe and Asia (majority of the continent, not just Middle East). "the Americas" includes all of the Americas, with US birds removed- granted, some Canadian or Mexican birds can show up in the US, but they're not common enough backyard birds (imo) to have been disqualified.

Polls will be a week long, and are tagged #Great Backyard Bird Off. All subsequent reblogs are tagged as #poll reblog. Be sure to block this tag if you want to avoid me spamming your dash. Any reblogs containing support for a species will be tagged #[species] support. Results will be tagged #poll results.

Please-- advocate for your favorite bird! Reblogs, tags, asks, replies- whichever way you want to support your favorite bird, it's encouraged!

I also have a Google Form for support if you'd prefer to share that way.

vvv Round 2 Participant List under the Read More vvv

Africa (11 species)

African harrier hawk, blacksmith lapwing, cape white-eye, hadada ibis, klaas's cuckoo, grey go-away-bird (Kwevoel), nile valley sunbird, purple crested turaco, southern double-collared sunbird, southern masked weaver, white backed mousebird

the Americas (16 Species)

canada jay, southern lapwing, white bellbird, bananaquit, ruddy ground dove, blue and white swallow, hoatzin, green headed tanager, chimango, great kiskadee, sayaca tanager, masked water tyrant, austral thrush, lesson's motmot, bushy crested jay, green backed firecrown

Asia (15 species)

azure winged magpie, colombo crow, common hill mynah, mandarin duck, oriental magpie-robin, oriental pied hornbill, palau fruit dove, pallas's gull, red billed blue magpie, red junglefowl, red whiskered bulbul, whistling green pigeon, white spectacled bulbul, yellow bittern

Australia (20 species)

eastern spinebill, welcome swallow, crested pigeon, willie-wagtail, crimson rosella, splendid fairywren, superb fairywren, sulfur-crested cockatoo, magpie-lark, grey fantail, australian ringneck, laughing kookaburra, weebill, galah, pied currawong, australian magpie, bush stone curlew, tawny frogmouth, satin bowerbird, pheasant coucal

Cosmopolitan (14 species)

bohemian waxwing, canada goose, common chiffchaff, common kingfisher, common nightingale, common swift, eurasian collared dove, eurasian kestrel, european bee-eater, european starling, great crested grebe, great grey owl, rock pigeon, western barn owl

Eurasia (14 species)

carrion crow, common chaffinch, eurasian bullfinch, e. bittern, e. jay, e. magpie, e. oystercatcher, e. sparrowhawk, e. treecreeper, e. wren, great tit, hawfinch, long tailed tit, northern lapwing

Europe (9 species)

eurasian blue tit, common wood-pigeon, crested tit, eurasian blackbird, eurasian green woodpecker, european herring gull, european robin, middle spotted woodpecker, red kite

New Zealand (9 species)

Kaka, australasian swamphen, kakaruwai, kereru, titipounamu (rifleman), tui, tomtit

[probablyasocialecologist]

Aesthetic sensibilities are deeply subjective, and hard to acknowledge and analyse clearly. They take root in us from the moment we’re born. They bind us to a particular view of the landscape, something we begin to think of as ‘natural’ or, at least, benign. What we see as children, particularly where we grow up, becomes what we want to continue to see, and what we want our children to see. Nostalgia, and the sense of security that nostalgia brings, binds us to the familiar. We are persuaded, too, by our own absorption in this aesthetic that what we are seeing has been here for ever. We believe the countryside around us, or something very similar to it, has persisted for centuries and the wildlife within it, if not exactly the same, is at least a fair representation of what has been here for centuries. But the ecological processes of the past are hard for the layman – and often even conservation professionals – to grasp. 

We are blinded by the immediacy of the present. We look at the landscape and see what is there, not what is missing. And if we do appreciate some sort of ecological loss and change, we tend to go only as far back as our childhood memories, or the memories of our parents or grandparents who tell us ‘there used to be hundreds of lapwings in my day’, ‘skylarks and song thrushes were ten-a-penny’, ‘the fields round here used to be red with poppies and blue with cornflowers’, ‘cod was the poor man’s fish when I was a nipper’. We are blind to the fact that in our grandparents’ grandparents’ day there would have been species-rich wildflower meadows in every parish and coppice woods teeming with butterflies. They would have heard corncrakes and bitterns, seen clouds of turtle doves, thousands of lapwings and hundreds more skylarks. A mere four generations ago they knew rivers swimming with burbot – now extinct in Britain – and eels, and their summer nights were peppered with bats and moths and glow-worms. Their grandparents, in turn, saw nightjars settling on dusty country lanes and even hawking for moths around the street lamps in towns, and spotted flycatchers in every orchard, and meadow pipits everywhere from salt-flats to the crowns of mountains. They saw banks of giant cod and migrating tuna in British waters. They saw our muddy North Sea clear as gin, filtered by oyster beds as large as Wales. And their grandparents, in turn, living at the time of the last beaver in Britain, would have known great bustards, and watched shoals of herring five miles long and three miles broad migrating within sight of the shore, chased by schools of dolphins and sperm whales and the occasional great white shark. We don’t have to look too deeply into the history books, into contemporary accounts, for scenes dramatically different to our own to be normal. Yet we live in denial of these catastrophic losses.

Isabella Tree, Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 19 (1/2)

Oseram Camp

At dawn, I left the camp and walked back to Stone's Echo, trusting that Jaxx had already departed with Korreh for Plainsong. My mount stood undisturbed by the town gates, just where I'd left it.

Inside, the land god Re still slumbered in its sheltered altar. Whatever malware I'd removed from it had eased its pain, but not returned it to its original programming. I guess the damage had already been done, erasing its directives. Now it just lays here; a sure mystery for the Utaru.

I heard someone muttering angrily behind me and decided to eavesdrop. She cursed a Carja huntress who had supposedly abducted a young Utaru girl as her slave.

The woman's name was Mian and she was irate. Apparently just the presence of foreigners like me and this Carja slaver was enough to make the flowers she was planting take to rot, to sour the soil the land across. Once I got past her little tirade, I was able to extract the facts: a Carja huntress with the headress of a bird had passed through, along with an Utaru girl who she called a 'Thrush'. Okay, so not a slaver, more likely a member of Meridian's Hunter's Lodge. Likely to be one specific member, in fact, because I only knew of one brave enough to venture so far west, and counter-cultural enough to take an Utaru as her Thrush.

I thanked Mian for the information, which disgusted her, then readied myself for the journey west, to where the pair had been heading in the hours before dawn.

After a light morning meal, I changed out of my Utaru armour, which the past few days hadn't been kind to, and changed into my Carja set, topped with an avian headdress of my own. This Carja huntress would be sure to recognise the getup from our battle against Redmaw deep in the Jewel.

I then rode west, hoping to catch up with the hunters. I spotted their tracks and followed them with my Focus, passing Sylens' ominous drowned Horus hideout on the way. No signs of activity within. Smart, considering I'd kill him soon as we crossed paths.

The sounds of battle drew me to the hunt, and there I found just who I'd expected to see: Sunhawk Talanah Khane Padish, reducing a Longleg to scrap with a few well-placed strikes of her scimitar.

After downing the machine, she instructed her new Thrush, Milu, who looked no older than sixteen, on the finer points of the kill. Talanah smiled when she spotted me, and as if no time had passed at all, she invited me to join the hunt. Notably, she didn't come at me with a sob story about my leaving without a farewell, though I knew she wasn't the type to worry herself over some imagined slight. We both have better things to do.

As another Longleg and a pair of Leaplashers approached, bounding down from the rise, I leapt down to join my Hawk, using the opportunity to show of my shield wing in the process.

I headed for the Longleg first, striking it while Talanah had it distracted before detonating one of its sparkers. The ensuing explosion was sweet; Talanah knew just what to expect from my fighting style. The shock took out both Leaplashers as well, leaving all three machines open for attack. One more sparker on the Longleg, then I went for its echo core to finish it off, keeping the Leaplashers tied down to stop them launching themselves around, setting off one of their acid canisters to land the final blow.

Talanah helped too, I'm sure. She's got herself a nice set of tearblaster arrows, and how I miss my own. That was useful for tearing off deadly components, and of course her sword dealt healthy swaths of damage to all three machines.

The machines down and salvaged, Talanah and I returned to Milu, who'd sat this one out due to an injured shoulder. She didn't look all that formidable, but if Talanah had taken her on, she must be tough. She was definitely eager, that at least was evident, and Talanah had been feeding her stories of my battles against Redmaw and Hades at the Alight. The kid was practically starstruck.

Talanah and I caught each other up, meaning I asked Talanah about her business out here and she, out of respect for my known aversion to explaining my mess of a life, asked me not a thing. She accepted that I was here for an important mission and probed no further. Maybe I would have preferred it if she had probed, just a little. I mean, I would have obviously brushed her off with a vague explanation and neglected to mention the world-saving AI, killer tribe from space, and my evil clone, but still, the option would have been nice.

Talanah was here on a twofold quest. First, she was looking for someone, a hunter named Amadis.

Since last we'd spoken at the Hunter's Lodge after the battle, Talanah had taken up a hunting contract to protect a Carja village in the Jewel from Clawstrider attacks. I had no idea they'd made their way so far east that long ago. Hephaestus has outdone himself. Talanah had been injured badly in that fight, and it was Amadis who saved her, healing her wounds. From then on, they hunted together, protecting the village from the machines. They'd parted ways in Meridian some time ago when Amadis set off for the Forbidden West, and there'd been no sign of him since. Talanah had been waiting along with the rest of us for news of a successful Embassy to open the gates of Barren Light. Now here she was.

As for the second reason, she was still Sunhawk of the lodge. She was still working to change the obdurate institution into a place of learning and excellence, composed of members from all tribes. The lodge should be a refuge for hunters to come together and protect the vulnerable from machines, instead of, as Travis might say, a 'circlejerk' of Carja nobles collecting trophies for sport.

For an example of recent change, Hawks can now sponsor multiple Thrushes, rather than prospective members needing to wait around for someone higher ranked than them to die. That should discourage any underhanded assassination attempts from here on out.

So, Talanah is out here to spread the word in the west, though I'm not sure how much success she'll have with the tribes out here. Recruits aren't her only goal, there are new machines out here too, and their dangers will reach the east soon enough. She's performing field research, ostensibly.

A job like this isn't for the Sunhawk herself to undertake, surely—and Talanah admitted herself that she'd been feeling restless at the lodge. After achieving everything she'd wanted since childhood—to follow in the footsteps of her father and brother, honouring their names—she now found herself lost. Cooped up, she said (like a caged bird, you could say) with the Carja aristocracy and their nonsense. The bullshit didn't stop with Ahsis.

Let's just say I could understand her instinct to run away from the responsibility she'd brought on her own shoulders. Difference being, I suppose, that my shoulders were custom-crafted for said burden.

I agreed to help Talanah track down her friend, and though Milu was eager to tag along as well, Talanah told her to return to Stone's Echo and rest her injured arm. She gave some sage advice about the best hunters knowing when to rest, which I know I'd have hated hearing at Milu's age. Hell, I'd hate it now. Still, Milu set off without complaint, and Talanah was confident in her ability to hold her own against the machines along the trail.

I followed Talanah onward to the site of a great battle during the Red Raids—the battle of Burning Blooms. This friend, who she was willing to risk so much for, had been a raider himself. One of the good ones, she said. Apparently Amadis was trying to stop the battle, which from the Carja's objective would have seen scores of Tenakth killed or taken as slaves. Things went pretty much the opposite way, with most of the Carja soldiers being slaughtered. It was the first of many victories that pushed the Carja front back east, before the climactic battle at Barren Light.

Amadis had lost someone close to him in the battle, so he'd finally returned to pay his respects at the site. I used my Focus to search for tracks on the battlefield, picking up the heavy-booted footfalls of Oseram and the tracks of a cart, maybe a trading caravan. Some of the other tracks were lighter—might have been Carja or Utaru. Or anyone, really, but even this slim sign was enough for Talanah to go running after the tracks in the sand. She's really worried about this guy—enough even to abandon her post as Sunhawk, though I have a feeling she would have taken any excuse to do just that. This is a dangerous road to walk alone. But...he did save her life. Perhaps she feels indebted to him.

Following the caravan's trail up toward the cliffs, we came across an Utaru man named Lel camping out in a hollow. He was friendly, even to a pair of Carja, and confirmed that a Carja man had been travelling with the Oseram that had passed through. They'd been heading for an ancient tunnel further on, one that led through the mountains and into Tenakth territory. He spoke of the battle as well, which he had witnessed at the time. Most of the Carja were slaughtered, yes, but some were taken captive by the Tenakth as prisoners of war. I doubt that any others fared so well as Fashav. So, it seemed that the one Amadis grieved for might not have perished after all. That, or he was just desperate to pursue the small chance they survived to endure torturous imprisonment instead.

Lel spoke of a huge Tenakth prison complex to the far west called the Rot, where the prisoners would have been taken. That must be where Amadis headed after passing through.

So, on we went, even further west. There were no signs of human activity in the area, just the ancient ruins of bridges, roads, vehicles, and war machines, remnants of humanity's stand against the Swarm.

By the tunnel entrance, a Shellsnapper twisted up out of the ground. First time fighting one of these things, though I passed a few hiding in the southern jungles in my search for Gaia.

I got a good first shot in, sneaking up behind the beast and bracing an explosive sharpshot, sinking it right into a chillwater sac on its rear underbelly, leaving it brittle. I chipped away at it while it was vulnerable with spikes and arrows, while Talanah tore off its thick plating with tearblaster arrows. I focused on its vulnerable points, all the while dodging its deadly quick frozen projectiles spewed one after another, paired with frost spikes wrought from the earth, a weaker version of a Frostclaw's ability.

What really got me were the mines it launched from the guns on its back. They were fast, difficult to spot, and powerful. One of them caught me at the edge of its radius, knocking me down, but I managed to avoid any serous damage. Finally, the Shellsnapper walked right by a falling boulder trap set of this very purpose, and was crushed under the tumbling stones.

Great salvage from the carcass, though I couldn't stay tinkering for long. Talanah's focus was singular; we entered the tunnel to search for signs of Amadis.

Things weren't looking good. The tunnel had caved in recently, probably due to Shellsnapper activity, sealing the passage. The caravan's equipment was all there, but no Oseram, until my Focus spotted a body buried under the rubble. I dug them out quickly, panic stark on Talanah's face as she wondered whether it was Amadis.

It was one of the Oseram instead, and he'd been writing out a scroll before his untimely death—a ledger of sorts, listing their supplies and the travelers accompanying each shipment. The last lot of supplies to pass through the tunnel west before the collapse included a Carja noble tag-along. That had to be him.

I'd barely gotten the words out before Talanah was off, thinking out loud about ways through the mountains into Tenakth territory. She got what she came here for, didn't she? Amadis is okay, searching for his lost comrade at the Rot. Talanah had been worried that she hadn't heard news from him on his journey, as he'd promised, but even now that she knew he was fine, she was still ready to drop everything and run out west searching for him. I guess the Tenakth are pretty dangerous, but if she's afraid he'll get himself killed, on his head be it, I say. A Carja, a Red Raider no less, journeying into the depths of Tenakth lands? He's asking for it.

There it was again, that not-envy feeling. That deeply shit feeling. I quashed it quick-smart.

I notably didn't tell Talanah about the RCC, which definitely could get her through the mountains. I will, of course, but at the moment I don't even know what's waiting on the other side of that door. I'll scope it out for her, you know, tell her once she's had a chance to think this fool's errand through.

[foibles-fables]

another fic tag game!!

Thanks for the tag, @dazzleyourmindseye!!!!

How many works do you have on ao3?

91!

What's your total ao3 word count?

297,344

Your Top 5 stories by kudos

I'm gonna approach this one a little differently, since Warrior Nun skews the results, lmao. Here are my top stories by kudos for all of my contemporary fandoms, starting from the one with my most works to fewest:

rest like you belong here (Horizon, Aloy/Talanah)

The Weight of Us (Legend of the Seeker, Cara/Kahlan)

Because the Light Is Close (Warrior Nun, Avatrice)

leave the horror here (ATLA, Rangshi)

the veins grow in slow (Critical Role, Imodna)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

99% of them, yes! I cherish each and every one, and always just wanna express my sincere gratitude!

Do you write crossovers?

Not really my forte, but more power to the folks who can make them work.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

It's among my favorite things to write! I love a good smut as character study moment, because most of my faves end up having some pretty interesting quirks to their psyche that can be teased out during sex.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

A couple of them, and it's a huge honor.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not in the true nitty-gritty sense of the sentiment, but @meg-noel-art's input was pretty crucial to scripting Talanah's path of Focus on the Heart.

What's your favorite all time ship?

the million dollar question. I do think Cara/Kahlan will always win here, being the awakening it was. without them, there would be no others. But Hawk and Thrush is an obvious close second.

Whats a WIP that you want to finish but probably never will?

avoiding the question by saying that sometimes I get a hankering to completely rewrite The Weight of Us

What are your writing strengths?

Emotional immediacy. Close POV. Syntax and diction. Figurative language.

What are your writing weaknesses?

My speed. Iterative perfectionism.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet, but want to?

Yangvik and Tyzula. I'm also dying to write some Morrigan/Leliana, should the right idea hit.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

oh man this is a tough question with a very mercurial answer. it changes day by day. in scrolling over my works, today, gray areas and expectations (Horizon, Aloy/Talanah) is speaking to me.

no-pressure tags: @mehoymalloy @http-mandy @chocochipbiscuit @askweisswolf @melikochan and anyone else who wants to snag this from me!

[sunhawk-september]

Greetings, Hunters of the Lodge!

The third(!) annual Sunhawk September is almost upon us. This year, we're going to celebrate with a Hawk and Thrush ship microbang!

How Does a Microbang Work?

Participants will have ~4 weeks to create and polish one completed piece based on provided prompts.

Creations must focus on a romantic or pre-romantic (aka The Yearning) dynamic between Aloy and Talanah.

What do we mean by creations? We mean ANYTHING you'd like to show us! Fanart, fanfic, comics, virtual photography, fanmixes, fanvids, crafts, you name it. This fandom is so widely talented and we would love to see any and all of the wonderful things you make.

NSFW work is permitted--just be sure to tag accordingly!

Minimum Content Requirements

As there will be a monthlong creation period for your final piece, the following minimum content requirements are set:

Fanart: one fully-rendered (to your own degree) illustration OR one full sketchpage

Comic: fully-colored panels or finalized lineart for B&W

Fanfic: minimum 2.5K words

Virtual photography: make those gals WORK the camera for a couple pretty shots. Editing optional!

Fanvids: Full-rendered and posted edits

Fanmix: completed playlist with cover art

Anything else....ask us!

Schedule!

On August 30th, event mods will post a varied list of prompts to this blog. Choose a prompt and begin working on your piece! (you can combine prompts from the list for added flavor or inspiration!)

Creators will work on their piece until posting day on Tuesday, September 26th: the last Talanah Tuesday of Sunhawk September!

Upon posting, tag your creation with #SunhawkSeptember2023 and #HawkAndThrushMicrobang so we can show off what you've made!

Questions, Comments, Concerns?

Feel free to send an ask to this blog or message mods @foibles-fables and @meg-noel-art!

Follow this blog for reminders and more event info. To the hunt!

[focusontheheart]

Meet the Team - meg_noel_art

You can also find @meg-noel-art on: Twitter @ meg_noel_art Instagram @ meg_noel_art

Hi everyone, I’m Meg! I first discovered Horizon back when it released in 2017, but I never truly dove into the entire game and fandom until 2021! There I became fully immersed in the story, characters, and comics. I joined fandom Discord servers and only fell deeper in love with the games as I made many like minded friends! I’ve been creating for the game now for around two years, mostly Hawk and Thrush content, a big surprise for those that know me. My artistic inspiration comes from my love of my favorite characters as well as the headcanons shared with my friends and most of all my partner for this project and all else!

See the Q&A with Meg below the cut!

Q: What is a favorite piece of work you've done (completed, working on, in concept)?

"Pride Aloy and Sunwing (2023)" and "Hawk and Thrushes"!

Q: What are some of your favorite tropes to write, draw, or read?

Friends to lovers, hurt/comfort. I also love AUs, I find them incredibly creative and inspiring.

Q: What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?

I used to be a boxer for 3 years when I was attending college!

Q: What has been your favorite thing about working on this project so far?

I’ve really LOVED seeing all the creativity and passion coming from so many corners of this fandom. Everyone coming together to create a wonderful project despite our different interests and preferences. It’s all been such an incredible thing to see and I’m so happy to be a part of it!

[otussketching]

Fossil Novembirb: Day 14 - Lost in the Woods

As the global climate was cooling during the Oligocene epoch, tropical rainforests started to shift towards their current distribution in the tropics, and open landscapes such as scrubland was spreading. But that doesn't mean forests were disappearing. In places like Central and Eastern Europe, forests shifted from tropical to temperate. And in these shifting landscapes, birds continued to adapt and diversify.

Turnipax: One of the earliest known members of a relatively obscure bird groups called buttonquails. Despite their quail-like appearance and lifestyle, buttonquails are shorebirds related to gulls and sandpipers.

Palaeotodus: This small insectivore is one of the first known members of the todies, a bird group nowadays restricted to the West Indies.

Primotrogon: An early member of the trogons which had a very different shape compared to its modern relatives, including long wings, a short tail, and relatively small eyes.

Eurotrochilus: The first known true hummingbird, a group now endemic to the Americas, but first appeared in Europe.

Aviraptor: A thrush-sized true hawk with long thin legs and sharp talons, this was a prime predator of small forest birds in the Oligocene.

Wieslochia: One of the earliest known passeriformes, a group that likely evolved in Australia,parts of it's skeleton resemble certain South American passeriforms, like cotingas.

Rupelramphastoides: As the earliest known ramphastid, it was closely related to the barbets as well as toucans, but it bore a closer resemblance to the former.

Oligocolius: A bizarre relative of modern mousebirds that had an appetite for seeds, as the holotype was preserved with seeds in its crop and gullet. It also had a slightly parrot-like beak.

Laurillardia: A distant relative of hoopoes and hornbills, this long winged and long tailed bird used its sharp beak to catch insects.

Rupelornis: A close relative of albatrosses, these seabirds had delicate beaks and long legs. They probably had a similar lifestyle to storm petrels, which carefully pick food from the surface of the water.

[magnetothemagnificent]

I guess it's time I share my list of birds from this past Jewish year (I've been keeping two Big Year lists, Jewish year and secular year). All are from the US, except the last few which are indicated.

1. Ruby-crowned kinglet

2. American Robin

* Leucistic American Robin

3. Song sparrow

4. Rock pigeon

* Melanistic rock pigeon

5. Chipping sparrow

6. Hairy woodpecker

7. Mourning dove

8. Northern flicker

9. Eastern towhee

10. White crowned sparrow

11. White-throated sparrow

12 Savannah sparrow

13. House sparrow

14. European starling

15. American Crow

16. Common Raven

17. Gray catbird

18. Northern mockingbird

19. Canada Goose

20. Spotted Sandpiper

21. American herring gull

22. Marsh wren

23. Limpkin

24. Great white heron

25. Cattle egret

26. Anhinga

27. Snowy egret

28. Great blue heron

29. Black-crowned night heron

30. Wood stork

31. Common gallinule

32. Blue-gray gnatcatcher

33. Turkey vulture

34. Black vulture

35. Yellow rumped warbler

36. Tufted titmouse

37. Little blue heron

38. White ibis

39. Cooper's hawk

40. Cardinal

41. Green heron

42. Carolina wren

43. Palm warbler

44. Pine warbler

45. Sandhill crane

46. Carolina chickadee

47. Bluejay

48. Osprey

49. Chimney swift

50. Red-tailed hawk

51. Prairie warbler

52. American kestrel

53. Glossy ibis

54. Pied-billed grebe

55. Double-crested cormorant

56. Grey kingbird

57. Brown pelican

58. Fish crow

59. Royal tern

60. Bald eagle

61. Painted bunting

62. American white pelican

63. Common grackle

64. Boat-tailed grackle

65. Great-tailed grackle

66. American purple gallinule

67. American coot

68. Brown-headed cowbird

69. Tricolored heron

70. Mallard

71. Black-bellied whistling duck

72. Eastern kingbird

73. Yellow-billed cuckoo

74. Muscovy duck

75. American bittern

76. Ring-billed gull

77. American Pekin

78. Mallard-Pekin hybrid

79. Eastern bluebird

80. Yellow-bellied sapsucker

81. Red-winged blackbird

82. White-eyed vireo

83. Mottled duck

84. Broad-winged hawk

85. Dark-eyed junco

86. Brown thrasher

87. Sharp-shinned hawk

88. House finch

89. Eastern Phoebe

90. Downy woodpecker

91. Fox sparrow

92. Loggerhead Shrike!!!!

93. White breasted nuthatch

94. Red-bellied woodpecker

95. Brown creeper

96. Pileated woodpecker

97. American goldfinch

98. House wren

99. Barn swallow

100. Tree swallow

101. Black and white warbler

102. Red eyed vireo

103. Yellow warbler

104. Mute swan

105. Rusty blackbird

106. Common yellowthroat

107. Warbling vireo

108. Northern waterthrush

109. Veery

110. Swamp sparrow

111. Wood duck

112. American redstart

113. Orchard oriole

114. Greater Yellowlegs

115. Lesser Yellowlegs

116. Baltimore oriole

117. Hermit thrush

118. Wood thrush

119. Ovenbird

120. Indigo bunting

121. Black-throated blue warbler

122. Scarlet tanager

123. Worm-eating warbler

124. Northern rough-winged swallow

125. Blue-headed vireo

126. Northern parula

127. Prothonotary warbler

128. Philadelphia vireo

129. Blackburnian warbler

130. Magnolia warbler

131. Cedar waxwing

132. Blackpoll warbler

133. Yellow-throated vireo

134. Eastern wood pewee

135. Acadian flycatcher

136. Tennessee warbler

137. Caspian tern

138. Laughing gull

139. Forster's tern

140. American oystercatcher

141. Green-winged teal

142. Purple Martin

143. Least tern

144. Field sparrow

145. Killdeer

146. Grey-cheeked thrush

147. Rose-breasted grosbeak

148. Great-crested flycatcher

149. Swainson's thrush

150. Bay-breasted warbler

151. Chestnut-sided warbler

152. Willow flycatcher

153. Ruby-throated hummingbird

154. Peregrine falcon

155. Hooded crow IL

156. Laughing dove IL

157. Eurasian collared dove IL

158. Eurasian jackdaw IL

159. Common myna IL

160. Rose-ringed parakeet IL

161. White spectacled bulbul IL

162. European bee eater IL

163. Chukar IL

164. Short toed snake eagle IL

165. White stork IL

166. Little egret IL

167. Pygmy cormorant IL

168. Eurasian hoopoe IL

169. Alpine swift IL

170. Graceful pinia IL

171. Eastern Olivaceous Warbler IL

172. Tristan's Starling IL

173. Fan tailed raven IL

174. Eurasian black cap IL

Here's to at least 200 next year!

[glacierclan]

GlacierClan & Birds – A Symbiotic Bond

Nesting in Fur

The thick, woolly coats of GlacierClan cats are so warm and still, especially in older or gentler cats, that birds often roost in their fur.

Especially in early spring or deep winter, small songbirds build nests in safe spots like:

Along shoulders

Behind ears

On the small of their back

Bluebird isn’t the only one — it’s common to see warriors walking around with feathers sticking out, eggs peeking from fur, or chicks peeping softly.

“If you see a GlacierClan elder walking funny, check his belly—he’s probably got three chicks and a pinecone under there.”

Mutual Protection

Birds benefit from:

Warmth, especially in harsh snow seasons.

Protection from predators like owls, hawks, and weasels.

In return, GlacierClan cats benefit from:

Birds alerting them of danger.

Birds bringing shiny trinkets or herbs.

Birds dropping helpful seeds or leading cats to hidden food.

Communication & Signals

Certain birds have learned to warn GlacierClan cats of danger with specific calls—like foxes or incoming storms.

Bluebird teaches apprentices to recognize these sounds as “sky signs.”

During hunts, some patrols use trained birds to flush out prey or scout ahead.

Spiritual Significance

Birds are seen as messengers from StarClan, especially:

Bluebirds (of course)

Snow finches

Thrushes

Kits are sometimes given nicknames based on the bird that first tries to roost in their fur—e.g. “Chick” or “Flicker.”

Cultural Rituals

It’s considered lucky for a bird to nest in your fur without invitation.

Queens often hope their kits are born in leaf-bare because “the birds will keep them warm before the sun ever can.”

Feathers are not plucked; they are groomed in carefully. GlacierClan cats believe plucking a bird’s gift is disrespectful.

Notable Symbiotic Behaviors

Nesting in fur

Warmth, safety

Body heat shared, companionship

Grooming feathers

Healthier birds

Soothing bonding ritual

Alert calls

Food & safety preserved

Early danger detection

Shiny gifts

Offering for trust

Cats gain odd supplies

Guided travel

Birds ride or guide

Cats find prey/herbs

[anonsally]

Day 2 in Chile: Birding along the central coast

After a decent night's sleep, we got up early this morning for our birding tour. The guide and a driver picked us up at 8am and we had an epic day of birding! It was cold but mostly sunny, so not as cold as yesterday except when it was very windy. The guide told us that this is one of the best times of year to visit Chile, bird-wise, because a lot of birds that breed further south migrate here in the winter... as do a lot of birds who breed further north!

We did spend a lot of the day in the car in between birding, but that was fine actually as it gave Wife (who is an introvert) a break from interacting and it also meant less time in the sun and wind. And we saw lots of birds, nearly all of which were new for me.

The guide hasn't shared the eBird list with me yet so I'm sure I won't remember everything, but here's what I remember (not chronologically, and I've tried to put my favorites near the top, but not really in order and they were all exciting in one way or another):

Humboldt penguins! We were pretty lucky; I think there were about 30 of them hanging out on a small island preserve very close to the beach.

Inca terns. These were very beautiful and unusual-looking terns, dark grey with long white whiskers and red beaks, with a yellow spot at the base, and red feet.

Grey gulls starting to get their breeding plumage. I thought these were very cute, elegant gulls.

A giant hummingbird. Which... is not an exaggeration. It was enormous. Too big to hover. But clearly hummingbird shaped. Totally incongruous!

Tufted tit-tyrant. (The Tufted Tit-Tyrants is my new band.) Probably one of the cutest birds I've ever seen.

Peruvian boobies

Peruvian pelicans--not too different from the brown pelicans we see at home, but larger.

Three kinds of cormorant: Most were neotropic cormorants, but we also saw a couple of guanay cormorants, and several of the very beautiful red-legged cormorant.

Southern lapwings. Kind of a patchwork pattern of coloration.

Two rufous-chested dotterels, one of which was getting its breeding plumage.

Three kinds of cinclodes: gray-flanked (which breed in the Andes but winter on rocky beaches), seaside (larger), and (I think?) buff-winged.

Two kinds of oystercatchers: blackish and American (I don't think I'd seen the American kind before; the ones in California are black oystercatchers).

Yellow-billed pintails

Yellow-billed teals

Diuca finches

Lake duck (similar to a ruddy duck)

Rufous-collared sparrows (apparently more common than house sparrows in Chile, and infinitely cuter!)

Coscoroba swans, which looked less mean and more friendly than our usual swans

red-gartered coots

Great shrike-tyrants

Long-tailed meadowlark. Startlingly red face and front.

Chimango caracaras, which were the raptors I'd seen on the way from the airport. Apparently there are no corvids here, but these fill that ecological niche. We saw two of them eating a dead meadowlark.

Dusky tapaculo. The guide made limited use of playback in the one foresty stop. This bird is very shy but we did manage to get a decent view of it.

Variable hawk.

Harris's hawk

Great grebes

White-tufted grebes

Brown-hooded gulls

Chilean mockingbirds

Two kinds of swallows: blue-and-white and Chilean

Chiloe wigeons

black vultures

a rufous-tailed plantcutter

Austral thrushes

Austral blackbirds

We also saw sea lions and a couple of otters!

We had them drop us off at a restaurant in Viña Del Mar, which saved them some driving and meant we could try a restaurant we were interested in. We drank Pisco sours (a great cocktail!) and--as usual--ordered too much food. Then we managed to get a bus back to Valparaíso and had a steep walk back up to the hotel, as the funiculars don't run late.