#brass herons

[31jindo]

Disco Turkeys or more commonly known as Peacocks. The bigger ones with all the spirals take FOREVER and a day to make. The decoy ducks and pocket peacocks are much easier to produce.

This is a Green Heron. Just in case it wasn't obvious, green herons are not actually green. Instead they are the Go Go Gadget of wild birds. Want a short fluffy birb with gentle blues and purple hues? You got it. Need to stretch those birb legs and pretend to be an ostrich? Built in. Want to have an extendo-neck and punk rocker mohawk? This bird has them all. Unfortunately I couldn't choose one and this bird just doesn't look the way it should.

Sometimes just regular copper wire doesn't give pizzazz that a piece deserves. Hence the Blue and Red penguins.

[ethicsbutcher]

when the fox hears the rabbit scream, he comes running. but not to help.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤdr. lecter explored oswald's office carefully .

he allowed his eyes to linger over whichever pieces of decoration caught his curiosity , tilted his head to read book titles which , no matter the subject , seemed to cause the curve of his smile to become more obvious ㅤ--- ㅤhannibal was only surprised to find that the space wasn't exactly tidy ; far from it actually . it seemed as if mr. cobblepot was only ever concerned about aesthetics if there was an audience to share them with . 𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙽 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙴𝙳 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙺𝙴𝙴𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙽 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝚁𝙴𝚃 . hannibal leaned closer when spotting a small figurine of what he believed to be a heron with a fish dangling from its' beak on a bookshelf . he did not touch it .

" rest assured , i have never thought of you as a rabbit , oswald . " the good doctor clarified before finally pulling his eyes away from the brass bird . he had always met cobblepot in public settings ; being allowed into a more personal space , no matter its' function , felt exciting , sudden , DESPERATE . ㅤ" and i've already eaten tonight , " ㅤdr. lecter met the shorter man's eyes and offered a small playful grin . ㅤ" lucky you . "ㅤ his good humour was exacerbated whenever he was allowed to speak half-truths from behind his veil and remain freed of any consequences . did cobblepot do that too , he wondered ... he certainly seemed to hold some weight in gotham and , from what hannibal had gathered during his time working in arkham , no one holding any amount of power in that city had kept their hands clean . lecter stopped close to oswald's desk , using the tip of his index finger to adjust the position of a lonely silver pen so that it would become parallel to one of the desks' edges .

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ" tell me , when is the trial ? "

[oceanusborealis]

Awards – The Musical Scores of 2023 That Wowed Us

One factor that I will always look out for in a film is the musical score. I can get caught in the world of music as it sits in my head in the days, weeks, months, and even the years that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do not know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final…

[spencerscookies]

Bathroom Chicago Transitional wainscoting powder room photo

[thecupidwitch]

Elements And Their Correspondences

Earth

Direction: North

Time: Midnight

Season: Winter

Color: Green, brown

Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Ruling planets: Venus and Saturn

Tarot Cards: Pentacles, Coins

Tools: Pentacle, salt, stones, dirt, crystals, wood, flowers

Cystals: Emerald, Jet, tourmaline, quartz, onyx, azurite, amethyst, jasper, peridot, granite.

Animals: gopher, bear, wolf, ant, horse, stag, deer, dog, cow, bull, bison, snake, worms, moles, voles, grubs

Herbs: Oak, cedar, cypress, honeysuckle, ivy, primrose, sage, grains, patchouli, nuts, magnolia, comfrey, vetivert, moss, lilac, lichen, roots, barley, alfalfa, corn, rice.

Rules: Grounding, strength, healing, success, stability, sturdiness, steadfastness, foundations, empathy, fertility, death, rebirth, wisdom, nature, animals, plants, money, prosperity.

Water

Direction: West

Time: Dusk

Season: Fall

Color: Blue, Indigo, Sliver

Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Ruling planets: Moon, Neptune, Pluto

Tarot Cards: Cups

Tools: Ocean, sea glass, cup, bowl, seaweed, hag stones, cauldron

Cystals: Moonstone, pearl, silver, aquamarine, amethyst, blue tourmaline, lapis lazuli, fluorite, coral, blue topaz, beryl, opal, coral

Animals: fish, snake, frog, crab, lobster, eel, shark, dragonfly, seahorse, dolphin, sea otter, seal, whale, alligator, crocodile, beaver, octopus, penguin, salamander, turtle, starfish, koi, coral, barnacle, manta ray, manatee, jellyfish, nautilus, heron, duck, geese, crane, swan, water birds, ammonite, dragons, serpents

Herbs: seaweed, aloe, fern, water lily, lotus, moss, willow, gardenia, apple, catnip, chamomile, cattail, lettuce, kelp, birch, cabbage, coconut, cucumber, comfrey, eucalyptus, gourd, geranium, grape, licorice, lilac, pear, strawberry, tomato

Rules: emotion, intuition, psychic abilities, love, unconscious mind, fertility, self-healing, reflection, lunar energy, deep feelings, curses, death

Fire

Direction: South

Time: Noon

Season: Summer

Color: Red, Orange

Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Ruling planets: Sun, Mars

Tarot Cards: Wands or Swords (depends on belief system)

Tools: Athame, candles, swords, wands, dagger, lamp, flame

Cystals: Carnelian, red jasper, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, agate, rhodochrosite, gold, pyrite, brass, fire opal, lavastone, tiger's eye

Animals: Lion, snake, coyote, fox, ladybug, bee, shark, scorpion, horse, mantis, tiger

Herbs: Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, basil, cacti, marigold, chilis, garlic, mustard, nettle, onion, heliotrope, hibiscus, juniper, lime, orange, red pepper, poppies, thistle, coffee, jalapenos, lemon, cumin, saffron, coriander

Rules: Energy, will, destruction, strength, courage, power, passion, lust, sexuality, anger, war, new beginnings, protection, loyalty, transformation, action, movement, achievement, creativity, desire, willpower

Air

Direction: East

Time: Down

Season: Spring

Color: Yellow, gold, white, light blue, pastels

Zodiac: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Ruling planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus

Tarot Cards: Wands

Tools: Feather, wand, staff, incense, broom, bell, sword, pen

Cystals: Amber, topaz, citrine, jasper, agate, pumice, alexandrite, amethyst, fluorite, mica, clear quartz

Animals: Birds, flying insects, spiders, bats

Herbs: Bergamot, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, sage, dandelion, bluebell, clover, frankincense, primrose, lemongrass, pine, aspen, yarrow, violets, vervain, myrrh, dill, anise, aspen

Rules: Intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, logic, thought, communication, truth, inspiration, intuition, memory, creativity

Tip jar

[greenwitchcrafts]

October 2023 witch guide

Full moon: October 28th

New moon: October 14th

Sabbats: Samhain

October Hunter's Moon

Known as: Blood moon, drying rice moon, falling leaf moon, freezing moon, migrating moon, moon of the changing seasons, shedding moon, ten colds moon, winterfelleth & windermanoth

Element: Air

Zodiac: Libra & Scorpio

Nature spirits: Frost faeries & Plant faeries

Deities: Apollo, Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Herne, Horned God, Ishtar, Kore, Lakshmi & Mercury

Animals: Elephant, jackal, ram, scorpion & stag

Birds: Crow, heron & robin

Trees: Acacia, apple, cypress & yew

Herbs/Plants: Angelica, apple blossom, burdock, catnip, pennyroyal, sweet Annie, thyme & Uva ursi

Flowers: Calendula, cosmos & marigold

Scents: Apple blossom, cherry & strawberry

Stones: Amethyst, beryl, obsidian, opal, tourmaline & turquoise

Colors: Black, dark blue, Dark greens & purples

Energy: Artistic works, balance, creativity, harmony, inner cleansing, justice, karma, legal matters, mental stimulation, partnerships, reincarnation & uncovering mysteries or secrets

It is believed that this name originates from the fact that it was a signal for hunters to prepare for the upcoming cold winter by going hunting. This is because animals were beginning to fatten up in preparation for the winter season. Moreover, since fields had recently been cleared out under the Harvest Moon, hunters could easily spot deer and other animals that had come out to search for remaining scraps. Additionally, foxes and wolves would also come out to prey on these animals.

The earliest use of the term “Hunter’s Moon,” cited in the Oxford English Dictionary, is from 1710. Some sources suggest that other names for the Hunter’s Moon are the Sanguine or Blood Moon, either associated with the blood from hunting or the color of the changing autumn leaves. 

Samhain

Also known as: All Hallow's Eve,  Ancestor Night, Feast of Apples, Feast of Sam-fuim, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead, Geimhreadh, Hallowmass, Martinmass, Old Hallowmas, Pagan New Year, Samana, Samhuinn, Samonios, Shadowfest & Third Harvest

Season: Fall

Symbols: Apples, bats, besom(brooms), black cats, cauldrons, ghosts, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, scarecrows & witches

Colors: Black, gold, orange, silver & white

Oils/incense: Basil, cloves, copal, frankincense, gum mastic, heather, heliotrope, mint, myrrh & nutmeg

Animals: Bat, boar, cat cattle & dogs

Stones: Amber, anatase, black calcite, black obsidian, black tourmaline, brass, carnelian, clear quartz diamond, garnet, gold, granite, hematite, iron, jet, marble, pearl, pyrite, ruby, sandstone, sardonyx, smokey quartz, steel & tektite

Foods: Apples, ale, beef, cider, corm, fruits, garlic, gourds, grains, hazelnuts, herbal teas, mushroom, nettle, nuts, pears, pomegranates, pork, poultry, pumpkin pie, sunflower seeds, thistle, turnips & wine (mulled)

Herbs/plants: Acorn, Allspice, catnip, corn, dittany of Crete, hazel, mandrake, mugwort, mullien, oak leaves, pine, rosemary, sage, straw, tarragon, thistle, wormwood & yellow cedar

Flowers: Calendula, chrysanthemum, deadly nightshade, rue & fumitory

Goddesses: Al-lat, Baba Yaga, Badb, Banba, Bast, Bebhionn, Bronach, Brunhilde, Cailleach, Carlin, Cassandra, Cerridwen, Copper Woman, Crobh Dearg, Devanyani, Dolya, Edda, Elli, Eris, Erishkigal, Fortuna, Frau Holde, Hecate, Hel, Ishtar, Kali, Macha Mania, Morrigan, Nemesis, Nephthys, Nicneven & Rhiannon

Gods: Arawan, Baron Samede, Belenus, Coyote, Cronus, Dagda, Dis, Hades, Loki, Nefertum, Odin, Osiris, Pluto, Woden & Xocatl

Issues Intentions & Powers: Crossroads, darkness, death, divination, honoring ancestors, introspection, the otherworld/underworld, release, visions & wisdom (of the crone)

Spellwork: Divination, fire magick, night magick, shape-shifting, spirit calling & water magick

Related festivals:

• Day of the Dead- (Spanish: Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed & is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage. Although related to the simultaneous Christian remembrances for Hallowtide, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration rather than mourning. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and to remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

• All Saints Day- is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honor of all the saints & martyrs of the Church, whether they are known or unknown

Activities:

• Dedicate an altar to loved ones who have passed

• Boil a simmer pot to cleanse your space

• Have a silent dinner

• Light a candle for your loved ones & yourself

• Decorate your house and/or altar

• Release negative energy & cleanse your with a ritual bath

• Pull tarot cards to see what may be in store for you ahead

• Cleanse, clean & de-clutter your space

• Leave offerings to the Fae

• Journal & reflect on your accomplishments, challenges & everything you did this year

•Go on a nature walk

• Learn a new form of divination

• Have a bonfire with your friends and/or family

• Carve pumpkins

• Express yourself creatively through art, music, ect

• Visit a cemetery & help clean off areas that need it or to visit a family member/ ancestor & leave an offering

• Hold a seance

• Bake spooky treats & bread as offerings

• Refresh your protection magicks, sigils & rituals

Samhain is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.

This fire festival is celebrated on October 31st & is considered the Pagan New Year. It is the first Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year, a cross-quarter festival & the third (final) harvest festival of the mundane year. This is the time when the veil between the worlds of the living & those who have passed is the thinnest, which allows greater communication between the two

Some believe this is the time of the Goddess's mourning of the death of the God until his rebirth at Yule. The Goddess's sadness can be seen in the shortening, darkening days & the arrival of cold weather

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living

Wikipedia

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

dinos are so weird that penguins didn't even make the top ten

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌙 Ramadan Mubarak - Books ft. Muslims

🦇 Good morning, my beautiful bookish bats. To celebrate this Islamic holy month, here are a FEW books featuring Muslim characters. I hope you consider adding a few to your TBR.

❓What was the last book you read that taught you something new OR what's at the top of your TBR?

🌙 A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum 🌙 Amal Unbound - Aisha Saeed 🌙 Love From A to Z - S.K. Ali 🌙 Hana Khan Carries On - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 Yes No Maybe So - Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Evil Eye - Etaf Rum 🌙 I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai 🌙 Exit West - Mohsin Hamid 🌙 Written in the Stars - Aisha Saeed 🌙 The Night Diary - Veera Hiranandani 🌙 Much Ado About Nada - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 The Eid Gift - S.K. Ali 🌙 More Than Just a Pretty Face - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero - Saadia Faruqi 🌙 If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan 🌙 Snow - Orhan Pamuk 🌙 Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged - Ayisha Malik 🌙 The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad 🌙 And I Darken - Kiersten White 🌙 The Last White Man - Mohsin Hamid

🌙 Hijab Butch Blues - Lamya H 🌙 The Bad Muslim Discount - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Ms. Marvel - G. Willow Wilson 🌙 Love from Mecca to Medina - S.K. Ali 🌙 The City of Brass - S.A. Chakraborty 🌙 The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim 🌙 A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar 🌙 A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan 🌙 The Moor’s Account - Laila Lalami 🌙 Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian 🌙 Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 🌙 When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Quershi 🌙 Jasmine Falling by Shereen Malherbe 🌙 Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad 🌙 Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

🌙 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie 🌙 All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir 🌙 The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik 🌙 Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif 🌙 Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi 🌙 A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena 🌙 Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga 🌙 The Mismatch by Sara Jafari 🌙 Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 🌙 You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen 🌙 Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali 🌙 Once Upon an Eid - S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan 🌙 Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson 🌙 The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar 🌙 A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Nayra and the Djinn by Michael Berry 🌙 All-American Muslim Girl by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

🌙 The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim 🌙 Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg 🌙 Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi 🌙 Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan 🌙 Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam 🌙 She Wore Red Trainers by Na'ima B. Robert 🌙 Hollow Fires by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 Internment by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Love in a Headscarf - Shelina Zahra Janmohamed 🌙 Courting Samira by Amal Awad 🌙 The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik 🌙 Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy 🌙 Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Muslim Girls Rise - Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel 🌙 Amira & Hamza - Samira Ahmed 🌙 The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan

🌙 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh 🌙 Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao 🌙 The Yard - Aliyyah Eniath 🌙 When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar 🌙 The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty 🌙 Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja 🌙 The Chai Factor by Farah Heron 🌙 The Beauty of Your Face - Sahar Mustafah 🌙 Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana

[skyliv]

Day 12 | Magic

this was going to be closer to the prompt but i got sidetracked. again. there’s not even any magic here dude it’s just marie confessing

The witch’s basement as dark as usual, an odd state of permanent dusk still hanging over the stone room. Agatha had a strange morning, one she’d refused to explain. So, she called Annamarie down to take it out on her.

She paced in a circle beneath the vaulted ceiling, aimlessly fidgeting with a golden pendant in her hands. Agatha was saving her most extravagant dress for her grand finale, but she still enjoyed experimenting with the layers, as the outfit’s deep violet shawl swished with each step.

“Agatha?” A familiar voice chirps from just out of sight. The tone is steeped in emotion, and it’s one Agatha knows all too well. Marie rushes down in a flurry of feathers, stopping between the first two columns.

“Took you long enough,” Agatha rolls her eyes, trying to disguise her voice in a cloak of hatred. “The Hex is changing, Anna, and you can’t be sitting around just waiting for Wanda to find us.”

Marie stops in her tracks, tilting her head like any curious bird. This was unlike Agatha, she’d only come off as cold if she was faced with something she disliked, but before Marie could ponder any longer she’s ushered over by a sharp wave.

“What happened? Did you see something? Was it the kids?”

“No and no.” The witch holds out her closed hand to Marie, looking to the side as she does so. “It’s just that.. The Hex knows you’re with me.”

She opens her hand, and in her palm is a pendant. It’s a shiny little thing, a small heron with its wings outstretched in a crescent. A hole is punched into the brass tail to connect a small violet gem on a thin chain link.

Marie takes a hesitant step forward, and she takes a moment to inspect the necklace. Agatha looks back, her brows furrowing when she shakes her hand a bit. Marie gets the message and quickly plucks it up.

“Where’d you find this?” She asked, golden eyes fixated on the carved bird cradled in her hand.

“Bedside table, it was next to my amulet.” Agatha almost sounded offended that something associated with Marie would materialize near her. “Witches, we- Many of them gift their familiar a sort of pendant.. Anything worn near the head or heart works.”

Marie glances up, her hand closes around the pendant and she holds it closer.

“Are they usually enchanted?”

Agatha scowls, “Maybe half the time. I can assure you it won’t choke you, I didn’t have the time to curse it.”

The mutant swallows hard, she’s nervous. Would bring a familiar be detrimental? Let alone being Agatha’s familiar. So, she stalls, “You really trust me with whatever familiars do?”

“Not really,” She scoffs, “But you’ve been helping already, and Scratchy doesn’t count.”

Marie brings the necklace to her collar, letting the cool pendant rest on her skin as she clips it on in the back. A perfect fit, lying just above the dip of her dress. With her hands still behind her head, she keeps her eyes down, “Then does this mean you care about me..?”

Agatha grows tense, sharp blue eyes scrutinize Marie’s every movement, and she crosses her arms. “Of course not- Witches lose their familiars all the time! You’re being bound to suffer as I do- It’s- It’s just easier to have an extra soul to sell!”

The witch practically floundered to find her words, she was still upset that something as unpredictable as Wanda’s spell would stick her together with someone as fundamentally different than her as Marie.

But still, Marie smiles; it’s a slightly worried gesture, but a smile nonetheless. “But we’re bound, that’s why you’re so upset.”

“Oh, shove it..”

“The spell! That is why! It sees us, it’s basing itself on your thoughts!” Even through her racing heart, she’s excited, it’s not every day that you get to see into Agatha’s mind. Her right hand flies up to hold onto the necklace, the material warming up some. Agatha was bristling at this point, but not exactly with rage. Rather, embarrassment flooded her heart. Agatha Harkness shouldn’t feel of let anyone get close. And no one should get close to her.

Agatha recoils when Marie steps forward. “You care!” The mutant exclaims, her wings puffing up with a few excited flaps.

“I can’t, I-“ Agatha stutters, her expression wracked with grief. She pushes past Marie, storming away, “I don’t care, it’s like caring for another animal! It’s just a chore!”

Marie whirls around, her wings causing dust below her to swirl. Her hand lowers from the necklace and joins the other in fidgeting with one of her dress’s ruffles. Her brows knit together with her focus before she blurts out: “That’s what caring for you is like too!”

Agatha pauses at the bottom of the stairs, her hand lingering over the railing.

“You make it impossible, I know why you do, but it doesn’t work on everyone. Agatha Harkness of Salem, I like you- I care for you, I love you. It isn’t a chore to me, it’s what I want to do.”

[hanzajesthanza]

the mishmash of clothing that geralt’s company wear during their journey is delightfully piecemeal. it’s like half-brokilonian, half-stolen from banditry, half-clothes which actually belong to them. ik i made this post as a joke but i actually really love the outfits of the company

geralt and dandelion are dressed in hooden grey elven mantels. later in chapter 4, they’ve exchanged them for homespun cloaks stolen from the guards, which they used to escape the camp. from though he still has his recognizable headband and medallion, geralt is seemingly almost incognito as he wears a leafy-patterned elven jerkin from the dryads. (and for even more brokilon influence, before zoltan gives him the dwarven sihill, he has a sword from col serrai).

speaking of dwarven fashions, dandelion receives a quilted jacket and a ‘swashbuckling’ marten-fur kalpak from zoltan and his company. he replaced his plum hat with the heron’s feather with this marten kalpak, so he as well is almost incognito. as far as accessories go, he has a brass-studded belt and the cruel-looking knife from the dwarves, too; although he immediately lost the knife. after the events of chapter 4 and in the middle of 5, his head is wounded and bandaged.

zoltan tells milva that she “looks too much like a squirrel” to approach humans alone — which is probably a result of her dress and her bow, of course. asides from her mahogany bow with whalebone risers, measuring 5 foot with a 24 inch draw length, shooting grey-fletched arrows… and one silver arrow… she’s likely dressed in some brokilonian or elven garb, owing to her work as an agent for brokilon. but she also wears “human” clothing, a blouse and woolen leggings. her belt is described, with a pouch and a hunting knife with a bone handle hanging off of it (and in the next book, she gives this knife to angoulême as a gift). perhaps most curiously, milva’s not mentioned to be wearing her iconic braid or plait during this book, rather her long hair is described as falling into geralt’s face when she leans over him in tense conversation in chapter 1, tossing her hair with a sudden movement when offended in chapter 5…

cahir is almost unrecognizable as nothing he wears betrays him as nilfgaardian, instead he’s dressed in a hauberk, leather tunic and cloak from the men who were transporting him. but this hauberk becomes ever-so iconic in its own right as it plays such a role in the fish soup… as a strainer.

regis, of course, dresses modestly and is perhaps the only one of the company dressed in his own clothes not signalling affiliation to a larger faction or taken from some roving banditry. black robes, something like an apron tied around the waist. when they meet him, he has a linen bag, but when they leave, he’s exchanged it for a leather one. and also, a walking stick, which is never mentioned again by the writing... he also has his nigh-iconic black, woolen cloak-cape, which he wraps himself up in…

and the horses! do not forget the horses. geralt’s elven roach, a bay mare who rides as if bitted by horseflies. the lazy and docile bay gelding pegasus, of course, remains dandelion’s steed. cahir rides on a chestnut colt, which he loses but later recovers. milva’s black horse, which she tells geralt not to touch in chapter 1, which also becomes the subject of debate in chapter 4. regis rides on a nilfgaardian bay near the end of the novel, by which point they’ve also obtained a riderless grey horse which carries their modest belongings.

these small little details are all just described so wonderfully across the course of the book, the picture is painted for you eventually, over time, your attention is rewarded with an intricate picture at the end…

[gravehags]

look at the necklace i snagged tonight on sale for being discontinued she’s a little gold plated brass wine amphora! :) the maker is heron and lamb and they make beautiful ancient-inspired pieces, i highly recommend their work!

[heronyearwood]

for: @bookedrevenge where: some hold house inland when: daytime

While Port Leiry's riverfront is pleasant; the ambience is clean and tidy, clearly well tended, its the quiter end of it that she favors from this old house they've commandeered. The balcony from which she catches a breath of frush, iron-free air is well situated to give Heron a nice vista downriver, towards the upbuilt parts of town and the sea beyond it. She appreciates its order and organization, and while the city sports it on the surface, she knows that under that veneer lurks tangled webs all dripping with filth that she cannot wait to burn away. She takes a spoon of fruit and cream and indulges in a sensible lunch as she takes in the view, but then she decides to check the time, and realizes that she has lingered entirely too long. She takes her bowl and moves back inside, first to the kitchen, where she puts the half-finished parfait into a refrigerator and, stepping around the counter, removes a set of pliers from where she left them, and then moves across the parquet and towards a heavy oak door before stopping to replace a messy apron, idly tying it around her waist. She hears the click of old brass and looks to the door as it opens, her compatriot appearing from within the next room. "Did it say anything yet?" She asks, musically, as she pulls gloves on, the snap of them a clap in the otherwise quiet room. "Or do we need to move on to more convincing methods of conversation?"

She winces, the protest from her dead Brotherhood mark endlessly reminding her of its presence. "Damn old thing," hisses heron under her breath.

[wot-tidbits]

Heron Mark Sword from The Wheel of Time book series by seattlezack

"The blade is high carbon tool steel from an old file. The hilt is brass, walnut, and a couple of pieces of walrus ivory. "

[manwalksintobar]

Victims of the Latest Dance Craze // Cornelius Eady

The streamers choking the main arteries Of downtown. The brass band led by a child From the home for the handicapped. The old men Showing their hair (what’s left of it), The buttons of their shirts Popping in time To the salsa flooding out Of their portable headphones,

And mothers letting their babies Be held by strangers. And the bus drivers Taping over their fare boxes And willing to give directions.

Is there any reason to mention All the drinks are on the house? Thick, adolescent boys Dismantle their BB guns. Here is the world (what’s left of it), In brilliant motion, The oil slick at the curb Danced into a thousand Splintered steps. The bag ladies toss off their Garments To reveal wings.

“This dance you do,” drawls the cop, “What do you call it?” We call it scalding the air. We call it dying with your Shoes on.

And across the street The bodies of tramps Stumble In a sober language.

And across the street Shy young girls step behind Their nameless boyfriends, Twirling their skirts.

And under an archway A delivery boy discovers His body has learned to speak, And what does this street look like If not a runway, A polished wood floor?

From the air, Insects drawn by the sweat Alight, when possible, On the blur Of torsos. It is the ride Of their tiny lives. The wind that burns their wings, The heaving, oblivious flesh, Mountains stuffed with panic, An ocean That can’t make up its mind. They drop away With the scorched taste Of vertigo.

And under a swinging light bulb Some children Invent a game With the shadow the bulb makes, And the beat of their hearts. They call it dust in the mouth. They call it horse with no rider. They call it school with empty books.

In the next room Their mother throws her dress away to chance. It drops to the floor Like a brush sighs across a drum head, And when she takes her lover, What are they thinking of If not a ballroom filled with mirrors, A world where no one has the right To stumble?

In a parking lot An old man says this: “I am a ghost dance. I remember the way my hair felt, Damp with sweat and wind.

When the wind kisses the leaves, I am dancing. When the subway hits the third rail, I am dancing. When the barrel goes over Niagara Falls, I am dancing. Music rings my bones like metal.

O, Jazz has come from heaven,” he says, And at the z he jumps, arcing his back like a heron’s neck, And stands suddenly revealed As a balance demon, A home for Stetson hats.

We have all caught the itch: The neon artist Wiring up his legs, The tourist couple Recording the twist on their Instamatic camera, And in a factory, A janitor asks his broom For a waltz, And he grasps it like a woman He’d have to live another Life to meet, And he spins around the dust bin And machines and thinks: Is everybody happy? And he spins out the side door, Avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk, Grinning as if he’d just received The deepest kiss in the world.

[void-whisper]

Okay, last one for the day! This one is a recent one! I was tagged by @floralprintshark, thank you bestie!!

Currently reading: Dog Songs by Mary Oliver (and I'm having a time bc of it)

Last song: ... okay sorry for liking EDM music but this:

Currently watching: the new Percy Jackson show, also Leverage Redemption, Dungeon Meshi and Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Last Fic: I don't really read fics so this is a hard one? I don't know if you could consider it a fic bc it is like an original work with OC's but I've read some pretty good smut @floralprintshark wrote the other day.

Next on my watch list: I have so much stuff on my watch list 😭😭😭, The Boy and The Heron is up there, the next episodes of the PJO show and JJK S2 as well, and DunMeshi seems pretty fun, I'll def keep watching when the next episodes come out

Current obsession: The Wizard, The Witch and The Wild One by Worlds Beyond Numbers, I got into it bc of a friend and gods its sooo good.

I'll be tagging @whatmyrottingboneswillsing, @localidiot-m, @m1dn1ghts1nger, @manicpixiedreamworld and whomever see this and wants to do it!! Especially moots!!

(no pressure if you don't feel like it ofc)

[sundancers-lament]

Dear Lauren Rose,

Don’t quote me on it, but I think this civil war might close out in the next few months. Argaven’s putting the push on Orgoreyn by the west front, trying to break through the skirmish border at Alteral—might have a fighting chance, but mostly its to draw attention. He split a few companies off, one or two of his top brass and around 60 soldiers and hired swords, to flank south down along the coast. I’m with them, volunteered my men for it to keep them off the frontline. They’re green, but the skirmish in Daisho really put a light on us and I ain’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. In about a month we’ll be well behind enemy lines, start disrupting supply chains and pushing back east to meet at the skirmish border or a bit behind, if Argaven’s gambit pulls off. He’s waiting on reinforcements from Winter, some brigade of cavalry or other. I understand his push to weed the spies out; he’s got a good mind for tactics, strategy and logistics and all that. Treats his soldiers right, too. Glad I picked this company to join this time, though I’d be lying if I said it was a moral thing. Pay is better, that’s all it was. 

The men are happy to be out of the north—weather’s a lot warmer down here, and there ain’t as much mud to slog through. The sun is nice, the sea breeze cuts the heat down in the evenings alright too. We’re traveling as a refugee caravan, and the towns we pass through are mostly friendly, so food and housing ain’t been bad either. But completely honest, I’m sick and fuckin’ tired of getting sand in my damn fur. Don’t matter how much scrubbing and combing I do. I still wake up with fucking grit in my whiskers, it’s driving me half mad. Got me considering shaving again, but the ink ain’t worth explaining (even though I’m sure a handful of these fellows got rap sheets of their own. The past just don’t have no place in this job.), so I just grumble about it. Don’t know how that never crossed my mind when we used to talk about taking a trip down here—I hated the dust in Herons Fall enough already. I’m sure you’d love it though, you always lit up in the sunshine. Water’s warm, too; you’d spend hours out in the surf just swimming the day away, crazy water-loving woman you are.

Guess it doesn’t take a big score to reach the ocean after all; you just gotta be okay with a lot of walking, and a lot of leaving things behind. 10 years under my belt and that’s the biggest I’ve learned about this kind of work—the best at this job always got no trouble with leaving. Its the ones with ties you gotta look out for: they’ll cut and run on you soon as they think they might lose something. The one’s who got nothing but the weapons at their side, they’re the ones who’ll treat you like family, watch your back no matter what. Maybe you gotta understand leavin’ to get good at stayin’, some poetic shit like that. More likely you just understand that gold is gold and blood is blood. Attachments, morals, they just keep your wallet empty in this line of work. Sometimes you get lucky, like with Argaven and this whole civil war, and you can pick the good side, trust that you’re fighting for the things you leave behind, that you can go back after and it’ll all be okay. Lots of times the good guys can’t pay up, though, and you can’t be looking behind you then. 

I’m sure the war hasn’t affected Herons Fall much, maybe a few local conscriptions. Likely it stays that way, or if it does reach you it’ll just be easy business. Always need for an alternative supply stream in war time, not that I need to tell you that. I’m sure you’re profiting off of this somehow—if anyone could figure it out it’s you. If you are, though, might want to think ahead to aftermath and shutting down your operation, if it all goes the way my gut says. Not that it’s the most trustworthy compass, I guess, but it’s all you got when you’re as familiar with leavin’ as this work takes. All that to say that I hope you’re well; hope you’re safe.

-- Tomcat