#its welcome home/welcome home son by radical face

[yrlocalghost]

sunny days in spring with a good solid breeze are great because i walk by any yard with a windchime and it is like yes i know exactly what song i am going to listen to about this

[brothermoth]

songs that give me rdr2 feels

Dust in the Wind — Kansas (it's Arthur's song, full stop. Themes of futility and the realization that life is fleeting? It's him, baby.)

All the Pretty Horses — Laura Gibson (Kieran's song without a doubt. That grubby little man deserved so much better)

For a Few Good Men— Amigo the Devil (another Arthur song. It feels so bittersweet and full of longing, really just makes me think of him and Mary and the life they could have had).

Welcome Home, Son — Radical Face (God this song just has Jack vibes. Its very Marston family coded).

Borealis— The Huntress and Holder of Hands (John and Abigail song. Thank you)

Wolf— First Aid Kit (Marston family depression. I love them so much guys)

[artanogon]

awful at knowing what albums are but radical face's "welcome home, son" lives rent free in my head. i think about it every day.

MY GOD YEAH

that song was our first introduction to radical face and holds my heart in its grasp to this day. ships are launching from my chest some have names but most do not if you find one please let me know what peace i’ve lost etc

[tar-and-feathered]

tagged by @figsandphiltatos :)

shuffle your on repeat playlist (on spotify) and list the first 10 songs and then tag 10 people

First Time by Hozier -- Been listening to this one (and the album in its entirety) since last October and like much of Hozier, it spoke to me! I think my favorite part is about the flowers,,,, mothers gifting life to you again, how a plant lives mostly underground in the roots, deadened to light and sound but reaching for the light anyway, even when it's doomed to be cut back for its beauty?? how the plant knows it's dying but puts forth its every effort to make flowers anyway?? "fighting off like all creation the absence of itself, anyway" ANYWAY????? and the end hurts a special kinda bad ough! ough!

Sjamboksa by Gang of Youths -- god knows I love these boys, but this one is an unsung gem from their earlier albums. "In the thick of my heart, by the skin of my teeth, until I'm forgotten, and covered in weeds, and my withering soul is in the sea, i will hold on to you, hold on to me." It has a warm, heartful sound that gets me emotional

Keep Me In the Open by Gang of Youths -- not your typical love song. It's about a relationship in the end stages of failing. It's always been a heartbreaker, and I appreciate it filling an uncommon niche. "When did everything get this weird? how the fuck did it start? did you ever believe in me? was it always so hard?"

Welcome Home, Son by Radical Face -- I've loved this one since like 2018? or 2017? It's an EXCELLENT "thinking about your OCs" song with excellent vibes. Generally this band is good for this purpose, recommend their other stuff since I think this is their only big song. I enjoy Small Hands iirc. They have very visual lyrics that I can smell yk? "Sheets are swaying from an old clothes line, like a row of captured ghosts over old dead grass, was never much but we made the most"

Wildflower and Barley (Feat. Allison Russell) by Hozier -- This makes me think of Seurri and Erastos' year together in their mutual downtime, enjoying the glade together and Philander learning to be comfort in a gentle, quiet love. the fuck . the vibes are... like, jazzy and folksy. "springtime from my window, another month has not much longer now, the sun hesitates more on each evening's darkening, would all things god allows, remain above ground? like grief and sweet memory, wildflower and barley"

I Don't Know You by Mannequin Pussy -- Excellent intro to their show in Atl. Started us off easy for sure lol. It's soft, it's about regret, it's about knowing your regret and still being unable or unwilling to act on it i think. plus longing

Little Dark Age by MGMT -- I don't remember listening to this a ton recently but in general? yes. I'm claiming this one back from the fashy teens who wanna use it in ww2 edits, this song slaps severely and the dark and mysterious vibes speak to me. good for OC imagining lol "The humor's not the same, coming from denial" IDK if this song has a coherent meaning (ik MGMT can be cryptic) but I havent interpreted it and I like it that way frankly

Too Sweet by Hozier -- Who could have predicted! OHhh! who knew! This song is for Solomon and Solomon only idc idc idc idc "But you worry some I know, but who wants to live forever babe" like yess mercenary queen work i need you to concern your elf nobility non-wifey wifey endlessly

We Don't Believe What's on TV by Twenty One Pilots -- Middle school makes a bold return! I stopped listening to these guys before 2016 I think, but I got a hankering for this particular song because I'm so unsure of what I want to be or do, or if I can even be or do that. I want to be unafraid of the future with somebody and I don't think I could relate to this song in middle school but I get it now! Also I refuse to factor religion into my interpretation of top or I'll stop enjoying it again shh

Archie, Marry Me by Flyte -- This song is one I'd occasionally play on loop late at night, the echoing choir and soft, what, organ? in the background? If I had a wedding this would probably be in it. It's so warm and personal, but I love the original by i think Alvvays! This cover I just think I love more.

I don't think I have any steady mutuals who haven't already been tagged in figs' post so... like or rb this or otherwise let me know if you'd like to be tagged in anything in the future :)

[dfroza]

the digital world has in some ways destroyed society

bringing about anxiety and far too much content to “consume”

A world war flooded with opinion.

but since it’s here i am personally trying to use it for something good.

people have to choose what they are being influenced by and what will occupy their time and attention and personal “space”

just as people choose their (inner circle) of trusted friends.

but in an online world some stare at screens looking at things that shouldn’t even (ever) be seen. some role-play murdering others in the violence of gaming. some absorb nothing but illusion, never connecting with Reality and truth.

some do not see that there is a heavenly world that is beautiful and True that cannot (yet) be seen. only to fail to see nothing but this lower (fallen) world scarred by sin and decay and death and violence and idolatry and greed.

but this world is temporal in nature. the way things are will pass away, doing away with that which contends with our Maker. first earth is beautiful in many ways, yet so polluted. but even so, our heavenly King will rule here for a thousand years before making a new earth in A grand end of time.

people may fear the “end of the world” and rightly so. corruption needs to be dealt with and removed. but there is no fear of God’s Judgment in Love. when our King returns to earth war will cease and we’ll focus our attention on meaningful things.

and we can only do so much here in the meantime in maintaining a greatly imperfect world that is set for radical Judgment (wrath) that will truly shake the earth as never before in its History. we can choose Love and to follow Light and its truth. we can choose forgiveness and grace, and we can learn to be patient and kind. we can stand bravely in what we “believe…” even in the face of disagreement, in the war of opposition. to face it not in a vengeful way, but by walking in Love

although by standing against evil there are times when force is necessary to put a stop to it, to protect others. people do the same when seeking to protect their own children. the world has its predators of evil, to be sure. such people need to be separated from society, even to be separated for good at times. people are given the opportunity to repent, to change. although some refuse, never coming to the Light

but the Light still shines, just as the sun. and since we as humans are not the Light (its Source) we can only be as the humble moon by “mirroring” the True Light (True illumination)

those on earth who welcome the entrance of the Spirit are being formed into a Body as reborn sons and daughters and we will inherit earth, to see it become our “Home” in its restoration and ultimate rebirth. we become the “voice” of the silent and invisible Spirit who was sent to earth (beginning in Jerusalem) just about 2,000 years ago. this is why Israel is so “central” to the world and the promises given by God to the Jews will prove True. including the drawing back to the land and seeing the restoration of the people of Israel when they finally see their Messiah in Yeshua, of whom the entirety of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), or the First Testament was written about, to point to. (clearly “unveiled” in the New Testament)

believers who are not Jews actually become spiritually Jewish being ingrafted with them into the True Vine.

there is only One “narrow path” of the Son that leads into eternal life (beginning with the heart & spirit and the promise of A new body at some point)

[metamorphosis]

it’s nice to think that a book could open someone’s heart to this.

there is (Waiting) happening, every day.

[scoops-stevie-archive]

Misty Taste of Moonshine - ao3

Six months into their relationship, Steve realizes how different Eddie is when he's around certain people. He doesn't put on the theatrical facade he wears when he's at school or hanging out with the party, all loud and brash and in your face as the name Eddie Munson has come to be known.

He's been to enough Corroded Coffin practices to see the way Eddie interacts with the band. Little inside jokes and a casual affection that should make him jealous, but in those moments, he sees himself and Robin and feels nothing but warmth. That even after everything, Eddie can still have this with the handful of people that know him better than anyone.

Even so, they don't know the Eddie that resides at the Munson trailer. The real Eddie, not the one dimensional being that deals in the doorway under the dim porch light and in the shadows, the one that's on the receiving end of sneers and the word "devil" spat at his feet like his face isn't even worth the trouble of aiming for.

Steve learns that when Eddie was four, his mom died in a car accident on her way to pick him up from the babysitter's. His dad had never been around, so her brother Wayne was the only next of kin eligible to take him in.

"I don't really remember my mom," Eddie says one night after dinner. He and Steve are in Eddie's room. Wayne's already left for work so they've got the trailer to themselves until morning. They could use the time to fool around like the teenagers they aren't, but tonight, Steve just wants to hear Eddie talk. There's an acoustic guitar he keeps in the closet, a gift from his grandpa before he and Wayne moved to Indiana. He strums it quietly as they sit on the bed. "I remember she used to sing to me a lot, though. Lots'a Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash." He's got a soft smile on his face as he plucks the strings absentmindedly.

"My first real memory is of me sittin' on my great grandma's knee in her kitchen. She had this rocking chair in the corner by the window that looked out over half the holler." He turns his smile to Steve. "I'm takin' you there one day, Stevie. You gotta see it."

They don't know the real Eddie. Steve considers himself lucky that Eddie trusts him and feels comfortable around him to let every single carefully constructed wall come crumbling down when they're alone in the safety of the trailer.

They don't know that the voice they hear everyday isn't his real one. The one he grew up speaking with. When it's just them, Eddie's outside voice fades into one with a soft twang and it makes Steve's insides melt like butter in the screaming hot cast iron skillet that's seasoned and so well loved by both Munsons. Steve can cook, don't get him wrong (with his parents gone for weeks at a time it was either he learn how to use the stove or starve) but compared to Wayne and Eddie, his food is on par with a ten year old who just learned how to boil water.

Eddie always appreciates Steve cooking for them. He stands behind him at the stove with his arms gently wrapped around his waist and his chin on his shoulder, gently swaying back and forth. In the beginning, Steve would get embarrassed with Wayne in the room and brush his boyfriend off, but now it's almost second nature to lean back into his hold and accept the kiss on the nape of his neck and the quiet "smells good, baby" in his ear, the man who has come to be more of a dad to him than his own father watching with fondness behind his beer can.

Steve has always known that Hawkins wasn't home to Eddie, not really. He knew that, to him, home was deep in Carter County, Kentucky where lived with his uncle and grandparents. And his great grandparents and various aunts and uncles and cousins. Unlike Steve, Eddie never grew up with a shortage of love. There was always plenty to go around, even if they didn't have much money. Then Wayne got laid off from the coal mine when Eddie was thirteen and they moved up here to Indiana where he got on at the Sattler quarry. From what Eddie's told him, though, most of his family moved out of the holler and into the southern regions of Ohio. Only a few cousins stayed behind to keep their grandparents' cabin in the family.

To this day Steve still kicks himself for not fully noticing Eddie sooner. For not befriending him before Tommy H. and Carol dug their toxic claws into him and turned him into the douche bag he's still revered as. He remembers the new kid being introduced at the beginning of seventh grade and how hard he tried to make friends. He remembers how he was shut down every single time with laughs and cruel comments. Kids outright making fun of his accent and his clothes until he no longer tried reaching out and hung back from everyone. He eventually met Jeff and Gareth, and Steve was so grateful to them for getting Eddie out of his shell again, but the damage was already done and it followed him every year since.

Sometimes Steve will ask Eddie to sing to him, and he'd settle further into the pillows on the other boy's bed (the trailer was more his home these days than his actual house) and listen with his heart almost bursting with emotion as Eddie played a tune on his acoustic. A Johnny Cash song that Steve vaguely recognizes, a song that Eddie says almost every Appalachian family has their own rendition of. Steve thinks it's also eerily fitting for everything that's happened in the past year.

And when he's finished, Steve will pull him into a kiss and vow to never take for granted this version of his boyfriend only he's allowed to know.

[frankensteinmutual]

piranesi. the beauty of the house is immeasurable; its kindness infinite.

albatros- slowdive / arrival of the birds - the cinematic orchestra / alone in kyoto - air / beautiful morning - mindpark / the myth - san fermin / the labyrinth song - asaf avidan / it's happening again - agnes obel / ariadne - typhoon / objects in space - la dispute / can’t find my way home - blind faith / the sea is a good place to think of the future - los campesinos! / good house - deakin / you can’t live there forever - twiabpaianlatd / could never be heaven - brand new / mythological beauty - big thief / younger - the mountain goats / paper house - over the ocean / dream fortress - grimes / myth - beach house / lost! - coldplay / 33 "GOD" - bon iver / at my most beautiful - r.e.m. / motion and thought - typhoon / the cormorant - san fermin / welcome home, son - radical face / what a wonderful world - soap&skin

listen here

[youforgotitinpeople]

Hello! I saw your rec for bloodbuzz ohio and was wondering if you had any similar songs in terms of lyrics? That type of 'life sucks/is hard and full of regrets' vibe. No real preference for genre/sound

Thanks!

Here you go!!! I’ve included some lyrics for ease of picking! <3

Howl by Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra | I blame my free will, I blame my fate of course / I am hardly a man but I’m still dreading my future divorce

Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts by Wolf Parade | So I got a fist, I got a plan / It’s the best that I can do / Now we say, it’s in God’s hands / But God doesn’t always have the best goddamn plans, does he?

Nausea by Jeff Rosenstock | I got so tired of discussing my future / I’ve started avoiding the people I love / Evenings of silence and mornings of nausea / Shake and sweat and I can’t throw up

Avant Gardener by Courtney Barnett | Life’s getting hard in here, so I do some gardening / Anything to take my mind away from where it’s supposed to be

Painkillers by Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Living just comes with a bit of heartache / Heartache comes with a bit of young faith / Faith stays young till your heart gets broken / Hope grows up to become someday

It’s Called: Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Some days end when I need a few friends / Now and again, I could never hope to keep them / Thought to give friends what I thought that they wanted / Never had they needed a good friend as I’ve been

Welcome Home, Son by Radical Face | Peel the scars from off my back / I don’t need them anymore / You can throw them out or keep them in your mason jars

It’s Just A Lot by K. Flay | It’s just a lot / I wanna hold onto the innocence I got / It’s just a lot / I wanna care for all the little things I got

Float On by Modest Mouse | Bad news comes, don’t you worry even when it lands / Good news will work its way to all them plans

Easy Easy by King Krule | And with your dead-end job / That’s been eating away your life / You feel a little inside / The trouble and strife

[asfdhgsdkjhgb]

songs that feel like home and what kind of home i mean

on my way by alex lahey is a road trip at sunset. im sitting in the back, my feet up on the seat next to me, and im sharing a blanket with a friend. two more friends are up front, one driving and one in the passenger seat. we’re laughing. im not sure what we’re laughing at, maybe someone did something silly or maybe it was an inside joke. maybe we’re just happy to be there.

welcome home, son by radical face is summer camp. the air is slightly humid but not quite hot, and i can see stars above me. loads of them. the area im in is lit by long strings of warm fairy lights and im surrounded by people. im sitting on top of a picnic table. the sounds of laughter and conversation and cricket chirps fill the air around me. i smell like outdoors and campfire and bug spray.

since i saw vienna by wilbur is a train carriage. one of those trains thats meant to travel long distances. its golden hour/sunset and the sun is shining in right from the window next to me. im just sitting. watching the scenery change. im not sure whats out the window. maybe its a city, maybe its the country, maybe its a forest. im not sure what my destination is, i just know that im leaving.

see the day by the altogether is a morning in late summer, when the air is just starting to turn crisp. im up earlier than i normally would be, just looking out a window. i think im in a kitchen. theres a bit of fog on the glass and the grass outside is shiny with dew. the light is painting my face and the room around me in a very pretty shade of orange. i can hear the birds starting to wake up outside.

air so sweet by dodie is a suburban area, at midnight. its just cleared up after pouring rain and the pavement is still a bit damp under my bare feet. the street is empty as i walk and the only light is the streetlights out in front of each house. small rubbery rocks from the road stick to the bottoms of my feet and i breath in the slightly humid air.

five by sleeping at last is an aquarium after hours. im the only one there. i wander through different rooms, all of which are only lit by the blue light reflecting from the tanks. the way the water ripples makes the light look like its dancing around me. i watch a shark swim by, or a jellyfish. press my hands to the cool glass. and just watch.

everything is temporary by cavetown is a forest, when the sun comes back just after a summer rainstorm. i can hear everything beginning to come out of hiding. birds are singing. a butterfly lands on a nearby flower. the earth still smells like rain, and some of the trees are still dripping a bit. dappled sunlight shines on a ground covered in dirt and moss. everything looks green.

[stil-yr-sand]

hey does anyone remember this animatic?

its an sbi one (? i think) and the song is welcome home son by radical face

the opening of it is like a prairie kinda and the color is like a tan/light rust orange

i cant find it, im wondering if it got deleted :(

[loud-whistling-yes]

Red techno here! Hope you’re okay with a couple for the song rec thing.

- Dream Girl Evil by Florence + The Machine

- Last Man on Earth by Anna Bates

- doomsday by Lizzy McAlpine

- Green by Ivory Layne

Happy listening!

dream girl evil: it’s okay - not the type you'd see in my playlist but i can vibe with it

last man on earth: kinda catchy - vaguely sounds like the type of song that would play in a cameron camera commercial and im here for it. its completely different from welcome home son by radical face and yet its the one and the same. where are the lyrics though please i want to know whats being sung

doomsday: not my thing - however i do think my brother would like this. brb sending it to him

green: downloading immediately - FUCK YEAH thats what im talking about. fast paced stuff that can be danced to. what a bop. i love it.

[bucephaly]

25: Would you say you have good taste in music?

Also I’d like to ask if you have any song recommendations ^^

I'd say I like the music I listen to! I'm still struggling in some cases to not be embarrassed abt it but I've gotten a lot better since I've found some artists I like haha. It's just the typical 'oh but you're weird so its weird and you do it weird...' but I've been told by friends that they like my taste in music so ?

And sure! I've been enjoying 'Welcome Home, Son' by Radical Face, 'Swarm, Swamp, Swim' by Cosmo Sheldrake, and almost the whole Eurus album by the Oh Hellos (get past the first song which is just ok and the rest is so good...)

[thebmatt]

FFXIV Write Day 3

Scale– each of the small, thin horny or bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles, typically overlapping one another. - OR - an instrument for weighing, originally a simple balance ( a pair of scales ) but now usually a device with an electronic or other internal weighing mechanism.

(yes there's other definitions, these two are what's relevant for my response)

It was a somewhat chilly morning in the Azim Steppe as Dahkar Darkspear, Warrior of LIght and kahn of the Azim Steppe, strode through Dotharl Khaa, striding in the direction of the khatun's tent.  Hushed whispers seemed to follow him, as every Dotharl Xaela in the settlement could not stop watching him or speaking quietly to each other.

It made little sense to Dahkar. He was a Xaela himself and a regular fixture in the settlement at least once a week. He made sure to check in with all of the major leaders of the Steppe regularly to hear news, arbitrate disputes, and otherwise do whatever he could to ensure the people of the Steppe were mostly doing well.

Well, almost all of the leaders. He ignored Magnai and Daidukul on principle. Esugen, the Oronir's culinarian he'd helped a few times, made sure he was always in Reunion when he knew the khan would be arriving so he could pass on information about the Oronir and the Buduga.

He was a day early in this instance, so perhaps that was the reason behind the whispers. He put it from his mind as he approached the woman standing in front of the khatun's home.

Shar smiled and nodded to him. "Welcome, khan. You're early this week."

He smiled back to her. "That I am, Shar. How's your son doing?"

"He's growing well. The khatun does not yet know who is behind his eyes, but it has been but only a couple of moons. She is confident the soul within will reveal themself soon enough. I'm very excited to re-meet whoever it is!"

"I look forward to the day I can meet them. Is Sadu within? I have some...well let's just say an interesting proposal for her"

Shar smirked at him. "Oh, really now? Very bold of you, khan. Very Dotharl. I hope you're ready for a long fight. When my husband proposed to me, we fought for 10 bells straight!"

A look of shock crossed Dahkar's face, descending into horror. "What? No! Not that kind of-!"

She began laughing, loud and from her belly. "HA! Aahahaha! Oh, khan, the look on your face! Priceless!" In between fits of giggling, she opened the tent's flaps to admit him.

"Pretty sure there's rules against sassing your khan" he muttered to her as he walked past her, into the tent. "And if not, I'm gonna make some." This did nothing to stop her laughter.

The tent's sole occupant, a beautiful white-haired Xaelan woman dressed in her people's blue attire with a horned darkwood staff, turned to him. She smirked at him. Dahkar had often witnessed that smirk directed at him, but it was only now that he noticed Shar had given him a very similar one. Clearly she'd been taking lessons.

"Well, well, our glorious khan graces us with-". She suddently stopped and looked at him, frowning. "What in all the hells are you wearing?" she asked, incredulously.

Dahkar looked down at his attire, a style he'd seen many on the Steppe wearing during his first two trips there. He'd made sure to acquire some before departing that second time, aetherically aligned towards boosting magicks. "What? It's hardly unusual. Hells, I saw many of the Dotharl wearing very similar garb on my way in. Granted, this is white in color, but I didn't want everyone to assume I'd joined the Dotharl or-"

"No no, the garb is fine. But...I have never seen you wear anything other than that heavy black armor you favor. Or carry any weapon other than those slabs of metal you refer to as swords. Now you wear this? And is that the weapon of a conjurer on your back?"

Ah. That explained the stares and the whispers. "Yes, it is." He removed the cane from his back. The white crystal embedded in its head began to glow, a series of green-yellow energy lines shimmering around the head of leaf-covered branches. "Before I ever took up the sword of the Dark Knight, I was a conjurer. Pretty good one, in fact. So good they actually decided to let me train as a White Mage, which...well, you probably aren't aware of what those are or why it's a big deal. Suffice to say, I'm damn powerful with conjury."

"Hmmph", she signed, annoyed. "And what, you just decided that one day, it didn't work for you and took up a giant sword, instead?"

"Not quite that simple, but that's not far off the mark. Bad things happened to me and I changed in response to them in part by taking up the art of the Dark Knight." He shrugged and slung the cane over his back again.

"Oh yes, our glorious khan knows all about change!  You and that Doman. First you win the Naadam, as foreigners no less, then you rope us into this alliance of yours and persuade us to fight those men of metal and machines!" Sadu threw up her hands and turned her back to him. "Tell me, khan, what change will you bring next?"

Dahkar sighed. It was an argument he'd heard from her, and others, many a time. "Are we really doing this every time, Sadu? You know there's no rules against foreigners entering Bardam's Mettle, nor against competing in the Naadam. You agreed to help Hien and I fight the Garleans. Multiple times. You even told me you enjoyed the battle to liberate Ala Mhigo! You aren't actually angry about any of this, because you know what i know. Change is inevitable, stagnation equals decay."

She turns, smiling at him again. There's still mockery in her smile, but not as much this time. "Hrmph. Fine, you are correct. I suppose I just wanted to throw you off balance. As usual, you are hard to break. So what brings you to us a day early? It's too early in the day for you to have gone anywhere else first, so I assume this is important."

Dahkar smiled. "That it is. I want to talk with you about the future of the Steppe, and of the Dotharl, specifically."

Sadu's narrowed and her smile turned downward. She crossed her arms. "Speak. I suspect I will not like this, but you have earned the right, many times over, so I will hear you."

"It's simple, really. Many of the other Xaela fear the Dotharl. They see you as merciless raiders who seek only to deal death to them, who lust only for battle and killing. I would have you change that perception."

"And just how would you have me do that? Moreover, why would I even WANT to? The Dotharl live for battle. How many times have you heard me say it, khan? 'In battle do our souls burn bright, and in death do they sing'. Those are not empty words, they define us."

Dahkar smiled. "I'm well aware. I'm also aware that you very much realize that your way of life is not sustainable to the Dotharl's continued existence. You admitted as much to us, Gosetsu and I, that day we first met." Sadu turned her face away from him, eyes downward. "Hrmph. So I did. What of it? We have endured thus far. I will not compromise our way of life, khan"

"I'm not asking you to. What I propose is not a change to it, but a direction for it. I would have the Dotharl become protectors of the Steppe."

She turned to him again, her face a mixture of shock and rage. "...Protectors??  Have you heard a word I've said?" Dahkar raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Wait, just hear me out. It's not as radical as it seems, and it will solve your biggest problem of numbers in the long run."

Sadu resumed crossing her arms, glaring daggers at him. "...fine."

"Very well. First of all, I ask you what exactly the Dotharl gain in making war on weaker tribes? You yourself told me that only in great battle does the soul burn brightly, so what does it gain your warriors to slaughter those of lesser skill in battle than you? Seems unworthy of you. Turning that strength on the marauders who engage in such unworthy predation? That seems like a far better chance for a real battle. Not to mention the Steppe is crawling with monsters and vicious animals of various types. They may pose no threat to most tribes, certainly, but there are those to whom a monster attack is a death sentence. You can protect them and test your strength and bravery at the same time."

"If memory serves, you told me that it was in a monster attack that your own tribe was slaughtered. Purbols, I believe. I can't help but wonder if this is why you ask this of me."

"Which leads me to the second benefit this would bring to you. What do you suspect would have happened had the Dotharl come to our aid?"

"I imagine you would have been grateful, which is hardly worth anything to us."

"Gratitude is a long-term investment, Sadu. Think on it. If I'd been raised on tales of the tribe of warriors that saved us from vicious monsters, that fought back against other marauding tribes that kidnapped people like the Buduga? There's a very good chance that I would have bid farewell to my tribe and joined you all the day I came of age."

A single eyebrow raised. "You would have?"

"Very likely. I became an adventurer because it seemed like the easiest way to earn a living helping people and making things better. If my tribe hadn't been killed and my mother fled the Steppe? I doubt I'd be so different as to not want to do the same, still. Joining the Dotharl, becoming an undying one, born again and again to fight to save people, to help them? Well, it would have been extremely appealing to me. And I doubt I'm the only one, too. In time, I believe this swell your numbers significantly. Furthermore, when the Naadam comes around again, all those tribes you helped? Seems to me like they'd be more willing to help you as allies. In time, this will tip the scales in the Dotharl's favor and you'll reliably have more than enough numbers to rout the Oronir without question. Frankly, I would rest easier knowing the Steppe was in your hands rather than Magnai's. So long as you don't intend to break your word to the rest of the Othard Alliance, that is.  I'll kick BOTH of your asses for as long as I have to, if that's your intent."

She smirks viciously again. "Is that a challenge, khan?"

All mirth or joy fades from Dahkar. "No, Sadu, it's a promise. I have fought through some hellish things these past few moons, and I know that the worst of it is yet to come, and it's going to affect the entire world when it does. I take it you've heard about that large metallic tower that suddenly appeared off the southern coast of Yanxia? They're all over the world, and they're part of it. The Steppe is going to get caught up in this whether the people want to be or not, and I would rather my people fight what's coming together with all of the Alliance than risk being slaughtered and their culture gone. So yes, if I have to fight you to preserve that, I will. But I'd rather see to it that the Dotharl are in a place to help preserve it and maybe even guide it to a better future without leaving tradition behind entirely."

Shock appeared on Sadu's face. "....very well, I'll admit your suggestion has merit. I will not give you an answer now, however. I will need time to think on this, discuss it with the others."

"I expected no less."

"And I demand another battle with you as payment for even entertaining your presence!"

Dahkar rolled his eyes. "I expected that would be the case as well. You DO know that we're going to be interrupted, right? Magnai and Daidukul and whatever others he decides to bring with him are going to show up and whine about us not asking his permission or something along those lines."

Sadu's vicious smirk was on her face again. "I am counting on it!"

"You don't actually want to fight me at all. You want to fight at my side."

"More than one way for our souls to burn bright, khan."

[orestesdreams-pyladesloves]

For the Spotify Wrapped: 17 and 23! :D

thank you!!! xD

17. Welcome Home, Son by Radical Face

haha,, yeah this song,,,, wow started on my lan wangji playlist and ended up on my zuko playlist as well so it got Lots of play time

this song is just so gorgeous both lyrically and in its instrumentation and the images it paints are Stunning like:

“Sheets are swaying from an old clothesline Like a row of captured ghosts over old dead grass Was never much but we made the most”

23. Touch by Sleeping at Last

sleeping at last is my top artist this year which like No Surprise but this song being so high up was a little bit of a surprise because i only have it on my zhou zishu playlist so that just means i listened to his playlist a Lot

i really am such a sucker for vivid imagery as we can see in just these two songs lol like:

“Invisible machinery These moving parts inside of me Well, they've been shutting down for quite some time Leaving only rust behind”

what the heck that’s just so pretty!!

[schnees-and-schnugs]

I’m going to create a canon divergence that is so self indulgent- *insert willow-whitley and kitty AU*

This is a concept I want to write in multiple short parts until I get bored and wear it out- so consider this just a pt. 1

I also wrote this with these last few   fics in mind, so you can think of this as a continuation of those. Or not. But a lot of the same themes do apply.

This is probably going to be first fic that I don’t write in one/two sittings but my classes are a pain in the ass ;_;

tw: eating disorder, alcoholism 

_______________________________________________________________

  “I want a cat.”

  Willow blinked. “What?”

  Her son fidgeted nervously on his feet. “A cat. I want to adopt a cat.”

  Well this is a... surprise. 

  Despite her and Whitley having lived on their own in Patch for a few months, he’s hardly spoken a world to her since the fall of Atlas. Or spoken a word to anyone, really. She put it up to the radically new environment, and well, the fact that Atlas is gone, the SDC is in shambles, and Jacques had been MIA (probably dead) since the fall. Winter and Weiss had insisted that Willow and Whitley settle down somewhere quiet and safe, and the islands off the coast of Vale weren’t exactly next on Salem’s attack checklist. 

  It was two of Weiss’ teammates who suggested they head to Patch, even offering to let their father know about their arrival. Willow had gently denied the kind offer, saying that Tai Xiao Long didn’t need to bother with them. They’ll be fine. She pretending not to notice the look on all their faces: a depressed alcoholic and her previously isolated, emotionally traumatized son?  Fine on their own? 

  She had then turned around, gathered Whitley (who was sitting on the bench behind her, ignoring attempts made by a few of Weiss’ companions to cheer him up even a little), and bought tickets for the next ship going from Vacuo to Vale.

  Yet when the ship docked on the shore of the island, there stood a blonde, muscular man with a sign that read: Willow and Whitley Schnee, Welcome! in sharpie. He must have saw the confusion (and honestly a little fear) on her face from his standpoint on the harbor because he had quickly flipped the sign over and scribbled on it before holding it up again. My name is Tai Xiao Long. Yang and Ruby’s Father.

  It seems that Weiss’ friends didn’t listen to me.

  Nevertheless, Willow had breathed a sigh of relief. She had quite a few run ins with people on the journey east who recognized her and/or Whitley. The interactions have ranged from stares that were a little too long to pure hostility. It also didn’t help that some people thought it was okay to just grab any well known person they see- she almost broke a man’s arm after he had suddenly seized Whitley’s wrist and jerked him around. He’d probably be dead if Winter and Weiss were there, but Willow had settled on ripping the mans arm away with a glyph and dragging Whitley off quickly.  

  And now here they are, three months later and Willow was drinking a can of soda while enjoying the afternoon breeze on the front porch of their little cabin when Whitley approached her.

  “A cat. I want to adopt a cat.”

  She looked up at her son’s face and saw a familiar look of apprehension that everyone in their family had when faced with the prospect of having to ask for anything. Of course, before it usually involved asking Jacques, or begging more so. Willow had to approach this carefully or else Whitley is just going to recede back into his shell and not speak a word for another three months.

  “Well... we can ask Mr. Xiao Long about it. He surely would know about any animal shelters around here.”

  He scrunched up his nose, a face that she knew in Whitley Terms meant yeah okay... but I’m not happy about it.

  Willow knew better than to suspect that Whitley disliked Mr. Xiao Long specifically. He avoided everyone these days- friendly neighbors, SDC businessmen, etc. Tai had made sure they were comfortable every step of the way. He had shown them around, introduced them to soon-to-be friends, brought them into his home for meals until Willow figured out her way around a kitchen, even invited Whitley to study at Signal Academy. He refused, but Willow appreciated the offer. And she knew Whitley appreciated it too, but he’s having a hard enough time coming to terms with Willow’s protectiveness of him, much less accept the fact that a stranger may also care slightly about him.   

 “Then what do you suggest we do?” Willow couldn’t help but to smile at his childish apprehension. She relished any show of adolescence in her son these days. After years of walking on eggshells and maintaining a facade just short of perfection, he needed to clumsily blunder around like any young teenager would do.

  Whitley tugged at his long red sleeves. “There’s a stray kitten that comes around here at night...” 

  “You have that one in mind?”

  He nodded. “I always hear it meowing outside my window. I want to try to bring it inside- I leave scraps outside my window but it always disappears by the time the sun rises. Maybe if I could get it to come to the porch... In Atlas, they said in the animal shelter that it takes a few weeks to socialize a kitten.”

  He started at her expectantly. Willow had forgotten that Whitley would occasionally volunteer at one of the few animal shelters in Atlas. Jacques only allowed him to go just so he could milk all the PR he could out of it, obviously. But to this day, she had never actually heard Whitley speak about it unprompted. It must have been something he genuinely liked if he was so quiet about it. He knew full well that any hobby that he actually outwardly enjoyed was the first on Jacques’ chopping block if Whitley ever slipped up. 

  Willow stood up on the porch steps and faced her son. “Very well then. Tonight we’ll leave food out on the front porch and watch to see if it comes by.”

  Whitley’s face brightened for the first time in months. “Really?”

  “Mmhm.” She hummed. “Hopefully soon enough the kitten will like us and come inside...”

  Willow’s chest ached at the overwhelming surprise on his face. Asking Jacques for anything always came with a catch, a quid pro quo. Looking back, Willow always knew love was a transaction to him. But being young and blinded by the man- she just accepted it as a slight character flaw. Whitley didn’t know anything other than this.

  She was going to get him this kitten even if she had to crawl in the shrubbery at midnight looking for it.

  For the next few hours he assisted Willow in the kitchen for the first time since they got to Patch. Mostly because he wanted to get the kittens food out as fast as he could, but she wasn’t complaining. She watched as Whitley cut up a cooked chicken breast into bite sized little pieces, his tongue slightly sticking out as he concentrated. She wondered, briefly, if it was safe to allow him to handle a kitchen knife. Willow shook the thought away. He isn’t a child. She wouldn’t insult him by treating him like one. But she still had to be a mother... if it wasn’t too late.

  She tried to be as hands off as she could in these last few months while trying to muster what parental authority she could without scaring Whitley away. He was free to spend his time to do whatever he liked just as long as it was safe and he went to bed on time. Eating three solid meals a day was also a requirement, but that was a sensitive issue that Willow didn’t know how to approach with conviction. He has been cooperative for the most part in this aspect- which came as a surprise since Whitley has spent years trying to maintain whatever little control he had over his own life by strictly regulating what went inside his mouth and when. Which often meant very little eating.

  Willow didn’t want to name the condition out loud. If she did, then it would become a problem. Then she would have to admit that all of this still wasn’t enough to fix everything. Then she would start wanting a drink-

  Maybe everyone was right. Maybe her and Whitley were simply too broken to be able to live on their own.

  But they haven’t been living on their own, have they? Mr. Xiao Long still came by a few times a week to “check up on how y’all are adapting”, as he says. More like to make sure I’m not passed out drunk and Whitley hadn’t taken the opportunity to jump off a cliff, Willow thought bitterly.

  She still didn’t know how much Weiss and her friends told him - but they must have been pretty honest if he was going to be this concerned. Willow cringed at the thought of how he must see her - a failure of a mother. Not only that, but one who’s too afraid to confront the fact that her son is sick and needs help, but she can’t help because she’s not enough-

  “I’m done.”

  Willow blinked out of her increasingly chaotic thoughts to see Whitley holding a small bowl of chopped chicken, staring at her expectantly.

  Maybe I should stop thinking so much.

  “Lets put it out on the front porch then,” Willow grabbed both their plates of spaghetti off the kitchen counter. “We can eat by the window and watch for the kitten.”

  Whitley frowned. “Can we keep the front door open? Maybe if it sees us enough times then it will get used to us eventually.”

  “Whatever you want darling,” She replied, already on her way to the living room.

  And so they sat eating dinner, she on the edge of the couch and he on the floor on front of the open door. They sat in silence, but it was a comfortable one - Whitley watching the outside intently for the kitten and Willow watching him absentmindedly eat. A few minutes turned into an hour and she began to wonder if the kitten was going to show tonight, but a tiny scampering sound brought her and her son back to attention.

  The kitten emerged from the shrubbery.

  It was beautiful.

  It was small, only about a few weeks old. Its pitch black fur made it almost impossible to see without the aid of the moonlight. Its little white socks on its paws and glowing eyes gave it away as it inched slowly towards the now cold bowl of chicken. 

  Willow held her breath, and she knew Whitley was too. The kitten tentatively ate from the bowl, unaware of the two humans watching it. It seemed about half way through when Whitley, unknowing, leaned forward- causing his now empty plate to slide off his lab and hit the wood floor. The sound wasn’t loud, but in the silence of the night it was like a gunshot.

  The kitten’s head snapped up, ears perked in attention. For an almost comical millisecond, the kitten stared at the two of them and they stared back, everyone wide eyed. Then it turned and ran off back where it came, leaving behind nothing but a bowl of half eaten chicken.

  Willow braced herself for Whitley’s inevitable disappointment. But instead, when she turned toward him she saw an expression of joy. His eyes are brighter than she had ever seen them, not since he was a child.

  “She’s a girl,” He said.

  She furrowed her brow. “How do you know that?”

  “When she turned around and ran - I saw her backside. I think she’s a girl.”

  Willow smiled. “Very well then. One discovery is good enough for tonight.”

  Standing up, she reached for both of their used dishes and softly closed the front door shut. “Time for bed.”

    Whitley didn’t complain. He headed off the bed while Willow cleaned up the kitchen- a menial task that she never had to do back in atlas. But she found a peace in it. If given the choice, she would take a lifestyle of chores over the decadent one she had before. Ten times out of ten. This felt real.

  In the back of her mind, she remembered the chicken left outside. After considering, she decided to leave it out in case the kitten came back. She would make sure that Whitley would have this kitten eventually. It was the least she could do.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

FBI Data Show An Unprecedented Spike In Murders Nationwide In 2020 (NPR) The number of murders in the United States jumped by nearly 30% in 2020 compared to the previous year in the largest single-year increase ever recorded in the country, according to official FBI statistics released Monday. The data show 21,570 homicides in the U.S. in 2020, which is a staggering 4,901 more than in 2019. The tally makes clear—in concrete terms—just how violent last year was. The overall violent crime rate, which includes murder, assault, robbery and rape, inched up around 5%, while property crimes continued their long-running decline and dropped 8% from 2019. But the spike in murders jumps out in the FBI report because of the sheer scale of the change. Jeff Asher, a data consultant who studies crime rates, said the increase is the largest since national records began being kept in 1960s. The homicide rate thus far in 2021 is up 10% from last year.

Haitians returning to a homeland that’s far from welcoming (AP) Deported from the United States, Pierre Charles landed a week ago in Port-au-Prince, a capital more dangerous and dystopian than the one he’d left four years before. Unable to reach his family, he left the airport alone, on foot. At least 2,853 Haitians deported from Texas have landed here in the last week with $15-$100 in cash handouts and a “good luck out there” from migration officials—many setting foot in the country for the first time in years, even decades. More than a city, Port-au-Prince it is an archipelago of gang-controlled islands in a sea of despair. Some neighborhoods are abandoned. Others are barricaded behind fires, destroyed cars and piles of garbage, occupied by heavily armed men. On Saturday, a local newspaper reported 10 kidnappings in the previous 24 hours including a journalist, a singer’s mother and a couple driving with their toddler, who was left behind in the car. Even before the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse a in July, the government was weak—the Palace of Justice inactive, congress disbanded by Moïse and the legislative building pocked by bullets. Now, although there is a prime minister, it is absent. Most of the population of Port-au-Prince has no access to basic public services, no drinking water, electricity or garbage collection. The deportees join thousands of fellow Haitians who have been displaced from their homes, pushed out by violence to take up residence in crowded schools, churches, sports centers and makeshift camps among ruins. Many of these people are out of reach even for humanitarian organizations.

Some Bolsonaro supporters have called for a military takeover of Brazil. Why do they wave the American flag? (Washington Post) On the day when Brazilians celebrated the nation’s independence, when thousands of protesters this month called on President Jair Bolsonaro to lead a military takeover of the country, a middle-aged man set out onto the streets of Brazil’s largest city, cloaked in the flag. The American flag. Wilson Gomes, 56, strutted down streets thronged by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters, the Stars and Stripes draped across his right shoulder, demanding radical change in Latin America’s largest nation. The time had come to do away with the Brazilian supreme court, which he said had been corrupted by a kleptocratic left and was unfairly targeting Bolsonaro and his supporters. The only way to save the constitution, he said, was to suspend it. At far-right rallies all over the country, where many have called for supreme court judges and opposition lawmakers to be removed, the American flag is now a staple. Supporters wear cowboy hats and belt buckles emblazoned with Texas longhorns. In a country that has more traditionally viewed the United States and its intentions with suspicion, the sudden appropriation of American symbols has exposed a political paradox at the heart of the Bolsonarista movement. A group that many here believe wants to subvert, if not overthrow, Brazilian democracy has chosen as one of its banners the flag of the world’s oldest democracy. “The Brazilian right and American have an agenda in common,” said Sèrgio Sant’Ana, president of the right-wing Conservative Liberal Institute.

Macron says Europeans need to stop being naive and assert independence from the United States (Washington Post) French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europeans to "come out of their naivete" on the world stage and assert their independence from the United States, sending one of the strongest signals to date that the diplomatic crisis prompted by a disrupted submarine deal could have long-lasting repercussions on transatlantic relations. Speaking alongside the Greek prime minister Tuesday at a news conference to unveil a major Franco-Greek defense deal, Macron said the Europeans should make themselves “respected.” “For a bit over 10 years now, the United States has been very focused on itself and has strategic interests that are being reoriented towards China and the Pacific,” he said. “It’s in their right to do so,” he continued, but “we would be naive, or rather we would make a terrible mistake, to not want to draw the consequences.” Macron’s latest remarks come as he appears to position himself as the next leader of Europe, an unofficial role so far largely attributed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

China energy crunch triggers shutdowns, pleas for more coal (Reuters) China faces mounting pressure to ramp up coal imports and ensure supplies to keep lights on, factories open and water flowing as a severe power crunch roils the northeastern industrial heartland. With electricity shortages sparked by coal shortages crippling large sections of industry, the governor of Jilin province, one of the hardest hit in the world's no.2 economy, called for a surge in coal imports, while a power company association said supply was being expanded "at any cost". News organisations and social media carried reports and posts saying the lack of power in the northeast had shut down traffic lights, residential elevators and 3G mobile phone coverage as well as triggering factory shutdowns. A utility in Jilin even warned power shortages could disrupt water supplies at any time, before apologising for causing alarm. The power crunch has taken hold as a shortage of coal supplies, toughening greenhouse gas emissions standards and strong demand from industry have pushed coal prices to peaks. Goldman Sachs estimated that as much as 44% of China's industrial activity has been hit by power shortages.

American siblings trapped in China under three-year ‘exit ban’ finally return home (Washington Post) China allowed two U.S. citizens, siblings Victor and Cynthia Liu, who were prevented from leaving the country for more than three years, to return to the United States on Sunday. Cynthia and Victor Liu are the daughter and son of Liu Changming, a businessman wanted on fraud charges in China. The siblings went to China in June 2018 to visit relatives but were barred from leaving, while their mother, Sandra Han, who made the trip with them, was detained. Their lawyers and the U.S. authorities described the move as an attempt to pressure Liu Changming into returning to China to faces charges—despite the siblings saying they had not had contact with their father in years. Victor and Cynthia Liu’s lawyer Marc Ginsberg told the New York Times that he believed a Sept. 9 phone call between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had “helped to break a logjam” and contributed to the siblings’ release. He added that the siblings would have no comment for the news media.

Japan to lift all coronavirus emergency steps nationwide (AP) Japan’s government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday so the economy can be reactivated as infections slow. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday that virus restrictions will be eased gradually. With the lifting, Japan will be entirely free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months.

Taliban issue no-shave order to barbers in Afghan province (AP) The Taliban on Monday banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Shariah, or Islamic, law. The order in Helmand province was issued by the provincial Taliban government’s vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. During their previous rule of Afghanistan, the Taliban adhered to a harsh interpretation of Islam. Since overrunning Kabul on Aug. 15 and again taking control of the country, the world has been watching to see whether they will re-create their strict governance of the late 1990s. During the Taliban’s previous rule, the conservative Islamists demanded that men grow beards. Since being ousted from power following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, shaved or cleanly trimmed beards have become popular in the country.

Violence in Nigeria (Foreign Policy) At least 34 people were killed in northern Nigeria following an attack on the village of Madamai in northern Kaduna state, state security commissioner Samuel Aruwan said on Monday, blaming unidentified assailants for the attack. The assault, which Aruwan said took place on Sunday, came the same day that 22 Nigerian security personnel were killed in an attack on an army base in Sokota state, also in the country’s north. In recent weeks, Nigerian states have introduced restrictions on residents in an attempt to stem the violence, attributed to so-called bandits as well as the Islamic State’s West African offshoot.

A Crypto-Trading Hamster Performs Better Than Warren Buffett And The S&P 500 (NPR) What if we told you there was a hamster who has been trading cryptocurrencies since June—and recently was doing better than Warren Buffett and the S&P 500? Meet Mr. Goxx, a hamster who works out of what is possibly the most high-tech hamster cage in existence. It’s designed so that when Mr. Goxx runs on the hamster wheel, he can select among dozens of cryptocurrencies. Then, deciding between two tunnels, he chooses whether to buy or sell. According to the Twitch account for the hamster, his decision is sent over to a real trading platform—and yes, real money is involved. Look, we’re not telling you to follow in this hamster’s financial decisions or that this process is scientific in any way. But what we can tell you is his portfolio is up nearly 20% since he started trading in June, according to his Twitter account. And as of Sept. 12, Mr. Goxx was performing better than Bitcoin, the Nasdaq 100, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the S&P 500.