#thread: pentimento

[bxldrsdraumar]

continued from here @virtuoustyrfing

There it was, that hesitance that he had come to expect. Between whatever terrible thing had happened while he was gone (and for that matter, how long he was gone), and the rumors of imposters floating about, Sigurd could not say he necessarily blamed any of his loved ones for doubting him. 

And oh, regardless of the expression his boy is making right now, Sigurd cannot help but feel overtaken with such pride swelling in his chest, because that is his son, and he has become a man. Be it dubiousness, or rage, or sorrow, Sigurd could weep at the blessing that he had been given to behold his son's face again. 

"Hm?" At the accusations, Sigurd props one hand on his hip, bringing the other index finger to tap at his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I cannot say I ever recall being King of Grannvale. In my time, that was Azmur. Or...no, his son? Kurth?"

It did not sound quite right, and even at the best of times he knew royal succession to be a sticky subject that made his head spin – but he did know without doubt that his house was a servant of the crown, and that his role was to serve. Hadn't Kurth gone to war...? Was that it...?

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "And I cannot say that I have been in any pitfalls recently, though of course my recent memory leaves much to be desired."

Sigurd's face lit up. "I do recall, however, a time when I was, oh, not much older than you, in a place quite like this, when my dear friends and I nearly fell into quite a ravine after the sun went down. You see, we had been sent on a hunt, and lost track of the footpath – but, oh, surely you don't want to hear an old man blathering stories of his school days." 

[who-is-muses]

"Where do the strange stay when every place turns them away?"

{ Independent, selective multi-muse, interacts from @kirbythulhu, Eastern Standard Timezone - canon divergent, enthusiastically OC and crossover friendly }

[ Rules + more info below - Gifs and photography in this post are mine ]

Rules 🌟 Muse Directory 🎭 Promo Posts 👁 Headcanon Masterpost 💀 Wishlist 🌑 Relationships 🗝 NPCs ⚰ Possibilities 🦑 Playlists 🪗 Interest Tracker

{ Know Their Signs }

All’s Fun and Games… : memes

(Another) Unknown Entity : anonymous

Can You See Them? : self promo

Collecting : save tag

Contact Established : threads

Did You Hear That? : dash comms

Disembodied Laughter : crack

Ears Hear : music

Eyes Read : musing

Eyes See : aesthetic

For Your Reference : blog maintenance

Headliners : all muses

If Only... : desires

Invitation Only : closed starters

Is Anybody Out There? : starter call

Is This Thing On? : muse posts

Just Another Mask : faceclaim

Lines and Colors : muse art

Offered Insight : headcanons

On the Silver Screen : visage

Pleasant Pastimes : interests

Regalia : wardrobe

Soliloquy : muse thoughts

Such is Predestined : queue tag

That’s All They Wrote : end thread

They Pull the Strings : OOC

They’re Listening… : asks

Walk ins Welcome : open starters

Well Lookie Here! : promos

dash games tag tba

{ Know Their Names }

Big Blue : Abe Sapien

Blood of Immortals : The Ichor (OC)

Blue Moon : Saint Walker

Crooked Doors : The Blight

Douce Danse Macabre : Candyman

Epistemophiliac : Bookworm

Headless Acolyte : Goswin (OC)

Hemetic Angel : Bleez

Her Heart is a Battle Drum : Fatality

Ianus Bifrons : Two-Face

Inexhaustible Spark : The Doctor

The Inventor's Son : Antonio da Vinci (OC)

Light to the Light : Martian Manhunter

Mad as a Hare : March Harriet

Miasma of Fear : Scarecrow

Pentimento : The Artist

Rage as Blood : The Spirit

Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell : Guy Gardner

Scribe of the Gods : Thoth

A Shadow's Rage : The Wraith

Studious Botanist : Claudette Morel

Tetradexterity : Salaak

That's no Angel : Habeas Corpus (OC)

The Un-Hierophant : Sinestro

Vagrant Lazarus : Rorschach

Vox Putrescat : The Dredge

Wayward Sun : Martian Marauder

Year of the Cat : Catwoman

[wolfhednn]

— × PENTIMENTO.

                                  ... mp.                                                         ...bump.                                                                                  ba-bump.                                                                                           ba-bump.

sterility, and a stitched dryness behind the eyes. ba- winded. his breath—                                                                                            —mp.                         ( catches it again. )

            the heart hammers, pounds desperately for freedom between gulping blood in uneven gasps. resonant in rib cage damage, in fractures nicking scorched bones rattling and clicking, pieced together by faith. it falters again. inhale. too tight. the first motion is a head turn, weak thrash, half insensate on the new pillow that had been replaced that morning. too tight. pallid fingers of the hand still capable of motion twitch against dry sheets, wanting, wanting to grasp. his chest will crush itself. too tight. he’s not so much a whole human as he is a patchwork sack of whetstones rubbing on each other at the hinges at the wrong angles, and softer flesh floating in the gaps. it falters again, crash lands in his ears. is this dying?

            —se breathe. —eas breathe. —please breathe. ( his begging or someone else’s? )                                          his first sound is a dry wheeze he’s too in pain to call pathetic.

            something, something answers — the goddess? a wash of coolness. freshwater and new snow melt through a parched and bloody riverbed; he shivers, nearly wants to sob his gratitude. his chest heaves... the constriction abates, vines around his lungs receding. another cool light bathes him.

            he rests.

                                                ...

                                                ...

            this time, it’s a dark calm that seeps through the cracks. the thudding in his chest is subdued and sleeping — a tamed beast. and for fear to rouse it again, he breathes in slow. and with that, becomes aware of his breath. dry and sticky through his nose, grating down through his throat. there’s an acrid stench both medicinal and decaying, and he swims in the slow vortex of his head for longer than he feels should be normal before beginning to recognize it. a concoction...? then... he’s...

            muddying through thoughts feels impossibly heavy, as though he’s wading through something attached to them p u l l i n g like suction at his skull. heavy... ugh. so heavy, everything. his head, limbs that he only now begins to be aware of, detached and floating. like he could sink through this cotton supporting him as though it were water, and be buried in some ocean floor. swimming, again. that’s his head, swimming.

                                                                          maybe if he opened his eyes, he could...

@gallantgautier

[wangxianficfinder]

I’m in the Mood for a Fic Where…

~*~

1. Hi! Mojo, thank you so much for this, I really appreciate your job, this is amazing! I feel kind of weird to praise you and immediately ask for something, but here I go. Do you have any recs of lengthy fics? The kind that leave you wanting more. I usually do not look for E rated fics, and feel that I'm missing a lot, so if you know some that have all of this, where smut is not the main plot, that would be great too! Thank you so much!

❤️ Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 73k, wangxian, modern, art conservation, angst w/ happy ending)

❤️ some life yet unspent by Fahye (E, 28k, wangxian, secret agents)

❤️ A Myriad of Blossoms by Itszero (E, 56k, wangxian, YLLZ!WWX, angst w/ happy ending, forcedd marriage, this one might hurt haha)

Waiting for Spring by thievinghippo (E, 130k, wangxian, modern)

❤️ Flawed and Free by Vrishchika (E, 18k, wangxian, time travel, dark gusu lan, angst, major character death, not JC friendly, WIP)

❤️ take me home (where i belong) by scarletwanlian (scarleteyesss) (E, 153k, wangxian, modern, ptsd, car accidents)

❤️ Somewhere Sits an Empty Throne by Siamesa (E, 19k, wangxian, tgcf fusion, dark!lwj, angst w/ happy ending)

safe in your arms by YunmengLotus (E, 34k, wangxian, modern, slow burn)

the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 64k, wangxian, fix-it, golden core reveal, WIP)

no dawn, no day, i'm always in this twilight by butterflylungs (E, 21k, wangxian, ghost/curse, angst w/ happy ending)

Awaiting Your Return by Karmiya (E, 114k, wangxian, burial mounds settlement days, WIP)

long have you been alone by martyrsdaughter (E, 51k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, amnesia, hanahaki)

what you have tamed by lianhua_lianzi & Senforza (E, 94k, wangxian, animal traits, arranged marriage, angst w/ happy ending)

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, parallel universes)

Impenetrable Walls by Gina3 (E, 126k, wangxian, royalty, concubine!WWX, angst w/ happy ending, WIP)

Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 108k, wangxian, Mojo’s post)

❤️ The Price of Old Wishes by SoManyJacks (E, 67k, wangxian, pov LWJ, angst w/ happy ending, Mojo’s post)

❤️ To Fix Your Twisted Reflection by Dgcakes (ficsnfun) (E, 173k, 3zun, time travel, fix-it, smut in ch 35)

❤️ fell by you by Vrishchika (E, 44k, wangxian, dragons, smut in the last ch)

❤️ brighter than the sun by qinghe (ocheeva) (E, 21k, wangxian, hurt/comfort, there’s some smut towards the end)

❤️ together, we're just enough by lulu_kitty (E, 134k, wangxian, age differenec, slow burn)

💖 Thirty-three Lashes by Winglesss (E, 56k, wangxian, reincarnation, immortality, curses)

Better Things to Do with a Flute in Wartime by Anonymous (E, 278k, wangxian, fix-it, golden core reveal, WIP) Main plot of this one is actually sort of smutty

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 71k, wangxian, this one’s rough!, depression, self harm, suicide attempt, mind the tags!)

❤️ I'd be the one to hold you down (kiss you so hard) by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf & tardigradeschool (E, 84k, wangxian, LXC/JGY, LXC/NMJ, leverage au, angst w/ happy ending)

💖 The Eternal Recurrence by countingcr0ws (E, 51k, wangxian, time traveler’s wife au, angst w/ happy ending)

Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 206k, wangxian, lan qiren & wei wuxian, WIP)

The envy of the world by vulnerable_bead (E, 48k, wangxian, post-canon, night-hunt; WWX and LWJ as teachers to LSZ, LJY, and Lan junior OCs; poetic fairytale prose; a casefic of unfurling complexity with an intelligent, subtle, and powerful antagonist; mysterious uncharted musical magic; a climactic confrontation that deserves to be animated. And then there’s the famous Windowsill Papapa Scene.)

--

Not E rated but might still interest you:

fish & wild geese by impossibletruths (T, 21k, wangxian, food as metaphor for love)

never love an anchor by ardigradeschool (T, 31k, wangxian, historical, selkies)

Hello, IT. Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again? by overmountainandmeadow (T, 65k, wangxian, modern, mistaken identity)

Counterpoint by Magnolias-by-the-Window (JustAnotherAbby) & maichan & Tsuminoaru (T, 33k, wangxian, modern, classical music)

~*~

2. Hi, I am once again asking for fic recs. You'd think I'd stop by now, but nope, my hyperfixations know no bounds. [You're in good company!] Anyways to the point, do you think you might be able to rec any petty lwj fics where he hates the cultivation world as a whole? Just a lot of petty lwj and voice of reason wwx?? Thank youu @flexible-racoon​

卧薪尝胆 by RoseThorne (G, <1k, wangxian, petty lwj, politics)

Revenge is a Side Dish Best Served With Tea by merakily (G, 7k, wangxian, LWJ uses tea connoisseurship as a vehicle of passive-aggressive pettiness)

~*~

3. hello! im in the mood for a fic where there is a misunderstanding where wwx or lwj thinks the other already has a s/o, and are cheating on said s/o with them, but in the end they clear up the misunderstanding and all is well and they live happily ever after. could you help with that?

breathe in the air, the last of its kind by wereworm (T, 27k, wangxian, 5+1, miscommunication, modern)

~*~

4. Hello! Do you have any fic recs in which WangXian help and/or adopt Mo Xuanyu? I would love to read something like that. Thanks for the hard work you're doing!

❤️Where the nightingales are singing, and a white moon beams. by Moominmammashandbag (M, 52k, wangixan, jin zixuan & lan wangji, my post)

❤️Two for the price of one by ULTIOcean (G, 42k, wangxian, my post)

#19 of this post for more adopted MXY

Mo XuanYu’s Bewildering Re-Start by MarbleGlove (T, 9k, MXY & WWX, WWX & WQ, wangxian, time travel)

EXTRA - How Lan Wangji acquires kids by tropicalpenguin (T, 4k, wangxian, comedy, fix it of sorts)

~*~

5. Hey do you know of any fics where Wangxian get along from the start (the Cloud Recesses)? Thank you! (Idk what I’m doing sorry) [You’re doing great, no worries]

shout it from the rooftops (tell them all I know) by arypls (T, 12k, wangxian, cloud recesses study arc, falling in love)

joined delight by RoseThorne (M, 1k, wangxian, fast burn, love at first sight)

~*~

6. An oddly specific "I'm in the mood for" request, do you know of any fics where WWX was transformed into some sort of bird creature? @ehyde

❤️remind me who i am by mme_anxious (T, 5k, wangxian, animal transformation, lady hawke au, angst w/ happy ending)

❤️ [insert bird pun here] by greenies_stuff (T, 7k, wangxian, reincarnation, crowxian)

只羡鸳鸯不羡仙 by RoseThorne (T, 1k, wangxian, animal transformation, ducks, crack)

Constellations in our Hearts by bloomylele (G, 59k, wangxian, JC/WWX, JZX/WWX, ABO, spirit animals, WWX turns out to be the Phoenix|Vermilion Bird)

❤️ chasing you by jaws_3 (T, 10k, wangxian, shapeshifting, identity porn, Crowxian take on the take-the-token-from-the-shapeshifter’s-“pet” marriage challenge motif) on twitter

Cursed Hour: Hawk (a sword and wings to fly with) by FrozenHawFlakes (T, 1k, CSSR/WCZ, WIP)

Sparkle by Befallings (G, <1k, wangxian, fluff & crack)

Goodbye, dreams by underwaves (T, 15k, wangxian, shapeshifting, mythical creature AU, PhoeniXian and DragonJi)

tell me your lies and i’ll tell you my secret by Chiaroscuro555 (E, 54k, wangxian, slow burn, mythical creature, Dark PhoeniXian and DragonJi)

fledglings by sushicorps (Inclinant) (G, 2k, wangxian, wing fic, daemon fic, crowxian)

a thousand hills, no birds in flight | 千山鳥飛絕 by defractum (nyargles) (E, 26k, wangxian, canon adjacent, mythology au, hurt/comfort, angst w/ happy ending)

~*~

7. helloooo!! i'd like to ask if you know any fics where jgy is abused in koi tower, with his sworn brothers, or nhs, or eve jzx finding out and helping him. Thanks in advance!! love the blog!!

Where There's A Will, There's A Road by little-smartass (Linxcat) (T, 35k, 3zun, case fic, getting trapped in a cave)

A Little Bit of Tender by natacup82 (E, 31k, JGY/NMJ, canon devergence, 3rd in series)

Wandering Eyes (That Nie Mingjue will gouge out if he notices, Father, STOP) by AstaraelWeeps (M, 14k, 3zun, NHS & JGY, time travel, fix it, scheming)

~*~

8. so I read this fic a while ago, and it involved lwj using chenqing to find an injured wwx, and it messed up his lips real bad. I was wondering if there are any similar (need a better word) fics, where lwj uses resentful energy/something like that? not necessarily ylz lwj fics, but something more casual? thanks!

❤️ overcast by willowcatkin (T, 7k, wangxian, canon divergence, role reversal, angst w/ happy ending)

❤️ love of mine, someday you will die (but i'll be close behind by ryneisaterriblefan (T, 7k, wangxian, temporary character death, canon divergence, soul bond)

A Home Is Not A Place by staringatstars (G, 4k, NHS & WN, LWJ & NHS, wangxian, major character death, role reversal)

Like Petals in a Storm by bladedweaponsandswishycoats (jeweledichneumon) (E, 11k, wangxian, role reversal, resentacles, happy ending)

~*~

9. I'm in the mood for wangxian-centric fics which are NOT about them getting together! Established relationship stuff, yknow? Thankyou!

beneath rose-colored clouds by RoseThorne (G, <1k, wangxian, rebirth, symbolism)

moonlight falls series by RoseThorne (T, 11k, wangxian, modern, corporate espionage

The envy of the world by vulnerable_bead (E, 48k, wangxian, post-canon, night-hunt; WWX and LWJ as teachers to LSZ, LJY, and Lan junior OCs; poetic fairytale prose; a casefic of unfurling complexity with an intelligent, subtle, and powerful antagonist; mysterious uncharted musical magic; a climactic confrontation that deserves to be animated. And then there’s the famous Windowsill Papapa Scene.)

~*~

10.   I love angst, you know? So I'd love to know if you know any stories of unrequited love? Like, LWJ loves WWX but WWX is not in love with him?

I'll learn how to defy my fate (for you) by ArbitraryRambunctious (SheepOutTetradecagon) (M, 9k, LXC/WWX, onesided wangxian, royalty, secret relationship)

The Other Side series by  Faiz (G, 8k, LXC/WWX, canon divergence)

A Smile to Kill Me With by Venon (T, 4k, LXC/WWX, angst)

~*~

11. Hello!! For the next in the mood post, would you have any recs on fics that had wangxian stopping in the middle of sex? For whatever the reason, or no reason at all. Or just them being all sweet with each other and checking on the other one all the time? Thanks and sorry if it's a bit too specific! 

~*~

12. Are there any fics that start out with a fake relationship due to amnesia, only it turns out the ‘amnesiac’ partner remembered early on but just, doesn’t want to give up the relationship? So keeps pretending to ‘recreate’ the memories?

Overboard by celerydragon (T, 51k, wangxian, modern, misunderstandings amnesia, comedy, fake/pretend relationship)

~*~

13. I have a very specific desire for a fic post-Wei Wuxian’s death and lan Wangji is haunted by his spirit. Or something where he thinks Wei Wuxian is calling to him but it’s actually a manager posing as him or something. But Lan Wangji misses him and wants to see him. Bonus points for the juniors. I don’t know if anything like that exists, but I’d love it if it did! @apparently-i-am-an-adult​

❤️Ghosts Shouldn’t by ShanaStoryteller (not rated (I’d say G), 15k, wangxian, Mojo’s post)

no dawn, no day, i'm always in this twilight by butterflylungs (E, 21k, wangxian, ghost/curse, angst w/ happy ending)

The Exorcism of Lan Yuan by EHyde (T, 5k, wangxian, LWJ & LSZ & WWX, horror, possession, family)

~*~

14. Do you know any fics A) where Sizhui is the one who recognizes the song Wei Ying plays first? Or at least also recognizes it? And either brings it up or starts to remember his past? B) Also, do you know any Zhuiling fics where they have to deal with the fact that they are technically "cousins" but then Wei Wuxian or someone tells them it's fine because they aren't blood related or technically related at all because Wei Wuxian wasn't really adopted into Jiang? Sorry I know it's really specific haha

❤️no new age by everythingispoetry (M, 146k, wangxian, my post)

~*~

15. Okay this is gonna be a VERY SPECIFIC ask but I was wondering if you know any fic that is sorta like the plot of a book called Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements? The basic summary is a young teen gets turned invisible (because of a heated blanket of all things lol) and while he figures out how to undo it he runs into this girl who is blind at the library and doesn't realize he is invisible (and naked because his clothes don't also turn invisible) at first and throughout the story they get closer, I just think it'd be an interesting story for WangXian? I don't have much hope that there is a fic similar to it but I thought I'd try anyway! 

~*~

16. Hey! Thank you for the amazing work you guys are doing! I have a few requests A) do you have any fics where Jingyi is Xichens son? Adopted or biological, anything is fine really B) this kind of piggybacks off of A, but do you have any where Xichen is interacting with kids? Like Sizhui or Jingyi? C) do you have any detective or case fics? Maybe something like  Medium Blues (links to Mojo’s post) by dark_and_terrible. This is all for nowww, sorry for the long list. Thank youuuu, your amazinggggg :3333 <3<3

16A)

3zun Raise Jingyi AU series by Deriliarch (T, 62k, 3zun, accidental baby acquisition)

oceans, drowned in starfire by stiltonbasket (T, 30k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, mermaids) The author has many fics where LXC is jingyi's dad or interacting with kids!

a saber sheathed, a battle cry by stiltonbasket (G, 14k, LJY & LXC, wangxian, father-son relationship, happy ending, WIP)

16B)

in which Zewu-jun's hair is full of secrets (but mostly just love) by stiltonbasket (G, 2k, LXC & LJY, LXC & LWJ, family fluff)

Spirits Abroad by cortue (G, 1k, LXC & LSZ, LJY & LSZ, raising LSZ, 13 years of WWX’s death)

16C)

see you yesterday by glyphic (M, 138k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, case fic, ghost hunters, time loop, WIP but author has finished it and will be posting until complete)

Build me no shrines by occultings (M, 54k, wangxian, case fic)

Wearing Down Every Bone by CSHfic & VSfic (E, 30k, wangxian, case fic, time loop)

❤️ this river runs to you by sundiscus (T, 53k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, dragons)

moonlight caught in mutton fat by raitelzen (T, 45k, wangxian, curses, case fic)

爱不释手; never let me go by yiqie (E, 68k, wangxian, case fic, demons)

Detective, please. by Pitycup_hearts (T, 129k, wangxian, case fic, paranormal; the plot is, by the author’s own admission, improvisational, and their choice of heroes and villains may be polarizing)

~*~

17. Hey y’all! For the next In the Mood post can anyone recommend any fics with a pining while fucking situation where WWX is the one that thinks LWJ just wants him for casual sex and is all angsty about it.

i’ll be your girl by plonk (E, 30k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, crossdressing)

Honesty is the Best Policy (Except if You’re an Asshole) by piecrust (E, 22k, wangxian)

~*~

18. hi! i would love some fics where it doesn't take as long for wwx to find out his son didn't die, and/or for lsz to find out that wwx is actually his dad alive again TwT would also adore a similar idea with jin ling (a la 'By Any Other Name' for both of them or 'Death of a Ghost' even tho it does take a few years there haha) thank you a ton!!

Lan Sizhui Sees Dead People series by darkbrokenreaper (T, 30k, wangxian, fluff, angst)

~*~

19. ahh do you have any fave fics where lwj is demonstrative and like so ppl can't misunderstand his love for wwx, calling him xingan and airen and zhiyin and husband (or furen, that laozu to laopo pipeline fic is great). there were several requests for fluff already so im sorry for the overlap but they don't always have this specifically. thanks <33

❤️ Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (G, wangxian, 290k, Mojo’s post)

~*~

20. Thank you for all the hard work you put into this blog! I have a request for an “I’m in the mood for a fic” thing. I was looking for fics where lqr gets protective over wwx getting hurt preferably set after post-cannon but either is fine. Like ofc lwj and lsz are worried but lqr just absolutely goes batshit crazy mama bear you know.

Protective!LQR fics found but not necessarily mama bear level

this body yet survives by RoseThorne (T, 33k, wangxian, trauma, no war au, angst, mind the tags, 3rd in series, WIP)

Inchoate by Marinelifeclub (T, 17k, wangxian, WWX leaves Jiang Sect)

Making Different Choices (For A More Hopeful Future) by Preludian_Staves (T, 10k, wangxian, time travel, WIP)

Lotus Flower series by Mydla (T, 38k, wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmemeand MDZS KINK MEMEon Dreamwidth.  Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!   ***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink!  Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[everchangingminstrel]

20+ Favorite Albums of 2020

A collection of albums I enjoyed this year, in no particular order

Listen to the playlist and support the artists by buying their albums on Bandcamp.

Sally Anne Morgan - Thread

Neil Young - Homegrown

Shirley Collins - Heart’s Ease

Chris Smither - More from the Levee

Dougie Poole - The Freelancer’s Blues

Gunn-Trucinski Duo - Soundkeeper

Jon Hassell - Seeing Through Sound (Pentimento Volume Two)

Rose City Band - Summerlong

Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin’ Grass - Vol. 1 & 2

Frank & the Hurricanes - Love Ya Love Ya

Lou Turner - Songs for John Venn

David Nance - Staunch Honey

Slut Pill - S/T

Laraaji - Sun Piano

Kath Bloom - Bye Bye These Are the Days

Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders

Beverly Glenn Copeland - Transmission: The Music of Beverly Glenn-Copeland

Star Feminine Band - S/T

Trees - S/T (50th Anniversary Edition)

Bill Callahan - Gold Record

Jim White & Marisa Anderson - The Quickening

Favorite Albums from Winter’s Past

21 Favorite Albums of 2018

20 Favorite Albums + of 2017

20 Favorite Albums of 2016

20 Favorite Albums of 2015

A Wintery Mix 2014

[liminal-storage]

Shiver

(CW: Mild descriptions of blood and sort of body horror.) 

The dead of night. A dusty floor. A shrieking, howling voice. The overpowering stench of coppery blood, shining like a silver mirror in the hollow, hollow dark. 

It’s been three nights…or is it more like four? The same dream, the same dread, the same feeling in her chest upon waking, as if someone’s been sitting on her ribcage. Only this time, along with the leaden weight comes a sensation of needles being driven deep into her temples. A desperate call, a pull to wake from the dream. 

Her crimson gaze falls on a figure, a blur suggesting shape as soon as her eyes snap open. It’s sitting on her, enveloping her, beckoning to her. The form feels almost solid, crushing, real, a thief of breath. There’s no panic…there would have been, many moons ago when this first occurred. There’s unease, to be sure, a crippling and bone-deep chill as though ice has been run down her spine. A shiver that runs to her very soul. But there’s not room for panic, no sense in flailing and fighting against something that she can’t even physically touch.

For there’s nothing solid about the figure, nothing to push back against her hand when she sits up and skims her fingers through the strange misty, liquid outline. It’s real enough, though, a confirmation of her consciousness when the outline shimmers, ripples like she put her hand in water. And like water, the hazy, gauzy threads of the spirit-being cling to her fingertips, pulling away in droplets only after Okuni blinks the sleep from her eyes. 

It’s then as well that the spirit shows itself fully, outline coalescing into a form moon-white, the barest suggestion of features seeming as blotches of ink beneath pure linen. It’s jarring, seeing eyes under phantasmal flesh, a mockery of facial features beneath a thin, papery layer. It’s trying to change itself, drawing upon the energies gathered at her altar, her beacon to those transient souls, spooling it up into itself in an attempt to disguise its true form. 

“Don’t bother,” she says. “I can already see your real shape.”

It’s there behind the half-formed eyes, whispering over transparent lips and ears. Mutilated shapes showing through a flimsy layer, a suggestion of truth like an old pentimento in a chapel mural. 

With her red eyes fixed upon it, the spirit drops its guise. 

It’s never pretty seeing how ghosts came to be, seeing the remnants of what they were at the moment of their demise. Seldom are such deaths clean or pretty. This spirit looks to be male, and his face bears a large, grisly, deep axe wound, splitting from cheekbone to jaw. She can see his teeth even with his lips pursed tight, and phantom blood flows from the wound, curling and wispy like smoke. Ink billowing, spreading, dancing in water, dancing and spreading in air. 

She knows already what he wants, can see the almost pleading look upon shadowed, pale features. 

‘Be our voice,’ they always seem to plead. ‘Let us borrow yours.’

But she can’t do that, not yet. Not until she knows, not until her burning gaze sees the truth with her own eyes. Sleep won’t return at this point, so she rises, fingers combing strands of ink-black hair from her face. 

“Where?” she asks, and the specter vanishes. 

In its place is a shimmering trail, the thread of a spider��s silk unraveled from a cloud. Faint. Fragile. 

It won’t tell her outright where to go…they seldom do. It wants her to follow. 

And as always, dutifully, she does.

[theam-cjsw]

The AM – Best of 2021, Part 1

Part one of a two-part look back at some of 2021's most memorable musical releases. Soothing electronics, library music grooves, cosmic Canadiana, and psychedelic bedroom pop all share space here under the banner of offbeat easy listening. Saying goodbye to 2021, and hello to whatever is coming next.

Listen at CJSW

Stream on Soundcloud

Listen to Part Two here. For the full 100+ song Spotify playlist and links to the artists' Bandcamp pages, visit AM Gold 2021. Full track list for this week's episode is after the break. Artwork is by Sandra Rilova.

Hour One:

Threads Apta • Echoes

Appa Wu Wei Liila • Soundness of Mind

Vespera Loscil • Clara

Mockingbird Robin Hatch • T.O.N.T.O.

The Myth is the Myth Future Museums • Harpoon of Sunlight

The Way Out Drummachinemike • A Certain Death

Silver Gate NETRVNNER • Fractured Veil

All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace Haiku Salut • The Hill, The Light, The Ghost

Make Me Your Wife Lisa Bella Donna • The World She Wanted

Hour Two:

We Have to Leave This Town Because I Have Done Something Unforgivable Peter Talisman • Lord Of The Harvest

Waterfront Station Kogane • All Together

We Travel the Spaceways Bitchin' Bajas • Switched On Ra

Ghost Maston with L'eclair • Souvenir

Holy Scroller Nolan Potter's Nightmare Band • Music is Dead

It's Me, Robin Bernice • Eau de Bonjourno

Hold On Not Waving, featuring Marie Davidson • How To Leave Your Body

Cry a Spiral Cobalt Chapel • Orange Synthetic

Pentimento Sven Wunder • Natura Morta

Beside April BADBADNOTGOOD • Talk Memory

Hour Three:

Spiral Astral Swans • Astral Swans

June Like a Bug Fiver & The Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition • Fiver with The Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition

Sitting on a Satellite Soccer96, featuring Salami Rose Joe Louis • Dopamine

Murkit Gem El Michels Affair • Yeti Season

Bury Me With My Money The Garrys • Get Thee To A Nunnery

Watching Cartoons La Luz, featuring Adrian Younge • La Luz

What Has Happened Tonstartssbandht • Petunia

Station to Station Mega Bog • Life, and Another

Golden Pear Chad VanGaalen • World's Most Stressed Out Gardener

Loan Your Loneliness Gruff Rhys • Seeking New Gods

We Grew, and We Are Astonished Deerhoof • Actually, You Can

[sawcolor91-blog]

Saffron and Cumin Seed Crackers

I've made crackers in the past, and they are not too difficult to make at all. The secret is to roll the cracker dough as thin as possible so that they come out crispy. These colorful crackers are gently spiced with cumin seeds and saffron. Break them up to into pieces after they come out of the oven that are convenient for your purposes.

These crackers are a special treat to serve along with a bowl of soup and make an ideal addition to an appetizer platter with favorite spreads, dips and sauces and other little nibbles, such as cheese and olives. I made up a batch of homemade guacamole and I had plenty of crackers leftover too to enjoy for a couple of days afterwards.

I thought that I had pretty much every kitchen tool or gadget I could think of ever using and then I discovered a silicone baking mat. These mats are inexpensive and perfect if you make dough for rolls, breads, biscuits, scones, pies, pizzas, pastries, or, in this case, dough to be shaped for crackers. You can buy larger versions for making pastries such as pie crusts or for larger breads and pizza. The great thing about these is they stick to the counter surface and you can brush with oil or sprinkle with flour for the kneading and rolling part and the cleanup is a snap. Just wash with soap and water and dry. For convenient storage, they can be rolled up and stashed away until you need to use it again. They can also be used for oven baking, so you don't need to line your baking pan with parchment paper or grease it when making cookies or pastries or any other thing you want to bake. I have two sizes now, because I'm totally sold on this handy kitchen idea.

Saffron and Cumin Seed CrackersRecipe by Lisa Turner Published on June 21, 2018

Easy to make crispy crackers lightly seasoned with cumin and colored with saffron

Print this recipe

Ingredients:

1/3 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, slightly crumbled

1 1/2 cups soft spelt flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, slightly crushed

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1/3 cup cold butter, cubed

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine the water with the saffron threads and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cumin seeds and salt. Cut the butter into the flour in small pieces with a pastry cutter. Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients and gradually add the water and saffron, stirring gently until you have a soft dough but somewhat sticky dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water but if too wet, sprinkle in some extra flour a little at a time.

On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a square shape about 1-inch thick. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface or a nonstick baking mat. Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll each piece of dough out as thinly as possible. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets and prick with a fork. Bake one tray at a time until golden brown and crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. Make sure to keep a close eye as they tend to brown quickly on the edges. Repeat with the remaining sheet of crackers.

Once baked, you can cut the crackers into smaller pieces with a pizza cutter while warm, or wait until they cool and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

Makes 24 to 32 crackers

Other crackers to try from Lisa's Kitchen: Whole Meal Biscuits Parmesan Rice Crackers Skinny Masala Biscuits Homemade Graham Crackers

On the top of the reading stack: Abbe Mouret's Transgression

Audio Accompaniment: Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) by John Hassel

Source: https://foodandspice.blogspot.com/2018/06/saffron-and-cumin-seed-crackers.html

[chorusfm]

Fall Albums: Part Deux (Encore Episode 155)

On this week’s episode of Encore I am joined by special guest Ryan Gardner to talk about one of my favorite times of year and the music that comes along with it. We talk about why we like fall music, what makes something, specifically, a “fall album,” and then we dive into some of our favorite albums and songs that we think fit into this category. I’ve also put a playlist together (Apple Music and Spotify) that includes some of our favorite fall songs from the albums we talk about in the episode. I’d love to hear other albums people associate with this time of the year, so hit me up on Twitter or in the forum and let me know what kind of music you break out when the leaves begin to change. Hosts * Jason Tate * Ryan Gardner * @encorepodcast A Fall Playlist: Orange and Yellow Get it: Apple Music – Spotify Show Notes * The previous episode about “fall albums.” * Jason’s List of Albums Discussed * Augustana – Can’t Love Can’t Hurt * Bon Iver – Bon Iver * Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone * Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle * Noah Gundersen – Carry the Ghost * Now, Now – Threads * Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps * Ryan Adams – 1989 * Say Lou Lou – Lucid Dreaming * The Horrible Crowes – Elsie * Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Social Network Soundtrack * Vasudeva – No Clearance * Verite – Somewhere in Between * Wet – Don’t You * Yellowcard – Yellowcard * Ryan’s List of Albums Discussed * Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties – We Don’t Have Each Other * Brand New – Science Fiction * Dashboard Confessional – Alter The Ending * Death Cab For Cutie – Plans * Further Seems Forever – The Moon Is Down * Go Radio – Close The Distance * Jack’s Mannequin – People and Things * Jimmy Eat World – Integrity Blues * John Mayer – Continuum * Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle * Mansions – Dig Up The Dead * Noah Gundersen – Ledges * Paramore – Brand New Eyes * Pentimento – I, No Longer * Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps * Relient K – Forget And Not Slow Down * Sorority Noise – You’re Not As _____ As You Think * Taylor Swift – Red * Transit – Listen & Forgive * Turnover – Peripheral Vision Subscribe You’ll always find this podcast at encore.fm. You can subscribe to this podcast in iTunes, via any podcast player using our RSS feed, on SoundCloud, via Overcast, in Google Play, or on Stitcher. You can also find all of our previous episodes archived on our podcast page, iTunes, or on SoundCloud. If you have any follow-up, questions, or a topic you’d like us to cover on a future episode, please send a tweet using the hashtag #askEncore. If you’d like to follow this podcast on Twitter we are at @encorepodcast. We love hearing from listeners and are always looking for topics both big and small to tackle. So, let us know! If you like the podcast, could you please rate and review us on iTunes? It really does help. If you’re using the great podcast player Overcast, please hit the “recommended” button on the episodes you like. And if you have any friends that you think would like our podcast, please let them know! Word of mouth and telling people about this podcast will always be the best thing you can do to help us out. We really appreciate it. This podcast is sponsored in part by our listeners. If you listen and like what we’re doing, and want us to keep producing new episodes, please consider supporting us. Information about advertising on this podcast can be found on this page. --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/podcasts/fall-albums-part-deux-encore-episode-155/

[bxldrsdraumar]

Pentimento

seliph finds the blue of his father's eyes glistening with unshed tears.   &   if the answer was any different, if his father hadn't seen mother yet, he wouldn't have hesitated to insist that his father does so now. he would have said they could go together, even if one part of him wouldn't wish to intrude on a reunion... as silly as it might sound. the young man can only imagine those months after his mother's disappearance  ——  the time he can't remember. he is used to the absence. one that is now being mended in full. but his father... might not be. probably isn't when he doesn't seem to be even a decade older than his son. father speaks of the archbishop. while he doesn't go into specifics or detail, seliph tucks the information away, unspoken, quiet gratitude blossoming in the king's heart. just a moment ago, his father was dead, having met a bitter end at belhalla.   &   now, he isn't. regardless of what lady rhea might have done to make such a miracle happen, seliph is thankful for it. "yes, of course...!" seliph agrees without skipping a beat, nodding, it being his answer to not only the question but the hope his father voices. (of course, he will be there.) the king carelessly flings the wooden sword aside. it lands on the sand with a soft thud. seliph, however, doesn't seem to hear it as he crosses the last of the distance, his arms wrapping around the man's waist. he buries his face into his father's chest regardless of whoever might be watching. and now, he feels more like a child than a man grown. but he doesn't find himself minding either of those things. while he doesn't remember... while any memory of his father has become a blurry vision of what-might-have-beens, voices too distant to make out, a part of him must have subconsciously missed this. the safety and warmth of his father's arms. "i will have to thank the archbishop myself," he murmurs, voice muffled against his father's chest. at this moment, seliph doesn't think of the light he can't quite reach, no matter how far he extends his arm toward the sky. he doesn't think of the legacy his father's absence has left him with. or how far he has yet to go. he only feels himself tear up. "but thank you... for coming back." seliph chokes on the emotion that has been steadily climbing into his throat. he doesn't fight back against the tears, only feels them fall and roll down his cheeks. but none of them are born from sorrow. "even if it's after all this time—!"

The effect on his son was immediate – the dull clatter of the sword in the sand, the collision against Sigurd's chest as he wrapped his arms around his boy, a laugh pulling from his throat, watery at first and then hearty and from deep within his gut as he tightened his grip for a moment. 

Tears flowed freely down his face, seeping into his son's hair with the nose that he pressed to the boy's crown – he no longer smelled as he did when he was an infant, but Sigurd was awash in the nostalgia regardless, buffeted on all sides by the sheer force of emotion that crashed over him in waves. 

This was his son, this was his boy, who was happy, and healthy, and they were together again at last. 

Another watery laughed. "You shall have to tell me when you do, we will make a united display of our thanks," he joked, stroking Seliph's hair absently. 

He knew, of course, that he owed the archbishop much in his thanks – for his life, certainly, but his life was a paltry thing in comparison to the real gift she had given him: the safety of his son, of his wife, and the opportunity to be together with them as a proper family. He remembered little of his final moments, but he did know for certain that he would have given anything to have seen Seliph one final time, to hold him for just a moment longer. 

It was a gift he could not even begin to pay back. 

Seliph's words drew his breath short – the thank you striking a chord in his heart that he'd never felt played before, the sincerity of his boy rooting itself deep within him, and in that moment he knew that, for all else that had occurred during Seliph's upbringing, he was truly Sigurd's son. 

"I will always come back," he murmured, soft. "No matter how much time passes, I will always return for you, Seliph." 

It was a gift he would cherish above all else. 

- Fin

[bxldrsdraumar]

Pentimento

virtuoustyrfing

just like that, the doubt in seliph's heart begins to loosen its hold before melting away. it's not too unlike the last of snow during the early spring; his hope is the flowers that blossom after the winter.   &   all of it is accomplished by words seliph doubts an imposter would ever utter under the guise of self-importance. azmur. kurth. familiar names that align with the history. no recollection of falling into a pitfall either, although seliph wouldn't know if any other imposter gallivanting around as 'king sigurd' had fallen into one too.

at this moment, seliph doesn't question why the man doesn't seem to recall details, nor does the scion of light linger on that remark about memory. that's for later if he remembers to ask. but now, seliph focuses on the present. he focuses on his father, who is here and alive and talking as though seliph would mind knowing more about the man he only knows through stories.

      (seliph doesn't think he would have minded if his father had continued the story. he has a good idea of who those dear friends are. how could he not after hearing tales of his father's friendship with eldigan of nordion and quan of leonster?)

"it's really... you really are..." a small, almost breathless laugh leaves his lips,   &   the tension seliph didn't even realize was there vanishes under the mountainous relief washing over him. his face, too, lights up, with a giddy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. only for that smile to turn sheepish in seconds. "i'm sorry for the weird questions. not too long ago, my friend and i encountered a man who claimed to be king sigurd of grannvale."

he tries to keep his tone even, but some of that old disappointment slips in anyway.

seliph continues, as though to push past the memory of that day, "does mother know you are here... father?" father. it feels almost strange saying it. "she's here at the monastery too. she— she told me to hold onto hope you would be here one day."

a pause.

"i probably shouldn't wonder about a good thing, but... how is it you..." survived, he almost says. "how are you here, father?"

Sigurd's eyes softened, watching the wave of emotions crashing over his son – many of the same emotions, he suspected, that he himself was feeling at that very moment. It was understandable, of course: he had, to his minimal understanding of the situation, died and he had come back by some miracle of divinity which had decided that perhaps his story was not over, but this was not before it had fallen to the generation after to clean up the mess it had left. 

Still, his throat tightened, seeing what felt quite like looking into a mirror. Seliph, of course, had always looked more like his mother – he had her soft eyes, the roundness of his features, the curves of their cheeks which Sigurd could almost feel under his palm.  

He restrained himself from reaching out, clearing his throat a bit. "I – yes, I have seen your mother." Tears began to gather at the corners of his eyes – there was still so much missing in his memory, but he did not think that he would ever forget the great hollow ache in his chest when Deirdre had been taken from him, the throb of a part of him being rent from his side, the phantom pain of a love lost in futility. He had seen her, and she had filled him with such love that he almost felt he would shatter from within, the sensitive crevices in his heart that he had ignored for so long under the pretense of being strong. 

But now as he stood before his son, his son who he had given up of his own volition – to keep him safe, yes, but it was a choice he had made nonetheless – he felt more vulnerable than ever. His son who was a man, who had grown and who looked so like his mother... 

"Ah," Sigurd said, throat tight, working hard around the words, "yes I suppose that is the question isn't it? I – I have much to thank the Lady Archbishop for, but I'm afraid information is not among that list. It was under her careful attention that I am as you see before you, but as to the particulars..." Trailing off, Sigurd shook his head. 

Hesitant, heavy from the sheer expectation in the air, Sigurd continued; "I suppose in time, I will figure everything out. I would be happy to have you by my side when that time comes. For now..." His voice broke fully, and the restraint he had over his muscles laxed and he opened his arms, "Would it be all right to give an old man a hug?"