#xam asks

[xamaxenta]

If you get this, answer w/ three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs. anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog! <33333 (if u wanna, no pressure!)

‼️💕💕 thank you for the ask quin lets see if i have three fun facts to share

1. I have extremely good estimation skills, 95% of the time I can accurately calculate the amount of time it will take to do something, an activity or a chore or how much/quantity of a thing is i enjoy thinking about how long stuff takes ? Its not planning just a game i play like huh this could take 25 minutes and it does and its rly satisfying

2. Im great at cooking, i like following recipes perfectly the first time and then if my gf and i liked it the second time i make the same dish ill experiment with it and tweak what we thought could be changed about it, but i have one weakness, i cant make bechamel sauce i did it once successfully and tbh never again lol

3. Broke both my arms in quick succession as a kid, left arm first and within a week of that cast coming off i broke my right wrist 👍🏽 saw the same doctor for both and he was like fr? You missed me that much and now im like haha marcoace au… obvs Ace is an adult tho and not a kid

[tiredthing-idk]

Part of the reason you find me expressive is probably cuz I still mask around you? Probably anyway. When I'm unmasked I don't really use any emoticons or punctuation and seem very flat even though usually it's safe to assume my tone is positive and happy. I actually have rules against unmasking around certain people cuz they already think I'm mean when I'm masked (good example is my ex). Though also the safer i feel around people the less I can force myself to keep a mask up when I'm exhausted (huge problem with my ex because it absolutely hated me when i wasn't masked but unfortunately i felt safe and happy with it).

Ahhh- kkkk. Well, if u ever wanna unmacsk around me feel free? Will probably just ask if im unsure of tone- but either way thats generally how i see ur tone anyways :3. Also realrealreal- i have. A very hsrd time actually unmacking bcs half the time i cannoy yell when im doing it atp TvT. Def dont think your mean tho lol-. Ougjgghg yeeyye could see how that would cause. Problems. :<<<<. Nuzzzlingunuzzlingunuzzlijg uuuuuu !!!!

[mangyraccooon]

2. Icarus and the son intrigues me 🙏🏽

Laughs in unfinished*

I have emotions about these fuckers and their son who they can’t/wont have

Who wants to hear about my theory about crocodile and Luffy being dragons dream?

Thanks for the ask xam 🥰

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

masterlist of episodes featuring prof duncan? I only JUST made the connection that he's played by john oliver

fantastic idea anon. I’m honestly surprised I haven't made this list yet as I am an avid duncan enjoyer lmfao and yes john oliver is great. so I’ll make the list right now. here we go:

the feat. professor duncan episode masterlist

1x01: pilot

he is the reason jeff chose to enroll at greendale

he has multiple interactions with jeff throughout the episode

1x04: social psychology

annie, troy, and abed participate in his psychological experiment in which he proves the existence of "the duncan principle"

1x05: advanced criminal law

duncan, dean pelton, and chang create "greendale court" in order to put britta's alleged academic dishonesty on trial

1x25: pascal's triangle revisited

first shown doing a therapy session with britta

constantly fighting with chang, escalating into chang punching him at the end

does his iconic rap after he gets drunk at the transfer dance

2x03: the psychology of letting go

takes over as the anthropology professor despite knowing nothing about the subject

uses the restraining order he got against chang to torment him

has a few conversations with jeff about the inevitability of death

is civil with chang by the end of the episode

2x05: messianic myths and ancient peoples

exclusively shown "teaching" the anthropology 101 class

2x11: abed's uncontrollable christmas

leads abed's "therapy" session but is generally unhelpful

2x12: asian population studies

again, just shown "teaching" anthropology 101

2x15: early 21st century romanticism

watches the liverpool vs. manchester united football game with jeff at jeff's apartment

has conversations with jeff about friendship and greendale etc.

2x21: paradigms of human memory

appears very briefly in a flashback to the events of "abed's uncontrollable christmas"

2x22: applied anthropology and culinary arts

is shown again at the head of the anthropology class, this time "administering their final" (getting drunk) but disappears very quickly as soon as the dean walks in

5x03: basic intergluteal numismatics

"helps" with the psychological aspect of the ass crack bandit investigation

(you might notice he is not in seasons 3 or 4. irl it's because he got too busy with his other projects, but in the show his character explains that he was "taking care of his sick mother")

5x05: geothermal escapism

shown briefly playing the floor is lava game, but loses very quickly after jeff knocks over the chair that he was going to jump on while chasing britta

5x06: analysis of cork-based networking

shown as a member of the save greendale committee

helps jeff, shirley, and chang choose a theme and decorate for the dance (bear down for midterms)

5x07: bondage and beta male sexuality

asks jeff to help him scheme a way into getting a date with britta, which ends up backfiring

ends up hanging out a lot with jeff. this episode re-establishes that the two of them have known each other longer than any of the other characters

5x11: g.i. jeff

appears briefly only in jeff's animated dream, as "xim xam"

(so, I guess it's not technically duncan, but it's jeff's g.i. joe dream version of duncan, so I’m counting it)

5x12: basic story

appears again as a member of the save greendale committee

5x13: basic sandwich

tries to help the save greendale committee uncover the hidden computer school but gets electrocuted lmfao

alright yep. that should be all. I personally went through the credits of every single episode to double check everything because I do not trust the lists that are already online tbh. full of discrepancies smh. also, yeah, he is indeed not in seasons 3, 4, or 6. anyway! hope this is helpful. duncan is hilarious and every single line that comes out of his mouth is comedy gold. bye

[mikariin]

To bring some silliness to the chat I propose, buggy stuck in a timeloop, he figures out the pattern pretty quick cause idk he does occasionally have a brain cell

But being buggy he decides to try and find out his “business partners” weakness so he can exploit them later.

This ends with him getting spit roasted and glazed by the other two warlords.

And in the end he finds out all three of them were in the timeloop together

*clown music stops abruptly*

OH! Hey I see you in Xam’s asks welcome to mine today!

And that is really an amazing thought to the time loop and I love how Buggy uses his one brain cell to get wrecked for the sole purpose of finding their ‘weakness’ sure lol.

We all know he wanted those hot men to play him to no end dhdhdhdh

[apphiarothowrites]

got tagged by Xammmmmmmm <3

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! then tag as many people as you have

god...there's....a lot here.....it's mostly HBTB

Two Lane Split (draft)

A Timeless Fear (draft)

hanahaki plot (boom clap the sound of my heart the beat goes on and on and on and on and on and-)

slightly to the left plot

pacific rim AU plot (mostly from xam) [yes that's the actual title]

OP omega!Marco (Secretary Bird Blues)

OP former mafia au plot

OP/Golden Compass Fusion plot ideas?

Hurts Being This Beautiful/Marco's Hollow Birdy Bones megafic series [if you want this one, please be specific because there's 10 subfolders inside this one]

OP time travel ideas [includes the original idea for slightly to the left]

GitS fusion plot [ghost in the shell]

Ruffled Feathers v2 draft

Random Fucking Ideas

all the people I would otherwise tag were already tagged by xam, uuuhhh @bottommarcothephoenixenjoyer @spacer-case (if you have any) @igneawritethings @oz-gauze (if you have any) as well as everyone Xam tagged

[kingsofneon]

tagged by @xamaxenta

amazing to make fun of xam's fic titles but also be incomprehensible lol (i normally just access them via links lol)

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! then tag as many people as you have

31-ish kinktober reqs

45 general writing reqs

5 writing trades or smth

Maracebo + exhibitionism 

Marco/ace + loving bdsm

Cobydrake + fake aphrodisiac 

Sabolucci hate fucking

boop le boop

kiss n tell

Play this my way

prince charming in your mind's eye

put on a show for me

teacher's pet

when you have teeth and claws (be prepared to bleed for it)

dragonfucking au

cobyshanks fake aphrodisiac

Acebo + giving Marco nipple piercings

silvertongue!sabo

zoro/law/luffy demon law getting dicked down, dicking down?, his boys.

below the cut is literally just copy-pasted asks lolol

im sure i have more but i confess my docs are a messs so. god knows where anything else is. also soz but i dont want to tag anyone, if u want me to tag you just pretend i did cackles

everyone in the revo wants a piece of their chief

Haunted or Not, Here I Cum - Ace's porn reality show 

Fuck the Truth + Sabo asking why Ace came to watch

Acebo + giving Marco nipple piercings

Zolu + Zoro waking up hard and cuddly luffy doesn't help

+ cat!sanji Sanji + praise + Luffy getting Sanji a collar

servant tashigi and pirate princess nami / royalty/servant + library + angry

NamTash + FWB + Nightclub + quickie sex

NaVi + needy, clingy sex + dirty talk/spanking

Marco/Shanks + dirty talk/spanking

DraSabo + Sabo regaining his memories

Zolu + post workout sex in the crow's nest

MAS + wedding night

"Owner" Ace + MarSabo who are competitive and he has to teach them to be nice

Sabo/Ace + "Beg for it"

Marco's foot kink

Sabo asking Ace to tie him up

Ace + Marco or Sabo + "Don't come until I tell you to." + Ace has been teased all day but mar/sab like seeing him fucked up

Troublemaker Ace + Marco teaching him a lesson

Sabo waking up to Koala fucking him + ""aw nice of you to join us".

Saboala + bondage/muzzle/obedience bc Sabo fucks up

kinktober day #1 I'm just gonna be the 4th person who asks for Sabo being spanked until he begs 😂 (MAS, Marco does the spanking and Ace comforts him and encourages him to beg already)

may i ask for sabo with pussy and huge tits - double penetration and overstimulation, shanks and ace having their way with him, humiliating and fucking our pretty boy till he's a crying mess? pull his nipple piercings because fun? hmmm

somno with saboala cause sabo getting ridden within an inch of his life while sleeping sounds so good. just like koala being a bit of a shit and sabo getting all red faced and squirmy in his sleep, dreaming about being buried in warmth

marshanks oral/training mmmm. A little cockwarming vibe? Shanks "training" Marco to properly service him and just keeps Marco's mouth around his dick for ages. OH and if it's an exasperated "when will you learn?" moment, maybe also a ring gag? just, mouth open, warm hole, constantly available, good birdie

katalu, belly bulge. ., stretchy boys, but how does he make luffy actually *feel* it, seastone?? haki dick??? luffy being so used to his stretchiness that he's completely caught off-guard and punched out by getting stuffed like this *~*

NAMI/CONIS CHASTITY??? i'm imagining very bad girl/good girl temptation vibes, Conis kind of desperate to give it up but Nami playing it slick and cooing about how she knows the importance of chastity to Conis, so don't worry about it, you can sit this one out while I have all the fun....

forced to beg with sabo -////- pretty please. and koala?

ZoLu, exhibitionism: Luffy just can’t stay quiet so the whole crew can hear them fucking.

Zoro is amazed that Luffy can fit all three of his sabers.(It’s most probably been done before, but I haven’t read it so far!)

ZoLu Orgasm denial and Luffy is the one being denied~ Zoro being soft and horny because Luffy is someone that not even the world can deny anything from, yet he hands over that control to Zoro freely and I just cant stop thinking bout these boys since your tweet >0<

CNC with marsab? where Marco is trying to make him submit and sabo is a mouthy brat, but Marco will have to fuck out the anger out of him. feat sabo begging to be let go and Marco won't, sabo tearing up and Marco complimenting him how pretty he looks. mm

“I think you need to be spanked.” marcosabo if u r ok with it and has inspiration <333

“I wanna fuck you hard, right up against the window.” “Damn, if I’d known how much you liked to be watched I would’ve invited them sooner.” “That’s right, put your chest against the window and spread your legs, arch your back, and beg me to fuck you.” Marco fucking Sabo and Ace walking into and joining please

“oh please continue on my lap.” or “beg for it.” (with Marco saying beg for it. embarrassed / ashamed ace?) 👌 👌 👌

sabo is spanked by marco after losing a bet 😏

but no really he has too much pride to back out and marco is all too happy to have him over his knees willingly, maybe make him bend over the table and bring out a paddle 🤤 his ass is red nd bruised and he has to wear a short skirt for the rest of the day

[zmpl]

OH XAM. I WAS ALSO GONNA ASK

Not cartoon related but did you ever play the nicktoons unite games? I fuckin LOVED volcano island as a kid I genuinely think they’re very cute (albeit cheesy) crossover titles

i never did but i played the spongebob pc and ps2 games! specifically employee of the month. the 3d character models in that game are so grotesque and awful but the storyline is super good

[1010lilfoot]

If you had to rank the Talent de Lune members on who would be best at Smash bros, how would you rank them from best to worst? Lol

Oh man, I’ve played Smash Bros maybe once or twice in my life? So I don’t know much about it, but I’ll do my best to answer!

Abby is the best in TDL at most games, so she’d be the best at Smash Bros too! Sam is probably the second best, then Cathy, then Max. Cameron’s okay, and Ben is pretty bad at most games, but he likes to watch other people play!

Ambre is confident, but she’s not very good at any video games. (Others get intimidated by her until they realize she just doesn’t care that much about the game.) Sarah’s very good at some games, but she’s pretty average at Smash Bros. Penwood is good with games, but he mostly just played them when he was a kid, so he’s not used to any newer (after the 90s) consoles.

Amily likes story-based and puzzle-solving games, so she’s not very good at Smash Bros, but she has fun watching it. Murmur and Salvo are into it, and they’re both good, but Murmur is intangible so she can’t play (RIP). She’s become a big backseat gamer, haha. NYSM has tournaments every once in a while for fun.

Neither Yuma nor Kilo played video games as kids, so they both suck at most of the games they try on a whim (sometimes this pisses them off big time). Coda played a bit of like…Wii Sports as a kid before he got arrested. He would like and be pretty good at Smash Bros.

All that said, here are the rankings!

1. Abby

2. Salvo (and Murmur)

3. Coda (if he gets the chance to play)

4. Sam

5. Cathy

6. Max

7. Sarah

8. Cameron

9. Amily

10. Ben

11. Ambre

12. Penwood

13. Yuma and Kilo

Anonymous asked: Why does Cameron wear dresses? Not shaming or anything! Just wondering if he got into them cause they look pretty or for comfort? Or did he like them from a young age?

Cameron: I took more notice of them when I was older, I guess! After Samantha and I joined Talent de Lune, I had more downtime to think about things like fashion. Abby has a lot of cute outfits, and she kind of helped fix up my wardrobe, haha! Dresses and skirts are pretty and elegant, so I ended up liking them.

Anonymous asked: Wait a minute…Max spelled backwards is “XAM”! GASP! Max are you secretly Sam’s evil clone!?!?

Max: …Huh? HUH?! Wait, what is this question all of a sudden?! Of course I’m not!!

[chlorinecake]

HAPPY NEW YEAR BESTIE <3

How are you doing? I just came on Tumblr and saw your posts , people need to get a life man ‼️😇🙏

Anyways other than that I hope you're doing well , it's the new year's so it's kind of like a new start idk😭##$?$)#+&&#)"!_;!")#/#

I'm glitching 🤓

I feel very drained man , even tho it's the new year I feel very anxious

My heart is tingling and idk I don't like it because it's not tingling in happiness, it's the nervousness, the fear

I have exams coming up in a few days and I don't know anything, This would be my 1ste xam for this semester, so new syllabus and all but I hope I can get good marks !!

Maybe it's just that I'm scared for my exams but i hope this year treats me better!

I hope you have a great year ahead 💋💋

-💋

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY LITTLE LADYBUG !! 🌹

I’ve been doing well, thanks for asking, even with a certain someone using my blog as their personal ranting room 🫠

and omg 😰 exams already ??? Literally praying that you pass, lovey (I already know in my heart that you will bc dedication always pays off 🫶) !! But I’m really sorry to hear you’re feeling that way these days… I can bet it has a lot to do with anxiety like you said, but a new year and new semester means new challenges that eventually foster new growth 🌱 💕 Here’s a huggie for you bc I feel like you need one:

Best wishes to you as we take on 2024 together, bestie !! Stay safe and take care !

- Chloé

[psychologeek]

A funny comment by @

Hey we should ask the state of Israel why so many Jewish people don't live in those places anymore! I'm sure it has nothing to do with Israels many many terror xam against Jewish people to force them to flee to Israel or other places. https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/truth-behind-israeli-propaganda-expulsion-arab-jews

LOL this is textbook propaganda. Involves wonderful lies such as:

"While the League of Arab States had resolved to ban the emigration of Arab Jews to Israel, Yemen's imam allowed Jews to leave as early as February 1949, with the help of Zionist emissaries and Israeli bribes to provincial Yemeni rulers"

Obviously ignoring the Aliyah of 1882, judo-Yemens that lived in Silwan/Kfar HaShiloah.

Also, completely ignoring Aden riots, 82 jews were murdered.

Also, why did he has to allow jews?

Because in 1945 they closed the borders for jews, leaving 7,000 people in a refugee camp in Aaden. 5,500 of them were able to move out during the first months of 1949 (15/12/48-10/03/49)

A new question - how many Jews lived in Silwan in 1947, and how many lived there in 1949?

- you keep acting like it's in the past. Check what happened in 2022, and how many jews live in Yemen nowadays.

....

"Some provincial rulers asked that at least 2,000 Jews remain, as it was the religious duty of Muslims to protect them"

LOL 🤣😂

Thanks! I didn't laugh that hard since 06/10!

I mean - yes. They might have said it. Saying cost nothing, and can be very beneficial for Propaganda and the poor minds that carry it forward.

(Feel free to say that to Hamas, and the Imams near my friends' home town, that decided that 09/10 was the perfect day to call out loud the "trees and stones". Make them feel suuuuuper safe, obviously.)

Oh yes, this is all the Zionists' fault. Before Zionism, no one would hurt anybody. And of course - everyone lived peacefully in the State of Palestine.

Of course.

[Not a single word about the erase of the Jewish community in Hebron, 1929. 1941 Farhud, Iraq ; Jedwabne pogrom;  1945 Tripoli pogrom, the 1946 Kielce pogrom, and the 1947 Aleppo pogrom]

Not to mention the Zfad multiple pogroms, include in 1517.

But sure, Zionist Imperialism.

Anyone saying Israel is commiting an ethnic cleansing, please answer theose questions:

Who knows how many Jews live in Yemen?

Libya?

Syria?

Egypt?

Gaza?

How many Muslims live in Israel?

[mangyraccooon]

The Phoenix and the Wild

https://www.tumblr.com/xamaxenta/722931486576214016/just-a-thought-marco-had-known-for-a-long-time?source=share

a little taste of a wip Ive been working on since I told Xam bout it, yes I had to deactivate my account and then reactivate; don't ask it was such a headache

Long long ago, before the emptiness that consumed the world before the sun descended from the sky, before the people heard the phoenix war cry.

There were gods, gods of every shape colour and size. Gods with a hundred hands, gods who hid in smoky coils and gods who had no eyes.

And above it all shining bright the sun would preside, Nika the god of laughter, life and light. Beside Nika stood the Phoenix, his brother and advisor to any plight.

One day the Phoenix met The Wild, The Hunt, The godless god. A meeting perhaps not so strange but unexpected. They were the strangest being, constantly shifting. Wolf, Jaguar, falcon, yet their eyes always stayed the same. Glowing like the embers of a fire.

Terrible how the phoenix has always had such a weakness for flames.

the story goes like this, two gods fall in love and through love comes creation. (not that kind of creation). A new being born on earth, great obsidian wings, eyes like rubies, long white hair and a constant fire burning above their back. Their child (in a way). The Wild started spending more time on earth, teaching their and others creations how to survive. The story goes like this; The Phoenix tells the Wild

"I will love you for the rest of eternity."

I wish I could say this story has a happy ending.

The Wild is killed, humans are ever so fickle you see.

The Phoenix screams.

The Phoenix tears through every settlement It can find, ripping the ones who dare take Its love away. By the end the bottom of Its feathers and robes are soaked in blood. By the end Hope tracks It down and holds it down, the metal pipe pressed against Its throat. Nika watches as his brother cries and screams, the agony of eternity.

"The Phoenix, God of Eternity, Medicine and healing. I know anoint you a new title."

Red eyes meet blue and for a moment, there is an all encompassing dread. Then Nika looks away, "My Brother, My friend, The Phoenix, God of eternity, God of Death."

Hundreds of years pass, perhaps a thousands. Nika falls from the sky, susceptible to the most human emotion; love. The gods either give up or fade away, some plant themselves hoping to reawaken again. The Phoenix continues, It cannot fall nor can it die.

Perhaps in those centuries of loneliness, it came to forgive humans, perhaps not. Maybe it made a deal with someone a priestess who loved Nika. Maybe it became a memory, a ritual of sorts for one to pass down. A guardian.

Maybe it caught a man who in turn taught it love, maybe it stuck by the mans side until the day he died.

Maybe maybe maybe, there are so many maybes and so many routes that Fate would have it travel down. (never trust fate.)

Whatever the case, the route, the path. The Phoenix collides with a boy who is dying and maybe in a fit of madness, decides to heal him. There is a deal struck and the Phoenix lets it conscious fade into the background of the boys mind.

Whatever the route the end always stays the same.

the Phoenix presides on a ship now, watching through someones eyes. Until it sees the flame. The Fire, It knows that fire. It calls, whispering with a hundred voices, distorted like speaking through glass.

Anyone watching would be confused as the First commander Marco's eyes changed colour. The deep indigo, swirling into a burning cerulean. The Phoenix feels the roar of power as It finally reaches the flame, pulling the one It thought lost into a kiss.

Grey eyes are uncertain but sparking, flames lick around Its fingers as The Phoenix caresses a freckled cheek. "I found you, My Wild."

-well this was a lot of fun, shoutout to @xamaxenta im stealing this back <3 and @apphiarothowrites for writing crack cocaine and fuelling my addiction. (also the brother idea)

[bit-odd-innit]

Time Loop Fic for Wip Wednesday?

[WIP Wednesday Game]

They’re investigating the kitchen cause Will has a theory he wants to test.

“It’s like the stories about the fae,” he says. “Or the myth of Hades and Persephone!”

“Right, sure, everyone knows what that is.” Max shields the side of her face with one hand and turns to Lucas, lips pressed together and eyes bugging out in a sort of get a load of THIS guy way. Lucas stifles a laugh in his fist. Will is unbothered. “If you eat their food, you’re trapped there forever.” “But we didn’t eat anything,” Erica says with a frown.

“I roll to throw up.”

“Max you don’t have to—”

“Seventeen!”

“You throw up super good. You’re still in a time loop.”

“Damn it! I roll to throw up again.”

Lucas takes the dice out of her hand.

[disteal]

what brushes did u use for the requests you had recently posted?

[culmaer]

thank you so much !! this is more illuminating than I expected which is very exciting !

to clarify a bit, Kirby distinguishes between three types of leg rattle : 1) leg rattles made of springbok ears, 2) ~ made of cocoons, and 3) ~ made of dried seedpods/small fruit shells.

I only asked about the springbok ear rattles, because he attributes them to the !Xun, but I remembered that Bleek and Lloyd had worked with the |Xam and thus suspected a possible discrepancy. so I'm glad you could clarify that, thank you ! nice to confirm that |kəri:tən is indeed |Xam. the springbok ear-type Kirby only records among the "Bushmen"

the leg rattles made from cocoons Kirby records among the Bushmen as well as the Khoe and Bantu-speakers all over southern Africa. e.g. the Tswana name he lists is mathlo (I've found matlhoa in dictionaries so that's just a spelling issue). according to Kirby the cocoon leg rattles are in "Berg-Dama" called |kin or |namen and they were used in sacred ceremonies like the |geis dance. I guess this is another error on his part as the Damara are Khoe speakers (?) but the name |kin he cites seems closest to the Kx'a languages on your map, if I were to guess ? he doesn't list any other Khoe or "Bushman" names for the cocoon leg rattles.

the seedpod and dried fruit shell leg rattles he only records among Bantu-speaking peoples, especially the Venda and "Thonga" (Tsonga).

I must confess I'm a little disappointed that ǂnunib has been generalised to mean flute because I suspect that'll make it more difficult to find info specifically on the springbok horn flute with wooden embouchure. but thank you for checking that, it is nevertheless helpful to know

Leg rattles in southern African music

Question (@culmaer): I've been slowly making my way through Percival Kirby's book on South African instruments (published in 1934), and I assume the spellings he uses for words from the various 'Khoisan' languages are ad hoc, phonetic transcriptions and not the standardised spellings in use today. part of me was hoping there was maybe a contemporary survey of instruments, or perhaps just easily accessible dictionaries/word-lists I could go through to check the spellings he uses

Kirby mentions ankle rattles made of springbok ears of the "Qung Bushmen" and cites the name from Bleek and Lloyd's Bushman Folk-lore as |keriten. I assume by Qung he means !Kung, but I'm not sure how similar !Kung and |Xam are, or if Kirby is making an attribution error ? nevertheless, are you able to verify that name and spelling ?

then, I'm particularly curious about a springbok horn flute, per Kirby, "used by the Kalahari Bushmen near Haruchas, SWA, [which] they call |garras or |garris" as well as a similar instrument used by the "Berg-Dama" called ǂnunib, although their version apparently stopped the horn with wood to create a more specialised embouchure, which I would love more details on. are these instruments still played ?

!Xun (<!Kung>) and |Xam belong to different language families: !Xun is a Kx’a language spoken along the northwestern Kalahari Basin fringe (northern Namibia, southern Angola, northwestern Botswana). |Xam was Tuu language of the !Ui subbranch which was spoken in the west of South Africa, all the way down to the Cape. |Xam went extinct during the first half of the 20th century, while !Xun is still a vibrant language with multiple dialects. !Xun and |Xam speakers were probably not in contact with each other in historical times, but received both influence from Khoekhoe herders (who speak an unrelated language of the Khoe-Kwadi family).

Kx’a and Tuu are resident language families exclusively spoken by foragers, while Khoe-Kwadi languages were introduced from the east around 2,000 years ago; at present, they are spoken by foragers (“Kalahari Khoe”) and herders (“Khoekhoe” and the extinct Angolan language “Kwadi”).

The ‘leg rattle’ word you cite here seems pretty widespread:

Interestingly, the root *ǀɢani (my reconstruction) is indeed distributed across all three families. The underlying uvular onset (uvularity is still visible in N|uu) is responsible for the sound changes /a/ > /u/ and /n/ > /r/. It is impossible to say which of the three families is the source and I am inclined to believe that this root may be very old and refer to a very widespread cultural practice (i.e., dancing with leg rattles) (this is not to say it is evidence for a “Khoisan” family; just for a very old contact area).

I wonder whether Kirby’s “|garras or |garris” ‘springbok horn flute’ is actually the same root. The word is certainly from Khoekhoe because it has the feminine singular suffix -s. The location where it was recorded, Haruchas, also seems Nama-territory to me, so I strongly doubt this was recorded among “Kalahari Bushmen”. Haacke & Eiseb (2002) have an entry <ǀgȁríb>  ‘quick grass, esp. Cynodon dactylon’, but that does not seem to make a lot of sense here - unless, of course, Kirby got confused and the word he lists actually denotes a grass flute. Damara  ǂnunib appears to be the standard Khoekhoe word for ‘flute, play flute’ (Haacke & Eiseb 2002: 415).

Leg rattles are still very common in many San and San-descendant groups from southern Africa. They are also used by some Bantu groups like the Tswana, probably due to influence from neighboring hunter-gatherers.

In the Botswanan San group I worked with for many years, leg rattles are especially used in ritual performances which are not meant for strangers to witness. However, I have videos from a cultural workshop in which a San group from Zimbabwe performs with leg rattles. I'll share the videos as soon as I am back in office next week.

The Khoekhoe flutes are, to the best of my knowledge, no longer used. I will make a post on that (and the terms associated with the flute ensembles) tomorrow.

[inonibird]

Chapter 3 of Part Three - Sahuldeem of the Sahuldeem series is up!