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bulkyphrase · 8 months

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Halloween Fic Recs 2023 Week 2: Stony

Wocome to Halloween fic recs week two! This week we've got spooky Steve Rogers/Tony Stark stories!

Blood Red, Snow White by SummerKnight717 (Teen And Up Audiences, 17,721 words)

Summary: Vampires. Of all things it had to be vampires. Mix an ancient artifact, incompetent cultists, and a way too curious playboy-billionaire-genius, and the Avengers are left with a problem that is weird even by their own standards. In which things go surprisingly well...till they really really don't.

hey there demons, it's me... ya boi by starksnack (@starksnack) (Teen And Up Audiences, 15,000 words)

Summary: this week on buzzfeed unsolved tony and steve investigate four haunted locations, and maybe find more than just ghosts.

The rest are below the cut!

The Icy Roots of Fear by YourFinalBow (@yourfinalbow) (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Mature, 13,051 words)

Summary: “How are you doing?” Steve walked up to Tony, who was sitting at one of the lab’s tables. He sighed, thinking. "I don't like this. I don't like the not-knowing." “Yeah, I don’t like it either. I keep looking at Nat and Clint and Sam…” He swallowed. “And, and even you, and all I can think about is how you guys could be dead, but still standing right in front of me." — With a monster roaming the halls of a research base in the Arctic, Steve isn't sure what will get them first. The Thing, or the ice?

Ashes and Silver by Corsets_and_Cardigans (Teen And Up Audiences, 3,141 words)

Summary: “Sorry, but you can’t speak with her.” He looked apologetic, shaking his head at Steve. “Please, I’ve been looking for her for so long.” Steve put his hands together in front of his chest, praying to a God that had long forsaken him. “I just need five minutes of her time.” “Well, unless you packed a ouija board on your Harley, I can’t help you. She’s been dead for almost thirty years.” Steve’s heart dropped to the floor. “Dead.”~~~Steve is looking for something special and Tony’s mother. He finds so much more.

one more moment of this silence by Red (S_Hylor) (@s-hylor) (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Mature, 2,227 words)

Summary: Tony can see ghosts. Not just any ghosts, but ghosts of people how haven't found peace yet, or refuse to. Ghosts of people whose bodies have never been found. The closer to their bodies he gets, the more he sees them, an ability, or a curse, that he uses to help the police find body's of missing people. It's never easy.

Twelve Days by elysianprince (@elysian-prince) (Teen And Up Audiences, 22,027 words)

Note: Look, I know this is really a Christmas story, but ghosts=spooky=Halloween

Summary: In which Tony finds himself in a town that looks like it crawled out of a Hallmark Christmas movie, trying to sell an inn he didn't know he owned, all while dealing with Steve Rogers, the resident ghost who has returned to haunt the inn each December during the twelve days of Christmas for the past seventy years. Tony has only one logical solution that benefits them both: break the curse that binds him - but falling for a man almost a century old wasn't among his plans.

the future whispers only by Red (S_Hylor) (@s-hylor) (Major Character Death, Mature, 3,421 words)

Summary: Nine of them set out on the trek over the snow, towards the mountains, along the route that Carol had plotted out. Four days hiking, along on of the most difficult routes, but they were well prepared and experienced. There's some things that cannot be prepared for.

dreamed your dream, written your name by janonny (@awesomelifechoices) (Not Rated, 8,198 words)

Summary: As they hid from Ultron, Tony and Steve might have discovered too late that there were far scarier things lurking in the dark than genocidal robots. He hadn’t spent time in an old house like this, consisting of wood and brick and mismatched furniture, out in the middle of nowhere. He just wasn’t used to all the typical sounds that came with it. Not that he could hear any usual sounds you would expect from somewhere so far from the city. There were no owls hooting, no rustling grass, no crickets, no…wolves or whatever. Alright, maybe he didn’t know much about what it was like being far from the city.

my darling dear by orphan_account (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Explicit, 44,712 words)

Summary: Through the snow, the ice, and to the very ends of the Earth, Tony vows to bring Steve home. The nightmares Steve suffered drove him to accepting a dangerous mission from SHIELD that very nearly kills him until Tony finally fulfills his promise to save him. Yet, the nightmare continues when Tony realizes Steve still isn't safe. There are forces after Steve, wanting more than he could possibly ever give. Tony has one option to keep Steve safe, to escape the nightmare and the horror they both experienced. But can he save Steve before it is too late for both of them?

there's no dreams in the waves, only monsters by S_Hylor (@s-hylor) (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Teen And Up Audiences, 70,441 words)

Summary: Driving while tired is never a good idea, especially when the weather is terrible, as Tony finds out the hard way. Now in pain, with a wrecked car and no phone service, Tony is stranded at a hotel perched on a cliff overlooking the flooded ruins of an abandoned town in the valley below. With no working phone, only three other people around, Tony isn’t sure who to trust or what to believe. Something isn’t right, something is stopping him from leaving.

with bloody feet across the hallow’d ground by sleeponrooftops (@sleeponrooftops) (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Explicit, 22,408 words)

Summary: The setting, Tony decides, is perfect for a bad horror movie. Steve drags him along for a week into the wild because he’s friends with Thor, who’s friends with Clint, whose family owns a cabin in the woods. Tony hates all of them, particularly when they start dying.

Before the Darkness Swallows You by Veldeia (@veldeia) (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Mature, 30,837 words)

Summary: Steve was gone. Tony was all alone in the dark, the blackness of the damp, rock-walled corridor only occasionally broken by the fluttering fluorescent lamps in the ceiling. He wasn’t afraid of the dark. An abandoned mine was by no means the scariest environment he’d ended up in. Still, he’d have been crazy not to be afraid of what lurked in these shadows.

The Little Things Unknown by coaster (@coastertoaster) (Mature, 27,618 words)

Summary: Tony Stark has three certainties in life: one, that science was where his mind worked best; two, that, since ghosts had become a science, anything was possibe; three, that he would never know if Captain America was that much of a paragon because the man was long dead. The subject of Certainty Three might be sitting at the foot of his bed. ~ Steve is a ghost. The Avengers bust ghosts. And Tony isn't sure what to make of Cap here. But hey, at least his other hauntings have stopped, right?

And Time Went On by Morena_Evensong (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Mature, 106,811 words)

Summary: Two hundred years ago the Mandarin attacked Washington, the first stage of his plan for world domination. And the Avengers... vanished. All except Iron Man, who eventually managed to defeat the Mandarin with the help of SHIELD, a few other superheroes, and their friends. Now, nearly two hundred years after the death of Anthony Stark, the current Stark heir, Tony, is moving into the forgotten Stark Manor in order to avoid falling into the clutches of the United World Council. But Stark Manor isn't just an empty old house and mice aren't the only things that have been inhabiting it for the past two hundred years. As Tony uncovers the secrets of Stark Manor, and more than a few horrifying truths about the world he lives in, a powerful threat suddenly arises. One that leaves shattered cities and seas of bodies in its wake as it slowly sweeps its way across a world that no longer has a last line of defense.

Wasted on the Dead and Dreaming by LinneaKou (Teen And Up Audiences, 37,554 words)

Summary: Steve looked right at his friend, and he felt just as disoriented as he had when he woke up in Munich. “What the hell is going on?” Bucky winced. I think you’ve spontaneously developed psychic powers. And well. Wasn’t that just great. When Captain Steve Rogers got back from his tour of duty, he didn't expect to come back with the ability to communicate with the dead. When Tony Stark moved back into his childhood home, he didn't expect his dead father to still be inhabiting it. When Tony hired Steve to investigate the ghosts of his family mansion, they didn't expect to be swept up in cover-ups, corporate sabotage, and murder. Now, time is running out as increasingly disturbing dreams haunt Tony and the ghost of Howard Stark proves to be the least of Steve's problems. If they're lucky, maybe they won't end up ghosts too.

Never Seen by Waking Eyes by CSHfic, VSfic (Teen And Up Audiences, 6,319 words)

Summary: Tony inherits what appears to be the entire mildewed contents of his late great aunt’s attic, and Jan and Steve volunteer to help him sort through the boxes. Some of the objects they find are... slightly more interesting than others.

CCCLXXVII. by MilkSluice (@milksluice) (Mature, 1,926 words)

Summary: The school they're in is desolate, and near destroyed. And not fully their own. Steve and Tony, shortly after a huge argument, find themselves bound to a dimension, in which they appear to be the only living souls.

The Road Through October Country by indigostohelit (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Teen And Up Audiences, 2,803 words)

Summary: It's a beautiful day in October, and Steve's hiding behind the library, his knee bleeding, when he sees the boy for the first time. Tony makes Steve laugh, and his hands are as cold as ice, and he doesn't leave footsteps in the mud. But in a cold graveyard after sunset, Tony asks Steve to make a choice that will change - or end - his life forever.

Betwixt by tsukinofaerii (Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Not Rated, 7,968 words)

Summary: Steve is pulled into an alternate universe that could have been plucked from his nightmares. All he wants to do is get home alive. Tony may have other ideas.

#marvel fic rec #stony #steve rogers #tony stark

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bratshaws · 2 years

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goodness gracious 61. brb x oc

a/n: a bit short but i got back from a trip later today so i am kinda tired ;0; i hope you guys still like it tho!!

check out the fic's playlist made by the sweet @wiipes !!

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: Fluff, Rooster needs someone to talk to and Bea is there for him uwu

chapters:

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44

45/46/47/48/49/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!!)

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3

@lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2 @emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @kulicny @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads

With the new year already on them and Rooster going back to his usual work schedule, it wasn’t surprising that January 6th arrived sooner than either of them expected.

Beatrice put Jolene in the pink traveling cage, the pittie already falling asleep inside as Rooster pulled up to her front door, greeting her with a smile and a kiss to the lips. Thankfully they already packed a few items they’d need days earlier, it wasn’t a lot, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

She asked him how it would work since they’d be getting there around midnight and apparently this cabin he managed to get for them wasn’t far from Virginia Beach itself, literally a forty minutes drive. She was excited and a bit nervous if she had to be honest, especially because the drop of temperature would be obvious and intense, a complete 180 from the weather in California that she liked to call ‘winter for shorts’.

Bradley wouldn’t be able to take the Bronco, obviously, but he rented a car for when they got there, just for the weekend. She could see he was smiling a bit more than normal, with the thought he was going to share with Beatrice some of the details of his life growing up, especially his mother.

Jolene was the calmest dog when they put her to the pet station in the plane, lickign Beatrice’s hand before she disappeared inside the plane. Then it was their turn, Beatrice having to change into thicker clothing inside the airport’s bathroom because Rooster said it’d be ‘a decent drop’ as soon as they got there. Her thick winter clothing was often kept for when she went out hiking, so it was strange to be wearing them - especially her gray Peruvian style hat.

It’d be a six hours flight, one that she would be able to see pass by the window since her seat was right next to it. Bradley held her hand with a grin, rubbing her knuckles when Beatrice’s eyes were only on the outside seeing the horizon change colors and what once was beige colored sand turned into pure white snow.

Bradley waited for her outside the plane, watching her wrap her hat below her chin and immediately clench her eyes at the temperature, “Come on, baby.” he calls, offering her his hand that she not only grasped for dear life but she clung to his side like a monkey to a tree, keeping up with his long strides as they went to grab Jolene.

She barely remembers getting into the rented car, a Bronco as well of course, and driving away from the airport and towards the cabin he talked about. She was too busy burying herself into her jacket, including pulling her arms from the sleeves so she could cross them inside to warm up. She knew it’d be cold but this was almost arctic level in temperature, the tip of her nose was already feeling numb even inside the car.

There wasn’t much to be seen besides the Christmas decorations still left on the houses and streets, the white shining snow reflecting the lights above it followed by the silence of everyone sleeping soundly at home. Soon the scenery changed from urban to woods, she didn’t know how it happened because it seemed so sudden, but they were now in a dark road barely seen by the headlights of the car and Beatrice felt that any moment now they’d have a cryptic encounter.

They didn’t. Thankfully.

Bradley went through a different road until she saw several cabins in the woods, most of them with their porch lights on and cars parked on the driveway, eventually parking in front of a medium sized dark colored cabin with large windows and thick snow surrounding it. “You can let Jolene out, if you want.” he says with a grin, unbothered by the weather around him as he steps out of the car.

Beatrice eventually does too, sliding her arms up the sleeves again and slowly stepping outside, the snow below her feet crunching under her weight and her eyes clenching at a sudden gust of cold air that appeared to burn the upper part of her face. She leaned back to grab Jolene’s cage with some difficulty, finally opening it so the pittie could wander outside for the first time. Unlike her owner, Jolene didn’t take too long sniffing about, wearing her pup sweater with tiny bones on it, sometimes leaping in surprise when her toe beans touched the snow but quickly noticing that whatever that white stuff was, it was really fun.

Beatrice crossed her arms under her bust, shoving her hands underneath her armpits to stand close to Bradley who was grabbing their luggage from the car, “I can help.” she says, offering a hand to grab at least her stuff, but her boyfriend just smiles, leaning down to kiss the tip of her red nose before he makes his way to the cabin. Beatrice grabs Jolene’s cage then, handing the sock monkey to her dog as Rooster unlocks the door with a card much like when they were at the hotel.

He pushes the door open, stepping back with a grin, “After you.” he means it to be Beatrice, but it’s Jolene who scampers inside first, probably to run away from the cold. The brunette enters soon after, parting her lips in a soft gasp and then fluttering her eyes closed when she feels how warm it is inside.

While it wasn’t a large cabin, it was extremely cozy with a modern flair to it. A large greenish brown couch with pillows and fuzzy blankets stood on top of a fake cow skin rug and in front of a large fireplace that could be turned on automatically because Rooster did so by a flick of his finger. The stag horns chandelier above their heads shone the whole area, exposing the open kitchen with the long redwood table and sleek chairs. Beatrice unwrapped her scarf from around her neck, then her hat, to place it on the side table to her left, “This is amazing,” she whispers, her boots thudding on the wooden floor as she checks their surroundings.

There is a ‘welcome’ sign on the kitchen table, saying that their fridge was stocked as requested and that the master bedroom had extra blankets if need be. Beatrice blinks, opening the fridge to check and indeed it was stocked, “I didn’t know these types of cabins worked like this.”

“They don’t,” Rooster says as he too removes his own scarf, pulling the aviator jacket off his shoulders, “It’s a special package you get when you arrive too late for groceries. Which was our case, plus our stay here isn’t long, it's not like we’ll need to have everything.” he explains, toeing out his boots and groaning happily when the heated floors warm him up immediately, “Oh, fuck this is good.”

“Heated floors?” No wonder Jolene was currently lying on it right now. Beatrice quickly removed her own shoes with a pleased sigh, clenching and relaxing her fingers with the warmth seeping up her body ,”Oh this is great.” She turned her head to a doorway that led to a small bathroom and a staircase.

Picking up her boots and then her suitcase, she makes her way up the stairs, widening her eyes the more the master bedroom came into view. It was probably the largest room in the cabin, with a bed closest to yet another giant window that was now covered with drawn curtains, the same heated wooden floors, two chairs in front of the window and another door that led to the ensuite bathroom. She dropped her things to the floor, walking closer to the window and gasping again, “It’s a balcony!!” she doesn’t even care if it’s the middle of the night and it’s snowing, she’s just way too happy to see they had a balcony that overlooked the woods - which past midnight, wasn’t a lot to see.

“I thought you’d like it.” comes his voice from the back of the room, he too placed his things next to Beatrice’s, groaning as he stretched his arms over his head to pop the joints after a six hours flight. Honestly he wasn’t as tired as he thought he’d be, maybe it was the nervousness and excitement mixed together, because he came back home after a long long time. Well, not home, it used to be his home.

He made a life for himself in Cali, not only that but he met Beatrice in California and whenever she was, that was home for him. Sappy but very true.

He watches Beatrice come back inside cursing quietly, muttering it was a terrible idea to step out on a balcony wearing only wool socks and nothing else, shutting the doors behind herself quickly. When she turned towards him, her cheeks and nose were red, but not as usually would, “Feelings on the balcony?”

“It’s amazing, I’m sure it’ll be better in the morning.” she laughs, rubbing her cheeks with her gloved hands to warm them up “This place is really nice, Brad. I’ve never been in something like this before.” her voice is brimming with wonder, looking around the room and then moving to the ensuite bathroom to check the inside as well, “Oh and we got a bathtub too!”

Bradley sits back on the bed, then falls backwards closing his eyes as he feels the drowsiness and jetlag finally catch up to him after a while. He interlaces his fingers on top of his stomach, breathing in slowly and not hearing when Beatrice comes back, but he does feel her presence in front of him. He smiles with his eyes closed, then opens his arms, ‘C’mere.” she chuckles softly, climbing on his lap to sit right on top of his crotch while his hands landed on her thighs.

“You okay?” she asks and he feels her hand touching the side of his face.

Was he? He was. Sort of. He was always some type of way whenever he visited his mother and his father, the melancholy was to be expected. He lost them both…quite young, his father as a boy and his mother as a young adult barely aware of what he should do next. He inhales deeply, his chest expanding then relaxing when he breathes out, “I haven’t been able to visit them in a while.” he says quietly, “I’ll be fine.”

Beatrice furrowed her eyebrows, cupping his face with both hands as she leaned forward, her elbows touching his pecs and she gently rubbed his cheekbones with her thumbs. “...You will,” she smiles, still petting his face with her fingers, “Thank you for inviting me to come with you. It really…it’s really nice.”

Her hesitation in finishing her phrase made him blink up at her, seeing how her eyes avoided his for a couple seconds. If he knew Beatrice, which at this time he did, she was asking herself if she was worthy of being there or if she wasn’t going to be a bother to him, or do something wrong once they visited his mother’s grave. “I wouldn’t want anyone else with me,” he mutters honestly, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, the same hand cupping her cheek, “I mean it.”

He knew from her eyes that she was relieved to hear it, that she knew he’d say that but she was still happy to hear him say it outloud. Beatrice smiles, leaning against his touch with her own eyes closing, “Thank you.” She says again, turning her head to kiss his palm and then push herself to a sitting position until she is no longer on his lap, “I think I might take a shower and change.”

“Yeah,” he grunts, pushing himself up with his elbows, “I’ll go check some stuff downstairs and will do the same.” He stands up, towering over her by more than a few inches and leaning down to kiss her forehead, “I’ll be right back.” Beatrice nods and he turns on his heel, walking down the steps back to the first floor where Jolene had just nestled herself on the couch, right on top one of the thick blankets with her sock monkey in tow.

He flips the blanket that’s draped on the couch’s backrest and covers the pitbull’s back, smiling when the dog just huffs happily in her sleep. He approaches the large windows, seeing that it’s not snowing, it’s just very windy and is silently thankful at how warm this place is. He moves to the little menu close to the wall, using the same card to lock the entire cabin - including the windows - making a mental note to himself that maybe he should get that when he and Bea move in together, it’d be definitely helpful especially if either of them are alone in the house.

The porch light on the outside turns on, but the windows darken to hide inside of the cabin. He doesn’t know how that works but he’s very impressive. He knows why it’s there, to prevent animals from getting close or worse, people from getting close. Just because this was a fenced area, it doesn’t mean the crazy folk he had seen and heard from before wouldn’t snoop around.

Bradley rubs his eyes with both hands, turning the fireplace off since he wasn’t sure either of them would enjoy it that night. They were both too tired to do anything really. He hears the shower running upstairs, smiling to himself knowing Beatrice was already there, running a hand through his hair after he turns the lights on the lower floors off as well, only leaving the ones on the wall’s baseboards alight. It was just so he would trip on himself on the way down in the morning, really.

He walks back upstairs, trying to hold back a yawn without success, feeling that he wouldn’t be awake for much longer and he had to shower just as Beatrice was. He leans down to rummage through his luggage, pulling out his loyal gray sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt that he really only wore when coming to Virginia, before he makes his way into the bathroom.

Beatrice is pulling her pajama pants up her legs, the pattern on those were of tiny aliens floating in space on a dark blue background. She looks over her shoulder towards him, who now pulled his shirt off his upper body and messed up his hair in the process of doing that, “The water is great, it has those fancy shower heads with different speeds.” she explains, buttoning her pj top closed. Rooster was trying hard to keep himself awake, the best he could, but the hard blinking was a clear tell he wouldn’t be able to keep that up for too long.

Beatrice steps closer to him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss the curve of his jawline, “I’ll be outside, okay?” he turns to meet her lips in a small kiss, smiling down at her in thanks, muttering he wouldn’t take long. Bea gives him privacy, knowing that maybe there was more than just the tiredness in his system, slipping under the thick covers of the large bed with a quiet ‘oooh’ when she feels how warm it is.

Oh she likes this a lot.

She brings the covers to her nose, shimmying herself on the mattress with a happy sigh, every part of her body was heating up pleasantly. Honestly she could enjoy something like this, but Cali wasn’t cold enough that they’d need heated up mattresses like this. However the bed itself was like laying on a cloud, it was so soft and the pillows were so good to lie your head against.

She looks to the side table, seeing the deer themed lamp and a pile of books left there in case the guests wanted to read. So as she waited for Rooster, she grabbed one to pass the time, turning to see the cover “Relationship in the Woods.” she frowns, seeing it was one of those romance books where the guy was extremely muscular and the woman was barely dressed, both of them standing against a stock photo of a random spot in the woods, “Interesting.”

She placed it back to see the other one, this one said something about the wildlife around the area, flipping through the pages until she found something interesting, anything was better than that excuse of a romance book. She ended up getting so interested in reading it she didn’t see Rooster walking out, a bit more awake than before because of the warm shower, and in turn he stood there watching her.

The scene of Beatrice reading a book on a large bed brought up images of that happening daily, in their own house and him just admiring her eyes reading every single line from a distance. God, he hoped they could deal with the whole moving in aspect soon, because the more he looked at her, the more he desired it to happen quicker.

Bradley walked around the bed, then crawled on the mattress which made his girlfriend finally look at him, “Did you notice,” she begins, “How black bears look like they want to ask you a question but are scared to?” she proceeds to turn the book towards him where the face of a black bear looks a lot sadder than it normally was.

Rooster chuckles softly, sliding under the covers to keep himself warm, “I never noticed that, they really do.” he smiles, supporting his back on the bed’s headboard, “I’ve seen a cub once, when I was a kid.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,I was a boy scout, remember?”

“...for two months.”

He waves his hand, ‘Either way, I saw one. I never approached it because if the cub is there, so is the mom. But it was really cute, kinda dumb, hit its head on a tree and fell on its butt.” he chuckles, sighing softly with his eyes losing a bit of its shine, “My mom was really happy when I told her.”

Beatrice lowers the book to the side table, offering him a small smile as she lies on the bed, tugging his sleeve so he does the same. When he does, he turns to face her, but his eyes aren’t looking at Beatrice, “Brad,” her soft hand cups his cheek, “Talk to me, what’s going on?” he hesitates, chewing on his lower lip as he tries to explain what he’s really feeling.

What is he feeling?

Anger?Sadness? Regret? All of those? He always felt he should’ve done more for his mom, maybe it’d keep her a few years longer with him. “...I just have a lot in my mind. Being here, visiting my mom with you means a lot to me, it does. But I just miss her, and whenever I go there and talk to her grave…I…I don’t know, it’s weird.”

“It’s not weird,” she soothes him, “You are grieving and you miss her, it’s not weird at all…you know, I only visited my nonna’s grave a few times,” his eyes turn to her face when she explains, “Not because��I didn’t love her, but I just couldn’t see that and remember yet again she’s not around. I miss her a lot, Brad. She was my best friend, the liveliest, funniest woman, bravest too but then she was gone and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

He understood that feeling way too well, “Tell me about it.”

“What’s your favorite memory?” she asks sweetly, “With your mom? Do you have any that comes to mind?”

Bradley pauses, staring at her then turning to lie on his back to look at the wooden beams that supported the ceiling over their heads. He thinks on it, furrowing his eyebrows and not being able to stop the smile on his face, ‘There are several.” he murmurs,”But there was one time after soccer practice that my mom showed up with ice cream, in the middle of fall, it was windy as fuck and I was cold, but she always said ice cream has no season.” he smiles more, remembering of the two of them sitting in her car, eating ice cream cones as the world outside seemed to tremble because of the winds, “It’s one of my favorite memories.”

“Oh,Brad, that’s lovely.”

“Then when I was fifteen, she said I needed to know how to dance.” he continues and Beatrice doesn’t stop him, “Because I was going to find someone and I needed to know how to woo them on the dance floor…God,I was stiff as a board, she said to always keep my eyes on my partner and move with my hips, not my feet.” she did agree with his mother though, after all, he was a great dancer as she recalled the wedding.

“My nonna always said the same thing,I really hated it.” Beatrice comments with a giggle, lying on her back to mirror his position, “We’d always dance in her kitchen. Did your mom have a favorite song?”

He smiles even more, “She did, she really liked Elvis. So…any Elvis song was her favorite.”

“My nonna liked Elvis too, Can’t Help Falling in Love was her all time favorite.”

He faces her when she mentions the song, his anxiety and melancholy dissipating as he sees Beatrice dancing along to Elvis wearing one of her many fairy dresses and just having the time of her life. She had some sort of soothing power for him, it was the only way he could describe the things she did and how she calmed him down. “I like that song too.” he says, “I didn’t know you liked Elvis.”

“I like a lot of songs, Roos,” Bea smiles, giving him a half shrug, “I’m very eclectic when it comes to music.” she sees his eyes fighting to stay open and her own body is begging for a break, “We should sleep now.”

“Mm.” was his only answer, lying on his side and Beatrice did the same, feeling his chest touch her back and one of his hands slide down to the curve of her bottom, as always. She sighed softly,rubbing his arm gently, saying without words he was safe with her and shouldn’t worry about voicing his own feelings. “Thank you.” he then said, in a quiet, sleepy voice that soon turned into even breathing.

Beatrice feels her own eyes slipping shut, “You are welcome.” she says back, even if he can’t hear it, snuggling deeper into the pillow with her hand now interlaced with his, bringing it to her chest.

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader

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alpinefitco · 1 year

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How To Layer for Running and Hiking in Spring Weather

Spring is upon us, as they say, and it’s time to shift gears. Up here in Alaska the temperatures transition above freezing and we wait for ‘breakup’ when certain rivers and lakes will start to lose their ice. It’s a season of pairing down, but not too much. Arctic winds can still freeze fingers and a snowstorm in April is not unheard of. I often start a little cold but finish a little warm and sweaty, nailing the layers is difficult. But hey, at least we’re running in the daylight now…

Headwear

A thin hat is all you need and I am usually in a headband. Depending on your mood and comfort level with the temperature outside, a lined headband (fleece or merino) can be perfect. Later in spring, an unlined headband or nothing at all. If you hike or run with a backpack, these are easy to throw in the bottom or a chest pocket for use as needed. I’ll also wrap it around my wrist if I don't have a backpack. The morning darkness after daylight savings necessitates a headlight if running early in the morning but this quickly wanes.

Handwear

No more thick gloves for me. In our collection of gear at home we have some awesome La Sportiva gloves that have a mitten conversion. On a one-hour run, I’ll often start with mittens, transition to gloves after 20 minutes, and finish the last third with the gloves in my pocket. Recently I discovered WhitePaws RunMitts, a handy thumbless running mitten that flips open and can slide up your forearms as cuffs when not needed. Lately, these are my go-to for Spring runs. One-size-fits-all gloves are an easy option but are a bit thick and sweaty and do not pack well.

Tops

At around 30 degrees Fahrenheit there are 2 options that work well. One, a long sleeve with a vest or t-shirt over top or a long sleeve under a windbreaker. I recommend the latter if there is any wind from the North. Temperatures above this are comfortable in just your long sleeve, and below this keep the windbreaker. Lined jackets are rarely necessary and are a guaranteed sweat-fest; don’t rely on the breathability of your soft-shell, it isn’t enough. Conversely, a backpack is often enough to count as a second layer. Best to get comfortable starting just a little cold while anticipating delayering as core temperature increases.

Bottoms

I’ll run in shorts in anything nearing 40F+ in the interest of staying cool. With colder temps I’ll wear either running tights, bushwhacking leggings, or thin cross-country ski pants. I do have a pair of longer shorts that cover more of the thigh that I enjoy before using my ‘fast’ side-slit shorts. Cold air will certainly cause cramping of the large muscles of the thigh if you are not careful. You can also pair shorts with tall socks for transition temps.

Footwear

This is trail dependent, and sometimes I’ll bring several options in the car, just in case conditions require adjustment. Warmth is rarely an issue so regular socks are fine. Shoe options include regular (running or hiking) shoes, studded shoes, or a combination with micro-spikes. If available, regular shoes should have big lugs to navigate snow or mud. The melt-freeze cycle on local well-used trails can often require studs if not spikes, depending on the ground cover. Early season on my local trails is often well-suited to micro-spikes. They can also be stored in a backpack just in case but be warned they tend to be heavy and bounce around a bit.

For unexpectedly cold days see also our Winter Layering blog

Gear Checklist:

Alpine Fit lightweight Merino Wool Hat

Alpine Fit Merino Wool Lined Headband

Alpine Fit unlined headband

La Sportiva gloves (with mitten conversion)

WhitePaws RunMitts

Alpine Fit long sleeve top (Rendezvous Ridge or Treeline)

Light and packable Windbreaker

Running tights

Alpine Fit Bushwhacking Leggings

Cross Country Ski Pants

Trail running shoes with big lugs/deep tread

Icebug studded trail running shoes

Kahtoola Micro Spikes

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etenvs3000w23 · 1 year

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Unit 1: Describe your current relationship with nature. How has this developed/evolved? Who offered you “a sense of place,” as described in our textbook?

The first instinct I had when answering the question, ‘what is my current relationship with nature?’ was to say that it had to be pretty good. After all, I am a zoology student, working towards a certificate of environmental conservation, and taking a course on nature interpretation, of course I have a good relationship with nature. But the truth is, my relationship with nature has always been fairly lackluster.

Like most of the population of Canada, despite living in a country revered for its thousands of acres of untouched land, I grew up in a city. My city was not so much a cement jungle, but it was still a place in which biodiversity was at an all-time low and where any wildlife was controlled in a manner that left very little ‘natural beauty’ to be experienced. I grew up distant from what would be considered the natural world, with my summers mostly spent indoors watching wildlife documentaries rather than going outside exploring. Any natural place I came across in my day-to-day life was mainly found within the small woodlots of my city tightly packed next to plastic jungle gyms. So rare were these woodlots that I treated them all like they were some deep unknown forest I read about in storybooks, despite being able to see my neighbors' fences on either side of the tree lines. The common rabbit was as exotic to me as a red fox and I still maintain great excitement for seeing both to this day despite knowing they are hardly the rarest of creatures in our great nation.

By the time I was old enough to begin to care for nature in a truly meaningful way, it had become all but a foreign concept to me. Our family cottages had been sold off before I had turned ten, and despite my best efforts we had stopped camping as everyone in my family except for me had lost a passion for spending thousands of dollars to sleep in a tent for three days (I was the only one who enjoyed hiking or kayaking). As such, I never learned to fully be immersed in nature as so many do, or have what the textbook calls a ‘peak experience’. Despite this lack of peak experience, I have still maintained my appreciation of nature from afar, learning of its beauty and wonder and desperately wanting to be a part of it. This was one of the many reasons I became a Zoology student.

During my university career, I have consistently applied for expedition trips to the arctic (although I have yet to be accepted with a full scholarship), considered spending my money on course trips to Ecuador and South Africa, and also debated attending trips to Algonquin Park and other natural areas through the University of Guelph’s outdoor and wildlife club, although my busy work schedule never allowed it. However, I haven’t been completely unsuccessful, as about a year and a half ago I was successfully selected as an Undergraduate Summer Student Research Assistant in Dr. Alex Smith’s lab. This position involved daily fieldwork in the local campus woodlot, the Dairy Bush, a natural area where I finally felt I had a Sense of Place. While working there, I found that it was not the space itself that gave me a ‘Sense of Place’ but instead the people who interpreted it for me, Dr. Alex Smith and his PhD student Alexandre. Working with these two scientists showed me how narrow-minded my view of nature really was, and how many urban spaces can be just as wild and unfamiliar to us as the deepest parts of Algonquin Park. Throughout the summer we noticed changes in the local environment’s abiotic and biotic factors and shared observations and theories with one another as to why and how these processes occurred. As I was working in an insect lab, another part of this position involved looking closely at the small world below me. In doing this I discovered that an area I initially believed to be low in biodiversity was actually teeming with life as I have seen hundreds of unique insect and plant species in just the last year alone.

In finding this Sense of Place I was able to discover that nature can be found anywhere, even in small natural areas within cement cities. Although it may not be as glamorous or awe-striking as other natural locations, knowing how to find the wonder in the small beauties has greatly improved my relationship with nature, a relationship I hope to continue to nurture and improve in the future.

#guelph #nature #my interpretation #wildlife #insects #sense of place

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youngods · 2 years

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get-to-know-me tag game, ty @welcome-to-ikea

rules: tag people you want to know better

favorite time of year: summer, because the nights are always nice and it means i can go outside and make bonfires and look at the stars. i'm a big fan of hiking, camping, and outdoor water sports, and it's a good season for all three.

comfort food: tteokbokki or ramen are two big ones for me, i buy packs of them in bulk and will make it anytime i need a break. gnocchi and sweetwater noodles are also on the list, and any good streetfood.

do you collect something: cringe B) (pens and sketchbooks mostly, and bullet journal stickers. even if i don't use it much, the supplies are so pretty.)

favorite drink: (fresh) mint lemonade or iced coffee

favorite song: wilson (expensive mistakes) by fall out boy or paradise by medusa. the first is mostly nostalgia for me and the second i have some of my favorite memories attached to.

current favorite song: i’m listing a few here because i couldn’t decide:

ashes by new beat fund

too late by the happy fits

fluorescent adolescent by arctic monkeys

peanut butter jelly by galantis

push by matchbox twenty

favorite fic: this engiespy fic that @presidentbungus wrote go read it go read it read all of their works they're an amazing writer

tags: @a-thousand-wasps-in-a-trenchcoat and uhhhhhhh remind me to do this as i go

#tag game #youngod thoughts

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kanika-vargrhugr · 3 years

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💙🚫💚🗣💤🧝‍♀️🏔 ✨(sorry if this is a lot) -draconicarsonist

💙: What is your favorite shift you get? Why?

I have had one, maybe two, dream shifts in my whole life. It is hands down the most rare kind of shift I have, and I really wish I had them more because they are so fun! They're probably my favorite because scarcity makes them feel so valuable and exciting - not to mention they're my only chance to 100% feel like in a wolf physically as well. As far as my favorite of the ones I have more than once in a blue moon, I really enjoy the happy, calm, mental shifts I get when I feel like a cozy, content wolf in my den. I usually get those when I'm safe and warm in a tent during the rain, or I've just had a good meal and get to lay on the floor and cuddle with my dogs, stuff like that.

🚫 : what is your least favorite shift? Why?

Sometimes I get these really freaked out dysphoric mental shifts where I feel totally like a wolf but I am so confused and stressed by all of the human things around me that even just seeing the woods or watching a video of a physical wolf can bring me near to tears. In those moments I don't know how I'm ever going to live a full life as a human.

💚: Whats your favorite thing about your kintype?

I love how opportunistic and adaptable we are. I may specifically be an interior Alaskan wolf, but us wolves in general are able to live all over the world almost, from frigid arctic to desert plains, where ever we end up, we figure out how to make it work. Thinking about that is what keeps me going sometimes. If we can make it in so many different habitats so much more harsh than the one I'm in, then I can make it as a human.

🗣: already answered, check previous posts

💤 : Do you get kin dreams?

I've had one or two, they're pretty rare for me. I wish I had them more. For a while I tried to get the hang of lucid dreaming so that I could turn into a wolf and have some wolfy fun in my dreams when I wanted, but it wasn't working out for me. I might try again sometime though.

🧝‍♀️: Do you have any gear? If so, what items do you have and do you like to wear them?

I do have some gear! I've got fangs, a tail, tons of wolf shirts, necklaces, hoof boots, and some other stuff I can't think of off the top of my head. I wear the shirts, hoodies, and necklaces all the time, but the fangs, tail, and boots are pretty much only for special occasions.

🏔: What makes you feel closer to your kintype?

Really just any kind of break from having to act human. When I get the time to relax and be myself, I feel more animalistic. I usually find myself spending that time exploring the outdoors, enjoying time with friends (wolves are social animals after all), and generally being more active. As far as little day to day things I do to feel more like myself - I listen to forest noises through my headphones, wear forest scented cologne, dress in a wolfish way, pack jerky and blueberries as snacks, and try and go on a short hike or bike ride whenever I can. In general I would say I live my animality pretty well, so there isn't too much I do to really "connect". I know that I am a wolf in everything that I do, its in my walk, my talk, my every move and choice, and thats comforting to me.

✨: already answered, see previous posts

#Kanika howls #ask answered

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ampleappleamble · 3 years

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There was 'too strange to be true,' and then there was 'too strange not to be true.'

The former was usually easy enough to determine, at least for a woman of Sagani's age and experience: she'd be a piss-poor mother, hunter, and leader were she to give credence to every tall tale a guilty child or unscrupulous trader told her. But sometimes a situation was just unusual enough, skirted that line between plausibility and absurdity just so, that Sagani found herself well and truly baffled. Like now, with these kith.

They'd seemed like a regular bunch of adventurers at first glance, although a motley one. They'd been chatting amiably amongst themselves when they'd noticed her, and if she hadn't heard them talking about a carved bear-- and if Itumaak hadn't nudged her hip and whined, pointed eagerly at the strangers with his whole body-- she probably would have ignored them entirely and let them disappear down the road, over the horizon.

Leaving her alone. Again. And still at square one.

So she had cast her line, and had been completely knocked off guard at the response she'd gotten. She had been expecting the folk man-- the big blonde with the country drawl-- to do what Dyrwoodan men tended to do, and bloviate at her until he lost interest and herded his mismatched crew off to their next thrilling adventure. But instead, he had crouched down to regard Itumaak with childlike delight while, to Sagani's mild surprise, the redheaded orlan had stepped forward and taken the conversational lead.

What with all the bigotry against orlans she'd heard tell of since arriving in the Dyrwood (and the handful of incidents she'd witnessed firsthand), Sagani hadn't anticipated the leader of this little pack to be one-- and a woman at that, although her foreign accent cleared up some of the confusion. Listening to her bold, clear, confident voice, Sagani had been unable to stop herself cocking an eyebrow and cracking a bemused smile at this strange little encounter.

And it had only gotten stranger the more they'd conversed. While answering the orlan's questions about her hunt for Persoq, Sagani had noticed the giant aumaua behind her scribbling frantically on a sheet of vellum, his excited eyes darting between the orlan and herself. She'd also noticed the folk man ignoring the conversation entirely to focus on trying to get Itumaak's attention, as well as the elf standing alone in the back who may or may not have been talking to himself behind his grimoire. And here she'd been, expecting more slack-jawed farmhands. Gods, these people were odd.

Yes, Sagani, they're a bunch of freaks. Not like you, a middle-aged female long game hunter from an isolated village on an island in the arctic who's searching for a dead man with her snowy white fox.

Maybe that was what made her put Persoq's bear in the other woman's hands, that guilt at thinking her and her companions odd when Sagani had such an unusual story herself. And at least these people were actually friendly, for once. She still hadn't decided whether they were necessarily trustworthy or not, but she could fairly confidently tell that they weren't about to pull some kind of shit. Body language was too relaxed, atmosphere was all wrong for violence or trickery. Hel, this girl wasn't even asking for coin. So why not let her have a go at it?

And now, watching the little woman sway on her feet and stare like a sleepwalker, Sagani was starting to wonder if she had made the right decision after all. She wasn't normally an easy woman to rattle, but something about the orlan had changed, something behind her eyes, and it lent her an eerie, uncanny quality that made Sagani's skin crawl.

"What's going on?" she blurted, hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. "What's happening to her?" Itumaak finally snapped at the annoying folk man, curling his lip and snarling, and the big blonde backed off as the fox leaned into Sagani's side.

"Oh, uh, yeah," the man stammered, "prolly shoulda warned you about that. She gets like that when she's doin' her Watchin', or whatch' call it." He dug his thumb into an itchy spot between his eyebrows, side-eyed Itumaak. "...Your fox bite?"

"Yes," she muttered, eyes still fixed on the orlan woman, on Persoq's bear.

"Can I pet him anyway?" The man's blue-green eyes shone with sincerity.

"Worry not, madam! She'll come out of it soon enough," the aumaua interjected, tucking his writing tools away in his satchel before peering intently at the adra carving in the orlan's hands. "At least, she seemed to come out of it rather quickly when she spoke to the spirits in Caed Nua. This might be an entirely different experience, as far as I'm aware." He chuckled and gently waved his gigantic hand in the redhead's face, and she stared through him, completely unresponsive. "Fascinating, isn't it? I wonder what she sees..."

Sagani glanced up at the huge man, careful to keep the orlan and Persoq's bear in her peripheral vision. "You're telling me you all came from Caed Nua? That old keep west of here? I was told that place was nothing but a wraith-infested death trap." She felt her heart drop, just a little. Yeah. I thought these folks might be too strange to be true.

"Sure's Hel was," the folk man grumbled, his tone suggesting he knew from experience. "'Course, that was before we showed up."

The little huntress narrowed her eyes at him. "Care to explain exactly what you mean by that?"

The shy elf finally spoke up, cringing with embarrassment as he drew near. "Er-- begging your pardon, madam; what my cohort meant to say is-- Well, come to think of it, actually, perhaps introductions are in order--"

"Cliffs," the orlan gasped, and Sagani's focus was back on her in an instant, Itumaak yipping softly with surprise. To her credit, everyone else jumped too, startled by the little woman's sudden return to consciousness. But still, she couldn't afford surprises like that, especially when it came to Persoq's bear. Never again. Beast's Hooves, woman, never take your eye off your quarry...!

The orlan shook her head and blinked, finally seeming to come out of her reverie. "By the sea, I think," she continued, trembling slightly as she placed the adra carving back into Sagani's waiting hands. "Pretty high up, but that salty spray still reached my face."

Sagani's gaze flicked rapidly between the green-purple lump in her hands and the woman in front of her. "...What? I-- what just-- what did you do?" That was nothing like the last "Watcher" she'd dealt with, and she knew he was full of shit. But it didn't necessarily mean this girl was on the level, either...

"I... watched, I suppose. Well, not just watching. It was more like... being inside someone else's head, feeling what they feel as well as seeing what they see." The redhead rubbed her eyes, smiled wearily at Sagani. Reminded her of her oldest child after a prematurely terminated nap. "In this case, I was inside Persoq's head, or his reincarnation's, anyway. Damned disorienting, I have to admit. And it tends to make me look a bit foolish at times."

"Right. I'll bet." Too strange not to be true? ...Maybe. Maybe not. The ranger stuffed the carving back into her pack, not quite ready to admit defeat yet. "Y'know, after my story about that charlatan Watcher, I'd have thought a 'real' Watcher like you would have more to say about the experience than that."

"A woman after my own heart!" The aumaua butted in again, looming up behind the little orlan like a sunrise. "I'd love to hear more myself. She only ever gives us the barest hints of what she sees, what the spirits tell her! ...Although," he added sheepishly, "I understand sometimes the scenes that play out before her are... not exactly easy to talk about."

"Yes, Caed Nua and the Endless Paths are not exactly places with happy pasts, Kana," the elf reminded the aumaua gently but firmly before turning to Sagani. "I know we must seem... an unusual bunch, madam, and you've no reason whatsoever to trust us. And we were each just as skeptical when we met her, and just as shocked as you the first time we saw her peer into the aether. But she has proven multiple times over to each of us that, ultimately, she is telling the truth: she is a Watcher."

Gods, they're persistent! If they're liars, at least it seems they've got their story straight. "You realize I don't even have any coin to offer you for... for whatever that was." She knew how dangerous this could turn out to be, but she could feel herself wanting to believe them, wanting her long, difficult search to finally yield a solid lead...

The little woman shrugged, unconcerned, and turned to the road in front of Sagani, shouldering her pack once more. "Didn't ask for any coin," she stated simply. "Although, if you've a tent, we'd trade you for it. Someone ruined ours."

The folk man tore his attention away from Itumaak's fluffy, rapidly swishing tail to regard the orlan with indignation. "Hey, c'mon, Axa, I said it was an accident--"

And as if on cue, he was silenced by a crack of thunder. All of a sudden, the humidity and the smell of ozone was overpowering, and the gathered kith all turned their faces to the heavens.

The first drop of rain hit Itumaak on the nose, and he sneezed.

"Welp," the big blonde sighed, "Sun was settin' anyway. Guess I'll get started on a lean-to for us." He trudged off into the nearby brush, and as the others followed behind him, the aumaua and the elf gave Sagani polite, awkward little smiles. The orlan woman-- Axa, as Sagani knew her now-- watched them go and then turned to her, raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question. The rain was starting to come down in earnest now.

Oh, come on already--

"I... There's... a little rock outcropping about 15 minutes' hike southeast. Should fit five and a fire 'neath it." Sagani reached down and scratched Itumaak behind the ears, and he pressed himself into her strong, steady hand. His reassurance comforted her, and she smiled. "And a fox, of course."

Axa smiled back at the dwarf, her cohorts turning back toward the two women. "Well! I never thought I'd say that that sounds more appealing than my current projected sleeping arrangements, but here we are. You'll lead the way, I trust?"

Just remember, Sagani: if you wake up tomorrow and Persoq's bear is gone again, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

The huntress shook her head and chuckled. "Sure will. Follow me."

---

#pillars of eternity #poe anthem infinitum #chapter 9 is coming s l o w l y #but surely!

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jdu662 · 3 years

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10 songs that bring back memories of my travels: Jo Frost's playlist

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of family holidays to Greece. These days Zorba’s Dance is undeniably a bit of a cliche, but when I hear that slow bouzouki intro, I’m reminded of my dad, who would put this LP on after drunken dinners and start dancing the sirtaki. I watched Zorba the Greek for the first time during lockdown last year when I came across it in my dad’s DVD collection. I was surprised by how much it affected me, making me pine for Greece – and for my dad, who I realise looked remarkably like Zorba (played by Anthony Quinn).

Vuoi Vuoi Me by Mari Boine

Womad has been the source of so many of my musical introductions: it was there, in 2007, that I first saw Mari Boine – the unofficial ambassador of Sámi music – perform live. It started a fascination with Sámi culture and joik, the distinctive guttural song style of the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia. Several years later I was invited to Kautokeino, way up past the Arctic Circle near Boine’s home of Karasjok, for the Sámi Easter festival. It felt like a crash course in all things to do with joik and reindeer, but it also gave me an invaluable insight into Sámi history and the people’s relationship with those who colonised their land. These days the Sámi have their own parliament, flag and national day (6 February).

That’s It! by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Like many others, I saw most of my travel plans scuppered last year, including a road trip from Nashville to New Orleans to coincide with the New Orleans jazz fest. The impetus for the trip had largely come about while binge-watching the HBO series Treme. We’d compiled a playlist for our journey through Tennessee and Louisiana, but when it became clear that our dream of visiting venues such as Preservation Hall in New Orleans wasn’t going to happen, we’d play it at home. This track by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band always lifts my spirits, gets me dancing and makes me dead set on rebooking our trip as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Bitori Nha Bibinha by Bitori

The most internationally celebrated artist from Cape Verde is the late Cesária Évora, the doyenne of morna music, steeped in saudade (nostalgia or longing). I could have picked any number of Cesária songs, but when I visited Santiago – largest of the Cape Verde islands – it was funaná that became the soundtrack of my trip, blaring out of the packed alugueres (minibus taxis), market stalls and bars. Funaná was banned by the Portuguese up until 1975 as they feared the songs in Creole were subversive and its frenetic dance rhythms immoral. Septuagenarian accordion player Victor Tavares, AKA Bitori, is the genre’s unlikely star, largely thanks to singer Chando Graciosa who persuaded him to record this in 1997, and to Samy Ben Redjeb of Analog Africa, who rereleased it in 2016.

Train Song by Sakar Khan

One of the most atmospheric festival locations I’ve visited is the Mehrangarh Fort, home of Riff – the Rajasthan International Folk Festival, held each October during the harvest moon in Jodhpur. This colossal red sandstone edifice reverberates with the sound of Rajasthani folk musicians such as Manganiyar legends Lakha Khan and the late Sakar Khan, masters of traditional bowed, stringed instruments the sindhi sarangi and the kamayacha. Riff is a full-on immersive experience and to do it justice, a certain level of stamina is required as concerts start at dawn, carry on through the heat of the day, then continue long into the night. Whenever I hear the rasping sounds of these ancient instruments, I’m instantly transported back to Jodhpur.

St Thomas by Sonny Rollins

One of the benefits of studying French and German (in those happy EU days) was being able to spend a year as an English language assistant in a school in Vienne, just south of Lyon. After my stint teaching, I volunteered at Jazz à Vienne, a wonderful two-week jazz festival held in the town’s Roman amphitheatre. I returned every summer during the early 1990s, making lifelong friends and getting a crash course in jazz in the process. Over the years I saw incredible artists, including Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and Sonny Rollins, who remains one of my favourite sax players. The experience became the foundation for my love of music from around the world and my work today.

The Plateau by Jenny Sturgeon

I’ve always found comfort in walking, and last year it took on even greater importance. So between lockdowns, my partner and I headed up to the Cairngorms to do some hiking. Just before our trip I received Jenny Sturgeon’s musical tribute to Nan Shepherd’s book about the Cairngorms, The Living Mountain. Every hike we embarked on would reveal different landscapes – and every type of weather imaginable. Back in London, listening to Jenny’s album brings back memories of those mountains, especially hearing the bird song on this opening track, as Jenny sings: “Step on step, foot by foot, we walk that’s how we know, through the heather and the mud, the plateau ringing through our blood.”

Count Your Blessings by the Como Mamas

One of my European festival highlights in recent years was FMM Sines, held on Portugal’s wild and relatively untouristy Alentejo coast, in the towns of Porto Covo and Sines. A really relaxed, friendly vibe permeated the opening weekend in the seaside resort of Porto Covo, where a mixture audience of locals and travellers congregated in the main square. The Como Mamas, from Mississippi, were unknown to me, but turned out to be a revelation. As the three singers took to the stage, the atmosphere transformed into something resembling a devoted congregation at a gospel gathering. Since then, Count Your Blessings has become a mantra, particularly last year.

Pothole in the Sky by Lisa O’Neill

One of the things I sorely miss during these socially distanced times is those random conversations you strike up with complete strangers over a pint. There’s nowhere better to do this than in Dublin, especially in one of the city’s many music pubs, such as The Cobblestone or O’Donoghue’s. I haven’t been lucky enough to see the Irish singer Lisa O’Neill at a session, although she was apparently a regular in pre-Covid times. The combination of chat, beer and music is perfect and I can’t wait to revisit.

La Grande Folie by San Salvador

Most of the travelling I do as editor of Songlines is to festivals around the world, and one of the things I most enjoy about them is the communal listening experience. There’s something visceral about hearing music being performed live with other people around you. For me, San Salvador perfectly encapsulate this feeling. A sextet from Saint-Salvadour in south-west France, they sing in Occitan. There’s a real physicality to their music and something incredibly powerful about the combination of voice and percussion. They always finish their sets with La Grande Folie – a song that resonates with these crazy times.

• San Salvador are due to perform at Songlines Encounters Festival at Kings Place in May (Covid permitting)

#songs

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nataliedanovelist · 4 years

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GF + OH - Fallen Owls pt.1

Summary: What happens when the milf of The Owl House meets the dilf of Gravity Falls? Find out in this multi-chapter crossover fic.

pt.2

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Episode Placement:

GF = after finale (S3?) OH = between S1E5 and E6 It was late, passed the gremlins’ bedtime, but it was summer, meaning the term “bedtime” had very little meaning unless Stan was tired and needed to make the kids quiet. But as of right now he was content sitting in his old armchair, boxers and undershirt and slippers and all, munching on popcorn with his family, sitting around telling stories. Stan and his twin brother, Ford, had just finished telling Dipper and Mabel more about the sirens they had faced a few months ago. While sailing around the world was a dream come true, it was nice to take a break to spend the summer with the niblings.

Dipper, having just heard how Stan had been charmed by the sirens’ song, chuckled and asked, “So, did you ever have any luck finding ‘babes’?” Stan rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. “Nah, but there’s always next year.” “Yeah, don’t worry about it, Grunkle Stan.” Mabel said as she popped some popcorn into her mouth. “You’ll find some pretty girl that is everything you deserve!” Stan, turning red, waved the subject away. “Thanks, sweetie, but it’s fine.” Ford, sitting on the dino-skull, elbowed him lightly and teased, “He’s still heartbroken over Carla McCorckle.” Mabel blew a raspberry. “If I ever find her I’m gonna give her a left-hook and break her nose!” Stan laughed and ruffled her hair. “That’s not necessary, kid. I’m over her.” “And it only took you forty years.” Ford added, earning him a punch on the shoulder. “I’ll have you know I’ve been with plenty of gals after Carla!” Stan quipped. “Heck, I was married once when I was traveling the country!” “Wait, what?!” The whole room gasped at the same time. Ford blinked like a confused owl. “I… I didn’t know that.” “Me, neither.” Mabel said and leaned on Stan’s knee. Dipper, meanwhile, was silent, a memory coming to mind. “Truth is I’ve been divorced once and slapped more times than I can remember.” “What happened? GASP! Do I have a secret Graunty you never told me about?!” Stan barked a laugh. “Hah! No, sorry pumpkin. I was actually married for less than a day. Vegan situation. We reached for the same slot machine handle and it was love at first sight. Marilyn. Had hair like a airline stordis and a neon pink shirt that said ‘Over thirty and very flirty’. Man I was, I was putty in her hands.” Stan said lightly, recalling the most romantic evening he ever had. “You should’ve seen the way she threw dice. One time right at my head. Turns out she only married me to distract me while she stole my car and my winnings. I guess her name was fake and, hair was fake. But ya know, the love was real.” Stan added with a casual shrug. “She was really the one that got away. Like, literally, it was a proper get away. She was chased by cop cars for a mile out of Vegas before ducking out of a door and into a canyon and making off with my loot. Sometimes I still think of her.” The old conman admitted. “That pale bingo hall skin. That one weirdly sharp tooth.” Stan’s face dropped at the sight of his family and he quickly said, “Sorry, I’m getting nostalgic.” “More like love-sick.” Dipper teased. “AW!” Mabel squealed. “That’s so sweet! Maybe you’ll find her one day!” Stan laughed and shook his head. “I doubt it, sweetie, but hey. Who needs stealing babes when I’ve got you three, right?” Mabel yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Ford chuckled and stood up, popping his back. “I think you two should head to bed. It’s getting late and we’re going camping tomorrow, remember?” Mabel gasped happily and stood. “You’re right!” She hugged both her uncles and wished them goodnight and then walked with her brother up the stairs for the attic, then Ford left to go finish packing, leaving Stan alone. He leaned on his knuckles, elbow on his armchair, and he remembered Marilyn. ~~~~~~~~~~ Mabel was grinning from ear to ear as she skipped ahead on the trail in the woods. “Finally, a real family camping trip!” Grunkle Ford, Dipper, and Grunkle Stan were right behind her, the Pines family heading back to the Mystery Shack after a fun night sleeping under the stars around a campfire. They were all smiling and happy to be reunited for the summer. While some things drastically changed and some things hardly changed at all, the Pines in appearance changed a little since Dipper and Mabel and turned thirteen. Mabel had always been nothing but smiles in the past, but if it was even possible she grinned even more now, proud to show off her braces-free white teeth. She still sported amazing sweaters with colorful headbands and skirts, today wearing a brown skirt and a yellow headband with a light-brown sweater with an owl on it, claiming she wanted to match the woods and her Grunkle Ford; he only proved her point when he blushed. Dipper and Wendy switched hats again when they saw each other when the twins came off the bus, but over his orange t-shirt he wore a green flannel unbuttoned and he matched it with blue jeans. No longer out in the freezing Arctic, Stan left behind his long coat, but he kept his white t-shirt, dark pants, red beanie, and water-proof boots for the hiking trip. Ford, the easily cold twin, still wore red turtleneck and dark pants and boots, but his smile was much more genuine and the crack in his glasses was gone. Grunkle Ford patted his niece’s shoulder. “It is nice to have some quality family bonding.” “Next time I say we go fishing.” Stan injected. “Not as many creepy spider-fires or whatever.” “Scampfires.” “I still say whatever.” Dipper chuckled and continued to sketch in his pinetree journal, shading in trees of his drawing of the woods. But he was pulled from his pleasant thoughts by his great-uncle. “Seriously, kid, you’re gonna walk into a tree and then I’m gonna laugh. You need to get your head outta book and see the rest of the world.” “Grunkle Stan, how do you think people shared the world back in your day? You know, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth?” Dipper quipped. “Oh, ho! Wise guy, huh?” Stan wrapped an arm around his neck and rubbed his knuckles on the top of his head. “Alright, Poindexter Jr…” “No! No nuggies!” “Yes nuggies!” “Ford!” Dipper laughed, calling for backup. Mabel, meanwhile, was slowly being pulled away mentally from the touching scene of guys being dudes as the internet would have called it. Distracting her, a tiny brown owl with cute round eyes was hopping. Not just hopping, appearing from behind one oak tree to the neck, but hopping with a sack clamped by the beak. Mabel watched it with wide eyes, hoping for another look, and the second glance she got of it was so brief she didn’t know how much faith she should have in her eyes, but it looked like that sack had things like a Cubic Cube, a newspaper, a floppy disk, a basketball, and other items that could be classified as junk. Mabel decided not to wait for another glance at the owl and to go look at it for herself. Mabel wandered off the path animals had made and moved in between trees and bushes quietly. Her brown eyes eventually landed on the little owl and she followed it; the clattering of the owl or it’s determination to finish it’s job must have been the reason why it didn’t hear Mabel and try to hide or lose her. The young Pines lady watched, walking farther and farther away from her family, and the owl hopped behind a tree and never emerged. Mabel smiled, thinking she was about to find an owl’s nest in the tree or a stash of human things by the tree’s roots, but when she turned to look behind the tree, she gasped to find a doorway that glowed white. Mabel looked around her for anyone that might have an answer or for any clue as to why this doorway was here, but she was alone. Gravity Falls certainly was where this sort of thing might happen, but that did not guarantee that this was safe. Maybe she should have the guys look at this thing. Mabel turned around, her back to the doorway, to leave, but she saw something above her and took in a sharp breath. Stan had Dipper pinned on the grass now, both of them laughing, with Ford shaking his head and scolding lightly. “Stanley, that’s enough.” “Don’t worry, Grunkle Ford, I promise not to break such an old man.” Dipper teased as he lightly fought back, “Old man?!” Stan repeated in pretend offense. They were interrupted by a blood curdling scream that made their hearts drop. Stan immediately got off of his nephew and stared ahead, terrified. “Mabel…” And he ran for the direction he heard the scream with Ford and Dipper at his heels. Mabel pulled her grappling hook out of her hiking-backpack and tried to calm down, but it was hard to with the dangerous anomaly liking it’s chops at the sight of her. It was like a gray lizard, but ten feet long, including the tail, and only on it’s four legs it was seven feet tall. It’s eyes were red and narrow and cold, and it had long sharp claws like a dragon’s and a long snout like a crocodile. Mabel shot her grappling hook at the monster and it hit it on the snout, tossing its head back. The lizard hissed but did not back down. It advanced, getting closer to Mabel, and she wanted to back away, but she was careful not to touch the spooky doorway. Stan saw the scene first, appearing out of the corner of Mabel’s eye. “Mabel!” “Grunkle Stan, what do I do?!” She asked, her eyes glued to the giant lizard. Ford and Dipper caught up. The younger moved to jump between his sister and the monster, but Ford stopped him with a firm six-fingered hand. “No! Listen to me, Mabel. That thing is called a Stone-Reptilian. They're excellent at camouflaging into mountains and can hang onto a one-hundred-and-eighty degree wall for hours, waiting for its prey. It actually has two tongues: one for licking its eyes since it doesn't have eyelids, and one for paralyzing it’s dinner and dragging the meal into its mouth.” “So what do I do?!” Mabel begged, shaking a little at the idea of being paralyzed and then eaten alive. “Mabel, stay calm, it’s alright.” Ford soothed with a voice as soft as silk. “Stone-Reptilians have excellent eyesight, but they’re deaf. Notice how it’s isn’t reacting to us. Now, I want you to…” The Stone-Reptilian suddenly whipped out it’s long, thorn-covered tongue to paralyze Mabel, but she was too quick and leaped through the doorway to survive. As she did, it disappeared, and the Pines men were left to scream and then fight for their own lives. ~~~~~~~~~~ “Whoops, can’t have another stowaway, can I?” A voice said, and then before Mabel knew it, her way back home was gone. She observed her new surroundings. Misfit things like a refrigerator, a grandfather clock, an old mattress, and cardboard boxes full of items cluttered what looked like a big tent, judging by the cloth walls and such. Mabel smiled with wonder at the things. “Wow. What a collection.” She whispered. Her eyes landed on a small glass ballerina on top of a music box. She turned the ballerina around with a finger to catch a few music notes. Mabel smiled, but was once again distracted. “Right, let’s see here… Nope. Garbage. Garbage. Another one of these? Oh, well. Good thing the potions have been selling. I should really thank Luz for helping me take out that competitor. Or not.” Mabel covered her mouth with both hands to keep from snorting; that sounded like something her Grunkle Stan would say. Her heart sagged a little and she turned to look back at where the magical doorway once was. Despite what he might pretend, Mabel knew Stan would be really worried about her. She needed to find a way back home. She crawled on her hands and knees out from under the tent and then got up to explore. “Okay, let’s see…” Mabel looked around to find herself outside in the open air. She raised an eyebrow. “The… Crawlspace? I thought it was underground? Maybe there’s more to it! Won’t Grunkle Ford be surprised!” Mabel cheered and looked around for anything familiar, but the longer she looked, the more she realized nothing was like back in Gravity Falls. She stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking an odd city of some kind. Giant monster hands with no body stood like trees. Smoke rose from chimneys of medieval-looking houses. A small herd of cat-sized dragons flocked by the clouds. A mammoth roared like a lion and then walked into the ocean. Something resembling an orange nun was selling bags of oozing red stuff to tiny red monsters with teeth and fangs for a face. People were riding a giant caterpillar from inside its mouth and then kissing it for a toll. Mabel’s heart was racing from excitement and fear. Nothing here was familiar, but she was familiar with the unfamiliar. She grasped the straps of her backpack and took a deep breath. “Okay, Mabel, you’ve obviously discovered another rift and came to another dimension. Just remember what your grunkles taught you. Don’t touch this dimension's version of yourself or everything will explode. I just gotta live long enough for them to find me. Easy.” Her stomach suddenly growled. Mabel clenched her stomach on reflex, but then remembered her bag of marshmallows, pulled them out, and began to munch on her fluffy sugar pillows. She turned around and walked away from the tent she had left, saw she was in some sort of market, and walked down the street to explore calmly. ~~~~~~~~~~ “And remember to apply it twice a day for the best results.” Luz said friendly to a blue monster made out of goo as she handed her the small bag of dust and the customer closed the door on the human. Luz wiped her sweaty forehead with her wrist and groaned. “Man, it’s so hot today. Ready to head home, King? King?” She looked down to find that the king of demons had found the perfect spot on the porch to nap in the sunshine. Luz smiled, scratched his back, and scooped him up one-armed while her other hand carried the empty sack. “Eh?” King woke up, angry and cute. “Luz! I was having the perfect dream!” “About what?” “What could be more perfect than sleeping?!” “You were dreaming about sleeping?” Luz clarified with a confused smile. “Don’t you?” Luz snorted a laugh and walked through Bonesburrow. Compared to the rest of the Boiling Isles, the apprentice had learned that this was the quietest neck of the woods. King’s nose caught a delightful scent, but the demon was unsure if he should believe it. He sat up in Luz’s arm and smelled the air. “What is it?” Luz asked. “Hm, it’s sweet. Really sweet.” King commented and shivered. “Like, really sweet. So sweet it’ll put anyone in a sugar-induced coma.” “Well, why don’t we just go home and we can have some of Eda’s strawberry jelly instead.” Luz suggested as they turned a corner. She immediately saw the one really really weird thing in the Boiling Isles, apart from her. Another human. After being away from home for about three weeks, Luz didn’t think she would be so happy to see another human girl or see human food that wasn’t red, but here she was, eyes sparkling with happy tears over the sight. Mabel’s eye eventually landed on Luz and the two stared at each other, a good twenty feet away from each other. After a few moments, however, they both shouted, “ANOTHER HUMAN!” And ran towards each other, King clinging onto Luz’s arms in order not to fall. “Wait,” The brunette said and looked worried. “Is this your first time seeing another human here? How long have you been trapped here?!” She apparently had drawn the conclusion that there was no way out of this place. “Oh, no,” The Latino smiled and shook her head. “I’m not trapped here; I can leave whenever I want, I just choose not to.” “Oh. Cool! Hi! I’m Mabel!” “Hi, Mabel.” Luz greeted. “I’m Luz! So… how did you get here?” Mabel’s face dropped a little and she looked around. “You know, I’m not really sure. One minute I was camping with my family and the next I’m falling through a door that disappears and takes me here.” Luz giggled and shook her head. “You must have fallen through Eda’s door. Don’t worry, I can get you back home.” “You can?!” Mabel hugged her tightly, squishing King in between the two girls. “ThankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!” Luz, who was quite the hugger but lived with two hug-haters, grinned and relished in the hug, until a high-voice yelled, “AH! What is with you humans and this tight holding ritual?!” Mabel’s eyes got wide and she jumped away, looking around wildly; that voice sounded too familiar for comfort, but when she saw the king of demons, she gasped with a huge grin and shining eyes. “OH MY GOSH! How cute!!!” She squealed. “Thanks.” Luz giggled and rubbed his belly. “This is the King of Demons.” “This little bundle of joy?” Mabel asked, happily smoothing over his skull and scratching his back. “That’s what I said!” “Hey, hey, easy with the merchandise!” King complained. “What makes you think you can… oh! Oh! Right there, yup, right there.” Mabel had found the right scratching spot, just between his shoulder-blades, and King relaxed in Luz’s arms, almost asleep he was so comfortable. Mabel giggled and asked, “So, how can you get me back to my family?” Luz gave it a moment’s thought and said, “Well, I guess we could take you to Eda and have her send you home, but she’ll be going home soon and it’s kinda…” The girls screamed as a huge guard jumped in front of them. He glared down at the humans and said, “Human previously associated with Eda the Owl Lady, you’re hereby under arrest!” “Not today, sucka!” Luz yelled, threw down one of Eda’s smoke bombs, and grabbed Mabel’s wrist. “Come on! I know where to go!” “Crazy monsters, criminals, smoke bombs, demons… I LOVE IT HERE!” Mabel cheered as she was fleeing with her new friends. ~~~~~~~~~~ Stan huffed, catching his breath, with his hands on his knees. Ford helped Dipper up cautiously, scanning him over for broken bones from when the monster swung his tail at the boy and slammed him against a tree, but apart from being shaken up, he was fine. Now that the Stone-Reptilian was gone, the Pines men were free to worry about the most important thing in their whole world. “MABEL?!” Stan screamed and looked around wildly for the rift that took her away. “MABEL! MABEL, SWEETIE!” “Mabel!” Ford called out. “Mabel, can you hear us?!” “MABEL! MABEL!” Stan screamed and ignored his stinging eyes. Dipper’s own brown eyes were aching, too, but he refused to be seen as weak and he powered through. “Did… did that thing… g-g-get her?” “No.” Ford said firmly. “I saw it. She fell through… some sort of door, or a rift.” “A-A door?” “It was rectangular like one, but it was hard to tell.” “The Crawlspace!” Dipper gasped and slapped his forehead. “Don’t the entrances change randomly through Gravity Falls? What if she fell through and is down at the black market?” “What, you mean she’s probably surrounded by dangerous monsters in some freaky market?” Stan asked. “It’s a likely possibility.” Ford speculated, holding his cleft chin. “Scour the area. If it was an entrance to the Crawlspace, one will show up again soon.” The three men split up, relatively close, and searched for an anomaly. Maybe a hole in a tree or in the ground, what might have been passed as a bird’s nest or a groundhog’s home could actually be an entrance. Stan was checking some bushes when he thought he heard a strange noise and he looked ahead. A rectangular white light appeared on an oak tree and soon an owl with an empty sack in its beak hopped out. Stan gasped and thought that this was the doorway that took his little girl. Ford saw his twin run out of the corner of his eye and then disappear through the hole. “Stanley, wait!” He called and ran towards him, disappearing, too. Then the doorway was gone. Dipper looked around nervously. “Hello? Guys?” He paused, letting it sink in that, once again, he was alone. “I swear if she’s at MAB3L again…” ~~~~~~~~~~ Stan had stopped. Ford then accidently ran into him and they both fell forward. “Sixer, get off!” “Shh!” Ford slapped a polydactyl hand over his brother’s mouth, which made him grumble, but before Stan could lick his hand in response, he heard what Ford was hearing. “I’ll give you fifty snails for the whole lot.” A laugh-filled snort followed. “It’s seventy-five, kid. Take it or leave it.” That voice… something was familiar about that laugh. There was grumbling and what sounded like items being collected. Stan and Ford exchanged looks and slowly got up. After looking around the tent, they peered out of the crack in the curtains to see an odd market. They awed at the sight of dozens of weird creatures. One looked like a turquoise hairless-cat. One looked like a pig with green eyes and it breathed fire on a piece of meat on a stick to cook it for a snack. A kid with pointy ears dropped a basket full of eyeballs and scrambled to pick them up. Ford grinned excitedly like a dork while Stan winced at the sight of an ice-cream eating a customer. Stan glanced to his left and he had to hold his breath to keep from gasping and blowing their cover. Wearing a tight-fitted, torn maroon dress and matching boots, gold on her chest and ears and fingers and a sharp tooth, her eyes sparkling like gold coins, a woman with big gray hair and pointy ears leaned against a table full human things and flicked through a Gold Chains for Old Men magazine with a skeptical look on her face. Stan was nearly as pale as she was when she snorted another laugh and flipped a page. “Hah! Not a bad read. Better than that kindling Luz keeps around.” She mumbled and made herself comfortable in her chair, waiting for another customer, one leg crossed over the other and she lightly kicked it as she read. Stan swallowed. There was no way. No possible way… then again, given everything weird that’s happened to him, from freaky portal, to demon triangles, to gnomes and unicorns and sirens and krakens, even to a full-blown Weirdmageddon, should he really be all that surprised that faith would bite him in the butt like this? Ford glanced down at his twin and found he could read him like an open book. “Stanley…” He hissed. The lady straightened in her seat and looked up from the magazine, listening. Now it was Stan’s turn to cover Ford’s mouth. They were still, waiting for the ady to find them, but she shrugged casually and continued to read. The men backed away, out of sight, and were each on one knee, facing each other, as they whispered. “Sixer, where the heck are we? The Crawlspace?” “I’m not sure.” Ford hissed. “I have never seen these types of anomalies before. I suppose it’s possible they hide here during the day and I had never seen them at night, but… this place feels off. To summarize, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” “Fine, but when what do we do about Mabel?” “Our objection is still the same. Let’s just keep a low profile and try to find her.” The twins froze when the curtain was thrown open and the lady stood before them. She immediately sneered down at them. “If you amateur pickpockets think you can…” But then she stopped, for several reasons. One: these creatures were clearly old, about her age, and so unless they had a sudden career change, they were not amateurs. Two: as a human expert and a teacher and hostess of a human, she instantly recognized these two big-eared creatures as humans. Three: something about the one in the white shirt and red hat was very familiar. “No… way…” She narrowed her golden eyes. Stan was now confident that his memory wasn’t flawed; the way she reacted to seeing him, recognizing him, confirmed that he knew her. Before he could do anything, she grabbed each twin by the ear and pinched; they were at her mercy and receiving flashbacks from when their mother was angry with them. “You two got some explaining to do.” The lady sneered. “Gah! Let us go, crazy old bat!” Stan barked as she dragged them out from the tent and made them sit on barrels for stools. “Who are you calling old, human?” The lady sneered and crossed her arms over her chest. “Just tell me what you think you’re doing here.” “Begging your pardon on our introduction,” Ford said coldly, but then softened as he and his brother did have an important mission. “But our grandniece is missing. We believe she came through here.” And he pulled out a picture of Mabel hugging a stuffed-penguin from his wallet and showed it to her. The lady peered down at the photo and said, “Sorry, old-timers, I haven’t seen anyone like that around here.” “Now, how can we trust you, Marilyn.” Stan sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. Ford’s eyes widened as he pocketed his picture. He was rendered speechless for a moment. “Oh, like you’re one to talk about honesty, Stan.” She deride. “You two know each other?!” Ford gasped, looking from his brother to the stranger rapidly like a game of tennis. “She’s your ex-wife?!” The lady snorted a laugh and sighed happily. “Ah, good times, huh?” “Not really.” Stan sneered and stood. “You still owe me five hundred bucks!” “At least you got your car back, Grumpy.” The lady teased and patted his cheek; he swatted her hand away in response and growled like an angry pitbull. “If you want my help finding your girl then play nice.” “So, you honestly didn’t see her.” Stan repeated with a raised eyebrow. “Hey, I may be a conwoman, a pickpocket, and the most powerful witch you’ll ever meet, but I wouldn’t lie if it was gonna endanger some kid.” The lady snapped her fingers and all of the human collectibles floated and gathered into a green cloth, tied up like a hobo’s luggage. She pulled out a staff and put the bag through it, making it easy to carry. Eda whistled and the little owl flew to her and landed on her staff and turned into wood. “Come along, humans, we’ll find your niece and get you two home.” Ford followed the lady and decided to be the “nice” one since Stan was obviously too salty to be one; someone had to be nice to the lady that was going to help them find Mabel. “Thank you, Marilyn.” “Oh, right. That’s not my real name…” “Knew it.” “... you’re a fool to give your real name to a casino in Vegas. It’s Edalyn, but just call me Eda. Or your worst nightmare.” “Whatever you say, toots.” Stan growled as they walked down the street. “So, Eda,” Ford cut in to try to cut the tension between the two. “What exactly is this place, and what are you?” Eda stopped suddenly and turned around, wearing a proud grin. She stabbed her staff on the ground with a small bang, making the owl come to life, the sack hanging by her fist, and she proclaimed, “I am known as the Owl Lady, the most powerful witch here on the Boiling Isles!” “A witch?” Stan laughed. “More like a b…” “I am a feared, respected, vigorous force to be reckoned with!” Eda went on and let go of the staff so it floated like a witch’s broomstick. “Come on, old-timers, let’s get a bird’s eye-view to find your girl.” They each grabbed the staff when Eda sat upon it and yelled with fear as she had them fly up in the air, leaving the old twins to dangle in the air. “GAAAAAAAH!” “EDA!” Stan yelled. “Put us down!” “That can be arranged.” Eda said cunningly and swooped down quickly. With the air drying Eda’s eyes and forming tears and the brother holding onto the staff (and each other) for dear life, all three were yelling, one with delight, two with fright. “STANLEY!” Ford shouted. “PLEASE try not to piss off your ex-wife!” Eda laughed and at the very last second, right before the men would crash into the ground, she flew them up into the sky. “Ah, don’t worry, I won’t let you two knuckleheads get hurt.” They flew softer and calmer above the Boiling Isles and the humans awed at the scene. In the carcass of a monster, by the sea, the Bones of the Isles sat snug in the midst of chaos. Eda floated to allow the men a moment to take in the scenery, smiling down at their round brown eyes. “It’s beautiful.” Ford admired. “Yup, not too shabby.” Eda commented casually. “It’s not much, but it’s home.” “We know what that’s like.” Stan muttered. “Speaking of which,” Eda said casually. “Where did you two say you were from?” “We didn’t. Gravity Falls, Oregon.” Ford answered, keeping an eye out for Mabel. “Oh, I’ve heard rumors about that place.” Eda said as she flew calmly over the town. “My door has a bad habit of appearing there way too often. I need more variety in my human collectibles.” “So, you steal our junk and try to sell it for a great price?” Stan asked; he sounded a little impressed. “That and I sell potions on the weekdays. When I’m not mentoring my student. Enough chit-chat, see your girl down there?” The men took a few more minutes to look, as well as Eda, but there was no sign of her. “No.” Ford’s voice dripped with concern. “Eda, what are the chances she was kidnapped or hurt?” “Oh, that probably didn’t happen to her.” The witch said calmly. “If she’s not safe she probably got eaten or taken by Warden Wrath.” “WHAT?!” “Relax, Sixer,” Stan said, confident in his pumpkin. “She’s our little fighter, she’ll be fine.” Eda snorted. “Sixer?” “It’s Stanford, actually.” His face was a little red over the fact that he couldn’t hide his six-fingered hands, too busy holding the magic staff to keep from falling. “Meh, I’ve seen weirder.” Eda looked like she truly didn’t care how many fingers he had; Ford appreciated that. “Well, I’ve got a great tracker at home.” The Owl Lady said and started to fly towards the red forest. “Why don’t we go pick him up and see if he can help us out. Got anything the girl held?” “Yes,” When the men landed on their feet and Eda hopped next to them, Ford pulled out his wallet again and took out a folded-up, hand-drawn picture of Stan and Ford on a boat, a gift from Mabel while they were apart that she had mailed to them. “Aw, that’s so cute.” The witch cooed. “Who knew all Pines men were putty in girls’ hands.” She laughed at her own joke and shook her head. “Ah, keep moving, boys.” Stan hurried to catch up and he walked next to Eda with narrow eyes, ignoring the way her odd golden fang sparkled, how her eyes gleamed with spunk, how she held herself up high with pride. “So, you’re gonna answer some questions for me…” “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” “If you’re a witch, what were you doing in Las Vegas?” “Hey, a witch’s gotta make some gold, too.” Eda shrugged as she smiled. “I haven’t exactly kept a clean record here so making a living takes a bit of extra effort, but it’s much for fun and unpredictable, the way life's supposed to be.” Stan raised an eyebrow at two things: the fact his ex was a criminal in this world too, and her philosophy. “I can respect that, seeing how I was there for the same reasons.” “I know.” Eda rolled her eyes teasingly. “You wouldn’t shut up about how you were gonna make it big and show the world what this big lug could do.” And she elbowed Stan, which he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Heh. Yeah, what can I say, I’m a real loud-mouth. Say what’s on my mind.” “Hey, nothing wrong with being brutally honest to make up for lying, am I right?” Eda said with a shrug. “So, was your hair fake back then, or…” “No, no, it was real. I was really proud of my hair back in the day, flaming red and wild.” “Looks pretty good now. Love it, in fact. Big and bold, hard to miss.” “Hey, you aged pretty well yourself, handsome.” Ford smiled as he watched the exes tease and pick on each other. If a compliment was given, it dripped with sarcasm and there was no guarantee that it was sincere, but they must have seen a gleam in their eyes or felt a “vibe” that Ford didn’t experience, because the conversation progressed well as they walked through the forest. Ford was happy to see Stan get along fairly well with this woman and wondered if this would go exceptionally better than the whole McCorkle incident. They emerged from the woods and found a large house standing by some cliffs leading to an ocean. It was about as far from the seas as Pines Pawns was all those years ago. The house was big, maybe bigger than the Mystery Shack (probably not if counting the basement-floors) with a big stain-glass window that reminded Stan of a cat’s eye and Ford of Bill’s eye, but then they both individually remembered Eda’s title and realized it was probably representing an owl’s eye. A weather-vane with an owl sat on top of the house, a broken-down tower stood behind, and an owl’s head was on the door. The humans were startled, but they quickly recovered, again having experienced much weirder than a live owl-head on a door. “Girl knows how to keep a theme going.” Stan commented as they approached. “Oh, boy!” The owl on the door hooted. “More company! Maybe they wanna hear some of my stories!” “Not a chance, Hooty.” Eda quipped. “Is King still home? We need his help, and we might want Luz’s too while we’re at it.” “They’re both telling stories to that new human. The one with the pretty owl sweater.” “Wait, what?!” The three old people asked and Hooty swung open the door. Luz was holding King on her lap on the couch, sitting with Mabel as all three were laughing. Even King was rolling around and holding his little fluffy body with glee. Mabel’s back was to the door and she resumed her storytelling as she wiped a tear under her eye. “So then I look down at Dipper and see that he’s still got his socks on!” Luz cackled a laugh and held her head one-handed, her other arm still holding King, but it was to no avail as the demon fell off from all the laughing. Eda, Ford, and Stan smiled as the girls were having fun. They had no idea how they found each other, but it was better for them to be here, safe and happy, than to have the newbie be someone’s meal. Luz fanned her reddening face and finally noticed the company. “Hi, Eda. Sorry, but she was lost and needs our help.” Mabel turned, on her knees on the couch, but grinned with a gasp. “GUYS!” And she hopped over the arm of the couch for her grunkles. “Mabel!” They opened their arms and got on one knee for their girl. Mabel ran into their hold and they hugged her tightly, relieved to be with her again and to find her more than okay. “What did I tell you about scaring me like that, pumpkin?!” Stan asked as he held her with all of his might. “You didn’t tell me, Grunkle Stan.” “Oh, right.” “We’re just so happy to find you alright, my dear.” Ford loosened his grip just enough to look up at Luz, who was smiling admirably at the reunion. “And I see you’ve made some friends.” Mabel let go and nodded. “Yeah! That’s Luz! Luz, these are my grunkles! Stan and Ford!” “Nice to meet you guys.” Luz said and waved politely. “Mabel said you’d come, but how did you two survive out there?” “They nearly didn’t.” Eda lied easily. “Were in the mouths of a giant giraffe when I saved their butts.” “Yeah right!” Stan barked a laugh. “Anyways, we’ve been through worse, kid.” Luz gasped excitedly. “Worse than giant bugs and centaurs with eyes on their chest and man-eating slugs and fire-breathing eye-less fangs and jealous witches?!” “Worse. I’ve punched a pterodactyl in the face and a few zombies, fallen down a Bottomless Pit, lost my hands to a witch, fought off eagles and explosions, survived giant man-eating spiders…” “Stanley, that is all impressive, but have you fought a talking chair, battled in four wars, conned an abominable snowman, outran a volcano, examined floating eyebats, been turned to gold…” “I find that hard to believe.” Eda snorted. “I believe them.” Luz said with a shrug. “You always said weird stuff leaks from this world into theirs.” “So, if you don’t mind me asking,” Ford said, stepping forward. “What exactly is this place? I’ve heard rumors of a place called the Boiling Isles, but I just thought it was a little hiding place like the Crawlspace, not an entirely new dimension.” “Nope!” Eda corrected happily. “This whole world is the Boiling Isles, a world full of despair, monsters, gross-stuff, demons, and magic.” “This place sounds so cool!” Mabel cheered. She looked at Luz and said, “No wonder you wanted to stay here. Wait! Do you have your own room?!” “Yeah! C’mon, I’ll show you!” And the girls ran off with Luz scratching King’s tummy and leaving him to nap on the floor, tired from laughing. Eda plopped down on the couch and gestured for the men to do the same. “I’d offer refreshments but all we have is apple blood and some disgusting beverage Luz likes called orange juice.” Stan looked up at the wanted poster of Eda and the reward promised for her capture. He smiled, impressed and interested. “We’re okay, thank you, Eda.” Ford said. “If you don’t mind me asking, our niece said something about Luz choosing to stay here?” “Yeah, that’s right.” Eda reached under her couch-cushion and rummaged as she spoke. “Kid came through my door when Owlbert brought over some little treasures to sell. Sweet girl. Kinda naive and gullible, but clever in her own right and she’s a fast learner. Stubborn with the forces of positivity.” Stan snorted. “Heh. We know someone like that.” “She said she didn’t fit in at home.” Eda finally found what she was looking for and pulled out a wrinkled, crumpled up pamphlet at read, Reality Check Summer Camp: Think Inside the Box. “Don’t really understand some of this human stuff, but I figured it must be pretty bad if it made a kid not wanna go home, so I read over it and this place sounds awful! Totally squandered any creativity or individualism! Her own mother was sending her here!” Eda let Ford look it over and she shrugged off the rant. “Anyway, she said she wanted to stay and she was willing to work for it, so I took her in as my apprentice for the summer and now she’s learning how to be a witch.” “Hm, sounds a lot better than kidnapping.” Stan approved with his arms crossed over his chest. “This place is completely horrible.” Ford commented about the summer camp. “They teach kids how to appropriate public radio!” “AM or FM?” “Both.” “Ouch.” “So, what exactly are you doing with such a cute girl, Eight-Ball?” Eda asked, getting Stan’s attention. “And what is a grunkle?” She snorted with a smile. “She’s our grandniece.” Stan said proudly, puffing out his chest. “We’re her great-uncles. Her grunkles.” “Aw, who knew you were such a softie?” “I am not!” “You watched over five hours of video-tutorials on how to braid hair.” Ford said behind the pamphlet. “She asked me to braid her hair and it bothered me that I couldn’t do it!” Eda cackled and touched Stan’s shoulder. His eyes followed and he smiled at her cute laugh. “Aw, you’re worse than King.” King peeked an eye at her and sneered, “One more passive aggressive comment and I’ll…” “That’s not a passive aggressive comment.” Eda said as she picked up the little goofball. “I can do better than that.” “Huh, and here I was thinking that was just one of Luz’s toys.” Stan teased. “Hey!” King stood on the couch by Eda’s side and pointed a bony paw at the old man. “Since you’re a human, I’ll let you walk away with a warning, but have it be known that I’m the King of Demons and shall one day drink the fear of those who mock me!” Ford folded the pamphlet and observed King cautiously. He didn’t like… his voice. His voice sent shivers down the old scientist’s spine. Stan snorted. “Sorry, pipsqueak, but I’ve faced worse demons than you.” “Oh, yeah, like what?” King asked. The girls came back, smiling and holding hands, and Luz asked, “Eda, can we please please PLEASE have a sleepover?! I want to show Mabel the new light spell I learned and show her how to properly scratch a demon’s tummy.” Ford chuckled and stood. “I’m sorry, ladies, but we really should be heading back. I’m sure Dipper is worried sick.” Mabel gasped with horror. “Oh, NO! Dipper!” “Oh, hey, don’t worry.” Luz eased. “You two are totally welcome here anytime you want.” “Aw, thanks, Luz.” Mabel hugged her and said, “I promise I’ll bring Dip-Dip next time. He’d love it here! And he could tell you all about the Manotaurs and the weird copy-machine.” Eda and Stan stood up, too, and the Owl Lady had her arms crossed over her chest. “Well, looks like we’ll be seeing each other again pretty soon. You okay with them hanging out?” Stan shrugged and pocketed his hands in his jeans. “Yeah, sure. Good friends are kinda rare these days. Gotta hold onto ‘em and never let ‘em go.” “Agreed.” Eda said and saw them exchanging those odd codes on their glowing rectangles. “Well, have your girl tell my girl when to open the door and I’ll see what I can do.” And she held out a hand to Stan. He hesitated (not just because of whose hand it was, but because shaking hands always seemed to lead to something bad, but maybe this time will be different), but he took it and shook it gently. “Yeah, and if your girl never needs a break in the human world, have her tell my girl.” Eda smiled at Stan and shook Ford’s hand, as well. She pulled the key out of her hair and unlocked the door, making it appear and swing open. Mabel skipped to her great-uncles and waved goodbye to Luz, who waved back, and she went with Ford through the door for home. Stan stole one last look at Eda, who winked at him, and he disappeared with a pink face.

~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note: OKAY, first things first, when it comes to fic, I personally don't really like crossovers. Crossovers can be a fun NON-CANON crossover for animation or actors. I get more enjoyment over fun fanart than I so of fics, because I like mine more plot-driven and it's hard to get a good story going just because you wants certain characters to mingle. HOWEVER, I find Gravity Falls and The Owl House just fit so well together! Why? #1: Alex Hirsch and Dana Terrace (the creators) are dating and Dana Terrace is responsible for the awesome Ducktakes reboot (season 1, anyway) AND the famous Not What He Seems scene. So having such a strong connection creativity wise of the shows is very apparent, more so than the other shows. #2: Evidence that supports these connections. Both shows have referenced each other and a theory goes that Eda and Stan were once married for less than a day. (plz check this video for more) And #3: ... I ship it pretty damn hard, okay? So I hope you guys will enjoy this fun little crossover as much as me! And thank you so much for reading!

#gravity falls #the owl house #eda the owl lady #stan pines #luz noceda #mabel pines #ford pines #dipper pines #king of demons #crossover #fallen owls #fanfiction #oh boy #plz don't hate me but i had to #im shipping trash #its official #remember bitches love comments #and yes i am taking suggestions #what trouble should these silver foxes get into?

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earthstory · 5 years

Video

vimeo

Original caption:

‘Road trip’: as its name suggest, it is the perfect gateway to experiencing nature and landscapes while roaming hundreds of miles with your car or your flowered-van, depending on how much of a 70’s-nostalgic you are! As our airborne NLC research campaign drew to an end in High Level, Alberta with the project PoSSUM (find more information at projectpossum.org) I took two weeks off in Canada to visit some of my friends I made from a few years back, but virtually without any solid plan. Just my car, my cameras and myself.

As a present of my gratitude to the generous and hospitable people that helped me on the go and as a tribute to my journey, I hurried to put together a short film called ‘My Canadian Summer’ that goes back on the adventures of over 5000km on the Canadian roads.

Follow me in the sub-arctic landscapes of the northern Alberta and North West Territories with some very unexpected wildlife and the beautiful city of Yellowknife. It is also the place of the where summer nights never get very dark, and a good opportunity for you to gaze at magnificent noctilucent (night-shining) clouds. When Yellowknife is too far north in the summer, northern Alberta is surprisingly still the spectacle of some gorgeous displays of aurora borealis in the summer twilight: watch them wiggle over a pasture full of horses! As I continued my journey down the eastern British Columbia and on to the Rocky Mountains, take a look at some of the most dramatic and scenic landscapes in the world. After a lot of experience and perseverance, I finally got the magical shot I wanted: aurorae above Pyramid lake next to Jasper and surrounded by the mountains, also photobombing the Big Dipper. It was such a huge reward for having put so much time and effort into the trip! Experience the beauty of Jasper and Banff national parks with a myriad of waterfalls, rivers, lake and peaks as well as an astonishing wildlife.

The film also features some of southern and central Alberta’s most renowned places like Drumheller and its badlands, or a huge storm developing over the prairies. Those are the shots that one can only experience in western Canada during the summer months, and I would highly recommend to travel there, but I believe images speak better than words, so I hope you enjoy this film as much as I enjoyed shooting it.  > Some interesting technical facts:

5000 km 100 km of hiking 2 TB of data collected, including some of my best NLC and aurora shots to date Made detours to visit 6 old friends ‘Slept’ 3 nights in my tiny car just to take the perfect shots Sony a7s, a7rII and Canon 6D, + 9 lenses all packed in my backpack.

B-photographer: Go Button Media, check out their awesome stuff at gobuttonmedia.com Music: licensed by Musicbed, VOWS 'No time to lose'

More about the story on my blog and website: adphotography-online.com Facebook: facebook.com/AdrienMauduitPhotography/ Twitter: twitter.com/ADphotography24 Instagram: instagram.com/adphotography2410/ Youtube: youtube.com/user/amadrien21

Thank you for watching. Don’t hesitate to like, comment, share and of course subscribe to my channel for more videos coming soon!

#Canada #nature #travel #summer #video #vimeo #national park #timelapse #aurora #aurora borealis #the earth story #road trip #drumheller #badlands

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surveysonfleek · 5 years

Text

1533.

[Family]

My brother’s name starts with D. Neither of my grandfathers are alive. I look more like my mother than my father. Both my parents are in a serious relationship. I am the youngest of three children. I am the only girl. My mom’s mom is NOT your typical grandmother. I don’t really like my cousins. I have less than five cousins. I’ve shown up at a family party while under the influence.

[Religion & Politics]

I was raised Christian. But I’m no longer a Christian. I believe in God. But I think the Bible is bullshit. My beliefs aren’t influenced by people around me. My dad is religious. My mom tries to be, but who is she trying to fool? I hate church. I wouldn’t have voted in the last election even if I was old enough. I hate politics more than anything.

[Food]

I honestly never stop eating. Chocolate + peanut butter = orgasmic. I only eat Cains mayonnaise. I’ve never eaten a fruit I didn’t like. I love cooked broccoli but not raw broccoli. I love raw peppers but not cooked peppers. I’ve gone a day or more without eating. I crave chocolate on my period. Pizza Hut has the best pizza around. Cookies & Cream ice cream is one of my favorites.

[Sex, Love & Relationships]

I’ve been told that I was a nine out of ten at giving head. A guy has cheated on his girlfriend with me. I’ve never been cheated on. I had my first kiss when I was fifteen. I lost my virginity in the woods. My best friend lost her virginity a week after me. In the same place I did. I’ve been in the same room as someone having sex. I would rather be on the bottom.

[Music]

I download my music from LimeWire. I love country. I love old school rap. I love alternative. I have All Time Low’s new CD Nothing Personal. And I love it. I love to sing, but I suck horribly at it. I cannot play a musical instrument. I want to learn to play the drums. I used to take piano lessons.

[School]

My GPA is between 2.0 and 3.0. I took Algebra 1 in 8th grade, and again in 9th. I’ve passed a class with a D-. I don’t do my homework at home. I prefer mechanical pencils. I always do projects the night before they’re due. I’m really smart but don’t always apply myself. I text in school. I’ve gotten my phone taken away in school.

[Beauty & Hygiene]

I straighten my hair often. On lazy days, I scrunch my hair to go out. My only make-up necessity is mascara. I like to wing my eyeliner. I’d rather take a shower than a bath. I’d rather use body wash than a bar of soap. I’d rather use a bath scrunchie than a washcloth. My solution for make-up on lazy days: sunglasses. I use the same routine every day in the shower.

[Smoking, Drinking & Drugs]

I smoke cigarettes. I’ve gotten drunk within the past month. I’ve smoked weed when by myself. The first time I got high was on a holiday. Marijuana should be legalized. I have never and would never drink and drive. I hate light beer. My lighter is purple. My favorite cigarettes are Turkish Silver or Camel Crush. I’ve quit smoking but started again.

[Random]

My nails are pink right now. Going to bed at midnight is very early for me. I could never date a guy that didn’t make me laugh. I have a jar of peanut butter in my room right now. I wear sunglasses a lot. Gogurt is really good in the freezer. I’ve been in Hollister, but I don’t own anything from there. Purple is my favorite color. There is no such thing as an ugly color. I need more pens. ______________________________________________________________

I like where I’m at right now. My feet are freezing. I hate feeling awkward. I love driving on country roads. I love driving fast, too. I currently have a cold. I have a crush. No, it’s more than a crush. I always wondered what it’d be like to start over, where no one knew me. I go on Yahoo Answers. I get nostalgic every once in awhile. I really don’t like my father. My mother is one of my best friends though. I don’t mind when people stare at me. No, it’s annoying as fuck. I can’t stand people who are extremely selfish. A Change Of Pace is a good band. I have gotten a new phone within the past month. I want to go to Florida soon. Peach snapple iced tea is theee best. I wrote books when I was younger. I’m really creative, especially when I apply myself. I use Facebook a lot more than I used to. I’m constantly told I’m beautiful, but I still sometimes don’t believe it. One of my friends came out as gay this year. I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t have someone. I’m way too quiet, and I wish I could change. I need to party. Music and books are my favorite. I love everything about the fall. I always smell really good. My hair looks nice today. I have long fingernails. I’ve kissed a Ryan, Mike, or Justin. I’ve been in love with a Josh, Christian, or Scott. I envy no one. I’m going to an amusement park soon. For a halloween-related thing. I don’t like beer. I don’t like soda. I’ve worn a turtle neck in the past year. I wear them often. Outspoken is something I’m not. I express myself through quotes and lyrics. Photography is beautiful. There’s beauty in everything, you just gotta find it. I ordered a pizza recently. Tonight, actually. I wish I could have a whole new batch of friends. Even though I do love the ones I have now. My nose is stuffy. I like orange juice. And sandwich wraps. I love cozy nights at home. I like playing Hebi. Apples to Apples is fun. I have to start applying for jobs. I really need one. Ahhh life is changing fast. I tend to drive a little bit over the speed limit.

My razor only has two blades. My keyboard is black. I use my friends as arm rests and pillows. My favorite number is odd. My favorite number is a single digit. I love having butterflies in my stomach. The last make up I wore was eyeliner. I’d love to have a winter wedding. I’m really ticklish. I have a facial piercing. I’d only get a tattoo that has significant meaning to me. My boyfriend is taller than I am. My school has a shitty football team. I play Pet Society on Facebook. All politicians are the same, in my opinion. I can’t eat sushi with a fork or else it feels awkward. I’ve never been to New Mexico. I’d definitely consider adoption if I couldn’t have my own children. I like plain-colored t-shirts. Horror movies don’t really scare me. I have a decent vocabulary. Lord of the Rings doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t play any sports. I prefer orange juice to apple juice. I like my toast with butter and jelly. I love cream cheese. I have a celebrity crush. I get frequent headaches. I can play a little piano. My boyfriend drives an Asian car. And so do I. I WANT MORE PIERCINGS. My favorite fruit is a type of berry. I miss somebody right now. Some of my friends live far away. I can burp out the alphabet. I love breadsticks. I can count to ten in at least two languages. I’d love to have a pet owl. I prefer dogs to cats. I only wear actual perfume on special occasions. But I wear body spray on a daily basis. I have pictures of my sibling/s on my phone. ______________________________________________________________

What I have…

#survey #surveys #quiz #bored #questions

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alpinefitco · 1 year

Text

Planning Remote Wilderness Trips: Packrafting in Gates of the Arctic National Park

Each adventure is different, so it’s impossible to write a step-by-step guide but there are fundamentals that will help make your trip go smoothly. Much of this comes down to research. If you know the area, terrain, weather etc then find a way to get there and start planning your gear. I will use our packrafting trips to Gates of the Arctic as an example of the decision making process.

Where are you going?: Gates of the Arctic is very remote so begin by selecting a route that meets your comfort level without taking risks you can’t handle on your own. The Alatna river and John river both suit this well, they are class II rivers offering some excitement (but not too much for our skill level). The Alatna has some great side trips as well into the Arrigetch which we will need to pack for as well. Being remote and sparsely traveled considerations include packing enough food, backup stove, GPS communication, repair kits for the packrafts. It’s way out there, but not all trips are like that, more local trips or those well-traveled can sometimes count on shared resources when plans go awry.

Who are you going with?: Nobody likes to be uncomfortable. Challenged is okay to a point, but continuously scared or miserable makes a trip less fun. There is much debate on the optimal group size; too small and it is more difficult to rescue someone if needed, too large and group dynamics get more difficult. Generally 4-6 people make good company. Consider the level of the group as well, the experience level should always dictate the trip. We found the Alatna challenging but manageable with just 2 people, but comfort level on the John River was tenuous. I personally would not join a group rafting class IV water given my lack of skill and experience, it would not be fair to the others.

What time of year is it?: Interior Alaska is famous for mosquitoes. If you go early enough, you might avoid the first hatch which is really nice. Middle of summer can be brutal. Other places might be too hot, low water etc. This changes where you plan on going and what gear you have to bring. There’s usually a blog post somewhere on your specific trip so spend some time finding the optimal timeframe in which to travel. We found that August in the Arctic was actually quite pleasant but reports of snow especially later in the month could make things more interesting.

How long is the trip?: Shorter trips are generally easier to plan for. Foods don’t need to be quite as balanced and suffering through forgotten items is sometimes okay. Longer trips require more careful packing both so that nothing is forgotten and because the bulk is larger. In theory, the added weight of food is reduced over time as it is eaten but this is often trivial compared to the weight of the other gear, especially on packrafting trips. Trips that are more than about 5 days also need to account for unexpected weather and incorrect weather reports. Just because the radar says the system will pass north of you doesn’t mean it won’t change! Pack your bag ahead of time to balance weight and add/eliminate if needed.

What are the expectations?: Do trip members want a leisurely float or a hard and fast march? Is there time for relaxing at a hot spring? My recommendation is to plan 2 trips, one that gets you from point A to B, and the other with fun side trips as time allows. Scouting the USGS maps for fun mountains to climb or ruins to explore can greatly reduce the urge to push through as hard and fast as possible just to get there. More ambitious members can hike a ridge after getting to the campsite, while others can set up the fire and enjoy their Schnapps. We had ambitious plans on the Alatna to hike the Arrigetch mountains; unfortunately we were slower to get out of the headwaters than anticipated and had to cancel those plans. We did a 20 mile day hike lower down looking for a hot spring that never materialized but it was still fun.

For more information about Alpine Fit and the adventure apparel and accessories we make in Achorage, Alaska check out our website

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fujimoribaby · 5 years

Text

The Arctic - A Weird Dream I Had

BNHA weird ass dream

Kerberos, the seemingly barren ice planet was discovered to have ice and some form of life so naturally humans had to go. The first shuttle never made it back, or the second, or the third. The fourth made it.

Reports of monsters the called the “crypid ones” existed. Arctic monsters similar to Earths carnivorous ones but nearly five times the size and 7 times as powerful.

It took years for a special place for a camp to be located and built, but eventually it was

Now, its 34 years later and I’m apart of the crew heading to this Kerberos hell hole.

The first obstacle to the base camp was a 20 mile hike of the new “no mans land”

Only half of the crew members seemingly make it, so we always have to overstock.

14 players always added to the domino count, but on average 7 fall down.

Lordy lord thank god I’m here huh?

Our captain, Nicholas, is a seemingly fearless explorer in his mid 20’s. He’s made this journey many times. How he’s still alive is a mystery.

We made our way out of the shuttle once it landed. “Dont forget your packs’ itll help you survive 10 days out in the open!” Yeah right.

So we grab our shit and leave the shuttle, of course a huge ass blizzard took place. Luckily enough it was required to wear the blizzard-proof space suits.

And so we started our 20 mile journey.

Some could not stand the cold, freezing to death in their spots. And some went insane at the thought of meeting the crypid ones, for we could hear their cries in the far distance. But who could tell with the way this wind was ruthlessly whipping at our ears?

Eventually we crossed the first obstacle, having no rest to keep ourselves warm by walking. we lost 9. 5 of us remained.

And there it was. The huge ass motherfucking cliff. The contraption leading us up it was like a reverse bungee, or one of those carnival rides that shoot you up.

Unluckily for us, a blizzard storm, basically a sandstorm but with large and small junks of ice of which could tare the human body to shreds, was chasing us.

“Get to the holders and fucking click the red button as soon as youre strapped in as fast as fucking possible! Run!” Screams Nicholas.

So we did.

Fuck.

Im dead.

How the fuck do you get in this thing?

Everyone else had already gotten up, the storm just in front of me. The top of the cliff was higher than the storm. Come on foot! Get in the fucking hole! Yes!

Im in!

I click the button, barely strapped in other than my legs. I hold on for dear life as im skyrocketed to the top.

The others cheer for me as they see me.

I land in the arms of Izuku, one of the younger members, like me, on this godawful trip.

“W..wheres your bag..?”

His voice, hoarse from the blistering cold, managed to squeak out.

Dread filled my stomach. No wonder I was so light.

“Damnit, ______! That’s supposed to keep you alive for ten days! Whatre you gonna do now huh?!” Nicholas screeched, his nerves shot.

Izuku put me down, “Guess I’ll die” I shrugged. “Dont fucking recite memes, cadet! You’re lucky the camp is just a four mile hike or youd be fucking toast!”

Then what was the point of the packs?

I suppose in the end it was just to help bring food, water, medicine, and other thins to the camp. What did it matter anyway? Specialized helicopters created to fly in the thinner air brought food and stuff from other shuttles that arrived periodically. Why so many shuttles you ask? Because we’re all constantly dying.

Perhaps the pack was used to bring hope? Fuck if I know. They’re so heavy we can only carry one, so picking up lost peoples would be useless.

We start our trek.

“Out here is where the cripid ones thrive the most. So follow me exactly or we’ll all become crypid shit.” Nicholas said.

Ohm okay.

We eventually make it to the camp.

I had my first warm meal in a year there. It took a year to get to kerberos now thanks to the amazing tech we have.

This camp isnt like a camp at all. Its kind of like,,, a modern dayish castle but with hints of the stone age. Yes..

Its walls are lined with so much fuckin insulation MMM delicious. Every child from every household must make this trip here and be stationed for three years.

Why?

What are we fighting for?

Naturally, we’re fighting for resources. Specifically energy. Kerberos hosts so many fucking minefields of it. Earth as we know it is dry.

No energy.

So this trip is necessary. Retrieve energy, return home a modern day hero.

Fucking bullshit man but I get it.

A month has passed and we’re all settled in. Ive been to the energy mines four times, once a week because if you stay longer you run the risk of frostburn. Yes, burn, not bite, because it’s that cold. Also the air quality is shit.

There are four dorm hallways. First years, like the team I arrived with, second years, the ones that are on their second year, third years, their third years, and the instructors / big bois. The big bois as I call em run this place, keep in order and guide us. Supposedly they lost everything, and thats why the choose to stay.

Ive yet had an encounter with a crypid one, but late at night or deep in the mines, I hear their bone chilling cries. As if I wast cold enough already.

Me and Izuku, being so close to age n all, are best friends. Always out on missions together and the likes.

Turns out the packs we carried had shit for our rooms and other camp things. Oh well.

After our first month, we’re given modes of transportation to help with, horrifically enough, patrols. Yes patrols. Outside of castles. Cant have the crypids getting too close to our home base. Even if mercenaries line the walls at all tactical points and we have gun men and shit. Canon balls too and explosives. We fuckjin set. But yknow.

Our rides are animals. They were created from crypid ones blood but mixed with docile animals like a house cat or hamster. I got a kitty. Looks like a snow leopard. Big boi.

I ran into someone named Tamaki Amajiki a few days back. Hes a third year. I guess I was drunk or some shit but I thought he was an angle and clung to him like a rag doll and kept saying how pretty he was. Fuckin tomato. Poor shy boi. He ran away not ling after that. I see him occasionally, i wanna apologize to him.

Skip to two months later. I was out on my 6th patrol. So far no signs of crypids. Good lmao.

As i was making my way back as another person replaced me, i saw a person on a zebra like hamster shit going the wrong way. So i chase them and tell them wuz up. Fuck.

They ran into a crypid.

So we start charging our way back to the castle. Our intercoms weren’t working because cliche.

Screaming is pointless.

So we have our animals run for our lives. The next postmen took our weapons, so we were defenseless.

This crypid looked like a huge fucking white and red wolf towering over us with beady brown and turquoise eyes a scar on its left side. A Demon Hound. Its snarling at us like crazy.

The castle comes into view.

Bullets start flying like crazy. A gate comes up the moment we past it.

Its supposed to be a defense line against crypids. But theyre too strong for that anyway.

We run inside, leave our mounts out to defend themselves and the castle.

“WAKE EVERYONE UP!!”

A guard screams and rushes outside.

And we do that. She takes the farthest route, the instructors. I take the students. All off the years are mixed together in shifts. Shifts are designed so groups can guard and mine all day. I push the red button on the entryway to the first year dorms.

“Everyone up! Now now now! We’re under attack! Get up!”

Everyone starts rushing out of their rooms. Already knowing where to go.

I give Izuku a glance as we pass.

I make my way to the second years andd repeat the same.

Oh yeah everyone has their quirks here btw.

I reach the third years. I say the same.

Mirio Togata, in his tired but determined voice screamed affirmation.

Soon everyone rushes out except two dorms. The dorm beside the two explains how theyre light sleepers.

So i anxiously knock on their doors.

One rushes out, and the other,

Tamaki.

I stare at him embarrassingly.

His cheeks were red as well.

Now was not the time

“Im sorry” i say quickly

“I hope we can discuss what happened after this and be friends” i say again

He nods his head with a small smile and we rush down the rooms.

We grab weapons and head out the door to our vantage point.

What we see freezes us.

Some people frozen in ice. Some burned. What was this?

The ones who survived the burns squeaked for help.

“What the hell happened here..?”

Izuku!

#non edited #bnha #midoriya izuku #izuku x reader #shouto todoroki x reader #todoroki #mha #weird dream #tamaki amajiki #tamaki x reader #tamaki amajiki x reader

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pcttrailsidereader · 4 years

Text

8 Tips for Preventing Injury and Making the first 100 PCT miles a Success

Originally posted on February 26, 2018 on 2 Foot Adventures . . . this advice is very wise. I have seen lots of otherwise strong hkers in agony not far from Campo because they went too far, too fast. Blisters, stress fractures, and strains can all derail the best plans.

The PCT is a journey, not a race. This can’t be overstated enough as you embark upon the first 100 miles of your 2,660-mile hike to Canada. Injury is among the top reasons hikers leave the trail in the first 100-300 miles. The tips provided below will help you avoid injury and keep you walking happy and healthy well beyond these first miles.

BEFORE THE TRAIL

8. Train - So many thru-hikers neglect this part. Being physically fit before starting the trail is the #1 way to avoid injury on the trail. It’s not a requirement, but it is REALLY REALLY helpful and makes the first 100 miles a little easier. Even if you are fit, the first 100 miles is still tough and will challenge you in ways you never dreamed before. If you live in a place not conducive to training outdoors there are lots of ways you can train indoors. The areas of focus should be:

~ Time on your feet with your backpack fully loaded. One hiker in 2017 told me she lived way up north, almost in the Arctic Circle, and she walked circles in her living room for up to 8-hrs a day to get her body ready. Maddening! But she arrived strong and fit and ready for the trail.

~ Develop strong legs, core, back, and shoulders. When you hike for many hours a day with a backpack on your body gets tired and your body mechanics begin to breakdown. Once your body mechanics breakdown you need to stop hiking ASAP! Continuing on can quickly develop into an injured knee, hip, shoulder, etc. Strengthening these areas ahead of time is better than doing this on trail.

~ Develop a stretch routine that targets all your major muscles. Having a stretch routine before the trail will make doing it on trail much more likely and it’s a very good habit to get into when hiking for 8-10+ hrs/day.

ON THE TRAIL

Certainly not THAT much!

7. Carry just enough water - I know, you’re starting your hike off in the desert. It’s hot. All the books/blogs say there’s no water for the first 20 miles. Have you looked at the PCT Water Report available here? Often times there is water in the first 20 miles it's just a short hike off trail, but there is water. In a wet year there are numerous water sources on trail during these miles. IF you decided you don’t want to walk off trail to get water then consider these items when planning the amount of water you’re going to start with.

~ What is the weather? - If it’s a cool cloudy day and rain is expected (this does happen) then you won’t need to carry the conventional 6L of water at the start.

~ Are you a small, medium, or large guy/girl? - A small female will not need to carry as much water as a large man. Analyze your size and water needs. I am a 120-lb female and started my PCT hike on a day with temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I hiked 15 miles to Houser Creek my first day. I used water in a lunch, dinner, and breakfast before reaching Lake Morena. I began with 4 liters of water and still had some left when I reached the lake. I’m from Southern California and was well acclimated to exercising in the heat.

~ How many miles are you hiking your first day? - There’s no need to hike all the way to Lake Morena on Day 1. You can split it into 2 days. If you haven't be able to train enough, plan to do it in 1.5-2 days and plan on walking the short distance off trail to get additional water so you are more comfortable during the hours and miles you are walking on the first couple of days. You’ll have plenty of time to do this and take numerous breaks.

Water is heavy, weighing approximately 2.2-lb or 1-kg per liter. It’s important that you know where your next water supply will be so you carry just a tad more than what is needed to get there. Be realistic about your water needs and know in many places you can hike a little off trail and get more water if needed. Know where those sources are BEFORE you set out each day and don’t rely on water caches. While 3rd Gate is usually stocked during the season, even if it’s out, there’s a hose a little further off the trail where you can get water.

6. Reduce your food - Most hikers carry way too much food their first 100 miles. They dump half their resupply box into the hiker box and groan about the wasted money and weight they’ve been lugging around for the past week. When packing your food consider the following:

~ Hiker hunger doesn’t kick-in for a couple weeks, sometimes longer.

~ When it’s really hot most hikers don’t feel like eating a whole lot.

~ When you’ve walked all day in the heat and you’re exhausted, you don’t feel like cooking a hot dinner. Although if you’ve followed the advice above you won’t be exhausted. You will have taken plenty of breaks and not walked more miles than your body was ready for.

~ There are cafes/restaurants and resupply options available every 20-35 miles for the first 100 miles. Make use of those and don’t carry so much food with you to start. Your backpack will be lighter, your body will feel better, and this will reduce the chance of injury.

5. Don’t carry “backup” anything - I can write a book about all the “back-up” and “extra” things hikers carry in their backpacks. You haven’t hiked the PCT before or any long trail so you (or your family/friends) have a long list of “what-ifs” that you feel you need to prepare for. 99.9% of those things will not materialize. You only need the absolute essentials. You don’t need an extra shirt or pair of shorts. You don’t need 2 books. You don’t need 3 flashlights and 2 extra fire starting items. You don't need bear spray or a machete or even a bear canister. What you do need is a backpack that is light enough that you are comfortable carrying your food, water, and essential supplies. You may think that you will have tons of time to do “insert some activity here”, but you’ll be too tired to want to do those things, or you’ll be too busy making new friends, making dinner, napping, or looking at what’s ahead for tomorrow.

4. Take Lots of Breaks - You’re walking far, very very far, almost 3,000 miles! Stop and rest. Take off your backpack. Take off your shoes and socks. Stretch. Eat. Hydrate. Taking frequent breaks helps your body avoid injuries by giving it rest and an opportunity to move in a different way. Overuse injuries are VERY common on the PCT and result in hundreds of hikers leaving the trail. It’s advisable that during breaks you take time to massage your aching feet and legs. Move your body throughout a range of motions that are different from walking. It will feel good, trust me! And this is a great habit to form.

OK . . . not THAT big.

3. Get really big shoes - Shoes are tough. Most hikers start with shoes they consider to be big. They size up a half or whole size and feel like they have lots of room in there for their foot to grow. The reality is your feet are going to swell up to 2 sizes during the desert and here’s why. You’re walking EVERYDAY. You’re walking FAR everyday. You’re walking with more weight than you trained with. You’re walking up and down mountains. You’re walking in 100 deg heat. All these factors contribute to big feet! Do yourself a favor and get really big shoes; your feet will thank you!

2. Leave your ego at home

- Sure, go ahead and laugh. You think you don’t have ego or you won’t fall into the pressure to hike more miles than you set out to do, but it happens…a lot. You’re in a new place. You’ve met a couple of really awesome people that you click with and want to hike with but they walk just barely faster than you. They walk a few more miles than you. Having them “leave you” isn’t something you want to think about so you do just a little more to keep up with them and then it happens….BOOM! You’re injured. Now you’ll get way behind them. Now you’re spending money resting in town trying to figure out if you can keep hiking at all. Don’t let this happen! Know that these awesome people will be in the next town when you get there. You will see them again and again and again. You will meet other amazing people. There’s NO reason to hike even slightly out of your comfort zone and it’s a REALLY bad idea in the first 100 miles. Let the speed demons go by you. You might see them laid up in the next town with a blown out knee or shin splints. HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike! Most importantly, Take Care of You!!!

1. Be a tortoise, not a hare

- What?!? Go SLOW! Take your time and ease into thru-hiking. Thru-hiking is incredibly strenuous especially when you are starting out. Your body isn’t used to the demands of hiking every single day with so much weight, in the heat, and up and down mountains that have trails that are slightly cantered to the left and then to the right. Make a plan for your first couple of weeks on trail. Be super conservative with your miles. Plan a couple of weeks at 10 -14 miles a day, less if needed. Plan to take a zero (no hiking day) at least every 5-7 days. Take several half days if you are near town. You don’t have to actually hike your planned miles every single day. Be realistic about your starting fitness. If you’re really fit, your backpack is light, and you’ve trained consistently, then maybe you can do 15-18 miles a day right off. For the vast majority of hikers, that’s too much. Don’t bother planning every day of your hike though. Things happen on the trail that you have no control over. Despite your best efforts you might have a nagging pain starting. There might be dangerous weather up on the ridge you where you were planning to camp. It’s good to be flexible with your plan, listen to your body, and take additional breaks.

Keep in mind, the first 100 miles is indeed the toughest! That’s not to say that any single mile after 100 will be easy, but if you follow these tips, you’ll set a solid foundation for your PCT thru-hike that will last for many miles beyond the first 100.

#advice #foot problems #blisters #shin splints #preparation

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