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svmjaeyvn · 2 months

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love maze, s.jy.

chapter seven pairing: jake x afab!reader word count: tbd (series)

masterlist

add yourself to the taglist here!

genre: college!au, mutual friends, fake dating, smut.

synopsis: an unfortunate encounter, drunken mistakes, and a sort of (definitely) stalker leads jake sim ‘dating’ his best friend’s childhood crush.

or, your life gets intertwined with a rich boy’s in attempt to not get sued by his crazy personal fangirl and like with all good cliches, sex overcomplicates things.

contents: smut, sort of strangers to fuck buddies to lovers pipeline, childhood best friend!jay, mentions of best friend! yunjin, curly haired & mixed reader, uni!au, rich nepo baby!jake, enha frat boys, lots of kissing, fake dating turning into fwb real quick, totally way too into it for it to be fake early on, big booty reader that’s jake’s obsessed with, partying and alcohol use, slight violence, he fell first and harder trope, stem bf & writer gf, (kinda overly) possessive jake, some angst to spice things up, daddy issues, hyper independent reader who struggles with her feelings, fluff and happy ending!!

a/n: hello~ i’ve never been a tumblr girly but i have went through my w*ttpad era back in 2018 so bare with me y’all. this will be a series but not that long (i hope) so pls look forward to it. warning tags will be placed before each “chapter” to specify what to expect. pls pls reblog and interact, i’d love to have feedback and see what your thoughts are. okay! yay, for now enjoy and thank you sm :D

MDNI, 18+

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CHAPTER SEVEN: PERILLA LEAF DEBATE

previous masterlist next

word count: 2.4k

warnings: alcohol (underaged gasp), innuendos, suggestive language, cursing, yunjin says sexism as a joke, jake smacks ni-ki upside the head but that’s basically it lol

a/n: just a cutesy little chapter full of some crumbs of fluff. i don’t really know how long im gonna make this series 😭 also finally some content of all of them together we love!!!! (channeling jungkook for heeseung and sunghoons stance here)

"I NEVER AGREED to this," Yunjin gapes, staring at the large rapids that the lake held, Heeseung attempting to convince her to go tubing. "You said it was like the lazy river things at those water parks, not a whole waterfall!"

"It's fun," He laughs, a hand lightly tugging at her arm while she shakes her head. "C'mon, you said you would. You gonna leave me alone now?" Heeseung pouts, the puppy eyes he gave Yunjin more than enough to be convincing no matter how hard she tried.

You watched from afar, a small snort erupting as you see her nod along without much hesitation. A week in the making, Heeseung and Jay had put together a three-day vacation for the group. Headed out three hours north from campus, they reserved a lot on a camping reservation. Having left so early, much to everyone's dismay, Jay had successfully leaded the two cars to arrive in the morning and find a spot to call home right beside the river which was the main attraction of said grounds.

In a fairly shady spot due to the large trees, it provided enough room away from any other campers that would arrive, a sort of privacy at the end. Truthfully, you weren't the biggest fan of sleeping on rocky ground and having no access to an actual hot shower for the next few days but you agreed with much reluctance. Jay had went as far as talking to Cho herself to ensure you and Ni-ki would have the adequate days off and buying a blow up mattress for your sake.

"10 bucks says they'll hook up by the end of the trip," Sunghoon snickers, his voice breaking your thoughts as you jump slightly out of surprise.

"Maybe not hook up," You shiver at the thought. "We're sleeping in tents, I'd hope they wouldn't especially since I'm supposed to share with her," Grimacing at the thought, you shake your head. "But definitely make out a couple times, Heeseung's obvious as hell,"

"Pretty sure Jake didn't get that memo," Sunghoon nods toward said boy, watching as he was in the midst of setting up a tent with Ni-ki's help. Glancing over, you see how he grouped yours and his things together, presumably setting up for you to share for the next few days. "I'm not worried about them. Jake has no shame though so I'll be sleeping as far away as I can from you two,"

"We're not fucking next to the kids," You defend, gesturing toward the larger tent that would house Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki while Sunghoon laughs at your dumbfounded expression. Shoving his shoulder, you shake your head at the amused look he sent your way. Sticking your tongue out at Sunghoon childishly, he returns the gesture while you make your way toward the two crouched attempting to get the tent secured in place.

"Just nail it into the dirt—"

"This is like concrete it doesn't want to go in!" Ni-ki huffs, the consistent banging of the hammer to the metal pick heard though you couldn't due to the material blocking your view. Jake notices your presence, a small smile thrown your way but you took note of his obvious annoyance. Just as he was about to move to help Ni-ki, the younger boy lets out a loud laugh. "Ah! Ha! I did it! Fucking thing took forever but it worked,"

"Ni-ki," You tsk, the boy standing up and sheepishly peering around the now perched tent with an innocent smile.

"Sorry," He mumbles out. Rolling your eyes, you wave him off while Jake stands up, dusting his hands off on his pants and rolling his neck with a wince. "Is it done?"

"That took so much longer than it should've," He says under his breath, looking around and ensuring it would stay up. "Yeah all good, thank you," Jake calls out while Ni-ki gives him a thumbs up before walking away to where Jungwon and Jay seemed to be messing with the grill.

You pursed your lips seeing how tense Jake seemed to be. He wasn't a morning person, something you've come to realize, thus spending 3 hours cramped in a car full of people so early certainly did a number on him. His patience was thin, Ni-ki not moving fast enough for him seemed to worsen it and although he wasn't outwardly going to say anything, Jake seemed rather spent.

Stepping behind him, you wrap your arms around his waist, your head leaned against his back while he seemed to melt to your touch.

"What're you doing?" Jake lets out a small laugh, one of his hands falling over your own that was along his midsection. He turns his head slightly, attempting to get a glance at you but the height difference only allowed him to see the top of your head.

“Take a break," You mumble into his back.

Jake felt his stomach flip involuntarily, the warmth of your body pushed against his did more in seconds than he liked to admit in helping him relax. Pulling away so he had room to turn, he flipped around to allow you both to face one another. His arms loosely wrapped around your shoulders after yours stayed put at his waist.

"I think this is the first time you initiated us touching," He hums, the giddy smile that made its way into his lips more than obvious. "You love me now or what?"

You roll your eyes. “I barely tolerate you, don’t get ahead of yourself Sim,” You tut, pinching at his side causing him to laugh. “I just figured to distract you before you blew up on one of the kids for being annoying. Is it working?”

Jake hums, nodding along to your words. One of his hands pushed away the hair that blew in your face, tucking it behind your ear but not moving as he gentle cupped your cheek. “Good distraction,” He mumbles, leaning closer to put a chaste peck to the tip of your nose.

Your face scrunches up, the minimal amount of blush making its way to the apples of your cheeks. You quickly turn away to ensure he wouldn’t see, unraveling yourself from his grasp and pausing short seeing how utterly disgusted Jay looked from the opposite side of the area.

“Do you really have to do that here?!”

“OKAY OKAY, I got one,” Jungwon holds out his hands, gaining the attention of the group that sat around the campfire as the contents of his cup sloshed around as he did so. “Cheating or not cheating: the perilla leaf thing that’s been trending?”

Immediately riling up the group, Heeseung and Sunghoon were quick to shout of their ambient no’s while Ni-ki and Sunoo held no problem with it. Since the sun had set and the fire ignited, your group of nine had been gathered around talking about everything and anything. Having been filled up by Jay’s grilling earlier, the causal drinking had begun and thus the conversation topics slowly began to get more heated through debate.

“No, I’m not just gonna let one of you help feed my girlfriend. Basically touching chopsticks that’s weird,” Heeseung shakes his head while Sunghoon points in agreement.

“That’s because you’re overly possessive either way hyung,” Sunoo rolls his eyes, though a small laugh left his lips as the older boy clicks his tongue.

“First it’s the perilla leaf then it’s holding hands and making out behind my back,” Sunghoon dramatically huffs out, louder than usual due to the alcohol coursing through his bloodstream while Yunjin snorts from her seat beside him.

“That’s a crazy jump from a simple dinner encounter,” She snickers while he shakes his head.

“I don’t like it,” Sunghoon says entirely close minded before hitting Jay’s shoulder who sat to his left. “What do you think?”

“I don’t necessarily have a problem with it as long as it’s like a one time thing,” He shrugs, lifting the bottle to his lips to take a swig. “Once or twice okay, and as long as it’s not just specifically between them only. I think as the boyfriend it would be my job to feed her,”

Jungwon hums in agreement to Jay’s explanation. “Yeah me too, one or twice is fine but its technically something that I should do,”

“I don’t think it’s that serious,” Ni-ki pipes in, gesturing around the group. “Especially if it were one of you, we’re all friends. It wouldn’t be something weird or out of bad intention,”

“What if it were Yunjin or I?” You suddenly ask, sitting up from your slouched position in having your feet dangle off of Jake’s legs from your seat. “Is it different if it’s one of the boys compared to us?”

Sunghoon falters, a sheepish smile taking over his lips knowing it was a convicting question. “Well—”

“Sexism!” Yunjin yells out, an accusing finger pointed toward the boy who sputtered to respond.

“No, none of you can do it,” Heeseung shakes his head. “I’m a hater to all, I know you two are girl kissers too so no! I don’t need my only girl friends stealing my girl,” He tuts while you let out a small laugh at the thought, seeing his pouty lips at the complete imaginary scenario.

“Lets ask the actual couple in the group,” Jungwon clears the air, being the main instigator of the topic as he gestures toward you and Jake who had kept quiet, merely amused by the conversation his friends debated upon. “Hyung what do you think?”

You raise a brow as you turn to Jake who sat on your right. One of his hands was comfortably placed on your shins, tracing small circles along your skin as you continued to wear shorts due to the humid air. His other dangled his beer bottle in hand, seemingly comfortable with a slight buzz.

His eyes peer over to yours, amusement lingering through the look he sent you. “She wouldn’t have to have one of you help her if that were the case,” Jake shrugs, a smile quirking at his lips at his smug words. “It’s my job to take care of my girl,”

The boys as a collective being sent into a frenzy by his response. Sunoo and Jay rolling their eyes in disgust by his attempt to seem cool and collected knowing well enough how much of a sulk he tended to be majority of the time. You couldn’t help but laugh as he winked noting your look, Yunjin loudly gagging at the sight but bursting into a fit alongside you.

“___ be honest, does he treat you that well?” Heeseung interjects, looking for your voice in the matter after Jake seemed to drop such a well versed answer.

You hum, deciding whether or not to play along in Jake’s ploy. “So far,” You tease while he merely rolls his eyes in a playful manner. “I can’t say in this particular topic since it hasn’t happened but he does ensure I’m always first when it comes to small acts,” You add on truthfully, thinking back to the amount of times over the past weeks that Jake has seemed to go above and beyond in ensuring you were comfortable and always ate before him.

It was hard to get used to at first, independent thus far and having his help was completely different. But you grew accustomed to it, figuring it was just the way he was raised which earned more brownie points than you’d like to admit. The first time he tied your shoe in a parking lot, your foot perched on his brand new jeans without a care, in particular being the main gesture that caused your heart to flutter even for a split second.

“Ah what a good boyfriend~” Ni-ki cooed, patting Jake’s arm while Sunoo lets out a small snicker. Leaning over to catch your eyes, he added his next words on with a mischievous smirk. “Let me know if he slips up noona, I’ll help you with the perilla leaf instead,”

Your eyes widen at Ni-ki’s words, knowing fully well he was joking and only intended to get under Jake’s skin but it caught you by surprise. Jay, Heeseung, and Sunghoon burst into a fit of laughter at sight while Yunjin, Jungwon, and Sunoo seemed to mirror your expression.

“Yah!” Jake, in a momentary daze, snaps out of his dumbfounded expression and attempts to lean over to hit Ni-ki upside the head but the younger boy moves. “You’re such a brat, annoying me all day and now this?” Tapping your legs to get off of him, you oblige to the silent command as he stands. Ni-ki was quick to leap away, already running around the row of chairs as Jake followed after him. “Don’t run away now after talking all that shit!”

“Now now, play nice kids,” Yunjin calls out, her laughter mixing in with the rest. “Just don’t fall into the lake or trip over a rock, alright?”

“I was kidding!” Ni-ki yells, voice distant as Jake continued to chase him down the dirt road, the dim lighting from the fire being the only lighting around opposed to the few lights further down from another group. “N-no, no it was a joke! I’m sorry!”

There was a loud scream that came from Ni-ki, one that echoed through the air and mixed in with his laughter before their footsteps made their way back to the group. As the two came back into light, Jake moves his chair as close as possible to yours before plopping himself down while Ni-ki trails behind, rubbing his shoulder though his amused expression never faltered.

“Next question?” The youngest boy asks, breaking the air causing Jay to let out a small snort, the conversation topic now moving on with ease.

Silently, Jake pats his legs. Draping yours over his lap once more, you shift to get comfortable, his hands finding way to your shins once again and giving it a slight squeeze. A small smile plays at your lips, sending him an air kiss to rid of the small pout he wore, one that caused Jake’s expression to melt into a grin in an instant.

“Oh! I got one!” Sunghoon suddenly claps his hands, the loud snap gaining everyone’s attention at his bright eyed expression. Looking around, he pauses for dramatic effect only to get a series of heated exchanges upon his next few words.

“Thoughts on pineapple on pizza?”

my tags!! @slutforsjy @jaklvbub @whowantshota @addictedtohobi @coolwitu @simjyunnie @kgneptun @graythecoffeebean @143ikeu @zyvlxqht @tesywesy @nxzz-skz @aishisgrey @missmischief1408 @enczen @vanvity @dreamiestay @caitysdelusions @ikkeumyluv @mysticalenchantresss @v3lv3tsin

( pls make sure your settings make you applicable to tag )

#enhypen #enhypen jake #jaeyun x reader #jake sim #sim jaeyun #enha x reader #jaeyun smut #jake x reader #enha #enhypen jake smut #jake enhypen

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marykk1990 · 4 months

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My next post in support of Ukraine is:

Next site, the Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve in Donetsk Oblast. It's made up of four areas, Khomutovskyi Steppe, Kamiani Mohyly (Stone tombs), a natural limestone formation, Kreidova flora (Chalk flora), limestone cliffs, and Kalmiuske, a rocky steppe on the Kalmius River. Sadly, parts of the reserve are under muscovy occupation.

#StandWithUkraine

#СлаваУкраїні 🇺🇦🌻

#Stand With Ukraine #Слава Україні 🇺🇦🌻

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hslllot · 2 years

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A Soft Place to Fall - Part I

Story List

Word count: 3.6k // Rated M // harry x reader

Note: Wowowow ok! So, here’s the first part of what will be a multi-part story. It is just a short lil introduction to our duo... The second part isn’t too far away either :) I want to thank my bullies motivating friends that encouraged me to write and share this! I love writing but am always painfully nervous about sharing. So please, if you like it, let me know! If you don’t like it you can also let me know but I will probably cry. OK ENJOY :)

Part I

In a cozy log cabin at the base of Mount Yamnuska, Harry found himself in a position he thought he’d never find himself in again.

He was hiding.

It was something he tended to do after a particularly difficult break up: Flee to a different country, alone, to write and sulk and ponder how he always managed to screw things up.

Jamaica. Japan. Italy.

Canada.

In the heart of the Canadian rockies, he sat by the fire in his lonely wooden home. There was a winter unlike anything he’d ever experienced outside his window and a mug filled with English tea in front of him. Next to his mug was his journal, open to an empty set of pages, words painfully unwritten.

He arrived in Calgary by plane this morning, peering out the window to see the bustling and bright landscapes of California transform into blankets of fresh white snow on barren acres of farmland. They flew over the Rocky Mountains and, despite having seen them from above before, he was transfixed by their beauty and size, and he wondered if anyone ever got tired of seeing something so majestic. He had never seen the mountains in the dead of winter, the trees, the ground, and the mountains themselves covered in white while the surrounding frozen glacier lakes remained a brilliant blue. He appreciated the beauty of it all, and under different circumstances he might have turned to the person sitting next to him and urged them to lean over and take a peek out the window too. But his mood soured when he remembered that the person sitting next to him was a stranger, and he was, again, on this trip alone.

Once the plane had landed he sent a quick text to his family group chat and Jeffrey to let them know he’d arrived in one piece. He scrolled through his emails to find all of the different reservations Jeffrey forwarded to him so he could pick up his rental vehicle and begin the 100 kilometre journey to the sleepy mountain town he would be calling home for the next three months.

The GPS in the rental guided him to the Bow Valley Parkway, the scenic highway that would lead him through Banff National Park and to his destination. As he entered the parkway, he pulled into a designated lookout just past a wooden gate that overhead read “WELCOME BIENVENUE”. Directly in front of him was a cerulean river, frozen over and backed by the most massive snow-capped mountain he had ever seen. He got out of his car, feeling the cold January air like pinpricks across his face, and quickly took a picture of the view. He sent it to his mother and promised to one day come back with her so she could see it for herself.

As he drove further down the Bow Valley, he felt kind of silly for pulling over at the sight of his first mountain when each mountain and lake he passed seemed to be bigger and more beautiful than the last. Eventually, he saw the signs for Mount Yamnuska and turned off the highway onto a long and winding road that would take him to his final destination. With nothing but tall lodgepole pine trees, grey skies, and the crooning voice of Billie Holiday to keep him company, he felt like he was on a different planet. A planet where the trees and the mountain air could filter out all of the negative voices, thoughts, and feelings he’d been privy to in the last few weeks. A planet where he might be able to clear his head long enough to find within it a melody or even a lyric or two.

Harry wasn’t entirely sure what was waiting for him at the end of the road, only having skimmed the AirBnB listing Jeffrey had emailed him. He called Jeff two days ago, insisting that he needed to get away, to disappear for a bit. Having been in this exact position before with his client/friend, Jeff knew what that meant. His manager remembered seeing videos of aesthetic mountain vacations with rocky lookouts and great big turquoise lakes on TikTok, so he suggested that Harry sequester himself in the mountains. After discussing and agreeing on the destination, Jeff had the trip planned and booked within hours.

Harry passed plenty of tiny cottages and cabins tucked away in the forest alongside the highway, but as it got darker he focused more on the road ahead and fixed his eyes to watch out for any wildlife (he heard mountain lions were a possibility in the Winter). When he finally made it to his landing place, he was at the end of a long driveway in front of a cabin carved into a landscape of endless conifer trees. The cabin looked small and simple on the outside, the entirety of its exterior made up of orange-tinted pine logs. There was a foot of snow covering everything in sight, save for the walking path from the driveway to a front porch that spanned the width of the cabin. On the porch sat two Muskoka chairs, red, to match the front door.

Sat in the two chairs waiting for him, unphased by the darkening skies and blowing snow, he presumed were his hosts.

He exited his car and zipped his jacket all the way past his chin, a lame attempt to shield his face from the wind. As he made his way toward the porch, the older man and woman stood to greet him. Both were dressed in black puffer jackets and knit beanies, perhaps in their mid-to-late fifties. They appeared friendly, wearing bright smiles as they welcomed him to their vacation home.

“You must be Harry”, the man said, reaching out to shake Harry’s hand.

Harry returned the gesture, “Hello, yes, I’m Harry.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Paul and this is my wife, Nancy.”

“We hope you found the place OK!” Nancy chippered.

“Thank you, I did.” He said, shaking Nancy’s hand next. “I appreciate you taking me in on such short notice.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. We actually just had a cancellation before your manager contacted us. Our daughter was supposed to stay here with her partner for the week but their plans changed. So everything was already set up for guests!”

“Lucky for me then.” He said with a smile as Paul took his bag and Nancy moved to open the door to lead them all inside.

Harry did a quick scan of the inside of the cabin from where he stood in the front entrance. He saw they’d already started a fire in the wood burning stove and spotted a cozy looking armchair where he knew he’d be curling up with his book. “The place looks great.”

“We’re glad you think so. Please, come in, get comfortable. This is your home now for a bit, after all!” Nancy insisted, fussing over him to take off his jacket and shoes. She reminded him a bit of his mother, something about her demeanor making him feel at ease. “You’ve had a long journey so we’ll leave you to get settled in and explore the place. Just a few things though…”

He kicked off his shoes by the door and followed behind the two as they led him past the living room and into the kitchen.

“We’re going to get more snow tonight and you’re probably tired from your travels,” Nancy opened the refrigerator. “We’ve already stocked the fridge with all of our daughter’s favourites so there’s plenty of food that you can have.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind getting my own.”

“Really, we’d rather it didn’t go to waste.” Paul chimed in. “But of course if there’s anything more you need, there’s some info in that binder on the table about going into town and grocery stores and restaurants and whatnot.”

“Alright, thank you. I really appreciate all this.”

“Of course!” He handed Harry a set of keys on what looked like a moose-head keychain. “Here’s the key. Our house is north of here, about 15 minutes away. So if you need anything just give us a call or text. Our address is in there too just in case.”

Harry bid goodnight to Paul and Nancy and once they were gone he took his bag and scoped out the cabin. It was a simple layout with two bedrooms just off the living room, a full bathroom between the two rooms and the open galley kitchen along the adjacent back wall, opposite the front door. There was a small kitchen island at the center in front of the red kitchen cupboards, and a wooden dining table for two in its own little nook off the kitchen. The cabin had a warm feel to it. The decor, you might say was quintessentially Canadian in the way they leaned into maple-scented candles, wood carvings of mountains hung on the walls, and no shortage of throw blankets and pillows adorned with buffalo plaid.

Harry dropped his bag into the bedroom closest to the kitchen and was about to start unpacking when his stomach growled. Grateful they had left food for him to eat, he made himself a sandwich and got acquainted with where everything was in the kitchen before unpacking his things. He decided then that after he unpacked he would settle in for the night by the fire, brew some tea and maybe take a stab at writing.

—————————

You hated driving in the winter.

Were you competent and experienced enough to deal with the blowing snow and the black ice under your tires? Sure. But that didn't mean you enjoyed it. A lifetime of driving down the Parkway didn’t stop you from gripping the steering wheel so hard your knuckles were white, or straining your eyes in the darkness to avoid missing any moose or elk that might emerge from the trees.

One thing you did like about road trips was that they were a great opportunity for reflection. You’d been driving for about 3 hours at this point, and had barely listened to the playlist you put on at the start of your journey. You were too busy keeping an eye on the road, or thinking about the last 72 hours, and playing out scenarios in your head where things had gone differently.

You were exhausted, physically and mentally. Was it really only 72 hours since everything went down?

You replayed your last conversation with Luke over and over again in your head, hoping that if you went over it enough you could better understand.

“I just can’t do it. Even if I came, I would have to bring work with me and I’d be working the whole time.”

You were incredulous. Confused. Borderline seething.

“This trip was supposed to happen last summer, Luke. We’ve postponed it twice already for your job.”

“I know and I said I’m sorry. I just can’t up and leave right now.”

“Did you not book off the vacation time? Your boss knows you're supposed to go away. It’s literally one week.”

“Yes, I booked off the vacation time but I-”

“Well if you’ve booked it off and they gave you the time off what’s the problem?”

“I just can’t go now, ok?”

“Is it that you can’t go, or that you don’t want to go?”

That question had been lingering in the back of your mind every time the trip had to be postponed, but you never asked because you were afraid of the answer. You hoped that work really was so busy that he couldn’t take a week off, even though he had the vacation time approved by his boss. You wanted to believe that this was just the reality of being in a relationship with a lawyer.

The trouble was that you’d been with Luke for two years and he had yet to meet your family. He seemed excited to visit the small mountain town where you grew up, citing that he’d always wanted to visit Banff and the Rocky Mountains. You met his parents and got on well with them and your relationship was moving forward, with talks of moving in together and maybe even a proposal on the horizon.

However, every time you brought up visiting your family, he put it off and said he was too busy. You would visit home and he would stay back in Vancouver. Eventually he agreed to join you and the trip was booked, but at the last minute he claimed to be in the middle of an important case and couldn’t leave. You rescheduled twice since, and it was looking like you’d be adding a third.

“Of course I want to go. It’s just not a great time right now.”

“Is there ever going to be a great time? At some point I’m going to need you to make time for it, Luke.”

You were beginning to think that he didn’t understand how important your family was to you. He didn’t understand that you needed to see how he fit into your family in order for the relationship to progress. Would he get along with your dad? Would he be kind to your mom? Could he be friends with your brother? You were realizing that maybe his lack of motivation to meet your family and see your home was all you needed to know.

Before he could respond, you added “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

Of course over the last 72 hours you doubted yourself constantly. Had you overreacted? Should you have been more understanding about his job? You went back and forth, reminding yourself that you had a job too, sure it wasn’t as demanding as that of a lawyer, but no matter what you always found the time for things that were important to you. You even took a week off to go on a ski trip with his parents a few weeks ago.

After the break up, you called your parents to let them know you weren’t coming anymore. You fully intended to wallow in your apartment for the week and mourn your dead relationship. The wallowing lasted less than 24 hours before you decided the best antidote for a broken heart was a hug from your mom and a beer with your dad.

That’s how you found yourself on the Bow Valley Parkway at 11pm in the middle of a snowstorm. You thought it would be fun to surprise your parents, but now you were regretting that decision. You weren’t sure that the rental vehicle was equipped to deal with a January snow storm in the mountains and if you ended up in a ditch or hit by a moose, no one knew where you were. Knowing your parents, they were probably already asleep, and you didn’t want to wake them. You decided to spend the night at their guest cabin you had initially booked, with plans to surprise them in the morning.

—————————

Harry knew that a few hours on a plane and an evening in a log cabin in the middle of the wilderness wasn’t going to instantly fix his writer’s block. But he did hope his new setting might be able to wiggle some ideas free.

As he sat with his tea and his journal open to an empty page, he begged the words to come to him. But he didn’t know what to say.

How could he write about a break up that he still didn’t even fully understand?

He was just short of banging his head against the table and throwing his journal in the fire when a light shone through the window.

A set of headlights turned onto the driveway, a small car bustling through the snow storm that had started raging outside. He looked to the door to make sure he’d locked it, in case someone was on their way to murder him in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe Paul or Nancy forgot something, he hoped to himself. It was nearly midnight, so he knew that wasn’t logical.

It was when you pulled up and parked next to his rental that he saw you in the driver’s seat. Your face was perplexed as you looked over at his vehicle and then to the log cabin. You awkwardly made eye contact through the window before you quickly looked away.

Maybe she’s lost, he thought to himself next.

He waited for you to come to the door, but you remained in your car. Eventually, thinking you looked harmless enough, Harry bundled up in his coat, slipped on his shoes, and went to meet you outside.

—-

You whipped your head towards the cabin door when you saw it open to reveal a strange man walking toward your vehicle.

Why is he coming out here? Oh god is he going to murder me? You thought.

Embarrassed you’d been caught outside the cabin, you rolled down your window, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone would be here! I’m just leaving!“

You were hit with the realization of who was walking toward you, followed by some confusion.

What the fuck…

And then panic when you realized he was walking up to your car.

“I really am sorry this is my parents cabin and I thought no one would be here!” You shouted as he approached your opened window. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening.”

Harry fucking Styles crouched down to look at you through the driver’s side window. In the darkness, you felt his eyes on you taking note of your black and yellow North Face puffer jacket and the knit beanie on your head. There was a look of recognition on his face, perhaps noticing some of your features were strikingly similar to those of a woman he’d met only a few hours ago.

“Ah, you’re Nancy and Paul’s daughter.”

“Yeah, I am…So I’ll just h-”

“They said you’d canceled.”

“Oh? Yea, I did… I, uh, changed my mind, I guess. I didn’t think they’d book someone so quickly.”

“It was good timing on my part, I guess.”

“Right, ok, I’m so sorry for interrupting your evening! I’ll just go to their house!” It was nearly pitch black outside, save for the light of your headlights shining on the cabin in front of you. The wind was violent, whipping snow around him, and you felt bad that he was standing outside in the cold. His arms were crossed and hugging his jacket closed, talking to you while not wearing nearly enough layers to be outside.

Harry pondered for a moment, sucking his lips into his mouth and turning to look at the snow coming down around him. He was sure being from here that you had experience driving in weather like this, but he could not in good conscience let you leave without offering.

“The snow’s coming down pretty hard. I was just having some tea before bed… Would you like to come in? At least until things calm down a bit.”

Harry felt bold asking you to come inside when you were strangers. He could tell you were mulling it over, maybe unsure if you could trust him or if it would be appropriate. He wasn’t sure if it was either, but he kind of hoped you agreed to it anyway. Jeffrey would yell at him for this.

“Are you sure?” You asked. Your first instinct was to outright decline the offer, but you knew the roads were treacherous and you were exhausted.

“Yes, I’m sure.” He insisted. “Selfishly, I would never forgive myself if I let you go and you got into an accident or something on the highway.”

“Okay,” you agreed reluctantly. “I’ll come in just for a bit.” You got out of the car and followed him back quickly through the blowing snow and up the path to the front door.

Once inside, he turned to you. “I apologize I didn’t even ask your name.”

You told him your name as you toed off your boots and took off your many layers of outdoor winter wear.

“Well it’s nice to meet you. I’m Harry.”

“Nice to meet you too, Harry. I know who you are, by the way. I’m a fan.” You paused and he noticed the way your face twisted, almost in embarrassment. “Ugh, sorry, is that weird to say?”

“Not weird.” He tried to reassure you. “Would be more awkward if you said you hated me or something.”

You took a seat on the sofa, grabbing the buffalo plaid pillow next to you and hugging it to your chest. You felt awkward. What was Harry Styles doing in your parents’ vacation rental? And what were you doing with him alone in the middle of the night? Were you going to sit here and chat with each other? Or would he carry on with his evening as if you weren’t here?

You spotted his open journal and a mug of tea abandoned on the side table near the fire. He did mention having tea before, which was confirmed by him now filling the kettle with water.

“Again, I’m sorry for interrupting. Really appreciate you letting me hang here for a bit.”

He grabbed a mug from the cabinet to the right of the sink. It was the green mug you painted for your mom for Mother’s Day in middle school.

“You’ve got to stop apologizing. Very Canadian of you though.”

“Right. Sorry. Shit.”

Harry laughed whilst shaking his head at your incessant apologies. You liked his laugh. And his dimples.

OK, he’s cute, you thought.

“Would you like a snack?” Harry called out, interrupting your wandering thoughts. “I’m pretty sure all of the food here was supposed to be for you anyways.”

— END OF PART 1 —

Thank you so much for reading! I am looking forward to diving into this story a bit more and would like to know what you think :)

TALK TO ME HERE

#harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #harry styles fic #my writing #asptf

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themotherofhorses · 5 days

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hi! i think you've answered this question before when a different anon asked, but i couldn't find the original post, so sorry for the repeat; but how do you recommend non-native people write native characters while being respectful of their tradition and culture? i understand that there is a variety of different indigenous cultures all across america and other parts of the world, but do you have any links or sources that you could recommend to further familiarise with the general gist of respecting boundaries before diving into individual peoples and whatnot? thanks so much for the help, and i'm sorry if i worded any part of this ask; this is a genuine question, and i don't mean any offence!

Hello love!

I’d be happy to provide some help. See below:

Here is my previous post regarding this topic; it has the basics for how to tackle a Native character when you are a non-Native. Feel free to read through it. Additionally, I’ll offer some more personal advice.

Three of my main OCs (SilentDove, Balenyra, and Gene) are Plains Cree, Chippewa, and Okanagan. To narrow it down:

SilentDove and Gene (siblings): Chippewa-Cree & Lipan Apache

Balenyra Red Rivers: Plains Cree & Okanagan.

Now, the Cree and Okanagan people are predominately Indigenous Canadian (aside from the Chippewa-Cree that reside on the Rocky Boy reservation). Given that I do not belong to any of those cultures, I've needed to do extensive research on cultural customs and beliefs. After all, they might do something different that we Diné/Nde do not.

To do such, I've actually taken to surrounding myself with people belonging to these Nations (e.g., on different social media platforms). For instance, here is a post that explains what a Cree bride would've worn in the 1800s; this was posted by someone who is Plains Cree.

Furthermore, here is an excerpt I’ve included in my Notion, an app that I’ve used to build my OCs:

If you wish to conduct your own research, I highly recommend websites, books, journal articles, and other references published by Indigenous people, preferably belonging to the tribe/band you wish to include in your writing.

For example, your character is a Cree person. Are they Plains? Woodlands? Swampy? Moose? If you are writing about an Apache woman, does she belong to the San Carlos tribe? Is she Lipan Apache or Jiscarilla? ? Specify! Too often have non-Natives grouped us underneath the same umbrella — refusing to expand our identity, leaving us as only "Native American/Indigenous."

I'll link a website (here) that also provides wonderful suggestions!

If you need further help, feel free to hop into my DMs! Thank you!

#vic’s asks and replies #indigenous #native american #character writing #writing advice

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fatehbaz · 2 years

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Fort Belknap Indian Community celebrates reintroduction of locally extinct swift fox.

Aaniiih and Nakoda communities have organized the restoration of local native prairie ecosystems in this landscape of the northern Great Plains just north of the Missouri River. In 1997, Fort Belknap Indian Community organized the first-ever reintroduction of locally extinct black-footed ferrets to occur on tribal land. Fort Belknap has also organized the reintroduction of bison. Since 2020, the reservation has also organized the Fort Belknap Grassland Restoration Project, a program designed for Native youth to collect native grass seeds, practice plant identification, and learn about ecology, traditional stories, and Indigenous place names. Swift fox, an indicator species closely tied to the Great Plains, had been eliminated and driven extinct across the northern Great Plains due to US-government-supported wolf- and coyote-killing programs in the twentieth century. Beginning in autumn 2020, Fort Belknap released 27 swift foxes on tribal lands. Now, as of September 2022, there are over 100 swift foxes in this prairie landscape. Between September 2020 and September 2022, Fort Belknap has observed the swift foxes pairing and breeding at 4 den sites, and the birth of 20 swift fox kits. In the next few days, Fort Belknap will release another 28 swift foxes.

From a press release, September 2022.

Excerpt:

Today the Fort Belknap Indian Community commemorated three years of its swift fox recovery program with the release of three swift foxes on Tribal lands, bringing the total to 103 recovered back to these prairie grasslands. Based on post-release monitoring efforts, the native species is reproducing in the wild, which is a critical measure of success for a self-sustaining population.

“After being absent for more than 50 years, the swift fox has returned to the grasslands of Fort Belknap and our people could not be prouder,” said Harold “Jiggs” Main, director of the Fort Belknap Fish and Wildlife Department.

Over the last four years, the Nakoda (Assiniboine) and Aaniiih (Gros Ventre) Tribes of Fort Belknap have worked in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Aaniiih Nakoda College, Defenders of Wildlife, American Prairie, World Wildlife Fund and Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo on this five-year reintroduction effort.

This week, three of 28 foxes trapped in Wyoming will be released during a special ceremony held by the Fort Belknap Indian Community. The remaining 25 foxes will be released later this week. [...]

Monitoring efforts via GPS collar tracking show some foxes traveled long distances, including one documented over 200 miles away, while most have settled on Fort Belknap and the surrounding areas in Phillips and Blaine counties in Montana. At least four females and males (four dens) have been documented pairing up or “denning” and 20 kits have been born in the wild since the original reintroduction of 27 foxes in fall 2020. [...]

“It has been an honor for Defenders to play a role in the Aaniiih and Nakoda effort to bring back swift fox to their lands, and also as a long-term partner to recover buffalo and endangered black-footed ferrets back to their lands,” said Chamois Andersen, Rockies and Plains senior representative at Defenders of Wildlife. “Fort Belknap is truly a model in native plains wildlife conservation.”

The swift fox is the latest extirpated species to return to Fort Belknap, joining other iconic prairie species successfully reintroduced to Indigenous lands under the leadership of the Fort Belknap Fish and Wildlife Department. Historically, swift foxes lived across much of North America’s Great Plains.

“The vast grasslands on Fort Belknap provide a home to a variety of avian and terrestrial wildlife [...]. With support from numerous partners [...], the Aaniiih and Nakoda people have been bringing Indigenous wildlife back to these native grasslands for over three decades,” said Tim Vosburgh, wildlife biologist with Fort Belknap Fish and Wildlife Department. [...]

“Since its inception, American Prairie has taken inspiration from the land stewardship and rewilding efforts of the Fort Belknap Community. We are proud to stand with our neighbors and support the repatriation of swift fox to their home in Montana's Great Plains,” said Beth Saboe, senior public relations manager for American Prairie.

Swift fox numbers declined precipitously in the late 1800s, mainly due to poisoning intended for coyotes and wolves and the loss of grassland habitat. During this same time, they were also eliminated from the northern portion of their range. Swift foxes made a comeback after successful reintroduction efforts began in 1983 in Canada and on the Blackfeet and Fort Peck Indian communities in Montana. However, these reintroduced populations have yet to reconnect with populations in the southern portion of their historic range. Establishing a population of swift foxes on Fort Belknap’s lands will expand the species’ occupied range in the north and help bridge the distribution gap between existing populations to the north and south.

---

Headline, photos, captions, and text published by: Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “Tribes Successful with Swift Fox Reintroduction Program at Fort Belknap.” 28 September 2022.

#ecology #prairie #colonial #imperial #indigenous

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starstruckunknown-princess · 1 year

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Winter Market

Pairing: Modern!Robb Stark x F!Reader

Warnings: none, just fluff!

Word Count: 1067

Summary: While running your own stall at a Winter Market, you run into an old schoolmate of yours -- none other than Robb Stark.

A/N: A day late, but I had to edit this one and I was distracted yesterday. My bad. But expect either one more tonight or two tomorrow to wrap up my Fluffcember event! Hope you enjoy this one!

Fluffcember Masterlist

The Winterfell Yuletide Market was famous throughout the realm, boasting some of the most unique and talented craftspeople from all over the world. They also had a section reserved for local artisans only, which is where you found your stall. After your rocky divorce you’d taken up soap and candle making as a hobby to keep your mind and hands busy. You’d even looked into getting a hive of bees for beekeeping, but it had been too late in the season to have them shipped from Honeyholt.

You were lucky to get the stall, which you had to keep reminding yourself as the temperatures dipped into the negatives. The sad little space heater under your table could barely keep your feet warm. Being a born and raised Northerner, though, you weren’t going to let the cold close you down like some other stalls had.

“Hot cider, courtesy of Stark Tech?” a voice asked, pulling you from your trance. A steaming mug of cider appeared in front of you and you followed the gloved hand holding it up to the auburn curls and striking blue eyes of none other than Robb Stark.

It had been a long time since you’d seen him, having gone to school together many moons ago. Since then it had been easy to follow his meteoric rise in the Tech industry, taking over his father’s company when he passed too soon and managing to nearly double profits within the first year of his reign. Stark Tech was one of the biggest employers in the North, and the major sponsor of the Market. However, you had not at all expected to see the CEO of the company walking around, handing out free cider to the stall owners.

If he recognized you he didn’t let on, but you accepted the cider anyway. Anything to help keep your hands warm was welcome at this point. Only an hour left to stay open, but the temperature was dropping quickly.

“Thank you, Mister Stark,” you said, not letting your voice wave from shivering.

He smiled his blinding smile, then tilted his head a bit. “Have we met before?”

You smirked, sipping your cider that was impeccably spiced. “We went to school together.” You gave him your name and his blue eyes lit up with recognition.

“Yes! How’ve you been?”

You gestured to the stall around you, “Alright, I guess. I got accepted to the biggest Winter Market in the North, so I’d say pretty good.”

“Ahh, yes,” he said, picking up a teacup candle and inhaling deeply, “Oh, I’m sure Sansa would love this. Rose, right?”

“And sandalwood,” you added. “My gran collected fancy teacups all her life. When she passed last year she had left them all to me. I had no idea what to do with them until after…well, you don’t want to hear about all that.”

He smiled wide, picking up another candle to sniff. “On the contrary, I would love to catch up. You’re here for another hour, right?”

You had to stop your jaw from dropping. You’d been out of the dating loop, but you could’ve sworn he had just asked you out. The few attempts you’d made at online dating had yielded absolutely nothing — in fact, the matches you’d gotten had made you want to throw your phone into the White River and erase all trace of yourself from the internet forever after scrubbing your eyeballs and brain with a toilet brush.

“Are you asking me out, Stark?” you asked for the sake of clarity. More than once you’d been accused of coming off as cold rather than cool.

He smiled again, “I am indeed. Unless you’ve got plans after this, then we can pick another night.”

“Oh yeah, after this I’ve got big plans with my cat and my streaming queue,” you joked, heart fluttering as he let out a warm chuckle, “I’d love to go out with you.”

He sniffed another candle and added it to the growing pile of teacups in the crook of his arm. “Excellent, I’ll meet you here after closing if that works. We can go to the Direwolf and Dragon?”

“I love that place! They have the best whiskey selection.” You nodded eagerly, perhaps a little too enthusiastically but you were beyond caring. This was Robb Fucking Stark, every girl’s crush in school and even though you were a fully grown adult woman with her own bank account and apartment and business, the giddy teenager within you was ecstatic.

“And she likes whiskey,” he muttered to himself with satisfaction, “Excellent. While I’d love to stay and keep chatting, I’ve got more cider to hand out. How much do I owe you?”

He gestured to the four teacup candles in his arms and you told him the total, then wrapped each one in tissue paper and put them gently into a paper gift bag. Your stomach turned at the thought that these were for a girlfriend, but you hadn’t seen anything about his dating life recently. He’d been dating the heiress of some big agricultural company down south for a few years, but you knew they’d broken up a while back. Around the same time your divorce was happening, come to think of it.

As you wrapped, you asked, “Who are all these for? Teacups aren’t usually decor for bachelor flats.”

He chuckled again, “My mother and sisters. And my PA, Steffon, he loves anything pine scented. The fact that the cup has pine boughs on it I think bodes well, too.”

You passed the bag over your display and your gloved hands brushed as he accepted it. Even through thick layers of material, you felt something electric pass between the two of you.

“Well, I’ll see you in an hour then?” You asked after clearing your throat and shoving down some rather naughty thoughts.

Robb’s curls fell in front of his face as he looked down and checked his smart watch. “Forty-three minutes, to be exact.”

“Then I’ll see you in forty-three minutes.” You smiled at him. He continued on his mission of handing out hot cider. Try as you might, you couldn’t help but count down the minutes as you sipped your cider.

Fluffcember Masterlist

#robb stark x reader #robb stark x you #robb stark fic #robb stark fluff #richard madden #got fanfiction #got fic #game of thrones fic #game of thrones fanfiction #fluffcember #writing challenge #winter market

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allthecanadianpolitics · 9 months

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An out-of-control wildfire burning near the city of Cranbrook in southeastern British Columbia has grown to 800 hectares in size. The St. Mary’s River fire was first discovered around 1 p.m. on Monday and has grown rapidly due to wind in the area. The fire is burning about 10 kilometres northeast of Cranbrook, and just east of the Canadian Rockies International Airport. Officials believe downed powerlines likely started the fire. As the fire grew on Monday, RCMP and band officials with ʔaq’am (the St. Mary’s Indian Band) went door to door evacuating residents from 52 homes on Kootenay Indian Reserve No. 1.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #British Columbia #fire tw #Kootenay #ʔaq’am

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fissions-chips · 2 months

Text

Royalty AU: Houses and Kingdoms (and others)

(It’s Royalty AU timeee-)

House of Fowls:

-Ruling Body:

The Fowl Family, consisting of King Artemis Fowl the First, Queen Angeline Starinov, and three princes: Artemis (the Second), Myles, and Beckett.

King Artemis is a quiet, somewhat brooding individual, though he carries a distinct air of regality in his gait and cadence, commanding respect immediately upon entering the room. In politics, he is cautious and meticulous, and not afraid of underhanded dealings to secure the safety of his family and kingdom, though he has come a long way in pulling the family out from the feared shadow of his forefathers. When at home, much of his time is spent looking after his family- it is not uncommon to see his youngest sons scampering around the Fowl Palace’s winding halls, with Artemis and Angeline not far behind.

The Fowls are noted as a strange family, with their bloodline associated with magic- though the magic of The People has been forbidden in the Fowls’ kingdom (and most others) for years now, residual magic in their lands has gifted them odd abilities, the most honed of which being the ability to turn certain materials to gold- a ‘Fowl’s Touch’.

Head of Command:

Domovoi Butler, head of the Fowl army and personal protector of the Fowl Family. He has recently fallen into this role after the loss of his uncle, The Major, to the House of The North’s attack on the Fowl Family.

Originally tasked with the personal protection of Artemis the Second alone (a child prone to seeking out danger), this new role is more than he anticipated taking on so soon, and he isn’t sure if he feels suited to it yet.

Despite his doubts, Butler is a legendary fighter with almost any weaponry, and the only known man to single-handedly face a troll, survive, and win. Many tales exist of his exploits, though he does his best to shut them down when they are discussed in his presence.

Kingdom:

The Fowl’s kingdom is primarily moorland, with a broad stretch of rocky coastline bordering the easternmost border, mountains to the north and broad, impenetrable forests to the west, where The People are rumored to live. The Fowls do not enter these woods, as a general rule (Artemis the Second has hopes to one day map them, fairy folk or not)- they are a superstitious kingdom. To the south, the moorlands eventually rise into sparse pockets of deciduous forest- the southernmost border is marked by a large river, which they use to ship goods to the coast (or to kingdoms further west).

The Fowl family has a tumultuous history with its people, and Artemis the First is doing what he can to make up for the harsh rule of his own parents- generally, he is looked upon more favorably, though still regarded as a somewhat ‘suspicious’ ruler. His close relationship with his family have gone a long way in softening this public perception.

Within the Fowl kingdom, a heavy emphasis is placed on knowledge, with many famous libraries and records being housed within their borders. They are not particularly militaristic and do not have a common religion- superstition surrounding The People is deeply ingrained in their society, however (ex: most individuals wear iron somewhere on their person, whether they believe in the fairy folk or not).

Notes:

- Their house symbols are owls (royal family), falcons (army), and a rooster (populace). Falconry is a common sport within the kingdom, and the Fowls have their own birds for sending messages to other kingdoms (and as pets, in the case of the princes).

- Crowns and royal jewelry consists of iron (day-to-day), with gold being reserved for ceremonial circumstances.

- Artemis the First fights with a pike.

(The Butlers):

The Butlers are a family closely intertwined with the royal family of The Fowls, having historically served as their personal protection in the form of knights, army generals, and bodyguards. It is unknown when this history began, or under which circumstances, but it was established long before any current parties can remember.

Butlers are traditionally raised under the assumption of eventual knighthood, being sent to study under the Blue Diamond order of knights at a young age (the exact year varies). Up through adolescence and into young adulthood, these Butlers are trained in various forms of combat, espionage, and matters of warfare, as well as wilderness survival- they are then sent across the kingdoms to complete various missions at the hire of powerful individuals in order to hone these skills. At such a time as the Fowls need them, they are called back to serve the royal family.

Butlers are feared and respected across many of the kingdoms, as they have been responsible for many historical feats. That being said, their family is also often the subject of much scrutiny, as they are intrinsically linked to the Fowls even when serving under a different banner- many inherently see their presence as that of a spy or potential turncoat. It has not been uncommon for Butlers to disappear in distant kingdoms (further from the Fowls’ influence), ‘dealt with’ for fear of Fowl interference within foreign borders.

House of The North:

Ruling Body:

King Britva, and he alone- he used to be part of a ruling family. Used to- the rest of his kinsfolk were all exterminated, rumored to be at his own hand. It is unknown what would have caused him to do such a thing, as no clear tensions were evident among he and his kin, but Britva had always been a violent and unpredictable individual (in large part responsible for why he was never married). He ordered any record or name of his family eradicated across the kingdom, seemingly intending to leave no clear legacy when he dies- if asked, he answers that he wants someone to ‘fight for it’.

For all his explosive violence, Britva is a cunning man, and thus while he is forbidden from directly appearing in many foreign courts, still maintains a large amount of political influence. He seems to have currently set his sights on antagonizing the Fowls- Artemis the First describes him as a “truly loathsome individual”.

Kingdom:

The North kingdom, as the name implies, covers perhaps the broadest stretch of territory overall, securing the entire northernmost reaches of the continent. Scattered with vast mountain stretches and perpetually locked in a state of midwinter, what the kingdom lacks in suitable farmland, they make up for in rich harvests of timbers (an important resource in kingdoms further south, where most forests are guarded by fairy folk), furs, and fish. Almost entirely isolated save for scattered routes through which goods are traded, Britva himself rarely leaves save for the most important political matters, sending his lackeys to make the difficult journey instead.

Notes:

- House symbol was a wolf, is now a white bear or wolverine.

- Britva fights barehanded, or with bludgeoning weaponry- he generally dislikes swords/knives or wearing heavy armor. He has a set of spiked, sharpened gauntlets that belonged to his father, though he really uses them more for beating things into pulp than as the slashing implements they were designed to be.

House of Spiro:

Ruling Body:

King Spiro is the only living member of his immediate family- this was largely the fault of the traditional means of ascending to the throne… trial by combat, to the death. Spiro has yet to create an heir himself and seems largely disinterested in doing so- instead, it seems his cousin Costa is being lined up to follow his footsteps, though Spiro doesn’t seem to be particularly confident in him.

King Spiro is loud-mouthed and lacks tact in face-to-face conversation, making him unpopular with other rulers- his own people both fear and respect him, as while he is a heavy-handed ruler and easily offended, he is incredibly powerful. While Spiro is guided by his own self-interest, he genuinely cares about keeping his kingdom running and successful, and shows surprising skill in the actual management of the region… even if his volatile nature makes him unpredictable politically.

His greatest claim to fame is being the only living human to have successfully tamed a dragon- affectionately named ‘Lincoln’, it has grown to a massive size under his care. It’s origins are unknown, and Spiro keeps information about his prized pet under close wraps for its protection- he seems to have a genuine affection for the creature, however, and the two protect each other fiercely. Anyone who harms the dragon in battle is liable to lose their head.

Head of Command:

Arno Blunt, Spiro’s general- and seemingly the closest thing he has to a friend. Originating from overseas, Arno traveled with a foreign military for a long time before eventually deserting that life, favoring the kingdoms. He was a mercenary for many years before joining Spiro’s ranks, and has a wealth of knowledge about other kingdoms and their habits that Spiro heavily relies on when making political maneuvers.

He considers Domovoi Butler to be something of a rival, and at gatherings between kingdoms he will seek the bodyguard out to antagonize him. Domovoi tolerates this with as much patience as he can muster, but their kings have had to order the two to break up sudden scuffles more than once.

Kingdom:

Spiro’s kingdom is divided between mountains and grasslands, with their easternmost border following the same coastline that the Fowls call home further north. The grasslands exist within a ‘rain shadow’, making them more suitable for agriculture than one would typically expect in such an arid environment- within the mountain range lies a wealth of precious metals and stone, the kingdom’s chief exports.

Spiro’s kingdom is responsible for many of the tournaments, games and gathering events for the various kingdoms, as he is incredibly fond of sports and competition. These events are supposedly neutral ground, though cheating is common- the largest tournament, the Tournament Of Kings, is often hosted at his own coliseum (where Spiro hosts gladiator fights during the ‘off season’).

Notes:

- Spiro’s palace is still The Needle, housed within his capitol, ‘Chargestone’.

- Lincoln does not appear often outside of battle within the kingdom, though he serves as Spiro’s mount when it comes to traveling across borders/in war. He’s trained to come to the sound of a particular whistle, but his commands are hand signals (or foot signals when riding, like steering a horse) and voice command alike, meaning the whistle alone is not enough to control him.

- Spiro fights with a traditional sword or a flail, though he rarely chooses traditional combat when other options are available, given his frail build.

House Valentine:

Ruling Body:

King Valentine has no current heirs or family- in fact, he is not of royal blood whatsoever, and his rise to power is the subject of much mystery and discussion within the social circles he frequents. He does, however, have a handful of wards he is currently watching over in his palace, with an eye on a few of them as potential future kings. He has no interest in starting his own family and grows increasingly annoyed when questioned about it.

Wildly popular within his own kingdom, its surprising that Valentine is a king at all- he was originally a beloved bard. While the circumstances surrounding his rise to power are shrouded in mystery, it is undeniable that his kingdom is currently thriving under his care- trade is booming, and he has made it a point to travel to other kingdoms as frequently as possible to strengthen alliances. He doesn’t seem to quite grasp the political power he wields, treating other rulers as one would a social circle of friends- some feel, however, that this might simply be a clever ruse to disguise his true nature.

Kingdom:

Valentine’s kingdom is primarily coastal, consisting of lush rainforest surrounding several estuaries and river mouths- it is located to the east of Spiro’s kingdom.

A haven of the arts, Valentine’s kingdom lacks a true army in favor of Valentine simply keeping himself out of wartime- a ‘neutral party’ in almost all affairs (save for when Spiro is involved), the kingdom also thusly serves as a refuge for countless criminals and underground organizations. Smuggling, drug production, and other illicit activities reign in certain areas, with little effort on Valentine’s part to stop them- in fact, he’d rather have a hand in their management, the price for his ‘blind eye’. In the safer regions, however, one can find beautiful artwork and music, delicious food and all the vices they can get their hands on- taking that into consideration, it’s not a surprise that Valentine is so beloved by his people.

Notes:

- Symbols consist of a serpent or an oleander.

- Valentine is a skilled poisoner and manipulator. By all accounts according to the tropes, this man should be the sinister advisor- but someone has handed him power and he insists on wearing it well.

- Affiliated with the Extinctionists, an order of knights and noblemen with the goal of eradicating magical creatures. Constantly irritating Jon by implying he would ‘very much like a dragonskin coat’.

- Valentine dislikes hand-to-hand combat and generally avoids it whenever possible- he has no particular affinity towards a handheld weapon. Takes on the role of torturer and executioner himself when necessary, however, bringing into question his feelings on violence.

Thieve’s Guild:

Ruling Body:

Foxworth Fowl, the ‘long lost’ brother of Artemis the First. Fleeing his brother’s kingdom at an early age due to fears of being ‘removed’ from the throne’s running by his parents, Foxworth made his living as a thief and bard, eventually becoming infamous across the kingdom through his exploits- after a time, he began to gather other thieves like him and established himself as the leader of a band of criminals under the banner of the Thieve’s Guild.

Cunning, manipulative and somewhat lazy, Foxy prefers to spend his time nowadays in some hideaway or another, surrounded by stolen goods and his occasional lovers as he entertains his followers with charming songs and stories. On rare occasion, he’ll sneak his way into the Fowl’s palace to visit his family, but contact with them is sparse due to him frequently changing location- he visits more often now that he has nephews, however, and will always shelter his family if they should so need it (even if he’ll nag his brother’s ear off about it the whole way).

‘Kingdom’:

Foxworth’s Guild do not have many set fortresses, preferring to roam in scattered clusters that occasionally reconvene at their ‘king’s’ orders for some celebration or another. There is a primary base of operations tucked away in one of the major kingdoms, but none of the rulers so far have been able to uncover it (though not for lack of trying).

The Guild is a den of thieves and crooks, and they tend to leave behind a trail of missing riches wherever they may go. Methods vary- robbery of traveling merchants occurs just as often at their hand as a con, though Foxy himself prefers less violent methods. There’s a strict code not to harm each other ‘unless unavoidable’, and Foxworth does not tolerate anyone ratting out another, with someone doing so leading to their exile (or death). While thievery is their preferred method of operations, the Guild can occasionally be convinced to spy in other kingdoms, or do assassination work, though Foxy only seems to allow it when it’s for someone he’s taken a liking to.

Notes:

- All Guild members are marked somewhere on their bodies with a particular sigil, used to recognize one another in the field.

- While the Guild is a den of thieves and conpeople, Foxy himself isn’t coldhearted, and as such it has also become a haven for young runaways or those down on their luck due to the kingdom’s rulings. He remembers his time all alone on the streets well enough- if someone wants to hide or is in great danger, there’s a chance Foxy can be convinced to get them somewhere safe, or keep them protected.

#haha I am procrastinating but look!! have some worldbuilding because royalty AU stuff is fun and I wanna write for it sometime #royalty AU #au ramblings #if ya’ll have any thoughts feel free to share cause this is living in my head rent-free atm loll

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middleland · 7 months

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Rocky River by ET Photographic

#rocky river reservation #cuyahoga county #don't fight it #memory of trees

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bikepackinguk · 10 months

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Day Forty-three

It's up and at 'em today from the end of Poolewe's stretch of bay and after this many times I'm getting pretty efficient with the morning routine, though in no mood to rush!

Off we set once more - out from Poolewe it's naturally straight into the hills again this morning, with a clamber over the top of the ridges to get over to the lovely little town of Gairloch by the waterfront.

Climbing back out past the lovely beach, and with no through roads around the coast for this area, it's time for a long climb alk the way up along the River Kerry to begin a 20-something mile detour inland.

Up and up the road climbs past rocky walls until reaching Loch Bad an Sgalaig, before descending into the Slattadale Valley.

After all the climbing this is a wonderful stretch of long gradual descent straight down along to the start of Loch Maree, with gorgeous views of the mountains lining the valley.

The weather today has been pretty reasonable so far, so I take a short diversion for a little walk up to see the very lovely Victoria Falls.

It's plebty more miles riding along the lochside, and the clouds begin to thicken with the mountains turning into grey sillouettes around me. Before long the skies begin to absolutely hammer it down.

A quick duck into the shelter at Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve finds a number of other tourists taking shekter from the heavy rain. Whilst most of them resolve to head back to their hotels, I and a motorcyclist have a chuckle, throw on our waterproofs, and get back at it!

The end if the loch is finally reached at Taagan, and the road starts heading up once more following the A' Ghairbhe river all the way up to Loch Clair. As the road continues into the valley the surrounding mountains make an amazing framing of the landscape.

The rains finally start to subside, but the winds funneling up through the valley are whistling past and even once the downhill begins it still requires a lot of pedalling to actually make any headway back down.

After a lot of work the valkey is finally exited at Upper Loch Torridon, where the route swings up into the hills above it on the south side, making for good views of the craggy mountains on the opposite side.

With a few more stiff ascents we finally get round to the very lovely little village of Shieldag, where I coast down to the waterfront to have a nice break for some dinner.

My route over the last two days has intersected with a German couple on holiday, and we've had a few nice chats and bantering as we repeatedly pass each other by. Turns out they are staying here and we share more smiles as we encounter one another yet again.

I know the Applecross Peninsula ahead is going to be a lot of hard work though, so I decide to get a bit of a start made on it whilst scouting for angood spot for the night.

Out from Shieldag, I finally turn off the A896 and head west along the very up-and-down road along the hillside above Loch Shieldag. The views across the water are stunning, and after a little more riding I spy a nice sheltered spot by some silver birches that allow me to setup the tent with a view across the water.

After all the work today, and the climbs ahead tomorrow, I think a nice lie down is in order. I might let myself have a lie in as well! West Scotland's hills continue to be merciless so best make sure the legs have a bit if time to recover.

Until the morning!

#bikepacking #bicycle touring #wild camping

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divinum-pacis · 4 months

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Blue Christmas

Blue Christmas (also called the Longest Night) in the Western Christian tradition, is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year. On this day, some churches in Western Christian denominations hold a church service that honours people that have lost loved ones and are experiencing grief. These include parishes of Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Methodism, Moravianism, and Reformed Christianity. The Holy Eucharist is traditionally a part of the service of worship on this day. This worship service is traditionally held on or around the longest night of the year, which falls on or about December 21, the Winter Solstice. There is an interesting convergence for this day as it is also the traditional feast day for Saint Thomas the Apostle. This linkage invites making some connections between Saint Thomas's struggle to believe in Jesus' resurrection, the long nights just before Christmas, and the struggle with darkness and grief faced by those living with loss.

The worship often includes opportunities for expression of grief, pain, and heartbreak as well as an opportunity to focus on the promise of hope found in Christ. Candles, arranged as an Advent wreath, may be lit during the service, and empty chairs may be reserved as a way of commemorating those lost during the previous year. The images of the winter solstice, including the beginning of increasingly longer days, are a significant part of the imagery used in this worship event.

Source: Wikipedia

Image: Rocky River United Methodist Church

#religion #christianity #catholicism #lutheran #anglican #methodist #reformed #blue christmas #christmas #advent #grief #mourning #divinum-pacis

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aroundtheworldwithphillyfogg · 1 year

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December 4th: Buffaloes

“From ocean to ocean”—so say the Americans; and these four words compose the general designation of the “great trunk line” which crosses the entire width of the United States. The Pacific Railroad is, however, really divided into two distinct lines: the Central Pacific, between San Francisco and Ogden, and the Union Pacific, between Ogden and Omaha. Five main lines connect Omaha with New York.

New York and San Francisco are thus united by an uninterrupted metal ribbon, which measures no less than three thousand seven hundred and eighty-six miles. Between Omaha and the Pacific the railway crosses a territory which is still infested by Indians and wild beasts, and a large tract which the Mormons, after they were driven from Illinois in 1845, began to colonise.

The journey from New York to San Francisco consumed, formerly, under the most favourable conditions, at least six months. It is now accomplished in seven days.

It was in 1862 that, in spite of the Southern Members of Congress, who wished a more southerly route, it was decided to lay the road between the forty-first and forty-second parallels. President Lincoln himself fixed the end of the line at Omaha, in Nebraska. The work was at once commenced, and pursued with true American energy; nor did the rapidity with which it went on injuriously affect its good execution. The road grew, on the prairies, a mile and a half a day. A locomotive, running on the rails laid down the evening before, brought the rails to be laid on the morrow, and advanced upon them as fast as they were put in position.

The Pacific Railroad is joined by several branches in Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, and Oregon. On leaving Omaha, it passes along the left bank of the Platte River as far as the junction of its northern branch, follows its southern branch, crosses the Laramie territory and the Wahsatch Mountains, turns the Great Salt Lake, and reaches Salt Lake City, the Mormon capital, plunges into the Tuilla Valley, across the American Desert, Cedar and Humboldt Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and descends, viâ Sacramento, to the Pacific—its grade, even on the Rocky Mountains, never exceeding one hundred and twelve feet to the mile.

Such was the road to be traversed in seven days, which would enable Phileas Fogg—at least, so he hoped—to take the Atlantic steamer at New York on the 11th for Liverpool.

The car which he occupied was a sort of long omnibus on eight wheels, and with no compartments in the interior. It was supplied with two rows of seats, perpendicular to the direction of the train on either side of an aisle which conducted to the front and rear platforms. These platforms were found throughout the train, and the passengers were able to pass from one end of the train to the other. It was supplied with saloon cars, balcony cars, restaurants, and smoking-cars; theatre cars alone were wanting, and they will have these some day.

Book and news dealers, sellers of edibles, drinkables, and cigars, who seemed to have plenty of customers, were continually circulating in the aisles.

The train left Oakland station at six o’clock. It was already night, cold and cheerless, the heavens being overcast with clouds which seemed to threaten snow. The train did not proceed rapidly; counting the stoppages, it did not run more than twenty miles an hour, which was a sufficient speed, however, to enable it to reach Omaha within its designated time.

There was but little conversation in the car, and soon many of the passengers were overcome with sleep. Passepartout found himself beside the detective; but he did not talk to him. After recent events, their relations with each other had grown somewhat cold; there could no longer be mutual sympathy or intimacy between them. Fix’s manner had not changed; but Passepartout was very reserved, and ready to strangle his former friend on the slightest provocation.

Snow began to fall an hour after they started, a fine snow, however, which happily could not obstruct the train; nothing could be seen from the windows but a vast, white sheet, against which the smoke of the locomotive had a greyish aspect.

At eight o’clock a steward entered the car and announced that the time for going to bed had arrived; and in a few minutes the car was transformed into a dormitory. The backs of the seats were thrown back, bedsteads carefully packed were rolled out by an ingenious system, berths were suddenly improvised, and each traveller had soon at his disposition a comfortable bed, protected from curious eyes by thick curtains. The sheets were clean and the pillows soft. It only remained to go to bed and sleep which everybody did—while the train sped on across the State of California.

The country between San Francisco and Sacramento is not very hilly. The Central Pacific, taking Sacramento for its starting-point, extends eastward to meet the road from Omaha. The line from San Francisco to Sacramento runs in a north-easterly direction, along the American River, which empties into San Pablo Bay. The one hundred and twenty miles between these cities were accomplished in six hours, and towards midnight, while fast asleep, the travellers passed through Sacramento; so that they saw nothing of that important place, the seat of the State government, with its fine quays, its broad streets, its noble hotels, squares, and churches.

The train, on leaving Sacramento, and passing the junction, Roclin, Auburn, and Colfax, entered the range of the Sierra Nevada. ’Cisco was reached at seven in the morning; and an hour later the dormitory was transformed into an ordinary car, and the travellers could observe the picturesque beauties of the mountain region through which they were steaming. The railway track wound in and out among the passes, now approaching the mountain-sides, now suspended over precipices, avoiding abrupt angles by bold curves, plunging into narrow defiles, which seemed to have no outlet. The locomotive, its great funnel emitting a weird light, with its sharp bell, and its cow-catcher extended like a spur, mingled its shrieks and bellowings with the noise of torrents and cascades, and twined its smoke among the branches of the gigantic pines.

There were few or no bridges or tunnels on the route. The railway turned around the sides of the mountains, and did not attempt to violate nature by taking the shortest cut from one point to another.

The train entered the State of Nevada through the Carson Valley about nine o’clock, going always northeasterly; and at midday reached Reno, where there was a delay of twenty minutes for breakfast.

From this point the road, running along Humboldt River, passed northward for several miles by its banks; then it turned eastward, and kept by the river until it reached the Humboldt Range, nearly at the extreme eastern limit of Nevada.

Having breakfasted, Mr. Fogg and his companions resumed their places in the car, and observed the varied landscape which unfolded itself as they passed along the vast prairies, the mountains lining the horizon, and the creeks, with their frothy, foaming streams. Sometimes a great herd of buffaloes, massing together in the distance, seemed like a moveable dam. These innumerable multitudes of ruminating beasts often form an insurmountable obstacle to the passage of the trains; thousands of them have been seen passing over the track for hours together, in compact ranks. The locomotive is then forced to stop and wait till the road is once more clear.

This happened, indeed, to the train in which Mr. Fogg was travelling. About twelve o’clock a troop of ten or twelve thousand head of buffalo encumbered the track. The locomotive, slackening its speed, tried to clear the way with its cow-catcher; but the mass of animals was too great. The buffaloes marched along with a tranquil gait, uttering now and then deafening bellowings. There was no use of interrupting them, for, having taken a particular direction, nothing can moderate and change their course; it is a torrent of living flesh which no dam could contain.

The travellers gazed on this curious spectacle from the platforms; but Phileas Fogg, who had the most reason of all to be in a hurry, remained in his seat, and waited philosophically until it should please the buffaloes to get out of the way.

Passepartout was furious at the delay they occasioned, and longed to discharge his arsenal of revolvers upon them.

“What a country!” cried he. “Mere cattle stop the trains, and go by in a procession, just as if they were not impeding travel! Parbleu! I should like to know if Mr. Fogg foresaw this mishap in his programme! And here’s an engineer who doesn’t dare to run the locomotive into this herd of beasts!”

The engineer did not try to overcome the obstacle, and he was wise. He would have crushed the first buffaloes, no doubt, with the cow-catcher; but the locomotive, however powerful, would soon have been checked, the train would inevitably have been thrown off the track, and would then have been helpless.

The best course was to wait patiently, and regain the lost time by greater speed when the obstacle was removed. The procession of buffaloes lasted three full hours, and it was night before the track was clear. The last ranks of the herd were now passing over the rails, while the first had already disappeared below the southern horizon.

It was eight o’clock when the train passed through the defiles of the Humboldt Range, and half-past nine when it penetrated Utah, the region of the Great Salt Lake, the singular colony of the Mormons.

#Around the world in 80 days #Jules Verne #around the world in 80 dailies

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desertdollranch · 2 years

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It’s a beautiful August day, and Saige Copeland couldn’t bear to stay indoors! She brought her easel and canvas outside, with her dog Sam, to put the finishing touches on her latest work. The painting features the beautiful, rugged Sandia Mountains that border the city of Albuquerque to the east.

While she paints, Saige is going to share some facts about her hometown that you probably didn’t know!

Saige lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The population is around 500,000. That makes it the most populous city in the state, but it is not the state’s capitol. That honor goes to Santa Fe, about 60 miles northeast.

The state of New Mexico was added to the union in 1912, making it the 47th of 50 states. Prior to statehood, it had been a territory since 1848, when the US forcibly seized it from Mexico as a means to repay Mexico’s debt. It was a colony of Mexico from 1821 to 1848. Before that, it was occupied by Spain from 1598 to 1821. No other state in the US has seen three different flags flying over it.

Albuquerque was founded in 1706, which is about 100 years after Santa Fe was founded. But indigenous people have lived (and still live) in the area for centuries prior, living in pueblos, or small densely populated settlements.

Bordering the north of the city is Sandia Pueblo, and to the south is Isleta Pueblo. Both places have been continually inhabited for close to 1000 years. Pueblos are similar in concept to reservations, but have a few differences. There are 19 pueblos in total in New Mexico.

The Rio Grande (Spanish for “great river”) flows right through the middle of the city. It’s very wide and shallow in this area. It starts in the Rocky Mountains far to the north in the state of Colorado, and flows southeast into Texas, where it forms the border between the United States and Mexico until it ends at the Atlantic Ocean.

Albuquerque sits at an elevation of around 5,300 feet, a little over a mile high, or 1600 meters. That’s actually a bit higher than Denver, Colorado, which is known as the “mile high city”!

The weather conditions are near perfect for most of the year, with the city enjoying 310 days of sunshine every year! Spring and autumn are beautiful. Early summer does have a few very hot days, but those cool down closer to July and August. Those two months are the monsoon season, when it rains nearly every day, but rarely last longer than a couple of hours. Winters are mild, with only one or two heavy snowfalls a year and a few smaller snowfalls.

The Sandia Mountains, which Saige is painting, rise to a height of 10,678 feet or 3,254 meters. That might sound very high, but they are by no means the highest mountains in the state! There are many higher peaks farther north. Sandia is the Spanish word for “watermelon”, because they turn lovely shades of watermelon red and pink when they catch the light of sunset. At the top, you can stand at the scenic lookout point, do some more hiking through the beautiful forest, stop by the cafe and gift shop, and then ride the ski gondola all the way down to the bottom.

That’s right: there’s a ski resort at the top of the mountain! It’s actually on the east side of the mountain, facing away from the city, since that gets colder temperatures and more snow. If you don’t want to climb on foot or take the ski gondola, you can just drive to the top. The Sandia Crest Scenic Byway starts at the bottom on the east side, and goes up 3000 feet/ 914 meters to the top, passing through several different ecosystems. As you go up, the trees change from pine to spruce and aspen, and you can still see snow on the ground as early as October or as late as May.

Both Saige and I love spending time in the Sandia Mountains. Where she is set up painting is part of Cibola National Forest, and it’s set right up against the mountainside. It doesn’t even feel like you’re so close to the city! There are miles and miles of hiking trails and plenty of scenic viewpoints.

All finished!

Thanks, Saige, for sharing! Your painting looks beautiful!

#saige copeland #girl of the year 2013

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edgeoftides · 1 year

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Northumberland Coast November Road Trip

England in November is a season of shorter days and falling temperatures. We expected the weather for our Northumberland coastal road trip to be mixed, and that’s exactly what we got. At times, the conditions were challenging due to considerable periods of drenching rain and temperatures that barely reached double figures.

A road trip along Northumberland's beautiful coast, at any time of year, from Amble in the south to Berwick-upon-Tweed on the northern borders of Scotland, displays some of Britain's finest beaches and spectacular views. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), this stretch of England’s most northern county is home to expansive stretches of stunning shoreline, wind-swept sand dunes, historic ruins, and charming fishing communities.

The November sun rises just before 8 am and sets about 4 pm, so I didn't have to worry about setting my alarm too early. Since there are less visitors in the area at this time of year, the coastal scenery can be explored without the crowds, having miles of beautiful Northumberland beaches virtually all to ourselves. We found some businesses and attractions understandingly closed or operating less frequently for the winter season. Finding tables at restaurants was easy whereas in the summer months booking ahead would be a necessity.

Our journey spanned five days, which gave us plenty of opportunities to leisurely explore the different places we visited, sometimes even retuning the next day, and time to shelter from the harshest weather conditions. The trip could easily be completed in half the time, especially within the longer days of summer.

Northumberland map

Highlights of Our Northumberland Coast Road Trip

Amble

We begin our tour in Amble, known as "The Friendliest Port". A quaint harbour town at the mouth of the River Coquet that can be considered as the southern gateway to the Northumberland Coast. Harbourside seafood restaurants, brightly coloured beach huts, independent retail pods, and a sizable pier can be found in this increasingly popular town.

Amble still functions as a working port and has a small fishing fleet. A 250 berth Marina, situated on the banks of the River Coquet, offers a range of boat yard services. Boat trips operate in the spring-time to view wildlife, notably puffins and roseate terns, on Coquet Island. Sitting a mile off the coast and crammed with birdlife for half the year, the island is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) managed nature reserve. Boat landings are not permitted and only RSPB wardens are allowed onto the island.

Amble gained the nickname 'the friendliest port' when on 3rd July 1935, the local Council sent the RMS Mauretania a telegram on it's last voyage to the the wreckers yard in Rosyth. 'Still the finest ship on the seas'. To which Mauretania replied with, "Thank you to the last and kindliest port."

Craster

Moving approximately 15 miles north, we reach Craster, a remote coastal haven set amongst rugged rocks, dramatic coastline and beautiful countryside.

Craster has a small harbour shielded from the wind-whipped North Sea by the guarding embrace of two solid piers. These concrete harbour walls were being put to the test as we arrived. As enormous wave swells pummelled the sea defences with amazing force, we were reminded that no matter how picturesque this coastline may be, the sea can nevertheless be brutal and unforgiving,

As soon as we stepped foot in the village, we were aware of the enticing smell from the L. Robson & Sons fish smokeries. Craster has a reputation for some of the most delicious oak-smoked kippers in the country. Fish is still being cured in the ancient smokehouses, which date back more than 130 years, by this fourth-generation family business.

Craster more than makes up for its lack of beaches with a breathtaking, volcanically formed, rocky shoreline. A relatively easy, one mile walk along the headland provides breathtaking sea views as you approach the imposing ruin of Dunstanburgh Castle. One of the most atmospheric and inspiring castles in England, Dunstanburgh Castle was built in the 14th century.

With over 700 sites—more than any other county in England, you will see plenty of castles on your journey up the Northumberland coastal route. This is due to the rather violent past with neighbouring Scotland to the north.

Seahouses

Further up the coast, the bustling market town of Seahouses offers everything you may want for a conventional coastal getaway. A variety of shops, restaurants, pubs, ice cream shops, and fish & chip eateries can be found in addition to fantastic sea views.

I have a fondness for Seahouses that stretches back over a decade or more. Known to many as ‘The entryway to the Farne Islands’ which are located two to three miles offshore. I’ve made the crossing over to the islands many times to photograph nesting sea birds. As well as being the most famous Sea Bird Sanctuary in the British Isles, the islands are also home to a large colony of Grey Seals. Birds that frequent these islands for nesting include Puffins and several breeds of Terns. Boats depart daily from the busy, colourful harbour.

There are beautiful beaches to the north and south of Seahouses, with the northernmost one being the most popular. Bamburgh Castle provides a magnificent backdrop to this expansive sandy beach which is bordered by grassy sand dunes.

Avian Flu

The worst bird flu outbreak to ever affect the UK has occurred during 2022, and experts have cautioned that the infection rate could increase even further throughout the winter of 2022-2023. The outbreak has had a huge negative impact on agriculture and the environment, killing 97 million birds worldwide (3.8 million in the UK). In response, the Farne Islands have been closed to visitors over the breeding season, as officials attempted to stem the spread of the infections. There is still a worrying battle ahead to rid our shores of this rampant killer disease.

Bamburgh

Bamburgh is the next-door neighbour to the community of Seahouses. A picture-postcard village, with English tea rooms, stone cottages, gift shops, eateries and B&Bs. The magnificent, 1,400-year-old Bamburgh Castle is seen before you even get to Bamburgh, majestically rising from the dunes system that fringes the beach, it literally is the stuff of legends.

The castle commands sweeping views of a 2.5-kilometer long, immaculate sandy beach with the Farne Islands, Holy Island, and Lindisfarne seen in the distance. Due to its lofty position, Bamburgh Castle is a beautiful subject for photos when shot from the beach.

Holy Island

Any visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne begins and ends with the vagaries of the tide. The island is cut off from the mainland twice a day during high tide when the causeway that connects the mainland to the island is submerged.

Crossing Holy Island’s causeway is a great experience, beautiful and sometimes eerie. The Road is approx 3 miles long and takes about 10 minutes to drive. Close to the start of the causeway is the famous refuge shelter for anyone unlucky enough that gets caught out by the tide. If you are unfamiliar with the causeway and the workings of the tides, it is best to educate yourself first, so long as you plan your visit for the right times, there is really nothing difficult to the crossing. I double-checked the crossing times before planning our trip.

Holy Island is steeped in history with spectacular coastal scenery. Whether you're interested in history, religion, walking, birdwatching, nature, or beaches, or like me in photography - Holy Island boasts a variety of attractions and activities. I think that it’s safe to say that most visitors are attracted by the extensive ruins of a 12th-century priory church and the associated monastic buildings. The equally famous Lindisfarne Castle is the other main visitor attraction.

Local boats moor iIn Holy Island Harbour, known as The Ouse. The legendary upside-down boats on a muddy area next to the beach are old herring boats that have been converted into fishermen's sheds.

Lindisfarne Castle dates back to the middle of the sixteenth century and was first used as a garrison. The castle, which is positioned atop the volcanic rock formation known as Beblowe Craig and is one of the Island's most recognisable and appealing sights, can be seen for miles in all directions. The castle we see today was constructed by renowned architect Edwin Lutyens beginning in 1903 and is an amazing blend of a Tudor artillery fort and an Edwardian country home.

Reconnecting with some of our favourite places along the Northumberland Coast has been a wonderful experience. Who wouldn't be captivated by this special place? It's every bit the wild coast you'd want for photography inspiration.

www.adrianmcgarry.com

#Road trip #northumberland #northumberland coast #coast #coastal photography #coastline #amble #craster #Seahouses #bamburgh #dunstanburgh #lindisfarne #holy island #sea #ocean #lighthouse #castle

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