#fortunately only half mile from my car

[softlypause]

Views from Mount Umunhum

#with bonus rainbow! #nature #hiking #my photos #mount umunhum #no photos at the summit alas - shrouded in clouds and too rainy for me to take my phone out of its protective ziplock #loved the rain though!!! <3<3<3 #forwent my raincoat so i could feel the rain <3 #left bootlace snapped in two places during my descent #fortunately only half mile from my car #ah leather laces - comfortable because they’re slightly stretchy #but stretched too much and weakened when soaked #so i had to retighten them but then they snapped when i yanked too hard #will replace with paracord for tomorrow’s hike until i can get new laces

[kvtie444]

⋆‧₊˚ TEACHERS PET

A/N: ALL CHARACTERS ARE OVER 18!! gonna try make this a series lol p.s. I love covet sm lolziezzzzzzzz

Summary: Reader has a new teacher and finds herself falling for him blahblahblah teachers pet by melanie vibes xoxo

Warnings: swearing, mentions of nsfw content, that’s it??

・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆

If you're fortunate enough to own a car, count your blessings. Given the means, I would have purchased one long ago, but the weight of tuition fees compels me to endure a daily mile-long walk in the unforgiving cold almost every day. Oddly enough, the journey to campus carries its qualities - passing through a park, surrounded by pleasant scenery, with my favourite playlist playing through my headphones, it becomes an almost comforting routine - except on days like today, where I’m running late.

Choosing sociology ranks among the biggest mistakes in my life, closely followed by my track record with every guy I've been involved with. It seems every guy my age is solely fixated on getting their dick sucked and seeking validation from their male peers.

Entering my building, I head straight to class, mentally preparing myself for boredom. Amongst my whole class, I've only really gotten close with one person in my class - Madi. She's friendly, and her accom building is conveniently across mine, making her my go-to companion here. Reaching my relatively small class, I push the door open, taking my seat beside Madi. Placing my bag on the desk. I unpack my belongings, removing my headphones and setting them on the table. "Look who's finally arrived," Madi teases with a smile. Glancing at her and then towards the front of the room, I notice the absence of the teacher. Did I really beat him here? "Where's Mr. Kennedy?" I ask, confusion etched on my face. Her expression falters. "Didn't you hear?" she begins. I shake my head no. "He got caught having an affair with a student," she whispers. My jaw drops. "So, who's filling in for him?" I ask. She simply shrugs.

Engaging in small talk whilst I log onto my laptop, her attention shifts to the door as our new teacher arrives, a solid 12 minutes late. I keep my eyes glued to my screen as I overhear him grabbing items from his desk. I momentarily look away and I almost moan when I see him. Brown hair, blue eyes, a slight beard, a chain sitting on top of his black sweatshirt, and plain black pants - he doesn't look a day older than 30. Picking up a marker from his desk and delicately fiddling with the lid, he looks up to face the class.

"Mr. Kennedy is unable to continue teaching you guys, so I'll be filling in for him," he announces, turning around to write his name on the board alongside the topic where we left off. "My name is Mr. Sturniolo, or just Matthew if you can't pronounce it," he half-jokes, a small chuckle escaping from his pink lips. Madi leans toward me, whispering in my ear, "smash." I can't help but chuckle, nudging her with my shoulder. When Matt turns around, his eyes dart into mine, shooting me a disciplinary look. I purse my lips, attempting to contain my smile, and look down, mouthing a small "sorry." He returns to his desk, flicks open his textbook, lands on a page, and then speaks up, "Everyone, go to page 56. We're going to start off where you were all left off with class differences in achievement”.

Throughout the lesson, he does an impressive job at teaching. He even sets up a Google Classroom for all his work and provides a platform for questions if we're confused—something Kennedy could never manage. Matt sends me a few glances, and each time, my face grows hot, causing me to look away first and break the eye contact. Eventually, the lesson concludes, and everyone quickly packs up, ready to leave.

"Alright, everyone, I want you all to finish off the chapter, make notes, and I'm going to upload a short essay question for you to fill out too. I want it done for tomorrow's lesson," he says, people beginning to exit the room, with me and Madi following suit. As I walk out the door, I glance back at him, and our eyes meet. He shoots me a smile, which I quickly return before looking and walking out of the room.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

I let out a frustrated groan, slouching back in my chair and running my hands down my face. I find myself back in my dorm, attempting to tackle this essay, but I’m stuck on my counterargument. I glance at my open laptop, its glow being the only source of light in my room as I anxiously tap my pen against my desk. Why am I so hesitant to ask my teacher for help? Y/n, don't bother him; it's 11 pm. fuck it.

Summoning a bit of courage, I lean forward and compose a message for him, meant for our eyes only. "Hello Mr. Sturniolo, I was wondering how to counterargue in the essay you assigned. Best regards, Y/n." No, no, no. I delete the message and retype, reminding myself that I'm not messaging fucking royalty. The new message reads, "Hi Matt, I'm a bit unsure of how to counterargue in the essay. Thanks, Y/n." I bite my lip before hitting send and then pick up my pen, drumming it against my desk again. I can't help but keep checking if he replies. It's only been two minutes. I mean, it's late. I keep my eyes glued to my screen eagerly until I see my 'delivered' message switch to 'read.' My breath hitches as my left leg shakes, my heel tapping the ground in quick patterns as I see three typing dots.

"Hey Y/n, don't worry about it. Try using the functionalist perspective and theorists like Parsons. I'll send you the page now. Matt." I smile at the message and feel like a cheesy teenage girl, my breath hitching when he sends an image. It's a page from the textbook which he is holding down with his left hand. shit. His large hand looked veiny, and his fingers took up so much space. He had rings on his fingers, excluding his ring and middle finger, making me bite my lip, almost prompting a moan at the idea. No, Y/n, he's your teacher. My eyes moved up his arm to catch a glimpse of the tattoos that were previously hidden under his sweatshirt. I wasn't even focusing on my work anymore. I snap out of my daze and type a little message, hoping to keep the conversation going. "Thank you !!" I send, now biting the end of my pen, smiling to myself. He's quick to start typing back, "Don't worry about it." I stare at the message until my breath hitches once I see him typing again. "Next time, try not to leave my work for the last minute." I softly giggle to myself, looking down at my hands.

I finally get the work done, submitting it online. I climb into bed and scroll through my phone until I fall asleep, feeling a sense of anticipation and excitement about seeing Matt again tomorrow.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Back in class again, I find myself barely able to focus on anything - well, it wasn't even work. Matt had put on some documentary, but my attention was solely fixed on him. What's wrong with me? He's just a good-looking guy, Y/n. A really, really good-looking guy.

"Y/n?" I'm snapped out of my trance by Madi. I look up at her; she's standing up, bag on her shoulder. "Lesson's over. Wanna meet and get some food later?"

I nod, "Yeah, text me," I reply, smiling as I get up and put my headphones back on, playing my music. I walk towards the door until I feel a hand on my arm, turning me around. Confused, I look up, and my confusion softens, feeling my face heat up upon seeing it's Matt. I pull my headphones down around my neck as he smiles at me.

"I was calling your name a few times, but your music's too loud," he chuckles. I giggle back at him, feeling flustered. His eyebrows furrow, and a smirk grows on his face. "Is that 'Covet'? Basement?" he continues, referring to the song from my headphones. I look down at my headphones before looking back up at him, smiling, nodding my head, "Yeah,". This man could not get any more perfect. He bites his lip slightly before leaning against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Am I in trouble?" I ask, my brows knitting together in worry. "Hm? Oh, no, no," he shakes his head. "Just have to hold you behind a bit and ask you something," he continues.

Shit.

・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆

#chris sturniolo #matt sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #imagine #angst #chris sturniolo x reader #fluff #matt sturniolo x reader #nick sturniolo #smut #SoundCloud

[melswifeasf]

Find my way back to you pt 1

next chapter || series page

Pairing: Samantha Carpenter x Fem!OC

Summary: Estelle and Sam were each others first love until one day she leaves without a goodbye leaving her behind with only the memories of what they once were. until Tara is attacked by a fucking ghost face.

Warnings: minor description of injury.

word count: 1225

Estelle Garcia had been many things growing up, a cheerleader, the sister of a drug dealer and an addict amongst many more she couldn’t list off the top of her head.

she just never thought she’d be a cop. the twenty three year old had been one for a year now. she was an amateur which she was reminded of everyday, fortunately for her she had connections which helped her see a higher ranking in just one year.

Sheriff Judy Hicks made sure the girl saw properly taken care of which resulted in her making a lot of enemies in her line of duty. not that she cared, anyone else would’ve done the same if they were in her position.

the raven haired girl sighed as she drove around Woodsboro aimlessly. she was on patrol duty which although was considered the most dangerous, it was also extremely boring. most of the crime seemed to always happen across town from where she is which always annoyed her to no end. she spent most of her nights handing out tickets to reckless drivers or to teenagers who thought speeding at eighty miles an hour in a forty would be deemed safe.

the girl sighed as she took a sip out of her redbull and listened to the muffled dispatch beside her, hoping there would be reinforcements needed near her.

the patrol car came to a stop as the red light shined above her illuminating the bottom half of her face the bright red color. most of the streets were empty, it was a school night so most of the partying was put off until the weekend. just as she thought her night would consist of her driving around aimlessly for the whole night her phone rang. her eyebrows furrowed as she reached for her phone and pulled the patrol car to the side of the road, never one for reckless driving.

the small screen reflected on her tan skin as she looked at the text message on her phone.

Tara:

SOS

Estelle felt her heart rate pick up for a second as she shot the girl back a couple of question marks, confused on why the girl would be sending her a message so late at night and when she’s on duty. three bubbles popped up on the chat before they disappeared. the raven haired girl let out a small breath as she began to type again when a loud alert popped up causing her to flinch.

emergency call from Tara Carpenter

without a second thought Estelle turned on her sirens and stomped on the gas. she was only five minutes away thankfully, having been assigned to the nicer side of town by Judy’s orders. she always thought it was because the woman knew it was the safer side of town which meant less danger for the young girl. she wasn’t very appreciative of that, the whole point of her job was to be around danger twenty-four-seven so it was quite stupid that the women tried to protect her from it.

the girls grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles turning white, the patrol car going fast enough it shook the cars around her as they pulled to the side to let it through. in minutes - she wasn’t quite sure how many, not able to focus on anything but her rapidly beating heart and the road in front of her. she had already called in backup but they were all more than five minutes away.

the tires screeched to a halt as the young girl quickly opened the door and got out of the car, not even caring to turn the ignition off.

Estelle pulled her gun out of her holster and ran to the front door when she heard a loud scream.

Tara.

the house looked as it did every other day, no cars parked in the driveway or on the street but Tara had called SOS which she knew was only for emergency’s and there was something in there causing the girl to scream.

Estelle quickly reached for the doorknob but it wouldn’t turn which meant it was locked. she cursed silently before she took a step back.

“Tara!” she yelled loudly but the only response she got was an ever louder scream.

Estelle didn’t think twice before lifting her leg and bringing it down onto the door. it shook for a second but it didnt buge. three kicks later she knew the lock she had set up wouldn’t be breaking, she was counting on that when she put it on.

her heart was pounding against her chest as she turned around and grabbed the nearest rock to her and rushed over to the small windows beside the door. Estelle threw it to the smallest one, the glass shattering on impact. It broke apart with a loud bang and fell to the floor. she avoided the small pieces of glass stuck to the window as she put her hand through an unlocked the door from the inside.

Estelle threw the door open, “Tara!” she called ourtpointing her gun up. she took slow steps at first, her boots causing the glass to crush under her. she turned her body quickly to the first room which was the living area, her eyes scanned it in a singular second before she heard yet another scream.

the kitchen.

she ran toward it expecting to see a man or woman with a gun or some kind of weapon about to attack Tara, maybe expecting the house to be empty but they were instead met with a teen girl and were trying to harm her for fucking up their plan.

but that wasn’t it at all. the color drained from her face as her eyes trailed over a person wearing a Ghostface costume hovering over Tara with a knife in their hand.

her reflexes sprung into action as she began to unload her gun, the bullet hitting the top left side of their back, a groan leaving their lips. Ghost face turned quickly, obviously surprised anyone else would be in the house before they bolted out of the house, gun shots echoing as Estelle emptied out of the clip but missing each one.

she moved her body in an effort to run after them but hey eyes glanced down to see Tara’s body causing her to put her gun away quickly and drop to her knees. she could hear the echo of sirens meaning there was back up and they could go after Ghostface themself.

she couldn’t leave Tara alone.

Tara was unconscious with piles of red liquid surrounding her body. her bright clothes were soaked with blood, and the way small drops of it rolled down the sides of her lips made Estelle’s heart drop.

she saw there was a huge gash on the girls stomach causing her instincts to kick in. she reached for the injury and applied pressure with one hand as the other reached for her neck where she found a quiet pulse. it was soft but it was there meaning she was still there.

“it’s okay, i’ve got you” Estelle whispered as she heard loud footsteps coming in with the shout of her name. she didn’t say anything as the paramedics began to do their job, simply watched from afar.

#sam carpenter #sam carpenter x reader #tara carpenter #scream #amber freeman #sidney prescott #gale weathers #deputy dewey #gxg #lesbian #mindy meeks martin #chad meeks martin #wes hicks

[astrronomemes]

A CINDERELLA STORY: STARTERS

a collection of quotes, phrases, and sayings from the 2004 film, A Cinderella Story. change & alter as needed.

"Do fairy tales come true, [name]?"

"Where do princesses go to college?"

"You know, fairy tales aren't just about finding handsome princes. They're about fulfilling your dreams, and about standing up for what you believe in."

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

"You know, it costs them a fortune to fly this stuff all the way from Norwegia."

"What are you doing just standing there? Get to work."

"People go to school to get smarter, so that they can get a job. You already have a job. So it's like skipping a step."

"Droughts are for poor people!"

"[Name], I am a method actor, okay? This is part of my training."

"I've talked to her, okay? In my mind. And let me tell you, in my mind, she wants me so bad."

"And you thought they didn't know you exist."

"Sometimes fantasy is better than reality, [name]."

"I can be surrounded by a sea of people, and still feel all alone."

"It's two AM. We've been at this for five hours."

"What's with all those college brochures in your bedroom?"

"What are you, the Dirt Police? Like, 'excuse me, miss, do you know how fast your dirt was going'?"

"Sweetheart, now that you're old enough, there's something I've always wanted to tell you, and I think you're finally ready to hear it."

"Keep it up, [name], and I'm gonna find a place to put my six-dollar pedicure."

"[Name], if I wanted to look like a clown, I'd join the circus."

"I am a very appealing person!"

"Fortunately for you, I'm going to overlook this mental breakdown of yours."

"If a man is taking his time to write down his feelings for you, it's a love note."

"She's gonna have to go through me to hurt you."

"You're always studying, always working... Take some time for yourself!"

"I was saving this dress for my next attempt down the aisle. ...Long story."

"I cannot believe I put you in charge of costumes."

"Any guy would have to be completely insane not to like you, all right?"

"I knew this was too good to be true."

"I guess my costume doesn't do a very good job at hiding who I am."

"I live in a world full of people pretending to be something they're not. But when I talk to you... I'm the guy I want to be. Give me a chance to be that guy."

"If I ask you to dance, does that count as a question?"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"And do you, [full name], ever want to see me again after tonight?"

"I was right in the middle of a power jam! You totally harshed my mellow!"

"I'll be doing him a favor if I just disappear."

"I can't show emotion for another hour and a half."

"I know you want to take care of this car, but can you step on it?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm already going thirty-eight in a thirty-five-mile zone, [name]!"

"What am I supposed to do with a dead fish?!"

"Isn't it better to cling to what might have been instead of ruining everything with reality?"

"Let's go back to our usual lives, where we only mingle when I copy off you in Algebra II, okay?"

"Look, you're beautiful, okay? But I'm not your prince. You'll meet him someday, but it's not me."

"Look what you did! See?! You always ruin everything!"

"Do you ever feel like if you show someone who you really are, they won't accept you?"

"I want you to know who I am. But I'm scared. I'm scared that you'll reject me."

"I can't believe I actually thought I had a chance."

"We have faith in you. And you've got to have faith in yourself."

"I had no idea you were that tough."

"I never pretended to be somebody else. It's been me all along."

"I know what it feels like to be afraid to show who you are. I was. But I'm not anymore."

"[Name] told me where you might be. I thought you could use a friend."

"[Name], I thought that I could handle this, but I really can't. I'm gonna go."

"You've got to love high school."

"Anything is possible if you just believe."

"Hey, I'm only a freshman!"

#rp meme #roleplay meme #rp starters #roleplay starters #dialogue prompts #rp prompts #roleplay prompts #rp memes #roleplay memes #sentence prompts #sentence memes #sentence starters

[volturiwolf]

Road Rage - A Paul Lahote x fem!Reader Imagine

Tagging (from previous Paul story): @xxx-wounded-angel-xxx @chocolatechipcookiesandcamembert @florence-end @emmy1148 @ilove-bts @crazyacegirl @emerald-jade1 @lahoete @navs-bhat @aquanova99

I was driving down the provincial roads of Washington, going towards La Push, where my friend, Nessie, and her family were waiting for me. “Immortale” by Måneskin was bursting through my rental car, which Nessie had arranged for me, as I was hitting the steering wheel in the rhythm of the song. I loved that song so much, I was singing it at the top of my lungs - at least, the parts I knew how to say.

(Y/N)’s POV

“Credimi, credimi, sono diventato immortale (Believe me, believe me, I became immortal).”

I was tired after flying for 20 hours and having to drive for another 4, but this song always brought my mood up. That, and the fact that I managed to sleep plenty of hours through the flights. I was counting down the hours until I reached La Push. It was Nessie’s birthday tomorrow, and she had invited me over to spend a few weeks with her and her family. 

Nessie and I met when she came to my university as a study abroad student. At first, she only planned to stay here for a semester, but that turned into two semesters - the maximum time study abroad students were allowed to stay there. I was heartbroken when she had to go back home, but she had promised me she’ll do anything to meet again.

I didn’t know what it was with Nessie - or Renesmee, as she was officially named. She was such a fun person to be around. She made everyone feel welcome and happy, and she was probably the easiest person to get along with. She was up for anything, but she was also the most responsible out of everyone, kind of like the mom in our small group of her, me, and my four other friends.

I was getting more and more excited the closer I got to La Push, though I still had to drive within the required speed limits. It was really difficult to estimate the kilometers to miles, and thankfully the car was already in miles, but it was still difficult to keep up with the speed limits around here. The US was really strict with the speed limits, which I never experienced before, but better to be safe than sorry. I didn’t want to get deported or something, so I drove much slower than I usually did.

I liked driving fast, testing the car’s limits, as well as my own, and kind of brag about my driving to others. I liked driving fast, but I was also extremely cautious, and these two often clashed with each other. I would sometimes hate slow drivers, and other times I would wish other drivers drove more slowly. Unfortunately, I had terrible road rage in either case.

Fortunately, I was aware of where I could drive fast, and where I had better drive slowly and carefully. And these narrow, provincial roads were not made for speeding. They were steep from the constant rain, and they had too many turns to count - the very opposite of a road to speed on.

That, however, did not stop the asshole that was following me from almost bumping onto my car, speeding beyond my own comprehension, and almost colliding with the back of my car. Said asshole was flashing his car’s lights and honking at me as if any of these would actually make me go any faster. I was driving for over three and a half hours, just to come across this ass in the last 20 minutes of my driving.

The man kept honking and trying to scare me into speeding or moving over so he could run past me. I was a bigger asshole than he was and my anger rose rapidly as it usually did, so I stepped gently on my brakes, forcing him to step hard on his before he decided that enough was enough. 

He stepped on his gas, and, with an abrupt movement, ran past me, before cutting me off and then speeding off like the ass he was. I sent a lovely open palm on his side, cursing him, and continued driving. My heart was beating fast all this time - a mix of fear and adrenaline, and I was slowly trying to calm myself down, but my hands were still shaking. 

“Just a few more minutes, (Y/N). Just a few more minutes.” 

I was trying to calm myself down, as I was known for getting too angry too quickly, and now, it was not the time for that. I had to remain calm and collected. It was Nessie’s birthday after all, and I didn’t want to ruin everything because of a random asshole. It would be the first time I met her family and friends, and I wanted to leave a good impression, not be the angry ass around here.

I reached the address she had given me after a few minutes. The house seemed small and old, slightly worn out by the rain and humidity, but the location, being slightly away from other houses around the area, offered peace and quiet. It wasn’t a place I would have imagined Nessie would be staying - she dressed too expensive, and spent a lot of money, at least when she was a study abroad.

“(Y/N)!” Ness ran up to me the second I walked out of my car. “I’m so happy you’re finally here! I missed you so much!” Nessie’s embrace was so tight and overwhelming, but warm and welcoming. 

I took a step back to look at her. She hadn’t changed at all. She had the same sweet face, wavy curls, and bright smile as she always did.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Nessie. I missed you, too.” I answered back wholeheartedly, but the look on my face did not match my sincerity.

“Hey, boo, what happened? You don’t seem happy to be here.” Ness furrowed her eyebrows, looking at me worriedly. 

“Well.. Can I vent to you a bit?” 

“Of course, you can. Come on, let’s go inside and you can tell me everything.” She took my hand in hers, and she led me into the house.

The same house that looked old and worn out on the outside was nothing like its interior. It was so warm and welcoming, beautifully decorated with warm, earthly colors, and was actually much bigger than it looked from the outside. Ness sat me down on one of the couches in the living room.

“Now, tell me, what’s got you so upset?” She smiled encouragingly.

“Well, someone almost crashed on my car. I was driving slow, not just because of the police, but, you know, the roads were steep and I was scared. He came behind me. He was running really fast, and he kept honking and flashing his lights. And I got scared, but you know me, I wouldn’t just let this asshole do whatever he wants. So, I stepped on my brakes, he stepped on his. He was really mad, he moved past me, and cut me off. He almost sent me off-road! So, I just showed him my open palm as he drove away. I still feel the adrenaline and the fear run through me. It felt like a near-death experience.”

Ness was looking at me shocked. “Because it was! (Y/N), you have to be careful around here. Did you, at least, notice his face or anything? Do you remember his car, his car plate?”

“Well, I did notice him in my mirror. He was…handsome, but an asshole nonetheless.”

“I’m sorry for that, sweety. I hope you are better now. Would you like to meet the rest of my family?”

“I thought you said your actual family would be away for the week.”

“Well, yeah, but I mean my La Push family; Brady and his family and friends. We’ll have dinner at Emily and Sam’s place. They’re like our mom and dad, even though they do have their own kids.”

“Oh, do you go there often?”

“Well, pretty much every day. Or every other day. Emily is the sweetest and her cooking is amazing. Brady and the others are already there.”

“The others? How many more are there?”

“Well, apart from Brady, Sam, and Emily, there are Jared and Kim, Leah and Angela, Seth and Daniel, Quil and Claire, Embry and Laura, Collin and Diana, and Jacob and Christine. Oh, there is also Paul, but I’m not sure if he’ll come. Everyone told him to be there, but you never know with him.”

“So, there will be just couples?” That made me nervous. I was definitely going to be left out.

“Oh, no, don’t worry. Even if Paul, who’s the only single, won’t come, we’ll still stay together. You won’t be alone. And the girls are amazingly sweet. You’ll see. Now, go get changed and ready for dinner. I’ll be waiting right here.” Ness took me to - I assumed - a guest room and gently pushed me in, closing the door behind me.

She had left some underwear and a red, long-sleeved dress with a deep V-neck on the bed for me to wear. I sighed sadly; I hated wearing dresses, and Ness knew that, but she may have had a reason to do so. Without questioning her intentions further, I went into the small bathroom and got myself cleaned quickly. I came out 10 minutes later and got dressed and ready within a few minutes. I met Nessie back in the living room.

“Wow, (Y/N)! You should definitely wear dresses more often. It looks beautiful on you.”

I turned around to look at myself in the mirror. Sure, it looked good but it was not as comfortable as my jeans and t-shirt. “I’m just doing it for you, Ness.”

“Mmh, sure, hun. Let’s go. The others will start eating without us.” 

We walked outside and got into Nessie’s Volvo SUV Hybrid. Now, that was a car I knew Nessie would drive, ‘cause I knew she loved luxury. Ness was way more comfortable speeding through the narrow roads than I was, and yet she never crossed the other lane once. 

Within a few minutes, we were in front of a house similar to Nessie’s, though this one was a two-floor house and it was literally surrounded by trees and woods. There were ten other cars in front of the house, which I assumed belonged to the people waiting in the house for us. Ness parked behind a truck and we exited her car.

“Everyone seems to be here, except for Paul, but it’s okay. I’ll be by your side, so you don’t feel uncomfortable. But I’m sure you will quickly feel at home. Everyone is very welcoming and kind.” 

Nessie’s smile encouraged me and calmed me down a bit. I didn’t know what to expect coming here to this new place, meeting these new people who were already a big family. We walked up the porch stairs to the house. Most people were sitting in the front living room, with the exception of a woman and a man walking around in the kitchen, still preparing food and setting up the table. 

“Hey, guys! This is my friend, (Y/N), that I told you about. She’ll be staying with Brady and me for a few weeks. (Y/N), these are my friends that I told you about.”

I greeted every single one of them before Ness led me to the kitchen. “(Y/N), this is Emily and this is Sam. They kind of are like a mom and dad to me, so I usually call them my parents, though they’re not too much older than I am.”

“Hello, Emily, Sam. It’s nice finally meeting you.”

“Hi, sweetheart.” Emily hugged me tightly, and I could feel all of my stress washing away. “How are you? I bet you had a long and tiring trip. Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Yeah, well, it was long for sure. 20 hours flying, 4 hours driving. It was…something else. I am a bit hungry, thank you.” I chuckled.

“Nessie, get (Y/N) to sit down in the meantime. Everything will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Where are the kids, anyway?” Ness wondered, and I remembered she mentioned Sam and Emily having children.

“Oh, they're up in the Macah rez for a few days. It’s not often we have guests around, and the kids haven’t seen my parents for a while now, so I thought that it would be a good time for everyone. Go sit down now.” Emily gently pushed us towards the living room. 

Ness went straight into her boyfriend’s, Brady, arms, and they leaned on each other. I went to sit nearby, looking around at all the happy couples, sitting in the living room, embracing one another. I felt like a fish out of water, being the only had around who had no one to hug and lay down next to or on. I felt awkward, to say the least. 

Ness broke the silence. “So, where is Paul anyway?”

“He needed to break off some steam. Apparently, he got road rage again. But Sam told him he has to be here, so he will come eventually” A guy, I think his name was Embry, answered back.

“What’s new, really?” Another guy commented, and everyone around laughed. 

I didn’t know who Paul was yet, but he sounded like an angry guy for sure. Looking at all the people around me, I didn’t know if I would like to cross paths with him. It wasn’t that I wasn’t someone who got angry too quickly for no reason, but at least, I didn’t want to have to deal with someone who acted the same way as I did. Calm people brought me calmness, and I preferred to be surrounded by them rather than people who were similar to me. 

“Well, speaking of road rage, someone almost crashed into (Y/N) on her way here.”

“What? How? Who?” A girl asked upset.

“I don’t really know. Some guy. I was driving slow because I was scared, I didn’t know the roads, and I wasn’t going to drive too fast around here. And then this guy comes speeding behind me and he almost crashed into my car. I slowed the car and he got angrier, so he drove past me and almost threw me off the road.” 

“That’s terrible, sweety. Are you okay now?” Emily asked concerned, now standing across from me.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Everything is fine now.” I smiled at her, slightly moved that she showed so much interest and cared for me.

The next few minutes went by with everyone talking, asking me questions, and commenting on my answers. Overall, they were really nice people, and I saw why Ness was so happy to be around them. They didn’t make me feel nervous or anxious; on the contrary, they made me feel very calm and I could easily open up to them, though there seemed to be something they hid from me, which I wouldn’t question them about, at least not yet.

The conversation was interrupted by a guy entering the house with heavy steps. He looked frustrated at something, as he went to sit alone at the dining table in the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at him, but no one dared to say anything, as if they knew better than to irritate him even more. 

It was only when he turned around to ask why nobody had eaten yet that I recognized who he was. The man looked around everyone until his eyes fell on me. He looked at me shocked, almost as if he froze in his place, unable to say anything else.

I felt my eyes almost popping off, as I turned to Nessie and whispered. “Ness, that’s the one who almost threw me off the road earlier.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paul’s POV

I was literally fuming. I was driving towards Emily and Sam’s place for the dinner Emily was preparing for Nessie’s friend who would be arriving in town today. She would be staying at Nessie and Brady’s house for a few weeks, and Nessie asked us to be as discreet as we could about the shifting thing around her. Not that I would be around her or the others as much; I didn’t like these big gatherings anymore. 

Everyone was hanging out with their imprints, and I would be the only one who had been and will be alone, so after some time, I started ditching all these meetings and dinners. I would have ditched tonight as well if it weren’t for Sam forcing me to come along. I was already angry, but I was trying to control my anger, so as to not risk exposing our secret to Nessie’s friend later.

But I was running late, and I was already pretty angry about it, thinking every complaint the others would make the second I arrived there. To add to my anger, there was a car in front of me driving so slow, it almost made me crawl out of my skin. The driver, a woman, was driving too slow for my liking as if she had never driven here before. I couldn’t help myself when she refused to speed up.

I started honking and flashing my car’s lights at her, hoping that she’d wake up and step on the gas a bit. She looked me through the mirror, angry but smirked a bit, before stepping on her brakes, forcing me to step on mine to not crash with her car. Not caring if Chief Swan or any camera caught me, I stepped on my gas, driving quickly past her car, and cutting her off by stepping on my brakes.

She looked at me angrily, shouting but I couldn’t hear her, before I sped up once again, leaving the bitch behind. My heart was beating fast with anger, and I couldn’t force myself to calm down, no matter how much I tried. I changed the course of my route, going to my house instead. I quickly sent a message to the pack group chat, letting them know what happened, before I ran towards the woods, bursting out of my clothes, and running. 

----------------------------------------------------------

I had been running for about half an hour before I decided that I was calm enough - not completely, but enough - to go by Emily and Sam’s for dinner. I quickly went back to my house, took a quick shower, threw some clean clothes on me, and hopped in my car, driving towards the house where everyone had been waiting for me.

Reaching the driveway, I parked beside the last car that was parked there, which happened to belong to Nessie. I stepped out of my car and jogged towards the house, stepping in with heavy steps. Everyone was already sitting in the front living room, talking with each other, until I stepped into the house which made everyone stop and turn to look towards me, as I walked towards the kitchen and sat on a chair at the dining table.

“Why hasn’t anyone eaten yet?” I looked around at the familiar faces before my eyes fell on the most beautiful creature I had ever met.

And then, the world around me stopped, and I could not focus on anything but her. It felt as if the whole world narrowed around me, and that girl was in the center of the new world that was created around me. I was looking at her bright eyes that shone under the sun, her perfect skin, her perfect face. I could see our whole life pass before me. I could hear her gurgling laugh, and see her eyes twinkle. It was the most beautiful and breathtaking spectacle I had ever seen in my whole life. 

And then I came back to reality. Everyone was looking at me shocked, as the girl looked confused, being the only one around here who did not know what had just happened to me. Nessie, who looked shocked at first, quickly grew frustrated, leaving Brady’s side, as she came towards me and pushed me off of my chair.

“Are you serious, Paul? You almost threw her off-road, and now…this?!” Her eyes were popping, full of anger and disbelief.

I didn’t understand what she meant by that, until I looked back at the girl, letting Nessie’s word sink in. And then, I realized that it was the same girl I almost bumped into with the car; the same girl I was honking and flashing my lights at; the same girl I almost…killed? All because of the anger that took me over.

I stood up, walking slowly towards her, unsure of how she felt. “Hey. I’m… I’m really sorry. I have no idea what’s gotten into me at that moment. I’m really sorry for everything.”

I saw her gulping. “It’s okay.” Her voice was trembling.

“No, (Y/N), it’s not okay. He could have gotten you killed! For no reason!” Nessie spat.

So, her name was (Y/N). Her name flattered my insides and made me want to melt from all the attraction I was feeling for her right now.

“Nessie…” Brady silently begged his imprint to calm down.

“No, Brady, he should feel guilty. You almost killed her. My best friend!” Nessie looked at me. “Your imprint!” She barely whispered, so only the pack and I could hear.

“Nessie, please don’t give it any more time than it already has. It’s fine. I’m okay. Nothing happened. What’s done is done. Yelling and arguing about it won’t change anything, so just let it go.” (Y/N) tried to calm her friend down, but I could only hear her soft voice in my ears.

I felt incredible shame and guilt. Even if she wasn’t my imprint, I only now realized I could have actually killed a human because of my anger. I had never been like that. But my day was terrible - I had to stay longer at the mechanic shop I was working at, because of a customer arriving at the last minute, and I was already late for dinner. However, that was no excuse for my behavior.

I slowly walked towards (Y/N), feeling so guilty. I leaned in front of her and took her hand in my own hands. She looked at me shocked, and I could feel she was getting uncomfortable, but I had to do this.

“I’m really sorry, (Y/N), honestly. I don’t know what’s gotten into me and I acted like an asshole. I never meant to scare you or even dare to kill you. I would have never imagined you were so important to m…Nessie. I’m really sorry for my behavior. It was inexcusable. I hope you can forgive me and we can start over.” I let go of her hand, and stood up, extending my hand toward her. “Hey, nice to meet you. I’m Paul, Paul Lahote. The hothead around, and probably the biggest asshole you could ever meet.”

(Y/N)’s shocked face was immediately replaced by a smirk and a chuckle, as she shook my hand. “Hi, Paul. Nice to meet you, too. I’m (Y/N), (Y/N) (Y/L/N). As much as it doesn’t show right now, I’m the hothead around my own family, and probably a bigger asshole than you are.”

“I hope you can still forgive me.” I smile slightly at her, not knowing how she felt about me.

“That may take some time, Paul, but I can definitely try.”

I was going to work my ass off for (Y/N) to forget and prove to her that I can become the best man she had ever met.

#paul lahote #paul lahote imagine #paul lahote x reader #paul lahote x fem!reader #the twilight saga #twilight saga #twilight #twilight renaissance #sam uley #jared cameron #embry call #jacob black #quil ateara #brady fuller #collin littlesea #renesmee cullen #Spotify

[fluffy-critter]

#crosspost #busybee

[babyspacebatclone]

AITA for wanting to pay for part of my birthday meal in order to get a more premium entrée?

This incident is from several years ago, but I’ve been thinking about my role in “being the stable member” of my family relationships and I want to get some opinions here.

My brother (35M) was taking me (38F) out for lunch to celebrate my birthday. A big “thing” with my brother (a control issue inherited from my mother and bio father) is “the person in charge of the outing drives,” so we were in his vehicle.

We drove to a sushi place on other end of town, about 5 miles from my place. We checked out the lunch menu, and I decided on a higher-end meal that was within his stated budget.

When the server came, they politely told us they did not use the lunch menu on the weekends, which neither of is noticed, and so we asked for more time to decide.

I found the dinner version of my desired meal, which was obviously over my brother’s stated budget and much more expensive that something I’d normally purchase for myself (I’m usually a horrible cheapskate). So I offered a compromise:

He contribute his planned amount, and I make up the difference.

This would still qualify as a birthday treat for me, in my eyes, because otherwise I’d never buy something that expensive.

My brother became quiet (an exceptionally bad sign), and restated it was more expensive than he was willing to pay. I repeated he would still be getting me a treat, and indeed he would be insuring I got exactly what I wanted for my birthday.

Without a word he got up, went outside, got in his car, and drove off.

(this was actually an exceptional sign of self control on my brother’s part; for how angry he obviously was, this was the best choice he could have made)

The poor server was horrified to find me sitting here quietly crying over the situation, but I tried to reassure them I was ok. Fortunately I had my purse and phone, so I could have gotten an Uber or something; me walking 5 miles in pleasant weather was my decision to try and calm down.

So, yeah, how much AITA here? I acknowledge I’m an asshole for pushing after his initial refusal, but how much for only trying once in this situation?

Edit: I know a reblog is getting traction and won’t have this, but whatever.

I’d discussed the lunch meal with my brother, and he’d happily approved of the choice, so I had a concrete example of how much he’d been planning on spending for my half specifically.

#aita #am i the asshole #contributing to a birthday gift #to get an upgrade #logical or asshole? #family #the family drama thread

[umlewis]

2007 Monaco GP, post-qualifying interviews

Interviewer: "Lewis, as we say, a clean sweep for the McLaren-Mercedes team. It looked as if you were held up by Mark Webber going through the tunnel." Lewis: "Yeah, I had a fantastic qualifying, I think. It was quite exciting, and then it started to rain in the middle part of the session. I think I was P1 at the time and I was hoping it would continue to rain, but unfortunately it didn't. It was a bit of a gamble, a bit of a lottery, really. I called in and said let's come into the pits on this lap just in case it rains towards the end. The lap was fantastic; it was really on the limit. I think I touched one of the barriers on the exit of turn four, and I was three tenths up on my previous best, and then I got held up by Webber. He was on an 'out' lap. I don't know whether he saw me or what, but he didn't let me past until turn eight, so I lost half a second behind him. I still managed to pull it back. I was only a tenth off my previous lap, but still, the tires were gone and that was that." Interviewer: "Lewis, you've won three times here before, twice in Formula Three, once in GP2. It just looks as if you love driving a Formula 1 car around here." Lewis: "I do. I do. It's an awesome track. It's my favorite, and just knowing that you're brushing the barriers all the time, that there's no room for error... It's extremely quick. You wouldn't believe how quick we're going round here, 180 miles an hour between… There's not really much room there. And to me, for my first grand prix, I'm really happy to be second. It's good for the team, and I think Fernando did a great job, but I think tomorrow is going to be interesting."

Press Conference:

Interviewer: "Lewis, very interesting time on your very first lap when, in theory, you've got a race fuel load which was only 0.2s slower than your fastest time in the first session. Does that tell us about your fuel strategy?" Lewis: "I don't think so. You can take what you want from it, but it definitely doesn't mean anything about my fuel load. I think we were just extremely quick and I felt great in the car. I thought it was almost exactly the same time as I did at the end. I thought I did 1m15.9s on heavy fuel. I think that's what I qualified second with. It was good, a good lap, but at the end… It was a really exciting qualifying session. I think we did a very good job. I thought the team was quite accurate with the weather conditions; they said it was going to rain when it rained, and mid-part of the last run, it started to spit. I was on a good lap and I was fortunate to finish it, but then we couldn't push for the rest of the laps. We came in, got the tires on and started the lap, and it was good. I was three and a half tenths up by turn four and then I caught Mark Webber and I lost half a second behind him but still managed to do exactly the same time. I'm really happy with it. It's good for the team and I think it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow." Interviewer: "You seemed to have a drama at the hairpin, Portier. Was that Webber-induced?" Lewis: "Yeah, well I caught him through turn four and I don't know whether he didn't see me or what. In the drivers' briefing he was saying they need to be hard on us for holding people up, and he came out and held me up. But I think it was the same for everyone. It doesn't really affect me; I still got second. That's good."

Journalist: "Rodrigo Franca, Racing Magazine. You three said Monaco is special because of everything. Ayrton Senna was remembered just yesterday and I would like you all to say something about him." Lewis: "Ayrton was my favourite driver, and when I first started watching Formula 1 it was the red and white car at the front, and as a little boy I was always dreaming of driving that car and I'm driving it now and, so, you know, when you come to Monaco… I have lots of memories of watching him win here and when he lost a race when he crashed, and I was definitely emotional when he passed away, but still... It's great to be racing here and to be doing as well as he always did when he was racing." Journalist: "Livio Oricchio, O Estado de Sao Paulo. For Alonso and Lewis, you're first and second on the grid and in the championship. All the drivers this year who led through the first corner went on to win the race. Will you talk to each other about the start?" Alonso: "The team will say to us something, I think. We respect each other, obviously, and want the best for the other one, inside the team, and we want to beat our opponent that this year seems to be Ferrari, and starting first and second at Monaco what we aim is to finish first and second because it is the most points, and apart from that I don't think there are any problems between us and it should be just a normal race." Lewis: "I agree. The team will speak to us before, but we're professional. We respect each other and we are teammates and we want to do a good job for the team, but we also want to win and we will go into that first corner probably not as aggressively as we would if we were going into it with a Ferrari. But we're going to be conservative and see what happens. We're on different fuel strategies, similar pace, so we'll have to see how it goes. It's going to be difficult tomorrow with the conditions, and also you never know when the pace car is going to come out. We'll see."

Journalist: "Frederic Ferret, L'Equipe. Lewis and Fernando, how is the pace of the McLaren in the long runs?" Lewis: "I think we've seen in the past the Ferraris have been extremely very quick, but I think if you look at it we've been the quickest this weekend. I think we have a great car, the best car, and I think on Thursday we had a very good long run, very consistent, so I have no worries going into the race." Journalist: "Andrea Cremonesi, La Gazzetta dello Sport. Kimi had a bad day. Do you think this will have an affect in the championship?" Lewis: "Sorry, I was in a daze therr. I didn't know if that question was for me! I think it was unfortunate, but I don't really know what happened to him. I thought he spun and I got held up by Felipe. He had to stop and I had to stop on one lap, but I think it's difficult for him at the moment. Obviously Felipe is doing a better job, and whether he's being more fortunate or what I'm not sure, but he's doing a good job. As Fernando said, it's a long season and there's a long way to go, so he has time to catch up if he needs to." Journalist: "Ian Parkes, The Press Association. Lewis, are you happy to curb your natural instincts at the start of the race tomorrow?" Lewis: "Yes. I think you have to run on your natural instincts and see how the start goes. If I get a better start and it looks like I can pass, then I probably will, but I won't do anything silly to risk pushing both of us out of the race. It's a long, long race and I think I feel good about our strategies, and I feel we can come away with a one-two, so it's important we're sensible." Journalist: "Malcolm Folley, The Mail on Sunday. Lewis, have you had a chance to put into perspective what starting the Monaco Grand Prix from the front row of the grid will feel like?" Lewis: "I think it's going to be, well... Driving this track every year is just something special for me. To come here and to drive for a team I always wanted to drive for in my first grand prix here, it's a very, very special moment for me. Tomorrow we just want to finish the race in the points, continue the way we've been going this season. It will be amazing to be sitting at the front there."

#lewis hamilton #f1 #formula 1 #monaco gp 2007 #flashback fic ref #flashback fic ref 2007 #monaco #monaco 2007 #monaco 2007 saturday #fernando alonso #tw transphobe

[ysabelmystic]

My brain is building dream lore again

I don't remember if I posted this before but if I did that post is lost to the void of tumblr's broken navigation so I guess I'm starting from the top.

So back in fucking August,I had a dream that felt extremely real and made perfectly good sense until I thought about it, but even after thinking about it, it did have something of a coherent plot-line.

I was back in college getting my English degree (but not the college I went to), and the year was 1981. For reasons related to Ursula K LeGuin that I do not recall, my professor made us do this project that involved digging up the corpses of two famous philosophers/politicians/writers/etc and somehow relate/compare the state of their decomposition to their ideologies. For the second part, we had to dig up two more people (famous or no), who's existences somehow contrasted the ideals of the first two. Then we would analyze their corpses and write a paper about the whole thing. We did this in groups of four.

Now we were all very anxious about doing this, but this was worth a large percentage of our grade. Our professor assured us that we wouldn't be caught if we stole the bodies and buried them at another site since it would somehow be easier to make the graves look undisturbed. My group picked a new burial spot in the middle of the woods about five miles away from a small suburb (and unrelated until the sequel, one mile away from a haunted baseball field). We got a change of clothes, plastic bags, a bunch of cleaner, etc, and set out to acquire the corpses. Because dream-logic, the first body we stole was the partially mummified corpse of Immanuel Kant. Two stayed behind to clean up. Me and another person transported the bodies and after documenting our findings and taking photos for the other two, we buried them.

The next month was uneventful, but when it came time to gather the second pair, things started falling apart. We decided that the corpses we would gather were a famous ballet dancer (name unknown) and a random child. Of course, two people were very conflicted about this, and were very upset when my partner and I chose to dig up the old graves and throw the new bodied on top of the old ones. There was a big fight, but ultimately, we left, wrote our papers, turned everything in....everything was fine.

Until two weeks later, someone found the bodies. The police were sure it was a prank for some reason, so were taking a while to investigate, but word had gotten around that some kids had found four crosses in the middle of the woods.

Because someone had gone back and put crosses at the graves. So of course, we started spiraling into paranoia and arguing about who did it. One person wanted to confess to the police. They "committed suicide" that night, and the next morning, another group member vanished. This left me and my grave-digging partner.

We decided that since it was inevitable that the police would find the bodies, we decided that the best way to clear our names would be to frame the English professor. So we went back to the graves, dug up the bodies, did a little extra dismemberment to make it more manageable, and drove them to our professor's house.

We took one arm per person. The door was unlocked so we let ourselves in. We went to the professor's bathroom and closet and started touching everything with the corpse-arms. Unfortunately, his wife was there. Fortunately, they were in the middle of a divorce. I came up with the idea to say that I was having explosive diarrhea and was in the area, and she believed it (and was happy to let me wreck his bathroom).

We finished our work and then went outside. It was trash day so the cans were on the curb, and our professor's was only half-full. We started throwing the bodies in when my professor pulled up in his car. Again, we were lucky. He was drunk. My partner said we were cleaning up Halloween decorations that his wife had thrown on the lawn, and he bought it. The trash truck drove by and picked up the bodies, and my partner and I made out aggressively by the empty trashcans. Then, we fled to Canada, and then I woke up.

(Unrelated but my professor's deranged son who ate wires tried to fight us but ended up chasing the trash truck because he smelled old TVs).

Now, in theory, this would be the end of it. But sometimes my brain likes to incorporate old elements to the level that I now have "dream lore". This ended up being one of those times.

PART 2

Halfway on our ride to Canada, we decided that we were probably being hasty, and it wasn't worth it to abandon our grades for the semester. After all, we still had finals to take.

When we got back, the case progressed quite slowly. The police did eventually visit the graves, but since we had refilled the holes after digging up the bodies, they found nothing except a couple of scraps of clothing and a single tooth. This didn't give them much to work with, so though an investigation was opened, they didn't have an immediate explanation. We took our finals, got our degrees, graduated. Because the investigation had caused housing prices in the nearby suburb to tank, we bought a house there. In fact, we bought an oddly-built 3-story house at the edge of the woods. It was obscenely cheap, but was also covered in Mickey Mouse and Elvis memorabilia, so we figured that that was why it had been empty for years.

Of course, anyone who's ever seen a horror movie knows where this is going. That shit was haunted. We were having nightmares. The mickey mouse heads would start singing Elvis songs at random. Cabinets were flying open...it was a whole thing. More interestingly, the baseball field had been recently abandoned. No one knew why, except it was now covered in a mess of tall, very aggressive weeds and grass and anyone who went there got the intense feeling of impending doom. Hikers who used the woods also reported becoming anxious and disoriented, sometimes waking up in completely different areas.

(Fun fact: the haunted baseball field has appeared at least three other times in my dreams. I believe this instance is the earliest in the timeline, as later instances have a much more post-apocalypse kind of vibe)

It seemed fairly obvious that clearly, something was up with the graves. At this point, a few months had passed. The police weren't really watching the crime scene. It was fairly safe to investigate. So we took our gear and went off in the middle of the night to do some digging.

We didn't expect to exhume bodies, but lo and behold, we got about a foot down into each grave's surface when the bodies appeared. It wasn't our original bodies either. There was just a mass of corpses, and they were all spilling out...like y'know in Minecraft if you spawn a bunch of mobs in a box and then once you open the box they kinda explode out? That's what it was like. It was weird as hell. Then, naturally, it got really cold, and we became extremely anxious. Suddenly, we were in the center of the baseball field. The sky was completely black. No stars, no moon, nothing. Just a never-ending field. A large black dog materialized out of nowhere, but it did not attack us. Instead, it delivered its terms.

I don't remember the exact details, but basically, the whole area, especially that house, was already haunted as fuck. By transplanting the bodies we'd picked up Bad Vibes. By digging up the earth, we'd allowed a place for evil spirits to manifest in the land. By moving into the house, we'd heightened the power of the spirits. This was all linked to some spiritual fuckery that an occult organization had performed at the university. The only way they (and we) could be released was by finding diamonds and gold-dust on university property, a specific coin that could only be given by catholic priests, and a small disk picturing a woman in a white dress playing in a field with her dog that was hidden on the 8th floor of the school library...which didn't technically exist).

Because dream logic, we decided that the best way to find precious gems/metals on the university property would be to pan for gold. It was winter break, so the campus was mostly empty. My roommate agreed to search the grounds. I still had a library pass, and there was some legend about there being gold hidden in the dustiest of library books, so I figured out some way to pan for the stuff without damaging the books.

When I arrived, I ended up using some back entrance instead of the main entrance. I hadn't seen that entrance before, but maybe it was a shortcut, right?

(Fun fact: The library near the has appeared several times but gets increasingly stranger and more decrepit. The fact that it was this established adds proof that it was earlier in the timeline.)

And luckily, that was the right decision. I went down a moldy hallway with stained wood floors and found a single concrete staircase at the end of it. The staircase went up in a spiral, with a never-ending hole at its center. To my dismay, it ended at the top (fifth) floor. But when I entered that floor, I was in a section of the library that I'd never seen before. It was a small room with shelves of ancient books. In the middle was a single desk, and in its chair was a taxidermy orangutan in a dusty lab coat. On the other side was an open door leading to more concrete stairs. Except now, the walls were covered in old-fashioned gold and floral wallpaper.

I thought I was alone, but as I was almost at the eighth floor, a woman with glasses and a vaguely Edwardian black dress appeared in front of me. She didn't let me pass at first, but somehow, we fell into conversation. I did eventually leave, but I came back the next day, and we talked again, until I left and returned, and so on and so forth... we grew attached to each other, and one day, she led me to the 8th floor. She brought me a trough of water, and together, we meticulously removed the dust from the books. This was difficult since they were heavily damaged, but we did it with minimal damage.

Time didn't pass in that room, so I was probably there for an equivalent of months. During this time, of course, we fell in love. We panned through the dust together and indeed we found diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and gold dust. She said I needed much more than what I initially came for because the priests would only trade those coins for these gems from the 8th floor. She also told me that I couldn't simply bring the gold and diamonds to the baseball field, but that it needed to have been *inside* a priest. She knew this information because she'd formerly been a part of the original occult order. She'd had a relationship with a specific priest. He was the one who had bound her to that floor.

I also found the disk. It was hidden in a false book (the inside had been cut out). I don't know why I didn't tell her about it. I simply pocketed it.

She'd never died, so she planned to come with me when I left. Once I had what I needed, we descended the stairs. We entered the room with the orangutan. She followed me to the other side and down the next set of stairs, and then, suddenly, she was gone. Just...completely vanished. When I went back to the fifth floor, it was full of people (no orangutan in sight). All of the other floors were also full of people, students, and new books. Somehow, I knew this was because of the disk. The disk crossing the threshold had nullified her existence.

I was fucking devastated, but I still had work to do. I went to the church and provided the gems and gold dust. After some back-and-forth with the head priest, I was taken to a separate room with white walls. Lo and behold the priest who'd trapped my late ghost/goth girlfriend, not having aged a day, was there to greet me. He gave me the coins and almost sent me away but, remember, I what I kept needed to be handled intimately. And I'd been told some very specific, very useful information.

Long story short, I seduced and pegged the priest. Since the gold and diamonds had indeed been inside him at that point...well...you get the idea.

While he slept, I stole more of his coins and fled. I took everything to the baseball field. The dog ate the disk. And then...

I woke up...feeling very cold, morning the death of a relationship I'd never had, and a newfound confirmation that I definitely have a Type.

So. WHAT THE FUCK??????!!!!!

#Dream lore #tw gore #tw death

[gatheringfiki]

The following ficlet was written by @metztlilua based on this photoset.

FiKi, Gen.

You might also be able to read this story on AO3.

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a comment either in replies or on AO3. :)

Family

---

Fili walks around with his boots muddy and his pants wet from the woods, and the remainders of the rain dribbling, his jacket clings to his skin and his backpack weighs him down as he puffs an struggles to get his feet moving, they've been walking for about two and a half hours with only one break, and the rain has been pouring down for the last hour just finally stopping, and he feels like the least fortunate soul in the entire world

Well

The least fortunate aside from his little brother kili, who looks even more tired than he does, he has mud trailing all the way up his ~uncovered~ legs and to the middle of his shorts because he feel down when the rain started, he has scratches and rock burn marks on his right arm/ hand and leg where he tried to catch himself and he's dragging the SNEAKERS he decided to wear on the pavement, to be more specific, his sneakers made out of fabric and plastic instead of the waterproof material and leather that their uncles and his own boots are made of, so his feet are probably as wet as the rest of him, and his socks who were once white are now brown and soggy with mud

-Can you get him to stop? I think I'm going to pass out- he whispers to Fili, leaning against him and sliding his dirty forearm on his face. The blonde feels his breath hitch  for a small second when kili licks the last drops of rains of his lips but he brushes it off, chuckling and nodding in agreement, he doesn't think he can keep up for much longer himself

-I'll do my best but maybe you should drop some of the things you collected, Kee. That way it would be easier - kili sticks his tongue out and shakes his head no, his feet make squish noises when he walks and Fili gets mixed feelings; remembering kilis rain boots when he was a toddler and the noises he's heard coming from his room or the bathroom ever since Kili got big enough to have interest in sex

-Uh. Uncle...- Thorin groans, already smelling the request from his nephews; they weren't too far away from their camper and stopping now would cause them to get behind on their schedule and hit traffic on the way back

-no, Fili- he smiles - we can't stop

-this is child abuse!- kili grumbles, huffing away a strand of hair that falls on his face and Thorin laughs  at his nephews as they manage to reposition their heavy backpacks on their backs

-on what grounds would that be abuse, kili Durin? - Fili gets a lump on his throat every time someone uses Kili's full name because he has the same one.

Thorin keeps walking, not facing them but answering all of the whines coming from them

"we've been walking forever"

-it's been two hours, Kili

"we haven't eaten yet"

-had you woken up a little earlier, maybe we could have eaten, Fili

"my shoes are wet"

-I told you to bring boots- Fili laughs out loud at Kili's annoyed grunt

"my backpack is heavy"

-Throw your souvenirs away then

Kili refuses shaking his head again "mmm-mmm, they're for making ornaments for mum" the blonde turns to look at Kilis concentrated face; sometimes he forgets, with all the NOT INNOCENT glances he catches himself throwing at him; that Kili is still somewhat innocent and pure and collects rocks to hang on the Christmas three as ornaments

"it's still raining" Fili mumbles, always taken aback by Kilis sudden expression of pure childlike behavior

-it's drizzling at best and you kids could use a shower

They keep complaining louder and louder, staring compliantly at each other as they make their way into the creek a few miles before the car and finally their uncle snaps

-will you two stop?! I'll go bring the car and come back to get you but I don't wanna hear this anymore 

                                         ____

Fili pushes away the vague feeling that Thorin will leave them behind and never come back because that's ridiculous and he just sighs, sitting next to His brother on a rock by the river

-show me what you collected? - the blonde asks trying to maintain him active and reacting because he knows he'll try to fall asleep otherwise and kili smiles softly, he opens his backpack and shoves it his way, suddenly set on the idea that he absolutely NEEDS to go in the river and wash his socks and shirt because he doesn't love the mud getting hard and prickly against his skin

The eldest Durin watches carefully, pretending to riffle thru the many pebbles Kili has tied in some sort of ornament shape while the youngest strips off of his layers and places them away from the water; the elastic band of his boxers peaks up the hem of his shorts as he stretches

When DID he get a happy trail?

-I'm not sure we have time for that, Kee- Fili pries, his cheeks start to feel warm and an unsettling feeling creeps into his stomach when he realizes what he's thinking, where his eyes are pointed

Kili mumbles incoherently, sitting down getting lost on washing away the dirtiness of his socks

-Fee! Come here! Look at this

-I'd rather not- Fili confesses, feeling the same confusion he had before, remembering ten year old Kili showing him the fireflies he catched on a jar, not knowing when exactly he started seeing the brunette in a different way; when he started noticing the way his long locks frame his face and the way he laughs freely makes butterflies fly on his stomach; and somehow even when Kili is just sitting calmly not looking back at him, Fili feels the pull of OBLIGATION gnawing at him and forcing him to go sit next to Kili, he can never say no to him.

The younger Durin looks up at Fili, grinning and handing him a rusty key from the river

-I found it here!- something screams to be careful and not let kili cut himself and get tetanus but he takes the stupid key and inspects it, it’s some sort of charm, clearly made as a token to bring back home, in it there’s something written he’s pretty sure his brother didn’t bother inspecting

FAMILY

It rips a giggle out of him, a distressed, hopeless one that lets him know destiny is watching, and will not forgive Filis brewing feelings, even if he he does try to keep them at bay tho if he is completely honest, it gets harder and harder as Kili keeps growing up, the sound of his voice getting deeper, his body getting slimmer and the flirtatious smiles he throws around left and right have Fili feeling dizzy and guilty to a point he can’t stand hanging around Kili alone for a long time.

Kili sighs in contempt, ripping his older brother form his spiral as he leans in closer to Kili, using his right leg as support to take the key from him and sending shock waves thru the older one

-hey! I found it!- Fili gives it up pretty quickly, hoping to end the innocent yet burning contact that makes his jeans tighter, he scoots further away from Kili, sweat beads forming at the back of his head

Where is Thorin?

Kili looks closely at the key, finally taking his time to inspect it and probably wondering where it came from, the sun starts to set, making Fili mildly worried for their uncle who still hasn’t shown up but more importantly the fact he’s alone with his half naked brother

Who massages his own upper back, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes to the back of his head, his mouth hangs slightly open

-Hell be back soon, Fee - once again Kili cuts into his anxious spiral, there’s a tone of annoyance to his voice that he knows comes from Filis distracted state, Kili doesn’t like one sided conversations, who would? but what can he do other than worry and tune out the sound of actual groaning noises coming from his little brother that send pictures of Kili with his leg spread out all pretty on the bed for him, as Fili sinks into his heath, bitting marks into his long neck and collar bones, the brunette moans…

-Fili…

-yeah, kee?

-are you mad at me?- kili’s never been one to meddle around tricky subjects, he fidgets with the key as Fili shakes his head no, a warm smile back into his face to try and comfort him -did I do something wrong?

-no! Kili I’m not mad

this is the other reason why he tries to avoid these times with his little brother; the distancing from about four years now must be difficult for kili and the blonde hates to be the reason why he feels this way, but as much as he tries to hold back and push away all the feelings that are NOT supposed to be happening, he can’t do it, and he can’t act on them either.Hell, he knows if he acted upon them Kili would not correspond to his feelings so the best way to go about it it’s distance.

-you have done nothing wrong, Kili. You’re perfect

The moon is all the way up into the air now, hitting Kili’s frame and the worried, almost upset expression in his face

-but there’s something that it’s happening to you, isn’t there?

Fili nods before he can even process the fact he probably should lie and now he has to make something up, or maybe he’s in the clear and Kili won’t pry for the answer

He doesn’t

-can I do something about it?- of course is that question instead of anything else, of course it’s still the moon up into the sky, the stars shining above them, sitting so closely to each other and the sound of water streaming gently down on a summer night, unsupervised and so very CLOSE but so unreachable

-no, not really- he fixes his gaze down onto the ground, in between his boots he sees something shiny where Kili has been kicking the dirt around in the river; it’s another one of those key things, he grabs it carefully, and places it in his hand, fidgeting with it as well, he runs his finger tip thru the words, trying to make out what they say

-I’m sorry…I’m here if you need me- he hugs him by the side, distracting him completely from his original task and it makes Fili want to cry with exasperation

Of course Kili is there

He is always there

He looks down, fighting back the tears and finally making up what the words say

COURAGE

AH, fuck it

-I know, Kee

He places a hand on his neck, rubbing his thumb on his cheek, his heart races a million miles and hour, his brain telling him to back out at Kili’s puzzled face; his heart drives him forward, inching slowly to his brothers lips, he feels his eyes closing and then

Nothing

A buzz comes from Kili’s phone in his backpack and they both jump; Kili’s eyes are wide and he swallows hard; they both sit there for a second before Kili finally reacts and runs up to his backpack, splashing water all over

-Fuck, uncle Thorin is here- he mumbles putting his clothes back on hurriedly, as if Thorin was hearing them, they hear a horn on the distance. Fili jumps up Bringing his brother’s socks and shoes and hands them to Kili

they both run wildly and dumbly thru the clearing; sharing giggles and small laughs, before finally making it to the camper, their backpacks don’t feel heavy anymore and Thorin looks at Kilis feet, horrified

-just about WHAT where you two doing??

Kili laughs; turning around to share a complaint look with the blonde and there’s a small hint of hope in Filis heart as they sit in the back of the car, Kili looks at him one last time

-swap with me

-huh?

-your key, I want it

Fili hands it over

He can’t ever say no to his brother

#Gathering 12 Days 2022 #FiKi #Fili/Kili #Durincest #The Hobbit

[spiritsword-with-a-hat]

...the kitchenette and fix yourself a coffee. Pinch of self-care & ...panic, because you apparently have a child and you've remembered by accident?

You make your way over the papers to the kitchenette. It is faring better than the office by the virtue of containing less, but it is far from being tidy. It has been rather neatly organized and scrubbed clean, but that was before a mysterious force opened all the cabinets and cupboards and spilled or at least toppled their contents and then sprinkled the room with a layer of plaster dust.

It's a small room. In theory it could serve for very basic cooking, such as stir fry or soup, but practically everyone in the office brings their own food from home and heat it up either on the mostly cooperating stove top (that's the bad option) or in the microwave (that's the worse option). Or they eat out. Or they skip lunch altogether. You've settled on the rule that no takeout food is to be present in the office building, because honestly, the smell of it seeps into walls and carpets, and you are not really fond of that.

You grab and fill the electric kettle and put it to boil. It's going to take a couple of minutes, so from the cupboard you take a mug (fortunately none has broken) and get everything ready to make yourself a pour-over. No, this place does not have a coffee machine, and even if it did, it wouldn't help at all: you wouldn't know how to operate that thing.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, you make your way to the washroom. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror: the left half of your face is covered in blood, some even dripped down on your shirt. You look like you haven't slept in ages. And to be completely honest, while a series of hot meals wouldn't fix everything, it would help a lot.

You decide to fix at least the blood-on-the-face thing. The cold water on your face eels absolutely divine and it helps to clear out some of the fog in your head. You wet a towel and press it on the back of your head, finally feeling the headache subside a little.

Then it hits you in full force: You have a son. You are responsible for the well-being of a whole person, one that is not you, one that trusts you to make the correct and good decisions. You can't make correct or good decisions, you are five feet nine inches of a disaster that can't even dispose of non-functional washing machines!

It means you have a family. A partner to help you take care of Miles? You rake your memories for anything, but you don't find a recent face that's been in your apartment besides you and the boy. (Oh god, he is 9. He is a little baby!) So, a single father. You are pretty sure that you have no idea what you are doing with your life, and the only reason little Miles Edgeworth hasn't called you out on it is because he doesn't know any better. What would have happened of him if you haven't just remembered? You are pretty sure that there isn't any other relative who could or would be willing to care for him.

That is a little dreary, but certainly a motivating reason not to get into any troubles that would render you unable to take care of your son.

[My son] added to Thoughts. From now on he'll be always on your mind.

You are brought back from the spiral of responsibility-induced terror by the courtesy of the electric kettle angrily whistling. You exit the washroom and finish preparing the coffee. You sip it as soon as it is ready and as a token of gratitude for your eagerness it scalds your tongue.

(A whole child! As opposed to, uh, half a child? You wouldn't know how to care for half of a child either.)

#[choose your own investigation]

[ausetkmt]

Fort Gadsden: The Negro Fort's history buried in the forest | floridarambler.com

I knew I was in trouble when the music blasting through the speakers of my SUV suddenly stopped. ‘No Service,’ something I should have expected from my phone given our location in the middle of nowhere, Florida’s Apalachicola National Forest. An endless array of cypress, oak, slash and longleaf pine line this lonely stretch of State Road 65 — until the police showed up.

The county sheriff’s car, heading in the opposite way from me, was the only other vehicle on the highway. In my rearview mirror, I saw the sheriff’s deputy slow down, turn around, speed up and then hit the lights. Fortunately, the deputy let me off with a warning and directions to the destination I was trying to reach. “Fort Gadsden’s in the next county, about 10 miles,” she said.

My tribulations didn’t end at the county line. I almost blew past the park sign but managed to turn down a dirt road that led to the entrance and seemed to run on forever. Two miles in, and my wife noticed the signs warning hunters to keep their weapons away from residences that we could not see from the road. Panic began to set in and a turn down a second dirt road didn’t ease the anxiety.

Finally, we reached the park entrance, but upon seeing the big ‘Closed’ sign on the shut gate, my wife decided she had had enough. “Let’s go,” she said in a way that shut down any debate.

History was made here

Welcome to perhaps one of Florida’s least accessible historic sites and definitely its most overlooked piece of Black History.

The Fort Gadsden State Historic Site is roughly six miles southwest of Sumatra, a tiny unincorporated community that is a more than an hour’s drive from Tallahassee but about half that distance from Apalachicola and the Gulf Coast. Still, the site’s remote location shouldn’t deter enthusiasts from a visit, much less diminish the site’s significance.

Following skirmishes between American and British forces in west Florida during the War of 1812, the British retreated to an outpost along the Apalachicola River at Prospect Bluff in 1814 and began fortifying it.

In an effort to man the new fort with volunteers, the British offered to purchase slaves from the Creeks and Seminoles living in the territory. The fort soon became a magnet for free Blacks, runaway slaves and Native Americans.

The following year the British abandoned the fort, leaving a heavily armed garrison to its Black inhabitants. Word continued to spread, and more runaways joined the Black and Native Americans already living in and around the fort.

By 1816, the Negro Fort had become an affliction upon a growing number of their southern White plantation owners who feared what an armed garrison of runaway slaves would mean to slavery. Although southerners implored the federal government to consider attacking the fort and ultimately taking the territory of Florida away from Spain, Washington was reluctant to stage an attack that might lead to war.

However, that didn’t stop then Major General Andrew Jackson from directing Brigadier General Edmund Gaines from launching an illegal assault against the outpost.

The deadliest cannonball in American history

The actual Battle of the Negro Fort was brief but brutal. The Black inhabitants had not been trained in the use of the cannon and other heavy munitions and were unable to defend the fort against the invading American forces and their Creek Indian allies.

All it took was one hot cannon shot from an American gunboat to land in the fort’s powder magazine to blow up the garrison and end the battle. About 270 inhabitants were killed and the rest were captured. It was the deadliest cannonball in American history, according to Dale Cox, author of The Fort at Prospect Bluff.

The demolished fort would later be rebuilt by Lieutenant James Gadsden and used as a southern outpost until a malaria outbreak forced Confederate troops to abandon the fort for good. In time, the Apalachicola forest overran the site, and its remains lost to neglect and the pages of history.

Your adventure starts here

What remains of the old Negro Fort/Fort Gadsden site today should appeal to both the history buff and the lover of the open road and the great outdoors.

Apalachicola National Forest offers a long list of recreational activities, including camping, canoeing, hiking, kayaking and swimming. At the Fort Gadsden Historic Site, visitors can take in the long-ago refuge amid the solitude of the surrounding forest.

The site contains historical markings, a picnic area and a hiking trail with interpretative kiosks that explains the story of the two forts. The trail leads visitors to the Apalachicola River and continues to the original fortress and the “Renegade Cemetery,” where many of the fort’s Black inhabitants who died in the battle’s explosion are buried.

From there, it’s less than a 40-minute drive to Apalachicola, a historic yet hip port town along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The community offers everything from nationally recognized restaurants to an array of festivals, historic walking tours and other outdoor activities. It’s the perfect culmination to an excited road trip to a remote piece of Florida history.

The site of the Negro Fort still represents a powerful symbol that once threatened America’s expanding slave society. Men, women and children died fighting to live free.

Unfortunately, the memorial to this bygone refuge is located in such a remote part of Florida that it doesn’t attract the number of visitors who’d appreciate its significance as a testament to an American ideal.

Working in the timeless and enduring medium of oil paints, Jackson Walker creates finely detailed paintings executed in a traditional realist style. Historical and military subjects are faithfully created not only as fine works of art but also as a telling and honest documentation of true events and notable personalities in the mystery and drama of Florida’s dynamic past.

From the early Spanish adventurers to the Florida we know today, the saga of Florida history has been told in many ways. This collection of paintings portrays the incidents and personalities within the 500 years of triumphs and tragedies that have become Florida history.

Buy Jackson Walker’s book: “Recovering Moments in Time: The Florida History Paintings of Jackson Walker”

#Fort Gadsden: The Negro Fort's history buried in the forest #florida #Negro Fort #fort gadsden

[professorsaber]

⭐️⭐️ for directors cut!

I mentioned having gone through three ideas for "McFly July Chapter 23: Family Ties." The original idea was Jennifer teasing Marty that "the kid from Family Ties" looked an awful lot like him. The second idea was my OC, Agatha Petersen (Marlene's girlfriend/wife from 1922) visiting the graves of her long-dead family members. Even when I settled on the final idea, I had started with the Marty of the 1990s running into Marlene, Agatha, and their children in 2034. To quote the cut part:

He hadn’t meant to end up forty years in the future. He had been helping Doc test out what he had called “spatial displacement,” getting the DeLorean to teleport across space as well as time. The unmanned tests had gone very well, but when he tried to travel forty miles, he went forty years instead—while staying in the same place. And since the DeLorean couldn’t yet fly while traveling in space—“it’s a peculiarity of the software, Marty,” Doc had said, something to do with the computer chips of 1994 barely being up to the task as it was—so Marty had been driving on open ground. Which meant he’d blown a tire on a curb when he went from open country road in the 90s to a subdivision in the future. He’d fortunately been able to call upon his future family for assistance upon his arrival. They’d fixed the car, and Verne had figured out what had gone wrong with the spatial displacement program. Once that was done, there needed to be one more test before Marty could return to 1994.

ALSO: I want to note that I've snuck in two minor references to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Series in my fics. In McFly July, Jules is quoted as quoting the series' version of Wayne Szalinski in Chapter 12—"A fist rarely has the insight to win an argument." Meanwhile, in A Royal Doctober Tiff mentions Princess Jennifer possibly being set up with "that half-wit cousin of yours with the extra thumb," which was a throwaway line from H. Gordon Jennings, Wayne's boss, in one episode.

(Seriously, it was one of my favorite childhood shows, it's never gotten an official DVD release, and the only other people I knew who watched it were my fucking parents. Even AO3 doesn't have a fandom tag for it, just the movie!)

THANK YOU FOR ASKING!

#writing #my fics #answering asks #about me

[theghostpinesmusic]

Three-Fingered Jack (2/3)

Because of (relatively) short distances and long days, this was the rare backpacking trip where I didn't need to set an alarm for morning. Instead, I woke up the same way I do on most alarm-less trail days: screaming while melting alive in my tent a half-hour or so after sunrise.

Fortunately, outside the tent the air was still cool, and, as is usually the case in the western high country, nearby shady patches dropped the temperature another twenty degrees or so. I set up to make breakfast in one such shady patch while watching the sun light up Three-Fingered Jack's craggy face.

I was on my way back down the scramble trail to the meadows shortly after waking up. My main worry before the trip had been navigating this trail going downhill with a pack on: I remembered there being a lot of loose scree on my 2021 descent, and I worried that the extra weight on my back this time would make it not just slippery, but legitimately dangerous. As it turned out, though, this was all a matter of route choice: I was able to avoid the loosest parts of the descent simply by being a bit more careful about picking my way down than I'd been last time (and with the help of a few mountain goats who were napping in the sun near the top of the route, which forced me to climb a little lower to avoid disturbing them).

Below, in the meadow, the rest of my goat fam was waking up. I was hesitant to take the established trail too close to them, especially because there were a lot of baby goats in the group, but in the end I passed by carefully and slowly, and though the adults very clearly kept themselves interposed between me and the babies, they never seemed particularly agitated by my passage.

Mountain goats are quite possibly my favorite animal on earth, and so for me this was a moment the kids these days would (incorrectly) call "a core memory."

Pedantry aside, though, it was freaking awesome.

Once back on the trail, it was a straightforward hike back out of Canyon Creek Meadows and back to the main trail. I was sad to leave such a beautiful place (and the goats!), but the trail provides some amazing parting views of the mountain...and I certainly wasn't done with Three-Fingered Jack yet.

As you leave Canyon Creek, there are actually two trails you can take: I'd taken the sparser, southern one in from Jack Lake the previous day, but I took the northerly, more forested one on the way out, both for the sake of variety and because it saved me a little distance on the way to my next goals: Wasco Lake and Minto Pass.

Maybe it was just because I knew that I was heading back into the burn, but the last, heavily forested section of the meadows trail seemed particularly gorgeous in the morning light.

It's not actually that far of a hike from this trail intersection to Wasco Lake, but being out of the shade again, even in midmorning, reminded me that it was, in fact, going to be a very hot day.

Wasco Lake itself is great. It's snugged up nicely against a cliff face and circled by a bit of forest. It has a few excellent campsites, too, though they have already been occupied both times I've passed through, mid-week, likely because of the lake's proximity to the PCT. I like it just fine, I'm just not sure that I would ever choose to camp there knowing that Canyon Creek Meadows was only a few miles' walk away...

...sorry, Wasco Lake.

Minto Pass sounds more daunting than it is if you're used to scrambling around central Oregon mountains, but the slight climb deposits you up high on a ridge that provides some great, far-off-ish views of the mountain you're circling.

From here, the rest of my route would be on the PCT, heading south over Porcupine Rock and ultimately back to my car at Santiam Pass. I don't think there's anything in this second "side" of the hike that's nearly as gorgeous or evocative as Canyon Creek Meadows, but I still had a great time, and there are still a few notable sights worth mentioning.

The first few miles of hiking after the intersection with the PCT are all elevation gain. This is mostly burn territory as well (though there are a few little forested spots here and there), but for whatever reason it didn't feel as hot as the burn on the southeast side of the mountain did on the previous day. The "lack" of heat was more than made up for by the amount of blowdown on the trail through this section, though.

I tend not to complain much about blowdown, generally, for two reasons. First, I'm taller than most people, which usually (though not always!) makes navigating blowdown easier for me than for others. Second, most trails are cleared of blowdown by volunteer trail crews, or, at best, Forest Service employees who aren't paid enough for the backbreaking work they put in. With that in mind, whining about the fact that the trail is difficult to navigate because someone else hasn't fixed it for me feels a little...myopic, I guess?

All that said, the blowdown situation on this part of the trail was really bad. So it was slow going for a while. Thanks in advance to whoever clears this leg of the trail in the future!

Ultimately, I survived a few knee bruises and shin scratches to get to where the trail opens up and switchbacks upward to Porcupine Rock, the high point of Three-Fingered Jack's north shoulder. I love the views here, not just because they're expansive, but because you can also see back down into Canyon Creek Meadows from above, allowing you to see all the terrain you crisscrossed and camped in the night before. I even told myself that a few of the small white dots I saw among the grey rocks of the hills were mountain goats, though I didn't have any way to know for sure.

At the top of Porcupine Rock, I took a long break in a tiny patch of shade to eat and rehydrate, and then I started bombing downhill.

Downhill!

To be clear, I've very rarely ever disliked a section of trail I've hiked, but this loop post-Porcupine Rock definitely becomes less interesting, in my experience. You take the PCT south for seven more miles total, and though the views of the west side of the mountain are nice, and there are some pleasantly forested areas in contrast with the east side's burn, there's just something about this section that puts me in a "Push through and finish" state of mind. Maybe it's the vastly increased hiker traffic compared to the east side because of the PCT. Maybe it's just the knowledge that I'm almost done with the hike. Regardless, I tend to rush through this part, but it's not without it's beauty, especially once you get far enough around Three-Fingered Jack to start getting views of the surrounding lakes and (again) the Sisters and Mount Washington in the distance.

Technically, I had enough daylight to push on all the way to Santiam Pass and the car at this point, but I'd packed for two nights of camping, and had hoped to be able to find the elusive Summit Lake, a lake that I'd read a bunch about online before my 2021 trip, but somehow failed to find the spur trail to during that trip, necessitating a long day (and night) of hiking beyond what I'd planned that doesn't really deserve describing in detail here.

Fortunately, on this second and more recent try, I was able to both find the spur trail to Summit Lake and better understand why I'd missed it the first time. Basically, a huge tangle of blowdown that happened to fall right at the point where the spur trail leaves the PCT makes it difficult to find it at first, but by staying up high and pushing through the bush a bit, I was able to eventually spot the trail below me and drop down onto it.

Summit Lake was much more beautiful that I expected a somewhat tiny, somewhat random lake nestled in the shoulder of Three-Fingered Jack to be.

I got there around 1:30pm, too, which is about six hours earlier than I roll into camp on a normal day of hiking. I had time to compass the whole lake in search of the "perfect" camp spot, spread out my gear, rinse out some of my hiking clothes (and socks), take a swim in the lake (which was amazing and amazingly cold) and eat lunch and read a bit...before a guided group of eleven teenagers showed up and took over the opposite side of the lake for the night.

In all honesty, they were about as well-behaved as you could imagine such a group being: they were goofy and loud pretty much all afternoon and night, but promptly got quiet around a "normal" bedtime and woke up after me in the morning. There's just something about a place like Summit Lake that makes me feel like I "should" have it all to myself, so I was a little disappointed when such a big group showed up. That's a problem with me, though, not the other hikers. It's public land, after all.

Anyway, another pretty decent sleep in the books, the next morning I would wake up to take a short hike back to the car but then spontaneously tackle another mountain before heading home...

#camping #hiking #backpacking #traveling #photos #mountains #bend #three sisters #central oregon

[appalachiangrowlergravel]

Day 4

A good rest makes a big difference as does sleeping in a real bed. Yesterday we got to our Asheville hotel around 3pm. We had a few beers and a bite to eat at Hi-Wire while rehashing the last three days of riding. We all agreed that with the aggressive mileage we never got a chance to recharge.

We made a couple of modifications to the Day 4 route. We chopped out 5 miles of in-town riding on the front end and added 3 miles of downhill gravel on the back. That left us with a 24.5 mile day. Very doable!

Packed and ready to roll from the hotel.

Leaving any big town is always a little rough. We left our hotel at 10am but there was still a lot of traffic. Our first mile was on an industrial road with quite a few cars. We crossed the French Broad River and got on a bike path for a few miles. Then back on to busy streets and, later, more in neighborhoods. Our last Asheville road had been stripped of its asphalt and wet down for repaving. That left us with a half mile climb up slightly wet gravel with some construction traffic. At the top, we looked into the woods to see our route… single track.

Here we go again… single track.

We noticed hikers on the trail so we waited for them to pop out of the woods. Two women emerged with a labradoodle. They were curious about our ride and our bear protection (an air horn). They told us that there was a lot of bear activity in the area and that other cyclists had seen a mother and cub earlier. Generally, we make a lot of noise so I thought it would be unlikely that we’d see any bears. Fortunately/unfortunately we didn’t.

The single track started with a steep climb and a couple switchbacks. I decided the best approach was a little hike-a-bike up the hill. I was pleased to see that the steep part was very short. Then we rode a couple miles of twisting, turning, but generally smooth trail through laurel and rhododendron groves. We passed several mountain bike riders. Two flew past us at over 30 mph. It looked like they were having one hell of a time. We, on the other hand, took our time, occasionally stopping to pick up lost gear that popped off on bumps. My tent was especially troublesome. I’ll have to find a better way to secure it to my bike on future rides.

Paul riding single track.

We took a break for water and power bars in the parking lot at the end of the single track. A group of ladies walked through looking for their car. Actually, they were looking for the parking lot with their car. We talked for a while about bike packing then they wandered down the road to find the right lot. Another woman stopped to get details of our trip. She was a local mountain biker and she gave us info on the ride ahead. Overall, the Asheville area has great biking and hiking trails and lots of friendly people.

We got back on our bikes with about 10 miles to go. The rest would all be gravel roads. We started out with a modest incline for a mile than 3 miles of steeper road. 45 minutes later we were at our highest point for the day and, literally, just under the Blue Ridge Parkway.

BRP in the background.

Our typical view on this trip.

A quick rest and a conversation with 3 more mountain bikers and we were ready for 6 miles of downhill. The first 2 miles were steeper and bumpier while the last 4 were railroad grade. Those last 4 miles paralleled a creek that sat 20 feet below us. We always heard the rushing water but only occasionally saw the stream. The road was relatively smooth so we were able to speed our way to the end. It was a great way to finish the day.

One of the many creeks.

The days totals were 24.65 miles in 5 hours of elapsed time, 3 hours of moving time. We climbed 2800 feet and dropped 2600 feet.

Our plan for Day 5 was in flux so we finished at the car and headed towards our HipCamp for the night. Along the way, we stopped at Oskar Blues for beers and burgers. Evening in camp included a fire skillfully built and tended by Paul, beers kept cold by Philip, and bourbon that I carried on my bike for 4 days without touching. Once we used all of the camp owner’s firewood we knew it was time for sleep. Tomorrow brings more choices.

[xxnotyourbabyxxx]

Arrested.

“Blueberries and cherries!” A wide-eyed four year old Beck pointed out the window of his parents' Mercedes Benz, finger wagging something fierce in the direction of a San Jose state police car, sirens blaring, blue and red neon lights illuminating the otherwise dark side street. The boy’s father and the driver of said luxury vehicle, threw his foot on the brake pedal, slowing the car about twenty miles per hour in the span of just a few seconds. The boy’s small body jerked forward, even bound to his carseat from the sudden shift in speed, tiny body caught off guard. “Thanks for the warning, Becky-boy. One more ticket and my license gets suspended. We can’t have that, no sir.” Beck turned in his seat to gaze out the rear window just in time to see the cop had swooped in behind some other less fortunate soul, those bright lights reflecting on his face as he watched with amour in his eyes. Twenty years later he would watch as the very same lights danced across his skin, only the innocent feeling of glee evoked by the rescue vehicle in children would be replaced by an adult sized rage.

“Blueberries and cherries.” Beck scoffed to himself as he was led to the rear passenger door of the squad car, the lights drawing the attention of every passerby within a five mile radius of the small hole-in-the-wall bar, Capos. ‘Excuse me?’ The police officer leaned in as though to get a better listen but truth be told Beck hadn’t even realized he’d spoken out loud. A grin lifted the right corner of his mouth, a sly smirk as he shook his head. “I said.. Black and blue. That guy is gonna wake up blank and blue, and not very cheerful.” The cop nodded and grumbled in some kind of half awake acknowledgement, removing his hold on Beck’s cuffed wrists long enough to open the door and gesture for him to sit. ‘What happened in there anyway?’ Beck sat, admitting defeat as he pulled his legs and heeled feet into the vehicle, holding the officers stare as he answered him truthfully. “That guy said he wouldn’t be disrespected by a faggot, so I asked if he’d rather be knocked out by one.. I didn’t wait for him to respond.” Truth was, the fool should have been cut off eight drinks prior to the one he was clutching in his barbarian fist and was draping himself like some sleazy scarf around the waists and shoulders of every woman in the place. Every other man in the place seemed to admire him, maybe even envy the confidence his drunken stupor granted him. No one batted an eye when his latest victim was slapped on the ass and even when recoiling in disgust went in for a squeeze. Beck couldn’t watch it any longer.

The drive to the station was silent but Beck’s brain was loud, reminiscing on the past traumas that led him to this very situation; blueberries, cherries, bar fights, chaos.

#Task #Neon Nights #Drabble