#10 Places to See in Alaska

[anarchywoofwoof]

yesterday, november 18 2023 was the first day in recorded history where the global 2m surface temperature exceeded 2 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 baseline.

the 1850-1900 period serves as a baseline for the intergovernmental panel on climate change (ipcc) primarily because it represents the pre-industrial era, just before the widespread industrialization that began in the late 19th century.

this era is important for understanding the effects of climate change because it provides a relatively stable reference point for the earth's climate system before human activities - particularly the burning of fossil fuels - began to significantly alter the composition of earth's atmosphere. therefore, this period offers some of the earliest reliable meteorological data, allowing scientists to establish a baseline climate against which current and future changes can be compared.

the last time it was close to this hot was +1.99°C above the baseline, on Feb. 28, 2016 during hottest part of El Nino

yesterday, the value was +2.01°C before the hottest part of El Nino.

the 2°C threshold is widely regarded as a critical limit beyond which climate change impacts become increasingly severe and potentially irreversible. this includes increasing extreme weather events, over time a 40~ foot sea-level rise, and massive loss of biodiversity. some of which we are seeing take place before our eyes right now, every single day. all of these headlines are from this year alone:

Ocean scientists concerned over uptick of whale deaths on Northeast coasts

Penguin Chicks Are Dying Off as Antarctic Sea Ice Disappears

More than 10 billion snow crabs starved to death off the coast of Alaska. But why?

Texas oysters in dire straits

Tens of Thousands of Dead Fish Wash Ashore on Gulf Coast in Texas

Drone footage shows millions of dead fish blanket river

Mass death of Amazonian dolphins prompts fears for vulnerable species

‘Crisis period': Dead or dying marine mammals increasingly washing up on SoCal beaches

bear in mind that this is because we're already seeing a near-average of 1.5°c warming this year. this was not expected until the year 2050. like.. it's happening now.

the 1.5°c warming threshold, which is often discussed alongside the 2°c threshold, holds its own significance in the context of climate change and the efforts to mitigate its impacts. this threshold was brought into prominence by the paris agreement, which aimed to limit global warming to well below 2°c, preferably to 1.5°c, compared to pre-industrial levels.

we have effectively blown past this barricade and are barreling toward another. the capitalist train is leaving the tracks and taking us with it.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Social Security is class war, not intergenerational conflict

Today, Tor.com published my latest short story, "The Canadian Miracle," set in the world of my forthcoming (Nov 14) novel, The Lost Cause. I am serializing this one on my podcast! Here's part one.

The very instant the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, American conservatives (in both parties) began lobbying to destroy it. After all, a reserve army of forelock-tugging plebs and family retainers won't voluntarily assemble themselves – they need to be goaded into it by the threat of slowly starving to death in their dotage.

They're at it again (again). The oligarch-thinktank industrial complex has unleashed a torrent of scare stories about Social Security's imminent insolvency, rehearsing the same shopworn doom predictions that they've been repeating since the Nixonite billionaire cabinet member Peter G Peterson created a "foundation" to peddle his disinformation in 2008:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I.O.U.S.A.

Peterson's go-to tactic is convincing young people that all the Social Security money they're paying into the system will be gobbled up by already-wealthy old people, leaving nothing behind for them. Conservatives have been peddling this ditty since the 1930s, and they're still at it – in the pages of the New York Times, no less:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/opinion/social-security-medicare-aging.html

The Times has become a veritable mouthpiece for this nonsense, publishing misleading and nonsensical charts and data to support the idea that millennials are losing a generational war to boomers, who will leave the cupboard bare:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/27/opinion/aging-medicare-social-security.html

As Robert Kuttner writes for The American Prospect, this latest rhetorical assault on Social Security is timed to coincide with the ascension of the GOP House's new Speaker, Mike Johnson, who makes no secret of his intention to destroy Social Security:

https://prospect.org/economy/2023-10-31-debunking-latest-attack-social-security/

The GOP says it wants to destroy Social Security for two reasons: first, to promote "choice" by letting us provide for our own retirement by flushing even more of our savings into the rigged casino that is the stock market; and second, because America doesn't have enough dollars to feed and house the elderly.

But for the New York Times' audience, they've figured out how to launder this far-right nonsense through the language of social justice. Rather than condemning the impecunious olds for their moral failing to lay the correct bets in the stock market, Social Security's opponents paint the elderly as a gerontocratic elite, flush with cash that rightfully belongs to the young.

To support this conclusion, they throw around statistics about how house-rich the Boomers are, and how much consumption they can afford. But as Kuttner points out, the Boomers' real-estate wealth comes not from aggressive house-flipping, but from merely owning a place to live. America's housing bubble means that younger people can't afford this basic human necessity, but the answer to that isn't making old people homeless – it's providing a lot more housing, and banning housing speculation:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/06/the-rents-too-damned-high/

It's true that older people are doing a lot of consumption spending – but the bulk of that spending isn't on cruises to Alaska to see the melting glaciers, it's on health care. Old people aren't luxuriating in their joint replacements and coronary bypasses. Calling this "consumption" is deliberately misleading.

But as Kuttner points out, there's another, more important point to be made about inequality in America – the most significant wealth gap in America is between workers and owners, not young people and old people. The "average" Boomer's net worth factors in the wealth of Warren Buffett and Donald Trump. Older renters are more rent-burdened and precarious than younger renters, and most older Americans have little to no retirement savings:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresaghilarducci/2023/10/28/the-new-york-times-greedy-geezer-myth/

Less than one percent of Social Security benefits go to millionaires – that's because the one percent constitute one percent of the population. It's right there in the name. The one percent are politically and economically important, but that's because they are low in numbers. Giving Social Security benefits to everyone over 65 will not result in a significant outlay to the ultra-wealthy, because there aren't many ultra-wealthy people in America. The problem of inequality isn't the expanding pool of rich people, it's the explosion of wealth for a contracting pool of rich people.

If conservatives were serious about limiting the grip of these "undeserving" Social Security recipients on our economy and its politics, they'd advocate for interitance taxes (which effectively don't exist in America), not the abolition of Social Security. The problem of wealth in America is that it is establishing permanent dynasties which are incompatible with social mobility. In other words, we have created a new hereditary aristocracy – and its corollary, a new hereditary peasantry:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/19/dynastic-wealth/#caste

Hereditary aristocracies are poisonous for lots of reasons, but one of the most pressing problems they present is political destabilization. American belief in democracy, the rule of law, and a national identity is q function of Americans' perception of fairness. If you think that your kids can't ever have a better life than you, if you think that the cops will lock you up for a crime for which a rich person would escape justice, then why obey the law? Why vote? Why not cheat and steal? Why not burn it all down?

The wealthy put a lot of energy into distracting us from this question. Just lately, they've cooked up a gigantic panic over a nonexistent wave of retail theft:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/10/31/the-retail-theft-surge-that-isnt-report-says-crime-is-being-exaggerated-to-cover-up-other-retail-issues/

Meanwhile, the very real, non-imaginary, accelerating, multi-billion-dollar plague of wage theft is conspicuously missing from the public discourse, despite a total that dwarfs all retail theft in America by an order of magnitude:

https://fair.org/home/wage-theft-is-built-into-the-business-models-of-many-industries/

America does have a property crime crisis, but it's a crisis of wage-theft, not shoplifting. Likewise, America does have a retirement crisis: it's a crisis of inequality, not intergenerational conflict.

Social Security has been under sustained assault since its inception, and that's in large part due to a massive blunder on the part of FDR. Roosevelt believed that people would be more protective of Social Security if they thought it was funded by their taxes: "we bought it, it's ours." But – as FDR well knew – that's not how government spending works.

The US government can't run out of US dollars. The US government doesn't get its dollars for spending from your taxes. The US government spends money into existence and taxes it out of existence:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/14/situation-normal/#mmt

A moment's thought will reveal that it has to be this way. The US government (and its fiscal agents, chartered banks) are the only source of dollars. How can the US tax dollars away from earners unless it has first spent those dollars into the economy?

The point of taxation isn't to fund programs, it's to reduce the private sector's spending power so that there are things for sale to the public sector. If we only spent money into the economy but didn't take any out of the economy, the private sector would have so many dollars to spend that any time the government tried to buy something, there'd be a bidding war that would result in massive price spikes.

When a government runs a "balanced budget," that means that it has taxed as much out of the economy as it put into the economy at the start of the year. When a government runs a "surplus," that means it's left less money in the economy at the end of the year than there was at the beginning of the year. This is fine if the economy has contracted overall, but if the economy stayed constant or grew, that means there are fewer dollars chasing more goods and services, which leads to deflation and all kinds of toxic outcomes, like borrowing more bank-created money, which makes the finance sector richer and the real economy poorer.

Of course, most governments run "deficits" – which is another way of saying that they leave more dollars in the economy at the end of the year than there was at the start of the year, or, put another way, a deficit probably means that your economy got bigger, so it needed more dollars.

None of this means that governments can spend without limit. But it does mean that governments can buy anything that's for sale in their own currency. There are a lot of goods for sale in US dollars, both goods that are produced domestically and goods from abroad (this is why it's such a big deal that most of the world's oil is priced in dollars).

Governments do have to worry about getting into bidding wars with the private sector. To do that, governments come up with ways of reducing the private sector's spending power. One way to do that is taxes �� just taking money away from us at the end of the year and annihilating it. Another way is to ration goods – think of WWII, or the direct economic interventions during the covid lockdowns. A third way is to sell bonds, which is just a roundabout way of getting us to promise not to spend some of our dollars for a while, in return for a smaller number of dollars in interest payments:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/08/howard-dino/#payfors

FDR knew all of this, but he still told the American people that their taxes were funding Social Security, thinking that this would protect the program. This backfired terribly. Today, Democrats have embraced the myth that taxes fund spending and join with their Republican counterparts in insisting that all spending must be accompanied by either taxes or cuts (AKA "payfors").

These Democrats voluntarily put their own policymaking powers in chains, refusing to take any action on behalf of the American people unless they can sell a tax increase or a budget cut. They insist that we can't have nice things until we make billionaires poor – which is the same as saying that we can't have nice things, period.

There are damned good reasons to make billionaires poor. The legitimacy of the American system is incompatible with the perception that wealth and power are fixed by birth, and that the rich and powerful don't have to play by the rules.

The capture of America's institutions – legislatures, courts, regulators – by the rich and powerful is a ghastly situation, and to reverse it, we'll need all the help we can get. Every hour that Americans spend worrying about their how they'll pay their rent, their medical bills, or their student loans is an hour lost to the fight against oligarchy and corruption.

In other words, it's not true that we can't have nice things until we get rid of billionaires – rather, we can't get rid of billionaires until we have nice things.

This is the premise of my next novel, The Lost Cause, which comes out on November 14; it's set in a world where care and solidarity have unleashed millions of people on the project of maintaining the habitability of our planet amidst the polycrisis:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865939/the-lost-cause

It's a fundamentally hopeful book, and it's already won praise from Naomi Klein, Rebecca Solnit, Bill McKibben and Kim Stanley Robinson. I wrote it while thinking through and researching these issues. Conservatives want us to think that we can't do better than this, that – to quote Margaret Thatcher – "there is no alternative." Replacing that narrative is critical to the kinds of mass mobilizations that our very survival depends on.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/intergenerational-warfare/#five-pound-blocks-of-cheese

This Saturday (Nov 4), I'm keynoting the Hackaday Supercon in Pasadena, CA.

[poordeadsejanus]

TBOSAS gave an intense look at the map of panem pre-president snow era, so I pieced it together to make a more official map than anything i've seen thus far. plus, i'm insane about fictional maps for literally no reason. [keep in mind, this is shitty screenshots that i've put together and the screen the map appears on (during lucky's weather report) appears to be rounded, so some of the proportions and such might be off. ] more stuff under the cut

so, these are the images i used to make this:

and i pieced them together as best i could, some of the borders, like the bottom right of 12 and the bottom of 5 became sort of a guessing game because they were covered up/hard to see.

doing that and cropping/pasting them together gave me this image (same as at the top of post)

red lines are clear country borders, yellow are district borders, purple is any of the areas i was unsure about. As we can see from this, districts 7, 10, and 13 (not labelled on this map because at this point in canon-time, it's 'gone') have no definite ending borders, so it's hard to even guess where they would end at. using this i made this more polished map using each district's colours that are listed on fandom dot com

the unclear edges are left blurred because really i don't know where they end...

we know that panem is formerly north america, so i laid the image over a map of north america and got this:

it took a little adjusting because again, my map is based off of a warped television screen, but, we end up with something like this. some interesting things to note is that a lot of coast has presumably eroded away as time passed -- we lost all of baja, and most of florida and socal, and some of virginia and north carolina, and many pieces of the mexican states, though none in their entirety . the places where panem extends over NA water spaces (districts 6, 7, 13) are either from receding water levels or translation issues from the warping of the in-movie screen... or, my own personal error, i guess lol.

again, as far as 7, 10, and 13, their end borders are up to speculation, but i'd imagine 7 extends up to near the edge of the northern canadian borders and maybe into alaska -- though i can't say because that's a huge chunk of space (it is the lumber district, though, so it probably goes as high as the trees are...). same goes for 10: i'd guess it goes south a bit more to near the nartual borders, but likely in any low-elevation areas (near the southern provinces) the sea has swallowed up the land. as for 13, it likely extends more near norther quebec and out toward the maritime provinces (though i'd estimate that most of those are either completely underwater or complete above it, so there's no islands going on). truly though, it's anyone's guess, so let me know your thoughts on it if you made it this far down!

future-panem, like during the events of the hunger games, definitely has changed district borders. we knows there's fencing and forbidden area, so the districts are definitely far smaller and there's space between them (no man's land) so that there is little-to-no communication between districts.

anyway, thanks for checking this out, i spent too much time on this to come out with very little practical use, but if you're like me and you like knowing where fictional locations are/how they're laid out, this is for you

[jo-harrington]

Sunsets.

They were always better when you watched them with someone else.

You glanced down at the hands in your lap: yours and Sam's, twined together like your lives have been for the past 5 years. The best of friends from the moment her family moved into town. You couldn't remember a time when you existed without her.

She's chatting now, telling some story about her boyfriend's dunce behavior to cheer you up after Mark broke your heart. Douchebag. You don't really know how you got here of all places; how things seemed to go so right with him and then so terribly wrong.

Sam made a joke at both Patrick and Mark's expense. You laughed and the sound of it was unfamiliar and almost roared in your ear, like a hundred people were laughing.

Everyone always laughed at Sam's jokes. Everyone loved Sam. Everything always worked out for her, even in the most unlikely situations. She was just lucky like that.

You told her once, after she won the talent show at school, that it almost seemed like she was the star of The Samantha Show or something. She found it hilarious, apparently, but you had an inkling that her feelings were still hurt. This was real life, not TV. She didn't just win because she was some main character, she worked really hard on her dance routine.

You felt a little bad after that, never brought it up again. The dark little voice deep down inside you smothered for now.

Because yeah, she did work hard. You knew that. She was smart and talented and funny and caring and a great friend and neighbor and that's just how it was because...

Because...

Because she strived to be all of those thing.

Things you…really didn’t bother with.

Because you were…

You.

Average, squeaking by a three-point-something GPA, wannabe artist who could barely draw, never left town before even when there was that field trip to DC because you got the mumps. A little nervous, a little clumsy, a little romantic with your head in the clouds. You always had a crush but nothing ever really came of those crushes until Mark.

The only boy to ever like you back and then he broke your heart.

“I just want to disappear,” you muttered pathetically and let go of Sam’s hand to cover your eyes again.

"So do it!" Sam finally hopped to her feet in the way that only she could, raring for another passioned, motivational speech that she was known for. You really needed one of those and also loathed that she was about to give you one. "Disappear! Leave!”

This was not the speech you expected.

"Uh, what?" you let out a mixture of a scoff and a laugh, tears forgotten for now. "What do you mean leave? Hello, graduation in a few months. Prom? Then college. What happened to your big plan last week? One last summer in Port Geneva?"

"Forget one last summer," she waved her arms wildly. "This is your life! You're my best friend, I want you happy. Tell me the truth. Do you really even want to go to college? Wouldn't you rather pack up big blue and go on that adventure like you talked about in 8th grade?"

At your blank stare, Sam grabbed you by the shoulders and shook you.

"That's the whole reason we're friends in the first place don't you remember? The ice breaker?! Are you kidding?"

"I don't have a clue," you giggled as she jostled you around.

"Our entire friendship built on a lie. UGH. Ok. Mrs. Mills what-do-you-wanna-do-in-10-years activity? And everyone's was stupid. Tina wanted to be on the cover of Tiger Beat for the Girl Superstar issue. Patrick...gotta love him...but he wanted to be the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. Mine was so dumb I don't even want to say it, great first impressions I made as the new kid.

"But you wanted to see the world! Pack your bags and board a train around the US. Paint the sunset at the Grand Canyon. See glaciers in Alaska! Hell, you even said you'd travel to Middle Earth if you could. And I thought you meant the equator!"

You both laughed and as she went on and on about things you apparently said 4 years ago and as the memory came back to you, your heart ached.

Yeah, you did say that stuff didn't you? You’d been such a silly, idealistic kid before you grew up and reality hit you time and time again.

"That was just kids stuff Sammie," you laughed dismissively. "I'm...I'm gonna take classes at State, and I'm gonna work at the furniture store and I'm gonna..."

"You're gonna pine over Mark Greckman over the rest of your life?" The hands were on her hips again. "No, ma'am, you...you're gonna go on your adventure and...oh my...you're gonna find a prince of some European kingdom or...or a handsome stranger in an Italian villa. Or both. Hoards of men fighting for your affection."

"Please stop," you stood up and grabbed her as she started waving her arms around and pantomiming kissing a tall stranger. "Stop it."

"Ok I'm done, I'm done," she promised. "I just don't want you to be crying over that idiot anymore. And we might be close to graduation but...I don't know...you can still change your mind."

"Hmm," you shrugged. "I dunno. If just sounds so…”

“Unlike you?”

“Yeah.”

"Just think about it," she urged you. "You and your Volkswagen Beetle…and the world...the whole universe if you want it! The possibilities are endless. I just feel like...1985...it's gonna be your year."

There was a spark of inspiration that grew inside of you, and in your heart, you knew she was right.

You pulled her into your arms, grateful to have your best friend.

"Port Geneva was filmed in front of a live studio audience."

Eddie hit the rewind button on the remote and watched the scene speed in reverse until it hit Sam’s big speech. He hit play and watched for a minute then paused, the blurry image of your giggling face frozen on his screen for the foreseeable future.

He sighed and leaned back on the couch to enjoy your company for a minute.

The living room was dark, only illuminated by the glow of the TV and the street lights outside shining through the windows. There was a stack of tapes on the coffee table, along with his abandoned homework. The pizza he ordered would be here soon but for now…it was just you and him.

“M’sorry Mark was an asshole,” he said aloud into the still room. “To be honest…I kind of warned you about him way back.”

You don’t say anything. You never do.

“I know, the heart wants what it wants.” He picked a piece of lint off of his jeans. “I just want to look out for you honey.”

You stay smiling on the screen, and he can imagine it got the slightest bit bigger when he said that.

“I know you try to look after me too. Guess that doesn’t stop either of us getting hurt right?” He chuckled and pat his hands on his lap.

This was pathetic, talking to a fictional character like they were really in the room with him.

You were just…you were everything. And you’d been there for him, a balm to his woes. You had been since he started watching Port Geneva way back when, but especially since everything went down last year.

With his dad and the house and…

There was a knock at the door and Eddie hit the eject button so he could put in the next tape in watch with dinner. It was gonna be a good episode, you tell Mark off and even punch him; he remembered it fondly.

Defending yourself. He was proud of his girl.

Eddie ate his dinner and watched his episodes, taped from when they originally aired. Wednesday nights at 9pm, right before the news. He did his homework and occasionally repeated the rewind-pause-play act that he had perfected over the years so he could make another joke or, just once, complain about his chemistry homework.

Life was hard. For everyone. But especially if your name was Eddie Munson. Still, he endured. He’d never been a stranger to fantasy and escapism, he had his books and his game and his movies but there was something so…comforting in the realism that was your show.

A small suburban town full of normals. All sorts of mundane activities that mostly everyone made feel were…life altering events. And a handful of misunderstood outcasts—like you and Scott and Bonnie—who played supporting characters to the stars. Stars that were, quite frankly, unrealistic and annoying.

Eddie felt that way sometimes though, like he was just some background character waiting for his chance at the spotlight. Who had been the main character in his story, huh? Ronnie? Yeah…he could see that, now that she was on her great college adventure.

But with her gone, what would come of his storyline? Did he just fade into the background again?

Eddie ejected the tape before the current episode finished and propped his feet on the coffee table as he flipped the channels to something else. He needed to focus on something else. He would come back to his tapes, to you, another night and he would wish that you were real once again. Knocking on his door, taking him on a grand adventure with you.

But for now he just needed to stew in his…sad secondary character thoughts.

You got your time in the spotlight, a 2-episode arc at the end of the season, and as much as he hoped that it would be his turn soon…to be the character everyone loved…the person everyone loved…he knew it might never happen for him.

Eddie the Freak. Eddie the outcast. Eddie the idiot.

He would even take a single scene dedicated to him at this point.

Was that too much to ask?

Coming in 2024.

Find the Masterlist here. And the original blurb here.

[thisisnotthenerd]

do you ever give yourself ideas that seem like they shouldn't take much time in execution and then end up taking up way too much time?

anyway we're back with the first real entry for thisisnotthenerd's d20 stats of 2024. this time we're talking:

cast appearances by episode count

season count is one thing; there's only 21 of those so far. by contrast, we've had 222 episodes of d20 as of 1/16/2024. by may 2024 we'll have finished fhjy and hit 241.

by the current count, the intrepid heroes' full seasons account for 128 episodes of the total 222, or around 57.6% of the total episode count. if you add the fantasy high oneshots, it bumps up to 59.4%, and if you consider that we're adding 20 to the count with fhjy, by may 2024, intrepid heroes episodes will make up 62.6% of the dimension 20 catalog.

anyway here's the cast list:

the uncontested winner is brennan lee mulligan with 211/222 episodes. 95% attendance. the only times he hasn't been there are: the 4 episodes of shriek week, the 6 episodes of coffin run, and the gencon mismag oneshot.

in second place is lou wilson, with 151/222 episodes. this is every intrepid heroes season (128/222), plus 3 sidequests (4+10+6) and 3 oneshots.

in third, sweeping her way with the most recent season, is siobhan thompson with 147/222, after the ih seasons, 3 oneshots and 2 sidequests (6+10)

in fourth, we have ally beardsley with 144/222, after the ih seasons, 2 oneshots, and 2 sidequests (10+4)

very close in fifth, we have zac oyama, with 143/222, after the ih seasons, 4 oneshots, and 2 sidequests (6+6).

in sixth is emily axford, with 138/222, from 126 ih episodes, 2 oneshots, and one sidequest (10)

and in seventh is brian murphy, with 130 episodes, from the ih seasons and 3 oneshots.

after this we have a steep drop off, since the ih episodes make up 57% of the total count, and will make up 61% by the end of junior year. anyway next is aabria iyengar, with 48 episodes, a little over half which she gm'd (26).

next is erika ishii, with 37 episodes. they've been in 5 sidequests (6+4+10+6+10) and one oneshot.

to finish off the top ten, rekha shankar and izzy roland are tied with 26, since both have been in three sidequests [(6+10+10) and (10+6+10) respectively]

the last of the three cree, in 11th place, is matthew mercer, with 18 (6+6+6) episodes, 6 of which he gm'd

after which is carlos luna and mike trapp with 12, though carlos has been behind the scenes as crew in many more.

13th is taken up with another tie, this time between danielle radford and becca scott, who each have 11, though their splits are different, since danielle has been in 2 sidequests and a oneshot (4+6+1), while becca has been in 1 sidequest and 1 oneshot (10+1)

after this we get into the mass groups:

with 10 episodes there's a couple of options for how they got to that point, but less options for 6 and 4

10 episodes: ify nwadiwe (6+4), lily du (6+4), katie marovitch (10), sam reich (10), raphael chestang (10), grant o'brien (10), persephone valentine (10), omar najam (10), oscar montoya (10), surena marie (10), rashawn nadine scott (10), and jasper william cartwright (10)

next is griffin mcelroy, with 7 episodes, because he did the RTX oneshot along with tiny heist.

6 episodes: amy vorpahl, justin mcelroy, travis mcelroy, clint mcelroy, jessica ross, marisha ray, krystina arielle, b. dave walters, jasmine bhullar (GM), anjali bhimani, alex song-xia, freddie wong, hank green

4 episodes: gabe hicks (GM), dani fernandez, monét x change, alaska thunderfuck, bob the drag queen, jujubee

and last but not least, our oneshot only friends: brian david gilbert, michelle nguyen bradley, noxweiler berf, and markeia mccarty

and that's all for this time! check out the spreadsheet to see where the data comes from and every individual checkbox that i had to click for this to be fully accurate.

[grahambaham]

Some more fic recs cause I'm obsessed and these are all really good.

The Fishbowl by LordLuxury - basically Bruce is a dick which I don't usually go for but it's really good, and he's terrible to Dick and the batfam witnesses him treating Dick like shit and hitting him for the first time and it becomes a whole thing. It's great. 10/10.

2. Look Right Through Me by Teaberry - Stranger Things fic where Steve is trapped in the Upside Down a few months before will and nobody really notices. Will and Steve friendship, no bashing.

3. this place of wrath and tears - and the sequel - my head is bloody, but unbowed by NorthernRanger - Harry goes back in time to 1979 where he gains the attention of Death Eaters, Order members and pretty much all of the British wizarding world by kicking ass. Alastor Moody sort of becomes a weird ass teenager's dad. Not actually, but whatever. Love it. 10/10.

4. Facade by Impravidus - Destiel with Castiel being a very religious man and Dean having been raised to believe in killing supernatural creatures by his serial killer father. It's an idea I've thought about before and am so glad to see it written. 10/10.

5. Miracles Don't Exist by sameuspegasus - Supernatural and House MD crossover where Dean seems to have a case of continuously coming back from the dead and everyone is confused. 10/10.

6. Sand Dollar Child by withay - basically people and other think that Percy's a god cuz he's just that guy. 10/10. Maybe rating everything 10/10 isn't the way to go but whatever. I only speak the truth.

7. An Hour of Wolves by solvskrift - Harry's sixth year where Harry is once again going through some shit. Romilda Vane is a nasty bitch who deserves a crucio to the face and love potions should be fucking illegal. Incomplete but a really good read.

8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - AU Rewrite by killtherat - Harry's kidnapped by Voldemort and his buddies. I honestly don't remember anything else but I know it was amazing so give it a read. 10/10 boom.

9. The Second String by Eider_Down - time travel to the Marauders' era but then it turns out to also be dimension travel. Harry is a badass. I don't really remember much about this one either but it's one of my favorite Harry Potter fics so. 10/10.

10. Three's Family by darkbluedark - Harry and Draco accidentally time travel to the first war and get caught and interrogated by Sirius, James and Dumbledore. It's mostly humour, bickering and some angst. Amazing. I honestly reread it a bunch of time. 10/10.

11. Fishing in Alaska by CaffeeinatedFlumadiddle - one of the best and funniest fics ever, truly. Triton and Percy (and Kymopoliea, did I spell her name right?) are sibling goals. Percy's powers are even more destructive than usual and the gods are worried. He runs off to Alaska cuz fuck them. It's great. 11/10.

[pengweng-quack]

Bloodbound

Carlisle Cullen x Human!OC

Summary: Place Carlisle in the Edward situation of falling in love with a human, and see what happens

Chapter 11/?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11

Notes:

This is on Ao3 under the same title and username if you'd like to read it there (https://archiveofourown.org/works/54527830)

Leave your thoughts (or don't, your choice) in the comments, I enjoy reading through your thoughts :)

Word Count: 2433 words

General warning: I used some religious references in this story so read with caution if you're not so keen into reading that

TW for this chapter: None

PM or Comment to be added on the taglist for this one!

Masterlist

“Nurse Celine, are you busy this weekend?” Daniel asked her, deciding that Carlisle wasn’t worthy of any attention and that he was more interested in Celine

“For you? I’m busy. For anyone else? I’m not.” She straight up answered before walking back to her office

“Fiery little thing she is.” Daniel just said, looking at her “I do like me a bit of a challenge when it comes to my women though.”

“She prefers blonde men.” Carlisle simply said before walking away and into where Celine was

He walked into their office, seeing Celine type something away in her device. The familiar surroundings remained unchanged, evoking a sense of continuity as if he were merely returning after a day off.

“Is this Doctor Daniel’s office?” Carlisle asked, making Celine look up at him

“No.” She answered softly, a polite smile on her face “Never told him that the chief doctor and chief nurse shared an office.”

“Why so?” He asked again, making his way to sit down on the chair in front of Celine’s table

“He’ll always bring up New York.” Celine simply answered, before averting her eyes back on the screen

“What’s in New York?” Carlisle asked again. Now that they’re alone again, Carlisle got to acknowledge the small changes that she did to herself

She changed the cut of her hair, now having shoulder length over the mid back hair length that she had before. The darker shade of lip color she now wore intrigued Carlisle, as she used to favor a paler pink tint, prompting a silent wonder about whether her lips still retained the same taste as before. Noticing the additional piercing adorning her ear, he couldn't help but ponder the significance of this subtle transformation, finding himself captivated by her again.

“Why did you come back?” Celine asked through gritted teeth, refraining herself from yelling at him

“I miss–

“Don’t do that bullshit on me.” Celine hissed, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes glaring with the heat of the burning sun

“I do miss you.” Carlisle confessed quietly

“You shouldn’t have left then if you did miss me.” She hissed at him again, her eyes still glaring at the vampire

“They miss you. Not once did they not miss you.” Carlisle confessed, remembering the somberness on their faces when they were in Alaska that even Jasper had days where he didn’t want to go out his room, feeling everyone’s sadness

“Point still stands, you left.” She said in a stern tone “So, if you’re gonna use your kids and your sister as a futile attempt to make me feel bad, then you’re one fucked up motherfucker.”

“Nurse Celine!” Daniel greeted in her office doorway “Busy for lunch?”

“Busy enough to not entertain your shenanigans.” Celine coldly said, before looking at her computer screen, tuning out whatever Daniel and Carlisle was gonna say to her

As the shift progressed, Celine continued her work quietly, while other nurses eagerly guided Carlisle around, showing him the new equipment that they had received and expressing their gratitude for it. Despite the quiet demeanor, the atmosphere buzzed with efficiency and compassion as everyone worked together to ensure the smooth operation of the hospital.

Celine’s masterpiece

From the gossips, Carlisle learned that the new equipment had been sourced from New York, specifically from the hospital that had expressed interest in hiring Celine. One nurse even mentioned that Doctor Daniel had been dispatched from New York in an attempt to persuade Celine to join their hospital, but his efforts seemed to be failing miserably. That made Carlisle chuckle.

It was the end of his shift when Carlisle passed by Celine’s office again, seeing Eunice and Sean there with her. He decided to just stay outside and wait until his shift was officially over.

“With how you’re acting, you’re making it easier for everyone to figure out that you and Doc Cullen are a thing.” Eunice lightly scolded her

“She’s right. It’s so easy for you to warm up to Doc Cullen when he was made chief doctor, but until now, you haven’t warmed up to Doc Daniel.” Sean added

“Because Doc Cullen is actually good at his job.” Celine complimented to him “Doc Daniel’s only purpose is to get me to New York.”

“Right, not giving up on the retiring at 30 and traveling the world setup.” Sean said, getting Carlisle to listen more intently

A text from his phone distracted Carlisle from hearing what the reason was of Celine leaving

You should tell her why we actually left; she’ll understand - Edward with the help of Alice

He typed out a reply, listening as Celine continued talking about anything. Allowing himself to be enveloped by the soothing sound of Celine's voice as she continued to speak about various topics, her words creating a sense of peace within him.

She’s rightfully mad at me, she won’t listen whatever I will say

Carlisle sent that as reply before checking his watch and seeing that his shift was over. He stood up and said a quiet goodbye to Celine before rushing home

We’ll get her to come over, then you can explain.

Celine's phone rang, displaying Rosalie's name on the screen. She hesitated briefly before answering the call, reminding herself that her anger was directed solely at Carlisle.

“Celine!” Rosalie’s voice boomed on the other side of the call “We missed you.”

“I missed you too, Rosie–

“So, you don’t miss us?” She heard Emmett ask

“Oh my god.” Celine said, rolling her eyes at Emmett’s antics “Of course, I missed you all.”

“Does that ‘all’ consist of Carlisle as well?” Jasper asked, teasing laced in his tone

“Whatever you say, Jasper.” She replied, rolling her eyes at them

“Come over?” Rosalie invited her.

‘Are they playing matchmaker on us?’ Celine pondered before giving them an answer

“Sure, but on the day that Carlisle has a morning shift.” Celine agreed with them, there were murmurs on their end of the call before it was silenced.

“Of course.” Rosalie answered, Celine smiled at the thought that their plans on playing matchmaker didn’t work for her

“We owe you so much stories!” Alice cheered on the other end of the line

“Can we see you?” Edward quietly asked

“Carlisle just went home.” Celine replied back, not having the guts to see him face to face yet

“We’ll come over to your place, all of us without Carlisle.” He persisted. Celine had a small smile before answering a soft yes to them

“You’re lucky I like you all.” Celine playfully told them, before ending the call and closing her desktop, calling it a day

A month had passed since the Cullens returned to Forks, and Celine had seamlessly settled into a routine of visiting them whenever Carlisle had a shift, and leaving just as he was getting home. She was thankful that everyone sided with her, not doing some things behind her back to make her “coincidentally” be in the same place as him.

Celine didn’t think that she had the strength to see him yet.

Walking out of the hospital one afternoon, Celine was taken aback when she noticed a note placed on her windshield. As she picked it up, her curiosity mingled with apprehension upon seeing the symbol of the Volturi emblazoned on the front. Her heart quickened with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

What did they want from her now?

Celine felt shivers run down her spine. How could they have possibly forgotten about her? She had made a solemn promise to them that she would be changed by the night of her 30th birthday, a twisted assurance on their part to ensure her silence regarding the existence of vampires.

Carlisle may have fooled me, but I see the strain that it placed on your relationship as mates.

I will be patiently waiting until the night of your 30th birthday.

The Volturi does not give second chances.

“Fuck.” She heard Carlisle say from his side of the parking lot, having used his vampiric senses to read what the note was. She rushed to him immediately, note on her hand

“I–

“What now?” She hissed to him

“I thought they would drop that, given what I had done.” Carlisle whispered, softly pulling the note on her hand and reading it for himself

“Why would they?” She angrily asked him “They couldn’t even drop the meeting your mate promise, mine is much more recent.”

“Come home with me, let’s talk about it with the others.” Carlisle quietly invited, looking at her with hopeful eyes

“I’m taking my car.” She simply responded, rushing back to her car and entering it.

Celine was panicking internally; she was about to actually leave the hospital when a knock was on her window. Peering out, she saw Carlisle standing outside, gesturing for her to roll down the window. Reluctantly, she complied, opening the window to see what he wanted.

“I’ll ride with you.” He decided at once, opening her car door and making himself comfortable on her passenger seat

“Why?” Celine asked, her eyebrows burrowed at him “What about your car?”

“Your heartbeat is faster, your breathing is getting a tiny bit shallower. You’re showing signs of having a panic attack and I want to be there for you if it happens.” Carlisle listed down like he does when repeating symptoms to the patient “And don’t worry about my car, Jacob has a spare key for it. He’ll drop it off later.”

“You were gone for a year, don’t act like a saint now.” Celine hissed at him before driving off to the Cullen household in silence

As Celine drove, she could sense Carlisle's apologetic gaze on her, but she chose to ignore it, keeping her focus on the road and attempting to keep her emotions in check. She wasn’t one for anger, but Carlisle leaving for a year and coming back like he did nothing was just pushing her on the edge.

Soon, the Cullen household was coming into view, getting Celine to remember that the last time she was there was when Caius was killed and burned off. While a part of her was relieved that Caius was no longer a threat, she couldn't shake the sense of impending danger with Aro now coming back for her.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.” Carlisle whispered as she parks in front of their house

“You have a lot more to be sorry for than dragging me in this, trust me.” Celine hissed, getting out of the car and rushing in the house

“Celine!” Esme greeted, the same motherly aura surrounding her as she runs to hug her “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too.” Celine said, hugging her back with the same tightness as her hug had

“Celine’s here!” Rosalie called to everyone, getting Celine to hear continuous footsteps down the stairs

“Hey!” Emmett said, pulling Celine for a hug that lifted her up before twirling her around.

Everyone greeted her with such happiness that Carlisle could only chastise himself for making the decision of deciding without hearing any of their suggestions.

“You owe me an explanation.” Celine said smugly to Carlisle once everyone was done with greeting her, immediately wanting to know the truth. The vampire only nodded and pulled her up to his office and locked themselves in

“I know it may sound crazy, and much more aggravating—

“I’m giving you one chance to explain yourself.” Celine dangerously said to him, crossing her arms together and sitting down on his table “I don’t need to hear any more introductory statements, I need the truth.”

“I made a deal with the Volturi.” Carlisle said, his head hung low “I made a deal with your life to the Volturi.”

“Are you fucking out of your mind?!” Celine angrily yelled at him

“Everyone there got a whiff of your blood. Whatever hiding we’ll try to do, they’ll find us.” Carlisle tried to explain

“Are you hearing yourself? How can you say that you love me and go and gamble my life to those things?!” Celine angrily continued

“My love—

“Do not fucking call me that.” She hissed angrily “You lost every right to call me that the moment you gambled my life to those creatures.”

“I offered them a year of us being away to protect you. One year, and then they’ll stop trying to have you.” He started to tell the whole story, looking at her with hopeful eyes that she’ll listen to him, no matter how crazy it sounded

“But before that, I made a deal with the shapeshifters here, I think you would know them, Jacob is one of them. I asked them a year of their protection on you, killing whatever vampire steps here. I know you will come here after I have left, hoping that I just went home. I also know that Caius would be the one waiting on you, being the one ordered by Aro to kill you.” He continued softly, moving to be in front of her

“The shapeshifter killed him.” Celine continued the story for him

“Aro then realized what I had done. He sent me a letter, angry for tricking him like that.” Carlisle continued the story, moving closer to her to rest his hand on her cheek “That’s why there were no Volturi attacks since then.”

“Did you expect that he’ll use the changing me when I turn 30 promise that I made?” Celine asked with such gentleness that Carlisle was taken back

“I didn’t, because I had asked in exchange of a year of us being away from you was that they get off your back.” He answered earnestly “But apparently, the promise that I have made has been fulfilled. But your promise that you made isn’t.”

“Well, that kind of makes sense, thinking of it now.” Celine quietly said with a small giggle, welcoming Carlisle’s cold hand on her cheek.

“I wished I had approached it differently, told you about the plan, prepared you for it. But I needed to be careful.” Carlisle whispered, using his thumb to stroke her cheeks

“Did you think of me during the year that you left?” Celine asked quietly, looking at him with her eyes coated with tears that were threatening to fall

“Not once did you leave my mind, my love.” Carlisle whispered, pulling Celine for a kiss on her forehead then hugging her. He missed her, everything that made up her.

He thought that she was the temptation designed for him, but she never was.

She was his solace.

[inukag-archive]

Inuvember 2023 Part 1

In honor of @inuvember InuKag Day, the Archive Mods have put together a 30 item InuKag recommendation list: one InuKag fic per prompt. Since this list is longer than our usual, we've split it into two parts. Enjoy!

Day 1 Inuyasha

I Hate That Fucking Well by @kstewdeux (M)

Post-manga. Inuyasha POV. Inuyasha's inner thoughts and monologues. Rated M for fucking language

Day 2 Kagome

Cinnamon Hearts by @fandomobsessions016 (M)

"So, you may be wondering, what’s this story about anyway? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s about how this queen, almost lost her crown, her throne, but worst of all… it’s about how this queen almost lost her king…

Hindsight, of course, has perfect vision, but at the time I did not. I was a girl becoming a woman who fought bitterly against change that was inevitable. I didn’t want to open my eyes. I didn’t want to see what was right in front of me.

What I wanted more than anything was to keep Inuyasha.

High school forced my eyes open, tested our “unshakable” bond and made me confront my biggest fear. All because…

I caught feelings for my best friend.

I like-liked my king."

Day 3 Sango

Forever Home by KittyKatz (M)

How long had he roamed the earth in a form that was not his? Beaten, dirty and caged, he finds one last bit of fortune when she comes to rescue him from this place. But his road to redemption will not be easy. And he will find, that no matter how the world has changed, his old enemy remains. And this time, they plan to destroy him once and for all.

Day 4 Miroku

Under the Northern Lights by @lostinfantasyworlds (E)

Kagome Higurashi has her dream job, working as a photographer for the internationally well-known Yugen magazine. Her career whisks her all around the world, leaving her feeling lonely sometimes but mostly just incredibly grateful to be doing what she loves. When she gets assigned to Alaska for a month to photograph a series of celestial events, she runs into Inuyasha, a half-demon who lives on his own in the middle of nowhere. A mutual attraction draws them to each other, but Kagome's time there is limited. Will giving in to their desire lead to love or heartbreak?

Day 5 Shippo

Oh, But You're Good To Me by @witchygirl99 (E)

It’s a terrible photo, really. The action figure takes up the entire bottom of the screen and part of both of their faces. Shippo’s giggling though, eyes shut and crinkled in his mirth while Inuyasha looks at him. His expression is clearly fond. It’s the softest Inuyasha has ever, ever seen himself.

This is fatherhood, he thinks a little wildly.

He sends the photo to Kagome.

Inuyasha is a single father. Shippo is his adopted son. Kagome isn't supposed to be in the picture, but somehow, she returns anyways. A story about family, love, and all of its obstacles.

Day 6 Sesshomaru

Whispers in the Wind by @ruddcatha (G)

It has been 500 years since Kagome jumped back down the well to be with Inuyasha. A messenger waits to see her family, and is joined by a surprising guest.

Day 7 Rin

My Life Before You by @len-barboza (E) -- based on a story by Mizune-mei

No English language summary provided. Inuyasha había vivido la mayoría de su vida huyendo, un huérfano medio demonio considerado por la gente una aberración, rechazado por demonios y por humanos, pero quien pensaría que esa era una mejor vida, al menos un propósito lo movía; sobrevivir, que sucede con un hanyo con una vida longeva, en completa soledad.

Day 8 Kikyou

Stolen Soul by Kimberly-A (T)

COMPLETE Kikyo uses a spell to exchange bodies with Kagome, leaving Kagome stuck in the dead shell and Kikyo comfortably human. In the aftermath, Inu-Yasha faces difficult choices. InuKag, not very Kikyo-friendly.

Day 9 Koga

A New Moon, A New Start by @pinestripes (T)

Kouga visits the village near the Sacred Tree. On this particular evening, he finds that a certain half-demon is more on edge than usual.

Day 10 Kagura

The Portal Between Worlds by @neutronstarship (E)

Ten years ago, a portal transported Inuyasha from the demon realm to the human realm. Now a half-demon alone in a world he doesn't understand, he will do anything to get home. When Onigumo brings him a book with all the answers, Inuyasha pushes aside his misgivings and works with the man. He just wants to get home, after all.

Kagome just wants to make an extra buck (and find demons), much to Kikyo’s chagrin. That is why she published Demons Among Us! after all. But strange things start happening when she puts the book online. As if people are using it to open the portals that it hypothesized… When Kagura and Sango join the fray, the stakes grow higher as they try to find the source of the portals.

When Inuyasha encounters Kagome, fate is not what it seems. Not one, but��two realms are in danger for their survival. What happens when the final portal opens and an unknowable terror is unleashed? Can the Demon Hunters save the world?

Day 11 Naraku

You Rescued Me by @keizfanfiction (E)

Maybe it was fate that he decided to take the back way home that night, but whatever the reason, Inuyasha was grateful for arriving just in the nick of time to rescue a waif of a woman who had clearly been through hell. He never would have imagined that she would end up rescuing him, too.

Day 12 Band of Seven

Delicate by @akitokihojo (T)

To trust someone, to let them in, what an unsettling ordeal. Kagome is easy and safe, and Inuyasha is difficult and guarded. She can put him at ease with a smile, simultaneously setting him on edge. It was nothing until it was something, creating absolute chaos and uncertainty within the both of them.

Day 13 Jinenji/ Shiori

How Does Your Garden Grow? by @dawnrider (M)

An Ingary-esque AU: Kagome, the newest generation of caretakers of the Higurashi House, finally starts to feel like her garden and business is thriving with the help of her friend Jinenji. Their routine is thrown off by the arrival of an injured visitor who does not want to be found...

Day 14 Toga

Taisho School of Acting: A Quick Guide by @jeremymarsh (G)

“Excuse me, what?” Kagome looked at her best friend with eyes as big as saucers, lips parted, and her mind replaying what he had said a moment before – trying to find a sense but to no avail. “You heard me.” Inuyasha scowled, looking down, arms crossed and lips pouting, just like he did every time he didn’t like the topic at hand. The problem was he had started it this time. “Yeah, I did.” Kagome shook her head and inhaled deeply before she continued. “And that’s why I’m asking you to repeat yourself since I’m having problems believing that certain sentences left your mouth.” “I said,” Inuyasha started through clenched teeth, still not meeting her gaze, “come to my family Christmas dinner this Sunday.” He stopped, ran a hand through his silver mane, closed his eyes, murmured something unintelligible and then added: “As my girlfriend.”

Where Inuyasha tries to fool his parents and miserably fails.

Day 15 Izayoi

The Silence of Daisies by Fierywenchxo (T)

Inuyasha shares with Kagome one of the biggest secrets he's ever kept. One-shot.

READ PART (2) HERE

[cordycepsfem]

Let's talk about this article:

... because I read the study, and I have some questions.

This article breathlessly states that trans and gender non-conforming teenagers are attempting suicide by up to 72% more, potentially based on laws their states are passing.

... but also as low as 7% more. So no, there is no massive wave of individuals committing or attempting suicide everywhere. There is no trans "genocide."

The survey run by the study did have participants ages 13-24, and found those participants through social media ads. They had more than 5,000 respondents from California and less than 180 from Wyoming, just as an idea of the sample.

The study admits that "no work has been able to identify casual mechanisms between state-level anti-transgender laws and the mental health of the TGNB (transgender/non-binary) community" and "no research has specifically identified a casual link between anti-transgender laws and increased suicide risk" but then boy does it go on and try.

It also fully admits that TGNB teenagers "are already at risk for mental health concerns," which the study believes is due to "minority stress" (stress associated with being the negative impacts of being part of a minority) or potentially because they feel "unimportant and disconnected" (who doesn't, as a teenager?) but which, in my opinion, is more likely because everyone keeps telling them they're going to commit suicide.

Let's talk about these laws that are apparently causing "trans children" not to exist. There have been laws to limit access to cross-sex hormones, dangerous off-label cancer drugs, and permanent life-changing surgery on minors (considering these drugs have a wide range of side effects like slowed intellectual and emotional development, osteoporosis, vaginal atrophy, permanent infertility, and never being able to orgasm, and the surgeries are designed to remove healthy body parts, this seems positive); keeping bathrooms segregated by sex (considering that girls face higher levels of abuse in mixed-sex restrooms and changing rooms, this also seems positive); and keeping sports sex-segregated as well (considering that male and female athletes have different strengths and body types, this seems like it would increase fairness for both groups, and so seems positive to me too).

Now let's talk about people who are actually committing suicide, not just using it for emotional abuse:

The Jed Foundation, which works to increase mental health support on high school and college campuses, says that almost 14% of young adults and 22% of high school students have seriously considered suicide in the past year; 10% of high school students attempted suicide in the past year. The groups with the highest rates of both consideration and attempts are females, Native Americans, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

The CDC tells us that teenagers in rural communities who face isolation, Black teenagers, and "LGBT" teenagers have the highest rates of suicide deaths. Alaska (which has, notably, no anti-trans laws on the books) has the highest rate of suicide deaths (roughly 40 in 100,000), and it's noted that pockets of suicide spring up in groups like Native Americans, Mormons, and evangelical Christians. The places with the lowest suicide rate for teens are urban areas and big cities, whereas those in isolated areas with higher access to firearms and illegal drugs or alcohol see higher rates.

The rate of teen suicides is the lower than the general suicide rate of the entire US. Elderly people have the highest rate of suicide. But yet all that's talked about is the rate of specifically trans kids killing themselves because they couldn't get "gender-affirming" health care, or play on a sports team, or go into the opposite sex's bathroom. The media has decided to push this angle, and almost everyone has eaten it up. Obviously they're the most affected by everything.

I am tired of this narrative. Teenagers and kids deserve better.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Christopher McCandless, The Man who Hiked to Death

Born February 12th 1968, in Inglewood, California, Christopher McCandless was immediately plunged into a chaotic family. His sister, Carine McCandless, documented in her book ‘The Wild Truth’ that they shared their home with six half-siblings. Carine also alleged that her parents were abusive, both physically and verbally, toward the McCandless children. She documented how her father was an alcoholic, and their mother often fed off his evil energy, inflicting her own abuse upon them.

The McCandless never stayed in one place for long as Walt McCandless worked for NASA as a rocket scientist, taking him across the U.S. Eventually, the family settled in Virginia long enough for Christopher and Carine to graduate.

Following his graduation from university, Christopher knew he needed to travel. He had spent much of his childhood moving from town to town, state to state, and this had a profound impact on his outlook on life.

He only stayed in one place for a short time, seeing the beauty in exploring the world. In mid-1990, Christopher left Virginia for new pastures and began driving West. He stopped in towns and cities along the way, picking up odd jobs to make ends meet.  By April of 1992, Christopher was itching for another adventure, and that is when he decided to make his way to Alaska, the final frontier of the U.S. 

Incredibly, Christopher managed to hitchhike from Carthage, South Dakota, to Fairbanks, Alaska, a whopping 3,000+ miles through Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. Eventually, he arrived, and he began planning his largest expedition yet. He wanted to hike through the Denali National Park. The park covers over 6,000,000 acres in the middle of Alaska. Communities are few and far between, with many Alaskans congregating near large towns and cities.

Despite the harsh weather conditions of Alaska, Christopher McCandless seemed ill-prepared. Fellow hikers and locals recalled seeing Christopher arrive in Fairbanks carrying only a backpack. He also stood out for his ‘Hippie-like’ appearance, choosing to remain unkempt and dirty. April 28th 1992, would mark the last day that Christopher McCandless would ever see the seeds of civilisation. 

That day, Jim Gallien was flagged down by Christopher, who was looking for a ride to the Stampede Trail in the Denali National Park. Gallien later told author Jon Krakauer that he had doubts about the 24-year-old’s survival from the start. When he got into his car, Christopher had minimal clothing and a backpack. Christopher explained that he was carrying a 10 lb bag of rice, a Remmington semi-automatic rifle and a pair of Wellington boots inside his bag.  Gallien was, in fact, so concerned that he offered to drive Christopher to Anchorage so that he could purchase the necessary equipment for him. He knew how harsh and unforgiving the Alaskan landscape could be, and per population, it has an alarmingly high missing persons rate. Throughout their drive, Christopher assured Gallien that he would be fine and had hiked many times before. 

It wasn’t until months later that Gallien learned Christopher’s real name, as when he had picked him up, he had simply given the name ‘Alexander Supertramp’. The only item that Christopher accepted from Gallien was a map. Before leaving, Christopher asked Gallien to snap a picture of him at the Stampede Trail, making this one of the last photographs ever taken of Christopher McCandless.

For two days, Christopher hiked the Alaskan wilderness, soaking in the beauty of the Denali National Park. After a gruelling march, Christopher made it to an abandoned blue and white bus. Whilst the exterior was rusted and hadn’t been loved for some time, Christopher recognised it was the perfect shelter and base camp. He wasted no time setting up his gear and prepping his new home.

The blue and white bus that would become a notorious tourist hotspot was not Christopher’s intended finish line. According to his diary, which was later discovered with his body, Christopher had planned to hike through the park and to the Bering Sea. Christopher remained at the blue and white bus for two months, eagerly journaling every step. Christopher wrote in his diary that he had begun consuming the roots of the Hedysarum Alpinum plant.  Christopher also detailed in his diary how he had trapped and hunted small game and wildlife. He had successfully hunted a moose/caribou with his rifle. However, the meat was rotten by the time he came to consume it. With just 10 lbs of rice and foraged plants, Christopher rapidly began losing weight. 

The lack of food and people was beginning to get to Christopher, who heavily documented his trip via his journal and camera. On July 3rd 1992, Christopher packed up his things, leaving the blue and white bus behind.

With a map in hand, Christopher hoped to reach civilisation once more, but the landscape had changed and he became distressed and returned to the blue and white bus to wait out the days until the river froze over once more. 

On July 14th, he also began to incorporate the seeds of the Hedysarum Alpinum plant into his diet, as was documented in his diary. The meagre diet of plant material and small animals was nowhere near enough to sustain Christopher, who continued to waste away. As he continued to weaken, he lost his energy and ability to forage further afield for plants and fruits. 

Christopher McCandless made his final diary entry on what he noted as ‘Day 107’. The entry simply reads, “Beautiful blue berries.” Author Krakauer noted that days 108 through 112 had / (slashes) but no words, and after Day 113, no more entries were made. Sometime around these final diary entries, Christopher wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye, and may God bless all.” It is clear Christopher knew his end was coming, and he had made his final preparations and peace with his fate. 

 It wasn’t until September 6th 1992 that the grizzly truth would be revealed.

That day, hikers in the Denali National Park came across the blue and white rusted van that Christopher had once called home. 

These hikers had the same idea as Christopher and were eager to use the bus as shelter.

When they approached the bus, they found a note taped to the door which read “Attention possible visitors. S.O.S. I need your help; I am injured, near death and too weak to hike out. I am all alone; this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless, August.” 

As they moved through the bus, they saw the familiar outline of a human in a sleeping bag. After reading the note, they hoped that Chris had managed to survive, but all hopes were dashed when the stench of decay overcame them. The hikers took a closer look, and their worst suspicions were confirmed. Christopher McCandless was deceased, his body decaying in a sleeping bag in the back of a rusted-out bus. 

Alaska State Troopers and Denali Park staff were summoned to the bus where Christopher’s body was recovered. His family were notified of the terrible news, and preparations for his body to be returned to Virginia were made.

Christopher’s passing marked a turning point in the culture surrounding hiking and travelling. He had wilted away in the wilderness when a bridge and cabin were within a few miles of his location. 

[crowcaws]

Inspired by a twitter thread i saw, I, Australian and certified dumb of ass, will now list every main American state and what I associate it with/what I think it's about/famous for WITHOUT GOOGLING. These thoughts will be stated as fact regardless of whether or not they are true.

Alabama - Banjos. Reese Witherspoon lives here. Shares a border with Florida for some reason. Fifteen people live here. I'm glad i'm not allowed to google because i feel like i'd find things i don't want to know.

Alaska - Mountains. Balto. State flower is a tree of some kind. The roads are just the tyre tracks in the snow of the vehicles that came before whispering "trust me". Kodiak is here, where Pitbull famously said 'keep fucking around, we'll be on the moon next.' I think this is where Mulder and Scully got fucked up by a brain worm.

Arizona - Desert but not the Las Vegas kind. The granyon canyon. State flower is a cactus. State bird also a cactus. Bella Swan got fucked up in a dance studio here. It seems very scenic.

Arkansas - The name of this state makes me think of rusty old utes and that's it, that's all I've got. "Pickup trucks" or whatever. Grow up.

California - The great Lucille Bluth once said, "I'd rather be dead in California than alive in Arizona" but personally I think i'm with Michael on this one. California has Hollywood and an ok tourist beach. Green Day are from here. San Francisco seems cool though, I like how it looks like a city designed specifically to kill skateboarders and cyclists. State flower is a grand theft auto PS2 disc. Population: more than Australia.

Colorado - Mountains. Elks and Deer and Eagles and Giraffes on ski slopes. Much domestic tourism, have never once heard of anyone from outside the US specifically visiting Colorado though idk. Verdict: America's New Zealand.

Connecticut - The dry weetbix of states. I think of monopoly but I can't remember why. State flower is a dandelion that has been stepped on. Biggest export is men's office attire, specifically brown two piece suits and those short sleeve button ups. I only found out today that there's a C in the middle of Connecticut I always thought it was 'Conneticut'.

Delaware - Delawhere the fuck is this state I have no idea. Probably still cooler than Connecticut. Famous for combination fast food chains and buildings that clearly used to be a pizza hut (you can tell by the roof). Idrk what Cracker Barrel is but I can tell you the employees spawn here.

Florida - Biscayne bay. Manatees. Shaped like a sock, or something else. Famous for hotels, motels, and holiday inns. Would be a fun state if not for the fact that every politician in charge of it is fucking it up so so bad. One of the few places in the USA where you can see the Southern Cross constellation. Miami Dale forever RIP Logan Horseman.

Georgia - peaches. atlantis. brisket. no other thoughts detected, moving on

Hawaii - Famous for killing James cunt Cook which is honestly a deserved and certified W for Hawaiians. Plagued (and I do mean plagued) by tourists, including Australian Prime Ministers ignoring national emergencies.

Idaho - Sleepy. Things don't happen here but when they do they happen so much because nothing happens here. National flower is probably like a daisy or something so so normal.

Illinois - Chicago bean. It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. WatchDogs the game. Famous for girlbosses who kill their husbands. Population 11 millions.

Indiana - Rainy probably. Honestly I only remember this state exists because of Stranger Things, which I understand this is like someone saying they only remember Australia exists because of Crocodile Dundee but look. Population: At least 10.

Iowa - This is such a place to be from if you're moving to the big city because all the other waitresses at the diner back home said you got a voice worth payin for and you finally stopped letting your papa tell you what to do. Famous for crop duster planes. State flower is long grass.

Kansas - Famous for scarecrows, wheat and the like. Probably fun at Halloween actually. Great place to fake an alien sighting. I just remembered Dorothy is from here. Population: Yes.

Kentucky - Fried chicken. NASCAR. Speedway. Derby. State flower is a blown out tyre on the side of the road.

Louisiana - Very wet but in a pretty way. Birthplace of the Saxophone. New Orleans is officially the strongest reason I would ever be tempted to set foot in this country. New York wishes she was this beautiful. Famous for the Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals.

Maine - Next to Kentucky. Lobsters are from here which means there's water, but don't ask me where. Famous for The Vampire Diaries. State flower is a rose, beautiful but generic, like a YA protagonist.

Maryland - Rural but in a manageable way. I think of letterboxes with the family last name on it. Grandmas love it here. Hairspray the musical.

Massachusetts - Ohhhh Legally Blonde. Boston. Harvarb Law. The colour brown. When pronounced it's a very nice name for a state actually.

Michigan - I reference 'can't have shit in Detroit' almost daily but I know almost nothing else about Michigan.

Minnesota - Mini Soda. Also a good state name. No idea what's here, deer or elk or beavers. There's no way to know for sure.

Mississippi - I like this state name less but only because it's hell on the lisp i battle to mask. It's named after a river. It's on the coast. Next to Pennsylvania.

Missouri - A lot of M states happening here. This place is famous for nothing. I don't know what the capital city is but it's definitely a place you move to for your job instead of like. On purpose. Population: 3 million. It's in the middle somewhere.

Montana - This state's main export is horse girls, very Saddle Club coded. It's on the Canadian border, but it shouldn't be like that. It should be in the middle. Hannah Montana's dad was all Nashville but he's basically from Toronto. Fucked up if you ask me.

Nebraska - When I think of Nebraska I think of those depressing Walmart carparks where there's nothing for miles except for the Walmart and one lady pushing a flatscreen in a trolley to the dodge ram she parked 600m away from the entrance so it won't get dinged by other car doors, because god forbid her utility vehicle show signs of wear.

Nevada - viva rock vegas (the flintstones). There's a salt lake here but NOT a salt lake city. That's somewhere else. I think there's motorsport here. NO WAIT THERE IS because i saw charles leclerc on the sphere on tv and he was so wide and i laughed so hard i choked on my own spit.

New Hampshire - What the fuck is New Hampshire that's not real. I thought it was like some beach suburb in New York state. What the fuck. Regardless. I bet you could pull up to the side of the road in New Hapshite and buy an avocado no questions asked. Probably like the USA's Byron Bay.

New Jersey - Everyone from here says it's bad. It makes me think of t shirts with a longer sleeve t shirt underneath and 2000s pop punk music. Gerard Way.

New Mexico - High School Musical is set in Albuquerque. High School Musical is also the only reason I can pronounce Albuquerque. This state is famous for High School Musical.

New York - She's talking over the rest of you and for what? Wall Street? Ugh. Kinda like the Melbourne of the USA.

North Carolina - I feel like cowbutch lesbians do numbers here for some reason. You could disappear into the hills with a woman in a tank top and assless chaps here if you were brave enough. Men do live here but they're treated like a new cast member on the fifth season of a sitcom, this one's for the girls.

North Dakota - Dakota is Carolina's femme girlfriend and they're in love.

Ohio - This is like that town in Cars that lightning mcqueen gets stuck in and the tourist cars are like oh we're only here because of a wrong turn. Yeah. You might find fireflies here though. Also Ohio is for Lovers or something.

Oklahoma - Swear word for Christians. Absolutely nothing happens here and if it does i feel like it involves chasing livestock.

Oregon - Prairies. This is where the Prairies are. Famous for the people who died while trying to be Not In Oregon.

Pennsylvania - Famous for The Office. And Dracula jokes. That's all i've got.

Rhode Island - Famous for winning Miss United States with the flaming batons routine in Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock. Very small state. Possibly the smallest one but who's to say.

South Carolina - If north is for the lesbians, south is for the gays.

South Dakota - As above.

Tennessee - Country music and whiskey and line dancing, which is actually kinda hot when goth girls do it. Overall, Tennessee is the USA's answer to Gympie, which is a question that nobody asked. Overall i just think of the colour brown. Famous for Hayden Penterre. Penetentiary. Pendulum.

Texas - A South Australian would say Texas is famous for it's adorably small cattle farms. Lucky for me, i am not South Australian. This is the state that other states call redneck and racist to hide the fact that they are also redneck and racist, perhaps more so. Contains two of the main cities to name boys after. Dave Strider lives here. (Sorry for the Homestuck jump scare so late in the game.)

Utah - Salt Lake City. That bass pro shop monolith was here. In general i think of the colour orange. Home of the Hellmouth Sunbeams.

Vermont - Vermont is a state in the same way the spleen is an organ. Population: Zero.

Virginia - Is this not the same thing as Vermont?

Washington - Famous for Bella where the hell you been loca. Twin Peaks is probably set here idk i forgot all parts of the show that were not log lady. White House. Effervescent.

West Virginia - From the lyrics "Mountain mama. Take me home. Country road" we can determine that West Virginia has Mountains, Milfs, Homes, and Roads. I know nothing else about West Virginia.

Wisconsin - Wiscaaaansin. Whis-cahn-sin. There are definitely elks here. That 70's Show is set somewhere beneath the surface of this place. Population: grandparents and elk. I feel like you could get fucked up by a creature here if you're not careful. It's got trees and lakes and shit creatures love those. I think Yellowstone is somewhere around here.

Wyoming - Great lakes? Great lakes. This state is actually all lake. Idk. I like the name though, the verbiage of it all. Wyoming my way downtown. State flower is an empty wrapper blowing by down the street. Population: 800,000. Definitely a place you could go missing and never be seen again.

[thatwasthenightthingschanged]

eras tour city guide: Gelsenkirchen

(Hamburg | Munich)

are you're traveling to see the eras tour in Gelsenkirchen and are looking for things to do in the city or just need advice for good food/drinks spots? Or are you looking for some insider information about the venue? here are some ideas for you (I will continuously update this post!):

GENERAL ADVICE

credit: @youlooklikeasixtiesqueen (thank you!!)

❗if you're taking public transport i recommend using the app "vrr bus&bahn". it has a green logo with vrr in it as the thumbnail. you can use it to look up public transport lines and if they're on time, and you can buy tickets on your phone (i think paypal and credit card are accepted as payments, not sure about google pay etc) i think it should be in english if your phone is set to english, but i can't 100% guarantee it. i just remember that a friend has her phone set to english and i believe the app is in english for her. you will need to make an account to buy tickets.

❗gelsenkirchen has the highest percentage of people living in poverty in germany. if you're not from around here and you're imagining a cute german town that looks like it's from a picture book, then that is not gelsenkirchen. it's a large town in the industrial part of germany. crime is not uncommon, especially downtown. keep an eye on your belongings, if you wear a bag make sure it closes completely, and please walk in groups of at least three people when it gets dark. basically just make smart choices and use common sense to stay safe.

❗ the median temperature for july is around 25°C

THINGS TO DO:

credit: @youlooklikeasixtiesqueen

❗important: taylor is playing her shows while the kids are out of school for the summer, so anything touristy that is family friendly will probably be full

❗there is a theme park nearby called "movie park germany" which is hella overpriced. there's not a lot of good rides for adults. the lines are also very very long in the summer. i would not recommend going.

⭐ the area around the veltins arena itself (arena-park):

- mini golf: 3.50€ for adults and 2.50€ for kids - schalke museum: museum about the football club that the veltins-arena is home to, 5€ for adults over 21, 6-21yo it's 3€, under 6yo it's free - apollo cinema: no movies in english but if you speak japanese or turkish you might be in luck if you want to catch a movie - food: several places to buy food including a mcdonalds - there is also a small castle called schloss berge nearby

⭐ zoom erlebniswelt:

- amazing large zoo with three areas (africa, asia, alaska) - highlights: igloo ride, petting zoo, viewing platform for the giraffes, lemur island (lemurs move around freely amongst visitors), canopy walk (by the orangutan outdoor area) - definitely plan to be there for at least half a day, my tip is to go when it opens and go to the "alaska" area first because they have this little ride that's an igloo that shakes you around a bit and it's so much fun, but there can be quite long lines in the summer (i think mostly because it has aircon), it's called "alaska ice adventure" and is opposite the polar bears - they have a little boat that you can go on to get closer to the baboons and flamingos but imho it isn't worth the wait - another tip: bring your own food and plenty of water. it's very expensive at the zoo. like, worse than airport prices. - you can buy artwork made by animals for very good prices at the gift store. i love the penguin art made by their little feet waddling over the canvas. - sadly not a great place for people who need walking aids or wheelchairs. they do say they're somewhat accessible but they aren't (it's better than ten years ago but still not great) - there's plenty of toilets and places to sit, and the toilets have always been clean when i went - prices: for adults it's 21,50€, kids up to 12 pay 14€, and it's free for kids under 4. if someone wants to bring a dog it's 6€. prices are reduced by a lot after 4pm (adults 10€, kids 8,50€), but you won't have a lot of time in the zoo, only about two hours. they also have lower prices for students if you have proof that you go to school or college. it is recommended to buy your tickets online and i agree with that. there's very long lines in the summer. - getting there: if you go by car, parking is 6€ for a day. the address for a gps is bleckstraße 64, 45889 gelsenkirchen. HOWEVER I do recommend taking the tramline 301 from the main station, the stop is just called "zoom erlebniswelt", it's a very short walk. - website: https://www.zoom-erlebniswelt.de/ (only in german) - btw they had baby pigs at the petting zoo not too long ago - @notjustillusion (thank you!!) also recommends ZOOM Erlebniswelt!

⭐erlebnismuseum schloss horst

- i haven't been but i've heard it's cool - interactive museum in a castle!! - exhibits on how people lived in the mid-16th century - free and accessible! - playground outside for the kiddos - in the afternoon on mon, tue, thu, and fri you can use an old printing press - open every day except saturdays from 3pm to 6pm, and sundays from 11am to 6pm - getting there: the address is turfstraße 21, 45899 gelsenkirchen. from the main station you can take bus 383, or tramline 301. the stop is "schloß horst" or "schloss horst"

credit: @notjustillusion (thank you!!)

Zeche Zollverein in Essen: a Zeche that was shut down, great place for walks and/or tours informing you about mining in the Ruhrgebiet in general!

credit: @feminst4life (thank you Nadine!!)

Nordsternpark: nice park where you can go climbing and there's also a museum!

Rungenberg-Halde: a nice photo spot!

FOOD & DRINKS:

credit: @feminst4life

Noah & Zoe's Place: all kinds of food (from breakfast do dinner to drinks), only a 15 minute ride with the tram away from the venue!

GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT THE VENUE:

credit: once again @youlooklikeasixtiesqueen (I feel the need to thank you again because you helped me so much with this post!!)

veltins arena, also called "arena auf schalke", max capacity around 60k

it has different entraces, your ticket should say which one you need to use

cashless venue - you can pay by credit or debit card, or using google pay, apple pay, or samsung pay. you can also trade cash at the venue for a "knappenkarte", which is basically a card you can pay with when you buy something in the venue. they have several different "payment counters" where you can exchange your money throughout the stadium. i'm not sure if these restrictions apply to merch, because it hasn't been announced if she will have her merch trucks or sell it inside the stadium.

you can buy food at the venue, they have vegetarian and vegan options too, but i don't know what anything costs. they have an overview where you can see what food counter has what on their website. they have pretzels and sweets at every food counter.

the website says you can bring in something to drink that is up to 500ml in a "tetra-pak", aka a juice box or a milk carton. i'm not sure about foldable silicone water bottles. plastic bottles are not allowed.

no bags larger than an a4 sheet of paper. i recommend a clear bag as well. they don't seem to have a clear back policy, but it'll make security lines move faster (i'm nearly certain there will be bag checks, i've never been to a concert in this general area that didn't have them, no matter how big or small). i got a clear fanny pack from amazon that i can also wear over one shoulder and around my torso because i think it'll make dancing easier than a crossbody.

i know someone once brought a dog to the rep tour and idk if it was a service dog but i think it's worth mentioning that animals are not allowed.

cameras for commercial use are not allowed (usually that means don't take a dslr)

powerbanks are only allowed if they are smaller than 10x7x3 cm. charge your phone beforehand and maybe put it in energy saving until you want to take pictures

you are not allowed to climb on seats

if you pee anywhere other than the toilets, smoke outside the designated area, or put a sticker somewhere, it's a 25€ fine

the roof will be closed unless it's too hot

they don't have lockers so only take what you need

website: https://en.veltins-arena.de/

[hbyrde36]

Updated 10/23/2024

Fuggi Regal Fantasima

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Two days after they failed to defeat Vecna, after Max died and came back, after Eddie died—and didn’t. Two days after they were forced to leave his body behind in the Upside Down because everything had gone to shit, a bright yellow pizza delivery van that looked like it’d been through its own apocalypse pulled into the Wheeler's driveway. Jonathan, Mike, Will, and El finally made it home to Hawkins with the help of a friend. On day three, Max woke up. She’d have a long road to recovery, but the doctors seemed fairly confident she’d walk again. Though, no one could be sure how much of her eyesight would return, if any. The same day, in a twist no one saw coming, Joyce showed up, fresh off a plane from Alaska after escaping Russia—yes, Russia—with a miraculously alive and mostly well Jim Hopper. And four days after the world both did and didn’t end, the ghost of Eddie Munson appeared in Steve’s living room.

Midsummer Nights

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This summer they were eighteen, part of the graduating class of 1999, on the brink of college, and finally old enough to be hired as full fledged counselors with paychecks and days off and everything. Not that it paid much, but Steve wasn’t in it for the money. He was in it for the love of the place. Sunset Lake Camp had become a second home to him over the last decade of his life, his real home, and the people there like family. Robin was mainly in it for Steve, excited at the prospect of getting to spend the entire Summer with him for once instead of the single session, two short weeks, she was used to—all her folks had been able to afford each year growing up. It was poised to be the best summer of Steve’s life. Then he met Eddie.

Caught in the Undertow

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Against all odds, Steve Harrington saved Eddie Munson from certain death. And Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive him for it.

Canon divergence - Eddie lives, suicidal ideation, sad with a happy ending, angst with happy ending, POV alternating, good uncle Wayne Munson

It's Only Forever

Tumblr | AO3 | Art by Penny00Dreadful

Labyrinth AU | 43K | Mature | Mild Sexual Content

Little did Steve know that uttering the ridiculous phrase, “I wish the goblins would come and take you away,” would turn his world upside down, and buy him a one way ticket to a nightmare maze.

Thirteen hours, one for every year of Dustin’s life, was all the time he had to solve the Labyrinth, make it to the castle beyond the Goblin City, and save his little brother from being trapped there with the Goblin King forever

…The extremely hot Goblin King, who was maybe not quite what he seemed, but still tried to thwart Steve at every turn.

Teaser & snippet

“Goblins” Promo

"Helping Hands" Promo

No Vacancy

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When Eddie Munson arrived at the Buckingham Beach Motel to spend the summer with his best friend Chrissy and her business partner Robin, the absolute last person he expected to see hanging around in the lobby was former King of Hawkins High and renowned jock asshole, Steve fucking Harrington. To make matters worse, Eddie found that Steve's presence was just the tip of the iceberg—long story short? Mistakes were made and it turned out the motel was a little overbooked...

Who even goes on blind dates anymore?

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After several failed long-term relationships with fuckboys that weren’t worth his time and heartache, who ran the second things got real, he joined the apps—quickly realizing that most of the guys he found on there were only looking for sex. Which was fun and all, but Eddie wanted more. He was looking for romance, a spark, someone he could see spending his life with, who was also looking for a partner. Someone who wasn’t allergic to commitment. So, he’d quit the apps. And when Chrissy told him she had a guy she wanted him to meet he figured, fuck it, he’d tried everything else.

Times Like These

Anniversary Post

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When Eddie finds himself back in his living room, staring down a very alive Chrissy Cunningham, after just having bled to death himself in the middle of a nightmare world, he was rightfully very, very fucking confused. -Or- What happens when the new guy, who only just got inducted into the fucked up world of monsters and mayhem, gets stuck in a time loop and finds himself responsible for saving everyone?

I Don't Think We're In Hawkins Anymore, Big Boy

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After being run off the road in a freak accident during a terrible storm, Steve and Eddie find that not only have they committed vehicular manslaughter, but they’ve also somehow been whisked away to a strange land. The journey is rough and they are being hunted for revenge, but through it all Steve and Eddie grow closer than ever as they try and find their way home with the help of some new friends with familiar faces. -Or- Steddie Wizard of Oz

Hellfire Ink

Tumblr | AO3 | Art by Glitterfang

Written for the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang 2023/2024

Not for the first time, Eddie was really regretting his decision to book a client on a Friday night, a new client at that. It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do, exactly. There were no dates on his calendar, and going out to random bars and clubs on the weekends to look for quick hook-ups had begun losing its appeal lately. But it’d been a long week, and he’d much rather be getting ready to plop down on the couch with Chrissy to split a bottle of red wine while they watched Drag Race, than preparing to do a cover up for some idiot who’d gotten their girlfriend’s name tattooed on his body, only to fall victim to—The Curse. Ask any tattoo artist and they’d be the first to tell you, there was no surer way to guarantee a breakup than to ink your significant other’s name on your body forever.

Life is a Game (and True Love is a Trophy)

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For years Eddie has been playing D&D with his cousin Dustin and his friends. It’s a crazy home brew campaign of his own design that plays fast and loose with the lore, weaving in heavily embellished events from their real lives. They play themselves, filling out a full cast of NPC’s with the likenesses of friends, family, and strangers. It’s been a wild ride. The game is set in Hawkins, but not quite their Hawkins. This manifestation of their hometown is full of dark secrets, including a shady government agency, evil scientists, and another dimension full of dangerous creatures hiding on the other side of reality. They’ve just wrapped their most recent session before spring break 1986. It was a bittersweet end to an epic part of the story. A blast to play through, but they didn’t beat the bad guy, and the party has been left in ruins. Eddie’s character is dead, one of their favorite NPC’s is in a coma, and the world has literally split apart at the seams. Honestly, Eddie’s not sure how they come back from this. - In 1983 Steve Harrington joined the search for a missing boy and found something he never bargained for. In 1984 Steve Harrington disappeared.

Honey, You're Familiar

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Written for the Stranger Things Writer's Guild Hozier Project, a collection of one-shots inspired by songs from Hozier's self titled album. The word count limit was 3,000 and I chose the song From Eden

🖤The Crawl

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Inspired by the VERY little information we have about the Stranger Things writer's plans for season 5 Time travel stories love to play with the idea that one small act can have an incredible impact on the future. What if, in a crazy twist of fate, Will Byers was rescued from the Upside Down a day early and with just a little knowledge of what was to come. Would it be enough to change everything?

POV Will Byers, POV Eddie Munson, POV Steve Harrington, time shenanigans, fix-it of sorts, angst with a happy ending, friends to lovers, falling in love, confessions, first kiss, character death, HAPPY ENDING

Steve Harrington: Vampire Hunter

Tumblr | AO3 | Art Link (art by Penny00Dreadful 🖤)

Steve Harrington is an animator. It’s a job that involves raising the dead; sometimes as a service for mourning relatives looking for closure, often as a tool for the courts to settle disputes. He is also a licensed vampire hunter. Two years ago, vampirism became legal in the United States, granting its undead population citizenship. With this new legal status comes a complication for Steve, as he finds himself tasked with helping the very creatures he is accustomed to killing. Speaking of complications, Steve struggles in more ways than one when he finds himself working closely with none other than Eddie Munson, an undeniably sexy several-hundred-years old master vampire. Or, The Anita Blake/Steddie mashup that nobody asked for but I’m having far too much fun with.

Modern AU, Vampire AU (Anita Blake AU/mashup),  aged up characters, enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, dream sex, vampires, wereanimals, zombies, other supernatural things eventually

Shelter In Place

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Written for Lex’s Spicy Six Summer Challenge! My prompt was : Hurricane

When a major Hurricane is projected to hit Hawkins (technically it’s more like the remnants of a hurricane, but the residents of Hawkins don’t really know the difference or care), Dustin is worried about his new friend and DM, Eddie Munson, who lives in a trailer, a structure not known for its resilience against severe weather. He invites the older boy to ride the storm out with him and his mom at home, unaware that she has made arrangements for them to stay with family that live far away from the storm's trajectory. Dustin doesn’t want to leave his friend high and dry, enter everyone’s favorite babysitter: Steve Harrington.

[brucewaynehater101]

ONE DAY YOUR SPECIAL DEATH WILL BIRTH A GOD OF SPIDERS. I AM A HAMMER.

Alaska has passed a law stating that a building could not be haunted by more than 114 ghosts at a time. It's a safety precaution! If you have too many ghosts in one place it can cause the fabric of reality to deteriorate, leading to things like endless hallways, spontaneous floorplan changes, and the building itself becoming a living organism. These things (and more) are all very dangerous outcomes, so I can see why you'd want to restrict the amount of ghosts that can inhabit a building.

There's a fair number of obscure local laws that exist not because they're generally practical, but because there was that one guy (of any gender) who did something weird and/or aggravating but technically legal, so a new law had to be made to just to stop them. The mind reels at the sheer perseverance needed to cause a building to be haunted with "at least 115" ghosts, in a state with such a low population density to begin with. No metal objects near MRI machine. It makes the cow sad.

The very last thing on my mind was submitting it for the Kleiner Certificate Of Maximum Exposed Arse. Mrs. Weatherby found the baby jammed behind the mangle, skinless. Obama eats gravel and shits out mature trouts. Rattled? What a silly thing to be at this point. Clouds. Cloudy days are what's to be expected. No, I'm not here. I never was. At least that's how it is now. Still, it's a laugh, isn't it?

Eating SCP-682's arse with many pencils and the Monica Lewinsky cigar while George HW Bush throws broccoli at my head while saying "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch". Can you hear it? The sound of the drums?

Special Death will come for us all.

A god of spiders? Spider-Man? I birth Spider God? Via death?

Wait... does the spider god entity come from part of me or does somehow, in a weird turn of events, I randomly spawn that being?

Anyways, I wonder how Danny Phantom will feel about the "114" ghosts in one building law. It'd be chill to get his expertise on that

As far as weird laws, there's one that makes it illegal to ride a horse on the second floor of the court house in one of the states. I personally fuck with the vibes of "if it's not against the rules, it's allowed." I'm a huge fan of malicious compliance.

Also, don't make the cow sad :( We can make it a rule or law so the cow doesn't get sad.

Apparently, mangle is a fnaf2 character? I wouldn't trust them around kids, tbh. Then again, don't know much fnaf lore.

It actually doesn't tend to be cloudy where I'm at. Only when it's going to rain (and we get max 10 inches [or 25.4 cm] a year here).

Tots vibing with the line of "No, I'm not here. I never was. At least that's how it is now. Still, it's a laugh, isn't it?" Gives the aura of me muttering "we're okay" over and over again with hysterical laughter ✌️

SCP-682 looks like this (obviously not my artwork y'all):

Good luck with eating its arse! I'm guessing the pencils and cigar are like utensils (though a cigar isn't that great to use for scooping, stabbing, or cutting).

What drum beat does special death use?

[mountrainiernps]

As Galadriel said about the light of Eärendil’s star when she gave it to Frodo, “It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”

We may not be hiking into the land of Mordor, but at Mount Rainier we know a little bit about dark.

Our home state of Washington is entirely north of the 45th parallel, so we are closer to the north pole than to the equator. No, we are not Alaska by a long shot. Every day of the winter, the sun does rise above the horizon, grace us with its presence, and then set.  But we do get very short days. On the winter solstice, the towns around our mountain have sunrise at 7:49 a.m. (Pacific) and sunset at 4:22 p.m. (Pacific). This is roughly 8.5 hours of sun.

So when you visit this national park, light and darkness are things to keep in mind. It gets dark very quickly here. And whether you are planning a short stroll in the woods on Westside Road or a snowshoe out to Reflection Lake, it pays to take along some extra light sources in your backpack. A flashlight or headlamp. Preferably both. The cold temperatures can sap the power from your batteries, so maybe even extra batteries.

And what about the flashlight on your cell phone? Well, in case of emergency, would you prefer to use that precious battery power to communicate for help or to see where you’re going? If you have a flashlight and headlamp, then that’s a choice you won’t have to make. Please prepare you backpack before leaving home with some lights and batteries.

Have you ever been caught by the early sunsets and needed a flashlight to finish your hike?

Which do you prefer, headlamp or flashlight?

 What is your favorite light in dark places, when all other lights go out? ~ams

More information on the 10 Essentials can be found on this website https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm  Park information on winter safety can be found here https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-safety.htm  For current conditions, these webcams may be helpful https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

These photographs are from past years. NPS Photo. View from Kautz Creek scenic viewpoint on a December afternoon. Snow covered ground with bare trees around a creek area. Mount Rainier with clouds in background. December, 2022. NPS Photo. View looking from National Park Inn in Longmire up to Mount Rainier with sunset light on clouds. A chair and table in the foreground with a few cars visible on the road to Paradise. January, 2021.