#Great Southwest Paper

[specialagentartemis]

Hey, would you be willing to elaborate on that "disappearance of the Anasazi is bs" thing? I've heard something like that before but don't know much about it and would be interested to learn more. Or just like point me to a paper or yt video or something if you don't want to explain right now? Thanks!

I’m traveling to an archaeology conference right now, so this sounds like a great way to spend my airport time! @aurpiment you were wondering too—

“Anasazi” is an archaeological name given to the ancestral Puebloan cultural group in the US Southwest. It’s a Diné (Navajo) term and Modern Pueblos don’t like it and find it othering, so current archaeological best practices is to call this cultural group Ancestral Puebloans. (This is politically complicated because the Diné and Apache nations and groups still prefer “Anasazi” because through cultural interaction, mixing, and migration they also have ancestry among those people and they object to their ancestry being linguistically excluded… demonyms! Politically fraught always!)

However. The difficulties of explaining how descendant communities want to call this group kind of immediately shows: there are descendant communities. The “Anasazi” are Ancestral Purbloans. They are the ancestors of the modern Pueblos.

The Ancestral Puebloans as a distinct cultural group defined by similar material culture aspects arose 1200-500 BCE, depending on what you consider core cultural traits, and we generally stop talking about “Ancestral Puebloan” around 1450 CE. These were a group of people who lived in northern Arizona and New Mexico, and southern Colorado and Utah—the “Four Corners” region. There were of course different Ancestral Pueblo groups, political organizations, and cultures over the centuries—Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Kayenta, Tusayan, Ancestral Hopi—but they generally share some traits like religious sodality worship in subterranean circular kivas, residence in square adobe roomblocks around central plazas, maize farming practices, and styles of coil-and-scrape constructed black-on-white and black-on-red pottery.

The most famous Ancestral Pueblo/“Anasazi” sites are the Cliff Palace and associated cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado:

When Europeans/Euro-Americans first found these majestic places, people had not been living in them for centuries. It was a big mystery to them—where did the people who built these cliff cities go? SURELY they were too complex and dramatic to have been built by the Native people who currently lived along the Rio Grande and cited these places as the homes of their ancestors!

So. Like so much else in American history: this mystery is like, 75% racism.

But WHY did the people of Mesa Verde all suddenly leave en masse in the late 1200s, depopulating the whole Mesa Verde region and moving south? That was a mystery. But now—between tree-ring climatological studies, extensive archaeology in this region, and actually listening to Pueblo people’s historical narratives—a lot of it is pretty well-understood. Anything archaeological is inherently, somewhat mysterious, because we have to make our best interpretations of often-scant remaining data, but it’s not some Big Mystery. There was a drought, and people moved south to settle along rivers.

There’s more to it than that—the 21-year drought from 1275-1296 went on unusually long, but it also came at a time when the attempted re-establishment of Chaco cultural organization at the confusingly-and-also-racist-assuption-ly-named Aztec Ruin in northern New Mexico was on the decline anyway, and the political situation of Mesa Verde caused instability and conflict with the extra drought pressures, and archaeologists still strenuously debate whether Athabaskans (ancestors of the Navajo and Apache) moved into the Four Corners region in this time or later, and whether that caused any push-out pressures…

But when I tell people I study Southwest archaeology, I still often hear, “Oh, isn’t it still a big mystery, what happened to the Anasazi? Didn’t they disappear?”

And the answer is. They didn’t disappear. Their descendants simply now live at Hopi, Zuni, Taos, Picuris, Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambé, Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tamaya/Santa Ana, Kewa/Santo Domingo, Tesuque, Zia, and Ysleta del Sur. And/or married into Navajo and Apache groups. The Anasazi/Ancestral Puebloans didn’t disappear any more than you can say the Ancient Romans disappeared because the Coliseum is a ruin that’s not used anymore. And honestly, for the majority of archaeological mysteries about “disappearance,” this is the answer—the socio-political organization changed to something less obvious in the archaeological record, but the people didn’t disappear, they’re still there.

[patrickelvinart]

New Mexico

red and black sharpie

Somewhere in New Mexico 2010

In 2010 I moved from Miami Florida to Los Angeles California. It was a great trip. I packed all my stuff in my Honda and took two months off to drive across the country.

I wound up spending most of my time camping out in the mountains of New Mexico. I was traveling by mysef and let me tell you, sleeping alone in the pitch black darkness of the New Mexican wilderness was .... creepy.

Whoa.

I remember one day I decided to go for a hike. I walked up a mountain trail following a small creek into the wilderness. After I had wandered for a few miles I found, growing by the water, a wild cherry tree covered with cherries. The cherries were ripe and almost black and so sweet.

So I sat down by the creek and made a lunch of wild cherries and cool mountain stream water. In the middle of the wilderness. No one there except for me and God.

Me, somewhere in Nevada. 2010

During my trip I drew in my moleskine a lot. It was during that trip that I hit upon drawing with red and black sharpies. The above drawing is from my moleskine. I was feeling deep into the colors and imagery of the American Southwest.

Some where in New Mexico, 2010

I've returned to this motif several times since then. Here is one I did around 2016.

Arizona

red and black sharpie on manila paper

Los Angeles 2016

.

.

[zenaidamacrouras1]

donate to Appalachian flood recovery

Thanks to folks who have reached out 💜💜💜 what a beloved community. I am okay, my area just had power outages, but the flooding and damage farther south than me is bad. It's just really fucking bad. I have a lot of friends in North Carolina and East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia who are expecting to be trapped in their homes without power for a week or more and that's the ones that have homes left.

Above are screenshots from the insta page Country Queers. It's a bunch of locally led mutual aid groups that will turn your money directly into toilet paper, bottled water and diapers.

All of these groups have fucking done this before, a few years ago, in the last once in a lifetime flood that obliterated Eastern Kentucky. EKY Mutual Aid was fucking tireless during the Kentucky floods.

If you want to give tax deductible to more long term work, this is a great group of locally based funders that have been here for the long haul for recovery and will be doing it again.

Appalachia Funders Network:

[disturbnot]

i gotta know! because your character and your take on him are so unique! what ideas do you have about supernatural and where he'd fit in that world? care for a little headcanoning going on? cause i gotta see this. i'm intrigued!

as it so happens, dear new friend, i do have an ancient spn verse that i can make an attempt at blowing the cobwebs off of. although i'm going to preface all of this with the fact i haven't watched spn in quite a long time; i had my old verse for ash back in 2014, so some of the details have gotten a little foggy (both for the verse itself and for canon spn lore—i am LONG overdue a rewatch!) but i'll do my best to recount what i can for you. :)

if i recall correctly, ash's spn verse story is prefaced by the death of his father—a hunter that lived somewhere near the southwest us/mexico border at the time and originally hailed from mexico. i believe he and his wife/son were settled in arizona, but i could be wrong (details schmetails). anyway, one night ash's pops is off out on a local hunt; a scheduled descent of tzitzimimeh from the stars—skeletal demons of aztec mythology that are said to compose the stars at night. this shouldn't have been too much of a trial on paper, and yet the man is bested by the swarm. UNFORTUNATELY, the man's ever curious and wayward son snuck out of the house to follow him that night and found his father's body, with tzitzimimeh still on the prowl in the dark. but those weren't the only otherworldly entities slinking around the badland steppe, something else was stalking. it wasn't stalking for humans, though—it was stalking for the tzitzimimeh. the benevolent yet formless essence of the god quetzalcoatl pursued the demons, and found the devastated child in dire need of care and protection. quetzalcoatl, unlike many other primordial/progenitor gods, is of utmost benevolence. seldom partaking in their flesh or their sacrifice, it regards and holds humanity, all life on earth, with a fondest love known only to great mothers. and it aches for the child, yearns to help. it also keens for a vessel. in its nebulous form of abstract light, its powers are minimal, but with material hands... maybe not so much. maybe there is something it could do for the boy. what if it gave the boy the chance to correct this mortal wrong someday? how could he say no? two or three decades later, the boy has gotten old, bones burning with a latent primordial power the god is only too gracious to temper; his body does not deform or decay before quetzalcoatl's brilliant grace, for it sleeps somewhere within, at peace until it is needed for its own agenda against fouler gods. with time, it has become inextricably entangled with ash's soul—he could no longer tell you where he ends and the blessed serpent begins. goes without saying that this precarious union afford ash some very unique and powerful gifts... well, in exchange for a great glowing target on his back. tale as old as time, yes? either way, he carries on his father's livelihood and has worked long and hard as a hunter himself, albeit a hunter with significant advantages (not that this has gotten him all that close to avenging his father) — he likely specialises in cryptids and supernatural animals/creatures. back in 2014, i think i had it down that his mother was also dead, but? idk i will probably change that. i might change the whole thing! who knows? but this is what i have for the moment. tysm for asking, dixon! :D it was fun getting to ponder this again after so long on the shelf. 🙇‍♀️

[king-sassy08]

13 Questions About Books

Tagged by @boyd-clowder thank u very much for the tag :3c I also read way less than I used to, probably because my semesters are so insane that I'm brain fried all summer long now 🫠

1. The last book I read

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I read that one in a little under 48 hours (I'm depressed). Read that one at the same time as a comic by @raphodraws which was great :3

2. A book I recommend

Hmmm. Probably Testaments by Margaret Atwood or Into the Water by Paula Hawkins! Both are really good.

3. A book I couldn't put down

Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony was really good. So was Larry McMurtry's Horseman, Pass By.

Wait, does it have to be a book? I recommend everyone read the introduction chapter to Tom Lynch's Xerophilia. It'll change your brain.

4. A book I've read twice (or more)

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, all of the Gangsta. manga series by Kohske, Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, Mohsin Hamad's Exit West, The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar...I reread a lot of things.

5. A book on my to-be-read

Preaching and the American Novel by Dawn Coleman

6. A book I've put down

I have put down a few books, for several reasons. I have also MENTALLY put down books, but I've had to finish them for class. A book I put down because I keep getting busy is Stephen King's Dreamcatcher. A book I mentally put down but was forced to finish was Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall. Worst book I've ever read (but a close second is The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh). A book I didn't like and didn't finish was Captive Prince, may have been by C.S. Pacat.

7. A book on my wishlist

Um...I actually have no idea. Maybe Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua? I'd like to own a paper copy of that. Otherwise...no idea. I don't really look for books unless I'm working on something.

8. A favorite book from childhood

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi!!

9. A book I would give to a friend

Depends on the friend. Off the top of my head, I would give someone The Darkest Part of the Forest, The Testaments, or Joy Harjo's Poetry Warrior. Or! Spatial and Discursive Violence in the US Southwest by Sánchez and Pita.

10. A fiction book I own

King Henry IV by Shakespeare (best Shakespeare play to exist)

11. A nonfiction book I own

The Origins of the Modern World by Marks (a must read if you would like a historically accurate, non eurocentric view of the colonization of the world during the 1500s and how England and Spain caused an ice age!!)

12. What I am currently reading

The first Fence comic by C.S. Pacat, and also something else but I can't remember,,

13. What I plan on reading next

I'd like to read Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer next, but...we'll see. I may stop reading soon to preserve my brian energy for the upcoming semester.

My shelfie:

It's a pretty old picture from a few years ago, back when I still lived at our old house. My current bookshelf is a sad state of affairs. I have like 10 books here in my apartment. Boo.

My tags (no pressure): @jackest-jack @idkwhattoputformyusername @raphodraws @prismaticate @somsnosas

Thank u again @boyd-clowder , it's been a long time since I contemplated my books :]

[tuiccim]

A Scarred Enigma - Alternate Ending

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OC Lexa Green

Word Count: 3.3k

Trigger Warnings:  Depression, anxiety, fear of touch. 

Summary: Fellow Avenger Lexa Green is an enigma that intrigues Bucky to no end, but a painful past has left her scarred, both physically and mentally. Will she be able to overcome her past to find love in the future?

Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby

A Scarred Enigma Masterlist

Upon their return, the team is surprised to see Maria Hill at the end of the ramp. 

"Agent Green," Maria says as she makes eye contact with Lex. 

"Agent Hill," Lex nods to her. 

"Lantern is on fire. I need you to join me in the conference room."

Lex goes cold hearing the coded message.

"Lex?" Bucky says from beside her. 

"It's the compound I grew up in. They're in a standoff most likely. I have to go. I'll let you know what I can," Lex squeezes his hand. 

"I'll come with you," Bucky says. 

"Alexandria Naomi Cole."

"Who's that?" Bucky asks. 

"Me. Lexa Green was the name I chose when I became an agent. Alexandria Naomi Cole is my real name and I think it's time I buried her once and for all. But I need to do it alone, Bucky. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. But I'm here if you need me."

"I love you," Lexa says it for the first time without qualification. 

"I love you, too. Can I kiss you?" Bucky smiles. 

"Yes, always yes," Lexa leans into him as he kisses her. After a moment, they separate and Lex turns to Maria, "Ready."

Maria smirks, "Let's go."

In the conference room are agents from both the FBI and ATF. They grill Lex for any information on the compound, cult beliefs, and members. Sliding a photo across the table, FBI Agent Birch asks, "Do you know this person?"

Lex's stomach churns as she recognizes the face, "Levi Michael Walsh. He was my stepbrother."

"He's now the leader of the cult and is threatening deadly force if anyone attempts to enter the compound. We'd like you to try to talk to him. You know him and understand their ways."

"I don't think he'd take kindly to that," Lex counters. 

"Why is that?" Agent Birch asks, curiously. 

"I killed his father and escaped the compound. I'm probably the last person he'll speak to," she explains. 

"I see," Birch raises his eyebrow, "We'd still like you to join us. Your insight could be invaluable."

Lex gives a curt nod. 

"Can you be ready in ten minutes?"

"I'm ready now," Lex lifts her go bag onto her shoulder. 

"Great. Helicopter's on the roof," Birch leads the way out. 

"Good luck," Maria says as Lex passes her. 

"Thanks," Lex follows the other agents out, heading back to the one place she dreaded most in this world. 

–

Standing on a ridge overlooking the compound, Lex pulls out her binoculars and surveys the area. 

"What are you doing?" Birch asks. 

"Looking," Lex says. 

"For what?"

"Activity. Has there been any communication with them?"

"He accepted a walkie-talkie but has been very curt answering any questions. 

"Can you take a look at this, please?" Birch's voice has a slight edge to it as he rolls out a large sheet of paper.

Lex looks over the map of the compound and begins pointing things out, "This is all housing. This is the school. This is the chapel. There is a bunker underneath for the women and children and a tunnel that leads out to the southwest. There were plans to add more when I left."

"What kind of firepower are we looking at?"

"I wasn't privy to much of that but a lot."

"Is there any chance this could turn into a mass casualty event?"

Lex stares at Birch for a second, "It's possible but it would be a last resort. Levi is despot. He wants all of the power and control he can have. He won't give it up but if he's backed into a corner, I wouldn't put anything past him."

"Alexandria?" The radio crackles to life, "Alexandria, is that you? Have you finally come home?"

The voice causes a chill down Lex's spine. She immediately feels nauseated. 

"Talk to him!" Birch points to the radio. 

"No," Lex balks. 

"This is the first time he has reached out. If you can get him to talk, maybe we can end this."

Lex puts her head in her hands and takes a deep breath, "Fine."

"Stay calm with him. Don't let him goad you. Ask if they need anything. Try to get us an in."

Lex nods and picks up the walkie-talkie, "Hello Levi."

"Alexandria! My long lost sister. Have you come back to rejoin us?" Levi's malevolence seeps through the radio. 

"Is everyone okay, Levi? Do you need anything for your people?"

"We're all just fine here. Our only problem is these feds thinking they should be able to change our way of life. Are you trying to help them? Things have changed here since you ran away, Alexandria. I should be thanking you."

"For what?"

"For killing our father. It allowed us to finally move past the old ways and into the full light of God. It called forth the true leadership."

Lex goes cold, "That being you?"

"Yes, dear sister. Had you stayed, you would have seen."

"Is there anything we can provide you with? Food? Medical supplies? Anything?” Lex pushes. 

“And what would you want in exchange for this generous offer?” Levi practically growls. 

“Some of the children are sick,” whispers Birch. 

“We understand that the children are ill,” Lex says. 

“The children are taken care of,” Levi says. 

“We can help them, Levi. Please.”

“I’ll give you the children.”

“What can we give you?” Lex asks. 

“You.”

“What?”

“You in exchange for the children. You can come in and negotiate for us,” Levi says. 

Lex feels sick. The thought of going anywhere near Levi was sickening but knowing the needs of the children, Lex knew there was only one answer, “Done.”

“Agent Green! He might only be inviting you in to kill you!” Birch exclaims. 

“Am I worth more than, how many children?” Lex argues. 

“At least 20.”

“It’s done,” Lex removes her utility belt and weapons. When the line of children begins to march towards the gate accompanied by a woman, Lex advances. Some of the older children carried the babies and smaller children. As they get closer, Lex recognizes the woman accompanying them. Sarah was her closest friend as she grew up. The gates open and the children walk out as Lex walks in. 

“Hello Alexandria,” Sarah nods at her. “If you will follow me I will take you to Levi.”

“Hello Sarah. How are you?”

“I am very well. I was sad when you left but I see now that it was to help me fulfill my purpose.”

“Your purpose?” Lex asks carefully. 

“As the wife of our leader. He took me as his first wife. It is the honor of my life to be by his side,” Sarah smiles.

“I see,” Lex says. 

“No, you don’t. But you will, you will.”

Lex was led into the chapel where the entire commune sat as Levi stood before them. 

“Here she is! My lambs, here is the woman who killed my father, one of our great leaders. And now, she returns with those who would force us from our home, take our God-given right to bear arms, and who will always persecute us for our beliefs. We will not stand for it!” Levi shouts.

Lex stared at the man who had abused her for years and knew nothing she said would calm him. 

“Come along, Alexandria,” Sarah takes Lex’s arm and drags her up the aisle. Murmurings of murderer and traitor follow Lex as she approaches Levi. 

“On your knees,” Levi says to her, “beg for your life.”

“No,” Lex says clearly. 

“On your knees, now,” Levi holds up a detonator, “beg for your life and the lives of everyone here.”

Lex knows that whether or not she gives in, Levi has no plan to get out of here alive. She assesses the situation and makes the only call she can. Pulling the one knife she had kept on her person, Lex lunges for Levi and manages to get him to drop the detonator. A tussle ensues and after only a few seconds, the knife slides into Levi’s carotid and he falls to the floor. 

“NO!” screams Sarah as she kneels next to him and watches her husband bleed out. “NO! LEVI!”

“Finish it,” Levi whispers to her with his last breath. Sarah and Lex lock eyes for a moment before they both lunge for the detonator. 

–

Bucky paces his room. It had been 24 hours since Lex had been called away and he was irritable with the lack of information he had received. The TV in his room was tuned to the national news channel that was covering the standoff. He was kicking himself for not having gone with you. He should have insisted but he understood the need to face your past. 

“There is movement here at the compound. It looks like the children are coming out! This is breaking right now. We are at the Torchlight Compound in New Mexico where the FBI and ATF have been in a three day standoff. It appears that the compound is releasing the children to authorities. And wait- an agent is entering the compound! It looks as if the compound is finally allowing law enforcement in to negotiate…”

Bucky’s eyes glue to the tv where he watches as Lex enters the gates, speaks to another woman, and then follows her into one of the buildings. His gut clenches knowing what you must be going through as she enters. She’s strong enough for this, he reassures himself, repeating the words as a mantra. 

“Bucky!” Steve comes through his door with Nat and Sam on his heels. 

“You saw?” Bucky asks. 

“Yes. She’ll be okay,” Steve says. 

“I know, I know. She’s strong enough for this,” Bucky says again. “Right?” His voice strains out the last word. 

“Yes. She is,” Nat says, “Because of you.”

“Because of all of us,” Bucky says, his eyes glued to the tc. 

They watched the tv, their only lifeline to Lex at the moment. The reporter droned on, repeating information from earlier and occasionally showing clips from the last few days. She breaks in announcing that while she can’t reveal the name of the agent who entered, they were getting reports that the agent had close ties to the cult. It was as she was announcing this that people began streaming out of the chapel and gunshots began ringing out. The reporter ran and it was obvious the cameraman was hit as he screamed and the camera hit the ground. Just before the feed cut, they watched in horror as the building Lex had entered, exploded. 

“No!” Bucky screams. 

Steve puts a hand on his shoulder, “She got out, Bucky. I’m sure of it.”

“How? How are you so sure?” Bucky yells. 

“Let’s assume she did until we know any different,” Nat says. 

“We gotta go. Let’s go!” Bucky stumbles towards the door. 

“We can’t, Buck. We can’t bring more attention to this,” Sam says as he blocks the door. 

“Move,” Bucky growls. 

“I can’t let you go, Buck,” Steve joins Sam. 

“Steve, Sam, get out of my way!” Bucky's voice rises. 

“You can’t fight all of us,” Nat says gently. 

Bucky clenches his fists, anger at his friends for holding him back quickly gives way to his fear, “What if she’s gone?”

“I’ll find out. Just give me some time,” Natasha begs. 

Bucky nods, dropping down to sit on his bed and cradling his head as his worst fears play over and over. 

Nat returned an hour later, “Everything is crazy down there .There are several people hurt. A lot of people didn’t make it out of the chapel. They don’t have word on Lex, yet. I’ll keep trying.”

She quietly slips out again while Steve and Sam stay, waiting with him. When Nat returns later, Bucky jumps up, “Anything?”

Natasha nods, “She’s injured but she’s alive. Tony’s prepping the quinjet. Let’s go,” Nat leads the way out. 

–

“Agent Green?”

“Agent Birch, come in,” Lex invites the man standing in the sliver of open curtain of the emergency department. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Birch smiles as he enters. 

“Thank you. I’m sure you have some questions. Take a seat,” Lex motions to the chair beside her hospital bed. 

“I just need your statement,” Birch takes out his notebook and pen. 

Lex relates everything that occurred since she entered the compound up until her disarming of Levi and then explains, “Sarah and I locked eyes and then went for the detonator. I got to it first and disarmed it. Sarah got away from me and I knew she was going to the bomb to set it off. I got as many people out as I could. When Levi pulled out the detonator, some of their faces told me they had no idea but some wouldn’t budge. I ran out the side door and made it maybe fifteen feet before I was shot in the shoulder, then the building exploded and I was thrown. I woke up here.” Lex paused for a moment before asking the question she dreaded, “How many did we lose?”

“We’re still sifting through the rubble. So far it’s forty-three dead but you saved twenty-nine children and more than a dozen members who did escape the chapel. Remember those.”

Lex nods, “Do the other statements corroborate mine?”

“I’m not really supposed to say but, the hell with it, some do and some don’t. Don’t worry about it,” Birch gives a small smile as he stands up. When the curtain flies wide open a second later, Birch has his hand on his gun as he takes a stance to fight. 

Bucky stops suddenly seeing the man in a threatening pose. 

“Bucky!” Lex smiles, amused at his clamorous entrance. “It’s okay, Birch. Stand down. This is my friend, Bucky.” 

“Hi,” Birch looks over the Winter Soldier. Certainly not who he would have expected her to be with but he glad she had someone. 

“Hi,” Bucky says but his attention is on Lex as he makes his way to the side of her bed. “You’re okay?”

“Yeah. I’m okay,” Lex smiles at the beautiful face she wondered if she’d ever get to see again as she ran from the chapel. 

“Well, thank you for everything,” Birch’s voice said from the doorway. “I’ll, uh, leave you two alone.”

“Good luck with everything, Birch,” Lex said, never breaking eye contact with Bucky. 

The curtain squeaked as it pulled closed and Bucky reached to touch Lex’s face. It was littered with tiny cuts, her arm was in a sling, and she seemed to be holding herself rigid. 

“You’re hurt. Tell me,” Bucky looks over her with concern. 

"Don't worry. It's nothing terrible. Just a through and through to the shoulder, a concussion, a couple of broken ribs, and some bumps and bruises."

Bucky nods, tears in his eyes, "Well, you know I'll be here to take care of you until you're healed."

"You have been since I met you," Lex says as she reaches for his hand. 

Bucky stares down at her hand in his before lifting it to his lips for a kiss and his heart nearly bursts at the tender look Lex gave. Only a few weeks ago, she would have quelled at the touch and run away from affection. Now, she accepted and returned it. The other night they had kissed, her sitting on his lap for what seemed like hours, before falling asleep together. 

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. The, uh, team held me back until we knew something," Bucky says. 

"That was probably best," Lex pauses. 

Bucky picks up on her hesitation, "What is it, doll?"

"Are they here?"

"Yeah, they'll be here any minute."

"Then I have two requests before we’re interrupted. First, kiss me, please," Lex bites her lips as she watches a grin spread across his face as he leans forward. It's as perfect as she remembers when his lips meet hers. When they finally part, they sit smiling at each other for a minute.

"And your second request?" Bucky asks.

"Take me home. I want out of here."

"You got it." Bucky barely gets the words out before the rest of the team is clamoring around. 

Lex finds herself laughing as they all speak at once but then winces at the pain in her ribs. Finally, Tony raises his hands and declares, "Alright, enough. You ready to get out of here, kid?"

"Yeah," Lex nods enthusiastically.

"I'll go wrangle a nurse," he winks as he heads out the door. 

Lex is grateful when a couple of hours later, she is sitting gingerly in the quinjet headed for home. Home with Bucky. 

–

Over the next few weeks, Bucky watched over Lex as she healed and, this time, she welcomed his presence. Lex’s shoulder healed up pretty quickly but the broken ribs took a while. Bucky was always gentle and treated her as if she was fragile until Lex had told him enough. They’re relationship continued with the physical part growing each day. Lex still shied away at times, overwhelmed and overstimulated by something that was still so foreign to her, and Bucky was more kind and gentle than she ever thought a human, especially a man, could be. It had any apprehension, all of her fears, melting away. Or, perhaps, morphing into the love that seemed to grow with each passing day. 

One night as Lex and Bucky were wrapped up in their weekly movie night, she made a decision. Lex rested her head on his chest, his arm around her as they watched. When the movie reached its conclusion, Bucky turned the tv off and kissed the top of her head, “Do you want to get some ice cream or something, doll?”

“No. I, um… I want to go to bed,” Lex answered.

“Oh, okay-”

“With you,” Lex interrupted. 

“Lex?” Bucky stared at her as he tried to make sense of the statement. 

“Will you make love to me, Bucky? Please?”

“But, you… your ribs- You’re still healing,” Bucky stuttered. 

Lex smiled and bit her lip, “I’m fine, baby, really. I love you and I’m ready. I want this, I want you. Unless… Unless you don’t want me, that, anymore-”

“No! I mean, yes! I mean- I want to be with you. I just want you to be sure.”

Lex smiled brightly and nudged his nose with hers, “I’m sure.” 

Their lips met and Bucky was sure his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He had imagined this moment a thousand times. Even when he was unsure if she would ever be able to handle his touch, he had hoped, even pleaded with whatever god would listen, that this beautiful, amazing woman would one day be able to accept, not just his touch, but his love. He had placed his heart squarely in her hands from the first moment his eyes had met hers. She had looked away quickly, withdrawing into herself, but Bucky had known, somehow in that moment, that they were kindred spirits and soulmates. 

Pulling back for a moment, he looks deep into Lex’s eyes, desperate for her to understand everything he was feeling, “I love you. I love you so much more than I can explain. I don’t have the words.”

Lex smiles, her eyes luminous, “Then show me.”

Bucky could barely hold himself back as he entered her body for the first time. Their fingers intertwined and foreheads pressed together as they both sighed with pleasure and fulfillment. When he looked down at her, his breath caught at the sight of tears. 

“Did I hurt you?” Bucky questioned gently. 

“No, no. I didn’t know it could be like this. I love you, Bucky,” Lex shuddered as the words left her. 

“I love you,” he whispered as he kissed away the tears. 

“Bucky,” Lex moaned. She never imagined that the physical could be like this. It was as if their souls had connected and her world had finally set itself right. Her scars would always be there, but with Bucky’s help, they had become just a part of the story instead of her whole story. She would be scarred always, an enigma sometimes, but now, her whole self. A whole person, loved and loving. The way it should be. 

Updates and taglist: My taglist is closed. Please follow my sideblog @tuiccimfanfiction for update notifications. All series and new stories will be reblogged to it. You will only receive notifications when a new part or story is out! Nothing else will be blogged to the page. I can’t thank you enough for your support!

[typhlonectes]

A new euarthropod with large frontal appendages from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota

Robert J. O’Flynn, Mark Williams, Mengxiao Yu, Thomas H.P. Harvey, and Yu Liu

ABSTRACT

We describe Fengzhengia mamingae gen. et sp. nov., a new euarthropod from the lower Cambrian (Series 2, Stage 3) Chengjiang Lagerstätte, Southwest China. 

Fengzhengia mamingae possesses prominent frontal appendages, stalked, circular eyes, a simple, sub-triangular head shield, and a trunk with 15 tergites, the anterior nine each bearing a single medial axial spine. Limited evidence suggests biramous trunk appendages with paddle-shaped exopods. At the posterior end is a sub-triangular region, possibly a pygidium, articulated with a tail fan. 

The frontal appendage of F. mamingae resembles those of certain ‘great appendage’ arthropods and Isoxys. We test the affinities of F. mamingae by parsimony and Bayesian analyses and tentatively suggest that it is an early branch of Deuteropoda. 

We suggest that F. mamingae may have been a nektobenthic scavenger or predator, and its dorsal exoskeleton is notable for exhibiting defensive spines.

Read the paper here: 

https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2022/3551-a-new-chengjiang-euarthropod

[jacksulkes]

July 16 - National Place Museum and Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence

We started the day with a bus ride to the National Palace Museum. I saw jade, ceramics, bronze, and paintings on paper. There were jade bowls, jewelry, urns, nails, and a massive jade screen. There were some ceramics more colorful than others. The pottery came in all sizes. There were also expensive light blue-dyed dishes. A lot of the bronze was a little greened over, including the cauldrons, wine vessels, bells, daggers, and buddha statues. I walked through a corridor with a whole bunch of paintings of flowers, landscapes, and other plant life. Following the museum, we again took the same bus to a group lunch. It was a restaurant with Mongolian barbecue and a buffet. Mongolian barbecue is when you get a bowl, fill it with all of the veggies, raw meats, and sauces you want, and then hand it to a chef to cook all together on a flat top. It was delicious. The buffet was good too. After a filling lunch, the bus took us to our last stop, the Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence. This was Mr. and Mrs. Chiang’s house for about the last 30 years of Chiang Kai-shek’s life. We walked through its many rooms with an audio tour. Once we were off on our own, I went with the guys to try McDonald’s in Taiwan. I ordered a Korean Double Beef Squid Burger combo as well as a spicy McCrispy. The burger had two beef patties and a third patty made entirely of squid meat. The McCrispy was just bone-in fried chicken. It was all better tasting and cheaper than a McDonald’s in the US. Right after dinner, we walked over to a public basketball court and played with some local Taiwanese college students.

Academic Reflection:

On the bus ride to the National Palace Museum, Peter taught us that the treasures in the Forbidden City in China were moved to the southwest region during World War II so that the Japanese wouldn’t get to them. Once that war ended, however, they couldn’t be returned because now there was the Chinese Civil War. The treasures were scattered, and about a quarter of them ended up in Taiwan in the National Palace Museum. I was so fascinated thinking about that while looking at the treasures in the museum. Peter gave us a great tour of the museum and taught us so much.

The Chiang Kai-shek house tour was done entirely by an audio recording, which wasn’t as exciting. I did learn from that too though today. I learned about all of the presidents and other powerful people that visited the house. I learned what each room was used for. I saw beds in several rooms, and the voice-over told me that was because he became sick at the end of his life and needed to be able to lie down in each room.

[circus-complex]

Glass Mind | Chapter 4/?

Rating: Teen +

Relationships: Feng Xin/Mu Qing

Characters: Feng Xin, Mu Qing

Tags: feng xin falls ill, Canon-typical swearing, mu qing has to care for him, Febuwhump 2024, Slow Burn, Feng Xin and Mu Qing are slightly OOC, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Angst

Feng Xin falls ill, messing with his head. Mu Qing tasks himself with taking care of him. Does Mu Qing truly hate Feng Xin?

Also on AO3

Full chapter under the cut

Mu Qing, now aware that he needs to take care of the Southwest and Southeast, was swamped with work. Not only did he have to take care of Feng Xin, he had to figure out how to combine the palaces. Mu Qing was aware that their followers, mortal or god, would loathe each other. He didn’t blame them, Feng Xin’s junior deputies were a pain. Apart from that Li Junlan. He seemed nice enough.

Feng Xin didn’t show any improvement. If anything, he’d gotten worse. Intervals between manic states were growing shorter, and they seemed to be getting worse.

General Ju Yang, please let me have a- Fuck! Mu Qing truly felt bad for Feng Xin now. Ling Wen had a prayer funnel set up, so Mu Qing could hear Feng Xin’s devotees for the time being. But the only difference was the prayers for sons and to have a better sex life! They had similar domains, any troublesome beasts were overlapping.

Being a god didn’t require much work. Mu Qing’s only responsibility was to delegate tasks to junior deputies, and if needed, deal with an occasional ghost.

Due to Hua Cheng aligning himself with Xie Lian, ghosts were under more control. But some weren’t citizens of the Ghost City, and still wreaked havoc. Most of them being Qi Rong’s underlings.

Ling Wen?

Mu Qing heard her exasperated sigh on the other end. What?

Have you…found anything else?

No. Shi Wudu has gone missing, Feng Xin has gone insane, but one of them is still contained. Take a guess as to what I’m working on?

Mu Qing’s eye twitched. Great.

You could try searching yourself? Did you consider that?

I- Yes. I could.

Well, Feng Xin is calm right now. I’ll send someone over, and you can take a look at the reports so far. It contains everything related to this case.

Very well.

✦✦✦

“General Xuan Zhen? I’m here with the reports you asked for!”

Mu Qing stood up, walking to the door and opening it with a Bang!

“Thank you…Li Junlan,” He faltered as he saw the familiar face. He took the - rather large - stack of papers out of his hands,

“No problem General. I hope you find a cure for General Nan Feng soon.”

Li Junlan bowed and turned to exit. Mu Qing slammed the papers on his desk. There were so many to go through. But Feng Xin hadn’t required much of his time lately, throwing him out more often than letting him in, so he supposed it wouldn’t hurt. It would keep him busy and his mind off…things.

The first portion was possible causes of psychosis. The second was Feng Xin’s behavior and how to deal with it. The third was possible triggers and anything recent. The fourth was what had happened in the past.

Mu Qing was truly stumped. The causes ranged from flowers to curses. The flowers seemed to be ruled out, they were typically a one time thing. If this had happened before, none of them fit. But neither did any of the curses. Most of them caused lack of contact with reality, leading to murder of close ones. But Feng Xin was harmless. The only harm he caused was to himself.

Unless that was the goal.

What if someone was trying to hurt Feng Xin? If you were to curse him to harm himself then you wouldn’t be a suspect. And by setting the end goal hundreds of years later, you would never be suspected as such.

This wasn’t something Ling Wen would know.

Xie Lian!

Eh? Mu Qing?

Does Feng Xin have anyone who would wish to cause him harm? Perhaps an ex or someone he got into a fight with?

He’s generally liked, isn’t he? There isn’t anyone I can think of, maybe Jian Lan?

She didn’t seem too mad, but I’ll look into it.

Mu Qing put his head in his hands. Frustration was starting to boil, and was threatening to spill over. Ugh! Feng Xin’s always a headache, no matter what form he takes. He stood up, deciding to take a walk through the human realm to clear his head. Maybe some time not thinking about Feng Xin would be good.

✦✦✦

“Mu Qing, have you seen Shi Wudu?” Shi Qingxuan trudged up to the Martial God. Her eyes were red-rimmed.

“No, I’m sorry,” Mu Qing tried his best to sound empathetic. Could he have a moment alone? Please?

“Is Feng Xin better yet? Ming-xiong said Shi Wudu was last spotted in the southeast,” Shi Qingxuan tipped her head to the left.

“I- Yes, but he’s still unwell. He’s not really in a state to converse.”

“Ah, that. That reminds me, Ming-xiong-”

Ming-xiong this, Ming-xiong that, did she ever shut up about him!?

-once got hit by a delusion curse. You might want to ask him about it!”

The wind master waved and turned around, leaving Mu Qing to ponder her words. He’d never spoken to the earth master before, but perhaps it was the same. That would speed up getting Feng Xin back to normal and…Mu Qing wouldn’t have to care for him anymore.

Perfect. He’ll speak with Ming Yi tomorrow.

[archivist-crow]

Odds and Ends:

L'ATMOSPHERE WIND

In 1871, Camille Flammarion, renowned French scientist and collector of coincidences, was working in his Parisian home on his book, L'Atmosphere, when a powerful gust of wind blew open the window by his desk. The ensuing whirlwind swept the manuscript out onto the street and carried it through the rain to his publisher's office half a mile away. Not a single page was lost. The chapter was about the force of the wind. Flammarion writes about the event:

“My study in Paris is lighted by three windows. The first window was open, looking on the chestnut-trees of the avenue. The sky was clouded; the wind rose, and suddenly the third window, which must have been badly fastened, was violently blown open by a gale from the southwest, which disarranged all my papers, and lifting the loose pages I had just written…

“To go down and hunt for my pages would seem to me to be time lost, and I was very sorry to lose them. What was my surprise to receive, a few days later, from Lahure's printing-office, in the Rude de Fleurus, about half a mile away from where I lived, that very chapter printed without one page missing. Remember, it was a chapter on the strange doings of the wind. What had happened? A very simple thing.

“The porter of the printing-office noticed on the ground, sodden by the rain, the leaves of my manuscript. He thought he must have dropped them himself, and he hastened to pick them up, and having arranged them with great care, he took them to the printing-office, telling no one of the affair. A little more, and some credulous person might have asserted that it was the wind that had brought them to the printing office.”

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[whump-card]

Forged Divinity Chapter 5: Leannan Falls in a Hole

1600 words

CW: institutionalized slavery, religious themes, near drowning

Previous, Masterlist, Next

~~~

Revelation 9:1

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.

~~~

The first leg of the journey was easy; a hire-boat, a squat, metal thing with a rare little engine, took them southwest, upriver. They had plenty of rations now, much more appetizing than Phineas’ homemade granola and jerky. The weather was clear and fine, and the wind was at their backs. For the first day they mostly sailed past farm fields within Donda Island’s domain, dotted with laborers and animals. The farmland eventually gave way to pine forests, dense and aromatic.

Out of earshot of the boatswain, Leannan dared a question. He had been mostly quiet the whole day, but curiosity got the best of him.

“Why do the Council of Donda want this king dead anyway?” he asked Phineas.

Phineas shrugged. “Dunno.”

Leannan stared at them in disbelief. “You’re killing someone and you don’t even know why?”

“I can guess. I come up this way every couple of years, and every time King Gauthier’s realm is juuust a little bigger. The Council of Donda probably feels threatened.”

“But killing a king could start a war, wouldn’t that be even more dangerous?”

“Not if no one thinks it’s their fault. My instructions are to claim it as an act by a power to the west – La Libera.”

Leannan’s breath caught. “Oh.”

Phineas glanced at him. “What, you know them?”

“They’re the perpetrators of the Iowa City massacre,” he said quietly. He hadn’t been there himself, of course, but his master at the time had taken great pleasure at gloating over the event and its effect of doubling Leannan’s value – one of the last Iowans, at the time. The very last, now.

“That’s right… Then you won’t mind pulling one over on them, right?” Phineas elbowed him. Leannan didn’t respond.

As the light dimmed, they reached a small riverside settlement. Phineas had new papers now, ordering the residents to provide them with food and shelter by decree of the Council. Again, Phineas requested only one bed, and Leannan was forced to lie quietly next to them, dreading the inevitable. But he was spared from it, at least for that night. The next morning they continued upriver on foot, heeding warnings that they were now leaving Donda territory.

After a couple hours of walking through thick trees, they gave way quite suddenly to short, new growth, saplings and ferns and tall grasses, punctuated by eerie husks of burned-out trunks. There had been a wildfire here, some years ago, and the land was recovering beautifully.

They continued following the riverside track until the river forked; here, Phineas consulted a map and declared they’d turn away from the river, southward. There was no path, but making their way through the brush and bushes was no difficulty.

All day the sky had hung low and gray, and it finally broke at noon. Rain poured down, soaking the two of them within minutes. Leannan audibly huffed and sighed as he walked, but had enough sense now not to make it Phineas’ problem. Phineas consistently glanced over their shoulder at him, both to make sure he was keeping up and to take some enjoyment from the Iowan’s misery.

Their enjoyment turned to dread when they heard a scream and a horrible, slurping splash.

Phineas spun around to find Leannan had vanished. A second scream, choked and terrified – “Phineas!” - spurred them forward, but they had to stop almost immediately.

A massive sinkhole had opened up, the roof of it weakened by the rain and Phineas’ steps, and finally broken by Leannan passing over it. It was at least five feet wide, and filled with water up to about four feet down; the true bottom, some few feet beyond that, as indicated by Leannan’s head and shoulders standing out from the muddy water.

“Phineas, help!” Leannan cried, and between his face and his voice Phineas was struck still; was this what true fear looked like on Leannan? Had they ever really seen him scared before?

“Phineas!” Leannan screeched, begging, and Phineas snapped into action.

“Hold on!” they shouted, and took a couple steps back onto more stable ground. They set aside their Barrett rifle and unslung their backpack, sorting through it to retrieve a length of rope. Looking around, there weren’t many options to tie off on. There was a nearby charred trunk, but who knew how stable at was.

“I can’t swim!” Leannan shouted, “Not well, Phineas, and the water’s rising, Phineas, please!”

Phineas ran to the dead tree, giving it a swift kick. It sounded solid. They looped the rope around it and tied the knots as quickly as they could, surprised to find their fingers were shaking.

Understandable. Their entire future was on the line.

They ran back to the sinkhole, picking their footing carefully as they neared the edge, and threw the rope in. It just barely reached, only a foot or so of it splashing into the water below.

“Okay, climb up!” they called to Leannan. The water was up to Leannan’s neck now, and he seized the rope. He reached high, and laboriously pulled himself up, getting his shoulders out of the water; but when he reached for a higher hold he slipped right back down, his head briefly splashing below the waterline. He tried again, gasping, gripping the rope and heaving himself upwards with all his might, but again he slid back down.

“I can’t!” he cried, “I can’t, I’m not strong enough, I wasn’t – I can’t, Phineas, please help!”

“You can’t do a fucking pull-up?” Phineas shouted, more upset than angry.

“I’m sorry, Phineas!” Leannan sobbed, truly meaning those words for perhaps the first time, “Please, please help me! Oh, God!”

Phineas stared down at him, processing. The rope wasn’t long enough for Leannan to tie it around himself. They stood, going back to the burned three trunk. They gave it another kick. Solid as can be. They settled on their only option.

“Fuck.”

They jogged back to the sinkhole.

“Fuck!”

They sat down on the edge.

“Fuck – get out of the way!” they called to Leannan, who half-walked, half-paddled away, the water up to their chin now.

Phineas dropped into the sinkhole.

They landed with a broad splash, and Leannan sputtered and gasped as the muddy water washed over him.

“Get on my back!” Phineas ordered, “Quickly!”

Needing no further encouragement, Leannan pushed forward and threw his arms over Phineas’ shoulders. Phineas found the rope, and took a moment to breathe, and to mentally prepare.

Leannan was short, but heavy. If Phineas couldn’t carry him out, he would die. Phineas would have to climb out alone, and leave him to drown in the pit.

Would they stay, and try to comfort him in his final moments?

No. They would walk away, leaving Leannan’s pitiful screams behind.

Or maybe they would be merciful, and spare a bullet.

Like fish in a barrel.

Phineas put those thoughts out of their head and gripped the rope tightly, setting their feet into the soft wall of the sinkhole. They hauled themself and their passenger up, out of the water, one hand over the next, teeth gritting, muscles straining, breath panting.

They could do this.

Halfway up, Phineas slipped. The wet, muddy rope slithered through their hands and they dropped a foot before stopping, squeezing the rope so tight that it burned them. Leannan yelped as they fell, clinging to Phineas even harder.

“It’s okay,” Phineas said automatically, “We’re okay.”

Phineas returned to the climb, ignoring the pain in their palms, ignoring the shaking of their muscles, just focusing on moving ever upward. Hand over hand. Hand over hand.

The angle of the wall was shifting before Phineas even knew it – simultaneously, it was an eternity before they reached the top. But reach it they did, and the two of them collapsed, exhausted and relieved.

“Phineas!” Leannan was the first to speak, “Oh my God, Phineas, thank you!” He sat up and leaned over Phineas. “I thought – I thought I was going to die, Phineas, you saved me!” He cut himself off by dropping down to kiss Phineas on the lips – a quick kiss, that he immediately pulled away from, but somehow it felt more real than any before.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe – what are we going to do, we can’t keep walking if there are sinkholes everywhere!”

“Can’t stay here, either.” Phineas slowly sat up, refusing to be distracted by the kiss.

“No, Phineas,” Leannan whined, “I can’t keep walking! I’m exhausted, my feet hurt, I almost just died! I wasn’t made for this, I can’t do this, please!”

Phineas took a slow, deep breath. They desperately wanted to yell at Leannan; to curse him out, to scare him, to hurt him. But that would get them nowhere, and Phineas had to admit they were exhausted as well.

“Here’s what we do,” Phineas locked eyes with him, “We will walk slowly. You will follow me. I will hit the ground with my rifle butt. If it sounds hollow, you follow me around. We’re closer to the road on the other side of this stretch than we are to the river we left, so we have to keep going forward, okay?”

Leannan nodded tearfully, shivering despite the warm air. “Ok-kay.”

Phineas gathered up their rope, their backpack, and their gun, while Leannan sat, collecting himself. Once they were geared back up, they approached Leannan.

“Ready?” They offered a hand.

Leannan looked up at them. His tears were lost in the pouring rain, but his eyes were red and his face flushed. He took Phineas’ hand and struggled to his feet.

“Ready,” he whispered.

~~~

Previous, Masterlist, Next

Taglist: @angst-after-dark, @sunshiline-writes, @flowersarefreetherapy, @thecyrulik

Let me know if you want on or off the taglist!

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Welcome to Night Vale

Author: Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2015

Genres: fiction, fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery, paranormal

Blurb: Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge. 19-year-old Night Vale pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is given a paper marked "King City" by a mysterious man in a tan jacket holding a deerskin suitcase. Everything about him and his paper unsettles her, especially the fact that she can't seem to get the paper to leave her hand, and that no one who meets this man can remember anything about him. Jackie is determined to uncover the mystery of King City and the man in the tan jacket before she herself unravels. Night Vale PTA treasurer Diane Crayton's son, Josh, is moody, and also a shapeshifter. Lately, Diane's started to see her son's father everywhere she goes, looking the same as the day he left years earlier, when they were both teenagers. Josh, looking different every time Diane sees him, shows a stronger and stronger interest in his estranged father, leading to a disaster Diane can see coming, even as she is helpless to prevent it. Diane's search to reconnect with her son and Jackie's search for her former routine life collide as they find themselves coming back to two words: King City. It is King City that holds the key to both of their mysteries, and their futures...if they can ever find it.

[lindholmline]

going to be inactive bc i’m on vacation visiting my bestie!!! but i’ve had a crazy 24 hrs and some how my spirits are still high

story below the break

so at 10:30 am yesterday morning i got a notification that jetblue cancelled my flight @ 4 pm. instead of panicking i spent $173 on a new flight with southwest

at 12 pm, that flight gets delayed (you just gotta laugh)

4:30 pm waiting to board, it gets delayed again (only by 15 minutes this time)

4:45 pm i’m in line ready to board (i paid for priority boarding so I was A 13 bc free for all seating stresses me out)

4:50 pm this random middle aged woman comes and stands next to our area (11-14) and says nothing, so i ask her what her boarding thing was (her paper ticket was all folded) and she replies “i don’t know A 15” and i said “oh great! i’m A 13” she looks me dead in the eyes and says “IT’S REALLY NOT THAT SERIOUS” i just smiled (the woman behind me scoffed though) and then she left her suitcase and stormed off to the desk (she came back without another word)

5 pm we are boarding! yay! she doesn’t cut me off, in fact she doesn’t board with A 1-30 at all she literally boards at the very end of the B boarding group (i laughed when she boarded so late from my row 6 window seat)

immediately upon boarding the family behind me (two daughters and their mom) are fighting. like hitting and kicking each other and yelling (the whole flight is staring) let the record show the kids are probably 12/13 and way too old to be behaving like that

after listening to the fighting, a flight attendant traveling in the row in front of me, got up and offered to switch seats with one of them (they declined, were quiet for a minute before continuing to fight)

the girl behind me told her mom “you’re selfish for making me come on this trip, i don’t care about washington, i don’t trust a thing you say” the mom was like “no let’s make the most of it, we’ll have fun” before the daughter said “if you didn’t make me come i wouldn’t have lost my airpods” to which the mom said “but i bought you new ones to replace them” and the daughter screams (yes i was wearing noise cancelling headphones) “i would still have my original ones though it doesn’t matter”

she continued to kick and push my seat the whole flight, while the man in the middle man spread so bad his foot was on my backpack and i could feel his leg hair on mine

but i made it! and had a good night!

this morning jetblue informed me i won’t be getting a refund, which is the only thing that has nearly brought me to tears in the past 24 hrs

[marcholasmoth]

OSRR: 3058

the family christmas party was decent

laughter was present

and so was joel!

i was so happy to have him at my side today, but i'm confident it wasn't the best experience for my cousin, who lost her long-time partner back in september. the holidays without him are unimaginably difficult for her.

we did a yankee swap as the family and i got a box of car cleaning supplies, which is GREAT because i've been wanting to detail my car 😂

also after the party i brought joel back home and to a friend's house to drop something off and back home and i came back home and i sat on the sofa with my blanket and watched tv with my parents. i didn't have a paper to worry about. or homework to do. or readings to catch up on. nothing.

it's weird.

joel recommend i take up crocheting but when i crochet i pull everything so tightly it's like i'm trying to pull myself out of an airplane seat in the economy section that doesn't have moving arm rests. it's Bad. when the seat is 15" wide and you are 20" wide, you can get down. you just mold around the arms until you squish in. you're not going anywhere. but trying to get up? can't do it without pushing the arms up.

(also my secret to being comfy on planes is to always fly southwest and wear a bunch of extra clothes to make it look like i'm fatter than i really am and more uncomfortable to sit next to than anyone else. no one sits in the middle seat. and then when boarding is done and the plane starts to move, i take off my extra layers, and the person at the end of the row and i enjoy our extra hip space.)

anyway, crocheting is tension. i hate knitting. don't wanna learn how to make lace - i'm neither patient nor good at reading patterns.

i think i might sit down and read a book this week.

but i'm definitely gonna hang out with joel. i've missed him so much. he was so affectionate today!! it was really nice. 🥰

anyway it's bedtime, now that my brain cells aren't taken up with writing about cybersecurity, im gonna take a little bit to rest them up and i'm gonna dive into writing again. that'll be fun. maybe i'll finish my fic that i've been working on for five years.

[riverwalk-r]

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The Transportation System in Cullowhee, North Carolina

Getting around Cullowhee, North Carolina, is pretty straightforward, especially if you enjoy a slower pace. Most folks rely on their cars to navigate the area, as public transportation options are limited. The roads are well-maintained, making drives through the scenic mountains a treat. If you’re heading to nearby towns like Sylva or Dillsboro, the short commute is easy and often beautiful. For students at Western Carolina University, there’s a campus shuttle that helps get around, connecting you to various spots in the area. Biking is also popular, with some nice paths that let you enjoy the fresh air. While Cullowhee may not have extensive public transit, the charm of the landscape makes every trip feel special.

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, is a vibrant part of the community that brings a youthful energy to the area. As you stroll through campus, you'll notice students chatting, studying, and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The university offers a wide range of programs, from arts to sciences, making it a great choice for many students. You can catch a variety of events here, like concerts, plays, and sports games, which are fun ways to connect with the local vibe. The campus is also close to some amazing outdoor spots, perfect for hiking and exploring after classes. With its friendly atmosphere and strong community ties, Western Carolina University truly enhances the charm of Cullowhee.

The Incredibly Immersive Viking Experience Festival, Happens Right Here in North Carolina

The Viking Experience Festival in Stem, North Carolina, sounds like a blast for anyone interested in history and fun. Set at The Barn at Vino, this annual event brings the past to life with exciting reenactments, music, and various activities for all ages. You can stroll through the beautiful vineyard, with its rolling fields and serene ponds, while enjoying food from local vendors. The festival features talented re-enactors and even a Fairy Glen, adding a magical touch to the day. With two stages for live performances and plenty of vendors to browse, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It’s a unique chance to immerse yourself in Viking culture right in the heart of North Carolina.

Link to map

University Of Western Carolina 111 Memorial Dr, Cullowhee, NC 28723, United States Head southwest toward Killian Bldg Ln 167 ft Continue onto Killian Bldg Ln 0.1 mi Turn right onto Centennial Dr 0.7 mi At the traffic circle, take the 3rd exit and stay on Centennial Dr 0.8 mi Turn left onto Central Dr 0.3 mi Turn left onto Old Cullowhee Rd 0.1 mi Turn left onto Monteith Gap Rd 0.3 mi Turn right onto Ledbetter Rd 0.5 mi Turn right onto Moose Ln/Moose Vlg 0.1 mi Turn right onto Antler Dr Destination will be on the right 0.0 mi Riverwalk 31 Antler Dr, Cullowhee, NC 28723, United States

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El Paso Locomotive Southwest University Park Standard Postcard

El Paso Locomotive Southwest University Park Standard Postcard. These postcards are made from thick high-quality matte paper, so they serve as a great addition to a gift or just a thoughtful written note to a friend. • Cardboard paper • Paper weight: 7.67–10.32 oz/yd² (260–350 g/m²) • Size: 4″ × 6″ (101 × 152 mm) • Paper thickness: 0.013″ (0.34 mm) • Coated outer surface • Blank product materials…