#Loch Dust Sans

[ant1quarian]

Pirate Dust!

Not an original idea but y'know!

Loch- his name- is a Dust AU, yes. He's often either cold and quiet or dryly amused and a little shit. Being in-between is very, very rare.

He's known across the seas as Loch, the one who is infamous for literally genociding every town he stops off at.

Based off of BONES by Sail North.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Red Letter Day (baon)

Summary: Edge and Stretch are finally paying a visit to Alphys to check on the results of her tests.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Established Relationship, Mentions of sickness, Mentions of LV, mentions of past trauma, Possible Past Medical Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort

Notes: I’m getting my timeline a little scattered, but man did I need something funny and cute.

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

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Read it here!

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The drive to the Embassy from New New home took about fifteen to twenty minutes depending on traffic. During the week, it was one that Edge took twice a day, occasionally listening to the radio, more likely to a podcast or the news.

Today, they were hardly five minutes into the drive and Stretch was already fidgeting. He’d hold Edge’s hand for a moment only to drop it, switch to flicking his lighter through his fingers, then back to holding hands. Once, he even started pulling out a cigarette only to catch himself, tucking the pack back into his hoodie pocket and switching back to the lighter.

It ached to see him so disturbed. Whatever Alphys had to say about his test results, at least Stretch’s anxiety over them would be finally over.

He’d come awake slowly that morning, having woken last night with Edge’s nightmare, and his sleepy pleasure at being brought a cup of coffee in bed had quickly turned to suspicion after a few sips. His reaction at being told Alphys moved up their appointment had been pure anxiety and Edge did not regret keeping the information to himself until then.

Sitting here now, his attention split between the road and watching as Stretch squirmed, he only wished there was something he could do to help, past keeping a hand available to be held whenever it was needed.

He’d accept his helplessness for now. This part would be over soon and he was braced for any answer Alphys offered, ready to do whatever was needed to help his love. Physically, mentally, anything and everything in between, he was prepared to offer it.

Now they only had to get there.

The parking lot at the Embassy was a secured one that required an ID, and Edge had his own parking spot at the back of the lot. Today, he forbore using it, instead parking as close to the entrance as he could.

If Stretch noticed, he didn’t comment on it, scrambling out of the car and already heading towards the entrance the moment the car was in park. He lingered there outside, waiting for Edge to catch up, hands shoved into his pockets and even then Edge could see his hands clenching and unclenching, the shrunken quality of his eye lights. He was scared and trying very hard not to show it.

The protestors across the street were there night and day, though at this hour there were only a handful of Humans, their ragged signs sitting propped at their feet. It seemed even racism required morning coffee to get going, Edge thought with dark humor. He moved to stand with his back to them, blocking their view as he gently took Stretch’s face in both his hands, giving him a brief kiss.

“It’s going to be okay, love,” Edge whispered to him. Stretch took a shaky breath and let it out, nodding slowly.

“yeah. let’s get this over with.” He turned and opened the door, and Edge followed him in.

Everyone who came in was required to swipe their ID, and even though Stretch could easily shortcut to any place in the building, he always did. It was for security purposes and Stretch had told him once that if Ass-gore had to do it, then he supposed it wasn’t beneath him.

Edge hadn’t commented on the nickname, that was a battle he wasn’t about to join.

As far as he knew, Sans was obedient about scanning his badge as well. His own brother, Edge couldn’t say, but that was another pie he was refusing to take a slice from. Red was a part of the security department, in official and unofficial roles, and if they had issues with him, he’d leave it to them.

The guard at the station offered them both a genuine smile, his curiosity obvious, but he didn’t question them. Anyone else would need to sign in with a purpose to visit, but Stretch was on a rather short list of people with classified access. Not that he ever used it. He knew the way to the labs, was already headed towards the elevator with Edge on his heels, but he went to them only rarely.

That was an issue that Stretch did not discuss, but then, neither did Red or Sans. Edge couldn’t remember the years his brother spent working at the labs in Underfell. On the rare occasion he said anything, Red usually made cracks about working there as a janitor. Sans was more amicable and often helped out in both the laboratories here and Stretch’s in New New Home, but for all the usefulness his brilliance offered the Monster community, Stretch refused to work with any of the other scientists.

Once, many years ago, Edge thought him selfish for it. Now, having spent dark nights with his lover in his arms, listening to him brokenly confess to watching his brother die during the resets, he could only wonder at what sort of trauma Stretch endured in the labs in Underswap that he refused to even discuss it.

It might be better that Edge didn’t know, and that whoever deserved to be punished for it was far from his reach.

At least Stretch was able to still enjoy his love of science, that hadn’t been stolen from him. But Red avoided the labs entirely when he could, and if Stretch wouldn’t talk about it, expecting any information from Red was less likely than stumbling across the Loch Ness monster in a puddle on the street.

In this elevator heading to the labs, all he could do was hold Stretch’s hand, squeezing gently as it trembled in his grip, and try not to think of the day Stretch had come on his own to get the tests done. He should have been suspicious then, too trusting and—

No. He was not allowing that thought any sort of traction, would not allow the faint whispers of his LV to taint any other part of him. He was here today and Stretch had told him the truth. That was all that mattered.

He heard Stretch inhale raggedly as the elevator doors opened, but he didn’t hesitate, walked straight through them with his normal lackadaisical stride, forcing Edge to slow his own steps.

The labs took up an entire basement floor of the Embassy, chosen to be placed here rather than at New New Home for reasons of practicality and safety. As far as construction went, Monsters were well familiar with how to build underground and the structure of the entire building was able to withstand everything from earthquakes to a concentrated magical attack.

The main room was an open layout, with plenty of tables and machinery around, and the walls were lined with doors that led to private labs for experiments that required more discretion. The scientists who worked here did so with the knowledge that their experiments would be used to better the lives of Monsters and Humans alike, and Alphys herself had demanded strict protocols on what experiments were allowed.

That was not a surprise; Edge had met the Amalgamates who stayed within New New Home. He had his own opinions on them that he kept to himself, and he’d easily agreed to the rules for laboratory protocols. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with her being the one to run tests on Stretch, but no one knew more about souls than she did.

Alphys was at one of the work tables and she brightened when she caught sight of them, waddling over.

“hey, lizard lady, how’s it going?” Stretch’s grin was the most genuine expression he’d offered since they’d gotten in the car. He leaned down, holding out his arms in offering. Once, Stretch had told her she could take the hug if she wanted or not, and he wouldn’t be offended either way. Today was a hug day and Edge did not know if that was good or bad.

But her smile was warm. “It’s g-going well! Why don’t we talk in my office?”

She led them to a closed door, unlocking it, and they followed her inside. The various clutter was a stark contrast to the orderly lab; her desk covered in papers, walls lined with anime posters and a framed picture from her wedding. There was another picture of Undyne on her desk, grinning at the camera, and a pink paper heart was taped to one corner with a sticker that blared the word ’kawii!!’.

Alphys bustled around, muttering to herself as she gathered up paper stacks from the chairs, gesturing at them to sit before she settled into her own seat. “Did you want a drink?”

“nah, i’m good,” Stretch waved it off, “just tell me the truth, do i need to start shopping for a urn or what? ‘cause i’d kinda rather get my dust sprinkled properly and a mason jar isn’t the aesthetic i’m looking for.”

“Don’t,” Edge said sharply before he could stop himself. He knew that biting sarcasm was only a defense mechanism, but he couldn’t listen to that. He couldn’t.

Sweet creature that she was, Alphys looked horrified at the black joke, “N-n-no, of course not! Y-you’re fine!”

That was not the answer Stretch was expecting. He blinked, the mask of his indifference slipping to show a struggle between disbelief and tremulous hope.

“fine.” Stretch repeated, slowly. “so why am i down an hp?”

She shrugged, “Stress, past sickness? There’s a lot of reasons for HP to drop and nothing unusual showed up on any of the tests. B-but, see here. You can’t see it in a Check but—“

She pulled out a small device out of a drawer that looked like a tablet and walked over. Alphys didn’t seem to notice Stretch’s slight flinch as she settled something that looked like a stethoscope over Stretch’s chest. She showed them the tablet, charting a mass of numbers.

“See here?” She pointed at the screen with one clawed finger. “Checks don't show the decimals, but if you can look a little deeper, you’ll see it’s c-coming back up.”

It was, Edge saw, swallowing down his own relief. The tablet was showing deeply into the decimals, but as they watched, the last number went up by one. And again, very slowly crawling upward.

“If it keeps up like this, y-you’ll be back to five in a few months!” She beamed. Her smile faltered as Stretch made a small sound, shaking so hard the bones of his fingers clattered against the chair arm. “Are you okay?”

“He’s fine,” Edge told her quietly, and pulled Stretch into his arms as he finally broke and the tears started. Held him gently as he cried, murmuring soft words and nonsense while the fear loosened its hold. Long minutes passed before Stretch pulled away, sniffling and wiping at his face with his sleeve.

Alphys already had Kleenex and a bottle of water in hand, practically shoving them into Stretch’s lap as she burbled out tearfully, “I’m so sorry! I would have told you over the phone if I’d known you were so worried, I only wanted to show you the results! I should have known, I could have told you—“

“it’s fine, lizard lady,” Stretch said and this time it was Alphys who held her arms out for a hug, the two of them embracing amidst tears. “s’all good.”

She nodded, sniffling, and drew back. “Th-the only thing I can recommend is getting plenty of rest, eat good food. It’ll speed up the process.” She gave the pocket of his hoodie a little poke, tapping the visible bulge there. "You should stop smoking. It retards your magic and it could be slowing down the process.”

“did you have to say that where he could hear?” Stretch groaned.

“Yes,” she said unrepentantly. “I don’t want to see you in an urn or a mason jar, and definitely not an ashtray.”

Edge said nothing, but Stretch still sighed. “i’ll try, okay?”

“Try hard,” Alphys said sternly.

She went on to show Stretch a few more test results, the two of them slowly descending into scientific jargon that Edge didn’t even try to understand. He’d gotten what he wanted out of this visit, the only words he wanted to hear.

Stretch was going to be fine and that was enough.

Once they were finished at the lab, Edge drove them back home. He thought about offering to take them for lunch, but the stress of the morning was hitting Stretch before they even made it back to the car, his untied shoes dragging as he walked. He was asleep by the time they made it out of the parking lot and Edge didn’t hesitate to let him sleep, carrying him carefully into the house and settling with him on the sofa, a blanket drawn over them both.

Normally, he wasn’t one for naps, especially not in the mid-morning. Today, he felt unexpectedly tired, all the worries of the past days seeping away and leaving exhaustion in its wake. His normal urges to be moving, working or cleaning or cooking, abandoned him, and Edge settled on the sofa with his sleeping husband in his arms, holding him close. Drowsing in the pocket of shared warmth beneath the blanket.

He couldn’t say how long he slept when he heard the soft click of the unlocked door, the almost silent footsteps. Edge didn’t opened his sockets as he called on his magic, flexing his fingers beneath the blanket as he reached out to turn his brother’s soul blue and lifted.

When he turned to look, Red was dangling in the air like a marionette, a sharp grin on his face. He tipped his head towards the door, one brow bone raised and Edge frowned, lowering Red to the floor before carefully pulling away from Stretch. Who murmured discontentedly, his face scrunching unhappily at the loss of warmth. Edge pressed a kiss to his skull and whispered a soft promise to return. Likely it went unheard but Stretch still settled with a sigh, burrowing into the blanket

Red was sitting on the steps when Edge walked out, an unlit cigar clenched in his teeth, “how’s the honey bun.”

Ah, of course. If there was one person Red had difficulty getting intel from it was Alphys, and they’d been in her office to talk.

There was a small, petty temptation to let his brother squirm a bit for the answer, but Edge resisted it, “He’ll be all right. His HP is recovering. She recommended he quit smoking.”

Red snorted loudly. “have fun with that.”

Edge didn’t think he imagined seeing a line of tension in Red’s shoulders relax. He’d been worried, Edge realized, far more than he would ever show or say, but enough to come by the moment he knew they had answers. Knowing that made a painful knot in Edge’s soul ease, a silent forgiveness for his brother keeping secrets from him about Stretch. Red did care about Stretch, he knew, past him simply being a precious liability for his brother. It was still nice to have it confirmed from time to time.

But it didn’t stop him from slapping Red on the back of the skull when he started lighting his cigar, hissing, “Do not smoke that near me!”

Red only grinned, unrepentantly, “yeah, yeah, get back in there with the honey bun. might want to get in your chucklefucks while you can, before the nicotine withdrawal hits.”

“Sans—“ Edge started to snarl, but he was talking to thin air, leaving him with no one to take his irritation out on. He blew out a sharp breath and shook his head, rubbing at his nasal bone to stave off an incipient brother-shaped headache.

Then he went back inside to take his brother’s advice.

-finis-

[lightgreyartgallery]

Tasteful Nudes Innuendo # LOVESONA RSVP HERE ••• February 22nd from 7-10pm at Light Grey Art Lab Free and open to the public Prepare your senses, and your heart, for a steamy collection of the suggestively quirky and the salaciously spicy. Like a sip of red wine on satin sheets, Light Grey Art Lab’s February exhibition promises to be a perfect event for a romantic rendezvous or self-love celebration. Concepts of love, the body, and art have always coexisted - with great emotion comes great art, and naturally, creators frequently work to find unique ways to express these complex and beautiful facets of being a human. The 3 new collections opening this February at Light Grey Art Lab feature an eclectic range of original illustrative works and artist produced goods, featuring the aesthetics of the figure, the humor of taboo, and a collection of illustrated dating profiles. Tasteful Nudes: The delicate curves of a body emerge through the settling dust of chalk pastel. The artist peers over their drawing board at a trusted model, reclining elegantly on their vintage lounge sofa. Their masterpiece is complete… An exploration capturing the inherent beauty of the human form. The Tasteful Nudes Exhibition includes 50+ creatives and is a celebration of the sensual, the subtle, and the sensory aspects of the human form. From sexy self-portraits and boudoir-esque paintings, to romantic reclining poses, to suggestive silhouettes, 'Tasteful' is the key word! Works include original drawings, digital illustrations, and more. Innuendo: It’s 7th period in high school, you’re in health class, and the teacher brings out the inevitable props… A banana, a donut, and all sorts of properly conservative allusions to the body. The class snickers, and for the rest of the day, innuendos are passed from friend to friend under the probing ears of the teachers. Innuendo is a collaborative exhibition of artwork and goods featuring playful allusions to the lewd and salacious. The 80 featured artists have come together for Light Grey Art Lab’s yearly swap event, in which each artist creates enough of their chosen artwork or object to share with their fellow exhibitors. Participants have created a range of limited edition art objects including pins, postcards, stickers, zines, patches and more that dance around taboo subjects with humorous imagery. Limited quantities of each item will also be available during the opening reception and on Light Grey Art Lab’s online store. # LOVESONA: Are you a creative, looking to get out of the studio and into the Dating Sphere? Do you have a creative friend who would be a perfect partner, and you want to let the world know? Introducing # Lovesona! This February, we want to put a spotlight on the beautiful and unique singles that make up the creative community. Creatives have a unique way of looking at the world and themselves, and we want to celebrate what makes them great partners. Participants in the # Lovesona project draw a portrait of themselves or a creative friend, write a bio about their/their friends’ deepest passions and interests, and then post it with the hashtag # lovesona! Along with these profiles, we’ll also be creating interactive content and activities on the Lovesona instagram, to help people dive deeper into what makes their Lovesona unique. Throughout the month of February, Light Grey will be reposting these profiles on our @my.lovesona instagram, where we hope people will connect and, who knows, maybe even fall in love... Tasteful Nudes Artists: Lillian Duermeier, Carmen Chow, Rachel Quast, Christine Griffin, Varsam Kurnia, Kring Demetrio, Grace Kim, Patricia Thomasson, Kristin Vogel, Kristen Acampora, Ashley Floréal, Sarah Hudkins, Paige Carpenter, Jesse Lindhorst, Reiko Murakami, Gica Tam, Chelsea Harper, Chrissy Curtin, Cleonique Hilsaca, Shelby Hacker, Aimee Fleck, Laura Galli, Caroline Dougherty, Ejiwa Ebenebe, Chelsea Marquette, Sandra Brandstätter, Rafael Mayani, Jo Yeh, Diana Van Damme, seosamh, Christopher Hegland, Kristin Siegel-Leicht, Sara Pace, Helen Mask, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Tidawan Thaipinnarong, Lydia Guadagnoli, Savannah Schroll Guz, JB Casacop, Jasmin Dreyer, Jimmy Malone, Jess Schultz, Micaela Dawn, Adriana Bellet, Lucas Durham, Stephen Wood, Saleha Chowdhury, Nadia Rausa, Sheena Klimoski, Victoria Roden, Natalie Shaw, Primary Hughes, Calvin A. Innuendo Artists: Ama Teibel, Andrea Pereira, Angela Bardakjian, Anne Passchier, Anouk van der Meer, Ashley Nordan, B. Mure, Bomani McClendon, Brian Gilman, Caroline Dougherty, Carson McNamara, Cassandra Mazur, Caytlin Collins, Cecilia Palacios, Chelsea Harper, Chrissy Curtin, Christopher Payne, Claire Kho, Clarisse Tanjo, Crystal Chang, Dani McCole, Deena So'Oteh, Derek Meier, Diogo Lando, Elam Bonebright, Elizabeth Jean Younce, Em Roberts, Emily C., Francisco Santoyo, Gabriela Lutostanski, Hallye Webb, Heidi Phelps, Hunaid Taj, Isabela Cruz, Jaime Chong, James Turowski, Jamie Loughran, Jennifer Bilton, Jenny Wells, JK Phan, Josh McKenzie, Joy San, Kaley McCabe, Karen Krajenbrink, Kashmira Sarode, Kels Lund, Kendall Quack, Lachlan Herrick, Laura Loch, Lauren Franklin, Leon Lee, Lillian Duermeier, Lindsay Tebeck, Lucinda Wei, Lucy Comer, M. Amneus, Molly Stanard, Patricia Thomasson, Raven Jones, Rose Bousamra, Sage Coffey, Sam Sherrill, Savannah Schroll Guz, Scott Michael Walling, Shafer Brown, Shannon Kao, Siyin Tse, Susan Lin, Sydney Long, Tasli Shaw, Valerie Von Rubio, Vicky Leta, Yessenia Rodriguez, Yetunde Ekuntuyi Featured # LOVESONA Artists: Gica Tam, Alison Kreitzberg, Yinfan Huang, Caroline Dougherty, Chelsea Marquette, Blok Magnaye, Charis Loke, Xiao Qing Chen, Camille Chew, Iris Monahan (creating profile for a friend), Lindsay Nohl (creating profile for a friend), Kelalani Jankowski, Alex Conkins, Daniel Shaffer, Theo Stultz, Victoria Pickford, Niky Motekallem, Cristina Vanko, Sherry He, Victoria Skellan, Edie Voges

[weasal]

dear weasal,

haha. i like that. stinky: poos; soft: fur. as you said, such is life.

i was going to make a joke about the humpy looking around for its old pal nessie, but i don’t know if it would have been funny (tada, i’m terribly awkward). i’m glad the whale was able to visit briefly; i hope it had a great time seeing the sights. i hear Scotland is lovely.

what! that sounds amazing. i would probably be holding back tears, too. i’m quick to tears around majestic things. orcas. tigers. clexa.

haha, i may have misspoke. i suppose there are areas where people can spot cetaceans like dolphins and whales. i’ve just never seen them myself, since i’m from the highland area, elevated quite high from the sea.

most of them were tame, or posed little threat. i think the only animals that really scared me were the eagle, crocodile, and python. there’s one animal we didn’t have which i wish we did:

i have to admit i’ve never seen buffy! i didn’t grow up with a tv, so i missed TV from the 90s-00s. i should probably get around to seeing it though.

oh that’s so exciting! i was able to go to clexacon this year; a fandom friend from my brittana days loaned me the funds for airfare and stay. sadly though, i won’t be able to go to next year’s clexacon, since i’m still slowly paying back for the first one haha. but that’s life. i did get to meet amy and sarah, they are so incredibly sweet. i hope you have an incredible time!

ships! hmmm. my first real ship was brittana. then i got pretty into hollstein, then korrasami, then shoot, and then clexa. i’m clexa trash pretty much forever. i do like this pair, too:

will you be going to the london clexacon?

till next time,

santa 🎄

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

i mean.....to be honest i can’t believe i DIDN’T make the nessie joke. wrong loch though to be fair. nessie resides much farther north in loch ness, which is NOT a sea loch so chances of interacting with whales: slim to none. although being a mystical creature, who the fuck knows. i guess there’s no rules on that one. 

wow, the collective tears shed on clexa. they could fill a loch! 

i think you’re definitely allowed to be scared of coming into close contact with crocodiles and pythons! i just like to admire them from a distance. i’ve seen some enormous crocs in the wild in australia and they are frankly terrifying. ancient dinosaurs that will tear you to pieces in a heartbeat! 

no tv growing up! that is unusual to hear. but probably so much better for little developing brains! i assume from your interest in fandom that you’ve made up for it now. yes to the san junipero honeyz! i love them. 

that’s awesome you got yourself to clexacon. did you have the best time? what was your favourite part? i’m very excited to go and to be silly on our booth and to do some fun stuff for the podcast. and i can’t wait to meet up with friends again and to meet a whole load of others. and to see my other wife shahi of course. that’s probably the main thing ;). did you get a pic with them? 

as for london clexacon - it’s so far off that we can’t make any commitment about it right now. need to get vegas done and dusted first! but...never say never. how about you?

[bobby-singers-library]

A Whirlwind Romance Chapter 20

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1   Chapter 19

Chapter Master List

Read on my AO3

It was 8am the next morning and Jo was trying to get Will ready to go, the little boy couldn't decide what he wanted to bring. Jo had already gotten him dressed and packed a couple sets of his clothes in her bag. Now she was just trying to get him to pick only two of his stuffed animals to come with them, one to carry and one to go in the bag.

Once he finally choose to pack his raggity bunny and carry the floppy dog she was able to close the bag up and take Will and herself downstairs for a quick breakfast. She made sure he ate, even though he was so excited he could hardly sit still.

“Are we gonna swim in the loch?” asked Will as he picked up a piece of toast.

“I'm not sure, baby boy. I think it might be too cold.” Jo responded as she ran a hand over his hair.

“Ok,” he said with a pout, “Why you aren't eating?” he asked.

“I have a nervous stomach.” she smiled at him, “I've never been to a castle before, do you think I'll like it?”

“Uh huh.” he nodded and smiled at her. “Nana is there,” he said pleased.

“Nana?” asked Jo confused.

The little boy nodded “She is big fluffy puppy, like in Peter Pan.”

“Oh I see. Well I look forward to meeting her.” she smiled at him, wondering what kind of dog it was, “Are there other animals?”

“Yeah, sheeps and cows.” he said seriously.

“Great,” Jo smiled.

Crowley walked in the door, “Hey, there's my favorite people, are you two ready to go?” he asked as he snagged a piece of toast from the table.

“Yeah, I left the bag by the door. I just put his stuff in my bag there was plenty of room.” replied Jo as she tilted her head up so he could kiss her on the lips.

Crowley dropped her a quick peck, “Sounds good. We should head out.”

“Is Bobby here yet?” Jo asked worriedly.

“He just came in, he ran upstairs to change and get his bag, he said it would only take a minute.” replied Crowley with a smirk.

“I can't believe he stayed out all night.” Jo shook her head.

“I know, we should ground him.” Crowley said as he dusted off Will's face and picked him up.

Jo laughed, “Maybe we should, he's been a bad boy.”

“Whose been a bad boy?” asked Bobby as he came up to them near the front door.

Jo grinned at him, “You, mister stayed out all night with some woman!”

Bobby looked embarrassed, “Yeah well....” he shrugged and walked out the front door with his bag pulled behind him. Jo and Crowley grinned at each other and followed.

When they got to the airport Jo was worried about security checks and being on time, when she mentioned it Grandfather just chuckled, “We won't have to go through security, we make a lot of trips to Scotland, so we invested in a small private jet, a Challenger 300, just for travel within UK.” He smiled at her.

Jo and Bobby shot each other looks, as they were led out a door and to a small jet that had the door open and a staircase coming out of it, the pilot was already there waiting for them. They loaded onto the jet and buckled in to the light gray leather seats. Jo found it was a lot different riding in a small jet then a large one. It was nice being able to get up and move around during the flight, Will spent most of the flight running up and down the plane and crawling into peoples laps to look out their windows. Bobby fell asleep pretty quick with his hat pulled over his eyes, Jo thought he was pretending to get out of talking to anyone about the night before, because whenever she saw Will jump and Bobby's lap he would put a steadying hand on the little boy.

They got to Scotland in a little over an hour and when they exited the airport there was two cars waiting for them. They loaded themselves into the vehicles and enjoyed the scenic drive to Dunvegan Castle. They came through the woods and suddenly there was a clearing with a parking lot. They parked and piled out of the cars. Grandfather motioned for everyone to follow him, they walked to one end of the lot, and there across a short bridge was the castle.  Will was already halfway across and heading for the entrance. Before he made it to the entrance the front doors opened and a man and woman came out. The woman was dressed in work clothes, like she had just came from working outside, the man was wearing a traditional kilt with a work shirt and jacket.

“Finally made it, did you, M'lords?” he asked in a thick accent.

“Aye, we did, and quite happy to be home!” Called Grandfather. “Meet the new lady!” said Grandfather happily as he gestured to Jo.

“Oh, hello, I'm Joanna.” Jo smiled and came forward to shake his hand.

“I'm Alban Macleod and this is my wife Cairistiona. We're the caretakers of the castle.” he said as he shook her hand.

“It's nice to meet you,” Jo said as she then took Cairistiona's hand. “I've never heard that name before, it's beautiful,” she said to Cairistiona.

“Aye, it's a Scottish variant of Christine.” smiled Cairistiona as she shook Jo's hand. “You can just call me Cairi everyone does.”

“So are you cousins or?” asked Jo

“Somewhere along the line we are, there are a lot of us Macleods you know.” laughed Alban.

Everyone moved into the castle, as they walked in there was a grand wood staircase that led down into the castle and two side hallways that led to different wings. The walls were a a gray blue color, and on the walls hung painting of family members. Alban took Grandfathers suitcase and walked with him in one direction, while Cairi nodded her head and went back out the door. Roderick headed down into the castle, to do what Jo didn't know. Crowley motioned for her and Bobby to follow him. He scooped up Will and they followed him to a set of stairs that went up. Once they made it to a hallway and Bobby was shown a room, they continued on a couple of doors before Crowley stopped at one and opened it. He flipped on the lights and motioned for Jo to go in first.

She walked in the room to look around. There was a large bed with a carved wood headboard, there were thick wool rugs on the wood floor, there was a wooden dress and armoire, she could see a door so she went to that, inside was a modestly sized bathroom. As she looked around Crowley set Will down. “Open the curtains,” he smiled at Jo.Jo glanced around and realized there were heavy curtains on the far side of the room. She pulled them opened and gasped. You could see the Loch Dunvegan and rolling hills beyond. It was a beautiful day so the water was blue and hills looked bright green, you could see cottages and sheep dotting the landscape. Jo turned and smiled at him, “It's beautiful.” she smiled and turned back around to look more. Will tugged her hand, so she bent down to pick him up so he could look out as well. Crowley came over to join them, he put an arm around her waist. “If you want, I thought we could go do a seal tour?” he said smiling.

Will bounced in her arms and clapped, while Jo scrunched her eyebrows, “A seal tour?” she asked turning to look at him.

He grinned, “It's very popular, the seals are here at this time of year. There are also fishing tours.”

Jo smiled happily, “That sounds wonderful, I always wanted to go to the wharf in San Francisco to see seals and sea lions.”

“It's better here.” Crowley said with a smirk. Jo rolled her eyes but thought he was probably right.

After a fun day out on the Loch looking at seals and walking along the waters edge Jo was exhausted. She and Will took a nap in her and Crowley's room while Crowley went to spend some time in the office/library with the other men. Several hours later Crowley made his way back to the bedroom to wake Jo and Will. He shook them awake, they needed to get ready for the small welcoming party that was set to start in about an hour. It wasn't a large affair, just 25 distant family members/land holders who lived in the area and were close to the family, they would be introduced to Jo as his future wife, have dinner, then drinks in the larger family room.

Jo moaned and groaned but she got up. She took a quick shower while Crowley took Will to his room to dress him for the evening. Jo had decided while at Albion Highland that she would do a more informal look for the party, it wasn't a huge formal affair so she could get away with it. She put on a dress from Anthropologie she had gotten a few days before. It was black velvet and form fitting. It went just past her knees, and the sleeved went around her biceps leaving her shoulders bare. She paired it with a pair of lace up, high heeled boots in the loud Macleod tartan pattern she had found at Albion Highland. Then she placed a matching loud Macleod Tartan sash over her right shoulder, it went across her chest and back to meet on her left hip where she pinned it with a round broach sporting the family crest, which was a belt in a circle with a bulls head in the center inscribed with 'Hold Fast' the family motto.

Once she was done with that she clipped her hair up half way, so it would be out of her face, but still hang down her back. She got the Scottish seed pearl parure out of her bag. She opened it and started putting the pieces on. First she pinned the hair piece on, she put it towards the bun she had made at the top of her head, then she put the earring in, then came the necklace, which was much lighter then the last one she wore, lastly she put on the bracelets, one on each wrist. There was also a small broach but she didn't know where she could put it, so she left it in the box.

Crowley walked in as she was checking her appearance in the mirror, he smiled at seeing her in his family colors. “You look lovely, darling.”

Jo turned to him and smiled, “The shoes aren't too much?” she asked looking down at the bright yellow tartan boots that matched her sash.

Crowley laughed, “No, just expect all the ladies to ask where you got them,” he said giving her a quick kiss before he opened the armoire to get his own outfit out for the night.

Jo smiled, pleased, before sitting on the bed to watch him get dressed. He took off all of his clothes including underwear, he put on a crisp white shirt before picking up his kilt (in the same Loud Macleod tartan as Jo was wearing) and wrapping it around his waist and buckling it at his side. He sat down on the bench at the end of the bed and pulled on his black kilt hose (which looked like knee socks to Jo), he fastened garters and yellow flashes just below his knee and folded the top of the hose down over the garter so just the flashes were showing, hanging on either side of his legs. He then put on his shoes (called brogues Jo had learned) and tied those. He stood up and picked up his sporran and attached that to the front of his kilt. With that done he grabbed a pin that looked like the one Jo had used on her sash and pinned it to the bottom of his kilt, below it in his right sock he slipped a small knife.

“I didn't get a knife.” said Jo with a pout.

Crowley looked at her and smiled, “It's traditional.” he grinned, “But I have another one if you want to slip it in your boot?”

Jo smiled and nodded, “I would love that.”

Crowley opened the top drawer of the dresser and pulled another small knife out handing it to her, she immediately slipped it into her right boot so only the handle would show. “Very nice.” grinned Crowley. He quickly put his black vest on and buttoned it, then added his black dress jacket on top. Crowley held his arms out when he was done, “What do you think?” he asked.

“You look....surprisingly hot.” said Jo considering him, “I wasn't sure about the kilt, but I really like it...and....your not wearing underwear. Which is kind of doing things to me.” she said with a flirty smirk.

Crowley laughed and stepped closer to her to wrap his arms around her and press them together, “Traditionally you don't wear underwear with a kilt, if you did then it would just be a skirt.”

Jo laughed then leaned forward to kiss him briefly before pulling back. “We should take a picture of us, we match.” said Jo happily as she went to the bed to find where she tossed her phone.

Crowley shook his head in amusement but didn't disagree. They stood in front of the mirror together and took a couple of pictures, trying to get one where you could see both their outfits.

Just when they were done taking pictures the door squeaked open and Will came in, he was dressed in the exact same outfit as Crowley, only in miniature. Jo couldn't help herself from gushing about how cute he was, she made them take a couple more pictures with Will in them before they headed downstairs to start meeting guests.

Jo was surprised at how regal her Macleod men could look while wearing what she always equated to a skirt. But they made it look good. Even Bobby looked good in his (he had chosen the common Macleod tartan), he seemed rather uncomfortable at times but Jo thought he pulled it off. She made sure to snap a couple of pictures of him, Crowley, Roderick, Will, and Grandfather all standing together. She wanted to make sure she had proof to show everyone back home.

Everyone gathered in the large dining room to have dinner, there were people coming in and out serving food, Jo wondered if they always worked here or had just been hired for the night, but there never seemed to be a good time to ask Crowley. The main course at dinner was fish, Jo assumed it came from the Loch. She liked it, and ate plenty of it along with the vegetables that were served. There was a lot of ale going around, which she had taken a sip of and decided she wasn't going to drink. When one of the waitresses (Jo didn't know what else to call them) asked her if she wanted something else to drink she had asked if they had any soda, the girl brought her something bright orange in a glass, when she asked what it was the girl had said Irn-Bru. Jo had just smiled and said thank you. She took a sniff of it, it smelled like cream soda, she shrugged and took a sip of it. It was definitely carbonated, but it was hard to tell what it tasted like, vaguely orange and cream was the best she could figure. She drank the whole glass of it over the course of dinner and she still wasn't sure she liked it.

Once dinner was over the whole party moved to a large sitting room, there were couches and chairs and two fire places. At some point Jo got separated from Crowley and ended up with a group of ladies sitting around one of the fireplaces. They were asking her all sorts of questions about her life in America, then they moved on to asking her about meeting Crowley. One of the older ladies who had remained quiet but had been watching Jo closely finally spoke, as soon as she opened her mouth all the other ladies went silent, “Aren't you a little young for our Crowley?” she asked in a serious tone.

Jo raised an eyebrow, maybe she was sensitive to the subject because of the fuss her mother was making, but she wasn't about put up with it from anyone else, “No, I'm not.” Jo said in a firm voice.

The older lady raised an eyebrow, “Then you are blessed to be older then you look? How old are you?”

“I'm 25. But we love each other very much so our ages don't matter.” Jo starred the older woman down, not looking away or shrinking from her intense look.

“Well, you've got back bone that's for sure. None of my daughters-in-law have ever managed to stare me down like you have!” she laughed. “You'll make a fine match for him, he needs a woman who won't bend under pressure.” she smiled at Jo.

The tension in the group broke and all the ladies laughed and started talking again. Jo felt like she had just passed some test but she wasn't sure. She looked down suddenly when she felt a small hand touch her knee. Will was standing next to her rubbing his eyes. She gave him a soft smile, it was past his bed time. She pulled him up into her lap and let him cuddle into her. She rubbed his back, lulling him to sleep quickly.

When Jo glanced up from him she noticed all the other ladies were watching her with smiles. She grinned back at them. “He's tired. Past his bed time.” She chatted with them awhile longer, the sound of her voice not disturbing Will in the slightest. By midnight all the guests were gone and Will had been put to bed, a shaggy bearded collie named Nana beside him.

The next day Crowley spent taking Jo and Bobby around on a tour with Will and Nana not far behind, or ahead depending on what they were doing. The more they saw the more Jo fell in love with the place. Crowley took them to the gardens where they lazily walked around the paths,and over the little bridges, Jo was especially taken with the waterfalls.

They were sitting on a bench together watching Will and Nana playing in front of the large greenhouse, “I think we should get married here.” said Jo leaning against him with a smile on her face. “It's so beautiful here, I love it so much.”

Crowley grinned at her, “Really? You would want to do that?”

“Yes, definitely.” she pressed closer to him.

“That hasn't happened in a long time, a Duke or future Duke actually marrying here. I think it was my great grandparents.” he speculated.

“Really? Your parents didn't?” she asked.

“No, they married in London. At the time the castle wasn't in as good a condition as it is now. In the 90's we had a lot of restorations done, as well as putting in the gardens.”  he replied.

“Is it nice here in the winter?” she asked,

“There is snow, it can get cold, but I like it. I always loved coming here for Christmas. Why?” he wondered.

“I thought, maybe a December wedding.” She pulled back to smile at him, “What do you think?”

He grinned at her and pulled her close to kiss her gently on the mouth before pulling away to press their foreheads together, “That sounds perfect.” he smiled.

“Great! Now we can start planning,” she replied happily. Crowley groaned and Jo elbowed him in the side laughing when he grunted. “For now though, we should take Will down to the Loch. We promised him.” Crowley nodded.

AN: http://www.dunvegancastle.com/

Dunvegan Castle is on the Isle of Skye and is the traditional residence of the Macleod family. Check out the link, it is an amazing place. It is open to the public, I think it would be amazing to visit!

@gettinjoyful   @wholita   @roxy-davenport

[dramyhsturgis]

Halloween Countdown 2017,  Day 18

Now it's list time! Here are my picks for the spooky podcasts you don't want to miss this Halloween.

In no particular order...

*  Welcome to Night Vale: It's TheNerdyBlogger's fault that I'm addicted to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast (and its wonderfully weird related books, as well). This is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, an omnipotent Glow Cloud (All hail!), and cultural events. Think Lake Woebegone meets Stephen King. Just for kicks, I’m decorating this post with quotes from the podcast.

(Note: I also recommend checking out the other podcasts from Night Vale Presents, as well!)

* Astonishing Legends: This podcast's mission is to take a look at legendary, strange, and unusual events from history and interview people who’ve had close encounters with the unexplained. Hosts Scott and Forrest strive to bring you everything that’s entertaining about those stories and remind you that it’s okay to laugh at scary stories -- and, respectfully, even the people that tell them. That said, this is a serious and skeptical podcast. Put your headphones on, settle in for your commute, and get ready to experience a show like nothing you’ve ever heard before. I discovered this podcast while looking for more analyses of the Dyatlov Pass mystery, and I was hooked. My favorite series of episodes thus far focuses on the Somerton Man mystery. If you could have drinks with the Lone Gunmen, I'd expect the discussion would sound a bit like this podcast. (That's a compliment, if you were wondering.) Right now they’re covering the Bell Witch. (Too cool!) You remember the Bell Witch, right?

* The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast: In each weekly podcast, Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer discuss a specific H.P. Lovecraft story – what it’s about, how it reads, why it may have been written and what other works of art it’s influenced. Since concluding Lovecraft���s stories, they’ve been covering other weird fiction that inspired the author, mostly those referenced in his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature." They regularly have talented guest readers and contributing composers for their music sections. The majority of the Lovecraft episodes are free. Three of the four monthly episodes are now subscription-only, but they are well, well worth the modest cost. And October is for werewolves! * Saturday Frights: TheNerdyBlogger put this on my radar, and I'm grateful! Each week the co-hosts discussed a particular horror movie or horror-themed TV episode from the Retroist Vault for your listening enjoyment. Unfortunately, the show is no longer in production, but there are still 63 episodes in the archive that are well worth your time and guaranteed to put you in the Halloween mood. 

* Interference by Eric Luke: Another of my brilliant former graduate students, April, suggested this to me, and it's sublime. Don't miss this! The podiobook unfolds in twenty-four episodes, and then it's done. Described as "an experiment in audio horror" (oh yeah!), here's the tantalizing blurb: "SOMETHING wants in. To your head. Through this audiobook. Ethan, a digital sound engineer in Los Angeles, becomes aware that his life is unraveling when the audiobook he's listening to reveals his deepest, darkest secrets, escalating until the narrator addresses him directly, threatening to destroy him from within. Vivian, a single mother running an antique store in San Francisco, listens to her audiobook to distract herself from missing her young daughter, but is shaken when the narrative is interrupted by her daughter's voice, faintly calling for help. Ethan and Vivian are drawn together as they fight to solve a generation-spanning conspiracy that begins with a boy listening to the Orson Welles broadcast of War of the Worlds in 1938 and evolves through the latest innovations in digital technology..." I love how the individual weird tales link together into a spooky, intense, and deeply humane conclusion. * Rippercast: The Whitechapel Murders Podcast: This is a treat for those of you who are interested in the history of forensics, true crime, Victorian England/London, etc. A roundtable of author/academic presenters, co-hosts, and special guests discuss topics related to the Whitechapel Murders, Jack the Ripper, Victorian British history, true crime, and whatever else suits their fancy. Lately the podcast has been sharing the monthly scholarly talks recorded at the London meetings of the Whitechapel Society 1888 and at various international conferences focused on related themes, as well as the “10 Weeks in Whitechapel” series. If you want to hear the latest in research from those who literally wrote the books on their respective topics related to Jack the Ripper's times and context, you'll want to listen. * Kat & Curt's TV Re-View: This podcast began with brilliant bloggers Curtis Weyant and Katherine Sas introducing Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who to each other, watching one episode of each per week, sharing fannish delight and critical analysis. Curt, a long-time Whedon devotee and scholar, introduced the show to Kat, and analytical Whovian Kat acquainted Curt with the Doctor. Now Angel and Battlestar Galactica have been added to the mix. Join Kat and Curt for a journey through time, space, and Sunnydale as they battle demons, aliens, and the inscrutable process of creating quality narrative television.

* Tales to Terrify: This weekly audio magazine is one of StarShipSofa's siblings in the District of Wonders. I'm terribly saddened to say that we lost our friend and comrade, author and host Larry Santoro ("the Vincent Price of podcasts!"). He is greatly missed. But the podcast continues to soldier (lurch? stagger? insert your scary verb here) on in his memory. It includes the best of contemporary horror fiction and nonfiction. It was my distinct honor to represent TTT last year at the Hugo Awards Ceremony, where it was a finalist for the Best Fancast Award. (In addition, have narrated three haunting stories for this podcast. Follow the links to hear my reading of “After the Ape” by Stephen Volk, my reading of “Jewels in the Dust” by Peter Crowther, and my reading of “Payback” by P.D. Cacek.)

* Lovecraft eZine Podcast: This is the podcast version of the wonderful and weekly live show produced by the incomparable Lovecraft eZine. Listen as stellar guests discuss cosmic horror, weird fiction, Lovecraftian horror, the Cthulhu Mythos, and related topics.

* Pseudopod: One of the oldest horror podcasts and still one of the very best, Pseudopod presents fine short horror in audio form weekly. Do not miss this podcast! * MonsterTalk: This is the science show about monsters — a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and werewolves. Hosted by Blake Smith and Dr. Karen Stollznow, MonsterTalk interviews the scientists and investigators who shine a spotlight on the things that go bump in the night. The episode airing dates average out to mean a new show once a month, sometimes more. (Thanks to ankh_hpl for introducing me to this great show.) * Classic Tales: Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley: what's not to love? This is a fantastic weekly podcast featuring B.J. Harrison's unabridged readings of great — and often haunting and Halloween-friendly — fiction. * Atlanta Radio Theatre Company: Founded in 1984, ARTC is a staple at venues such as Dragon*Con and has a standing program year-round, performing adaptations of works by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and H.G. Wells live. ARTC podcasts its fantastic productions. * Skeptoid: This podcast shines the lights of logic and reason into the dark shadows. Each weekly episode focuses on a single phenomenon — an urban legend, a paranormal claim, etc. — that you may have heard of, and it explains the factual scientific reality. To put it another way, we the listeners are Fox Mulder, and Skeptoid kindly serves as our Dana Scully.

And here are some more recent lists for you!

* 13 Creepy Podcasts Just in Time for Halloween

* The Best Spooky Podcasts to Get You Ready for Halloween

* The Top 10 Scary Podcasts to Get You in a Spooky Mood

 Now it's your turn. What other spooky podcasts do you recommend?

[thehikingviking]

Mt Humphreys (13,986 ft) via Southwest Couloir & Northwest Face

The first time I visited Bishop I was in awe with the intimidating monolith standing just east of town. At first, I thought the mountain I was looking at was a 14er, only to find out later that it stood a few feet shy of 14,000 ft. I learned this peak was called Mt Humphreys and was on of the 15 Emblem Peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. I also learned there was no easy up, with the least technical route to the summit being class 4. For years this peak seemed above my abilities, so I continued growing my skill set and I waited for the right team. Several years and many hikes later, I received an email from the California Mountaineering Club notifying me of an outing up Mt Humphreys. I jumped on this opportunity and signed up immediately.

We all met at the North Lake trailhead parking lot at 6:30AM on Saturday morning. The participants were Ron Webber, Anson Brune, Araz Yacoiubian, and Asaka Takahashi and myself. Asaka and I slept in my Jeep at the trailhead, so we rolled out of our mobile bed and got our gear together. We left a little after 7:30AM and made our way towards Piute Pass at 11,400 ft.

We passed by Loch Leven on our way up the gradual trail. Here I learned that loch was the Scottish word for lake. Now Loch Ness made a lot more sense. I think the largest animal in this loch was a six inch brookie. 

The loch was about a quarter mile long, and the trail traveled along its northern shore.

The trail wound through several small glacier carved meadows on the way to Piute Lake.

Piute Lake was slightly larger than Loch Leven and extremely pristine.

We were making quick progress in terms of elevation gain. It then occurred to me that our trailhead elevation was very high by Eastern Sierra standards. At almost 9,400 ft, the elevation gain needed to reach the pass was only about 2,000 ft, which is very moderate compared to other approaches, such as the 6,000 ft needed to gain Shepherd Pass.

Before reaching the pass, we had to climb through a short snowfield. There was already a boot pack in the snow, and crampons were definitely not needed.

After reaching the pass, we took a nice long break. Further west along the trail was summit lake.

To the north was the tip of Mt Humphreys.

To our south was Muriel Peak.

I was impressed by a couple of young ladies who ran all the way up to the pass. It seemed like just a weekend exercise jog. I’m not much of a runner, but I think Asaka may be able to accomplish such a feat one day. After our break, we left the trail and headed north into the Humphreys Basin. 

For being off trail, the walking was very easy compared to most other areas in the range. This basin appears to have been smoothed over by glaciers, as opposed to the many talus and boulder fields seen on most Sierra Nevada peaks.

I stopped at a crystal clear tarn to photograph Mt Humphreys’ southwest face.

Somewhere to the northeast was Checkered Demon, a bonus peak I was considering.

Although it was late in the year, there was still plenty of snow covering the tarns we planned to camp at. We set up our tent at a small flat area near a water source at around 12,000 ft. The base of Mt Humphreys was only a few hundred yards away from our camp.

The hike in was easier than expected and we had plenty of daylight. We discussed the possibility of climbing Mt Humphreys that afternoon, but I knew that would be overzealous. My alternate proposal was to attempt the obscure Checkered Demon (13,121 ft), so we all decided to head west and try the bonus peak. I got in trouble because I promised Asaka that we would swim that afternoon. I did not expect the tarns to still be frozen over this late in August. This led to a big fight, with her claiming that we never do what she wants to do. I condescendingly told her she could swim in the frozen tarn if she wanted to. With all this talk about droughts and global warming, I did not expect such conditions. I was embarrassed because I was the one who wanted to climb Checkered Demon the most, yet I was last leaving camp because I was busy fighting with Asaka, She did not want to leave camp, and I really wanted her to come. I told the others to go ahead, and after some more whining she finally agreed to come along.

This little known 13er was only a mile from camp, but the distance walked was further since we had to circumvent the snow and tarns along the way.

We made it to the final skinny tarn below the peak at 12,346 ft. and from here we started climbing the western slopes of the peak. The key here is to stay north of the peak until reaching the ridge. This will keep the climb class 2 until arriving on top of the ridgeline.

From the ridgeline, the climbing became class 3 as we headed south towards the summit. The last move was exposed but exhilarating.

We all eventually made it to the top, with me and Asaka arriving first, and Araz arriving last.

Our camp was somewhere in Humphreys Basin below.

The following day’s objective stood above us to the northwest.

We carefully climbed back down, and arrived back at camp around 7pm.

he next morning we started at sunrise. We headed north until reaching the southwest slope of Mt Humphreys. From here we aimed for the triangular shaped rock sticking out of the boulder field.

Once at the rock, we continued climbing north until reaching a chute with a chock stone, which sliced up the mountain towards the left.

There was one class 3 move to get into the chute, but once we were inside it was a class 2 slog all the way to the saddle.

There was one patch of snow along the way which we easily bypassed on the rocks to the left.

At the saddle I paused to take in the views. There were two other young climbers here who were about to bail. You could tell one of them wanted to continue, but the other didn’t feel comfortable climbing any further. We invited the willing climber to join us, while the other agreed to wait at the saddle. To the north stood Mt Tom and Basin Mountain in the foreground, with the White Mountains across Owens Valley in the background. 

The Humphreys Basin remained to our south. The peak that caught my eye the most was Mt Darwin, with it’s Whitney-esque shape. 

The northwest face however demanded the majority of my attention and focus. 

We put on our harnesses then started ascending the northwest face. The class 2 soon turned into a class 3 wash like crack, which we followed until reaching a vertical wall.

Here was the first “class 4” section. Every climber has their own definition of what is class 4, but in my opinion this pitch was class 3. There was one semi-difficult move to get onto a crack, and from there the holds were excellent. Ron led the pitch and protected the route. Asaka and Araz followed on belay. Anson and I free climbed the section.

We then reached the second pitch of class 4, which I believe is adequately rated. Ron again led and protected this pitch, and this time everyone roped up and followed.

After this pitch, we got off belay and I led one more airy class 3 ridge until reaching safer ground.

We followed a class 2 route around to the other side of the summit block.

5 minutes later we were all standing on top.

To the northeast were Mt Tom, Basin Mountain and the White Mountains.

To the northwest were the Four Gables and the Little Lakes Valley area.

To the west were Desolation Lake and Pilot Knob.

To the southwest were Piute Canyon and the Glacier Divide.

To the south were many peaks, but the clearest to pick out were Mt Darwin and Mt Goddard.

To the southeast were Checkered Demon and Mt Emerson in the foreground, with the Palisade Crest in the background.

After enjoying the commanding summit views, we retraced our steps back down to the class 4 section.

We set an anchor above the final class 4 section and Anson was first to rappel. The rope ended up being 10 feet short, but Anson was luckily able to downclimb from where we was hanging. The anchor was reset lower at a pre-existing rappel station and everyone made it down safely.

The majority of the group set up another rappel station at the top of the class 3 section. Asaka and I found it much faster and easier to just down climb. We waited for the others at the notch.

We scrambled down the slopes and made it to camp much later than expected.

We cooked some food, cleaned up camp and headed back to Piute Pass.

Once we reached Piute Pass, the shadows started to drape over the canyon. I did a quick mental calculation and came to the realization that it was going to be a long day. To make things worse, I had to be in San Diego for work the next morning. I started running through several scenarios in my head. I could drive directly to San Diego and fly back, but then my car would be stuck down there. I could have Asaka drive my car back from San Diego, but that seemed unfair. It was too late to rent a car in Mammoth Lakes and drive down by myself. The only thing that made sense was for us to drive back to San Jose and after a short nap, hop on the first flight down south.

We walked the last couple miles in the dark. My feet were really aching, and Asaka left me in her dust. I was worried that she might walk off trail and get lost, as she has a tendency to just wander off into the forest sometimes. We made it to the cars slightly before 9PM.

It was a long day, but we were safe, successful and happy to be finished. We drove back to the Bay Area that night. Asaka and I switched off driving, and I slept as much as I could in the car. When I finally reached my bed I took another short nap. I woke up a couple hours later and made my Southwest flight. I was a zombie that day, but fulfilled my workplace duties. It’s better to do this stuff when you’re young. Needless to say, I will better plan my work and hiking trips in the future.

[ant1quarian]

UPDATED DUSTVERSE NAMES LIST

( With Creators/People who added the Dust to the OG post )

OG Dust

Belongs to Ask-Dusttale

Ash

BS!Dust. Belongs to @/absurdumsid.

Ruins

CV Dust. Belongs to @/askquellowsans

Remnant

Also known as Quellow. Belongs to @/askquellowsans

Flumen (And Dyst)

A Swap Sans who wears the clothes of a fallen "friend", Dyst.

Created by @/rushin-safire

Dusty Crumb

Belongs to @/kredena-dark

Has been corrected ✨

Discard

Also known as Voidface Dust, submitted by @/elizakai

Reject

Tall Dust, submitted by @/elizakai

Cinder

Femme Dust, belongs to @/elizakai

Debris

Idol Dust, designed by @/safwunnz, created by @/zucchiyeni

Wilt

Bald Dust, submitted by @/swiftmitsu

Sprinkle

Friendly Dust, @/dustsansm1 Dust, essentially, designed by @/absurdumsid

Non-romanceable. A content creator here on Tumblr.

Spread

BIB Dust, belongs to @/thelunarsystemwrites

Scraps

Saejun!Dust, belongs to @/absurdumsid

has been corrected ✨

Husks

Cap-wearing Dust, submitted by @/swiftmitsu

Mote

Detective Dust, belongs (I believe) to @/switchthedragon

Fos (Fossilz)

Fos/Fossilz Dust belongs to @/safwunnz

Pendulum

Time traveller Dust, belongs to @/ksopaz

has been corrected ✨

Detritus

Biblically Accurate Dust, belongs to @/elizakai

Olyu

Olyu, Error!Dust, belongs to @/glitchedcodez

Fracture

Ivan!Dust, belongs to @/absurdumsid

has been corrected ✨

Serial

Killer-Dust fusion, belongs to @/swiftmisu

Dander

Bitty bat Dust, belongs to @/mellybabbles

Erosion

Eldritch Dust, belongs to (/submitted by) @/wr-n

Smog

Smiles, submitted by @/elizakai

Pollen

Bitty Dust, submitted by @/createbellatheartist

Miasma

Brother Dust, belongs to @/elizakai

Haze

Drugdealer Dust that's constantly high and Built Different™, submitted by @/elizakai

Atrophy

Mr Feral McStabby, submitted by @/elizakai

Talc

Limbus Company Dust, belongs to @/tuxibirdie

Webs

Mttbs Dust, belongs to @/justanidiotartist

Malaise

Nun Dust, submitted by @/elizakai

Decay

Avian Dust, belongs to Me (@/ant1quarian)

Fallout

Witherborn Dust, belongs to Me (@/ant1quarian)

Soot

Mafiadust Sans, belongs to Me (@/antiquarian)

Molt

Flighteningtale Dust, belongs to @/dragon-tamer-1

Misery

Transfem Dust, belongs to @/mellybabbles

Mites

Middleschool (Cat?) Dust, belongs to @/inkcat1987

Residue

Magical Girl Duster, belongs to @/thelunarsystemwrites

Grit

BT!Dust (Goblin Dust), belongs to @/shadowy-suitcase-herring-neck

Fuzz

Cat Dust, belongs to @/squidiott

Corrosion

Underworld Society!Dust, submitted by @/absurdumsid, belongs to @/machicoasa625 on Twitter

Malicious (Mal)

Mind's Multiverse!Dust, belongs to @/solusminds

Specks

Glasses Dust, submitted by @/elizakai

Heather

Heathers!Dust, belongs to @/a-whispering-echo

Plague

Pestilence!Dust, belongs to @/a-whispering-echo

Murmur

Ghost!Dust, belongs to @/a-whispering-echo

Crow

EtherealDreamtale!Dust, belongs to @/fictionalshippingbean

Stain

Dust!Ink, submitted by me, belongs to Ssgt. Frost or Undriel

Burgundy

Dust!Fell, who was submitted by me, @/ant1quarian

Wraith

Festivalverse!Dust, belongs to @/meimeikyu

Rust

Fiend or Foe Dust, belongs to @/liliallowed

has been corrected ✨

Closure

GOD!Dust (essentially), belongs to @/liliallowed

Melancholy

Dust-Isabella (from Encanto), belongs to @/jadethetsu

Clutter

Dust!Swap Sans, belongs to me, technically @/ant1quarian

Stardust

Dust!Nebula, belongs to @/dzasterdumpterfire

Warden

Bodyguard!Dust, belongs to @/absurdumsid

Sleuth

Spy!Dust, belongs to @/ksopaz

Snore

Snorlax Dust, belongs to @rushin-safire /silly

Loch

Pirate!Dust, belongs to Me (@/ant1quarian)

Crimson and Ashley

Gender!Swap Dragon-esque AU, belongs to @/liliallowed

Treble

Colour!Dust, belongs to @/dzasterdumpterfire

Speckle

Little!Dust, belongs to @/thelunarsystemwrites

Reform

Ref!Dust, belongs to @/sans-wannabe-wife

Popsicle

Popsicle Dust, belongs to @/liliallowed

Harvest

Dust!Reaper Sans, belongs to @/ant1quarian, inspired and sorta designed by @/pika-pika-blog

Reign

Dust!Controltale Sans, belongs to @/ant1quarian

If I have missed any Dusts, simply comment on this post or mention me elsewhere or send me an ask, and your Dust will be added :]

( Also all tags are on this post )

Credit to every single creator and submitter that added to the Dustverse!

I think that's all I've got so far!

Anyone else who wants to add Dust's can send me an ask or interact with me in DM's, because it'll be open until the story eventually finishes! (will be literal years away-)

If I've got any credits incorrect, please do tell me so that I can fix it!