#Rescued from an Eagle's Nest

[littleblood]

[sayxit]

body within the soul

[meggydolaon]

I've been rather on and off again on FR so I figured I'd go finish my BE fan dragons before I inevitably slip into hiatus again :}

[juliesandothings]

Four from a book by John Baxter entitled Stunt: The Story of the Great Movie Stunt Men, Macdonald - London, 1973

Top: one component of King Kong

Second from Top: Baby and mechanical eagle in Rescued From the Eagle’s Nest, 1907

Second from Bottom: Charles Hutchinson jumps - Double Adventure

Bottom: stunt woman for Doris Day, going through a car wash in the film Move Over Darling from 1963 

[cannibalhellhound]

Wings AU character bits

Hi this is me trying to get a grip on writing again and getting the characters while also adding the wing bits.

Ice Harpy Eagle

Likes having long nails (harpy eagles have fuckin huge talons), keeps them shaped and neatly painted if he's in the mood when on leave

Likes to keep his nest cool and clean (comfy but practical)

Tall nesting! He always claims the top bunk! 

His childhood bedroom had one of those tall beds with a desk under them because he kept piling stuff up to sleep atop of them and it could fit multiple people 

Sad because Navy bunk beds are small :(

Strong as fuck (he's smaller than Sli but can bench press almost as much) (harpy eagles grab animals as big as them like sloths and carry them) (can carry others while flying if needed just not for lengthy flights)

Very keen eyesight so sunglasses for light sensitivity (maybe reading glasses for near sight focus? I like him with glasses)

Very good hearing (don't shit talk near him he'll definitely hear it)

Hair moves very slightly, similar to feathers (kinda like their facial disk and feather crest) 

*Baby feathers are almost all white with some light gray. They molt usually once a year (sometimes twice) and it takes 5 years to get the adult coloring 

Ice's stayed in a middle coloring and he got insecure. His mom suggested matching his hair and that's how the frosted tips came to exist :D

He's a provider by nature but his little sisters have made him very nurturing and affectionate too (Slider knows this firsthand and thinks it's hilarious how fussy Ice can get)(the others learn with time but first baby goose)

Leaves feathers around the house (perfectly placed thank you very much)

Slider Bearded Vulture

Lämmergeier means “Lamb vulture” (wrong because they don't prey on sheep but shhhhh).  Slider calls Maverick “Little lamb” as a joke because he loves annoying him and wants to eat him up

CAN ACTUALLY EAT BONES!!! (Bone soup is a thing!) Will chew on them till it's painful to watch and will take anyone's bones off their plates to pick the marrow off them

The bone dropping shows a lot in him just throwing stuff. He does it. A LOT.

He also likes to have a tennis ball around to fidget dropping it and catching it when it bounces

Has an actual nest bed. The mattress is on the harder side but it has a shit ton of blankets and pillows (to the point you can't feel the mattress)

There are old feathers around the nest tucked in between pillows (don't tell Ice!!) ⁠(⁠ ⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠-⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠ ⁠)

Very involved into the life of the ones he loves (helpful, affectionate, etc) (this includes parenting looks at baby goose)

His feathers only dye red when visiting his family or on vacation with family because they frequent iron rich waters (his mom loves her red feathers and looking at her baby look like her makes her teary eyed)

Maverick Peregrine Falcon

Very lightweight!!!

He's beauty, he's grace, he'll dive down and kick you in the face (literally, peregrine falcons kill prey by punching them with their closed talons when dividing)

Very keen reflexes (both at ground and on air), will grab anything you throw at him even if distracted

Very! Good! At courting!!!! (Looking at the beginning bar scene)

Small but comfy nest. Very soft and also bunk bed! is perfect

Has a favorite blanket that he will ALWAYS take everywhere, even on deployment 

Cracking his head fuckin open more than once as a kid because he's a menace and small and tried to dive from places he climbed (not his best idea)

crying because he's so small he can't carry goose after the accident and can just grab at him until they get rescued

Now this would be for trans! Mav

To everyone's surprise Mav is as big as he can get (Female birds of prey are bigger than males= bigger wingspan, human height is genetic so for avians is a bit mixed)

Wings don't allow binding (for obvious reasons) but kinesiology tape exists! 

He already used KTape before joining the navy and top surgery so he's used to just strutting around shirtless (we stan a short confident king! It's honestly so freeing to tape and be shirtless I might just leave him pre surgery for next fanart pieces)

Goose Emden Goose

Literally a Mother Goose™

Has learned to deal with Maverick and not only does he not get surprised by his antics, he can predict them and is already prepared for them (aka get ready to scoop tiny ass Mav if he gets in trouble or hurts himself)

The good part is that it has made him baby proof. He can deal with a child he's been dealing with Mav!

Terrified. Absolutely terrified. Because his beautiful baby gosling is as much a little shit as his wife and best friend. If his wings weren't already white they'd for sure be by now ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

I need to think more about Mav and Goose but that involves looking for Peregrine Falcon and Geese facts

Edit to take out the divider because I don't like it

[ily-sunghoon]

The Omen of Sterling | PROLOGUE

Pairing : vampire!enha x fem!oc

Genre of this chapter : vampire, surprise visit! (almost ends up as a dinner though!)

POV : Jestel’s

Words count : 1.8k

WARNINGS : wanting to eat oc..., mentioned of blood, hunting, slight argument, heavy content and world building, the boys kinda patriotic here if you squint [eagle voice] KHAAAKKK (let me know if i miss anything)

Note : thank you for the excitement! never would i thought that the simple character introduction would have over than 150 notes... i am very thankful, thank you guys... it means so much to me (feel free to send ask if you have any confusion about the character or world building!)

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST : @nshmrarki @capri-cuntz (let me know if you want to be added)

PROLOGUE: SURPRISE GUEST

“What is our feast for today?” Ricardo stares at the ceiling with boredom, waiting for dinner time, or hunting time—if I asked him to hunt today.

“What do you want to eat?” I asked all of them.

“Stray human.” Jasper answered easily.

“Well, unfortunately, they’re very rare. Almost never encountered, to be honest. They can only reach our kingdom if we brought them in, or they’re really really lost their way. It’s almost impossible to enter our borders.” Jusarlie sighed. Fake sigh.

“You’re learning how to breathe now?” Sarco laughed at Jusarlie’s attempt to fake breathing.

“I was bored, so I learnt how to do it.” Jusarlie answered sheepishly.

“It’s unnatural, try it again slowly.” Jasper guides him.

Jasper is a new member in our kingdom. He’s a new vampire that we found in the wood while we were doing a monthly patrol, we have no clue who turned him as one of our kind, so irresponsible of them. Jasper could’ve turned into a wild vampire and that’s not fun to handle. He was starving, lost his memory, and definitely very angry. Unfortunately for us, he is also very strong. It was a bit handy when we rescued him, but we named him Jasper afterward because it suits his face.

Well, he is now under our training. Good for my nation, since we’ve lost a lot of important people during the Red War, including both of my parents. So, to our advantage, Jasper is a really good start for us to build stronger soldiers.

Besides from the fact that he is a new vamp and his energy is over the limit, I’m pretty sure he’s already strong as a human. We’re all a little worn-out while training him, they always hand over Jasper to me and Hiael when they’re tired. With that strong gaze, I’m pretty sure he’s important to humankind. I wonder how they felt when Jasper disappeared.

“I want reindeer.” Saine finally speaks up.

“Reindeer sounds good.” Hiael nodded.

“We’re hunting after dusk.” I agreed with their request.

“Jestel, is that what I think it is?” Sarco stares down at the street, a bit far from us. I walked over to his spot and peeked at the big window.

There’s a human. Walking on the street like a lamb whose willingly walks into a wolf’s nest. Poor little baby.

“She smells unbelievably good. Is that normal? All humans smell like this?” Jasper asked.

To be honest, he’s not alone. My head is also spinning due to her smell. This is far from normal.

“I’ll pick up our dinner.” Saine looks so excited. He’s the best at deceiving people, no matter humans or vampires.

“Take me with you!” Ricardo is as excited.

“No, take me with you instead!” Even Jusarlie’s eyes are sparkling right now.

“Me!”

“No, you will instantly eat that human at the sight.” Jusarlie can totally read Ricardo’s behavior.

“Just because you love to read, doesn’t mean you can read my personality or behavior.” There you go, our youngest is kind of… bitter.

“Take note from your professor, will you? Read your books so that little undeveloped brain of yours could develop and work normally.” Jusarlie spat back. Oh, don’t worry, this is a normal fight in our house.

“Come again, Professor?” Ricardo scoffed.

“Maybe if YOU read your goddamn books, your little UNDEVELOPED brain could develop and work normally.”

“That’s enough, no one is coming with Saine.” I stopped their little argument.

They scoffed, totally annoyed at my choice. Saine nodded at me and quickly left to pick up our delicious dinner.

“Don’t give me those expressions. You’ll choose your favorite parts today.” I said without staring back at them who are giving me angry and sulky expressions.

Their eyes are sparkling again as they go back to excited mode. What a child.

The delicious, sweet, intoxicating, and irresistible smell is getting closer and closer as we wait in our living room. I saw Jasper was getting furious. Hiael is right next to him, ready to hold him down whenever needed.

“Hold it in, Jasper. Don’t let hunger wins over you.” I said to that poor new vamp. Must be hard for him to do that. He’s better than me, if I was a new vampire like him, I would’ve just run off to that human and sucks her dry. Huge respect for Jasper.

I can hear Saine opening the doors. Oh, we were so ready to strike until I saw Saine enter the house before the human does. It’s supposed to be the other way around. That’s odd. What happened? Does he not want to eat that human anymore?

I told everyone to hold their positions while I’m trying to reach Saine through our mind links.

Our dinner is clumsy enough to almost fall because her little foot tripped over our carpet. Luckily, Saine holds her steady, so she doesn’t bleed. Won’t be my fault if Jasper strikes at sight.

“Are you okay?” Saine giggles. Oh, interesting! I can’t contact him at all.

“All good, thank you.” She sounds a little nervous.

They entered the living room and the six of us were so ready to eat, but Saine quickly stopped us using mind links.

DO NOT, I SAY, DON’T YOU DARE! LET ME TALK TO JESTEL FIRST! Wow, he sounds very serious.

“Jestel, we need to talk.” Saine is smiling.

“About what?” I asked coldly.

“555.” He said the emergency code. How emergency is this?

“Alright,” I agreed. “Sarco, follow me. Ricardo and Hiael, you take care of Jasper. While Jusarlie… be polite to our guest.”

I hate you, Jusarlie said it through our mind links.

They followed my orders. Saine, Sarco, and I went upstairs to the closest working room for this emergency matter.

What could possibly happen?

“You’ve been acting odd. What is the matter?” I asked Saine.

“This letter will explain better than I do.” Saine gave me a letter. To my surprise, it was written in our ancient language. Old Krashovien.

I read the letter thoroughly with Sarco.

“She came with this letter?” I asked Saine again.

He nods quickly.

“I want to hear your opinions according to this matter.” I wait for them to speak up.

“Turn her to a vampire, duh? She’s the last Sterling. We need her.” Sarco, as usual, is a man of logic.

“No, no, no. Let’s train her first. Give her some free will, no?” Saine is a little opposed to that idea.

“The sooner the better, Saine. Human age so rapidly, we can’t lose a chance to have a Sterling for our nation.” Sarco frowned.

“Give her some time, Sarco, you heartless bastard. She just went through a lot.” Saine is showing his sympathy to her.

“Wake up, Saine. Just because she’s beautiful, don’t forgot the fact that she’s a Sterling, Saine. A fucking Sterling, she’s anything but a feeler. She’s far more heartless than I am.”

“It’s risky! Do you remember why Sterling left Krashoviel?” Saine still stands on his ground.

“She’s that child?” I joined the conversation again. Could it be?

“My father warned you, Jestel.” Saine said to me. “At least, let’s ask him first.”

“Fine. Let’s train her to our best, gain her trust, and finally turn her into a vampire. Done.” Sarco’s idea is still about turning her into one of our kind.

This is very confusing.

I called the others—except Jusarlie—to join us in our emergency meeting.

I looked at them with a heavy heart. “We’re haunting today. We will not eat our guest.”

“Oh, man!” Ricardo and Jasper are clearly annoyed.

“May I know why?” Hiael asked.

“Well,” I paused and showed them the letter. “Ricardo, translate it for us.”

“Dear, King/Queen on the throne of Sinflame. I, Tearle Sterling, gave this girl to your hand. She is my daughter, Iolana Sterling, the one that caused some trouble twenty-one years ago due to her sweet smell. By the time you read this, it means that all of Sterling is already gone and she’s the last one we have. Slevado and Axadel have been terrorized and tried to kidnap us a few times. Iolana is smart, she knows the basic history of Krashoviel. She speaks Old Krashovien. She is curious, keen to learn something new. She is also good at fighting with any kind of weapons, I teach her by myself. I left this girl to Krashoviel, you can do whatever you’d like to her. I’d rather have her end up as your feast than to be kidnapped and used as a weapon to tear Krashoviel apart. I miss my home. Sincerely, Tearle Sterling.”

“Who’s Sterling?” Jasper frowned.

“Unlock that at 3rd semester with Jusarlie.” Sarco giggled.

“They’re not some urban legend?” Ricardo is surprisingly dumb.

“Urban legend is crazy.” Hiael laughed at him. “One Sterling equals five Jestel.”

“Nice one, Hiael.” Jasper and the youngest laughed.

“He’s not joking.” Sarco’s serious face made their laughs disappear.

“Oh.” Jasper and Ricardo are kind of scared now.

“But she’s a human?” Jasper is still confused.

“Long story, ask Jusarlie later.” Sarco shook his head.

“So, we’re turning her into a new vamp? Who’s strong enough to be her host vamp? I’m not.” Hiael quickly retreats after his own question.

Every new vampire needs a host vamp. They need their host’s blood to be able to feel full. If not, they can be a little destructive and drink a lot of blood than a usual vampire. Just like Jasper. He needs five big bottles a day, while we only need two or three maximum, and no! It is not a small matter, they crave human blood almost all the time as well.

“Not me.” Ricardo shook his head too. “She smells so sweet it’s very sickening. Jusarlie is better than me.”

“He’s still talking with the girl?” Sarco asked curiously.

“They’re sitting next to each other!” Jasper couldn’t believe it too.

“We haven’t decided yet.” I answered honestly. “Her host vamp.”

“So… we’re going to train her first?” Hiael asked us confusedly.

“Yes.” Saine nodded. “We’ll see later, maybe she will also choose a host along the way.”

“It’s settled then.” I nod and stand up. “Hiael, Jasper, Ricardo, Sarco, you’re in charge of hunting. Fetch us a healthy delicious reindeer. Jasper, do you still remember how human food taste?”

“I don’t know?” Jasper is confused. Doesn’t matter, I’m pretty sure he still remembers.

“Great, you’re going to oversee the food. You can guide and order around our chefs and maids about the food for our special guest.”

Jasper nods hesitantly.

“Dismiss.” They obey my orders and quickly move to do as told. I went downstairs again with Saine.

“Apologize for making you wait.” I smile at our guest, Sarco is right. She’s beautiful. I offer my hand to shake hers, “Jestel Sinflame.”

“I should be the one who’s apologizing, Mr. Sinflame.” She smiles back at me, her eyes are smiling too. She shakes my hand, “Iolana Sterling.”

TO BE CONTINUED...

; YOUR CUTE REBLOGS AND COMMENTS MAKE ME FEEL REALLY GRATEFUL <3

; FEEL FREE TO HIT MY ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT THE WORLD BUILDING OR CHARACTER!

© ily-sunghoon, 2024

DO NOT COPY, STEAL, PLAGIARIZE, OR REPOST ON OTHER PLATFORM

DO NOT TRANSLATE WITHOUT PERMISSION

[laf-outloud]

Link

Now, CBS has released loglines for Padalecki’s other two episodes, “Not Without My Birds” airing November 22 and “False Alarm” airing December 6. (A new episode will not be airing the Friday after Thanksgiving.)

In “Not Without My Birds,” when a fire breaks out in a park containing an eagle nest, Station 42 and Three Rock work to rescue the protected species and prevent the fire from spreading into town.

Then, in “False Alarm,” Station 42 responds to a false alarm call that escalates into a dangerous hostage situation. The photo above offers a look at the latter episode, with Bode and Camden in what looks like some serious trouble.

Episode descriptions (and a new photo) are out for Fire Country 3.06 and 3.07!

[moandieu]

James Searle Dawley: “Rescued From an Eagle’s Nest” 1908

[shelyue99]

BoB behind the scene trivia from the 20th anniversary symposium

There is a big difference between those who went to the bootcamp and those who didn’t. Those did already forged a bond and the replacement felt they had to prove themselves to be accepted.

Robin(Babe)’s treatment was different than other replacements because Babe and Bill are friends and Frank is supposed to look after him. When Robin arrived at the set everyone was asking where is Bill/Frank.

First day Rene Moreno (Ramirez) arrived at the set, he and other actors went to a four or five stars restaurant in Piccadilly Circus. They asked what he did the first day, he apparently didn’t give a satisfying answer, said “I got my hair cut, I shot my gun”, and Neal (Compton): what did you say? Rene: I shot my gun. Neal: drop and give me twenty. They were dressed up in suits and there were waiters around. Rene looked at Ron Livingston who he thought is the normal guy for help. Ron looked at him and was like “yeah…”, so Rene took off his jacket and dropped and gave twenty pushups.

Douglas Spain(Garcia) and Frank John Hughes did a movie together a year prior to BoB, but Frank didn’t say hello to him.

Mark Huberman(Heshay) when he first arrived at set, they were shooting the rescue scene in Crossroads. Mark got in the boat with Ross(Liebgott) and Dexter(Martin). It was supposed to be quiet but Mark was too chatty and Liebgott told him sergeant Martin wanted him to stop talking. He said you can tell sergent Martin to shut the f up. And then came absolute silence. Liebgott went: sergent Martin did you hear what Heshay just said? Martin: yes I did. Liebgott: what do you want to do about it? Martin: let me think about it. Liebgott: permission to throw Heshay overboard. Martin: I need to think about it. Mark was in agony for 10 minutes. But he was more afraid of captain Dye if he fell into water.

On the drive to the set Mark told Douglas he was looking for a place to stay. Douglas had a spare room in his apartment but was hesitant because he just met Mark. But he thought Garcia and Heshay are foxhole mates so they are supposed to get along. So Douglas offered the room and Mark took it. The apartment was occupied by Michael Cudlitz (Bull) before. (Michael moved out with his family after they found a bigger flat.) Donnie(Lipton), Neal(Compton) and Kirk(Toye) also lived in the same building.

Matthew Settle was chased and attacked by a random tall guy with umbrella when he was riding a scooter in London. The guy probably hated scooters.

Mark Lawrence(Dukeman) tattooed Dukeman’s service number on his arm.

Ross McCall went to Dukeman’s grave when he was doing a tour for London to Eagle’s Nest. Ross wrote Lawrence said he took a picture of it for him.

[slayfk]

A Letter From Banner Elk

by Chris Davis

An intro from slayfk: Banner Elk is a small municipality in Avery County, North Carolina. It’s right near Boone, Valle Crucius, and Blowing Rock—that whole area. It’s a cute town that is home to a large amount of elderly retirees and many local shops. Hurricane Helene completely cut Banner Elk off from the rest of the world. Residents have no internet, no power, no way to get out. It is only accessible by air. The bridge that connects it to the rest of the world looks like this now:

Banner Elk is a beautiful town full of kind people and they need help. Chris Davis, a resident of Elk River in Banner Elk, wrote a plea to the outside world and managed to get it through. I will paste it below, as it’s incredibly important to read.

“Inside the Elk River community of Banner Elk, we are stranded. No power, no water. All day Saturday we cut trails through the trees fallen over the roads, in hope small vehicles can move around and we can check on each other.

If we reach the bottom of the mountain, we understand that the bridge over the Elk River is out. We are stranded. But, we do not know how stranded everyone else is.

We need intelligence; status of the outside world. Infrastructure. For instance, it would help to know when roads will be repaired so that help can come.

There are 20 horses at the barn. They probably have water for three days. Horses will drink 10 gallons of water a day. Do the math.

There are elderly people on the mountain. One lady has so many trees to her house we cannot see our way to cut through to check on her.

It seems as if a flood washed out the bottom and a tornado took out everything else.

Some homes have generators. That does not mean people whose generators are running are actually here. I hear them running. It is only a matter of time before fuel runs out.

I am able to connect with you because one neighbor, if he stands in the right place on his deck, has use of a telephone that allowed me to reach my wife.

She connected with my out of town neighbor who has a generator who shared her Wi-Fi password that I can at least come to their house charge batteries and send you this note.

We hear rumors of helicopters coming in to rescue people.

It is probably worse somewhere else. We will continue to try to clear the roads in our community to support one another and be ready for an evacuation.

Obviously, the Mountain communities will need all the help they can get. Immediately and later.

In the meantime, basic facts matter a lot. We just need to know what the situation is so that we can make rational decisions.

I’m only getting bits and pieces of information from other people such as Newland is flooded and the National Guard is there; mud slides block the Eagles nest community from getting out; the road to Boone is washed out…”

An outro from slayfk: This is not a unique story. Towns all across Appalachia and the southeast states are cut off from the world or utterly decimated. Asheville is the most notable, but there’s also Chimney Rock NC, Marshall NC, Junaluska NC, Swannanoa NC, Biltmore Village NC, and more. Entire towns are ruined. People are trapped. People are trapped with no way to escape and they don’t know what’s going to happen to them. People are starving, animals are starving, 600 people are missing and 100 people are dead.

Appalachia is suffering. No one in power cares.

Talk about us. Donate to rescuers and aid funds. Don’t let the government sweep us under the rug again. We are here and we need help.

[televisionpromos]

Fire Country 3x06 "Not Without My Birds" Promo (ft. Jared Padalecki) - When a fire breaks out in a park that contains an eagle nest, Station 42 and Three Rock work to rescue the protected species and try to prevent the fire from spreading into town.

[gumnut-logic]

The Hurt

Thanks to @idontknowreallywhy for reading through ::hugs::

Dumps and runs.

-o-o-o-

He’d left his dirty uniform on a bench in the locker room.

The random thought surfaced amongst a sea of emotion he couldn’t afford right now.

He was clean at least, hair still wet from the shower, and standing at the edge of the caldera. His feet were half covered in warm sand slowly losing the heat of the day.

The water lapped rhythmically against the shore and his heartbeat attempted to meet it, slowing, only to be caught up in the emotion again.

It thudded in his chest.

Slow.

Rhythmic.

He closed his eyes and focussed on what he could hear.

Again, the water, gentle, repetitive, forever.

The wind. Rustling trees. The red blossoming pōhutukawa behind him, its sound more the roar of a distant crowd than the yapping of the palm leaves high above.

Birds.

He counted three…no, four different kinds at least. The ever-present petrels and squabbling tui, silver gulls and a distant sea eagle.

Water seeping into the sand.

The sudden consumption of them all as Thunderbird One swooped in above the Island and righted herself in a roar of engines as she disappeared into her hangar, the pool swallowing her and her soundscape in one.

A moment of silence…

Before the Island came alive again. The petrels protesting, the tui defending their trees…

The wind cooling a tear on his face.

Virgil scrubbed his cheek, wiping it away and stabilising himself.

He started the ritual again.

The sand between his toes, the water lapping…

He let his shoulders settle and his eyes close.

Focus.

On the music.

Just another day. Just another shitty day. He did everything he could. He saved lives. It was done.

Images flashed, and he gasped his eyes open again.

Water rippling across the caldera greeted him.

He followed the waves, tracking them, predicting interference and pattern only to have wind wipe it all away.

It was just another day.

He had done everything he could.

That was the sense of the matter, the logic and reality.

But it hadn’t been enough and it hurt regardless.

He let himself fold down onto the sand, his butt hitting the soft mix of pulverised rock and coral, his elbows landing on his knees and his head in his hands.

It really wasn’t worth getting upset about. It wasn’t the first time, wouldn’t be the last and he should be stronger than this.

Stronger.

All the excuses, the psychological training, the reasoning behind his reaction…it was all there.

Yet, still it hurt.

He scrubbed away another tear.

Goddamnit.

A gentle hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped.

“Hey.”

Scott.

Concerned blue eyes stared at him a moment before his brother sat down on the sand next to him.

There was only the noise of the Island for a long moment.

“Do you think there are more nests this year?”

Virgil blinked. Looking up he found Scott staring across the caldera at Mateo and the petrel colony there.

Virgil stared himself for a bit. “Maybe?” A frown. “I haven’t done the count this month yet.”

He battled to remember the date. Was it today, yesterday or tomorrow?

He had no idea.

He should probably fix that.

“I found Dad out here once.”

Virgil’s eyes darted back to his brother. “What?”

“Early on. You weren’t here at the time. You and Gordy were on the mainland for one of his swim meets, I think.” Scott looked down and dragged a finger through the loose grains of sand between his knees. “It was one of our earliest rescues gone bad, and I have to say, that I swear he was speaking to Mom.”

“What?”

Scott arched an eyebrow. “He did that sometimes. When things were really bad.” His brother looked away. “And that was definitely a bad one.”

Virgil opened his mouth, but Scott held up a hand.

“Don’t start cranking up your medical expertise, Virg, he was fine. It was just a coping mechanism. We got it checked out. Dad was fine.”

Virgil pressed his lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His big brother shrugged. “Nothing to tell. Rarely happened. Maybe twice the whole time he was here.”

The ‘was’ hurt.

But then that was a simple hurt of existence.

“Why are you telling me now?”

Scott sighed and wrapped an arm around Virgil’s shoulders. “You’ve had a bad one. It’s okay to be upset.”

Virgil looked away and didn’t answer.

“There is no shame in caring.”

And there it was, the knife that cut through all the reasoning his brain could throw at him.

His throat tightened. “I shouldn’t care so much.”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be my brother. You wouldn’t be you.”

Another tear crept out the corner of his eye and he rubbed at it.

The arm around his shoulder tightened and Scott curled his hand into Virgil’s hair, guiding his head to his shoulder. “It’s okay, little brother, it’s okay.”

Of course, that was enough to break all the control he could manage and before he knew it, he was sobbing on his big brother’s shoulder. Scott had his arms around him and everything was messy and embarrassing and god, it all hurt.

Reassuring words and a hand rubbing his back. Somehow he was now five and being hugged by his big brother because he’d fallen over and scuffed his knee.

And all those people had died.

All those children.

Emotion swamped everything.

-o-o-o-

Eventually the wind returned, the water lapped at the shore and the tui started another argument in the pōhutukawa tree at the head of the beach.

Scott was stroking his hair.

Virgil swallowed and pushed himself upright.

His big brother did not let go, his hand still on Virgil’s shoulder.

Virgil scrubbed his face. “Shit, sorry.”

Scott’s voice was painfully soft. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

There was something in his brother’s timbre and Virgil looked up at him.

Scott was intent on Virgil, but there was pain in those eyes and the evening light was highlighting the greys in his auburn hair.

Virgil grabbed his brother and hugged him ever so tight.

“Virg?” It was half strangled.

Virgil didn’t answer.

He just returned the love.

-o-o-o-

[aquagirl1978]

Rescue Me - Jin Grandet x Reader (Ikemen Prince)

A/N: Part of the Late Summer Rendezvous hosted by @xxsycamore - this is a gift for my dear friend @randonauticrap, I hope this little bit of Jin brightens your day!

Pairing: Jin Grandet x Reader

Prompt: sexy life guard

Tags: NSFW; Minors- DNI

The summer rays were warm on your face as you relaxed in your chair; the sun, high in the sky, shined down on you as you read your book and sipped iced tea. Digging your toes in the sand, you turned the page, anxious to see whether love would bloom between the heroine and her love interest.

A group of small children ran by, laughing and shouting, causing you to put down your book for a moment. Oh, to be young again. Your gaze followed them down the beach, your eyes lingering on the tall lifeguard tower.

Seated atop the tower like an eagle perched in his nest, dressed in red swim trunks and dark sunglasses, was a man. A very handsome man with broad shoulders and sculpted abs. You watched as he blew a whistle and called to some people to not swim so far out.

Oh, how you wished he would blow that whistle and call out to you.

You’d come running to him, your body wet from swimming in the ocean. Pressing your palms on his bare chest, you’d watch with lidded eyes as drops of water, glistening in the sunshine, trickled down his chest. He’d tease you for getting him wet like that, and maybe, if you were lucky, he’d grab you by the wrist and take you somewhere more private.

You glanced further down the beach and saw an outcropping of rocks. “We can stay hidden there,” he would say, as he held your wrist firmly in his large hand, his thumb pressing on your pulsepoint, as you panted, trying to keep up with his long strides in the sand. 

Peals of laughter broke your fantasy, your eyes quickly finding the source of the sound. A flock of teenage girls had surrounded the lifeguard’s tower and were loudly chatting with him. The lifeguard was friendly in his responses, his eyes, however, were locked on the ocean. 

Picking up your beverage, you took a long sip, the cool liquid refreshing on your tongue, however, doing nothing to temper the heat growing inside. Biting your lip, your mind wandered once more, allowing those long, strong swimmer’s arms to wrap around your shoulders.

“You should be punished for distracting me while I’m working.” His tone was serious, but the way he looked at you – garnet eyes aglow with wicked mischief – told a different story. Holding his gaze, you remained silent, waiting for your punishment. 

He dipped his head towards yours, capturing your lips in a fiery kiss. Your wet body pressed against his as the tip of his tongue probed open your lips, seeking entrance into your mouth. Moaning softly, your tongues met, twisting and twirling, as he hands began to wander down your back. 

His fingers would easily pull down the straps of your bathing, allowing your breasts to spill from the tight fabric. You could feel the smile in his kiss as he cupped one breast in his hand, his thumb massaging your nipple. The roar of the ocean grew louder, masking your moans, as the water splashed around your ankles.

Tearing your eyes away from the lifeguard's tower, you reached for your book, desperately needing a distraction. You focused your eyes on the words on the pages, following the escapades of Mitch and CJ and friends. Of all the books you owned, why did you pick the one book you owned about lifeguards?

You picked up your glass, now only half-full, although you would need enough iced tea to fill an Olympic-sized pool to quench your thirst this afternoon. 

The whistle blew once more; your head turned to find the lifeguard flying off his post, running straight into the water. The water slowed his movements as a small crowd stopped to watch as the lifeguard scooped the young boy in his arms, swiftly returning to the beach. He brought the boy to his tower, where he offered him a dry towel and a brightly colored lollipop. A frantic couple came running; reuniting with their son, they thanked the lifeguard profusely for saving their son's life. 

"Just doing my job," you heard the lifeguard say before popping a blue lollipop into his mouth. This one here truly was the complete package – strong, handsome, kind, and a hero. 

He was also soaking wet, head to toe. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing his damp bangs free from his face, his breathing only slightly heavier after his heroics. 

The book fell from your hands and into your lap; there would be time to finish the story later.

"This is good," he'd say, stopping when the water reached just below his shoulders. Scooping you in his arms, your bodies free of your bathing suits, he pulled you close, your legs wrapping around his waist. Your body shivered with excitement as he plunged a finger inside you, quickly adding a second. Tilting your head back, the water helped keep your body afloat as he continued to finger you.

His name was but a whisper on your lips as he entered you, your hands slippery as your nails tried to dig into his back. Was it the water? The position, maybe? Or perhaps the thrill of making love at the beach? Either way, your senses were heightened, enhancing your pleasure. 

It wasn't long before your bodies melted into one, the state of your bliss euphoric yet ephemeral.

The skies turned a shade of cotton candy pink as the sun started to set; the lifeguard blew his whistle one more time, marking the end of his shift. You watched him leave wistfully as you packed your bag. It would be dinner soon, time to head home. 

With your bag slung over your shoulders, you made your way to the parking lot. It wasn't hard to find your car as most had already left for the day.

After tossing your bag into the trunk, you slid into the front seat next to a handsome, familiar face, a long, white tee shirt covering some of his red swim trunks. 

"Hey, babe," Jin said, greeting you with a kiss on the cheek. "Ready to go home?"

Tagging: @redheadkittys @alixennial @rhodolitesroseforclavis @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @chaosangel767 @queengiuliettafirstlady @queen-dahlia @ikehoe @ikemen-writer @talfollowingstuff @kpop-and-otome @kisara-16 @altairring @lucyw260 @lordsisterxotome @umi-adxhira @bellerose-arcana @yarnnerdally @crypticbibliophile @tele86 @nightfoxqueen @melodiousramblings @wendolrea @aceuuuu @randonauticrap @aria-chikage @nightghoul381 @itsjudesfault @maries-gallery @xbalayage

[ronmerchant]

RESCUED FROM AN EAGLE’S NEST (1908)

[conradscrime]

The Disappearance of Mountaineer George Mallory

November 02, 2023

George Mallory was born in Cheshire on June 18, 1886, and from a young age he was interested in climbing. When he was only 7 years old, Mallory climbed the roof of his father's church.

In 1904, an experienced mountaineer named Robert Lock Graham Irving took Mallory on as a climbing companion after the death of his original partner. Both Mallory and his friend, Harry went with Irving for a trip to the Alps.

In February 1909, Mallory was invited to Wales for a climbing trip at Easter. After this, Mallory was given an application form for membership into the Climber's Club, joining in May 1909.

On July 29, 1914, Mallory married a woman named Christiana Ruth Turner, just 6 days before Britain entered World War I. The pair ended up having three children together, two daughters and a son.

Though Mallory had an extensive education and worked as a school master, he did have to enlist in the army and served throughout World War I, eventually ranking up to lieutenant in 1917.

By January 1919, Mallory returned to his teaching position which was at Charterhouse, though he was not fully happy being a teacher. He wanted to get back into mountaineering. In January 1921, the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club established the Mount Everest Committee to finance an expedition.

Mallory was contacted by the committee asking if he would be interested in this expedition, the crew planned to do a trip later in 1921 to figure out the best route to reach the summit, and then in 1922 they were going to go again, this time actually reaching the top.

Mallory at first was not sure if he wanted to go -- it would mean that he would have to be away from his wife Ruth, and children for a chunk of time and he was sceptical the group would be able to accomplish this.

Eventually Mallory and his wife were convinced it would be the opportunity of a lifetime, and in February 1921, Mallory accepted the invitation formerly, though it was noted he showed no emotion and was definitely not excited for the trip. It was in February 1921 that Mallory resigned from his teaching position.

Leading up to this point, Mallory had quite a bit of experience having done various climbs and reaching summits. He completed several expeditions in the Alps, since his first climb in 1904. Specifically in the Alps, both Mallory and his friend Harry suffered from altitude sickness.

On August 18, 1921, Mallory and 3 others left their camp at around 20,000 ft. They discovered a gateway to the mountain, and after figuring out the most viable way to reach the summit, on September 23, 1921, a group of climbers left camp to descend into the East Rongbuk Glacier, to pitch camp. The frostbite and winds were extreme however, and eventually on September 25, 1921, Mallory called off the expedition.

It was the groups goal to be the first to reach Mount Everest's summit. On May 20, 1922, Mallory and his group began this goal. After two failed attempts to reach the summit, in June 1922, the group tried a third.

At one point during their ascent, an avalanche began on an ice cliff above, sweeping over the group. Mallory and three others were able to dig themselves out of the snow, unharmed, but saw a group of 4 porters had fell 150 ft below them. The avalanche had caused another 9 porters to be swept into a crevasse.

A search and rescue effort was started, and 8 out of the 9 porters were found. Unfortunately only 2 of them had survived. This was the end of the third attempt to the summit.

Mallory's next attempt at reaching Mount Everest's summit wouldn't be until June 1, 1924.

By June 8, 1924, Mallory and Andrew Irvine, would begin their attempt to reach the summit at 8 am. This morning, another climber, John Noel, perched himself at Eagle's Nest Point, with a camera so he could film Mallory and Irvine. The flimer also had 2 porters with him, however no one could see Mallory or Irvine.

By 10am, still having not seen any sight of the two mountaineers, the cloud and mist had completely obscured the view of the summit ridge.

The last person to see Mallory and Irvine alive was Noel Odell, a support climber, just after 12:50 pm. He saw them from a distance, two black spots moving, before the clouds obstructed his view. Mallory and Irvine were never seen alive again.

On June 9, 1924, Odell and another inspected the Camps, looking for Mallory and Irvine to no avail. It was impossible for the two mountaineers to have returned to camp, as everything they had left there was as it was — having not been touched. After days of searching and finding nothing, the expedition was over and on June 15, 1924, the surviving members returned home. 

On June 19, 1924, Ruth and Mallory’s children received a telegram stating that Mallory and Irvine had died. On October 17, 1924, a memorial service was held. 

On May 30, 1933, almost 11 years after Mallory and Irvine had disappeared, an ice axe had been discovered at an elevation of 27,723 ft, by the leader of the expedition, Percy Wyn-Harris. At first, Wyn-Harris and his climbing partner, Lawrence Wager left the ice axe where they had found it, but after their own failed attempt at reaching the summit, on the way down Wyn-Harris decided to take the ice axe, leaving his own in it’s place. 

The ice axe was eventually determined to either be Mallory’s or Irvine’s, though it is unsure which mountaineer’s it was. After Odell inspected it, he noticed there was 3 marks on it, which Irvine used to mark his equipment. Ruth stated that she had never known Mallory to mark any of his stuff that way, so most likely the ice axe was Irvine’s, however, some of the expedition members from the 1933 expedition believed the axe belonged to Mallory because it had Swiss manufacturers. 

In 1962, Irvine’s brother found a military swagger stick, which belonged to Irvine and it had the same 3 identification marks on it. 

In 1937, a man named Frank Smyth wrote a letter, and in the letter he stated that during the 1936 British Mount Everest expedition, he scanned the North Face of Everest with a powerful telescope and saw a body, believing it to be Mallory or Irvine. This sighting was unknown until 2013, when Smythe’s son revealed it in a book, after finding his father’s letter in a diary. 

The 1999 Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition began, with the goal to find evidence of the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition and find information about whether or not Mallory and Irvine reached the summit. 

On May 1, 1999, around 10 am, members of the expedition reached 26,900 ft, where they were going to set up camp. Setting off, it was 11:45 am when a member found a corpse laying at 26,760 ft. The body was partially frozen, but well preserved to the cold condition, fully extended and had both arms outstretched with the head pointed uphill. 

The right leg was broken, with the left leg crossed over it, suggesting the mountaineer must of been still conscious. The rear of the body was exposed, the wind having blown away some of the clothing. The exposed skin was white, but the hands and forearms appeared dark. Most of the internal organs had been consumed by alpine choughs, a specific type of bird. The birds had pecked away leaving damage to the right leg, buttocks and abdominal cavity. 

Tied to the waist was braided cotton climbing rope, the right foot had an intact green leather hobnailed boot, but the left boot only had the tongue remaining on it. Many had suspected that Irvine had fallen in 1924, and this body was his.

When looking at the layers of clothing and removing them, there was a label on the shirt with red print, “G. Mallory.” The body of George Mallory had finally been discovered, almost exactly 75 years later. 

Mallory’s body had several injuries — his tibia and fibula of his right leg were broken, his right scapula was deformed, his right elbow had been fractured or dislocated. He had multiple cuts, bruises and abrasions, his ribs had been fractured. It was without a doubt that Mallory had fallen. The climbing rope that had been looped around Mallory’s waist had crushed his ribs and burned his skin. It was also determined that when this happened, Mallory and Irvine were roped to each other. The exact circumstances are unknown, no one will ever know what caused the accident or made them fall. 

A few weeks later, an oxygen cylinder was found at an altitude of 27,789 ft to 27,805 ft. The cylinder’s stamp no. 9 confirmed that it was from the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition and was used by Mallory and Irvine. 

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first mountaineers to have reached the summit of Mount Everest, welcomed the news of the discovery of Mallory’s body, and acknowledged that Mallory might have reached the summit of Mount Everest decades earlier. 

There are many theories about what led to Mallory and Irvine’s deaths in 1924. Research in 2010 suggested that an extreme storm may have led to their deaths. The research provided stated that when Mallory and Irvine attempted the summit on June 8, 1924, there was a drop in barometric pressure and temperature. Believing this could have resulted in a blizzard, however, Odell described the morning of June 8, 1924 as clear and not extremely cold, but turned into a severe blizzard by 2pm which lasted until 4pm. 

While it is unknown what exactly happened, many researchers believe the weather was way more extreme than previously believed, and this could have contributed to the deaths of both Mallory and Irvine. 

On November 14, 1944, Mallory’s younger brother, Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, an Air Chief Marshal, crashed into the French Alps, everyone on board was killed. Mallory’s daughter, Frances Clare, married a man named Glenn Allan Millikan who was killed in a climbing accident on May 25, 1947 at Buzzard’s Roose in Fall Creek Falls State Park. 

Frances’ sons, Mallory’s grandchildren, Richard and George Millikan became climbers and were very well respected in the 1960’s and 70’s. On May 14, 1995, George Mallory, Mallory’s grandson reached the summit of Everest, leaving a photo of his grandparents on the summit, ending “unfinished business” for his grandfather. 

In early 1923, Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, his answer: “Because it’s there.” 

[rabbitcruiser]

National Save the Eagles Day

With eyesight that is eight times better than humans, majestic eagles build their nests on top of high cliffs to get the best vantage point. And with a grip that is up to ten times stronger than humans, eagles are incredibly powerful. Both of these attributes make them amazing hunters. But there was one point when these birds almost became extinct.

National Save the Eagles Day is here to raise awareness about and promote the plight of these marvelous birds.

History of National Save the Eagles Day

Native to North America, Bald eagles were on the endangered species list for several decades but, thankfully, they were saved from extinction and removed from the list in 2007.

While bald eagles and golden eagles are the most well-known in Canada and the US, there are 60 different species of eagles that live all over the globe, many of them in Eurasia or Africa. These birds of prey have large wingspans and spend a lot of their time looking relaxed as they glide effortlessly throughout the air.

National Save the Eagles Day was founded by the local community of Ridgefield Village Park and the Bergen County Audubon Society in an effort to rescue one particular couple of eagles whose habitat was at risk.

When these two eagles, named Alice and Al, built their home in Ridgefield overlooking Overpeck Creek, there was some concern about health risks that might be involved and a development corporation decided to remove the eagles. However, the local community was unhappy with the solution and they decided to organize a way to allow this eagle couple to keep their home. And they succeeded!

Even though National Save the Eagles Day was originally established around a specific set of eagles, it has now gained traction and the celebration has spread!

National Save the Eagles Day Timeline

1782 Bald Eagle is adopted as US symbol

With anecdotal accounts of upwards of 100,000 nesting eagles, Americans choose this as a symbol of freedom.

1971 The Eagles band is formed

A frontrunner in American country rock, this band originally consists of Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon.

1978 Bald Eagle is declared endangered

Under the Endangered Species Act, the US government works to protect the bald eagle, which has only 500 breeding pairs left on the planet.

2007 Bald Eagle removed from endangered list

While still protected, the Bald Eagle emerged from the endangered list as their populations had recovered significantly to more than 300,000.

2015 Save the Eagles Day begins

Founded in an effort to save a particular pair of eagles that were nesting in New Jersey, the first Save the Eagles Day is celebrated.

How to Celebrate National Save the Eagles Day

Get involved and have fun with National Save the Eagles Day by trying out some of these fun ideas:

Go Eagle Watching

Heading out early in the morning to go eagle watching might be the perfect activity to do in celebration of National Save the Eagles Day! Of course, it depends on location, so some people might need to turn it into a road trip to get to a good park or another place that is known for eagle watching.

Eagle watching requires some patience and dedication, but it can also be very satisfying. Head out early because eagles are the most active in the morning, from sunrise until about 10am when bald eagles are likely to be hunting and feeding.

While it might seem odd, some people don’t realize that, in some locations like Washington state, eagle watching is more likely to be successful in years that end in even numbers. This is because “even” numbered years tend to have higher populations of salmon that are swimming upstream. In addition, they may be most prevalent in certain areas in the month of December. And they also seem to enjoy hunting more on days that are cloudy!

Learn Fun Facts About Eagles

One cool way to celebrate National Save the Eagles Day is to raise awareness by learning and sharing some bits of trivia and fun facts about these fascinating birds.

Unlike most species, the female bald eagle is slightly larger than her male partner.

Sadly, most eagle related deaths are caused by humans, including impact with man-made structures, gunshot and poisoning.

While hawks have a strong cry, eagles actually sound a bit silly. Because of this, most films and television shows replace the actual sound of eagles with that of hawks.

Eagles can dive up to 100 miles per hour when hunting and they fly at about 30 miles per hour when traveling casually.

Make a Donation to Save Eagles and Other Wildlife

One superb way to be involved with helping out on National Save the Eagles Day is by making a financial contribution to a charity that helps to protect and rescue animals that are in danger. Consider learning more about one of these charities:

American Bald Eagle Foundation. Working to protect and preserve the habitat for bald eagles, this organization educates and also performs research activities to better serve the needs of these eagles.

American Eagle Foundation. This organization is similar to the one above, but it works to meet the needs of not only the bald eagle but also other birds of prey as well. Their mission is threefold: to conserve, educate and protect.

Defenders of Wildlife. This organization works to protect and help out all wildlife, including the bald eagle which is the only eagle that is unique to North America.

National Wildlife Federation. This is another charity dedicated to protecting and helping at-risk wildlife, including birds of prey.

Listen to Songs by the Eagles

In honor of the day, how about queuing up some music that was made by the classic rock band themselves, the Eagles? With more than twenty albums to their credit, as well as some video albums, there’s plenty of options for listening to this trailblazing country rock band.

Check out one – or several – of these favorite songs by the Eagles in celebration of Save the Eagles Day:

Hotel California (1976). One of the most famous songs by the band, this interesting tune tells a strange story that has been said to be about “excess in America”.

Take It to the Limit (1975). From the album, One of These Nights, this song is all about the encouragement to keep on trying, even when life gets tough.

Peaceful Easy Feeling (1972). From their debut album, this song’s lyrics are about a girl the singer is interested in, but he’s decided ahead of time that he’s not going to let her disturb his “peaceful, easy feeling”.

Take It Easy (1972). Written by Jackson Browne as well as Eagles band member Glenn Frey, this was the first single released by the Eagles and its message is about not getting “too big too fast”.

National Save the Eagles Day FAQs

How do eagles fly?

Eagles are able to fly through the air primarily by their ability to soar.

What do eagles eat?

Eagles typically have a diet of small mammals and birds, such as rabbits, grouse, gulls and more.

What saved the bald eagle from extinction?

Captive breeding, habitat protection, law enforcement and reintroduction efforts helped minimize the risk of extinction for the bald eagle.

Do eagles eat hawks?

Eagles who prey sometimes will eat small hawks or baby hawks after attacking their nest.

Do eagles mate for life?

Usually, bald eagles mate for life, making them loyal spouses and parents for their average 30 years of life.

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