#backpacing

[corpsephrog]

i really cannot do cryland srsly and not even cus i'm a payneland shipper like when i was watching the show all the flirting just felt so unnatural and uncomfy i was like "this feels weird is this supposed to be weird"

[fruitwanderer]

Fabrics 0(-(

The temptation to show off all the shinies we got (got back from fabric hunting and got more patterns than they needed)

[andreaheartscats]

Sally face headcanons

what i think their bag looks like and what they have inside of it ( lets ignore the fsct that they show us their bags in thr gsme for a minute.)

Sal Fisher

-> literally his bag from the game i know.

-> probably has some books (not many tho)

-> lighter for sure

-> some gum and water

-> carries his gearboy with him everywhere

Larry Johnson

-> his backpac is holding on its DEAR LIFE.

-> books? nah.

-> cigarettes of course but never has a lighter

-> a sketchbook and shit ton of pencils but somehow manages to lose all of them

-> rotting sandwich thats been in there for WEEKS.

Ashley Campbell

-> owns some kind of messenger bag

-> loves decorating it and has a lot of keychains

-> sketchbook for sure and coloring pencils

-> doesnt bring much makeup, probably just some eyeliner

-> jewelry, gloves too for some reason

-> has some painkillers and pads/tampons obviusly.

Travis Phelps

-> also has some kind of messenger bag idk why i just feel like it.

-> literally brings a cross with him and bible

-> doesnt carry much with him to be fair

-> just the baiscs like books, pens etc...

Tod Morrison

-> has all the books he needs

-> all kind of pens and pencils.

-> water with him always and some gum

-> second pair of glasses just in case

-> definitely brings some weird electronics for gearboy.

[maidfrin]

MY BACKPAC K IS SOAKRD WITH LEMONADE????

[mixotrophics]

i am a cripple & do field work for ecology research, & Sharing about how I navigate this is important to me. I am one of many physically disabled folks who do field work and Want to do field work; it does wonders for the mind to be out there and myself and the others I met during my undergrad share a sentiment: It Fucking Hurts, but there’s ways of coping / alleviating that and not grinding our bones to dust, so we do what we can...

I’ll preface this with this not being a direct guide to anything, even if we share diagnoses every body’s different and the trade offs we are willing to make are all different too. However, i hope that seeing my physically disabled ass out collecting samples from rivers and fields will inspire someone, cause hell knows disability representation is lacking, especially in things that Are more physically demanding.

So i have modified my forearm crutches because most crutches struggle with uneven, slippery, etc, surfaces. and here’s a few mods!!! There are pictures but I hope to write this in a way in which the images are supplementary and not essential

Firstly we have flexible ferrules, which I got from Flexyfoot but there’s a huge variety and price tags you can find. ferrules (definition: the little padded bit on the end of a crutch or cane) need replacing anyways so getting new ones isn’t super hard, you just need to measure the diameter of your crutch/cane (w/o any ferrule, on the end where the ferrule goes) to get the right size.

These ones have bellows like the flexible middle bit of an accordion, so the base of the ferrule that contacts the ground can change position relative to the crutch. This means that the crutch can be at an angle not-perpendicular to the ground but the whole base of the ferrule is on the ground, which increases stability and reduces slipping (the bottom of the ferrules has treads like a boot). The bellows also add some shock absorbing, and can be modified by fitting rubber rings in between the folds which add more stiffness & are good for heavy loading onto the crutches, which I use as I would consider field work pretty rough use & I have to carry equipment. 

So flexible ferrules reduce shock to the arms and also increase traction on slippy and uneven terrain.

[image: 1 shows the bellows (orange) between the top and bottom of the ferrule (black); 2 shows the rubber rings (black) between the folds of the bellows which stiffen them slightly for heavy use]

You can also get ice spikes for crutches and canes and such!! Unfortunately these can’t fit on at the same time as the flexible ferrule so I have to swap back to the regular if I wanna use ice spikes. Thats ok, because the way the spikes work would prevent any flexibility, but it’s just a bit inconvenient to swap the ferrules.

the ice spikes shown here have a metal clasp with rubber pads, which is tightened around the bottom shaft of the crutch. The ice spikes flip downwards to go right under the ferrule and can be flipped back upwards when i don’t need them. the main thing to remember with this is now there’s metal spikes on your crutches, even when they are flipped up, so you can scrape your legs on accident with them... i’ve attached them so they flip forward & slightly to the side, because I always have the same crutch on the same side of me so sideways isn’t an issue.

[image: shows the spikes (not attached to anything); 3 is a drawing of a ferrule with the spikes flush to the bottom]

[bonus image of diff spikes which show them both flipped up (top) and flipped down for use (bottom), found on reddibt]

n lastly... cute little bags! These bags go on one side of the forearm crutch so I have a designated left and right crutch. theyre detachable and lightweight and have a snap closure. I will note they cannot hold a lot and if balance is an issue for you, having things in the bags changes the weight and center of gravity of them, so be careful. Bags are great though because you can carry things without needing to take off a backpack or shove it in your pockets (which causes me sensory issues)

I got these bags from mobilitymama on etsy and theres sooo many different fabrics to choose from. The shop also does fabric covers for the grips but i personally don’t put covers on the grips as it can make me slip (I get hand fatigue fast), instead opting to wear padded gloves like driving gloves.

[image: two views of the crutch bags, one from the outside and one from the inside (which would face my body). on the inside view I have marked that the bag slides over the arm cuff (4) and has a loop that holds it to the handle (5)]

in terms of reducing wear and tear on my legs in the field Ive done more than these, for example I wear braces to keep my wrists and elbows ok as humans arms are not really designed for weight bearing like legs are (ideally they’d be ROM braces but those are pricey so Im saving up). I also wear braces on my angles that stop sideways motion. all these bc im hypermobile across my whole body though my ankles and knees get the worst because of constant use (my wrists also pretty bad not gonna lie lmao).

Also i run like a chimpanzee in these things. yes you can run with crutches if you want to!!! Check out Oliver Lam-Watson’s youtube, he’s a paralympian bronze medalist in wheelchair fencing, and goes for runs while using crutches. he runs differently than me which is swag as it shows how u can find what works best for u.

anyways i hope someone finds this nice or informative or whatever :] cripples can be scientists, cripples can go run off into the fog and return holding so many frogs and bugs. go forth and gather those data

[adrienneleclerc]

Hi, could you write an Ajax Petropolus x latina!reader angst but a very fluffy ending where the reader is very much a perfectionist academically due to generational/ being a daughter or granddaughter of immigrants. And she feels in some way she's disappointing them or doesn't think they're good enough

Hey again! Of course I can write this, especially because I am the daughter of immigrants so I have felt the same way, especially in college since I’m on scholarship, this hits home.

High Achiever, Don’t You See?

Pairing: Ajax Petropolus x Latina!Reader

Summary: Y/N struggles with academic perfectionism, especially because her parents came to the United States and worked hard to give their kids the best education so Y/N thinks if she doesn’t get good grades, her parents’ hard work would have been for nothing.

Warning: I will probably be self projecting because it has happened to me and might still happen starting the spring semester, spelling errors like always

Y/N was lucky enough to have a dorm room to herself because she would spend most of her time studying and doing her homework until 3am, maybe even 5am, barely getting sleep. In her dorm, she had a desk with her laptop, a printer, and there was a hot plate with a moka pot to make her Cuban Coffees for the caffeine boost. Right now, she was finishing up a research paper, she written it in MLA format (I use APA because I’m studying health science), she’s checked for grammatical errors, her citations, it was all in order. She printed her paper and placed it on a folder. The paper was due next week, but she wanted to get it out of the way. After going over some information that her teacher was going to ask questions about in class, she went to bed around 2:45am.

The next day she woke up and made herself another Cuban coffee. She did her routine and out on her uniform so go downstairs. Someone touched her shoulder and she jumped.

“Hey, calm down, it’s just me.” Ajax said.

“Ay, papito, Don’t scare me like that.” Y/N said.

“I’m sorry, mama. Let’s get some breakfast, okay?” Ajax said. Ajax wrapped his arm around Y/N shoulders to walk to the cafeteria to get breakfast. They sat down after getting breakfast and Enid sat down with them.

“Good morning! How did you sleep?” Enid asked.

“Not well.” Y/N said.

“You’ve been having trouble sleeping for weeks, are you okay?” Ajax asked.

“Yeah yeah, im fine, sometimes I have trouble sleeping, it’s normal.” Y/N said.

“Okay then, after class you need a nap.” Enid said.

“Yeah sure, whatever you say.” Y/N said. After breakfast, they went to their first class.

Y/N was answering almost every single question that the teacher had to say “anyone besides Y/N” when asking questions. Almost all the classes were like that. However, midterms were in 2 weeks, and unlike her normie school, all her studying would have to be done in the library with books. When she went to her dorm room, she decided to video chat with her parents, something she does every Friday.

“Hola mami, hola papi!” Y/N said to her parents.

“Hola amor! Como te ha ido esta semana en clases? Has estado practicando tu poder (Hello love! How were your classes this week? Have you been practicing your power)?” Her dad asked.

“Me puedo transformar en un mapache, panda, a Shakira, Eugenio Derbez, hasta a un par de calcetas, practiqué muchísimo (i Can shapeshift into a raccoon, panda, into Shakira, Eugenio Derbez, even into a pair of socks, I’ve practiced a lot).” Y/N said.

“Y tus clases, princesa? Que cuentas (How about your classes, Princess? How were they)?” Her mom asked.

“Pues me ha ido bien, siempre saco 100 en mis tareas entonces me está yendo bien (Ive been doing well in class, I always get 100 on my homework so I’m doing well).” Y/N said,

“Esa es mi hija! Estamos muy orgullosos de ti, sigue esforzándote, sabemos que puedes, hablamos luego, hija (Thats my daughter! We are so proud of you, keep doing what you’re doing, we know you can do it, we’ll talk later)!” Her dad said hung up. After he hung up, Y/N took her backpack to go to the library and started pulling out all the books she needed for her midterms. She’ll go class by class, writing notes on anything the books explain further than what she has learned in class.

Meanwhile, Ajax was having lunch with his friends.

“Have you seen Y/N? I haven’t seen her since the bell rang.” Ajax said.

“I saw her go to the library.” Wednesday commented.

“Again? She been skipping lunch and dinner a lot recently, maybe something’s wrong.” Ajax commented.

“Maybe she’s not hungry, Ajax, don’t overthink it.” Bianca said. Maybe she was right, maybe Ajax needs to stop overthinking, Y/N will get food when she’s hungry.

He was wrong, the rest of the day, Y/N was in the library until one of the teachers told her it was late and that she should be in bed. Y/N missed her hunger cues the whole time, she was just drinking water while ready and taking notes. She lacked up her stuff and went to her dorm room and she saw Ajax, holding a takeout container.

“Whats this?” Y/N asked.

“I got Uber Eats, you haven’t eaten since lunch, that was 9 hours ago, you need to eat something, love.” Ajax commented, giving Y/N a spoon so she can eat the fried rice he ordered for her,

“I love you Ajax,” Y/N said,

“I love you too, I’m going to sleep with you tonight, okay? That way I can make sure you’re getting sleep, you’re worrying me.” Ajax said,

“You shouldn’t be worried Papito, I swear, I’m perfectly fine.” Y/N said, but Ajax being worried for her made her want to cry but she held it in,

“But i am so eat, out on your pajamas, do your nighttime routine, and get to bed. We’re going to watch TV while you eat.” Ajax said, Y/N nodded while she began eating the rice, she didn’t realize how hungry she was.

“Thank you.” Y/N said. She finished the rice in 20 minutes, changed in her pajamas, and brushes her teeth and did her nighttime skincare routine. When she was ready, she sat on her bed and hugged Ajax. “I love you, papito.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. I’m gonna change and then we can go to bed because you seriously need sleep.” Ajax said, kissing her forehead. When he came back in his pajamas, he got under the covers with Y/N and spooned her so they can go to sleep,

Ajax was a heavy sleeper so he didn’t notice that at 5am, Y/N got out of bed and sat at her desk to go over the notes she wrote. This information should be ingrained in her mind. Ajax woke up and he started to feel around the bed to see if Y/N was there but she wasn’t. He rubbed his eyes and saw her drinking coffee, going over her notes and doing homework.

“Y/N, It’s Saturday, what are you doing?” Ajax asked with his morning voice.

“I’m studying and doing homework, love, go back to sleep.” Y/N said.

“That’s what I’m supposed to say to you, go back to sleep, what time did you wake up anyway?” Ajax asked.

“I woke up at 5am to get a head start.” Y/N said and Ajax checked his phone.

“It’s barely 10, Y/N seriously, you need a break.” Ajax said, trying to pull her away from her desk.

“I Don’t need a break Ajax, I am fine, I can handle it.” Y/N said.

“Y/N, you don’t have to study 24/7, you can take breaks, have fun, it’s Saturday, let’s go have breakfast at the Jericho diner.” Ajax said.

“I Don’t need breakfast, I’m perfectly fine, midterms are in two weeks, I need to have all this information absorbed in my brain if I want an A.” Y/N said, going back to her desk but Ajax stopped her.

“You are putting yourself under too much pressure, if you keeping going on like this, you’re going to burn out, what are you trying to prove here?” Ajax asked her.

“I am trying to prove to my parents that I am not wasting their sacrifice, okay!” Y/N shouted and then plopped on the floor, like her legs gave out. “My parents left their home countries to come to the United States, they knew little English, they left EVERYONE behind, my grandparents, my aunts, uncles, cousins, all of them are in their countries. They came to the states with nothing, they had to do jobs they didn’t like to get by, stayed at friends houses until they had money to get an apartment, my dad took college classes to get a degree so he can get better jobs, they sacrificed so much for me and my siblings that if I don’t get good grades, I feel like I’m disappointing them because literally my only job to do as their daughter is be a good student and if I don’t do that then…” Y/N ranted while crying and she started hyperventilating, Ajax got down on the floor to hug Y/N.

“Breathe in and out, okay, focus on my heartbeat, it’s only the two of us, listen to my voice, you’re doing so well.” Ajax kept whispering positive things in Y/N’s ear until she calmed down. She pulled away from Ajax and wiped her tears away. Ajax then grabbed her face softly so she was looking right at him. “You are doing so well, you are at the top of your class, trust me, I know, Yoko overhears everything. Your parents would be so proud of you, but you need to give yourself breaks too. You can’t be all work and no play, that’s not good for your mental health. These past few weeks, you have been skipping meals, losing hours of sleep, been drinking so much cuban coffee, baby, you have dark circles. And not your normal hyperpigmentation eczema dark circles, the ones caused from lack of sleep, they’ve gotten darker. You need balance in your life. How about today we go into town, we get breakfast, no coffee for you, we go to the park, maybe shopping, we’ll spend the whole day in Jericho, does that sound good?” Ajax asked.

“That sounds great, thanks Papito.” Y/N said, hugging him tightly.

“Anything for you, mama. It would be so much better for you to get sleep but you had a little bit too much caffeine.” Ajax said.

“I live off caffeine, i Don’t even think it affects me anymore. But let’s get dressed and we can walk around Jericho,” Y/N said and Ajax kissed her softly.

The End

Hope you like it, sorry of it turned out short and rushed, SEND MORE AJAX REQUESTS, OUR FAVORITE GORGON NEEDS CONTENT!

[wooly-nooly]

Everytime i go to type or write the numbers 2-4, i have to backpace/erase because i realize i have written it in numerals out of habit

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Hi, I have some questions about Cabin in the Woods! 1. What would happen if Spider just didn't react to Quaritch's presence? I mean, he'd just stare blankly into space. 2. Could he use the restroom in those weeks he was strapped down? 3. How was his meeting with Zddog? 4. What would Quaritch do if Spider simply refused to respond to names other than Spider and refused to call Quaritch father 5. That bracelet on his leg is a concussion bracelet? Would Quaritch seriously use it if his son tried to escape? 6. What would happen if Spider somehow found something sharp and hurt himself or his captor? Thanks in advance, I love your story <3

Hello! I love all these questions. Hope you don't mind me changing up the order in which I answer them. So...

1. What would happen if Spider just didn't react to Quaritch's presence?

Quaritch would have looked for an opportunity to make Spider react, like with the I.v and feeding tube. In my mind he always knew exactly what he was doing so if Spider just didn't react to him, Quaritch would probably say/do something to get a rise out of Spider, like insult the Sully's or break his skateboard.

2. What would Quaritch do if Spider simply refused to respond to names other than Spider and refused to call Quaritch father

Spider would have either never been released from his bed or if he tried this after being released Quaritch would have said he was "sick" and tied him up again until he broke.

3. That bracelet on his leg is a concussion bracelet? Would Quaritch seriously use it if his son tried to escape?

I imagined it as a cross between a shock collar and a house arrest ankle monitor. I imagine them as being high up in the mountains, somewhere really hard to get to. There's an invisible perimeter right at the point where you would start to climb down about a 20 mile hike from there house. If Spider had tried to escape he would have gotten electrocuted when he came to that point, if Quaritch hadn't tracked him down first. And yeah if Quaritch really lost his cool, I don't think he'd hesitate to shock Spider into submission and then make him believe he deserved it.

4. Could he use the restroom in those weeks he was strapped down?

Nope. I was intentionally vague about that one, with wording like he couldn't get up for anything so Quaritch had to help him with everything, because frankly that was a little to much for even me to write, but yeah there's definitely a bed pan involved.

5. What would happen if Spider somehow found something sharp and hurt himself or his captor?

With how I wrote Quaritch in this I dont think he ever would allowed for something like that to happen but if that did somehow happen...

If Spider intentionally hurt himself then its going to be a long time before Quaritch even considers letting Spider up from his bed again.

If Spider tried to hurt Quaritch... He honestly wouldn't stand a chance. In my fic Quaritch is definitely playing up the loving father archetype, but if Spider tried to hurt/kill him? That's out the window and the real Quaritch would come out and probably beat the shit out of Spider while again making him believe he deserves it.

6. How was his meeting with Z-dog?

I was actually going to write this but at a certain point I was ready to be done writing this fic and get back to my main fic so I decided to just mention her in passing. So allow me to fix that now...

It was mid December, a light snow covered the ground outside, the bright winter light streaming in through the living room windows. Miles was situated in front of the fireplace, doing his English homework. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the steady beat of his Papa chopping wood out front.

    Then the beat stilled. He heard his Papa call out to someone. A woman’s voice answered. A visitor. Miles quickly dropped his book, scurrying to the window to get a look at the new arrival. The woman looked strong, even under her many layers of warm clothes. She was carrying a large backpack, climbing gear strapped to the top and sides. It was hard to get a good look at her face nestled between her thick wool hat and scarf, but Miles could still make out the smile she gave to his Papa upon seeing him. The woman caught him staring. Her smile got even wider at the sight of him, eyes shining like she was seeing something amazing. 

      “Miles” Papa called as he led the woman inside. The boy immediately scurried to attention. “This is your Auntie Z. She’ll be staying with us for a few days.”

    “Hi Miles,” Auntie Z greated, approaching him. She took his hand in hers and politely shook it.

    Miles liked her already, “hi Auntie Z.” Something about her made him feel instantly comfortable. 

  “Z why don’t you get settled in. Warm up by the fire. Junior can help you out with whatever you need. I'll make us all some lunch,” Papa’s tone was good natured but they both took it as an order, Z quickly unpacking, Miles assisting. 

   Twenty minutes later the trio sat down to a lunch of roasted rabbit and pickled greens, the adults drinking coffee while Miles was given hot tea. Papa asked Z how she’d been doing, what’d she’d been getting up to lately, how her trip up the mountain had gone. Then the conversation took an unexpected turn. “What’s the word on the search for me and Junior?”

     Z looked shocked, side eyeing Miles. She couldn’t believe her commander just asked her that in front of his son. The kid in question just looked at her curiously, while his father patiently sipped his coffee waiting for an answer. “The news coverage stopped months ago. The police gave up the search back in October when they couldn’t find any leads. Miles' last foster family, the Sully's, hired a private investigator. Ja tapped the guy's phone. So far the guy hasn’t been able to find anything.”

    The Colonel clapped his hands, a wicked excitement blazing in his eyes, “hear that Junior! Where in the clear, baby.”

    Miles smiled at his Papa, but it didn’t feel completely genuine. He felt a little queasy at the announcement but decided the food was just getting to him. Z looked him up and down before turning her attention back to her meal saying nothing.

     The next day, Papa invited Z on a hunt but she declined, “I’d like to spend some one on one time with my nephew if you don’t mind.”

    Papa seemed like he definitely did mind but let it happen all the same, leaving to set traps out in the woods. Z settled on the couch, while Miles layed on the floor trying and failing to concentrate on his math workbook. “Your friends miss you,�� Z said startling Miles from his lesson, “those Sully kids. They still put up missing posters for you every weekend. And that private investigator their parents hired. The best money can buy. Your daddy is just better.”

    Something Miles had long since thought dead, started clawing its way up. Tears started pooling in his eyes but he wouldn’t let them fall. “Why are you telling me this?”

    Auntie Z shrugged, “thought you’d want to know.” There was a beat of silence, where the pair just stared into the roaring fire together. Then “are you happy here?”

    Miles' breath hitched and he almost ran to grab his inhaler. But this wasn’t an asthma attack. He felt more than heard the ghost of his past life. It was like trying to remember a dream from decades ago. ……no.. the admission faintly echoed in the back of his mind, causing a tidal wave of guilt and anger. “Why do you care?” 

   Z sighed, “I owe you dad my life. He’s saved my ass more times than I can count. He’ll always be my colonel. But….your mom. She was my friend. She loved you more than anything. I owe it to her to make sure you're okay.”

   The boy couldn’t help the tears that fell. “Yeah..” he said between choked cries… “I’m…” he hesitated. Why was he hesitating? Just say the words, I’m happy, I’m happy, I’m “….fine. I’m fine.”

    Z nodded, “I can’t imagine what all this has been like for you. But I do know, your father loves you. He really does. He just has a ….complicated way of showing it.”

    Miles wiped his eyes on his sleeve, “yeah I know.”

Hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for the questions 💞

[bhhstilinski]

Chapter 1

Annabeth Chase’s least favorite way to start the day was in a rush. She liked having time to plan a list of tasks and wake up fully before driving off to school. She was also a firm believer that breakfast was essential to starting the day. Most mornings, she sat down with eggs on toast or a bowl of cereal and read the news on her phone for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, none of this was an option today. She should’ve known the day wasn’t going to be a normal one when it started with her waking up fifteen minutes after her alarm. Instead of the blaring noise from her phone, Annabeth was roused by the sounds of her dad waking up down the hall. She turned her head to where her bookcase stood faithfully beside her bed, within an arm’s reach. Blinking her bleary eyes, Annabeth focused on the clock sitting atop it. She stared at the clock for a second as her tired brain made sense of the lines and dots projected on its digital face. The moment she realized what time it was, she sprung out of bed in a panic.

After a rushed shower, Annabeth threw on the outfit she had laid out for herself the night before. She crammed textbooks and binders into her backpack and left her room without a second glance. In the kitchen, she grabbed a yogurt and some cheese and crackers for lunch later. Annabeth would’ve liked to pack a granola bar to eat for breakfast, but she reminded herself that she couldn’t even indulge in that luxury this morning. When she got to school she would have to stop by her psychology classroom to drop off a poster; she also had to run to the library and return a stack of books she’d used to research for the project. As that thought ran through her brain, it alerted her to the fact that she had left her poster and materials in her room. She bounded up the steps and all but flew down the hall, retrieving her poster and textbooks before heading back downstairs at a slower pace.

Annabeth gathered her backpack, phone, keys, poster, and books, struggling to balance all of it as she opened the door and left her house. She deposited everything but her keys and phone in the backseat and slid into the front. As she pulled out of the driveway, Annabeth glanced at the clock built into the dashboard. She would still have to hurry when she got to school to complete her errands and make it to her first class on time.

When she reached the parking lot, Annabeth pulled into her regular space and hopped out of the car. She had always parked in the overflow lot to avoid the majority of the other students since hearing nightmare stories about the horrible driving and hectic speeding that often occurred in the afternoons. Plus, the door was located close to her first hour class, calculus. Unfortunately, today she bypassed the math classroom and headed for psychology. It was her last class, and Annabeth didn’t want to lug her poster around all day. She made up her mind to drop off the project and then proceed to the library where she could return her textbooks, since it was located a little further down the same hallway.

To her disappointment, Annabeth arrived at the psychology classroom and was greeted with a flock of other students who had evidently had the same idea as her. A line of sleepy high schoolers stretched across the room and almost reached the hallway. Annabeth took her place at the end of the line, shifting the weight of her backpack on her shoulders and balancing the stack of textbooks in her left hand as she held her rolled-up poster in her right. With a few people still in front of her, Annabeth focused on keeping the book on top of the stack from sliding off. It was dangerously close to doing so. Just as the thought entered her mind, she watched as if in slow motion as the book slipped and fell.

It thudded against the thin carpet, resounding against the concrete not far beneath. Annabeth winced, trying to figure out how to bend down and pick it up without everything else spilling out of her hands and without her backpack tipping her over. As she attempted to crouch, a hand extended from beside her and reached down to pick up the textbook. Gratefully, Annabeth turned to the person now standing next to her. Her words of gratitude stalled in her mouth when she saw who was now holding her textbook. A memory resurfaced within her mind of their first meeting, when they were still just anxious kids on the first day of a new school year.

~flashback~

Annabeth slouched in her seat, peering out the window at the neighborhood where the bus had just screeched to a halt. A truck idled at the mouth of the street, and a cluster of kids around her age looked up at the yellow machine that opened its doors to them. Annabeth watched as the elementary schoolers boarded the bus, noticing how they fell naturally into a single file line. As she looked on, the doors to the truck parked at the end of the street swung open. A woman who looked to be the same age as Annabeth’s stepmother stepped out of the driver’s side while a boy around her own age clambered out of the other door. His large backpack made him seem even smaller as he followed the woman, most likely his mother, to the bus doors.

The other kids had already boarded the bus and filed into seats as the woman climbed the bus stairs and stopped to talk to the bus driver. Annabeth, sitting near the middle of the bus, could only catch snippets of the discussion, but she deduced that the boy’s mother wanted to make sure this was the correct bus before allowing him to board. After a brief conversation, the woman disembarked the bus and the boy appeared in the aisle. Annabeth noticed his hesitance as he walked between the tall gray seats on either side of the pathway. As he reached the seat where she and her backpack resided, his face brightened.

“Can I sit here?” the boy asked, gesturing to the space left in Annabeth’s seat. She nodded silently, sliding over and moving her backpack to the floor to make room for the boy to sit down. She tucked a braid behind her ear as the bus lurched and proceeded on its route to the school. The boy placed his large backpack on the floor and continued to speak. “I don’t know anyone here. We just moved, so this is my first day,” he explained.

Annabeth smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m only in first grade, so I don’t have many friends either,” she reassured him. An excited expression lit up the boy’s face.

“I’m just starting first grade, too! I’m Percy, by the way.”

“I’m Annabeth,” the girl replied, meeting Percy’s eyes for the first time. They were a piercing ocean blue, patterned in a way that made them look like ripples on the surface of the water. His hair fell in sandy blonde waves in front of his face, and she wondered if he had bothered to brush it after waking up that morning. Her own dark hair was braided in her favorite hairstyle, which she liked because it kept her curls out of her face. Percy didn’t seem to mind this.

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Percy piped up again, asking her how she spent her summer. Annabeth described how her new twin half-brothers kept her dad and step-mom busy, and Percy responded with anecdotes of trips to the beach with his mom and celebrating his birthday with blue cupcakes on the shores of Montauk. They chattered away as the bus carried them to school, and the whole time they talked, Annabeth couldn’t keep her gaze away from his eyes. Her own irises were dark brown, almost black, and Percy’s stare mesmerized her.

~present day~

Annabeth was met with the same stare as she looked into the eyes of her former friend. Percy Jackson stood in front of her, textbook in his grasp, a faint smile gracing his face. His backpack no longer dwarfed him as he had grown to be taller than her since they had first met. His hair, now full curls but just as unruly, fell across his forehead. But his eyes hadn’t changed. They still looked like the ocean, patterned with waves, a clear blue color betraying depth beneath.

“Hey, Annabeth,” Percy said simply. Three years since he had suddenly stopped talking to her, and the first thing he says is “hey.” Annabeth couldn’t believe it. She expected him to hand the textbook back to her, or at least place it back on top of the stack in her hand, but he held onto it. As the line of students moved closer to the teacher’s desk, Percy stepped with her, holding her book.

She didn’t know what to say. He was basically a stranger to her now. Since he’d abruptly ended their friendship at the end of the summer before freshman year, Percy had climbed in the ranks of popularity, becoming captain of the swim team and hanging out with people he’d never spoken to before. Annabeth had watched from afar as he seemed to become a different person, spending time with all the athletes, attending parties, and even dating a few of the girls in his new friend group. Unsure of how to read the situation, she just asked the first question that popped into her mind.

“What are you doing here?”

She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. They sounded accusatory, despite the fact that her initial hostile feelings at his betrayal had simmered to a prolonged sadness years ago. Annabeth watched Percy’s face for signs of defensiveness, but he just let out a small laugh. “I’m in this class,” he responded.

“Oh.” Annabeth couldn’t believe how stupid she sounded. Of course he was in this class; it should’ve been obvious. She was too preoccupied with the shock of seeing Percy again. She wracked her brain for something to say next. “How do you like the teacher?”

Percy glanced at the desk, where Mrs. Reed was busy instructing a girl on where to put her project. “She’s… not my favorite,” he said, dropping his voice conspiratorially. “Way too strict for my taste. Once I showed up as the bell was ringing and she still gave me a tardy!”

Annabeth laughed despite herself. Percy always seemed to have that effect on her. “That is the rule, you know.”

He shrugged, grinning at her reaction. “Doesn’t mean I can’t think it’s ridiculous. I mean, come on, they get us for an hour every day. I’m going to make the most of my time right up until class starts.”

Annabeth had always admired his carefree attitude towards school. She knew he’d always struggled to focus in class due to his ADHD, and he’d learned to never put too much pressure on himself because of it. In hindsight, she wished she’d had the same mindset. Annabeth always put pressure on herself when it came to school, pushing herself to take the hardest classes and maintain a 4.0 GPA. She’d always valued knowledge, but she also hoped that she could make her absent mother proud. Her birth mom was a professor at Columbia University, so Annabeth threw herself into her studies, placing all of her self-worth on her grades. Part of her knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she liked to ignore that part.

She stepped closer to Mrs. Reed’s desk as the line inched forward. Her turn was next, but she suddenly didn’t want to leave. “So how’s swim season going?” she asked Percy, attempting to prolong the conversation.

His expressions betrayed his passion as he described early morning practices and weekend meets, detailing how he loved to cheer on the other swimmers almost as much as he loved to swim himself. Annabeth felt herself opening up to him again. It felt as if no time had passed from their last conversation three years ago. But reminders of how he abandoned her crept into her thoughts, and she knew she couldn’t open herself up again. After Percy left her, she’d had only her friends Thalia and Luke. But they were both older than her, with Luke starting college after Annabeth’s freshman year and Thalia leaving a year after him. Thankfully, she’d managed to make a friend at the start of high school.

Emily La Rue, referred to only as Emi by everyone except substitute teachers, was new to New York at the start of her freshman year. She’d moved from Scotland and met Annabeth just a few days into the school year. The two of them quickly became friends and would frequently stay up late texting each other. Where Luke and Thalia would chide Annabeth and tell her to get to sleep, Emi had the same nocturnal habits. They worked on homework together, hung out after school, and talked all the time. So when Luke and eventually Thalia went off to universities across the country, Annabeth wasn’t alone.

Despite having company and friendship, Annabeth would never forget the pain of being discarded. Percy had cast her aside to become popular because she wasn’t good enough for him, just like how she was never good enough for her mother.

Remembering their past, Annabeth steeled herself against Percy’s effortless charm. She nodded along as he spoke, but she promised herself that she would never let someone get that close to her again. When he asked about her articles for the school paper, she skirted around the question, instead mentioning that she might recommend him to other writers for a profile.

“Well I’m not sure if I’m interesting enough,” Percy began with a chuckle, “but if you wanted to write-”

“Miss Chase, is that your project?” The rest of Percy’s sentence was cut off by the admonishing tone of Mrs. Reed, who was staring pointedly at Annabeth. She realized it had probably been her turn to talk to the teacher for a while now.

Unfurling the posterboard, Annabeth responded hastily. “Uh, yes, I was just wondering if I could keep it in here for today? Until sixth hour?” She was keenly aware of Percy Jackson standing over her shoulder, watching this interaction.

“Sixth hour projects can go right over there.” Mrs. Reed pointed to the back wall of the room.

Annabeth proceeded to the corner and set her poster on the floor, checking one last time to make sure she’d written her name on it. “Thank you!” she said to the teacher as she walked back towards the door of the classroom, remembering she still had to make a stop at the library before the start of class. Percy was waiting for her at the door, still holding her textbook. “So…” she started awkwardly, “my book?”

“Oh, right,” he said, looking uncomfortable for once. He handed her the heavy volume. Annabeth gave him a terse smile as he continued talking. “So I’ll see you around, I guess?”

Annabeth wasn’t sure what to make of this. She had barely seen him for years, and all of a sudden they’re on “see you around” terms? She looked at Percy, hesitating in the door frame. “Sure,” she replied, and turned to the hallway, holding her books with two hands as she walked towards the library. Annabeth told herself not to look back. It didn’t matter if he was still standing there, watching her with his oceanic eyes. She didn’t care.

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 23, 9/21/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

Weekly Weather Report

By Lydia

Temperatures are represented using Celsius. Sorry, Americans!

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach a high of 21 degrees and a low of 15 degrees. It will be slightly windy and mostly sunny, with wind speeds of 15 miles per hour.

Thursday: Temperatures will reach a high of 24 degrees and a low of 13 degrees. Winds will be slow with a speed of 2 miles per hour. It will be mostly cloudy with occasional shockwaves tearing through the sky, causing clouds to be torn apart and scattered.

Friday: Temperatures will reach a high of 30 degrees and a low of 20 degrees. Skies will be mostly cloudy with expectations to clear up in the afternoon.

Saturday: Temperatures will reach a high of 32 degrees and a low of 23 degrees. Skies will be mostly clear with windy conditions reaching 25 miles per hour.

Sunday: Temperatures will reach a high of 27 degrees and a low of 18 degrees. Skies will be rainy throughout the afternoon but clear up quickly. Gusts of hot air will blow through the server, accompanied by occasional wisps of flames.

Monday: Temperatures will reach a high of 29 degrees and a low of 16 degrees. Skies will be cloudy throughout the entire day with higher humidity today than throughout the rest of the week, making the air feel more like 35 degrees most of the day.

Tuesday: Temperatures will reach a high of 32 degrees and a low of 25 degrees. Dust storms will be prevalent throughout the day and skies will be sunny.

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach a high of 30 degrees and a low of 22 degrees. Skies will remain sunny throughout the entire day with low wind speeds. Clouds in the shape of spiderwebs will be scattered throughout the sky.

Now onto other news under the cut!

Astrology Corner: DeckedOutScopes

By Corundumcat

Have you been feeling without guidance? Do you look at your birthday, look up your star sign, and wonder, “Will I immediately be eaten by Tango’s Cough or Pumpkin” “Am I going to embrace my inner Ethoslab Season 1?” Don’t worry, here at The Overseer, we can help you.*

Aries:  You will max out clank and dance around all of the problems and chaos in the ✨dungeon✨.

Taurus: You are an unpaid worker who has found some great friends, and while this will look great on your resume, it’s not the same as volunteering at music festival, is it?

Gemini: You, like your namesake, are really excited to play. HOWEVER, unlike your namesake, you do not venture in as you like the waiting room.

Cancer: You got to meet Mrs. Tango in your last run… let’s just say she didn’t like you.

Leo: You are in charge of naming pet ravagers and you were asked if you could name it Tango’s Hug. You were confused, so you did. (They paid in frost embers).

Virgo: You are the actor in the dark room who gets to congratulate the successful runners.

Libra: You are trying to adopt Pumpkin.

Scorpio: You are there as the person who hugs the friends who were unsuccessful and got taken by Tango’s Cough. 

Sagittarius: You have a custom Decked Outfit and are trying to win the fashion contest. 

Capricorn: You are the mad lads who are doing the spreadsheet analysing everyone’s scores

Aquarius: You listen to “Better When I’m Dancing” whilst running the dungeon.

Pisces: You are going to end up on the news channel for starting with the hardest difficulty and doing really well.

All star signs: come by my cryptids corner if you have the chance. 

*Ignore how blatantly specific these are. Nothing bad will happen to you. You just may get a tad lost

Lost and Found

By Lydia

All of the following items have been brought to The Overseer staff’s office for safekeeping until they are claimed. If you recognize one of these items as yours, please visit us to receive your items, or contact us at lostandfound@thehermitnews.org. Lost items will be sent to Twinkly Trash if not picked up after two weeks. Thank you! *Not a real email address.

Item 1: A heavy backpack full of amethyst This backpack is dyed a bright orange with blue accents and is filled with two stacks of amethyst. Basic diamond mining tools were also found inside the pack, along with three stacks of torches.

Item 2: A necklace of animal teeth This necklace appears to be made out of the teeth of several Ravagers and is painted with intricate spiraled patterns.

Item 3: A pile of shoelaces with frayed ends These shoelaces appear to have been made a few years ago and were found in a small pouch. They come in several bright colors and are very short, as if they were made for children’s sneakers. There were no aglets on these shoelaces and the ends are very frayed.

Item 4: A box of pavement chalk This box of chalk was found in the Shopping District next to a series of chalk drawings lining the paths. These drawings resemble large chasms, out of which are bursting colorful lightning bolts. There are also several circles, inside of which are written, “Bad Luck Spot.”

Item 5: A pack of playing cards This pack of cards was found near Grian’s rocks and is designed with characters from several 1980s arcade games. They were found scattered in the area.

Item 6: A necklace with a locket This was found in the woods and gave the finder an electric shock when they attempted to open it. There is a distant ticking sound coming from it and an engraving on the back, written in galactic. Half of the engraving is scratched off. The finder suggests taking it as far as possible or finding a way to destroy it completely.

Item 7: A set of tools and weapons in an overgrown box This set includes a sword with Riptide 3, an axe with Feather Falling 2, a pickaxe with Blast Protection 3, a bow with Thorns 5, a shovel with Aqua Affinity, a fishing rod with Flame, and shears with Swift Sneak 3 and Soul Speed 2.

Item 8: A life-sized crocheted office printer plush Stuffed with cotton, it is scented like that of a fresh book. The finder believes whoever made this took “Your workplace is your home,” quite literally.

Item 9: A shipment of merchandise to be released This was found via a motorcycle delivery driver crashing into someone’s garden. The items include subtly designed Warden hoodies, frosty mugs resembling frozen shards, Collector’s Edition Decked Out 2 Cards, relic charms, and two dozen shirts that say, “I survived the burning dark and all I got was this lousy t-shirt,” with one of the dozen being colored to resemble a Ravager and the other colored like that of a Warden. The apparels are made with moderately thick fabric, making them ideal for both warm and cool weather.

Item 10: An indestructible 25-ounce goose-shaped mug This goose-shaped mug depicts the goose’s neck as the handle. It says, “FLIGHT, FRIGHT, FIGHT!” in the font of Another Danger by The Branded Quotes, written in vibrant red letters. It has Unbreaking 5 and Mending. It has been dropped eight times on the finder’s way to the office and not a single chip or dent has formed.

Fun and Games

This week's fun and games are once again brought to you by Lydia and Azure!

Word Search and Crossword by Lydia

Brain Teasers by Azure

And that's all for this week folks! Have a wonderful week y'all!

[cryptidsurveys]

Saturday, September 28th, 2024.

Can you unwrap a Starburst in your mouth? I doubt it. I'd most likely end up with a nasty glob of paper and candy.

What is the last thing you ate? A sandwich and mixed veggies.

Who is your favorite person to spend time with? My dad.

Have you ever had tendinitis? I haven't.

What brand of face wash do you use? I don't use proper face wash. I just use shampoo, which is probably terrible, but…here we are.

Do you know how to grill a steak? I don't think I've ever grilled a steak before. I've cooked one up in a pan, though, and that was fine. I mean, it's not an incredibly complicated concept.

What were you wearing the last time you were kissed? I have no idea. The last time I kissed someone was around 2012-2013.

Have you ever been to a purse party? I've never heard of such a thing. I don't even know what a purse party would entail.

Would you ever use an online dating service? I can't say I'd never use one (who knows - I might change my mind in the future), but at this stage in my life, I have no interest in online dating. Or dating at all, for that matter.

When is the last time you weighed yourself? Sometime around February/March of this year.

Do you mosh when you go to concerts/shows? I kind of moshed at a little local show I went to as a teen, but otherwise, no.

Do you like Gushers? I did when I was younger.

Are you good at multitasking? No. Especially not in somewhat chaotic environments like the animal shelter. Sometimes I'll get pulled in several different directions at once and something will inevitably be forgotten or overlooked.

When’s the last time you went to a nightclub? I've never been to a nightclub before.

Where did you buy your favorite pair of jeans? I basically don't even wear jeans anymore.

Do you have a large dog? I don't have any dogs.

What is more annoying: A sore throat or a headache? Headaches for me are typically migraines, which are much harder to function with than a sore throat.

What was your GPA last semester? N/a.

Do you like walking places? Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I wouldn't feel safe walking somewhere in my city. I used to walk to the mall all the time when I was a teenager, but I wouldn't do that these days. I'm fine with walking around the riverwalk with my dad or something like that, but as far as walking to a particular destination…no thank you. The farthest I would dare go would be the gas station near my house.

Are you a fan of bands most people don’t know of? No. My tastes are pretty mainstream. Some of the music might be a bit older (classic rock/90s/etc), but it's still relatively well-known.

What time is it right now? 1:58pm.

When’s the last time you wore goggles? Probably in my high school Chemistry class.

Have you ever been to Europe? No.

Do you yell at other drivers while you drive? No. I might mutter a bit about their driving, but I rarely - if ever - get to the point of road rage. Even just recently when I had that awkward near-encounter with a merging semi-truck, I was just like, "Ummm, okay, are we seriously doing this…?!" and quickly/instinctually maneuvered out of the way. In that case, I was more shaken up than anything else.

Are you good at playing Darts? No.

Can you legally consume alcohol? If not, do you anyways? I can.

Do you like zebra print and would you wear it? It's okay for something like blankets or home decor, but I can't see myself wearing it.

Are “school friends” and friends different to you? I'm not in school anymore, but I guess I do have "work friends." I get on pretty well with River, Kristen, and Riley, but I don't consider them to be on the same level as Ollie (my best friend). Like no offense intended whatsoever (because they're cool people and I enjoy their company), but I wouldn't want to hang out with them outside of work. Well, maybe Riley, but Kristen and River are far too young.

When is the last time you laid out and tanned? I have no idea. It's just not something I tend to do. Maybe all the way back in my backpacking days?

Would you rather date a brunette or a blonde? That's not something I take into account when considering whether or not I would date someone. Even when purely related to attraction, it depends on so many things beyond hair color.

Do you have friends in other states than your own? Ollie lives in California.

Have you ever fake tanned? (Spray or bed) No.

Do lots of kids at your high school do drugs? (At my school it’s normal) Again, I'm not in school, but hearing River talk about the high school she used to attend was WILD. It was not like that back when I was there. The whole grade school experience is just so different now compared to what I went through. Like, we didn't have tablets or anything like that. No cell phones with internet access. Just computers in the library or at home. It feels like a whole different world.

What kind of computer do you have? A Dell desktop.

Would you rather use colored pencils or crayons? Colored pencils.

Can you drive well? I'm coming up on my one-year relearning anniversary, so even though I'm okay at it, there's still a lot left to learn. Lots of little details and situations I haven't encountered yet.

What bothers you the most about your town? It's not really the city itself that bothers me (it's fine even if it does rank as the 2nd or 3rd most dangerous city in the state); it's more the location and the weather. I would much rather live somewhere in the mountains, somewhere with cooler summers and longer, colder, SNOWIER winters.

Can you actually play an instrument or do you say it to be cool? I can't.

Flip flops or Birkenstock sandals? Sandals.

Do you like breaded chicken sandwiches? Yeah.

Are you a fan of plug in air fresheners? I probably would be if I didn't have migraines.

Do you like mad libs? I did when I was a kid.

How are you? All things considered, I'm feeling pretty good. Friday's meeting went surprisingly well. I'm looking forward to returning to the animal shelter on Monday after taking a few days off. And I might be going to the Mountain Park tomorrow if my dad's up to it. However, the recent/ongoing situation with my mom was uniquely devastating and I'm still trying to figure out how to process/deal with it. It was also another one of those dreaded "blue sky traumas" - one of those things that crop up suddenly in the midst of an otherwise wonderful day and threaten to bring your whole world crashing down... I'll live, though.

Besides this website, what other websites do you visit frequently? Instagram and YouTube.

What part of your body are you most insecure about? Ehhh.

What's one food you would be surprised to hear that someone doesn't like? I don't think anything would surprise me at this point.

Do you think your voice is higher or lower than average? Neither really. It's probably somewhere in the middle.

Have you ever slept for such a long period of time that you felt tired throughout the next day? Possibly. That sort of thing is more likely to happen with naps, though. Instead of feeling refreshed, I just feel sluggish and out of it.

Are you comfortable discussing bodily functions with your friends? This just reminds me of the "I shit seven times a day" story Cassie told us about one of her boyfriend's friends. Like, y'all don't shit seven times a day? No dude, we most certainly DO NOT. You need to stop discussing that with your friends and start discussing it with a DOCTOR.

[kittieskullz]

Backpac tour

[the-arcade-doctor]

" okay! " > the individual waddled away to go find games to play [then he waddled away waddle waddle waa wait no i cant put this in the notes wait how do i backspacke backpace backspace WHY CANT I BACKSP > FUCK I PRESSED ENTER IT SENT THE NOTE TO THE PERSON OHNO > HI IGNORE THOSE NOTES IM STILL LEARNING THE NOTE FUNCTION! -C-Rikkt (F in the chat for C-Rikkt this is why you dont let the soley-voice for your bot mess with controls)

[ J:\\ JEHEHE, HAVE FUN! ]

[underworld-spring]

Backpac-olytes if you will