#badlands in Montana

[shea-like-the-butter]

Saturday, October 26th 2024

Wash me in the water

You can cut off all my hair

And I’ll be changing like the weather

But I’ll never be like him

[muhammadgiovanni]

Handful of shots from my journey...

[chuuphic]

this is so interesting

[janesgms]

< How you act when you're in love >

5H/7H house ruler in scorpio/8H house/8°/20° degrees: can, at its worst, make someone very obsessive, possessive, explosive, jealous and even an stalker when they're in love with someone ☠️ help. at its best, can make someone very passionate, intense, powerful, protective and sensual when in love, the type to go to the moon and back just for their lover. it's giving very ride or die vibes. The same definition can apply to venus aspecting pluto. Songs:

Him and I - G-eazy & Halsey

Woo - Rihanna

The whole Reputation album - Taylor Swift

The Weeknd songs

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

Collide - Justine Skye

Middle of The Night - Elley Duhé

Babydoll - Ari Abdul

Animals - Maroon 5

Crazy in Love - Beyoncé

The whole Ultraviolence album - Lana Del Rey

Unforgettable - French Montana

Heaven - Julia Michaels

The whole Badlands album - Halsey

Killbill - SZA

L.E.S - Donald Glover

5H/7H house ruler in cancer/4H house/4°/16°/28° degrees:: can, at its worst, make someone extremely manipulative, moody, vengeful and irrational when in love with someone. at its best, can make someone very caring, loving, protective, nostalgic and nurturing when in love, they really like to spoil their partner emotionally. The same definition can apply to venus aspecting moon. Songs:

The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez

Highschool Sweethearts - Melanie Martinez

Reminder - The Weeknd

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

Part Of Me - Katy Perry

Te Amo - Rihanna

Alejandro - Lady Gaga

Sweather Weather - Arctic Monkeys

I wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys

Cinnamon Girl - Lana Del Rey

deja vu - Olivia Rodrigo

Outside - Calvin Harris

Earned It - The Weeknd

The whole Born To Die album - Lana Del Rey (including the paradise songs 😘)

Ocean Eyes - Billie Eilish

5H/7H house ruler in pisces/12H house/12°/24° degrees: can, at its worst, make someone delusional, blind, influencial, escapist, and moody when in love. at its best, can make someone sensitive, empathetic, dreamy, empathetic, creative, profound, feeling unexplainable feelings, and VERY romantic when in love, they're probably the types to write poetry and imagine a fairytale with their loved one. The same definition can apply to venus aspecting neptune. Songs:

Love you like a love song - Selena Gomez

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga (a song deditaced for their terrible taste in men, specially, but in women too 💞)

Training Wheels - Melanie Martinez

I'm yours - Isabel LaRosa

Renegade - Aaryah Shaah

The bridge of What a Life - Jhene Aiko

Why'd You Only Call Me Whem You're High - Arctic Monkeys

#icanteven - The NBHD

Happiness Is A Butterfly - Lana Del Rey

I Love You - 2ne1

Loonatic - LOONA

America - XYLØ

High Enough - K.Flay

The whole soundtrack of Euphoria - Labyrnth

Psyechedelic Addict - Anuka

As someone with these 3 placements (scorpio/pisces/4th/8th houses), I really liked doing this post since it's something very personal to me! 💕 Also, one thing I notice is that all these placements usually listen to a lot of music, more than the usual, when in love.

Mini tutorial in case you don't know how to see your rulers. Look at the signs in your 5th and 7th houses, then look at where the planets who rule these signs are in your natal. For ex: I have a 5th house in sagittarius, so I need to look at my jupiter, sagittarius ruler, who is in scorpio in the 4th house. For this, I indicate for you to look at the modern rulership, but in case you don't identify with the characteristics, look at the traditional ruler.

[coyote-west]

shaped by time and water | in the Montana badlands

pastel and color pencil on paper, 8x8"

[bonkwosher]

omg if you wrote more alan grant x reader i will literally name my firstborn after you. you write him so well bless you 🥹

A/N: Lmao, will do Anon. I have no prompt from this so I'll figure out my own one.

Prompt: "4. understanding each other without words 5. recognizing the sound of their steps 15. watching their oblivious s/o lovingly 38. craving their company after a stressful day" From this prompt list (I've used it before for Benoit Blanc). 1000% friends to lovers rn.

Pairing(s): Teacher!Alan Grant x Colleague!GN!Reader

Contains: Teacher!Alan, Teacher!Reader, Alan having a long day with back pain, mentions of trauma (Jurrasic Park incident), panic attacks

Word Count: 2k

It was stupid, your little crush on the lead paleontologist at the dig site. You were the site manager, in charge of ensuring everything ran smoothly. Really you were just a Business 101 teacher, but Dr. Alan Grant himself requested that you manage the site. How could you say no? Your break room crush wanted you all the way out in the badlands of Snakewater, Montana with him. Okay, maybe not just him but there's something here, right? You've known each other for years, you sit in on his lessons when you're not teaching. He smiles when he sees you enter the room. You could only hope there's something special.

For now, you sit in the teacher's tent reading some papers that were dropped off with the food for the week. Dr. Sattler, the lead paleobotanist, was making some food for herself. A cup of tea sat on the table in front of you, occasional sips being taken. You heard footsteps move past you outside the tent. It was a light stomping & slow, it was Alan, & boy did he need coffee.

"Morning, Alan," you spoke the moment he grabbed at the tent's curtain door.

Alan was taken aback a little, shaking his head before pinching his nose, "Good morning, Y/N."

It was cute, the way he stumbled to the coffee machine. It was already on considering Ellie used it. He lazily pressed each button, rubbing his face with both hands afterward.

"Rough night, Dr. Grant?" You spoke, a teasing edge on your voice.

Alan froze for a split second before speaking, "How did you know?"

"Is it not obvious?" Your reply caused him to turn around, coffee now in hand.

Alan turned to Ellie with a confused look, to which she responded, "Looks like normal Alan to me."

"Well, I did have a rough night. I tweaked my back near the end of the day yesterday, sleeping was hell."

The dark circles under his eyes were becoming obvious. You couldn't help but pout a little in response. It would be weird to offer a massage. He's just a work friend.

"Well try to rest today," you suggested with a reassuring smile.

He waved off your suggestion, figuratively & literally, "No, no, some of the students found a really good fossil with that computer thing. It would be a shame to miss out on that, & I can't let them mess up such a beautiful fossil."

You stood up from the table & set the papers down, "Well I'm all caught up on work on my end. Mind if I come with you? Tap a few bones with a chisel maybe?"

Alan looked down & chuckled at your statement before shaking his head once more & looking up. A cheery sigh escaped him as he looked into your eyes.

"There is much for you to learn about paleontology, Y/N."

You were standing across from Alan as he was sprawled out on the ground, brush in hand, lightly brushing dirt away. You didn't notice the dopey smile you had on your face till Alan looked up at you, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"What?" You asked, laughing & putting your hands on your hips.

"You're standing around lookin' cute, I thought you were going to join me in the dirt," he teased back.

You both blushed. Not that either of you noticed the other was freaking out just as much. Alan couldn't believe he was so forward &, frankly, you couldn't gather that he might actually have feelings for you. You quickly turned around to hide your blush, Alan's heart sinking. You turned back around, with equal speed, brush in hand. You kneeled down on the dirt, leaning on your elbows & finding yourself in a similar position to Alan. You began brushing the dirt away. You tried to sneakily watch Alan to see if you were doing it right. His brows were furrowed as he brushed at the bone in front of him.

"Dr. Grant! I brought the supplies from this week's dropoff!" A student called out, a pile of boxes high enough to block their vision was shaking in their arms.

You couldn't help but freeze as the kid stepped towards the site. A few more steps & he'd surely step on the bones, inevitably freaking out & accidentally dropping everything. He'd be dead by dawn if Alan had anything to do with it. Luckily, Alan intervened early, shooting up quickly to stop the kid. A groan escaped him as he reached his hands out.

"James, the table is this way!" He tried not to sound too upset.

"Sorry, Dr. Grant!" James apologized as he turned towards the aforementioned table.

Alan's right hand darted to his back, applying pressure as best he could. You stood up slowly, noticing Alan's attempt at hiding the pained grimace on his face. You began walking towards him as he gripped his hat on his head, crushing it between his fingers.

"Professor!" Your focus was drawn to someone shouting your title, considering you were the only non-doctor here, "You got some faxes, the receipts from today need to be revised & sent to the school!"

You realized now it was your assistant calling out, a student volunteer getting work experience in the weirdest of locations. You thanked them as you grazed a hand over Alan's back.

"Please rest," you whispered to him as you walked away.

As you went off to do your work, it was Alan's turn to freeze. He may be good under pressure, when deadlines are coming, or even when dinosaurs think he would make a perfect midnight snack; But god did he feel absolutely helpless under your touch. He felt himself leaning into the touch & now he was stuck in this awkward bent hip position. He sighed as he adjusted his posture, convincing himself that it wasn't your touch that suddenly made the pain go away. Coincidence, he'll call it. He got back into an uncomfortable position, determined to get a good look at this fossil by nightfall.

By the time you left your "office" tent, it was dark. You looked towards the dig site to see some floodlights pointed towards the fossil. A couple eager students, & likely, Dr. Alan were hard at work. Dr. Sattler would soon come to end their fun & make sure the students got their 8 hours of rest in. You decided bed sounded much more comfortable than attempting to get them to sleep anyways. You opened the door to your trailer, letting it shut behind you. You toed off your shoes & took off your button-up & pants, changing into less dusty clothes before climbing into bed. You gave it one last good stretch before plopping onto your bed. You got comfortable, adjusting a couple pillows before feeling right.

A couple knocks hit your door, "Y/N, are you awake?"

Alan was trying to be quiet in case you were asleep but you could tell he needed to see you. You stood up slower than usual, you were tired after all, & opened the trailer door. Alan's arms twitched up slightly, he retracted them.

"Can I-"

You interrupted him, "Of course."

Alan's arms darted around your waist. From his place, a step below you on the trailer stairs, his head reached the crook of your neck. He nestled into place quickly, as if you had done this a million times. In reality, you & Dr. Grant had hugged once.

That time he hadn't asked, he knew he caught you off guard & he beat himself up about it ever since. It was his first day back on campus after he mysteriously left for an island with Dr. Sattler. You had come in to check on him after your classes, which happened to be late that night, & found him in his office. He was hunched over his work, head in his hands. The office door was left ajar, maybe he was still running office hours? Nonetheless, you pushed the door open slightly & knocked as you did so. You seemed to scare the life out of him. He jumped back & out of his seat, throwing papers into the air with him.

He yelled something barely intelligible, sounding maybe like, "GET BACK!"

"Alan! It's me, Y/N," You tried to calm your colleague as you walked toward him, his eyes were going everywhere but in your direction.

You managed to get a couple feet in front of him, his hand was clutching his chest & his breathing was beyond fast.

"Alan, I need you to take deeper breaths," You spoke as you reached out to touch his hand, "Please."

Finally, his eyes met yours, your hand wrapping around the one that held his chest so tightly. The genuine look of concern in your eyes grounded him. He looked around the room to see he was safe in his, albeit, now messy, office. Without thinking he scooped you into a hug. You were shocked at first by the sudden movement, your hands took a moment to find their place. In the moment, Alan didn't process that he caught you off guard, that would haunt him later. Right now, you were the one thing making him know he was safe, & holding you felt right. He had barely spoken to you before this. You were another teacher in the giant school that was U of M. But in the few times he's spoken to you, he's fallen hard. It surprised him that you stopped by, he was hoping you weren't there to ask him about Jurrasic Park.

You never did, & after that night you were always around. You sat in on his lessons & he even sat in on yours on the rare occasion. You offered to talk to him about whatever happened if he ever wanted, he never did. Alan was stubborn that way, he didn't like talking about feelings.

So you'd be lying if you said it didn't shock you when Alan asked to come into your trailer late that night. He sat down on the "kitchen" chair & looked up at you, pulling his hat off & setting it in his lap. His eyes quickly decided looking at the floor was more comfortable.

"Sorry, if I'm intruding, I had a rough day."

"You're not intruding, Alan, you never are," you tried to find eye contact but there was none, "You want to talk about anything?"

A long moment of silence sat between you. Alan was clearly fighting himself on something. Finally, a sigh escaped him.

"Do you remember... that night in my office?"

He didn't have to explain, of course, you knew, "Yes."

"It happened again, last night."

"I'm so sorry, Alan."

"Don't be," He had a clear train of thought & you couldn't break it, "I fell & hurt my back, I was terrified. I wanted to run to you but the fear that something was outside kept me trapped."

He wanted to run... to you?

"I've been in so much pain all day," he continued, "& it felt so isolating to keep last night to myself, bad isolating. When you just knew something was wrong-"

Alan stood up & took your hands in his, his eyes found yours just as quickly, "How did you know?"

"You looked, not like you, if that makes sense. I just knew."

Alan's hands darted to the sides of your face but yet again, froze. His eyes were filled with determination & fear. You weren't scared. You lifted your hands to guide him. His hands now resting on each side of your jawline. In the silence, Alan lightly traced a line across your cheek with his right thumb. You gave him the smallest of nods, looking deep into his eyes. Alan pulled you in for a deep kiss, a sigh escaping him when you kissed back. In a moment, you were separated again.

"Mind if I stay the night?" Alan spoke softly.

"I would love that."

A/N: This took me so long & I can't believe I didn't get burnt out. I am so happy with this.

[parisbytaylorswift]

1. Acadia National Park, Maine

2. American Samoa National Park, American Samoa

3. Arches National Park, Utah

4. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

5. Big Bend National Park, Texas

6. Biscayne National Park, Florida

7. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

8. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

9. Canyonlands National Park, Utah

10. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

11. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

12. Channel Islands National Park, California

13. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

14. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

16. Death Valley National Park, California & Nevada

17. Denali National Park, Alaska

18. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

19. Everglades National Park, Florida

20. Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska

21. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

22. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

23. Glacier National Park, Montana

24. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

25. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

26. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

27. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

28. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina

29. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

30. Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii

31. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

32. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

33. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

34. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

35. Joshua Tree National Park, California

36. Katmai National Park, Alaska

37. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

38. Kings Canyon National Park, California

39. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

40. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

41. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

42. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

43. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

44. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

45. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

46. North Cascades National Park, Washington

47. Olympic National Park, Washington

48. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

49. Pinnacles National Park, California

50. Redwood National Park, California

51. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

52. Saguaro National Park, Arizona

53. Sequoia National Park, California

54. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

55. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

56. Virgin Islands National Park, United States Virgin Islands

57. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

58. White Sands National Park, New Mexico

59. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

60. Wrangell—St. Elias National Park, Alaska

61. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana & Idaho

62. Yosemite National Park, California

63. Zion National Park, Utah

[fatehbaz]

So 26 February 2023, Grist re-publishes a piece originally from InvestigateWest, after InvestigateWest got their hands on some sensitive emails/documents revealing that the EPA rather than fairly supervising mining companies “they’re supposed to regulate” has instead assisted the companies “by attacking researchers and smearing peer-reviewed science.” (Surprising nobody; Montana is a resource extraction colony.) The piece is titled “Newly revealed records show how the EPA sided with polluters in a small Montana mining town.”

So I’m like “oh, is this gonna be about the natural gas boom near Sidney on the North Dakota border right alongside the Bakken oil fields, an operation so big and extensive that it artificially lights up the night sky over the open prairies of the northern Great Plains in a way that, from a satellite view, makes the least densely populated and remote corner of the contiguous United States glow brightly as if it were a massive city or as if the entire region were on fire? Or is this gonna be about coal mining in the remote southeastern corner of the state in the badlands and shortgrass prairie near Crow and Cheyenne reservations, where coal companies in the Yellowstone River watershed traditionally have extracted millions from near the Powder River and Black Hills?”

But nope, it’s about Butte.

“Small Montana mining town.”

This city is still among top 5 or top 10 most culturally and economically significant cities in the state. “Significant city” would be more apt than “small town.” But beyond that.

This is the place known as “Butte, America.”

Butte was the epicenter, the home base, the foundation of the Gilded Age copper boom that electrified the world and lit the streetlights and parlors of turn-of-the-century London and New York.

All that copper wiring, that’s from Butte, or from the industries that Butte’s barons established. This was the city where mining magnates ran the Anaconda Copper Mining Company which spear-headerd the pillaging of Latin America (referenced in the “open veins of Latin America”). Anaconda established the century-long tradition of Canadian and US mining companies destroying lives and landscapes in the Andes.

By 1899, Butte was one of the most significant US cities between the Mississippi River and the Sierra Nevada. This was the home of the Copper Kings.

The Anaconda company, in 1919, completed construction on a smelter smokestack 585 feet high, which remains the tallest surviving brick structure on the planet.

The wealth of Butte in the Edwardian era is unfathomable. They had a rollercoaster. In a single year, merely just those local mines along the edge of the city could produce $23 million ($700 million today). And that doesn’t include all of the wealth stolen from Latin America or other mines in the western US.

Montana was a state that pioneered the “corporations are people” stuff. Its very statehood itself, the christening of Montana, was a gift to the Copper Kings. Every important state office was practically purchased, owned by those mining barons.

This is also why Montana was the site of some of the earliest and most important labor struggles. Because the entire state of Montana was functionally a copper mining company town. Among notable events: the 1914 Butte labor riots, the 1917 brutal assassination of Frank Little, and the 1920 “Anaconda Road Massacre” in which company guards shot and killed 17 fleeing people.

This is why, depending on who you ask, Butte is either A Company Town or A Union Town.

Butte claims to be the home of the “largest population of Irish-Americans per capita of any US city.” This may or may not be true, but this Irish influence evident in the local popularity of pasties. In the Edwardian era, Butte was also the site of an important Chinatown neighborhood and a large Chinese community.

Locally, Butte is famous/infamous for being the site of the Berkeley Pit. Or “The Pit.” The remaining scar of an open-pit copper mine. It’s one mile long, half-mile wide, almost 2,000 feet deep, filled with 900 feet of acidic water laden with cadmium, sulfuric acid, and arsenic.

Just sitting there. In the city.

“Oh, well, of course, back in the Gilded Age, in the 1890s, US businesses got a little out of control, and boom-town communities weren’t really thinking long-term, and they also didn’t know all The Science, so they allowed for the creation of, like, giant toxic death-pits in their residential areas,”

Nope. They built that open-pit mine in 1955 and operated it until 1982.

Anyway, that’s kind of what the 2023 investigative report is about. There is a newer mine (copper and molybdenum) currently open and operating in the city, right next to The Pit.

And the current mine is owned by the richest man in the state of Montana, Dennis Washington. And the EPA is like, “Don’t worry. The mine in the city is fine, it’s all good.” Because that’s what US government land management agencies do: File due diligence paperwork for land-owners while others get poisoned.

The largest open pit copper mine (by extracted volume) on the planet, and the second-deepest open-pit mine of any kind on the planet, is at Chuquicamata in the Atacama region of Chile. This mine was the property of the Anaconda company.

The towering smokestack. The Pit on the edge of town. The gaping wound at Chuquicamata. The legacy of the Copper Kings lives on with the continued theft and poisoning of those in both Montana and the Andes.

[raz-writes-the-thing]

Unpredictable // Ian Malcolm

Never in a million years did Lyanna Grant think that she would be a part of something this big. She also never thought that she would have accomplished as much as she has by the age of just twenty-eight.

The best part of her job aside from the joy of digging up prehistoric creatures of the past, is that she gets to work with her uncle; Alan Grant, one of the most respected and renowned palaeontologists of the century.

But when John Hammond, one of their primary investors arrives at their site in the Badlands and offers to fully fund their dig for another three years and all he wants in return is for the two of them and Lyanna's unofficially adopted aunt Ellie Sattler to go to a park he has created and give it their endorsements... Well, who are they to say no?

Little do they know that one decision would set off a chain reaction of chaotic events that were essentially unpredictable.

CHAPTER ONE

Lyanna Grant, niece to Alan Grant finds herself working on her uncle's latest dig site in the Badlands, Montana.

CHAPTER TWO

Alan, Ellie and Lyanna meet key investor John Hammond who has an interesting proposition for the three of them...

[csny]

Alaska: Igloo, Kodiak bear, Iditarod sled dog race, Denali

Hawaii: pearl harbor, pineapple

washington: Space Needle, apple, mt st helens, rainier national park

oregon: roses, lighthouse, crater lake, oregon trail, hiking

california: redwood tree, white water rafting, gold, golden gate bridge, silicon valley, yosemite national park, wine country, sierra nevada mountains, hollywood, joshua tree

nevada: silver, las vegas strip, hoover dam

idaho: gemstones, potatoes

montana: rocky mountains, glacier national park, grizzly bear, bison

wyoming: yellowstone national park, old faithful geyser, bucking bronco

utah: great salt lake, zion national park, skiing

arizona: lake mead, grand canyon national park, montezuma castle, turquoise, saguaro cactus

new mexico: pueblo, yucca plant, carlsbad caverns

colorado: rocky mountain national park, columbine flower, elk

north dakota: oil, wind energy

south dakota: crazy horse memorial, the badlands, mount rushmore

nebraska: chimney rock, bald eagle, train

kansas: tornadoes, dodge city, sunflower

oklahoma: tomato, wheat, osage shield

texas: cattle, prickly pear cactus, oil refinery, the alamo, NASA Johnson space Center

Minnesota: lake of the woods, wolf, deer

iowa: prairie grass, corn

missouri; Hog, gateway arch

arkansas: razorback hog, banjo

louisiana: crayfish, mardi gras, jazz music

wisconsin: dairy

illinois: Willis tower, tractor, lincoln

michigan: copper, iron ore, automobile manufacturing, motown

indiana: Car

ohio: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, tires

pennsylvania: street mill, liberty bell

new jersey: constitution

maryland: blue crab

virginia: mount vernon

north carolina: wright brothers national memorial, tobacco farm, great smoky mountains national park, appalachian mountains

south carolina: fort sumter

georgia: peanuts, peach

florida: oranges, kennedy space center, alligator, everglades national park

alabama: cotton, civil rights movement

mississippi: magnolia

tennessee: country music

kentucky: horse racing

west virginia: coal

new york: apple tree, financial market, statue of liberty

massachusetts: american revolution

vermont: maple syrup

new hampshire: fall colors

maine: acadia national park, moose, lobster

And don’t make me repeat it!!!!!!!

[norabrice1701]

Coincidence - Ch. 1

Dr. Alan Grant x Predoctoral Student Fem!Reader

Series Main List

Ch. 1 Warnings: Explicit language; inappropriate crush; minor Alan Grant/Ellie Sattler references

You stand outside your home-away-from-home trailer, sipping coffee and watching the dig site come alive. If you have to choose your favorite time of day in Montana, you’d be hard pressed to decide between dusk or dawn. Brilliant colors streak across endless expanses of sky, and the rocky, sandy badland formations glow as if on fire, heralding the promise of discovery ahead or secrets that must wait until dawn. 

A smirk teases your lips as you blow to dispel the curls of steam above the warm ceramic mug. For the last six years, you’ve leapt at every opportunity to work at one of Dr. Grant’s dig sites, but now, you only have five months left before your time in the predoctoral research program ends. With your resume of undergraduate, graduate and predoctoral work, you’re fortunate to already have offer letters on your desk for the next step in your academic journey, but those can wait for another day. For today, a brilliant day dawns and a light, dusty breeze blows through the camp. 

You gaze out over the collection of trailers and tents, a mini traveling circus designed to unearth the planet’s Mesozoic era secrets. Shadows stir under the mess tent as people brew coffee and mix bowls of instant oatmeal. The flaps of the main tent catch in the breeze, showing glimpses of the fossilized treasures already packed for their journey to the university lab. A ramshackle collection of blankets, folding chairs, and up-turned buckets surround a charred fire ring full of ashes, showcasing the camaraderie found under bright stars as guitar refrains mingle with exhausted laughter and easy conversation. 

The fond memories tug a full smile to your face, though - undeniably everything in camp has changed since Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler returned from… well, wherever they went. Just after that helicopter landed - and kicked up enough sand to undo a week’s worth of hard work - they had promised just a 48-hour absence, and while the team had directions to proceed with site preservation and documentation, they gave explicit instructions to pause the skeleton excavation until they returned. But 48 hours became 72 hours before the satellite phone rang, and another four days passed before they returned to the site… and the whispered rumors haven’t stopped flying. 

Especially now that Dr. Sattler sports a noticeable limp, favoring her left leg. Especially given the prominence of the butterfly bandages on Dr. Grant’s right cheek, covering a sizable cut. You had assumed it was just some sponsor meeting or conference appearance to draw them both out of the dirt for a weekend, but apparently not. And that was to say nothing of the changes in both of their moods and how they both -

The trailer door’s worn-out hinge rattles open behind you, and you cast an annoyed glare over your shoulder. With a blanket still wrapped around her shoulders and coffee mug in hand, April steps down into the sand with a sigh. “Okay,” she groans. “No matter what Derek says, do not let me drink whiskey shots past midnight.” 

An amused chuckle rises in your throat. “Can’t blame me for that one. You’d fly to the moon if he asked.” 

“God, you’re right.” April agrees with another groan, drawing up alongside you as she sips her steaming coffee. “I just need to get back to a real bed and a real shower – then, I’ll fuck his brains out until I can’t walk.” 

“Shouldn’t you, you know… ask him first? Or maybe go on at least one date?” 

April scoffs. “We’ve been out here for six weeks – does this not count as the longest, most abstinent date on the face of the planet?” 

“Not if he doesn’t see it that way.” You look back out over the dig site, sipping your coffee as your gaze lands on the silver trailer slightly set apart from the main encampment. Laundry flaps on the clothesline, and light shines out of the trailer’s rear window. 

April hums against the rim of her coffee cup. “Well, if he’s blind to all of this obvious sexual tension when we return to campus, then I’ll just have to open his eyes.” 

Another soft laugh rises in your throat. You hadn’t known April too well before the last two semesters, and sharing a trailer with her now proves to be more interesting than you expected as you keep up with her romantic inclinations – both real and fantasized. 

“Or, you could go into town next weekend,” you say, swallowing a mouthful of coffee. “Go find yourself some handsome, young stud at the local dive bar, and go get your cowgirl on to get it out of your system.” You can’t even finish the words with a straight face as both of you break out laughing. 

Coffee sloshes over the rim of April’s mug into the sand as she shakes her head, turning to you with a fond smile. “You really are too quiet back in the lab, you know. If this is what fresh air does to your personality, you should just stay out here full-time.” She pauses to waggle a suggestive brow. “Not unlike our fearless leader, you know.” 

Your gaze darts back to the metal-wrapped trailer without your permission. You hope nothing incriminating shows on your face as you offer a shrug. “Some people are just more naturally suited for field work, I guess.” 

April hums again as she swallows another mouthful of coffee. “I think if we just left him out here, the only person who would miss him would be Dr. Sattler.” 

“And the department dean.” You counter. “Just think how the enrollment numbers and donor gift amounts would suffer if Dr. Alan Grant never showed his face on campus.” 

“Maybe once his face heals,” April concedes. “If he’s not willing to say where he went or what happened, then he doesn’t need to deal with more people asking. Though, that just further supports my theory that they went somewhere kinky. Like some sex club retreat and it was way more intense than they bargained for.” 

You roll your eyes, taking a long drink of coffee instead of responding. April’s favorite theory for the doctors’ mysterious absence not only explained their physical injuries, but also the unusual tension between them. The first summer on a dig, you were surprised that the department condoned an unmarried couple living together on site, setting such an example for impressionable students– but as head of the excavation, either Dr. Grant didn’t care about the department’s opinion or decided all his students were adult enough to handle it – so, he and Dr. Sattler shared a trailer together without question. But where Dr. Sattler used to emerge with bright eyes and an eager smile for the day ahead, now she looks troubled and impatient. Not to mention the dark circles beneath her eyes that haven’t faded. 

Even Dr. Grant’s grumbly, unsociable tendencies have become more pronounced. For a man who has always preferred quiet action over loud words, he deliberately hides behind his new hat and aviator sunglasses more than you’ve ever seen him. Or maybe there’s another explanation for that?

Sunscreen clung to your skin and sand crunched beneath your feet as you approached the main tent. The excavation opening briefing wasn’t going to begin for another twenty minutes, but… well, you were excited. Not only was it your first dig site, but you managed to make the team for your favorite professor and academic mentor. 

Of course, it had nothing to do with the silly, school-crush of yours. You respected Dr. Grant for all of his immense contributions to paleontology, and working with him in the field was the biggest learning opportunity you could ask for. You could easily ignore the sun-kissed strength of his forearms, the nimble movements of his fingers, the sparkling passion in his blue eyes, and the teasing glimpses of the hollow of his throat. 

His tall, lean figure moved in the tent’s shaded shadows, and you offered a smile as you perched against a work table before speaking. “Good morning.” 

He nodded over at you, eyes disappearing under the brim of his dusty, well-worn straw fedora with the motion. “You’re early.” 

“Isn’t that supposed to make a good impression? Early bird getting the worm and all that…”

The corner of his mouth ticked up in vague amusement. “Something like that.” He pulled the lid off a plastic crate full of trowels, chisels, and brush sets. A small cloud of dust rose as he shuffled through the rattling contents. “That’s why you’re out here, after all, right?” He continued, glancing back over at you. “First dig site, correct?” 

“Yes.” You nodded, unable to hold back your proud smile. “And very much looking forward to spending my summer in the dirt.” 

“We’ll see if your tune changes by September.” 

Your brow furrowed. “I doubt students who make it this far suddenly change their mind after working a dig site. I mean… shouldn’t field work only reinforce why we’ve all chosen to pursue paleontology?” 

Seemingly satisfied with the crates’ contents, he bent to lift another crate to the sturdy table. “Only for those who don’t harbor any mix-ups with ‘Indiana Jones’.” 

You snorted an amused laugh, searching out any hint of laughter on his face. “Oh, man – now, I’m super crushed. I wanted to chase Nazis through the desert as we raced to recover the latest Maiasaura skeleton.”

His mouth tightened to a line of thinly veiled annoyance as his keen eyes locked to yours in gentle warning. For all of the hours that you’ve sat in his office, asking questions, expounding on theories – you never knew him to be playful and his sense of humor only revealed itself in fleeting glimpses. Honestly, you should know better than to crack such a poor joke when he’s fought the stereotype for his entire career. 

Though, the irony wasn’t lost on you that he certainly did resemble the attractive Indiana Jones persona. Especially with the fedora atop his head, even if it wasn’t made of brown wool. An appreciative smile tugged at the corner of your mouth, and you ducked your head beneath your own hat before he could see it. 

“That will never do, you know.” His voice cut across the tent, drawing your attention back. 

Looking back over at him, your brow furrowed. “What will never do?” 

He motioned at the top of your head. “Your hat screams greenhorn from a mile away.” Abandoning the crate, he stepped around the table. “Whether it’s your first dig or your fiftieth, never let them know by wearing something so obvious.” 

An incredulous smirk lifted the corner of your mouth. “But it is my first dig, and I didn’t have a hat before –”

“May I?” He held out a hand, darting his gaze up to the cloth, floppy-brimmed hat atop your head. 

Your smirk grew, heart skipping a beat as you pulled your hat off. Handing it over to him, your mouth gaped open to watch him fold it in half, protecting the interior, before dropping it to the ground. He brought the toe of his boot down, grinding it into the dirt and sand in various places before kicking it over and doing the same to the other side. A shocked laugh startled from you as he crouched to retrieve it, brushing the loose sand off with his hand. 

As he rose to his full height – that’s when the realization hit you. For the dust-free, clean state of his khaki trousers and plaid shirt with sleeves cuffed just beneath his elbows, his hat bore the dirt and stains of countless past adventures. It must surely hold memories untold of past triumphs and disappointments, of good times around campfires and frustrating moments in the mobile lab. Either that, or he knew exactly how to season it so no one would question it – so no one would mistake him for a greenhorn. 

As if. 

Your smile softened with a flattered edge as he handed your hat back, and you glanced down at the cloth roughened by the sand and streaked from his boots. His mouth pulled to a closed-mouth smile of approval as he nodded down at you. “See?” He said with a hint of seldom-seen mischief dancing in his eyes. “Isn’t that better?” 

Affectionate heat warmed your cheeks as you returned the hat to your head, just in time for others to start filing into the tent. And as Dr. Grant began the briefing to officially open the dig site, you glanced around at the number of clean, new hats that rested atop your fellow students’ heads, unable to hold back a pleased, proud smirk. 

You gulp a mouthful of warm coffee to displace the memory, but after Dr. Grant’s return, you noticed right away that he has a new hat. Of course, he’s made attempts to weather it, but gone is the well-worn straw fedora with the frayed horsehair band. Just where on earth has he been to lose his signature hat? 

As if summoned by your thoughts, the door to his trailer opens, and… goodness. Dr. Grant looks like hell as he steps out into the morning sun. Dark, sleepless circles hang heavy beneath his eyes and above his unkempt morning stubble. He rakes a hand through his hair, glancing all around as if checking for something, before he lifts the light-brown wool hat to his head and shrugs on his sunglasses. 

Your heart goes out to him as he storms across the site, headed for the main tent like a man on a mission. You don’t have the first clue what’s happened or what’s going on, but you can already sense it won’t be an easy day. Gulping down the last dregs of your coffee, you turn and set the empty mug on the folding table next to your trailer. 

“Come on,” you say to April as you swipe your well-worn hat from the tabletop. “Looks like another long day.” 

Series Main List

[mamabearwonders]

Missing Indigenous Woman ~ Jermain Austin Charlo (In Danger)

Meet a daughter, niece & mom. Jermain or her nickname, Liz. She's been missing from Missoula, Montana since June 16th, 2018. She was 23 years old then, would be 29 now. Native American. 5"9. Brown eyes, brown hair like the earth. Pierced ears. May be going by the last name "Morigeau". Two tattoos. A flower in the center of her chest and a tattoo of a deer on her left shoulder blade.

Jermaine is described by her aunt as funny. Loves fishing, being outside, drawing, knitting and posting on social media. But her first love is her 2 young sons.

Liz was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a brown Under Armour logo, a white T-shirt, cowboy boots with square toes and a blue baseball cap with a logo of 3 trees and a tan bill. I wish they said what her boots looked like design-wise. I put a picture of her flower tattoo.

On June 16th, 2018, Liz went to the Badlander, Golden Rose and Dark Horse (all bars) with her ex-boyfriend, between midnight - 1 am on June 16th. She was dropped off by him on Fifth Street between Russell and Orange streets and was last seen walking east towards the Orange Street Food Farm.

The ex-boyfriend was arrested in 2023 for unrelated, but related charges. Back when he and Liz were dating in 2013, he assaulted her and was not allowed to buy firearms. But he was caught with them and serving time now. He was questioned and his home searched like 1 week after she went missing. So any evidence if there was any was likely done away with by then. It was searched in October too, but nothing.

Jermaine was featured on a podcast by Connie Walker, heard it's good stuff.

[discordantdream]

Currently in the process of packing for our first long vacation in years. We're leaving tomorrow as early as I can drag ass out of bed, and will be on and off driving for 10 days. I have podcast lists downloaded, I have a special playlist made, I have audiobooks on CD from the library, I might bring my old CD wallet, I have a free XM trial from getting my car serviced at the dealership for a recall (lol), and I have a husband who will alternate between snoring next to me, talking wildly about the most hilarious things, and playing games on his steam deck while I drive. Did I mention we'll be celebrating 21 years married while we're on vacation? Our planning has us at the Badlands in SD on that wonderful day. We're also gonna stop at as many offbeat roadside attractions as we can, because that is what we do. Corn Palace here we come. Nominally the trip is to go visit where I lived in Montana after college, to show him that area, but mostly we just want to see parts of the country he's never seen and spend time together on the road.

Only hard part is we had to board the cats and I'm worried sick about the little furry jerks. At least they're boarded at the vet.

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

How about the sending the Christmas card 15 years later in whatever AU you want? Maybe the Pacific Rim AU? 👀

As much as I love the Pacific Rim au....I couldn't figure out how to make it work sadly lol but I'm bringing back an oldy but a goody for this one! The au where Ronnie got pregnant during their FWB days!

|| prompt list ||

prompt: I wrote you a Christmas card 15 years ago confessing my feelings. Now it's time to send it.

au: the maisie au

word count: 1090

warnings: pregnancy mention, fluffffff fluff

When Ronnie found the card a week before Christmas, she had to wonder how it even survived fifteen years without being thrown away. They had gotten back together, gotten married, had another kid, and moved house since then. And yet the card remained — tucked away in that shoe box full of other little trinkets that apparently she could never find the heart to get rid of. 

It was all sealed up in a faded red envelope. The edges whitened by time. She could still picture clear as day what was written on the inside, what she had tucked into the fold of the card. His name was even written on the front, waiting for the address to go underneath. But the address was never found and the card was never sent. 

Now was as good a time as any, she supposed. This night before Christams day when the kids were all fast asleep and it was just the two of them. Wrapping a few more presents for “Santa” to bring despite the kids very well knowing that he isn’t real.

Ronnie grabbed the card from where she had stowed it in her nightstand and headed back down to the living room. 

Jake sat in the middle of the floor, wrapping paper scraps crunched up in a ball at his side as he finished up wrapping Maisie’s gift. A paleontology book with two tickets to the Montana Badlands tucked away inside. A summer trip to dig up fossils just father and daughter. 

“Ready for a break, Captain?” Ronnie asked as she sat down on the floor with him, back leaned against the couch. 

“I certainly can be,” Jake groaned as he stretched, knit sweater pulling up to reveal a bit of softer stomach before he scooted back to sit next to his wife. He pointed to the red envelope twiddling between her fingers. “What’s that?”

“For you.” She handed him the card. “From me — fifteen years ago.” 

He took the the card between his pointer and middle finger with raised brows, leveling her with a look and slightly red cheeks. Both of them knew just what he was doing fifteen years ago, and just what she was doing fifteen years ago too.

“Ronnie…” he started, green eyes falling to the envelope wearily. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered, hand reaching to stroke the back of his head as she pulled her knees to rest in his lap. “I don’t want it to make you feel bad — or guilty. I just thought you still deserve to know what I wrote…After all this time.” 

Jake nodded as he took a breath. Then he tore into the envelope, expertly pulling the flap away so as not to compromise the entegrity of the paper. It made Ronnie smile to watch his methodical way, wondering if he would have done the same if she actually would have been able to send it over a decade ago. 

It was a Christmas card. Traditional with it’s winter scene and scrawled cheesy greeting. It made a small snort push out of his nose before he actually opened the card. A taped shut bit of paper fell out and into his lap. Jake quickly reached for it, but got distracted by the words written on the inside of the card. 

Merry Christmas, Jay. 

I’m pregnant, and it’s yours. I’m not telling you this to guilt you or to ask you for support or whatever. I just thought that you deserved to know, and to know that I’m keeping it. If you want to be in their life, that’s okay, and if you don’t, that’s okay too. You didn’t want this and I understood that from the beginning. 

But somewhere along the way I think I got lost. Because I fell so very in love with you. And I don’t know if you love me back, but sometimes I could feel it. In the way you would hold me, in the way you looked at me sometimes. God, I’m not saying THIS to make you feel guilty either. If I read that wrong, that’s okay too. Just another thing I thought you should know…

Here’s my number and email that I’m sure you deleted if you wanna talk…

Jake was quiet as he broke the tape holding the piece of paper together. He drew in a sharp breath, Ronnie squeezing the base of his neck in comfort, when the sonogram was revealed to him. It was an early one. Maisie nothing more than a bean shaped blob. But still, that was his little girl. 

His thumb passed over the black and white image reverently as he said, “She’s a teenager now.” 

“I know.” Ronnie snuggled in closer to his side. “Kinda crazy.”

Putting the sonogram back down on his thigh, Jake read the card over again. 

“I did love you — back then,” he muttered, swallowing something thick. “But I was scared to.” 

“I know,” she reassured. 

He set down the card on top of the sonogram and turned his head to look at her. There were a few greys in her dark hair now, ones that she wore with pride. He tucked a few strands behind her ear before he cradled her jaw. Then he kissed her, gentle and sweet and full of years upon years of love silent and spoken. 

“Ew, they’re kissing,” a voice whispered from behind them. 

Jake and Ronnie twisted around, and over the back of the couch they could see Noah and Maisie both hiding behind the stair railing — definitely trying to get a peek at their presents. 

“Hey, you two!” Jake shouted playfully as he got up from the floor. “You’re supposed to be in bed! Santa’s never gonna come if you don’t go to sleep!” 

Maisie had the sense to dash up the stairs as soon as her father rounded the back of the couch, but ten-year-old Noah just sat there giggling as Jake approached. Jake lunged with a shout and grabbed Noah around the middle, increasing his laughter into shrieks as he was hoisted over his father’s shoulder. Back to bed with you, Jake said as he climbed the stairs with Noah wriggling and laughing the entire way. 

Ronnie watched the whole thing from her spot on the floor with a smile. The card was on the floor now, unsure of it’s fate now that it was finally opened. Many what-ifs floated through her mind as she looked at the words she wrote so long ago. But in the end, she wouldn’t change a thing.

[pop-punklouis]

Hi Hope, I've been meaning to ask and I hope that's a fun question: which albums (specifically released in your lifetime) would you consider 'timeless'? In the sense of I can't believe there was a time when this piece of music didn't exist, for me examples include Lorde's melodrama and Beyonce's lemonade, but I'd love to hear yours 💕

oooo this is a fun question. i think for me some of my most timeless albums released in my lifetime would be:

Twist in My Story - Secondhand Serenade

Take-Offs and Landings - Rilo Kiley

OK Computer - Radiohead

Oops!... I Did it Again - Britney Spears

Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

Neon Bible - Arcade Fire

American Candy - The Maine

Transatlanticism - Deathcab for Cutie

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Kill the Moonlight - Spoon

So Wrong it's Right - All Time Low

Stankonia - OutKast

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes

Sempiternal - Bring Me the Horizon

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan

Self-Titled - Fleet Foxes

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel

Exile in Guyville - Liz Phair

Spirit - Jewel

To Pimp a Butterfly -Kendrick Lamar

Lonerism - Tame Impala

Melodrama - Lorde

Some Nights - fun.

How to Be a Human Being - Glass Animals

Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

Voicenotes - Charlie Puth

Something to Give Each Other - Troye Sivan

Sinners Never Sleep - You Me at Six

FOUR - One Direction

Because of the Internet - Childish Gambino

American Spirit - Khalid

Badlands - Halsey

Self-Titled - The 1975

Love You to Death -Tegan and Sara

Animal - Kesha

American Idiot - Green Day (not including Dookie bc it was before my time rip)

Plastic Beach - Gorilaz

AM - Actic Monkeys (the cultural shift of it all lmao)

The Spirit Box - Michelle Branch

Let Go - Avril Lavigne

The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga

Plus - Ed Sheeran

Confessions - Usher

Highschool Musical 2 Soundtrack

A Little Bit Longer - The Jonas Brothers

Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (changed me lmfao)

and thats all i can think right now but thats a lot dskeslkf i honestly couldn't imagine my life without these albums for a multitude of reasons like. they raised me lolol so