#belay safety

[techdriveplay]

How to Get Started with Rock Climbing

Rock climbing has surged in popularity as both a sport and a fitness activity, offering an exhilarating challenge for the body and mind. Whether you’re looking to scale natural cliffs or hone your skills in an indoor climbing gym, knowing how to get started with rock climbing can be your first step toward mastering this thrilling pursuit. Climbing is a full-body workout that tests your strength,…

[imabiscuitinthousandworlds]

rock climbing. chafed hands. hit your knee somewhere against a ledge you shouldn't have. almost put your hand into a bee nest. great view. your partner has got you. rock climbing. neck hurts from staring up for too long. unsure where to put your feet because there's not that much space, much less even, but you gotta keep your partner in view. you got chalk in your eyes somehow. the rope is sliding through your hand as your partner climbs higher. life is good.

[skywalkerab]

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#belay #safety #saferoller #continuous #lifeline #fallprotection #ppe

[leori-the-unlearned]

i make too many references and jokes and in-knowledges for myself and never put it out for the chance someone else could love them. i write and tell so many stories for myself, and i hardly ever write them to share with others. i leave so many things to my mind that i’ve never made real,

and it’s scary. because if an idea is bad, you either forget it or ignore it while it dwells in your head against your preferences.

but if a project is bad, then you’ll have spent time (that was already going to pass anyways) on nothing useful (that already was less real than you’ve made it now, and was already less useful than you’ve begun to make it, and you had less experience than you have now after trying) and that means you suck

[the-californicationist]

The False Alarm

TF141+/Reader TW: gangbang --- MDNI/18+ AO3 Link

Cleaning a long, hard pole was slippery business, and at your fire station, it was a particularly dangerous job. You had to be small enough to fit into the harness, but strong enough to self-belay, shining the gleaming gold rod as you traveled downward, repelling to the floor. 

So, imagine your frustration when you were left to clean by yourself while the rest of the house responded to a three alarm fire. You tried to make quick work of it, but there was a lot of pole to tend to, and you didn’t want to miss a spot. A dirty pole was bad news for everyone who needed to ride it. Safety first. 

It was all going pretty well until you neared the end of your job. You were about to lower yourself to the last section, your feet nearly able to touch the ground when you lost your grip on the rope attached to your harness. The clip liked to jam, so you tried to get it unstuck, but you realized pretty quickly that it was solidly knotted against you. You weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. To make matters worse, you were leaning at an odd angle, having tried to reach down to grab the radio that had been knocked to the ground when you lost the rope. But, it was flung too far, and you quickly discovered that it was way out of your grasp. At this point, you looked like a Christmas ornament, hanging loosely in your harness, swaying slightly around the pole. The only thing to do now was wait.

Luckily, you didn’t have to wait long for help. The three alarm fire had been a false one, and all of the men had returned rambunctious but unharmed. Your boyfriend, Captain John Price, was the first one through every door, and he was the one who discovered you in your trapped state. His eyes lit up in shock, and you heard his gravelly laugh as he approached you. Behind him, Sergeant Johnny MacTavish and his Lieutenant, Simon Riley, began to strip their gear for Gaz, the firehouse quartermaster. They were laughing right along with Price, jeering at you in your trussed up position.

Price spun you around toward him, and you came face to face with his bulging zipper. You were at the perfect height, staring right at his crotch, and he had to bend down to look you in the eye,

“In a bit of a predicament, pretty girl?”

You weren’t sure you liked his tone. It was lurid and suggestive, especially in front of his men. 

“Latch is stuck. I’ve been telling you to replace it.”

“Which one?” He knelt underneath you to fiddle with the harness, “This one?”

He tugged at the rope and moved it between your legs, purposefully shoving it out of alignment. 

“John!” You hissed, feeling the thick rope, as big around as one of his fingers, slip across your cotton pants and into the crease of your pussy, rubbing along your clit mercilessly. 

“Mmm, I kinda like you like this, love. Might have to make you a permanent fixture. What d’you say?”

“Get me down, babe. Please?” You resorted to begging. It didn’t help.

“Oy!” He whistled loudly, “Come look what we caught on the line today, boys.”

All six of the other firefighters sauntered over to you, jeering and laughing. 

“Wee lass is truly stuck?” MacTavish asked.

“Aye, look,” Simon smiled, showing him the latch, “She used the old clamp.”

As he stuck his finger underneath it, it tugged on the rope next to your clit, making you writhe.

Gaz laughed behind them, bending over from his glee,

“Ha! Guess the captain didn’t tell you he bought a new one.”

“Count your blessings, compa,” Vargas grinned, clapping a hand over Price’s shoulder, “Maybe we should leave you two here, hm?”

“I was about to dig into Johnny’s homemade chili, but now I’m hungry for something else,” Alex crossed his arms and shook his head as if in disbelief. 

You tried to look to Price for some guidance. The boys flirted a lot, but it was mostly harmless. This felt… different somehow. There was something predatory in their stares that made your body feel like it was ablaze.  

Price ran a finger along the rope that now stretched between your asscheeks and through the folds of your pussy, biting into your pants. 

“Shouldn’t let such a bloody good opportunity go to waste, huh, lads?” Price’s voice sounded like an invitation, and you felt all the air get sucked out of the room. 

You were parallel to the ground; face down, ass up, right in front of all of them. You were trapped, surrounded by seven enormous men, and all you could see were their legs from their belt buckles to their boots. You knew who they were; you’d been friends for years, after all, but it didn’t feel so friendly now. You felt like their prey. 

You watched Price kneel beneath you. He smiled sweetly at you and whispered,

“You trust me, pretty girl?”

You nodded, and brought your hands up around his neck to kiss him. His mouth melted into yours, sending static tingles of pleasure though the rest of your body. He kept kissing you while his men stood around you, watching like dogs as Price literally dangled their treat in front of them. 

Then, he pulled away, standing up in front of you. You felt his fingers digging under the bottom of your shirt hem, and he tugged off your tee shirt, exposing your body to his team. Your breasts were contained only by a thin cotton bralette, and at this angle, they hung away from you as you swayed in your harness. 

Price took the bra off of you and bent to suckle from your nipples, licking and biting them gently to make you moan with sharp desire. You suddenly felt a hand that wasn’t his on your ass cheek and you gasped. Price chuckled, fondling your breasts with his huge, callused hands, teasing you,

“Are you shy, baby? It’s just MacTavish. You know he gets handsy.”

“Sorry, lass,” you heard the Scot behind you as he squeezed your ass and thighs, pulling them apart from your center, “Couldnae resist. Look good enough to eat.”

“Dig in, Sergeant,” Price offered you up like an appetizer, and tossed Johnny his emergency shears. 

Your eyes went wide, 

“John! My –”

“I’ll buy you another pair, love. Now, let’s give you something else to do with that mouth, why don’t we?”

You felt the cold metal of the blunt shears as Johnny cut across your waistband and down the crease between your legs, letting the shears do the work for him. He knelt to slice around to the front and then pulled your pant legs off of you, leaving you hanging there in nothing but your flimsy thong. 

He situated the rope back into position between your thigh and groin so that it wouldn’t bite into you, and then you felt his mouth. You groaned loudly. You couldn’t help it. It felt like heaven to have him licking and sucking at your tender flesh, writhing his tongue into your already soaking hole. 

“Listen to that sound. So damn pretty,” Price pet you on your cheek and stuck his thumb into your open mouth as you keened, the pleasure building within you like a smoldering blaze. 

You heard his buckle rattle open, and the whine of his zipper led to the quick release of his cock, hard and smooth. He pressed his head to your lips and you kissed it gently, licking around its crown hungrily. Unwilling to waste any time, he pushed into your mouth, rubbing himself deep enough to touch the back of your throat. You listened to his delicious moans and tried to take him in as much as his girth would allow. 

Then, MacTavish added a finger, stretching the walls of your pussy with it ever so gently, and you felt yourself starting to come. You were shocked by it, and it overwhelmed you so suddenly you knew that you were in for a turbulent storm of pleasure. 

“Oh, fuck, tha’s it, love. Come for us,” Price commanded, “Such a good girl.”

Your whole body trembled, unable to press or brace against anything as you hung suspended, and you heard Johnny moaning as he felt you contract with pleasure, listening to the muffled screams he was pulling from you as you were trapped around the captain’s cock. 

Price’s hand fisted your hair, guiding you down, grunting with each thrust. Then, he removed himself, stepping around to the side of you and placing one of your hands on his wet shaft. You started jacking him off, confused until you saw another pair of boots below your face. 

It was Alex.

Price’s hand was still in your hair, and you felt your face being lifted up to view Alex’s long cock. He let it rest against your cheek, its warmth teasing you in a surprisingly comforting way. You used your tongue to lick up and down his generous length. 

Alex moaned, 

“Fuck… No wonder you rush home from work, Captain. Holy shit.”

Price chuckled, releasing your hair so that Alex could do as he pleased with you, 

“She’s bloody brilliant, aye?”

You felt something tugging your body backward, and you knew Johnny had moved beneath you because his mouth was punishing your clit, making you want to come again. You moaned around Alex, making him cry out as well from the feeling. 

Then, you felt the tell-tale prod of someone’s cock nestling itself against your wet hole. Surprised, you tried to pull away from Alex to look behind you. Alex grabbed your head before you did, though and forced your mouth back down,

“Shh, shh, shh. It’s okay, sugar. It’s just Garrick. Lookin’ like he’s gonna die if he doesn’t get to fuck you right this goddamn second. Ain’t that right, Gaz?”

“Fuckin’ right,” Gaz grumbled, feeding himself into you as Johnny ate you out. 

You thought you might die from the pleasure. You came around him as he entered you, forcing him to stop. You were bearing down so hard that you thought you might accidentally wet yourself. You tried to get it under control, riding wave after wave of your orgasm as Johnny sucked your folds and fondled your clit. 

“Tha’s beautiful, lass. Your poor wee cunt doesnae ken what to make of all this, hm?” 

“She’s being such a good girl, Cap. Takin’ me so well,” Gaz crooned, reaching forward to rest his big hands on your hips as he began to thrust in earnest. 

Every time he pushed you forward, you would swallow deeper onto Alex’s cock, and Johnny’s tongue would rush through your folds and across your clit.

Suddenly, your other hand was being given a task to complete. It was Alejandro. He had taken your hand in his and bent to kiss your knuckles, soft and sweet as if you were a princess. Then, he let it rest on top of his uncut cockhead, allowing you to find a similar rhythm for him as you had for Price, rubbing his rod as steadily as you could manage. 

Alex increased his pace, grunting like an animal as he fucked himself into your throat. Price encouraged him,

“Don’t feed it to her, Keller. She wants it in that sweet cunt of hers, don’t you, pretty girl?”

You felt Gaz and Alex pull away from you at the same time, and you gasped, agonized by the hollowness that you were experiencing. Then, a warm hand braced against your ass cheek, squeezing you fiercely, and Alex pressed himself in where Gaz had been steadily putting in the work. 

The new sensation of another man’s cock was incredible, and with Johnny eating you like he was starving, you had no trouble coming with Alex as he pounded himself into you mercilessly. His guttural screams were tantalizing, and you wished you could see his face. 

“Fuck! Oh, my God – Fuck!” Alex grunted through gritted teeth, holding onto your body as tight as he could, filling you full of his come.

As he fell away from you, Gaz replaced him, getting back to his mission dutifully and with renewed vigor, slipping through the other man’s come easily. Johnny moved up your body, kissing your belly, sucking on your skin, finding your nipples as they jiggled while Garrick was fucking himself into you, and you watched someone new come up to your face. 

Simon bent down to kiss you, biting your lip and tasting his friends on your tongue. He licked your neck, sucking on the skin hard enough to leave a bruise. He joined Johnny at your breasts, suckling from the opposite one as the eager sergeant. 

Just as you were being lulled into an orgasmic trance from their ministrations, you felt Gaz shudder. He came breathlessly, gasping out quiet moans and little yeses and pleases and wordless prayers as he started to spill out into you. His cock reached further than Alex’s, and you felt a different sort of fullness as he held himself inside of you, throbbing against your cervix, tickling the entrance to your womb. 

You felt his plump lips leave a trail of kisses along your bare back, and then he pulled away from you, letting his and Alex’s come drip onto the concrete floor below you. 

Simon and Johnny stood, each taking their place at your throat and your pussy, entering you at the same time and letting out similar groans of agonizing pleasure. Johnny was stuffing himself into your cunt, and Simon was dragging his cock down your throat, going much deeper than you had ever taken anyone before. 

MacTavish was almost too thick, and he had to stretch you more than Gaz or Alex. He wasn’t particularly long, but he was curved in just the right way, and you started to scream, muffled by Simon’s dick in your mouth. 

It made Simon wild. He spoke to his sergeant in staccato’d bursts, 

“Fuck, Johnny. Just like that, mate. Makin’ her scream around me. Feels so fuckin’ good.”

“She’s so tight, Si. Shite! I’m gonna come so fast,” MacTavish groaned, pulling your ass cheeks apart as he fucked you, watching your asshole gape open as he did, “God, Cap. How do you last?”

Your captain chuckled darkly, petting your breasts as they swung freely, 

“I fuckin’ don’t, mate.”

Johnny was now sheathed in your pussy to his hilt, grinding into you rather than pounding, almost as if he was massaging your walls from the inside, making you feel so full. His hand found your clit that he’d been punishing, and he used your own fluids to smear lazy circles around and around. 

You could feel your legs begin to shake involuntarily. You tried to stop it, gripping onto Alejandro and Price for dear life in your hands, and crying out around Simon’s cock in your throat for relief. 

All four of the men were noisy now, basking in your rolling pleasure, watching you writhe and tense beneath them. Gaz returned to you, kneeling down to lick your breasts, sucking on them harder than Johnny did, taking more of your flesh into his mouth. 

Gaz looked up at your face, stuffed full of Simon’s cock, and he talked to you even though you couldn’t respond, drool dripping out of the sides of your lips,

“Are you havin’ a good time, babe? You’re so damn pretty. Look at these gorgeous fuckin’ tits.”

The way he was sucking on them was so intense that you felt yourself clench hard around Johnny, hearing him moan. 

He slapped your ass, grunting,

“Fuck! Again. Do it again, lass.”

You tried to oblige, bearing down on him and squeezing with all of your might. 

“Yes, yes, yes, gonna make me come - fuck!”

Johnny grabbed ahold of your harness and threw himself into you at a breakneck pace, the fluids inside of your core splattering you and him as he crushed himself into you. Simon pulled out of you, commanding you,

“That’s right. Scream for it. I wanna hear you.”

You let out a long, trembling whine, and then, 

“Oh, fuuuuckkkkk…”

Johnny ground himself into you again, painting your pussy with his come. There was so much of it that you could feel it now, settling in your belly. 

The sergeant pulled himself out of you with a slick pop, and bent to lick his own come off of your folds. You screamed again, feeling as if you would be shoved into another wild orgasm if he kept it up. But, then, Simon came to your rescue, grumbling, 

“Out of the way, mate.” 

Simon moved into place behind you, grabbing Johnny by his mohawk and shoving him back, and hungrily rubbed his cock through your ass checks, massaging himself. Alejandro took his position at your mouth and used you easily. Simon had done a good job of getting you used to his roughness when he fucked your throat, and his treatment of your cunt was no different. Johnny had been big, but he was a lamb compared to the lion taking you from behind now. 

Simon had pulled your legs around his waist, holding you in place there, and he was eager to fuck you hard. You felt your bones rattle as he slammed his length into you, making the most animalistic sounds as he did so. 

“Tha’s how she likes it, innit, Captain? Like a dirty little slag,” Simon observed, able to feel how your walls fluttered around him, excited and anticipatory.

Price smiled down at you, and you could see his hand leave your breast and search for your ass. He grabbed your ass cheek and pulled it away until your hole was wide open for him, and he used his thick finger to tease you within an inch of your life. You were transported to another dimension of pleasure, and he knew exactly how to turn you on.

“This is how she likes it, Simon. All her pretty holes filled.”

“We can do tha’, can’t we? Proper stuffed.” Simon laughed, understanding what you liked and fully happy to give it to you. 

Price removed his hand and Simon replaced it, spitting into his fingers and rubbing two of them just inside of your asshole, stretching you out. He then put them deeper in and pressed downward, feeling his own cock through the thin membrane between your two holes, groaning in a deeper, darker tone.  

Alejandro got your attention then by holding himself inside of your throat for a three-count, and then a five-count, and then for a period of time when you lost count. You were choking so much that your body was convulsing, and as he ripped his cock from your throat, rivulets of drool fell out of your mouth and onto the concrete. 

“A la chingada! Dame tu boca, mi linda.” Fuck it! Give me your mouth, pretty one. Alejandro lamented, kneeling in front of you and kissing you through your mess of spit and drool. He smiled and stood again, rubbing his wet cock all over the outside of your face, making you sticky with his precome and with your own fluids. 

He gave you just the head of his dick and you swirled your tongue around it, suckling from it like it would feed you, and he cried out in pleasure,

“Fuck! Are you gonna come or not, pendejo? ‘Cause I need to.” 

Simon didn’t answer. He just fucked you even harder. It was as if he had been holding back this entire time. He grabbed your hair and forced your body to arch high into the air, pounding into you with wet, slapping noises and grunting over your screams. You couldn’t continue rubbing Price’s cock, nor were you able to suck Alejandro’s head. You were at Simon’s demonic mercy. 

He came without halting. He fucked you right through his own pleasure, listening to you moan and feeling you bearing down around him, pushing his seed as deep into you as it would go. When he finally let go of your hair and removed himself from you, it felt like he was taking your insides with him. You felt so empty, it made you whine. 

“Shh, shh. I know, love,” Price soothed you, moving to your face to kiss you and lick your neck, “You’re doing so good. You ready for me, hm?”

“I need you so bad, John,” you told him through pleasure-wrought tears. 

“I know, baby. I know. Be a good girl for me.”

You nodded, feeling Alejandro push himself through Simon’s wet spend. It only took a few thrusts for him to coat your walls as well. There was so much come in you, your belly felt swollen. 

Finally, it was the captain’s turn. You and he were alone at the pole, and you felt him cut your rope in one quick slice. He caught you before you fell, holding you to him, knowing you couldn’t stand on your trembling legs. He lifted you up and made you turn to face the group of men who had just finished pleasuring you. They were all in states of undress, panting and laying on the firetruck or on the ground. Simon was jacking off again, as was Alex, thoroughly enjoying the show. 

Price fucked you like this, holding your body in front of him, letting you face his team as he struggled to fit himself into you. You had forgotten how big he was compared to normal men. Your eyes reflected your shock. Encouraged, the men began to stir, despite their exhaustion, nearly every one of them had his cock in his hand. 

You felt yourself come again, no warning this time, and Price let out a long, threatening growl,

“You are so fuckin’ beautiful, love. Did so good for us. Takin’ my men so well. I knew you could do it. Good girl. Such a fuckin’ good girl. My fuckin’ girl. Whose cock do you like best, baby?”

“Yours, John,” you cried out. 

“Whose?” He demanded, shouting at you through gritted teeth.

“Yours! Yours. Yours.” You chanted, feeling him begin to pulse inside of you. 

“Tha’s fuckin’ right.”

Price came in you so much and for so long, you thought you had mistaken what was happening to you. But, it was dripping out of you and onto the floor in little white splatters. 

Keeping his wits about him, Price whistled to Johnny and he came over with a big blanket, helping Price wrap you in it to keep you warm. You couldn’t stop shaking. 

Price smiled, bending down to kiss you as you were wrapped in Johnny’s arms, surrounded by the whole team, 

“Go get some rest, love. Your pole-cleaning duties are on hold… for now.”

[oceanlix]

Day 8: Eric

Pairing: Eric x female reader

Genre: Smut

Word count: 1045

Warnings: Wall sex, breathplay, dirty talk, hand kink, praise, creampie

Smutmas 2023 Masterlist

This is so stupid, you tell yourself, biting your lip to try and tame your thoughts. You’re supposed to be watching the instructor for safety tips, not imagining what it would be like to have those veiny hands wrapped around your thighs. Or inside of you. Or even better yet, around your neck. No, this is definitely crossing the line into perversion, you decide.

“Y/N?” You blink, realizing the hot instructor has just now called you out in front of the whole class. Great.

You push your goggles up your nose even though they aren’t falling off in the slightest, hoping to buy some time as your eyes dart towards his nametag. Leave it to your horny brain to not even remember his name, wow.

“Sorry, drifted away for a bit there,” you chuckle nervously. Hopefully he buys it.

Eric looks you up and down, a little smirk appearing on his lips. Oh, you are so busted, you realize. You gulp, watching as his eyes come back up to yours and linger there. “Well, as I was saying, everyone’s going to pair up and practice belaying for each other. Since we have an uneven number of students today, I’m going to partner up with someone. And since you were spaced out while everyone picked their partners, I guess you’re stuck with me.”

You’ve gone and got yourself into some deep shit now, apparently. 

—-

It was inevitable you’d end up here, some hours later. The gym is long empty, the class having ended after an intense hour of flirting with the instructor while he attempted to teach you how to belay. And now he’s got you in his office, stripping in front of you.

You’re practically drooling. Obviously you expected Eric to be a little muscular; you don’t become a rock climber without having a certain level of strength, after all. But knowing it and seeing it for yourself are two very different things, you’ve realized.

“Like what you see?” he teases you, letting his shirt drop to the floor. You do; you’re licking your lips in anticipation, actually. But your speech has failed you, so you just nod while he takes off his pants and underwear.

“Come here,” you request, holding your hands out. Eric looks amused, but walks towards you anyway. As soon as you get your hands on his chest, you let out a groan, leaning forward to kiss his neck. “God, you are so hot it’s not fair.”

Eric laughs, tilting your face up so he can kiss you. “And you’re adorable,” he tells you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

It shouldn’t surprise you when he lifts you up easily, carrying you over to the wall. You’re dripping at the display of strength, even if your back hurts a little when he lines his cock up with your entrance. It’s a small price that you’re willing to pay for the pleasure he’s about to give you.

“Let me know if you’re uncomfortable, okay?” he says, sliding into you a second later. He’s so deep that all you can do is moan, digging your nails into his shoulders to ground yourself. Eric’s muscles ripple as he holds you in place, letting you adjust to his size.

His hands feel even better squeezing around your thighs than you imagined, drawing soft moans out of you. “Please,” you whimper, opening your eyes to look at him. “Move.”

Eric wastes no time, lifting you off his cock until just the head is inside. He smirks, then slams you full again with his hard length. You’re trying not to scream in case anyone’s still around, but it’s proving difficult with the brutal pace he sets.

You just about disintegrate when he adjusts his grip on you, bringing one hand up to wrap around your throat. All your dreams come true when Eric’s fingers squeeze gently at your neck, your eyes rolling back in your head. “More, more,” you babble, feeling his cock twitch inside you. You’re glad he’s clearly into it too.

“Bet you were thinking about this the whole class,” he growls, fingers digging in a little harder. Your vision swims a little, but Eric backs off just as quick as your eyes pop open. He looks like he wants to eat you, making your pussy clench around his cock. “Couldn’t wait for me to get my hands on you, huh?”

You nod frantically. “Needed it so bad,” you moan, arching your back so your breasts press up against his chest. “Your hands are so distracting.”

Eric chuckles, pressing two of his fingers against your lips. You open your mouth to let them in immediately, loving the way his eyes darken as you suck on them lewdly. “That’s it,” he whispers, rubbing the pads of his fingers across your tongue. “You’re so good to me, sweetheart.”

The praise goes straight to your pussy, your walls fluttering around him. Your thighs are slick with your own fluid as you drip around his cock, the squelching sounds driving you crazy with every thrust.

“Can I come inside?” he asks suddenly, dragging his fingers out of your mouth and down your neck. You briefly think about how you’d probably let him crush your windpipe if he wanted to, but you just nod. You’re on birth control anyway.

Eric’s pace picks up immediately, his cockhead hitting your spot on every thrust now. You can’t even think straight, moans spilling from your mouth like it’s the only language you know. His fingers are gripping your thighs for dear life now, fighting to hold you up while he impales you on his cock over and over again.

“Shit, I’m cumming!” you warn him, digging your nails into his skin so hard there’s definitely going to be marks later. Eric hisses at the burning pain, but then buries himself fully inside you and blows his load.

It feels like he cums forever, rope after rope of hot, white fluid hitting your walls. You’re slumped against the wall when he finally pulls out, your mixed cum dripping out of you onto the floor.

“Come on, let’s take a shower,” Eric insists. He has to hold you up with an arm around your waist, but the two of you leave his office together.

[1000-silverfish-in-a-hoodie]

Trans Tips for Camp Staff

(This is going to be long)

General tips:

Bring a small bag/backpack to carry throughout the day. Bring a large water bottle. Use more sunscreen than you think you need. Focus on your campers and have fun!

Cabins/bathrooms:

Camps will have different policies about accommodations. Some will offer gender neutral opinions. Some cabins may also have change rooms. Check the kind of accommodations your camp offers, and voice your cabin preferences as soon as possible. If you’re worried about privacy, you can request to change in a bathroom or practise inside a sleeping bag.

Binding/tucking:

You will likely be working long hours and exercising. It will be uncomfortable and unsafe to bind/tuck for the full work day. Do not put yourself at risk. It sucks, but your safety is a top priority. You can keep a binder/gaff in your bag and change in bathrooms. If you put a binder on at the beginning of the day, put a sports bra in your bag to change later. If you use (safe) tape, make sure you follow product instructions and slowly remove it with oil (vegetable oil is a cheap option).

Breast forms/packers:

You will sweat more in the summer, this could make packers or breast forms uncomfortable. If you’re using prosthetics, make sure to wash them often and follow care instructions. A shower or single stall washroom is the best place to wash. You can keep them in a ziplock bag, inside a backpack or suitcase pocket for cleanliness and privacy. Socks might be a better choice for camp as they are more discreet and can be washed with your laundry.

HRT:

Camps will have different policies on staff medication. Check with the healthcare team about where staff meds will be kept. If you’re staying in cabin and use injections, you may need to request some time in a private area to do your injections.

Showers:

Showers will likely be inconvenient for all staff. Your camp may or may not offer gender neutral showers. Dry shampoo is great if you don’t have time/too dysphoric too shower, but is not a replacement. The shower is probably the best area too shave.

Swimming:

Some camps require all staff to be on the water with campers (with exceptions for accessibility concerns). This is a matter of camper safety. Avoid cotton swim shirts, they increase the risk of hypothermia, an old non-cotton exercise shirt can be a good option. Some camps will have dress codes for swim wear.

High Challenge:

Some camps will offer high challenge courses. These may require staff to wear a belay harness. Harnesses can induce dysphoria, especially for people with penises.

Managing dysphoria:

Try to make friends with people who will affirming your gender. If comfortable, you can wear a pronoun pin. Bring clothes/hygiene products you enjoy. Camp will be busy, try to focus on having fun with your campers! If you’re struggling with mental health, tell a trusted supervisor as soon as possible.

Kids:

Kids will probably have a lot of questions, some might be about your gender. You only need to answer whatever your comfortable with. Otherwise you can just say “that’s private” or something similar. If a parent is concerned about trans staff, direct them to a supervisor, that shouldn’t be your responsibility.

Bullying/discrimination/harassment:

If you experience any of this, report it as soon as possible. Your camp should have an anti bullying and/or anti harassment policy, refer to it for next steps.

Feel free to ask anymore questions!

Disclaimer: this is based off my experience as a white, able bodied, openly trans man working at a fairly progressive overnight camp in “Canada”/turtle island. I have worked there for 4 years (one year round) in counselling, programming, and leadership/supervising positions.

[the-clawtake]

Jehan shook off his stupor.

"My 'Mech is unsteady as my Neurohelmet is still syncing to the controls, but aff, there may also be a concussion. I pilot this machine as my own took near-critical cockpit damage. And then fell in a hole. It requires significant repair to be combat capable." He began to flip the controls to lock the 'Mech for a field disembarkation.

"As for your offer to serve as advisor, it is gratefully accepted. For now, I cede command to you until after I have been examined by the MedTechs. Shutting down to await them on the ground." He keyed the ignition to 'off' and began the process of disembarking.

“Stravag!” Jehan swore, slamming his fist against the console as an error message flashed up on the screen. Taking a deep breath, then exhaling slowly, he pulled the diagnostic unit towards him, and started to type on the keyboard again. His Trinary had got lucky, after the fight. Two of the Blakist pilots had not made it as far as their ‘mechs. While a wholy inadequate substitute for his own Kodiak under the best circumstances, the Toyama he was presently attempting to jailbreak at least had a functional cockpit. His Kodiak not so much.

“Uh... Star Colonel?” The portable comm at his belt crackled with static as the transmission came through. He reached down and hit transmit,

“Aff?” he responded, focused on trying to bypass the Blakist security. He had no desire to have his brains fried when he started up the ‘mech. He keyed in another string of code. Tapped enter. Error.

“You... you might want to hurry it up there. We have contacts, north. A lot of contacts.”

He growled softly, tapping out a different string, then toggled his comm.

“How many contacts, Warrior. And how far out.” Really, that should have been the first thing the warrior had passed along. He finished the string of code, tapped enter.

“Looks like a full Level III. Maybe more. They are still a couple of kilometers out, coming in slow.”

“Aff. Keep me posted.” He turned his attention back to the diagnostic unit, where a green “Access Granted” was flashing. Breathing a sigh of relief he unplugged the unit, slotted it behind the command chair, and reached for the coolant vest and neurohelmet connections. Thank Kerensky those connectors were pretty much universal. A quick scan of the console and he found the ignition.

“Reactor. Online. Sensors. Online. Weapons. Online. All Systems. Nominal.” the familiar start-up litany was reassuring, even in the unfamiliar cockpit. Now to find the comms, and the sensor map, and key into the Star network, and... He did not have time. Even the slowest battlemechs would cover that distance before he could get everything figured out. An entire Level III?

He hit his portable comm again.

“Star Commander Rauda. You have command. Defensive positions.”

“Aff.” was the immediate response, and he went back to trying to figure out the cockpit. He did not have time for this. There. There was the sensor screen. The first contacts were showing up on it, and showing up as friendlies. Which given that he had not touched the IFF settings was a bad sign. He was already, effectively, down two Stars. This was not looking good.

Ah! There was the comms settings. He adjusted the frequency to 117.69 – Hopefully, Star Captain Tseng was on their way. All he had to do was hold out until then. He listened as Rauda passed out positioning orders – They had decades fighting alongside each other, knew each other better than anyone and her troop dispositions were exactly what he’d have ordered – while he continued to work out the control scheme,

All he had to do was hold.

@is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not

[fluffyfaza]

Santorini. Part 2

A ride on a jet ski has always been fun and entertaining. But there are many other entertainments. For example, sea fishing. Anderii @anderii, why did you break the rod? Now you will have to fish with bottom gear. Having returned with the catch, you can rest a little and catch crabs. They are cool. The main thing is to know how to catch them - so that they do not bite. And they bite painfully! You can't deny yourself the pleasure of rock climbing. An art I have long forgotten. But the mountain is far away. You will have to go by car there. Moreover, the equipment is very heavy. Of course, we got stuck in the sand and got a flat tire. I always said, "If during the trip there is no chance of a flat tire and the car does not get stuck - do not even think about inviting me!" It's good that there is a spare. We got to the top of the mountain, lowered the safety ropes. I knew about Anderii's passion for "free climbing", or whatever it's called. But life is one. And we decided to use belays. I could barely keep up with Anderii. She was climbing the rock very skillfully. At the top, we just lay and looked at the sky. Time to go down. New adventures await us! The best view of Santorini opens up from a bird's eye view. The choice is obvious - hang gliding! To say that it was unforgettable is to say nothing. But soon the evening will come, we need to go back and get ready for the evening events. Along the way, we picked some olives again. Oh, it seems that these trees have an owner. Let's run quickly!!! A little coffee to restore strength, a few selfies for memory… To be continued…

[duskyashe]

CAMP NANO DAY 22

[First] [Previous] [Next] [AO3]

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Duke watched Phantom pace around the rooftop in growing bemusement. The kid was going over the notes he'd taken in his little pocket notebook over the course of his and Dick's Q&As with a rather deep furrow between his brows, muttering under his breath all the while. Duke chanced a glance at his oldest brother from where he sat as straight-backed as possible on his stool of shadows. Though Dick was fully masked and in character, Duke could read the older man like a book. His casual perch on top of the roof access shed held a shade of wariness and the set of his shoulders belayed his concern.

He fully understood, from what Steph and Jason had said, Phantom knew pretty much instantly exactly what both of them were as soon as he'd finished questioning them. He hadn't had to ask them more than ten questions total before he just knew. With Dick, however, he'd asked almost twenty five questions, and Duke was asked almost forty before Phantom had started up his pacing and muttering.

Right as Duke's anxiety started acting up, started whispering poisonous words about how he was a fake and a failure, that Phantom was going to declare him nothing more than a freakishly over powered meta and his family would turn him out on the streets over it, the kid abruptly stopped pacing and, without even looking up from his little notebook, asked the two of them, "So did you guys know you were both light deities before you came up here, or is that just a huge freaking coincidence? Because I've cross-checked the facts and crunched all the numbers, and you two are both minor deities of light, among other things."

Dick rolled his head dramatically to the side door a moment before asking in his raspy Raven voice, "Among other thingsssss?"

Phantom looked up from his notes with a blank startled look before understanding flashed across his expression. "Ahh, yes. Raven, you're a minor guardian trickster deity of light, your domains are pranks and tomfoolery, light, and protection. Signal, you're a minor guardian deity of light and shadows, your domains are both light and shadows, as well as protection. Basically, your domains are things that empower you and that you can manipulate and control with training. Eventually, you'll even be able to bless people within your clan's territory with any of your domains, such as blessing someone to find safety within the light of street lamps. Raven, as a trickster, you'll be drawn to areas and people full of mischief, and even feel the urge to start mischief, yourself," he explained. "As both of you are also guardians, you're inherently connected to the general wellbeing of the inhabitants of your territory. When someone is in danger within the city limits, you'll be able to tell. With practice, you'll even be able to hone in on the location."

=============‹«⟨·•★•·⟩»›=============

Cass watched from her spot draped across a crouching Tim's shoulders as Phantom gently smacked his forehead with his little notebook. He'd just finished questioning her and seemed to be having a small mental breakdown. She watched him for a little longer before softly whistling a question to her little brother in the family's secret conlang, Is he okay? Tim's chirped answer, I'm not sure, was followed by Phantom taking a deep breath and looking back up at them.

"Sorry about that, I wasn't expecting your clan to have so many minor deities in it. Ibis, you're definitely a kitsune, though I have no idea how many tails you have yet or what they can do, so we'll have to figure that out next time. BlackBat, you're a minor guardian deity of darkness and shadows, your domains are darkness, shadows, and protection. Like I told Raven and Signal, your domains are things that empower you. You and Signal share the domain of shadows, but as you also possess the domain of darkness itself, you'll be able to do things with shadows that he likely never will, no matter how much he trains his shadow domain," Phantom said before letting out a gust of breath and drawing his feet up to sit in midair. He ran a hand through his bright white hair, his entire frame screaming to her his astonishment and wariness. "Ancients, your clan is seriously OP. Batman is most likely a major deity since he has three minor deities under him, then there's the three of you minor deities. Condor's a Phoenix, Starling is a banshee, you're a kitsune with who knows how many tails, Ibis—" he pulled his hand from his hair and ran it down his face instead.

Tim and Cass glanced at each other at his words. Were clans... Not supposed to be like theirs? It felt entirely natural to her, especially since her family had started taking lessons from Phantom. She couldn't imagine her clan being anything other than exactly as it was.

Phantom must have caught the motion of their heads as he hurried to explain. "Most clans are made up of similar, if not the same, species. Your clan not only has a wider variety of species than normal, a lot of you are rare species that either have difficulties getting along with certain species also counted among your number, or aren't usually found in clans at all. Deities, major and minor, either form pantheons, which are different from clans, with other deities local to their territory or fiercely guard their territory from other deities and remain solo their entire existence. The fact that you have a deity in your clan, let alone three or more, is—is unheard of."

Tim froze in her grasp as he immediately began absorbing, analyzing, and extrapolating the new information they'd been given, but Cass barely noticed. No, what drew her attention more than the truly ground shaking information, was the beginnings of real, fragile hope began to show themselves in Phantom's body language. Where before, both the first time she met Phantom and just earlier that very night, he'd exhibited signs of relief and safety, this was perhaps the first time she'd seen him express hope. Cass wondered what he'd seen, what he'd experienced, that had led to him losing his hope in the first place, then she decided that, whatever it was, she wanted to punish the ones behind all of it for taking that hope away.

=============‹«⟨·•★•·⟩»›=============

AHHH I DID IT. I FINALLY FINISHED WRITING CHAPTER THREE. ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ This took forever, and I apologize for that. I had to start writing this chapter five different times before I finally figured out how the heck I even wanted to begin. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and all the lore drops. Cass's POV kinda got away from me and I'm not entirely sure where half the stuff I put in there came from, but it works! I hope y'all enjoyed it! I'm hoping to get back into the swing of writing and posting nearly every day for the rest of the month, but we'll just have to see, won't we (⁠^⁠～⁠^⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ

[the-golden-comet]

✨🏴‍☠️OC interview🏴‍☠️✨

Thank you so much for the tag, @theaistired ! 💖

I will answer for Peter from Peter Hart

Were you named after anyone?

Not as far as I’m aware. My middle name’s taken after my father, Johnathan.

When was the last time you cried?

I was holding my husband closely to my trembling heart, as my first mate rowed us back to The Golden Phoenix on a dinghy. I’d almost lost him…I—no. Not again. Never again. The waves will never keep us apart.

Do you have any kids?

Gods no! Would YOU trust me with children? Hahaha…I’d teach em to pickpocket from those snobbish royals. They could sell their loot for all the toys their young hearts desire. Ah…I probably shouldn’t be a mentor :)

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Does a whale shite in the ocean?

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Whether they are from royalty, or if their pockets are loaded. Then…how attentive they are, especially if they notice themselves losing some weight…

What’s your eye color?

A piercing, shocking blue. Just about scared poor Benjamin right out of his breeches when I first abducted him, haha~

Scary movies or happy endings?

I love some happy endings. The thrill of adventure is nothing without loved ones to share it with.

Any special talents?

I can shoot my flintlock. Oh, and free climbing. I’m fairly good at scaling a cliff face without belays or carabiners, despite Davey giving me a harsh lambastin’ whenever I climb without safeties.

Where were you born?

Great Britain, mate. What, you want a province? Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to shoot you so word doesn’t get around :)

What was your favorite subject in school?

HA. That requires going to school. I had an officer back then who would frequently catch me on truancy. Never really liked the structure and stuffiness of those classrooms. And the teachers had their rulers shoved up their arses with how uptight they were. No no, I didn’t fancy school.

What is your dream job?

I’m living the dream, mate. Sailing the seas as a free man, loot to last for generations, plundering and thieving to my heart’s content. Best of all? No snobbish rules of the parliament that I must follow. It’s a dream come true, truly.

Tagging (no pressure): @theverumproject , @drchenquill , @frostedlemonwriter , @wyked-ao3 , @sunglasses-in-the-bentley , +open tag! ✨

[starskytohutch]

Terror on the Docks, Chapter 19, Starsky & Hutch book serialization :) enjoy!!

HUTCH, WHO HAD swum under the pier to hang onto a piling, started to swim out again when he heard the shot Starsky fired. But then he halted again and grabbed onto another piling when Starsky's anxious cry came down to him. It seemed obvious to Hutch that it was Starsky who had fired the shot, and that it had driven off the four assailants. Since Starsky was in no danger, it didn't seem fair to Hutch that he was the only one to get wet, particularly since the water was ice cold. He remained silent. "Hutch, are you all right?" Starsky called wor-riedly. Hutch made no reply. Getting down on his hands and knees, Starsky unsuccessfully tried to peer beneath the dock. Knowing his partner, he was as much worried that Hutch was merely exercising his pixie sense of humor as he was worried about his safety. Since Hutch had been a champion swimmer in college, it seemed unlikely he had drowned, but on the other hand Starsky had been too busy to notice the circumstances under which Hutch had gone off the dock, and it was possible he had been brained by a belaying pin. He called, "Hutch, if this is your idea of a joke" Hutch called in a weak voice, "Starsk." Starsky was simultaneously relieved, worried and suspicious, with the emphasis on the last. "What's the matter?" “Starsky, I need help," Hutch said even more weakly. *Then grab onto something, I'll call for help on the radio." "No time," Hutch said faintly. Starsky by indecision, almost sure that Hutch was merely trying to lure him into the water, yet worried that ho might actually be in trouble, Starsky said, "Well, what's wrong? You're the champion swimmer." In a barely audible voice Hutch said, "Starsky, help me." There was a gurgling sound, then silence. "Hutch?" Starsky said. "Hutch, you know how I hate cold water. If you're pulling my leg-Hutch?" The silence continued. Pushing himself erect, Starsky tore off his windbreaker, tossed his gun on top of it, held his nose and jumped off the dock. He hit the water in a seated position, making a tremendous splash. He came up sputtering, treading water, and looked around. Hutch, hanging onto a piling beneath the dock, was grinning at him. "Why'd you do that to me?" Starsky inquired querulously. "We're partners, aren't we?" Hutch said, swimming out strongly and heading for a wooden ladder nailed to the dock a few yards away. Despite Hutch's being in the water much longer than Starsky, it didn't affect him nearly as much. He was uncomfortably cold when he climbed out on the dock, but Starsky was nearly blue. He stood there shaking so hard, he nearly rattled. "I'm going to get pneumonia and die," he said ac cusingly. "And if I do, I'm coming back to haunt you. I'm going to sit on the end of your bed everytime you have a date in it, and make raspberry noises." He looked so miserable, Hutch actually began to regret making him jump into the water. After picking up his gun, he stooped again to pick up Starsky's gun and jacket. Handing him the gun, he wrapped the windbreaker around his shoulders. "Get in the car," he said solicitously. “I’ll drive. You won't catch pneumonia il you get out of those clothes and into a warm bed fast enough."

Starsky climbed into the car. As Hutch pulled it away, Starsky began sneezing violently. "You think those guys were the same ones we saw in the poker game?" Hutch asked. Starsky made no reply. Hutch said. "They had on entirely different clothing, though. Plus those ski masks." Starsky still said nothing. “Course they could have changed clothing. We were in Andy Wilkins's office long enough for them to run home and back." Silence came from Starsky. "When we get to your place, think I'll phone Wilkins and ask him to drop over to the ship chandler's shop, see if those guys are still playing poker. Like to know where Billy was, too. He could have been one of them." Nothing from Starsky. "Except we saw him coming out of the shop just as we headed for Pier sir. Couldn't have made it there ahead of us. What's the matter with you, that you're so silent?" "I'm not speaking to you!" Starsky yelled at him, then sneezed violently. There was no further conversation all the way to Starsky's apartment house. Hutch parked the car in the basement garage and they took the elevator to Starsky's floor. As soon as they got into the apartment, Starsky began shedding clothes on the way to the bathroom. He slammed the bathroom door in Hutch's face. Hutch picked up the discarded clothing, carried it into the kitchen, emptied the pockets, and wrung out the clothes. He repeated the process with his own clothes, rummaged through a kitchen drawer until he found a length of rope, and strung a short clothesline. He hung all the wet clothing from it. He set his and Starsky's shoes in the oven and turned it on low Entering the bedroom stark naked, he sat on the edge of the bed and used the bedside phone to call Andy Wilkins. "Had a little problem, Mr. Wilkins," Hutch said when he got the security chief on the phone. "You Know that message we got from Captain Dobey to meet some snitch at Pier six?" ”Yes." “Four guys wearing ski masks jumped us with cargo hooks and belaying pins and tried to kill us."

"Good God!" Wilkins said. "Are you all right?" "Aside from getting wet. We both took headers off the dock. Do me a favor?" "Sure, Hutch." "Run over to Rick Hauser's ship chandler's shop and see if those four guys we told you about are still playing poker in Hauser's office. If they are, notice what they're wearing." "All right," Wilkins agreed. "You suspect it was them?" "Would seem awful coincidental if four different guys picked this particular time to try to waste us. Kind of like to know where Billy Desmond is right now, too." "He just left here," Wilkins said. "He and Nancy have both been in my office for the past hour, nearly. Billy wanted to explain about his past." After a short pause, Wilkins said a trifle defensively, "He's pretty convincing that he's reformed, Hutch. And he was pretty young when he was in trouble. Nineteen." Hutch said dryly, "As Starsky said, he uses charm as a commodity." “I haven't swallowed everything he said hook, line and sinker," Wilkins said quickly. "Tm just keeping an open mind about Billy. In any event, he couldn't have been one of your attackers, because he was with me when that happened." "Yeah," Hutch said even more dryly. "Makes a perfect alibi, doesn't it." "Well, I'll call you back soon as I check out the poker game," Wilkins said, "What's the number there Hutch gave it to him and hung up. Starsky emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a robe. Standing up, Hutch started past him toward the bathroom. As they passed, Hutch said, "Hung your wet clothes in the kitchen, stuck your wet shoes in the oven. Your gun and money and stuff is on the kitchen counter." Starsiy headed for the bed without answering. Hutch went on into the bathroom and closed the door. When he came out again after taking a shower, Starsky was under the bed covers, shivering. Hutch went over to Starsky's dresser, opened a drawer and took out some underwear. "What are you doing?" Starsky asked. "You expect me to put my wet underwear back on?" Hutch inquired. Starsky watched balefully as Hutch dressed himself completely in Starsky's clothes, including a pair of slacks he got from the closet. They were more than an inch too short, but otherwise fit well enough. When he was dressed, Hutch went into the kitchen to check on the shoes. Both pairs were still slightly damp, but he decided his were dry enough to use. Putting them on, he carried Starsky's into the bedroom. "What you want me to do with these?" he asked Starsky. Starsky's eyes glittered an answer that Hutch chose not to carry out. He set them on the floor next to the bed. Starsky looked him up and down, and his partner's bubbling healthiness seemed to irritate him. "Feel pretty good?" he asked with bitterness. "Feel wonderful," Hutch told him. showelly for you. I've got a chill, oven after that hot "Want me to call a doctor?" "How many years it been since you were last sick?" Starsky inquired irritably. "Doctors haven't been making house calls since you were a kid." "Maybe what you need is some old-fashioned home go," Huch said. "Hugey Bear wil know what to do. He picked up the bedside phone. starky said plaintively, "Haven't you done enough to me? Huggy will bring over some god-awful concoc to and make me eat it, then I'll throw up." "With your cast-iron stomach you can eat any-thing," Hutch said. "If you can digest cordogs and root beer for breakfast, you can stand anything Huggy brings you for lunch." He dialed a number. After a few moments, he said, "Huggy? Starsk is fiat in bed with the ague. He fell off the dock and got all wet." Hutch listened, then said, "I don't know what's in the kitchen. We're at his place, not mine. Can't you have Angie brew something up and bring it over?" "No!" Starsky objected. "Don't have him do that" "Okay," Hutch said into the phone. "See you in a little while." He hung up. Starsky said, "Why do you keep piling griefs on me, Hutch?" "Im trying to help you, Starsk. Because you're not only my partner, but my best friend." "Thank God I'm not your worst enemy," Starsky said dolefully.

Sorry if there’s any errors in here! Totally didn’t proof read- I’ll post the photos in another post for anyone who wants them! Just had to share this chapter because I couldn’t believe how domestic they were. the episode is already so domestic I couldn’t believe it got even cuter in the book 😭

[phagodyke]

never stops being funny to me how everyone at the gym assumes im FAR more competent than I actually am without question. went to a roped sesh w one of my clubs bc they asked for novices to come along so the ppl training for the climbing qualification could get some hours in teaching ppl the basics & I wanted to learn. two climbing friends ask me if I've memorised the handbook for the assessment yet and are genuinely surprised when I tell them I'm not on the course. the instructor running the qual course (again, who I'm friends with) goes around and points out who's on the course and who's here as a novice to the assessor who had just dropped by, gets to me and goes oh yeah you're on the course too right? nope. then he goes ah but still they're a competent climber. nope again. pure novice. literally here bc I don't even know how to tie in and belay mate, u know that bc you've rope climbed with me before and had to fill out a supervision form bc im not signed off!! theres not even that many ppl DOING the course i dont know why he associates me with it. the first time I rocked up at one of the rope sessions the same guy (who, btw, has a hyperfixation on climbing safety & gear and is a fucking stickler for it & calls literally everyone else out abt it!!) asked if I could lead belay him - IM NOT QUALIFIED. TO LEAD CLIMB LET ALONE LEAD BELAY!!!!! then today they move on to gear and everyone is surprised I don't have my own belay device or harness. IM NOT SIGNED OFF. TO BELAY. I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW. THATS WHY IM HERE. I EXCLUSIVELY BOULDER. YOUVE NEVER SEEN ME DO ANYTHING ELSE. WHY WOULD I OWN ANY ROPED GEAR???? also bear in mind I'm a solid 10-15 years younger than the instructor & most ppl doing the course like where the hell are u getting this impression from guys 😭😭

[skywalkerab]

Speedrunner is the economic solution for Adventure Parks This continuous belay system leads the market due to its low maintenance requirements. User instruction only takes 10 minutes. . 👉bit.ly/ShopSpeedrunner .

belay #safety #speedrunner #continuous #lifeline #ppe #skywab

[dluoser]

ooo ooo duo do 21

❤️ mag

sometimes, being a complete nerd comes in handy.

or

“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”

“Yeah, me and my buddy were kayaking down in lower Big Tujunga creek and need some help getting out of the canyon.”

“Hey, uh, did you know that kayaks have been around for like, four thousand years?”

Eddie and Buck are both carefully rappelling down the wall of the canyon, trying to get to the two young men sitting far below them, neon boats and paddles dragged to shore and placed in the most visible spot they could find.

“I did not know that. I thought plastic wasn’t big till after the world wars.” That had been quite the call last week, a fire at the bottling plant in the fashion district. The building was unoccupied, but anytime plastic is burning is cause for concern, thick black clouds billowing over the I-10. Buck and Eddie had gone to the roof to vent the smoke, carefully cutting openings to let it out while Buck rattled off facts about the history of Coca-Cola (who owned the plant, apparently) and the invention of plastic (originally Bakelite, which was patented in 1907) before almost skipping to a hose once they were done to help with watering the fire.

Buck adjusts the ropes in his hands with a laugh. “They were made out of trees, Eds.”

“Ahh. That makes more sense.” They both continue down the canyon wall, Buck puttering on about using pelts as waterproofing and how the oldest preserved kayak is over 400 years old and did you know the blades on modern kayak paddles have notches in them so the water doesn’t run down to your hands?

“I think Eddie’s had enough fun facts today, Buckaroo.” Comes Hen as a crackle over the radio.

“I don’t mind them at all. How else am I supposed to answer my most pressing questions if I can’t consult Buckapedia?” Eddie chuckles, pulling a few feet of slack through his belay before updating topside. “Touchdown, Cap.”

The kayakers are mostly fine, save for a nasty broken wrist. It’s a closed break, thankfully, so all they need to do is put a vacuum splint on his arm and harness them both up.

Of course, it’s never that easy.

The ground starts shaking beneath their feet as they work the first kayaker into a harness, and Eddie’s first thought is about LAUSD refitting all their schools with earthquake safety measures, he’s in the safest place he can be because of course, the ground is shaking enough to knock him out of balance and all he can think is if his son is safe.

“Let’s get a move on down there, Buckley, Diaz, we’re going to have places to be.”

“Roger that, Cap.” Buck is quick to respond, calm and confident. The second kayaker gets harnessed much faster than the first, and then both Eddie and his partner are tugging their lines to signal they’re ready to be pulled up.

“I hate earthquakes.” Broken Wrist says from where he’s behind Eddie.

“I’m right there with you,” Buck laughs, tying off his belay so the winch can do all of the work. “Couple years back, we had the microquakes? During the pandemic, remember, Eddie? And the dam blew?” He stops, thinking for a moment.

“Cap, you copy?” They’re slowly ascending, pushing back from the canyon wall every few feet.

“Yes, Buck?”

“The Tujunga Dam.”

Eddie normally doesn’t look down, not if he can help it. But he does now, and the small creek, barely ten feet across in some places, looks like it’s getting wider, deeper. That shouldn’t be the case as they get higher up.

They know what’s coming, before Bobby even responds.

“Dispatch has multiple reports that the dam has blown. We’re speeding up the winch to get you boys up here.”

Buck turns to him, face paled.

“Did, uh, did you know there’s almost two billion gallons of water in the Big Tujunga reservoir?”

Eddie shakes his head. Gone is the calm in Buck’s voice from earlier. Eddie can hear the edge of panic in what he’s saying. Buck almost died in a tsunami, and now he’s dangling three quarters of the way inside a canyon that is going to be flooding very soon.

“Did you know tujunga means old woman’s place?”

Buck stops. The winch is still pulling them up, but his hands where he’s been fussing with the rope are still. His eyes are still trained on Eddie.

“Cat’s have 32 muscles in their ears.”

“Makes sense, with the range of motion they’ve got.” Broken Wrist says.

“Buck, did you know that a group of porcupines is called a prickle?”

That one earns Eddie a small smile.

“Christopher told me that one.”

Eddie can see water rushing behind Buck, can tell by the way he angles his head he can hear it.

“No, look at me. MLB umpires have to wear black underwear in case they rip their pants.”

They’re almost to the top, Eddie can hear the whirring of the winch not too far above their heads.

“Did you know male mice are called bucks?”

And Buck laughs. God, that smile. Eddie put that there, although he’s sure some of it has to do with finally being hauled up onto solid ground. No longer are they dangling over what now looks like a raging river.

Eddie is fumbling to unclip Broken Wrist from his harness, walking him over to Hen and Chim in the ambulance before stepping out of his own harness.

They seperate then, the patients needing transport to the hospital but the ladder truck requested at a 3 alarm fire in WeHo. Buck and Eddie sit in the back of the ladder truck on the way there, with ample room to spread out but they’re still right next to each other.

“Thank you.” Buck says quietly, wringing his hands in his lap.

“Hey, sometimes, being a complete nerd comes in handy.”

[ssaalexblake]

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on the Ghost Monument. I know some people feel the stakes aren’t high enough, and that maybe if the racers were pitted against each other more it could be a more ‘interesting’ episode I guess, but I find the dynamics of the 2 guest cast to be interesting because they aren’t enemies, they’re not friends either but there’s not a desire to kill each other, because they are their out of necessity and to me that’s more then just being there out of ego or a prize. That surrounded by the history of the Stenza on the planet, it’s fascinating and one where I don’t think I’m fully across yet, so would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Honestly, I was mostly just shocked that people thought this episode was bad? It wouldn't make my favourites list but there's literally nothing wrong with it either in plot or the execution of it imo. I enjoy it in a rewatch! It builds important dynamics and sets up important arcs. The foundation for the main characters are more firmly set.

Also, like, whatever peoples feelings on the stakes in this episode, it should be noted that The Ghost Monument as an episode has a dark twin. Its name is Ascension of the Cybermen. Narratively they function as a pair and the second one is supposed to be a lot darker with more stakes that shows the development of the characters, so you can't really do that if the first one is absolutely Go Go Go GO high stakes all the whole way through? The tonal difference belays the seriousness of the second episode. The contrast shows to demonstrate both how far the fam have come in AotC and how far 13 has fallen from TGM.

Not to say the sitch they're in in TGM isn't serious, it is, but this is not super stressful to the doctor, she's not, till the very end, scared she can't return them home or that they'll die (well. anymore than the doctor apparently normally is. The monologue in Once, Upon Time was fabulous but very sad). The fam are mostly just following 13's lead to get through this all figuring it's their best chance. In the second episode, they show their own initiative. In effect TGM is their training wheel episode that allows them to survive when the stakes get high.

The links between 11x01 & 2 and 12x09 & 10 give me Life. Such brilliant arching plot threads. Great bookends to Ryan and Graham's time on the show.

And really? This is a personal opinion, but disaster apocalyptic scenarios (which this is applicable to even if our group aren't natives of the place) where everybody lives in hell but just fight and try and kill each other as well as the environment trying to off them are just Bad. And belays an absolutely twisted view of us as a species. I feel like them all banding together when it gets tough and forming a community, if a very terse one where not everybody gets along, is actually an accurate portrayal of people in general. Even whatshisface Enzo or whatever joined the group he hated for safety because he was a lousy person, yeah, but he was Not stupid. I cannot stand grimdark crap like those zombie shows where people just kill each other en masse in their warring factions or whatever like the whole of human history isn't us forming societies and working together.

But speaking of whatever his name is, I feel like his contributions to the dialogue of the episode played an important part in delivering the themes they were going for, so making them fight instead would just have damaged the episode's core aims.

Mr 'I love my mum she taught me people are awful and selfish and horrible by breaking my trust and allowing me to get badly injured' is, congrats, the first person in this era to talk about his terrible mother whom 13 Immediately says sucks (gee i wonder why they did that. he even got hurt because he fell and his mum didn't save him). This is also the first time the cycle of abuse is mentioned because uh, the loser in the mother of the year competition did it specifically so it'd perpetuate itself in her son. This is the episode the timeless child is first mentioned. Considering the cornerstone of the arc is that this child in the end Broke that chain of abuse I do not consider this a coincidence. I'd bet him and his mother would think that Tecteun made that child Strong by what they did to them. 13 did Not like this man and she wouldn't, he's a dark mirror but also the victim of a really shitty mother.

There are other things i take note of in this episode. It's the first time out of post regeneration weirdness we see 13 really hit her stride. It's the first time we see her eschew pacifism as Her Thing despite the fact that she's already demonstrated her willingness to use violence with a few bombs the ep previous. Contextual morality. Reoccurring theme. It Wasn't a good idea to use violence in the situation she was in in TGM. Still doesn't make her a pacifist though bc lol, the bomb thing. So it's Kind of the first blatant portrayal of 13's private actions contrasting ones witnessed by the fam which are used to make her look better in their eyes. This will continue all season.

The stenza are now explicitly portrayed as violent colonizers as opposed to weird guys with the universe's most messed up election system. The lady is going through a race from hell is here to buy her loved ones out of the hell of their society. It's the first time the theme Properly pops up in the era. The first of many times. 13 continues to be a support to Ryan here, deepening their relationship. She's dad-ing him. She's not mad, she's disappointed! (she's also mad). She's also supportive of him.

I also think that 13 totally running out of ideas and thinking they're all gonna die at the end when the others disappear and the tardis does Not appear sets up something interesting. The fam, the ones who have been sceptical about her ability to save them this ep but still figure her as their best chance Immediately bolster her confidence and try and prop her up. They continue with the 'you've got this doc, we have faith in you!!' for a while after that, i assume they think she needs the morale boost? But I think it just leaves her with this terrifying pressure in the end?

She tries to let them know later on that this travelling is Dangerous and that they could get hurt but i think they have kind of started to buy into their own hype about her by then and aren't as worried as they should be. They think tim shaw is the worst of the worst the whole of s11 and 13 doesn't barely deign to acknowledge him bc he's so beneath her. So by the time the real bad guys pop out of the woodwork that Actually scare her the fam are overconfident in her ability to save them, which in turn eventually leaves them in the AOTC situation where they have to save themselves because she Cannot save them herself. She gave them an out before then and they didn't take it because they were not worried. I think the journey to that overconfidence starts right here.

I guess if i had to gripe it'd be that the scene where the two racers decide to take the prize together was Way too easy and more of a footnote in the story? There wasn't really another way this was going to end, but still. That seemed a little weakly done to me. I'd like a little bit more time devoted to it because it's not like i can't think of a few different scenarios to get here, it's just they'd have taken more screen time. In the end, I think that the episode had more important plot threads to go into so they just rushed it a bit. Maybe that's where people wanted more conflict? I don't want more conflict as much as a deeper discussion. They Didn't have a gripe with each other beyond that they were competing against each other and wanted to win and it didn't seem to occur to them that they could just share. But also, i've not watched this for a while. Maybe i'm misremembering, but i remember it feeling short to me.

idk, in the end it reminds me, weirdly, of Jurassic park where they're working their way across the park to the guest centre when all the dinos are escaped. Yes they're in danger and at times it's severe, but they have time to talk and bond and work together using their own skills as a group. The stakes Are high, there be monsters out to kill them and they want to go home, but it's also not 100% dire at all times. It hits the same mood for me.

This episode wasn't grim but it wasn't trying to be either so i guess if you Like grim it'd be a disappointment, but it did what it wanted to pretty well with setting stuff up and having a reasonable compelling episode plot.

Also... It's Super pretty. The bright sun. Glorious.