#mt: the last five years

[notebookmusical]

you know what makes me crazy? i'm sorry, can i say this? you know what makes me 𐌍𐌵𐌕𐌔? the fact that we could be 𝓽𝓸𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 here together sharing our night, spending our time and you are gonna choose someone ᵉˡˢᵉ to be with! no, you are yes, jamie, that's EXACTLY what you're doing! you could be here ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵐᵉ or be there with ｔｈｅｍ as usual, guess which you pick! no, jamie, you do not have to go to 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢 with the same twenty jerks you already know! you could stay with your wife on her fucking birthday and you could, god forbid even see my show and i know in your soul it must drive you crazy that you won't get to play with your little girlfriends! no i'm not, no i'm not and the point is, jamie that you can't spend a single day that's not about you and you and nothing but you! 𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙, you! isn't he wonderful, just twenty-eight! the 𝓼𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰! you and you and nothing but you miles and piles of you pushing through windows and bursting through walls en route to the sky!

[seeinganewlight]

thinking about the parallels between another life from bridges of madison county and cathy in the last five years

and there was something there between us / something i could never name / something stronger, something stranger / more than quicksand, more than flame → i want you and you and nothing but you / piles and piles of you / finally i'll have something worthwhile to think of each morning / you and you and nothing but you / no substitution will do / nothing but fresh, undiluted and pure / top of the line and totally mine

see him with his camera at his eye / and see her grasping at his hand / afraid he doesn't know she's there → and then he smiles / and nothing else makes sense / while he invents the world that's passing by / and i'm a part of that / i'm a part of that / aren't i?

and there was something deep inside him / something i could never reach → i swear to god i'll never understand / how you can stand there straight and tall / and see i'm crying / and not do anything at all

but i believed i'd grow to be / the thing he needed most to see → i think we both can see what could be better / i'll own when i was wrong / with all we've had to go through / we'll end up twice as strong

back there in the shadow, find a picture of a woman / wearing four years of confusion like a scar / walking through the door and leaving nothing but a note → jamie is over and where can i turn? / covered in scars i did nothing to earn

and there's so much i still wonder / did he need me? / did he know? / "love is open, love is easy" / that was someone long ago → give me a day, jamie / bring back the lies / hang them back on the wall / maybe then i'd see how you could be / so certain that we had no chance at all

i feel ill

[notebookmusical]

What she says: I'm fine

What she thinks: What happened to Cathy at the end of The Last Five Years? I mean Jamie said that he closed the bank account, he left her in an house she couldn't afford, he pushed her to quit her job, she probably had no one in the city and she had no help nor money. What did she do? Did she quit her dreams and went back to her family? Did she find another shitty job in the city? Did she find someone better to love? Did she become an actress?

[lem-argentum]

it took me until dt to change rudy's hairstyle, but i ACTUALLY think he would've cut it back in post-stb when he became a reaper. the trope of "character cuts hair to feel more in control of their life" is cliché but REAL. and also the visual of him cutting it with his scythe is fun

[lokilickedme]

So...last night me and the boys are watching our nightly episode of Dexter and we hit the one with Julian Sands as Hannah McKay’s abusive rich husband who ends up (rightfully) murdered and dumped in the ocean.

Twenty minutes ago I get a pop-up on my computer saying Actor Julian Sands Has Been Missing For Five Days (hiking in California) and I

Shit

I guess...you guys got anyone else you want us to do?

.

[prozach27]

.

[aristarshower]

.

[meiieiri]

WHEN SHE LOVED ME

❁—SYNOPSIS: suguru geto was never the same after that fateful day at the foothills of mt. mushiroyama. but he was not by any means damned. how could he be knowing that he was so loved and adored by the one he lovingly called his little flickering light?

a/n: help i have five drafts on this page. three of them are 18+ and are practically finished but i’m too scared to post them :<

it had been exactly two decades since suguru geto first learned that he was different. he was seven at the time, and his parents had snuck out of their humble rural abode at around four in the morning to tend to the fields while their young son serenely slept in the adjacent room, happily drooling away on his childhood pillow, his little head filled with anything but worry. no one could have ever anticipated the sinister things that would transpire that uneventful morning.

it all happened so quickly. the senior mr. geto had just finished watering the last row of beets when a shrill cry pierced through the silent twilight and mrs. geto, the one that preceded you, sprinted towards the house like her life depended on it in a bid to reach her son and put him out of harm’s way. countless thoughts raced in her head: had a thief broken into their home, or perhaps some wild forest wolf?

none of those, apparently.

it came as a peculiarity to the couple to find their son bawling his eyes out, cowering under the protection of the futon’s blanket at an invisible phantom, a mere shadow on the wall of his bedroom. they dismissed it as a nightmare and consoled the then seven-year-old suguru. “it was just a nightmare, suguru,” his mother smoothed her hand down his back, soothing him. “it can’t hurt you.”

unbeknownst to them at the time, that was no nightmare, but an earthly curse born from ghastly human emotions. that was how suguru had been unwillingly dragged into this godforsaken trade. now, twenty years later, and with a family of his own, suguru no longer feared those phantoms on the wall — he loathed them, despised them with every fiber of his being though he was master to countless curses. but there was still one thing that struck fear into his heart like the foreboding doom that came from the heron-like sound of countless heavenly spears raining from the skies during the archaic battles of old he used to read about in jujutsu tech’s library.

nightmares.

he wakes up with a start and the comforter pools at his hips, his eyes darting around the room as if they were in search of something, his breath coming out in pants. it was just a nightmare, suguru, he thinks to himself, echoing his late mother’s words, as he tries in vain to banish the grotesque haunts of his youth from his head, it can’t hurt you.

he helplessly glances at your side of the bed — empty and cold, of course — you were out on a week long mission with your students and weren’t due to come home for another day or so. he pulls at the strands of his tousled hair, frustrated, and before he knows it, a few tears haphazardly slip from his bottom eyelids as he reminisces about his past failures. in his sadness, he does not hear the door to the bedroom open, creaking quietly as he is wracked by another round of painful sobs.

“papa?” startled, he looks up, instinctively wiping away the damp droplets from his face. his eyes soften at the sight. there she was, the petite jailer that held his heart ransom, standing behind the door, her trusty companion, the stuffed rabbit he helped you sew for her, tucked under her arm. she looks at him with sad eyes, hesitant to come in. “you okay?” she asks worriedly.

suguru lets out a tearful chuckle. this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. he should be the one calming her, banishing her nightmares away not the other way around.

“y-yes,” he tries to collect himself to make his way over to her but his daughter beats him to it. akari meets him halfway as he was about to stand up from the king-sized bed, throwing herself against his waist, her arms coming up to hug him as if by doing so she could rid her papa of all his troubles and worries. “oh, little love,” he sniffles at his little girl’s altruism, gathering her into his arms to sit her on his lap. “what’s wrong?”

she averts her gaze momentarily, her dark eyes warily scanning the room. at the tender age of five, she could already pick up residuals (much to suguru’s dismay). when she does not notice anything of note, she mutters out a single word: “nightmare.”

“you had a nightmare?” suguru asks, his hands finding hers, his fingers interlacing with her little ones.

akari shakes her head adamantly. “n-no,” she reiterates, insistent that her papa has misunderstood her. “papa…did you have a nightmare?” she waits for his reply with bated breath.

suguru contemplates on what to say for a long while, his hands absentmindedly playing with her smaller ones, his head bowed, almost in apology. at this age, in his young daughter’s eyes, he was her hero, one similar to those in her storybooks. he was supposed to be the archetypal knight that slayed dragons and laid waste to monster lairs, the prince that would sooner scale the highest towers, racing to the rescue of the princess who had fallen into a death-like sleep. if she was afraid or sad, it was his duty to make her less so. it was his responsibility as a father to take on an image of unrelenting courage. but he fears his own armor had gathered rust over the years, his claymore had dulled in countless battles that left so much ruin in its wake and his noble steed had long since been retired to the stables. he was no knight, nor was he a prince that his daughter could rely on. he was just plain old suguru.

but for akari, that was enough.

“…please don’t cry,” akari mumbles sadly, her tiny hands gently rest on his cold cheeks. she really is your daughter, suguru muses almost in awe at how much the two of you were alike in the way you both are able to keep him from falling apart completely. suguru leans into her touch, pressing their foreheads together, a special thing that only father and daughter could share together. “i’m here, papa.” even at your loneliest.

“…me too, little love.”

[stars-n-spice]

RAAAAHH BAD BATCH SECOND GENERATION!!

Behold! Silly Squad ten(ish) years later after the rescue on Mt. Tantiss!

Or aka my "Somehow the clones magically age normally and Tech is alive" AU in which they all get happy endings and their own families :)

And yes the cadets and Sami also get adopted by the families :D

I will probably post more in depth things about each individual family later but there's some basic information like what their lives are like on Pabu, what the kid's names mean, how they got adopted, and so on about each under the cut!

Guardians Family - The Yuns

Hunter and Jung decided to adopt Mox and Sami (who didn't want to go back to her family)

Later they find and adopt Huihana, thus completing their family!

But it doesn't account for all the other kids Jung and Hunter have adopted mentally and spiritually since they run a school on Pabu

Huihana means "lily/lotus" in Maori and 'Hana' means "one" in Korean

Huihana is half human and half Mirialan - later on when she's older she'll get tattoos similiar to Sami, Mox, and Jung's

Huihana is two years old and the youngest of the Second Gen kids

Mox gets the Pantoran facial tattoo to match with his sister :)

Sami ends up being Jung's padawan basically and ends up adding to her facial tattoo to match the ones Jung has

The family runs a school/camp! Mainly for Force sensitive kiddos, but Hunter also teaches them practical stuff as well

Hunter and Jung are the last of the couples to get "married"

I say "married" because they're already practically married (in a QPR) but they have a whole celebration for the sake of Omega

ScompScope Family - The Cossas

Echo and Viram decide to adopt Deke after he starts to join them on their missions with Rex and Chuchi

And then they have two sons of their own - Tikan and Zisanu - once they feel they've done their part and finally settle down

Put the three together and you get "Dee," "Tee," and "Zee" (that was a complete coincidence btw)

Tika[n] means 'Heavy' in Tsonga

Zisanu means 'Five' in Chichewa

Yeah, their names are meant to honor Hevy and Fives :) I thought it would be fitting

Rex is their godfather (and is totally not bitter about them not being named after him, totally not at all)

Echo and Viram continue to do rebellion work for a while before finally deciding to settle down once their part is done

Every now and then they do go and help Rex though, usually they'll take Deke with them and leave the two others with their Tíos since they're still kinda young (T and Z are not super happy about it)

When they're on Pabu, Echo helps wherever he can and Viram continues her work as a medic and helps out at the clinic

Third of the group to get married - they'd already waited long enough and they decided it was better late than never because they'd pushed off their relationship for the sake of their duties

Starburst Family - The Nultez Clan

When you have a clone and a Mandalorian as parents, you're going to have a TON of kids

Khea had already taken Itri as a Foundling before her and Wrecker got married

Wrecker and Khea adopt Stak in a heartbeat and he becomes a Foundling as well

Marama and Maia are twins (32 minutes apart) and are absolute trouble makers

Marama means "moon/bright" in Maori (fitting with the Star motif of Khea)

Maia means "brave/confident" in Maori (fitting of her personality and her parents')

Elio means sun (again fitting with the star motif of Khea, and going alongside Marama)

Dha'ika is Khea's cat and Lula is the kids' cat

But to be fair, they have a TON of other pets

They basically run a farm on Pabu - Khea still is a mechanic on the side and helps fix things up around the island

First to get married - they'd been dating the longest and it was spontaneous

Techphee Family - The Genoa Family

You do NOT want to mess with the Genoa siblings - they're a force to be reckoned with; intelligent as all hell, charming as fuck, witty, resourceful, talented pilots - they have it all

Except for good eyesight :/

Vela is farsighted

Rangi is nearsighted

Vela means "viligant/watchful" but it's also the name of a constellation taken directly from the Latin word for the sail of a ship (which is fitting considering Phee is a pirate and Tech and her are both phenomenal pilots)

Rangi means "Sky/heavens" in Maori (again, fitting that pilot thing)

Honestly, Rangi is just Mutant Mayhem Donnie if I'm being 100% honest with you (even his voice, I imagine it to sound like Micah Abbey's)

This family is all over the place - while they have somewhere to stay on Pabu, usually they're out exploring the galaxy together and doing various fun (dangerous) things

They practically live in Phee's ship - and they love it honestly

They always bring back souvenirs and stories for everyone whenever they return back to Pabu

Second of the group to get married - you can bet that after supposedly losing Tech, Phee made sure to tie him down and put a ring on him

Sharpshooters Family - The Marr Family

Last ones to adopt because Tay's not confident he's good with kids (it's the one thing he actually doesn't think he's good at)

Because of Tay's insecurities, Crosshair was fine with it just being them but deep down he really did want a kid

So when he was out on a mission helping Echo and stumbled upon an orphan, he didn't hesitate

Took a while for Tay to accept it though because he was terrified he might hurt their new daughter or something, but he soon proves to be a natural

Meet Akona Marr! She's half Nautolan and half Pantoran!

Akona means "to enthuse" in Maori (fits her personality)

She gets a crosshair tattoo to match her Pa and Tay gets something similar and he also caps off his horns so Akona doesn't hurt herself since she likes to climb him

Akona is nonverbal and has a tendency to bite people but her Dads love her anyways

She is spoiled ROTTEN though because like with Crosshair, Tay cannot say no to her

They're a family of fishermen! Tay and Akona are both amphibious races so they enjoy being in the water and Crosshair's enhanced eyesight helps spot fish in the waters despite the glare from the sun

Fourth of the group to get married - Tay took too long to ask (he was nervous) and Crosshair never really expressed wanting a wedding because of everything that went into it and all the attention that was going to be on him during it

💫 Tag List: @stardume 💫 Join the silly squad taglist here! 💫 Silly Squad Masterpost

[stargazer-sims]

Takashi Abbottsford for @jonquilyst Total Drama Sims 2!

Name: Takashi Abbottsford Pronouns: he/him Gender Identity: cis male Sexuality: bisexual Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast Traits: Nosy, Dance Machine

__________

Takashi: Hey, world! How's it going? My name is Takashi Abbottsford, and I'm from Willow Creek. I'm sixteen years old, my birthday is August 13th, I'm a student at Willow Creek High, and I like pizza and energy drinks. Actually, my dads always say I probably don't need energy drinks, but hey... we can always use an extra boost, right?

Let's see... Other stuff about me... I love sports! I like snowboarding, rock climbing, soccer and swimming the best, and every time we visit my Papa's family in Mt. Komorebi, I always spend as much time as I can on the mountain. Shredding is life! Yeah!

Um, okay... My favourite colours are green and blue, and my favourite season is winter. I like video games and I like to cook. I also like dancing, like a lot, and I like rocking out to my favourite bands. I can play the piano too, although not as well as my brother Forest, which is a bummer because he won a medal at the youth music festival last year and I kinda messed up during a trio performance with two of my sisters, and of course Forest made fun of me about it. Siblings... ugh!

Yeah, so while we're on the subject of siblings, I should probably tell you about mine, and my two dads as well. My family falls squarely into the category of 'wild facts you could never make up', no joke.

We're a stupidly large family, just so you know. I'm the youngest of six siblings, and all six of us are science babies. My oldest siblings are Camellia and Forest, and they're twins. Next is Matsu, and then there's the triplets; Midori, Willow and me. Oh, and if you're wondering about why some of us have English-sounding names and some of us have Japanese names, it's because our Dad, Fox Abbottsford, is a Canadian and our Papa, Takahiro Suzuki, is Japanese. They met in Japan when Dad was there on a working holiday visa, and they have this absolutely crazy love story, but that's a tale for another time. The reason for our mixed bag of names is because they wanted us to have names that reflected both their cultures, so here we are.

Oh, and fun fact. Me, Matsu and Midori don't have middle names, which is part of Japanese naming tradition. Forest, Camellia and Willow do have middle names, and I don't know if I should be envious of that or grateful that I only had to learn how to spell two names instead of three when I was in first grade and we were all practising how to write them.

Right. Why did I sign up to be on Total Drama?

Hooo man... where do I even start with that? When you're one of six, 'total drama' is a way of life! I figured I'd be pretty good at it, because I'm used to chaos. I mean, 'chaos' should be our family motto or something.

Actually, let me tell you the real reason I signed up, besides the ongoing total drama in our household.

When you're one of six, there's this never-ending competition for attention, and this constant need to distinguish yourself from your brothers and sisters. Don't get me wrong. I love all my brothers and sisters, especially my older brother Matsu, but it's hard to be the youngest and the most unremarkable. I don't just have one shadow to live in. I have five.

For example, my absolute nerd of a brother Forest is like, this insanely gifted artist, just like Dad. Forest already has his illustrations in a children's book and he's only 18. Also, despite being Nerd Number One, he somehow managed to land the most popular girl at school as his girlfriend. Also, Forest's girlfriend Caroline is hot and she's a star athlete. Everybody's always talking about how great they are together. Like, how's a guy supposed to level up to that?

My other siblings all have their thing, too. My sister Camellia is good at acting, and Matsu is amazing at sports and the captain of the cheer squad. Midori and Willow are identical, which always gets them noticed just because, but also Midori is already planning her career as an aesthetician, and Willow is super-smart like Forest and wants to become an engineer.

As for me, I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I'm okay at most things, but not awesome like my siblings, and I don't have my future figured out like some of them do. I'm thinking maybe I'd like to be a police officer and work in something science-y like forensics, 'cause I really love science. Or I might like to be a journalist, 'cause I'm good at finding out stuff that people don't necessarily want me to know.

My dads keep telling me that being nosy isn't really a good thing, but I prefer to think of it as inquisitiveness. Anyway, I'd use my powers for good, so I think it's okay.

Everyone says I talk too much, so I should probably wrap this up so I don't annoy people too much. Kinda insecure about that, to be honest, but like... I can't help myself. Sometimes I feel awkward 'cause I don't know if I'm talking too much or not and I'm worried about what people might think. Like, 'Oh no, not that guy again. He can never shut up', or whatever.

Okay, that's it, I promise! I'm super pumped about this show, and I can't wait to meet everyone! Bring on the adventure and bring on the drama! Your boy Takashi is READY FOR IT! Woo!

[blueiscoool]

Why are Hundreds of Climbers Heading into the ‘Death Zone’ on Mt Everest This Spring?

Thick murky clouds fill the sky, with freezing winds carrying snow faster than 100 miles per hour. With a frigid –30 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, life-threatening snowstorms and avalanches are frequent.

And these are typical conditions on the world’s highest mountain: Mount Everest.

The behemoth towers 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) between Nepal and Tibet in the Himalayas, with its peak surpassing most clouds in the sky.

An attempt to climb Everest requires months, sometimes years, of training and conditioning – even then, reaching the summit is far from guaranteed. In fact, more than 300 people are known to have died on the mountain.

And yet the mountain still draws hundreds of climbers who are determined to reach its peak every spring. Here’s what it takes to make the climb and what has motivated some climbers to summit the world’s highest peak.

‘I thought I was in pretty good shape’

Dr. Jacob Weasel, a trauma surgeon, successfully summited Everest last May after conditioning for nearly a year.

“I would put on a 50-pound backpack and do two hours on a stair stepper with no problem,” Weasel said. “So, I thought that I was in pretty good shape.” However, the surgeon said he was humbled after discovering that his fitness was no match for the lofty athleticism required by the mountain.

“I would take five steps and have to take 30 seconds to a minute to catch my breath,” Weasel recalled of his struggle with the lack of oxygen available while ascending Everest.

Climbers aiming for the summit usually practice an acclimatizing rotation to adjust their lungs to the thinning oxygen levels once they arrive on the mountain. This process involves mountaineers traveling upward to one of the four designated camps on Everest and spending one to four days there before traveling back down.

This routine is repeated at least two times to allow the body to adapt to declining oxygen levels. It increases a climber’s chances of survival and summiting.

“If you took somebody and just plopped them up at the high camp on Everest, not even on the (top), they would probably go into a coma within 10 to 15 minutes,” Weasel said.

“And they would be dead within an hour because their body is not adjusted to that low of oxygen levels.”

While Weasel has successfully summited dozens of mountains, including Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft), Chimborazo (20, 549 ft), Cotopaxi (19,347 ft), and most recently Aconcagua (22,837 ft) in January, he said none of them compares to the high-altitude of Mount Everest.

“Because no matter how well you are trained, once you get to the limits of what the human body can take, it’s just difficult,” he continued.

At its highest altitude, Everest is nearly incapable of sustaining human life and most mountaineers use supplementary oxygen above 23,000 feet. The lack of oxygen poses one of greatest threats to climbers who attempt to summit, with levels dropping to less than 40% when they reach the Everest “death zone.”

Tents of mountaineers are pictured at Everest base camp in the Mount Everest region of Solukhumbu district on April 18, 2024.

‘It’s difficult to survive up there’

The first target for mountaineers is Everest base camp at approximately 17,000 feet, which takes climbers about two weeks. Then they ascend to the three remaining camps stationed along the mountain.

Camp four, the final one before the summit, sits along the edge of the death zone at 26,000 feet, exposing climbers to an extremely thin layer of air, subzero temperatures, and high winds powerful enough to blow a person off the mountain.

“It’s difficult to survive up there,” Weasel said. He recalls passing bodies of climbers who died on the mountain – which isn’t uncommon. The bodies of the fallen mountaineers are well-preserved, exhibiting little to no decay due to the intense cold temperatures.

“I am probably more familiar with death and the loss of life than most people,” the surgeon said. “For me it was just a reminder of the gravity of the situation and the fragility of what life is… even more so motivation for appreciating the opportunity.”

High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is one of the most common illnesses climbers face while attempting to summit. “Your brain is starved of oxygen,” Weasel said.

HACE results in the brain swelling during its attempt to regain stable oxygen levels, causing drowsiness, trouble speaking and thinking. This confusion is often accompanied by blurred vision and sporadic episodes of delusion.

“I had auditory hallucinations where I was hearing voices [of friends] that I thought were coming from behind me,” Weasel recalled. “And I had visual hallucinations,” he added. “I was seeing the faces of my children and my wife coming out of the rocks.”

Weasel recalled crossing paths with a friend, Orianne Aymard, who was trapped on the mountain due to an injury. “I remember staring at her for like five minutes and just saying, ‘I’m so sorry,’” Weasel said.

“I’ve spent over a decade of my life training to help people as a surgeon, and being in a position where there’s somebody who requires your help and you are unable to offer any assistance… that feeling of helplessness was tough to deal with,” Weasel said.

Aymard survived. She was rescued and suffered from several broken bones in her foot, in addition to severe frostbite on her hands. Despite all her injuries, Aymard is considered one of the lucky ones.

Mountaineers climbing during their ascend to summit Mount Everest on May 7, 2021.

‘Their bodies will get frozen into the mountain’

Everest has long been a tomb for climbers who have succumbed to harsh conditions or accidents on its slopes.

When a loved one or fellow climber is severely injured or dies on the mountain, it’s routine to leave them behind if you’re unable to save them, according to Alan Arnette, a mountaineer coach who summited Everest in 2014.

“What most teams do out of respect for that climber, they will move the body out of sight,” he said. And that’s only if they can.

“Sometimes that’s just not practical because of the bad weather, or because their bodies will get frozen into the mountain,” Arnette said. “So, it’s very difficult to move them.”

Seeing a corpse on Everest is comparable to seeing a horrible car accident, according to the mountain coach. “You don’t turn around and go home,” Arnette said. “You respectfully slow down… or say a prayer for that person, and then you continue.”

It’s been 10 years since the single deadliest accident on the world’s highest mountain, after an avalanche killed 12 Sherpa guides. And 2023 was recorded as the deadliest year on Everest, with 18 fatalities on the mountain – including five people that are still unaccounted for.

The process of recovering bodies is extensive, sometimes impossible. Helicopter rescues and search missions are challenging due to the high altitude and frequently treacherous conditions, resulting in some rescuers dying in their attempt to save others.

Mountaineers as they climb during their ascend to summit Mount Everest on May 12, 2021.

‘Watching the sunrise from 29,000 feet’

The 3,000 feet climb from camp four to the summit can take anywhere from 14 to 18 hours. Therefore, mountaineers typically leave the camp at night.

“That entire night was cold,” Weasel recalled. “It’s dark, it’s windy.” But it was proven to be worth it in the morning, he said.

“Watching the sunrise from 29,000 feet and having that pyramid of Everest’s shadow projected onto the valley below you…,” Weasel said. “It was probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life,” he continued.

“It’s weird standing up there and knowing that everything else on the planet is below where you’re standing.”

The size of the mountain is humbling, the surgeon said. “I’ve never felt so small,” he recalled. “That mixture of humility and connectedness with something bigger than yourself is the proper place from which we ought to approach our existence on this planet.”

Like Weasel, Arnette summited at sunrise, and experienced this same feeling of “smallness.” At the top there were “more mountains than you can count,” Arnette remembered. “It was a sense of enormous gratitude and at the same time I knew I had to get back down.”

After about 20 minutes to an hour, climbers typically start to descend back to the base of the mountain.

Jacob Weasel.

‘Bigger than yourself’

Before leaving for Nepal, Weasel was gifted an eagle’s feather as a beacon for his Native American heritage.

He was determined to plant the feather on top of Everest “as a symbol of our people and what we’ve endured for the past several hundred years,” Weasel said. “Showing that our spirit is not broken, but we’re able to rise above the things that have happened to us,” he added.

“I remember planting that eagle’s feather on the top of the world and the feeling of real privilege that I felt in representing our people.” And this is why he decided to summit Everest, to be an example that anything is possible for young Native children and his tribe.

“Knowing what it’s like up there, for me personally, the only real justification for going and putting your life, and other lives, at risk is if you’re climbing for a reason that is much bigger than you,” said Weasel.

Arnette attempted to climb Everest three times before he successfully summited.

“My first three tries, I wasn’t clear on my why,” Arnette said. When his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, he looked at his purpose for climbing differently.

“I wanted to do it to raise money for Alzheimer’s and honor my mother,” Arnette said.

There are approximately 300 people that have been issued a permit from the Nepal government to climb the mountain this year, according to Arnette. And he said the number is down from previous years.

“I think one of the reasons is because we had the 18 deaths last year, and people realize that Mount Everest is a dangerous mountain.”

However, he doesn’t believe that should deter climbers from attempting to summit. “I’m a big believer that when you go climb these mountains that you come home a better version of yourself,” Arnette said.

“Everest has become too commercialized with ‘you’re stepping over dead bodies’ and ‘it’s littered with trash,’” the mountain coach said. “The reality is that it is a very small degree all of that, but there’s a lot of joy that people get out of doing it,” he continued.

“And that’s the reason that we climb mountains.”

By Kara Nelson.

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have another part of our friends with benefits rec list! You can find part one here, and we also plan to have another part to this that will come out eventually. Be sure to check out these fics and show them love. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) A Treat For You And A Treat For Me | Explicit | 3416 words

Louis blushed at Harry’s flirty tone. “You’re just saying that to get in my pants.” He giggled, half joking. “But thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

“Not just to get in your pants, baby. I’m being honest. You’re always cute. Are you wearing mascara?” He asked, licking over his lips. Louis in makeup always did something to Harry. He loved it.

Louis nodded, leaning forward. “I am. Do you like it? I’m also wearing some cute Halloween panties under my costume.. if you wanna see them later?” He murmured, letting his lips touch Harry’s lightly before pulling away, a tiny smile on his lips.

Harry’s mouth opened a bit, but no words came out. Instead Louis was lifted up and carried in Harry’s arms, up the stairs. “Later? I wanna see them now.” He whispered into Louis’ ear, hot breath sending shivers down Louis’ body. “Missed you so much since last time.”

2) Kissy | Not Rated | 6876 words

Harry buys a motorcycle against Louis's advice, and it might be the best mistake of his life. Kissy.

3) You're The Only One Who's Making Me Come, To My Sinful Senses | Explicit | 9355 words

Louis the dance major and Harry the business major meet on Tinder. They hook up regularly and come to find out they like each other more than they let on.

4) I Would Wait Forever (And Ever) | Not Rated | 10018 words

Louis is brave but has the worst timing in the world, Harry doesn't want to lose his best friend and they just don't communicate enough.

5) Butterfly Kisses | Explicit | 11832 words

Himbo Harry is smitten with stem cell researcher Louis, who only dates smart people.

6) Before You Go, Can You Read My Mind? | Not Rated | 13415 words

Harry can listen to whatever is going inside of Louis’ head and breaks up with him. Louis can never let it go.

7) Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice | Mature | 13487 words

“You’re a fucking brat, you know that,” Harry muttered through clenched teeth, bones already burning with the pure desire and hatred mixing in his body. It was an intoxicating rush of adrenaline and something else that probably came with fucking Louis Tomlinson. He squeezed his neck just a little tighter. “I can’t stand it.”

Their lips were brushing against each other, just moving with the ragged movements of their mouths and harsh breathing.

“You’re a lying piece of shit dickhead,” Louis muttered right back. That was all he did, challenge and nag. He loved to have the last word and Harry let him because he used all his energy to fuck him mindless.

8) Wait For Me (To Come Home) | Explicit | 16066 words

"I’m always soft for you, that’s the problem. You could come knocking on my door five years from now and I would open my arms wider and say, ‘come here, it’s been too long, it felt like home with you.’"

9) Dance Like Waves Along The Wind | Explicit | 17031 words

A Greek Mythology AU where Louis is Adonis and Harry is Poseidon. Louis would really like to move on with his everyday life without everyone on Mt. Olympus talking about his ex, who just happens to be the God of the Sea.

10) Keeping The Flame Alive | Explicit | 19706 words

Recording with One Direction never felt like this. There’s a couple reasons for that, Harry thinks. One is that they did most of their recording on the road, rushed and in busses and hotel rooms, never in one place long enough to really get an argument going. The other, larger and more important one, is that back then he had the sweetest, meanest little omega around to distract him from all of that frustration.

The first time around, when he’d been recording his debut solo album, it hit him pretty hard. He likes to think he’s better adjusted to it now, but frustration is warring under his skin nonetheless. He doesn’t want to be told what to do most of the time, and he especially doesn’t want to be told what to do when it comes to his music.

What he does want right now is that sweet, mean little omega right in front of him with his mouth on Harry’s cock. Unfortunately, the best he’s got is his own hand and a shared toilet. So. That’s really not going to work.

11) The Evenness I Fake | Explicit | 26372 words

Harry doesn’t do relationships. He has a perfectly enjoyable friends-with-benefits agreement with a perfectly lovely omega, and he doesn’t see the need to change that anytime soon. The small fact that Louis giving his attention to another alpha makes Harry want to put his head through a wall isn’t nearly as much of an issue as everyone’s making it out to be.

12) Let Me Carry Your Weight | Explicit | 28633 words

Louis is fresh out of a bad relationship with someone who made him feel awful about how he looked. on his journey to better himself, he meets harry - the ridiculously attractive and fit personal trainer.

13) Building Me Up (But Buttercup, You Lied) | Explicit | 31007 words

Harry’s mouth felt dry just saying those words. What he had with Louis was so much more than a simple ‘fuck buddies’ situation. It was slow kisses in the morning between soft sheets and shy smiles, it was holding hands in the afternoon while walking and eating ice cream. It was breakfast for dinner, laughing and licking honey from each other’s lips as they shared goals and even some secrets, it was happiness, it was glow.

To Harry, what he had with Louis meant everything. Until Louis decided it meant nothing.

14) Tarnished But So Grand | Explicit | 32258 words

Louis hides in places. Harry always finds him.

15) You’re An Alpha, Harry! | Explicit | 32900 words

Right before Harry goes to university, he presents as an alpha. Struggling with his newfound identity in a completely different environment, he seeks advice from the notorious Louis Tomlinson, an omega whose claim to fame is being the local campus sex expert. Sex Education AU.

16) Sweet Like Honey | Explicit | 33117 words

Weeks of flat shopping with their limited budget with Louis as a librarian aid and Harry as a barista and arguments about whether a balcony or extended bathroom suite were more important (Harry wanted to be able to feel the crisp night’s air and watch the sun set and Louis just wanted to take long bubble baths) led to them stumbling across the perfect fit. A small flat only ten minutes from campus with a cramped but lovely balcony and an included bath.

It’s affordable too… well, sort of. But they always manage. Louis picks up more shifts as an aid, adapting a habit of bringing his Psych textbooks and homework with him to finish in between duties, and later his script so he can quietly practice lines with little distraction.

Harry also increases his number of shifts at the cafe and valiantly endures the nasty customers who for some reason flock to their establishment like moths to a flame.

For a while, it’s enough.

17) A Common Place Affliction | Not Rated | 36508 words

“You should go home,” Louis muses, and Harry can feel the omega crouch down to become eye level with Harry, poking his cheek with a dainty finger. Harry lifts his arm, taking a peek at Louis’ face. Louis looks tired, he notes, but not exhausted, and there’s an eyelash stuck to his cheek. Harry doesn’t hesitate to lazily reach out and thumb over his cheek.

“Can’t,” Harry croaks, blindly twisting his hand around to grab at Louis’ offending finger and just holding it. “C’mere. Take a nap with me,” he asks after a beat, opening an eye to look at Louis.

Louis raises an eyebrow. “M’not going to nap with you in the middle of the ER, H.”

Sighing, Harry squeezes the young nurse’s finger. “Nobody cares.” He knows they do; they’ll annoy nurses and probably worry patients when they catch sight of a nurse and surgeon sleeping on the job. Let alone in the middle of the emergency ward hallway. Harry can hear the complaints now: ‘these are the people we’re supposed to trust with our lives?’

18) Smoke Between Your Teeth | Explicit | 37015 words

Louis tries to stop his addiction to cigarettes and discovers he's been addicted to Harry for much, much longer.

19) The Space Between | Explicit | 39917 words

Harry Styles is the alpha rockstar who can’t sleep and doesn’t know why.

Louis Tomlinson is the omega PhD student who helps him figure it out.

20) Where I End and You Begin | Explicit | 42730 words

Global rock sensation Harry Styles is set to perform in his sold out residencies across six major cities. What happens when his usual makeup artist can’t make it and they hire the most beautiful human he’s ever laid eyes on? Surely it couldn’t be that hard to remain professional.

21) Two Can Play That Game | Explicit | 44221 words

Harry and Louis have been best friends since they were little. Now being flatmates, both being single, they decide to hook up during the weekends as that is easier than having to go look for someone nice to hook up with.

But can friends with benefits really work? Or do feelings get in the way?

22) Social Cues | Explicit | 55860 words

To Harry, Louis was becoming as tangible and essential as music in his life. He still was a mystery but at the same time, he was one of the most real things Harry had. He just hoped he could live up to the image Louis probably had in his mind of him.

He could play the part, after all, what was published of him wasn’t as detached from reality. He didn’t think of himself as a rockstar cliche, although he couldn't deny he did sleep around, partied a lot, and did some drugs. But then again, wasn’t that what the majority of his friends back in his hometown were doing at college?

Harry wanted to impress Louis, he didn’t want to disappoint or leave his expectations unfulfilled, so he’d give him the full rockstar experience.

It was a very simple plan, what could possibly go wrong?

23) Know I Think You’re Awesome, Right? | Explicit | 60113 words

“Well, that’s not very Treat People With Kindness of you.”

“Neither is approaching someone with the sole intent of criticizing a cause they’re clearly passionate about, given the amount of time they’ve dedicated to advocating for it,” Louis snaps.

“Sure, but I’m not the one with the button,” Harry shrugs.

“So, is there actually something I can help you with, or did you just come to push me into pepper spraying you as well?” Louis is quickly growing impatient. Hell, he was impatient the moment that Harry made his grand entrance on campus yesterday.

“I’m just trying to assess the environment here,” Harry says, “Because if this is all you’ve got to offer trans people who just want to be able to use the bathroom in peace like the rest of us, then I’m not sure I fit in.”

“Allow me to save you the trouble, then: you don’t.”

24) Quite On The Contrary | Explicit | 63816 words

Neighbors x High School AU where it all started with Harry moving next door to the Tomlinsons, a balcony break in, mixed feelings, a poorly thought-out initiation, several missing sweaters and a lot of non-platonic activities.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[seeinganewlight]

the history of man by maisie peters is soooooo cathy hiatt coded

[handeaux]

Cincinnati’s High Society Was Dominated By Madame Devereux And Her Blue Book

Before Madame Clara Anna Rich Devereux stuck her nose into things around 1880, Cincinnati’s polite society was an embarrassment of disorganization. A half-century earlier, Frances “Fanny” Trollope had lambasted the local gentry in her scandalous 1832 book, “Domestic Manners of the Americans,” in which she states:

“All animal wants are supplied profusely at Cincinnati, and at a very easy rate; but, alas! these go but a little way in the history of a day's enjoyment. The total and universal want of manners, both in males and females, is so remarkable, that I was constantly endeavouring to account for it.”

In a thoroughly typical Queen City response, the local pinkies-up crowd pretended Trollope’s book did not exist, spoke no more of it, and carried on obliviously.

Mrs. C.A.R. Devereux was not amused. Born into a family of authentic Boston brahmins, she married General Arthur F. Devereux, who distinguished himself for bravery during the Battle of Shiloh. He was a ranking officer in the Army Corps of Engineers and was based at Cincinnati. The Devereuxs and their five children occupied a house in the fashionable East Fourth Street neighborhood, almost next-door to Murat Halstead, the publisher of the Cincinnati Commercial newspaper. Halstead recruited Mrs. Devereux to add some life and color to his newspaper’s society columns.

It is a considerable stretch to describe any of the pages in any of Cincinnati’s dozen daily newspapers (five were in German) back then as offering “society” news. What the newspapers published was a “personals” page in which tidbits provided by nearly any subscriber appeared in print. To pick one random example, the 5 March 1882 Cincinnati Enquirer’s “Random Notes” column featured a sick bill collector, a talented woman cobbler, and a traveling haberdasher along with reports of social gatherings among the wealthy tribes atop Walnut Hills and Clifton.

The upper crust was so appalled at finding themselves lumped indiscriminately with tradesmen and parvenus that they considered any mention of anyone’s name in any newspaper as something of a social embarrassment. As a result, Mrs. Devereux endured years of tribulation as she endeavored to convince the city’s blue bloods to provide her with any printable tidbits. According to Alvin F. Harlows’ “The Serene Cincinnatians,”

“Mrs. Devereux, when she called at some of these ultraconservative homes for items, was not even seated in the parlor, but had to wait in the hall until the lady of the house chose to go down and speak to her.”

The tables turned after 1892, when Mrs. Devereux published the first of her annual “Blue Book” directories of Cincinnati society. Overnight, she became the final arbiter of social standing in the Queen City. Any grande dame who dared confront “Madame” Devereux risked banishment from the now-official social register.

Just how influential was the annual Blue Book? In that inaugural issue, Mrs. Devereux announced a new schedule for “at home” days. Etiquette in the 1890s required a strict schedule of “calling,” in which the socially conscious made the rounds of their peers. Whole books were written about the proper distribution of “calling cards.” Anyone who was “at home” for callers on the wrong day faced social ostracism. Appalled by the seemingly random schedule of visitations in Cincinnati, Mrs. Devereux decreed a new schedule, totally fabricated by herself:

“The first two Fridays in the month are Clifton at home days, the last two are set apart for Mt. Auburn. The first two Thursdays of the month are at home days for Avondale, the last two for West Sixth and Fourth Streets. The first two Mondays for East Walnut Hills, the second two for the West Hill. Tuesday, the Burnet House, St. Nicholas, East Fourth and Pike, Broadway and the East End generally. Wednesday, Dayton Street and Covington.”

Cincinnati’s societal matrons fell sharply in line. They had no choice. Mrs. Devereux herself (often referred to as “Madame” because her surname appeared to be French) was quite pleased with herself. In the fourth (1896) edition, she bragged:

“The Blue Book has become as indispensable a requisite for the escuitoire of the woman of fashion as her silver-mounted writing utensils and her crested seal. To the man of business it is almost as useful, for it tells him ‘who's who’ at a glance and where he or she may be found.”

In addition to her annual directory and her unsigned contributions to the Cincinnati Commercial, Mrs. Devereux published her own occasional newsletter, called “Tips” in which she passed along the really good stuff to her subscribers.

Throughout the mid-1890s, Mrs. Devereux’s columns in the Commercial often jostled against saucy squibs penned by an ambitious young writer named Mary C. Francis, who provided gossipy material to several Cincinnati papers. So long as they shared space in the same newspaper, Mrs. Devereux held her tongue and her pen. When Miss Francis relocated to New York and published a few successful novels, Mrs. Devereux spread all sorts of calumny.

Mary Francis sued for libel based on an item in Mrs. Devereux’s Tips which implied that Miss Francis had escaped to New York because she had engaged in behavior unbecoming a lady, published salacious material and had been barred as a consequence from the best Cincinnati homes. Further, Mrs. Devereux claimed that Miss Francis had attempted to “hoodoo” money under false pretenses from a Cincinnati artist.

In court, Miss Francis’ attorneys demolished the Devereux defense, awarding the plaintiff $500 in damages. Mrs. Devereux, with typical chutzpah, immediately devoted an entire issue of her Tips newsletter to attack the judge, the jury, the plaintiff’s legal team and Miss Francis and her witnesses. Mrs. Devereux lamented the injustice of a judicial system in which a fine woman such as herself could be vanquished by rabble of such inferior social standing. Miss Francis sued again and appears to have been settled out of court.

Shortly after her courtroom defeat, Mrs. Devereux retired from journalism for a couple of years. When the Cincinnati Enquirer acquired the Commercial in 1900, the new publishers enticed her into resuming her duties at the society desk and she remained in that position until her death in 1910. In its obituary, the Cincinnati Times-Star recognized her influence:

“She achieved remarkable success, and it has been said of her that she was personally familiar with more prominent lives than any other individual in the city. Her acquaintance was as wide as society’s limits, and her knowledge of affairs embraced everything needful to the conscious newsgatherer and polished writer.”

Notably, throughout her final stint at the Cincinnati Enquirer, Mrs. Devereux was assisted by her daughter Marion, who assumed her mother’s duties for the next 30 years and escalated her family’s stranglehold on the city’s moneyed classes. While Clara may have been an arbiter, there were more than a few who saw Marion as nothing short of a dictator.

[golden-writes]

Chapter 3 is POSTED on Ao3 & FFN

Rating: M

Pairings: Sesshomaru/Kagome, Sango/Miroku

Warnings: Graphic violence

Summary: Mt. Hakurei's barrier was used by many to seal away items of power and demons that were so powerful they couldn't be killed outright. With the barrier down, these demons escape their weakening bonds and set out to continue their rampages through the Feudal Era. Most scatter to the winds, but one seeks out those who inadvertently freed her. After a millennia of being sealed under the mountain she is free, she is starving, and they are full of delicious memories. So vibrant, so filling. She can't wait to suck them out of their heads.

An attack on Kaede's village causes irreparable changes to sweep amongst Inuyasha's pack. When faced with a suddenly deaged Inuyasha, who's last memories are of his mother's death and the villagers chasing him away, Kagome has no choice but to ask Sesshomaru for help. Inuyasha may be roughly a five or six year old child but his enemies are vast and his new age won't stop old enemies.

[jpitha]

Awakenings 2

Part one is back here

****Six months earlier****

"Okay, the recording has ended." Starbase said. "I'll pack it down as compressed as I can and beam it to the ship." Starbase paused for a moment. "Wait, I don't have a message laser. We're going to have to rig a message laser out of something, we've never had to send ultra long distance messages before, certainly nothing like half a light year!"

"What about one of the Starjumpers? They're old enough that they probably have message lasers." Fellmeli said as she went over to her desk in the office she shared with James and sat back down, drained from recording the video message.

"Oh, good idea Fellmeli! I'll ask them."

James sat across from her at his desk and looked at Fellmeli "So, what do you think?"

"Think? I think this is insane. We have what is most probably a lost human colony ship coming in system with who knows how many people on board, they don't have a wormhole generator, nobody is awake on it and they can't steer." She looked up at James. "Oh, and it also has the last human alive - probably alive - who was equipped with a brain computer interface, a cybernetic connection and Starbase says that they need her to do....something. Your people really colonized planets this way?"

"Much before my time, but yeah. We colonized four planets that way." He paused a moment before continuing "It was dangerous though, we did send out a dozen or so colony ships, Mt Greylock was one of the last, if not the last one. Most colonies got 2 ships - Parvati got 3 - and 3 ships were lost."

"Lost? like destroyed?"

James nodded. "One was confirmed destroyed, the Mt Stratton was destroyed on initial boost after it had left Earth, probably an engine failure. Mt Greylock and Mt Baxter were both lost en route, assumed destroyed. There was no way to reach them and they were both supposed to be vanguards for their colonies, so nobody to report that they never made it."

"Why do you know so much about old colony ships?" Fellmeli asked as she flicked an ear, a K'laxi raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I learned about them in school; I did a report on them when I was 14. I learned all I could and a Starjumper - the Spyglass - was in-system when I was doing the report, so I got to ask them about it. They weren't around for the launches, but they did travel to the colonies. I had never got talk to a Starjumper before, let alone interview one! They were really nice about talking to a kid for 30 minutes while they were loading up."

Fellmeli nodded. "Lucky then that you're one of the co-representatives of Zen'm'gan's Reach when what might be the long lost My Greylock is coming in."

"Yes, but it's weird. Why here? Why now? The Greylock is at least 500 years overdue, and I don't think was even set to come this way. It doesn't add up."

As James mused, Starbase chimed in. "Good call Fellmeli. The Dialectic did still have a message laser and was able to send the message to the ship coming in. She actually was excited to do it. She said she hasn't used her message laser in nearly two hundred years!" Starbase sounded pleased.

"So how long until the message reached them?"

"Dialectic said it was only an estimate, but it based on the calculations from observing the drive flame, it'll take five or six months for them to get the message, by which time, they'll be much closer to us. We should have the second message ready to send them in 3 though, we'll need to give them time to prepare."

James stood and started pacing the room. "Speaking of that, Starbase, just why do you need a cybernetically equipped human at all? You are a K'laxi starbase!"

"Well, yes, originally. When humanity came on board, we were surprised at how many humans - whole families - came on board. We were caught flat footed and had no room. a Starjumper, the Picaresque volunteered to be broken down and integrated into me for immediate needs and then after that we started construction on less..ad hoc upgrades."

Fellmeli stopped cold. "Wait, Starjumpers all are run by AIs. Starbase, what happened to Picaresque."

"Yeah, that's the thing. He was supposed to be offloaded into a body but I think Picaresque is still in here. I need a cybernetically equipped human to...er....go inside me(us) and look for him"

"YOU CAN'T TELL??" Fellmeli blew up.

"No...I mean, yes...I mean...not really? So much of Picaresque's systems were used in me that we merged...only a bit though. I'm still me, but I think he's still in here, and...I think he has asked me if he can come out. The whole thing is weird. I've been the Starbase ever since I was brought to being, but now I sometimes I feel like I need to...thrust my stardrive, or twist to face the stellar wind. Things I would never know myself as a Starbase, but things a Starjumper would know. Also I get these hints. Like Picaresque is lost and trying to ask for help. It's tough to explain. I've tried explaining it to Starjumpers when they visit and most of them agree that at least part of Picaresque is in me, and they also agree that we should try and reach him - at least to give him the option to leave - and if he doesn't want to leave then to either merge completely or get like a joint custody thing going."

Fellmeli stared dumbstruck at the wall. "So Picaresque has been lost inside you for...more than one hundred years?"

"I fear so Fellmeli. I hope Co-Captain Maplebrook can help. She's probably the only one who can."

Part 3