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[adventurousarcheologist]

bi pride cake | source

[adventurousarcheologist]

"I'm sure there's something here. History never stays hidden for long," she smiled briefly as she looked up from the fire and continued, "This island seems pretty big; I doubt we've explored anything more than a fifth of it. I must say—" she paused to gather her thoughts. "Under different circumstances, being in the presence of fellow archeologists on a seemingly undiscovered island would've been a great honor. Exciting, even." Their predicament was anything but exciting. It was dangerous and terrifying at times. The island had the upper hand and aside from the obvious manner in how they arrived, they had been pretty lucky up until now. "Have you been up to Lake? There's a building on the west end. It was a bit difficult to break into, but we found plenty of files. Most had information redacted and time has taken care of the rest, but we might find some answers there."

"It's nothing really." Vala capped their pen and flipped the book close, slipping it into their ever-present bum bag. They couldn't afford to lose it, no matter what. "Before all of this, I was an archaeologist and linguist. I've been looking around this place for any actual history before whoever built the outpost got here. Haven't got much," they admitted.

[adventurousarcheologist]

Elizabeth jumped, slightly startled at the burst of excitement. "That actually makes more sense. Unless 4 across: forbidden apple came from the Garden of Eoen." She corrected John to Odie in the book.

"I wonder if we can find a way to make lasagna or a variation of it here. The seasoning might be tricky. And then, of course, there's the lack of cheese...and oven." She frowned. It was a hopeless thought. "What kind of lasagna did you enjoy eating before all this happened? I really like eggplant lasagna. My mother made excellent eggplant lasagna."

a childish, proud smile made its way into noah’s features — they didn’t know for sure if they were right, but the fact it fit made them more confident, and their smile became slightly proud at the thought.    “ yes, it was in a box, we used it to store some stuff, actually. it was pretty big ”    they commented and picked a pebble to fiddle it between their restless fingers.    “ i wondered why would people need a box for a hat, but … yeah, now i get it. i guess ”    they didn’t really, rich people were really fucking weird. throwing the small stone up and catching it in their hand a bunch of times, noah snorted at the new inquiry. they’ve never really questioned their cartoons’ plots, they just rolled with it — they were, after all, the most wholesome form they have found to keep their mind vacant when they needed it the most.    “ well, i think … ”    they started, but suddenly an idea came to their mind and took over completely, making them still the movements of their hand, the stone there quickly forgotten. yeah, exactly, why would john be garfield’s sidekick if it was him the one garfield stole lasagna from?    “ wait, i think it’s odie! ”    it came seemingly out of nowhere, a little bit blunt and too excited, perhaps. their mind did that sometimes.    “ i mean, you’re right, it doesn’t make sense john’s help is the one garfield uses to steal lasagna because— because he is the one garfield’s stealing it from in the first place! so … yeah, it should be odie, the dog ”    they clarified, the absolute confidence of their tone could be seen reflected in their determined frown. then, with a shrug while their attention went back to the pebble:    “ it’s offensive, though, odie was always more an annoyance to garfield than a partner, but whatever. i'd kill for some lasagna now too.  ”

[adventurousarcheologist]

Roman sculpture depicting the Persian deity Mithras slaying a bull. The Mithraic religion was an all-male cult that was popular in the Roman army, and it is heavily featured in Raised by Wolves, a sci-fi TV show on HBO Max. The sculpture dates back to early 3rd century CE. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA.

Photo by Babylon Chronicle

[adventurousarcheologist]

The petroglyphs at Signal Hill in Saguaro National Monument near Tucson, Ariz. Although the exact meaning of the petroglyhs, or rock drawings, remains unknown, it is assumed that the drawings were made by Hohokam people more than 1,000 years ago… (©Will Seberger)

[adventurousarcheologist]

GOSSIP GIRL 2021 1.03 “Lies Wide Shut”

[adventurousarcheologist]

closed starter | @filmexpired

All it took was a glimpse— not even a good one— and she was hooked. Maybe it was more boredom than curiosity. After all, they didn't really have much to do on the island. Whatever the case, Elizabeth was obsessed with learning more about what lurked in Westcles Lake. Was it a friend or was it a foe? Should they be scared of it or could they use it to help in their survival? Unbeknownst to everyone at the camp, she'd sneak off to the Lake every chance she'd get. She'd even bring back a bag of apples and other edibles for them. Her latest expedition was by far the longest she'd done. She'd taken the long route and stopped to replenish food and water. When she reached the Lake, she went straight to the Facility and gathered as many documents as she could find. She spent hours organizing and studying what she could find. A lot of them had redacted information and others were so old that the ink had begun fading out. When she finally looked up, it was dark out. 'Damn it,' she thought.

It felt sort of late when she came to the next day. She was unaware that someone had entered the room, her focus was on packing up.

[adventurousarcheologist]

closed starter | @ardensocean

"This route is by far the longest to the lake, but it pays off." Elizabeth prodded the ground with her walking stick. The terrain was different than that of their base camp— it was a lot more fruitful...literally. She walked over to some trees and bushes, and used her walking stick to knock some apples from the tree, "This," she spoke slowly as she picked up a dark purple, almost black, apple, "is an incredibly rare and stupidly delicious apple. It's called the 'Black Diamond' apple. They're supposedly insanely difficult to grow, primarily because finding the perfect conditions for them is close to impossible. And yet," she paused. Ellie turned the apple in her hand and looked at her surroundings. "Wherever we are is very much a mystery. But if something as good and rare as this can thrive here, then maybe we can too."

[adventurousarcheologist]

"Oh, this isn't even the worst of it," she said straightening herself out. Ellie continued, "I could barely get up a couple of weeks ago. I'm better now, or as better as I'll ever be here." She sighed as she recalled her first days on the island. The chaos of fear and pain— of loss— overwhelmed everyone. "Having a nurse or any medical practitioner on a seemingly deserted island is handy to have," she grinned.

"This is going to sound kinda crazy but I remember hearing a bird's melody late at night. It seemed like such an odd time for birds to sing. It was strangely soothing. I had trouble sleeping my first month, but the melody helped a lot. I'll hear it every now and then, but it doesn't have quite the same effect as it did before." Elizabeth smiled ever so slightly at the thought and wondered how something so simple as a tune could have such an effect— to be powerful enough to ease her pain and help her rest. 'Maybe it was psychological,' she thought, 'Yeah, that could very well be a possibility.'

"Are you sure? It's OK. I'm a nurse I mean. I can help I guess?" they were trying to convince themselves as much as anything, for whatever reason they felt completely useless. They nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." they assured her.

[adventurousarcheologist]

Not a single volume has been opened. That’s a great shame. There’s something sad about an unread book.

[adventurousarcheologist]

my drafts : appear in the corner of my eye for a moment me :

[adventurousarcheologist]

[adventurousarcheologist]

Elizabeth's Timeline

“Survivors aren't always the strongest; sometimes they're the smartest, but more often simply the luckiest.” —(click images to enlarge or read summary below the cut)

Jan 2000— The Crash

Ellie comes to on the beach with a cut on her forehead. No doubt caused by the fact that she was seated by the window. Aside from that, she has minor cuts and bruises and the left side of her body is really sore.

Jan 2000— Supply Scavenging

Ellie scavenges the wreckage for helpful supplies. She finds a pile of damaged luggage and salvages a black leather journal and pen, a cigarette lighter without fluid, clothes, mini alcohol bottles, and a book of crossword puzzles.

Jan 2000— Survivor's Guilt

Ellie has trouble sleeping for most of this month. Her soreness keeps her from being as active as she'd like and it keeps her up her first few nights on the island. Staying up really late and passing out from exhaustion is the only way she can get any rest. Whenever she does manage to sleep, she has flashback nightmares.

Feb 2000— Road To Recovery

Ellie forces herself to do daily exercises so her body and muscles don't atrophy from lack of movement. She slowly recovers from the bruising on the left side of her body.

Feb 2000— Survival Is Key

When the group is running short on supplies, they all agree to split up in search of anything that could be even remotely helpful in their survival. Ellie wants to join in and explore the island, however, she's still not fully recovered and realizes that she'd slow everyone down. She offers to stay behind with those who are still in recovery and helps create an S.O.S. sign. Idle hands lead to her securing their shelters' roofs by fashioning tarps out of destroyed luggage parts and clothing.

Feb 2000— Exploration 101

Once fully recovered, Ellie sets out on her own to explore their surroundings and begins mapping out safe trails and key locations. She uses tattered-up clothing to mark trees and paths. She writes as much detail as possible in her journal and has others join her on her daily walks.

Mar 2000— Rivers, Roads, & Trails

By now, Ellie has explored a good chunk of their surroundings and has created a map of what she's discovered. Her journal has this, as well as "travel times", suggested routes depending on terrain and hiking difficulty, and tips for foraging and breaks.

Notable Westcles Lake Facility routes and trails:

- The fastest trail to the Westcles Lake Facility is 80 minutes long. It's a semi-easy route. There are some elevation changes and an increase in forestation. - The easiest trail is almost 2 hours long and follows the shoreline, then cuts east inland— essentially avoiding any rough terrains. - Ellie's favorite trail is by far the longest: almost 3 hours! It goes east inland and then heads north towards the bottom end of the lake. The higher elevation of this route provides a wide variety of fruits and other edibles. * As you get closer to the lake, you can easily stumble upon remnants of old roads. Mother nature has slowly taken over these bits of land but, they are still pretty visible and easier to travel on when exploring the lake.

Notable Abandoned Outpost routes and trails:

- The fastest trail to the Abandoned Outpost is 60-90 minutes long. It's not the easiest of routes, as there is a steep elevation increase. But it's worth it. Head south towards the path laid out by the trees and at the end is where the climb begins. Once you're at the top, you can enjoy a break and take in the view from up top. The top of this hill overlooks the plane crash site, the base camp, part of the Westcles Lake, and more. The far north end is shrouded by fog for most of the day, but there are certain times when you can catch a glimpse of something flying in the distance. Head west towards the Outpost. - The easiest trail is 2 hours long and follows the shoreline, then cuts south. This route essentially avoids any rough terrain— consider it the 'scenic' route. * These travel times are based on Ellie and can obviously vary for a number of reasons such as injuries, low stamina, and age. Ellie would be the average here.

Mar 2000— Westcles Lake Facility

Ellie and Arden head to the Westcles Lake Facility. They discover a car close to the lake and near some Westcles Lily Pads. In trying to get the car door open, Ellie falls back and into the lake. She expected to feel cold and wet, but much to everyone's surprise, she was laying safely on a Lily Pad. Arden helps her back to land and Ellie confesses that she never learned how to swim due to her fear of large bodies of water. The two thoroughly search the car and load up on a bunch of loot. From a distance, they see a glimpse of Nessie. (@ardensocean)

Mar 2000— Nessie Lives!

Curiosity gets the best of her and she returns to Westacles Lake Facility a few times. On one occasion, she travels all around the lake with Lorraine. They catch a glimpse of Nessie's tail in the water, followed by a big splash. On another, she stays overnight to learn more about Nessie, and Chuck comes to find her the next day. They hear loud screeches north of the facility.

[adventurousarcheologist]

Sassanian ewer made with silver and gilt, and dates back to the 7th-8th century CE. Freer and Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. 

Photo by Babylon Chronicle

[adventurousarcheologist]

“We’re just here to get some scientific samples. If that’s okay.”

"You're kidding." Ellie stared in disbelief. "I— we..." She struggled to form a coherent thought. Typically she'd be the one to offer a notion like that, but couldn't comprehend how Athena would even test samples out here. Then again...

"On second thought: go for it. No harm ever came from taking a tiny little sample."

[adventurousarcheologist]

Ellie quickly glanced in the direction he pointed out. She nodded in agreement. "My plan," she grumbled, "is to explore as much as we safely can." She kicked a rock to the side and sighed. "I have no plan. Let's just go that way." They trekked onto their new path.

"Wait," she rushed over to a pile of broken tree branches. "I could use one of these as a walking stick." Ellie frowned at the thought of her finally showing her true age and shook her head. "Might help me move faster. They seem sturdy enough. Do you want one?"

"Yeah," he admitted, "I don't think I'm MacGyvering our way out of this one. I'm good, but I'm not that good." Myles scanned around the area and nodded to a clearing slightly obscured by bramble and underbrush, "There's over there, looks like we could find a route forward that way, or do you have a plan?" he was happy to follow, of course, he just wanted to feel useful.

[adventurousarcheologist]

"It's just a scratch. Didn't break the skin." Elizabeth flashed her hand in their direction in hopes of offering some reassurance, "See?"

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

open to all

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"