#i love baby abigail shes so baby goat

[rabbitangelart]

Baby!! Abigail is one of my favorites

[scarfacemarston]

do you have any beechers hope era marston family headcanons?

So sorry this took so long, but I finally did it! It turned out a little angsty, so I'm sorry for that! TW FOR CANNONICAL CHILD LOSS. * John added a swing set for Jack not long after he returned home with Abigail. Jack said he was too old for it, but ended up sitting on it for hours swinging slowly while reading a book. There was a second little swing added when the Marston daughter - Amelia in my verse -  was born with the expectation that she would grow into it someday. * He added the gazebo for Abigail, but John loves spending time out there and while drag his latest project to the gazebo for the hell of it. * Jack once snuck home a baby goat which John adamantly insisted they return. One - it was technically theft, but two - it was a goat in general.  Turned out, according to legit in game dialogue, John for some reason really hates goats. * The Marstons tried to grow fruit bushes, but never had any luck so now there’s a patch they call the “fruit cemetery”. * Sometimes, Jack would tie a rope to his waist to his baby sister’s waist so she  could run around him and not get lost……therefore making “babysitting” a heck of a lot easier for Jack. Think of it as an early “childhood leash”. * It took several years, but Beecher’s Hope eventually had a few decent patches of flowers. Abigail was very proud of them, but unfortunately, baby Marston got her hands on it and ruined a few of the flowers. She couldn’t bring herself to be too angry as Amelia was just a baby, but the patch in the flowers hurt that much more after Amelia passed as flowers never grew there again. However, the flower garden completely died after the Marstons were captured in 1911. Abigail was trying to revitalize the flower patch before John died, but lost all interest once John was murdered. * Jack’s proudest moment was building a bench for the family to place near the barn. While John questioned the placement of the bench, he was nonetheless proud that Jack decided to start and complete a project with his own hands. * There are crayon marks  (invented in 1905) on a corner of the wall in the living room. It was only a few marks and it cleaned up for the most part, but there is still a section left. Abigail was furious, but it was a sorrowful reminder of Amelia’s presence once she passed. * In an ultimate perfect universe, today, the house would be turned into a museum or lovingly restored and lived in by a new family.

[sapphirefallschronicles]

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - New Years Special #3 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌

Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)

Summary: How is Sy doing a year later?

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: None

The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)

My mornings always look the same. Getting up, pressing a kiss on Livia’s forehead and start my day. Cleaning the stables, feeding the animals (including those very scary goats, who I think are warming up to me) and once I’m done with that, I start preparing breakfast for me and Livia.

It’s a routine I appreciate and I know that she does too. This pregnancy has been rough on her, especially with the morning sickness and the sleepless nights. Every morning, with her hair wild from all the tossing and turning, she sits on the chair, takes a few sips of tea and then flashes me one of her beautiful smiles and says good morning.

And now I watch her holding both of our coats in her hand. ‘Come on, let’s go,’ she says.

‘Liv, they are landing in four hours. It’s an hour drive, so we don’t have to leave just yet.’

Livia glares at me, before hanging up the coats over the back of the chair. ‘What if there is traffic?’

‘It’s Sapphire Falls, sweetheart,’I tell her, ‘there is no such thing as traffic.’

She plops down on the couch next to me and says: ‘I am just really excited.’

‘Me too,’ I say with a smile, ‘but we’re not just gonna wait three hours there.’

Livia and her sense of time is a little off, dare I even say pregnancy has made it worse. Though I will never tell that to Livia, because she’ll either cry or become very offended and I don’t want any of those reactions. Instead, I say: ‘Everything is ready for the proposal, the animals are well fed, there is no more paperwork. I am thinking two things.’

‘Tell me.’

‘One, you can write a little. Two, you can take a nap.’

She yawns, almost on cue. ‘A nap sounds good.’ She nestles against my frame and within no time she’s drifted off to sleep. These last few weeks, she’s been sleeping less and less. Whenever I wake up, she’s also up and even when she sleeps in, I can tell she’s dog tired. Sometimes I try to get her to rest a little, however Livia wouldn’t be Livia if she didn’t fight against it and tells me she’s fine. I’m glad she listened to me now, because I know these days, leading up to Chris’ proposal, have been eating her up alive. 

I resit a little, make sure she’s comfortable and I hold my Liv close in my arms. Like she always does, she drools a little on my shirt, but it’s alright. 

This last year has been amazing. I can’t believe Livia is my wife now, is gonna be the mother of our kid. Sometimes I wonder if we go too fast, but then I realize this is Livia, my sweet Livia. 

There are times where I almost fear I love her too much and with this new little one on the way, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so vulnerable. The whole idea of something happening to Liv or the baby, those are the things that keep me up at night.

I place my hand on her slightly protruding stomach and let out a deep and content sigh. 

This is my life. 

●・○・●・○・●

We’re waiting in the car because it’s cold out and we have a few minutes to kill before Chris and Abigail arrive. The nap did wonders for her. She isn’t consuming as much coffee as she did prior to this baby and she actually mentioned something about coffee withdrawal. Out of solidarity, I don’t drink as much coffee anymore, just like I adjusted my entire diet for her and I’m the designated bin for everything she doesn’t want to eat anymore. 

‘So, what do you think of the name Maple for a girl?’ Livia says.

‘Maple as in Maple Syrup?’ 

She scrunches her nose. ‘Never mind.’

I let out a chuckle. We’ve been discussing names for quite some time now, but there hasn’t been a name we both liked. Thankfully we have a few months ahead of us, but I know it would calm her mind if we have a name ready now.

Without using words, I think it’s safe to say we are using the name Syverson. While Livia still writes under the name Livia Darmandi, she took the name Syverson instantly, telling me she never really cared for her last name anyway. So, we have to think of names that match the name Syverson which is both a constriction, as a blessing.

She leans to the side and says: ‘Are you sure everything is ready for the proposal?’ 

‘Yes, sweetheart, everything is ready.’

‘One hundred percent sure?’

‘One hundred percent sure.’ 

Livia looks up and says: ‘I can’t believe Abigail is gonna be an Evans. Let alone the wife of Chris Evans, NBA player.’

‘To me she’ll always be my annoying little sister.’

‘And to me she’ll always be my greatest friend alive, just like Chris will always be the annoying Chris who peed his pants in kindergarten.’

‘He also had an accident on our porch,’ I note.

‘Maybe I will write a biography about him,’ I say. ‘Then I’ll interview his closest friends and we’ll have a book filled with embarrassments.’

I snicker. ‘But we can’t mention the B-word.’

‘But how can we not mention the B-word in a biography about Chris?’ 

‘You’ll figure out a way.’

She chuckles. ‘What do you think a biography about you will say?’

‘The main theme would be you.’

‘You are so obsessed with me,’ she jokes, sitting up straight as she zips up her coat. ‘Luckily I’m obsessed with you too.’

Liv and I are waiting for Chris and Abigail to appear and I hate to admit it, but I am really looking forward to having them over, especially because Chris is finally popping the question.

Abigail dumps the suitcases with Chris, before she makes her way over to Livia, letting out an excited scream in the process. She unzips Livia’s coat and says: ‘Hi baby, how is my favorite niece or nephew doing?’

‘Is this how it’s gonna be?’ Livia asks. ‘You’re gonna ignore me and love this baby more? I knew you first.’

Abigail looks up to see a Livia pout. ‘Oh no, honey. Of course not.’ She wraps her arms around Livia and says: ‘You look so cute.’

Chris manages to bring all of the suitcases with us and says: ‘No, babe, I don’t need help. I can miraculously grow five extra arms from my upper body to carry the suitcases.’

Abigail smiles. ‘I knew you got it covered.’

While I give my sister a hug–and didn’t want to die or had to resist the urge to push her– Chris hugs Livia and I hear him say: ‘Damn, I’m gonna be an uncle. That’s pretty cool.’

‘We can talk in the car,’ Livia says, ‘because I’m freezing!’ She grabs Abigail’s hand and the two of them walk towards the car, leaving me and Chris behind.

‘You ready?’ I ask him, grabbing a few of the suitcases.

‘More than ready,’ Chris says, a beaming smile on his face. ‘Fuck, I can’t wait to wife her.’ He turns to the side and says: ‘No threats? About how you are gonna chop me in pieces if I hurt her?’

I shake my head. ‘No, I’m not gonna do anything that can put me in jail. I’ve got a wife and a kid on the way.’ I let out a snicker and say: ‘But know that I know people.’

●・○・●・○・●

[sammyloomis]

i’m curious what your general thoughts on the characters were? i found the main cast pretty likable on average tbh

ohhhHOHOHO well then ill have to make a cheeky list n talk about em all then :] ill go in order of appearence i guess (and yeah i ended up liking most of them! with a few nit picks here and there)

laura: i fucking love her oh my god, i was kind of surprised when i got to the end and found myself as into her character as i was. shes super cool, queen of costume changes, queen of being a rly cool werewolf, queen of having an eyepatch, queen of my heart

max: ohh my god this lad fghj i love him too, hes so..... Dopey idk how else to describe him. hes so casually hilarious idk if hes ever aware of it. he was super nice in my playthrough because i was nice to Him and i think he and laura are a great couple :'] drinks his respects women juice every day

jacob: he was living his jessice riley fantasy spending half the night in his underwear covered in blood. king of being in touch with his emotions, i loved that he cried so much and wasnt as much of the douche bag jock type (like he still Was a dick a fair few times, but im baby girlifying him)

kaitlyn: SHE DESERVED MORE SCREEN TIME WTF MAN like considering shes supposed to be the final girl to ryans final guy she didnt have NEARLY as much gameplay as him :[ which is such a shame because shes GREAT again super super cool, i Loved her and dylans friendship, the whole scrapyard scene was amazing and one of the best in the game imo

ryan: ohh ryan..... ryan ryan ryan. a friend said this yeaterday but he suffers from the mike munroe treatment where the game Clearly wants you to like him by having a lot of segments with him and in doing so it just made me kind of..... Not like him :[ i also felt like he was resistant to laura and the truth of what was goin on for Too Long, like at the point he should have realised the stakes he just Kept Going which was frustrating

dylan: i actually started of really not liking dylan fghj i thought he was kinda annoying :'] but he Defo grew on me once shit started going south. like once the very obviously a front started dropping he was much less of a pest fghjk AND like i said with kaitlyn, the scrapyard scene with those 2 was INCREDIBLE. also love that he asked for his hand to be cut off and then was like WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? D':

nick: hrhhhhh okay. nick. man nick you really fuckin got my goat huh?? just snatched it up like el chupacabra. he was so fucking BORING dude, and when he wasnt being boring he was being kind of a dick >:[ even before the bite. the campfire scene im sure is gonna make a lot of people dislike emma but i would like to point out that HE KISSES HER BACK. QUITE HAPPILY TOO. so yeah, not a big nick fan, but i dont Hate him, i think once he gets bitten its actually a pretty interesting downward spiral

abigail: ohhhh abi you sweet baby. she was very cute and very sweet and UNFORTUNATELY that meant.... she was a lil one note. but again she was SO under used it was so annoying!! it felt like she was just there as a narrative device for nick and once he was out of the picture she was kinda pushed to the back. the parts shes in, all she rly does is.... be there fghj and from what ive seen quite a few of her deaths are being killed by her friends once they turn into werewolves

emma: controversial queen. my thoughts on emma are Complicated, especially after the campfire thing, and a lot of the time she felt kind of uninterested in what was going on which, considering her character and how she talks about putting up a front a lot of the time, i can understand. all that being said, i still love her, i think shes interesting, and i WILL defend her because i know how people like to immediately jump on female characters who arent totally """nice"""..... oh also shes in love with abi so

[katieskarlette]

Between having Covid and then being laid off from my job (sorta...long story), I’ve had a incredibly shitty time lately and I needed a new mindless distraction.  After watching CallMeKevin on YouTube play Stardew Valley, and talking to a couple RL friends who have played it, I decided to give it a shot.  Instant addiction.

Cut for off-topicness.

The game appeals to my love of collecting stuff, organizing stuff, and exploring.  I’m too ace to care about the dating aspect, and so far I suck at fishing, but the rest is right up my alley.

I haven’t even visited the desert yet despite unlocking the bus ages ago because there’s just so much to do.

I started with the beach farm because A.) tropical beaches are my favorite aesthetic (even though it turns out this one isn’t tropical), and B.) that’s the one I watched CallMeKevin play.  I’ve learned since that it’s an annoying choice because you can’t use sprinklers on the sand terrain, but since I’ve never known anything else I don’t mind it that much.

I have cows, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, rabbits, and a horse.  I want ostriches but haven’t gotten to the place where I can get them.  I named my rabbits after Watership Down characters, and my ducks are named for Donald Duck’s family members.  I had to turn off breeding for my goats because they kept having babies.  I tried to be patient and wait for my pig to reproduce because they’re so expensive, but after a year in-game I gave up and bought a second one.  Yay, Truffle$!

I made the tier list here, but excluded characters I haven’t met yet.

Linus is a pure cinnamon roll.  Krobus is the cutest sewer-dwelling shadow creature I’ve ever met and now I feel bad any time I have to kill one of his kind in the mines.  Marlon gives me serious World of Warcraft character vibes for some reason...possibly the beard/’stache combo. Evelyn is everyone’s grandma and she sends me baked goods in the mail.  Willy is super nice, too, and I have to like someone who’s that obsessed with fish.

Harvey is shy and socially awkward in an endearing way, even if he’s a bit of a stick-in-the-mud.  Penny is a sweetie who homeschools (er...librarymuseumschools) other people’s kids out of the kindness of her heart.  Robin built most of my farm and was nice enough to sell me a catalog that essentially puts her out business as far as furniture making.  Abigail has gorgeous hair and I like how early on she has some grouchy interactions and some friendly ones instead of being all grouchy or all cheerful like some others.  Gus is super friendly and helpful.  I’m still a mage at heart even when I’m not playing WoW, so I have a soft spot for the wizard, plus he’s mysterious so I can imagine him being cooler than he probably is.  Elliot is a pretentious snob but in a fun way and reminds me of an old OC of mine.

Lewis is an interesting character but he’s a politician...with all that implies.  Emily was the first person to start sending me random gifts in the mail and her smile is infectious.  Gunther has my dream job, running a combination museum/library.  George ranks this high because grumpy old men in video games are much more fun that they are in RL.  Marnie provides me with adorable animals. Vincent is one of those rare child characters who isn’t cloying or annoying.  Alex is nicer than I expected a jock to be.  I liked Clint to begin with but after he turned up his nose at several gifts that I thought he’d like, had a pity party for himself at every holiday gathering, gave off incel vibes, and closed his shop stupidly early in the day...yeah, not such a fav anymore.  Gil doesn’t say much but I have to respect a guy who  sits back and orders others to kill huge numbers of slimes...Khadgar vibes, you could say.  ;)

Demetrius is smart and gave me ‘shrooms.  Leah seems nice but I don’t know her that well.  Sam is pretty nice but I can’t take him seriously with that anime hair.  Caroline is pretty boring except for that whole rumor about her having an affair with the wizard.  Pierre charges an arm and a leg for inventory upgrades and is kind of cocky.  Kent is okay, if standoffish for understandable reasons.  I feel guilty ranking Grandpa so low, but he looks like Santa Claus went through a machine spraying fake snow, and he didn’t cut me any slack for not having a perfect farm on my first playthrough.  Shane is rude, and although I’ve read up on his backstory and his demons I still don’t like him, and I hate his frayed hoodie.

I haven’t interacted with Maru much but haven’t really been inspired to, either.  Pam is okay but I can’t condone drunk bus driving.  Sebastian is a cliche emo kid and that’s never been my thing.  Jas has stupid hair, and I gave her a nice gift once but the next time I interacted with her she said she’d never met me...ungrateful brat.  Haley is vain, said I was smelly, and has outright ignored me multiple times.  I don’t know why Jodi annoys me, but she does.  I ranked the Governor so low because he didn’t like my contributions to the stew the first two years, when I was actually trying, and the third year when I almost forgot and just threw in a random item he actually liked it.  The dwarf ranks low because I sold off all the scrolls I should have given to him, and of course now they won’t drop for me again.  

Morris is an evil corporate scumbag and has a stupid bowtie.

[queenxxxsupreme]

Baby Steps (dad!Arthur Morgan)

A/N: I know the techniques used in this story are wrong and should not be used I.E. using a male companion goat for a foal as they can be aggressive towards the foal, but this is purely fictional so just ignore it! Max is a part of the family and he is there for comedic relief! This is not for informational use! This is entertainment only! 

Warnings: None! just fluffy! 

This is a part 2 to Unlikely Choice which is here! But it’s also sort of a part of the dad!Arthur series I’ve unintentionally started....

***

The feeling of someone brushing their fingers over your hair woke you up. 

“Mornin’, pumpkin.” Arthur’s voice came from your left. He was laying on his side facing you, keeping himself occupied while you slept. 

He had been up for a while now. His struggles of sleeping had followed him from his life as an outlaw. He was lucky to get four hours some nights. 

“Mhmm.” You turned over to face him, keeping your eyes shut. You were still half asleep and you didn’t mind staying that way. 

“You goin’ back to sleep on me?” He chuckled softly, propping himself up on one elbow. 

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Morgan.”

“Well I do mind, Mrs. Morgan.” Arthur dipped his head down to kiss your forehead. “I’ve been up for a while now. Been thinkin’ about a lot. I don’t wanna think anymore. I need you to distract me.”

You sighed, opening your eyes to see him looking down at you. 

“A distraction, huh?”

“That would be appreciated.” There was a teasing glint in his blue eyes. 

“I’m sure it would.” You giggled. “What’s been goin’ through that head of yours?”

You reached up to brush his hair back. The blonde strands were getting a bit long and fell across his forehead. He’d need a haircut soon. 

“Little of this…. A lotta that.” He laid back on the bed, eyes finding the ceiling. 

You scooted as close to him as you could get and put your head on his shoulder. 

“Thinkin’ about how I’ve gotta fix the floorboards to the hayloft. They ain’t safe and I don’t want Daisy gettin’ hurt.”

“You can’t do that by yourself, can you?”

“Nah. I’ll need a couple extra hands.”

“I can help. Whatever I can’t help with, I’m sure Charles would be more than willing to come over and lend a hand.”

“Of course.” Arthur’s hand found the small of your back. “Also been thinkin’ bout a couple other odds and ends around here I gotta fix up.”

You looked up at him, sensing that there was something else, something he wasn’t saying. 

“Anything botherin’ you?” 

“Nothin’ you gotta worry about, pumpkin.” Arthur shook his head. 

“Well I’ll worry more if you don’t tell me.” 

Arthur was quiet for a few moments, lips pressed together in a firm line. 

You sat up and leaned back on one hand. You placed your hand over his heart, brows drawing together. He put his hand on yours, giving you a little squeeze. 

“I don’t want to have to worry so much about you both.” His voice was quiet. “This is our home. Don’t like feeling like we aren’t safe.”

“You’re still thinking about Micah, aren’t you?”

He sat up against the headboard. 

“Arthur, last we heard he was in Reno. We don’t gotta worry about him until we hear he’s closer.”

“I don’t want him any closer than Reno. Last we heard that was a few months ago.”

You looked down at the blanket that covered your legs. You smoothed out the material.

“Just…. Just want to be able to raise Daisy and any others we might have without him loomin’ over my head.” Arthur ran his hand over his face. 

“You want more?” You asked, your voice quiet as your eyes flickered up to meet his.

“Well…. I think it would be nice to try for one more, if you want. Only if you want.”

You moved around to straddle his thighs. 

“Daisy’s just…. She’s a dream, pumpkin.” Arthur placed his hands on your hips. “Still is. Sweet girl.”

“She’s definitely daddy’s girl.”

He smiled proudly. 

“Hey, maybe we could have a boy?” He suggested, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Even it out a little. One for you, one for me. I think it’d be nice.”

“Sure would be nice, but we don’t get to pick.”

“I know.” He nodded. His thumb on your hip began to trace circles in the material of your chemise. “Whatever we’d have, I’d love ‘em the same. Another girl would be cute too.”

“You’re adorable.” You leaned in to kiss his lips but just before you could kiss him, there was a knock on the door. 

“Mommy? Daddy?”

Arthur let out a soft sigh, moving his hands from your hips so that you could remove yourself from his lap. You settled on the bed next to him, leaning against his shoulder.

“Come on in, sweetpea.” 

The door opened and Daisy walked in. Carson slipped past her, jumping up onto the bed. Arthur gave him a pat on the shoulder. 

“Good boy, Carson.”

“Good morning, sleepy head.” You greeted Daisy with a smile. “It’s a little early for you to be up, hon.”

“I want to go out to the barn.” She climbed up onto the bed and clambered across your legs. 

“Oh, I reckon it’s far too early to go to the barn.” Arthur teased her. 

“Nuh-uh! You and Papa Hosea are always up early and outside in the barn!”

“What are you so eager to go out to the barn for anyways?” He brushed a few pieces of her hair back behind her ear.

“I wanna see my horse.” She admitted bashfully. 

Ohhh. I see.” Arthur nodded. “Well, why don’t you give me and momma here a few minutes to get out of bed and get dressed. Is Papa Hosea up?”

“Yeah he is. He’s out on the porch.”

“Go on out there with him. Have him take you to the barn while I get up.”

“Okay, daddy!”

Daisy was off of the bed and dashing out of the door in the blink of an eye. Carson was right behind her, eager to start the day. 

“Today is a busy day, Arthur Morgan.” You patted his thigh before getting out of bed. “John and Abigail should be here with the kids before noon. I was thinkin’ of invitin’ Charles and Lucy over too.”

“Of course.” Arthur nodded his head. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his face. “Hey, pumpkin?”

“Yes, my love?” You turned to look at him. 

“You know I love you, don’t ya?”

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips. 

“I know. You gave me a baby girl and this beautiful house.” You moved around the bed to stand between his legs. “Love you too, you know.” Your arms slipped around his neck. His hands brushed along your thighs as he smiled up at you.

“Wouldn’t have her without you.” He leaned forward to kiss your stomach. 

“You’re feelin’ awfully sweet this morning.” You brushed your fingers through his hair. “Anything else on your mind, cowboy?”

“Just my girls.”

***

Arthur kept his hand on the small of your back as he walked you out to the barn. 

“Hey, you think we should get Hosea a mule when Silver Dollar finally croaks?” He teased as he pushed the barn door open with his shoulder. 

“Don’t you be talkin’ crass about my horse, Arthur Morgan.” Hosea spoke from where he sat in the barn. He was on a stool outside of the stall Daisy’s horse was in. Daisy was on her knees at the bottom of the stall reaching through the bottom of the fence so she could pet the foal. 

“I didn’t expect you to hear me, old man.” 

“Silver Dollar’s outlived a lotta things.” You looked over to Arthur, giving him a little smile. “Doubt he’s gonna go anytime soon.”

“When he does, I’m not gettin’ another horse.” Hosea shook his head. Almost as if happy about his owner’s statement, the Turkoman at the end stall whinnied and stuck his head over the stall door. 

“Then how the hell are you gonna get around?” Arthur moved to greet Silver Dollar. “Hey, boy.”

“I’ll figure it out when the time comes. But you know what I am gonna do? I’m gonna invest in sheep.”

“Sheep?” Arthur repeated. “Don’t we go enough of those?”

While they carried on their conversation, you moved towards Daisy. 

“Have you picked out a name yet, Daisy?”

“Haven’t thought of one.” She frowned, rubbing along the filly’s back. 

“Come on. Let’s go in and keep her company.” You opened up the stall and walked in. 

Daisy followed behind you, sitting down in the straw beside the filly. 

“Well, does she like anything? Any treats you give her?”

“She likes the carrot pieces we gave her last night.”

“Really liked them.” Arthur leaned over the stall, folding his arms along the top as he looked down at you both. “Carrot’s a cute name, ain’t it sweetpea?”

“It’s a silly name.”

“Yeah. But hey, it’d fit right in with what I call you and momma.” He chuckled. “Sweetpea, pumpkin, and Carrot.”

“You’re silly!”

“What names do you like, Daisy?” You asked her, reaching out to pull a piece of straw from her hair. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Well what name do you got in your head, silly?” Arthur reached down to ruffle her hair. 

Daisy giggled again, reaching up to grab his hand. 

“In that storybook momma read me the other night, there was a girl named Piper in it.” 

“Piper, huh? Piper is a neat name.” 

“I like that name.” You looked down at the filly and rubbed her nose. “I think she’s a pretty girl.” 

“You think she could be a Piper?” Daisy asked. 

“Oh, definitely. Don’t you think the same, daddy?” You looked up at Arthur. 

“Piper suits her well.” 

“Now only if we could get the damn thing to walk.” Hosea muttered from his seat. Arthur sent him a glare. 

“Why do you think she won’t walk, papa?” Daisy looked over to him, a frown etched on to her lips. 

You looked up at Arthur, who rubbed his eyes. 

“It’s hard to tell, honey.” Hosea rubbed his neck. “But she looks like a strong one. I’m sure she’ll be walking in no time.”

“Can we make her walk?” Daisy’s eyes found you. 

You opened your mouth to answer but found that you didn’t know the right thing to say. You looked up at Arthur. 

“Yeah, sweetpea. Let’s give it a try now. She ate well last night. Should have some energy in her.” Arthur pulled open the stall door. “You go stand out with papa, Daisy.” 

“Okay, daddy.” 

Daisy moved out of the stall and instead peered through the fencing. 

“You wanna give me a hand, pumpkin?” He held his hand out for you. 

“Of course. Just tell me what you need me to do.” 

Arthur pulled you to your feet and brushed off your skirt. 

“You know how we had that calf a few winters ago that wouldn’t listen to me but loved you? Try to encourage her to get up.”

“You think she’ll listen to me?”

“It’s worth a try.” 

“Has she stood up at all?” 

“No.”

“Thought you would’ve learned by now not to trust greasy conmen, Arthur.” 

“Shut up, Hosea.” Arthur muttered. 

You took a piece of apple from the bowl Arthur brought into the barn and knelt down in front of Piper. You put the apple piece in front of her nose, letting her get a little nibble of the treat before pulling it away. 

She tried to follow you by stretching her neck but that only got her so far. 

“Come on, girl.” Arthur encouraged, giving her flank a little pat. “Gotta get up.” 

She lifted herself up on to her front hooves as if she wanted to stand but that was where she stopped. 

“Good girl.” You rubbed her head and let her nibble on the apple a little more. “Sweet Piper. Just a little more, sweetie.” 

“Come on, Piper!” Daisy anxiously spoke from outside of the stall. 

Piper looked like she was ready to stand up, but at the last second she seemed to give up and her front legs buckled. She fell back to the ground, whinnying and flicking her ears. 

You stood up, putting your hands on your hips. Arthur watched you from where he was knelt down behind Piper. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ bout, pumpkin?”

“Max.” 

“Oh no.” Arthur stood up, shaking his head. “That goat is not teachin’ this horse any bad habits.”

“He won’t teach her nothin’ but maybe to walk.” 

***

Max was a Saanen goat that you kept on the farm with a handful of other goats. 

Max was a handful to deal with. He was mischievous and liked to stir up trouble wherever he could. His favorite activity to do was harass your husband. Max was sweet and nice to you and Daisy. He just didn’t like many people. 

Max followed you to the barn, bleating loudly for attention. 

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Arthur muttered, blue eyes carefully watching Max as he trotted through the barn. 

“Just trust me.” You put your hand on his arm as you opened the door to Piper’s stall. 

Curious, Max followed you into the stall. Once he saw Arthur was in there, he bleated and scratched his front hoof against the floor. 

But then Piper let out a high pitched whinny, catching Max’s attention. The goat’s ears perked up and he redirected himself towards the foal. He bleated, sniffing curiously at Piper’s leg, and then he bounced around and dug his head at her flank. 

“What’s he doing?” Daisy asked. 

“I think he’s trying to get her to play with him.” Hosea rubbed Daisy’s shoulder. 

Piper placed her front hooves on the ground and whinnied once more. Max bleated. 

With bated breath, you watched as Piper stood up on shaky long legs. Daisy almost clapped her hands but Hosea stopped her, not wanting to spook the animals. 

Max sniffed Piper and then took off out of the stall. 

Piper watched him leave, ears perked up as she listened. 

“Well. That could’ve gone worse.” Arthur said. 

“She’s standing up!” Daisy exclaimed. 

Piper moved around a little, her knees shaking as she explored her stall. 

“When can I start to work with her? Like you did with Poncho?” Daisy’s question was directed to Arthur. 

“Baby steps, sweetpea. We can’t work her too hard.”

But daddy-!”

“Daisy.” You cut her off, keeping your voice gentle. “Don’t raise your voice at him.”

She frowned, looking down at her hands. 

“Maybe in a week or two, sweetpea. Gotta make sure Piper’s good on her feet.” Arthur patted the foal’s flank. 

The filly whinnied, then dipped her nose into the bucket of water in the corner of her stall. 

“I’m gonna go start breakfast.”  You told Arthur. 

“I reckon I’ll go down and see if Charles is up. See if he ain’t too busy and wants to give me a hand with the hayloft.”

“Okay. Be safe.” You leaned in to kiss him. He kissed you gently and chastly, placing his hand on your side. 

“I’ll let you know before I leave.” 

You nodded and turned to exit the barn. 

Arthur watched you leave, then his eyes flickered down to Daisy. 

“Daddy? You think I can take her out to the pasture? Maybe she wants to get some sun.” 

“Yeah, sweetpea. You can go out there with her. S’long as you’re careful and don’t get behind her when she’s standin’.” 

“I’ll go out and watch her.” Hosea offered, moving away from the stall. “Let you get some work done. Make yourself useful.”

“So you get to sit on your ass while I do all the hard work?” 

“Precisely.” Hosea chucked. 

Arthur shook his head, a grin pulling at his lips.

Taglists:  @doggone-cowgirl @winterwolf @lauramb7 @caraqas @bluscryn @krenee1drful @zodiacaldust @nonodino @gabstaroc @cal-lifornication @thefirelordm @sargeantsea @sokkasdarling @thecollection @mayday1284 @kashasenpai @misskrql

If your name is in italics, it wouldn’t let me tag you :(

[andaisq]

stardew marriage candidates ranked (objective)

SHANE: sad, sad chicken man. doing his best. 10/10 with Immersive Shane mod which should be a day 1 patch. 7/10 otherwise bc it's not his fault he relapses constantly but it is deeply upsetting

EMILY: manic pixie dream girl emphasis on the manic. profoundly disconcerting in many ways. she likes cloth. 8/10 could definitely be worse

ALEX: dooooooouche but like im not not into it. hard to give appropriate gifts (i know he likes eggs but his only unique loves are meals with seasonal ingredients). VERY funny how he has a whole lil arc if you're gay but if you're a girl he's just like "sweet i don't have to grapple with comphet"; this is the quality known as "realism". 6/10 come at him scrublord he's ripped

HALEY: if I were a lesbian I'd want her to step on me but I'm not and she's boring. 2/10 literally had to go back and insert her into the list because I unconsciously skipped her the first time

SAM: baby boy baby. likes canonically shit tier soda. possibly kinda Jewish which is definitely bonus points. his dad is a war criminal but that's not really his fault. 8/10 get a haircut

PENNY: she's so saaaaaaaad you guys. about her moooooooom. i am being very mean to this fake pixel girl and for that I apologize but seriously girl has one setting and it is "wibble". also mildly ableist. 7/10 not loathsome which is well within par

HARVEY: forgettable except when he's creepy; a bad combination. hate the 'stache. stop hitting on your 19-year-old nursing intern my man. 4/10

MARU: cool as shit. if I fucked with women in any capacity maru would be it. she builds robots out of strawberries. 10/10 sorry your dad sucks so bad

SEBASTIAN: goth enough that im not 100% sure I should be using he/him. points for smonk weed. points off for smonk cigarettes. it's not the 20th fucking century, my man. 7/10 be nicer to your halfsister

ABIGAIL: fucking rules. has a sword. her illegitimate birth father is a WIZARD. this bitch eats rocks!!!! 9/10 please stop telling me my produce sucks though

ELLIOT: ugliest mf I have seen in my life. also pretentious and bougie. graphical mods can fix the former but not the latter. 3/10 don't move to a beachcomber shack for inspiration before you start outlining your book you weirdo

LEAH: oh you mean Robin But Less So? I have no idea who this woman is and no interest in finding out. 4/10 can I offer you a nice goat cheese in this trying time

(BONUS) OLIVIA: she's not a canon character but everybody uses SVE anyway. MILF of the highest caliber. Literally could not be hotter. 100/10 I know I said in Maru's entry that i'm gay and I am but Olivia could fucking get it

(BONUS) VICTOR: Victor, shut up and get the fuck out. I'm going to fuck your mom now.

[sdv-mostly-shane]

Hello! January is birthday month for my children, and now that we got the last one down, time to get right back in ~ In the spirit of parenthood, here’s some Stardew Parent Headcannons of all the marriage candidates -

Stardew Valley Imagines : Parent Headcannons

Bachelors

Alex

The kind of dad to be at every appointment/interview/inspection and cry at every point of progress “we’re one step closer to our beautiful baby”

Will absolutely cry once he holds that baby, and will have a hard time letting them go to his partner

Baby wearing extraordinaire- has multiple options for different occasions

Matching track suits to hide the fact that they were both a hot mess that morning trying to get out the door, but they did it, so time to celebrate

Would ironically have a brainiac child that he is absolutely enamoured with and admires - he sits at their little table, spilling out of the tiny chair, but refuses to budge because his baby is telling him about the water cycle of the Earth, and he doesn’t want to miss a thing

Elliot

A very ‘hands off’ parent - will observe them at play and not pressure them in any particular way

Probably a Waldorf dad

Sits his babies in his lap every night to read- they are the first ones he tests out a new limerick on, and respects their criticisms as much as their praise

Lots of evening walks down the sea shore and the forest edge.

Out of the bachelors, I think would be the most sensitive/attune to them, and would be great at breaking down their complex emotions and thoughts, and would especially be so with any neurodivergent children.

Harvey

The type to plop down a stack of parenting and pediatric books on the dining room table as soon as you two have decided to welcome children into your lives

Is the one to show the farmer how to change a diaper

In fact, just count Harvey as the one to be the party planning, baby book filling, milestone documenting professional. He’s got it covered.

Loves the newborn stage, is terrified of toddlerhood, but then back in control once they’re like 6. And then terrified again once they are teenagers (his kids actually consider him a friend as well as a father and actually enjoy hanging out with him (sometimes))

100% a helicopter parent, but more so the ‘I love you so much I don’t want you to ever experience any pain’ type of way

Sam

Probably has an accidental love child at one point

You can find him in bed with the baby, singing songs together, while he spikes the baby’s hair nice and tall

Do you honestly think this young man would not use every dad joke ever known? Because he would- and he would find them all absolutely hilarious

The fun dad that will also actively try to embarrass his kids in front of their friends

Keeps his kids home for “sick days” to sit on the couch together, no pants, no homework, and all laughter.

Sebastian

Would be stressed when they are newborns, but relax as they get older. By the time they’re teens, he would have cultivated a very trust and respect-based relationship with them where his kids are comfortable telling him anything

You’ll find him quietly at every event, game, recital, competition, imaginable. Supporting his children with his presence and then taking them out that evening to do something fun, crazy, or maybe even a little dangerous

His most fond parenting moments are when the baby is in their bouncer right besides him, happily babbling away and smiling at him, while he does his work at the computer. Quality time is his baby love language.

The type of dad to patiently and honestly answer his children’s millions of questions about anything and everything.

Will absolutely take them out to splash in the puddles when it rains (but then will also send them straight to the bath)

Shane

Is already pretty experienced in the parenting realm, but is thrown into a whole new adventure with the newborn phase. Finds himself to truly LOVE babies and toddlers

“Hm, can’t sleep? Let’s go get a snack.” “But dad, it’s 1AM” “I do this all the time, don’t worry. Just don’t tell [parent]”

Would let his kids roam free, but only if he is supervising, and is actually kinda strict/short. Absolutely fears losing his children and will do anything and everything to make sure they grow up safe and cared for.

A very stressed daddy but only because he loves his children so much that he would die if anything happened to them

The best cuddler out of all the bachelor parents. Wanna soft spot to curl up on the couch? He’s already passed out with his head back, snoring. His nice pudgy ‘dad’ belly makes the perfect pillow to rest baby heads on while he reads a book.

Bachelorettes

Abigail

The fun parent.

The kind that wakes up early on a Saturday with their kids, just as excited as they are, to eat sugar cereal and watch a show together.

Is always down to play (especially play fight). Will (endearingly) spook their partner a bit when they rough house because Abby has that wild feral look in her eye too often

The competitive parent that gets just a liiiitle too involved in whatever sport/organization/fair/et.al that the child is partaking in-all in good fun, of course.

I can picture her taking her child out to the forest, late at night, to lay on the soft moss. She’d tell them about monsters, lore, crystals, and everything supernatural and mystic. Whispering in the dark as they point up to the stars and laugh and laugh and laugh

Emily

Hippy granola mom to a T - have you seen her “organic quinoa and fresh goat milk” quote? She’d do anything to provide the best that nature has to offer her children

While her disposition toward her children is incredibly loving and free-spirited, she would probably be very resposible and stressed about doing right for her children

Would absolutely take her children by the hand, in various states of dress (jammies? Okay. Just a diaper? Alright. Ballgown? Let’s go), out to the forest with handmade woven baskets to collect all the gifts from the Earth that they can find

Absolutely the Craft Mom - she’d be all about enrichment, sensory play, and fostering a creative spirit

Tells the best stories. After bedtime routine, will sit with her children in thrir bed, and will tell stories of magic, of love, and of adventure. Her kids, eyes bright, won’t want the night to end, because mom is showing us how much wonder and mystery is in the world

Haley

So gentle and so sweet with her kids, but can send them running with just a ‘look’

Would be a nervous wreck the first go round, but an absolute master by the time the second comes around

Helicopter parent that obsesses over every milestone, growth, and accomplishment of their child. SO proud of them and can’t wait to praise them and brag about them.

The wonder parent that can do it all while looking absolutely breathtaking. She makes it look easy once she gets the hang of it

Can’t you just picture her and her baby girl in matching flowy Daisy sundresses dresses with pink ribbons in their beautiful blonde curls, chasing after each other barefoot in the fields, while the golden grass dances in the wind- gah I love this pretty pretty princess so much.

Leah

Cool Wine mom that drives a Subaru

Would absolutely read her child to bed every night, until they fell asleep.

Her transition into motherhood was flawless. She’s a natural parent who just loves in abundance

Soooo many nature walks, hikes, and camping trips. Always accompanied with a picnic basket, quiet peacefulness, and heart to hearts about whatever is going on in their life.

The definition of free-range parenting, encouraging self discovery and independence. Yeah, she’ll always step in when needed with some kind encouragement or advice, but would much rather watch her children learn about the world on their own terms

Maru

The do-it-all parent. Signs up for activities, projects, school boards, committees, and teams. Is actually on time, prepared, and succeeds in all of these.

The most prepared and responsible out of any of the parents. Always has snacks in her diaper bag and a first aid kit

Did someone say routine/chore chart

Would show love for her children through learning and new experiences-the best part about being a parent for her is watching her child’s brain turning and working as they think about the environment in front of them. At her best, her kids think she is incredibly fun and they have a blast doing anything and everything with her

Not exactly tender/overly affectionate with her kids, but absolutely concerned about being the best mom she can be by having balance of learning, play, discipline, and love.

Penny

Literally just Miss Honey from Matilda

Pinterest mom. All the crafts, DIYs, bento boxes with cute little caterpillar grapes-you name it, she’s already done it AND packed your backpack and laid your clothes out for you.

Can be heard saying “well the pediatrician said...” “hm well that’s not what dr alberts book said to do” among other “first time mom”things

Can be incredibly anxious worrying about their child’s development and well being. She’s been around kids her entire life, but this is HER child? This one doesn’t go home at the end of the day? Everything has to be absolutely perfect

The most sentimental-would absolutely weep going through the baby box to pull out the teeny tiny booties and smelling the baby blanket - “they were just SO TINY- we need another one NOW.”

[crowncorvidae]

Lmao ok so this’ll probably be a long post but here’s all the songs I think everyone from each of the nine house would listen to from my Spotify library

((also feel free to judge my music taste))

Ninth house

Harrow- Okok so i have a lot to say about what music I think harrow listens to I think she’d like weird older gothic music cuz it’s kinda spooky kinda churchy kinda intense but so so good

Wytches - Inkubus Sukkubus

Gideon- you can’t tell me Nav wouldn’t fucking love like classic rock ,I’m genuinely sad she’ll never listen to things like Joan Jett, Heart, Pat Benatar. So I’ll give her 2

Bad reputation- Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar

Eight house

Silas - I genuinely think mayo uncles music taste is similar to harrows but in a different way

Stigmata Martyr - Bauhaus

Colum - lmao ok I honestly don’t think he likes music, like I can’t find a song on my Spotify I think he’d sit down and enjoy, he probably just second hand listens to Silas music and doesn’t enjoy it

Seventh house ((htn tho cuz I say so))

Dulcie- Miss “horny for revenge” LIVES for Florence + the machine, just enough kick ass + a lil romancey vibe but in a dope witchy way

Cosmic love - Florence + the machine

Protesilaus-I personally like to think he listens to like “tough” dad music

Fortune son- Creedence clearwater Revival

Sixth house

Palamedes - he’s chill he probably likes like chill but rad tunes but his Taste isn’t exactly “mainstream” liking smaller name bands or lesser popular songs from big name artists genuinely , he likes things like passion pit, the pixies and Portugal.the man

Basic space- The XX

Camilla- she likes bad bitch music and most of pals music also

Didn’t come to play- Dope saint Jude

Fifth house

Abigail- I think she likes Stevie nicks like I can just feel it in my bones, she likes the chill but sometimes odd vibes

Sisters of the moon- fleetwood mac

Magnus- ok y’all knew this was coming he like full on “dad” music but more on the like low key silly dad kinda way but it’s good music so no one can complain

Brown eyed girl- van Morrison

Fourth house

Isaac- the kiddos like the “new wave punk “ ish kinda edgy music but it’s so cool

The Phoenix - fall out boy

Jeannemary- she likes cool kinda punk music kinda just catchy and good jams hah no further questions ((she can have 2 as a treat))

Molotov girls- The Zolas

Cry baby - destroy boys

Third house

Coronabeth- she listens to baddie music only

Mans world- Marina

Ianthe- she also listens to baddie music but enjoys weird bands a little bit more, like Harley Poe, the mountain goats and will wood

Magpie- the mountain goats

Naberius- ok hot take I think it unironically likes stupid pop trash music, it started as a joke cuz the twins would play it around him but he started to actual like it, makes him feel like a bad bitch lmao I think he’d vibe w YUNGBLUD also

What are you waiting for- Gwen stefani

Anarchist- YUNGBLUD

Second house

Judith - she tough but I think she likes a little bit more chill tunes, music you can listen to and still think and enjoy

Be nice to me- the frontbottoms

Lone Ranger - Rachel platten

Marta- she even tougher but shes got good music taste, little more fast paced not aggressive music but more so then judiths

Survive- the moog

First house

((but I have less reasoning for them))

Mercymorn- her music is?? Interesting, it’s good and sounds good but there is something kinda strange about it but not super sure why?? I mean listen to the song it’s self explanatory

Scary world- night club

Augustine- he gives off a certain bastard energy that can only be described as cage the elephant, no I will not elaborate

Mess around- cage the elephant

John- similar to Augustine, he gives specific bastard energy BUT a different kind, his music reflects this

Teeth- 8 graves

Bonus

okokok more about harrowhark for a sec , we all joke she’d be into emo music like MCR BUT I think she’s actually more AFI circa 2003 in terms of “emo” music

Silver and cold-AFI

Ortus - I have no proof and no reason but I think he’d like most Mumford & sons songs

The cave- Mumford & sons

Nova- ok so I don’t think nova would listen to music at all BUT if she had to it would be like hardcore metal or the weirdest aggressive church gothic music possible

Dead souls - sopor aeternus & the ensemble of shadows

Livestream - veil of maya

Wake- Okokok not music I think she’d listen to BUT I have a song that’s vaguely her vibe and idk where else to put it so enjoy!

massacre -kim pertras

[genvy]

will graham and/or abigail hobbs for the playlist ask!! also i would totally listen to your full playlists if i knew where to find them <3

YES THANK YOU!! i will do both because i love them SO much. and i'll link both full playlists under the cut ♥

will:

family happiness - the mountain goats

when i mouth my silent curses at you, i can see my breath i hope the stars don't even come out tonight i hope we both freeze to death look at the person i've turned into, tell me, how do you like him now? no standards of any kind to break, no creeds to disavow i am right here where you want me do what you brought me out here for you can arm me to the teeth, you can't make me go to war

siamese twins - the cure

is it always like this? flesh and blood and the first kiss the first colors, the first kiss we writhed under a red light voodoo smile, siamese twins a girl at the window looks at me for an hour then everything falls apart broken inside me, it falls apart the walls and the ceiling move in time push a blade into my hands slowly up the stairs and into the room is it always like this?

down by the water - pj harvey

oh, help me, jesus, come through this storm i had to lose her to do her harm i heard her holler, i heard her moan my lovely daughter, i took her home little fish, big fish, swimming in the water come back here, man, give me my daughter little fish, big fish, swimming in the water come back here, man, give me my daughter

souvenir - boygenius

always managed to move in right next to the cemeteries and never far from hospitals i don't know what that tells you about me pulling thorns out of my palm working midnight surgery when you cut a hole into my skull do you hate what you see like i do?

abigail:

god's own country - ethel cain

i learned a lesson, i need to pray, and hard final hours, take care of me, god you’ve tasted love and it tasted sweet you drank the blood and bit the meat you hold it, you hold it, you let it go you close your eyes and count to three you say the word and come to me, baby, i know the road is longer than it is hard with no one to guide you no best foot forward to sway the odds, just a voice inside you don’t sink in me with your dog teeth don't sink in me with your dog teeth

dead and lovely - tom waits

she was a middle-class girl, she was in over her head she thought she could stand up in the deep end he had a bullet proof smile, he had money to burn she thought she had the moon in her pocket but now she's dead she's so dead forever dead and lovely, now

youth decay - sleater-kinney

am i rotting out? daddy says i got my mama's mouth i'm all about a forked tongue and a dirty house mom has said, yes, this happened to me long ago and if you got the same hurting, oh but no one would believe me when i said close my mouth was i born to accommodate? i'm so good at playing dead, words just don't seem to come out

jenny was a friend of mine - the killers

i just can't take this! i swear i told you the truth! she couldn't scream while i held her close i swore i'd never let her go tell me what you want to know, oh, come on, oh, come on, oh, come on and then you whisper in my ear, "i know what you're doing here" so come on, oh, come on, oh, come on there ain't no motive for this crime, jenny was a friend of mine

[intcthatgoodnight-a2]

my muses and what pets they should have:

booth: this man needs a dog. why doesn’t he have a dog? c’mon man, you got the wife, the kids, the white picket fence, get a golden retriever or german shepherd 

angel / angelus / darla / connor / sam: do not give them animals. it won’t end well. maybe connor with a dog, but only like post season 4 connor.

kathy: she just needs a farm okay. get her out of the city and get her some horses and goats and chickens. really though, she’s going to find a stray dog one day and just bring it home without asking or telling angel

cordy: a cat. my first thought was one of those little dogs, but no. a cat.

fred: also a cat. or maybe a guinea pig or a hamster

lucy: realistically the best for her would be a dog. a big dog. ideally though, ferrets. those crazy little noodles just have the perfect energy for her.

delia: she’d be fine with anything really, but i can see her being a cat person.

angela: she already has a cat named duck

connor: literally one of his most iconic lines is “I like dogs.” get him a dog. though you know he’s constantly around hank and sumo

chloe / 60: they have no interest in animals.

gavin: i love the fanon that he is a cat person who probably has multiple cats. but i can also see him with a pitbull that he treats like a big baby

dexter: do not leave him alone with animals. 

eleven: you really think the doc could be trusted to take care of an animal? no. his companions are basically like pets anyway.

amy: a cat. i think it was mentioned in an ep that she had a cat as a kid. 

mr clever: just no

sansa: she already has a direwolf that is totally alive and well, okay i don’t know what you’re talking about, lady is alive

ginger: she would literally eat it. so no

abigail: i can see her liking dogs, though maybe this is just because i want her to hang out with wills dogs.

will: he is a known dog hoarder. 

harry: he already has an owl. at least before DH (cries). but i can see him as an adult having a few pets for the kids. but also i love the idea of harry having a pet snake. like a little buddy that wraps around his wrist or in his pocket and they talk to each other and freak everyone out

tony: surprise farmer tony with his alpaca and chickens. but i can also see him with a cat

elle: she wants a dog

friday: has no interest in animals

luke: picture this- there’s tooka cats that live at the temple. he lets the younglings take care of them / feed them, they wonder wherever they want. you can find him doing his meditation, floating a few feet of the ground, with a tooka cat asleep on his lap

han: i mean...han is the pet. between him and chewie, han is the pet

obi wan: this man is like a disney princess okay. animals are just drawn to him. that big lizard thing Boga that he rode in rots, yeah thats his now.

anakin: no. this is a bad idea.

[parf-fan]

Followup: Blackfryars!

Mount Hope, I’m begging you.  👏 Hire 👏 a 👏 copy 👏 editor. 👏

As always, visit the Faire’s website for headshots

Estelle Angrist :  Millicent Goodnestone – Apprentice Stone-Carver 

Inside every stone is a piece of art, so says Millicent. All you need to do is listen to the rock and take away the unnecessary pieces. Now, the artistry comes in the patience with which one removes the extra bits of stone. Patience, hammer, chisel, and a light touch are all that are required. Otherwise, a good piece of stone can become a dust pile very quickly. Thank goodness today is a festival day, because Millicent has been sweeping piles of dust for a while.

Alessandra Appiotti :  Bernadette Albright – Matchmaker 

The shire is being visited by the World’s most famous Bachelorette: Queen Elizabeth! If Bernadette can find the one for Queen Elizabeth, she will go from rising star to full-on supernova! She’d better get started lining up eligible bachelors! Or Bachelorettes! She hasn’t met Her Majesty yet, so who is she to judge her tastes?

Andréa Barton :  Lady Blanche Parry – Lady in Waiting 

This devoted Lady has served the Queen from the time our monarch was in nappies! They are boon companions, sharing court life and all its intrigue and frivolity. While she may look like the marzipan on the cake, her skilled organization of the Queen’s library and fondness for a good jest keeps her wit sharp enough to cut like a knife. Just ask the fool that attempts to play with her heart strings or guitar strings!

Kristin Bauer :  Frances Newton, Lady Cobham – Lady in Waiting

Lady Cobham is thrilled to be on progress with the Queen. After all, this busy mother needs some time with the Ladies. With her soft nature and quick smile, she can often times be found with the children of the Shire, telling stories, rhymes, riddles, and playing games. Her sense of mirth does not leave her without a streak of mischief, as she does love to put her finger in the pot, give it a stir, and see what happens! Naughty or Nice? You be the judge!

Lauralette Bernard :  Tolly Muneford – Harbor Master 

Nothing comes in or out of the shores of Mount Hope that Tolly doesn’t know about. Her web of knowledge reaches far and wide, and she does it all in the service of the Shire. If only she wasn’t so keen on sharing all this knowledge with literally everyone, she might be able to use it for personal gain.

Jennifer Blackwell-Yale :  Emily O. Bales – Fire Brigade 

It has been 15 years since a monarch last visited the Shire of Mount Hope. Coincidentally, it has also been 15 years since the last fire in the shire of Mount Hope. Emily is always ready for action, but no one is quite sure she would know exactly what to do should action arise. When in doubt: stop, drop, roll, and have some wine. It seemed to work out just fine for the Old Dun Cow!

Karen Rose Bitzer :  Rosie DuLait – Milkmaid 

This milkmaid typically spends her day milking the cows and goats on the farm; carefully churning the butter; separating the curds from the whey; making the precious cheese to sell at market; all the time, singing and talking to her fine, generous, milk-laden friends! Is it any wonder that Rosie’s dairy products are highly sought for their sweet, creamy nature? It is even said that her happy cows seem to prance in the fields, as if dancing to a jig. Is that even possible? With Rosie, one never knows! Today she was up early: the Queen is expected and she wants to offer the sweetest cream and the finest butter to lay upon the Queen’s table.

Tabitha Borges :  Abigail Montgomery – Governess to the Lady Mayor 

Abigail has always had a way with children, and has taken care of all the Lady Mayor’s progeny, which means she is quite resilient! Of the many duties, trials, and tribulations the Penburthys have put her through, her favorite activity is still telling stories, and she is a masterful storyteller. Now that the Penburthy children, Calvin, Penelope, and Danforth, have all grown up, she is experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome far more than Delores is!

Elizabeth Burkholder :  Paraffin Dyson – Bellows-Mender

Paraffin is a fan. She is a fan of fans. Her bellows will blow you away, that’s how big of a fan she is. Sometimes she can be a bit of a blowhard, but usually she can play it cool. And yet, even the coolest of bellows-menders may have a difficult time not having a meltdown with our Queen on the Shire. Time will tell if Paraffin maintains her composure or has a blowout, but one thing is for sure; she will certainly enjoy this festival day!

Jasmine Crist :  Mary Robin Richland – Shire Ne'er-Do-Well 

Every shire has one, ours is Mary Robin! While good-natured and always seen with a smile, it is known that one must keep a hand on your purse and an eye on your goods, for you may come up short when the back side of Mary Robin you see! Slight of hand, quick of feet, and always with a jest to share, it is her good nature and sharp wit that keeps her just on this side of the law, for now! It has been heard that she has high aspirations, but for what? Ask her, she may or may not share!

Ashley Crowther :  Ira Roth – Actuary 

Everyone’s heard of mad scientists, but a mad actuary? That’s much rarer. If you stare at numbers all day long, apparently they start staring back. Eventually, everything starts to look like a ledger, and you can see the numbers everywhere. Sure... that adds up...

Josh Dorsheimer :  Jakob Werner – Landsknecht

Professional mercenaries fight the wars of the Kings of Europe. Professionals like Jakob. He does his level best to never think about any of that, though! He would rather spend his time gallivanting around town, spending his hard-won gold on drink, friends, and frivolity. The oldest of the family, Jakob is sometimes mistaken as the decision-maker of the clan. While he won’t outright deny this, the three siblings all know who really calls the shots: their baby sister!

Elisia Freeman :  Agnes Lambourne – Apple-Monger 

Apple cider, apple butter, apple sausage, apple crisp, apple cake.... Just ask this happy-go-lucky lady what you can do with all those apples, and she will tell you! Be prepared, her list is LONG! Apple juggling, apple carving, apple tossing, apple dicing, apple bocci. Do not be fooled, she knows that man does not live by apples alone; everyone knows you need a little cinnamon and a lot of laughter!

Corey Graff :  Wagner Werner – Landsknecht

Wagner travels all over Europe fighting battles with his brother and sister for one reason: he loves them both dearly. Honestly though, he would much rather be laying down in a meadow watching butterflies. Sometimes suffering from middle child syndrome, Wagner’s gadabout ways certainly make life interesting for all the Werner siblings.

Steve Hager :  Rip Skeleton – Gravedigger 

There are two things certain in this world: Death, and Taxes – and Rip ain’t no accountant. Its always nice to have a friendly face build your final resting place.

Jeremiah Halteman :  Ronald P. Eversmeyer – Yeoman Guard 

They say history is written by the victors. Ronald has every intention of ensuring that our good Queen’s name goes down in the history of the world as the greatest victor of them all! He is always prepared to put himself between Her Majesty and danger, wherever it comes from, in whatever form it takes, and at any personal sacrifice! His extensive training in the art of personal security has rendered him one of the elite of the yeoman guard; as long as Her Majesty is not attacked from the air. Unfortunately, Ronald has a fear of butterflies. Something about the wings just throw off his rhythm, but no worries....butterflies in Mount Hope? Never!!

Jonathan Heise :  Sir John Giffard of Chillington, Minister of Parliament, Knight – Nobleman 

This Minister of Parliament felt it his duty to be present during the Queen’s progress at Mount Hope. Concerned that perhaps this tiny village would not be up to the task of hosting our Queen, he would be quick to move the festivities to Chillington. Upon arrival he realized his foolish mistake; never had he seen such a shire, and thought perhaps ‘twas time to move Chillington to Mount Hope! However, for now, why not enjoy the festivities?

Brianna E. Holmes :  Mary Hill, Lady Cheke – Lady in Waiting 

This gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber is well loved by all. Her husband, John Cheke, a gentleman of the court, encourages her in her service of the Queen. The Queen has blessed them often with gifts, grants, and an estate or two. Even at this show of opulence, Lady Cheke takes it all in stride. She finds joy in the simple things in life; her children, her rose garden, and her love of arachnids. Their homes, their legs, and loving little eyes; can you ever have enough? I think NOT says Lady Cheke.

Anastasia Keno :  Louise Weaver – Shepherdess

A diligent if mischievous shepherdess, Louise has a passion for all things fluffy! Why should sheep be the only animals allowed to graze free? Let the cats graze free! Let the puppies graze free! Let the mice graze free! Free the animals! Sorry... she can be very passionate.

Jennifer Litzinger :  Cherie Piquant – Spice Merchant 

If the first pinch of salt is free, be prepared to pay dearly for everything else. A shrewd business woman, do not let Cherie’s smile fool you. She was born to barter, and barter she will! Well-known on the shire as the woman who can get what you need, do not be afraid to ask; as long as its cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, or cardamom, by day’s end, it will be in your kitchen. Ask for a song, and you could be in for a treat.

Dana Micciché :  Katherine Champernowne, Lady Kat Ashley – Lady in Waiting

Appointed governess, tutor, friend, and confidante, Lady Kat Ashley ensured that her Queen had all the necessary tools to rule England. Well versed in astronomy, geography, history, Latin, Spanish, Italian, and Flemish, this unassuming woman is also trained in the art of swordsmanship, axe-throwing, archery, and caber tossing! Think you know a little about a lot? Lady Kat knew it first!

Traci Mohl :  Olivia Charnwood – Huntress 

The family tradition of hunting and tracking lives on in the guise of Olivia. Like her mother and grandmother before her, ear to ground, sniffing the air; hunting prey is in her blood. Mount Hope’s finest archer, Olivia never fails to bring home the meat – just don’t ask her to cook it!! On this festival day, she plans on showing off her tracking skills by sniffing out a merry time!

Beverly Newton :  Charlotte Seaswift – Shipwright

This buoyant aquatic engineer helps keep the Harbor of Mount Hope afloat. An eye for design and a passion for innovation drive Charlotte. She knows that the fine line between sink and swim is just a patch away, and she is always ready to keep things floating on.

Jared Nocella :  Miles I. Gore – Professional Henchman 

Some people are natural born leaders. Miles is not one of those people. Miles is a natural born lackey, and he’s the best there is at being second fiddle. Always down for doing the dirty work, and he does it dirt cheap! Miles is a sidekick with a smile and has a flare for following.

Alexandra Pentz :  Dorte Werner – Kampfrau 

The youngest of the Werner siblings, but make no mistake: she is the one that keeps the family together. From designing the boys’ clothes, managing the family finances, and fighting her share of battles, she is as clever as she is dangerous. And after all that, she still has the ability to be the most mischievous of the three!

Lianna Pike :  Rosalind Anne Uxbridge – Gardener 

Rosalind has had her hands deep in dirt, up to her elbows, preparing for the Royal visit. The gardens must be perfect! Simple details like stone placement can be so critical, yet every time she plants, those chipmunks and rabbits have a feast . That is why Rosalind has a bed in all of her garden plots. She sleeps in a different flower bed each night. Thank goodness the festival is finally here, she can finally get out of the beds and enjoy the beauty of her work with the rest of the shirefolk.

Nicolas Rainville :  Grayson Thomas Hemplewhite – Squire to the Master of Horse, Sir Robert Dudley 

What an honor to serve the horse that carries the saddle that seats the man who serves the Queen so closely! To say that Hemplewhite is a hard worker is putting it mildly. His work is never done. Clean the tack, muck the stall, check the hooves; not to mention ensuring that Tinker, the horse, is always sweet-smelling for his Master to ride. But today is a festival day. Tinker smells sweet, now its time for Hemplewhite to have a bit of merriment.

Jessica Reesor :  Holly Teacake – Baker 

Everyone likes sweets at a festival, and Holly has made sure the shire is stocked with confections to please any palate. Fruity, chocolatey, savory – whatever your taste, Holly has you covered! An obsessive planner, Holly loves the order of a recipe. It is a mathematical equation for pleasing people. If only everything else was that simple!

Laura Reesor :  Pearl Topstitch – Tailor 

A visionary designer with an eye for style. Never satisfied with the same-old same-old; when something works once, she’s done with it! Her appetite for new and exotic is matched only by her skill. She can look at a piece of fabric and see the hidden...pearl...of genius within. Now it is time to show off her skills to the Queen.

James Riley :  Adam Cringer – Yeoman Guard 

A newly-minted member of the Yeoman Guard following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father before him. Legend of Adam’s monster-hunting exploits have already preceded him. Now it is time to see if the man can match the Legend.

Victoria Sangston :  Dorothea Anne Heartley – Etiquette Mistress 

Today is a big day for the shire of Mount Hope, and the Lady Mayor has tasked Mistress Heartley with making sure everyone puts their best foot forward. Of course, is that the right foot or the other right foot? Joyfully surveying the shirefolk, she knows everyone will be on their best, smiling, bowing, hat tipping, formal greeting behavior – or else!

Michael Sheffield :  John Dee – Royal Astrologer

A good ruler has good advisors. Time will tell what kind of advisor John Dee will be. He says he talks to angels. Perhaps he does. Perhaps he’s just a brilliant con man. One thing is for sure – eccentric only scratches the surface of describing this stargazing man.

Jessie Smith :  Polly Lynne Pickering – Apprentice Rag-picker

Polly Lynne has been following in her mum’s footsteps for as long as she can remember. Mum does have a keen eye for bits and pieces, but Polly Lynne is impatient! When she is THE Rag-Picker, she will be much more efficient! Would anyone REALLY notice if a bit was snipped off a gown here and there? Bushes and scissors are a picker’s best friend. She has heard of the fine fabrics worn by the Nobles of the court and is hoping to snip.... errrr....snag a piece or two of those fabrics for herself!

Mary Smith :  Penelope Ann Pickering – Rag-picker 

Some call it rag-picking, but Penelope prefers to call it fabric repurposing opportunities. Opportunities abound in the shire of Mount Hope, all you have to do is look around! And look she does!! With a keen eye for bits of fabric, lace, gossip, and good will, she has a kind word for everyone and perhaps a bit of scrap for those in need; and, really, who doesn’t need a bit of scrap now and then? And now, with the training up of Polly Lynne, she’s busy busy busy! Thank goodness for the Festival. Mirth, merriment, and fabric scraps!

Evelin Stayner :  Buttercup M. Rosehips – Scullery Wench 

This young lady is happy when surrounded by a pile of dirty anything. Beginning, middle, end! That is where she finds her joy. Every day has its adventures, and they all start when the sun comes up and last throughout the day. You may find her dancing, singing, or generally making herself an asset to the Shire of Mount. Hope. Some might even call her a fledgling pillar of society; probably more like a fence post. But everybody has to start somewhere!

Katrin Stayner :  Eva Froman – Sausage Queen of the Shire 

Blessed with infinite patience, and a lithe mind to keep up with her husband. The Fromans are nouveau riche, and happy to flaunt it. Eva is the true brains of the operation. Her wurst is the best, and her husband is the best at being the worst.  [the Sausage King is being played by one of the improv directors who doubles as an independent act.]

Jordan Taft :  Dorothy "Dottie" Brooke – Lady in Waiting 

This Maid of Honor is a seasoned Lady of the court. Certainly Lady Dorothy has done it all, seen it all, and has the bodice to prove it. However, Mount Hope intrigues her. After all, it is time for her to settle down and have a family of her own, and the matchmaker of the Shire is famous throughout the land. She may leave here betrothed, or at least,with several good prospects. Love is in the air, or, is that TURKEY???

Robyn Thompson :  Fiona Erin O'Donald – Personal Foot Post of the Lady Mayor 

When Fiona came to Mount Hope, the first person she met was the Lady Mayor, who had just lost her third foot post in six months. Fiona needed a job; she had no idea what a foot post was, but she knew she could do it! She is Irish after all! As it turns out, she is the best foot post the Mayor has ever had!! Messenger, she’s the Lady Mayor’s personal messenger!

Sandi Trait :  Becky Billingsly – Town Crier and Lady Mayor’s Official Letter-Opener 

Becky Billingsly, the voice of the shire, knows full well the weight her proclamations carry. As Official Letter Opener for the Lady Mayor, she is at the forefront of all the news that is news in the shire. Of course, nothing beats today’s happenings! The young Queen makes her way to the gates of Mount Hope. How thrilling to share her news and tidings with the court of her Majesty!

Ariel E. Urich :  Kathryn Bridges – Lady in Waiting 

This Maid of Honor is on her first progress with the Queen. She has lived her entire life in training for this very time and now that it is here, she realizes that something is missing. She knows how to carry the cup with grace and style; the basket is a simple matter; smiling at the proper time, sitting, standing. So, what is the problem? She has this deep desire to make people laugh! So far, she has shared a bit of her talent with the Ladies of the Court, but perhaps this small shire is where she can be a bit more free with her jests and merriment. Oh, the festival day could not get here soon enough!

Brianna Yale :  Lydia der Schlachter – Butcher 

Leaving home to work for the Fromans was a tough decision but one she is happy she made. Butchering brings her such delight. From the time she begins to sharpen her blade to the beauty of well-cut chop, this butcher knows her way around a slab of beef, pork, and lamb. However, never ask her for a capon! She has been squeamish since the capon incident of 1552. Enough of that! This is a festival day, and she plans on celebrating with the shire folk and perhaps even catching a glimpse of the new Queen.

Darrell E. Yoder :  Sylvan Farelight – Tinker

If it needs mending, this is the man to do it. If it needs replacing, step right up, he has it. If you need a bit of magic in your life, having Sylvan on the streets ensures that your needs will be met! Always popular when he arrives on shire; Sylvan can be counted on to share a bit of news from afar; a bit of wisdom from within; and a bit of magic from, well, from where magic comes from!

To the newcomers, welcome!  To those returning, welcome back!

[queennicoleinboots]

Bears with Questions, Bears with Answers

A/N: Sequel to Bears In The Forest

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing was driving my van as though it were a racecar through the forest. We even flew through the air at some points of the drive. He was a mechanic, so he could fix whatever damage he was causing to the suspension.

"Father, I had no idea you were an Eff-Bee-Eye Agent. That's incredible!" Abigail Ace shouted.

"FEDERATION OF BEAR INVESTIGATORS! REMEMBER THAT, ABIGAIL ACE!," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing shouted as he pounded on the horn of my steering wheel and swerved through the trees. He stared straight ahead with green eyes that had fire for pupils.

"Will do, Father. How did you learn to drive like this?" Abigail Ace asked with sparkles in her eyes.

"A loooooot of practice," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he flew over a tree stump.

"When did you start learning to drive?" Abigail Ace asked.

"When I was 8," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he slammed the brakes and made the van swerve to the right as he barely missed the tree that he almost hit head on with my van.

"When you were 8!? Father, you didn't teach me to drive until I was 15," Abigail Ace said.

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing turned off the van and then looked at her. "Is that a problem?" He stared her down.

"No, sir. I was making a statement," Abigail Ace said.

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing continued to stare at her. "I don't WANT you to live the life that I have. I want something safer for you. I want you to live a life of peace, prosperity, and happiness. I have sacrificed my youth, my safety, and my ambitions for this family! I am NOT going to allow you to live the life that I have lived to COMPLETELY NULLIFY WHAT I HAVE GIVEN UP FOR YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" He made sure to stare deep into her soul.

"Yessir," Abigail Ace said.

"You think my life is glorious because I have led the Secret American Society of Sexually-Frustrated Bears, the Extraordinary Youth League of Young Bears, and the Secret American Society of Sexually-Frustrated Goats and had been in the Federation of Bear Investigators? Well, I have news for you, Abigail Ace, IT'S NOT! It is too much stress even for ME! You have no understanding of what I have to go through on a daily basis to keep you and the rest of this family safe! I hope you never will. Yes, I want you to be a leader of society, but not in a way where you risk your life. That is truly something I will never bear. No father can STAND the thought of anything happening to his daughters. THAT IS WHY WE LEFT EARTH. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU OR ANYONE TO LIVE." Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he continued to stare into Abigail Ace's soul.

Abigail Ace blinked twice and wasn't sure how to respond.

"Come on, family. We've had a big day. Let's get some rest," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said as he handed me my keys and got out of the van. The other bears and I left the van after Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing had spoken again.

Of course, going home and resting wasn't going to happen.

"Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay? Holy Shit, guys, are you okay?" Count Macula, Jr. asked as he rushed over to us with his soft brown eyes bursting through his glasses.

"Yes, we're okay, Count Macula, Jr.," I said.

"Yes, Count Maculoni and cheese, we're okay," Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said.

"Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Actually, food sounds very good right now. Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking? Who's cooking?" Count Macula, Jr. asked.

"I will cook dinner tonight. I will make a feast to celebrate our escape from Earth and our safe arrival to the Green Planet!" Megara Ace announced.

Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing growled in pride and put an arm around her shoulders. "But of course because we are American bears, we must make an American dish," he said.

"Macaroni and cheese pizzas?" I asked.

"Absolutely!" Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing said.

"Pizza is my favorite!" Abigail Ace shouted.

"Macaroni and cheese is my favorite!" Bruce Bananas shouted in excitement before he stopped himself, looked around, and grinned. "Sorry. I broke character there. Would anyone volunteer to beat my ass?"

"After dinner," Megara Ace said as she stared at him for a moment before she went to prepare the meal. Naturally, I went to assist her.

___________________________________________

"Macaroni and cheese pizza? Hmmmm... sounds delicious!" Joebear said as he was standing in the kitchen near me.

"Yes, Baewhuhh. I preheated the oven and started the water for the macaroni," I said as I began to make the crust using whole wheat flour (I wasn't in the mood to deal with brown rice flour and its finicky characteristics), water, eggs, butter, and yeast. I omitted salt and sugar because my bear couldn't have a large quantity of either one.

"I'm hungry again, and the other bears that arrived here must be famished," Joebear said.

"Yes they are," I said as I was making the pizza sauce. I used organic tomato sauce, organic tomato paste, organic basil, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, and red peppers from our garden, and a dash of honey for the pizza sauce.

I was letting the ingredients simmer as I perused the fridge to find toppings that would go with macaroni and cheese. I knew that ground meat from grass-fed cows would be great for the macaroni and cheese pizza, so I decided that I would fry all of it for tonight's feast.

"May some of the pizzas have fish as well?" Joebear asked.

"Yessir. We can cook the fish together," I said.

Miss Oreo and Kissy walked in the kitchen door and meowed.

"Yes babies. The pizza crust, macaroni and cheese, and fish will be for you, too," I said as I began to fry the ground meat.

Miss Oreo meowed in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes. You can have some ground meat, too," I said as I was cooking.

Oreo was singing opera as I cooked. Joebear joined in and helped me cook the fish.

Once the sauce ingredients were blended, I made several pizzas with cheese and waited for the meat to be finished cooking and the water to boil for the macaroni.

A frog's croak emanated in our kitchen. That was Kiel the Frog, Kermit's long lost brother, who decided that our window ledge was a great place to live.

"Yes KIEL we hear you. I'll give you a whole pizza if you shut up!" Joebear shouted as he flipped the salmon over. "It's going to be glorious when we're done here. This is just too much. And it's hot!"

Joebear wasn't the happiest that our new freeloading guest was staying here. But Kiel the Frog hadn't been here long enough to file an eviction against him.

Kiel the Frog croaked a thank-you croak. Miss Oreo was staring at him through the window.

Kissy laid in the middle of the kitchen.

When the fish was done, we placed it on the pizzas. One pizza had half fish and the other half ground meat on it. That one was going to be for the cats.

The water began boiling when Kiel the Frog spoke again.

"KIEL! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Joebear shouted as he poured the macaroni in the water.

Kiel the Frog croaked in a special language.

"He wants insects on his pizza," Miss Oreo translated.

"Well, fuck, there's plenty of them around here," Joebear said as he stirred the macaroni.

I went to check our bug zapper unit outside and sure enough, there were plenty of insects to put on his pizza. But I had to make an extra crust for Kiel the Frog. I didn't add sauce or cheese to his pizza.

Joebear was putting the ground beef on the remaining pizzas while I was making the extra pizza crust.

Kissy walked over and ate whatever we dropped on the floor.

"Make his pizza by itself after these are done," Joebear said.

"Will do, bae," I said as I was making the cheese sauce for the macaroni.

Joebear was putting cheese on the pizzas.

"BaeWhuhh. Cook and eat while I deliver the pizzas to the bears outside," I said as I stirred the cheese sauce. I was trying to place these pizzas in the oven.

"What are you doing, Bae?! The macaroni and cheese goes on the pizza before you put it in the oven!" Joebear said as he drained the macaroni.

"Oh shit you're right," I said as I put the pizzas back on our counters and tried to retrieve my brain from left field. "My brain went into left field." I put out a big bowl for him to put the macaroni in. He poured the macaroni in the bowl, and I combined it with my cheese sauce. When the macaroni and cheese was stirred, we placed it on the pizzas and put them in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Joebear and I watched Twitch.TV streamers lag while the pizzas were cooking. Kissy went to her litter box and took a shit before she returned. Miss Oreo sat on my feet.

When the pizzas were finished, I gave the cats their pizza. They rushed over and ate the pizza crust. I gave my husband a pizza. I put the remaining pizzas on a wide stainless steel cart with three racks that Chipotle Mexican Restaurant gave to me as a reward for being a frequent customer.

Joebear came in and ate some pizza while he was preparing Kiel the Frog's pizza.

"Love you BAE!!!!" I shouted as I rolled my cart of pizzas out of the house.

"Love you, bae!" Joebear shouted from the kitchen.

I rolled the cart outside and saw that a lot of bears were coming for pizza. They were hungry again. I rolled the cart back home when the bears were finished taking the pizzas and running. My bear can use it when he delivers the other pizzas.

"You should eat, little bae," Joebear said.

"I should," I said before I hiccupped.

"You got excited,"Joebear said as he put two pieces of pizza on a plate and handed it to me. He also grabbed a glass of water for me.

"Yes, Bae-hiccup-whuhh!" I shouted. I hiccupped and tried to drink water upside down. I drank a bit before I heard scratching at the door.

"What the?" Joebear asked as he headed to the door. I followed him.

The scratching continued. We looked out the front window and saw a black and white applehead chihuahua scratching at the door.

"Awwawwwww!!!" I shouted with a hiccup.

"Why?" Joebear asked the dog outside. "What is it? Who are you?"

"I am Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas. Bruce Balalalalalalalalalas sends his thanks and regards for helping him... us... find a new tribe of bears to commune with," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

I laughed so hard at his last name that my hiccups went away. "You're welcome, Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas... haha. You're a beautiful boy," I said.

"Thank you," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said. "My last name is hilarious, I know. I struggle to say it without barking quickly in amusement." He laughed like a dog.

"Yeah? What nationality is it?" I asked.

"No idea. You'd have to ask Bruce," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

"You do realize that I know two Bruces now," I said. The timer for the pizzas went off. Joebear tended to the oven. He took out Kiel the Frog's pizza and delivered it to him.

"Yes. Bruce Ace drove us here," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said. "Are you cooking pizzas in there?"

"Yes. Joebear is putting more of them in the oven," I said.

"Good. I ate one, but I have a bear's appetite. I'd like another," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said with an affirmative bark.

Just as I was ready to let him eat again, I heard the United Kingdom national anthem playing loudly outside.

"Are you serious? I thought we left the United Kingdom on Earth," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

"Nope. The United Kingdom got the hell off Earth," I said as I opened the door and saw a United Kingdom spacecraft in the air. I blinked. Some wild shit was going to happen soon.

"What the hell?" Joebear shouted before he joined us outside. "Well, the elite from the United Kingdom wasted no time getting here."

Kiel the Frog croaked loudly.

"Yes, Kiel, it is crazy," Joebear said.

I heard a loud sigh coming from the right side of me. Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas bolted toward the sighing Bruce Bananas and his quieter mate, Abigail Ace.

Bruce Bananas turned toward the United Kingdom spaceship and sighed.

Miss Oreo meowed loudly.

"What, Oreo, whaddya want?" I asked.

Miss Oreo rubbed up against my leg.

"Whaddya want?" I asked as I pet her.

"More imperialist bullshit. I guess we couldn't have enough on Earth, huh? SIGH!!!!!" Bruce Bananas said with a sigh and growl.

Miss Oreo meowed loudly.

Bruce Bananas turned to Miss Oreo. "If this keeps up, our stay on this planet is temporary. We never learn, do we?" he asked.

Miss Oreo laid down and stared at him thoughtfully. Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas sat next to her and nodded to Bruce Bananas.

"You have made yet another wise observation, Father. I am honored to be your dog," Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas said.

"Thank you," Bruce Bananas said as he leaned down to pet Maxwell Balalalalalalalalalas.

Miss Oreo stared at Bruce Bananas before she went to see Kissy who was drinking from the stream.

Abigail Ace saw that the ship was coming closer to landing. "Xara, I must bathe at once. Royalty is coming. Please allow me to use your shower," she said quickly. Her blue eyes were wide.

"Sure thing, Abigail Ace," I said as I led her to the shower.

Kissy growled lowly at Miss Oreo who was staring her down.

"Girls!" I shouted as I approached Kissy and Miss Oreo. The cats scattered. Miss Oreo kept meowing. "Oreo, quit. Oreo. Oreo."

"Thank you," Abigail Ace said as we entered the house.

Miss Oreo was following me and meowing. She stared intently at me.

"Oreo, quuuuuiiiiittttt!" I sang as I was showing Abigail Ace where the master bathroom was.

"She must need you," Abigail Ace said as she was heading in the shower.

"Yep," I said as Miss Oreo was rubbing up against my leg. I saw her and realized that she needed cat business and an ass beating.

[hopevalley]

do you think the writers will make Elizabeth pregnant?

I think there’s a very real possibility of it. It would at least give the illusion of a happy ending for the characters; lots of people romanticize the idea of having their lover’s baby to remember them by. Personally I think that’s a lot of garbage for most people. Imagine raising a baby alone, in 1915. Babies are a lot of work. Some might draw comfort in having that “part” of their spouse around, but I think most people would just end up feeling overwhelmed by the extra responsibility when they’re still deep in the grieving process.

So on the plus side we definitely have the, you know, concept of a bittersweet season finale. The writers/showrunners would want to push the idea that a baby is a good thing, because they want everyone back for the next season. So you know it would be written like, hey, this is exactly what Elizabeth needs to help her work through her grief!! A pregnancy!

And I think, too, on the upside you have a lot of potential storylines involving baby talk with her friends who have children: unwanted advice, the neverending arguments about how to let your baby sleep (“if you let them sleep on their back they’ll choke on their own spitup and die!”), how to raise children, how to know when you’re in labor, how bad and terrible labor is (“but don’t scare her, haha!”), and everyone in Hope Valley pitching in to welcome the new baby into the world (Bill providing a bassinet, maybe Carson makes the crib, Clara sews some cute outfits…). They could even include some sweet little things, like godparents (Abigail and Bill, probably, but I would love Julie as the godmother)…and family coming to visit (Tom, Julie, Mr. Thatcher, Charlotte), little sweet moments like Elizabeth drawing comfort from the new life, smell of the baby, maybe going back to writing journal entries except they’re still letters to Jack… And of course, people pitching in to help her while she’s recovering from labor, Abigail enjoying having a baby around, Bill getting spit-up on his shirt but secretly not minding because he misses having a child.

On the downside, it’s…cheesy. It’s the obvious route. It feels manipulative, like a sad consolation prize. “Here, you can’t have Jack, but take a baby.” I worry about them forcing a lot of drama into the whole thing: morning sickness, bed rest, miscarriage scares, none of which are necessary and none of which would impact the story long-term because hey, this is WCtH where character development only sticks so well (and only for certain characters). It also paints the writers into a corner where they have to work around a pregnancy and then, later, a baby. It doesn’t sound that bad, but babies are unpredictable and filming with one is a pain. Imagine every scene with Elizabeth having to also have the baby, or a crib of some kind. Redoing scenes because the baby cries. It’s a lot of frustration to work with. And like, this “character” can’t just disappear. I’m also annoyed at the mere idea of dealing with constant drama surrounding the baby, too: oh it’s sick or colicky or needs goat-milk or gets whopping cough. Like…no thanks. I don’t need that. I don’t want it.

TL;DR: It’s very likely, and done right, the choice to make Elizabeth pregnant could be really fun! But done wrong it would end up grating and tiresome and we’d all end up hating it.

[icariahq]

Thanks for applying JJ! We look forward to seeing Billy around the island. Make sure to send your blog in within the next 24 hours or reach out to us if you need an extension. Melissa Benoist is now taken.

BASE APP

( Melissa Benoist, cisfemale, she/her ) ⌇ have you seen Abigail ‘Billy’ Franklin around icaria? they are the 26-year-old child of Eris. they remind me of neverending kindness, sunshine dappled cheeks, and fear of the unknown. They’ve been on the island for 3 years.

  EXPAND

  NAME / PRONOUNS | AGE | TIMEZONE

  JJ/ she/her/ 21/ EST

ROLEPLAYING EXPERIENCE

Almost 10 years, my Tumblr blog actually turned 8 today lol

  TRIGGERS 

I have a huge phobia of death so too much conversation about it gives me panic attacks. That includes mentions of the afterlife and that stuff.

  IC INFO:

  WHO ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE ISLE?

  FACECLAIM: Melissa Benoist

NAME: Abigail ‘Billy’ Dorothy Franklin

AGE: 26

BIRTHDAY: December 25th, 1993

OCCUPATION: Occupational therapist/Author

HOMETOWN:

PETS: Ducky (3-year-old white terrier) 

POWERS: 

Emotional manipulation

  BIOGRAPHY:

 TW: Physical and Mental abuse, mentions of rape, and death

On December 25th, 1993 Elizabeth Franklin, a veterinarian and a mother to a two-year-old, gave birth to Abigail Dorothy Franklin. Or at least that’s what everyone was told. From the day she was born she was her mother’s pride and joy and her father’s disappointment. Abigail was not the boy preacher John Franklin wanted. She was born sickly and deaf as well which just made her disappoint him more.

  Elizabeth loved her two daughters dearly and when Abigail was 3 years old gave her younger daughter the nickname that would stick for life. Billy was the affectionate nickname for the three-year-old who loved goats. Tragedy struck for the Franklin family when Billy was six and her mom died, leaving the family grief-stricken. Their father turned to alcohol to numb his pain and the girls suddenly became the object of his tempers. The physical abuse was bad, the mental and emotional abuse was worse.

  Billy adored her big sister though and wanted to follow her everywhere. Her sister went through phases of liking this, tolerating it, and downright hating it. When her s graduated high school she left town and never looked back, leaving Billy alone to handle the fallout. Billy got pregnant around the same time when George, her friend and the boy her father had decided to take under his wing, talked her into having sex with him. A sheltered Billy didn’t know any better, she hardly knew sex existed. She was 16 when she had her daughter Wisteria Austen Franklin on October 31st, 2010. Her father forced her to stay with George and get married, but he was not a good husband. Suddenly two men controlled and abused her. That’s when Billy started to sink into mental illness that had been brewing and hiding. She had so little control over anything and so little esteem. Billy started to self-harm. 

  When Wisteria was two years old she was diagnosed with Autism and Billy didn’t have time to be sick anymore. Wisteria would always come first. 

  A year later George and her father got into a car accident and died, leaving Billy free for the first time in nineteen years. She found a new college and got a new job. She published three books. However, the scars of her lack of freedom remained. 

  Billy’s self-harm relapsed with a vengeance. It got to the point where she was very unhealthy It was during the first few months that Billy sunk to her lowest, unable to overcome the years of trauma catching up. It took an attempt at suicide and yet another man controlling her (taking her body and ignoring her pleading of ‘no’) for her to get back to somewhere healthy. By that point, she was already pregnant and there was nothing to do about it.

  Aslan Christie was born on July 4th, 2017, a healthy and happy baby boy. Billy shaped it up and went back to being the mom her daughter deserved and the mom her son needed. She published another two books and worked hard. 

  After stumbling across a brochure for somewhere called Icaria, Billy decided she would pack up her and her kids and go find somewhere new to live. It would be a fresh start. It was there she discovered that her parents had lied to her. Billy was never her mother’s daughter, she had been the product of an affair with a Greek god by her father. Her mother, the beautiful wonderful person she was, took Billy in like it was nothing. She never loved Billy any less, never let it show that something was amiss. 

  Billy preferred to live in denial that her actual birth mother was Eris. It was a fact she refused to believe. She didn’t want to believe in Greek gods either, she was a good Christian girl.

  Eventually, she settled down with a nice man who loved her kids and her. They had Liesel Shelley Franklin, born April 12th, 2020. They have been very happy so far.

  ANYTHING ELSE:

Rawr xD

[sarahsilverdog-blog-blog]

One Problem At A Time Ch. 7

WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

Remind me that the most fertile lands

Were built by the fires of volcanoes.

~Andrea Gibson, The Madness Vase

It was slow going, trudging along the rocky, boulder-strewn banks of the Strawberry River, made slower by the rickety, improvised travois that was hauling the sample cooler and a few spare weapons they had managed to salvage from the ruined trucks. Everything else had been absolutely destroyed by the thundering goat herd, and all of their phones carrying the hybrid repellant frequency had long since lost battery power. Morris Brown remembered some kind of a maintenance shack at the edge of Starvation Dam, he didn't think it would be manned anymore but there could be a radio. The dam was only a mile or so away but the terrain was so rough they were not making good time, it was hot and there was little vegetation and scant shade, but when the sun went down the heat would dissipate quickly and it would be best if they were inside if possible.

Tessa and Dariela trudged along together at the head of the line, scanning the rocks and hills ahead for danger. They were both drenched in sweat, and Tessa wiped her brow and said, "This humidity is nuts. We're in the desert."

"We're close to a river." Dariela replied, flicking the sweat from her own forehead, "that would explain some of the humidity, but it’s still really wet out here.”

Tessa panted a few more steps "So, how is Abe doing on the sterility cure?”

Dariela shrugged "He was close to a cure when left. Really close." Tessa hadn't hidden her eagerness for the answer. "You and Jackson going to…?”

Tessa grinned and glanced at Jackson, who was trailing the travois, protecting it from the rear. "I don't know, I mean l want to, I hope he does.”

“I'm going to have two more," Dariela said, looking dreamily up into the barren hills. "I want a girl, at least one." She stopped, pointing up at one of the rocky outcroppings. It was smeared black with soot and she observed, "Looks like there must have been some kind of fire here.”

“Maybe," Tessa gestured at the desolate terrain, "But it doesn’t seem like there's enough fuel around here for much of a fire."

They made it to the dam and any hope of finding help was dashed, Jackson could tell immediately it had not been maintained in some time. The operators had left the spillway open and water crashed ten stories down to the rocks below, forging heavy spray that thickly fogged the river bottom. Cracks zigzagged up the concrete walls and various bushes and grasses sprouted from every orifice where they could get a hold in the side The guard shack could be seen at the top, on the opposite side of the river, which meant they had to cross the derelict dam.

Jackson sighed and they started up the rock-studded cliffs to the top: he, Tessa, and Dariela in the lead, Brown and two of his men pulling the travois, and Brown's other two men guarding their back. They reached the top and started across the spine of the levee. It was narrow, only about ten feet wide, with a dizzying fall to the rocks on one side and a deep reservoir on the other, though as Jackson swept the reservoir he saw something slither through the water towards them. "Heads up!" he shouted, pointing to the wake the monster was leaving in the water, "Water snake! A huge one! Watch the side!”

They started across the dike, slowly, everyone on alert, guns raised. Their concentration was on the reservoir, watching the water for the snake but a loud, rhythmic thumping, like helicopter blades but slower, heavy and dark in the fog below the dam got their attention. Jackson stopped the team to tell them to turn back- if the ramshackle structure was about to collapse they didn't want to be in the middle of it but the whup-whup sound got louder and he could feel the very concrete vibrating beneath his feet and his bones vibrated in the core of his body and suddenly the dusky gray cement of the dam was shaded by a giant black shadow, an unearthly shriek rent the air around them and they all cowered as the shadow soared over them, flapping its leathery black and silver wings as it passed, creating a wind so fierce it nearly knocked Jackson down.

“Holy shite,” Brown said, his jaw dropping. "Is that a...dragon?”

It looked like a huge razorback that had been given wings, all glistening silver and black spikes and huge, slavering teeth and it's long, jagged tail swiped at the two men bringing up the rear as it passed, knocking them screaming from the dam, down to the rocky river below. "Run!" Jackson shouted, and they all sprinted for the other side, but Brown and his two remaining men lifted their rifles and started firing at the monster, Jackson ran back to grab the travois Brown's men had dropped as the dragon circled around, pulled up even with Brown and his men and let loose a stream of fire from his searing jaws that turned Brown and his men to ashes echoing with agonizing screams. Jackson fell to the ground behind them, feeling the scorching fire as it passed over him, trying to get as low as he could as the dragon circled again, then dove back toward the bottom of the dam, disappearing into the misty fog.

Jackson sprang to his feet and ran, catching Dariela and Tessa as they reached the guard shack, broke open the door and dove in, slamming it shut as they sat silent but for their ragged breathing. "Jesus," Jackson croaked, reaching over to Tessa to make sure she was okay. "Is everyone alright?"

Dariela sat up, panting with terror, leaning against a metal desk that took up the majority of the little room. "Brown and his men sure aren’t. That thing barbecued them."

Jackson rose slowly to his feet, favoring his injured wrist as he used the desk for leverage. "Let's see if we can find a radio. As much as I hate it, we need Jamie to come back for us.”

***

Abe was discreet enough to leave while they finished getting themselves together, and Jamie picked up the navigational tablet and changed their course back to the south, at least heading them in the direction of Jackson until she could find out exactly where he was.

"So, a dragon, and apparently not the Komodo type," Mitch said as he sat on the bed, jerking his shoes on testily. “Things just keep getting better and better."

He was still hot about the Abigail/Duncan remark and she dropped onto the end of the bed beside him and leaned against his solid warmth, trying to communicate with her body what she found so hard to put into words. Sometimes it amazed her that as someone who organized words into stories for a living, when it came time to use them in her personal life, her command of them usually deserted her at the most critical junctures. "I'm sorry,” she apologized softly, "about what I said. I'm going down to tell Abe yes, l will test the fertility cure for him," she raised her gaze to his and said fiercely, "because if there are going to be any little Mitch Morgan hybrids running around here, they are going to be mine.” The kiss this time was deeper, longer, intensely possessive, then she was gone, leaving his lips burning and his brain spinning; the bio-drive in his head had been a cakewalk compared to what Jamie was doing to him at the moment, springing babies and fertility on him with no warning and hurling unadulterated commitment at him with such careless abandon. He needed a drink but instead of heading for the bar he found his feet carrying him to the computer lab, where he knew he would find Jamie.

He walked in to Abe's deep, smooth voice, "Jackson couldn't give me much information, the battery in his radio was almost dead. They are on the Strawberry River in Utah, some place called Starvation Dam. Brown and his team was wiped out by the – I can’t believe am saying this - dragon. He has enough radio power left for me to contact him and let him know where to meet us.”

Jamie went to her bank of computers and Mitch joined her, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder in a gesture of forgiveness as she pulled up real-time detailed satellite pictures of the Starvation Dam area and started scanning through them rapidly, searching for a place that would make a suitable landing spot for the plane. "What about the IADG?” she asked, "Do they have a team closer that can extract him? We're still at least two or three hours away.”

"No." Abe said in a tone that made them both look up from the satellite pictures. "The IADG evacuated east of the wall, and they are trying to help people flee. The hybrids are spreading, even though it hasn't even been 48 hours. Look," he tapped on one of the computers and a news broadcast came on, a somber newscaster recounting the horrible things happening in Boulder as people's pets and farm animals were being killed by some creature or creatures, then coming back as a monster and attacking anyone they came in contact with, even their owners. The accompanying video was littered with the bloodied bodies of humans and animals alike.

Mitch shook his head in frustration at the news but without the samples there wasn't much he could do about it, and at the moment another question was on the front burner. "We need to get the hybrid repellant frequency information to IADG. It could be useful to them, Abe, can you help me with that?" Mitch jerked his head at the lab and motioned for Abe to follow him. Once they were safely out of Jamie's hearing, Mitch said in a near-whisper, “Um, so Jamie brought up an interesting point a little while ago and I would like to get your opinion on it. Doctor/patient like opinion," he clarified.

They trotted down the stairway to the lab, and Abe's curiosity got the better of him. "I would love to give you my opinion. Doctor patient opinion, of course.”

Mitch stopped on the bottom step. "Jamie seems to think that because I had to be put in the stasis tank well before the twelve hour period it took for the TX-14 gas to spread, and was likely not taken out until the gas had diffused into the atmosphere enough for it to be ineffective on me, l may not be sterile. May not have ever been sterile." He shuddered at the idea of what Abigail could have used him for but pushed the thought away.

Abe nodded his head as Mitch spoke, smiling as the implications and possibilities hit him. "Yes, she is correct, I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. Would you like me to test you?"

“Well, yeah," Mitch whispered snidely, rolling up his sleeve. “Especially since Jamie has agreed to be your little practice egg factory. I kinda want to know what l'm getting into.”

Abe chuckled as he opened a nearby drawer and took out a needle and a glass vial. "I gave her the first treatment a few minutes before you joined us. I wondered if she was going to tell you about it.”

“Well, she did," Abe quickly swabbed Mitch's arm with alcohol, slid the needle in and then removed the vial with a swift movement as Mitch rolled his sleeve back down.

“It seems you two are closer than ever,” he smiled heartily at Mitch, "I am glad to see it. I was afraid that her recent poor decision making would be the end of you two, but it appears to have brought you together." Abe carried the sample to one of the workstations, opened a cabinet and took out a bottle of clear liquid, siphoning out a couple of cc's of the fluid and dropping it into a glass tube. He then used a syringe to withdraw a few drops of Mitch's blood from the vial and added it to the solution, placing a gloved finger over the opening and shaking it gently, "But then what does not kill you only makes you stronger.”

Mitch rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the words of wisdom, Obi Wan. I should look like the Hulk by now.” He jerked his head at the tube in Abe’s hand. “How long is this going to take?" Abe just smiled as he stopped shaking the mixture and held the glass tube up to the light.

The liquid had turned a bright blue and the delight on Abe’s face was the only answer Mitch needed. “Oh-kay. Well, that was faster than l expected." He took a deep breath and cut his eyes at Abe, just to be sure. “I’m not sterile?”

“No, my friend, you are not," Abe chuckled, patting Mitch on the back. "Congratulations!”

“Yeah,” Mitch replied tersely, handing Abe a small drive from his pocket; he suddenly needed a drink. "The hybrid repellant frequency information is on this drive, get it to the IADG, I’m going to go see if Jamie has come up with anything." He ducked out of the lab, clattering up the stairs to the bar where he poured himself a shot, downed it in one swallow, then marched down the hallway to what had been his room, knocking softly on the door until Clem opened it. She was holding Baby Sam to her breast while he nursed, and Mitch recoiled as she pulled the door open, turning away and covering his eyes. "Come on, Clem," he said, "I know it's just a biological function but you're my daughter and I am barely used to you having a baby much less…lady…parts…” he finished lamely as his daughter rolled her eyes and turned her back on him, motioning for him to come into the room. Sam was sleeping in Mitch's bed and he looked much better, though Mitch was fairly sure it was the nurse more than the nursing that was helping him heal.

"What's up, Dad?" Clem asked, laying baby Sam over her shoulder and covering herself up. She patted his back gently until he let out a loud, drooling belch, then she gently wiped his mouth and handed him to his grandfather. Mitch handled the bundle awkwardly for a second, then got Sam comfortably tucked into his arms and he cooed and smiled over the baby, marveling at the little creature that was his grandson. "So, we have turned around and we are headed to Utah to rescue Jackson, Tessa, and Dariela. Apparently they were attacked by a – bear with me here - dragon, and need a ride.”

"A dragon? Like a fire-breathing giant lizard?” Clem asked in surprise, then grinned as she said softly, "Grandpa would have loved that. A truly mythical monster." She caught Mitch’s expression and added, "But that's not why you're here, is it?"

“Uh, no, it isn't." He kissed his grandson on the forehead and muttered, "I need to talk to you. About Jamie. A...situation has come up and you are probably the only person who can tell me what I need to know."

Clementine folded her arms across her chest and stared at her father "Well, am intrigued. What kind of situation?"

Mitch lifted the baby in his arms a fraction and said, "This kind." He wrinkled his nose as a particularly noxious smell reached him and he handed Sam back to his mother and said, "Your department, Mom." Clem took her baby and took a whiff too, turning her face away with a grimace. "Anyway, Jamie brought up an interesting point earlier, that because of my time in the stasis tank I may not have been sterilized with the rest of the world, so l had Abe test me. Turns out Jamie was right, I am a fully functional baby-maker, and in a really fun twist, Jamie has agreed to be Dr. Kenyatta's sterility cure lab rat and has already taken the first treatment-“

Clem interjected, "Does Jamie know? About you?"

"Well, not definitively. yet. She suspected it, it was her suggestion-“

"Tell her now." Clem was immediately serious. "This isn't the kind of thing you keep from someone.”

“I know, Clem, but that is kind of the reason I'm here." He felt his face flush hot with embarrassment, and glad that Clem wasn’t looking at him, plowed ahead. "I haven't asked you much about.. what it was like, for you, growing up, but l need to know... what was she like? As a mom, when you lived with her." It was still painful, knowing how much he had missed of her life, and between lack of time to talk and the unpleasantness of the beer revelation he hadn't asked her much about her past, with Jamie or with Max.

Clem smiled as she lay Sam out on the bed, swiftly removing his soiled diaper. “She was amazing. We struggled at first, I mean we were both very sad and very angry and she blamed herself for...well, for a lot of things. But she tried to make it as normal as she could, made sure l went to school, and ate healthy food, and did my homework, and we went to the movies, and museums-“ she stopped at the look of wistful sadness on Mitch's face. "And she made sure I knew you, who you were, what you did, everything about you. She talked about you all the time and she would just glow, thinking about you made her light up, even in front of Logan," Mitch smiled at that, and his heart twisted around Jamie's a little more. "I know she's different from who you remember, but she's still Jamie." She paused as she deftly re-swaddled the baby and cuddled him close as he closed his eyes in contentment.

"We’ve only been together for a couple of weeks...it's a little sudden-“

Clem scoffed at his reasoning. "You and Jamie have been together for eleven years, Dad, you just spent some of it apart."

“Some of it? That's a bit of a stretch," he snorted in turn, then added, "but I get your meaning." He sighed irritably and rolled his head to the side, squinting at Clementine. "She told me today that she wanted to make little Mitch Morgan hybrids.”

Clementine burst out laughing. "I know you aren't the best at reading women, but that's pretty straightforward." She smiled and held up her son, freshly changed, sleeping soundly in her arms. "Just think about it. A kid that's half you, half Jamie? That's going to be one brilliant know-it-all little badass.”

***

She was still flicking through satellite photos when he came back to the computer lab/kitchen, carrying a bottle of vodka and two glasses. He poured her a drink and handed it to her as he snarked, "If you get pregnant you cant drink for at least nine months.”

She didnt raise her eyes from the screen but took the glass and swallowed a long, deep draught before replying, "Well, that’s a deal breaker, then."

"Good to know, Ill make sure I keep the bar stocked." He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, looking over her shoulder at the barren desert in the satellite photos. "Because it turns out you were right." He took another swallow of his drink.

"I know I am,” she replied cheekily, "Can you be more specific?"

"Very funny," he retorted. "You know what mean."

Jamie leaned back in her chair, her usually warm brown eyes afire as she turned to him. "And how do you feel about that?"

"Confused. Stunned." He paused, and took another swallow of his drink, meeting Jamie's eyes over the rim of the glass as she quirked an eyebrow at him. "Excited.” He broke the gaze. “Scared.”

Jamie was quiet for a few seconds, then she leaned forward in her chair and took the bottle from Mitch, pouring herself another drink. “l never thought would want to be a mother. When my friends were all pushing baby dolls in carriages and playing with Barbies, I was playing reporter and asking my uncle about dairy prices and hog futures." She chuckled a little to herself at the memory, then raised her gaze to meet Mitch's. "Then my mother died and you know how it went from there. Children were never a priority, they were an afterthought, something l would consider after l brought Reiden down, after l avenged my mother, and my hometown, and everyone else they had destroyed-“ she reined herself in, swallowing the words at the tip of her tongue and a paused a second to collect herself before she continued, "And then you came along, with your lions acting lion-y, and your genius theories, and love for your daughter," she laughed with a rueful shake of her fiery hair, “and your inexplicable faith in me despite my obvious shortcomings, and for the first time l allowed myself to think about a family with you, and with Clementine, and who knows? Maybe that's what we would have done in Maine but," she looked away from him, "fate had other plans, didn't it?”

“I wanted you to be Clementine's family," Mitch said gruffly.

“It's not the same and you know it," Jamie replied sharply. "But even if you hadn’t…died, we would have been sterilized, so I came to terms with it, just like the rest of humanity. Even when you came back to me, I didn't let myself dream of family again, I was too far down the rabbit hole.” She stopped, her gift of words deserting her again so she set her drink down and took his hands. "Then I held your grandson, Mitch, and l looked into those beautiful little eyes, held that tiny little hand in mine and something in me changed. My...priorities changed.”

Abe's deep baritone interrupted their silence. "I just finished up with the IADG, they are very appreciative for the information and they are going to implement the repellant frequency as widely and as quickly as they can," he poked his head in before entering, making sure he wasn't interrupting anything. "Have you had any luck finding a rendezvous point for Jackson?”

“Ye- yes," Jamie said, taking her hands away from Mitch's and turning back to the computers as Mitch cleared his throat and picked up the vodka bottle and glasses, and Jamie tapped at the screen. "An abandoned highway, about a mile and a half north of the dam. Looks like they built a newer road and didn't tear up the old one. Long enough to land the plane and take off again.”

Abe bent over the screen to take a look and nodded. "Yes, that will do well. Let me get the coordinates and I will radio Jackson immediately. How long before we get there?”

Jamie tapped the screen thoughtfully, doing some mental calculations and said, "About two hours. Give or take." She jotted down the coordinates and handed them to Abe, who pulled a radio from his rear pocket and pressed the call button. Jackson's voice crackled over the speaker. "Give me good news, Abe.”

Abe relayed the coordinates to the makeshift runway to Jackson, who said, "Okay. Be careful, the dragon is still here, flying around. It knows we're still here, it's waiting for us to make a move but the sun is going to set soon, we’ll head out then, maybe it won't chase us in the dark." The radio started to cut out and it crackled as he said, "There's also a giant water snake in the upper portion of the river.”

Mitch interjected, "Tell him to get blood samples if he can!”

Jackson retorted, "Tell Mitch to go fuck himself. He can get his own samples if he wants them."

Abe and Jamie laughed, but the gears started turning in Mitch’s head. "Copy that," he answered, and let Abe finish the radio call before asking, "I have an idea. I think we can get some dragon blood. Do you still have the sample collecting crossbow you got on Pangaea?”

***