#i'd look so pretty in my little maternity dresses

[owbaby]

I just think someone should get me pregnant already

[ftmtf-doll]

Want my friends and family to be concerned when we announce that I'm pregnant. I've always been so adamant that it would never happen to me, my dysphoria being too strong. You'll laugh and say it was an accident, wrapping your arm possessively around my shoulder and saying that I'm keeping it.

No one says anything as my body slowly feminizes, not wanting to make me feel bad about having to go off testosterone for the baby. They're all pretty sure it's more than just pregnancy hormones, it's almost like I'm deliberately trying to look more feminine. But I seem happy enough, so no one mentions it when my hair starts growing long and start shaving all my body hair off

It doesn't help that you're always by my side, talking about how excited we both are to be parents, how wonderfully the pregnancy is going. We get a couple concerned looks whenever you call me the mom-to-be, but I just smile and laugh so it must be fine, right? Surely we talked about this and I'm OK with it

Soon enough I'm wearing exclusively maternity dresses, more often than not low cut ones that show off my breasts which have grown significantly with the pregnancy. We just couldn't find anything else that fit, you explain to our friends who don't fully believe you, but i don't seem too bothered by it so they let it go. Soon some of them start slipping up, accidentally misgendering me. It's an honest mistake every time, its just that well... I really don't look like a man anymore. You laugh and say it's ok whenever they apologize, saying that I'm used to it since strangers see a pregnant person and automatically assume they're a woman.

It's right before the baby comes that you start posting a bunch of cutesy couple photos showing off my warped body, all using my dead name and calling me she/her. Everyone sees it, and everyone talks about it. Some saying they can't believe this, that I'd always seemed so happy as a man. Others saying they'd seen it coming in how I acted over my pregnancy. Some are concerned, worrying if this is really what I want, but surely I would say something if I didn't want this so they leave it be

It's after the baby comes that I officially tell people I'm no longer a man. Well, you tell people for me. I'm just soo busy with the baby and recovery, after all. And if I seem stressed or upset, it's just me getting used to motherhood. Totally not because of anything else

Little do they know, you poked holes in the condom to get me pregnant all with the goal of turning me into your perfect wife. I never wanted any of this, never wanted to be a woman, but you slowly but surely wore me down and changed my body forever. Convinced all our friends that this is what i wanted, that it was my choice. How could I ever explain to everyone that my perfect loving doting partner tricked me, forced this upon me? No one would ever believe me

You're already planning on putting the next baby in me

[reorientation]

Rest stop anon again 😊 it's been about 9 weeks since I got knocked up by a stranger and a lot has changed for me. Most of the physical changes aren't noticeable enough yet for my friends to mention but my family has been slipping up by calling me a girl again and I haven't once corrected them. I stopped taking T as soon as I got a positive pregnancy test and I've been putting a lot of effort into taking care of myself and following doctors advice which has made me look much more feminine in general. I've been slowly phasing out all of my more masculine clothes for softer colours and more fitted clothes, I even went and got fitted for bras for the first time in years! Pretty soon I'll completely present as a girl again and then I'll tell people to treat me like it again ^^

I went back to that rest stop a few more times hoping to hook up but also maybe hoping to find the man who got me pregnant in the first place. I'm not sure if it's hotter to me to let the man stay a stranger or find him to show him what he did but I think I'll give up on looking for him. I've been much more horny and sensitive lately so I downloaded some apps for hooking up because I can't go into the mens washroom anymore now that I've stopped trying to look like a man so I've spent most of my free time being used by men 😌 the last guy practically worshipped my tits before fucking them and cumming all over them and since then I've been obsessively playing with them. Maybe I should get my nipples pierced some day..

This kink has made my life spiral into something so so good and I can't wait for when I'm further into my pregnancy and the only thing I'll be seen as is a woman. Thank you for letting me share this with you and everyone else ❤❤❤

(Previously)

You're always welcome here, good girl. ❤️

One of the most beautiful things about pregnancy - especially in former "boys" - is that "yet". The changes aren't casually noticeable enough yet. They don't all know what a stranger did to your body (or rather, what your body is doing for a stranger) yet. But they will. Every day it becomes a little more obvious, even as you pull that day of discovery a little closer by picking out clothes that flatter your changing curves.

It almost feels a little futile for you to finally get fitted for a bra at this stage, though. You're only nine weeks in, little first-time-mommy. Your breasts have so much more to grow.

If it were me who had knocked you up, I think the sweetest way to find out would be to see you again at that rest stop eight or nine months later - fully transformed and looking radiant in a maternity dress. I'd love for that to be my two memories of you: a scared little "boy" dripping my cum in a men's bathroom stall, and a woman whose body and life had been reshaped by the baby I put inside her.

But for now, you've got more growing to do, and that pregnant little pussy of yours deserves the rewards of serving men. Have fun on those apps, sweetheart. It's not like you can get any more pregnant, after all. ❤️

[crystallinestars]

I agree with you, it does feel very fetish-y because it is a fetish. I would say the fandom has done it more than Hoyoverse themselves, but Haikaveh fans have 'heterosexualized' ( I am aware that is not a word, but I am unable to think of a better term.. ) a pairing that they insist is exclusively gay. I am alarmed by the amount of people who refer to Kaveh as Alhaitham's wife and the jokes about Kaveh being on maternity leave is getting old very quickly. There is no problem with a feminine and masculine same-sex duo, but this.. is stereotyping and downright sexist. Why is the more emotional one the 'woman' in the relationship? Why is there even a 'woman' in it at all if it doesn't involve an actual one?!?! Kaveh is, in my opinion, a perfect balance of your typical femininity and masculinity. I see him as rather high maintenance, but that does not equal femininity in any way, shape or form. I have seen people say that with both Aventurine and Kaveh are feminine / gay because they dress nicely... 😟 That's especially weird with Kaveh, considering some of it is cultural, and perhaps it's apart of Aventurine's facade due to his lore. It makes me laugh, actually. And in one of your previous asks, I forgot how much people were crapping themselves over the one (1) shot of Alhaitham and Kaveh.. standing next to each other. I saw someone say that the way Kaveh sat in the scene where they were at home was gay and they provided a photo (you could only see a little bit of his thighs, ankles and below that. I'm pretty sure his ankles were only slightly crossed.) Then I saw someone else post a picture of them and spamming the caption with the f slur. I audibly gasped at both of them. You couldn't even see Kaveh's legs, and how do you 'sit' gay?!?! Being masculine is when you do not care for your appearance and have a rock hard eight pack, are as tall as a skyscraper or something, and walk in the stiffest way possible.. I don't know.. That's what others make it sound like. Others were saying that they were getting along and that meant they were in love in Cyno's new story quest. Cyno's second story quest was very good and I am so disappointed to see people making it all about Haikaveh and not even enjoying the actual story! These people are dead serious about all of this, too. It absolutely baffles me. On a lighter note, I'd like to propose a potential pairing. I enjoy them regardless of whether they are romantic or not; but what are your thoughts on Kaveh and Kokomi? I find Kokomi to be easy to pair others with, and overall I think her personality would be good for him. I'd say she has a good balance between being logical and being in tune with her emotions, which, IMO, is precisely the type of person Kaveh needs. They're both very sweet and very pretty, too! 💗 I've been tempted to make a list of characters and what kind of personalities / types of people I think would be good for them, just for fun. Thank you for listening to all of our rambles! - 🪷🪽 ( To answer your question from before, I'll use both of these emojis, if that's all right ♡ )

Yes, you can be 🪷🪽!

I’ve already talked at length with another Anon about the feminization of Kaveh by fandom, and the heterosexual dynamics frequently applied to mlm pairings, so if you're curious, you can look at the post here.

I completely agree with your point that BL pairings get reduced to one guy being depicted as masculine, while the other as more feminine. It’s ironic since neither of them are women, but it’s something that happens A LOT. The pregnancy and Alhaitham’s wife jokes are straight up uncomfortable for me, and I really hate what fandom did to Kaveh.

Just because he dresses well and is more emotional, he gets painted as feminine because those traits are traditionally associated with women. I went into this more in-depth in the linked post, so I won’t repeat my points again, but in short: people need to stop associating certain traits with femininity and submission.

Kaveh is very masculine. He carries himself and behaves just like any other man, so it’s a massacre of his character to say he’s a feminine babygirl. He does have some feminine traits, but as you said, he has a nice balance between masculine and feminine. He’s what so many people in real life claim men should be.

Disappointed but not surprised they're using the most arbitrary examples to try and prove Kaveh's sexuality. They've done it before, and they'll do it again. Before you know it, they'll say breathing proves he's gay 😒 I'm curious, did they do such analyses for Alhaitham too? Not necessarily in your example, but some time in the past? I've never seen any for him, other than his color palette fitting the gay flag (which is such a strained argument).

Also nothing new about people focusing on their ship instead of the actual story. I've seen this behavior in other fandoms as well, and it's disappointing. It would be so much fun to see discussions about the story, lore, or character motivations instead of just ships.

Anon. I ADORE Kokomi. She is my favorite female Genshin character, and probably one of my favorite female characters overall! You better believe I thought about my favorite Genshin characters interacting!

Unlike you, I find it difficult to ship Kokomi (nobody feels good enough for my beloved Priestess 💔), so while I don't think a romance between them will work out, I am more than open to the concept and will entertain it for fun! They would indeed make the prettiest and sweetest couple in Teyvat ☺️ Kokomi would be a very calming influence for Kaveh. I can almost picture her guiding and helping him navigate his life for the better.

I also like the idea of Kaveh with Candace. Candace is gentle and caring, which is something I think Kaveh needs. Yet, she is firm and takes no nonsense, so she will chastise Kaveh when he needs it. I just think she would be great at keeping him on the right path. Alhaitham does it fairly well, but he's too abrasive with his wording, meanwhile Candace (and Kokomi!) would be more gentle. Plus, I can imagine Kaveh and Candace bonding over him designing the library for Aaru village.

It sounds like you're very into shipping? Or at least, character analysis. Kokomi and Kaveh is an idea I love a lot (though I may be biased since I love both characters to bits), so I'm curious about any other unconventional pairings you have. Are there any you want to share?

Anyways, sorry for replying so late. Hope you have a great day!

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hey Cas, so I don't really know how this works, but I really to get things out so I thought maybe this would help? I don't know, I'm sorry, I hope I'm not being a burden or anything, feel free to ignore this if you want

So, a little context, I'm a minor (younger end of teen) and I currently live in a country different than my own and don't speak the language well (I can only say basic things like please, thank you, etc) so getting help from public/government service thingies aren't really an option.

I am a girl, at least to everyone and everything else? Okay, I really don't know how to phrase this, like, afab, except I'm not trans, or am I? ??? Very lost in the gender section of life, am I a boy? Like, I used to like or at least not mind skirts and dresses, and now if I absolutely have to wear them I will, but I don't enjoy wearing them? And sometimes I do wear fancy dresses for fancy things, and I want to look pretty in the feminine sense, but not in the way of oh, I want to be this but more like oh, I want this doll to look pretty kind of way except I'm the doll? I kind of wish I was born a boy (even not for gender stuff but my grandparents are kind of sexist? Like my maternal ones are better but my paternal ones secretly really wish I was born a boy? And really it would've made life a lot easier) and I hate my boobs and I wish they would just go away and I'd have a flat chest again. It's not like I throw up or get nauseous or anything from well, being a girl, but I kind of don't want to? But if I have to do so for the rest of my life I would tolerate it? And when I was like a kid I was never like oh, I'm a boy I'm a boy (I did go through a phase where I wanted to pee standing up like a boy but that was a weird phase and we don't talk about that). I also have long-ish hair and I kind of want to cut it all off to be super short and well, boyish, but I can never really bring myself to do it because that'd be too much of a change for everyone else and I have bad memories of being made to cut my hair short in a way I didn't want.

Even if I was trans, I can't transition or at least, I don't think I'm brave enough to. The country I live in is supportive, and I do have citizenship in a country that is supportive, but I also have citizenship in one that is not and that's sort of a problem. My family (both my parents and extended, no siblings) is also a problem because they're kinda conservative, not like send your gay kid to conversion camp and kick them out conservative but like it's wrong conservative (mostly for trans people, being in a more open minded country has made them start to slightly tolerate the gays - shh, don't tell them I'm bi) and I feel like if I told them it would just change things and while they're not especially good now, they're not bad either and I want it to stay that way. There's also legal stuff like birth certificate (was born in different country than country I am in now and places I have citizenship in), account changes, and other personal stuff

I don't really match what people say dysphoria is like, and I feel like if I am trans I'm like a poser and I don't really know what to do and while my friends would be supportive I don't know how to tell them, and I know that because I have a rather large friend group it'll inevitably get out to the whole school and I don't want to be that kid

So yeah, sorry for dumping all the gender problems my sorry ass has on you, and again, if you want to ignore this you can definitely do so, I won't be upset or anything

Hi hon!

Okay, two things: First, you're getting WAY ahead of yourself, here. One step at a time. You're not sure about anything yet, so let's figure it out first, okay? Take some time, do some research and self-reflection, maybe find a few trusted people and try out some pronouns, some different ways of expressing your gender, explore a bit!

Second, if you do come to the conclusion you're trans, you don't HAVE to do anything. The only thing you have to do is whatever you're comfortable with. There's no pressure <3

Last, being trans is different for everyone. Dysphoria, needs, preferences...it varies. If you feel trans, you're not faking it.

Like I said: take some breaths and take some time. Do some research- look into trans creators who talk about being trans, and see if you can relate. Find reliable sources that talk about it. See if your feelings are reflected in those things you find. And remember that there's no pressure to label yourself or make any decisions <3

And you are NOT a burden.

Sending love!

Naming you context anon!

[chevaliermalfets]

Hello, I am already in love with with Morgan. I'd love to hear more about her, or know where I could read her story?

Also. In a world where men get their heads cut off and are fine, or grow to be as tall as trees, or hold their breath for nine days, I think we deserve some Mary Sue girlies. As a treat. :)

hiiii I haven't written anything for her (or arthuriana in general) but I have many thoughts that I'll put under a readmore

also you're SO right we do deserve some mary sue girlies. as a treat!!

some jumbled thoughts about morgan:

first off im the world's #1 supporter of arthur/guinevere/lancelot polyamory and also of playing with lancelot's gender, so in my version, lancelot is afab (possibly transmasc or nonbinary, I haven't fully decided) but presents as male so only a few people (arthur, guinevere, the lady of the lake (who raised him, let him dress masc and get trained as a knight, etc), maybe one or two others) know that he's not a cis man. also while arthur/guinevere/lancelot is very much a thing, they have to keep it secret, and there's still rumors that lancelot is sleeping with the queen (he is. he's also sleeping with the king. usually at the same time).

so at one point lancelot gets pregnant with arthur's child and they have problems because:

they can't exactly announce that their best knight is going on maternity leave

they want to acknowledge the baby as one of arthur's children

so the solution is to send lancelot "on a quest" where he just goes back to....the lady of the lake?? probably?? and chills with her for a while until he has baby morgan and he then secretly sends her to camelot

at the same time, guinevere fakes a pregnancy, and there's a bunch of rumors that lancelot is the father because of his conveniently timed "quest"

so when baby morgan arrives, arthur announces the baby to the court and the nobles/castle staff/etc are all clambering to see the baby to figure out if lancelot is the father. they all take one look and are like "oh. that's definitely arthur's child" (either through facial features, or im also thinking arthur and morgan have darker skin while both guinevere and lancelot have lighter skin) and some of them are a bit disappointed because they wanted to keep spreading rumors

morgan grows up in the castle and is friends with other nobles' kids, and she's jealous when the boys her age start to get knight training, so she watches the training from her window and tries to teach herself. when she's like 10, one of her friends' (still working on a name, calling her V for now) father (a knight?) dies (V's mother also died several years prior) and she's left destitute, but morgan sneaks her into the castle and hides her in her room and sneaks her food. (morgan's nanny catches on pretty quickly but doesn't say anything, she just makes sure there's always extra food left out in the room and plenty of clothes and toys)

by the time she's like 12, mordred can very clearly tell that his little sister is arthur's favorite and could pose a threat to his guaranteed succession to the throne, so he tries to kill her (poison?? maybe with the help of morgana or morgause?? or an "accident" when she's horseback riding??) and she's very sick for a few weeks. arthur strongly suspects it was mordred, but he doesn't have any evidence so he can't do anything about it.

to keep her safe, arthur decides to send her to a convent. she's upset about this and throws a fit because she doesn't realize she was poisoned, she just thinks she's being punished. she also realizes that she can't keep taking care of V if she's not living in the castle, so they hatch a Scheme™

when the knights come to escort morgan to the convent, she comes out of her room all ready to go with her hood pulled over her face and she's acting very pouty. the knights are all like "ugh why did we have to get stuck escorting the bratty princess" so they don't interact with her much, they just try to get this over with as soon as possible. they take her to the convent and introduce her to the nuns and get out of there. the nuns have never seen the princess so they don't realize that they're raising V instead of morgan

meanwhile morgan runs away, disguised as a boy, and starts training to be a knight for several years (possibly with the help of the lady of the lake)

after four years or so, arthur and guinevere send for morgan to come back to camelot to have a role in the court. when V shows up pretending to be morgan, no one knows the difference because they haven't seen her in four years and she looks close enough. V continues to live at court for several years doing princess things

eventually, lancelot and guinevere get caught, lancelot escapes, and guinevere is sentenced to be burnt at the stake. mordred knows lancelot is going to mount a rescue, so he plants a trap on the outskirts of camelot and captures him. being the dramatic Bitch��� that he is, he waits until the last minute (when they're leading guinevere to the stake) to tell arthur.

(I have this scene so clearly in my head. arthur is staring out the window at guinevere, he doesn't even turn when the big doors slam open, only looks when mordred begins speaking to him and tells him he has good news. his goons lead in a chained up knight with a bag over his head and force him onto his knees, then mordred says something like "I have captured the traitor knight" and pulls the bag off lancelot's head. lancelot and arthur lock eyes and lancelot is very clearly apologizing for failing while arthur just looks heartbroken, because not only does he have to watch guinevere burn now with no hope of her being rescued, but he'll also have to sentence the man he loves to death as well. arthur's forced to let the execution proceed and at the very last moment an army storms the square and a mysterious knight rescues guinevere and rides off with her. arthur and lancelot and relieved but also extremely confused because the knight's insignia is unfamiliar, and they have no idea what he intends to do with guinevere.)

surprise, the mysterious knight is morgan! she sends her army off to keep guinevere safe and goes to camelot under a flag of truce. she gets taken to arthur, but still wearing full armor with her visor down so no one knows who she is. she goes up to mordred and throws her glove down to challenge him to a duel to the death, claiming that he tried to kill her years ago. he doesn't deny it, saying he's tried to kill lots of people. they fight, she wins, while she has her sword to his throat she demands he withdraw the accusations against the queen and lancelot. he does, so she lets him live, but now lancelot and guinevere are free and can return to camelot.

morgan turns to arthur and pledges her loyalty and asks to be a knight of the round table, and he's so grateful that lancelot and guinevere are safe that he accepts. he asks her to stand and asks her name and to remove her helmet. she reveals that she's princess morgan, which V confirms (maybe morgan also shows a distinctive birthmark or something to further prove her identity)

yay! everyone's happy! morgan gets to be a knight and also be princess and also gets gay married to V.

I'm thinking also maybe redemption arc for mordred where he comes around to caring for morgan, maybe throws himself in front of a sword for her and tells her she'll be a good queen or smth as his last words

[psych---ologically-deranged]

psych 2x12 the old & the restless

anupam nigam & tim meltreger according

Alternate titles: If you lived here you'd be dead by now TM: It was too long. My first one was called If You're So Smart Then Why Are You Dead? AKA Little Man Hate! Other alternates for this one were Age Against The Machine & Old Case

Brian Doyle Murray TM: Anu is a human IMDB

"We had to make him an anti-henry & we see some of where adult Shawn's philosophy comes from in life. You've got to live by the seat of your pants

(their voices sound too similar for me) I was trying to be professional on set but I was like "I'm sorry can I please get a photo"

smash cut right into the case

AN: Do you write the entire pepisode in a room with a single 40 watt lightbulb hanging from the ceiling?

TM: The writer's room is the heart of our job here on psych, it's the nerve centre where we sit around on couches & beat out stories until they make sense

Shawn being a doula again

Psychfact: they have a routine where they hide Gus in a sack & it never fails

TM is the internet guy. Mr Tim, if you are reading this *kisses you*

TM: I wanted to talk about Gus & Shawn's shirt, both wearing purple, very complimentary (they wear matching clothes. Honestly I wouldn't doubt it in canon.) AN: Henry's just dressing a little loud tonight. "Hey there's that pink safari shirt"

*gus sleeping on henry's shoulder* *henry not stopping him*

set design: Glorious Pines Centre for Assisted Living AN: It's a pretty big plot point that it can't be for assisted living

TM: I have another question. Is it cool to do the rest of this commentary pants-off? AN: Do what makes you feel comfortable TM: *microphone sounds* AN: No I can't help you

Describes the guitar is shimmering TM: What's the name of the guitarist? AN: That would be me! TM: Him! Did you have your pants on for that recording? (I think I got the ppl wrong. Their voices sound very similar. & I'm deaf) AN: Absolutely not!

Never calls him grandpa after that. Throw in a good algonquian moshum

"our" grampy. Maybe he's only his grandfather in the eyes of the law, not as in adoption but as in marriage

"When your episode gets shot, the psych people will fly YOU up to watch the episode

*five minute walk to the studio if you're in LA* *airplane if it's in BC*

I call my paternal grandfather grandpapa. he was quebecois. Opa! That's what I SHOULD be calling my maternal grampa but he was the youngest of like 13 & his older siblings went to school during or a bit after wwii so they got beat for speaking german.

gus does a GREAT agitated

Shawn & Henry matching colours

*Gus knowing random facts*

This is like when they sent Shawn to the mental hospital

REAL retirement community. ily kelly kulchak "I get that it's an old folks home, but do they have to look old?"

Henry "I'm going to teach you a lesson, even tho normally I'd storm out of here & leave you in the lurch" I mean they did trick him into coming here

Love a good old naming scheme

Love all the gus medical terms they had to do research/lh for

"I'm pretty sure when Chris Henze emailed me I walked out of my office into the writer's office & yelled I've got booger!"

Henry: Life lesson 20. People lie & they leave without warning. *looking at Shawn* Shawn: *rolls his eyes & shoulders in the biggest natural sigh ever*

idk anything abt marathon running

AN & TM used to run marathon in high school

BG: You can't get Indian Blood by working in a casino Me: That's what fist fights are for Fun fact, JRr is actually half mexican, & a ton of mexican population is mestizo (sort of like the Metis of canada, which I am) so by extension you could say he does have "indian blood" if you really wanted

Yeah, as an fnmi person it does strike me as weird that they'd say indian not native american but like this was 2007 & anupam is India Indian too lol

Some ppl say "asian indian" & "indian" not "Indian" & "american indian" really???? At that point just say native american bro. I guess "native american" implies USA when indian is used to mean anyone from the americas. Fine. (But then a lot of the time ppl also forget greenland still. Greenland is mostly inhabited by the inuit, but is owned by iceland, a european nordic/scandinavian country)

AN: & what's the name of your band, Tim? TM: *Gasp* the friendly indians! It's systemic! AN: & when you say Indians you mean people like me bc we're all very friendly TM: Absolutely. & You are very friendly. .. Although our story does have a very long "why we're called friendly indians" story that has something to do with political correctness. In some ways it's ironic but it doesn't bear talking about here.

yk what I'm happy this is finally mentioned. It's been smth around my head for a while, I just haven't cared to say it.

AN: I thought this was a neat clue!

Jason Enzler? idk. Great shot tho.

I forgot my man wasn't wearing any pants

AN had to stand in for that actress when she got held up in makeup (you need someone of comparable skin tone & height) "If there's something I don't like it's having to read my work aloud in front of other people, so I was standing there shaking, having to read my script"

OFFICE MOUSTACHE COMPETITION? "That's it, I'm putting my pants back on!"

I love henry's bathing suit

"My s-- grandson Shawn & his--... Gus"

"The extra we asked to [fall in the water] was PETRIFIED of the water!"

Yeah how DOES juliet know that if she went to cop school in miami?

yeah I DEF see the difference between seasons 1 & 2

*right after Chelsea puts her leg up on shawn while tango dancing* "She had hip problems"

DH is a skilled dancer & they put him on the dance floor standing STILL

Shawn: Where did my dad learn to tango? Me: where did YOU learn to tango?

... "for anyone listening" like me "what would you the writer do on the set?" I've never been to the set?

HS: I'm your father, do not call me dude Me to my mom: dude

tim *spot pitching jokes to the actors*

Yeah nursing home vs retiring home. I've been to low-care old folks homes, basically an apartment complex where you can cook your own meals & stuff but they still have a dining room (my 103y/o great great uncle lived there), mid-care where you have tons of freedom but it is still a care facility, & high-care dementia homes where people need two lots of care.

*all in one location* *network loves it*

DH& JRr: dancing for several minutes DH, rhythmically: When Is Ensler Going To Say Cut

They were supposed to take JJ the kid to prison for this shit but they couldn't. There was supposed to be lassiter graffiti on the walls

I like it when they say "I wouldn't change a thing"

oh he hurt himself on his mountain bike This may have been the first ep since it healed

"What is the collarbone called?" "The Collar Bone" "You're a medical guy!" "The clavicle!" "Ok now you need to name six bones to redeem yourself!"

Traditional Breakdown

"I dreamt I went to heaven & met god & he sneezed!"

Bang! *watching the stunt man on the styrofoam rock* my man has a reputation for killing people & he has only killed one person in his five episodes

Curtis *tickling her bc he can't find the pills*

"jervis babey" TM: They exit Jason E: they limb over the railing. Henry doesn't get a fist bump. Homage to the shining.

Show me don't tell me I struggle with that so much but you DO need a balance

Ooh Jason E, love this shot.

[razrbladekiss]

Tyrants | Chapter Three - Presage

WORD COUNT: 2.4k

WARNINGS: Brief mentions of Wendy’s drug use. Nothing explicitly *bad* goes on here, just some of the usual SOA shit is hinted at. :) Tig <3

MASTERLIST

Ninety degrees was horrendous. Ninety-six degrees saw Isla spiraling toward a fully-fledged mental breakdown, desperate to climb out of her own fucking flesh and melt into the parking lot outside of St. Thomas.

Seeing the Sons sporting leathers, hoodies, and long-sleeved shirts underneath their cuts made her skin crawl, too.

She'd thrown on the flounciest summer dress she owned, thin and wispy, and she was still roasting to death underneath the Californian sunshine.

It felt like they were living in the fucking ass-crack of hell.

Though, with their current state and Charming's infestation of ATF and other federal agents, hell wasn't too far off the mark.

"Thanks for the ride." Isla expressed her gratitude as she slid off of the back of Tig's bike, pulling the helmet away from loose blonde curls.

"No problem, baby--you good to get home, yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm meeting Gem here, so she'll take me back to T M in time to pick my car up," she confirmed, readjusting herself.

She couldn't risk Tig Trager getting an eyeful of her asscheeks today. Not again, anyway.

"Perfect. See 'ya later, beautiful." Isla leaned in for him to peck her cheek--which was habitual for the pair--and she did the same.

Her smile was wide. She was beaming. "Bye, Tiggy. I love you."

"Love you too, kid." He reciprocated the smile, squeezing her hand as she broke away and padded toward the steps, brushing her fingers through wind-tousled strands.

Things were, for the first time in about a week, finally looking up. Resuming a sense of normality, perhaps.

She and Trager had been on precarious terms since that day, and had been avoiding one another altogether. Which, for them, was strange.

Days went by without even so much as a word being uttered between the pair, no backhanded comments, or even sideways glances.

Usually, they'd be bickering like kids, arguing nonsensically until Clay or Chibs broke them apart--but it was all just their little bit of fun. Because they bounced off of one another.

They lauded the relationship they shared because, really, it was one of the strongest.

He'd been her official favorite since the very day that they met--he and Bobby were the two she liked to talk to whenever she felt that she couldn't confide in her father.

But the last few days were so fucking hard. She was struggling with the weight of all that she did, coupled with the stress of not being able to discern Tig's current feelings on her.

And after she'd lashed out, had bitched at him for no fucking reason, she was pretty certain that Tiggy didn't want to know anymore.

That was thrown out of the window this morning, however, when Isla's clutch blew out, and she needed a ride from the garage to the hospital to see Abel.

Of course Tig was there for her. He always would be.

"Hey." Isla spoke softly as she held the little blue bear close to her chest. "I stopped by the gift shop on the way up here--Jax said he's already got bears and balloons comin' outta his ass, so I thought what's one more?"

Gemma couldn't help but smile, gesturing for the blonde to sit with her opposite Abel's isolette.

"He'll love you for it," she joked, though she knew that she was appreciative. For her company more so the stuffed animal.

With their commitment to the club and the current battle against the ATF, Jax and Clay weren't as hands on as what they usually would've liked.

Of course, Teller was at that baby's side whenever he got the chance to break away from SAMCRO, but he wanted more. He wanted the satisfaction of knowing that his little boy was being provided with the best possible care at St. Thomas.

And he was. He absolutely was. But he needed to know--for his own peace of mind, he needed to see that. So, his mother was there every waking fucking moment, giving him that love he could only get from his Grandma.

"How's he doing?" Her query was braided around a whisper, worried she'd disturb Abel's peaceful rest. "Jax said he should be coming home soon."

Gemma simply affirmed with a nod, gazing affectionately at her grandson.

It was heartwarming to see so much love, so much adoration from a woman who had a reputation for being a fucking cunt--thus proving that Gemma's main priority was her family, and their health and happiness.

That, somehow, made Isla love her even more than what she already did.

It also made her a tad jealous of Jax and the fact that he still had his mother in his life.

"He's gettin' stronger and stronger everyday. Tara said he'll be set to leave Friday--"

"Tara?" Her brow lifted as she put the bear amongst the pile of gifts. "I thought she was a doctor, I didn't think she had anything to do with the babies?"

Gemma's smile faltered a little. "She's a pediatric surgeon. Been takin' care of Abel since the start."

"Oh."

Now, she would've known that if she'd taken the time to visit her best friend's kid since he was born. But she hadn't--she hadn't even considered taking a trip over to St. Thomas to check in on Jax's baby.

And it was for the simple fucking reason that she couldn't bear the thought of facing Wendy and having to be nice to her. Especially after what she fucking did to that poor little boy.

She subsequently landed her own flesh and blood in the hospital after shooting heroin while pregnant? And she wanted Jax to pardon her for it?

Isla wasn't a hateful person, she didn't care about what people did in their spare time because that was their time.

But the moment an innocent person was harmed due to the carelessness of others...That was when she felt a scathing animosity.

"She's good with him." Gemma stated bitterly, snapping Isla from her ire-fueled daydream. "Kills me to say it, but she's a gem. A real fuckin' star."

"I'd bet. She was always good with kids."

"Yeah?" Suddenly interested, the older woman crossed over her arms. "Who's kids?"

Finally, Isla took a seat beside her on top of plush blue leather.

"A few of the girls we were in high school with had kids pretty young and Tara was usually super keen to hold them, or just hang out at their places whenever we weren't at school. Or it could've just been the wannabe doctor in her, now that I think about it."

"She's pretty maternal," Isla hummed in agreement, "but I'm glad she and Jax never had kids when you were teenagers--I don't know how that would've looked for him."

Suddenly, she was staring at Gemma like she had two fucking heads.

"I don't trust her." She elaborated, drawing another confused glance from Isla. "She and Jax would have been a fucking disaster had she stayed--"

"And things worked out so much better with Wendy?" A little more vehemently than intended, the blonde asked.

Now Gemma was the one shooting dirty looks.

"Look, Gem, I'm just saying. Jax and Tara are history now, yeah? You don't have to trust her. Just thank her for what she's doing for your grandson because when he's outta this place, you won't need to worry about her."

"And you're so sure about that, huh?" Skeptically, she asked. Arms folded over. "You know what they're like--like two fucking magnets or something. They always find a way back to one another."

That line gutted her.

It hurt her--it was agonizing--but she wasn't sure why she was so beaten by it. Because it was the truth, wasn't it?

Tara and Jax were, at one point, the strongest couple she'd ever known, and when it fizzled out he was fucking broken. She hadn't seen him so downtrodden since JT had passed, and he was suddenly left without the strength and guidance of his father.

She was his everything. Isla was a fool to think he'd be able to see her back in Charming and not feel something for her. His first love.

"I think we should throw Abel a homecoming party on Friday--if he's coming home then, that is." Gemma shifted the topic of conversation, getting to her feet.

"Absolutely. I'll help."

"Yeah?" She asked a little doubtingly, reaching over to pick Abel up. "You don't have to--I know you work Friday's."

Isla waved her off, standing beside the brunette. "I do, but it's no bother. If everyone's gonna be there, then I wanna show my face too. Offer a helping hand of some sort."

"Alright, perfect," Gem stated softly, holding the baby close to her chest. "When we get back to T M, we can figure out what we need to get."

"Sounds like a plan--" Isla was cut off by a soft knocking at the door, irritating her a little bit because she'd only just gotten there and hated the idea of having to leave already.

She made a mental note to stop by a little earlier tomorrow.

"Hey, sorry to bother you--" Tara stopped herself when she needed her estranged friend, almost dropping the clipboard she was holding against her chest.

Isla Telford was the last fucking person she expected to see today.

"Hey," with a fake smile, she greeted.

The tension was palpable.

Gemma felt the irritation washing over her favorite of the duo, urging her to turn her attention back toward her grandson before she said anything to worsen the situation.

Because she would've.

"Uh, I've gotta run a few tests on Abel before we determine that he'll be ready to leave this week, if that's alright?" Tara gestured to Gemma, ignoring Isla's presence.

That stung a little bit.

"Yeah. It's fine." The response was blunt. Terse, to a point.

"Great."

Isla realized that she wasn't wanted in that space any longer. She grabbed her purse, turning toward the door. "I'll meet you outside."

"Yeah, alright," Gemma put the baby back into his crib, smiling at Isla. "You want my keys?"

"I'll wait on the steps--I'm gonna smoke--"

"Before you go," Tara cut in. She cleared her throat, trying to smile--but she just couldn't.

Telford sensed where it was going, however. There wasn't a reason for her to stop Isla in her tracks, in front of Gemma no less.

She wondered how long it'd take for it to be brought up.

"Thanks."

Gratitude genuinely swept over the doctor, letting Isla know she was truthful in her acknowledgment--or, was it more like a form of praise? Because Jax definitely told Tara what they both did for her, and she was astounded that the woman would even float the idea of helping out.

It was a strange notion. To know what she did--when she looked and acted like that--was fucking weird. And nobody would've believed her if she said that Isla helped to dispose of a dead body, which did make her laugh a little.

She knew how to hold, load, and fire a pistol, but she wasn't capable of committing the unspeakable the same way that Jax, or Chibs, or Clay were capable of it.

But she was slowly earning her title as 'Daughter of Sgt. At Arms/ Man of Mayhem.' And she wasn't sure how she liked that.

"You're welcome," she spoke plainly. "Hope everything is alright now, Tara."

"It is."

"Good." Her retort was immediate, laced with that same genuineness the other woman expressed. "You free this coming friday?"

Hesitantly, she nodded.

"If all goes to plan--and Abel is good to come home--we're gonna throw a little party for the boy," Gemma confirmed with a nod. "You wanna swing by? Everyone'll be there--Donna, Ope, their kids, Wendy, the rest of the Sons. You should come. It'll be nice for everyone to see 'ya again."

Wendy's name falling from those pink lips, in such a positive light, maimed Isla. She and Jax were starting to get along a little bit better now, but she was still wary of that woman.

"Yeah. It'll be great," the older woman added.

Tara felt cornered. She knew that she wasn't really wanted, and she also knew that was a way for Isla and her menopausal best friend--old enough to be her fuckin' mom--to keep the doctor as close as possible without explicitly saying that they wanted to keep an eye on her.

"Sure. I'll stop by."

"Brilliant." Gemma conceded, slipping past the pair. "Address hasn't changed, sweetheart."

It was passive aggressive, sickly-sweet, and it was Gemma to a fucking T. The woman was loathing every second she had to spend with Tara Knowles and she wasn't even trying to hide it.

But it didn't have to be for very long, she thought.

"What was that all about? Why'd she thank you?" Gem queried as they got outside, passing the lighter to her left.

"For not breaking her fucking neck when I had the chance to all those years ago, probably."

Isla sparked her cigarette, pacing alongside her as they headed toward the car.

"That's bullshit."

"How so?"

"Just is." She could read Chibs's little girl like a fucking book. "But I won't press--if it's something between you and Tara, I don't care to hear. Just lemme know if it goes south. I can put a bullet in her for you, baby."

Isla would've laughed had she not known that Gemma was deadly fucking serious about blowing Tara's brains out.

But it was a relief. For her to give it up just like that--uncharacteristically so--was a kind of relief that she never thought she'd feel from Gemma Teller.

She was used to being protected. Used to being viewed as the one that needed to be shielded from the horrors that shrouded the Sons. But Isla wasn't innocent, nor was she fucking stupid.

The security was appreciated, however. Because, lately, things just didn't seem to be going too great for her.

And, if she'd learned anything, they'd only worsen from here on out.

"You don't have to go full mama bear mode, Gem. I'm a big girl."

She laughed, turning to face Isla.

"I know," smoke blew from her nose, "but you've gotta protect the ones you wanna keep close, y'know? The ones you love."

The tip of Gemma's boot pulverized her cigarette into the sidewalk as she fished for the car keys, avoiding eye contact all together.

"I haven't been able to protect everyone I've wanted to from the shit that goes on in this town, honey, but I'm really tryin'. And I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you or my boy."

[miss-alice-evelynn]

Hey I was wondering if your still taking fic requests?

Because... This one has been just bugging me relentlessly in my head

It's a bad batch fic requests that I'd say would fit fine in like.. three-ish chapters

So basically:

The bad batch are on a mission by Cid to retrieve some resources from the empire but get separated due to some natural disasters like an avalanche, rock slide (your choice on that one) and the focus is on Hunter trying to get back to his squad without getting detected by the imperials.

However while walking carefully to the edge of a Clif to try and maybe find his brothers from higher ground, he accidentally activates a bear trap and in sprit second decision making jumps off the cliff into a river down below (low-key thinking in his head: welp... That wasn't my brightest moment.)

Next thing he knows he's in some sort of hutt and his brothers, sister are waiting for him to wake up but also an older woman he first doesn't recognize but quickly realizing is his old combat instructor.

and let's just say this woman is the closest thing to a mother the batch ever had.

her name is Barka Katchiv a retired Togruta Bounty Hunter/ mercenary that was drinking/ hunting pals with jango back in the day.

(you can get creative with her looks but she definitely has some wicked facial scars)

she kinda acts like a sweet old lady most of the time although she swears like a galactic sailor when in casual convos with other adults. can and will put a young man in their place if they disrespect her. she has a soft spot for her wild/ feral little batch of clones calling them pups or cubs occasionally. In summary on her: acts like a granny cinnamon roll, could actually kill you.

The batch gets to catch up with her, she explains to Hunter that it was one of her hunting traps he had jump away from and the batch introduce Omega properly to her.

she falls absolutely in love with this little girl and becomes far more doting and nurturing then the batch expected

She helps them finish their mission and kick some imperial ass on the side and out of a maternal protective instinct gives everyone some extra credits she personally don't really need, winter coats/clothes made from animal furr she had made for future missions,omega some pretty dress/suits that where her daughters (she did have kids tho she had to let the father raise them since her line of work was problematic, still keeps some of her kids old clothes and toys as a momento) and a good old hardy huntsman stew to eat before saying goodbye.

You can call the fic something like "Old mama Barka" but honestly it's up to you on that front

Also one last thing:

If you want to you can take this "oc" and adopt her

She's a character idea that deserves a good writer to handle and have fun with her honestly.

So in over all summary:

Hunter is accidentally stupid. They meet their togruta mama. They kick some ass. Leave with gifts.

And *YEET* this character concept your way

And if you don't want to do this fic I perfectly understand, honestly I would be impressed that you read through all of this

Have a lovely afternoon!

(It's afternoon here so..)

Ooooooh! I'm loving this idea!

It might take me a little bit but I'm gonna start working on this ASAP!

[mksc77]

Andy sat up and rubbed his eyes as he watched Sharon bustling around the room, getting dressed and gathering her things like the miracle of life wasn't usually a long and agonizing process. "Uh...Sharon...Why don't you at least wait for Emily to call and see if she has an idea of how close she is?" He said sensibly. "It can take hours."

"Oh, really?" Sharon asked with feigned surprise as she pulled her hair up and secured it with a clip. "I had no idea!"

Andy ran his hand over his face, not in the mood to argue. He'd walked right into that one, and he knew it, but it seemed a little ridiculous for someone who was well aware of the fact that labor wasn't typically a quick process to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off in the middle of the night like she might miss something if she didn't leave right now. "I know you know that, obviously, but you might want to make sure you'll be able to get in. I know Emily said you probably wouldn't have any trouble after visiting hours, but that might depend upon who's working at the time. She does have to get approval, and you don't want to rush to the hospital just to sit in the waiting room for hours."

"I guess you're right..." Sharon knew there was no way she'd be going back to sleep, though, so she quickly finished getting herself ready and turned the lamp back off. "Go back to sleep. Call me when you get up in the morning." She kissed Andy's cheek and left the room. While she was waiting for Emily to call, she went to her and Emmett's bedroom to gather any last-minute items Emily might've forgotten. Her bag had been packed for over a month, but she still could've left behind some things she wanted. In their haste to leave, they'd left the damp sheets on the bed, so she stripped the bed and put the sheets in the washing machine. After packing a small bag with extra towels, hair ties, makeup wipes, her robe, and a few other things, she put fresh sheets on the bed and straightened up the bedroom and bathroom. Once that was done, she dug through the small fourth bedroom that had been taken over by baby stuff in the last few months. When she found the little rock 'n play that Emily was going to try for the baby to sleep in first, which her friends had sworn by, she set it up beside their bed and went back to the other bedroom to move the washed-and-waiting newborn clothes into Emily's and Emmett's room. After checking her phone for the thousandth time to make sure she hadn't missed a call and that it wasn't on vibrate, she gathered some newborn nightgowns, swaddles, pacifiers, and a couple of other things to have out and within easy reach for the first few days. With the baby stuff out and the cradle-like device beside the bed, the baby's pending arrival became a lot more real, and Sharon couldn't help but let out a tiny squeal as she looked around the room. She was going to have a new granddaughter under her roof in the next couple of days, and she couldn't be more excited about it.

When Emily finally called and confirmed that Sharon would be allowed to visit, she didn't waste any time getting to St. John's. She would just have to call the unit and use the Emergency Department entrance. Emily had debated between St. John's and Cedars, but one of the perks of having her first baby at 35 was that several of her friends had not only started having children, but that she had at least a couple of friends who had used one of the hospitals, and some had used both and could compare the pros and cons. Between her high school and college friends, she still had several in the LA area. "Mom, I told you not to speed!" Emily chastised when Sharon came in her room. "I just got the epidural, and they haven't even given me Pitocin yet. It's going to be a minute."

"I know, but I remember how frightened I was when I went into labor with you. Your dad was actually great during it, but I still wished Mimi could've been with me." Sharon put her things down, sat on Emily's bed, and brushed her hair back from her face. "If you want me to leave at any time, I will, and I'll understand."

"I am glad you're here. This hospital's visiting hours aren't as strict as Cedars, and that was a huge selling point," Emily admitted. Her friends had also told her that St. John's was just as good as Cedars, but that it wasn't as busy and felt more personal. "You wanted Mimi?! I can't imagine that. Not, like, in a bad way, it's just hard to think about you wanting your mom."

"I know, but I was more frightened and in more pain than I had ever been in my life. My hormones were all over the place, especially after you were born, and I don't think I'd ever been so happy to see my mom as when she got to LA the day we brought you home."

"Em, you're having a contraction," Emmett interrupted.

Emily shrugged. "Could've fooled me. This epidural is no joke. I can't even feel my feet."

Sharon got up and stood beside Emmett. He was watching a machine that was hooked up to Emily. "How can you tell? That shows when she's having a contraction?"

Emmett nodded and pointed at the screen, explaining to Sharon what one of the nurses had told him about what was on the screen. Once she understood what she was looking at, she watched it for a few more minutes before unpacking the extra things she'd brought for Emily and the baby and putting them with their other things.

"Oh, thanks, Mom, I meant to grab that stuff before we left," Emily said as she watched Sharon unpack.

"You're welcome. So, what happened? Were you having contractions at all last night, or did you just wake up and realize your water had broken, or what?"

"I felt fine last night, but I woke up at about midnight with a contraction. They weren't that regular and didn't hurt too bad, so I just read for a while. Emmett woke up a couple of hours after I did and was begging me to go to the hospital, but then my water broke not long after that."

Sharon nodded. "How much have you dilated?"

"Six centimeters. I thought the last contraction I had before I got the epidural was going to kill me...Did you have epidurals with us?" Emily winced. "I can't imagine doing this without being numb from the neck down."

"I didn't with you. I think they were pretty common by then, but no one really talked about childbirth to one another like they do now, so I didn't know much about them. By the time I couldn't take it anymore and asked for one, it was too late, because you were about to be born." Sharon gave Emily a wry smile. "With Ricky, I asked for one the second we got to the hospital. My nurse forgot to give me a catheter, and I didn't know to expect one, so I didn't ask. I guess I didn't really think about not being able to feel anything. I wanted to die when I peed all over Dr. Hughes. I only saw him once or twice before Ricky was close to finally deciding to come out, but he was the lucky one who was there at the time." Sharon's face flushed when she remembered Emmett was in the room. He was still glued to the screen that was monitoring Emily's contractions. "Sorry, Emmett. You're so quiet, I almost forgot you were over there."

Emmett shrugged. "That's not even close to the most disgusting thing I've heard since we got here. You're good."

Andy stopped by on his way to work soon after 8:00 that morning and placed a vase of flowers on a table before kissing Emily on the cheek.

"Thanks, Andy. They're beautiful."

"It was the best I could find at 8:00 in the morning," he said apologetically. "How are you feeling?"

"Blissfully numb."

"I imagine that's a good thing."

Sharon was back in front of the contraction monitor, peering closely at the screen and following the measurements with her finger. She was oblivious to Andy's arrival, despite the fact that she'd talked to him on the phone less than an hour ago and knew he was stopping by. Emily got an ice chip from the bowl beside her bed and pelted it at Sharon. "Hey, Dr. Quinn. We have a visitor." She rolled her eyes at Andy. "Mom and Emmett are obsessed with that contraction thing. I couldn't care less whether I'm having one, but they think they have to tell me every time."

Andy nodded. "That sounds about right."

Sharon jumped when the ice hit her cheek. "Wha—Emily—oh, hi, honey."

Emily's doctor came in to check her progress then, so Sharon and Andy stepped out into the hall. He had examined Emily more often than he normally would have during labor because of her 'advanced maternal age.' "I thought her doctor was a woman," Andy whispered as they left the room.

"She is, but Dr. Jensen was the one on call in her office when she went into labor," Sharon explained.

"Is he really a doctor?! He looks like he's twelve! We've got to find someone who's been out of medical school longer than two days—"

"Andy, he's a great doctor," Sharon said, looking amused. "Emily had to have an appointment with all of the obstetricians in the practice, since there was a possibility of someone besides her own doctor delivering the baby. She really liked him."

"But how long could he have been doing this?! I'm sorry if I'm a little concerned about having Doogie Howser deliver my granddaughter!"

"My god, Andy, would you rather do it yourself?"

"I've probably delivered more babies than he has!" With being in patrol for a few years when they started out, both Andy and Sharon had delivered a couple of babies, but the necessity for that had been rare for both of them. "He's probably too caught up in some hospital romance to even focus on Emily! What, you're the one who made me start watching Grey's Anatomy! This place is a romance war zone!" Andy said after Sharon gave him an odd look.

A few minutes later, they were allowed back in the room. "I'm serious, Sharon, Em needs a more experienced doctor! All you've talked about is how this isn't a typical delivery, with—"

"Andy, if the next thing out of your mouth has anything to do with my age, you're getting the ice," Emily warned, holding up the bowl of ice chips.

"I don't recommend it. She has a pretty good arm," Sharon advised.

"Okay, but seriously, can't you ask for someone who's delivered more than five babies before?!"

"I've actually delivered over a thousand," Dr. Jensen informed him, coming back in the room to get something he'd forgotten. He gave Andy a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm not as young as I look, and I'm perfectly qualified." A horrified expression came over Andy's face when the doctor came back in, and Sharon, Emily, and Emmett burst into laughter.

The rest of the chapter is at ff.net

[janeaustentextposts]

I love reading your answers to Jane Austen related questions, and I've finally come up with one of my own. We often see characters from that time period saying things like "she has entered her confinement" and I've inferred what it meant for the most part. But I'd like a more specific answer if you know one. Also, pregnancy seems like something barely mentioned in most books of that time. What was it like being pregnant in those days? Was it shameful or inappropriate to talk about?

Confinement is a practice which goes way back in many cultures, and in some continues to this day as a period of time for the community/family of a pregnant person to support them around the time of their giving birth.

In European history, back to medieval times, nobles would enter this confinement in the latter stages of pregnancy to provide quiet and calm before the birth. (Given Austen’s own darkly snarky comment in a letter: “Mrs. Hale, of Sherborne, was brought to bed yesterday of a dead child, some weeks before she expected, owing to a fright. I suppose she happened unawares to look at her husband...” we know that even in her own time people believed shock could have a disastrous effect upon a pregnant person.)

(That dead baby joke, though...Jane, please.)

This period of time was also known as one’s lying-in, as it could often involve bed-rest, and confinement to one’s chambers in comfort and ease would result in more informal dress as the expectant person would be attended largely by their ladies-in-waiting or female family members. On average, the confinement period would extend about a month following the birth, though this can vary depending on local custom or personal needs. Recovery from a birth takes however long it takes, but standard practice would support the new parent and baby for the crucial first month. Consider nowadays how in European/American cultures new parents often have professionals, friends, family, and neighbours help them out for a little while, whether it be lactation consultants or dropping off a casserole or doing some laundry while the new parents catch a much-needed nap. Our human needs for these things still exist--the practices simply used to be more socially formalized and even a little superstitious.

In some Asian countries, confinement is a term for a modern practice of this kind of familial and community support, and there are confinement centers in some cities where pregnant and postpartum people may book accommodations to rest and bond with their babies, with supportive women-only staff on-hand, special traditional baths and herbal/massage treatments available, and catered meals with offers of special post-natal diets. (Men may not be permitted to visit, which is not ideal for some.)

In Austen’s time, confinement might also be known as accouchement, a French term which literally means time spent lying on a couch--it just sounds fancier, I guess. Much like how a lady might be more delicately referred to as being enceinte, rather than pregnant. (The word actually literally means ‘enclosed’ as in a fortified building, so again, hearkens to the notion of being confined and protected.)

Pregnancy was certainly all around women in Austen’s time, regardless of whether it might be appropriate to speak openly of it in genteel novels by A Lady. Austen’s letters to her family and friends certainly show that she was by no means ignorant of where babies came from, even if she was a spinster. People could not help being aware of pregnancy--and it was an interesting condition for many, being fraught with dangers for both mother and child, as far as health went, as well as with the dependency of estates and titles upon the bearing of healthy male heirs. With no practical methods of birth control available, babies were everywhere. (With infant mortality rates being very much a thing, perhaps even more babies and pregnancies than older children, honestly.) On hearing that her sister-in-law’s sister had recently given birth to her eighteenth child, the unmarried Miss Jane felt justified in writing that “[she] would recommend to her and Mr. D. the simple regimen of separate rooms.” (Mr. and Mrs. D would ultimately have twenty children in total.)

While pregnancy was not shameful nor inappropriate--and could hardly be so, when it was everywhere--the messier details would certainly not be discussed in polite company as frankly, perhaps, as they would be with close female friends or family, or in the letters exchanged therein. So, yes, chat about it in the kitchen with your cousins, but only veiled and polite vague references at her ladyship’s dinner-table, please. In the 2009 adaptation of Emma, Mrs. Weston is clearly in the latter months of her pregnancy by episode 3, though she is still going out and socializing and there is no scandal in her being in company with unmarried young girls like Emma or Harriet, or socializing with all their neighbours when Mr. Knightley calls at Randalls--it’s all just a part of life. She even walks along while they all go to Hartfield, though Mr. Weston holds her hand as much because her balance might be off as because he’s a lovely husband. But by the time of the strawberry-picking party at Donwell, or the outing to Box Hill, Mrs. Weston is absent (and Emma starts to run her mouth about Miss Bates under Frank’s wilder influence towards crueler wit,) so the heat, the more strenuous exercise, and the advancement of her pregnancy all likely combine to prevent her attending. Later, Emma is summoned to her when Mrs. Weston must break the news of Frank and Jane’s engagement, but in the text this is said to be due to Mrs. Weston’s desire for discretion, and to not alarm Mr. Woodhouse in case Emma should take the news very badly. In the adaptation this is less clear, and Mrs. Weston sits at home in a very simple maternity gown with front laces which may be loosened for easy wearing in what must be the more uncomfortable stages of carrying a child--but in the novel she is still going about her life and paying calls in Highbury, so she’s not entirely shut away, even in the final days of her pregnancy.

In Georgian and Regency times, pregnancy was common enough that healthy women could be out and about in society pretty much up until the moment labour began, unless a doctor might recommend otherwise. The Victorians might have been more squeamish about such things, but for a genteel lady in Austen’s time, life very much went on, with everything in moderation, and confinement was more to do with post-partum care than hiding away the sight of a pregnant belly from the aghast eyes of delicate and innocent girls.

Austen’s writing speaks of women’s “safety”, that is, their survival of a birth and the dangers of the days immediately following, where infection and haemorrhages may be as likely to cause death as childbirth itself. While polite euphemism might abound, the practical anxieties and joys of pregnancy and birth were everywhere, and no real secret from anybody unless one really strove to uphold general ignorance of such matters.

[nonestcurrentis]

Because I never get any asks (TwT), I'm just gonna say fuck it, and do them all myself. Maybe you guys will find out something new about me!

Thirteen: A lot of things, to be honest... maybe how intense I get about my current favourite show/movie/anything... for example, right now I'm doing DW episode reviews on my personal IG, in my story. I don't think anyone ever actually reads them, but I enjoy doing it.

Yaz: Recovering from my mental health issues. While I'm aware I might never fully recover, I'm making steady steps, and that's all that counts.

Ryan: I used to be very socially anxious and awkward when I was little. Now, I've got a great group of friends, and I'm quite the conversationalist if I'm in the right mood, both irl and online. My greatest accomplishment.

Graham: Absolutely yes. No question.

Sonic: Earphones! Can't go anywhere without music, or my mind goes all over the place.

TARDIS: Oh God, I really don't know... so many places. But maybe back to Paris again. Loved it there.

The Woman Who Fell To Earth: More easy than I used to, but finding ones I actually want to speak to and be around all the time, even when I've had enough of the world is hard.

Ghost Monument: At home, no question. I'm blessed with a pretty great home, whether that be actual home or the city I live in.

Rosa: Oof. I can't think of any at the moment. I'm sure I have some, just no one comes to mind. Maybe Eliza Hamilton?

Arachnids: Deep water. Heights. Dizziness. But most of all I fear death.

Tsuranga: Thankfully never. Hope I keep it up.

Demons of the Punjab: Well... the only thing I can think of is that my paternal grandpa was adopted as a child, and we don't know shit about his biological parents, so that side of my family tree is a complete wild card.

Kerblam: I'd travel. Study anywhere and everywhere. Pursue acting maybe?

Witchfinders: I despise sexists and misogynists from the very depth of my soul. Thankfully, I never personally faced either. I hope it stays that way, though I'm not positive it will.

It Takes You Away: Huh. Maybe my maternal grandpa, cause I never got to meet him. I always wondered what he was like.

Ranskoor Av Kolos: Maybe one, but it was such a long time ago I doubt either of us remembers it. Frankly, I don't think the girls remembes me anymore. I don't even know what happened to her.

Resolution: The Ood, if they count as monsters. I just adored them! If not, then probably the Vashta Nerada. They were interesting.

Jodie: Until about a month ago or so, I couldn't pronounce 'oblige' properly. To be honest, I'm still unsure about it. Oh, and when I was little, I pronounced 'fashion' like 'fusion' for some reason.

Tosin: Not really, no. It's a good franchise, but not my cup of tea.

Mandip: Dance Moms. I know all the drama is scripted, but I just love it!

Bradley: I'd just probably take over hosting a quiz show or sth. I like laughing at clueless answers, mostly because I don't know them myself.

Custard Cream: Any and every biscuit without raisins. But mostly ones with chocolate.

The Bum Bag™: Casual and comfortable 95% of the time. Not really one for dressing up, although I do go for it from time to time if the situation requires it.

Pting: I'm more mature and serious than I look.

Tzim-Sha: Not hands, not very good at that. However, if you provide me with a fencing saber, I'm coming for the British and American governments to help you guys out.

thirteenth doctor asks!

1. thirteen: what’s something about you that other people might consider ‘weird’? 2. yaz: what’s your greatest ambition? 3. ryan: what’s one challenge in life you’ve overcome? 4. graham: do you consider yourself a homebody? 5. sonic: what’s the one item you couldn’t live without? (besides your phone!) 6. TARDIS: if you could go on a trip to anywhere on earth right this moment where would you go? 7. the woman who fell to earth: do you find it easy to make new friends? 8. ghost monument: where do you feel most at home? 9. rosa: who’s a historical figure you look up to? 10. arachnids: do you have any phobias? 11. tsuranga: have you ever had to stay in hospital? 12. demons of the punjab: what’s something interesting about your ancestry / family tree? 13. kerblam: what would you do with your life if money wasn’t an issue? 14. witchfinders: how do you deal with sexism? 15. it takes you away: if you could bring back one person from the dead for a conversation who would it be? 16. ranskoor av kolos: do you have any enemies or unresolved grudges? 17. resolution: favourite doctor who monster? 18. jodie: do you pronounce any words weirdly? (much to the chagrin of your mates?) 19. tosin: are you a fan of star wars? 20. mandip: do you have any shows (keeping up with the kardashians) that you watch as a guilty pleasure? 21. bradley: if you were the host of a television show, what would it be about? 22. custard cream: what’s your favourite type of biscuit? 23. the bum bag™: what’s your sense of fashion like? 24. pting: what’s something that most people wouldn’t guess about you from your appearance? 25. tzim-sha: let’s be real ��� is there anyone in this world you would 100% be ready to throw hands with?