#jasmine of the commonwealth

[sassenashsworld]

Nick : Nora?! Rosie?!? Where are you two?

Nora : [whispering] tell ya he didn’t see in the dark

Nick : But I hear pretty well... idiot...

[sassenashsworld]

When the adventure begin!

Like it and dunno how long it will take me to go through the all thing but I'll do

Yeah... I'll do *maniac laugh*

@lucilleandherrobots

Power Armor Punch

Lucille: *Hugs Jasmine out of nowhere*

Jasmine: (Punches a very power armor clad lawyer with combat/vigilante experience into a concrete wall)

Lucille: *Wheeze* I deserved that….. but my intentions were pure *Passes out*

Jasmine: “Oh fuck, I am so sorry!” (Trying not to cry as she picks her arms)

Nick: *Sigh* She’s been hit by worse. *Pulls Lucille out of the wall*

Lucille: *Lands face first* Ow *Seconds later she is walking around like nothing happened*

Nick: *See?*

Jasmine: (Looks down at her hands) “Thank god did not use all of my strength.”

Lucille: *Impressed* Kid, you must be some kind of superhero. *Pulls out stimpack just in case* You punches a suit of power armor into a wall. You okay? Is your hand broken?

Jasmine: (Guiltily) “My hand is not broken… but I am really sorry.”

Lucille: It's okay. I'm fine! Really! I'm just glad you didn't break anything. Hands are pretty important... I should know. *lighthearted chuckle*

Jasmine: “Yeah….”

Nick: Jasmine, your finger is crooked.

Jasmine: “No!”

Lucille: *squints through X-01 eye-holes and slowly shakes her head* Here. *hands Jasmine a stimpak* You may be highly invincible but that doesn't mean your bones can't be knocked out of place.

Jasmine: (Backing up) “No... it is fine, I am fine- nothing is broken.”

Nick: Jazzy, you need to take that.

Jasmine: “No, it doesn’t hurt! I am fine.”

Lucille: Even if it doesn't hurt, it might make things a bit more difficult survival wise...

Nick: Agreed.

Jasmine: “I said I am fine!-…. Sorry! Sorry!” (Takes a deep breath) “I am okay, I swear I am fine.”

Nick: *Not convinced* Hrm.

Lucille: *also not convinced* “It's okay if you aren't-”

Jasmine: (Keeps backing away) “No, it is not!-…. Sorry-! Sorry, sorry…. Uh, what about you? I smashed you into a wall….” (Cursing herself for all the apologizing)

Lucille: Oh- well, the power armor took most of the brunt. I happen to keep a ton of stimpacks on me at all times ever since... *looks over at Nick*

Nick: *looks down*

Lucille: So I'm fine. *the nervousness and the outburst of the girl isn't lost on her* It was an accident. Accidents happen. That doesn't make you a terrible person for causing it.

Nick: Jas, let me see your hand, I think you broke more than your finger.

Jasmine: (Hiding her hand) “No-! I am fine, I am sorry for punching you, but I am fine!” (Backing away more.

Lucille: It's okay Jasmine, we're just concerned...

Nick: Exactly... just let us help, Jas.

Jasmine: “I do not need your help-! Sorry! But I am okay alright? I do not need anyones help.”

Nick: *Whispering to Lucille* She is lying, Im afraid her hand is broken but she is terrified of needles, and meds in general.

Lucille *whispers* Ah. I see. *aloud* Why are you apologizing? *whispers to Nick* Should I show her what happened to my arm and eye?

Nick: *whispers* You wanna scare her more?! Unless we have no other choice, I certainly wouldn't.

Lucille: *grumpy groan*

Jasmine: “Cant you both just stop? I am fine!” (Backs out of room)

Nick: *heavy sigh* We should stop her or she might try to run, again.

Lucille: I guess I gotta get out of my power armor. It makes too much noise-

Nick: Or you could just let me handle it.

Lucille: Do I really look that bad with your old right arm and left eye?

Nick: No but Jas hasn't seen it yet. Might be a little much in this case. *goes to check on Jasmine*

Lucille: *pouts in her powerarmor*

Jasmine: “Why do you two have to keep whispering? Nick, I am fine! I have been through worse.” (Backing out of room) “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Nick: Just because you've been through worse, doesn't negate what you're going through now. Now let me see your hand. Promise I'll be gentle. *reaches out his good hand*

Lucille: *waiting in the other room*

Jasmine: (Hiding her hand) “No!

Nick: Jazzy, from my angle it’s definitely looks broken.

Jasmine: “No, it is fine, everything is fine, do not touch my hand-! Sorry sorry sorry.” (Fast walks out of room)

Nick: *following her into yet another room* How many rooms are we gonna walk into before you let someone help you with your injury? *looks concerned but also a little frustrated she won't let anyone help her*

Jasmine: “Untill you stop following me!” (Looks around) “How many fucking rooms does this damned place have!”

Nick: Cmon Jazzy, it’s alright to ask for help ya know.

Jasmine: “No-! Sorry, sorry but no.”

Nick: *Stubbornly persists* Bad news, I'm not going to stop until I know you've gotten someone to look at that hand. We can keep going around in circles in this half finished vault all day, or you could just let us take a look. Your choice. *mutters* By that point we'll have run into Lucille again... no doubt she's already left her power armor-

Jasmine: “Nick, I can take care of myself, I do not need your help okay?” (Keep walking away) “I am going to keep backing up.”

Nick: *finally gives in* Alright, fine... I'll stop. But on the condition you get that looked at by someone. I don't want you getting killed because of a broken hand, Jazzy.

Jasmine: “I-…. Will not do that! I am not letting anyone touch me.” (Keeps backing up)

Nick: Are we gonna keep this up?

Jasmine: “I do not know! Leave me alone!”

Nick: *follows* I can't do that, kid. I promise you, no one's going to hurt you-

Lucille: *out of her power armor, came looking for them. Just casually jabs her shoulder with a stimpack and quickly pockets it*

Jasmine: (Screams bloody murder before whirling around to tackle Lucille) “No no no! What the fuck is wrong with you!?! No no no!”

Lucille: *eyes widen behind her helmet. She quickly moves just enough to spin herself out of the way* Calm down. It was just a Stimpack. Your hand should be much better-

Nick: *covering his face with his good hand shaking his head*

Jasmine: (Diving to tackle her again) “I did not fucking want it!”

Nick: *Walking over to intervene*

Lucille: *making use of the targeting system in her left eye to dance out of the way again* But you needed it!

Nick: *steps in between them. In the most dissapointed father voice he can muster* That's enough, from BOTH of you!

Lucille: *freezes in place at the tone*

Jasmine: (Drops to the floor and tucks her head in her knees)

Nick: *sighs and looks between the two of them*

Lucille: Nick-

Nick: Not another word, Lucille... what were you thinking? Just jabbing her like that?! Now the poor girl's going to have more trouble trusting you...

Lucille: *goes quiet*

Nick: *walks over to Jasmine and crouches to her level. As comforting as he can despite his dissapointment in how the situation was handled* You okay...?

Jasmine: (Holding back tears) “No! I am not okay! What the fuck did she do to me?! I do not know, I do not know, I do not know!” (Stands up) “Fuck you!” (Pointing at Lucille)

Nick: *Calm voice as he stands* Hey. Hey... it's alright. It was just a Stimpack. Nothing more. *gestures to her hand* Look at your hand. It's not broken anymore, see?

Lucille: *looks down. Quietly* Sorry. *doesn't say anything else*

Jasmine: “It is not alright! (Choking back tears)

Nick: Doll, I need you to take a few deep breaths.

Jasmine: “No!” (Picking at her arms) “Fuck… I can’t!”

Nick: Hey, Jasmine. Look at me... even if it's not right now, it'll be later. No one's going to hurt you. You're safe.

Lucille: *feels she should leave so she starts to by turning the other direction*

Jasmine: (Angrily) “I was fine, I am fine I am fine I am fine! Okay! I-….. (Collapses on her knees)

Nick: Jasmine!

Jasmine: “Get the hell away from me!” (Stumbles a she runs out of the room)

Nick: Shit... Not this again... *debates whether it would be a good idea to go after her this time*

Jasmine: (Dizzily smacks into a wall causing her to fall) “Shit!” (Hold hand to her head while she keeps running)

Nick: *Remembers the last few times she tried to run and what she did* Here we go again. *Runs after her*

Lucille: *off in her own corner of Vault 88*

Nick: *chasing Jasmine down out of concern for her safety*

Jasmine: “Leave me alone!”

Nick: *Shouting* Lucille! Don’t let her leave please!

Lucille: On it! *darts to the Red Vim! Power armor in the lounge area of the shop turned detective agency. It's not the blue X-01 she was wearing but it'll do in a pinch. She starts running to the entrance, rallying some of the robots and steelers in the settlement to guard the various exits to keep her in the Vault*

Edgar, the big sentry bot with a skull for a face plate: *guards the door to the main entrance*

Ada: *goes to the subway station*

Allan, a modified floating Mr. Handy: *follows Ada*

Poe: *guarding the button that opens the Vault*

Lucille: *waiting in the agency in front of the cement wall blocking the shop exit*

Jasmine: (Stops running and stares.) “What the fuck! Why cant all of you leave me alone!” (Runs into a room to hide)

Nick: *in the distance* Because we care about you and we don't want you to get hurt! Or worse!

Jasmine: (Hides behind a desk in a far room she stumbled into) (Whispering) “Leave me alone, leave me alone.” (Picks at least her arms)

Nick: Lucille, help me find her please, she’s bound to be somewhere.

Lucille: Already on it. *Starts looking all over Vault 88*

Nick: Thank you. I'm going to check my office in the agency. Maybe she hid there out of familiarity. *goes and does just that*

Lucille: Got it. *gets Allan to guard the shop exit... even if it isn't much of an "exit" anymore*

Nick: *checking behind the file cabinets in his office*

Jasmine: (Tucks herself into a tighter ball while scratching her arms more) (Whispering) “Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone, oh god.”

Nick: *lifts his head at the sound of whispering from under his desk. Finds Jasmine under it and crouches in front of it, effectively cornering her. As gently as his voice will go* Hey, Jazzy... *notices what she's doing to her arms* Can we talk? Might ease your mind a little... help stop that pain your inflicting on yourself...

Jasmine: (Muffled) “No!”

Nick: *soft pleading with nothing but worry in his voice* Jas, please...? I'm trying to help ya, here....

Jasmine: (Muffled) “Why?”

Nick: *kneels finally. Ernestly* Because I care about you. It breaks my heart- or what I have in place of one- seeing ya like this...

Jasmine: “….Did I hurt Lucille?”

Nick: How do you mean? Physically? Emotionally...? *half jokes with a kind smile* Give me a clue, kid.

Jasmine: (Shrugs with a whimper) “…I am sorry….”

Nick: No, I don't think you did. I mean it when I say she's been through worse. She once took on a Deathclaw by herself without power armor in an abandoned hospital. And that was before she got my old hand and eye...

Jasmine: (Huddles back more against the desk) “Hm.”

Nick: *Holding out his hand* How about we get you out of there?

Jasmine. (Doesn’t answer)

Nick: I'll cook us up something good to eat if you come out... Thought I spied some radscorpian meat in the fridge, if you're hungry... *still holding out his hand*

Jasmine: (Head between her knees) “I-… hit my head hard....”

Nick: Oh... Does it make you feel nauseous or dizzy? Does everything seem too loud or bright? Is there ringing...? *trying to see if she has a concussion without touching her*

Jasmine: (Muffled) “All of the above. Maybe because of the rush…”

Nick: *brow furrows with worry again* Sounds like you got a concussion, kiddo. *looks up in thought* Now, how do we treat a concussion...? We can't do stimpaks because that's what led to this whole problem in the first place...

Jasmine: (Lifts her head up just enough to look at him) “I will wait it off like I always do…”

Nick: Are you bleeding?

Jasmine: “Just a bit.”

Nick: ... *rifles through his desk and pulls out a few bandages, sliding it to her* Here... you can use these to bandage your arm and head.

Jasmine: (Shifting to reach out) “Thanks.”

Nick: If you want I can get you some water. Might ease some symptoms... then maybe you can climb out of that lonely dark hole that is under my desk.

Jasmine: (Shifts back) “I am good in here...”(Whispers) “I think…”

Nick: Okay, Jas... *gets up and walks to the cooler on the ledge a couple of floors down that serves as a fridge overlooking the dining room table. Looks for purified water and some food to cook.*

Jasmine: (Tries to quickly wipe her tears away) (Whispering) “Oh god, What did I do...” (Stifling back her sobs)

Nick: *gathers some tatoes and other vegetables from the fridge along with some brahmalough meat. Heads on over to the stove in the dining area to prepare a hearty stew for everyone. Once he's got it on to boil, he takes Jasmine the purified water* Back. Here's some water, Jazzy. *slides it in front of her under his desk*

Jasmine: (Wipes her eyes again) “Thank you, Nick...” (Holds the can without opening it)

Nick: Drink it in your own time... *looks up in thought* Maybe I should make bread to go with the stew... *gets up to gather ingredients*

Jasmine: (Curls back into a protective ball while humming to herself)

Lucille: Mmm! What's good?! *smelled the stew all the way up to the agency*

Nick: *hunched over a stove wearing a 200 year old tattered red apron that says "Be my Valentine" on it... obviously sold for Valentines day* A Brahmalough stew and fluffy razorgrain bread- the stew is a take on ordinary Brahman/beef stew with a few personal tweaks. The bread is an old family recipe of Nick's.

Lucille: Can't wait to try it! You always make the best stuff, Nick.

Nick: Heh. Thanks. *doesn't look up from his work*

Lucille: *steps into the lounge area just outside of Nick's office to store her power armor* I take it you found Jasmine?

Nick: Oh yeah. Don't worry. She's safe and sound.

Lucille: Where is she...?

Nick: Under my desk. Move slow. She's still pretty rattled by what happened.

Lucille: *guilty* ...Oh...

Jasmine: (Hears Lucille and perks up slightly)

Lucille: *sets her sentry bot helmet on the desk in the office and kneels down carefully. Her mismatched eyes study the girl* Hey. How are you feeling?

Jasmine: (Staring back without saying anything)

Lucille: *assumes that means she isn't feeling good* Okay... *gets up bracing herself with her robot arm and hand, deciding it would be best to leave her be*

Jasmine: (Curls back into a ball)

Nick: *Calling out* Give her a little time, she’s not a fan of talking much anyways.

Lucille: Right... *goes back down to the dining room* Anything I can help you with, Nick?

Nick: *grabs a spoon* Here. Taste this for me. *scoops some stew onto the spoon and hands it to her*

Lucille: *sips the broth* A little more salt... maybe add a little Salisbury Steak sauce to it to bolden the flavor?

Nick: Exactly what I was thinking! *while adding what she suggested* Have to admit, you make a pretty decent chef...

Lucille: *raises an eyebrow* Well of course. I cook a lot of our meals out there…

Jasmine: (Smiles a little at their interaction)

Lucille: How's the bread?

Nick: Hm? The- Oh! Thanks for reminding me. Should be ready to bake now that it's risen. *slides it in the oven* There!

Lucille: *leans against the wall near the stairs* You ever attempted this version of the bread recipe, Nick?

Nick: Once or twice before. Usually to make meals stretch for Ellie and I in the main branch of the agency. I don't need to eat but every now and then, I get a little snackish. One of the many little ticks of Nick that likes to seep through the cracks of my programming.

Lucille: I noticed... *noticed he brought up the old Nick again* Does it bother you?

Nick: *waves it away* Nah. I enjoy the taste and sensation. Besides, what goes down gets atomized in the ol' "Mr. Fusion" engine that keeps me running minus the... Ahem... waste. Free fuel and whatnot.

Jasmine: (Still crying quietly to herself)

Lucille and Nick: *not in the lounge area. Nick's office is on the third floor of the Vault 88 agency. The kitchen is on the very first floor. Luckily the floors are thin enough to hear a conversion between them*

Jasmine: (Wincing as another headache settles in) “Ow…..”

Nick: *hears the groan and looks up then back at Lucille* Keep an eye on the food. I'm going up to check on her.

Lucille: Got it...

Nick: *heads to his office and takes a knee* Hey, Jas. *notices she hasn't touched her water* Y'know, drinking that will help your head recover...

Jasmine: (Inaudible mumbling)

Nick: What?

Jasmine: (Mumbling) “...Head hurts.” (Says something else but it’s all mumbles)

Nick: Care to run that buy me again? Didn't quite catch that last part...

Lucille: *stirs the stew occasionally. Takes the opportunity to steal a taste or two while Nick's busy*

Jasmine: (Peers up to look at him) “My hand coordination is off, it is making me more nervous.”

Nick: Probably part of the dizziness from the concussion... *confident smile* Don't worry- it should ease up when it passes. Here... *carefully and slowly reaches in with his metal hand, popping open the tab and just as carefully withdraws* Let me get that for you.

Jasmine: “Hmm, thank you.” (Slowly picks it up and stares at it) “….Sorry.”

Nick: Don't worry about it...

Lucille: *checks on the bread* Mm... Smells like it's nearly done... Can't wait to try this Valentine special!

Jasmine: “It- uh, smells good.”

Nick: Thanks. Figured after today, we could all use something special.

Lucille: *looks around the dining area and sneaks another spoonful of broth* Mmm...

@lucilleandherrobots

[thiziri]

The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence visit Sri Lanka.

Day 3: Colombo

This morning, The Princess Royal visited her first Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Cemetery as their President.

During Remembrance Weekend in November 2023, Buckingham Palace announced that The Princess Royal would become President of the CWGC, taking over from His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent who had been President since 1970. His Majesty The King was also announced as the first Patron of the CWGC.

At the Commission’s Jaawatte Cemetery in Colombo, the largest CWGC site in Sri Lanka, Her Royal Highness was introduced to the Defence Advisor for Sri Lanka and the Maldives’ British High Commission, Colonel Darren Woods who lead a short Service of Remembrance which included an extract from the poem ‘For the Fallen’. A Bugler played the Last Post before a minute’s silence is held. After the Service, Her Royal Highness layed a wreath and viewed some graves, escorted by Colonel Woods.

Next, Her Royal Highness visted Vajira Pillayar Kovil, a Hindu Temple in Colombo. On arrival at the temple, Her Royal Highness and Sir Tim were presented with a garland of jasmine and rose flowers, a silk shawl receive a pottu in the middle of their forehead.

After watching a Hindu Dance Group perform at the entrance of the Temple, The Princess Royal met Chief Priest of Vajira Pillayar Kovil, Sachithanantha Kurukal who conducted a special pooja (blessing). Her Royal Highness also toured the main prayer hall and viewed the shrines.

After visiting the Temple, Her Royal Highness travelled to the British Council to hear about their work in building relationships and connections between UK and Sri Lanka through education, arts and cultural ties. HRH viewed The Arches of Awe exhibition which comprises photographs of the 21 arches that were erected across Colombo to welcome The late Queen Elizabeth II and The late Duke of Edinburgh during their visit to Sri Lanka in 1954.  Dating back centuries, similar archways, also known as ‘thoranas’ were found across Asia and were often connected to traditional religious rituals.

The Princess then visited The Mission to Seafarers, an organisation which cares for the welfare of seafarers. The Princess Royal has been its President since 1984. During the visit, HRH toured the recently refurbished Mission to Seafarers centre and opened their new Family Room.

After this The Princess Royal went to Hatch Works’ co-working space to meet a selection of start-up companies, Her Royal Highness attended her final engagement in Sri Lanka, a I Reception, hosted by the British High Commissioner, to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. Her Royal Highness ended the visit with a few spoken words about the relationship between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.

© Royal UK | 12 January 2024

[world-of-wales]

Wait, what? Could you explain the M and India UK thing?

It all dials back to the Commonwealth and uk- india ties in terms of it. So, a little background - commonwealth was the second international organization/group joined by India after the UN. But the commonwealth was the first it joined as an independent sovereign state. Now at that time india was one of the first countries who put forth the demand that republics should also be able to join the CW and countries like them should not be expected to keep the monarch as the head of the state to be a condition for joining what is being called a voluntary organization. Because if they keep the monarch as the head of state, then the whole idea of independence from colonization loses its meaning. So the Indian leaders at that time put forth the demand that republics should be allowed in too, and these countries will be a part of the CW but no authority of the UK or the head of atate/monarch will extend to them. That was accepted because it was a fair demand and made sense. Hence, india joined the CW.

Even back then i.e post indepence in 1947 till the time of the london declaration in 1949, there was a lot of debate and controversy over the whole joining buisness and even then a large section of politicians and leaders were like this is stupid, why are we going back under their influence after having a 100 year long struggle to get out of it. But the then government including Jawaharlal Nehru (my fav Indian pm) who was his own foreign minister, were like India will need to have some sort of connection and some sort of ties with other nations internationally to make sure it can work in the global world. And even today, the Commonwealth forms the bedrock of india's contemporary relations with a number of African states and its dealings with canada, australia, etc.

JLN and his interim government agreed with the influence argument so they put forth the demand for the joining of republics with their own heads of states. It was agreed upon by the UK. But even after that, since india's independence a large section has been against the Commonwealth with the same arguments and people,intellectuals, politicians like shashi tharoor, the southern state CMs, some North Indian parties feel that India should leave the CW.

Now flash forward to the wedding in 2018, meghan came out wearing a veil embroidered with the national flowers of all the CW states, including guess which ones? The republics which are sovereign!!! Including - india (lotus), Pakistan (jasmine) and Bangladesh (water lily)

This thing was picked up by journalists and they ran with it on social media and in newspapers that the royals still think we are theirs. The whole of South Asian twitter was a mess, everyone was criticizing the UK, asking for the high commission to be summoned in front of parliamentary committes to see why they thought it was okay. In india politicians from both sides - the ruling bjp and the opposition parties jumped in. It basically became a f*ck CW, f*ck UK narrative. Now add to this the whole history of colonization and that makes it even worse.

The whole problem that people had with it was that, despite nearly 75 years of independence, UK still thinks we are theirs so why don't we kick them to the curb, we don't need the CW to have trade and other diplomatic ties with other states anymore. Pakistan, Bangladesh etc also had the same issues but it was the most amplified in india.

So in the official circles, for the first time, formal demands were being made that India should leave CW in 2018 because of that Givenchy wedding outfit and the attitude which it must have accompanied. It was always a thing in india, on the fringes of politics, to leave the CW as an agenda for some sections, but nobody ever took any initiative for it except making statements. The government didn't do it formally because let's be honest, 2018 was just a year off the next national elections and they had bigger fish to fry back then but I know it was pretty much a done deal as per the news coming out from 'sources' close to the cabinet, plans were being made. But it was sorted out later, a lot of it because bjp shares common ties with the Tories in the UK so they could smooth it over.

[moon-mirage]

“You ain’t never had a friend like me!”

TLC // Aladdin AU

Rumours say that a faulty Iko unit exists that grants their master three wishes. When the cyborg Cinder stumbles over it and accidentally frees the exuberant Iko, she knows right away what her first wish would be - to be a princess worthy of the young Emperor Kaito she met once before at her market stall.

One wish later, Princess Selene enters the scene and she and Kai hit it off - Iko knows a thing or two about match-making after all. When everything goes according to plan, it’s easy for Cinder to promise Iko her freedom with the next wish.

But Kai’s advisor Levana has her own agenda - if only she could get her hands on Iko, the Eastern Commonwealth would be hers.

Cinder // Aladdin

Kai // Jasmine

Iko // Genie

Levana // Jafar

[writerly-ramblings]

Books Read in November:

1). All the Names Given (Raymond Antrobus)

2). Elizabeth Finch (Julian Barnes)

3). The Red Parts (Maggie Nelson)

4). I’d Rather Be Reading (Guinevere de la Mare)

5). Commonwealth (Ann Patchett)

6). The Family (Naomi Krupitsky)

7). The Green Road (Anne Enright)

8). Plain Pleasures (Jane Bowles)

9). Hopscotch (Hilary Fannin)

10). Read Until You Understand (Farah Jasmine Griffin)

[amilst]

Forsythia, Easter tree, Yellow Jasmine. Our Forsythia is magnificent this year. I pruned it last fall because it was looking a little worn and it seems to have appreciated the cut. In the UK, it is pronounced for-sigh-thia, after the horticulturist William Forsyth who supposedly made the first rock garden in 1802. Curious if the Canadians similarly pronounce it like that since they are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. 

The bright yellow flowers have four downward hanging petals joined at their base forming a tube. Each flower contains two stamens and a pistil. What makes the plant so striking is that the flowers form so early, before any of the leaves, completely covering the plant so all you see is the yellowness.

They are so easy to grow. You see lines of them in Philadelphia along the side of the road thriving among the litter. But they are only noticeable when blooming. After the flowers disappear, the shrubs are barely distinguishable from the tall weeds beside them.

In the fall, they produce hardly noticeable fruit used in traditional Chinese medicine. Like so many of our garden plants, forsythia originated in Asia where they are considered symbols of love. One legend tells the story of a man returning to his wife after a long journey and seeing her waiting by a forsythia bush. He was so struck by her beauty, he vowed to never again take their love for granted.  Some recommend clipping a few forsythia stalks and putting them in water. When the flowers open, so will your love life.

A long standing, but unproven, myth holds that the forsythia flowers produce lactose, one of the only natural sources of the substance other than the milk of mammals. A recent poem begins: “Legend says they can make milk. Their yellow is so damned creamy, it almost seems possible. I want to walk right into one. To melt into something softer, something downier than this damned dampness and this insistent pandemic panic.”

The strangest quote about forsythia is from Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a writer and wife of the famed antisemitic pilot: “There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge in forsythia.” I get the sadness part, Anne.

[thxnews]

Advisory: Parts of Camanava, Manila, Curzon City will be Waterless May 22-27

  Water service interruptions will be experienced in several parts of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Manila and Quezon City from May 22 to 27 due to network maintenance, the Maynilad Water Services announced on Saturday. In Caloocan City, Barangays 28, 31 and 35, particularly along Dagat-Dagatan Extension corner C3; Barangays. 41 to 45, specifically along 2nd Avenue (west) corner Rizal Avenue; Barangays 28 and 31, particularly along Tuna corner Taksay Street will be waterless from 11 p.m. of May 22 to 4 a.m. of May 23. The affected areas from 11 p.m. of May 23 to 4 a.m. of May 24 are in Barangays 159 and 160, specifically along Herrera corner Reparo , Barangay 159, particularly along Rivera corner Reparo. Barangays 25, 29, 30 and 32 to 35, particularly along A. Mabini (south) corner Dimasalang, will be waterless from 11 p.m. of May 24 to 4 a.m. of May 25. Barangays 132 and 133, particularly along Gen. Tinio corner Zapote; Barangays 92 and 94 to 100, specifically along Jasmin corner 11th Avenue, will be waterless from 11 p.m. of May 25 to 4 a.m. of May 26. Barangays 46 to 51, particularly along 4th Avenue (west) corner Rizal Avenue, will be affected from 11 p.m. of May 26 to 4 a.m. of May 27. Meanwhile, Barangay Potrero in Malabon City and Barangays Gen. T. De Leon and Karuhatan in Valenzuela City, specifically along Lorex corner Gen. T. De Leon, will be affected from 10 p.m. of May 23 to 6 a.m. of May 24. In Navotas City, Barangay San Jose, particularly along F. Pascual Street in Barangays San Roque and Tangos, specifically along Gov. Pascual corner Judge Roldan, will be affected from 11 p.m. of May 23 to 4 a.m. of May 24. In Manila, Barangays 383, 384, 388, 390 to 394, Quiapo, 395 to 397 and 400 to 404, and Sampaloc, specifically in Nicanor Reyes Street in front of FEU, will be waterless from 11 p.m. of May 23 to 4 a.m. of May 24. In Quezon City, Barangay Sauyo, specifically along Greenville corner Mozart, will be waterless from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. of May 23. Barangays Commonwealth, Greater Fairview, North Fairview and Sta. Monica, particularly along North C, will be waterless from 10 p.m. of May 23 to 4 a.m. of May 24. Maynilad advised affected customers to store enough water for the duration of the water interruption. Water tankers will be on standby to deliver water to affected areas when necessary.   Sources: THX News & Philippine News Agency. Read the full article

[krazyshoppy]

CWG 2022: बॉक्सिंग में जैस्मिन ने जीता ब्रॉन्ज मेडल, भारत की झोली में आया 30वां पदक

CWG 2022: बॉक्सिंग में जैस्मिन ने जीता ब्रॉन्ज मेडल, भारत की झोली में आया 30वां पदक

Boxing In CWG 2022: कॉमनवेल्थ गेम्स 2022 (Commonwealth Games 2022) के 9वें दिन भारतीय खिलाड़ियों का शानदार प्रदर्शन लगातार जारी है. अब महिलाओं की 57-60 किग्रा लाइटवेट बॉक्सिंग कैटेगरी में जैस्मीन ने भारत की झोली में एक और मेडल डाल दिया है. दरअसल, उन्होंने ब्रॉन्ज मेडल अपने नाम किया. हालांकि, इससे पहले भारतीय महिला बॉक्सर को सेमीफाइनल में हार का सामना करना पड़ा, लेकिन वह ब्रॉन्ज मेडल जीतने में…

[arugbyfullbacksir]

A quick offload around the back, and Joyce is off for Wales!

[imperial-waterboy]

[sassenashsworld]

Maxson : Your "Daddy" is an abomination that shouldn’t exist

Jas : [start crying of fear to think that she would have to live without Nick]

Nora : WHO TOUCHED MY BABY?!?!?

Maxson : N-n-no one!

Jas : [wails loudly and jabs a finger at him]

Maxson : [die internally]

Nora : [rush like a bear on steroid to beat the hell out of him then throw him off the bridge]

Danse : She's not suppose to throw our commander by the bridge

Nick : Tell her

Danse : No

[Cade glance at Nora, Teagan try to look any elsewhere, Kells come rushing]

Kells : How dar--

Cade : [take him by the collar] No… no… go fish our commander but don't say nothing

Jas : [starts giggling happily as Maxson flies away]

Nora : [collects her baby and carries her away like a Mama Gorilla] What did the bad ugly man do to you?

Nick : He tells her I shouldn’t exist

Nora : [put the baby in Nick's arms and dive after Maxson to beat him some more]

Cade : Nevermind Kells

Sorry @jasmineofthecommonwealth, I COULDN'T HEEEEEEELP!!!!!

[sassenashsworld]

Another baby part of Jas story

@lucilleandherrobots

Power Armor Punch Part Twenty Five

Masterlist

Nick: *taken aback she even has to thank him for that... it would be so easy physically for him to hurt her in some other way than what she's likely describing. All it would take is one bad calibration error/mistake. He takes a moment to respond* I wouldn't dream of it...

Jasmine: (Blinks on her tears) (Signing) “I know…” (Looks down at herself in thought. So many other people would though… If they even count as human if they look at her like that)

Nick: *worried frown*

Jasmine: (Looks back up at him, crying a little still) (Mouthing) “Whats wrong?” (Carefully looks him over to try to read his face, but her mind is still half on her previous train of thoughts…)

Nick: Just worried about you.

Jasmine: (Nods understandably. What parent wouldn't be worried about their kid when they are like this… Looks back down and tilts her head at herself in thought. She had thought of altering her face and body to be less attractive, but that would just make her feel less and less like Rosalinda and more like a monster trying to hide… She sucks in a deep breath. Actually, she had once taken both a knife and lighter, desperately trying to mess up herself enough that someone would be horrified to look at her. It didn't really work as she healed too fast, swearing out loud to herself never to do that again a few days later.…)

Nick: ...I think the old Nick knew your biological mother at one point. I don't think it was more than a night, but you look a lot like someone from a memory of his.

Jasmine: (Breathing hitches and she tenses as her train of thought comes to a sudden halt. She looks up and gives Nick a confused look, tilting her head. What the fuck….? Did he figure it out…? Should she tell him this ain’t the first time he asked about this?)

Nick: Sorry- it's the only other thing on my mind right now. I'm not sure if this was her, but I suspect he did. And it was a… *clears throat*...very brief affair.

Jasmine: (Blinks rapidly, nodding her head after thinking it over for a long moment. She still decides not to say anything pointblank about her and Nick in the past, she’s too tired for that shit) (Signing) “So what are you thinking?”

Nick: I'm looking into whether or not the original Valentine was... well...

The Synth: *blinks, finally finished setting up* ...So who am I exactly?

Lucille: Who ever you want to be.

The Synth: ... *looks down in thought*

Jasmine: (Sighs deeply, looking down at herself in a lost daze. Its not quite clicking in her head yet, but she sees where this is kinda going) (Signing) “How are you sure its her?” (What are the chances this would even happen…?)

Nick: That's part of the problem. I don't have a lot to go on other than her looks.

The Synth: I think I want to be called Geneveve.

Lucille: That's a pretty name...

Geneveve: *nods as they stand up and takes a look at themselves. They quietly study their hands, figuring out their body*

Jasmine: (Runs her hands over her face, sucking in a deep breath. Well shit- now she has to let it slip a little bit…) (Signing, her hands shaking) “When I was five, a very old women walked up to me and asked if I was Charlottes kid because I looked EXACTLY like a kid she used to teach for Kindergarten. I pointed to my Mom and the Old Lady shook her head and left, never saw her again.” (She looks away, new tears on her face. The thought of being a spitting image of the women who tossed her in the garbage is sickening… Which is why she didn't think about it or talked about it with Nick…. Passed off that lady's remark as bad memory from old age…) (Signing) “How much do I look like her?”

Nick: *goes quiet for a moment, the name clicking into place perfectly in the memory. Charlotte. The woman's name was also Charlotte. What were the chances two women who looked like Jas shared a name? He reviews the memory again in detail just to be sure then sighs* ...Exactly like her.

Jasmine: (Stares off into space for a long time, more tears going down her cheeks) “………” (She then bunches up the blanket, puts it to her face, and starts screaming loudly into it. Oh great. Now she will see the women who abandoned her for being a girl whenever she looks in the mirror… On top of other things)

Nick: *goes completely quiet...*

Geneveve: *looks between Lucille and herself* Hm... I don't like the fact I'm just... bare like this. Have any clothes? Not quite as armor laiden but still something to cover this... body.

Lucille: *grins* Oh do I... let me show you! *pulls out the assortment of clothes she's put together*

Geneveve: Hm... *looks at the collection* What a vivid and dark purple dress. *blinks then looks at the black hat with the red flower* Yes... that speaks to me and so do those shoes...

Lucille: Fascinating... *starts putting the clothes away*

Geneveve: WAIT!

Lucille: Huh-? *freezes*

Geneveve: That earring-

Lucille: Oh that? I haven't found a pair like it, yet-

Geneveve: I want it.

Lucille: You're sure?

Geneveve: *nods firmly*

Jasmine: (Keeps screaming like hells rage into the blanket. Mainly just long strings of muffled cuss words and some other things that are inaudible)

Nick: *dear god, what has he done...? He can't help but distantly watch as she breaks down yet again into the blanket*

Geneveve: *takes the earring and affixes it to their ear, smiling. She puts on the rest of the outfit* How do I look?

Lucille: Gorgeous...

Geneveve: *eyes glow warmly, hopefully* Really?

Lucille: *nods* It's times like these I wish I had a large standing mirror so you could see for yourself...

Jasmine: (Takes the blanket off her face so she can breathe, her eyes red and puffy while her lips tremble) (Whispering, her voice breaking a bit with gasps for air) “Can you hold me please?” (She hates how childish she sounds and looks right now, but she is afraid that she is going to resort to scratching herself again at any moment...)

Nick: *recognizes what she's really asking and nods* Alright... *scoots onto the bed carefully and sets aside the stew. He scoops her up in his arms, holding both of hers so he can stop her from scratching herself*

Jasmine: (Immediately hides her face in his coat for comfort, still crying but she hums weakly and sweetly. Her body relaxes and she can breathe normally again, the only thing pounding harshly is her heart and mind…)

Lucille: There is a mirror in Nick's office. It's broken, but if you look in one of the fragments, maybe you'll see what you look like.

Geneveve: *nods but pauses* Where exactly is that?

Lucille: Right... new life, new experience. I'll show you. *starts walking out*

Geneveve: *follows*

Nick: On the upside, at least this could mean one of your biological parents wasn't as bad as you thought.

Jasmine: (Nods her head against his chest. Thats very much true… Wraps her arms around his neck, taking in a calming breath)

Nick: *tired sigh... here they go again...*

Jasmine: (Breathing normally now, her tears slowing down almost to a halt. Even though she does not consider her bio Mom to be her real Mother, it still stings her heart a bit that she was thrown out like trash as soon as she was born) (Whispering, her voice weak) “She threw me out because I am a girl…”

Nick: And she was wrong to do it... what you are physically shouldn't determine your worth. Ever...

Jasmine: (Whispering, turning her head to look at herself while holding Nick a little tighter) “She only wanted the boy…” (The report she and Lilac stole said so. That her birth Mother yelled that she only wanted a boy while clutching another bundle…)

Nick: *indignant huff* Well if you really are the old Nick's kid, then I'm certain he would have had a few things to say about that if he had known. Honestly, the sheer act throwing an infant in the garbage says a lot more to me about the kind of scum she was than who you are as a person. *shakes his head. He wonders what the old cop ever saw in her*

Geneveve: *eyes search curiously around the caves as she follows her creator*

Lucille: *notices and giggles*

Geneveve: Hm?

Lucille: You remind me of my wife when she first saw the surface. She's still so curious about the world above us.

Geneveve: A world above-? *looks to the ceiling* Oh. I suppose you're right...

Jasmine: (Hums in acknowledgement, shifting to look up at him with large teary eyes) (Whispering) “How long did you suspect?” (Did Nick notice as soon as he met her? Is that why he decided to take care of her?)

Nick: About the time I started bringing you here. There was a memory that came up, but it was out of focus- kind of needed a bit of a push before it finally cleared up.

Jasmine: (Thinks about that for a moment, her mind still working slow and not grasping it yet- especially since Nick doesn’t seem to realize that there was another little incident)

Nick: You need to eat... it might help your mind process things a little better. *picks up the bowl of stew*

Jasmine: (Frowns at the delicous looking bowl of soup, shaking her head out of reflex while still leaning on his chest. She can smell it, and it smells really good. But she knows that she cant really taste it, it will just taste like poisonous mush with a small hint on what its suppose to taste like…)

Nick: Not to be rude, but what is it about eating food that disgusts you? It's a bit... odd, if not, concerning.

Jasmine: (Still frowning, tilting her head to look back up at him) (Signing, her hands shaking) “The feeling of eating of it, even the thought of eating it makes me sick.”

Nick: Was the food in that place drugged...?

Jasmine: (Weakly nods, looking away while shuddering at those thoughts. Almost everyday… It just didn't get bad until she was a little older )

Nick: I promise you, I would never drug your food.

Geneveve: *finally gets to Nick's office. She looks in one of the larger fragments and frowns* No... no, this won't do. My face is... lacking.

Lucille: Huh? How so?

Geneveve: The lips lack color. And it's over all... bland...

Lucille: I don't know if make up will do on polymer skin.

Geneveve: Perhaps lipstick... But otherwise, you are right...

Lucille: Wait- I know... hold still. *runs and finds some red and blue paint and some old sidewalk chalk* What if... we literally paint your lips?

Geneveve: *surprised* Paint-? *considers it* Actually, that might work... what will you do with the chalk?

Lucille: We dust it on your eyelids like eye shadow and seal it with wonder glue.

Geneveve: ...I worry that will glue my eye lids open.

Lucille: Then keep them closed until it's shut.

Geneveve: *scoffs* Please tell me that's not the only fixative you have.

Lucille: Sadly it is...

Jasmine: (Quickly nods) (Signing) “I know that. Ive just trained myself to throw up after I eat, and the low self worth and memories aren't exactly helping...” (Wipes her eyes, sniffing a bit) “I was considered “funner to play with” when I was out of it….” (Reaches for Nicks hand)

Nick: *looks apologetically at her and takes her hand* Is there any way we can work on that...? The vomiting thing, I mean?

Jasmine: (Shrugs, leaning her head on Nicks shoulder and squeezing his hand slightly. She does not know… She just tried to keep herself distracted after she ate anything, which didn't always work but when it did it felt great. Mainly because she was no longer dying of hunger)

Nick: *softly* Please try to eat... again, even if it's small bites at a time.

Geneveve: *helping Lucille mix paint color for their lips*

Jasmine: (Sighs deeply, nodding her head against his shoulder) (Whispering) “Okay…” (Hopefully, it will stay down for a few hours at least…)

Nick: *smiles and offers her the stew*

Geneveve: I do believe we have extra for a new coat just in case...

Lucille: Yeah, we do. Hold on, I think I have a jar around here somewhere... *looks in a drawer in the kitchen area* A-ha! Nick, hope you don't mind lending this away! *poors the extra paint they mixed into it for her to use later* Now do you need help applying the paint, Gen?

Geneveve: Yes, please...

Lucille: *Dips the brush into the paint and starts applying* Hold still. Keep your mouth open...

Geneveve: *obeys, wanting to look their best*

Jasmine: (Lets go of Nicks hand so she can take the bowl, still leaning on him because she can barely keep herself upright. Everything just hurts… Especially the area Curie stitched up. She slowly takes a spoonful, sipping it carefully, her hand shaking a little)

Nick: Take your time. If you start to feel sick, you can stop. *rubs her back*

Jasmine: (Hums sweetly, tilting her head at herself. Well if they went off that, she wouldn't be eating at all. She could tell that the soup tasted really good, just by the smell alone, which played a big part in how people taste things. But she could not tell how it fully tasted… Goddamnit. Did they have to take her ability to taste things too by getting her so afraid of eating? She used to love making and eating food when she could….) “………..” (She begins daydreaming of certain deserts… Pan Dulce, a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, choco flan, her Aunties famous Apple pie….)

Nick: *just glad she's eating something!

Lucille: Now rub your lips together. Like this. *presses her lips together and rubs them* Mm.

Geneveve: *copies her*

Lucille: Hold on... *rubs the excess off* There.

Geneveve: Did I mess up?

Lucille: No, you didn't. It's part of the process.

Geneveve: *smiles* Good...

Jasmine: (Sighs at herself as she takes another spoonful, letting the broth sooth her aching throat from all her screaming. Did she have to think of pie right now? Out of all the other foods? Why not her Mothers Caldo de res soup? Why pie?! What is wrong with her? Quickly hands Nick the bowl without looking at him, her hands shaking like crazy. Fucking… She will try again later)

Nick: *takes it* You made a good effort. I'm proud of you.

Jasmine: (Nods slightly, hiding her face in Nicks shoulder so he does not see her new tears) (Thinking to herself) “Good job self, now your thoughts are going to go even more wild… You were just talking about something ELSE beforehand.”

Nick: Alright, Jas. Talk to me. What is it?

Jasmine: (Mumbling, not looking up so he cant see that she is crying) “Nothing, I just do not like food…” (Her heart thumped and dropped. Not a complete lie, but still a lie. She just didn't want to dump anymore on Nick today… And her old instincts are telling her to hide the pain. She starts trying to derail her thoughts by thinking about their previous conversation… But her mind still was on pie… One of her arms wraps around her lower waist for security)

Nick: No, no. We're not doing that again. *grabs her arms and pulls it away*

Geneveve: *keeping her eyes closed as Lucille gently draws and smudges purple chalk on their eyelids...*

Lucille: You are starting to look beautiful, Gen...

Geneveve: *smiles* After all this, I would hope I do...

Jasmine: (Makes a loud sound of protest, but she doesn't squirm or pull away, just keeps her teary face hidden from his view)

Nick: *tired sigh*

Jasmine: (Takes his hand in both of hers for comfort, closing her eyes)

Nick: Still here, kiddo...

Lucille: Okay... *very carefully dabs a slightly watered down solution of wonder glue to "hold the "eye shadow"* Keep them closed for a few minutes, okay?

Geneveve: *obediently has her eyes closed*

Jasmine: (Hums in response, opening her eyes to stare straight off into the ends of space in her thoughts, still leaning her head on his shoulder. Her thoughts lingered on pie/food in general, which connected to drugs and more rape. The other thoughts were on Nicks suspicion's on who her biological father and mother could really be, which lead to a whole other string of things…)

Nick: What would ya like to do once you get out of here?

Jasmine: (Blinks a few times at his question, her thoughts coming to a halt) (Mumbling) “Something useful…” (Actually, she wanted go seek out a fight or mission of some kind, like she was trained to do. But she doubts that she will be allowed to mow down raiders, slavers, and mutants anytime soon. So just something other than just laying around crying about stupid things…) (Quietly) “And you?”

Nick: I want to work a case... specifically your case. Maybe visit El afterwards. She's been missing us something fierce.

Jasmine: (Frowns. She does not know what Nick intends to really try to find, but she doubts there will be much to left. The old house is completely caved in at the Glowing Sea, and the Vault she was at is very far away in a dangerous city with little to no information left inside. Better off working on a different case, one that has more meaning)

Nick: Plus anything to give me an excuse to get out of this stuffy vault... *shudders* No offense to Lucille- she's really tried to make this place feel more like a city than one of those underground labs but I'd rather be above ground hitting the pavement. Thank goodness she had the foresight to make my actual office in the old pharmacy.

Lucille: *gently touches Geneveve's eye lids* Alright. They're dry. You can open them now.

Geneveve: *sighs softly* Finally. *opens them*

Lucille: *gasps at the final look*

Geneveve: What is it?

Lucille: You look so lovely... go upstairs and look.

Geneveve: *runs up stairs and looks into the mirror and giggles giddily. She sways her dress back and forth with delight* Finally, I feel complete... *puts their hands on their cheeks and closes their eyes... then briefly opens them* But what will I do now? Now that I'm me? Where will I go? *at a loss for purpose*

Jasmine: (Whispering) “I hate vaults…” (Took everything in her just to drag herself in here, it made her uneasy)

Nick: *pulls out the key card for the one she escaped from* Unfortunately we might have to explore another one...

Jasmine: (Immediately plucks it out of his hand and flings it across the room, watching as it clatters in the corner. She forgot that she even kept that thing. She had shoved it under her mattress right after she unburied her Pipboy, not knowing what else to do with it. It was the only one she found, so it didn't feel right to throw it away. There was still some valuable tech in there…)

Nick: *winces* Now what did you have to go and do that for? I'm not sure we can find another. And if we're gonna find answers we're going to need that card, so be careful!

Jasmine: (Looks down at herself, moving one hand to wipe her teary eyes) (Signing) “Sorry, I do not like it...” (It was the Overseers keycard, which would give them access to the entire Vault with no limitations. The only other card like that one that she knew of, was the security guard leaders… And God only knows what happen to that fucking asshole)

Nick: Ah... Right...*goes awkwardly quiet*

Geneveve: *paces*

Lucille: You okay?

Geneveve: *stops* No. Now that I've... put myself together, what should I do?

Lucille: What do you think you should do?

Geneveve: Well... I'd love to explore. Maybe meet more people who look like me.

Lucille: *frowns* That's gonna be a bit of a problem. The only people I know who look like you that's going to welcome you warmly are either currently occupied or sitting in his little throne on a lonely little island in Maine.

Geneveve: You're certain everyone else like me are hostile?

Lucille: If they aren't, I've yet to meet them. So far, you're the fourth sentient second generation synth I know... and that took some doing.

Geneveve: What do you mean by that?

Lucille: ... You are aware your body is just a little worse for wear right? That's from a fight. You don't remember because I reprogrammed your AI to adapt and attain some semblance of sentience based on what I've encountered in a friend of mine's code doing maintenance on him. Before that, you were a drone- no more Human than my helmet or that desk. And you were designed to do one thing and that was to kill anyone that got in the way of the courser that relayed you to him.

Geneveve: *studies her hands with slight disgust* So... I was a monster.

Lucille: *steps forward* I made you more than that. *takes her hands* I gave you the option to choose what kind of synth you wanted to be, sweetheart...

Jasmine: (Lifts up the neckline of her dress to peer in, staring blankly at the bandages wrapped tightly around her. What the fuck is wrong with her? Guard leader!? Pie?! Thinking about them now when her sensitive areas are hurting? Maybe she should have gone for Cauterization so she wasn't tempted to rip the stitches out… She does want to live… Even if she has bad/horrible moments, like right now)

Nick: *pulls away* You can't keep doing this, doll...

Jasmine: (She was leaning on Nick for support, so she almost falls back but she catches herself last second, wincing in pain from the quick movement. She instinctively wraps her arms around her lower waist, the other arm shakily propping her up)

Nick: Sorry- forgot you were leaning on me. I didn't shock you too much, did I?

Jasmine: (Shakes her head. Shock her with what? Almost everything has been a shock to her, so she has learned to always be somewhat ready. She shifts her arm for better support, wincing again because she cant really move without either her arm giving way, or shifting too much that it will hurt)

Nick. Here. I'll at least help you lay down. *reaches for her back and shoulder. Softly* I'm sorry-

Jasmine: (Tilts her head at Nick, letting him help as she watches his face) (Mouthing) “For what?”

Nick: *looks apologetically at her* Forgetting how fragile you are currently...

Jasmine: (Shakes her head, wrapping her other arm around her waist so she is hugging herself tightly) (Softly) “I am not suppose to be….” (She does not know if he means mentally or physically, but she should be able to take care of herself)

Nick: And what are you "supposed to be", hm? *carefully pets her hair*

Jasmine: (Sucks in a breath, not sure how to answer that) (Whispering, her lips trembling) “Not this…” (Squeezing herself even tighter, almost to the point that it hurts. Not this childish, crying, trembling mess of a human)

@lucilleandherrobots

[theteasetwrites]

Masquerade

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: none! ❧ Word Count: 1.3k

❧ Requested by anonymous (this request)

❧ Summary: Your husband helps you get ready for the most prestigious event at the Commonwealth. You're a little nervous, but he just can't keep his eyes off you.

❧ A/N: Short and sweet! Daryl would be such a good husband/partner, you can't convince me otherwise. Absolute king, always chugging down "love and respect my wife" juice. Also, the image of Daryl dancing at the masquerade ball... So freaking cute I can't.

Ravishing was the word he was looking for, but he couldn’t bring himself to even speak in your presence. That was how beautiful you looked, too beautiful for any sound to articulate the word on the tip of his tongue.

“Zip me up?” 

Your voice awoke him from his state of awe with a slight flinch, and before him you stood with your back exposed, the backside of your dress unzipped. 

It hugged your frame perfectly, the rich, red wine color highlighting the blush upon your cheeks, and the long, A-line skirt elongating your body so gracefully. In his hands, the soft, sparkling velvet felt much too luxurious for his calloused, workworn fingertips. 

You sucked in your stomach with a deep breath as he zipped up your dress. As you looked in the mirror, you’d never felt more beautiful in your life, you were sure. Freshly rouged cheeks, lashes made doll-like from a few layers of mascara, lips perfectly painted scarlet to match your gown. 

As you caught your breath, you took in your own scent—sweet, floral perfume with notes of jasmine and patchouli. You hadn’t smelled anything like it in years, maybe even a decade. 

Even your hair looked so different from usual, in a loose updo at the crown of your head, with strands cascading in delicate, clean curls at every angle. It allowed a view of your earrings, two dangling pairs of genuine pearls that at one point surely belonged to someone of higher status than you. 

You were still unsure of how a former psychiatrist received an invitation to the most prestigious event in the Commonwealth, but you supposed you weren’t really in the position to ask questions. Besides, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy dressing up.

“This is so weird,” you huffed. “What am I supposed to do when I get there, Daryl? I won’t have anyone to talk to… I’ll just be standing around awkwardly. God, I hate parties.”

His strong hands rested on your velvety hips, and slowly turned you around to face him. You couldn’t help but raise your finger up to trace along the little red scar trailing down his forehead and under his eye. It was a little habit you had, as if your touch could soothe the pain from the cut long after the damage had been done. For him, it did.

“You look like a princess,” he said. His hand tentatively lifted your chin, with great care not to smudge your meticulously applied makeup. His head tilted as he admired your face. Your eyes fluttered dreamily, trying to follow his enraptured gaze. “Wish I could be with you all night.”

The only reason you agreed to go in the first place was Daryl’s presence, him being assigned to security at the door of the event. If he were to be staying home that night, you would’ve gladly stayed home with him, but he had a commitment to be there, and you had an invitation, so it worked out. At least you’d be near him. You could never be too far away from him, not without feeling an immense sense of dread and loss.

“Why?” you asked in slight amusement. “You like masquerade balls all of a sudden? You just keep surprising me, mister Dixon.”

He narrowed his eyes at you in faux annoyance. Almost eight years of marriage clued you into his more subtle expressions of sarcasm.

“Jus’ hate the idea of some stuffy rich prick askin’ you to dance or somethin’. Want them all to know you’re spoken for.”

You rolled your eyes and scoffed at the notion of any men taking interest in you, but you supposed his slight jealousy was sweet. “That’s one reason why I wear this,” you said, holding your left hand up to flash your wedding ring, a dainty gold band with one simple, yet vibrantly iridescent, opal embedded in the center. “And besides, I’d be crazy to ever think any man could come close to being as wonderful as you are.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Soon as them doors close, I’m rushin’ in to keep my eye on you. I’d be crazy to let my wife look this beautiful without watchin’ ‘er. You’re gonna knock ‘em dead. Prettiest damn thing I ever seen.”

“Stop it,” you laughed, playfully shoving his shoulder before crossing over to the other side of your tiny, dingy apartment. Tucked snugly in the bookshelf was your jewelry box, filled with trinkets you’d collected over the years. It was one of the few things you were always sure to keep safe, and finally, you had a reason to break out your genuine pearl necklace, to match your earrings. “Could you help me put on my necklace, honey? I think it’s the last thing I need.”

He took the dainty choker in his hands, and delicately lifted his arms to dangle it around your neck before clasping it from behind. He smiled at the gentle curve of your neck, the fuzzy vellus hairs adorning the nape. His finger twirled around a stray curl cascading down beside your ear. In the corner of your eye, you could see him begin to smile, or maybe you could just feel it, your entire being so in tune with his after so long of being together. 

“What are you doing?” you giggled. “I’ve never seen you this easily distracted before.”

“You still got no idea what you do to me, huh?” he asked. He lowered his lips to the skin of your shoulder, both of which were exposed by the off-the-shoulder collar of your gown. “I’m the luckiest man who ever lived. Can’t believe you’re all mine.”

“Well, believe it,” You turned in his arms and kissed his cheek just enough to leave a little red print of your lips. “Promise you’ll dance with me, handsome? When you have free time tonight?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You sure you wanna dance with the security guard? A high class woman like yourself oughtta dance with… I don’t know, a senator or somethin’.”

“Pfft,” you scoffed. “I was a shrink, honey. Hardly high class. Just one dance?”

He huffed, yet broke out into an infectious smile, wide and lopsided as it hit him once again just how lucky he was. He leaned his forehead against yours as he pulled your waist closer. With a hearty laugh, he spun you around, doing the closest thing he knew to dancing. 

“Like this?” he chuckled. You could listen to that rare, sweet sound for the rest of your life, and you fully intended upon doing so. “This how you wanna dance, woman?”

Your hands clung tight to his broad, strong shoulders as he continued spinning you wildly. Your sonorous giggles melted into his deep chuckle, creating a strange, but beautiful, little harmony. 

“St-stop it!” you laughed deliriously. “Daryl! You maniac!”

He nearly stumbled over a little wooden side table as he slowed to a halt, holding you close and refusing to let you go, even if the masquerade ball was starting soon.

“You gonna wear a mask?” he asked, and you weren’t entirely sure if he meant literally or metaphorically.

“Yes,” you panted, out of breath from your little dance. “Why?”

He shrugged and pursed his lips in thought. “Jus’… don’t want ya to wear a mask for too long. Kinda like you just the way you are.”

“Mm,” you hummed, understanding his meaning, even if it was just literal. “I promise I’ll take it off when we get home.”

That night, when he was free from his duties, he took your hands in his and danced with you until midnight. He might’ve stepped on your feet a few times, and you might’ve nearly lost your balance on those high heels, but you wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments of any kind are always appreciated!

Masterlist

[kaiyonohime]

Ravelry took sides.  Against the fiber arts community.

Ravelry has had issues for the last few years.  They redesigned the site in such a way that it was triggering seizures in people, the heads of Ravelry dismissed such issues as bs and insulted and ignored the people that were complaining, and they took a hands off stance while a scam artist was stealing thousands of dollars from users (that scam artist would end up in jail by the end of that fiasco, all thanks to DT and not to Ravelry).

Earlier today someone, an unknown someone but there are three very good culprits suggested (Jasmin of Knitmore Girls, that toxic Ben guy from Stitches, or BzyPeach), complained about the discussion about the Lady Dye Yarns situation.

And, because of that complaint, two mods got banned.  One mod, Chupacabra, got banned for commenting that Diane of Lady Dye Yarns is being taken to court for credit card debt (this is confirmed knowledge that is available to the public on the Massachusetts website, it was not protected knowledge) and not posting proof.  And then, when a second mod stepped in, TnyPirate, and posted a screenshot of the, once again, publicly available evidence of Diane being taken to court over credit card debts, she was banned for posting proof!

It turned into a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.  All in an attempt to silence the consumer advocacy group DT because they were sitting on knowledge that hadn’t been released yet.

Well fuck that.  Diane, if you were so scared of this getting out before, well, it’s out now.  Chupacabra posted what had not been said on Reddit.  Diane, of Lady Dye Yarns, was taking grants from the state of Massachusetts, and was specifically only shipping complete and well dyed yarns to people involved with giving those grants.  And that’s how she was supporting her business for ten years.  That’s why she was gathering information on people’s real names and linking them to social media accounts, so she could continue to make herself and her company look good, all while throwing the ‘lesser’ customers under the bus.

She was also raising money, for charity she claimed, and keeping it for herself.

She has started fighting chargebacks, so if you’re owed yarn or a refund by her, you need to fight for that money now.  She doesn’t have the cash to refund money any longer.  Especially now that people are backing away from her now that her thefts have come to light, including stealing and distributing patterns from designers she knew in real life!

All in all, it’s coming out that she really is just a terrible, terrible human being and scam artist that was able to keep the balls in the air for ten long years.

This is what Chupacabra posted on Reddit today:

Harvard Business School, Faculty & Research, Publications

August 2022 Case

HBS Case Collection

Titled ’Boston Impact Initiative: Investing in Local Change’ (Note that this save can be twitchy at times)

Oversight looks to have been an issue for this program. Intriguing considering the financial state and general disorganization of LDY and the company having received a grant with such obvious to accounting Ravelry screaming loud issues, including issues with the Mass Secretary of the Commonwealth, and what that recent debt collection court case implies as iffy credit.

Then, this was found about another program that LDY was involved in that may explain why it appears (and I am alleging) that Diane had to artificially inflate and cheerlead the state of the company. This may be a touch hard to follow because the narrative of what it is and why it is important to the story was still being fully fleshed out for following along. It wasn't quite ready for prime time yet, but was getting close.

From 2021.

First you'll need to open this archived webpage from FBE (Foundation for Business Equity) and then scroll down to the “Our Cohorts” section (almost at the bottom). On the left side there’s orange text/button labelled: “Click on logos to learn more about our Participating Enterprises in Cohort IX and X”

Have a look at the logos.So LDY is listed in their “Cohort IX” &/or “Cohort X”. That’s very recent.For more details on what the BEI Accelerator does, search this document for the phrase “Business Equity Initiative”. Keep searching because there are a few hits worth reading so that the structure of the program makes better sense.

Diane was 100% certainly a member of the BEI Accelerator program in late 2021.

Confirmation was found on Twitter. The tweet is from FBE’s acct and it says:

“As the holiday season arrives, we are highlighting some of the incredible businesses in our Business Equity Initiative (BEI) program. Today we are sharing two businesses that are perfect for classic gifts: Elegant Stitches and ladydyeyarns”, followed by a photo of four dyed skeins with the LDY logo below them.

Diane better have shipped ALLLLL of the contents of her “Ready-To-Ship: The Fabulous Holiday Box” to customers who were directed via this site …. to this one..

It is suspected that things like that tweet above, plus other FBE-generated industry puff articles, were one of the contributing factors to Diane feeling she needed to keep separate league tables/lists of customers to single out for special treatment.

There’s no way she would have ripped off an investor or some big-wig/big-name by giving them the plebeian version of one of her boxes (or none at all!). They’d receive the bespoke one with 120% of the contents plus a hand-composed note. Delivered on. time. or kablooey … shit says hello to fan. Nobody complains like a burned donor. NOBODY.

It is also suspected that all of the above is why she also has bigger name defenders. She cultivated those relationships to cultivate more relationships to bring in more money to look better to programs. It's an ouroboros of networking to get more money to network to get more money.

It's bullshit all the way down, and at the very bottom are the customers who were simply rungs on the ladder to the real moneymakers and grant program approvers.

Now that it's been reported that on top of the inability to confirm claimed donations, stall on any refunds, and the outright theft from designers that she knew in real life and served on the Vogue Diversity Councel with that she is possibly fighting disputes, the Mass AG is making calls, and the DT forum and mods have been targeted for official shutting the fuck up it's starting to look like this was possibly just another scammer in some extra pretty packaging.

For what it is worth I absolutely think her defenders are being just as manipulated as everyone else has been. I just can't say if they are victims or volunteers yet, and they aren't talking so I'll leave that up to everyone else to decide.

[dead-tigris]

Here is a video produced by Jasmine Turner of NBC12 about my family's situation.  Please watch and share.  Thank you, and God bless you!

My son John just turned two years old. John’s life has been filled with medical issues and suffering since the week he was born. John has undergone diagnostic testing weekly to determine the causes of his various medical issues: focal onset epilepsy that is difficult to control, gross developmental delays, food allergy, failure to thrive, abnormal swallowing, and aspiration of food that requires intensive feeding therapy. John was placed on a feeding tube for two months before he turned 1, to try to help him gain weight, but to this day he remains underweight for his age. Endoscopy, pH probe, and multiple ultrasounds of his abdomen revealed that possible reasons for his failure to grow were duodenal ulcers, kidney stones, severe diarrhea, hypercholesterolemia, and high calcium levels. He went through medical care for all of these problems; however, John will be in need of ongoing intensive medical care for the foreseeable future.

When I was a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University, my tuition and stipend were paid by Iraqi Higher Committee for Education Development (HCED), with the agreement that I would return to Iraq to work for them following graduation.  When I reached out to HCED to discuss deferring my return to Iraq due to John’s many health and neurological problems, they said that they do not care whether John lives or dies - they want $323,129. I will gladly pay that amount in increments over the rest of my life; however, HCED demands that the entire amount is paid as one lump-sum. If I do not pay this amount, or if I do not relocate to Iraq by Mid-July, HCED will charge my parents’ family for the money, which they are unable to pay.  

The origin of John's epilepsy was never determined, and he remains on high doses of antiepileptic medications that will be very difficult to obtain in Iraq. John goes into anaphylactic shock when he is exposed to common foods. Because of the care that John can obtain in the US, doctors have been able to save his life many times. We are scared to take John to Iraq because there would not be EpiPens or local hospitals that could save him in an emergency.  

In addition to these many health problems, preliminary observations by the program director of Richmond Behavioral Health Authority suggest that John is at high risk for autism. As concerned parents, we have researched the effects of early behavioral interventions on long-term outcomes of autism. The first few years of life are crucial for normal development, and children with autism need intensive specialist therapy if they can develop into independent adults. Again, Iraq does not have the services that John would need. There are no experts in Iraq who can work with children with developmental delays.  

I am begging you to help me raise the money to pay back my scholarship to HCED so that my son can continue to live in America and receive the medical care he needs.  We hope that we can offer HCED a smaller, but substantial amount of money to defer our return to Iraq until John is better. Thank you for considering my request. Sincerely, Wisam, Maysam, Mariam, and John 

UPDATE 1: Previously, we were told that the amount I owed HCED was $300,000.  My siblings in Iraq received a notice on June 17th that says that the amount I owe HCED is now $323,129, so we updated the fundraiser goal. UPDATE 2:  We are currently working with the offices of Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine to try to resolve these issues. We are very thankful for the contributions of all of our donors and the hardworking staffers in the lawmakers' offices. Please keep us in your prayers, and God bless you all.

FULL NEWS ARTICLE from NBC 12

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