#jk uh

[frudoo]

It’s always baker!reader or butcher!Simon—which is always delicious, mind you—but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen baker!Simon (correct me if I’m wrong). Fem!Reader.

Baker!Simon who decided to take his therapist’s advice to find a relaxing hobby and taught himself to bake and decorate after retiring from the military.

Baker!Simon who runs a home bakery so he can do what he loves where he loves. Where else could he blast his favorite playlists while creating tasty treats (he’s convinced that listening to Tool truly helps make the goodies taste better)?

Baker!Simon who specializes in intricate desserts—flawless layered cakes lathered in rich buttercream, perfectly piped patterns across the surface. Soft, chewy sugar cookies with royal icing that has a satisfying snap to those who can actually bear to bite into them and ruin his beautiful designs. Smooth, vibrant macarons with a gorgeous rise and creamy ganache filling.

Baker!Simon who gets his traction on Facebook. He sells his goods on Marketplace and is a member of nearly every baking group on the site—and is quite popular amongst the older ladies in the same groups.

Baker!Simon who, as amazing as his baked goods look and taste, cannot take a flattering picture of them to save his life. Because of this, he doesn’t get as much business as he’d like. Apparently, Marketplace shoppers are picky about camera quality, as if that has anything to do with talent or flavor. Even the baking groups he’s in have given him warnings in the past to take clearer photos—the admins backed off as soon as the old ladies found out they were picking on their best boy.

Food Photographer!Reader who stumbles upon one of his groups one day, seeing the potential in his treats and knowing she could help him out with his promotion photos.

Baker!Simon who cocks an eyebrow at the ping his phone alerts him of, opening Messenger to see a pretty thing with a camera in his DMs:

Sorry to bother you, but I’ve gone through your profile and I think your work is absolutely gorgeous. If you’re interested, I’m a trained photographer and I’d like to help you out with your pictures? No charge, don’t worry. Consider it a favor between two small businesses! :)

Part 2 <3

[kenchann]

hades 2 doodles (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ) i did aetos dirty i know wwww

[livwritesstuff]

Steve reaches the top of the stairs on his way to get ready for bed when he hears the weary call of his husband from the other end of the hall.

“Steeeve,” Eddie groans, “Rescue me please.”

He’s in Hazel’s room, Steve can tell, which probably means that tonight is another night in a long string of failures to get their three-year-old into bed at a reasonable time (seriously – their older two went to sleep without any issues hours ago, but their sweet Hazel James has been in a phase of doing everything she can to avoid her bedtime).

Indeed, Steve walks into their youngest daughter’s bedroom to see that Eddie is the one blinking bleary eyes at him while Hazel, on the other hand, is wide awake and standing on her mattress in her Halloween pumpkin pajamas (yes, it’s June – very few battles are won by Steve and Eddie these days).

“Uh-oh,” Steve warns her, ”You’re putting Daddy to sleep, sweet girl. It’s supposed to be the other way around.”

“Well, first I hafta show Daddy all the places I got hurt today,” she replies, coming up right to the edge of her bed so Steve really has no choice but to pull her in for a snuggle.

“Where’d you get hurt today,” he asks her.

“Don’t,” Eddie mumbles, an arm over his face shielding his eyes from the light of Hazel’s lamp, “It’s a trap.”

But Hazel is already wiggling out of Steve’s arms, backing away just far enough to push her sleeve up and reveal the impressive collection of colorful, patterned bandages decorating her arm.

Earlier this week, Hazel had discovered the magical power of Band-Aids (in other words, she fell and was completely inconsolable until Eddie suggested putting a princess Band-Aid on the nonexistent “owie” – surprise, surprise, the agonizing pain disappeared without a trace almost immediately).

Now, she’s practically covered in the damn things.

“Look,” Hazel says, pointing at a princess band-aid by her wrist, “‘Dis is where I fell and a stick poked my arm.”

“A stick poked your arm?” he repeats.

“Uh-huh, so now you gotta give it a kiss.”

Obviously, Steve obliges, planting a dramatic kiss onto the plastic band-aid.

“All better?” he asks her.

“Yep. And then this one –” Hazel points at a Ninja Turtle band-aid up by her elbow (Steve’s gotta make sure Robbie doesn’t see that one or her six-year-old version of hell will rain down on all of them), “This is where I got stung-ed by a bug.”

Steve kisses that one too, and then Hazel hits him with a pretty fantastic yawn.

“You wanna come cuddle in bed with me and Daddy?” he asks quietly. She nods, and as he scoops her up, Eddie grumbles something that gets muffled into his arm.

“What was that?” he asks (only a little sarcastically). Eddie drops his arm and lifts his head to look Steve dead in the eye.

“You’re a goddamn sucker,” he repeats.

“Let’s go,” Steve ignores him, holding out the hand not holding Hazel. Eddie takes it and lets Steve pull him to his feet, and then they head off to bed.

[piccoloswifers]

[jgvfhl]

Uhhhhh......... my hand slipped? Yeah.... yeah... um @cod-dump @totally-not-fandom @worldseer and the reference pic below the cut

[nyoomerr]

Dumbass question but could Liu qingge do a sonic rainboom?

i feel like i'm entitled to emotional compensation for the way this ask was sent to me with the assumption that i would understand the reference well enough to provide an informed answer

i did in fact understand the reference, so: probably not, because lqg is not associated with a rainbow, and his own version of the effect would reflect him in some way

if sonic rainboom-adjacent effects were written into PIDW they'd be done in whatever way produced the coolest or most extreme effects for the audience to enjoy

as such,

[swedenis-h]

Gets ur ass, gets ur ass, gets ur ass-

[the-beacons-of-minas-tirith]

Terfs really have no brain cells huh

“Intersex does not exist”????

Anyway:

From Ask A Biologist:

From Planned Parenthood:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/sex-gender-identity/whats-intersex

From the Intersex Society of North America:

TERFS/RADFEMS STOP BEING IGNORANT SHITS CHALLENGE LEVEL IMPOSSIBLE

[theflowerofthecommonwealth]

Power Armor Punch Part Sixty Eight

Masterlist

Teshteal: *hides behind Gardio suddenly, sniffing the air to see if this person's friend or foe*

Gardio: *not sure why he's hiding suddenly since he knows the smaller man can easily kill a horde of super mutants*

Joyce: (Immediately notices and turns to face Teshteal, worry on her face) “Teshteal….?”

Donovan: (To the crew member) “Safe trip?” (Extends his hand for a handshake)

Crew Member: (Grips Donny’s arm with hers, flashing a friendly smile) “The waters got a little rough, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle.” (Gestures behind her at the rest of the crew members who are starting to unload) “We’ve got everything on the list- along with some gifts from friends.”

Donovan: (Begins walking closer to the boat) “Is that so?”

Teshteal: *eyeing up and down the crew member. So far he smells the sea and the typical smell of gun powder that many a caravan person has. Hisses* Gifts? *listening and sniffing for anything that could be a bomb or a trojan crate*

Gardio: *notices Joyce's concerned look and extends a reassuring hand* He's likely on guard because it's a new person... *To crew member after adjusting his hat* Mind if I and my associate inspect the crates?

Lucille: *quietly blinks into the water as the lullaby ends, not sure how to handle her now relaxed and still state*

Ma: (Softly, like a mother speaking to her downhearted child) “Something on your mind, love?”

Lucille: Just not used to being this relaxed. *shrugs*

Ma: (Grabs some conditioner and a comb) “Is that so? You’re on the road a lot I take it?”

Joyce: (Inches closer to Teshteal, holding out her hand to him) “It’s okay- they are good friends of ours….” (Glances back at the boat) “Really good friends….”

Crew Member: (So confused about the glowing ghoul and the strange hissy gremlin behind him) “Uh…..” (Turns to Donny with wide eyes)

Donovan: (Shrugs his shoulders) “I mean…. It ain’t like they're hiding anything.” (Gestures at the crew members who are beginning to unload the boat onto the dock) “We’ve known these guys all their lives- their parents and even grandparents too.”

Boat Captain: (Waves to Donny from the top of the deck)

Donovan: (Smiles and waves back) “Yo Trenton! Ya didn’t happen to pack a bomb on the boat, hm?”

Trenton: (Shakes his head) “And hurt dear old Mama Evie? You think I’m trying to get my head to be served on a platter?”

Goats: (Bleat from inside the boat as if confirming the captains words)

Lucille: *nods* Very. I have settlements to maintain- *tenses up, remembering all the work she has to do on quite a few settlements* I need to get back to work soon-

Ma: (Frowns slightly hearing that) “Honey, remember what I said about slowing down to give yourself time?”

Teshteal: *slowly eases out from behind the large glowing one detective with extreme caution*

Gardio: *to the crew* If you say so. *still watching warily like the gargoyle he is*

Joyce: (Reaches to take her boyfriends hand, looking between both him and Gardio) “….Is something wrong?”

Crew Member: (Still looking at Donny nervously as she rushes to follow him) “Protective much?” (Gestures at the two newcomers who seems extra wary and cautious) “Are they…..?”

Donovan: (Shakes his head as he takes a crate from a crew member that hands it to him) “Nah, but you guys didn’t hire anyone new- right?”

Crew Member: (Also shakes her head) “Nope. Some old sea dogs as it’s always been.”

Donovan: “Good.” (Motions with his chin to a spot on the ground) “Just leave the crates and boxes there- and I’ll bring ‘em inside. You know how Ma likes everything organized.”

Crew Member: “You’re sure Donny…? We can help with the sorting?”

Donovan: (Remembering Jasmine and how jumpy she is) “Nawh- I’ve got it. Besides, don’t you guys have other places to be?”

Teshteal: New people. I need to be careful that they aren't vault operatives or that I don't hurt innocent people.

Gardio: *to Teshteal* They seem like decent people-

Teshteal: *shakes his head* Not just that, I sense... something off out here. Hard to place right now. *tail twitches anxiously*

Lucille: *quietly* This isn't enough time...?

Ma: (Smiles sadly down at her, gently squeezing her hand that she never let go of) “No my dear- three days is not enough for what you went through and neither is one soothing bath.”

Lucille: That's what worked in the past. I don't see why it doesn't work now. *shrugs*

Joyce: (Looks around at the people helping with unloading the cargo) “But what’s wrong about this?”

Trenton: (Comes out with a small bundle- too small to be a baby but it’s some sort of little creature) “Joyce? Sweetheart- look who’s here.”

Joyce: (Eyes widen as she begins to approach the boat captain instead, carefully taking the bundle from him)

Donovan: (Stopped helping with unloading the crates just to watch, smiling at his little sister)

Joyce: (Squeals with excitement as she beams down at the little bundle) “Ohhhhhhh!!!! She’s adorable!!!”

Teshteal: *ears perk up and and curiosity gets the best of him so he carefully approaches Joyce to see what... or rather who she's holding. He completely forgot her question already*

Joyce: (Beams up at her boyfriend, leaning towards him to show her little bundle of joy)

The Bundle: (Contains the tiny wiggly form of a baby panda ferret who’s no older than eight weeks old)

Joyce: (Squeals as she coos down at the little noodle, scratching under its chin) “Isn’t she just the cutest!?!?”

Trenton: (Smiles at Joyce and backs off to talk with Donovan, his face getting slightly more serious)

Ma: (Tenderly as she pets Lucille’s hair) “Oh honey- that ain’t a good way to function. It is like I said before- you’re human and it’s not fair to treat yourself as less. You need rest, for both your mental and physical health.”

Lucille: That's lovely and all but I have people who depend on me. They need supplies- Defenses! I can't just lay around for a week when they're waiting on materials that could very well save their lives!

Ma: (Raises a brow at this) “Huh, If I didn’t know any better I would say you sound like you’re raising a bunch of orphaned children. Are that weak and helpless? Isn’t there someone else who can give them a hand? You’re just one person, sweetheart. You can’t do it all.” (Fearful that Lucille will crumble again under more pressure)

Teshteal: *eyes go big- as large as saucers- at the teeny little panda noodle. He resists the urge to pick her up and lifts her up above his head in awe* A little baby panoodle...! *cupping both sides of his face, trying to contain his joy. He forgets about his apprehension completely thanks to the precious little ferret*

Joyce: “Panoodle!!!!!” (Looks like she’s attempting to contain her joy just as much as Teshteal, giving a bunch of little kisses down to her new baby)

Pirate: (Running and jumping around to greet everyone as if they were old friends, tail wagging like crazy)

Trenton: (Beckons Donovan to follow him while Joyce is distracted, picking up a crate of food that is meant to go inside)

Donovan: (Gives one quick look to his little sister as he also picks up a crate to carry inside, following the captain) “What’s up?”

Trenton: “I’ve got something for ya….”

Lucille: *purses her lips in thought and goes silent in thought for a moment. Quietly* Who's going to build the defenses...? The walls...? No one else does it but me... *head spins as she begins to spiral from how much the Commonwealth depends on solely her*

Ma: (Squeezes Lucille’s hand again as even more worry floods her face) “My sweet…..” (Gently cups Lucille’s cheek with her other hand to try and get her attention before she loses the young woman) “Lucille, look at me please.”

Lucille: ... *looks up ever so slightly, her mismatched eyes trying to focus on Ma despite her spiraling thoughts on all the responsibility thrown on her*

Ma: (Gently strokes Lucille’s cheek with her thumb, her face soft and comforting) “Are you with me, sweetie?”

Teshteal: *cooing at the tiny panda noodle. Doesn't believe he's seen anything so cute in his life*

Joyce: (Moves to huddle in closer to her boyfriend again so he can get a better look at the little wiggly gal) “She’s so little!!!” (Slightly holds the bundle out so Teshteal can hold the baby if he wants)

Donovan: “Good or bad?”

Trenton: “Wish I could say good news- but sadly it ain’t…..”

Donovan: (Feels a weight of dread and exhaustion build up in his chest at that) “Oh…..”

Teshteal: *takes the baby panoodle into his arms and gently nuzzles her soft fur with his nose* So soft and sweet! *stops for a moment, admiring the adorable ball of fluff* What are you going to name her?

Joyce: (Proudly) “Gertie!!! She’s from the same mother as Gilbert!!!”

Gertie: (Gives a very tiny lick on the gremlins nose, her little paws poking out of the swaddle she’s in)

Donovan: (Sets the crate down on the kitchen counter, walking over to check on the slowly simmering pot of broth)

Trenton: (Looks like he’s dreading to bare whatever news he has to the ghoul)

Jasmine: (Whimpers ever so slightly in her sleep, also feeling a heavy load start to weigh down on her shoulders and ropes snag at her ankles- trying to pull her down in her dreams once more….. But she can also feel something else…. Something she can’t quit put her finger on…. But it’s present)

Teshteal: *giggles at the tiny ferret kiss* Awe! He's got a little sister now! *gently holds one of her tiny paws in his fingers* Wook at her wittle hands!

Joyce: (Practically shining brighter than the sun itself) “She’s so stinking cute that imma die!!!”

Gertie: (Looking between the two squealers curiously, so confused on what’s going on)

Crew Members: (Keep unloading all the goods and eventually they stroll on out with a half dozen or so sheep and goats with their young, the creatures bleating as the clamor along)

Jasmine: (Attempts to free herself from the chains that are tying and pulling her down as she feels the crushing weight of the world on bare down on her shoulders- partly recognizing that she’s dreaming and her troubles are manifesting themselves into it. She struggles for a bit, tears forming on her waterline and she’s about to scream with frustration but then she feels like what seems to be a gentle kiss on her head from behind and she freezes- hearing a low hum in the distance of her dreamworld)

Teshteal: *blinks for a moment, tail twitching upward when he realizes something. Whispers* I think we might be scaring her with all our cooing. *to the baby ferret as quietly as he possibly can* Sorry.

Joyce: (Hums lowly as her emerald eyes widen) “Ooops…..” (Reaches out to gently stroke her new baby’s face again) “Sorry Gertie….”

Gertie: (Also licks Joyce’s fingers with her tiny tongue when she can)

Lucille: Trying to be... *thoughts race on what settlement still needs what resource and how many turrets she needs to assign to another and so on...* Hard to stop when it's all you've been able to think about for the last year and a half....

Ma: (Softly) “And you do it all completely on your own? For over a year and a half now?”

Lucille: *nods grimly* No one helps...

Ma: (Heart just about snaps all over again and she has half a mind to go down to these settlements and give them an earful because poor Lucille seems to have enough trouble as it is) “It really is no wonder that you’re so overworked. But I’m sure we can work something out that doesn’t involve you trudging all around to try and fix everyone’s problems.”

Jasmine: (Her hands that were once firmly clasping Nicks shirt start to move a bit to grope behind him despise nothing being there) “Mhmmm……”

Dogmeat: (Sniffs the girl when she does this, whining softly)

Jasmine: (Eyes sparkle in her dream world as the humming gets closer and it’s unmistakeable of what it is to her) “Mamá…..” (And just like that- the weight starts to get lifted off her shoulders and her ties start to become undone)

Nick: *to dogmeat calmly* I see it, boy. Problem is- I don't want to wake her. *senses the presence himself, though for him it's more like an unknown source of heat or warmth other than the sun*

Gardio: *observing from the distance. From the sound of things, the goods involve livestock and he doesn't want to risk contaminating them with his radiation*

Teshteal: *gentle smile, or as gentle as it can be with his sharp teeth at Gertie*

Lucille: Good luck getting people to listen... If it's not farming or guard duty or some other slightly menial task, then it's all on me to keep up these places.

Ma: (Huffs slightly when she hears that) “Well that sounds to me plain unfair on your side. They cannot really expect one woman to help now can they?”

Gertie: (Licks her nose as she gazes up between Joyce and Teshteal, seemingly unbothered by Teshteal appearance since he’s friendly)

Joyce: (Nose scrunches slightly) “I think Gilbert isn’t going to be too happy- he’s spoiled that way.”

Jasmine: (Shakes off her remaining shackles in her dream and looks around with wide kitten eyes) “Mamá!!!!” (She listens for the humming, but it sounds like it’s coming from all directions so she picks one and starts running) “Mami!!!!!” (She feels another soft breath and kiss on the back of her neck this time as she runs- fueling her determination. She misses her mother so damn much….)

Dogmeat: (Noses his way on in closer to the teen as she continues to try and grab something behind Nick while kicking her feet)

Nick: Oh- Hold on, doll... *wraps his arms around her to keep her from knocking the both of them off of the lounge chair and starts rubbing her back to soothe her excitement*

Teshteal: *quiet huff* What is Gilbert to do? She'll have to live in the same house. *emphatically raises his hands, as if performing a fool in a play shrugging off a joke or a jab*

Joyce: (Giggles at Teshteal, squeezing Gertie’s bundle slightly) “You’re right. He’ll have to grow to love his little sister. Besides- I’m sure she smells like their mother.” (Sniffs the little noodle to confirm her thoughts- Gertie smelling exactly like baby Gilbert when she first got him)

Lucille: *shrugs in defeat* Apparently, they can... Doesn't matter. I like building-

Ma: (Shakes her head in disapproval at these people as she mutters something under her breath, tapping the bottom of Lucille’s chin) “I’m sure you do honey- but too much strain on one person will cause them to crumble. So no- they can’t be asking you to do everything for them. You have your own life to manage too.”

Jasmine: (Somewhat feels Nicks gentle rubs in her sleep, but she cannot really contain herself as she feels the softest of touches caress the side of her face and she runs even faster towards a bright beacon of light in the distance. Behind her she can almost hear and feels her troubles calling out to her, but the light is driving it all away for her) “Mamá!!!”

Nick: *confused- she's usually only this active in her sleep when she's having a nightmare and yet, she doesn't seem distressed*

Teshteal: *sniffs* She does smell kind of similar to the little guy...

Gardio: *still still as a statue. One would assume he is one*

Joyce: (Takes in a deep inhale of Gertie, rocking back and forth happily) “Baby ferret smell!!!”

Lucille: *mutters quietly* What life... I had a life before the war and now what? I blew up the institute- but that's all I'll ever be known for.... *splashes the water in a fit of frustration* The one who obliterated the boogeyman of the commonwealth while graciously giving homes to those who need them.

Ma: “Correct me if I am wrong- but I believe that ‘your life’ consists of the same people who helped talk you out of ending it so soon and have taken care of you.” (Tenderly rakes her fingers through Lucille’s purple hair) “They make up your life and you make up theirs in turn. That is what family is. You take care of one another and watch each others hearts and wellbeing.”

Lucille: *eyes sting with tears. She tries to hide it by averting her gaze. She doesn't know if she has the strength to return the favor to the people who do care... And now she wonders if she's failed each and every one of them, now*

Jasmine: (Hums along with the song the voice of her mother is singing- recognizing it immediately as one of the many lullabies she’d sing. It twists her heartstrings a bit, but she cannot help the smile on her face) “Mami….” (She stops running but doesn’t stop squirming to escape in real life, closing her eyes to bask in the warmth she’s feeling throughout her body)

Nick: *still holding his squirming daughter as still as he can. He keeps petting her back to comfort her*

Ma: (Smiles kindly down at the young woman) “You know- people often ask me why I do what I do. Why I devote everything I am to being a caretaker and mother when I seemingly get little in return for walking sometime walking into a blaze that could leave me with less than what I had before. What they don’t understand is that I do get something in return each and every time. I get the irreplaceable joy of seeing my babies and loved ones flourish and glow over time even in the tiniest ways. That will fill me up more than gold and glory ever wil even if it’s in the tiniest of ways like a simple glitter in their eyes in the morning at breakfast or the peaceful look on their face as they sleep in comfort.” (Gently taps the bottom of Lucille’s chin once more before she moves her hand up to tuck her short hair behind her ears even if there isn’t much to do so) “That’s what any good parent wants from their kid. I can say that your father is no different. And if I end up with taking a hard loss or a couple of hits, well then so be it. Love is the sacrifices we make for each other anyways. And if you’re wondering what you’re sacrificing here for this love- it’s that little piece of you that you keep trying to hide away from everyone. That little piece of you that’s human, tired and just wants peace and rest. Yes, that piece of you that you think is unwanted and not worth it is still precious because it’s a part of you, my love.”

Teshteal: *eyes sparkle at how loving his girlfriend is over this small creature*

Joyce: (Bounces and pats her little bundle of joy- then glances back at the house) “I wonder how we should play this out with Gilbert….”

Jasmine: (Mumbling hoarsely as she paws midair) “Mamá…. Come back…. Please….” (Kicks her feet a bit harder) “Lo siento Mami, lo mucho siento. Por favor….. Don’t leave me alone- you know I hate it….”

Translation: “I’m sorry Mommy, I’m very sorry. Please.”

Dogmeat: (Sniffles the squirming girl some more with big puppy eyes of confusion and concern because she’s making strange sounds)

The Voice: (Whispers ever so softly and comfortingly into the broken teens ear, wrapping her up in a hug of warmth and security) “Chiquilla bonita. Llegaste del cielo en un tren del amor. Tu alegre sonrisa. Me enseña en la vida, el camino mejor….”

Translation: “Pretty girly. You arrived from heaven on a train of love. You’re happy smile. It teaches me the better things in life.”

Jasmine: (Feels her heart both flood with overwhelming joy and crack into a million little pieces when she registers that- having not understood why her mother had been so adamant on singing that song to her during her prewar days…. But now it’s just becoming clear. She has to find her mother- she has to say sorry) “I’m sorry Mamá…..” (She hugs her dream self tightly and rocks back and forth on her feet, taking a couple of slow steps to follow the voice but once again it’s coming from all directions)

Nick: *whispers* What's going on in that pretty little head of yours...?

Teshteal: Hrm... Slowly? Like a cat?

Gardio: *nods*

Lucille: *lips tremble before burying her face in her hands. She wishes she COULD rest but the consequences of that feel too great*

Ma: (Softly) “Whatcha thinking about, my sweet?” (Gently allows her hand to rest on Lucille’s shoulder, looking on at the young woman with concern and understanding)

Lucille: *voice cracks as she cries into her hands* I... I can't just drop everything to rest-! I can't- There's so much I need to do- people could die without me- *sobs, deep down wanting to rest but it seems like an impossible task*

Joyce: (Glances between Gardio and Teshteal) “I suppose so- but knowing my little stinker he’ll come running the moment he senses someone else taking up my attention then throw a tantrum.”

Teshteal: So then we show him immediately-!

Gardio: Carefully-

Teshteal: We carefully show him immediately! *Beaming from ear to ear*

Jasmine: (Mewls like a lost kitten looking for their mother because she essentially is, her dream self wandering aimlessly through an empty field to find a dead woman whom she swears she can feel in her heart and hear in the distance. She smiles despite being lost- because she knows that her mother is close by and wouldn’t allow anyone to lay a finger on her child) “Where are you?”

Lucille: *voice cracks as she cries into her hands* I... I can't just drop everything to rest-! I can't- There's so much I need to do- people could die without me- *sobs, deep down wanting to rest but it seems like an impossible task*

Ma: “Oh cariño…” (Her mother instincts take ahold and she immediately drops to her knees besides the poor young woman, gently draping her arm around Lucille’s shoulder to pull her into a hug that she can easily pull out of if she desires) “Sssssh, it’s gonna be alright. We’ll figure things out all together. You can only shoulder so much on your own until you crack and crumble- but that’s what your family is here for.”

Teshteal: So then we show him immediately-!

Gardio: Carefully-

Teshteal: We carefully show him immediately! *Beaming from ear to ear*

Joyce: (Turns back to the lighthouse in thought, then back down at the tiny kit once more) “Well- he’s gonna have to at least tolerate her. Hopefully he quickly learns that there’s plenty of love to go around. Plus it’s not good for ferrets to be alone.”

Teshteal: *making kissy faces and baby noises at the baby ferret... his ears pick up a rustling noise in the distance of the woods but the size tells him it might be a wild animal of some kind*

Jasmine: (Suddenly perks upright from Nicks chest as if she was summoned, her hands firmly planted on his shoulders so she can steady herself as her big magical doe eyes scan the area expectingly. They gloss over both Nick and Dogmeat as if they weren’t there- obviously she’s looking for something else) “Mamá…..” (She can still feel the warmth in her heart and the prickle of a ghostly kiss on the back of her head….. But where is her mother?)

Nick: *looks where she is. His sensors pick up a faint impression of... something but it's hard to get a reading. He briefly considers heading to Acadia for calibration if not for Jasmine's behavior. Kindly, out of confusion* What about her, doll?

Lucille: *sobs into the older woman's arms*

Ma: (Locks Lucille into her strong and comforting embrace that many people had sought solace in before) “Sssshh, it’s okay. Just let it all out.”

Jasmine: (Pouts a bit when she can’t find her mother, then she tilts her head at another prickle on her cheek. She then makes grabby hands up in the air while leaning over the side of the chair, almost like she’s trying to leap out of her fathers arms)

Nick: Woah, hold on there... *pulls her back a little, unsure exactly why she's trying to leap out of the seat at nothing. Granted, it seems better than the wild thrashing from before, but it doesn't make him any less concerned about her current behavior*

Gardio: *decides that the two lovebirds should be fine so he walks back to the lighthouse to try and be of some help. He approaches the two men* If there's any cargo that isn't food or livestock to haul in or set up, I'd be willing to help.

Donovan: (Looks frazzled about something but slowly nods his head, a bottle of broth in hand) “Yeah…. Yeah, that would be nice thank you….” (He walks over to the other ghoul, holding out the bottle to him) “Give this to Detective Valentine before you go, please.”

Trenton: (Leaning against the wall, looking down in deep thought, staring Donny’s expression of worry)

Gardio: Will do. *gives an affirming nod then gives Donny a reassuring but heavy pat on the shoulder, giving him just a little radiation as a boost to help ease his frazzled nerves before he heads on up to the roof*

Donovan: (Gives a weak smile at Gardio as he leaves, then sighs heavily)

Joyce: (Goes back to squealing happily over the little one) “Oooooh, she’s too perfect!!! I can’t get enough of her sweet little face!!!”

Gertie: (Gazes up at Teshteal and Joyce, licking her nose some more)

Teshteal: *licks his own nose with his long tongue to mimic Gertie*

Gertie: (Seems fascinated by the two people in front of her, especially by the strange gremlin man mimicking her by licking his own nose)

Joyce: (Giggles some more, this time at her boyfriend) “Ack, you’re cute as well!!!”

Jasmine: (Whines when she’s kept from leaping into the air but she doesn’t seem too upset, just tries to do it again while still making grabby hands at nothing)

Nick: *sighs, knowing if he tries to snap her out of it, she'll just grow more distressed* I can't just let you go- you might hurt yourself... Maybe your mama will come closer to hold you.

Gardio: *walks up the stairs to the roof and raises an eyebrow in confusion at the girl making grabby hands in the air. It's a stark contrast to the screaming and thrashing from before. He very carefully approaches and speaks calmly so he doesn't spook her* I have broth for her.

Teshteal: *turns to her and licks his nose like he's some sort of big cat then makes a tiny chirping noise with his mouth- being the silliest of sillies to make his angel laugh*

Joyce: (Shrieks with laughter at her goofball of a boyfriend, putting a hand over her mouth to try and muffle her laughter that can be heard across the ocean)

Teshteal: *grins at how much that simple noise made her happy* I could gobble her and Gilbert up like a couple of extra big noodles! *Playfully licks his lips*

Jasmine: (Looks over at Gardio when she hears his voice and blinks slowly, then turns to her father, then back to the space up in the area she was looking at) “Mamá….” (She wiggles in her dads arms, patting on his shoulder to try and make her let go, then makes her grabby hands to be picked up by whatever she’s looking at)

Dogmeat: (Whines with confusion, trying to lick the girl)

Gardio: *finally next to the chair. He sets the bottle down next to Nick* Here... Do you think she'll drink it in this state?

Nick: I haven't a clue... *to Jasmine* Hey, kitten. Do you think your Mama would be happy if you drank this broth? *picks up the bottle and holds it up* I think she would. *gently smiling at her*

Jasmine: “Mamá….” (Takes her eyes off the air with a wistful and somber, deep longing look in her eyes, letting her hands rest back on her Dads shoulders as she turns to look at him. She tilts her head to one side, then seems to register that it’s him and she breaks out into a warm smile)

Nick: *smiles just as warmly back, relieved to se that she's isn't suffering for once* It's good to see that smile. Would you like some broth? *Offers it to her once more to see if she'll take it or not*

Gardio: *amazed that the girl looks so at peace. He glances over at the spector she was making grabby hands at a second ago*

Nick: *thinks to himself* So he can see it, too? Well that means it's not a simple calibration issue...

Jasmine: (Softly) “Daddy….” (Gently presses her forehead to his while putting a hand on his cheek, sighing softly, not acknowledging what he’s offering her)

The Object: (Appears to be a misty ball of white light up in the sky, now fading out so it’s almost completely transparent)

Nick: *sighs and sets the bottle down* I suppose not... *Reaches up with his bad hand and strokes her cheek, then attempts to brush a stray hair from her face* Hey, kiddo.

Gardio: *watching as it disappears, wondering what or who that could have been... Whatever it was seemed to have a calming effect on the girl. Quietly he turns to and starts for the stairs* I'm going to help Donny. I promised him that I'd help.

Jasmine: (Hums happily in greeting, sighing as she slinks down to rest her head against Nicks chest, listening to the soothing sounds of his inner workings while the sun shines over them. She’s still tired, like her body is light years away from being fully recharged)

Joyce: “Oooohhh- I so hope they get along well!!! I would love to have a ferret snuggle session!!!”

Teshteal: *looks up and notices Gardio's left* We should... Probably go back. Dio left- *slight panic enters his voice* Why did he leave-?

Joyce: (Looks around) “Hm, I don’t know. Maybe he went to help Donny with the stuff.”

Teshteal: Yeah... *Shaking a little. He can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end again* I don't feel safe out here, though... Let's head back. *Turns to the lighthouse*

Joyce: (Seems concerned but she follows along) “Errrrrm…. Okay then. But can I ask, why don’t you feel safe?”

Teshteal: *glances at the ship* I don't know those people. I don't know if they're from that hellish place. *Already walking along*

Joyce: (Walks alongside him, confused) “What place? These our Ma and Donny’s friends, they’ve known them for a long time.”

Donovan: (Already putting away some of the stuff he brought in, raising his head when Gardio pokes his head in) “Handed it off?”

Gardio: As good as done. She still seemed sleepy though... *Fully steps into the kitchen* What do you need help with bringing in?

Donovan: (Rubs his forehead for a moment, then starts walking to the door past Gardio) “The stuff with the storage labels go into the basement, the kitchen labels go the kitchen, and the rest into the living room. Mama will sort them out later.”

Jasmine: (Her eyes click up to her father as she rests, lifting a hand to gently touch the side of his neck where there’s a large gash, humming a bit sadly and with concern)

@lucilleandherrobots

[essenceofarda]

Haleth, sparring with Caranthir

[saffitaffi]

So I just read all 914 pages of Fool’s Fate in one day. I don’t think I’ve ever read that much in one day ever. These books are so good holy snickerdoodles I love the politics and the amazing worldbuilding (robin writes matriarchies and different societal structures SO GOOD) and the realistic characters and Fitz’s unreliable narration and also the gay ass ‘friendship’ between him and the fool (fitz ‘no homo but also my bond with you is deeper than my love for anyone else including my other half bonded wolf and my wife and also sex’ farseer)

So uh. Yeah. Excuse me while I go cry in the corner. Again.

[1driedpersimmon]

@cmoonghost I drew your Alfy 🥺 he is very cute n. Pretty n I love he… 🫶💕

[qcomicsy]

THERES NO WAY BERNARD GAVE TIM A NECKLACE WITH HIS INITIAL IN IT

[puppynametaken]

Listen I am not immune to nursing kink. Let me lie on my mommy’s lap while she holds my head to suckle and coos about how everything is okay and mommy will be there for me 🫣

[yandere-daydreams]

Criminal lack of geto for a self proclaimed geto lover

why do you want to fuck my girlfriend so badly anon. that really seems like something you should keep to yourself.

[moltengoldveins]

so it’s a random Friday evening, I’m hanging out with my sister, when she asks me something, and I feel the bottom drop out of my perception of reality:

“hey, did you ever notice that there were other rooms in that chain of challenge rooms before the Philosophers Stone? Like, other than the three that corresponded directly to the golden trio? And that said rooms corresponded pretty directly to Neville and Draco?”

I sat there in shock for a second. She’s right btw, there are two other big challenges and they DO correspond weirdly well with Draco and Neville: the magical plant right at the beginning and the potions that they have to identify. I have a moment where I wonder “huh. I wonder if Dumbledore maybe put those there just in case the Golden Trio picked up some extra friends-�� before she starts going on about how the story would have changed if Neville and Draco were friends. I will absolutely elaborate on this (Fantastic) AU fic premise in a bit but the important thing is what I realized while she was describing this story to me.

I have struggled with explaining to people why I dislike Harry Potter for a really long time. Problems with the author’s behavior aside, I found myself just…. Soured to the books. I grew up loving them and one day they just lost appeal, and as I thought more and more about them I liked them less and less. And I’ve used a ton of different reasons to explain why I don’t like them over the years, but until this conversation I couldn’t really articulate it, not fully. There was Something Wrong, and I couldn’t find the root of it. But I figured it out:

Harry changes nothing. That’s what it is. That’s what bothers me. And it’s deeper than that: the story changes nothing. The story is lukewarm at best in its defense of the good and the true and it rewards wrongdoing and punishes and mocks those who do what is right.

Now, I’m not saying that every story needs to give good things to characters who do good things: that’s not how real life works, it’s not how fiction needs to work. But there is a difference between watching a fictional character try and fail to do good and receive nothing but punishment for it, and then a story that deliberately portrays the efforts of a character to affect positive change as stupid or wrong.

Ostensibly, the ‘point’ of Harry Potter is that discrimination is wrong and people shouldn’t make assumptions based on someone’s upbringing. Hermione’s status as a muggleborn is defended as ‘just as worthy’ as everyone else’s, and discrimination against muggles and muggleborns is the main form Voldemort’s evil takes. The main evil of the story is this insistence on one specific social system in which the pure bloods are valued above all else and everyone else falls into pariah or servile statuses beneath them. THIS IS WRONG. We establish that this is wrong!

BUT. From literally day one, Harry is making assumptions about Draco based on his birth and upbringing, and the story is making assumptions about Hagrid (well, a lot of characters but Hagrid is the most obvious) because of HIS birth and upbringing. And none of these assumptions are ever proven false!

like, how does this actually go down? Draco is rude to Harry in a robe shop - unideal, but he is a stressed child in a wealthy environment, this behavior isn’t out of place. It’s Hagrid who tells Harry about the Malfoy’s, tells him they’re the ‘wrong sort.’ Draco introduces himself later on, apologizing for the interaction at the robe shop: it’s Ron who laughs at Draco’s name first. Draco claps back with the insult about Ron’s name after his name has already been insulted.

My sister pointed something really interesting out to me: Draco and Hermione don’t have beef for a While. It only starts in the second book, when he calls her a Mudblood. But Hermione starts that fight. Hermione insults his blood status, saying that he had to buy him way onto the team because it’s the only thing he has: his family’s wealth. Draco insults her back IN THE WAY HE WAS INSULTED. This is legitimately fascinating to me, I NEVER noticed this.

so that’s already interesting: Harry is all for bridging differences and forgiveness when it comes to people in a ‘lower’ social or moral class than he is, as a Griffindor pureblood. He’s nice to half-giants, house elves, and muggleborns, and those demographics are portrayed by the story as morally good. But anyone above Harry? Anyone in Slytherin? Anyone who is pureblood and rich? They’re not just biased and affected by their cultural upbringing: the STORY ITSELF portrays them as evil and untrustworthy, and Harry never makes an effort to change that. In fact, he actively encourages it with his relationship with Draco. The divide between pure blood Slytherins and the rest of wizard kind is never breached: Harry never changes anything. Voldemort dies, and everything else returns to exactly the same as it was before him. Harry does exactly nothing to the status who.

So what about Hagrid? Hagrid, and by extension giants, are implied by the story to be full people with cultures and feelings, and yet none of Harry’s interactions with Hagrid or Hagrids efforts are rewarded with positive change: the giants join Voldemort in the end, proving people like Umbridge correct about them. Hermione’s efforts with the house elves lead nowhere: Harry dismisses them as foolish from the get-go, and never takes the extra step to viewing Kreacher like a friend and fellow person.

Harry Potter is a deeply allegorical story: this kind of stuff MATTERS. What the story says about one person is what the story is saying about People Like This Person. So, what is it saying?

The story is saying that people like Hagrid, whether you read him as an allegory for kids with Down’s syndrome or autism or a learning disability or they’re mixed-race or whatever? Are exactly as useless and stupid and flawed and burdensome as you think they’d be. It doesn’t say “oh, they have their flaws but we accommodate and love them anyway and they can with accommodation be full contributing members of society with relationships that are just as deep and meaningful and worthy of respect as those of the people around them” no. It says “these people are easy to trick. They’re loud and inappropriate in social settings. They can’t keep secrets and they cause problems without ever fixing them. Their love is comedic, or futile, or both. They are a burden on the people who tolerate their company.”

None of Hagrid’s efforts ever come to fruition. None of his traits that are originally assumed to be bad turn out to be useful. His relationship with his giant brother never goes anywhere: the giants still follow Voldemort, even though his brother does support him in the end. His affection for madam Maxime is played as a joke. He never gets justice for being unfairly expelled or given a chance to take classes again, even though dumbledore KNEW that Hagrid was falsely accused and had EVIDENCE of it after the third book. He gets to teach, yeah, but the gap in his knowledge is never addressed; it’s just mocked and belittled as he fumbles and struggles to be an effective and safe teacher.

This is not an isolated case. This is EVERYWHERE in this story. You just have to look.

The story says that people like Sirius, people who lost everything when falsely accused and put in prison, don’t deserve second chances when they get out. They don’t deserve to reconnect with the kid they should have raised and build the parental relationship they should have had. They don’t get second chances like their oldest friend making them the godfather of his new baby: no, instead that honor goes to Harry, who gets little to no narrative meaning from that decision. They don’t get second chances, but people like Peter Pettigrew do. People like Sirius die soon after they’re released, having regained none of what they lost. The best people like Sirius can do is die for someone fit for decent society.

Molly says, in one of her nastiest moments, that Harry isn’t Sirius’s son: she’s right. But the hatred and disrespect towards Sirius in that comment is never addressed by the story, which really does make it feel like the story is implicitly supporting her.

The story says that people like Remus are sad unreliable and ultimately tragic lost causes. That people who were horribly wounded at a young age in a place they should have been safe (wow. I wonder what that could possibly be an allegory for.), or people who are disabled, or people with ptsd and survivor’s guilt, or people who have lost every person they’ve ever loved, don’t get absolution. They don’t get a second chance, or a place in society, or a future. They’re discriminated against, and nothing changes. They don’t rebuild their relationship with their surviving friends. They die, and their children aren’t even taken in by the person they asked to take them. Remus’s kid isn’t raised by Harry: he’s raised by Molly.

Nothing changes at the end of this story. Harry has not changed anything about the world these people lived and struggled in other than removing Voldemort from it. Werewolves still can’t get jobs. The few people related to the original Marauders are still scattered and unrelated. The giants and half giants are still on the margins of the wilderness. The house elves are still oppressed, and no solution has been offered to them. The purebloods haven’t been brought into the fold: they still think the same things they always have, because none of them have been taught differently. Slytherins are still the ‘evil’ house. No camaraderie has been built: no walls destroyed, no relationships developed, no prejudice dispelled.

Draco isn’t just a character, he is the representation of the Child of the Regime. The Child of Wealth, of Privilege. If he cannot be taught, then you are saying, implicitly, that kids who have been “corrupted” by their rich parents are beyond saving. You are saying that the world cannot change, that those in power cannot be taught compassion, that anyone born into wealth is inherently evil or cowardly or unfriendly or unreachable.

The world of Harry Potter reenforces Draco’s biases and prejudices all the way through. He’s never shown that he’s wrong, that the good guys are good, that love is the answer, that kindness is the right choice. Instead, the trio assume at every turn that he is worse than he already is, and that motivates him to be worse. Instead, they only character watching out from him is Snape, even as Dumbledore continues to manipulate him. Instead, nobody thinks to wonder how a child might be faring in the house of two known death eaters now that Voldemort has returned, they just assume he’d immediately and enthusiastically joined up because he’s a Malfoy. Instead, every Slytherin is asked to leave before the battle of Hogwarts, because they ‘can’t be trusted.’ Not because theyre children who might come face to face with their parents on the other side of the battlefield, no: they can’t be trusted. They’re inherently evil. And everyone else is inherently good.

and all of these statements are backed up by Harry himself. This is how Harry sees his world, and how the narrative treats its characters. This return to the status quo, this complete lack of growth and reconciliation is what the story treats as the ultimate win condition. This disgusting lack of regard for the allegory of your characters, especially when it comes to those who represent the disabled or neurodivergent or racially diverse is what the story treats as fine and normal. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER who represents a minority has horrible things happen to them and either dies or ends the story worse than they started. Sirius, Remus, Dobby, Hagrid, Tonks, Mad-Eye, even people like Snape and Draco. This is not a narratively satisfying story of growth and positive change, it is the story of a young child being manipulated by the adults in his life to think in binary black and white about the people around him and long desperately for the ‘good old days’ he never experienced, and then being forced by circumstances outside his control to fight for the return of those good old days, completely ignorant of the fact that those ‘good old days’ weren’t that good for most of the people he knows and loves because they’re members of minorities those ‘good old days’ treated like shit.

How on earth were we surprised by JKR’s political and personal opinions? How were any of us blindsided by this? I’m so confused as to how we all looked at this story and went “yeah that looks like a good old fashioned coming of age ‘discrimination is bad’ story to me.” It’s not. It never was. It actively promotes that mentality at nearly every turn. You don’t get to make your villain cartoonishly hate muggles and your heroes heroic muggleborns and then say your story is about being anti-racist when there are eight or so other demographics your main character discriminates against, mistreats, misunderstands, or ignores entirely without narrative consequences. That’s just a story about discrimination being good with a shoddy Halloween costume on to trick the easily distracted.

The story my sister told me, the one where Draco and Neville were friends? It was a story about change and growth. It was a story about how someone’s dogged insistence on kindness could reveal that even the apparent nastiest of people were actually just as human as everyone else; that they too had fears and flaws and loves and strengths, that they too wanted love and respect and affection. It was a story where the good guys were kind, and it made a difference; it taught the misguided about the truth, brought the fallen into the fold. It made whole what was broken and gave second chances to those who felt discarded by the world.

It was, and I cannot stress this enough, absolutely nothing like the books JKR actually wrote.

.

Edit: a commenter mentioned two things I wanna address, the first of which being Harry’s status as a half blood. This is true! I forgot about it :/ I don’t think it changes the point I was making about the story, but it’s good to bring up as I did forget. And second, Remus’s being a werewolf is an allegory for AIDS: I did not know this at all! Thank you for telling me, that’s actually really cool and makes a lot of sense, I don’t know why I didn’t pick up on it. I think that might make things worse though. Like…. That takes the fandom’s confusion over how Remus’s character was treated from ‘frustrated that this allegory doesn’t seem to make sense’ to ‘holy crap you did that on purpose what the heck-‘ so….. yeah. Thank you for telling me op! If anyone knows of any references or information about the different things the characters represent in this story please let me know?