#orphaned baby squirrel

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Temporary Care for Baby Gray Squirrels

So, I've obviously learned a lot this week about the care of baby squirrels, and let me stress that it must be temporary. They are best off in a wildlife centre where they will be prepared for release. But I thought I'd share what I've learned in case someone else finds themselves in a similar situation.

1) If the baby is scampering about, it's probably fine. Leave it alone.

2) If it is just lying there in the open or it crawls up your leg, this is a bad sign and a good chance it's been orphaned.

3) Approach cautiously and do not handle with bare hands. Gently wrap the baby in something soft.

4) If you see fleas or other insects crawling on it, this is even more evidence that it's been orphaned.

5) If found on your own property, place the baby in a box outside in a relatively safe location from predators with something soft and fluffy. If not on your own property, skip to 10).

6) Keep it warm. They can't regulate their body temperature so need assistance. Fill a sock with dried rice and microwave or fill a bottle with hot water. Place between blanket and squirrel and make sure there's enough room that the squirrel can move away if it gets too hot.

7) Give it fresh fruit with the skin removed at least in part so it can suck on it for hydration. You can try nuts and seeds too but it may be too young for solids (mine is not).

8) You can play baby squirrel distress calls to try and attract the mother back to it.

9) If 24 hours have elapsed without the mother retrieving it, it's been orphaned.

10) Take it inside. If you have a large cage, great. In my experience young squirrels don't move very far from a place they find safe that has food, so it's fine if you don't as long as you don' t mind the mess and have no pets/can keep pets away from it.

11) Make sure it has ample fresh fruit for hydration (for an animal as small as a baby squirrel, a full-sized apple is plenty), blanket for security, and a hot water bottle/rice-filled sock nearby for warmth (see 6)).

12) Take pictures if you can. This will be important for identification and they may be hard to get once the baby recovers its strength.

13) Get in touch with a wildlife centre and make arrangements to deliver it. This can be a pain as they may have limited ways to contact them with limited hours, but it's worth it if you can get through.

14) Unfortunately not every place has room or has drivers to come pick it up so you might have to borrow a carrier, find a further location, and arrange your own transport.

15) Do not feed the squirrel dairy, salted nuts, dried fruit, bread, chocolate, or peanuts. These will dehydrate it, poison it, have too few vitamins, or are too concentrated in sugar. Generally stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and unsalted nuts and seeds (peanuts are legumes, not nuts).

16) Do not handle it more than absolutely necessary. Do not try to make friends with it. Do not try to be its mother. Simply provide the things it needs and otherwise keep your distance.

17) You'll want to get it to a centre as soon as possible, and the younger it is, the more urgent this is, since before a certain age they need to be fed formula and can't pee or poop without stimulation.

18) Don't bring it to the humane society unless all other options have been exhausted. They will put it down. Only choose this option if it's between that and release. The baby cannot survive on its own and will die of hypothermia, dehydration, starvation, getting run over, or getting snapped up by a predator. If that fate was unacceptable when you picked it up, it's unacceptable now. The humane society offers a much more compassionate death. But try other options first.

19) While it's tempting, you almost certainly can't successfully keep it as a pet. It, like any other animal, has enrichment needs most of us can't provide. They can be quite destructive in a home setting as adults, and the longer you keep it, the more habituated it will become and the lower its ability to be successfully released into the wild.

20) Clean everything the baby has had contact with, including yourself. Last thing you want is a nasty infection. Also you want to get rid of the fleas.

21) This is just my experience in an emergency situation and may not apply to all! Please look up what your local wildlife centre has to say about their care and ask any questions you need when you get into contact with them directly.

22) This is also specific to gray squirrels. I don't know what a red squirrel would require and baby rabbits are notorious for just. Dying.

23) Good luck!

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

baby season has officially begun

[moniquill]

Today in Fucking Nonsense seen on Facebook because the algorithm has decided based on the huge number of NDN folks I'm friends with that I -must- want to see woo:

Stop Doing This Shit and Stop Ascribing it to NDN Folks.

Squirrels don't pairbond. The male has no part in raising the young, and they're not remotely monogamous.

When a nursing female squirrel comes up on a pink, furless baby that is not hers, she is very likely to eat it.

If you want to try to introduce an orphaned baby squirrel to a new mother in a rehab situation, you need to do subterfuge and make it smell like it's one of hers - and she's still likely to reject it if it's not the exact same age.

Know what animals are actually very good at caring for orphaned baby squirrels? Rats and cats. Both of which are social species that perform alloparenting. Cat moms in particular will generally take all babies regardless of species which is why you see them fostering skunks and possums and squirrels all the time on tiktok or gizmodo.

This is not at all how squirrels behave. We can talk about human behavior and values without making up nonsense about our animal kin.

[laughingsquid]

Orphaned Baby Squirrel Adopts a Loving Human Family

[lewmagoo]

Waking up to find your cowboy not in bed with you. His boots aren't by the door but you can see footprints in the freshly fallen snow outside. You follow them to the barn to see Rhett, asleep on a haybale wearing just his jacket. His flannel is now a nest for the barn cat's new kittens with another fleecy blanket added in for extra warmth.

rhett’s a tender soul. always has been. despite the fact that his father tried to quash that part of him, in an effort to “toughen him up”. rhett always kept that tender part of himself when it came to animals. he’s always had a special connection with them. with his mare, june, despite her stubborn tendencies. with the mysterious crow (affectionately named john) that follows him around every time he’s outside. with the cranky barn cat that tolerates only him. he’s the cowboy snow white, as you’ve lovingly dubbed him. there are always animals in his vicinity. he’s always been good about helping animals when they’re in distress. one time, he stayed up all night with june when she developed a sickness that required round the clock care. he nursed john the crow back to health when he injured his wing. he’s been known to raise orphaned baby squirrels and rabbits.

and then there’s the time that misty the cranky barn cat becomes pregnant. rhett watches over her carefully. it’s really a sight to behold. you’ve always loved watching him interact with animals. when you’re working in the stable or going on trail rides you’ll hear the way he talks to june, a low comforting rumble, communicating with her as if she understands every word he’s saying. you suspect she does. and of course there’s the way he’s so loving toward misty. she’ll always linger around his feet when he’s in the stable, and sometimes she’ll even climb up to sit on his shoulder. that happens less and less the more heavily pregnant she becomes. and then there comes the time when she’s going to give birth.

the closer the time gets, the more rhett checks on her throughout the day. and then, one morning, he slips out of bed early, leaving a lingering kiss to your forehead as you sleep peacefully, before he shoves his boots and jacket on and trudges out through the freshly fallen snow. that’s where he finds misty huddled in a corner of the stable, in the beginning stages of labor. he knows he can’t move her into the house, it would put her into distress. so he sets up camp in the barn. all he has is his flannel, so he shrugs out of it and allows misty to lay upon it. he’s a loving and gentle coach as she births her tiny little kittens, and once they come safely into the world, he tucks an extra blanket that he found in the tack room around the litter to keep them all warm as their mama gets settled around them. not wanting to leave her alone, he leans back against some stacked hay bales, but inevitably ends up falling asleep.

that’s where you find him an hour later. after waking up to an empty bed you head out to the stable to find him fast asleep, and there is misty the barn cat on the floor beside his feet, curled up with her new babies. it’s a precious sight, especially when you see he’s given up his shirt in order for misty to have a soft place to lay. you sit beside him on a hay bale and gently coax him awake. “rise and shine, cowboy,” you murmur. he stirs awake, and as he catches you looking at him, he smiles sleepily. “had t’ come help misty give birth,” he mumbles. “i see that,” you reply. “you make a great cat midwife.” he smirks at that. “thank y’. been practicin’ my whole life for this moment.” which is partly true. he’s been involved in plenty of animal births. “well, now that you’ve helped bring kittens into the world, how about some pancakes and coffee for breakfast? i’m sure midwifing made you work up an appetite.”

the promise of pancakes and coffee gets him up and out of his bed of hay, food motivated as he is. “don’t mind if i do,” he says as he pecks your lips. he still checks on misty throughout the day, and if the temperatures drop too low during the night, he will bring her and her babies inside to keep them warm. soon, your house is full of kittens. rhett is attached to each of them, even though he knows you can’t keep them all. before you find homes for each one, this is what he constantly looks like:

he gives one to amy. he keeps the rest, insisting that this is their home and he doesn’t want to uproot them from it. that’s how you end up having four barn cats. at least you can say you won’t ever have a mouse problem with them around 🤷‍♀️

(thank you @laracrofted for bringing up rhett covered in kittens because it’s awakened something i think)

[gortash-did-nothing-wrong]

Enver Gortash Musings 9

Warnings: discussions of pregnancy, childbirth, widespread illness, orphans, and tiefling racism. And Enver is once again keeping secrets.

After you have your first child, internally you decide to take a break from trying for children for a few years. You want to make sure your daughter is doted on properly. You keep a scrap book of all her milestones, even glueing scraps of her outfits she outgrows into the pages. Enver and you pour over the scrapbook one night as your now year old daughter sleeps in her crib.

"She was so small." Enver says, running a finger over one of her socks from her first month of life. "I almost forgot how small babies are."

You hummed, turning the page to see the very first bit of her horn that had broken off. She had taken a tumble while learning to walk, knocking her horn on a table and cracking it. "I felt like a horrible mother that day. After she finally stopped crying, and took her afternoon nap, I cried so hard."

Enver looks at you, surprised. "You did? I don't remember that..."

"oh I didn't let you see." You said, chuckling. "You were really busy that week. There was some medical issue in the lower city? During the winter months, yes I remember now. That big orphanage got hit hard with it."

"Cholera." Enver said, his voice suddenly not so carefree. "The sewer system was damaged, and contaminated the drinking water. It was so cold in the sewers that repairs were slow to make any progress."

"Right." You said, "You were working really hard, so I didn't want to bother you. It was silly of me. Children get hurt sometimes, after all. I can't save her from every bruise."

Enver raised an eyebrow. "You... You were doing charity work, weren't you? I remember asking you to assist on that."

"I was helping bring fresh water from the upper city wells to the lower city." I said. "I just strapped Ember to my front and drove a supply wagon down. It was the least I could do. Ilmater's temple was doing the real work. All this children looked horrible... So pale and skinny."

Enver's eyes had a spark of recognition. "Right, the reporters tried to say in the paper that your hair had been a mess and had hay in it."

You laughed, "Well sometimes that happens when you work with horses. Wait... Enver the papers didn't say anything about my hair?"

He smirked, "Of course not. You think I'd let them critique my wife's appearance while she's saving the lives of orphans?"

You scoffed, "I didn't save anyone's life. I drove the horse wagon down the street to deliver water. A stable boy could have done it."

"True. But a stable boy couldn't have encouraged all the noble women to help gather water from the wells, fill barrels with the water, and coordinate it all to go to the same place."

"they didn't fill the barrels." I said dryly. "They told their servants to do it."

Enver is quiet for a moment, his eyes watching you as you turned a few pages of the scrap book. "Darling. Did you do the manual labor?"

"Along with several dozen servants, yes." I said, looking up at him, curiously. "What did you think I did? Sat on the wagon waiting for it to be done?"

Enver sighed, shaking his head but with no malice. His eyes were smiling, a chuckle rumble from his chest. "You're quite odd for a noblewoman."

"The perks of having a dirty peasant mother." I said, grinning. "Or at least a merchant mother."

Enver chuckled, "How is your family doing anyway?"

"Mother is fine, she's angry the squirrels keep eating her bell peppers, but she doesn't want to hurt them so she's trying to bury mothballs to make them not want to come around the plants." You said. "My brothers and sisters are all doing well, ah, that reminds me, Lauren is of marrying age, and she's having some trouble finding a match... You wouldn't happen to know of any eligible bachelors?"

Enver chuckled, "I know a few. Have her come to dinner this week, I'll get a feel for her and see if I know any gentlemen who would fit her."

You leaned over, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, my love."

He stared into your eyes after you pulled back, searching your soul for a moment. "Have the nursemaid watch Ember tonight."

You shut the scrap book. "Oh?"

"I want you." He said firmly. "And I want another child."

It was your turn to hesitate. "Ember is only one..."

"And if I get you pregnant tonight, she'll be a year and nine months by the time the other baby comes." Enver said smoothly, his hand coming to rest on your cheek. "Something else is troubling you. Tell me what."

There was never much compromise with Enver. "... Ember is a tiefling."

"Yes." Enver said. "You and your family have always been quite progressive with tiefling issues. What's the problem?"

"I still don't know how she came out as a tiefling. Neither of our families have any history of Tieflings." You explain. "And... And I worry that if our next child is a human... That they'll be treated differently from Ember. And then that will hurt Ember..."

Enver looked at you solemnly as you trailed off. Like always, your thoughts were on others. It was something he begrudgingly enjoyed about you. There was a naivety to your generosity, a naivety that due to his station and money he could ensure you kept. He viewed it like having a rare bird as a pet, one with an expensive diet and high vet bills. A status symbol, in a way. But that feeling had shifted just slightly after Ember had come along. And now it felt far more like owning a luxury house. With warm and inviting decor, gates and walls to keep out unpleasantness. A sense of security and comfort whenever he was around you. Especially when he would sneakily watch you mothering Ember. Just yesterday he had watched you braid her a flower crown in the garden, and once you placed it on her head he let himself daydream about the real crown he would put on Ember's head one day when she was ready.

"I am going to tell you something." He said seriously. You looked up at him, tense. "I will not tell you how I know. Do not ask."

You nodded.

"All of our children will be tieflings." He said firmly. "There is nothing I can do to change that."

You stare at him, not being able to make any sense of how he would know. Your mouth opened and closed several times, so many questions pressing against your tongue. How did he know? Why was it so? Who had done this? Was it the fault of your blood or his?

You could never read him much, but something in his eyes made you certain that regardless of all your other questions, the cause was his side of the family tree.

After what felt like forever, you managed to say, "Alright."

Enver leaned a little closer down, his mouth close enough that you could just lean up a little and kiss him. "You'll still carry my children? Or will I have to content myself with Ember as my one and only?"

You swallowed. "I... I want more children. This is just a lot to take in. The rumors were so awful the first time-"

Enver sighed, his brow frowning. "I thought I made sure none of those reached your ears."

You smiled sadly. "My mother informed me of them. Don't be cross. She was trying to protect me."

"That is my job now." Enver said firmly. "I should have a conversation with her."

"Enver." You say warningly.

He patted your cheek. "Just to make sure she's on the same page, my darling wife."

You leaned up, kissing his lips softly, a small spark of passion behind it. You pulled away, smiling up at him. "Let me tell the nursemaid she's on duty for tonight... Why don't you get a bath ready?"

Enver grabbed his cane, getting to his feet with a groan. "Off to twist the taps I go."

[supersoftly]

Personal opinion? I dont think the guy should have had Peanut in the first place. When he found the orphaned baby squirrel 7 years ago he should have passed it off to a rehabber that knew how to take care of it so it could be released. His "care" set Peanut up for failure from the get go.

That said, 100% agree this whole thing was handled so so SO badly. Even ignoring all the much more pressing issues in the state. Yes, a squirrel can get rabies but its VERY rare and in this case, he'd been a house pet for 7 years. The likelihood he had rabies was less than nill. Peanut was, technically, well cared for. He was happy and healthy and not a danger to anyone. I dont think he should have been in this situation at all and I dont think all his needs were being met being a wild animal and all BUT he was still being cared for more than adequately for a pet. The fact he had maybe a year left of life (squirrels live about 8 years) makes me feel like removing him from this home was just wrong. Its like rehoming a geriatric cat when its only known one home ever.

All in all, it was a bad situation from the get go.

But the government made it way way worse.

I appreciate your expertise on the matter as I am honestly not all that familiar with Peanut as an e-celebrity, but only judging it from what took place after his seizure and death. I was under the impression that they were in the process of getting an educational license for Peanut, lord knows shit like that can take forever, but we are taking his guardian's word for it and he obviously wants to look good now this has become a divisive issue. Generally speaking, when it comes to wild animals that have been accidentally domesticated, back at the rehabilitation centre I worked it, if they were suitable for it, they often became educational animals (we had a rescued snapping turtle who was found in the bathtub of a newly bought house and since they had no idea where his original habitat was, they kept and cared for him out of pocket for the rest of his living days, nicest snapping turtle I've ever met btw), so I feel like that is the proper course of action that would've been best if his guardian was genuinely being sincere about Peanut's welfare. The animal happiness and safety of humans are always the priority, so if it was flubbed from the getgo as you pointed out, there is no going back for those animals aside from euthanasia so I'm inclined to agree with you that if he only has so much time left, they should've let it be or better yet, come to an amicable compromise where Peanut lives :(

[guiltygearconfessions]

The animal that Dizzy is often associated with are squirrels. Squirrels are said to adopt baby squirrels that have either been orphaned or abandoned. Dizzy was found by an elderly couple as a baby and they adopted her.

-

[atelierlili]

Everlark Fic brainstorming time (I just have an headache rn and it’s stoping me from doing anything productive)

As Snow reigns continues over Panem, he’s increasingly aware of the growing underground murmurings of the rebellion. He knows he can’t have eyes everywhere in Panem- unless he made them himself.

He develops small group of sleeper agents- a small group of young boys and girls (usually district orphans/children of avoxes) who main purpose is to unknowingly observe and sabotage rebellion efforts once they are activated. They all undergo intensive conditioning under the influence of tracker jacket venom, a lot of the children die under the intensity of the hijack conditioning, but some survive.

A young boy is amongst them and after he finishes the hijacking program, he is then physically altered to resemble Peeta Mellark, the youngest Mellark son who was murdered by his mother. (The family is not aware of this fact yet.) He is installed into the new household with little trouble, the abuse in the Mellark household makes it easy to hide any discrepancies the boy would have.

The boy grows up unaware of the weapon he is, but he’s always watching, taking in, observing his surroundings. One day he catches a young girl and her father cross the fence. They walking hand in hand and singing. He doesn’t know why but he feels compelled to make note of it.

Next time he sees her, she’s wearing her father’s jacket and giving her baby sister her lunch despite looking hungrily at the meal. Such a warm selfless act moves something inside him.

Next time he sees her again. He gives her bread.

After that, she sells squirrels to Mr. Mellark. It’s then he decides to befriend her. She’s a good shooter. Something tells him that’s worth keeping around.

He’s sixteen going on seventeen when the whispers of rebellion reaches his ears. Katniss is weary about it all. Peeta though…he’s been getting these strange dreams lately….

And that’s all my brain go for now!

[noirbriar]

Fire & Stone AU: Bonds

The end of the Third Age, peace has come. Yet Glorfindel and Erestor find themselves in a bit of trouble with outdated customs.

In which elven high society, especially the line of Finwe, have rules and traditions to be followed for noble born elves. No exceptions.

An AU where the sons of Durin lived and Maglor resides now in Imladris some time before The Hobbit. OOC a high possibility, its all on me. Coughed out this random ficlet for fun and excuse for some family drama.

Things of note/warnings: none although maybe child acquisition? also, the writer's tolkien knowledge is rather rudimentary still so anything in here should just be taken as a pure AU. --- "Now this is a rare sight! A new age of peace and here you are, bested by an orc! My young commander, I see you have been slacking." Maglor strides in, his robes swishing quietly into the healing wing. "Don't antagonise the patient." Elrond prompts dryly from behind as he arranges his salves and bandages at the side to be cleared away by the other healers. "I would like to see you try to go up against a double ambush while trying to get the villagers to safety with a lean troop." Erestor grumbles from his spot in the bed, eyes closed, trying to focus in putting up his mental walls, blocking out the numb pain from his wretched shoulder from his mate. "A new age yet the foul damn creatures continue to be a pain in the ass."

"And I heard from Kili and Tauriel you picked up a gift along the way?" Maglor grins as he reaches out to pat the small lump buried into Erestor's better side. Only to be rewarded with a bite and a sharp cry as the old Feanorian quickly pulls his hand back to safety from the fiesty child on defensive.

A toddler who could barely walk really.

"And don't tease the elfling, Atya." Elrond admonishes softly though with a soft smile .The healer tries to brush away the messy silvery blond hair from the elfling's face, but pulls back when the child pulls away from his touch.The elfling resumes clutching onto Erestor like a baby squirrel.

"Unfortunately he seems to be an orphan long before the attack, being cared for by his fellow villagers all this while from what I heard. Still, the little one seems to have taken a great liking to his protector... I suppose its really a Feanorian trait to pick up little ones and be chosen by them." The Lord of Imladris slowly adds, his eyes alight with mischief much like his younger self.

Maglor chuckles under his breath at the statement with a shake of his head. Whereas the elfling simply stare at the father and son duo balefully, his eyes narrowed in a way that is reminiscence to a displeased Erestor. Before the little one huddles closer to the dark haired elf for comfort.

Erestor is quiet, as he lets the child do as he please, caressing the elfling's back before his eyes begain to droop, his body demanding for a healing sleep. Elrond leaves, leaving his adoptive father to watch over his old follower. Maglor then decides to sings a healing song for his old soldier that he have come to care for dearly. Its was too lovely a day to be without song anyway. and the weakened child could use some power from a Song after such an ordeal.

It was a while before the Singer notices Erestor trembling in his rest, almost in pain from what Elrond has deemed a normal wound.The elfling whimpers in worry. Maglor stops and sits on the bed instead to examine the clean bandages. Baffled, he puts his hand onto the younger elf's hand instead and tries to reach out with his weak fea to provide some comfort from the pain.

For a moment there is warmth, before something tingles, and pulls. Which causes Maglor jumps back in shock and the elfling to be startled in turn, before starting to cry. Its as if someone has dumped him into the Brunien before flinging his fea across the sea... So Maglor does the only reasonable thing in this situation- "ELROND!!" ---

Glorfindel is worried. Lately, he could hardly feel his mate through their young bond. (A bond! At long last, his beloved's fea melded with his own, singing ever so sweet. He have never felt so at peace and so complete with another heart beating with his own. ) As the escort of Celeborn, Galadriel and the Galadhrim to Imladris, the warrior had to be apart from his husband for a more than a few months, shortly after their bonding and their return from Gondor. It was a slow journey home, as he and his troops guided the elves awaiting to sail for the West to the last Homely House.

Last he heard before he left, there were news of stray orcs, stragglers along the borders. With all the administrative work delegated to others in the household and council, Erestor have taken upon himself to command some troops to check on the matter. Yet no messengers have come by with regards to any trouble and he felt no distress from Erestor, so there was some comfort in that. The Captain knows his husband is a master with his blades, the Chief Councillor skilled with his swords even after years of administrative work. However the lost of gentle nudges and touches from his mate is still concerning.

And if he had nudges Asfaloth a little faster upon spotting reaching the main bridge, no one was willing to call him out on it. What he had not expect was a pair of restless twins awaiting for their arrival at the end of it. "Greetings, Grandfather! Grandmother! We hope your journey has been smooth." Elladan greeted as Elrohir proceeded forward and they greeted their elders .Almost too formal, Glorfindel thought. "Elladan? Elrohir? I did not expect you both to greet us all the way out here. What trouble did you both get into this time?" Glorfindel grins at the twins.

"Ah ha! But its not us you should be worried about, dear Captain." Elrohir smirks while Elladan strides up and pats the Golden Elf wryly with a glint in his dark eyes.

"Its you."

-- In the twilight, Glorfindel grits his teeth as he is starting to be immensely annoyed that he is unable to at least find his husband first. Unable to even freshen up after days of travel, before he was whisked away by Elladan and Elrohir into the inner wings of the House. His bond with Erestor still quiet despite the proximity, even with the twins assuring that Erestor was in Imladris.

Following closely beside him, are the curious Lord and Lady of Lothlorien, both by the request of the twins' father.

"For support." Whatever that means. What greeted him at the large outdoor meeting chamber that Elrond favors, was the Lord of Imladris himself, sitting instead by the side seat of the long table. The head chair was empty. Further away, was unmistakably, though surprisingly, the second son of Feanor. As Maglor turns to greet the guests, Glorfindel sees clearly now. No longer dressed in his usual plain and unremarkable robes, but in elegant brocade and silk. Maglor's hair adorned with the style of old elves of a forgotten time with a beautifully crafted circlet adorned with small moonstones by a Master smith, marking his status as a noble.

Elladan and Elrohir gives a bow and steps slightly out by the corridor. Excusing themselves from this meeting. Something is wrong.

"My greetings, Laurefindil. You have finally returned. Now take a seat, I feel that we must have an urgent discussion." Maglor smiles and gestures to the seat on the opposite side of the table. Formal manners of court and Quenya. Not good. Glorfindel's warrior instincts are rising up.

"Galadriel, Celeborn, my greetings. As Glorfindel's cousin and family, please, pardon for a lack of hospitality but I'm afraid it must be done. Do take a seat as well beside your kin."

"What are you up to now, Maglor." Celeborn remarks flatly, trying to keep some basic civility with the Son of Feanor. plainly ignoring the use of Quenya entirely, and carefully leading his wife to her seat with Elrond guiding his in-laws.

Maglor does not grace with a reply but with a small smile, as he takes a seat at the head chair, hands clasps together before him. A warm air of quiet descends upon the noble born elves in the peaceful valley as time slows with only the sound of the waterfalls and music by the minstrels. A picture of serenity.

---

"So...what is the fuss for? Why is everyone crowding around the balconies and trees?" Kili asks as he observes the happenings around him, casually munching on an apple slice, and feeding Tauriel a slice as well.Being ever the doting husband.

The dwarven prince and his wife are perching precariously on a balcony railing with Thorin and Bilbo lounging nearby. The King Under The Mountain and his Consort both unbothered by the commotion.

They were simply enjoying the quiet afternoon with Bilbo's tea. Before dozens of curious denizens of the elven haven wandered into the public pavilion. From the maids to the council members, curious and eager about something.Their excitement and low murmurings like the rustling of the leaves.

And that something is happening right now.

---

Glorfindel's instincts are on high alert. But finally, impatience to reunite with his mate had won out. The Golden Lord chooses to strike on offensive.

"So, why have you called me here, Makalaure?" The Golden Lord of Gondolin begins. There was none of his usual humour.

"Long has it been since I must bear that name and even the responsibilities of a Lord. Though I care not but only for my family. My father and brothers no longer on these shores. Yet my sons and nephews were. I am ashamed to be a terrible Uncle and Father, unable to care for them until its too late." Maglor's voice wavers as he tries not to delve too deep into memories.

A careful strike has Glorfindel tensing up on defensive as he catches on to Maglor's words, but he remains silent. This is a problem.

"You were hurt and in sorrow, and you didn't know." Elrond reasons quietly, as he pats Maglor's shaking hands gently, as father and son share comfort in each other's presence for a moment.

"Alas, in this moment that I am able, I must do what is right, in place of my brother, or I shall not be able to face my younger brother and my family in the Void..."

Slowly, the old Lord turns back to Glorfindel, eyes alight. The last son of Feanor then demands-

"So tell me, Laurefindil. Did you think you can skip on tradition and wed my only nephew left without the proper procedure and rites worthy of the great-grandson of Finwe, grandson of Feanor? The son of Caranthir the Dark?"

The music goes silent, the air stills.

Celeborn and Galadriel sits higher at the revelation, with the Lord turning to his Lady in surprise and wonder. Only to receive a graceful shake of her head in silent reply by the great Lady of Lothlorien. So the two turn instead to the great Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, who is resisting the urge to show any reaction.

Well, shit.

---

Time froze before chaos breaks out in the Last Homely House. There were a range of emotions with gasps and confusion by the residents of Imladris, especially from the old Feanorians in the household.

A living descendant of Feanor? Son of Caranthir? Erestor? The youngest General under Maedhros and Maglor's command? Their Chief Councillor, the Tempest of Imladris? There were so many questions, one of the old followers had even begun to cry.

Kili looks around in confusion.

"Soooo context? Anyone?"

"Oh..oh dear." Tauriel murmurs quietly," I think I get it now and this isn't good." The elleth turns to her in-laws, "Also, Lord Maglor's circlet...did you both know about this?"

The elves all turn to the old King, who simply took his time to answer." As a friend and fellow uncle, it was the least I could do," and the dwarf takes a sip of his ale and left it as that.

"Why? I mean, is there like a problem here with Erestor being related to Maglor...or I dunno, something?" Kili continues, trying his best to wrap his head around this peculiar situation.

"Yes, and Lord Maglor is calling Lord Glorfindel and Lord Erestor's marriage into question as Erestor's elder. I believe he is displeased with the lack of a marriage contract in accordance to the Marriage Code."

He stares at Tauriel," We...Is this an elf thing? We didn't have that when we married?"

"I'm Silvan, dear. This only apply to the high born elves."

Kili blinks, and instead turns to Bilbo. Thorin sighs at his nephew pointedly and tiredly," Balin's going to flip if he hears this." His Hobbit chuckles at the younger dwarf's blank look before taking a moment to enlighten the younger dwarf.

"Its basically a procedure by both parties and their families.Before marriage and the binding of fea, nobles may undergo trials to prove the worthiness of their match. A terribly lengthy process."

"They are also assessed by their assets and wealth and status of 3 generations minimum. Before they dive deeper into binding agreements regarding their descendants, heirs, inheritance and the like. Down to even the minute details of scenarios like, what should happen if they fade or sail. Or if they reach Valinor should there be other lovers? Or any possible family feuds to address. Possibly even in unspeakable situations such as Separation, which what Men called a divorce. Something that dwarrow do not have as you all only have Ones. " Bilbo takes a quick puff of his pipe, "its a serious thing to the high born elves like those originally from the Valinor, and especially so to the line of Finwe."

There soon was some commotion down in the meeting hall where Maglor and Glorfindel's discussion were getting louder. The Son of Feanor has even gotten up from his chair to articulate something with a wide flair which the Golden Lord is trying to rebuke with obvious gestures. "Oh...It looks like the other party who is involved is here." Bilbo muses with an amused smile as he spots dark figure gliding by the corridors.

---

"-We have bonded with your's and Elrond's blessing have we not!?" Glorfindel tries to reason, the discussion now jumping back to Westron as he gets frustrated with the roundabout argument looping endlessly.

"That was without the knowledge that he is my blood kin! And how dare you keep this from us? Do you disrespect his roots?!" Maglor leans onto the table with both hands, unwilling to back down.

"We are almost in the Fourth Age, what use do we have any more of old redundant laws anyway?" Glorfindel shoots back, thinking back of all the tedious practices and rules from the Years of the Trees to his time in Gondolin, the stifling rules of nobility and how ridiculous it has gotten when he returned up till now.

"A Code that was implemented to protect the welfare of all involved! Remember the mess that involved my Grandfather and his wives! Even Elrond went through with the Code!"

Elrond hums in a detached sort of way as his eyes glazes over, not meeting his in-laws' eyes. He quickly pushes down the memories of the long and tedious marriage discussions and procedures before his marriage to Celebrian.

"Then I shall remind you of Thingol and Luthien and then look what that had nearly wrought as well!" Glorfindel snaps, his patience long gone.The Lord of the Golden Flower glowers back in fury, the balrog slayer’s eyes ablaze.

"Long has been our wish to be wed simply like any other eldar who are free from the bonds of duty and oaths that haunt us! We have beheld no other for several yeni till we felt we are free to live as we desire! Codes and Laws and Oaths all be damned!"

"My heart is Erestor's, as his is mine till the Remaking-Nay! Even after that! The only ones that matter in this relationship are myself and my mate! No other! May they be eldar or edain, maia or even the Valar themselves! I will not allow even you, Makalaure, to take away our joy simply for the sake of some out dated tradition! Our hearts are ours alone, is that not how it should be?!"

"OH! Then even if my nephew has your child? What then?!" the Son of Feanor waves with a flourish of his arm towards the entrance way. Glorfindel's mind grinds to a sudden halt as he then turns to Erestor who had arrived. Like a trickling dam, the warrior felt the connection to his mate burst forth and return with the lowering of Erestor's mental walls. A rush of warmth and fullness fill his fea before he felt his breath leave him in a rush. The yearning and love flowing down steadily while Glorfindel could only stare at his handsome mate striding in. The Chief Councillor ignoring the twin guards by the hall's entrance with a wave of his dark, loose robes in a flurry. His storm cloud, wild and fierce even with a tiny blond elfling in his arms, watching him with wide dark eyes...

Oh. Hold up.

"...What?"

---

A/N:Yeah I'll go yeet myself out now

[forktutwtt]

Fionna and Cake finale was cool and great and I loved it yeah yeah

But I do have one major problem with it:

Bringing the alt reality characters into Fionna and Cake’s world permanently is dumb.

Finn’s son just abandons his family forever?? That implies he either left farm dad Finn behind right after he put himself in danger for him, or he abandoned with orphaned younger siblings to be alone (depending on if farm dad Finn died to scarab or not)

And baby Finn being in the vampire world was such a good subtle blip of hope for that world but I guess it’s just fucked now

It didn’t really add much and felt extremely forced. Like, if Prismo was bringing all the allies they met, why wouldn’t he bring Winter King Princess Bubblegum? Or the f&c fan girl with the bike? If he considered the squirrel man helpful enough it only makes sense they’d be there too. Felt like unnecessary fan service meant to make things “happier” but actually has really bad implications.

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Düzce, Turkey

Orphaned baby squirrels are held by an official from the Düzce department of nature conservation and national parks after their mother was found dead

Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu/Getty Images

[maythevoidnotscreamback]

Story Idea: Sailor Moon but Batman style!

Basically, it's Sailor Moon but since there isn't any magic (at least maybe not for her and/or the Senshi/TK {yet? It would depend on how you want to take it}) she's more like Batman: a regular person but she's not stinking rich because her parents were killed and she and her brother inherited their fortune. No, she's just a regular mid-20's wig-maker by day (she uses said wigs for her various investigation disguises since there's no Luna Pen, and uses a very specific one when out at night, and for them to work her actual hair is pretty friggin' short to use them efficiently) and the Masked Sailor Suited Vigilante Sailor Moon by night.

Now for this to work, I'm thinking that Sailor Moon is definitely the first of the Senshi to become active, not Venus, because it is through Moon that the girls are 'endorsed' so to speak to become Senshi. And it's all due to part of this AU!Usa's backstory.

Long story short (feel free to contact me for any and/or all details if you're interested; though be warned I might not have details for everything) she's in possession of limited bolts of stretchy, almost-like-magic-but-made-with-science Kevlar-like fabric, various 'mad scientist-like' gadgets and a smart talking black cat who was unethically scientifically bred that way. The cat she kept after escaping the scary not quite self-destructing lair of the crazy people who'd kidnapped her when she was 9 after three months in their 'care', and found the former two at the site of said destroyed secret lair that she found again, by chance, in her grief of losing her childhood friend turned crush and his family to a crash on his returning-from-overseas plane turned hostage situation and promptly squirreled them away after deciding it was fate she found it all and formed the inklings of a goal/plan at 14. It's when she's in her mid-20's that she feels ready for her goal/plan to come into fruition. The Masked Sailor Suited Vigilante Sailor Moon makes her debut when the Osa-P jewellery store undergoes a robbery that turns into a hostage situation.

Thing is, said childhood friend turned crush hadn't died from the plane crash. He was the only survivor but suffered amnesia, losing everything from before he woke up. The redhead who'd become infatuated (IYKYK) with him as he recovered in the infirmary of her mother Metallia's off-the-grid community cult gave him his 'life's story' as her abandoned-as-a-baby orphan lover Endymion, who was a year older (17) than he actually was (16), and that he was apprenticed to the cult's (not that she called it that) medical doctor co-leader and 'psychiatrist' Wiseman. Because he doesn't know any better, and wanting some form of stability after his traumatic experience, he doesn't question anything. It's when he's in his late 20's, unofficially married with a 4yo redheaded, blue-eyed daughter (who's named Usagi since he was partial to the name; it resonates with him for some reason) from said 'wife', and casing a certain jewellery store in the shadows as TK as one of his 'jobs' to help bring money to his community that he sees the princess-angel he's been dreaming of since he was '17'.

One by one, new 'Senshi' join Moon for various reasons but are united by a common cause under their leader. Venus is first because the police woman Minako Aino discovered SM's identity through her own smart, talking white cat (of a non-related, older litter of the same experiments, and thus further developed in turn, that created Luna and the reason Usa was able to escape her kidnappers as a child, though she didn't know that at the time) who'd followed SM and reported back to her but didn't want to turn her in because she admires SM's efforts and wants to help so is willing to risk her career by proposing that they be one another's body double as and when needed at night and have separate patrol routes as their separate identities (M and V) when not.

It is through time (roughly two-three years) and various shenanigans and dangerous situations that SM and TK get closer, eventually stopping their game of flirty cat-and-mouse and actually bonding and getting to know one another. It is only after another life-or-death situation (TK would've frickin' died that time if not for Moon having followed him to his safe-house) that the tension between the two hits a peak after he's halfway through his convalescence and they sleep together and the next morning, after a restless night of tossing and turning as his true memories came back to him every time he awoke before his still-need-healing-exhaustion sent him to sleep again, is when TK reveals a name he'd wanted to use for the girl he'd wanted to ask to be his after he returned from that fateful trip.

Do you like? I would love if someone were able to take my idea and run with it. All I ask is that credit is given due and you let me know the title and site you've posted on so that I may read it. And as said, if you need details of what I've thought up for such an AU, if only for your own inspiration, I'm willing to send my notes to you; so long as you know that if others also ask I'm gonna give it to them too, just to see how different people would make this idea their own.

And if, in the end, I'm late to someone (or more than one) already having made some form of Batman style!SM AU, then please, please, please hit me up and tell me what it's called and where I can find it!! Thank you.

[fangsandsoftgrass]

🐾 gotta know all about Cirwedh's pets :D

OMG YESS

Okay, so I'll link this post as a general visual for all her buddies. Most of her animal friends are either ones she made while traveling bc they just liked her vibes and tagged along, or she rehabilitated them. They don't follow her around but instead live in and around her home in Malabal Tor :3

so we already know Gladriel is kinda like her sister since her mom (Mother Bear) took Cirwedh in after she ran away, but she's also her absolute best friend. She was pretty much Cirwedh's FIRST friend. When she was living with her parents, she stayed inside their home or at the village shrine to Y'ffre. She didn't really get to play with other children because of her unstable emotions (girlie was literally a kid name one kid that doesn't struggle with their emotions LOL) so her parents kept her kinda isolated already. Her first-ever friend was a bear :3

Dagger is her squirrel; he's always with her and Glad, either literally in Cirwedh's hair or in the trees; he's her second animal companion. She pulled him out of a river when he was a wee baby squirrel, and she couldn't find any nests in the trees nearby, so she just took him in and raised him. He's her baby :3 She will also literally throw him at people as a distraction because he goes fucking WILD. It's awesome. He loves it.

Bramble is an albino fruit bat that she carries in her pack or pocket during the day and flies around like a scout in the air while she travels on the ground with everyone else. Cirwedh met her in Eastern Skyrim during her time in the Pact. It's funny bc when she was in the P act, she was under the guise of a Nord, and as such, she had to at least pretend she followed their diet. So she would always leave any fruit given to her while in Windhelm out on the windowsill of the place she was staying, and Bramble would come every night and eat it :3 She just went with Cir when she left Windhelm and has been w her since bc she likes the travel and is also trained to be recon

And finally (of the ones she travels with) is RootGrabber, a Groundhog that she was given as a baby in Grahtwood and raised. He was found by a local and apparently had been orphaned by some nasty stoats. He tags along wherever she goes and forages along their travels :> he is instrumental in terms of alchemy because he will sometimes bring her herbs, and she can accept them bc he's an animal and is exempt from the Green Pact.

[atopearth]

Ikemen Vampire Part 14 - Johann Georg Faust Route

Faust is beautiful but definitely creepy haha. What a great start to their relationship, he bites her and inspects her body to see if she's any different to the people in this era loll, what a guy. OMG who would have expected Charles the baby face to be the one that sleeps around lmao. He named his squirrel monkey Mephistopheles🤣🤣 I'm not sure how ethical Faust is but it was nice to see the heroine apologise for accusing him of killing people with no evidence or anything. It's hard to fault Faust considering how much pain he has to watch over with the people who confess in the confessionals and seeing the orphaned children try their best to live their lives. The most practical way is live on your strength alone rather than relying on prayers and I can't help but agree with that. Prayers can give solace but can it really save people? But I do agree that it can give hope. Faust being bad at waking up in the morning was expected but it was nice to see his hazel eyes without the glasses, BUT I emphasise that he looks so much hotter with the glasses. You shouldn't be friendly with your kidnapper, but if he's hot, why not? Just kidding, but honestly, the heroine warming up to them is normal considering how much time she spends with them especially since they're not terrible people who treat her badly.

Maybe it was cruel of Faust to say such harsh words to the sickly son that wants to die to relieve his mother of her pain, but I think Faust just wanted to use his own way to make the son realise how hard she is working because she wants him to live, not die. Sure it's easier on her if he was gone, but she's working so hard exactly because she wants him to live no matter how difficult life becomes due to it. Charles really wants to live a simple and happy life with everyone together huh? Anyway, it was funny to see the children think that the heroine and Faust are married because they live together, and then Charles and Vlad pop up and are like that means she's married to us too🤣 I mean, I'm not against that, it sounds wonderful. Considering his personality and his research on eternal life, you can't blame the heroine for thinking that Faust is behind these resurrection incidents where corpses have been coming back to life. I'm happy the heroine asked him straight out but too bad his answer was interrupted, but I'm curious now, because he said he absolutely wouldn't do such a thing and I want to know why. It seems that despite the way Faust is, he really cares about the "weak" and does his best to research etc because he wants to save them from things beyond their control like the epidemic that has now affected the children at the orphanage. Faust so kindly telling the heroine to not push herself actually made me so happy, it was so heartwarming! Honestly, I wasn't sure about their relationship, but seeing Faust sacrificing sleep taking care of her when she caught the epidemic whilst assisting him with the children was just so sweet.

I think it's sad that Faust had to witness and realise that the children around him in his orphanage he grew up in back in the day were being sold to slave traders and perverted aristocrats whilst the kind mother who took care of them didn't even know?? I can't imagine the life Faust and all these children had to suffer. The way Faust bit the heroine's neck and they both got excited was pretty hot tbh. It's crazy to witness such emotion and desire from Faust. I guess it's really different when he likes her hahaha. It's nice to know that once upon a time Vlad did try to actively change the course of history but realised that it was impossible because history corrected itself for major events so he couldn't interfere too much. I guess that means the reason why Faust vomited blood and is in a coma is because his actions is changing the effects of the epidemic. The heroine willing to risk her life to travel back in time and hopefully change the course of the future by making people more aware and careful of the epidemic so that Faust's actions won't be considered going against the order of the world is very brave and sweet. Her impression of him really has changed so much and I have to admit, I'm the same.

I can see why Faust gave up on his faith in God, if even Mother Therese questioned it when she was about to die, how could he not, having to watch her die when she was so kind to him and tried her best for the children that still ended up getting exploited? I quite like the CG of young Faust screaming into the sky that he refuses to accept innocent people dying and people being treated unfairly as simply fate. I think it was a nice amalgamation of everything Faust had to suffer through internally finally bursting out as he believes that God can't control everything and he will prove it by making someone or something with eternal life, a life that even God can't take away and simply regaled as fate. Faust being able to believe in hope again because of the heroine really made my heart break. Her efforts to travel through time wanting to save him really touched him and I'm glad he got to understand her feelings. The heroine desperately giving her blood trying to save Faust broke my heart too, especially because she finally understood a bit of Faust's pain in senselessly watching the people you love die when they don't deserve such a cruel ending. Alexandre, the guy that was researching or was into this, saving the day was expected but it's nice to see Faust truly free from a fate that desired to kill him.

The heroine angrily confessing her love for Faust was so cute. It's so nice to see how passionate their love is for each other now. It was also nice to know that le Comte told the residents about the heroine being safe when she travelled back in time and they even helped spread awareness about the epidemic because of that. Lmao, Faust going to the mansion and saying he was there to collect his guinea pig was so cute and endearing, I loved it, it really makes me think about how far we've come haha. Hehehe, Faust admitting that he wouldn't let the heroine go back to her time even if she wanted to was so cuteee. I also think it was fitting that Faust kept up his role as a priest in a way because he wanted to take over for Mother Therese even though he couldn't believe in God anymore.

Overall, I really enjoyed Faust's route. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started it and I actually had quite a long break because of life and I didn't think it was that interesting but when the story picked up, it really picked up. I love how along with the heroine, I really doubted Faust's original intentions and thought he was totally that crazy scientist kinda figure, and whenever he never denied it, it just made me keep thinking there's more to this but that doesn't mean he's not crazy! Well, anyway, it was nice to see how we and the heroine got to gradually understand Faust better with his actions and with what he learnt to express to the heroine. He evidently cared for people the more we got to know him, to the point that it was basically undeniable that everything he does was for people and to go against fate. I really enjoyed watching his past because of how he reacted to everything. His story isn't one that's very different from alot of people who have experienced such pain, but when he screamed to the world at how unfair things were and how he refused to accept fate as it was, it felt very understandable and made me want to cheer for him and support him. Considering how he doesn't show a lot of his emotions, it was nice to see how expressive he was and to know deep down how emotional he really was when it came to life. Initially, I wasn't too into the heroine and Faust's relationship but midway, I really loved how they both grew to understand the other and loved each other for the values and beliefs they held. And once they got together, Faust was just so cute and sweet in his own possessive way haha. No one beats my love for Vlad and Theo but I'd say Faust is pretty high up and it helps that in terms of looks, he's definitely the hottest for me haha!

[zenfulmockingbird]

To sum the Peanut and Fred situation, someone reported a New Yorker for owning a squirrel and those two were put down due the Peanut biting someone. Why 7 years later is because of the video usually of Peanut was were wholesome and you don't really think about bad thing happening when the cameras off. Think of the Van Life videos or those animal rescue video. I have a gut feeling that asking about legally owning a squirrel or raccoon is one one of those rare topic that is brought up and researched, which could be why he avoided the law till now.

Currently the telephone game in full blown effect. So far the stories I found are that it was a man from Texas, a woman from Texas call animal control because she was jealous of the Peanut and Fred fame, and government conspiracy nut job post.

Here's info on what to do if you find an orphaned squirrel