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daisywords · 3 months

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rereading Fairest bc I have my own copy now (yay $2.50 at a used bookstore!) and so far it's as lovely as I remember

but anyway I do like how Aza's "ugliness" is characterized by people actually treating her badly because of it. People talk about the stereotype of YA protagonists being like "oh poor me I'm so ugly" in an attempt to make them relatable but the narrative actually treats them like they are gorgeous and every character that isn't a villain finds them attractive.

Vs. here it's like. yeah her self perception is all tied up in cultural ideas of beauty and she's definitely not objective either, and a lot of what she thinks is inherent to her ugliness is all wrapped up her related social anxiety, etc.

but! It's very refreshing to see a book that deals so much with beauty standards actually commit to it! It's not like she's just vain and obsessed with looks! You can tell she wants to be beautiful because she wants to be treated like a person! The way it is just that blatant! Most people are rude to her or ignore her! And she makes it worse in her head and compounds the problem by letting her own insecurity draw attention to herself, but at the end of the day, she's right! People would treat her better if she looked different!

The details that we get about her appearance are not even "ugly" traits, either! Like we get the pale skin, black hair, red lips combo pulled directly from the traditional Snow White fairy tale, where those traits are supposed to be beautiful and desirable! But in this culture, apparently those traits are a part of her ugliness, which just perfectly highlights how the beauty standards are inherently arbitrary! And yet! They affect her life in real ways! It doesn't matter much how we, the reader, picture her; we believe that she is ugly because people treat her like she is!

Anyway I especially love how her insecurity regarding her size is portrayed. The combo of feeling small and meek and timid on the outside but being large and imposing on the outside. She feels like she takes up too much space. She doesn't want to wear anything at all attention grabbing. She doesn't know what to do with her limbs. Her biggest fear about demonstrating her magical singing trick is that she would have to show people how she moves her stomach (the horror!)

anyway everyone ever should read Fairest. I could write 12.5 dissertations on it. fantasy books for 12-year-old girls are the most serious fiction in the world actually

#gail carson levine #fairest #daisyreads #anyway what I'm saying is there's a reason why I kept coming back to this book as a very shy girl with a large frame #ough the way her sister is like ''and your eyes are gorgeous''#the kind of conditional compliments. and they way people including her family that loves her acknowledge the pragmatic aspects #like yeah let's have you avoid the customer facing tasks. you could get famous with your singing if you were better looking #anyway. like being told irl when trying on clothes ''well what matters is if you feel confident''#thanks! that's what you say to ugly people!#(for the record I do not think I'm particularly ugly. I am pretty average imo)#but I do think that I would be perceived differently in a lot of ways if I were prettier! (and smaller! oof)#and it's nice to have that acknowledged as a real thing in fiction #instead of assuring us that the protag isn't perfect looking but giving her all the pretty privileges anyway #wow I had more to say abt this than i thought lol

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jellyjamheadobb · 2 days

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#But like fr #you know when you have your regular family #And then there’s the distant “wealthy” side of the family #and they’re literally all weirdos and assholes #one of my older cousins had a baby shower #and they’re from that side of the family (she’s ok though) so of course they invited them #And after being stared down by one of my second(?) aunts bc recently word got out that I have a girlfriend (wow holy shit I’m a butch!)#I was talking to one of my normal cousins about my car and how I plan on getting new seats for it #It has really old leather-y seats and I wanna get the cushy fabric kind #and she just pops into the conversation and says “why don’t you just get a new car? The one you have is so ugly <3”#like what #i have a vw beetle and I actually love it so fuck you (also I don’t have that kind of money to get a new car but shh)#my cousin and I exchanged that “uhhmmm😬” look with each other lol #awkward #But I just say “oh yeah I’ll think about it :)”#While I internally try to explode her with my mind #But anyway #rey rambles #meme #dumb shit #memes #funny #relatable memes #funny memes #lol #best memes #lmao #tumblr memes #twitter memes #dank memes

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janamensch · 10 months

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Wow today’s episode of Aerois was so fun!! I really enjoyed the part with the Spellclash so I wanted to draw it, really good episode!

#high rollers #rollonsunday #aerois #lucius virion elluin elenasto #qillek ad khollar #sentry hr #petal hr #Valla hr #thalia whisperwind #captain thalia #nova v’ger #aila hr #There were so many fun scenes this episode but the spellclash stuff was definitely my favourite #So funny how I was just talking about spellclash last week and now they’re actually doing spellclash?? I might have predicted the future #I still think it would have been fun if Nova got to participate in spellclash as well though #But at least she got to calculate the actual power of their spells? Because she can’t do that when they’re fighting monsters #So it’s nice that she got to have some fun with her science stuff!#Wow this episode was so fun I’m looking forward to next week!🤡🤡

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mintjeru · 2 years

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(not ship) of ballads and brews event quest 2 but i abridge adelinde's dialogue to fit the pages a sequel to my hidden strife comic

open for better quality | no reposts | ID under the cut

[Image description: A four page comic depicting Kaeya, Diluc and Adelinde's conversation during the Ballads and Brews event.

On the first page, Diluc says, "Hm... It's nearly dinnertime. Would you care to stay for a meal?" He glances away from Kaeya and turns to Aether and Paimon's direction.

On the second page, a silhouette of Kaeya stands against a background of a comic page about his Hidden Strife event dialogue with Adelinde.

On the third page, Kaeya begins, "How time flies..." Diluc glances at him with a pained expression. Kaeya forces a smile and continues, "I'll be on my way then..." Adelinde turns to face Kaeya. "Wait, Master Kaeya." Kaeya stops in place.

On the fourth page, Adelinde says, "You said it yourself, didn't you? The holidays are meant for spending time at home with your loved ones." The final panel shows Adelinde smiling at the viewer, Kaeya, and Diluc standing next to her with a serious expression and his arms crossed. "Haven't you realized it?" reads the text in the panel. "There has always been a place for you here."]

#ragbros #kaeya #diluc #genshin impact #genshin #aether #paimon #fanart #myart #comic #me drawing digitally after a month or so: wow i can't draw #anyway analysis time:#did anyone else notice diluc turn away from kaeya during this dialogue? bc it was glaringly obvious to me #i like to think that diluc was looking at kaeya but bc of his inability to openly accept kaeya-#he turned towards the traveler to make the dinner offer #as for adelinde's behavior in hidden strife vs ballads and brews #i know kaeya played along with her aloofness in the original voiceover but in my hidden strife comic i made it angstier #so in this comic i'm explaining it as kaeya misreading her behavior #kaeya's good at reading people but i think when it comes to more sensitive topics with people he's close to he gets vulnerable #hence why in my previous comic he was hurt by adelinde's words #it was difficult to link this to hidden strife bc of adelinde's contradictory reactions to kaeya but i did my best #i just want to give kaeya a hug and a pat on the head ok

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termagax · 9 months

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i hate to make the cr thing sound like a dumb ship war but they canonically had beauregard confess to being in love with her best friend, the party member she was objectively closest to and had the best chemistry with, to whom she was the turning point for her entire major character arc, and then immediately walked it back to pair them up with the characters they flirted with in episode 1 and had no chemistry with. and then spent the rest of the series making arguably lesbiphobic jokes about it.

#NO CHEMISTRY AND IN JESTERS CASE SHE HAS AN ENTIRE ARC ABOUT HOW SHE DIDNT ACTUALLY WANT TO BE WITH #THE GUY THEY PAIRED HER WITH. LIKE SHE HAD A WHOLE ARC LIKE WOW IM PROJECTING ONTO FJORD BECAUSE I WANT A STORYBOOK #ROMANCE BECAUSE ITS WHAT I BELIEVED I NEEDED TO BE A REAL ADULT WITH A FUFILLING LIFE NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING ABOUT HIM #AND WHEN HE RETURNED MY ADVANCES I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE I DONT ACTUALLY WANT TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM #I WONDER WHAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY INDICATE ABOUT MYSELF AND HOW I SEE RELATIONSHIPS. HOW DO I FIND WHAT I REALLY WANT. BEAU YOUR MUSCLES #LOOK REALLY GOOD TODAY. BEAU IM SORRY EVERYONE SAYS YOURE MEAN I DONT THINK YOURE MEAN. BEAU YOURE THE ONLY PERSON I FEEL LIKE IM ALLOWED #TO BE MYSELF AROUND BEAU YOU MAKE ME FEEL FREE TO EXPRESS MESSY EMOTIONS THAT SCARE ME BEAU LETS GET MATCHING TATTOOS #and then. wimp.womp shes back with fjord because for some reason weve decided beaujester isnt a viable endgame option :T

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cosmicpines · 13 days

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I'm not done listening to the Alex Hirsch interviews but god it just reminds me both of how much I miss this show and how much I appreciate the love and care that went into it. I love listening to him talk about the characters with a frankness and care that shows how much he values them being three dimensional beings.

#notably his answer about mabel in lost legends i thought was strong of like #yeah were going to give her a story that shes flawed in thats the point of a story #i still dont *love* dont dimension it bc i think it doesnt completely hit what theyre aiming for #the Mabels Fault is so weirdly pointed and bizarre #and her apology at the end is like. eh. bad. it needs another draft i think it needs more space to be explored.#ive been thinking a *lot* about 'mabel hatred' as i think about the show again #i do need to rewatch the show before i make a long comment on it #and how much of it began from people being frustrated that she was continually denied a proper episode where she was allowed to be wrong #in an interesting way #love god in particular is. weird.#and last mabelcorn felt like the beginning of an arc that didnt really happen #like that she was always untouchable in a sense #and that argument was co opted by people who were just unbelievably cruel to her and completely unreasonable #let me be clear: mabel hatred is overblown and absurd and i hate it s omuch #but i also dont like it when people put her on a pedestal of Perfect Unflawed Glitter Goddess #while also being like wow look at the depth of dipper #if youre going to say mabel cant be selfish because shes 12 you also cant say dipper has depth bc by that logic hes also 12 #anyway im sure someone will misinterpret these tags thats why theyre in the tags #mary blabs

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moeblob · 8 months

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Right's right. She does want to see it (but they refuse to tell her what it is because Right thinks it's best left a surprise).

#my characters #thinking about these guys a lot again lately #i really love right and brent and their dynamic with each other bc right just reads him really well #so he can identify things karen doesnt pick up on and so shes completely unaware that brent enjoys spending time with her #because he always looks so blank when interacting #but brent really likes interacting with karen esp as a time passer when theyre bored #like i was rereading a thing i wrote where right returns to the station and sees the other two just sitting around her desk with a paper #and hes like wow you two sure look busy #and brent says he refuses to play another game of hangman and she says they arent going back to tic tac toe #so right walks over and looks at the piece of paper which is in fact a game of hangman #and then shortly after that interaction karen invites herself to go to lunch with the guys and theyre like okay?? sure? i dont object #basically wow finally giving karen some focus and she deserves it after like 100 pages of being more minor #time to doodle a second part to post on my oc blog i guess cause i think karen deserves to see the thing

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spiribia · 16 days

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i don't even like kfp 4 or find the chameleon a compelling antagonist and still i feel the need to refute the 'LOL her motives make no sense, she whines about how kung fu masters rejected her being too small but she doesnt make any sense because Mantis'. i do think her backstory could have been crafted with more thought to the pre-existing universe of the franchise it was made for, where kung fu masters of all sizes have historically existed, but 1) the city this movie takes place in is so far removed from that of the first 3 that the citygoers do not even know what the dragon warrior is, so there's no reason to cast supreme doubt that there isn't a different culture there or that they're unfamiliar with say Mantis 2) the chameleon hardly Whines about being too small, this is not even a recurring thing that is brought up for her. it's a fragment of ONE LINE where she mentions training halls thought she was 'too small, too lowly' to accept as an apprentice. the latter qualifier may not even be referring to her size - the former could very well not even be fully About physical size either. the focal point of her statement is that people didn't take her seriously, she was never taught kung fu, so she took to taking the power by force. she is a parallel to KFP 1 po, who shifu initially didn't want to train. was it written well No i dont think so. but i think we're making up a world where the villains of the previous kung fu pandas had extremely logical sympathetic backstory justification of what drove them to villainy & contrasting the chameleon against these imaginary KFP profound chad villain motives in analytical essays and memes when all three of the previous villain motives just fit under 'i felt betrayed because you told me to stop killing people.' my pet peeve when something is 'trendily' known as bad media even if it is indeed arguably bad is that people no longer articulate what's bad about it themselves, they echo what always ends up feeling to me like the same cinemasins tier nitpick arguments about why it sucks over and over from other criticisms, so my hater soul can't even find much criticism that feels true and resonant. i think what was swag about former kfp villains was moreso that they were awesome and powerful to see in action and WHO'S WRITING ALL OF THIS

#talks #also i think the chameleon's powers are actually part of the problem of the perceived lack of relative 'coolness'. when she adopts #the form of another person she looks moves and fights like them and even adopts their sounds #and they use this to rehash villains you've already seen before.#you dont think 'Wow the chameleon is cool' when you see her become tai lung you think 'Wow tai lung was cool.'

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youngpettyqueen · 3 months

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ummm um fic recs….in a horrible turn of events garak and bashir have to babysit the ds9 kids?

ive been wracking my brains over how Garak and Julian would end up babysitting a bunch of the kids and I had a hard time figuring out something that would work with Jake and Nog, since theyre older and dont really need a babysitter, so I went with them babysitting Molly and Yoshi! I hope that's alright <3

Garak isn't sure what to expect when he the door to the O'Briens quarters slides open. All he knows is that Julian told him to come, and his only answer to Garak's many questions was to repeat himself with a don't ask just do it tone.

So, Garak had. He'd come. In the middle of the work day, something he's not planning on letting the Doctor forget. He'd come, and he steps inside as the door slides open, and he doesn't know what he was expecting to find here, but it certainly wasn't... this.

Julian is sitting on the floor by the coffee table, the infant Kirayoshi cradled securely in one arm. He also has what appears to be a plastic crown on his head, which is several sizes too small, and perches awkwardly atop his hair. The older of the O'Brien offspring, Molly, is sitting beside him, in what Garak would guess is a human princess costume, all shiny fabric and very, very pink.

Garak comes to pause, considering the scene before him. There are little plastic teacups and plates set out. A few larger plush toys are also around the table, with teacups and plates of their own. It's quite the little set up.

"Good morning, Doctor. Molly," He greets, turning a quizzical raised brow on Julian, "Might I ask why I was called here?"

Julian gives him a look that is very, very tired. "Good morning, Mr. Garak," He replies, "You were called here because you have been invited to Princess Molly's tea party." He informs him.

"Tea party?" Garak echoes.

"I'll explain later," Julian tells him, "Just come sit." He gestures to an open space at the other end of the coffee table.

"Wait!" Molly pipes up, quickly standing. Julian winces at her volume, quietly shushing her as he looks at Kirayoshi, who appears to be sleeping. Garak turns his attention to the child, who holds her head up high and informs him, "You have to bow first."

Garak considers her for a moment. He catches Julian stop himself from laughing in the corner of his eye. Of course, Garak knows about royalty systems, so he knows what a princess is. And he can't imagine himself bowing to one, but Molly has a very stern look on her very little face, and he has a feeling he's in for a fight if he doesn't comply.

He bows. Dramatically, with a flourish. Molly giggles, and the sound is... pleasing.

"Thank you for the invitation, Princess," Garak bids her, continuing to play along as he straightens himself, "May I...?" He gestures to the open seat.

Molly, to his surprise, shakes her head. "Not there," She tells him, "You have to sit with Uncle Julian. Miss Flutterhooves will move." She gestures at the plush sitting on Julian's opposite side- an equine, if he remembers his Earth animals correctly, except this one is... purple, and it has a shiny silver horn protruding from its forehead.

He goes with it. Why not, at this point? He's clearly not getting out of this. "Of course," He says agreeable, stepping closer. Since the plush toy can't move, for obvious reasons, he gently picks it up, "Pardon me, Miss... Flutterhooves," He shoots Julian a quick glance, who nods approvingly, and he proceeds with moving the toy to the open spot at the end of table, and then going to take his own seat beside Julian. He shuffles in as much as possible, awkwardly crossing his legs and trying to keep his knees from tucking under the table, "There we are. This is... very lovely." He compliments as he settles into a somewhat-comfortable position.

"Very lovely," Julian agrees, looking at Molly, "You've done a wonderful job, Princess Molly."

Molly gives Julian a pleased little smile. "Thank you!" She squeaks. Then she suddenly perks up again, like she's heard something, "Oh! I have to go get the tea. It's done sleeping." She stands and, tucking up her skirts like a proper lady, she hurries off to go and... wake the tea, apparently.

"Steeping," Julian offers, as Garak gives him a confused look, "She means steeping."

Garak nods. That doesn't explain... anything else that's going on here. "Tea party?" He asks. Again.

"An old Earth game, of sorts," Julian replies, "Human children commonly pretend to hold tea parties, usually with their parents and their toys involved. Hence," He gestures around the table with his free hand, "All this."

"I see," Garak says, "And I was invited, why...?"

Julian suddenly won't make eye contact. "Molly insisted," He tells him, quick and clearly not the entire truth, "And I just got Kirayoshi to sleep for the first time all day, so I wasn't about to risk Molly getting upset and waking him," He does look at Garak again, this time with a surprising amount of desperation for a man sitting in front of a plastic teacup, with a plastic crown on his head, "He cried for three. Hours. Garak." He stresses each word, exhaustion and desperation oozing from every syllable.

Garak knows of the infant's tendency towards tears. He has no idea how Kirayoshi manages to wail for so long, considering how tiny his lungs are, but he's been able to hear the shrieking from across the promenade.

"I'm not sure the Chief would approve my being here," He points out, "Or Mrs. O'Brien, for that matter."

"I won't tell if you won't. Just play along," Julian implores him, "That's all I ask, just play along. Molly is very sweet, and also very stubborn, and I promise you I'll make it up to you if you just humour her." He's very nearly begging.

Garak has seen Julian less desperate in active crisis situations. He sighs, making a point to be melodramatic about it. "Very well, my dear," He agrees, "I suppose I can find it in myself to play along with the whims of a little girl. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Don't invite that on yourself," Julian warns, "You haven't seen her when she's cranky."

At that moment, Molly returns. In her hands she carries a teapot that matches her teacups, and she proudly brings it to the table and sets it down in the middle of everything. "Ta-da!" She announces, prompting Julian to gently shush her again, "Tea time!" She does not heed his shushing, "Want the first cup, Uncle Julian?" She asks, holding the pot out to him.

Just like that, Julian is smiling again. "I would love the first cup, Princess Molly," He says. He holds the teacup up, and it's comically small in his hand, "Thank you very much."

Molly tips the teapot forward. No actual tea comes out. Still, she holds it like that for a few seconds, before she tips it back. "There you go!" She chirps. Right, pretend. She turns her smile on Garak, and offers him the pot, "Tea?"

Garak delicately picks the teacup up by the handle, which he has to pinch between two claws. "I would be honoured," He says, laying it on thick. Molly pours the pretend tea into his cup, and he gives her his most winning smile, "Thank you, Princess."

Molly goes around the table, pouring tea for the other guests. Garak resists the urge to comment on the teapot apparently being bottomless, and instead glances at Julian. "Uncle Julian?" He questions, an amused smirk curling on his face.

"I'm her favourite uncle." Julian grins.

"I'm sure," Garak murmurs. Molly retakes her seat, and he turns to her, "Ah, Princess, allow me," He reaches across the table to take the teapot, and he pours her her own cup. He's not sure of the exact method to this, but he counts to 3 and then stops, and she looks satisfied, "Could I ask you a question, Princess?" He asks as he sits back, setting the pot down.

"First, cheers," Molly insists. She thrusts her cup up into the air, and Julian raises his, so Garak follows their lead. They clink their little teacups together- literally, "Clink!" She says.

"Clink." Julian echoes.

"Clink," Garak adds. Then Molly sips, and so does Julian, so he follows. When that's done, he inquires, "May I ask my question now?" Molly nods, and he smiles, "Ah, thank you. Yes, my question is, what made you invite me to the tea party, Princess Molly?"

Molly sets her teacup down. "For Uncle Julian." She replies.

Garak can see Julian looking pointedly away from him in his peripheral. "I see," He says, "And why was I invited for Uncle Julian?" He follows up.

"Cause you're married." Molly replies, like it's the most obvious thing in the Quadrant.

Julian chokes on nothing. Garak's eyes widen. "Married?" He echoes. He turns to Julian, who's gone a truly impressive shade of red, right up to the tips of his ears, "Married?" He repeats.

"Yeah!" Molly says, apparently an expert on the subject, "That's what grown-ups do when they're in love! Like my mommy and daddy. You," She points at Garak, "And Uncle Julian are in love, so you're married."

"She's 5." Julian hisses under his breath, just loud enough for Garak to hear.

Garak needs to take a deep breath. He's not often truly caught off guard, but that... he feels like he's just been knocked flat on his back. Alright. Married. He can go along with that. He's certainly gone along with far worse things.

Suddenly he understands Julian's exhaustion and desperation a few moments prior.

"Well, it was... very polite of you to invite me, Princess," He manages to get out, trying to slot back into his role here, "It's nice to spend time with my... husband." That makes Julian turn even redder. He looks like he's about to start glowing.

"Mommy and daddy wanted together-time today," Molly tells him, looking oh-so-serious for a girl of 5 years old, "So you and Uncle Julian probably want together-time, too. That's what married grown ups want." She explains.

Garak can't help but chuckle. "You're very wise," He says. Because she isn't... wrong. When it comes to him and Julian, at least, "I did want together-time with Uncle Julian today." He admits. They were supposed to see each other for lunch today, but then Julian got called away to babysit the O'Brien children, so it was to be rescheduled. And, soft as it makes him, those lunches are truly about... the only thing he looks forward to, so, yes. He did want together-time, as she put it, with Julian.

Molly glances at Julian, and then she leans over the table. "He did, too," She whispers, except it's very loud, and Julian can obviously hear her, "He told me he missed your lunchtime."

Garak glances at Julian, who's again very much not looking at him. He can't help but melt, just a bit, just enough to soften up. "Did he now?" He hums, "Well, that's alright. We have this tea party, don't we?" He puts his hand on the table, holding it out to Julian.

Julian looks at his hand. Then looks up at him, all round eyes and surprise. And then he smiles, all warm and affectionate. "That we do." He says, taking Garak's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Ew," Molly pulls a face, "You're being gross like mommy and daddy."

Julian snorts a laugh. Garak chuckles. They let go of their hands and go back to their teacups, following Molly's lead as she sips at air again. Then she insists on refilling their cups, and they sit back and let her.

Julian's hand finds his on the floor. Garak takes it, brushes his thumb over Julian's knuckles. They exchange a private look, a small smile, Julian still red in the cheeks.

Maybe this isn't such a bad way to spend an afternoon, after all.

#star trek: ds9 #fic bitching #elim garak #julian bashir #molly o'brien #kirayoshi o'brien #otp: I need to know that someone forgives me #wow this turned out WAY fluffier than expected #I went into this to write pure comedy and shenanigans and got all this fluff??#this is so sweet my teeth hurt #but also I like it a lot #so I hope you do too anon!#sorry for not getting all the kids involved #I tried to think of something that would work to have Jake and Nog involved #but I couldnt think of anything that really made sense #I hope I did Molly justice and made up for the lack of other kids #because I love her and she was fun to write #I had to look up her age and calculate how old she was when Yoshi was born for this dkfgjhdkfjghd #but the tea party idea possessed me and this practically wrote itself after a certain point #soooooo much fun to write #anyways this is a lot of tags now #hope you like!!!!

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