Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 6

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Epilogue

All 11 chapters in a single article (Patreon patrons only)

Alyssa’s Fiction

Katsunobu’s directions weren’t very precise, but they helped Jane, Flannery, Meowth, and Jessie avoid a guard post anyway. The fossil lab was clearly marked, and as massive as the guard had claimed. The door opened automatically as soon as Jessie had stepped in front of it, revealing a series of benches covered in lumps of rock. Some of them bore obvious fossils in various stages of excavation. The handful of scientists using tiny drills to remove the excess rock raised the occasional eyebrow at the intruders but neither said nor did anything to prevent their self-directed tour.

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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 6
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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 5

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Epilogue

All 11 chapters in a single article (Patreon patrons only)

Alyssa’s Fiction

Flannery’s Torkoal wreathed himself in flames and spun into the guard’s Nidorino with echoing force. As Torkoal skidded to a stop, the bright purple rhinoceros-like creature clutched its belly and fell on its side, and Torkoal landed on the other side of the guard. Torkoal’s flesh bore the marks of a few horn and poison attacks, but the igneous turtle remained in fighting condition. Two other guards exited the nearest door on the outer side of the hall, immediately calling a Lairon and Feraligatr into battle, and the first guard released a Pidgeotto. Behind Flannery, Jane and Jessie fought off four other guards with their Cacturne and Seviper, and Meowth tried to wrestle and scratch another away from her intercom. The three Pokémon bore down on Torkoal, snapping jaws and gathering power. Flannery offered a one-word order like a curse: “Overheat.”

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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 5

Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 4

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Epilogue

All 11 chapters in a single article (Patreon patrons only)

Alyssa’s Fiction

Regardless of whether the army outside noticed Flannery’s attack on the roof, the staff inside didn’t take long to investigate. Mere moments after the three trainers got their footing on the top floor, a pair of green-clad security guards stepped into the hallway. Eyes widened, one of the two immediately released his Manectric and the other ran back to his station. Jessie looked at Gyarados and shouted a command: “Bulldoze!”

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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 4

Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 3

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Epilogue

All 11 chapters in a single article (Patreon patrons only)

Alyssa’s Fiction

Elvis approached the control room door, deep in the tower’s basement, and took a deep breath. Around a nearby corner, he could see his favorite Durant, whom he had named “Marciela,” peeking out of the vent nearest the door. He waved at her, and received a delighted mandible clack in response. He stepped up to the door, waited for it to slide open, and entered the room.

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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 3

Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 2

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Epilogue

All 11 chapters in a single article (Patreon patrons only)

Alyssa’s Fiction

Jane, Jessie, and Flannery received their Pokéballs from the Lavaridge Pokémon Center’s attendant. Jane and Jessie listened dutifully to the nurse’s instructions for their Pokémon’s long-term care, with emphasis on avoiding repeat burns for Hippowdon before his recovery was solid, but Flannery was visibly impatient. Once the discharge summary ran its course, Flannery determinedly exited the building, barely waiting for Jessie and Jane to follow. A few meters outside the Pokémon center, she stopped, and looked around frantically. Her panic was undeniable by the time Jane and Jessie caught up with her.

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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 2

Arroz con Gandules, Alyssa Style

We return to the subject of Latin American cooking with Alyssa. This time, we visit my grandmother’s signature meal, arroz con gandules. Puerto Rican Spanish for “rice with pigeon peas,” this is a hearty meal on its own or accompanied with meat or a salad. It follows the Puerto Rican tradition of “one-pot meals,” making it relatively simple to learn and a staple when my grandmother entertains guests or contributes to holiday platters. I look forward to tasting hers again…if I am again welcome there.

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Arroz con Gandules, Alyssa Style

Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 – Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Epilogue

All 11 chapters in a single article (Patreon patrons only)

Alyssa’s Fiction

Hippowdon’s feet thudded imperiously as the enormous sand-beast stared down Macargo. A third Hippowdon’s length and already strained from cleverly defeating Jessie’s Gyarados, the lava-snail nevertheless faced Hippowdon with determination. Hippowdon’s stride quickened into a gallop, charging for Macargo. The fiery mollusk couldn’t possibly get out of the way, at her lazy clip…but that didn’t concern her trainer.

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Jane and Jessie: A Better, Shinier World – Chapter 1

Being Trans and Autistic Is Weird and Common

Almost every trans woman I know is either autistic or makes me wonder if they are. My AutDar is well-tuned enough that I trust it over most other criteria available to me, and it pings almost all of them. Some evidence suggests that gender dysphoria is much more common among autistic people than in the general population, so this is likely not merely anecdote. Those studies need a lot of cleanup to actually mean something (not least to get asshole charlatan Simon Baron-Cohen’s name off of them). Either way, whether we’re more abundant than expected or not, this combination makes our experiences rather…unusual.

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Being Trans and Autistic Is Weird and Common