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Big things are happening in the Catholic fandom today. Seems like a controversial main character was written off. He was well-liked by many, even outside the fandom, but some hardcore fans didn't like him because he was too different from past main leads.

My fan theory is that the Pope tried to exorcise the demon from Vance, but due to his previous sickness, his body was not strong enough to endure alone, so the Pope went to get backup from heaven. Season finale is going to end on a cliffhanger with trumpets blowing - let's just hope the next season won't be the series finale!

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In case it wasn't clear: DOGE is working with Russia, providing a backdoor for SOMEONE in Russia to login to US systems. PBS Newshour interviewed the whistleblower and yeeeeeah it's pretty damning stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWpqJ8pD2Ng Basically the cybercriminal version of hiding a blood stain on the floor by ripping out the floor and leaving a gaping hole where floor used to be.... But leaving a great big bloodsmear from the hole in the floor all the way to a suspiciously stinky truck in the parking lot, that's owned by the known neighborhood hitman, which also happens to be piled high with blood-stained flooring.

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Why Astarion has different fangs from his other siblings - fan theory.

So I have a fan theory that has been kicking around in my head for a while about Astarion's fangs looking different than his other siblings. To set it up, Astarion fangs look like this:

Whereas all of his other siblings have fangs like this:

So why does Astarion have nice normal vampire fangs while his siblings have all sharp teeth/fangs? Why not just give all of the spawn the same set of fangs?

I posit that all of the vampire spawn do have the same vampire fangs, but that Astarion is not a vampire spawn - he is a full vampire.

Now, you might think I am crazy, but I have some pretty solid evidence based on Forgotten Realms lore and the game itself.

Astarion has the same fangs as Cazador.

I will admit that this is the weakest evidence, but it is a starting point from which I will grow my argument. The point here is that we see six vampire spawn with rows of shark teeth, but the one full vampire in-game has teeth like Astarion, who is, supposedly, a spawn. Why, apart from aesthetics, would the developers do that? But then, why not just give all the vampires the same fangs?

If Astarion and Cazador share the same fangs, do they have anything else in common?

Era of transformation.

Astarion was turned into a vampire in 1268 DR we know this for sure. Cazador became the vampire lord of Baldur's Gate in 1276 DR, and we know he was kept by Vellioth for over a decade (his impalement punishment was 11 years). The precise date doesn't matter, though. What matters is that both were transformed before 1372 DR.

What happened in 1372 DR? That is the Forgotten Realms date in which the 3rd edition starts. Why does that matter? Before the 3rd edition, Vampire Spawn were not a monster in D&D*.

Before the 3rd edition, when a vampire bit and killed a humanoid, that humanoid would arise as a vampire - a full vampire, not a spawn. The differences between vampires came from their age. For their first century, vampires were called Fledglings, and as their age increased, the more powerful the vampire became.

So, if Astarion was transformed before vampire spawn were technically a creature in the Forgotten Realms, then how could he be a vampire spawn? Should he not be a Fledgling vampire? (and with his age, an Old vampire to boot?)

Now, I know what you are thinking - if Astarion isn't a spawn, why does he think of himself like that, and why has he followed Cazador for so many years?

Let's go back to his similarities with Cazador.

Both Cazador and Astarion disobey their Sires.

"When Cazador rebelled against Vellioth..." - Vellioth's skull. Rebelled here is the keyword - Cazador went against Vellioth's wishes and, of course, eventually, Cazador killed Vellioth with the "Rite of Perfect Slaughter" (whatever that is). Now, if Cazador was created by Vellioth, that would mean that Cazador was a spawn, too. After all, Vellioth wouldn't share his power with Cazador; that was one of his rules.

So, how could a spawn kill their sire? Maybe it was this "Rite of Perfect Slaughter," but we don't know what that is. And there is a better explanation for the multiple infractions.

Cazador was a fledgling vampire because vampire spawn were not a creature when he was created. (This also explains how Cazador can create more vampires even if he was never allowed to drink Vellioth's blood.) Fledgling vampires are not dominated by the sires the same way that spawn are in later years - Sires do have magical influence over their Fledglings, but that control can be fought against (Will/Wisdom save), and it lasts a few years. That control is the same as the vampire's innate ability to control undead, which grows as they age.

Astarion also disobeys his Sire before the game begins. Astarion disobeys Cazador when he ran rather than let that sweet man die to Cazador and was punished by being locked in a tomb for a year. When did this take place? In the first decade of being a vampire, right when Cazador's influence over him would have weakened. What happened after that? Astarion always followed Cazador's orders.

Cazador used Astarion's broken state, thanks to that punishment (and all the rest), to control him long after his magical influence would have otherwise faded.

Remember that Astarion constantly annoyed Cazador with his talking. If Cazador could truly control him, wouldn't Cazador just tell Astarion to shut up completely? Cazador could have also used his vampiric ability to control the undead as a means of dominating Astarion to emulate the experience of being a "puppet". Or - even more likely - as soon as Astarion had the sigil on his back, Cazador could use his staff to puppet him around like he does in Act 3. [edit: We see that the staff can manipulate Astarion physically, even with the tadpole, and (if he is taken by his siblings from camp) Doty uses that same red staff/sigil magic to try and compel Astarion, but can't because of the Emperor/tadpole. So, it stands to reason that without the tadpole Astarion would still fall victim to its complusions.]

But what about the other spawn?

The other spawn were created after 1372 DR.

It is never clear when they are made, but we know at the very least that Leon was a recent transformation because he has his young mortal daughter still with him. This indicates that the spawn chosen to be the primary sacrifices did not need to be confirmed all at once.

Even if there were six other vampires present to have the sigils carved into their backs alongside Astarion, we know they are replaceable, in the same way Cazador can replace Astarion in the ritual. So, if there were seven original fledgling vampires, they may have been replaced with the spawn we see later on for various reasons.

Also, remember, Astarion was "one of the first," not the first vampire Cazador sires, so there may have been others around before the spawn we see in-game.

You might also be wondering if Astarion is a Fledgling vampire (or now an Old vampire), where are his powers?

Astarion was being starved.

Now, there isn't much lore on what happens if a vampire doesn't feed. But from what little information there is (from the 2nd edition), vampires do grow weaker if they do not feed. They can be destroyed if they do not feed, but Cazador seems to keep his spawn, and Astarion, fed juuuust enough that they don't die.

Theoretically, if Astarion has been starved since his creation and he never knew or was able to test the extent of his powers, Astarion would not be able to tell that he was a true vampire. Additionally, with the tadpole, he loses all of his vampiric powers except for the bite, so if he did have any when he starts properly feeding, they may have been lost in exchange for the tadpole's benefits.

Conclusion

While I know the evidence isn't perfect, and Larian themselves say Astarion is a spawn. I think there is a compelling argument to be made that Astarion is not a spawn but a full vampire.

And - most importantly - this could be a great inclusion for a fanfiction set after BG3 ends! With spawn!Astarion finding out he isn't really a spawn and now having a chance to live with his lover forever (but oh, he would have to turn them into a spawn, and can he really do that after all of this personal growth, etc.)

Either way, have fun with this fan theory!

~~~

*You might be wondering why the 3rd edition suddenly has vampire spawn, and why I think we can say spawn didn't exist before the 3rd edition, even in the overall lore. Well, between the 2nd and 3rd editions, D&D switched from TSR to WotC (though before WotC was owned by Hasbro). Technically, there is a TSR module called 'Die, Vecna, Die' which explains why magic changes between 2nd and 3rd edition - however, it has never been confirmed as Forgotten Realms lore. Though I think a "change in magic" is a good enough explanation, as that is what happens with the Spellplague between 3rd and 4th editions and the Second Sundering between 4th and 5th.

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What surface Drow?

Just because they seek allies from all over, it doesn't mean that Seldarine drow are from the surface. The drow pantheon is called the Dark Seldarine after all, which includes Elistraee. Also, it doesn't mean they are good, just that they don't worship Lolth.

Yeah, the red eyes as a mark is cringe, but red is the most common eye color of Udadrow (to use Salvatore's term for Lolth worshiping Drow) in the Forgotten Realms lore. But Lolth wanting her followers to visually stand out is typical behavior for a high-control religion, as it would prompt discrimination against them, encouraging them not to leave the religion. But like, even in the suggested colors, you can still choose not to have red eyes.

Also, the default eyes for the Seldarine drow is white not purple.

Like could Larian have categorized the drow with Lolth-specific dialogue options and non-Lolth options better? Sure. But it is a good way to quickly tell players which is which while also not just saying that all drow worship Lolth or making them blatantly evil.

Also, the Church of Lolth isn't a cult; it is a full-fledged religion.

Larian: "you see GOOD drow have purple eyes and the NASTY BAD DROW have red eyes. And the ones from the surface are called seldarine for some reason and they're so so good 😊 and the ones from the underdark love Lolth so much >:/ and we don't address anything about the cult of Lolth being a high control cult that causes suffering to everyone. We will allow for no nuanced thought on it from any tav in the dialogue"

Me: *sprays them with the hose again*

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I grew up a child of physics

I grew up a child of physics. I watched Star Trek and Star Wars, and I kept glow-stars in my room at night. I begged for telescopes for my birthday, and I spent time amazing my cat, named Schrodinger, with Newton's cradle. At the age of seven, my dad taught me momentum using balls and a slide. At the age of 12 my mom was teaching me loads while we built tables together. I swung on swing sets and counted how long each swing would take. How I could affect the time it took. I was a child of physics. Now I’m an adult with no idea where to go. 

Congress is defunding NASA this year. I see so many people saying there is no reason we should fund NASA to begin with– focus on the problems on earth then focus on looking beyond. To that I say, looking beyond is what makes us human. The very first humans looked up at the same sky as us, albeit tilted a little differently, stars in slightly different locations, and wondered about their place in the universe. Every major religion has some basis in the stars. Wondering what is out there – where we belong, how our world works– that is human. And we are cutting the budget of the people who study it. 

Now, many people say more money should go from irrelevant government programs to social welfare. Things like social security and medicare. I agree. Why put money into NASA when 41.73 million people live in poverty in the United States? In 1969, during the first moon landing, 8,000 New Yorkers gathered to watch the exciting touchdown of the Lunar Module. However, about 50 blocks further an estimated 50,000 people were protesting it. Most of these individuals were african-american or from a low-income community. Why? The fact their government would rather “throw away” 25.8 billion in 1969 dollars than invest in the lower class was absurd, and it was a sign that their government did not believe in them (Smithsonian). That resentment is completely understandable. Imagine being unable to feed your children, then watching the TV to see the government throw away money you would give your life for just to win a “space race.” Coming from a place of privilege, exploring space seems exciting and expected as the next step, but for those in less fortunate circumstances it makes less sense to put money into NASA when more money could be put into social welfare programs. It doesn’t feel as though NASA is helping the public in any way. This case can still be argued today, with a caveat. NASA is helping the general public in ways one wouldn’t expect. It generated over $71.2 billion in economic output, supported over 339,600 jobs (not counting internships), and resulted in $7.7 billion in tax revenues (NASA Economic Impact Report). Additionally NASA has countless opportunities for underrepresented individuals through internships and engagement opportunities. I, myself, took advantage of such an opportunity for colored women in 2022, where I was able to attend a conference at the Goddard Space Flight Center. They are inspiring the next generation in underrepresented areas as well through their outreach programs, which are run in many low income communities through their Equality and Environmental Justice program (Earth and Applied Sciences).

Additionally, NASA is one of the most resourceful government agencies. In 2023, NASA got allocated $30.92 billion dollars–0.3% of government funds–and they used $28.28 billion of it (USA Spending, FY 2023) NASA uses around 95% of its government funding, with an estimated 3% hidden from the public due to black-budget (sending up hidden spy satellites alongside routine space flights.) 2% of that money is what is actually unused. Now, let's look towards the government's military spending (in 2023), where over $515 billion– 26.5% of its allocated $1.5 trillion–go unused (USA Spending). 

NASA is not some stupid “astrology science” agency, as someone so kindly told me. The innovation found within NASA’s research and engineering teams have helped forward society to new depths. Without satellites the internet would not exist, nor GPS, nor telecommunication services. They actively combat cataclysmic and apocalyptic events through their asteroid and solar ray detection. They have moved asteroids out of the way, and study sun activity to avoid another Carrington Event. NASA is doing the opposite of exacerbating an apocalypse. Why haven’t you heard of any of these space rays attacking Earth? Because NASA keeps an eye on them and takes care of them. Just because you don’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn't exist. Many people believe in a God they don’t see. Many people believe in Santa Claus. If the evidence exists, follow the trail that's been made. 

Now, most MAGA supporters consider themselves “macho” men. Let’s be “macho” men and face our problems rather than running away or making it worse. Starting with the biggest problem. Climate change. 

 Climate change is a terrifying problem, and rockets seem to be exacerbating it. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), rockets launched more than 1000 tons of soot into the atmosphere, and this is only projected to be worse. Additionally, this soot being deposited in the stratosphere rather than in the troposphere means that the pollution will dissipate over a longer period of time (Kluger). Currently, there is no fix for this, and I completely agree that the pollution created by rockets is quite large. However, we aren’t launching rockets every day. The pollution these rockets put out as a whole are more on the scale of cars and ships. This is because there have never been more than 200 rocket launches a year, and in the past there have been well under 150 per year (US Private Space Launch Industry). In fact, the global aviation industry, which consists of commercial airlines, cargo planes, and more, releases 2.5% of the world's carbon emissions (US Private Space Launch Industry). Moreover, as technology evolves, transportation becomes less damaging. We see this with the rise of electric vehicles, nuclear reactor submarines, and now with more methane fuelled rockets which pollute less. As time goes on, rockets will release less and less pollution, however we need to experiment more with rockets to get to that point (Kluger). 

We are experiencing the biggest cut to some of our most important government agencies. A billionaire is in power trying to give his billionaire friends more money. Do your research, know your rights, and inform.

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On the White House’s theory, if they abduct you, get you on a helicopter, get to international waters, shoot you in the head, and drop your corpse into the ocean, that is legal, because it is the conduct of foreign affairs.

The entire practice of the Holocaust of the Jews involved zones of statelessness. It is easier to move people away from law than it is to remove law from people. Almost all of the killing took place in artificially created stateless zones.

If we accept the idea that moving a person from one place to another undoes rights and disempowers the judiciary, we are endorsing the basic Nazism practice that enabled the killing of millions.

My book "Black Earth" was all about this. I will try to write a summary tomorrow.

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Happy birthday! Wait no. Happy April Fool's Day to my beloved @artists-guild-of-exandria and our Critical Romance book covers!

From the person who brought you Frontline Titties of the Fifth, recreating era-centric fake smutty romance covers is a passion of mine, and I couldn't be more excited. Also I made a lot of these. I've been on deadline. I have no regerts.

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They voted. Medicaid has been gutted. Plus they passed the SAVE Act, which disenfranchises millions of women.

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I think about this every so often...

I'll admit I'd use it mostly on politicians, including some major influencers/celebs and billionaires on top. And since I am a dramatic fuck I'd make them see a figure with wings and dripping blood getting closer over a couple of days to give the impression it is an "angel" coming to judge. But I would mostly let them die of heart attacks instead of elaborate schemes. Yes, I'd become Kira, but instead of all criminals, it would be fascists and bigots.

I'm not a very violent person, but I think the ease of use and distance of a hypothetical Death Note would make the violence easier. There is probably a lesson in there about technology and drone use in war or something...

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It is intellectually dishonest to call the slave labor trade trump is engaged in "deportations."

He's not sending anyone home to their country of origin, he's sending them to Central & Latin American prison camps and Guantanamo Bay.

That isn't "deportation."

It's just regular old human trafficking. They aren't being "deported", they are being enslaved.

Most of these people have never been charged nor convicted of any crime. The government just pointed a finger at them and called them gang members and terrorists. And now they're gone.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying US prisons are better, but there is an immense layer of additional cruelty in sending them to foreign soil where it's astronomically harder for their families to defend them or even find them at all.

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I finally found space for my Astarion figure! So happy I could finally set this up after having him in the box for months. He has a pedestal all to himself! I'll be adding my Funko Pop and the Youtooz plushie along with anything else I get to the pedestal as well.

The statue is the God Pan studio figure. I do have some of the more risque parts, but I won't be posting those due to Tumblr's tos.

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The Dark Kiss - Chapter 8

I'm back on my Astarion love train. As I finish my dissertation, I am also trying to finish some WIPs when I take my breaks. I managed to finish this today. Enjoy a new chapter of this dark power couple!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52677097/chapters/165663376

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words to use when writing

Appetite:

craving, demand, gluttony, greed, hunger, inclination, insatiable, longing, lust, passion, ravenousness, relish, taste, thirst, urge, voracity, weakness, willingness, yearning, ardor, dedication, desire, devotion, enthusiasm, excitement, fervor, horny, intensity, keenness, wholeheartedness, zeal

Arouse:

agitate, awaken, electrify, enliven, excite, entice, foment, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, provoke, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, thrill, waken, warm, whet, attract, charm, coax, fire up, fuel, heat up, lure, produce, stir up, tantalize, tease, tempt, thrum, torment, wind up, work up

Assault:

attack, advancing, aggressive, assailing, charging, incursion, inundated, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, overwhelmed, ruinous, tempestuous, strike, violation, ambush, assail, barrage, bombard, bombardment, crackdown, wound

Beautiful: 

admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, bewitching, charming, dazzling, delicate, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, exquisite, fascinating, gorgeous, graceful, grand, magnificent, marvelous, pleasing, radiant, ravishing, resplendent, splendid, stunning, sublime, attractive, beguiling, captivating, enchanting, engaging, enthralling, eye-catching, fetching, fine, fine-looking, good-looking, handsome, inviting, lovely, mesmeric, mesmerizing, pretty, rakish, refined, striking, tantalizing, tempting

Brutal:

atrocious, barbarous, bloodthirsty, callous, cruel, feral, ferocious, hard, harsh, heartless, inhuman, merciless, murderous, pitiless, remorseless, rough, rude, ruthless, savage, severe, terrible, unmerciful, vicious, bestial, brute, brutish, cold-blooded, fierce, gory, nasty, rancorous, sadistic, uncompromising, unfeeling, unforgiving, unpitying, violent, wild

Burly:

able-bodied, athletic, beefy, big, brawny, broad-shouldered, bulky, dense, enormous, great, hard, hardy, hearty, heavily built, heavy, hefty, huge, husky, immense, large, massive, muscular, mighty, outsized, oversized, powerful, powerfully built, prodigious, robust, solid, stalwart, stocky, stout, strapping, strong, strongly built, sturdy, thick, thickset, tough, well-built, well-developed

Carnal:

animalistic, bodily, impure, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lustful, physical, prurient, salacious, sensuous, voluptuous, vulgar, wanton, , coarse, crude, dirty, raunchy, rough, unclean

Dangerous:

alarming, critical, fatal, formidable, impending, malignant, menacing, mortal, nasty, perilous, precarious, pressing, serious, terrible, threatening, treacherous, urgent, vulnerable, wicked, acute, damaging, deadly, death-defying, deathly, destructive, detrimental, explosive, grave, harmful, hazardous, injurious, lethal, life-threatening, noxious, poisonous, risky, severe, terrifying, toxic, unsafe, unstable, venomous

Dark:

atrocious, corrupt, forbidding, foul, infernal, midnight, morbid, ominous, sinful, sinister, somber, threatening, twilight, vile, wicked, abject, alarming, appalling, baleful, bizarre, bleak, bloodcurdling, boding evil, chilling, cold, condemned, creepy, damned, daunting, demented, desolate, dire, dismal, disturbing, doomed, dour, dread, dreary, dusk, eerie, fear, fearsome, frightening, ghastly, ghostly, ghoulish, gloom, gloomy, grave, grim, grisly, gruesome, hair-raising, haunted, hideous, hopeless, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horror, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, inauspicious, inhospitable, looming, lost, macabre, malice, malignant, menacing, murky, mysterious, night, panic, pessimistic, petrifying, scary, shadows, shadowy, shade, shady, shocking, soul-destroying, sour, spine-chilling, spine-tingling, strange, terrifying, uncanny, unearthly, unlucky, unnatural, unnerving, weird, wretched

Delicious:

enticing, exquisite, luscious, lush, rich, savory, sweet, tasty, tempting, appetizing, delectable, flavorsome, full of flavor, juicy, lip-smacking, mouth-watering, piquant, relish, ripe, salty, spicy, scrummy, scrumptious, succulent, tangy, tart, tasty, yummy, zesty

Ecstasy:

delectation, delirium, elation, euphoria, fervor, frenzy, joy, rapture, transport, bliss, excitement, happiness, heaven, high, paradise, rhapsody, thrill, blissful, delighted, elated, extremely happy, in raptures (of delight), in seventh heaven, jubilant, on cloud nine, overexcited, overjoyed, rapturous, thrilled

Ecstatic:

delirious, enraptured, euphoric, fervent, frenzied, joyous, transported, wild

Erotic:

amatory, amorous, aphrodisiac, carnal, earthy, erogenous, fervid, filthy, hot, impassioned, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, raw, romantic, rousing, salacious, seductive, sensual, sexual, spicy, steamy, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, voluptuous, tantalizing

Gasp:

catch of breath, choke, gulp, heave, inhale, pant, puff, snort, wheeze, huff, rasp, sharp intake of air, short of breath, struggle for breath, swallow, winded 

Heated:

ardent, avid, excited, fervent, fervid, fierce, fiery, frenzied, furious, impassioned, intense, passionate, raging, scalding, scorched, stormy, tempestuous, vehement, violent, ablaze, aflame, all-consuming, blazing, blistering, burning, crazed, explosive, febrile, feverish, fired up, flaming, flushed, frantic, hot, hot-blooded, impatient, incensed, maddening, obsessed, possessed, randy, searing, sizzling, smoldering, sweltering, torrid, turbulent, volatile, worked up, zealous

Hunger:

appetite, ache, craving, gluttony, greed, longing, lust, mania, mouth-watering, ravenous, voracious, want, yearning, thirst

Hungry:

avid, carnivorous, covetous, craving, eager, greedy, hungered, rapacious, ravenous, starved, unsatisfied, voracious, avaricious, desirous, famished, grasping, insatiable, keen, longing, predatory, ravening, starving, thirsty, wanting

Intense:

forceful, severe, passionate, acute, agonizing, ardent, anxious, biting, bitter, burning, close, consuming, cutting, deep, eager, earnest, excessive, exquisite, extreme, fervent, fervid, fierce, forcible, great, harsh, impassioned, keen, marked, piercing, powerful, profound, severe, sharp, strong, vehement, violent, vivid, vigorous

Liquid:

damp, cream, creamy, dripping, ichorous, juicy, moist, luscious, melted, moist, pulpy, sappy, soaking, solvent, sopping, succulent, viscous, wet / aqueous, broth, elixir, extract, flux, juice, liquor, nectar, sap, sauce, secretion, solution, vitae, awash, moisture, boggy, dewy, drenched, drip, drop, droplet, drowning, flood, flooded, flowing, fountain, jewel, leaky, milky, overflowing, saturated, slick, slippery, soaked, sodden, soggy, stream, swamp, tear, teardrop, torrent, waterlogged, watery, weeping

Lithe:

agile, lean, pliant, slight, spare, sinewy, slender, supple, deft, fit, flexible, lanky, leggy, limber, lissom, lissome, nimble, sinuous, skinny, sleek, slender, slim, svelte, trim, thin, willowy, wiry

Moan:

beef, cry, gripe, grouse, grumble, lament, lamentation, plaint, sob, wail, whine, bemoan, bewail, carp, deplore, grieve, gripe, grouse, grumble, keen, lament, sigh, sob, wail, whine, mewl

Moving:

(exciting,) affecting, effective  arousing, awakening, breathless, dynamic, eloquent, emotional, emotive, expressive, fecund, far-out, felt in gut, grabbed by, gripping, heartbreaking, heartrending, impelling, impressive, inspirational, meaningful, mind-bending, mind-blowing, motivating, persuasive, poignant, propelling, provoking, quickening, rallying, rousing, significant, stimulating, simulative, stirring, stunning, touching, awe-inspiring, energizing, exhilarating, fascinating, heart pounding, heart stopping, inspiring, riveting, thrilling

Need:

compulsion, demand, desperate, devoir, extremity, impatient longing, must, urge, urgency / desire, appetite, avid, burn, craving, eagerness, fascination, greed, hunger, insatiable, longing, lust, taste, thirst, voracious, want, yearning, ache, addiction, aspiration, desire, fever, fixation, hankering, hope, impulse, inclination, infatuation, itch, obsession, passion, pining, wish, yen

Pain: 

ache, afflict, affliction, agony, agonize, anguish, bite, burn, chafe, distress, fever, grief, hurt, inflame, laceration, misery, pang, punish, sting, suffering, tenderness, throb, throe, torment, torture, smart

Painful:

aching, agonizing, arduous, awful, biting, burning, caustic, dire, distressing, dreadful, excruciating, extreme, grievous, inflamed, piercing, raw, sensitive, severe, sharp, tender, terrible, throbbing, tormenting, angry, bleeding, bloody, bruised, cutting, hurting, injured, irritated, prickly, skinned, smarting, sore, stinging, unbearable, uncomfortable, upsetting, wounded

Perverted: 

aberrant, abnormal, corrupt, debased, debauched, defiling, depraved, deviant, monstrous, tainted, twisted, vicious, warped, wicked, abhorrent, base, decadent, degenerate, degrading, dirty, disgusting, dissipated, dissolute, distasteful, hedonistic, immodest, immoral, indecent, indulgent, licentious, nasty, profligate, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shameful, shameless, sickening, sinful, smutty, sordid, unscrupulous, vile 

Pleasurable:

charming, gratifying, luscious, satisfying, savory, agreeable, delicious, delightful, enjoyable, nice, pleasant, pleasing, soothing, succulent

Pleasure:

bliss, delight, gluttony, gratification, relish, satisfaction, thrill, adventure, amusement, buzz, contentment, delight, desire, ecstasy, enjoyment, excitement, fun, happiness, harmony, heaven, joy, kick, liking, paradise, seventh heaven 

Rapacious:

avaricious, ferocious, furious, greedy, predatory, ravening, ravenous, savage, voracious, aggressive, gluttonous, grasping, insatiable, marauding, plundering

Rapture:

bliss, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, glory, gratification, passion, pleasure, floating, unbridled joy

Rigid:

adamant, austere, definite, determined, exact, firm, hard, rigorous, solid, stern, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, concrete, fixed, harsh, immovable, inflexible, obstinate, resolute, resolved, severe, steadfast, steady, stiff, strong, strict, stubborn, taut, tense, tight, tough, unbending, unchangeable, unwavering

Sudden:

abrupt, accelerated, acute, fast, flashing, fleeting, hasty, headlong, hurried, immediate, impetuous, impulsive, quick, quickening, rapid, rash, rushing, swift, brash, brisk, brusque, instant, instantaneous, out of the blue, reckless, rushed, sharp, spontaneous, urgent, without warning

Thrust:

(forward) advance, drive, forge, impetus, impulsion, lunge, momentum, onslaught, poke, pressure, prod, propulsion, punch, push, shove, power, proceed, progress, propel

(push hard) assail, assault, attack, bear down, buck, drive, force, heave, impale, impel, jab, lunge, plunge, press, pound, prod, ram, shove, stab, transfix, urge, bang, burrow, cram, gouge, jam, pierce, punch, slam, spear, spike, stick

Thunder-struck:

amazed, astonished, aghast, astounded, awestruck, confounded, dazed, dazed, dismayed, overwhelmed, shocked, staggered, startled, stunned, gob-smacked, bewildered, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, horrified, incredulous, surprised, taken aback 

Torment:

agony, anguish, hurt, misery, pain, punishment, suffering, afflict, angst, conflict, distress, grief, heartache, misfortune, nightmare, persecute, plague, sorrow, strife, tease, test, trial, tribulation, torture, turmoil, vex, woe

Touch:

(physical) - blow, brush, caress, collide, come together, contact, converge, crash, cuddle, embrace, feel, feel up, finger, fondle, frisk, glance, glide, graze, grope, handle, hit, hug, impact, join, junction, kiss, lick, line, manipulate, march, massage, meet, nudge, palm, partake, pat, paw, peck, pet, pinch, probe, push, reach, rub, scratch, skim, slide, smooth, strike, stroke, suck, sweep, tag, tap, taste, thumb, tickle, tip, touching, toy, bite, bump, burrow, buss, bury, circle, claw, clean, clutch, cover, creep, crush, cup, curl, delve, dig, drag, draw, ease, edge, fiddle with, flick, flit, fumble, grind, grip, grub, hold, huddle, knead, lap, lave, lay a hand on, maneuver, manhandle, mash, mold, muzzle, neck, nestle, nibble, nip, nuzzle, outline, play, polish, press, pull, rasp, ravish, ream, rim, run, scoop, scrabble, scrape, scrub, shave, shift, shunt, skate, slip, slither, smack, snake, snuggle, soothe, spank, splay, spread, squeeze, stretch, swipe, tangle, tease, thump, tongue, trace, trail, tunnel twiddle, twirl, twist, tug, work, wrap 

(mental) - communicate, examine, inspect, perception, scrutinize

Wet:

bathe, bleed, burst, cascade, course, cover, cream, damp, dampen, deluge, dip, douse, drench, dribble, drip, drizzle, drool, drop, drown, dunk, erupt, flood, flow, gush, immerse, issue, jet, leach, leak, moisten, ooze, overflow, permeate, plunge, pour, rain, rinse, run, salivate, saturate, secrete, seep, shower, shoot, slaver, slobber, slop, slosh, sluice, spill, soak, souse, spew, spit, splash, splatter, spout, spray, sprinkle, spurt, squirt, steep, stream, submerge, surge, swab, swamp, swill, swim, trickle, wash, water

Wicked:

abominable, amoral, atrocious, awful, base, barbarous, dangerous, debased, depraved, distressing, dreadful, evil, fearful, fiendish, fierce, foul, heartless, hazardous, heinous, immoral, indecent, intense, mean, nasty, naughty, nefarious, offensive, profane, scandalous, severe, shameful, shameless, sinful, terrible, unholy, vicious, vile, villainous, wayward, bad, criminal, cruel, deplorable, despicable, devious, ill-intentioned, impious, impish, iniquitous, irreverent, loathsome, Machiavellian, mad, malevolent, malicious, merciless, mischievous, monstrous, perverse, ruthless, spiteful, uncaring, unkind, unscrupulous, vindictive, virulent, wretched

Writhe: 

agonize, bend, jerk, recoil, lurch, plunge, slither, squirm, struggle, suffer, thrash, thresh, twist, wiggle, wriggle, angle, arc, bow, buck, coil, contort, convulse, curl, curve, fidget, fight, flex, go into spasm, grind, heave, jiggle, jolt, kick, rear, reel, ripple, resist, roll, lash, lash out, screw up, shake, shift, slide, spasm, stir, strain, stretch, surge, swell, swivel, thrust, turn violently, tussle, twitch, undulate, warp, worm, wrench, wrestle, yank 

[profnicsnort]

Looking for some hope in these times

Are there any places in the U.S that still do Top surgery

The following have 0 restrictions on gender care such as top surgery

Alaska

Delaware

District of Columbia

Hawai'i

Kansas

Maine

Maryland

Nevada

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Virginia

Wisconsin

The same is true for the following except they are also sanctuary states

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Illinois

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

Vermont

Washington

Here are the sanctuary cities

Sacramento, California

Kansas City, Missouri

State College, Pennsylvania

Olympia, Washington

[profnicsnort]

Suck it!

Columbia University rolled over like a dog for Trump and now they are facing the consequences. Let this be a lesson to all colleges out there thinking of complying to fascism. Your potential students know what's up!

(source)

[profnicsnort]

BREAKING— The United States Senate has passed a resolution to nullify Trump’s tariffs against Canada.

Senate Democrats Amy Klobuchar, Raphael Warnock and Mike Warner led the effort with 4 Senate Republicans joining.

Republicans Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell joined all Democrats in voting to support nullifying Trumps tariffs against Canada.

[profnicsnort]