#(contrast as WELL to preventative medicine..... )

[covid-safer-hotties]

Nasal COVID-19 vaccine halts transmission - Published July 31, 2024

Study in hamsters indicates vaccines targeting nose, mouth may be key to controlling spread of respiratory infections

A nasal COVID-19 vaccine blocks transmission of the virus, according to an animal study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings suggest that vaccines delivered directly to the nose or mouth could play a critical role in containing the spread of respiratory infections.

The lightning-fast development of COVID-19 vaccines just months after the virus appeared was a triumph of modern science and saved millions of lives. But for all the good they did in reducing illnesses and deaths, the shots were unable to end the pandemic because of one notable weakness: They couldn’t stop the spread of the virus.

A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that next-generation vaccines that target the virus’s points of entry — the nose and mouth — may be able to do what traditional shots cannot: contain the spread of respiratory infections and prevent transmission. Using a nasal COVID-19 vaccine based on Washington University technology, approved for use in India and licensed to Ocugen for further development in the U.S., the researchers showed that vaccinated hamsters that developed infections did not pass the virus on to others, breaking the cycle of transmission. In contrast, an approved COVID-19 vaccine that is injected failed to prevent the spread of the virus.

The findings, published July 31 in Science Advances, provide further evidence that so-called mucosal vaccines sprayed into the nose or dropped into the mouth may be the key to controlling respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 that continue to circulate and cause significant illness and death.

“To prevent transmission, you need to keep the amount of virus in the upper airways low,” said senior author Jacco Boon, PhD, a professor of medicine, of molecular microbiology and of pathology & immunology. “The less virus that is there to begin with, the less likely you are to infect someone else if you cough or sneeze or even just breathe on them. This study shows that mucosal vaccines are superior to injected vaccines in terms of limiting viral replication in the upper airways and preventing spread to the next individual. In an epidemic or pandemic situation, this is the kind of vaccine you’re going to want.”

Developing vaccines that can control virus levels in the nose has proven challenging. Viruses such as influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) multiply rapidly in the nose and spread from person to person within a few days of initial exposure. Traditional injectable vaccines generate immune responses that can take a week to build to full strength and are much less potent in the nose than in the bloodstream, leaving the nose relatively unprotected against a fast-multiplying, fast-spreading virus.

In principle, a vaccine sprayed or dropped directly into the nose or mouth could limit viral reproduction and thereby reduce transmission by eliciting an immune response right where it’s needed most. But gathering evidence that mucosal vaccines actually do reduce transmission has proven tricky. Animal models of transmission are not well-established, and tracking person-to-person transmission is fiendishly complicated, given the number and variety of encounters a typical person has on any given day.

For this study, Boon and colleagues developed and validated a model for community transmission using hamsters and then used it to assess the effect of mucosal vaccination on the spread of SARS-CoV-2. (Unlike mice, hamsters are naturally susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, making them the ideal laboratory animals for a transmission study.)

The researchers immunized groups of hamsters with laboratory versions of approved COVID-19 vaccines: the nasal iNCOVACC used in India or the injected Pfizer vaccine. For comparison, some hamsters were not immunized. After giving the vaccinated hamsters a few weeks for their immune responses to fully mature, the researchers infected other hamsters with SARS-CoV-2 and then placed the immunized hamsters with the infected hamsters for eight hours. This first step of the experiment mimics the experience of vaccinated people who are exposed to a person with COVID-19.

After spending eight hours rubbing shoulders with infected hamsters, most of the vaccinated animals became infected. Virus was found in the noses and lungs of 12 of 14 (86%) hamsters that had received the nasal vaccine, and 15 of 16 (94%) hamsters that had received the injected vaccine. Importantly, while most animals in both groups were infected, they weren’t infected to the same degree. Hamsters that had been nasally immunized had virus levels in the airways 100 to 100,000 times lower than those that had received the shot or had not been vaccinated. The study did not assess the animals’ health, but previous studies have shown that both vaccines reduce the likelihood of severe illness and death from COVID-19.

The second step of the experiment yielded even more striking results. The researchers took vaccinated hamsters that subsequently developed infections and placed them with healthy vaccinated and unvaccinated hamsters for eight hours to model transmission of virus from a vaccinated person to others.

None of the hamsters that were exposed to nasally vaccinated hamsters became infected, regardless of whether the recipient hamster had been vaccinated or not. In contrast, roughly half of the hamsters that were exposed to hamsters vaccinated by injection became infected — again, regardless of the recipient’s immunization status. In other words, vaccination through the nose — but not by injection — broke the cycle of transmission.

These data, Boon said, could be important as the world prepares for the possibility that avian influenza, currently causing an outbreak in dairy cows, might adapt to humans and trigger a flu epidemic. An injectable vaccine for avian influenza already exists, and a team of researchers at Washington University is working toward a nasal vaccine for avian influenza. That team includes Boon and co-author Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor of Medicine and one of the inventors of the nasal vaccine technology used in this paper.

“Mucosal vaccines are the future of vaccines for respiratory infections,” Boon said. “Historically, developing such vaccines has been challenging. There’s still so much we don’t know about the kind of immune response we need and how to elicit it. I think we’re going to see a lot of very exciting research in the next few years that could lead to big improvements in vaccines for respiratory infections.”

Study linked in the first link!

[leggerefiore]

really funny scenerio of reader whos dating cyrus getting isekai'ed and trying to not catch any feelings for cyllene because she reminds them so much of him. Reader trying to explain this to him later after getting back "I'm sorry but she was so much like you but she also had a sword"

uhh, this ended really long and heavy whoops

cw: jealousy, fluff, complicated relationships, time travelling,

pairing: Cyrus/Reader, Cyllene/Reader

Hisui had been a harrowing experience. You had not thought yourself particularly spoiled within the confines of the modern day… Though, perhaps, you should have realised that having a company president for a boyfriend whose main interest for you was keeping you pleased and at his side while not looking too much into his plans was not exactly a common thing. Sure, he would buy whatever you requested with little question, but… Well, you had not always been like that. The comfort of it was recognised and appreciated. Though, Hisui did not even compare to your life before settling into that comfort.

Life was a fleeting thing in Hisui. Modern medicine was on the precipice of its birth, but infections still were a terrifying killer for any serious injury. Pokemon were more violent and untamed. Cities were a dream of the future and barely a thing within the sparkling northern island. The bustling Jubilife of your era was now reduced to its delicate infancy. Traditional style buildings liked the streets, walls surrounded the city to keep out dangerous wild pokemon, people were flooding in from various other regions to the allure of a new life. A new life that may have called for them – Yours did not call for you.

But, you found a strange comfort in the daily struggle to survive. A strange comfort that you felt your stomach twist at the thought of sometimes. Your captain – Oh, how you had burst into tears nearly at the sight of her. Her beauty may have certainly been subjective, but so had Cyrus's own. You had managed to stop yourself then, processing this situation oddly. Her harsh words struck reality back, too. Many might have been hurt – angry, perhaps — at her manner of speaking. But… It was a familiarity. You knew how to read between the lines of that manner of speaking.

Most of your interactions with her were purely professional within the ranking of yourself as her underling, but her praise always seemed to go right to your heart. You were lonely. Dreadfully so. In Sinnoh, you had friends. Even with your difficult situation with Cyrus, you were never alone. Cynthia certainly seemed to make it her responsibility to monitor over you, so she never truly allowed room for you to linger alone. Now, however, you felt completely isolated. Othered, even. The villagers treated you like an oddity, and other members of the Galaxy Team made their distrust apparent. Harsh walls were built all around you. The cushy life you had known felt more apparent as you wept in the quiet of your quarters.

Perhaps… That was what led to you to tear up in front of Cyllene, too. A thinly veiled threat. Everything was dangled in front of you. Cyrus never did that to you. The stark contrast snapped your emotional control for a moment and brought you on the verge of a breakdown. Your lowered head prevented you from seeing the slight shift of expression that Cyllene had held. The next time you encountered her to review the pokedex, she seemed oddly softer. Her praise came through clearly, and for a moment, her hand even lingered near yours when you went to grab the research back.

Everything had seemed relatively peaceful as you completed your assigned tasks and the extra ones related to the nobles. Life almost had a rhythm to it. One that you treaded carefully – one that broke just when you believed it was all over. Kamado's orders were harsh and callous. The only kindness shown was leaving you to the whims of nature rather than the punishment of law. Cyllene even seemed to tense up at his words. Her eyes… The way her pupils shrunk while her face did not shift. Distress. You knew it all too well. Your first instinct was to reach a hand to ground her in reality, but you stopped yourself. She was not Cyrus. This was not Sinnoh.

She led you out from the village with the professor and your fellow Survey Corps member in tow. For a moment, however, she dismissed both them and the Security Corps member that had followed. A firm hand came to your shoulder instead. Her genuine words made your heart race. Then, her grip tightened. “… When… This is over, I would like to speak to you privately,” her voice was trained, careful. Your heart raced. Privately… The pang of feeling those words drew out…

When the madness came to an end, a festival followed. Somehow, you ended up alone with Cyllene in a mostly deserted part of the village. The quietness of the air was consuming. Her hand suddenly grabbed your own. The piercing blue eyes met your own. “… You stare at me with such desperation,” her words completely caught you off-guard, “I must remind you of someone, do I not? You seem utterly infatuated… It is unfair.”

Your attempts to explain would be seen as madness. Yes, Captain Cyllene, whenever I look at you, I think of your descendant from far into the future and how much I love him and how similar you are to him and how desperate I am for any form of known comfort here. You swallowed and shook your head. Her eyes closed. “Even so… I am not a fool,” she stepped closer to you, bringing a scarred hand to hold your cheek, “Please, even for just a moment, let us have each other.” You felt shocked by her proclamation. Protests were silenced when her arms came around you. For just a moment… She said for just a moment. Cyrus was so far away… You might not ever return back to Sinnoh. This may be your permanent place in the world.

For just a moment, you dropped your barriers as she did.

~

This world seemed keen to mock you, however. Volo came spouting information about a certain pokemon. Orders to collect information followed. While you had thought the blond trustworthy enough, you felt your guard on high alert even still. Cynthia had a certain ruthlessness to her… You could see a plain resemblance between the two. Whatever Volo was seeking, you could only hope his goals were something genuine.

They had not been, but you received a great power from his aid. Arceus. The being who had brought you here… And the being that would return you back from whence you came. The pokedex was completed – as were your tasks from both it and your captain. You knew that the sands of time that previously seemed impossible to work through were now pushing you away from where it previously trapped you. Staying in Hisui... You could… You had a place here now. Hailed as a hero among the very people who had accused you of trying to bring about their end. Sinnoh, however… Sinnoh called to you. The comfort of the modern era, your cushy, comfortable life called to you.

Your farewells were to a small group personally. The clan leaders, the professor, your fellow Survey Corps member… Even Kamado. The most personal, however, had been Cyllene. The captain met you at the Temple of Sinnoh. She stood firm – posture stained and perfect. You knew your time with her would never be permanent… It seemed she was aware, too. You loved her descendant, and… Well, you knew that you were not to be anywhere in Cyrus's family history. She had pressure on her shoulders to conform to greater society, as well. You wished that you could take her with you, to free her of her bindings. She would never agree, though. It was not her nature.

“… May I ask you one favour,” Cyllene spoke clearly. You listened to her carefully. “That person – The one you saw in me – Who are they?” You froze. A truthful answer left your lips. Lying was pointless at this time. Her eyes closed. A genuine laugh left her. Suddenly, the weight was gone from her. A smile was on her face. “I see… My descendant…” her voice sounded so different from the usual one that gave you orders. The face of Cyllene reserved for those closest to her. You had earned that place. “Take care of them,” she demanded, “… And, this may sound strange, but can I request that you take them to Hoenn? Specifically…” She gave a location that you quickly scribbled on your hand. Arceus let out a cry. Hurry it up, you supposed.

She stepped forward once more and embraced you. A kiss was softly pressed to your lips. Worries for judgment were useless in such an isolated location. Her hand lingered over yours for a moment. She backed away. “… Goodbye,” her head lowered, “I will remember you always.”

You bid your own parting.

Then left the lands of Hisui for good.

~

Sinnoh was as it always was. Except you were reported missing, and those around and dear to you were subsequently panicking when you simply walked in your apartment door with no explanation. None more so than Cyrus himself, who had been sitting in said apartment. He was a complete mess. You were shocked to see him without a proper shave and the apartment genuinely a mess. He was shocked that you were alive and seemingly unharmed.

A mess followed. Police questioning, Cyrus demanding to know what actually happened to you, Cynthia's presence making you feel like you were about to have Giratina sent to attack you once again. You were happy to explain that, simply, you had no recollection. There was no way anyone would believe your story. Even if you tried to use the photos of you preserved within a museum in Jubilife city, it simply was too illogical. The isolation you felt crept back in.

Yet, before you could fall too much, a hand reached out to grab you from darkening thoughts. A firm hand. A known hand. Familiar piercing eyes. Cyrus demanded to know. He brought out some old preserved family pictures, even. You gasped. An image that you and Cyllene had taken together. You almost felt tears burn your eyes. That had not been so long for you, yet… The truth was that this was an antique heirloom. You blurted out your story to him, losing any and every filter you had. Some moments made his face fall into something terrifying, while others almost brought a particular smugness to him. Particularly, those involving Volo... Though, you had him baffled when you spoke of his ancestor. So brightly and positively… Your entire self lit up.

Cyrus almost recognised that expression. He had seen it many times himself. Something inside him felt bitter jealousy sting. That fondness… That affection… He believed it was solely for him. Even glancing at the photo that you still held, he felt petty. You two were clearly far too close. Cyllene stood over you as you sat on a chair. The casual clothing reflected familiarity. His gaze met yours. Everything described was clearly the truth. You noticed his mood change. Suddenly, it hit you. At the time, you had felt uncertain if you would ever return back to here. Being with Cyllene had been easy. You were not in Hisui any more, had a very real and lengthy relationship with the man before you. The thought of him suddenly gushing about someone else to you in such a manner would sting.

“… She… She was like you,” you finally finished off everything, “Her beliefs, her attitude, her kindness… All of it was like you. I was alone, and she was the only familiar person around. In my worst moments, she still supported me… And… And well… She was kind of… er, hot when she showed off her sword.”

Cyrus's expression was fully masked. He only blinked.

“… Is that so?” the reply clearly reflected his inability to respond. You covered up your face. What had you done? He shifted his position closer to you. His hands grasped your own and revealed your gaze to him. “I did kendo during my youth,” he said, with almost a hint of pride. You fought back your laugh.

“You hated it.”

“I am competent with a sword.”

“You'll be out of practise. It's been over a decade.”

His eyes closed. You rested your forehead to his. Comfort… You had really been back into a comfortable life. There was no more harsh, dangerous work to survive… No more harsh glares and accusations levied at you. Cyllene… She had let you go with the knowledge that happiness waited for you here. Her final act of kindness had been setting you free and bidding you a farewell. You grasped his hands tightly. Cyrus… You had missed him dearly. They were similar, yet not the same.

“Hey, how do you feel about a trip to Hoenn?” you asked him.

“So soon? You should readjust to being here first… I have scheduled you a doctor's appointment as well,” Cyrus argued. His voice left little room for argument. You were not giving in, however.

“If I'm cleared, then we go,” you demanded, “I made a promise to her. She wanted you to go to Hoenn.”

“… If you get cleared, then sure,” he relented, seeing the passion burning in your eyes.

~

You were cleared.

Cyrus found Hoenn to have entirely too much water, alas, but enjoyed the hot springs in Lavaridge enough.

The location Cyllene asked specifically for was the sight of a long-destroyed village. You could only wonder what she wanted to show you by going here.

[threecatsinatr3nchcoat]

(fluff) words: 1.6k

summary: mike lets you paint his nails because you’re not feeling well!

authors note: my first fic and my first time actually posting on here !! feel free to send requests or suggestions on if i can improve my writing :3

-

it seemed like you were drifting on that border of sleep for hours now. until mike came through the front door, carrying two plastic grocery bags in his hands. he quickly shuts the door to prevent any of the icy air from outside getting into the warm house.

mike takes off his snow-soaked shoes and coat, setting the bags down beside the door. at first, he doesnt see you under your mass of blankets on the couch and calls out your name. you let out a pathetic mixture of a whine and a sluggish grumble as a response.

“ah, there you are. i brought some stuff for you.” mike chirps. his comforting and warm aura contrasts harshly with your stagnant and lethargic attitude. you sit up on the couch and try your best to fix your messy hair to look at least somewhat less sickly.

before he sits down, mike picks up some of your used tissues and takes away your cup of tea that had gone cold. you grumble that he shouldnt do that and that you’ll clean up after your own self but he just brushes you off, continuing to tidy the area.

after, mike picks up the two bags he set down earlier and plops down beside you on the couch. he doesnt seem to care at all that he could catch your cold by being so close to you. your interest is spiked as he begins to rustle through one of the bags.

“some drinks,” mike sets down a few of your favorite drinks on the coffee table. “couple of snacks,” he places various kinds of candy and chips into your lap. “and some medicine, obviously.” lastly, he brings out some over-the-counter medicine for your cold.

before you can respond, he starts digging through the second bag. “oh! also, i picked up a few nail polishes for you too. as a little pick me up. i’ve got red, this sparkly pink, and look at this one! i got it because it looks like your eyes.” mike dumps the nail polishes into your lap over the snacks and holds one up next to your face. he has a bright smile plastered on as his gaze flickers between the nail polish and your eyes, seeing how perfect of a match it is.

mikes smile fades when he sees your pouting expression. “what? whats wrong, baby?” he frets, setting the nail polish down. he places one hand on your shoulder and one on your cheek as he searches your eyes for an answer.

“no, no, nothing wrong. its just, you didnt have to get me all this. thank you, really.” you start to sniffle and you cant really tell if its because of your emotions welling up or if its just your cold. mikes soft smile returns and he tilts his head at you before he embraces you in a tight hug. you can feel your previously sickly and grumpy mood is brightening up by all the gifts and affection mike brought home for you.

“of course, of course. you know id do it anytime, whether you’re feeling bad or not.” he breaks the embrace and presses a gentle kiss to your forehead. a small smile sprouts on your lips. your eyes flicker down to your lap, the pile of items mike bought you reminds you of how a cat would bring a dead mouse to a human. you sort through the snacks and pick up the nail polish that mike said resembled your eyes. an idea youre not too sure mike will be happy with pops in your head.

“can i paint your nails?” you chime, looking at mike with a smile. he pauses for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

“sure.” he replies with a soft smile. your expression immediately radiates warmth and you squeal with joy. mike smiles at your excitement.

you take everything off from your lap and dump it onto the coffee table, getting more comfortable next to mike. he extends his hand out to you and picks up the tv remote with his other.

as mike sorts through the collection of movies on the tv, you hold his hand in yours and begin to delicately paint his nails in the color he mentioned looked like your eyes. a sense of warm comfortable silence fills the air as the soft moment unfolds.

“okay, don’t move around too much or i’ll mess it up.” you order and mike nods obediently. as you paint his nails, you can tell mikes eyes occasionally shift between the movie he picked out that plays on the screen and how your hand gently holds his. he has a small smile whenever his attention refocuses on you.

time passes and you’re still working on mikes nails. you’ve finished up one hand, painting on a few layers to get good and vibrant coverage, and have moved onto his other hand. this one is a bit more awkward to do since as you sit side by side, his arm has to reach over his body for you to be able to hold it properly. mike adjusts his arm which causes you to accidentally mess up on the polish, getting a little on his skin.

“sorry! sorry, sorry!” he quickly apologizes as you shoot him a strong glare. your expression softens immediately when you see his apologetic and puppy-like eyes. you wipe off the wet polish off his skin and continue to finish up on his nails.

after a few more minutes and a top coat for that extra glossy look, you look at your work with a smile. mike tears his attention away from the tv screen and admires his nails along with you.

“nice job! you’re great at this.” he compliments genuinely, showing you an appreciative smile. you soak in his praise and smile right back. you tentatively tap on the surface of mikes nails, testing to see if they’ve dried all the way.

disappointingly, this nail polish proves to be difficult in how long it takes to dry. either that or it’s because of how many layers you did.

“okay, you can either not do anything with your hands for the next hour or so while the polish dries…” you begin but mike glances over at you with a confused and worried look. “or… you can dip your fingers in ice water for a few seconds. that always makes polish harden faster.”

mike contemplates his options. ice water really doesn’t sound too pleasant but neither does not being able to use your hands for an hour.

you smile at mikes indecision and get up from the couch to go fetch a bowl of icy water. in the kitchen, you fill up a bowl with cold water and drop in a few ice cubes, bringing it back over into the living room where mike waits on the couch for you.

“m‘kay just keep your nails in there for a little while.” you say once you take your seat back next to mike and place the bowl on the coffee table. mike eyes the icy water worriedly. “come on noowww.” you tease.

mike dips his fingers into the water, keeping them submerged with a wince. “how long till the polish is hard?” he whines.

“i usually do it till i can’t feel my fingers.”

“what!?”

��c’mon, quit being so dramatic, it’s not that bad! if you really cant take it, take a break and dip them back in when your fingers are thawed out.”

mike immediately pulls his hands out of the bowl and shakes off the water. you laugh softly at him. mike glances up from drying his hands on his jeans to listen to your laughter, a smile appearing on his face when he gets to listen to his favorite sound.

“i think they’re fine now, right? the polish feels dry to me.” mike comments, gently touching the nail polish on his fingers. you run your finger over the top of mike nail, which brings a softer smile to his lips. he can’t help but enjoy your casual yet intimate touches like this. when you shake your head, his smile turns into a more unpleasant expression.

“look, they’re dry, yeah, but if you press them too hard against something they’re going to become textured! you need to keep them smooth and glossy.” you explain carefully. mike rolls his eyes playfully and swipes his hand away.

“okay, okay, i’ll be careful. i just don’t want to keep my hands in that ice water for any longer than i have to.” mike grumbles. “can’t believe you have to do all this when you paint your nails… so needlessly complicated!” he adds in with a sigh which makes you smile.

despite his complaints, mike admires his nails every chance he gets. every time he’d catch a glance at them, he’d be reminded of how the color matches your eyes. mike wore the color with pride, and still as the polish was chipping away and worn off after a few weeks. he never bothered to completely take the time to remove the nail polish off his nails, why would he when he always thought of you when he looked at them?

[zvaigzdelasas]

Arab leaders decrying the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the Israel-Hamas war pushed for an immediate cease-fire Saturday even as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that such a move would be counterproductive and could encourage more violence by the militant group. After an afternoon of talks with Egyptian, Jordanian, Saudi, Qatari and Emirati diplomats and a senior Palestinian official, Blinken stood side by side at a line of podiums with his counterparts from Jordan and Egypt [...]

The dissonance in the messages was evident. Nonetheless, the joint news conference between ministers from the Arab world and the top diplomat from Israel’s closest ally and numerous photo opportunities contrasted with Blinken’s time in Tel Aviv on Friday, when Blinken met alone with reporters after closed-door talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Arab ministers repeatedly called for the fighting to stop now and condemned Israel’s war tactics.

“We cannot accept the justification as considered as the right of self-defense, collective punishment” of Palestinians in Gaza, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukreh said. “This cannot be a legitimate self-defense at all.” Blinken held firm to the U.S. position that a cease-fire would harm Israel’s right and obligation to defend its citizens after the surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 across southern Israel. He said the Biden administration’s commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense remains unwavering. “It is our view now that a cease-fire would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did,” Blinken said.

He said the U.S. supports “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s operations to allow for improved aid flows [...] Blinken’s colleagues from Jordan and Egypt did not think that went far enough.

In another direct contrast, Arab officials said it was far too soon to discuss one of Blinken’s main agenda items, Gaza’s postwar future. Stopping the killing and restoring steady humanitarian aid are immediate that must be addressed first, they said. “What happens next? How can we even entertain what will happen next?” said Jordan’s Ayman al-Safadi. “We don’t have all the variables to even start thinking about that.” He added, “We need to get our priorities straight.” But as they appeared before news cameras and reporters, the three men lent at least an appearance of solidarity. [...]

From Beirut, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told reporters that Blinken “should stop the aggression and should not come up with ideas that cannot be implemented.” Hamdan said the future of Gaza will be decided by the Palestinians and that Arab foreign ministers should tell the American diplomat that “he cannot build an Arab coalition that is against the Palestinian people.”

Blinken’s first meeting in Jordan was with Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati,[...]

Blinken thanked Mikati for his leadership “in preventing Lebanon from being pulled into a war that the Lebanese people do not want,” the U.S. State Department said. Blinken then met with the foreign minister of Qatar, whose country has emerged as the most influential interlocutor with Hamas. Qatar has been key to negotiating the limited release of hostages held by Hamas as well as persuading Hamas to allow foreign citizens to leave Gaza and cross into Egypt. Blinken also held talks with the head of the U.N. agency in charge of assisting Palestinian refugees, thanking Phillipe Lazzarini for his group’s “extraordinary work every single day as a lifeline to Palestinians in Gaza and a great, a great cost.” The agency has seen about 70 staffers killed in the war so far and is running critically low on necessary supplies such as food, medicine and fuel.[...]

While in Amman, Blinken will see Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose country has recalled its ambassador to Israel and told Israel’s envoy not to return to Jordan until the Gaza crisis was over. On Sunday, Blinken will travel Turkey meetings with President Recep Tayyep Erdogan and other top officials on Monday, the State Department said. Turkey on Saturday followed Jordan’s lead and announced it had recalled its ambassador to Israel. Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in the Mideast crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations but believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.[...]

Still ideas on Gaza’s future governance are few and far between. Blinken and other U.S. officials are offering a vague outline that it might include a combination of a revitalized Palestinian Authority, which has not been a factor in Gaza since 2007, with international organizations and potentially a peacekeeping force. U.S. officials acknowledge these ideas have been met with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

4 Nov 23

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Published: Jul 13, 2023

As experienced professionals involved in direct care for the rapidly growing numbers of gender-diverse youth, the evaluation of medical evidence or both, we were surprised by the Endocrine Society’s claims about the state of evidence for gender-affirming care for youth (Letters, July 5). Stephen Hammes, president of the Endocrine Society, writes, “More than 2,000 studies published since 1975 form a clear picture: Gender-affirming care improves the well-being of transgender and gender-diverse people and reduces the risk of suicide.” This claim is not supported by the best available evidence.

Every systematic review of evidence to date, including one published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, has found the evidence for mental-health benefits of hormonal interventions for minors to be of low or very low certainty. By contrast, the risks are significant and include sterility, lifelong dependence on medication and the anguish of regret. For this reason, more and more European countries and international professional organizations now recommend psychotherapy rather than hormones and surgeries as the first line of treatment for gender-dysphoric youth.

Dr. Hammes’s claim that gender transition reduces suicides is contradicted by every systematic review, including the review published by the Endocrine Society, which states, “We could not draw any conclusions about death by suicide.” There is no reliable evidence to suggest that hormonal transition is an effective suicide-prevention measure.

The politicization of transgender healthcare in the U.S. is unfortunate. The way to combat it is for medical societies to align their recommendations with the best available evidence—rather than exaggerating the benefits and minimizing the risks.

This letter is signed by 21 clinicians and researchers from nine countries.

FINLAND Prof. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, M.D., Ph.D. Tampere University Laura Takala, M.D., Ph.D. Chief Psychiatrist, Alkupsykiatria Clinic

UNITED KINGDOM Prof. Richard Byng, M.B.B.Ch., Ph.D. University of Plymouth Anna Hutchinson, D.Clin.Psych. Clinical psychologist, The Integrated Psychology Clinic Anastassis Spiliadis, Ph.D.(c) Director, ICF Consultations

SWEDEN Angela Sämfjord, M.D. Senior consultant, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Sven Román, M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

NORWAY Anne Wæhre, M.D., Ph.D. Senior consultant, Oslo University Hospital

BELGIUM Em. Prof. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, M.D. Ph.D. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Honorary senator Sophie Dechêne, M.R.C.Psych. Child and adolescent psychiatrist Beryl Koener, M.D., Ph.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist

FRANCE Prof. Celine Masson, Ph.D. Picardy Jules Verne University Psychologist, Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants Co-director, Observatory La Petite Sirène Caroline Eliacheff, M.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist Co-director, Observatory La Petite Sirène Em. Prof. Maurice Berger, M.D. Ph.D. Child psychiatrist

SWITZERLAND Daniel Halpérin, M.D. Pediatrician

SOUTH AFRICA Prof. Reitze Rodseth, Ph.D. University of Kwazulu-Natal Janet Giddy, M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H. Family physician and public-health expert Allan Donkin, M.B.Ch.B. Family physician

UNITED STATES Clin. Prof. Stephen B. Levine, M.D. Case Western Reserve University Clin. Prof. William Malone, M.D. Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Director, Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine Prof. Patrick K. Hunter, M.D. Florida State University Pediatrician and bioethicist

Transgenderism has been highly politicized—on both sides. There are those who will justify any hormonal-replacement intervention for any young person who may have been identified as possibly having gender dysphoria. This is dangerous, as probably only a minority of those so identified truly qualify for this diagnosis. On the other hand, there are those who wouldn’t accept any hormonal intervention, regardless of the specifics of the individual patients.

Endocrinologists aren’t psychiatrists. We aren’t the ones who can identify gender-dysphoric individuals. The point isn’t to open the floodgates and offer an often-irreversible treatment to all people who may have issues with their sexuality, but to determine who would truly benefit from it.

Jesus L. Penabad, M.D. Tarpon Springs, Fla.

[ Via: https://archive.today/IRShy ]

==

The gender lobotomists just got called out.

[cauliflowertree]

thorin oakenshield—i fell in your arms tonight.

—thorin oakenshield x human!reader

summary: you've sustained a serious injury.

warnings: blood, injury, mentions of death.

word count: 0.9k

fanfic no. 042.

a scout had been the beginning of a series of unfortunate events, the remnants of which had left you with an arrow in the abdomen. through the tumultuous ordeal, the adrenaline coursing through your veins had propelled you to safety, but once the imminent peril had dissipated, the realisation of your injury had taken its toll.

try as you might to ignore the searing pain, your body's plea for aid, as the dwarves discussed amongst themselves where to go from the cave you cowered in together, you felt the stone wall against your back as your body began to give way.

but the dwarves had made their decision - you would venture through the narrow passage and hope the destination to which it led would be hospitable to your company. but as thorin watched those he was responsible for head one by one after one the other through the small entrance, he noticed your stillness.

eyes flickering down to your hands that held a wound gushing crimson liquid, his breath hitched. "you're bleeding."

"it's minor," you lied, battling to stand up on your own two feet without the support of anything else.

gandfalf helped you to steady yourself while thorin removed your hand from the stab wound, examining the injury for himself. he said nothing for a moment, looking to gandalf with a gaze that felt as if he had finalised your future.

"do not act as if this is where you leave me. i am perfectly able to carry on, i simply need a bandage."

"of course," gandalf said with a weak smile. "thorin," he urged.

shakily, thorin called for oín, the healer of your small company. oín was gentle with you, having grown fond of you over the course of the journey, despite the entirety of the dwarves having been sceptical of a human joining their cause.

he bandaged you as well as he could, sealing your wound beforehand with a small portion of his own ointment, and declared you fit to continue. but thorin was still wary this decision and decided to remain close to you, should you find yourself struggling and in need of a helping hand.

the journey through the slender passageway was treacherous for none but you, feeling with every step a sharp pain in your abdomen that could not be tamed. thorin winced with you, feeling his stomach churn at the thought of losing you on the road. every breath that hissed through your teeth frightened him, and he gently laid his hand on your back, reassuring both you and himself that this path would eventually end and you would be able to rest, though he was not sure himself of this hope.

it wasn't until you arrived in rivendell that you felt some sense of ease, though it was to vanish upon thorin's protests. his distrust of elves prevented him from walking any further into the sanctuary you so craved. to be so close yet so far to relief was agonising, and the anxiety forced your body to the floor, writhing in pain as you began to bleed through your bandages at an alarming speed.

thorin was immediately silenced, rushing to your assistance as he rested your head on his bent knees, cradling your cheek as oín removed the bandages to try his best to help. you had never felt such pain, such blistering agony that forced the tears from your eyes unwillingly.

"i'm frightened," you stuttered through uneven breaths. "am i going to die?" you found yourself asking, ignorant to such an injury and its consequences, blinded by the fear this suffering had imposed upon you.

the dwarves fussed around you, gandalf was adamant that you needed elvish medicine, but thorin was still, contrast to what you saw in his eyes as you laid with your head in his hands.

"no," said he, firmly but gently, determined to see you live through this affliction.

elves descended, ushering the dwarves away, receiving serious objections from the dwarf prince, though he relented eventually when he saw there was nothing he could say to convince them to let him stay with you. last you remembered was thorin's blue eyes trailing after yours with worry evident within them, just as the rest of the company's.

｡+ﾟ☆ﾟ+｡★｡+ﾟ☆ﾟ+｡★｡+ﾟ☆ﾟ+｡★｡+ﾟ☆ﾟ+｡

when you woke, feeling a soft bed beneath you, a tautness in your abdomen and sunlight creeping into your resting place, thorin smiled. he had waited for hours by your bedside, refusing to eat or sleep until he knew you were out of danger. with elvish medicine and care, it did not take long for you to wake, feeling a great deal more refreshed than you ought to have done after your ordeal.

"how are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"better," you replied earnestly, sitting up carefully.

the sun's rays were dipping below the horizon, casting a strange crown above thorin's head that was oddly fitting. he came to sit beside you, placing his hand in yours.

"i was worried."

"i know," was your response.

"you should be more careful," he teased.

"you should work on your heroics," you laughed, squeezing his hand.

"agreed," replied thorin with an easy smile, pushing the hair from your face, snaking his arm around your neck so his hand rested on the back of your head and pulled you down to him.

your foreheads rested together for a moment in silence, a moment to be grateful for this turn of events, before gandalf cleared his throat behind you, revealing the entire company watching the scene before them with smiles on their faces, both from relief and amusement.

requested by @auroracalisto

🏷 @velvetcloxds @entishramblings

[anonsickficker]

{jing yuan x fu xuan} hospital room [short_scenarios]

CONTENT BENEATH THE CUT CONTAINS MENTIONS OF {ERUCTATION} PLEASE BE WARNED!!!

“That was the last of it, General.”, Fu Xuan’s fingers part ways with the worn pair of chopsticks at last, as she sets them on the tray. She lifts herself daintily from her seat next to his resting bed, opting to situate the tray somewhere far, as she’s sure he’s bound to grow sick of the aroma of her meals, after having endured some half-an-hour-long stretch of time simply being hand-fed. She ensures that she’s careful around the tall flower vase on his bedside table— a get-well-soon gift from Qingzu, Fu Xuan recalls.

As she returns to his side, the General’s insides give an inevitable, yet painful-sounding protest, and Jing Yuan exhales softly, as to prevent any other undesirable noises from leaving his system. The soft evening rays from the nearby window casts a warm glow over the General’s face, in contrast to his pitiful state.

“General, if I may…”, her graceful fingers reach for the source of his discomfort, offering to resolve the problem she had provoked in the first place.

“Feeling bold today, are we?”, Jing Yuan smiles, though Fu Xuan greatly appreciates the wordless acceptance in his eyes, acquiescing to her lofty requests through and through, “Go ahead then, Master Diviner. If you dare.”

He shivers as she makes contact, even as she applies gentle pressure through the thin fabric. Jing Yuan isn’t very bloated, she notes, hidden under layers of thick muscle as well as his thin hospital gown, but his over-capacitated innards make themselves known through his toned abdominals nonetheless. She presses her entire hand onto the subtle curve of his stomach, feeling the digestive gurgling and the slight sloshing of the medicinal brew, herbal tea and winter melon soup he’d been fed earlier. 

Fu Xuan finds it hard to admit, but being such a crucial part of her the General’s recovery grips her, injecting her veins with a sense of pride, and she almost shivers when she coaxes the first quiet burp from him, face lighting up just a little as Jing Yuan sighs faintly, as she studies his alleviated expression. 

After the initial feeling of accomplishment coursing through her body, she intends to continue with enhanced vigour, before catching herself, forcing her hands to massage at a consistent pace, lest she cause Jing Yuan’s injuries to worsen.

She rubs everywhere she can reach from her place at his bedside, complying to Jing Yuan’s silent requests when he takes her wrist gently with his own fingers and readjusts their position to an area that he deems to require more attention. Her mind reels with interest whenever he hiccups, his pained face still able to retain a small smile, though she can’t quite understand why. She pays the turning cogs in her brain no concern, rather focusing on feeling out which areas have suffered the most tension.

His stomach groans lowly, before Jing Yuan ducks his head to let out a startlingly long, loud belch. He’s been holding back ever since Fu Xuan had begun her ministrations, but seeing as she doesn’t express her distaste for such crass behaviour, he proceeds, properly lifting a fist to stifle any smaller burps that fall through his nearly pursed lips.

Fu Xuan flinches away, quick as lightning, promptly revoking her palms from his abdomen, as if she’d been burned.

“My apologies, Master Diviner…”, Jing Yuan clears his throat to fill the sudden silence, watching her pupils swim in those glowing amber irises fueled by a mixture of uncertain emotions, “I’m sure that was less than ideal. Rest assured such a sound will not be heard from me again.”

Fu Xuan blinks, the fluttering of her eyelashes in tune with that of her heart. She doesn’t dare speak, lest a disgustingly honest little something were to tumble through undetected by her brain-to-mouth filter.

“Mind your manners, General. We are far from buddy-buddy with each other.”, she finally manages, allowing a resentful grimace to adorn her carefully governed expression. 

Even after having her high and mighty moment of discipline, her actions continue to greatly contrast her scrupulously fabricated speech, as she pushes her palm into his abdomen with increasing pressure, targeting every weak point. Though such points are scarce in number, she foresees his defenselessness as a reliable means of evoking the reaction she desires from the General— her new goal.

She grasps thin, delicate fingers around his comparatively much thicker, yet well-toned waist, pinching his sides in unison, eliciting all but an aggressive gurgle from his intestines, as she feels them shift under the pads of her fingers. Jing Yuan exhales with difficulty, squeezing his eyes shut and grunting softly at the writhing sensation of his disagreeing organs.

“Couldn’t you stand to be just a little more gentle?”, Nevertheless, he adheres to his promise, not letting a single belch up his throat, swallowing them down even as Fu Xuan prods at his tensioned stomach, almost fit to burst with the amount that he’d been able to cram in it. Although he’d promised her sensitive ears that he wouldn’t continue on with any crude conduct, he does allow himself to hiccup, suffocating each noise until they’re nothing but inaudible little spasms of his unstable diaphragm.

Next, she lays her palm flat, candidly pressing into the upper section of his distended abdomen, where the vibrations of his violently convulsing internals had since become the most intense. Her harsh provision of relief is delivered with trembling fingertips, her wrists sparing no effort to cover the entire expanse of his stomach when she compresses it, even as Jing Yuan begins to shy away from her touch, clasping a hand over his mouth to dampen any unsavory sounds that he’s unable to prevent.

“It’s quite firm here…”, Fu Xuan pokes at a spot just below his ribcage, coupling a pair of fingers together to rub at the area, progressing to using her whole hand, almost ramming into his painfully taut stomach, hearing its contents slush around turbulently. Jing Yuan nearly moans aloud, but bites it back, instead allowing a sly smile overtake his expression, pulling the corners of his mouth upwards, even as he struggles to regain his breath, a sliver of sweat collecting at the point of his chin despite the cool breeze that courses through the room.

Fu Xuan gives one more rigorous push, kneading into the General’s over capacitated stomach, and Jing Yuan finally allows another deep belch rip through his oesophagus, similar to the one before that had startled the Diviner, this time only shielding her view of the inside of his otherwise exposed mouth with the back of his hand.

“Is that what you wanted to hear?”, he inquires, words lilted with his smug demeanor, “Because you definitely seemed to act as such.”

He removes his hand from his mouth, repositioning it to brace itself on his chest, relieving excess pressure as he hiccups again, a result of his overburdened organs. Fu Xuan takes notice, almost immediately, unbuttoning the first few latches of his hospital gown, revealing a scarred expanse of skin; the medals of every battle that he’s won, some faded, some fresh. She takes a moment just to stare at the lines of his well-trained abdominals, stretched slightly to accommodate every single mouthful of her meticulously prepared meal.

He fails to stifle a few more burps, resting a hand to his own stomach to feel his churning insides, the warmth from his palm soothing the area if only just barely.

“Forgive me,” Jing Yuan lifts a fist to his now closed mouth to catch another belch before it’d had the chance to slip, “I was not able to keep my word. But you don’t seem particularly off-put by my lack of etiquette…”

“Instead, aren’t you a little red in the face?”

Fu Xuan blinks.

“Has your eyesight finally begun its long-awaited journey unto deterioration?”

Jing Yuan chuckles as he reaches for her wrist without a word, lifting her off of her chair with ease until she stumbles forwards into his bedside. He leers his upper body towards her as he plants large hands onto her slender waist, calloused fingertips almost touching as they encircle the span of it. He scoops her up, one arm under her pale legs and blushed knees, ignoring her squealing and the prying of her fragile fingers on his thick forearms. 

By the end of the whole ordeal, Jing Yuan has successfully mounted Fu Xuan onto his lap, coaxing her heavy head into his neck. 

“I know my actions have caused you many a sleepless night. My sincerest apologies, Lady Fu.”

“Being reckless has been a habit of yours ever since I’d just begun to work with you. Even one ‘sleepless night’ would be an exaggeration, you dozing General.”, Jing Yuan only smooths his thumb over the creases forming in between her furrowed eyebrows in response to her accusatory tone.

As much as Fu Xuan relishes basking in the evening sun, accompanied by the General’s familiar warmth, she can’t help but squirm when she finally feels it:

His stomach groans, even as he grants her full permission to lean on it. Fu Xuan feels the movement, almost as if it’s directly rattling her own thoracic cage. Jing Yuan makes no move to let go of her, instead wrapping his arms around her waist, binding them together, if only for a brief moment in their nearly millenium-long lives.

She almost doesn’t know how to react, every gurgle, churn, slosh that he experiences, she shares. Fu Xuan only stabs her chin deeper into his shoulder, as payback for becoming so severely injured, to the point that all of his attendants, retainers, and even one Master Diviner of the Six Charioteers had to come rushing for him. 

“You seem to be enjoying yourself, Master Diviner.”, Fu Xuan senses the movement of his Adam’s Apple bobbing, before he resumes, “Had I passed on the position of the General of the Luofu onto you sooner, this situation would never have occurred.”

She doesn’t utter a word, only patting the side of his abdomen, eliciting a purr from the General, the heat of his breath splaying itself down her back.

Fu Xuan eventually returns to his bedside.

Then far away, back to the Divination Commission, back to her post.

With the knowledge that she will only return the next evening, when the sun glows a cordial red, and illuminates every corner of that hospital room.

based off of this post by {feesheroo} and {honeydangomilk}. thank you, i didnt consider master diviner and general to be something to write about

its 1700 words this time.. i was struggling to get over 900 and threw everything i could, then it doubled. but its all gibberish, sorry 🙇

i didnt proofread, its messy and theres no timeline.. its very lacking, sorry. its just very mediocre, out of all ive written 😅

(its sloshy because liquids are easier to digest (egg drop soup, winter melon soup, congee), chinese medicines are usually medicinal dried herbs that are brewed and drunk like tea. other medicinal foodstuffs are liquid too, like fish swim bladder soup and bird's nest)

jing yuan is my favorite character in hsr

thank you for reading this far 🙇🙇

[sengardet]

Terra's Target #4 The Dictator

A thirst for blood turns quite literal in a strange betrayal of medical trust.

Terra Unigwe was on a mission to take out a ruthless, dictatorial queen who had well-connected political opponents. Another assassin had already failed to poison the queen, so Terra had to swoop in.

Disguising herself as a doctor, having dispatched the real one, Terra infiltrated the queen's palace. She had studied medicine extensively for both harm and healing, so she was especially suited for the task. As she walked through the lavish halls, her mind raced with the anxiety of being dead if found out.

Finally, the moment arrived. Terra was escorted into the queen's private chambers, where the monarch lay on a luxurious bed, surrounded by opulent furnishings. The queen, pain in her eyes, looked to Terra for healing.

"You're not my usual doctor," the queen remarked, her voice cold and demanding.

Terra bowed her head respectfully. "Your Majesty, your regular physician is ill. The royal guard has received her letter of recommendation. As her mentor and sister, I am here to ensure your well-being."

The queen nodded, wanting anything to alleviate her breathlessness, and fatigue. She allowed Terra to approach.

Terra picked up the ultrasound wand and gel from the tray, her slender fingers gripping the cool plastic. She kept her expression neutral, despite the adrenaline starting to buzz through her veins. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

"I'm ready to begin the exam, Your Majesty, if you'll allow me," Terra said calmly, meeting the queen's piercing gaze.

The regal woman held up a hand, motioning to the guards stationed at the door. "Leave us." The armored men bowed and exited without a word, pulling the heavy doors shut behind them with a thud. Terra was now alone with her target. She took a slow breath to steady herself.

The queen reached up and undid the laces at the front of her gown with deliberate motions. Terra watched, transfixed, as inch after inch of smooth, pale skin was revealed, Her body freed from the confines of silk and lace. Dusky pink nipples stood out in the cool air.

Terra stepped closer, gel at the ready. "With your permission, my queen."

At the monarch's nod, Terra squeezed a generous amount of the slick substance onto porcelain skin that pinkened slightly where she rubbed the gel in. Setting the bottle aside, she switched on the ultrasound machine.

Queen Delora sat still on the side of her bed; her regal gown bunched around her waist. She kept her eyes fixed on the stone ceiling as Doctor Terra ran the ultrasound wand over her chest, the cold gel making her shiver. Terra looked at the monitor, and the image was clear, a dark halo surrounded Delora’s heart.

"I'm afraid there is significant fluid accumulation around your heart, my Queen," Terra said softly, as she studied the shadowy images on the screen.

"To prevent further complications, I must drain it immediately." Even so much as a squeal and the guards will come rushing in. Terra had to be patient and had to be willing to leave this room with a successful recovery and a failed hit if need be.

Delora swallowed hard and gave a curt nod. "Do what you must, Doctor."

Terra loomed over her, the contrast stark - ebony skin against ivory, crisp white coat over exposed royal flesh. "Please try to relax and breathe normally, your Highness. You may feel some pressure."

Delora inhaled deeply as Terra positioned the long needle above her heart’s apex, then slid it a little further to the left. Delora's muscles tensed. At the first sharp sting, her eyes snapped shut, fingers curling into fists at her sides.

Terra carefully guided the needle into the pericardial space, eyes flicking between the ultrasound and her target. Clear liquid with a sunny tint began to flow into the syringe. Despite her initial purpose, concern filled her mind as she pushed the needle deeper into Delora’s chest.

"You're doing wonderfully, my Queen," Terra assured her. "It will be over soon.” She assured the queen as she drew out the slightly yellow fluid. Delora focused intently on the rhythm of her own measured breaths, trying to remain calm and still despite her racing pulse.

As the syringe slowly filled, Delora's heart tapped urgently against the needle's shaft. The delicate yet vital organ pumped hard and fast, straining to circulate blood to the rest of her desperate body as some of the smothering pressure around it was alleviated.

Terra's dark eyes flicked up to study Delora's face – relaxed, vulnerable, trust strengthened by the rush of relief. platinum blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, rosebud lips parted as she took long breaths. It took all of Terra’s efforts not to harm the woman’s delicate heart as the vigorous thing pushed the needle around in her hand. A Would she even notice?  

"Just a bit more..." Terra murmured soothingly. a bold thought crossing her mind. This was her chance…

As she stood there feeling the woman's heart forcefully pushing the needle tip, Terra pulled back slightly, angling it just behind the apex, toward center of the pumping mass, then pushed the needle through the soft meat of the right ventricle and deeper into the left.

Bright crimson flooded the syringe as Delora's own heart pumped it full of blood. The woman didn't even flinch, her icy blue eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling, unaware of the assassin's handiwork. Terra watched, captivated, as the woman's life force flowed into her hand. However, she had to act fast, to stop Delora from seeing her blood and alerting the guard.

Terra's slim fingers clamped over Delora's mouth, muffling her scream. With a swift motion, the assassin straddled the blonde dictator, pinning her writhing body to the bed. Delora's wide blue eyes stared up in shock and dawning horror.

As Terra removed the blood-filled syringe, spurts of hot blood jetted from the hollow metal tube, spraying across Terra's bare ebony chest in crimson streaks. The warm, sticky fluid oozed down between Terra's breasts, leaving glistening trails on her smooth skin.

Delora's blue eyes went wide with shock and betrayal. Her heart pounded frantically, each frenzied beat pumping out more of her vital essence in thick, pulsing gushes. It was a pathetic sight, once a fearsome queen, now a squirming, pale little woman whose heart squeezed out little torrents of her panicking life onto her assailant.

There was a sense of excitement in the assassin’s eyes as she looked down at the pathetic sight. Terra pressed her finger over the needle protruding from Delora's chest, stemming the crimson flow. Her chest billowed beneath Terra’s hand; her life suspended by a playful little brown finger. her icy blue eyes pleaded silently with the woman who held her life in balance.

“Poor little thing, you make it hard not to feel for you…” Terra said, watching Delora’s eyes soften. “But you also made it easy for someone to hate you” Terra continued, talking of her client. The pathetic squirming continued soon after.

Leaning down, Terra removed her finger from the top and wrapped her full lips around the base of the needle. Delora's eyes flew wide with shock and dawning horror, a strained muffled yell escaping her throat as Terra began to drink.

The taste was coppery on Terra’s tongue, but as the hot vital fluid flooded down her throat, an overwhelming desire for more filled her mind. Delora's eyes rolled back as Terra gulped the blood greedily from her heart. The stuck organ spasmed hard and erratically, jerking the needle and filling her cheeks with each satisfying beat.

Delora's heart seized and fluttered frantically against the disruption of the delicate balances of pressure that allow it to beat, the muscle straining in a futile attempt to keep pumping for Delora’s increasingly demanding body.

As Terra hummed in satisfaction, Delora whimpered; blue eyes wide with horror, yet she could do nothing but groan and squirm as Terra drank her beating heart.

Terra lifted her head, Delora's blood staining her full lips. She laughed cruelly. "Control yourself, I’m not even full yet!"

Blackness crept into the edges of Delora's vision as her struggles grew feeble, strength leeching away with each greedy pull on the needle in her heart. With a final shuddering sigh, Delora's body went limp, heart surrendering its last precious drops to Terra's thirsting mouth with periodic contractions.

Terras felt it a shame she had to leave. A part of her enjoyed the moment so much that she would love to restore this pitiful life for another feast.

[justkidneying]

Strychnine Poisoning

Strychnine (C21H22N2O2) is a neurotoxin that was once used as a medication, but is now used as a pesticide. It acts as a glycine antagonist, preventing the hyperpolarization through the normal mechanisms of ligand-gated chloride channels. By preventing the inhibitory transmitter function, action potentials may be generated with a lower threshold.

Now let's metabolize that medical word salad with the help of my knowledge enzymes (I'm sorry >_<)

How do nerves work? Nerves work because of things called neurotransmitters. The most popular one is acetylcholine (ACh). This is able to cause an "action potential," which is a spike of electricity that allows things to happen and signals to flow. How does it do this? When ACh binds to a receptor (at a synapse), it causes the action potential to continue flowing down the nerve. When that nerve ends at a muscle cell, another release of ACh causes that muscle to contract. ACh works by opening ion channels when it is bound to a receptor, which allows ions to flow into cells.

What is nerve inhibition? Some neurotransmitters are inhibitory. This means that stop action potentials from being generated. One of these is called Glycine (it's an amino acid). When it is released and binds to its receptor, it opens chloride ion channels, which cause hyperpolarization of the neuron. This means that a greater amount of an excitatory transmitter (like ACh) is needed to generate an action potential.

What does Strychnine do? Strychnine binds to the same receptor as Glycine, which keeps Glycine from doing its job. These means that the neurons are not hyperpolarized and less neurotransmitter is needed to generate an action potential. This affects the motor neurons of the central nervous system, and allows them to fire more easily. The ultimate result is spastic muscle contractions.

How does Strychnine actually kill someone? Spastic muscle contractions are bad, but they're even worse when we're talking about the diaphragm. This is a dome shaped muscle that is the primary respiratory muscle. If it is irritated, it causes hiccups; if it is convulsing, it causes asphyxiation (no air).

How toxic is Strychnine? Very. The lethal dose for a human is 0.001 mg per kilogram (or 0.000454 mg per pound) of body weight. So a 150lb (68 kg) person would only need to ingest 0.0681 mg to experience lethal effects.

What are the symptoms? A low dose can cause agitation, spasms, dark urine, muscle pain, and restlessness. A higher dose will cause respiratory difficulties and failure, ultimately leading to brain death. Severe muscle spams and convulsions will also be present. One important finding that contrasts this with a tonic-clonic seizure is that the poisoned patient will be conscious and aware while they are convulsing, while someone having a seizure will not (isn't that terrifying??)

Where can we find Strychnine? It used to be used in medicine as a heart and bowel stimulant (increases muscle contractions) and as an athletic enhancer. Today, it is found in rat poisons. It is also present in the plant Strychnos nux-vomica of Southern Asia and Australia. It is a colorless crystal with a bitter taste.

Conclusion: This is an extremely lethal and available toxin, so it probably be a pretty good choice for fictional poisonings (in my opinion). Seizures are always exciting in fiction, I guess. If you want to read more about those, I made a post on them the other day. If you want to find more information on poisons, I have a few posts on others as well.

Notes: I hope you guys liked this one, as I know poisonings is leading in the poll right now. If it wins, I'll make another poisons post.

[beardedmrbean]

The stance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on face masks has taken many twists and turns throughout the COVID pandemic.

After initially claiming face coverings weren’t necessary, the CDC changed course in April 2020, calling on all Americans — even children as young as 2 years old — to mask up. 

That September, then-CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said during a Senate hearing that “face masks are the most important powerful health tool we have,” even suggesting that they might offer more protection than vaccines.

Those recommendations likely played a large part in 39 U.S. states eventually enacting mask mandates.

Now, a new scientific review — led by 12 researchers from esteemed universities around the world — suggests that widespread masking may have done little to nothing to curb the transmission of COVID-19.

Published by Cochrane Library, the review dug into the findings of 78 randomized controlled trials to determine whether “physical interventions” — including face masks and hand-washing — lessened the spread of respiratory viruses. 

When comparing the use of medical/surgical masks to wearing no masks, the review found that “wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (nine studies; 276,917 people); and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (six studies; 13,919 people).”

Next, the review compared medical/surgical masks to N95 respirators (or P2 respirators, which are used in Europe).

It found that “wearing N95/P2 respirators probably makes little to no difference in how many people have confirmed flu (five studies; 8407 people); and may make little to no difference in how many people catch a flu-like illness (five studies; 8407 people), or respiratory illness (three studies; 7799 people).”

The 78 studies looked at participants from countries of all income levels. 

Data was gathered during the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, non-epidemic flu seasons, epidemic flu seasons up to 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the study authors wrote.

Doctor says review had some key limitations

The new findings seem to call into question the CDC’s enthusiastic embrace of widespread masking.

However, Dr. Marc Siegel, professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, pointed out a key limitation: “The researchers focus primarily on randomized trials, but most of the studies that have been done on masks are population studies,” he said. 

“There are very few randomized trials on masks.”

In a randomized trial, researchers place participants in different groups and observe the results in a controlled environment.

By contrast, population-based studies measure outcomes in a “real-world” setting.

The study authors did admit to some limitations and a risk of bias, including the low number of people who followed mask guidance and the wide variation of outcomes. 

“The results might change when further evidence becomes available,” they wrote.

‘Be sure of consistency’ 

Dr. Siegel said he has never supported mask mandates. 

He believes that while masks might be effective on an individual level, they don’t work as well on a population level.

“If you’re going to mandate something, you’d have to be sure of consistency across the population, and that’s never happened,” he said.

However, the physician pointed out that the CDC never actually mandated masks — with the exception of a public transportation mandate in January 2021. 

“It was the state and local authorities that took the CDC’s recommendations and implemented the mandates,” Dr. Siegel said. 

“The recommendations may have been wrong, but the CDC doesn’t deserve the blame for everything. I think they were aware that masks may have value on a personal basis, but they got carried away with the politics.”

What do you think? Post a comment.

As of right now, no U.S. states have mask mandates in place. 

On Sunday, New York dropped its state-wide mask requirement in hospitals — leaving the decision up to individual facilities. Many healthcare facilities are currently still requiring them. 

[ahhvernin]

possibly unpopular opinion: OTC drugs, over the counter drugs meaning meds you don't need a prescription for, a med you should be easily access and buy from the store and go home without judgement....is no longer really OTC if you lock everything up behind a cabinet.

You have to wait for like 15-20 minutes for a sales associate to come over and unlock, say a cabinet of cold medicine.

The entire time they are hovering.

Which makes it near impossible to sit or stand there comparing and contrasting the different brands, to make judgement calls on which one is best suitable for you, especially if they're just sighing, rolling their eyes and telling you to hurry up.

Most of the time they lock it in a box.

Sometimes they hand it to you but other times they carry said box to the front counter.

At that point, just put them behind the counter and I will badger the pharmacist for the next 15-20 minutes about the pros cons and ingredients of said drugs.

6. What the fuck are these little credit card like cards for the OTC drug that say "Bring card to the pharmacist, meanwhile on the back is the drugs label but its damn near impossible to read because the image is blurry as heck and TINY AF. I am not that old and I was struggling to read the ingredients and side effects on the back. Your loss prevention method SUCKS. People who need medicine shouldn't have to deal with some overworked retail sales associate dropping exasperated sighs and telling you to hurry the fuck up because they have work to do, because the whole point was you wanted to shop somewhere local and get something that is on the shelf but now its locked up...I might as well go home and do the whole process online on my computer and order off online. Plus people who want to quietly shop and keep interactions at a minimum are probably just skipping the item because of the wait time to find someone with the damn key and then have to deal with the unhappy sales associate that you have now inconvenienced. Also your damn call button is BROKEN. Also sometimes people do not want to wait an additional 20 damn minutes to get fever reducer for their sick kid, when they could have just grabbed it off the shelf along with all the other things, paid and leave to take care of the kid within 5 minutes.

Also why is basic toothpaste being locked up????????? It's TOOTHPASTE. You brush your teeth with it and then you spit it out. I'm talking your basic Crest and Colgate like the $2.00 tubes. I'm not talking about the fancy electric toothbrushes, which I can understand being locked up. $2 toothpaste?????

[spicehill]

inescapable paths of purpose, meaning in meaninglessness

or: why the path of nihility suits jiaoqiu so much better than abundance ever could, and it's fitting that his kit has no added healing. warning ahead for......... kinda rambling and talking in circles about this guy lmao. does this even make sense?????? help???????? uhhh... a tl;dr:

ah! would you look over there, it's my shameless favorite tv trope article happening off-screen in his backstory, break the cutie!

honestly it's kinda funny that both jiaoqiu and the emanator of nihility don't have a sense of taste anymore. the spice really is just to feel something. anything

somehow I didn't get to talk directly about him having like 4 different hats he wears and the fascinating psychology of role identities. how.

tried to get tf out of this field and they keep pulling me back in.

ms. arbiter general feixiao please one chance ( to prevent me, your loyal and devoted retainer jiaoqiu, from falling into utter and unending despair now that i've invested any remaining sense of purpose I have in this life in your survival )

jiaoqiu's character stories start and end in the same place, with him on the shore of rainsoar lake: the setting is the same, the environment the same, the beautiful details that paint the picture of a welcoming, pleasant place are unchanging.

the only thing that has changed is jiaoqiu.

he does not bother with the rain that runs down his ears now, he does not find anything to appreciate in the mild, sweet taste of wild rice. and even though he now sees his time here in the lake as serving a new endeavor, one that pulls him away from the pain and pointlessness of medicine, he is about to start anew on the path that he tried to leave in the first place: a single new patient, one with an affliction more challenging to cure than any wound he ever saw on the battlefield.

how did he get here?

bear with me through a short personal anecdote -- it grounds a lot of my perception of finding purpose -- a vivid memory I have of a conversation when I was younger with my father concluded with him telling me something. not everyone feels the need to find their purpose in their work, and that's okay. it's more strange to need your work to fulfill your life's purpose than not. and he felt that was important because, as the child of educators, I had only ever known adults who derive a deep sense of meaning and purpose from their work and the way they help others.

medicine, like education, is a field built of devotion, compassion. it is a selfish selflessness: by merely participating in it, you are seeking meaning and purpose. and as the child of prominent alchemists, I wouldn't doubt that jiaoqiu had never really known any adults who didn't help others while growing up, either.

that's kind of where his character stories start: the first time he's at rainsoar lake, he's young, enthusiastic, pleasant, hopeful. at the start, his demeanor isn't a diplomatic mask: its genuine, along with his desire to help others who need the most help on the yaoqing, cloud and verdant knights who face countless battles. maybe at this point in his life, several centuries prior, he would've walked the path of abundance with ease.

but that is not the man you meet now: the one we meet in-game wears politeness and pleasantries as a front most of the time, worries and plans almost-constantly, and really doesn't even think well of himself. jiaoqiu a harsh critic of his own shortcomings and mistakes, and isn't a stranger to feeling like a mistake or shortcoming of his own has happened. the contrast between the way he treats others ( pleasantness, gentleness, patience ) and the way he treats himself ( criticism, frustration, disappointment ), I think, is one of the first big hints we get outside of his character stories for traits that actually suit the path of nihility well.

to the next point, and circling back to his character stories: I always found it interesting that the drip marketing released for jiaoqiu portrayed his initial departure from medicine as being due to a broken heart.

this doesn't seem like it was a mistranslation or miscommunication with the localization, even though brokenheartedness is often associated with romance or love for another person of some kind. heartbreak is also when something is soul-crushing; heartbreak is falling out of love against your will with something you deeply loved once before. heartbreak is also irredeemable loss, often unsalvageable and irreversible. jiaoqiu's brokenheartedness stems from losing his passion for healing, his sense of purpose, and losing his sense of taste, all three of which were always deeply intertwined and interconnected.

character story details seem to suggest that his loss of taste may actually be physical more than psychological due to exposure to the lux arrow bombardment in the third abundance war: he was close enough to the impact that killed the previous arbiter general of the yaoqing while rescuing feixiao that it's almost like he has taste loss due to radiation exposure. combined with the building sense of pointlessness in his work as a military healer, seeing all his effort to help others and ease their suffering wasted again and again, he left healing after that -- seemingly to start a restaurant, which he called rainsoar eatery -- to try to salvage the little sense of purpose he has left after years and years as a healer made him feel purposeless.

the funny thing about cooking is that it's also a profession of compassion where your work is meant to help others -- cooking makes people happy, makes them feel warm, full. it's more temporary than medicine, but is a form of medicine of it's own right. in a way, jiaoqiu was still searching for purpose and meaning in his work, but now his scale and sense of personal impact was much smaller, much more temporary. he doesn't seem to believe at this point in his life that he's still capable of a larger impact. thus, in lost and adrift, the order of magnitude in which he describes impact are two extremes: either saving one person ( easy ) or saving the world ( impossible ). this is another signature conundrum of someone who has lost their way when their sense of self-meaning has been derived from work of compassionate service: what's the point of doing the hardest work if I can't really make a difference?

seeing pointlessness in effort spent on helping others is nihilistic, though it seems like jiaoqiu is still holding onto some hope for meaning.

so when his master from the alchemy commission comes to find him again years after the third abundance war at his restaurant near the lakeshore, he came with the purpose of persuading jiaoqiu to take on one more patient. just one, who his master promises will help him understand a healer's purpose -- and she's perhaps the most impossible person to heal in the world.

but he's saving all his medical effort for her: genuinely healing you is effort poorly spent. you're no longer part of his sense of purpose. thus far, I think working for feixiao has already redefined some of his sense of magnitude of impact, working to try and cure feixiao -- saving one person, in this case, is very important. and maybe the impossibility of the task is part of the point: it won't stop him from trying everything he can anyway.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joan Walsh at The Nation:

Roger Severino, a prominent attorney for the Christian right, led the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights during the Trump administration. In 2017, The Atlantic called him “the man behind Trump’s religious-freedom agenda for health care.” The profile contrasted Severino’s sparsely decorated office—adorned with a crucifix and a Clarence Thomas bobblehead—with his elaborate domestic agenda. During Severino’s time there, Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services weakened the Affordable Care Act; strengthened the ability of healthcare providers to claim religious exemptions from providing all kinds of medical care, from abortion to birth control to vasectomies to gender-affirming care; and created a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in his office. Under Severino’s legal counsel, HHS cut teen-pregnancy prevention programs and prioritized abstinence in its Title X family-planning grants. Backing Severino’s crusade was his boss, HHS secretary and former Eli Lilly president Alex Azar, best known for helping Trump botch his Covid response and presiding over his border policy of separating migrant children from their parents. Azar came to call his department “the Department of Life.”

In his chapter of Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership, Severino promises to make HHS the “Department of Life” again—and to go even farther than Azar did. The plan outlines how HHS would use its power as a federal agency to dramatically curtail access to reproductive health services. Severino pledges that HHS will restrict access to birth control, rescind the FDA’s approval of medication abortion, and abolish what he calls “mail-order abortion”—the latter by using the long-dormant Comstock Act to prosecute anyone who provides such medication by mail. HHS will also focus on weeding out programs geared to the rights of LGBT people, especially anyone who is transgender. It would direct subsidies for childcare facilities to parents themselves—all in a punitive, misguided effort to shore up the nuclear family. This isn’t a public health document; it’s a theocratic manifesto, an attempt at ensuring public health through ultra-orthodox Christianity.

So much for “religious freedom.” Under “the next administration” (read: a Trump administration), Severino recommends that nearly every HHS program or agency—with special emphasis on the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Office of the Surgeon General—be retooled with the goal of promoting heterosexual marriage and procreation. He argues that the next president should use his powers to “maintain a biblically based, social science–reinforced definition of marriage and family.” Of course, he believes that “families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and healthy society.” He claims that “all other family forms” apart from “heterosexual, intact marriage…involve higher levels of instability.”

Severino attacks President Biden for “focusing on ‘LGBTQ+ equity,’ subsidizing single motherhood, disincentivizing work, and penalizing marriage”—while offering no examples of his policies that did any of the last three things. Severino calls on HHS to repeal antidiscrimination policy statements that identify sex with “gender identity or sexual orientation.” Here’s the crescendo: “Working fathers are essential to the well-being and development of their children, but the United States is experiencing a crisis of fatherlessness that is ruining our children’s futures.”

Thus, HHS policies would “prioritize married father engagement” and stress the importance of heterosexual marriage in all of its health, education, and welfare programs, and it would even enable child-abuse prevention funds to be applied to marriage promotion efforts. The CDC would be directed to “eliminate programs and projects that do not respect human life and conscience rights and that undermine family formation.”

The anti-abortion crusade, too, would continue throughout each of the department’s agencies: “HHS should return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care,” and the secretary should make sure that “all HHS programs and activities are rooted in a deep respect for innocent human life from day one until natural death.” He or she would see to it that no funding whatsoever goes to abortion—not via Hyde Amendment exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother; not even via private insurance subsidized by the Affordable Care Act. Severino recommends eliminating the HHS Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force and creating a “pro-life task force to ensure that all of the department’s divisions seek to use their authority to promote the life and health of women and their unborn children.”

Severino would force the FDA to “reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs because the politicized approval process was illegal from the start. The FDA failed to abide by its legal obligations to protect the health, safety, and welfare of girls and women.” This argument is in front of the Supreme Court right now, and even some of the conservative justices don’t appear to be convinced by it. Severino promises that no Medicaid funding will go to Planned Parenthood. He also proposes reversing a Biden administration regulation that groups receiving Title X funds must be willing to “refer” women to abortion providers even if they don’t provide abortion themselves, thereby allowing “otherwise qualified pro-life grantees” to receive funding.

Severino also aims to restrict access to birth control, which many of us said would be the right’s next priority after banning abortion wherever possible. He announces that HHS must promote “public messaging about the unsurpassed effectiveness [fact check: This is widely disputed] of modern fertility awareness–based methods (FABMs) of family planning…. CDC should fund studies exploring the evidence-based methods used in cutting-edge fertility awareness.” Severino calls for HHS to prohibit women’s health facilities that receive Title X funding from distributing condoms. And by declaring that life begins at conception, his manifesto appears to commit HHS to finding ways to outlaw IVF, which relies on generating multiple embryos, most of which are not implanted. It could also eliminate birth control methods like the IUD and even some forms of the pill.

Severino reserves special vitriol for the CDC, which he derides as “perhaps the most incompetent and arrogant agency in the federal government.” He wants to strip the CDC of its capacity to issue any kind of public health advice, because issuing such guidance is “an inescapably political function…. For example, never again should CDC officials be allowed to say in their official capacity that school children ‘should be’ masked or vaccinated (through a schedule or otherwise) or prohibited from learning in a school building,” his edict declaims. Instead, “a separate agency should be responsible for public health with a severely confined ability to make policy recommendations.” Severino’s critique of the CDC also shouts Christian fundamentalism, as he complains about the agency “shutting down churches on the holiest day of the Christian calendar and far beyond as happened in 2020.” Yes, that was Easter 2020. “What is the proper balance of lives saved versus souls saved?” he asks. Severino wants to use the CDC’s data collection capacity to police abortion, especially those obtained by women forced to travel because of restrictions in their home state. “Because liberal states have now become sanctuaries for abortion tourism, HHS should use every available tool, including the cutting of funds, to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child, for what reason, the mother’s state of residence, and by what method.”

[...] So that’s what HHS will do under Trump: Ban abortion. Police marriage. Force women to give birth, even if they don’t want to. Force women to marry men, and vice versa, even if they don’t want to. Privatize Medicare. Tighten restrictions on Medicaid. And if you feel like you’d rather not live this way? Severino wants to criminalize “euthanasia,” too.

Joan Walsh writes for The Nation that Project 2025 will turn the HHS into a tool for the far-right anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.

See Also:

The Nation: June 2024 Issue

[republicsecurity]

Conscription and Service Organizations in the Republic

The Republic, a authoritarian state situated in Europe, has established a distinctive societal framework revolving around environmental conservation and service-oriented ideologies.

Central to the state's dominant ideology is the protection and restoration of the environment, coupled with a strong emphasis on service and duty for its male citizens. This has culminated in the establishment of a comprehensive network of conscript and indentured labor.

Every male citizen is mandated to engage in conscript service, which varies in duration, ranging from one to three years. The Republic has nurtured an intricate network of service education and organizations, aimed at channeling the nation's manpower into various sectors that uphold its core principles.

Within the framework of the Republic's security forces, a range of distinct services operate, each relying on conscripted and indentured labor alongside reservists to uphold their respective mandates. These services not only ensure the nation's security but also perpetuate the overarching ideology.

A Paramedic Cadet, training with drones in the field.

Paramedic Corps Members of the Paramedic Corps, distinguished by their red uniforms, undergo rigorous and extensive conditioning to fulfill their emergency service responsibilities. Their duties encompass what was once known as ambulance services, fire services, disaster response, and civil defense. The Corps prides itself on its rapid response and life-saving measures in the face of various emergencies.

A member of the Nursing Corps in their Parade Uniform. Nurses use their as a non gender pronoun.

Nursing Corps Clad in white uniforms, the Nursing Corps operates with a similar ethos of conditioning, albeit with a focus on nursing, preventive medicine, medical research, and home care. The members of this corps play a pivotal role in maintaining the health and well-being of the population, championing a holistic approach to healthcare.

Lifeguards during maritime Security Operations.

Life Guards Dressed in yellow uniforms, Life Guards are tasked with water rescue, the oversight of public pools, search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement, and safeguarding aquatic environments. Members of this corps undergo a base level of conditioning, ensuring that they are equipped to respond effectively in water-related emergencies.

Security Forces on patrol on Skateboards

Security Forces Adorning black uniforms, the Security Forces engage primarily in ideological indoctrination. Their tasks encompass law enforcement, prison administration, border control, air traffic management, and the protection of national parks. This service plays a critical role in maintaining order and ensuring the Republic's security.

Environmental Corps Conscripts digging. The EnviroCorps is know for demanding hard physical labor.

Enviro Corps While not uniformed in the conventional sense, the members of the Enviro Corps don distinct working attire as they commit themselves to the preservation of the environment. Unlike the other security forces, they do not undergo intensive ideological conditioning. It is also low on hierarchy and mostly respects the Conscripts Identities. The Enviro Corps is responsible for reforestation, tree planting, wetland conservation, environmental protection, and various cleanup initiatives.

A conscript in the Life Guards training a Group of Cadets

Youth Groups

The diverse array of security organizations within the Republic also manifests in the differing approaches to engaging with the youth. Several of these entities, such as the Paramedic and Life Guard Corps, have established intricate structures of youth groups, fostering a sense of camaraderie, discipline, and dedication to their respective services from an early age. In contrast, the Security and Enviro Corps have adopted varying levels of engagement, with the latter notably emphasizing a grassroots spirit of environmentalism. Additionally, select organizations, including the Paramedic, Life Guard Corps, and Security, operate academies and cadet groups that provide specialized education and training to future members, further ingraining their commitment to service and ideology from a young age.

Two members of the Security Forces kissing.

Fostering a Gay friendly environment.

One recognized consequence of the comprehensive conditioning processes employed within these security organizations is a notable shift in the spectrum of sexual preferences, often leaning towards same-gender attraction.

While not all members identify as LGBTQ+ at the beginning of their service, the Paramedic, Life Guard, and Nursing Corps have been particularly noteworthy for their efforts in this regard and are open to homosexuals desired developed through the conditions process. Nurses are often androgynous, while the presentation of the Paramedics is distinctly male.

The security organizations of the Republic also strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for individuals of homosexual orientations, and the conscripts are encouraged to act out their desires.

A Paramedics Dog Tag

ID Codes

Each individual serving is assigned a unique random identification code to distinguish them within the organization. These codes often serve as a replacement for their names, ensuring consistent and standardized identification throughout the organization, but also shaping of the identity.

In most organisations these are accompanied by a system of Ranks, Occupation and Status.

For example a complete designator in the Paramedic Corps would look like this: E5/ITS/4021/D1LL0. Wheres E5 is the rank, ITS the status, 4021 the occupation and D1LL0 the individual ID.

A member of the paramedic corps in an old experimental neuro condition system. Present day Systems are sleeker and require less invasive methods.

Conditioning

The practice of conditioning within the Republic's security forces has sparked controversy, particularly in relation to the extensive and rigorous conditioning endured by members of the Paramedic and Nursing Corps. While proponents argue that this conditioning ensures optimal performance, critics contend that it may infringe upon personal autonomy and individuality.

Summary

In the Republic, the distinct security forces collectively embody the nation's commitment to both its citizens' well-being and the environment. Each service operates within a framework that emphasizes conditioning, service, and the fulfillment of its unique responsibilities. Through their collective efforts, these security forces contribute to the Republic's enduring ethos of service and environmental stewardship.

[revvnant]

when did mike's pyromania first manifest, and did it cause him problems in his youth (i.e setting fires and getting in trouble for it)

so first off i'm probably not going to say anything that's new to you sidney, but for people who aren't into it, pyromania / pathological fire setting is not super well defined or understood by medicine; it's a very broad term that covers a lot of conditions that cause fire setting. i've seen definitions that exclude mania and psychotic episodes, but treatment designed around both, and literature that draws close links between the latter and pathological fire setting specifically. i'm not gonna get into the evaluation part of it because i'm still doing research, but just to preface, i'm drawing partially from what's focused on in the four factor fire scale / firesetting questionnaire. u of kent's recent research on this is generally publicly available.

so i don't know that i would even technically class michael as a pathological fire starter, in that it's not the most prominent of his issues and the fires we see him set seem to be well-thought-out and intentional. that said, he strongly hits the 'personal identification with fire' aspect of the scale. i just want to draw a distinction between like... fire being mike's preferred m.o. being a headcanon of mine, and me using canon to say that he's a pathological fire setter. i don't think his two known instances of setting fires / participating in setting fires constitute compulsive or pathological acts in and of themselves, as they simply make sense on their own for getting rid of an offensive building and The Killer. because we get so little for michael in fnaf, i choose to connect him with fire, and i also think it's a double-edged sword — he's highly flammable and fire can permanently kill him, so he can't just do whatever with it; so the compulsions i think he has are tempered by fear of accidentally melting or self-immolating. i think that's an extra factor that other fire setters usually don't share, created by the supernatural elements present in the story.

moving on to my actual headcanons, i think he had a childhood fascination with fire spurred in part by other people making comparisons for him — hotheaded, hot-tempered, short fuse, firebrand, etc. it worked its way into his psychology and first manifested as sneaking cigarettes. he enjoyed lighting them, watching them burn out, the smell of smoke, and the sensation of smoking them ( specifically the sort of acrid taste and feeling in the mouth and lungs ). he grew to like putting them out as well, and the small fires he could start by doing so. i already believe he liked to hang out at the dump ( this is an it / donnie darko reference, we must have our 80s representation ), so it provided him with ample opportunity to start lots of small scale fires. it never escalated past that; he never set fires at school, for example, though he may have been tempted to. he also never set them at work, because electrical fires are sort of a different beast to him and william drilled into his head how dangerous those are. his pride as a mechanic prevents him from setting them. at home, he channels it by being in charge of cooking and the fireplace and is usually satisfied by the flames on the stove.

writing this out has me like wow this is actually his best-managed issue. he has so much going on with his temper and physical altercations that he doesn't really have room for arson. his go-to is always punching and he's psychotic and terrified of going to jail, so it never escalates to revenge fires. but i think he deeply emotionally connects with fire in a few different ways:

the act of destruction. it is cathartic for him to watch something be reduced to nothing, specifically by burning. sparks and ashes appeal to him. contrast with william's affinity for bones and blood as a means of disposal; michael definitely has these as a motif, and is an eleven on the body horror scale of course, but in terms of what he likes, he would see fire as vastly preferable to getting crunched in an animatronic. he acknowledges that it is probably immensely painful and an awful way to go, but on a psychological level, he sees it as less messy and more permanent than other forms of physical trauma.

heat and unpredictability. the way that fire moves and spreads and soaks up oxygen and repels people from it feels very personal to michael. i often describe him as having burning synapses, or a mind on fire, because i think that's how he experiences his own psychosis. his neural forest is being razed. he experiences internal activation and discomfort as heat and dryness, and so when he sees fire, that feels like an externalisation of his feelings. as someone who is kind of shit at expressing himself in a healthy way, fire becomes a sort of shortcut for having to convey distress.

control. as a person with minimal control over his own life, setting a fire is an act of rebellion and an assertion of power. because what the fuck are they going to do about it? he decides what gets destroyed ( to a degree ), he makes it happen, he has the lighter and he can threaten to drop it at any moment. and what he burns is, well, burned. that's extensive damage that's going to be around for a while. it's going to have a psychological and monetary cost to fix. it's going to scar. the damage has to be acknowledged in some way — in a way that the damage being done to michael rarely is. it is an extremely effective way of forcing people to listen to him.

this has gotten long but. basically. no he didn't get in trouble because he was too busy getting in trouble for things like brother murder and assaulting customers, and that cycle didn't often leave room for things like setting fires either as attention seeking or vengeful behaviour. instead it mostly manifested as self-soothing. i think he burned his hands on the stove and oven a lot semi-intentionally. i think his friends were very worried about the dump fires. i think that, while the fright and simulator fires make sense outside of mike being into arson, they also serve as a manifestation of his feelings, the ultimate impossible-to-ignore fuck you, this is how i feel ( fright ) and fuck you, these things are gone forever and you can't hurt them anymore ( simulator ). they made him feel powerful. he just needs to be careful because he's 2x weak to fire.

[triflesandparsnips]

This is (still) not the OFMD medical horror essay

...but there I was, minding my own business and looking up recipes in apothecary manuals, and I accidentally opened up the 1653 edition of John French's The Art of Distillation.

Figure 1. AND I FOUND A THING.

(...although this printing is from 1667 -- maybe there's an even earlier edition, who knows, 17th century publishing was weird what can I say.)

SO TELL ME JOHN FRENCH, what should we know about baths -- by which I mean, what did Stede know?

Or better yet-- based on these publication dates (and for maximum angst)...

What did Stede's dad know?

Maybe I am doing medical horror here, WHOOPS OH WELL.

Ahem:

Seeing [that] by bathing and sweating most diseases are cured, especially such as proceed from wind, hot, and distempered humours, or cold and congealed humors; because all these are rarified, and evaporated by transpiration in sweating, or bathing, I thought it a thing much conducing to man's health, to set down such a way of bathing and sweating that might be very effectual, and appropriated to any particular disease or distemper.

So what I like about this paragraph is that, leaving aside the "new and cool" way of bathing that our man French here is about to describe, it tells us what the reading audience may already know about the Wonders of Bathing-- specifically, that:

bathing and sweating? serve a similar purpose

and that purpose is to evaporate (or "rarify", which may mean... make less dense? OKAY, MERRIAM-WEBSTER) the humors

which humors, you may ask? why, the hot and distempered ones (what might make a young lad sass his father), or the cold and congealed ones (what might make a young lad pick flowers and cry a lot)

French then goes on to give us a rundown of his awesome new inventions for bathing, all of which come down to DIFFERENT TUB-TYPES connected to a STILL:

A, Signifies a hot Still with two pipes going into two wooden vessels; In this Still you may put either [herbs], or spices, with water, or with Spirits, and distil them by which means, they that are in the vessels will presently be forced into a sweat, by vertue of the subtlety of the vapours. And this indeed is as a good and effectual a way for sweating as any can be invented: You may by this means appropriate your ingredients to the nature of the diseases.

Figure 2. Well, technically figure A for French, but essentially the primary mechanism for creating enough heat to make the patient sweat in their bath, plus a bunch of medicinal bits and bobs (and... alcohol?) to aid in said pickling sweating.

B, A vessell wherein a man fits in the bath. Now this vessel hath in it a door, for the easier going into it, which fashion is far better, and more convenient, than to be open only at the top.

Figure 3. (or B.) BEHOLD THE BATH BOX. Lock ur boy in until he sweats the gay out.

C, A long vessel where a man that is weak, and not able to sit up, lies and is bathed.

Figure 4. OH LOOK. IT IS. A FULL-SIZED BATHTUB. For the ~weak.

Figure 5. Stede Bonnet's entirely impractical tub (plus or minus one extraneous Blackbeard). Compare and contrast.

INTERESTING.

So... what else can you tell us, John French. What else could Stede, with historical accuracy, been subjected to?

Let's start with:

Whatever temperature of steam his medical professionals (...or father) thought he could "bear" before it got diverted away.

Now you must note, that these vapours must not be hotter than the Patient can bear: also if the vapour come forth too hot upon the body of the Patient, he may by putting a pipe, upon the end of the pipe that comes into the vessel, divert the hot vapour from his body, and so it will not offend him that way.

He could have been forced to stay in the heat until he fainted...

Note, that the Patient, as soon as he begins to be faint, must come forth, or else he will suffer more prejudice than good by his bathing;

...but otoh maybe he got given booze to prevent that. GIVE THAT KID A LAGER I GUESS.

and also to prevent him from fainting, let him take some Cordial, or cold Beer, which will much revive him, and make him endure his bathing longer, as also make him sweat the more.

When he was All Done sweating in the bath, he could've been bundled into his nice comfy bed... to sweat until he could no longer "bear it" again...

As soon as the Patient comes forth, let him go into a warm bed, and sweat as he is able to bear it,

...and yup, still possibly fainting all over the place, not at all a concern...

and take some Posset-drink, or Broth, or such like warm suppings, as also some good Cordial if he be very faint.

...and definitely not something that could happen to him over and over again, until he was "better" by whatever metric someone might decide to judge him.

The patient may according as his strength will bear, and his disease require, bathe more seldom or oftener.

And so with all this in mind--

--if someone wants to write up some deliciously heart-wrenching hurt/comfort around all this--

--let's just say it wouldn't be unrealistic.

Figure 6. Oh Stede. You are potentially so conflicted about the hot pirate who just wants to find comfort in your nice big symbol of your medical trauma bathtub.