#-ive ever been to a member of the male species

[tfisathoughtfulnickelbakeryfire]

KIM FUCKING HONGJOONG!!!!!?!!!?!!!

[thequeendomhq]

NAME. Emre Demir AGE & BIRTH DATE. 30 & February 28th, 2994 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Cis Male & He/Him NATIONALITY. Lysaran SPECIES. Cambion FACTION. Warrior's Guild OCCUPATION. Gladiator FACE CLAIM. Burak Celik

biography

( tw death, blood, alcohol )

i. INFANCY

Bright, inquisitive, and dutiful. Emre was born under the watchful gaze of his father; Ayaz, a Guildmaster of the Warrior’s Guild in Ardentgate, Southreach. His mother, Ceren, was little more than a traveler passing through. A devil met at the crossroads made a deal and then chose to hang around for a spell. While Emre would never know who she’d come to the city for, her intentions landed on the Guildmaster long enough to give him a child. The truth of her infernal origins was evident in the way misfortune bloomed outside her doorstep, how nothing would grow where Ceren lived, and the monstrous form that her son took when Emre came raging into this world. 

Ceren was a demon, exorcising her was the right thing to do. Ayaz would repeat that to Emre so many times in the years that followed that Emre became convinced that Ayaz truly believed it. 

ii. CHILDHOOD

Motherless but never wanting for parenting, Emre grew up in the training yard of the Warrior’s Guild, in the kitchens scouring pans, on all fours scrubbing the floors, and in the Hall of Virtus making the statues of former Blademasters gleam like they were holding the sun itself. The splinters, broken knuckles, and raw skin were all meant to build character, that was what Ayaz said time after time. Emre listened, did as he was told, and believed he was ‘paying his dues.’

Their life wasn’t charmed, the Ayaz was a Blademaster but the bulk of his glory was already behind him as he made the regrettable mistake of accepting the title of Guildmaster. It allowed for a life of very little adventure and far more bureaucratic nonsense that saw the lines about his face crease deeper and deeper. The hairs at the top of his steadily flecked from deep chestnut to streaks of silver as he seemed to age a decade after only a single year. Where he could not go, Ayaz expected his son to someday take his place. To train, to be perfect, and to be the standard for what a member of the Warrior’s Guild, and someday Blademaster, ought to be. 

iii. ADOLESCENCE

Emre drank in his father’s expectations and his criticisms, all the while watching as the Guildmaster pinched together the coins he could out of those seeking the aid of the noble guild. Warriors weren’t in the guild for money, it was about the honor and the privilege of doing the right thing - but the right thing didn’t buy fine foods or expensive ales, and the older he got the more envious he became of all the things Emre had grown up without. The chores didn’t end, the character building never stopped, and the criticism was never-ending- Emre grew tired of it, but he endured for the sake of the only family he’d ever known. 

In that hall, he had mentors and friends, more than one took a shine to him, but one roguish figure mentioned offhandedly one day that Ayaz never took the big paying contracts. That requests for blood went unanswered, Emre wasn’t a killer, but he discovered how easy killing was. A quick turn of the blade, the push of a knife, or the throttle of a hefty rock did the job easily enough. When Ayaz found out that Emre had been taking contracts around Ardentgate as a glorified thug - shaking people down money for debts and intimidating neighborhoods at the behest of criminals seeking extortion - he kicked him out. There was no discussion or offering for absolution, it was as if Emre was his son one day and then a stranger the next. 

It was easy to remember then how often Ayaz had told him that exorcizing Ceren was the best course of action, all that character building couldn’t fix what had been born broken. 

iv. EARLY YEARS

Emre moved on quickly enough and found work using the only skillset his father had ever taught him. With a pair of swords in either hand and a wineskin at his waist, he worked for slum lords and as a highwayman, terrorizing the Lysaran and Astorian countrysides as he took on just about any job that needed his swords so long as the money was right. In time Emre got picked up by The Crimson Reavers, a mercenary band that did every dirty job that members of The Warrior’s Guild would not. They had a reputation for doing whatever it took to get the job done, and for doing whatever it took to produce the circumstances that necessitated their help. 

Brutes. thugs, killing, and intimidation were Emre’s easiest kinds of currency. The death toll didn’t matter so much as the warm welcome that a fine ale brought, or the feeling of a full coin purse - or the deflation of it after a night in the brothel. Raids with The Reavers were glorious and Emre, being a simple man, raked in the coins just as the leader of their band raked in the contracts. Hated, feared, and reviled, these days of infamy were doomed to end eventually. But being young and stupid, Emre believed it was possible that this could last a lifetime. 

Busted and imprisoned on a minor offense, he’d spend the night in prison and face the consequences on the day that followed, but fortunately for him, he shared a cell with a thief cunning enough to let them both escape. Unfortunately, Emre failed to learn his lesson and returned to The Reaver while his crimes continued to trail behind him. 

v. TODAY

Word of what Emre had done bubbled infamously, his crimes and the crimes of The Reavers stacked on top of one another. The band of mercenaries were hunted and laid to rest, brought to heel by Ayaz and those who had united to put an end to their reign. There was too much blood on Emre’s hand to be forgiven, and even as he pleaded for his father’s forgiveness - to spare him and let him go - Ayaz condemned him to the ruling of the magistrates. The Tower decreed that Emre had two options, give his life to the arena, or give his life to the noose. 

For a man who only cared for fighting, gold, and wine, the decision was obvious. Because, as his father would say, he couldn’t even atone for his crimes with dignity. 

personality

+ fearless, resilient, loyal – reckless, unpredictable, overconfident

played by shane. est. he/him.

[megashadowdragon]

coldhands identity is brave danny flint

Could Coldhands be Brave Danny Flint? It sounds crackpot, and very likely is, but the more I thought about it the more it appealed to me. I've done a quick search, one or two people seem to have floated this before but it's never had much in-depth analysis. This is my first meta, so please be gentle and C&C welcome.

The Gender Agenda To start with, I'll start with the elephant in the room - Danny Flint was a girl, Coldhands is male. Or is he? Gilly, Meera, and Bran all refer to him as male, but they have no idea who he is, so would see Night's Watch clothes and assume. He wears a scarf over his face, and while they can see his eyes and that his face is pale, it took Bran's gang a decent amount of time to work out he was a walking corpse, so I'm not sure I trust them to figure out niceties like gender. Leaf's "They killed him long ago" is more of a problem - she's a colleague, she would probably know. My best defence is that maybe Children of the Forest don't do gender in the same way as humans? This feels like a reach, but we have had another magical species with sexual fluidity leading to trouble with pronouns in the series. Otherwise, Leaf tends to hang out in the cave, Coldhands can't get in, maybe they're just not that close. Finally, the main person to ask - Coldhands his or her self. The only other post I could see on reddit about this theory had someone respond with the quote "Once the heart has ceased to beat, a man's blood runs down into his extremities, where it thickens and congeals. His hands and feet swell up and turn as black as pudding. The rest of him becomes as white as milk", but I'd point out this is in third person and a generalization - "a man", not "me, Coldhands, the man".

Okay, now I've convinced everyone my theory is terrible, let's get into the meat of it.

Hands cold as stone This was what got me into this rabbit hole in the first place - House Flint's sigil is "A grey stone hand upon a white inverted pall on paly black and grey". A stone hand would be pretty cold, right? In point of fact, when we first met Coldhands, the final line of the chapter describes "fingers hard as stone." On top of that, the white and black background seems to fit the Night's Watch blacks, pale face, black hands, white snow, etc.

Who the hell else could it be? This has always been the weird thing about Coldhands for me. Honestly, there's a very good chance this is a non mystery mystery, he's a zombie Night's watch ranger riding an elk, do we really need a secret identity? However, "who is Coldhands?" is one of the most commonly asked questions in the fandom, so let's assume it's getting an answer. We know: a) night's watch member b) killed a long time ago, as reckoned by a 200 year old, c) not Benjen. There are essentially 3 historical periods where we know any specifics about the Night's Watch: 1) the long night/age of heroes, 2) Targaryen era, 3) recent history. If we work through these backwards, we can pretty much rule out the recent era for not meeting the criteria of "killed a long time ago". The Targaryen era didn't have much Night's Watch drama, a few kings sent to the wall at Aegon's conquest, Raymun Redbeard's invasion is wall related but the whole point of that story is that the Night's Watch failed to really get involved... the only strong contender from this period is a mysterious magical Targaryen bastard who went to the wall and went missing... but he's the other mysterious good zombie wandering around up north. The long night has a lot of Night's Watch focus, but it was 10,000 years ago. Allowing for this being in-universe exaggeration, it's still ~2,000 years ago, and if Coldhands were that old, I'm not sure he'd be in elk-riding mutineer-killing form, or at least not look passably human to Bran and co. This rules out specific timeline characters, which leaves more folkloric characters like Danny Flint, who isn't associated to any one point in time. There's a song, and she's treated as a well-known tale, which implies a fairly long time, but overall could be whenever. This works for any of the folkloric Night's Watch characters, but the Rat King is already otherwise occupied with a different cannibalistic pseudo immortality, leaving Mad Axe, who does have the massacring fellow brothers down pat, but doesn't feel thematically right to me. This section really grew in the writing, but TL;DR - assuming Coldhands is someone we've heard of before, no specific historical figures seem to match up chronologically, leaving figures from folk tales and songs, which there are only so many of.

Mutineer Massacre For a character we've all obsessed over so much, it's easy to forget how little we've seen of Coldhands. His role in the story has effectively been "transport Sam and Gilly to the wall, transport Bran and co to Bloodraven, massacre the Night's Watch mutineers". Hold up, one of those things is not like the others. During his quest to get Bran to Bloodraven, to awake the messiah and save the world, Coldhands takes a break and makes a detour to kill the Night's Watch Mutineers from Crasters. This is explicitly noted to be something they slow down for, when time is critical. Admittedly, it secures the party some delicious Long Pork when supplies are low, but even in aDwD it seems like there are other ways to get meat than to hunt humans, besides which he kills not one but five mutineers. He claims it is because the mutineers are following them, but Meera points out they've been circling for days - it seems Coldhands deliberately sought the mutineers out. The brutality of the kills also suggests more than utilitarian pragmatism - there are entrails slung through branches and severed heads! All of this to say, Coldhands is deliberately shown as both a member of the Night's Watch, and willing/going out of his way to punish Night's Watch brothers who break their vows and harm their fellow brothers, something Danny Flint might take personally. Basically, it's a classic exploitation movie with an elk-riding zombie as the wronged woman hunting down wrongdoers. Someone call Tarantino to direct this.

A True Night's Watch One of the big themes GRRM loves is the idea that outsiders to an institution can be the truest embodiment of that institution - Dunk and Brienne are the truest Knights, Davos is the truest lord, the Manderlys are the most loyal northerners. Coldhands already seems to tie into this - the Night's Watch are tireless defenders from the Others and their Wights, so ironically the staunchest ranger is undead as well. It would only emphasise this theme if this ultimate Night's Watch ranger was someone who was barred from entry, had to sneak in, and was murdered by their brothers for not belonging. There also seems to be a thematic tie in that Danny Flint had to essentially infiltrate the Night's Watch and keep her cover in hostile terrain, much like Coldhands in the Others controlled north.

Bonding over being murdered by your brothers Coldhands has so far been very much one of Bran's cast, but it's worth noting characters can switch storylines, and we have someone else in the North who can soon relate to being a back-from-the-dead Night's Watchman fighting the Others - I'm hardly the first to note the Coldhands/Jon parallels, but Coldhands being another character who was murdered by the Night's Watch due to their conservatism and hatred of outsiders would add another layer.

Miscellany A couple of quotes I found while researching for this: “Did Mance ever sing of Brave Danny Flint?” “Not as I recall. Who was he?” (ADWD Jon XII) - Tormund and Jon talking, Tormund mistaking Danny Flint for a man, this feels like one of those throw-away lines GRRM likes to include to make a little double meaning once the truth is out, or just seeding the idea of mistaking Danny Flint for a man. “The ranger wore the black of the Night’s Watch, but what if he was not a man at all?" (ADWD Bran I) - again, I could see GRRM giggling as he typed that if this theory were true.

Conclusion Honestly, there is every chance this is absolute nonsense, and I've just lost it waiting for TWoW. I tend to lean towards Coldhands not having a big identity reveal, he's an undead ranger co-opted by Bloodraven and that's enough. However, if Coldhands is to have an identity reveal, I think Danny Flint deserves consideration: there aren't that many viable candidates, her story is emotionally intense enough and has been referred to often enough that a casual fan could be expected to go "oh!" instead of "...let me google that", and it would fit with existing themes of the story. The angle of Jon parallels even gives an opening for the reveal to be natural and facilitate character and thematic arcs, which is what I look for in a theory.

comment on reddit

Yeah, the Flint (of Flint's Finger) sigil literally being a Cold Hand is what sold me on this when I started looking into it. There's also some other intriguing textual stuff about it...

The weird thing about Danny Flint is that she is only mentioned three times in all of ASOIAF. Three! Bran recounts her tale in Bran IV, ASOS; Theon hears Wyman Manderly demand her song in The Prince of Winterfell, ADWD; and Jon discusses her tale with Tormund in Jon XII, ADWD.

This was kind of shocking to me. Danny Flint is a pretty recognizable name to, I’d figure, the majority of attentive readers. I thought she must have been mentioned before the third book, at least, but… nope. Her tale is first introduced to us in Bran IV, ASOS, the Nightfort chapter… Oh, what’s that? Wait, isn’t that… the very same Nightfort chapter where we first hear about Coldhands? (Well, no, actually, he appears at the end of Samwell III before that, but this is the first chapter where he is identified as Coldhands.) Chronologically, Sam meets Coldhands, Bran thinks about Danny Flint, and then Sam introduces Bran to Coldhands, in fairly quick succession.

So it seems GRRM came up with Danny Flint and Coldhands around the exact same time. Interesting. Danny Flint is then not mentioned again until ADWD, when the Coldhands mystery is developed further. Double interesting.

Also, the Bran chapter directly preceding the Nightfort chapter– our first introduction to Danny Flint– is the one where Meera tells him the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree, another tale of a northern warrior woman dressing as a man and hiding her face in service of some greater goal. Stretch? Maybe.

And why would Coldhands' face be covered at all if there WASN'T some big reveal upcoming? What utility would that have? That scarf clearly seems like a setup for SOMETHING. He doesn't need it for warmth. He's likely hiding a face that would make him recognizable to Bran/Meera/Jojen (and the readers), but died long ago... the only way that reveal could work without a ton of laborious exposition is if he took off the scarf and it was obviously a 'female' face, making it obviously Danny. It also seems likely Coldhands will interact with at least Bran and Meera again, both of whom are somewhat connected to Danny Flint’s story– Bran via his love of stories and legends, and Meera via the breaking of gender roles. So there's thematic levels to it as well.

source www . reddit . com/r/asoiaf/comments/llwm8m/coldhands_identity_spoilers_extended/

[lcnelyones]

here’s oli!

「 alex saxon. cis male. he/him. 」 —  is that OLIVER ‘OLI’ ARTIS i just saw in thornhollow? word around is that they’re a THIRTY-TWO year old HUMAN, but i doubt that’s true. they’re pretty CHILL from what i know, but i’ve heard a rumor that they can be LONELY too; must be why they’re a DINER OWNER & COOK. they kinda remind me of WORN JEANS WITH A NOTEPAD TUCKED IN THE BACK POCKET, ON OLD GUITAR GATHERING DUST ON THE WALL, A WARM SMILE & A KIND HEART. ( ooc ali. she/her. 27. est. )

— basics;;

NAME : oliver artis ALIAS ( NICKNAMES ) : oli AGE : 32 SEXUAL ORIENTATION : pansexual GENDER IDENTITY : cis male ( he/him pronouns ) SPOKEN LANGUAGES : english OCCUPATION : cherry’s pies ( a local diner ) owner and cook FAMILY : eleanor artis nee hanson ( mother, estranged ), ian artis ( father, estranged ), cherry rose hanson ( grandmother, deceased ) PETS : a golden retriever named bowie who frequently hangs out at the diner POSITIVE TRAITS : chill, confident, hardworking NEGATIVE TRAITS : sarcastic, lonely, guileless

— a look deeper;; ( trigger warnings: parental abandonment, alcoholism, parental figure death )

full disclosure: i’ve played oli before so this is structured by what the old bio is so i’m gonna give a few quick points followed by the full thing!

oli was born and raised in thornhollow. his parents both lived and worked in town until oli was around twelve when his father left their family, and his mother was never the same. she was a workaholic under the best of circumstances, but after his father left, she couldn’t handle being his mother as much anymore so he was essentially raised by his grandmother ( also a thornhollow native ) after that.

left for college, but came back when he found out his grandmother needed extra help, especially at the diner that was her pride and joy. his mother had since moved out of town for “bigger and better things.”

tried not to be bitter about his parents leaving him, but it was hard. his grandmother showed him unconditional love though and he was forever grateful to her. she passed away a couple months ago, and he’s not entirely over it yet.

he did take the diner over after her passing, but the bills are beginning to pile up, and he’s not sure if the diner is going to survive. 

personality-wise, he’s pretty chill and easy going. oli’s kinda a go-with-the-flow person who doesn’t have time for drama or manipulations. he’s more focused on making the diner successful and frequently is found working on something even when he’s not technically scheduled to be there. 

does not know specifically about the different species around town, but does know that there are weird things that happen in thornhollow. pretty open-minded about it all. operates under a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ sort of policy.

i.

A boy of six sat cross legged on the ground in front of his father watching with a bright and eager smile. His father had his own eyes closed, humming softly along with the melody he strummed on his favorite guitar. Oli wanted to bounce in rhythm with the music, to cheer, or even sing along. But he knew that was not allowed, not while his father was practicing. And because he wanted more than anything to be considered a grown-up, old enough to sit in and listen, he kept himself quiet and still until his father had finished and it was time to clap. It was this time that was precious to him, the time he had his father all to himself. His father might not acknowledge his presence other to bask in the boy’s love, but this time was still infinitely valuable to the child. He knew when his mother arrived home from work and sent his nanny home for the day, she would whisk his father away on some adventure he was too young for. He didn’t mind, really. Oli knew that people just felt better after being around his father so he couldn’t blame her for wanting him all to herself for a time. But it did make this time more important than ever. And he had always been his father’s biggest fan.

It didn’t matter to Oli that his father rarely had time for him outside of this. That he only wanted someone to play an adoring audience. Even when his father screamed at him for making too much noise during his song. Even when his father threw the glass of bourbon against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. None of that mattered to the boy. He understood then at such a young age that his father just wanted everything to be perfect. “I’m going to be famous one day, Oli,” he would say, his words slurred. And of course, Oliver believed them. After all, what father would lie to their son?

ii.

Oliver knew something was different from the moment he arrived home from school. There was something not entirely right. Some spark that normally resided in the house seemed to have gone out. He almost didn’t notice his father’s prized autographed picture of David Bowie was missing from its spot on the wall. He almost missed the pitying look his nanny ( that he was far too old to have now that he was almost out of middle school) gave him as he walked towards the stairs. He almost missed the low sobbing that seemed to be coming from above him where he knew his parents room to be. But he didn’t.

He sprinted up the stairs, though it seemed to take ages to reach the top. Instead of racing towards the crying he knew belonged to his mother, he went towards his father’s studio instead. He hesitated before pulling the knob, already knowing what he would find. Or not find. He let out a soft gasp at what he saw anyways. Empty.

“This was your fault,” a voice behind him said, thick with rage and heartbreak. He turned to see his mother, clutching one of his father’s shirts, tears streaming down her face. She already looked as if she regretted the words, but they could not be taken back now. They were already in the world, waiting for everyone to hear and know.

Oli was sent to his grandmother’s the following week.

iii.

Oliver looked too much like his father. Acted too much like him as well. A carbon copy if ever there was one. That was one of the reasons his mother didn’t like to see him. He knew that even if she insisted it wasn’t true. More and more of late, he had skipped out on holidays with his mother, finding the silence too loud and the house too empty. It had lost its spark the day his father left them. Instead, he spend the time with his grandmother baking far too many sweets for the two of them and delivering the extras to their neighbors. It had stung far more than he ever wanted to admit. He loved his grandmother, appreciated everything she’d done for him. But holidays had been difficult since his father had left, and his mother had essentially stopped seeing him on a regular basis. But now, Christmas Eve, he felt more in the holiday spirit than he had in a few years. He’d already done the obligatory phone call to his mother to wish her a happy Christmas, so he had the rest of the day to himself to binge watch Netflix and eat more sweets than any one person should be able to while his grandmother visited some of her friends who didn’t have any family left. At least, he had that free time until she came home, and it was time for their dinner. It was this night he found out why his father had left them.

He had never really liked social media. Far too much of it was just people pretending to be the ideal versions of themselves. He much preferred reality. Nevertheless, he was a member of a few sites as most teenagers his age were, though he did rarely use them. It was on one of these sites that he saw the message from his father. Already it was a week old and Oliver was torn between anger at himself for not checking sooner and wanting the satisfaction of deleting it without reading. But his curiosity won out as it normally did.

It was short, barely a few lines. It told of his success in music. It seemed he had finally found a band and it looked like they might get a record deal with a big name company. He invited Oli to a show sometime. It was full of excuses instead of explanations. His father had a dream that he just had to see realized. A dream that didn’t involve being a husband or father even though he had been both. But his father never once apologized. And Oli never responded even though the child inside wanted nothing more to have his father back in his life once more.

iv.

He was just out of college when he got the call from his grandmother. He was almost expecting to hear her tell him something had happened to his father or mother, that the alcohol had finally killed him, or the combination of a broken heart and being a workaholic had done her in, but instead she was just talking about things around the house and the diner. She didn’t mention anything was wrong, but Oli could hear it in her voice. It took a while to break her down, but she finally admitted that she hadn’t had a good visit with the doctor. She was getting older and couldn’t move around as easily as she could when she was younger. That and her bad habit of smoking had finally caught up with her. She wanted her family to be around instead of strangers in her home. Although she didn’t ask him to move home, Oli knew that was what his grandmother needed. It took him a few days to consider choice.

Oli had a job offer in the city, a good one that would set him up for life. He’d break free of the pattern of either being a deadbeat like his dad or a cold, workaholic like his mother. He had worked hard to graduate with honors from the university, getting his master’s in accounting and finance. He had looked at a few apartments and had found one he was sure would be perfect. He had a life planned out ahead of him that he was sure would be successful, one that would put his parents to shame.

Instead of following that path, he moved home and began helping out at the diner he’d spent his teenage years working at.

v.

Oliver was thirty-two when his grandmother died, leaving him everything she had ( the house, the diner, no savings, and bills that were piling up ). He’d been living with her for nearly a decade, working at the diner and taking care of his ailing grandmother as she got progressively worse. She hadn’t been entirely truthful when she’d called him; she hadn’t mentioned that her mind and body were both failing faster than she could really keep up with. But Oli did his duty as best as he could, was hailed as some sort of hero by those around him. Instead of living his life, he was at a sort of standstill. One that didn’t end even after her death. He knew he could have tried to get a job in his field, but he couldn’t really muster any sort of enthusiasm for the life he’d once planned. He felt like it was a dream long since gone. Instead, he was content operating the diner that his grandmother had loved so damn much. He liked his quiet and simple life, working and coming home to his dog, Bowie. Maybe it wasn’t the fame-filled one his dad had been searching for or it wasn’t typically successful like his mother, but it was something that was his.

— connections;;

would love some employees at the diner 

maybe some friends who he can chill with

exs? currents? idk

[civilians-of-nothingtown]

oc masterlist

sorry i havent gotten around to this until now! ive been busy :(

but here it is! a main summary/overview/list of all my ocs ill be talking about on this blog. its below the ‘read more’ because this is a pretty long post. ;)

Tyler Alexeev ( #tyler alexeev - oc )

Age: 20

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Abilities:

- none, although he is surprisingly strong

Disorders:

- Severe Anxiety Disorder / Agoraphobia / Social Anxiety Disorder

- Bipolar Disorder

Tyler was orphaned at a young age, due to an unfortunate accident. This accident led him to eat his parents and proceeding to run off into the woods. He’s lived there ever since – he built a house, and became a “park ranger”. He’s really just paid by wildlife services since he keeps the animals safe from poachers. He met Elias when he was around 17 and has lived with him since then.

Elias ( #elias - oc )

Age: 18

Sexuality: Bisexual, heavily male leaning

Status: Single (please don’t date this guy)

Gender: Male

Species: Werefox, genetically modified with raccoon genes

Abilities:

- incomplete regeneration ; can put limbs back and restore partial function to lost limbs

Disorders:

- PTSD / Adjustment Disorder / Reactive Attachment Disorder

- Schizoid Personality Disorder

- Antisocial Personality Disorder

- literal god complex

Elias was taken from his parents for government experimentation when he was 10. The facility he was held in was to test the extremities of his kind (werefoxes) and subjected him to gruesome tests and exposure to hazardous chemicals. The exposure led him to develop unnatural regenerative abilities… He’s too undead. He always smells like rotting flesh. And on top of that, they experimented with genetic modifications, giving him modifications of a raccoon. He eventually broke out, somehow getting a guard’s gun and killing everyone who dared stand in his way. He now lives with Tyler and has an odd infatuation with guns and a serious sadism problem.

Ross Allegri ( #ross allegri - oc )

Age: 700

Sexuality: Bisexual, also heavily male leaning

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Werecat (brown Abyssinian cat)

Abilities:

- ancestor was cursed with a third eye

- can die 9 times before it’s permanent

- cannot be killed easily unless with silver

Disorders:

- mild ADD / ADHD

- PTSD

He had a shitty home life when he was young; his mother calls both him and his dad freaks. Soon his dad took off, leaving Ross with his verbally abusive mother. The minute he became mature enough to move out, he did, although he’s mostly broke and is addicted to smoking weed. He currently works at Hot Topic with his cousin Rogue, and acts in snuff films on the side, since he cannot die unless the weapon is silver.

Salem Agnelli ( #salem agnelli - oc )

Age: 19

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single, very brokenhearted

Gender: Male

Species: Fallen Angel

Abilities:

- eternal life

- superhuman strength / speed

- insane healing factor

- illusion casting

- healing

- telekinesis

Disorders:

- Bipolar Depression / Mania

- Severe ADHD / ADD

Mother was emotionally abusive, father took off. He moved out and went to college, currently studying biomedical engineering. He lives in his friend Alex’s (not MY Alex) house and works at a Wal-Mart. When he first moved out, he got turned into a fallen angel after a hookup with a guy at a bar and is now cursed with immortality. He regularly binds his wings to his back so they aren’t seen.

SR700 ( #sr700 - oc )

Age: technically he was assembled 5 years ago but 23

Sexuality: he’s confused

Status: Single

Gender: Male (they/them he/him)

Species: Android infused with cyberdemon blood (Cyberdemons are a closed original species)

Abilities:

- cyberdemon abilities, which include durability, strength, etc

Disorders:

- n/a

An advanced, weaponized android infused with cyberdemon blood, giving him unnatural abilities. He’s currently a SWAT team member.

Rose ( #rose - oc )

Age: 22

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Single

Gender: Female

Species: Avian (Closed original species) [magpie variant]

Abilities:

- rapid healing / healing abilities

- extreme durability

- high blood volume

Disorders:

- Severe Anxiety Disorder / Agoraphobia / Social Anxiety Disorder

- PTSD

- Clinical Depression

- Avoidant / Paranoid Personality Disorder

Rose’s parents were cruel beings, unable to deal with having a half-bird child. They beat her mercilessly and forced her to bind her wings, stunting their growth and causing them irreversible joint problems. After her parent’s… Unfortunate death, she ran away and followed her dream of being in the police force. She works at the same station SR700 is at, and they’re very good friends. Although later on in her life she got kidnapped by Leo, who did numerous things to her, including keeping her as a pet and digging her eye out - so now she wears a bandanna to cover the scar of the hole, along with numerous other scars that can’t be covered. The feathers on one side of her face are missing and scarred over.

Zeksis ( #zeksis - oc )

Age: 17

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single

Gender: Male (FtM)

Species: Human

Abilities:

- n/a

Disorders:

- Clinical Depression

Zek is an orphan who’s currently living in his own apartment with a job at Spencer’s. He’s the school’s drug dealer and has had a couple of rough patches in his life, but he’s overall pretty okay. He carries around a crowbar and is often easily angered or pissed off.

Rogue Milano ( #rogue milano - oc )

Age: 170

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Taken by August (Alex’s OC)

Gender: Male

Species: Werecat (gray Nebelung cat)

Abilities:

- ancestor was cursed with a third eye

- can die 9 times before it’s permanent

- cannot be killed easily unless it’s silver

Disorders:

- Severe PTSD / Anxiety Disorder

- Antisocial Personality Disorder

- Depression

He was stolen as a young kit to be used as a weapon for a powerful gang, who basically broke down his sanity until there was none left. Far back in his lineage (he’s related to Ross) a powerful witch cursed his whole bloodline with a third eye in the middle of their forehead. They forced him into a pet mentality, and gave him two extremely strong metal prosthetic arms as a replacement for those he lost during a hit. He killed his ‘master’ (he forced Rogue to call him that) and eventually escaped, but he never truly recovered because he never remembered his actual name. So he calls himself Rogue. He started to work at the same Hot Topic Ross works at.

Adonis Errus ( #adonis errus - oc )

Age: over 1000 years old

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Taken by Max (Peri’s OC)

Gender: Male

Species: Demon

Abilities:

- strong persuasion

- toxic blood

- abnormal strength

- rapid healing

Disorders:

- mild PTSD

Adonis is a demon who was tasked with making humans commit the sin of lust; specifically lust for sex and lust for food. He has snake-like attributes (red-bellied black snake ones, to be specific) and venom that acts as an aphrodisiac. He was also kidnapped by Leo and used as an object, but he’s forcefully forgotten most of that experience. He works at a club as a dancer.

Anxietatem ( #anxietatem - oc )

Age: 23

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Cyberdemon (Closed original species)

Abilities:

- rapid healing

- abnormal strength

- dense body mass

Disorders:

- Severe Anxiety Disorder

Sent to kill people, hindered by his anxiety. He spends most of his time hiding away in his house in his human form, afraid of being feared. His demon form is a four-armed beast with long black horns and four bright purple eyes (his body is completely pitch black), along with a tail. His blood, just like his eyes, is bright purple. He works at a little bookstore that he loves to death. Currently struggling with the fact that he has to eat humans to survive, and that need is moot with Thorn and Alex since they’re part human.

Jakkal Sibuna ( #jakkal sibuna - oc )

Age: thousands of years old

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Demigod (Son of Anubis)

Abilities:

- reanimation

- immortality

- shapeshifting (into a jackal)

Disorders:

- n/a

Jakkal is the forbidden offspring of Anubis, the Egyptian god of embalming/the dead, and a mortal who practiced witchcraft. He can morph fully into a black jackal with Egyptian style markings, or just his head, which is his favorite to do. He currently works as a bouncer at the same club Adonis works at.

Thorn ( #thorn - oc )

Age: 22

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Taken by Salias (Lilly’s OC)

Gender: Female

Species: Stunted Cyberdemon (Closed original species)

Abilities:

- rapid healing

- abnormal strength

- dense body mass

Disorders:

- n/a

She’s basically a mutated cyberdemon stuck in limbo between human form and demon form, and so she managed to escape being slaughtered by coming to Earth and hiding herself. She works with Jakkal as a bouncer, and tries to juggle caring for Alex and her unfortunate alcohol addiction. Her blood is electric blue like her eyes.

Alex ( #alex [c] - oc )

Age: technically, since they age fast, 3. but he appears to be 18

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Human/Cyberdemon hybrid

Abilities:

- rapid healing

- abnormal strength / body density

- four arms

Disorders:

- n/a

Bastard child of Thorn and her long ex boyfriend, a human. He, (sigh) was also taken by Leo and used as an attack dog. He’s stuck in a semi-demon form, having four arms (one pair is retractable), a stubby tail, four eyes and little horns. His eyes and blood are bright red, since all cyberdemons have a random blood color at birth.

Morthraxul / Max ( #morthraxul - oc )

Age: 19

Sexuality: Bisexual, heavily male leaning

Status: Taken by Max but open to a poly relationship

Gender: Male

Species: Demon (Gojira, closed species of my own)

Abilities:

- rapid healing

- possession

- abnormal strength

- persuasion

Disorders:

- n/a

He was sent away at a young age so he wouldn’t be slaughtered, and came to Earth. Tide saved his life and formed a bond with him, even if Tide is unfortunately possessive. He’s a very bubbly person and loves meeting new friends, although he has to eat hearts to live.

Tide ( #tide - oc )

Age: 22

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Taken by Max but open to a poly relationship

Gender: Male

Species: Human (drinks/injects demon blood)

Abilities:

- persuasion

- super strength

- claws

Disorders:

- god complex

A priest who isn’t actually religious; he worships demons and uses his job advantages to summon demons and drink their blood, which he is addicted to. It makes him have violent outbursts and random attribute changes, which are currently only at bright red eyes and sharp teeth. He honestly loves Max with all his heart, but his expression of it is unfortunately twisted due to his deteriorated mental state.

Leonard / Leo Mac Domhnaill ( #leo mac domhnaill - oc )

Age: 20

Sexuality: Gay

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Demon prince

Abilities:

- immortality

- rapid healing

- super strength

Disorders:

- god complex

- Intermittent Explosive Disorder

- Severe Bipolar Disorder

- Schizoid / Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Demon Prince with amazingly sweet parents, until they were brutally murdered. The loss of his parents drove him insane, and it turned him into a sadist hell-bent on keeping people as ‘pets’ - although that may change since as I’m writing this, he’s dead. But he may be brought back. Before insanity took hold he loved to bake and throw parties and sew. He has bright green mint hair and grayish horns, bright amber eyes, and a white lion tail. His dad was a demon with a lion head, and his mother was a lower demon with simple features.

Kiielbeyatt / Kiel ( #kiielbeyatt - oc )

Age: 21

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Salval (closed alien species, mine)

Abilities:

- extremely swift & light

- very fast reflexes

- bioluminescent

Kiel came to Earth to escape his parents, who dislike him due to not having venom glands like he’s supposed to. I’m not going to describe it here (I’ll post it later) but he comes from a planet of humanoid reptilians. His green freckles are bioluminescent and so is his hair, which is also neon green. His eyes are a darker blue, but he has a ridiculous fashion sense and a snake tail. He loves to make new friends and he honestly loves Earth quite a bit.

Reese Volkov (#reese volkov - oc)

Age: 18

Sexuality: Questioning

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Beastkin (a species by @/gatobob)

Abilities:

- quite fast, very agile

- claws, sharp teeth

- can see dead people; can’t interact

- he has snow leopard features

Disorders:

- N/A

Reese and his sister, Sasha, were moved from Russia when they were very small by their parents to avoid the ridicule of having to grow up in a small town who thought all beastkin were evil, etc. Anyway, Reese lives with his sister in an apartment and works at an arcade, and he’s currently taking online college courses. Reese took on his father’s full snow leopard features, giving him brilliant green eyes and three black cuff markings on each of his wrists and ankles. He loves salad and Marvel movies. Reese didn’t inherit his father’s height - he inherited his mother’s. He’s 5'2".

Sasha Volkov (#sasha volkov - oc)

Age: 21

Sexuality: Lesbian

Status: Taken by Clark

Gender: Female (MtF)

Species: Beastkin (again, a species by @/gatobob)

Abilities:

- fast and agile

- claws, sharp teeth

- she inherited her father’s strength

- she has arctic fox features

Disorders:

- N/A

Sasha’s parents were a snow leopard (father) and an arctic fox (mother), who moved them from Russia at a young age. She’s a huge tomboy and loves her girlfriend with all her heart. She loves to watch crime shows and eat fruit - she also shares the three cuff markings (all in the same places) with her brother. She has brilliant blue eyes and the same hair color as her brother as well. She also inherited her father’s height - she stands at a whopping 6'2".

Clark Smith (#clark smith - oc)

Age: 19

Sexuality: Lesbian

Status: Taken by Sasha

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Abilities:

- she can draw really well

- advanced telekinesis

- clairvoyant

Disorders:

- N/A

Clark is a sweet girl who loves Star Wars, history, and video game design. She’s currently in school to become a video game developer, after moving out of her parents’ house. She works at a small café with her girlfriend Sasha and often uses her abnormal abilities to do her work quickly. Her favorite color is purple, so naturally, her hair is long and dark purple. She’s a little bit on the rebellious side, having numerous piercings and small tattoos.

Karnarka (#karnarka - OC)

Age: 21

Sexuality: Gay

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Naga

Abilities:

- immune to poison

- hypnosis

- snake features (feathered tree viper)

Disorders:

- extreme anger issues

Kar is an extreme hothead, his anger mainly being towards the fact that everyone thinks he’s a freak. He has blonde hair with black tips and gray eyes, with a scar over his left eye. He moved out when he graduated from college, after his dad practically kicked him out. He currently lives in a small house of his own with a pet snake named Zeus.

Natalia Amius (#natalia amius - oc)

Age: 394

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Married (to Virgil Amuis)

Gender: Female

Species: Vampire

Abilities:

- superhuman strength

- persuasion

- immortality

- telepathy

- pyrokinesis

- shapeshifting

Disorders:

- N/A

Natalie was born quite a while ago, obviously. She was bitten by a vampire in her village and fled as soon as she turned. She met Virgil in the 1900s, and immediately fell for him when she found out he shared her same… Sadistic tendencies. She lures people (of all genders) in with her looks before draining them; if she likes you well enough she may just turn you. She’s got black hair and bright red eyes.

Virgil Amuis (#virgil amuis - oc)

Age: 1,000

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Married (to Natalia Amius)

Gender: Male

Species: Fallen angel (seraphim)

Abilities:

- immortality

- superhuman strength & speed

- advanced healing

- illusion casting

- control over the heavenly fire

Disorders:

- bipolar disorder

Virgil was cast down from heaven after he burned a human being alive – and he’s been doing the same thing ever since. He fell in love with Natalia immediately and they still love each other quite a bit, despite the affairs they both have. He owns a strip joint, and he’s quite the slut, really. Black hair with red tips, and milky white eyes. He also lures people in, but gives them to his wife or kills them himself. He turned Salem into a fallen angel and only did it because he’s quite fond of the boy.

Vazamoth (#vazamoth - oc)

Age: 27

Sexuality: Bisexual (male leaning)

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Demon king (a son of Mammon)

Abilities:

- alternate demon form

- superhuman strength

- persuasion

- mind control

Disorders:

- N/A

Vaz, as he goes by, is a surgeon at quite an uppity hospital. He’s filthy rich, and as a demon of greed, he always wants more. 6’ without goat legs, 7’ with them. Black hair, piercings, many facial scars, and a pair of black bat wings tattooed on his back. His demon form includes reddish-black goat haunches, black spiked tail, sharp teeth, and bull horns. He can control these at will. He’s a bit arrogant, but once he warms up to you (which takes a long while) he’s caring.

Gabriel (#gabriel - oc)

Age: 20

Sexuality: Questioning

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Angel

Abilities:

- control over heavenly fire

- immortality

- amazing healing factor

- persuasion

Disorders:

- N/A

Gabriel is down on Earth earning his wings – he wants to be in the heavenly court one day. Despite this, he experiments with human things, such as sex, drugs, etc. He’s got a big crush on Vaz, but he won’t admit it since it’s basically forbidden. He’s got bright red eyes and stark-white hair, and a cross branded on the nape of his neck. His wings are a bit small, but they’re still growing.

Tenki Gyaltsen (#tenki gyaltsen - oc)

Age: 23

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Werewolf

Abilities:

- normal werewolf abilities, immune to most everything but silver

- can commune with animals

Disorders:

- N/A

Tenki used to live up north, and he came down to go to school. He wants to be a veterinarian when he gets older, and due to his werewolf lineage, he’s amazing at it already. He can hold his alcohol extremely well and has brilliant green eyes and dark brown hair. His fur is also dark brown – he has the ability to turn fully into a dog since he’s pureblooded.

Lena Metzger (#lena metzger - oc)

Age: 25

Sexuality: Bisexual (female leaning)

Status: Single

Gender: Female

Species: Werewolf (black german shepherd)

Abilities:

- normal werewolf abilities, immune to most everything but silver

- can commune with animals

Disorders:

- N/A

Works as a butcher in her dad’s shop – has a side hustle of being behind most of Rogue’s hits. She works for the government in the ‘tech department’ where she programs targets into their supersoldier’s heads. She’s a bit of a stone-hearted asshole, and it seems like she never laughs. She’s got dark black hair and hazel eyes. Has the ability to turn fully into a dog, and loves it.

Kaskae Tikaani (#kaskae tikaani - oc)

Age: 20

Sexuality: Gay

Status: On / Off Relationship With Andreas

Gender: Male

Species: Werewolf (alaskan malamute)

Abilities:

- normal werewolf abilities, immune to most everything but silver

- can commune with animals

Disorders:

- N/A

Kaskae is from Cali, and he’s wanting to go into fashion when he goes to college. He’s on his way to doing that, happily working at the mall. His hair is red (which he has dyed so it fades to a soft pink towards the ends), which matches his red/white colored fur. He’s got a very bubbly personality and he’s built like a football player, although he hates sports. He loves animals as well. He prefers only showing the ears and tail parts of his abilities, but he can also turn fully into a dog.

Fen Kuang (#fen kuang - oc)

Age: 20

Sexuality: Questioning

Status: Single

Gender: Female

Species: werewolf (chow chow)

Abilities:

- normal werewolf abilities, immune to most everything but silver

- can commune with animals

Disorders:

- N/A

Fen grew up in a strict household, immediately moving out upon graduating high school. She’s extremely femme and wants to have a fashion line, and is actually going to college for that. Blonde, almost cream colored hair and blue-green eyes. She loves bright and pastel colors and loves to draw as well. Her fur color is cream.

Andreas Schmidt (#andreas schmidt - oc)

Age: 25

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: On / Off occasional relationship with Kaskae

Gender: Male

Species: werewolf (doberman pinscher) / pyrokinetic cross

Abilities:

- normal werewolf abilities, immune to most everything but silver

- can commune with animals

- pyrokinesis

Disorders:

- anger issues

His mother was a pyrokinetic, and his father was a werewolf. He’s furious at his father for not ‘keeping the bloodline clean’. He hates the pyrokinetic part of himself, especially the bright red eyes it gives him. He can’t even control it. But he’s a boxer and fights often, so he’s got a little bit of an outlet.

Enid (#enid - oc)

Age: 21

Sexuality: Bisexual, but questioning still

Status: Single

Gender: Female

Species: Avian (closed species made by me) [crow variant]

Abilities:

- rapid healing / healing abilities

- extreme durability

- high blood volume

- umbrakinesis (darkness manipulation)

Disorders:

- Bipolar disorder

Enid went to an underground all-girls school for avians, where she was taught how to use her mutated powers for extremely bad things. It was run by a cult of avians who wanted humans completely exterminated. Luckily, she escaped, but she’s on the run from them. She currently lives with Fen as a roommate, and she’s incredibly happy with that. She has long black hair with an odd sheen to it, crow wings and a tail, and black feathers on her chest and face. Her eyes burn a bright icy blue and she usually keeps to herself, due to her destructive and manic tendencies. She loves to read and is extremely smart.

Njord Sangster (#njord sangster - oc)

Age: appears 26, actually 260

Sexuality: Straight (but possibly gay; hes experimenting)

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Werecat (light gray Norwegian forest cat)

Abilities:

- 9 lives, immune to death unless wound inflicted by silver

- night vision

- purebred, can turn into a cat at will

- able to withstand ridiculously cold temperatures

Disorders:

- N/A

Njord was born in Norway, but moved to go to art school. He's generally very quiet and has difficulty speaking proper English. He’s become a carpenter, taking great joy in building things. He has long gray hair that’s usually in a ponytail, with brilliant golden eyes. His fur is a silvery-gray, and he’s quite tall (6′). He lives in a house he built himself and likes to draw and make things out of spare wood in his free time. He wants to become a comic book illustrator. His father was from Norway and his mother was from Scotland.

Ari Norophine (#ari norophine - oc)

Age: 20

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Avian (closed species made by me) [greater yellow-headed vulture variant]

Abilities:

- rapid healing / healing abilities

- extreme durability

- high blood volume

Disorders:

- N/A

Ari and his brother are practically inseparable, although Nikolas is adopted. He loves to sing and perform, and he even enjoys theater. His hair is oddly yellow with a red streak in it, and his feathers are simply black. Ari works at the local theater as a stagehand/actor.

Nikolas Norophine (#nikolas norophine - oc)

Age: 23

Sexuality: Bisexual (male leaning)

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Avian (closed species made by me) [bearded vulture variant]

Abilities:

- rapid healing / healing abilities

- extreme durability

- high blood volume

- low form of pyrokinesis (appendages being able to heat up, fire breath)

Disorders:

- PTSD

- Extreme Social Anxiety

Nikolas was adopted by the Norophine family after his birth parents gave him up. Ari was five at the time, and 8-year-old Nikolas was already pretty traumatized. He hates to delve into it because it induces panic attacks. He immediately bonded with Ari, who is the only person he trusts to be around him. Nikolas, who sometimes goes by Nik, writes under a false name for a newspaper column. Nobody has ever seen him since he spends most of his time in his house. He has reddish-ginger hair and same color feathers.

Mezzurith / Project 56 (#project 56 - oc)

Age: 19

Sexuality: Questioning / Not Actually Mentioned

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Cyberdemon (Closed original species)

Abilities:

- rapid healing

- abnormal strength

- dense body mass

Disorders:

- Severe PTSD / Anxiety Disorder

- Antisocial Personality Disorder

- Depression

Mezzurith was captured on the street after killing and eating an agent from the group that is holding Rogue -- they did the same exact thing to him they did to Rogue, although it is taking them much longer to break him than it did Rogue. They’re still in the process of doing so, actually. He isn’t stunted like Thorn, but his blood is bright green and his demon form has wings, a spiked tail, four eyes, and horns. His human form is a black-haired young man, although his eyes are bright green as well as the inside of his mouth.

Theo / Project 57 / DSTR 57 (#theo - oc)

Age: Appears 21 but is actually hundreds of years old

Sexuality: Straight

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Lesser trickster god / god of chaos (stoxali)

Abilities:

- psychological manipulation

- reality warping

- persuasion

- chameleonic nature

- shapeshifting

- escape artistry

- weak to iron

Disorders:

- kleptomania

Theo’s real name is too long and too foreign to actually pronounce; everyone calls him Theo. He got taken after pick-pocketing yet another agent that’s ALSO from where Rogue & Mezzurith are being held. There are rumors that he’s a god from another world -- he has odd, bioluminescent red markings and ram horns. Due to him not being... How you say... A more powerful god, they broke him easily with a little help from a certain demon we all know has hypnosis abilities. He currently is revered as ‘The Destroyer’ because he decimates everything in his path, making him equal in abilities to Rogue. His usual form is odd, with swirling brighter red designs on his skin. His hair is blonde, and the horns on his head are gray. He acts like a cat most of the time, and he has the fangs and claws to match.

Rinen (#rinen - oc)

Age: Appears 19 but is actually at least 100

Sexuality: Bisexual

Status: Single

Gender: Biologically male, doesn’t prefer any specific pronouns. Appears androgynous.

Species: Lesser god of space / god of antimatter (stoxali)

Abilities:

- teleportation

- dimension hopping

- persuasion

- invisibility

- weak to iron

Disorders:

- Social anxiety

Rinen came to Earth to learn more about humans. They’re fascinated by them, and he loves human culture, although he’s easily spooked and doesn’t make a lot of friends. He used to know Theo back on Salvalara, but they’ve lost touch. His hair is a soft white, and he has a soft purple and extremely fluffy cat tail. His bioluminescent markings are bright purple, and his eyes are so pale they’re almost white.

Zephyr (#zephyr - oc)

Age: Appears 25 but is actually millions of years old

Sexuality: Gay

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Lesser god of mind / god of insanity (stoxali)

Abilities:

- psychological manipulation

- mind control

- persuasion

- phasing abilities

- weak to iron

Disorders:

- Intermittent Explosive Disorder

- Impulse-control Disorder

Zephyr narrowly escaped death on Salvalara -- he stole a book from the archives and tried to kill one of the Ancient Ones. He narrowly escaped death by manipulating a guard to send him to Earth. He suffers from vampirism, giving him an undeniable craving for blood. Since he’s on Earth, he can easily satisfy his craving by attacking humans. He usually kills them quick, but if he’s feeling particularly zesty he might ask for a quick fuck first. He has hyena fur on his neck and hyena ears, and his markings glow dark gray. His hair is almost always greasy, and its gray, as is the hyena fur. His eyes are gray as well, although lighter.

Alinar (#alinar - oc)

Age: 18

Sexuality: Straight (although questioning/experimenting)

Status: Single

Gender: Male

Species: Vahhr (closed original species)

Abilities:

- curse inducement

- conjuration

- illusions

- necromancy

Disorders:

- Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Alinar is from Salvalara, and he's actually the prince of their people (the vahhr). He has grayish-pink markings on dark gray skin, and sparse fur, along with a wiry tail and paw/hands. He steals to help Wistari support her family since he can’t exactly give away his fortune. He came to Earth to basically copy Kiel, and to also steal human stuff. He’s pretty pretentious and stuck-up, but deep down he’s extremely loyal and a good friend.

Wistari (#wistari - oc)

Age: 17

Sexuality: Lesbian

Status: Single

Gender: Female

Species: Vahhr (closed original species)

Abilities:

- curse inducement

- conjuration

- illusions

- necromancy

- blood magic

Disorders:

- N/A

Wistari comes from a somewhat poor family, and because of this, she’s had to fend for herself. She works to support her dad, because her mom is manipulative and an overall a jerk. She steals things to sell with Alinar, and she’s also a bit of a jerk herself, but she and Alinar are best friends. Her markings are silvery over her dark gray skin, and her fur is slightly lighter as well. She also has a septum piercing. 

[preevelynn-blog]

ManyVids Interview

Tell us about your cult:

I am the High Priestess of the Cult of Yith. We are a cult that is dedicated to learning all there is about consensual sexual perversion and deviancy. We accept every kind of gender identity and expression and sexuality.  The main goal of our cult is to collectively have as many different kinds of sex and orgasms as possible for the sake of knowledge. We only condone fully consensual sexual interactions and fully condemn any kind of nonconsensual sexual act. The Yithians collect data on all the different kinds of sexual activities that our cult members are a part of and they add it to their grand libraries that hold knowledge from infinite places and times.

The Yithians are a species of highly evolved extraterrestrial (and sometimes terrestrial) beings who can  swap their consciousness with individual creatures through not only space, but also time. A Yithian living on prehistoric planet earth could potentially swap bodies with Genghis Khan, or Abraham Lincoln, or a random person living in the year 2045. They can swap their consciousness with creatures and beings from anywhere in the universe at any time. This is how I first came into contact with them. They must have taken control of my body in the past because I now exist in strange dreams that involve them. I understand that all they seek is knowledge and I’ve always seen knowledge as power, so I’ve created the Cult of Yith to use my own talents as a sexual deviant to help the Yithians gain knowledge about human sexuality. It’s very convoluted, I know. The bottom line is that if you join the Cult of Yith and you have interesting, fun, consensual, and unique sex eventually when the Yithians come back to Earth and claim their rightful place as rulers of the planet, we will be given the role of librarian in their grand libraries for our contributions. Plus your life will just be better with a religion that fully supports your odd kinks.

What role does music play in your life?

Music plays many different roles in my life. The biggest role music plays in my life is that of a way for me to communicate. Music is also a friend, an enemy, a religion, and many more things. I am almost always listening to music unless I am sleeping and I create music every single day. It has a near constant presence in my life. I create music for all the porn that I make. It may not be very good, but it’s something I made and that makes me proud. My favorite art has always been art that is provocative and socially conscious. I think in American society right now we need to be pushing for sex work to be more protected, socially and legally, and music is a great medium to do that. Music can be a wrapper for a message that makes a message an easier pill for humanity to swallow. I love to make music that focuses on and is influenced by sex work, intersectional feminism, and the rights of genderqueer people while theatrically wrapping it all up in a recognizable package, such as the imagery of a religion or cult. *hint hint nudge nudge* Music, and all art forms that I indulge in, are a way for me to unapologetically say what I want to say.

What do you see as the major issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in adult entertainment?

I think one of the most glaring issues faced by LGBTQ+ people in adult entertainment is the remaining stigma around trans and gay performers and the silence of many cis industry members about this topic. Performers and managers steer away from gay and trans people for a lot of different reasons and some of these reasons are direct reflections of a past that’s already been thoroughly gutted and exposed as idiotic and queerphobic. There are some very stark differences between how cis and trans performers in the adult entertainment industry are treated. For example, segregation between cis and trans women is alive and well on MyFreeCams to the extent that MyFreeCams doesn’t allow trans women to perform on their site even though they are supposedly a “women only” cam site. In their rules and wiki there is a lot of trans exclusionary language. On their wiki it says “Natural-born women” only and on their official site rules they say nothing about disallowing trans women, but they do say “No men.” So if a trans woman can get through the background check (Which I did because they don’t ask for a picture of your genitals) and gets banned from the site, what rule did she break? It’s pretty safe to assume she only broke the “No men” rule even though she isn’t a man. MyFreeCams won’t address the issue at all and when I got banned from their site my account was deleted, they took all the money I had earned during my show, and I never got a response as to “why” I was banned. Their silence protects them.

This is a really important issue because MyFreeCams is probably the biggest cam site in the world and they sponsor so many huge events and conventions related to sex work. So you’ll have safe spaces and events for MyFreeCams models that are essentially spaces and events for women, but trans women are excluded. MyFreeCams is a huge part of the industry and they should treat all women equally, we should demand better from the large companies that represent the different aspects of sex work. Just a reminder to all cis models on MyFreeCams, 40-50% of your hard earned money is going to supporting this behavior. I understand you might not have the privilege to leave, but that’s not stopping you from emailing MyFreeCams asking why trans women aren’t allowed, or from putting them on blast on social media. On other issues too, we should not be silent. When MyFreeCams is transphobic we need our cis allies to call them out and be loud because they don’t care about what trans people think. If you’re an ally and your manager is being homophobic don’t be silent, call them out. Homophobes and transphobes don’t care about queer people, they will mostly only listen to other cisgender straight people. Power structures are torn down from the top, not the bottom. Please help.

What are your favorite fetishes? Are there any you got into thanks to making content? Any you keep for your private life and don’t film?

I think my favorite fetish is blasphemy targeted at Roman Catholicism. I got into blasphemy from doing private shows for ministers and active church goers who wanted me to really dig into their religion and basically replace their God with myself. I was raised Roman Catholic and I find the King James version of the bible to be very problematic and anti-queer, so I revel in the opportunity to tackle something that often puts me down. Whenever I do one of these shows I often start by detailing to my submissive the passages in the bible that condemn me as a trans woman, specifically the ones in deuteronomy, and explaining how their God wanted me to be in league with the devil by creating me this way. Then I will go on and explain how Satan and I are converting God’s own angels and humans against him by helping them to see the light of sexual deviancy. Then we do all kinds of naughty things in MY name instead of God’s name.

I find it refreshing and empowering to fight against something much more powerful than myself that actively oppresses me and people like me. The Catholic church is one such force and I revel in the opportunity to not only voice my opinions about the Christian mythos, but also to get someone who is a part of it to realize how anti-trans their own book can be. It is beneficial and positive for both me and the submissive and every single submissive I’ve done a blasphemy show with has returned more times than I can remember for the same experience.

Who are your: musical heroes, adult entertainment heroes, and political heroes, and why?

I don’t really have many heroes. I think some of my biggest influences when it comes to music and porn are Marilyn Manson and Natalie Mars. Marilyn Manson’s provocative style just really makes my inner goth girl squeal, and I think Natalie Mars is just so gosh darned physically talented. I wish I could take the things in my butt she does.

What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen?

That scene at the end of the Witch where the girl talks to the goat.

What is the most annoying question that people ask you?

It’s not a question, but I hate when guys want to talk about how they are straight, but they would still fuck me. Like, yeah… duh… if you were gay you would probably want to fuck a man?

What is something that a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point of?

Ariana Grande

What sexual fantasy would you like to make a reality through making an adult vid?

I would love to recreate the exorcism scene from the Exorcist, but instead of Regan and two male priests I’ll be possessed and two sexy female nuns will fuck the devil out of me.

Say something to your fans:

I appreciate you all and if you respect and support me I respect and support you. <3

Fast 10:

The Best Topping/Ice Cream Combination Is:

Spaghettieis from Germany

One piece of entertainment I wish I could erase from my mind so that I could experience it for the first time again is:

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

If I could have an orgy with anyone on Earth it would be the following people:

Marilyn Manson (1994 version), Katie Marovich from CollegeHumor, and Peter Steele (Also 1994 version).

If you wanted to talk dirty to me you should say:

Describe giving me oral sex and then cuddling me.

The sexiest outfit I own is:

A lace bodysuit that one of my biggest supporters of the name Ser_Koopa bought me!

This sex toy I love and this sex toy I dislike:

I love my fleshlight and I’m not a fan of plastic prostate massagers.

If I could time travel I’d visit this era:

1994 for the metal or some time in the future when I’m not living way below the poverty line and I’m comfortable.

The best way to start the day is:

Yoga!

One thing I wish I knew more about is:

Stocks and investments

The one major sex tip I have for people is:

Communicate. It’s always a good idea to ask someone if they are ok during a sexual experience.

[sunshine-tattoo]

okay since yall dont seem to get it, im going to lay it out:

the star trek reboot movies do not, in any way, try to capture the super progressive themes that were created by gene roddenberry. 

number 1- post-scarcity society

the world of star trek is a utopia where the fears of poverty, war, disease, and overly powerful capitalism have been whipped out for ordinary citizens. starfleet is a research-based organization that series that seeks to gather knowledge for all the people living under the federation, which is a democratic collection of different alien races. 

number 2- james t. kirk is a holocaust survior

this is the one that fucking pisses me off so damn much. the reboot movies wrote jim as your cliched Daddy Issues™️ hero who somehow stumbles into all his successes. james tiberius kirk was one of less than a dozen school-aged children who survived a eugenics-based massacre on the colony planet of tarsus iv. if anything was going to turn him into a self-pitying little fuck boy, it should be that. but guess what, assholes. jim never once pulled that kinda bullshit in tos. and he had a waaaay better excuse than just growing up without a dad. kirk is a fucking hero in every sense of the word and he didnt get that way by having stupid fistfights in bars. 

number 3- casual sexism

gene roddenberry was a fucking feminist icon who wrote kirk, and by extension all the other male crew members, as honorable men who deeply believed that women were their equals. yet the aos movies feature at least one naked chick per film, a complete lack of amazing female protagonists apart from uhura (who is stuck in a Forced Hetero Relationship ™️ for no apparent reason), and sexist remarks by many of the main characters. im looking at you, bones. mr. i-lost-everything-in-the-divorce. (even tho in tos bones is perfectly ok with his divorce and even has a wonderful relationship with his daughter). 

number 4- fucking stupid ass space battles

get it through your thick skull, jj abrams. star trek and star wars are not the same thing. yes i know, they both have star in them and it confused you. but kindly fuck the fuck off. star trek never ever is about space battles. its about science and strategy and trying so damn hard to make peace with others even though it feels hopeless sometimes. yes, star trek is full of drama. but its an intelligent drama that uses problem solving. i can think of only maybe two episodes in the entire original series that even had ship to ship combat. and even then it was more of cake icing, not the whole fucking show cake. most of the actual plots came from examining motives and shit like that. 

number 5- fucking whitewashing

this is kinda a small one since it only happened once i think, but its still pisses me off. the character of khan was a man of color. he was played by famous mexican-american actor and latino human rights activist, Ricardo Montalbán. so why. the fuck. did yall get benedict cumberbatch, the whitest british dude in the history of white british dudes, to play a character who opened the doors for more pocs to be in tv? like dont get me wrong i think cumberbatch is a lovely man, but seriously? its like getting a white bitch to play uhura. who i remind you made tv history with the first inter-racial kiss ever to be broadcast on american television. 

so yeah. even if you think the films are a fun ride, which they are to some degree, the level of disrespect that they give to the original series just fucking floors me.  like i feel like they just googled the basic elements of star trek (character’s names, basic info about the different species, etc.) and then made a film base on that. 

whether you enjoy the original series or not, star trek is a work of art and one of the most progressive science fiction series ever made. anybody who does not respect that can royally go fuck themselves . 

[bioloby]

Gay Animals Part II: Electric Boogaloo, The Science of Gay, and You

Before I start this article off I’d like to lay a disclaimer: The reason behind why people are queer isn’t very well understood, but all science tries to do is understand the “why” of things and passes no judgment, regardless of the cause. If science said the homosexuality was 100% caused by watching too many cartoons (spoilers: it’s probably not) that information makes you no less you and it shouldn’t affect how you feel about yourself. But, as we will see, homosexuality is not only something incredibly prevalent in the animal kingdom, but is as accepted as any other trait an individual can express.

So, with all that being said, this article will deal with homosexuality, genetics, possible environmental factors, and its possible evolutionary benefits in nonhuman animals. Because the human brain is so much more complex than anything we’ve ever seen, and we still don’t know most of its secrets, it’s important to remember that what might be true for rams, penguins, or even our close relatives like bonobos, is not necessarily the case for humans. Nor should we look at other animals in a human-like manner. For instance, it’s entirely likely that gay animal couples pick up the slack for parents who abandoned their children. We can’t and shouldn’t look at them through a human filter, because it would be impossible to tell if they love each other as human couples (hopefully) do, or if their union is purely survival based. Humans might be the only creatures able to feel love, or it might be more prevalent that we are aware. Whatever the answer, it doesn’t matter here. All I will be doing is going over some of the facts that scientists know, and why this would matter to animals in the wild.

So if any of this makes you uncomfortable, then please skip this post. If you feel I’ve offended you somehow then please DM me and I’ll try to amend this the best I can. Otherwise please click the read more below.

Now homosexuality is kind of ambiguous of a term, and many scientists have conflated it with hermaphroditism, so to avoid confusion I am going to define homosexuality in the animal kingdom in two ways.

Same-sex, long-term courtship.

These are same-sex couples that act towards each other as a heterosexual couple would for at least one mating season.

Homosexual intercourse.

This can last for as long as one night of passion, or be a continuous trait in an individual.

I’m also going to consider bisexual animals on the homosexual spectrum.

PART I: The One With the Genes

Arguably one of the most powerful aspects of biology is evolution, and a key principle in evolution is detrimental traits are less likely to get passed down than traits that make it easier to survive and reproduce. So why is it then that homosexuality, a trait that seemingly provides no advantage to reproduction, is so prevalent not only in individuals but throughout the animal kingdom? If we assume that homosexuality is genetic (and there is good cause to believe that) then shouldn’t that gene cease to be passed down?

Most times the answer is yes, but sometimes if a gene benefits a whole population it will continue, even if some individuals are negatively affected by it. According to one study male homosexuality actually persists because of this very reason, not because it benefits the males, but because it benefits the females. According to the authors, homosexuality is more common in lineages with females who have high androphilic tendencies, that is, a high attraction to males. Now in males, this gene will manifest as a what appears to be homosexuality, but in females this heightened androphilia will manifest as an increased sex drive, making up for the male carriers.

This, of course, does not account for female homosexuality. Nor does it take into account possible environmental factors we’ll get into later. But it is important to highlight how evolution and nature look at traits. Under normal circumstances, unless a trait is highly deleterious (deadly to the individual) there won’t be enough pressure to remove it. But are these genes deleterious anyway? We’ve seen that they may play an important role when not being expressed as homosexuality, but it could play an equally as important role in homosexual animals.

PART II: The One With the Homosexual Helper

Animal preference and motivation are not always the same as it is in people. Swans mate for life. But is that because it makes it easier for them to find a mate in the future, or is it because they can feel a complex emotion like love? It’s impossible to say, so it’s impossible to know why animals do a lot of things. “But goddammit we’re going to try”, science said.

Take the humble penguin. In my last post, I wrote about how gay penguins will frequently “adopt” orphaned eggs and raise them as their own performing all of the same functions as a heterosexual couple would. Why then, waste resources raising something that’s not your own child?

According to Darwin, it’s not just individuals who evolve to protect their lineage, but groups that evolve to protect their species. This is largely the basis for theories on why altruism exists and can be applied here as well. Afterall, a homosexual couple is never going to produce a child, and if an egg or a baby is without a parent the option is left to die the population as a whole will have lost a child. But if a couple unable to conceive their own adopts it, then that is a net gain for the population as a whole. Thus, the population that keeps these genes that reciprocate this kind of altruism is more fit to survive than a population that doesn't. And the adoption phenomenon can often be seen in non-homosexual individuals as well, but it demonstrates a good example of how altruistic genes can help a species grow even at the cost of fitness to the individual.

PART III: The One With the Sexual Leverage

Nature is a fickle mistress, and she does not subscribe to one dogma. Sexuality, while predominantly used for creating the next generation, has been appropriated by many species as a form of leverage, bonding, the assertion of dominance, and even used to take the place of an all-out brawl. So it’s no surprise then that homosexual acts are used in a similar fashion. This is also where the motivating factors of homosexuality moves away from a possible genetic or natural cause and towards as more psychological reason. Take, for instance, the bonobo. This species seems to be functionally bisexual, using sexuality for control rather than attraction. In one instance a bonobo might have sex with their opposite gender for the reason most animals would, to make a baby. In the next instance, that same ape might get into a disagreement with an ape of the same gender. These two apes, instead of fighting, will use sex as a way of diffusing and diverting attention from the disagreement. And yet these two acts of sexual intercourse are entirely unrelated, and likely evolved for those specific scenarios.

And this is true in plenty of other animals as well, dogs will mount other dogs regardless of gender to show dominance. Marmots mount other marmots as a form of bonding. Dolphins will have sex with the same gender for fun, and then sex up the opposite gender for reproduction. The common trend it seems is that animals who are more sexually fluid, or bisexual, leverage their sexuality for personal gain, whether it be bonding, pleasure, or something else. While animals who remain uniquely homosexual have a more positive effect on the population’s fitness as a whole.

PART IV: The Scientific Community and Homosexuality: Do They Know Things? What Do They Know? Let’s Find Out.

Finally, I’d like to conclude with some talk about where scientists think homosexuality falls on the nature/nurture spectrum. Studies have shown identical twins are more likely to both be gay than fraternal twins, meaning that sexuality is almost certainly somewhat controlled by genetics, and this, of course, makes sense based on what we’ve seen and I’ve just talked about. Conversely, there are hormonal, as well as environmental, factors that may also contribute to homosexuality.

While most researchers agree that sexuality is innate, something that develops at an early age, possibly before cognition and doesn’t change throughout one’s lifetime, they are still hard pressed to figure out why. While it is unlikely that parenting has any effect on sexuality, parents can still influence sexuality. Several studies have shown that the each child born in a family line has an increased chance of being homosexual. For instance, the 7th son will be more likely to be gay than the 2nd son, etc. This is suggested to be likely due to prenatal hormones, but the exact reason is yet unknown.

And while homosexuality is innate, homophobia is not. In fact, while it’s likely every species has some homosexual members to it, humans are the only species with homophobic members. Much of what we know about homosexuality is stifled by human biases and irrational fears, something we’ll go over in the last part of this series.

CONCLUSION

So why does knowing the cause of homosexuality matter? Well besides intellectual curiosity, something that science is very fond of, it’s important to have facts. Over the past 50 years, we’ve seen huge leaps in rights for minorities, and that is a change that is still happening. As a society, we’re seeing growing pains. Where many embrace the change towards tolerance with opened arms, either because it affects them directly or because they have empathy for their fellow man, many are resistant to change something that they’ve never seen as broken. So it never hurts to have some objective fact reinforcing a new idea, and where better to get that objectivity than science.

[paddysnuffles]

yes hello you said you did the reading to your self diagnosis and im gonna ask what did you read bc i think i may be autistic too

Hi! The research I did was really extensive as it was for a major project for my science, technology, and medical information class during my Master’s (Library and Info Science). The project was to make a user-friendly starter guide on a topic of our choice, so here are the resources I ended up using:

Is There Really an Autism Epidemic? (by Hal Arkowitz & Scott O. Lilienfeld, Scientific American, 2012)

The article discusses the possible meanings of the drastic change—within the short span of a decade—from the long-held ratio of 1:2,500 people with ASD to one of 1:166, suggesting that better understanding of ASD (and thus better ability to diagnose it) is likely to account for most of the increase. This is a great educational tool on understanding why autism is reported to be on the rise and why the current data on rising prevalence is rather misleading.

How to Think About the Risk of Autism (by Sam Wang, The New York Times, 2104)

An extensive yet approachable look at what the science says about the causes of autism and how to estimate the chances of a person having ASD. The article offers a comparison between how much emphasis the scientific community puts on each probable cause and how the media covers the subject. Genetic research can often be hard to follow even when simplified, so this could be a valuable introduction to the subject.

Survey: One in five believe vaccine causes autism (by Carly Weeks, The Globe and Mail, 2015)The article shows the effects of 18 years of false information fed to the public as science by Andrew Wakefield, starting with his 1998 paper on how vaccines are to blame for the existence of autism (which has been repeatedly disproven) to the 2016 propaganda film Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe. An important issue with serious public health implications.

Steve Silberman on autism and ‘neurodiversity’ (by Emma Teitel, Maclean’s, 2015)

An interview with Steve Silberman, who delved into the history of ASD to prove that the belief that “autism is a historical aberration of the modern world” is not actually correct. It offers an insightful explanation about what neurodiversity is, and serves as a great companion to the essay Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity? included in the topic-specific list.

Autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point, research suggests (by Nicola Davis, The Guardian, 2016)

This story reports the findings of a study that showed that the genes involved in the genesis of autism are connected to an individual’s social skills regardless of them exhibiting symptoms of ASD, “suggesting that “the autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point.” In other words, all individuals could be put within a scale for autistic traits and placed anywhere between the most severely impaired people on one end and the easy-going, social butterflies on the opposite end. The article provides a biological basis that could inform some of the discussion presented in other articles on the suitability of labelling less severe cases as a “disability” rather than a difference.

Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-V: Better or worse than the DSM-IV? by Lorna Wing, Judith Gould, and Christopher Gillberg—–An overview of the changes brought by DSM-V by removing the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders and replacing them with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as a discussion about the positive and negative aspects of the new criteria. Considering that the changes brought by the new edition of the DSM is one of the most important developments in the area, this article provides a much-needed discussion on the very definition of ASDs. Note: One of the beliefs professed in the article - that autistics cannot feel empathy - has recently been disproven; for details on that see Brewer & Murphy in the referenced works section)

Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comprehensive Review by Connie Wong, Samuel L. Odom, et al.—–A look at the current practices for ASD therapy to help children learn coping mechanisms, hone their fine motor function abilities, and other interventions found to be effective through different research projects. This essay will be helpful for an understanding of the therapies and techniques available for families affected by ASD.

Does the different presentation of Asperger syndrome in girls affect their problem areas and chances of diagnosis and support? by Elizabeth Hughes—–The article discusses the differences in how ASD presents itself in females versus males, comparing the diagnostic tools available for ASD and doctor’s perceptions of what ASD looks like in order to determine whether more males tend to be diagnosed with ASD than females due to actual biological differences in prevalence or because of gender bias imbued within the diagnostic tools. In addition to addressing an important issue surrounding ASD, this article also helps with the understanding of the range of symptoms and level of severity ASD can be manifested.

The Ever-Changing Social Perception of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States by Danielle N. Martin—Providing a historical perspective on the evolution of the understanding and acceptance (or lack thereof) toward ASD from a social and medical standpoint, this article looks at how past perceptions have shaped the modern stigma toward this disorder. This thesis paper—which was awarded the Michael F. Bassman Honors Thesis Award from the East Carolina University—will helps readers to familiarize themselves with how stigma against ASD manifests itself.

A Minority Group by Charlotte Stace—–Slang and terminology related to ASD are explored from the perspective of the ASD community, offering a unique insight into how the community views itself as well as how it views outsiders. It provides an interesting mirror image to the previous article, which is focused on the point of view of those not living with ASD.

Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity? by Aaron Rothstein—–The author discusses whether differences in how the brain deals with sensory input (such as in ASD, ADHD, and dyslexia) should qualify as “disorders” or whether they are variations on the brain’s “wiring” that helps with our species survival by providing certain individuals with an ability to problem-solve in ways that most people can’t. The emergence of this debate within the community—which is rapidly gaining prominence in media outlets—makes this paper an important read for those interested in a more holistic view of ASD.

Major sources of information (publications)

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-V): Although not a source solely focused on ASD (which comprises a relatively small part of the overall publication), it is nevertheless considered to be one of the key sources of information for professionals trying to determine whether a patient might be on the spectrum.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: The leading peer-reviewed, scholarly periodical about ASD and other closely related disorders; published monthly.

Autism Spectrum Digest: A monthly digital magazine centered around topics of interest to members of the ASD community and their families, such as helpful apps, current news related to ASD, legal/human rights issues, etc.

Electronic resources

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network: An advocacy group about ASD, for autistics and by autistics, which promotes programs, offers a resource library, and provides a source for news relating to the ASD community from an ASD perspective.

Research Autism: A UK organization whose focus is research of interventions in autism, as well as provide objective evaluations of the scientific evidence behind each. It also offers a number of useful resources, such as a database of publications relating to ASD, links to apps developed for people with ASD, and information on legislations and policies relevant to people with ASD.

Authorities

Hans Asperger: Hans Asperger played an important role in the history of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He was one of the first scientists to identify ASD, and the first to theorize that ASD is something that affects a person throughout their whole life rather than only through childhood as Leo Keller claimed (Sole-Smith, 2014). Asperger’s Syndrome, one of the most-known variations of ASD, was named after him (Asperger’s Syndrome, n.d.).

Temple Grandin: Though her formal education deals with animal caregiving, Dr. Grandin is nevertheless seen as a leading authority on autism by both the ASD community and researchers alike. She is recognized as one of the first advocates for autism to actually have autism, and her insights into how autistic people experience the world were instrumental in bringing awareness and some degree of acceptance to ASD. Dr. Grandin has been profiled by the New Yorker, interviewed in NPR and the New York Times, was the subject of a photo essay for Time magazine and was listed in the 2010 Time 100 list in the "Heroes" category (Flatow, 2006; Goldman, 2013; Slaby, 2009; Hauser, 2010). She has written a number of books on Autism, has received honorary degrees from several universities, and was awarded a Double Helix Medal (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2011; Grandin, 2016).

Key issues

"Neuro-diverse" versus “disabled”: There is surging controversy about whether milder forms of ASD should be considered disorders/disabilities or only a version of how the brain can function (like having a Mac vs a PC - they’re different, but it doesn’t mean one is faulty). A major reason behind this movement is that, as Dr. Grandin explains in her TED Talk, autistics might be worse than most people at some things, but they’re more skilled at others, like breaking down complex systems and understanding how they work (Grandin, 2010). Also in favour of this theory is the fact that those “on the spectrum” often enter professional fields in the area of their special interests and become experts on the subject (Grandin, 2010).

Prevalence of ASD in Women: A number of studies have shown that the signs doctors look for when diagnosing ASD are mainly those that manifest in males, meaning that women are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, with some doctors going so far as saying that “women can’t have Asperger’s” even when faced with a classic case according to current diagnosis definitions (Hughes, 2014). There is a slowly growing movement to fix this, but as of yet little has been on an official capacity other than studies repeatedly finding that a drastic change needs to be implemented.

Vaccines and Autism: A major issue related to autism and ASD is the widespread belief among the general population that vaccines can be to blame for a child’s autism. The problem started nearly two decades ago, with propaganda disguised as science by Andrew Wakefield that was widely spread through the internet and general media outlets. To this day, despite definitive proof to the contrary by a number of research findings, 20% of Canadians still believe that there is a link, while another 20% aren’t sure about it (Weeks). As a result, a number of parents started to refrain from giving their children vaccines, with serious consequences such as illnesses like measles having made a deadly comeback to the country (Weeks).

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). DSM V. American Psychiatric Association.

American Psychiatric Association. (2015). DSM V Update. American Psychiatric Association.

Arkowitz, H., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2012, August 1). Is There Really an Autism Epidemic? Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-really-an-autism-epidemic/

Asperger’s Syndrome. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asperger's%20syndrome

Autism Spectrum Digest. (2016). Autism Spectrum Digest. Retrieved from http://asdigest.com.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network. (2016). Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Retrieved from http://autisticadvocacy.org/

Bradley, E., Caldwell, P., & Underwood, L. (2013). Autism Spectrum Disorder. In J. McCarthy & E. Tsakanikos (Ed.), Handbook of Psychopathology in Intellectual Disability: Research, Practice, and Policy (pp. 237–264).

Brewer, R., & Murphy, J. (2016, July). People with Autism Can Read Emotions, Feel Empathy. Spectrum. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-with-autism-can-read-emotions-feel-empathy1/

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (2011). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory honors stars of science and sports at sixth annual gala. Retrieved from http://www.cshl.edu/news-a-features/cold-spring-harbor-laboratory-honors-stars-of-science-and-sports-at-sixth-annual-gala.html

Davis, N. (2016, March 21). Autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point, research suggests. The Guardian [London]. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/21/autism-spectrum-has-no-clear-cut-off-point-research-suggests-nature-genetics

Dichter, G. S. (2012). Functional magnetic resonance imaging of autism spectrum disorders. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(3), 319–351. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513685/

Flatow, I. (Host). (2006, January 20). A Conversation with Temple Grandin [Television series episode]. In Talk of the Nation. National Public Radio.

Foster, R. (2014). Does the Equality Act 2010 ensure equality for individuals with Asperger syndrome in the legal arena?: A survey of recent UK case law Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(4). Retrieved from

http://www.larry-arnold.net/Autonomy/index.php/autonomy/article/view/AR16

Fuentes, J., Bakare, M., Munir, K., Aguayo, P., Gaddour, N., & Öner, Ö. (2014). Developmental Disorders - Autism Spectrum Disorder. In J. M. Rey (Ed.), IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (p. C.2 1–35). Geneva: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.

Goldman, A. (2013, April 12). Temple Grandin on Autism, Death, Celibacy and Cows. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/magazine/temple-grandin-on-autism-death-celibacy-and-cows.html?_r=0

Grandin, T. (2010, February). Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds. [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds?language=en#t-157979

Grandin, T. (2016). Temple Grandin Professional Resumé. Retrieved from http://www.grandin.com/professional.resume.html

Hauser, M. (2010, April 29). The 2010 TIME 100. Time. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985222,00.html

Hughes, E. (2014). Does the different presentation of Asperger syndrome in girls affect their problem areas and chances of diagnosis and support? Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(4). Retrieved from http://www.larry-arnold.net/Autonomy/index.php/autonomy/article/view/AR17

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Retrieved from

http://link.springer.com/journal/10803

Martin D. N. (2012) The ever changing social perception of autism spectrum disorders in the United States. Honors Thesis, East Carolina University. Retrieved from http://uncw.edu/csurf/Explorations/documents/DanielleMartin.pdf

Medical Library Association. (2016). Medical subject headings (MeSH).

Research Autism. (n.d.). Research Autism. Retrieved from http://researchautism.net/

Rothstein, A. (2012). Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity? The New Atlantis, 36. Retrieved from http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/mental-disorder-or-neurodiversity

Slaby, M. (2009). The Perspectives of Temple Grandin. Time. Retrieved from

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1985143,00.html

Sole-Smith, V. (2014). The History of Autism. Parents. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/health/autism/history-of-autism/

Stace, C. (2014). A Minority Group. Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(3). Retrieved from http://www.larry-arnold.net/Autonomy/index.php/autonomy/article/view/AR13

Teitel, E. (2015, August 25). Steve Silberman on autism and ‘neurodiversity’. MacLean's. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/society/science/steve-silberman-on-autism-and-the-neurodiversity-movement/

Tonge,B., & Brereton, A. DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet. Retrieved from

http://www.timeforafuture.com.au/factsheets/CDPP%20Factsheet%201.%20DSM%205%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorder.pdf

Wang, J. (2014, March 29). How to Think About the Risk of Autism. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/how-to-think-about-the-risk-of-autism.html?_r=1

Weeks, C. (2015, February 6). Survey: One in five believe vaccine causes autism. The Globe and Mail [Toronto]. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/survey-finds-one-in-five-people-believe-measles-vaccines-cause-autism/article22851493/

Wing, L., Gould, J., & Gillberg, C. (2011). Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-V: better or worse than the DSM-IV?. Research in developmental disabilities, 32(2), 768-773. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422210002647

Wong, C., Odom, S. L., Hume, K. A., Cox, A. W., Fettig, A., Kucharczyk, S., ... & Schultz, T. R. (2015). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder: A comprehensive review.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(7), 1951-1966. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-014-2351-z

World Health Organization. (1994). International classification of diseases (ICD).

Further Resources

Autism Women’s Network

Interactive Autism Network

Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI)

The official site for a research program funded by the Simons Foundation, which focuses on all aspects of autism research

Doctor Temple Grandin’s Site

Dr. Grandin’s site on autism. It has some of her writings on the subject as well as information on conference appearances.

ResearchGate Discussion Forum

A discussion page on ResearchGate on academic papers regarding ASD stigma. You can also search the overall discussion forum for other ASD-related discussions by academics.

Parents miss signs of autism in their daughters by Emily Anthes (Spectrum, 2016)

A study finds that parents of girls with autism are significantly less likely than those of boys to voice concerns about their child’s social behaviour.

Tumblr

Though mostly useful to familiarize oneself with ASD culture, members of the ASD community also post links to news and resources (usually with commentary on their perspective on the matter). Tags of interest: #asd, #actuallyautistic, #stimming, #aspielife

Stigma and the “Othering” of Autism by Lynne Soraya (Psychology Today, April 1, 2012)

An Aspie’s perspective on the stigma surrounding autism and what it means to support an autistic child.

Autism Speaks, But Not For Autistics by Dane La Born (The Free Weekly, April 6 2016)

An autistic’s perspective on the lesser-known controversy surrounding Autism Speaks, the #1 autism charity in the world.

Ce que signifient les étapes du développement chez un enfant autiste by Kathleen O’Grady (Huffington Post Quebec, 2016)

The Autism Speaks Controversy by Brianne McDunnough (Reporter Magazine, 2014)

Where Autism Got The Right Treatment In 2015 by Emily Willingham (Forbes, 2015)

Proteins that spark learning may play key part in autism by Ann Griswold (Spectrum, 2016)

Autism Spectrum Disorder Linked to Mutations in Some Mitochondria by (Neuroscience News, 2016)

Autism gene needed for growth of neurons during gestation by Jessica Wright (Spectrum, 2016)

[pandorasvalley-rpg]

BIO

BASICS

FULL NAME Isaiah Winston ALIGNMENT pro-war BIRTH PLACE City of Iron AGE 22 PRONOUNS he/him OCCUPATION criminal SPECIES/GENDER human/cis-male ROLE the pickpocket

HEADCANONS

As someone grown up in a metropolis, he is still not used to living in the wilderness; he often can be heard complaining about the intemperate weather, sand everywhere, and all the sleepless nights he has lying on the hard ground.

Never having the chance of learning how to swim (or at least how not to drown), he is afraid of water, even when the chance of seeing still water that is not a mirage in the desert is almost zero.

After joining the crew, he started collecting blankets, especially made of soft, colorful fabric; though the fashion and hygiene of the ones he finds around Dust is quite questionable.

Although he loves to show his affection for the crew members, he questions the captain’s ideas and opposes his decisions almost all occasions, but cannot (or does not want to) explain anyone the true motives behind his one man revolution.

As his last name shows, he has ancestors originated from the City of Wheats; this and his hostile attitude towards the City of Iron often confuses others, thinking he is from the former location.

PHYSICAL

FACECLAIM Alex Wolff EYES dark brown HAIR dark brown, wavy, mid-lenght HEIGHT 6ft/183cm IDENTIFYING MARKS mole above the left of the mouth, several tattoos, battle scars

PERSONALITY

POSITIVE charming, proactive, ambitious, intuitive, fearless NEGATIVE deceitful, stubborn, unpredictable, resentful, narrow-minded LIKES pets, blankets, to tease the ones close to him, spicy food, stargazing DISLIKES City of Iron, gambling, sand, deep water, walking miles

BIOGRAPHY

I. Born as the first and only child, everyone would except him to be a spoiled brat, instead, he was far from being treated like a little prince – even when his behaviour tells otherwise. With the father – employee of the Dawnlights’ company – who left bigger amount of his payment in the till of his favourite casino than on the family’s dining counter, and the mother, who found more pleasure at the bottom of the bottle of wine, the little Zay hardly found the affection and role models inside the walls of their rent.

II. The lack of attention made him looking for it from other sources; roaming around on the busy roads alone, trying to sneak into the hearts of random citizens, or even acting as a little brother for the heir of his father’s employers. It was easy to recognize from the start he is not suitable for the model lifestyle City of Iron requires; he early developed the smarts for streets but always being uninterested with high-tech innovations or at least his studies, showing the only future the metropolis can offer him is military service.

III. The more money the father lost, the more Zay needed to get somewhere else if he wanted to reach adulthood; the people on the streets turned from friends to potential victims. Thanks to the need, practice and charm, he became one of the most efficient and skilled pickpocket of the district. However, spending more and more time in the underground led him towards better organized criminals than those who just held a knife to his throat when he gave them less of the loot they expected. The favours they asked for were much riskier than ever before but also way more profitable he would have been a fool to turn down. Hard drives with confidential informations, codes and keys of safes containing business secrets signed by the biggest whales became his goods for trade.

IV. Zay did not believe in anything but “forward”, thinking he did not own anything to lose: his family has been rotten since the beginning, his freedom seemed just as fake as everything in the city and only legal occupation within his reach was offered by recruitment offices. His biggest fault was creating the thought if he could climb out from the pit his parents dug, they would not be able drag him back. He did not make any mistake other than being born into that household where they grabbed and beat him below his father’s feet as a punishment for all the debt he owed their boss. Zay could laugh at their naiveté expecting their actions to move anything inside his father if he was not trying to hold onto his worthless life and hatred towards this hell on earth. They told him he is lucky their boss is a noble soul giving them only a friendly reminder of his father’s dues.

Everything must end once, one way or another, and his life was finished right that night. As soon as he could get up and crawl into a cab, he reluctantly typed an address into the navigation system of the self-driving vehicle, just a block away from one of his acquaintance; clearing someone’s whole existence from every official record was hardly a challenge for him, but paying the price for this kind of service is for someone like Zay, who always pays with favour. Still, even with a greater debt his father has ever been, he has never felt more alive at this moment than ever before.

V. After successfully leaving behind the city he hated deep from the veins, his first convoy ride led to City of Dust, not even trying to test if he had the patience for all those religious idiots in the Wheats he despises as much as high-tech sex toys.

Although, his primary reason to get to this place he already found a hellhole at first sight was not because it offered the less nerve-wracking lifestyle from the two: he knew, with patience he would eventually run into his not-related-by-blood brother from different times, who always lived in his memory as an untainted, selfless soul. When their paths crossed again in this new milieu, the captain offered him a place on his side as a pirate: not the life he would ever wish for, but the one he had before was not one either. He had to realize soon their views are far different, yet the crew is the closest thing to what he can call home.

[doorsclosingslowly]

Atrocity Exhibition

Snapshots of the life and death of Savage Opress, from seventeen different angles. Drabble collection.

1.7k | also on AO3

I.

The body lies empty in the plaza, half-naked and with twin charred holes in his chest that must’ve done him in and already spotted with purplish death-bruising, and yet, he looks oddly peaceful. She kneels in respect: there is no doubt in her mind that Savage died to protect her Mand’Alor. He tried to, just like the soldiers that Death Watch has already found in the throne room, and just like them, he fell victim to the silent menace none could defend against.

“I’m still alive, but you are dead,” Rook Kast whispers. “I remember you. We will find Maul.”

II.

Her baby is a boy. Kycina had prayed for a girl, not for the sake of his sire, waiting captive in her rooms and soon to be killed for the deficiency in his seed, in the way of her mother and all women before her; but for herself. The boy, Savage, she will give into the care of his tribe, and when he has grown and been taken she will close her ears and weep his death. A girl, she’d have seen grow up, would have delighted in her every move.

A girl, she would have cradled to her chest.

III.

An obstacle, that’s all he is, or—an opportunity. Maul loves him. That long-discarded wretched failure of a traitorous apprentice has thrown in his lot with another of his species, a dumb brute with even less promise than Maul ever had, and he loves him. This is delightful. Sidious makes sure that Maul is fully conscious again by the time he slaughters the animal. He allows them their little goodbyes. It would take long to find physical pain that Maul hasn’t yet suffered, and he is well-acquainted with emotional abuse, but this: this loss, it was worth flying out for.

IV.

Always a step behind Maul, never in front. A trusted lieutenant, because he’s not the leader, not by a long shot, not with the shorter man’s arrogance in play. A shield, instead. And: a loved one. Pre Viszla sees it, in the way Savage stops the knife aimed at Maul, and in the total lack of flinch. Never a doubt he’ll intervene, and it’s mutual, certainly, what with Maul’s easily exploitable concern after the rescue.

That’s why, despite certain security concerns, he gives the order to lock both brothers inside the same cell. This is Mandalore, and family is honored.

V.

The young nightbrother has grown strong, Brother Viscus notes with silent helpless pride. On the field, Savage is straining muscles and cocky grins and there’s nary a yelp when the lance of his training partner strikes true, and then he wrestles the other teenager down and helps him up again. The boy is the very picture of a son of their tribe, powerful and kind with children and someday, Viscus thinks with a rend in his hearts he cannot seem to rid himself of, someday he will make a fine mate for the Sister who wins him as Her prize.

VI.

This new acolyte was a mistake, Darth Tyranus decides. He’d visited the Nightsister tribe in the belief that one of their males had been powerful and cunning enough to murder his own former Padawan, and he’d gone there despite the pain and disgust he feels whenever he thinks of the now-dead Darth Maul’s deed. He found: utter disappointment. Ignorance. Imbecility. Abjection. This is the kind of creature that dared best Qui-Gon?

On the floor, Opress whines and curls and begs for his brother—for the murderous beast that once enticed Tyranus—and so he gifts him another lesson of pain.

VII.

The enemy rushes onto the battlefield, cutting off that brother’s arm in a bright spray of arterial blood and choking this brother with massive claws, and right then Spotlight knows he was wrong. He’s been wondering, see: maybe they’re not so different, him and the Separatist flesh grunts. They look scared, before he shoots them, and Spotlight himself certainly wouldn’t be fighting this war if he wasn’t made to do it. No-one gets anything out of war but the civvies. But the beast has this wild look, like he’s karking enjoying it, and Spotlight was wrong. This is the end.

VIII.

Traitor, the droids name the Sith beast, and they shoot it instead of taking aim at him or Obi-Wan. Frankly, that’s fine by Anakin. He’d like to get a good chop in himself—somewhere, he is still that nine-year-old kid huddled on Naboo who was told that Qui-Gon Jinn was never coming back, that he’d been slain by the Sith, a kid who wanted to beg Who’ll be my Master now and couldn’t—Anakin wouldn’t mind taking on Dooku’s animal, but there’s no reason to risk entering the droid’s blaster-hail. Opress roars out a shockwave and flees. Next time, then.

IX.

It’s terrifying, even with his big brother beside him, and Feral can’t imagine how much worse his first trial would be, alone. Although. He shivers: being killed by the pale Woman, or accidentally by one of the other unlucky sods beside them, that’s bad (and it would already have happened, if Savage hadn’t interceded), but compared to… to being taken (Savage puts himself between another blow and Feral’s body) compared to being taken by the Sister, death is fine, and so’s being struck lame; but Savage will never let Feral get hurt. How are they gonna get out of this?

X.

The Sith looms. Angry growls and quick strikes and then—he shouldn’t be this strong, Adi Gallia thinks frantically, shouldn’t be able to overpower her this easily when she is a General and a Jedi Master and a Member of the High Council to boot, and it gives her terror for the future. He shouldn’t, because the Jedi triumphed and routed the Sith once before and hunted them to extinction; but they have returned, and the force favors them. Opress smacks her against the ship and spears her when she falls, and there is no death. There is the force.

XI.

What a moron. Looks strong—looks like mounds of juicy juicy meat, more like—but with all those nice muscles there’s not much space left over for brain, it appears, because, after that shitty strangling, the offworlder’s actually following Morley meekly to his doom. If he didn’t look as delicious or was a little less of a humorless prick, and what kind of catchphrase is Where is my brother? anyway… if Morley wasn’t so hungry, then he might even find it in him to feel bad for the ugly meathead. As it is: maybe Master will leave Morley some entrails.

XII.

He’s gonna kill her. This dude is actually going to kriffing kill her, not in a pervert way but in broad daylight, in the middle of the restaurant, grabbing her and holding her up and strangling her and everyone’s screaming, and Mikjoo was just going to look at his weird glowing amulet, that’s all. She was gonna make conversation, with a man who looked slightly sad and very lost and like he’d potentially give decent tips.

It’s not murder, in the end; he throws her to the floor and runs off, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a total psycho.

XIII.

Her creature drags himself to the table, drags himself home, bruised, a failure and: still alive. It’s a testament to Talzin’s craft that the bespelled nightbrother was able to return, and the result of her own shortcomings that Dooku yet lives. No matter. When young Asajj returns, another path to her vengeance shall be found. As for Savage Opress… in the crystal, Talzin sees her Maul, once stolen by Sidious and finally located, and there’s none more suited to fetching the boy than this durable, obedient tool. She speaks comfort and helps him up. There is further use for him.

XIV.

Her mate—or he would have been, if this was a normal coupling—he washes himself in the sink of the sister’s house where Asajj is staying, for this step in the grand plan of her revenge against her former Master. Trembles wrack his glistening bruised body, and she ignores them, according to her wishes and—she is sure—also his own.

Shock laces through him when instead of a kiss, she presents him to Mother Talzin, that and naked relief; but when he stands after the ritual, what’s left is not a mate. Not a nightbrother. Only—an instrument.

XV.

The foolish apprentice looks up from underneath Maul’s clawed foot, all thoughts of brazen challenge forgotten. There is no pain, not yet. This should be cause for further correction, Maul remembers, should result in screams, writhing and terror, but—a face, a familiar sort of face if Maul remembered his own and more still now he doesn’t, leads him from out his trash cave and into the light. A low voice rings through the nightmare. A hand offers meat. Safety. The apprentice looks up. The brother loves, despite everything.

Maul extends his hand. He doesn’t care to interrogate the instinct.

XVI.

Two brothers and a smoldering pile of corpses, that’s what Obi-Wan finds on Raydonia. Violence, senseless and vile, evident in this carnage and in the shaping of its perpetrators, for he’s visited their village, knows of enslavement and degradation and forced breeding, and knows that none should ever arise from such filth as exists on Dathomir and feel any compassion. Both were doomed from the moment of their birth.

He ignites his lightsaber and faces them. Unlikely though it is, he prays: for victory, but more still, for the chance to extinguish this cycle of violence with both their lives.

XVII.

He wrings his hands around Feral’s neck, or he doesn’t: he is watching his fingers kill, is looking down at them, and they’re not even the right size. A plea, silent, disembodied: they don’t look like his fingers. It’s only the perspective that does it, making them out to be his own body; that, and the self-aimed revulsion. Stop. They don’t, of course. His hands don’t belong to him anymore.

Afterwards, he won’t remember the Mother’s intrusion. He will see nothing but his own flesh, by his own will, killing his own brother.

Afterwards, Savage will only see: a monster.

[thebadeepieflock-blog]

Things most pet shops don’t tell you about parrots.

Parrots make wonderful pets, that is very true. Treated right, they can be loving, sweet, affectionate little babies who never fully grow up it seems. They'll always be happy to see you come home, excitedly wait for your time together and provide you with a loving, long term companion for 30+ years with some species. HOWEVER, there is a lot more to all the wonderful feathered love than just the positive. I have 6 wonderful parrots myself. Lucia, my soon to be 8 year old sun conure, Yamato, my 9 year old quaker parrot, Nero, my 1 1/2 year old yellow sided green cheek conure, Virginia, my year old love bird, Cassandra, my 1 1/2 year old cockatiel then there's Mango, my fiance's 2 1/2 year old lovebird. Though they vary in age, have been cared for the same way yet they have VERY different personalities, quirks and troubles. In this post I will share with you some of the things you may face that pet shops don't warn you about and only experience can really teach, but hey, knowing about these things ahead of time never hurts when it comes to preparing yourself. Keep in mind, there is no way I can cover everything but I can at least cover some things. Also, you'll only see Lucia and Yamato mentioned in this post as I only had those two at the time I originally typed this. --Poop issues: We all know birds poop just like any animal but what you may not know is that some parrots don't just stand on a perch and do their business, oh no, some have some very particular habits attached to this common bodily function. Things I have noticed are varied and each bird's habits can be very different. Lucia has a habit of holding it in when she sleeps or if she's perched on my shoulder. I never taught her this, I was more than willing to accept the fact that poop happens when you have a bird and, sometimes, it happens on you. Well, this little conure  will hold in her dumps for a while and then, when she can't hold it anymore, out comes this massive, two tablespoons sized dropping, or what I call her megaton sh**. When she's on me I'll bring her to her cage once in a while so she can poop without holding it however, it's when she first wakes up in the morning that it can be an issue. If you take her out before she's taken that morning poop, well, she's going to try to get it out before she gets on your shoulder. The unfortunate side effect of this habit of hers, however, is that the massive morning poo sometimes ends up splattered on the floor, and trust me, that thing splatters, or, as my fiance' was unlucky enough to find out, on your foot. Lucia has had this habit for a long while, she first started doing it at about 4 months and never stopped so, for me, it's no longer a surprise, for others however, well, the poop meets foot occurrence says it all. My answer to this problem? She doesn't come right out of her cage in the morning, I give her ten minutes to do what she has to do THEN I take her out. Then there's Yamato. You've heard of parrots tossing seeds out their cage? Well Yama (Short name for him) poops out his cage. I've tried to stop him from doing it but now he'll just wait until my back is turned and do it anyways. He will literally cling to the side of his cage, push his butt against it and poop right out the side of his cage. Only way to take care of that is by cleaning around his cage with a wet mop, thankfully the one we have cuts through his poo pretty well. These are the two quirks Ive encountered personally but I've heard of parrots using a single toy as a toilet, pooping in their water or food dish all the time (That isn't common, most parrots like their food dish clean, water dish, it's hit and miss) and even parrots who try to eat or play with their poop (Normally a sign of a health issue, if your parrot does that get them to the vet). So yea, poop habits can be an issue depending on the parrot. --Seed and veggies everywhere! The old throwing food all over habit. In my household, thankfully, only one of my feathered babies causes that huge food mess. Yamato keeps his food pretty contained, a shell will fly out the cage from time to time but overall he's neat with his digging through his food dish. However, the big culprit of the food mess all over is Lucia. She will rummage through her dish violently and throw food all over the place, push it through the bars of her cage and purposely drop it on the floor and even fling it at people just because it amuses her. Your best bet to take care of this issue is a good vacuum (I suggest a shop/wet vac) with a hose. You can try those cage skirts to keep the food in the cage, you can try deep food dishes but if a parrot wants that food to go on the floor, it's going on that floor one way or another. You can try to train them out of it but, depending on the parrot, they'll just wait until you're not looking then fling a seed at the back of your head like Lucia's done to me after trying to teach her to not make the food mess. Gotta know how to pick your battles. --Om Nom EVERYTHING! Here it's Yamato who's the little saint bird. Lucia, however, will chew ANYTHING! Can her beak grasp it? It's getting chewed. Is it shiny? It's getting chewed. Is it near her? It's getting chewed. Let me tell you, when a parrot chews something, they can totally destroy it. Due to it she has a large number of chewing toys in her cage, which don't last long, so she can get it out her system before she gets a hold of things outside the cage. It doesn't always work. Only way to deal with this issue is to watch any parrot outside of the cage and, if they start to chew on something, stop them and tell them no. Over time they will associate the word no with you stopping them from chewing on something. The way I've found to stop Lucia when she chews on something is to get my hand between her and what she's chewing and push her away from it. She doesn't like that but it doesn't hurt her so she associates the discomfort of being pushed back with being told no and will stop chewing on something when I tell her no to avoid that uncomfortable push back. . .most of the time. She does have her own will and sometimes she really wants at something just a no won't stop her so I have to push her back again. --Biting and beaking Every bird bites, no matter how tame, how sweet and how gentle, every bird is, sooner or later going to give someone a bite. However, there are warning bites and bites that mean business. Most gentle birds never get beyond a warning bite, an uncomfortable, skin denting message that can cause some blood to be drawn but is never anything serious. When a bird does this they are giving you a very clear warning, either they are scared, you did something they didn't like, you hurt them a bit but not too serious, you're in their territory and they want you out of it or they're just in a cranky mood. You can minimize the occurrence of this kind of bite but you can never truly train any bird out of it. Most of the bites that come from parrots are this kind of bite, trust me, that beak can do a lot more damage than what the parrot has chosen to inflict. Then there's the serious bites. You WILL know if a parrot delivers one of these because you will have to go get stitched up by a doctor, they can and often do go to the bone with these major bites and some parrots have been known to right out break smaller bones. I have only ever experienced one serious bite in my 17 years of keeping birds of many different types and that bite came not from one of my birds but from one I was fostering. The one that gave me that bad bite was a sulfur crested cockatoo and, apparently, dyeing my hair made me look like someone who had abused her. She was fine with me then I dyed my hair a different color and got a serious bite that went right to the bone. I avoided stitches because she only got me with the tip of the beak and not a side which would have caused a longer puncture so I just had to keep my thumb well bandaged for about two weeks while it healed. These serious bites are very rare with what most call tamed birds, the ones you can handle but, like what happened with that foster, they can occur, doesn't mean they ever will but it is a risk you must accept. With Lucia and Yamato, surprisingly, Lucia is the only one who has given someone a serious bite. She didn't truly bite me but she has really bitten two others. It's rare for her to seriously bite anyone, most people she likes but those two shared a personality trait she didn't like: They were higher energy and somewhat louder than average young males. Just a type of person she doesn't like it seems. She's also a lot fonder of women than she is of men with me being the only exception, any other guy that comes near her I warn because they are at a much higher risk of getting a bad bite. Yamato has never given anyone a serious bite but he gives warning bites to anyone and everyone for any reason under the sun, even just because he wants to before laughing at their reaction to the pinch. So yea, bites will happen, they may be common or they may be rare but if you have a parrot, sooner or later you're going to get some kind of bite. Thankfully most parrot lovers never experience anything worse than a warning bite from their feathered family member but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Then there's what's called beaking. This is when a parrot will right out grab your finger, beak around it with a little pressure and use it to keep themselves stable as they step onto your hand. So many people mistake beaking for a bite because it isn't the most comfortable thing and can hurt a little but it doesn't really cause any blood unless the beak is way, WAY too sharp. This is just how a parrot keeps themselves stable on a moving, unstable surface like your hand. Some parrots also beak you when they're playing, Lucia does this to me all the time because she likes to "wrestle" with my hand where she grabs my fingers, rolls onto her back and tries to keep my fingers in her grasp as I try to squirm them free. It's a fun game for her but leaves my fingers a bit sore. But it's worth it to play with her. Any parrot owner must get use to beaking and learn to tell it apart from warning bites because beaking will happen and it will happen commonly. Too many good parrots get the label of "Biter" because the humans don't know the difference between the two. --Scream and Screech Most people have heard it before but I will say it again: Parrots can be very, very loud. Every parrot and most birds in general will get especially loud during certain times of the day called "flock call times". This is when they call out to the other members of their flock, human or otherwise, and listen for a reply to make sure all members of their flock are alright. If they don't get a reply many of them will get even louder. I have made it a habit to go into the room when they start to flock call so they know I'm alright and I'm showing them I'm checking to be sure they are alright. You can't avoid the noise, you can teach a parrot not to scream so much but it is still going to happen. Just get use to it, it's natural for them and it's how they talk. Also, don't yell back at them, yelling makes them scream louder and get into contests to show you who can be the loudest, not something that's going to help you get back comfortable noise levels in your house. Also, don't cater to their screaming. It'll teach them that screaming lets them get what they want and that is not a habit you want them to get into. Flock call time is one thing in the morning and evening, that's going to happen anyways but other times the best thing you can do is either not respond to the screaming or calmly talk to them. Parrots will scream to alert you to a danger or problem so checking on them isn't a bad idea just make sure not to treat them in any way for that screaming. --Parrots are very sensitive I'm not talking emotionally here, though some are emotionally sensitive too. I'm talking about sensitivity to their environment. Fumes, high levels of smoke, nail products, hair products, air fresheners, non-stick cook ware, scented candles, cleaning products, body spray, anything that puts particles into the air is a risk for feathered family members. I am a former smoker myself and I always tried to keep my smoke away from my baby birds back when I smoked. I would not smoke when they are on me, I would not smoke in the room that I keep them in at the time (the living room) all that. We use natural cleaning products for the safety of the birds, body spray is used in a different room well away from them that gets aired out somewhat commonly, we are careful with our cookware and air out the kitchen when we use it. We do many small things like that which help keep the baby birds safe. Then there's natural factors, like temperature and drafts. You do not want to put a parrot near a drafty window or door because they will get sick very easily. The reason for this is due to a need for pretty stable temperatures. Rapidly fluctuating temperatures will weaken a parrot's immune system dangerously and very quickly. Try your best to keep the temperature as steady as you can in the home, they are comfy in the same temperature range as you are. If it is too warm or cold for you then it is too warm or cold for them but unlike you who will likely be alright with a little chill or sweating your parrot could easily get sick from it. --MINE! Parrots can be possessive. Some get aggressive when someone comes near their favorite thing or person, others are just watchful to make sure said thing or person isn't hurt or taken from them. It varies by parrot personality. Those that get aggressively possessive normally do require some attitude adjustment and the only way to do that is to be willing to chance a few bites to show them that, no, you AREN'T going to stay away from something or someone just because they claimed it. I had this issue with Yamato and his cage. Oh he use to hate me putting my hand in his cage no matter if he was in it or not and he would lunge at me to the point of flying over to make his point clear with that beak. What did I do when he did this? I would put my hand right in his cage anyways, setting it right on his perch and just dare him to bite me. Trust me, I got a few nips from him doing this and he got scorned for each and every warning bite but eventually he realized he wasn't going to win that battle. Now I can reach right into his cage and pet him while he's in there without too much trouble unless he's in a bad mood but with Yamato, bad moods happen. The key to breaking those aggressive habit of possession is to go near and touch what or who they're possessive of anyways. The reason why is because parrots will try to show some dominance, especially parrots with flock leader personalities like Yamato has. If you let into these habits they will think that they have more power in the flock than you do (And trust me, they DO see you as a flock member) and they will keep doing things like that and not listen to you. You have to show them that you are the flock leader, not them. This is done by pretty much right out defying any attempt at authority that the parrot shows to you. They will nip and sometimes right out bite you in a last attempt to make you do what they want but when you still defy them, most of the time they will back down. That brings me to my next point. --It's still a flock to them You may not have flight or feathers but, to any parrot you live with, you are a flock member. Even if they don't like you, you are still a flock member and, for a parrot, that's family. Most people don't realize that the chain of command for a flock does exist but it is different for different types of birds. I've had two sun conures and known others with them, sun conures tend to have a very lax chain of command in the flock where they all have pretty much equal say. Because of this you don't often find a sun conure with a huge flock leader ego though it can happen it really isn't common. I've also dealt with a few other types of parrots, cockatiels, who have a slightly stricter but not too strict flock chain of command, black capped conures who, like the sun conure, have a very lax chain of command, etc. However I did not know that quaker parrots have a rather strict chain of command when I got Yamato. More so, I had no idea Yamato was going to grow up to have a flock leader personality meaning he is constantly challenging me for the place of head honcho in the house. He's already made the lady of the house back down from him so needless to say he sees himself as higher on the chain of command than she is and that won't change until she stops being scared of this little three and a half ounce bird. Sure she is fine when he's in his cage and can't get her but the moment he is out that cage and looks like he may bite she gets jumpy. I am constantly getting nipped and lunged at by Yamato for any and every reason because he thinks he'll finally make me back down, then he finds out it just makes me grasp his beak so he can't bite at all and he gets a stern talking to. Much of his aggression comes from him having that flock leader ego problem, once he's reminded of his place in the flock though he settles down and starts acting sweet again, at least for a month or so. Most flock leader personality parrots end up being rehomed many times, they tend to be the parrots that you just can't get to stop biting no matter what you try. If you end up getting a flock leader you have to approach them differently. They can be sweet, loving parrots, they just have a bit of an ego issue and need to be reminded that they aren't the head of your roost from time to time. Yamato loves to clean me and get kisses and rubbed behind the head when he's not trying to challenge me for leadership and, if I'm sick, he instantly gets protective of me and more attentive because I'm still a member of his flock so yes, the flock leader ego birds can be great feathered babies, you just have to learn how to handle them. Due to parrots having this flock mentality you don't just have to worry about the rare flock leader ego bird, if something happens to you they will worry and if they lose you they will be crushed. Naturally their flocks are larger normally but in a home setting those flocks tend to be much smaller so they get much, MUCH more attached to their flock members. You can't ignore them, they need your attention so they don't get lonely and they need to know you're alright or else they will get worried and a worried parrot can stop eating and, if it goes on too long, start plucking themselves. A lot of people think just getting them a companion, another parrot, will help with that but that isn't always the case. Another feathered friend can help their loneliness even if in different cages but it won't stop them from worrying about you. All the more reason to take care of yourself for your flock's sake. --Those wings aren't just for decoration Do not keep your parrot in the cage all the time, it is not healthy for them mentally or physically. Those wings need to be used even if they are clipped (I personally am against wing clipping but I can understand the need in some situations) because it gets the blood pumping and keeps your parrot in shape. Flying is good for their health, strengthens their heart and respiratory system, stops them from getting overweight and is really good for their mood. Even if their wings are clipped just having the space to flap them is good for every parrot. Yamato loves to fly and I'll tell you, when he takes off he's like a little green bullet. I actually can't keep visual track of him when he's flying around the house due to my extremely low vision but I can hear him and hear how fast he's moving. One moment he'll be close enough to see just a green blur of next moment I see nothing but hear those wings all the way across the room. Birds love to fly most of the time, it's just in their nature. Also, those worried about my ability to keep track of Yamato when he's flying due to my vision, don't be concerned, I always have someone who's fully sighted in the room with us when Yamato is out of his cage so they can keep visual track of him while I listen for where he is so he's well watched after. Lucia, however, flies with all the grace of a drunken paper airplane. She's a very awkward flier which is odd for a sun conure. The reason why, however, is because her breeder was a dumbass who clipped her wings too short and damaged the cuticle where her flight feathers grow from. Her breeder also did a number of other stupid things including force weaning, machine feeding too hot of a food which caused Lucia to have crop burn and selling them too young. That breeder has since been shut down, I saw to that when I found out how bad of shape Lucia was in when I got her and got in contact with every organization and animal protection branch I could to get the guy investigated so there's one less horrid breeder out there. Due to her wings having been clipped wrong as a chick, however, Lucia's flight feathers will never grow in right even though she has still learned how to fly despite this. She may be a slow flier and prefer to walk and be carried because of it but we do encourage her to fly for the physical benefits. We just have to be careful with her because she is a special needs parrot due to what happened when she was a chick. (Footnote: Those wondering why I'm against wing clipping, it's because flight is a parrot's natural defense. Taking that from them can raise their anxiety levels unhealthily and can make a parrot very, very jumpy knowing that, if something happens they can't escape under their own power. Also, improper clipping can cause many issues such as cuticle damage, which happened to Lucia, and cutting the flight feathers too short making any fall a dangerous one. Even though I have a parrot (Yamato) who is a flight risk I won't clip their wings, instead I take greater responsibility and make sure they can't escape through a door or window or anything like that by being sure those exits are not opened while they are out. A little extra personal responsibility can go a long way to keep even a flight risk parrot safe. That said, I can understand for those who have kids which can open the door without warning why clipping wings can be a logical option for you but make sure it's done right and the parrot can still lighten their fall just in case. Also, if you do clip wings make sure any other pets are not able to get near your parrot when they are out, as I said, clipping the wings takes away their greatest defense and I HAVE heard of people who's sweet dog that had never shown aggression to their parrot or any other animal or person before decided to just take their beloved bird out with one bite and no warning.) --Bird Brain isn't as much of an insult as you may have thought Parrots can be extremely clever and can have a huge personality in those little bodies. Some birds take sport in trying to outsmart their human flock members, my little Yamato is one of them. This tends to be more of an amusing quirk than a bothersome one most of the time but there are some times when it can spell trouble, especially if your parrot's version of the game is to be a little escape artist. We had this issue with Yamato for a little while. No matter the type of lock or how we secured it this little green bird would find a way out and come right to us all proud of himself for it. It was cute but we knew it was also dangerous. Our answer to this issue was a spring loaded latch style cage, one that takes us some effort to open this way, even though Yamato knows how the latch works he just doesn't have the strength in that little three and a half ounce body to work the darned thing, doesn't mean he doesn't still try from time to time but we know he can't open it if it takes us some strength to lift that latch. You can get the most complex latch possible which may just be more fun for them to undo but it normally takes something they just can't physically operate to stop the escape artist in their tracks. They will also use those clever little brains to figure out how to get what they want, be it by manipulating you or by distracting you so they can just grab it. Yamato once teamed up with another pet to get my ex-boyfriend, and still good friend's, hot dog bun and succeeded. Lucia has been known to wait patiently until you turn your head to steal something from your plate or hand even though she showed no interest in it before thus giving you no reason to feel like you had to guard it. They also wise up to tricks you use to get them to do what you want. Sometimes they will start training YOU and it is your job to recognize this when it happens. Sometimes it's really harmless and amusing antics but once in a while it can become a bit of a problem. As the human and, hopefully, flock leader, it's your job to recognize when it is a problem and address it. Then again sometimes their cleverness, like dismantling a toy and begging you to put it back together, can be pretty endearing. That little game is akin to to when you give them a problem, like a hard shelled nut or foraging toy, and they have to figure out the solution. You putting the toy back together is the same thing. --Watch what they eat I won't post a full list in this post but there are some things parrots really shouldn't have. Avocados are the big one, they are very toxic to parrots and even tiny amounts can kill! A bite of avocado to a parrot is like a swig of pure arsenic to a human so keep them away from avocados at all costs. I personally love avocados but I never, NEVER have my babies out when I eat it, I store it in a bag in a separate area of the fridge from their veggies and I clean my lips, rinse out my mouth and clean my hands to the point they get a bit red after eating any avocado just to keep them safe. They should also be kept away from chocolate, dairy (Some parrots have a tiny bit of cheese from time to time but it has to be a very small amount and very rarely) non-fruit sugars, seasonings and a number of other things. I just wanted to make sure to warn about avocados because that is perhaps one of the biggest food danger to any parrot. ----------- These are just some of the little things pet shops don't warn you about when you take home a parrot but hopefully these little tips and warnings will help you decide if a parrot is a good match for you and, if you already have a parrot and are at a loss maybe it'll help you to know you are not alone in both the good and the bad. These little feathered babies are great, loving pets if treated right. Got questions? Even if silly or you think it's stupid, ask away. You would be surprised how many seemingly unimportant things can actually be pretty significant in the end. Even if the question is just out of pure curiosity.        

[totallyrhettro]

The Lone Jedi, Chapter 13

Word Count: 2063 Rating: This chapter: PG. Overall story: explicit Warnings: none Summary: Jedi Knight Rhett McLaughlin managed to escape the purge of the Emperor to become one of the last of his celibate order. After years of a solitary life, he finds himself with a former slave for a friend. Despite his efforts to maintain anonymity and the jedi code, he starts to realize that doing either is easier said than done. Notes: Star Wars AU; Events take place between episodes III and IV

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

*See the end of each chapter for additional notes on star wars terms*

Link POV

It was a long journey back down the mountain, but Link was determined. By the time he reached the forest outpost of Sasalea, he had stopped crying. Somehow he had held back the tears when he was facing Rhett but they had flowed almost ceaselessly when he was finally outside the academy grounds. His heart had been thoroughly destroyed by Rhett’s words. After weeks of believing that he had finally found a home where he was both accepted and loved, Link was devastated to find that he was lost once again. It seemed as though he didn’t belong anywhere.

He didn’t know where to go; he had been so few places throughout his life and didn’t know anyone outside the palace. No friends, no family, no plan. Link had only his clothes, gifted to him by the one person he had ever loved. Maybe Rhett was right; maybe his feelings were the edges of a dream, but it was the closest he’d ever come to the real thing and he had never wanted it to end. He was torn between losing the dream and knowing it had been false all along.

No. He knew how he felt, the emotion in his heart had been real. The love had been real, the joy, the contentment. The loss. Perhaps the most damning evidence that he had was how much it hurt to have it all taken away. How could Rhett do this? His damned code? There had to be more. If he really cared about Link at all, no rules would have kept them apart. At least, they shouldn’t have. Despite his sequestered life, Link knew that’s not how it was meant to be. He’d heard the tales, enjoyed the ballads. True love conquered all. What was more important than that?

Still trying to settle the turmoil of conflicting thoughts, Link stumbled into the village, wiping the drying tears from his face. Just like the last time he was here, the locals paid him no mind. They didn’t care about his pain or heartache. They were here to trade goods, to buy or make money selling. They had other things to worry about than one man standing apart, sniffling like a child. There was no kindness in the eyes of the strangers that stole quick glances from afar. No sympathy of the fellow visitors who turned their heads to stare at the man in the silken clothes. Leaning against the backside of a rather large shop, Link took stock of his situation, trying to decide who he could talk to about getting transportation back to the Hutt’s palace.

“You buy’n, or sell’n?” came a voice, gruff like sand. Link looked over at a short, round fellow who had come up beside him, smiling a rather wicked smile. Instantly Link stood taller, checking either side of him for which way he could run if things got ugly.

“B-buying,” he stuttered, trying to sound braver than he felt. The stranger had that certain look in his eye; Link had seen it before. More than a few times there had been folks that came to see him dance that wanted more than just a show. They wanted something that wasn’t on the menu and they didn’t care how they got it. Back then, the Hutt’s guards made quick work of anyone that tried to so much as touch one of the dancers without permission. Of course, the less favored dancers could be bought just as easily with enough coin. Link had just been lucky enough to be too expensive for most guests. Now that  he was no one and there was no one to protect him. That knowledge sent shivers down his spine.

“Oh, me too,” replied the stranger. He took a menacing step forward and Link matched his step with one of his own, backwards right into a second man much taller than the first. “My friend and I are both buy’n and he says you're sell’n.”

“I’m not,” Link insisted, trying to move away. “I’m not selling anything.” The second man grabbed his wrist with an iron grip.

“Good,” he snorted. “ ‘Cause I’m not pay’n.” Yanking hard, he tried to drag Link towards him, but the former dancer was quick. Leaning back and pulling hard, he managed to free himself from the man’s hold and spun around him with elegant grace. The first man, faster than his stout stature would indicate, reached for Link’s arms from behind. With surprising speed he grabbed him and held him tight while his companion was searching for something to tie him up.

‘Use his weight against him.’ Rhett’s words echoed in Link’s mind. Images of the giant man, his arms wrapped around Link twirled in his mind and he felt his heart plummeted in his chest. There was the briefest moment where time seemed to slow down and Link was back there, in the training hall, and Rhett was standing before him all prim and stately. ‘Sometimes you have to fall with them.’

Taking a deep breath, Link played back the move that Rhett had shown him, remembering it precisely as he had done before. With a fluid motion, he moved his leg back and behind that of the shorter man. Then, like a ragdoll, he fell to the ground, taking his attacker with him. The stranger let out a surprised grunt as they toppled down and his arms flew out, wildly searching for purchase. As soon as he was free, Link rolled away before jumping to his feet and starting to run. Unfortunately, for all his hard work and agility, he failed to see the third member of this party.

Not three feet from where the attack began, Link felt his feet being knocked out from under him. He was falling before he could even see who had struck him, and his face hit the ground hard. Coughing up loose dirt, he looked up to see a very angry gamorrean. His pig-like face grinned evilly as drool oozed from his jowls. Placing a foot over Link’s chest, he held the man fast while his two compatriots recomposed themselves.

“Nice work,” praised the shorter ruffian. He patted the large, green-skinned fellow on the back as he moved up to check on their newest quarry. “Feisty bastard,” he noted. “We should demand double for this one.”

~

It felt like years ago since Link had last stood here. Among the other slaves, of various species, he felt small, insignificant. Unwanted. He shivered from the cold; the slavers had taken his fine clothing, replaced by tattered rags. He was on a transport on his way to the exchange, surrounded by the dejected, the filthy, the dangerous, yet all he cared about were his clothes. Not the fact that he was now cold and dressed once again as a slave, but Rhett had given him those clothes. They had been the last thing he had of his former friend, now he had nothing but memories, and he clung to them now as his last hold on sanity. It was all he had left.

The transport shuddered as it came to a halt; everyone inside leaned forward from the momentum, jostling Link from his thoughts. He glanced up but it was pointless; there were too many people between him and what passed as windows in the cargo hold for him to see outside, and what little he could see inside didn’t interest him. He could only wait and find out where he was, and what his fate was going to be. After a few minutes, he could hear the rear hatch being opened, and the slaves started filing out. It didn’t take long before Link felt fresh air again. Well, fresher. One look outside and he knew exactly where he was.

It was an open arena, nearly a hundred yards long and twice that wide. Rows of stands surrounded the sandy floor. Today they were all but empty; the huge crowds of adoring fans only came when there was a battle to see. The only people here today where slave owners, out to buy and sell their wares. Link knew he would find no sympathy there. In the center of the stadium was an elevated platform. It was there that the off-loaded slaves, including Link, were being taken. He’d seen it before, though not often. Those rare occasions when his masters took him with when they went to buy new slaves, this is where it happened. This is where lives became nothing more than commodities.

Those slaves from Link’s transport were separated into small groups of five, for two reasons. For one, it kept them from trying anything like taking out a guard to making a run for it. It was easy to feel helpless when the armed guards surrounded you. Secondly, this made it easier for the slaves to be presented. One after the other the groups were brought up onto the platform, put on display, presented so anyone buying could see them clearly. Link waited patiently for his group’s turn to go. He was in no hurry.

Eventually one of the guards overseeing the proceedings motioned for Link’s group to take the few steps onto the stage. Link, along with an evocii, two twi’leks and a noghri. All were dressed in very little; one of the twi’leks was practically naked. The crowd seemed pleased. They paid very little attention to the male human who didn’t even look great for physical labor. Not compared to the many other super-strong slaves available to buy. It wasn’t long before the three female slaves were bought up, leaving Link and the noghri on the stage.

“You ask too much,” someone was protesting. Link lifted his head, peeking out from under his brow just enough to see a few among the crowd agreed with whomever had spoken. “He’s not even worth half that.” Link scanned the people at the base of the platform. The voice was coming from a zabrak- a human-like species with a ring of short horns around a bald head. He was fiercely yelling at the man selling Link and the noghri. Link recognized the seller as the short thug who had attacked him earlier.

“He’s worth twice what I’m asking,” the man was saying, puffing out his chest. “I’m giving you a bargain because I’m generous.”

“He looks barely able to hold a drill,” complained someone else in the crowd. “What makes him worth the cost?” Instead of replying, the slaver reached over and grabbed Link’s arm. The brunet’s first instinct was to pull away, but surrounded by this many guards and unruly patrons, he didn’t dare risk it.

“This is not a slave for the mines,” the slaver insisted. “A slave such as this would be the perfect addition to a wait staff, or a dancer for the lounge.” The zabrak didn’t seem convinced, looking up the downtrodden slave once again.

“Can he even dance?” A fair question, as the rest of the crowd seemed to agree. With a very annoyed grunt, the slaver shoved Link towards the front of the stage.

“Dance, slave,” he instructed, a glare in his eye. “Dance or I swear I’ll make sure you never walk again.” There was no doubt he meant that. Nervous, but not of failure or the threat of a beating, Link turned to face the crowd, the shackle on his right ankle clanking loudly. He was tired, he was filthy, and his right leg was about fifteen pounds heavier than normal, but as he began to move there was no doubt he was born to be a dancer.

His movements were elegant and smooth, every step mastered over a lifetime of practice. The surrounding crowd grew silent, mesmerized by his body, entranced by his movements. He had lived over a month up in the mountains, recovering from his injures, but that had done nothing to dull his expertise. It was in the dance that he had spent nearly all of his life and it was in those moves that he should have felt at home. Yet, as he proved to the slavers that he was worth more than the asking price, he felt no pride, no joy. Quiet tears streamed down his face as he realized that he couldn’t even find solace in the dance. Truly he had finally lost everything.

Next chapter

Additional Notes-

Lot of races mentioned in this chapter :p

Gamorrean: a rather primitive star wars race made famous as guards for Jabba the Hutt. They have porcine traits, like an upturned nose with large nostrils, jowls, and tusks. Their hulking bodies were covered in green, thick and hairless skin.

Evocii: pallid, sickly humanoids with heightened susceptibility to mind manipulation by Force-users.

Twi’leks: a human race with colorful skin, which varies in pigment from individual to individual, and a pair of shapely prehensile tentacles that grow from the base of their skulls.

Noghri: rather short (1.4-1.7 meters) steel-gray-skinned, humanoids with toothy snouts. Despite their lack of height, they possess great strength and agility.

Zabrak: a near-human carnivorous species native to the planet Iridonia. The species had distinctive horns atop their heads.

More Fics

[voicehumanity]

Political parties, each with its own agenda, are required to abide by the law established by its nation’s Constitution.  When a political party takes control of the government, it can act however it chooses as long as what it does conforms to constitutional law.

“President Barack Obama sought to weave climate considerations into every aspect of the federal government, Trump is hoping to rip that approach out by its roots.”

There is no law that could have stopped Obama from doing what he did; and there is no law stopping Trump from reversing Obama’s act.

The Humanity Party® stands with Obama in that we believe that the earth’s environment must be protected from unscrupulous acts to generate corporate profit.  However, THumP® also stands with Trump and acknowledges that when government steps in to impede entrepreneurship and free market enterprise, it stops the creation of jobs and impedes or eliminates business practices that are dependent upon disrupting and having dominion over the laws of nature.

The argument between the two parties comes down to a fight between the  right of a person to be employed in order to earn enough money to fulfill basic human needs, and the earth’s right to exist as it has for billions of years within a natural symbiotic balance.

“[Trump’s] order comes after several moves by [him] to roll back Obama-era restrictions on mining, drilling and coal- and gas-burning operations,” which have resulted in the loss of many high-paying U.S. jobs.

Trump has a pragmatic argument.  Obama makes a logical point.  The Humanity Party® looks at the issue with both logic and pragmatism.  THumP®’s new constitutional proposals support each argument and provide the right solution.

First, the right Constitution will make it illegal for any party to legislate or issue an Executive Order that does not “support ... the natural laws of Earth and its environs.”  But by the same constitutional authority, “Legislative powers shall be restricted to acts and procedures in the establishment of laws that support the wants and needs of the people.”

Article I – The Legislative Branch; Section 1 – The Legislature

c. Requirement to protect Earth.  Legislative powers shall be restricted to acts and procedures in the establishment of laws that support the wants and needs of the people proportionate to the support of the natural laws of Earth and its environs.  (See http://humanityparty.com/proposed-constitution.html)

This constitutional amendment will force Congress to consider both human and environmental needs when implementing any law.  However, and most importantly, the right Constitution will also mandate that the powers of both the Legislative and the Executive Branches of government guarantee “Inalienable Human Rights,” which include but are not limited to, the five basic necessities of life: 1) Nutritious Food; 2) Comprehensive Healthcare, including mental care; 3) Safe and secure Housing and Utilities; 4) Essential Clothing; 5) Public Education from an elementary level up to and including four years at any accredited University.  

(See Article IV: http://humanityparty.com/proposed-constitution.html) 

THumP®’s constitutional proposals encumber the President to focus more on the enforcement of human rights than on environmental issues, while forcing Congress to come up with laws that protect both human life and the earth’s environment.

THumP®’s proposals provide the basic necessities of life to all people equally and do not require anyone to become dependent upon corporate profit for a paycheck.  This eliminates the slavery of the laboring class, but bolsters and motivates businesses and corporation to seek profit by providing government-guaranteed and constitutionally mandated goods and services.

Suppose that all of the energy requirements of humans were transformed to renewable energy: wind, for one of a few examples.  Desolate places upon Earth can house the wind turbines that produce all the energy that humans could ever use.  It will take jobs to make the turbines and put them in place, but once in place, the only jobs that will be left are the few needed to maintain the turbines.  What do the people do who helped build and put the turbines in place but who are no longer needed?  What do the people who maintain the turbines do when they are replaced by robotic innovation that can maintain the turbines much better than humans can?  The earth wins, humans lose.

Long ago, the earth offered its natural resources equally to all humans.  This changed drastically as the few conquered the masses and privatized or nationalized all the land, banning an individual from being able to freely sustain their basic needs of life.  Slavery was the only way that the powerful could conquer Earth and sustain their massive private and national interests.  Unpaid slavery eventually evolved into paid slavery by deceiving the people into believing that anyone could be one of the wealthy, land-owning few, if one worked hard enough. 

There are more than eight billion human beings upon the earth at this time. Less than one percent (eighty million) of these hold the rest in chains of slavery and inequality from which there is no escape.  The promise of becoming one of the elite—one of this blessed one percent—assures the efficacy of the rationale for the chains of slavery: work hard enough in the fields of slavery, and one day you might become a master.

Upon the prison walls that encase humanity, in plain view of the enslaved, hangs the key to their chains.  It is not a tangible key, because there is no actual lock.  It is the writing upon the wall that resonates in words that the chained cannot interpret for themselves: The truth shall set you free!

Someone must boldly step forward without agenda and personal expectation, wielding the sword of truth in defense of the yoked.  The sword will cut for the benefit of the poor, the meek, the downtrodden, and the exploited of the world.

The Humanity Party® wields this sword of truth.

The wrong type of government creates political policies that benefit a very wealthy class of a relatively few individuals with great power.  This consequently creates a middle class that buffers the impact that absolute wealth and power has on the majority of people.  This majority includes the poor laboring class that has always suffered in poverty. Throughout history, the poor majority has been able to rise up and overthrow the few in power when the situation called sufficiently for reformation, but in our modern world, the middle class and powerful nationalized militaries stand in their way.

Teetering on the edge of wealth and believing that they could become just as the wealthy, the middle class stands between the rich and poor: coveting one, while fearing a return to the other.  The middle class validates the actions of the rich, while pacifying the cries of the poor.

The military strength of the governments that control human civilization overpowers weaker nations and leaves many desolate; causing thousands of deaths from the effects of war, hunger, disease, and poverty left over from military conquests and occupations.  

There is no part of our current civilization that promotes equality.  There is no government upon Earth that protects the rights of all people equally while protecting the natural environs that sustain human life upon Earth.

If the earth has evolved naturally, then humans are a product of this natural evolution, and this evolution cannot be stopped.  We belong to the earth’s environment just as all other species of plants and animals do.

We are Homo sapiens.  “Homo sapiens” means “wise ones.” The term is taken from the scientific classification given as the genus homo and the species sapiens.  Of course, those who invented this scientific classification system did not see themselves as stupid creatures, and thus were so inclined to include their genius in comparison to the rest of the animal kingdom as intelligent and wise (sapiens). 

These wise ones of the animal kingdom came up with a theory in which they could, through their self-proclaimed wisdom, logically support their classification system.  This became the Theory of Evolution.  Its premise is based on what is termed, “Natural Selection,” which again as they suppose, is wise because they thought of it.

Natural selection can best be described as an evolutionary mechanism that occurs when some individuals of a population are better able to adapt to their environment, and subsequently produce more offspring.  Nature, in effect, selects which members of a population are fit to survive long enough to reproduce.  Differential reproductive success between individuals is the key.  Those who produce more offspring have a greater influence on the gene frequencies of the next generation.  In easier terms for the common wise ones to understand: “Survival Of The Fittest.”

It would seem, therefore, that if this wise theory could be substantiated as a true law of nature, it would apply to all of the animal kingdom.  Yet, if science has proven that a species exists to maintain and perpetuate itself, then the Theory of Evolution has no verifiable application in the ant world, for example, in which the strongest (the soldiers) could surely kill every worker and every queen and take over the hill.  Likewise, an alpha male could kill all other males, he being the strongest of the group, as well as could an alpha female drive off or kill the other females, thus assuring her prominence and future posterity.

If only the strongest survive, how have insect species existed for millions of years without any indication of evolution or subjection to the theorized law of natural selection?  Could it be that Darwin (the so-called father of the Theory of Evolution) was not paying attention to the ants crawling up his pants as he crouched on the ground watching the birds?  Furthermore, if Homo sapiens evolved from other primates, why aren’t other primates evolving?

The more the species sapiens learns about itself and its environs, the more it begins to realize that there are more than just two kingdoms on this planet.  There are three: the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, and the human kingdom.  Because the human kingdom follows none of the instinctual and natural laws that the other two kingdoms follow, it cannot be logically included under the same natural classifications.

The plant kingdom cannot survive without the animal kingdom, and the animal kingdom cannot survive without the plant kingdom; but both can do rather well without the human kingdom.  In fact, because of the human kingdom, the plant and animal kingdoms are being destroyed, not by natural law, but by wise human law.  The laws of nature create a balance and order (some refer to as a symbiotic state) that perfectly sustain the perpetuation of the creatures for which these laws exist.  The lion eats no more than that which satisfies its hunger. When its hunger is satisfied, it does not kill unless it feels its life is threatened. The flower takes no more sun and water than what it needs to grow and flourish.

The laws of nature uphold the design of all creatures to sustain the life of their species and also maintain the environment from which they take this life.  Creatures beholden to these natural laws do not have the ability to see themselves as individual and separate parts, but fulfill the measure of their creation in order to sustain the whole.  No individual buffalo looks at its herd and makes the decision not to mate so that the herd doesn’t get any bigger.  No plant or animal subjected to the laws of nature worries about tomorrow, nor do they look up at the stars and wonder what those shining lights are.

Humans are not subjected to the laws of nature.  Yes, they are affected by the natural world, but they stand alone from all other genuses in their ability to consciously rebel against any law they so choose.  This natural earth is not subjected to human law, but follows the course it has been following for millions of years.  It wasn’t until the wise ones showed up that natural law began to be violated and disregarded.

Natural law fills the atmosphere with clean, pure air that brings energy to the plants and animals it sustains.  It fills streams and rivers with pristine water and supports colorful and healthy plants and wildlife.  It assures the calm rest of winter brings the refreshing life of spring.  In all things, nature creates a balance and order for the benefit of all those subjected to it. There is only one thing that keeps nature from doing what it does best: human nature.

We are humans.  We are the greatest species that has ever existed upon Earth.  Therefore, according to the evolutionary rights afforded by natural law, we have dominion over the earth, its environs, and everything found in these environs.  We can either use this dominion to sustain our lives or destroy ourselves.

The Humanity Party® exists to sustain human life by using its dominion and power to protect Earth’s fragile environment.

THumP® has the solutions.  No one else does.

[guidetoenjoy-blog]

Elephants unchained: 'The day has gone by when this was entertainment'

New Post has been published on https://entertainmentguideto.com/must-see/elephants-unchained-the-day-has-gone-by-when-this-was-entertainment/

Elephants unchained: 'The day has gone by when this was entertainment'

As our understanding of the minds of our fellow species improves, will we increasingly look back at the way we have treated them in horror and repulsion?

Water streams off the edges of her giant ears, runs in rivulets down the wrinkles of her slate-grey skin. She presses her whole head into the hoses force, the spray welling into her mouth. As she drinks, she rubs her skin against the steel fence, her eyelids drooping luxuriously, her trunk relaxing. If ever Ive seen a captive elephant happy, its Flora this morning.

There are no people laughing or pointing here at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. There are no infants crying, no children arguing. The public are not allowed into the sanctuary, whose unofficial motto is, Allow elephants to be elephants: give them the freedom of choice, the freedom of large areas to explore, the freedom from human gawkers (apart from via the online elecams) while still providing the kind of care that comes with a zoo.

In fact, few things are required of the 10 pachyderms here. They can sleep in the barn or they can spend the night among the pine-covered hills. They can stay in the shade or lounge in the sun. They can wander together for company like elephants in the wild or take off on a solo sojourn. They can chase turkeys or trumpet at deer. They can take a dust bath, roll in a mud wallow, or be sprayed by a keeper, as Flora chose on this day when the temperature hits 34C (93.2F).

I dont think we will ever get away from elephants in captivity, Stephanie DeYoung, the director of elephant husbandry, tells me. But is it time to change how we keep them in captivity?

The Elephant Sanctuary spreads over 2,700 rolling acres.

Beaten, starved, shackled

Watching her now, its hard to imagine Flora a female African elephant, the largest and arguably most regal terrestrial animal on the planet dressed up in a silly costume performing in a one-elephant act for 18 years. But that was her life before.

We are, as a species, generally fascinated by elephants. We see the qualities and characteristics in elephants that we aspire to have ourselves, says Patricia Sims, the co-founder of World Elephant Day. Empathy, enduring family bonds, cooperation, intelligence, long memories, taking care of their environment to name just a few.

Some extraordinary scientific studies in the last few years have revealed just how intelligent they are. They can recognise themselves in a mirror, found scientists in 2006, one of only a few species that do this. They can have an aha moment to solve a puzzle, showed researchers in 2011, by witnessing a young elephant in the National zoo in Washington DC who would move a block wherever she needed it to reach food. We even know now that what makes captive elephants happy is not the size of their pen, but whether they live with other elephants, thanks to a landmark collection of papers in the scientific journal PLOS ONE last year

But our desire to be close to these incredible creatures has led us down some ugly paths. We have ridden them, dressed them up in ridiculous attire, beaten them, starved them, and slaughtered them en masse. Today tens of thousands live shackled in prisons of our making.

A video still from a report that was shown during the trial of circus trainer Mary Chipperfield, who was convicted in 1999 on 12 counts of animal cruelty.

Elephants are still gussied up to decorate weddings in India; in Sri Lanka they are locked in religious sites as living (but suffering) embodiments of a god; in Africa tourists ride trained elephants to see wild ones; in south-east Asia elephants are used to log the very forests they once called home; and worldwide elephants are still forced to perform silly tricks in circuses and zoos, tricks they are trained to do by brutalising methods, often using a bullhook, a large, sharp, medieval-looking instrument used to create pain in an elephants sensitive spots.

When I ask ecologist and author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel, Carl Safina, if he believes elephants are intelligent and conscious, he says that there is zero evidence that such animals are not conscious, while there is multiple lines of evidence both physically and behaviourally that they are.

So what are the implications of this? Besides their own particular form of consciousness, elephants have spectacularly good memories. Can they remember abuse and pain? Could some elephants even be described as traumatised? There have certainly been episodes that would seem to indicate this. In 1994, for example, a female African elephant named Tyke crushed her trainer to death in front of a circus audience in Honolulu. She escaped the tent and ran through the city streets for a half hour before police officers brought her down in a hail of 86 bullets. Like all circus elephants, shed spent her life chained up, transported in trucks and beaten to perform. The only freedom shed known was when shed escape and shed done so twice before. (The 2013 documentary Blackfish, about a killer whale, Tilikum, appears to tell a very similar story about another of the earths largest mammals.)

Sukari in her enclosure

Over and over again, staff at the Tennessee sanctuary tell me that elephants never kill anyone accidentally. Like humans, they can snap. Constant beatings, solitary confinement, being chained to the floor: all this can understandably push any elephant to the brink and some will retaliate.

In her book Elephants on the Edge, Gay A Bradshaw argues that elephants both wild and captive can suffer psychological traumas, leading them to become more unpredictable and violent. When elephants lose their homes and families, are subjected to mass killing, and are captured and incarcerated in zoos, they breakdown mentally and culturally and exhibit symptoms found in human prisoners and victims of genocide, Bradshaw said in an interview with Scientific American.

In her book, Bradshaw describes an experiment where the symptoms of an elephant were sent to five mental health officials who had no knowledge that they were diagnosing an elephant and not a human but all of whom diagnosed the individual with PTSD.

As our understanding of the minds of our fellow species improves, will we increasingly look back at the way we have treated them in horror and repulsion?

Shirleys right ear was scarred when she was on a ship that caught fire and sank.

Unloosening the chains

The impact of our changing understanding of elephant psychology has already been profound. Perhaps the most astounding change is at circuses. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, arguably the worlds most famous circuses, stopped using elephants last year and then closed for good this May after 146 years. Britains last circus elephant, Anne, was rescued in 2011 after the Daily Mail revealed she was being viciously abused. Twenty countries have banned the use of elephants in circuses. Even India has banned elephants in both circuses and zoos though the process of retiring the elephants is gradual.

The days gone by of putting an animal in a cage and calling it entertainment. I think more and more people realise that is ridiculous, says DeYoung.

Life in zoos is generally not as abusive for elephants as in circuses. Zoo elephants are not travelling overland on a weekly basis, are not usually chained up for days to weeks to years on end, and are not usually forced to perform tricks day in and day out.

But there have been enormous changes here too. Recognising the social needs of elephants, the USs Association for Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) now requires that any accredited zoo must have at least three female elephants, two males or three mixed genders in order to make sure elephants have peers although facilities can apply for an expectation. (There has been less progress on space: a creature known to roam hundreds to thousands of square kilometres in the wild gets as little as 500 square metres of outside space in a zoo.)

The best zoos are changing concrete cages to natural environments, adding more enrichment and taking their elephants for daily walks to increase exercise. Today, 43 zoos are members of the Elephant Welfare Initiative, which tracks real-time data on their pachyderms, all in an effort to improve conditions. And many elephant keepers now have behavioural backgrounds, an acknowledgement of the species deep psychological needs, explains Otto Fad, an animal behaviour and welfare specialist. All of us elephant geeks are paying attention, he says.

Adult elephants and a calf chained in an indoor enclosure at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, US in 1989. Photograph: Scott McKiernan/Zuma/Alamy

But progress is slow, and patchy. China is buying up wild elephants from Africa, and Chinese zoos are hardly known for humane conditions. Eyewitnesses say zoos there are forcing elephants to do unnatural tricks to entertain visitors, much like circuses. Even in Europe controversy remains: In April, Peta released footage of keepers at the Hanover zoo in Germany using a bullhook and whip to train juvenile elephants to perform tricks. The European Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the AZA both still allow the use of bullhooks.

And then there are the 15,000 to 20,000 elephants around the world that still spend their lives in chains. Harsh, is how Carol Buckley, the head of Elephant Aid International,describes conditions in Asia. With little exception, they live in chains when not being dominated by their mahout to perform. The mahouts suffer equally … [Both] live in squalor, deprived of the most basic needs. In Indonesia, activists have photographed an elephant in a zoo that lives alone with its feet tied together by a chain. It cant move a single step.

So, what to do? We cant just open the pen doors and unloosen all the chains.

If only they could all go and live in the sanctuary.

Ronnie (on the left) and Sissy in their enclosures. Out of shot are their companions. All are free to roam in 100s of acres.

They are allowed to express themselves

No institution is perfect. Founded in 1995, the 2,700-acre sanctuary North Americas only one dedicated solely to elephants has seen its own set of tragedies and challenges, none worse than when a keeper was killed in 2006 by an Asian elephant.

But it is a genuine sanctuary for once abused elephants, tended to by the most devoted of staff, who practise a form of elephant care known as protected contact or PC, a type of training invented in the 1990s by San Diego zoo. This is in opposition to whats called free contact, which generally depends on bullhooks and punishment. Keeper Kristy Sands Eaker says PC is about mutual respect, and about positive reinforcement rewards for good behaviour rather than punishment. They know we are not going to enter their space … They are allowed to express themselves if they do not want to participate in something they can react and theres no punishment for that.

At the same time, the animals are not romanticised: elephants and keepers are always separated by a steel barrier; there are always at least two keepers working with an elephant, and all are aware they are dealing with four-tonne animals capable of killing with a single strike of its trunk.

The sanctuary houses 10 female elephants it doesnt take males at this time. It has room for six more, but its surprisingly difficult to obtain new elephants. After all, elephants are money makers for circuses and zoos, which are often loathe to give them up. This is why the sanctuary is never sent young elephants: the younger the elephant, the bigger the jackpot. In an attempt to create bridges between the circus or zoo world and the sanctuary, the staff say their elephants are retired not rescued.

The sanctuary has no interest in breeding on the site. Were not breeding for animals to live in captivity, says CEO Janice Zeitlin. And this is captivity.

Some of these elephants have harrowing stories. Sissy, stolen from the wild in 1969, survived a flood in Texas in 1981, spending 36 hours submerged under water with just her trunk above the surface. For years she was terrified of water, but after coming to the sanctuary she started wading in pools again.

This is what the sanctuary is about, says Zeitlin. These celebrations. These milestones.

Some elephants arrived with self-mutilation behaviours, such as biting their ears or tusking their own legs. Its a coping mechanism, and a lot of that is based on stress, explains DeYoung.

I spend the day at the sanctuary with remarkable women. DeYoung moved across the country to work here. Zeitlin came 20 years ago and today runs the place. Sands Eaker worked up to the day she gave birth to twins. She told me she sometimes feels she knows the elephants better than her own children. This is not a job for them, its a calling, a devotion, a love.

I wonder if they are aware of the similarities between them and the elephants they care for. On the one hand, we have a highly intelligent, empathetic, deeply conscious species that has survived millions of years through a powerful matriarchal society. And, on the other, are the women of another species determined to give these pachyderm ladies the best years of their life, determined to do their utmost to heal the wounds caused by our sins.

Given that they are often taking in geriatric elephants the youngest on site is 33 workers at the facility have become accustomed to loss. In its 22 years, they have seen 17 elephants die. In 2013, they started a new policy of euthanising elephants when they felt they were suffering from irreversible health problems causing unrelenting suffering.

An elephant grave at the Elephant Sanctuary.

There was a philosophical change, DeYoung says, noting that founders preferred allowing nature to take its course. The final decision comes down to the vets, but includes input from all the staff. Since 2013 they have humanely euthanised five elephants.

We feel we are the stewards of this animal and it is our responsibility to take care of them in life and in death, adds DeYoung.

When death comes whether due to euthanasia or other causes the other elephants are allowed to spend as long as they need with the body. Elephants are buried on site and marker stones erected. Staff have observed elephants visiting the graves of their lost companions, especially those they were particularly bonded to. More then 10 years after Jennys death, Shirley still marches into the wood to mourn beside her grave.

Into the wild

But even if every zoo in the world was like the sanctuary, captivity can never replicate the wild.

Conservationists rarely consider the idea of releasing captive elephants back into the wild, but it has been done. Elephant Reintroduction, a NGO in Thailand, has reintroduced more than a hundred once-captive elephants into three protected areas since 2002. The work is challenging. Premjith Hemmawath, with the organisation, says mahouts had to teach one elephant how to drink water from the river instead of the tap. Still, many reintroduced elephants have thrived in this programme, with some even reproducing in the wild.

Fewer captive elephants have been released in Africa, but there are successes there too. Eight adult captive elephants housed in African countries (five males and three females) have been rereleased in Botswana. The most incredible example of reintroductions are Durga and Owalla, American circus elephants that were reintroduced into a park in South Africa in 1982. Both went on to have their own calves.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

[izzy-cru-blog]

Asian Elephant Asian Elephants once roamed across the grasslands of Asia. However, human threats, poaching and habitat loss has forced their species to surrender into the heavily dense forests of Asia. They can be found in the forests and sanctuary areas of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, China, Malaysia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and India. << INCLUDE SKETCH OF ENVIRONMENT>>

In the wild the Asian Elephants diet mainly consists of leaves, flowers, fruits, shrubs, grasses and roots. The average adult Elephant eats up to 170kg of food and 90L of water every day. They may occasionally feed on fruit plantations bordering their habitat which can cause thousands of dollars in damage. In zoos the Asian Elephants diet consists of hay and lucerne. They receive treats of apples, bread, carrots, sugar cane, bamboo and heavily dense, leafy branches.

The Asian Elephants current status is threatened. There are only less than 53,000 left in the world.

The main threats to Asian Elephants are habitat loss and poaching. Elephants are poached by heartless individuals for their tusks. Asian Elephants tusks contain ivory which is used for jewlry, trinkets and decorative purposes. The Elephants population is being destroyed to create fruit and wheat plantations as well as for building roads and clearing areas for city extensions and new towns to be built.

FACTS 1 - Asian Elephants are the largest terrestrial mammals on their native continent. Adults can reach up to 6.4m in length and 3m in shoulder height The average adult male can weigh up to 5 tonnes.

2 - A significant percentage of the Asian Elephants population have no tusks because of ivory fragmentation. The percentage of males with ivory in their tusks can range anywhere between 5% in Sri Lanka and 90% in southern India. This reflects on the outrageous amount of ivory done in Asia.

Organisations such as WCF are pushing to reduce the human to elephant conflict, promote elephant friendly products, conduct research to help conservation and monitor the Asian Elephants population.

African Wild Dog African Wild Dogs used to live throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. However, now their habitat has been limited to Southern Africa and southern parts of East Africa.They live on large grassy plains and sometimes retreat into shrub plentiful areas.

African Wild Dogs prefer to hunt their prey using sight and sound as those are two of their strongest senses. They prey on small and medium Antelope,Warthog, Zebra and Ostrich. They can pursue prey for a long distance because of their extreme endurance running snd strong sense of smell. In zoos the African Wild Dogs diet consists of a variety of meats. When they at food in the wild their senses are stimulated. Zoos across Australia attempt to recreate this by adding all sorts of things to their meals such as ostrich egg and feathers, rhino dung and many other substances. This replicates what they experience with their diet in the wild.

The African Wild Dogs status is currently endangered as there are less than 6,000 left in the wild. They have also become present on the IUCN’s red list.

The main threats facing African Wild Dogs are human activity, poaching and habitat loss. They are poached by heartless humans for their intricately patterned fur which is used for decoration and clothing. Their habitat is being reduced by human activity dramatically. Their habitat is being slowly diminished to build new towns, houses and roads.

FACTS 1 - African Wild Dogs are also known as the ‘painted dog’ or ‘painted wolf’. This is because of their unique patterns that run along each side of their body. 2 - African Wild Dogs are not solitary animals. They hunt and live in packs of 6 to 20 or more. Tight bonds are formed between each member of the pack and they all consider each other family. A female can have a litter of 2 to 20 pups which allows the pack to extend.

Adopt an African Wild Dog is helping protect many their species and extend the conservation and protection programs. When you donate money to the cause you add to the funding of each conservation project as well as the monitoring of the species population.

African Lion iii- African Lions can be found in savannahs, grasslands, dense bush and woodlands. They mainly roam in large open savannahs and grassy plaines because their prey can be easily caught there. They occupy most of southern Africa as well as the eastern and south-western plains.

iv- In the wild African Lions prefer to scavenge for their prey when possible. They eat a variety of large animals in the grasslands such as antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, goats and buffaloes. Female lions are the main hunters of each pride. Males stay at ‘home’ and protect the rest of the pride. In zoos African Lions are fed a variety of meats close to what they would eat in the wild. Zoos across Australia feed them meats such as sheep, beef, rabbit, chicken and in come places horse.

v- The African Lions current conservation status is vulnerable. As there are many breeds of Lions in Africa there numbers are still extremely large.

vii- The main threats to African Lions are loss of habitat and prey, human conflict, poaching, disease and climate change. As the human world develops the African Lions loose most of their habitat and their prey with which it shares. Human conflict with workers such as farmers protecting their livestock and families as well as poaching for their manes, fur and skin is slowly diminishing their population.

FACTS 1 - Lions have been known to breed with tigers which has created new species. Mostly dominant male lions and female tigers will find each others and breed. The new species name is Tigons.

2 - White Lions are not a distinct species but a genetic condition. Leucism has caused White Lions DNA and genetics to morph which has made their skin to turn a much paler shade as well as their fur and mane.

ix- WWF and AWF are developing a conservation program to protect the rapidly declining numbers of African Lions. In the last 21 years their population has decreased by 42%. As the human world developed the impacts on these creatures is increasing. Their aim is to stop the decrease in their numbers and focus on increasing their population.

Sumatran Tiger The Sumatran Tiger lives in the mountain ranges, lowland forest, tropical rain forests and mountain forest. They live in areas of dense foliage but are most commonly found in last forest land. Sumatran Tigers are only found on the Indonesian island on Sumatra in the central sumatran forests.

In the wild Sumatran Tigers are mainly solitary. They are carnivorous and eat what ever comes to them. They eat small to medium animals such as wild boar, birds, tapir fish, deer, fish, crocodiles and pigs. In zoos the Sumatran Tigers diet in very similar. They eat a range of meats similar to the wild such as deer, sheep, beef and many other meats.

Sumatran Tigers are currently critically endangered. These beautiful creatures are extremely close to extinction with their numbers nownonky in the hundreds.

The Sumatran Tigers are threatened by habitat destruction, poachers and locals. As the forest is cleared by deforestation to create palm oil and fruit plantations. As the deforestation occurs the tigers habitat is demolished which causes their numbers to slowly decrease. Illegal hunters and poachers murder and skin these tigers for their teeth and patterned skin. They illegally trade these materials which diminishes the tigers population even further. Some Sumatra locals kill these animals when they become to close to towns or villages. They believe that these creatures could be a great threat to them.

FACTS 1 - Sumatran Tigers are the smallest species of tiger in the world out of the 9 species of tiger left that have not been threatened to the point of extinction.

2 - Sumatran Tigers must adapt to their surroundings in order to catch their prey. Because they are solitary animals and they live in a dense forest they have adapted to ambush hunting which allows them to feed.

The WWF as well as many other conservation projects are promoting the ‘Adopt a Tiger’ program which allows them to be better protected from poachers and hunters. They have set up cameras to monitor their numbers to save their species.