#Assisted reproductive courses

[reasonsforhope]

"The first modern attempt at transferring a uterus from one human to another occurred at the turn of the millennium. But surgeons had to remove the organ, which had become necrotic, 99 days later. The first successful transplant was performed in 2011 — but even then, the recipient wasn’t immediately able to get pregnant and deliver a baby. It took three more years for the first person in the world with a transplanted uterus to give birth. 

More than 70 such babies have been born globally in the decade since. “It’s a complete new world,” said Giuliano Testa, chief of abdominal transplant at Baylor University Medical Center.

Almost a third of those babies — 22 and counting — have been born in Dallas at Baylor. On Thursday, Testa and his team published a major cohort study in JAMA analyzing the results from the program’s first 20 patients. All women were of reproductive age and had no uterus (most having been born without one), but had at least one functioning ovary. Most of the uteri came from living donors, but two came from deceased donors.

Fourteen women had successful transplants, all of whom were able to have at least one baby.  

“That success rate is extraordinary, and I want that to get out there,” said Liza Johannesson, the medical director of uterus transplants at Baylor, who works with Testa and co-authored the study. “We want this to be an option for all women out there that need it.”

Six patients had transplant failures, all within two weeks of the procedure. Part of the problem may have been a learning curve: The study initially included only 10 patients, and five of the six with failed transplants were in that first group. These were “technical” failures, Testa said, involving aspects of the surgery such as how surgeons connected the organ’s blood vessels, what material was used for sutures, and selecting a uterus that would work well in a transplant. 

The team saw only one transplant fail in the second group of 10 people, the researchers said. All 20 transplants took place between September 2016 and August 2019.

Only one other cohort study has previously been published on uterus transplants, in 2022. A Swedish team, which included Johannesson before she moved to Baylor, performed seven successful transplants out of nine attempts. Six women, including the first transplant recipient to ever deliver a baby back in 2014, gave birth.

“It’s hard to extract data from that, because they were the first ones that did it,” Johannesson said. “This is the first time we can actually see the safety and efficacy of this procedure properly.”

So far, the signs are good: High success rates for transplants and live births, safe and healthy children so far, and early signs that immunosuppressants — typically given to transplant recipients so their bodies don’t reject the new organ — may not cause long-term harm, the researchers said. (The uterine transplants are removed after recipients no longer need them to deliver children.) And the Baylor team has figured out how to identify the right uterus for transfer: It should be from a donor who has had a baby before, is premenopausal, and, of course, who matches the blood type of the recipient, Testa said...

“They’ve really embraced the idea of practicing improvement as you go along, to understand how to make this safer or more effective. And that’s reflected in the results,” said Jessica Walter, an assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who co-authored an editorial on the research in JAMA...

Walter was a skeptic herself when she first learned about uterine transplants. The procedure seemed invasive and complicated. But she did her fellowship training at Penn Medicine, home to one of just four programs in the U.S. doing uterine transplants. 

“The firsts — the first time the patient received a transplant, the first time she got her period after the transplant, the positive pregnancy test,” Walter said. “Immersing myself in the science, the patients, the practitioners, and researchers — it really changed my opinion that this is science, and this is an innovation like anything else.” ...

Many transgender women are hopeful that uterine transplants might someday be available for them, but it’s likely a far-off possibility. Scientists need to rewind and do animal studies on how a uterus might fare in a different “hormonal milieu” before doing any clinical trials of the procedure with trans people, Wagner said.

Among cisgender women, more long-term research is still needed on the donors, recipients, and the children they have, experts said.

“We want other centers to start up,” Johannesson said. “Our main goal is to publish all of our data, as much as we can.”"

-via Stat, August 16, 2024

[diginerve]

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Assisted Reproduction

Infertility is regarded as a health problem, and it affects approximately 8%–10% of couples worldwide.

It has become a significant concern worldwide, and the following are the reasons behind it:

Hormonal imbalance 

Excessive alcohol consumption

Smoking and using tobacco products

Substance abuse

Exposure to environmental toxins

Over-exercising

Radiation therapy or chemotherapy

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Having obesity or being underweight

Chronic conditions and diseases

Age (For women in their late 30s or 40s, it is difficult to conceive, and for men, it’s 50 years).

The above listed are just a few reasons people fail to conceive. 

But here comes the solution:  Assisted Reproduction, which is a blessing for couples who struggle to conceive.

It all started at the end of the 18th century when artificial insemination with a man's semen was tried. After that, the advancement in assisted reproduction never took a back seat, and by the second half of the 20th century, two major technological advances came into existence: gamete freezing and in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

We are all aware of how popular IVF has become today.

But do you know that these practices are currently accepted only in certain countries and communities and have generated new debates and challenges for doctors, lawmakers, and society at large?

Yes! Because few people or groups are misusing these technologies.

While assisted reproductive technology (ART) has given hope to millions of couples suffering from infertility, it has also introduced countless ethical concerns along with legal and social challenges. 

However, to cope with these ethical issues in in-vitro fertilisation and other assisted reproduction techniques, guidelines have been developed by the different nations as per their standards.

But still, governments need to work on many ethical considerations.

Moving forward in this article, we will discuss a few ethical and legal  issues with Assisted Reproduction technology:

Ethical Issues

Disposal of Surplus Embryo

Multiple implantations

Selective Reduction

Access of Assisted Reproduction technology to postmenopausal women

The above-listed concerns are not restricted to one nation. But to all the places where these processes are in practice.

From the non-consensual donation of embryos to the Disposal of embryos, all the above-listed points are ethically disconcerting, particularly to those who believe that protected human life commences at conception.

Legal Issues

Paternity disputes in cases of no written consent from another partner.

Disputes can also arise over the fate of cryopreserved gametes and embryos.

Unregulated surrogacy.

Disputes between ART practitioners and the patients they serve.

All the above legal and ethical issues are quite serious. Although governments are trying to resolve these issues, the reality is this subject needs regular updation of regulations based on the situation.

The following are the few considerations that need to be taken care of.

Ethical & Legal  Consideration in ART

Clinics should be registered or supervised by the state accreditation.

Legal Guidance should be Clear. 

It is essential to ensure that children's rights are built into standards from the beginning so that legal advocacy is avoided later on.

In a surrogacy agreement, each party is to state their intentions and their responsibilities to one another.

The surrogacy agreement should also cover the following medical issues: abortion, selective reduction, medical emergencies, embryo transfers, and most importantly, the surrogate's health care.

Sperm or ovum donors' consent should be a must for lawful donation.

These are just a few considerations that are important to understand for both patients and the doctor.

Our infertility online course can be a great help for students interested in improving their diagnostic capabilities and medical skills for managing patients with infertility and enhancing their knowledge of IUI techniques. 

Enroll in Our online course Now!

We will cover the basics of infertility & IUI because if your basics are clear, you will master the art of focusing on the practical and clinical aspects of infertility and IUI. 

This course compiled infertility & iui video lectures to help you understand things better.

Moreover, we provide concise notes to help the candidates review the main points covered during the lectures.

In short, by pursuing this course, individuals can improve their diagnostic capabilities and medical skills for managing infertility patients and enhance their knowledge of IUI techniques.

[jymwahuwu]

imagine jing yuan hypnotized assistant!darling into believing that she should always go to work without panties... that it's perfectly fine for her to lift up her skirt and show him her fat pussy lips and her cute clitoris..... her job is to stand next to him or sit on his lap, looking all pretty while he playing with her wet folds, cockwarming him.....pumping her full of his seed..... until months llate, when he sees a tiny baby bump on her belly, jing yuan knows the hypnosis is no longer needed 🤤🤤

ignore this if it makes you uncomfortable! :D

-CW: yandere, dub-con/non-con, hypnosis, forced pregnancy

🤤Hypnosis… To add to the drama, you, as the Assistant to the Seat of Divine Foresight, have the honor of working for General Jing Yuan. You never noticed someone's burning gaze on you as you sorted papers and typed, but you did notice the gentle touch of a hand on your waist.

You have rejected the general's confession more than once. Jing Yuan still maintains his tranquility, smiles calmly, crosses his arms and listens to your reasons ("Just want to work", "General, you are very nice but not suitable for me" and other reasons).

What you don't know is that the only reason Jing Yuan didn't put you on the table and penetrate you was - some fantasy about being a little assistant. Pulling down your underwear directly is, of course, fine and feasible, but… what if you pull down your underwear yourself? This conflicts with your will and reason. Jing Yuan knows. He was thinking of a way. At that time, Penacony's advertisement appeared in front of him. Penacony is a planet known throughout the universe for its reputation for vacations and festivals.

Some dormant memories were awakened. Jing Yuan remembers - there is a technology on that planet that is recognized as safe but dangerous. The danger is…the technique of hypnosis is no longer something that appears in dreams and dramas. This technique can hypnotize the other person into living a normal life, but impose certain "unusual" rules on them, confusing their perception of normality and abnormality.

What if…applied to you?

Alas, I was almost late. Luckily I remembered not wearing underwear. This is rude.

You patted your chest gently and breathed in oxygen, your legs going weak. [General Jing Yuan] smiled and ordered you, "It's time to check your clothing and appearance." "Y-yes, General."

Without any mental burden, you pulled up your plain, black work skirt for him to check. There is no covering, you are naked, and your pubic hair has even been shaved according to the "work instructions". "Um, good. Next." You used your hands to spread your slightly thick labia as usual, revealing the most private and charming view inside, which caused a rumble of laughter in someone's chest. "come over."

You complied, muttering about how today's daily check-up was completed so quickly. You usually have to show it for at least ten minutes… your butt is sitting on his lap, like an obedient and beautiful bird. And his fingertips stroked your wet flesh, rubbing and swirling the little pearl, leaving water stains on his fingertips. After [Jing Yuan] told you that your breasts were also on display, you unbuttoned your conservative shirt and took off your bra without any hesitation.

Of course, you haven't forgotten the important rules of reproduction! Don't forget to rock yourself as that cock spreads your tight, twitching vagina and spreads your thighs. Although occasionally pleasure controls your brain like an electric shock, and you can't help but be afraid of the possibility of pregnancy, you should not deliberately allow his seeds to flow. This is not only basic professional ethics, but also your commitment to [Jing Yuan].

After multiple reproductions, signs of pregnancy appear. Jing Yuan released the control of hypnosis, and you were shocked to discover the changes in your body and sobbed, but don't forget that you are his assistant and future wife 💖

[merakiui]

meanwhile there's rook, who has the heat cycle of every classmate memorized and is always the first to offer his assistance (do not accept, the last girl who did was gone for six weeks and won't talk about it!)

Omg Rook........ of course he has all of the cycles memorized. What's worse is that it isn't even driven by horny lust; that's only part of it. It's his genuine fascination with the beautiful thing that is beastfolk reproduction and mating cycles. He just finds it so interesting that there is a time slot carved out every month for you, in which biological imperative takes hold and you're left completely out of it for a few days. To be led by the instinctive, carnal desire to breed and be bred,,, Rook finds it positively, truthfully beautiful.

Which is why he so happily puts together a chart dutifully tracking your heat cycle. It's also why he's always very conveniently within your proximity whenever you're on the cusp of your heat. If you ever need relief or help, he's the first one to offer. You could scratch him until he's bloody or threaten to quite literally murder him if he comes anywhere near you when you're in heat, and Rook will disregard your threats entirely because he is a freak like that!!! He's like Icarus in that he's always getting way too close to danger. >_< it's thrilling and wonderful. The way you fight back, hissing/growling/snarling at him until your fur's standing on end....... Rook will gladly risk getting his ass kicked if it means he can behold you in such a vulnerable, natural state.

And even if you do agree (whether dubiously or genuinely), he fucks you like he's the animal. Like he's the one in heat!! OTL

[devilevlls]

Creepy Obey me! AU

𝖲𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗉𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌, 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗌: 𝖺𝖻𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗈𝗋, 𝗆𝗎𝗋𝖽𝖾𝗋, 𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍, 𝗏𝗂𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗀𝖾, 𝗌𝖾𝗑𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗌, 𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗂𝖼 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗌𝖾𝗌, 𝖺𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖯𝗋𝗈𝖼𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇. Remember: The following information might not be that accurate comparing to Lucifer's canon personality.

Lucifer

⌞Feeding Habits⌝

  ࿔ Carnivorous (meat-eating)

  ࿔ Hunting habits: Lucifer harbors a distaste for the act of hunting souls directly. Instead, he frequents a secluded area in Devildom where lost souls wander, offering a more palatable source for consumption.

However, when it comes to acquiring meat, his approach takes a stark turn. He revels in the thrill of stalking his prey from a distance. The panicked screams only serve to heighten his excitement, igniting a primal thrill within him as he closes in on his target. ㅤ

⌞Unique features⌝

 ࿔ Two pairs of black feathered wings, some says they can cure wounds, but no one was brave enough to try plucking a feather.

 ࿔ Specific scent: He emits a natural scent reminiscent of roaring flames, so potent that it can induce discomfort and even prompt coughing fits. ࿔  Height: 1,97 m ㅤ

⌞Reproductive Habits, Seasonal Changes⌝

  ࿔ Mating seasons: Courtship displays - Lucifer's devotion to his mate knows no bounds, often manifesting in grand gestures and displays of affection. However, don't be too quick to celebrate, for alongside his demonstrations of love, you may find an unexpected presence creeping into your surroundings. Ghostly apparitions, once mortal souls he dispatched, now transformed into loyal servants, subtly assist you with your daily tasks, a testament to his unwavering commitment to your well-being.

  ࿔ Nest building - He leaves a whole mess of feathers scattered across his bed, evidence of his restless nature and feral instincts. Some of them bear traces of blood, torn impatiently from his own wings in moments of unchecked impulse. Afterward, he may find himself sore and in need of assistance, perhaps even seeking your help to tend to the wounds inflicted by his own fervor.  ࿔ Seasonal variations: Aggressive Behavior - He won't let his brothers come closer to you until his breeding instincts are gone. They won't try either, none of them wants to be hanged from the ceiling for weeks. Scent Marking - Brushes his feathers against you, imparting a subtle scent that escapes human detection but leaves you enveloped in a warm, weighty sensation. Alternatively, he may press his face into your neck, tracing gentle licks along your skin. As he marks you with his presence, you notice a distinct shift in the demeanor of other demons, since no one wants to defy Lucifer himself by getting too close. ㅤAnd of course, an intense craving to ravage you at least 3 times a day. ㅤ

⌞Territorial Behavior⌝

࿔ Aggressive displays/Territory defense: Lucifer wanders around the house when he has free time. Not just casually walking tho, he makes guttural sounds and stomps heavily. No one dares getting out of their room when he is passing the corridor. ㅤ

⌞Sleeping and Resting Patterns⌝

You see, there isn't Day/Night in devildom, just emptiness and darkness, so we are using as reference, RAD's daily activities to measure time. Class time being the morning, class end being twilight and after dinner being night.

 ࿔  Nocturnal (active during the night). The avatar of pride hates waking up early in the morning, he gets more active at night, and you can see a slight change in his behavior at this time, getting more chill than normally. ㅤ

⌞Bad/Creepy habits⌝

  ࿔ Lucifer loves classical music, especially cursed records. Do not dare come close to the music room when his songs start playing, or you might end up piercing your own eardrums, trapped in an unstoppable curse. ㅤ

⌞Defense Mechanisms⌝

  ࿔ Lucifer has the power to hear through walls and can teleport behind someone if they say his name out loud to check why he is being mentioned.

  ࿔ Possesses a remarkable immunity to the majority of poisonous substances found within Devildom. Similarly, he remains largely unfazed by the powers wielded by angels. Only the most ancient and powerful curses have any hope of affecting him. ㅤ

⌞Hygiene and Grooming⌝

 ࿔ Self-grooming: Grooming, or preening, is the meticulous art of cleaning and maintaining various parts of the body. Lucifer, in particular, dedicates himself to keeping his feathers impeccable, adhering to a strict schedule of cleaning every three days. This meticulous task demands much of his time and attention, occasionally leading him to fall asleep in the middle of his grooming rituals. ㅤ

⌞Playful Behavior⌝

 ࿔ How do they release stress? For Lucifer, playing the piano serves as a refuge where he can lose himself in the soothing melodies, calming his mind and easing the burdens of his responsibilities. However, if one were to delve into his more sinister forms of stress relief, a scene of horror awaits. He takes perverse pleasure in seeking out the terrified sounds of lost humans, reveling in their fear as he approaches, a dark satisfaction coursing through him at the sight of their trembling forms. Proud of the intimidating aura he exudes, Lucifer finds solace in the knowledge of his power and dominance over those who dare to cross his path. "Yes, scream, let me hear how much it hurts when I devour you. I could do this all day" ㅤ

⌞Human Interaction⌝

  ࿔ Responses to human presence: Annoyed, he doesn't understand why such an important demon as himself needs to be in the same ambient as an insignificant mortal. Won't attack unless you trespass his boundaries, but will threaten the hell out of you.

  ࿔ Domestication behaviors: None. Jk jk, he has his soft spots, but hides them very well. Give him some ultra-rare cursed vinyl. Or worship his boots. He will pretend it doesn't affect him, but seeing you bend down to his feet? That makes him excited. If you manage to earn his trust and affection, a rare privilege indeed, you may find him unexpectedly responsive to your touch. A shiver courses through him, and a near-purr escapes his lips when you scratch the base of his horns, a gesture that elicits a subtle display of pleasure from the typically composed demon lord.

Hope you guys enjoyed, please give me your opinions! Sorry for any grammar mistakes ＞﹏＜ Check my Creepy AU masterlist for more content!

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[hrwinter]

lena is really *really* into the idea of fucking an alien

sometimes when lena is bored at her desk, on a conference call with the board, listening to her mother emasculate yet another yale-bred, early 20s nepotism hire in the hallway, her mind wanders. meanders, really. it's a lesson in imagination. a practice in her academic deductive reasoning. one of those exercises designed to fight dementia, she's inclined to believe. anyways, she wanders about what it would be like to fuck an alien.

don't be like that. it's not crass. it's a scientific pursuit.

for instance, would it be sexual or asexual reproduction? sexual reproduction would make more sense, and surely the universe is sensible. it would promote genetic diversity. and then, what kind? syngamy or conjugation? fertilization was the most common in multicellular sexual populations, lena has often reasoned. (see, this isn't horny. many of these words put you right to sleep, didn't they?) then there's the types of syngamy, of course: isogamy, heterogamy, and oogamy. but she doesn't really need to get into gametes here. size, number, maintenance. the question she's pondering while jess is listing off her jampacked schedule is how different would an alien's physiology end up being, sexually speaking? would they feel pleasure? that wasn't common on earth. how would fertilization work? penetration? on all fours, perhaps?

hm. or would none of that even matter? would it be purely for the experience of interspecies connection? of finding common ground with a creature so distinct from you, it could almost be argued as a matter of say, quantum entanglement. no matter how many stars separated you, here you were. touching. looking. intertwining. two materials from totally different galaxies, the products of millions of years of formation, evolution, coming, coming together as one.

"mrs. luthor?" the tentative voice of her assistant rings out.

lena drops her pen to her desk. she'd been absentmindedly doodling. it's the super crest.

hm.

"kara danvers is here to see you."

"send her up," lena replies, careful in her tone, swiveling her chair towards the blinding windows of her office. up towards the sky, the heavens and far beyond.

if only someone, someone she knew personally, an alien, would be so inclined as to humor her questions. or even a physical demonstration, perhaps? was that really so hard?

[dragonnarrative-writes]

Part 2 - Work Introductions

Autumn Embers Masterlist

CW: Mentions of child loss, mentions of medical neglect/abuse, mentions of reproductive abuse, mentions of pregnancy complications and death, mentions of racism, sexism (in an omegaverse way), Brandon (unfortunately living), real world references

Data entry and analysis isn’t the most exciting job in the world, no matter what kind of fancy title you’re given, but it pays the bills. Working on a military base isn’t ideal, but the benefits are nothing to sneeze at. And most days, you get to sit alone and uninterrupted, in your own office, instead of in a cramped cubicle.

On Tuesday, you’re startled out of your audiobook by a gentle knock on your desk. Sherry, your immediate superior, gives an awkward little wave and waits for you to finish your line and mute your music.

“Hey, I’m so sorry about this,” she says, as soon as your headphones are clear. “You remember those port reports from Honduras? Some of the senior analysts have some questions for you? They’re currently in a meeting and requested some clarification…?”

You wait, but she doesn’t say anything else. “…what do they want to know?”

“Oh, they didn’t tell me, I’m sorry,” Sherry says. “They asked if you could… Well, they need you to attend the meeting. Right now.”

“Do I even have the clearance for that kind of meeting?” You stand without waiting for an answer and disconnect your laptop from the dock. With it tucked under your arm, you grab a notebook and pen, as well as your water bottle.

Sherry leads the way out of the office. “I know you submitted these reports two weeks ago, and your notations are excellent. I think the problem is with one of the flagged ship manifests, but they wouldn’t clarify why they were concerned. Couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

Her apologetic air suddenly makes sense. “Brandon’s in there, isn’t he?”

Sherry grimaces. “I’m so, so sorry. It’s him and a few alphas. There’s an American CIA agent as well.”

“So I absolutely don’t have the clearance for this meeting,” you sigh. “Great.”

A short elevator ride and two halls away, you take a fortifying breath before you step into an occupied meeting room. Brandon’s is the first face you see, and when he sees you the corners of his lips turn up in an infuriating smile. Next to him, another senior analyst’s eyebrows pop up, but Andrew actually looks happy to see you.

Before the door can close behind you, a blonde, American alpha stands and offers her hand in a no-nonsense shake. “Kate Laswell. We appreciate you being so prompt.”

“Of course,” you answer. Unfortunately, your attention is a little torn. All four members of the 141 are sitting at the table, looking at you curiously. Sergent MacTavish grins like a wolf. Captain Price tips his chin up just enough that you know he’s scenting you. Lieutenant Riley, face covered from the nose down in a black neck gaiter, gives you a quick once over that makes you want to shiver. But you’re a professional, so instead of fleeing you take the nearest seat, across from a smiling Sergent Garrick. You fold both of your hands on top of the table, the very picture of accommodating and helpful, “What can I assist you with?”

“Why’d you flag this shipping manifest,” Brandon asks. The projector at the front of the room switches to a document that would be barely legible, even without the distortion of zoom.

“You’re going to have to be more specific,” you tell him, flipping your laptop open. “What’s the file name?”

“Honduras,” Brandon says, Port Cortez.”

“Puerto Cortes,” you correct. And seeing as it’s the largest seaport in Central America, I’ve combed through literally hundreds of manifests, you think, but don’t say. “I’m going to have to ask you to be a bit more specific. The projector isn’t easy to read.”

“You flagged this manifest for a Korean ship.”

You jump when Sergent Garrick says, “Christ, mate, just give her the file name.”

Lieutenant Riley gives a cough that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. You think you see MacTavish still grinning at you out of the corner of your eye. Laswell rattles off the document name without looking.

As soon as the document loads, you know exactly why Brandon and Andrew are confused. And you know that the following conversation is going to be so unpleasant that you shoot off a quick email to take the rest of the day off once this meeting ends.

You take a deep breath, let it out slowly. “The manifest is inconsistent with previous patterns from that particular port and that particular captain and crew. As I noted, the four containers from Venusian Pharmaceuticals wouldn’t have made it on the ship do to political and economic pressures.”

Brandon doesn’t bother to look at you when he asks, “What pressures?”

Laswell interjects before you can answer, “Leaked internal communications provided evidence that Cloudstone Pharm was selling tampered heat suppressants and birth control in various black markets. The 4B movement in South Korea had been calling for an investigation for years by that point. A lot of omegas were killed because of mis-labeled medications. Pregnancy and birth related complications.”

“I remember that. It was, what, five, more years ago?” Lieutenant Riley asks. “Had an entire re-brand. Cloudstone to Venusian. Everything went from blues and whites to greens and yellows.”

“Okay, so the containers had a bit of extra security to get onto the ship,” Brandon says, before you can get over the shock of two alphas in a room who know anything about even the broad strokes of omega health care. “There’s protesters at every major port for one thing or another.”

“Even if they’d gotten on the ship, they wouldn’t have made it to Puerto Cortes,” you counter. “The captain lost two of his kids because of their medications. He’s had his crew dump the containers and alter manifests before. He was investigated for it, but his crew wouldn’t speak against him.”

Brandon frowns. “How do we know he didn’t get paid off?”

How do we know the omegas weren’t worth less than a cash payment? Your throat feels like closing in on itself. You keep your voice as steady as you can. “He wouldn’t have been.”

“How do you know?”

Andrew, eyes darting between you and Brandon, tries to interrupt. “Well-”

“Because he made the autopsy reports for both of his sons public,” you answer. You have to force your jaw to unclench. “Along with pictures and videos of how sick they were before they passed, before anyone knew what was really wrong with them. And the executives of Cloudstone, an American company, laughed. Called them slurs and ignorant animals in emails and meeting memos that were later leaked to the public.”

Across from you, Garrick is not smiling anymore. “That’s… disgusting.”

“Cloudstone struggled to recover in eastern Asian markets, even with the re-brand,” you continue, then take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “And all of this was in my report.”

“Your job isn’t to provide those kinds of references. You’re not trained for it. There were a couple of links to articles,” Brandon dismisses. “Not enough to-”

“One of his sons experienced total organ failure,” you interrupt, closing your laptop. You know your scent must be all over the place, but the subject matter was already touchy. Now he’s questioning your work and misrepresenting your job duties? Oh, fuck him. “Because he was on incorrectly administered fertility treatments that were disguised as birth control, he had a high-risk pregnancy with multiples. And then his medications were switched with heat inducers. His other son had rapid onset neuropathy and multiple strokes within a week. Neither of his sons wanted to have children. One of them couldn’t, biologically, because it would have killed him anyways. And their partners decided that they didn’t care.”

Brandon wrinkles his nose at you. “No need to get so worked up.”

You practically feel the way your scent goes hot and acrid. Where most omegas have a distress scent that is sickly sweet, yours is much closer to an alpha’s shock scent. Your parents used to call you “Wildfire” because of it. You watch the hairs on Garrik’s arms stand up.

You can barely smell Andrew’s nervous distress over your rage. “Okay, yeah, that’s plenty. The captain wouldn’t have taken the containers.”

“Is there a reason you didn’t consult the references I added into the report?” You know the sudden calm in your voice, the relaxing of your posture, is at odds with the way your anger scent gets stronger. You’ve been told it’s a sensory nightmare, so you only do it when someone tells you you’re not calm enough. You fold your hands on the table again. “Because I included original and translated sources, according to the standards of the department.”

The room is silent. All seven alphas are agitated. You can only pick out MacTavish’s scent, muddled and frustrated. Andrew opens his mouth, closes it. Finally says, “I didn’t receive the references.”

“Senior analyst Lawrence received the full report directly,” you say, holding eye contact with Brandon. “But I know how emails can get lost. I would be happy to send them again. I’ll CC you, and request that your access to the full drive be confirmed. Sir. Is there anything else I can assist the team with?”

Laswell scrawls something on a sticky note and passes it over to you. “Please also include me on those emails.”

You give her your most demure smile. “Unfortunately, Agent Laswell, I don’t have the clearance to send reports outside of the department. I would be happy to help you coordinate that with senior analysts Lawrence and Bennett.”

You pluck the sticky note from her hand, stand, and gather up your laptop, notebook, and water bottle. When you have everything, you pass behind her to where Brandon and Andrew are sitting. Deliberately putting yourself at Brandon’s back, you hand the note to Andrew with a placid smile. “Agent Laswell requests that you provide her with the full report.”

Brandon smells disconcerted, trapped in his seat with your scent roaring as you stand just inside of his blind spot. Andrew, for his part, only hesitates for a moment before taking the offered sticky note, looking from you to Laswell to Brandon and back. “Thank you.”

“Of course, sir.” Butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth. “Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

“I… believe that will be all…?”

“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.” You cement your little performance with a perfectly deferential partial curtsy to Andrew, then to the rest of the room. “Please do not hesitate to let me know if there’s anything else I can do the support the team.”

As the door shuts behind you, you hear Captain Price’s voice for the first time. “Goddamn. That is a woman capable of murder.”

[tofu83]

What men bred for.

3. Hunters and Preys

Alien Masters’ Earthling ethologist have discovered that Earthlings aka humans, especially males, like to connect beasts or raptors with themselves, such as covering their bodies with the furs of wild beasts, using the remains of wild beasts as body decorations, and even directly refers to himself as a beast, as if he wishes he was a beast. This is very strange behavior in their eyes. They were unable to determine why humans, who had developed a low level of civilization, would aspire to be equal to lower animals.

They also discovered that in addition to raising hounds, humans also raise cheetahs and falcons to assist in hunting, or keep lions and tigers as pets. Besides, another behavior is even more jaw-dropping to scholars: releasing wild beasts in a place called an "artificial hunting ground", and then hunting them for entertainment.

In the end, scientists put forward hypotheses:

1. Male humans desire to degenerate into lower-level beasts that obey wild instincts.

2. Beasts can assist in hunting or be hunted.

3. To summarize the above two points, it is a man’s nature to desire to be a hunter or a prey.

Behaviorists shared this theory with breeders, who randomly applied it to the development of new breeds of humans.

They replaced part of human genes with some genes from carnivorous beasts and developed several varieties. The genes of the selected beasts include lions, cheetahs, tigers, as well as eagles, vultures and other raptors. As for herbivorous beasts such as rhinos, elephants, bison, etc., we have yet to study how to apply it to humans.

These varieties of humans are very obedient to their wild nature and have more fighting and mating instincts than other species, but they are also more difficult to control and are difficult to apply in military applications. However, they are very suitable as hunting partners of their alien masters. They enjoy their inherited beast power and take pleasure in hunting prey.

Through modification helmet training, they can accurately stun their prey when they catch it. Even if the alien creatures are several times stronger than them, they will still achieve their mission, and even if they die as a result, they will be in a high degree of joy. It is understood that this is due to the positive effect of the dual bonus of the pleasure brought by obeying their master and the display of masculinity.

Due to the high casualty rate, upgraded hunter products like guards covered in latex and alloy armor have also been put into production. The orders are now full. As expected, as long as robots are made based on male humans, they will be very popular.

Not only that, alien masters think that raising animals for themselves to hunt is a good sport, so they also create species that can be used as prey based on the theories of behavioral scientists.

This type of breed is controversial because their genes for obedience to their masters have been "turned off" in a special way. When they see alien masters, they will resist or run away, which means they will be in danger if they escape into the wild. However, because now only males are produced, so there will be no problem of natural reproduction.

Some of these prey humans only maintain their original genetic makeup, while others add genes such as antelopes to make them more difficult to hunt. They were put into a "hunting ground" specially set up by alien masters to live freely. Those wealthy alien owners will take the hunter humans they raise to hunting grounds to hunt prey humans.

They may not necessarily kill these prey. Of course, it is legal to display them as specimens or cook and eat them. But they are more willing to personally tame these "wild" humans who don't know what obedience is into their own pets, just like how humans tamed wild horses in the past.

If the masters simply want to enjoy hunting humans, it is okay to return the prey to the hunting ground, or they can sell the prey. All-purpose livestock like wild earthlings are hot commodities whether purchased through normal channels or traded on the black market.

[alvivaarts]

How does mer Leon go through labor and delivery?

Oooh! This idea got me thinking of a scene, which got me drawing for four straight days. (The page is divided, but warning for those who aren't a fan of viewing birth, blood, or 'eggs' - clear eggs? I'll get into it. They aren't actually eggs.) Anyway, full image below the break! Let's get into how it works first.

Anatomical charts/explanations and more below the cut!

Anatomically and reproductively, most species of mer fall into the first example- the male can deposit genetic material into the female, the eggs in the female are fertilized, though females have a very long/large clitoral structure that is perfectly positioned to get into the male's 'sheath'. This locks them together fairly well and is the reason that mers tend to produce very quickly and in large numbers (though infant/childhood survival rates are another discussion altogether).

Leon, Ada, and their other pod members fall into another category: Their reproductive anatomy is very unique in that the interlock is very initially hard to get. The female also has a structure that comes out of her sheath very similar to that of a female hyena- there is a hole along the shaft that allows her eggs to be deposited elsewhere. Again, much like seahorses, this species found it more beneficial to have females deposit the eggs into a pseudo-womb in the male, which is either self fertilized by the male, or fertilized by other males. This way, the females can get right back to producing eggs and gathering enough nutrients to feed the young when they're born- which helps, because their infancy survival rate is much lower and their prime living conditions are much more particular. It also works out well, considering the social structure of most mers is already extremely matriarchal- so the eggs would be safer in the parent/guardian that's remaining in the den/home territory area. However, under extreme circumstances, females can and will carry their own eggs. They also vary in that they carry for 3 months longer than other species (ranging from 9-10 months), with fewer pups upon birth, and there's practically no 'egg stage', eggs are broken immediately after birth if it's safe to do so.

Ada and Leon's (and Luis', though none of them knew that at the time) gestated for about 9.5 months. They were hanging out on the beach, though Leon had to stay in the shallows because it was far too much of a hassle for him to move on land. While he had experienced contractions in the months leading up to it, once the actual contractions hit, so did the new stress hormones, which tipped off Ada and Jill. They made their way down to deal with it. It should be noted that, at this time, Luis had been allowed to interact freely with the pod and was recognized as Leon and Ada's mate, however, being human, Jill wasn't thrilled on him being present for the birth or being directly in their den. (Also considering they were still being documented pretty thoroughly and it was pretty much a must for Luis to record what happened, at least for his fellow researchers). Leon had already insisted, however, so he was pretty quick to get geared up and come down. Normally births happen in a den, but the birth actually ended up happening outside the den. Though they did initially get there to hunker down in one of the bottom alcoves, the labor was taking about an hour and a half at that point, and Leon was getting restless. It actually ended up happening just outside their den while Luis kept his distance (for his own safety, considering Jill in particular was getting very territorial).

Of course Ada was present, though he was assisted by Jill (her being their matriarch and his defacto sister) and Sherry (considering she was already courting at the time and would likely have to assist her own mates in the future). Manuela and Ashley were a bit too icked and ended up cheering from the sidelines while their other pod members patrolled to keep any blood-scenting predators away from the area. Thankfully, they're already located in a very safe area, with lots of protection from the neighboring pod, so it went off without a hitch.

That didn't make it any less painful, though, and it's not like mers have access or the tools to use painkillers. The full labor was fairly quick and took about two hours, with a lot of yelling, swearing, wiggling and pushing. Ada helped a bit by pushing with her own hands, though she became pretty occupied as soon as the first pup was born. She was pretty quick to nurse all of them, though three total pups came out. Normally mers will 'wet nurse' for each other, but they weren't able to do it within their own pod, so they had to wait until Ada's cousin from the neighboring pod could come over (considering she'd recently had her own pups).

Lillie was born first, with a half hour gap between Lucia and Amaya... who were pretty obviously also Luis'. Which led to some shit for him on the surface, but hey, new babies!

Sorry for the extremely long post!

[my-moo-moo]

waist training

The entire time he’s known her she’s been obsessed with modifying her body appearance to the extreme. Specifically, she’s been zeroed in on the narrowness of her waist, graduating from sizes of corsets quicker than you can keep track of. She would meticulously measure her waist everyday, seemingly never satisfied with the results she’s achieved. Even when she possessed the perfect hourglass look every model would envy, she pushed further into extremes. Envy eventually turned into legitimate concern with people wondering if she had removed a couple ribs, or how crushed her organs were. It did not help that her extremely tiny waist was only exacerbated by the bountiful breasts and wide hips she’s always maintained. 

Of course, he loves her and finds her beautiful throughout all phases of her body change. But sometimes, when he wraps his hands easily around her itty bitty waist, he can’t help to think it’s such a shame that her natural child bearing hips are wasted on triviality. 

When her friends come to him in desperation to start an intervention to stop her from getting even smaller than she already is, he was vindicated to enact his desires.

For months you watch her continue to pull her laces tighter, so tiny a gust a wind could snap her in half. He wonders if his plan has worked at all, suspecting maybe her reproductive system wasn’t functioning at full capacity with such body modification. Her situation has gotten so dire, he began to slip more herbs in her drink. 

One morning he hears her yell out loud as her maid tightens her laces for the day. It’s a peculiar scene as she is normally unfazed by the painful process— and that’s when he knew the tide was turning. Still her stubborn self has her assistant brace her knee on her back and pull hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. She puts the blame on the cooks for making unhealthy meals. 

She puts herself on a strict diet ever since so that her month's worth of tightlacing progress wouldn’t be reversed. All of his attempts to convince her that she was making a health-endangering decision went ignored. 

He watches quietly in the corner as the back panels of her corset drifts further apart, lacing growing looser and looser, despite being pulled to the max. He maintains that he doesn’t notice any changes in her appearance whilst knowing the numbers on her logs show her the harsh truth. Her poor maid receives the brunt of her anger, being scolded that her arms have gotten too weak. 

A short few weeks later, the maid was fired and she refused to take her corset off for sleep like she should be doing. Her futile attempts to stop the inevitable had barely slowed down the millimeters she was gaining to her waist every day. Her breasts are already spilling out of her dresses with its enlargened areolas peaking out the hem, if that’s any indication of how the rest of her body is changing beneath the restraints. All she was doing was compressing her organs further— barely able to catch a shallow breath and only able to nibble a bite before feeling full.

He was concerned about the health of the life squished inside the tight space, but it turns out they’re stubborn just like their mother. Instead of her usual flat stomach, the rigid lower bonings of her corset start to flare outwards with the pressure. The laces at the back are pulled completely taut and thin, straining the eyelets that he’s sure are about to snap at any moment. 

With the permanent grimace on her face, it’s clear that she knows her body is growing rapidly, however she’s still in denial as to the reason why. Any suggestion to visit the doctor would result into full blown fits, so he resolves to let her discover the hard truth on her own.

She held out longer than he expected. It took one unexpected sneeze, that led to a loud rip of a seam. Her hands immediately fly behind her to keep her corset secure, but it only exacerbates the tear in the construction.

Tears are flowing down her cheeks as if she knew her bubble is about to burst. There’s no way they could lace her back again.

“It’s time to let it go, darling,” he tells her gently. He distracts her with pecks on her cheek as he slowly removes her fingers away from the corset. With some help loosening the rest of the laces, the crusty corset falls off her body, and her body is set free. She watches in horror as her gut spills out of her like a landslide. It’s a wonder she had been holding all that in for so long. Her sobs become louder and forlorn, especially now that her lungs were able to properly expand once again.

It took plenty of effort to calm her anguish down. He repeats in her head that a few short months the baby will be out of her and she can start her tightlacing ambitions over again. Her hand clutches the pronounced bump settling in her lower abdomen, hanging onto the reassurance that her rib cage remains narrow, and her curves are still pronounced. 

Unfortunately, she only began to accept the damage one baby would do to her pristine body, and would’ve never expected the bombshell the doctor was going to drop— or rather a total of four bombshells. 

She fainted at the announcement and he couldn’t blame her. She’s spent her lifetime training her body to be the record smallest, and it’s about to be utterly and irreversibly ruined in under a year’s time. He doesn’t dare to let out his part in this.

A quadruplet pregnancy was practically unheard of— no one around her, not even her doctors could confidently tell her what to anticipate. Clinging onto her delusions, she tried to exercise and minimize her intake to limit her growth. Incontestably, none of the efforts she has known to be true could halt the growth of the babies. Without any restraints, her belly shot outward, gaining inches frustratingly quicker than she’s ever managed to squeeze out in a year. It looked especially ridiculous, like a sore thumb, given her narrowed torso. And then her belly began to spread to fill out her waist, pushing her unnaturally bent rib cage back outward.

Her doctor had been concerned her spine might split in half, let alone be able to carry four fetuses, but defying expectations, her body was highly adaptable because of her long experience with waist training. Her organs were used to functioning with limited space. The same lower ribs that were susceptible to molding are even more easily pried apart to make room for the growing babies. And just like he had clocked, her hips were made for childbearing and only continuing to widen with the rushing hormones.

When she had finally lost complete definition at her waist, she broke down, giving up entirely on the strict regimens she had always followed. And yet she still clung onto her obsession with numbers. Every single day when she measures her circumference, the measuring tape slips a couple notches, and her despair slips even further. He tells her how proud he was that she was gaining weight. He tells her how beautiful she was, glowing more than ever. 

He wasn’t sure if she was internalizing what you were saying, when he would catch her examining her rapidly changing body in front of the mirror. One morning she comes waddling to you to share the news she had gained ten whole centimeters around in a single day. It is then he could identify the exhilaration behind her timid expression and encourages it, whispering praises in her ear. A small smile slips out and it slowly grows more confident with time. 

She started eating beyond her fill, and would be noticeably disappointed when her daily measurements were stagnant. The obsessiveness that used to fuel her extreme waist cinching was now redirected to expanding her midsection. She was seeing results quicker than ever which only fueled her brain’s addictive reward system. 

As a result of her body’s hard work, her transformation was so drastic, family members barely recognized her. 

His fingers used to touch when he wrapped his hands around her teensy tiny waist, but now he’s not even sure his arms would make it all the way around. Gone are her concave curves, her gravid belly has gotten so enormous that one could see it bulging out, even from the back. The mass stuck out far in front of her, until it got so heavy it drooped against her thigh. Her breasts and buttock have received similar treatment of getting even more plump and bountiful, like they were meant to be.

His vision from the start has been more than realized. His instincts were right. This wasn't the figure she had always lusted for, but she suited this version of curvy. With all this extra padding enveloping her bones, she looked extra youthful yet sexy. He will savour these last weeks of pregnancy until she got her body back.

Everyone assumed that she would rebind herself in a corset immediately after birth. The babies have left her body, but her ribs remained flared outward, bones jutting out from her sides. Her hips have been widened and fat still clung onto her body. He doubts she could get back to the extreme state her body was in pre-pregnancy, but even after her doctor cleared her for regular physical activity again, she seems to have none of her old drive to slim down. He catches her grabbing and pulling at her loose, stretch mark ladened skin, and wonders if she despises what the pregnancy (what he) did to her body.

“Are you sad that you lost all your progress?” he asks with guilt weighing heavy in his heart.

“Yes,” she admits, but he doesn’t expect what she follows with. “I… I miss my belly. Do you think my belly could get larger next time?”

He smiles. His little push has not only irrevocably changed her body, but her mindset. She would always have an innate desire for waist training— just now in the other direction.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The World Food Summit of 1996 approached food security through the principles of ensuring there is enough safe and nutritious food that can be accessed daily to meet healthy dietary needs and food preferences. By definition, this is a desirable and worthy goal. However, in the years since, food security has developed into a paradigm which does not question the underlying power dynamics and the reproduction of material conditions that make food insecurity a permanent feature of the global order. At its core, the food security paradigm deals only with access to food, without challenging the political and economic structures that determine and control access, as well as distribution.  By failing to address the root causes of hunger and famine, the food security paradigm makes it impossible to end hunger globally. Of course, many people worldwide possess food security, but this is restricted to increasingly limited geographic pockets. In terms of the people localised in one area, food vulnerability is influenced and determined by class, race, gender and, of course, citizenship status. Globally, “underdevelopment” and “de-development” lead to widespread food insecurity across areas. Another problem with the food security paradigm is that it is easily co-opted to generate partial answers that pose no threat to the corporate food system, or worse, that even open up new profit opportunities. Accelerated by other crises, the food security paradigm becomes ever more dependent on aid, be it through direct food delivery, cash transfers or small development projects that cannot compete with the food giants and their price-setting powers. In practice, a “science of food security” emerges, one which takes as its focus calories and the output that is compatible with precision agriculture having the aim to increase crop yields and to assist management decisions using high technology sensor and analysis tools. This model tends to be reliant on “Green Revolution” technologies that rely on chemical fertilisers and pesticides and that are tied to colonial projects and corporations, in order to optimise resources in aid response and/or development projects.  In this rationale, food insecurity can be addressed by reaching optimum yields of certain crops that should meet the demand for fats, fibres and protein. All of this is carefully managed and data-driven. Precision farming is advocated by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) with the objective of optimising, “agricultural value chains […] critical in advancing food and nutrition sufficiency without increasing the size of land under cultivation.” The framing of food that reduces it only to “optimal input” relegates vital elements of food production and the culture of eating, like territory ownership, taste, heritage, care, well-being and connection as secondary. This reductionist approach has, though, proved useful to corporate agriculture, since it reinforces the case for genetically modified crops (GMOs), more efficient fertilisers, and the standardisation of food production for market purposes. Advocates of plant breeding technologies (including GMOs and hybrid seeds) argue that government overregulation is an obstacle to achieving food security. Overregulation, as the argument goes, denies populations the opportunity to grow crops that have increased nutrient use efficiency and are more resilient to climate shocks. 

[...]

The paradigm of food security is about optimising productivity. It’s true that productivity matters – after all, feeding the world requires enormous quantities of food. But if productivity is approached solely as a technological problem, it reinforces the tendency to fragment the quantitative and qualitative aspects of food production and consumption. On the quantitative side, production for food security is viewed as a challenge of multiplication. Whereas division, that is, distribution of food, is left to logistical planning. This ignores what Raj Patel identified in his influential 2007 book Stuffed and Starved, as the bottleneck of power that concentrates international food distribution among a small set of corporations. This bottleneck excludes the poor and small-scale food producers from decision-making. It also normalises worrying tendencies, such as an overreliance on industrial animal exploitation as a protein source, which has direct health implications, as well as longer term consequences like the proliferation of new viruses, greenhouse gas emissions and inefficient use of water and soil.

28 May 2024

[dollcherray]

Hiii!! Came to your blog and your writing is absolutely amazing!! :D Could I request some fluff with Mister Demi x Short!Insecure!Reader? (Gender Neutral for everyone to enjoy!) The reader is his teacher assistant who is learning to be a music teacher and is very insecure about their appearance and ability to help Demi.

✮⋆˙ MOCKING BIRD ୨୧

Mister Demi x Insecure and short reader

a/n: Thank you dear! i did the best i could in this fic for you but it got a bit short, im so sorry </3 and i also say sorry for the long wait, i had a hard day and needed some time to recover, but im back now!

TW: nothing ig, paranoia? if its even really paranoia and suggestive (straight up reproduction mentions)

Type: headcanons, fluff, romantic.

୨୧ Demi was a very anxious person, you knew that because it was almost written all over his face, but despite that, he was still a proficient teacher, always worried about his work, not to mention he was statuesque too, everything you werent.

୨୧ Sometimes you question if you really deserve to be hus assistant, sure you were still learning but u should be at least decently skilled at the job by now... you really were nothing compared to him huh?

୨୧ Demi wouldnt really see your strange behavior at first, i mean, he would but, wouldnt associate to anything bad so then he continues with his work and teaching you with some things here and there to help you to improve your classes.

୨୧ The man would try anything to make you feel better, compliments right and left whenever you do something right, even if its little, he would still compliment you, the last thing he wants is you comparing youself to others or him, especially him:(

୨୧ Honestly, i dont think Demi would notice anything strange about you if you didnt really say anything to him, so, when you say what is going on your mind to him, Demi was flabbergasted, he had to take some time to process what you said.

୨୧ But since Demi is a bit anxious himself, he may or may not have some negative thoughts about himself from time to time, so i think he would get the whole degrading yourself part, but wont really get the part where you compare yourself to him of all people. (two mentally ill persons in love)

୨୧ About your appearance? he would gladly reassure you are STUNNING in his eyes, that being with kisses or words of assurance, sometimes between more "intimate" times he would praise you like, ALOT.

୨୧ This man is going to make you feel LOOVED because he truly thinks you are amazing and sooo pretty, so dont worry, he will try his best to make you feel better<3

୨୧ Of course, Demi does in his cute little way, like singing a song for you or writting a silly little poem for you, please appreciate his efforts<3

୨୧ “I love you to the moon and back my love”

[m3r1m4r5u333]

(Jjsheh. This is perhaps my most unhinged essay yet, brace yourselves. I know it's not very coherent, I sound like I'm tripping, rambling about ancient Egyptian deities and all. I'm not the only one to have talked of rebirth though so hopefully I'm not alone in this mental collapse.)

I'm a wreck. It's just such BLATANT BUDDIE SUBTEXT to air THESE SCENES in the same episode!!!!

First, Eddie finding out Buck went on a date with a man and his stunned

"Omg I need to reconstruct my entire worldview. But I'm not weirded out!! I'm an ALLY!!"-deer in the headlights reaction to that!!

Finding out that both Buck and Tommy are into men will be such a curveball for Eddie, hitting him directly in the solar plexus, leaving him gasping.

The images that will start sprouting in his mind...

And the way that suddenly they're BOTH stumbling in this gigantic maze of confusion and questioning, looking at each other anew...

realising they need to reconstruct their entire worldviews because all of a sudden... They've been shattered.

The way that Buck looks at Eddie...?

The mirrored MASKS that both of these lines are!!

Starting to realise their worlds are in ashes.

Then rebirth.

Phoenix rising!!!

It's that treasure hunt riddle again.I've tried to figure it out and the way I read it, I think it's about feelings realization.

The "Narrow place" in the riddle sounds like an obvious arrow to Egypt. That's what the hebrew people called it or something, due to the divisional geography/the stories about them being enslaved there. Something like that.

And of course the river's edge in the riddle would then be The Nile. Denial.

And that heron? The ancient egyptian version of a Phoenix, Bennu. The deity of sun, creation, rebirth.

And what's a secret treasure by denial's edge? It's love. A secret treasure. Precious, yet something you want to hide. Hidden. Buried.

And the bullfrog is a reference to a line in a song, I think. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog".

Originally the line was supposed to be "Jeremiah was a prophet". The assistant in the episode, who was asked to hide the treasure... is called Jeremiah.

Jeremiah, the prophet, according to the Bible apparently traveled to Egypt himself.

But in the treasure hunt episode he steals the treasure and takes off to Maledives - an island without river's, btw!! No DeNial there!

Also... Another link to Egypt/Denial is the bullfrog croaking good measure.

"Ancient Egyptians used weights, like this small frog, to help calculate the value of goods. One Ancient Egyptian unit of measurement was the qedet, equivalent to about nine grams. "

"The Ancient Egyptians linked frogs to fertility and rebirth, likely because of the animal’s prolific reproduction.

These ties to abundance may have made frogs a suitable form for objects used to determine value."

Secret treasure, frogs, measurement, value, herons, narrow place = Egypt, the river's edge... (& My loss of sanity) Lots of links.

So let's see.

I walked along the river's Denial's edge

To hide my secret treasure love

The heron phoenix soared (= I burned, I was reborn.)

The gray bridge roared I saw you. (Because the bridge would be a reference to the "I see you!!" scene with Lola and Norman on that bridge, I think?)

And

"Isn't that what we all want in a partner, to be seen?"

I stopped beneath the willow tree

In the narrow place

And saw a light beam fall upon my treasured place hidden love

The light beam... It think it's truth? Realization, rebirth...

Btw, in the Bible Jeremiah writes about willow trees with much passion. It symbolizes hope, will grow by the river even in times of draught. So trust the Lord (the showmakers).

Also, this recent data of Marisol being nunlike?? What's "Nun" in relation to the Egypt theme?

Nun was represented as a frog or a frog-headed man (as a member of the Ogdoad) but could also be depicted as a bearded man with blue or green skin (reflecting his link with the river Nile and fertility).

In the latter form he can look fairly similar to Hapi (LOL), the god of the Nile, and often appears either standing on a solar boat or rising from the waters holding a palm frond (a symbol of long life), Occasionally, he appears as a hermaphrodite with pronounced breasts.

Nu ("Watery One") or Nun ("The Inert One") (Ancient Egyptian: nnw Nānaw; Coptic: Ⲛⲟⲩⲛ Noun), in ancient Egyptian religion, is the personification of the primordial watery abyss which existed at the time of creation and from which the creator sun god Ra arose.[1]

So let's watch the sun, rising from the denial!

[moonjunio]

New color hardcovers coming Feb 2025 from Dark Horse! These will be the Photoshop colors originally released as the DC Archive edition, and the official favorite of the artist Wendy Pini 💖 She loved being able to “paint with light” as a definitive version of her ElfQuest vision.

Of course, many folks are attached to whichever version was their entry point. The first color edition from Donning/Starblaze is particularly beloved, many readers’ “eyes meet eyes” moment and forever first in their heart:

Made with guache and I believe colored pencil details, unfortunately Wendy and her assistant colorists had to paint on top of inferior reproductions of the art, which muddied the brilliant colors of their imagination. But we love them nonetheless for their detail! It reminds me of my high school years, spending hours with my Prismacolors, only better.

The next edition by Father Tree Press collected the Marvel Epic reprints, which were colored to look like cell animation:

In the hopes of sparking interest in an animated feature, and also fitting a more typical mass market comic look, these reached many new readers for the first time (myself included)!

But I have to agree that the Photoshop version is practically perfection, so smooth and glowing with vibrancy!

A feast for the eyes, indeed 💖

Will I buy yet another edition of book 1? Hmmm…it just might be irresistible in the end 😇

[schraubd]

As They Do

The ongoing fallout of the Dobbs decision, and the way it's made manifest the GOP's extreme and retrogressive anti-abortion priorities, has caused no small amount of soul-searching amongst Republican politicians. We saw, for example, a slew of Arizona Republicans race to disavow their own hand-packed-picked supreme court's decision to resurrect a pre-statehood near-total ban on abortion. Donald Trump also came out and said he opposed a national abortion ban. What should voters make of this about-face? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why not? Because Republicans are, to be blunt, lying. No matter what they say, no matter what press releases they write, no matter what interviews they give, when push comes to shove, they will absolutely either endorse or acquiesce to the most draconian possible limitations on female reproductive autonomy. That's the full truth. The list of supporting evidence on this is essentially endless, but I'll just give two examples: Exhibit A: Arizona, where the GOP-controlled legislature -- fresh off their oh-so-pained public squirming over the aforementioned state supreme court ruling -- has continued to block legislative efforts to actually, you know, repeal the offending law. Exhibit B: Florida, where Senator Rick Scott rapidly backtracked from his own heresies calling for greater moderation on abortion after that state's supreme court reversed decades-long precedent clear the way for abortion bans by clarifying that of course he'd support even a six-week ban if given the opportunity. These are two among many. I suspect that over the next few months, we will continue to see more Republican rhetoric that gestures at some sort of "moderate" or "compromise" position on abortion, occurring right alongside more extreme tangible implementations of the right's extremist anti-choice agenda (what's going to happen when the Supreme Court permanently allows states to murder pregnant women in defiance of federal law). Even as rhetoric, it's hollow -- the "exceptions" they promise are nugatory or impossible to implement, the "deals" on offer are to impose unwanted bans on blue states while letting red states be as extreme as they desire -- but more than that they're lies. No matter what they say, no matter what they earnestly promise, no matter what soul-searching they might promise, where Republicans are in charge what they will do is push for and defend the most draconian abortion bans they can possibly get away with. There's no lever that will get Republicans to behave differently; no weird trick that can change their minds. Where they have power and hold office, this is what they will do. Our only option is to deprive them of that power. No matter what they say, no matter what they believe, anyone who is taking any steps right now to assist Republicans taking or keeping office is tacitly endorsing extreme abortion bans. There's no way around it. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/CTdAlLR

[albywritesfiction]

Will MC's gender play a role in Ædan leaving them for Helene? Like the kingdom preferring Helene if MC is a man? Obviously, not so much since they were engaged before, but will Helene's ability to "naturally" continue the royal bloodline* affect on why they all seem very happy Ædan left MC for Helene?

* assuming MC is also not a transman who wants to give birth in this scenario, which isn't something the public would be privy to, naturally

Or is it just a matter of "MC isn't politically and socislly powerful but Helene is so that's why she is the superior option for marriage"?

Also I am so taking the BFF route— I have no intentions of getting involved in any more court shenanigans!! Or at least, not as much as I would on the Brother's route. Plus not interested in being accused to get my claws in the other brother since I "missed" the big fish!! I wish your royal uglinesses much happiness or whatever. May you implode.

So excited for the story!! 🥰

Hello Anon!

I had actually gone through similar questions about MC’s gender in my head prior to sticking with the decision to have them be selectable which resulted in a lot of people asking if I was okay whenever they caught me staring at nothing 😅

The answer is no, MC’s gender was not a factor as to why the people love Helene and seem to prefer her over MC. 

(Lengthy explanation below the cut)

With regards to being “naturally” able to continue the royal bloodline, the citizens of their kingdom don’t take as much issue with it in MC’s generation since the people of their world have already developed a process similar to in vitro fertilization with significant advancements in the field (thanks to the existence of magic) to have DNA from both parents in a same-sex couple be present in the child; thus, the child would have three biological parents. This has been a widely accepted form of assisted reproductive technology throughout the continent that the kingdom is located in since the current king’s youth, though it was made legal in Aurelia only only recently because the previous king did not support it (and the old old man was a tyrant). Of course, there are still some people who possess a similar mindset to the previous king and oppose those who go against tradition, but thankfully, those people are few and far in between.

With regards to political standing, MC is the much better candidate as they are the only child of a duke. But MC’s father is not just any duke; the ducal House Argentius has long been the Sword and Shield of Aurelia. Note that their allegiance lies with the kingdom and not its rulers; the marriage between MC and Ædan would have been symbolic of the trust that House Argentius had placed in Ædan as the future king to lead the kingdom with his people as his utmost priority. 

With regards to social power, however, Helene has rapidly outshined MC due to her image as the Saintess, the living symbol of the gods’ love for the people. She has been healing people with a demure smile and incredible divine power before she was even ten years old; it’s why many believe that she was a blessing sent by the gods to take care of their beloved people, and what better position could she be in to do that than as a queen? Helene also grew up in an abbey on the outskirts of the capital among other ordinary folk, so majority of the people see themselves in her through their shared background and end up rooting for her as she rises from an orphan to a princess. Helene is the people’s Cinderella who they live vicariously through.

With all that said, the people’s perspective wasn’t really a deciding factor in the dissolution of the engagement between Ædan and MC (which Ædan did all by himself by suddenly announcing it out of nowhere). In fact, Ædan’s reasoning was extremely, infuriatingly simple: he loved Helene, not MC.

So. Yeah. 

Definitely recommend Cyfrin’s route if you don’t want to deal with more of Ædan’s bullshit.

(“I wish your royal uglinesses much happiness or whatever. May you implode,” makes me laugh every time I read it thank you for that 😂)