#I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A WHOLE YEAR ALREADY!!

[mylordshesacactus]

on endlings, and despair

Hey, y'all. It's...been a rough couple of weeks. So, I thought--better to light a single candle, right?

If you're familiar with wildlife conservation success stories, then you're likely also familiar with their exact polar opposite. The Northern White Rhino. Conservation's poster child for despair. Our greatest and most high-profile utter failure. We slaughtered them for wealth and status, and applied the brakes too slow. Changed course too late.

We poured everything we had into trying to save them, and we failed.

We lost them. They died. The last surviving male was named Sudan. He died in 2018, elderly and sick. His genetic material is preserved, along with frozen semen from other long-dead males, but only as an exercise in futility. Only two females survive--a mother and daughter, Najin and Fatu.

Both of them are infertile. They still live; but the Northern White Rhinoceros is extinct. Gone forever.

In 2023, an experimental procedure was attempted, a hail-mary desperation play to extract healthy eggs from the surviving females.

It worked.

The extracted eggs were flown to a genetics lab, and artificially fertilized using the sperm of lost Northern males. The frozen semen that we kept, all this time, even after we knew that the only living females were incapable of becoming pregnant.

It worked.

Thirty northern white rhino embryos were created and cryogenically preserved, but with no ability to do anything with them, it was a thin hope at best. In 2024, for the first time, an extremely experimental IVF treatment was attempted on a SOUTHERN white rhino--a related subspecies.

It worked.

The embryo transplanted as part of the experiment had no northern blood--but the pregnancy took. The surgery was safe for the mother. The fetus was healthy. The procedure is viable. Surrogate Southern candidates have already been identified to carry the Northern embryos. Rhinoceros pregnancies are sixteen months long, and the implantation hasn't happened yet. It will take time, before we know. Despair is fast and loud. Hope is slower, softer. Stronger, in the end.

The first round may not take. We'll learn from it. It's what we do. We'll try again. Do better, the next time. Fail again, maybe. Learn more. Try harder.

This will not save the species. Not overnight. The numbers will be very low, with no genetic diversity to speak of. It's a holding action, nothing more.

Nothing less.

One generation won't save a species. But even a single calf will buy us time. Not quite gone, not yet. One more generation. One more endling. One more chance. And if we seize it, we might just get another after that. We're getting damn good at gene editing. At stem-cell research. In the length of a single rhino lifetime, we'll get even better.

For decades, we have been in a holding action with no hope in sight. Researchers, geneticists, environmentalists, wildlife rehabbers. Dedicated and heroic Kenyan rangers have kept the last surviving NWRs under 24/7 armed guard, line-of-sight, eyes-on, never resting, never relaxing their guard. Knowing, all the while, that their vigilance was for nothing. Would save nothing. This is a dead species--an elderly male, two females so closely related that their offspring couldn't interbreed even if they could produce any--and they can't.

Northern white rhino conservation was the most devastatingly hopeless cause in the world.

Two years from now, that dead species may welcome a whole new generation.

It's a holding action, just a holding action, but not "just". There is a monument, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where the last white rhinos have lived and will die. It was created at the point where we knew--not believed, knew--that the species was past all hope. It memorializes, by name there were so few, the last of the northern white rhinos. Most of the markers have brief descriptions--where the endling rhino lived, how it was rescued, how it died.

One marker bears only these words: SUDAN | Last male Northern White Rhino.

If even a single surrogate someday bears a son, we have erased the writing on that plaque forever.

All we can manage is a holding action? Then we hold. We hold hard and fast and long, use our fingernails if we have to. But hold. Even and perhaps especially when we are past all hope.

We never know what miracle we might be buying time for.

[y-rhywbeth2]

How many people have the Bhaalists killed over the last 15 years? A gueswork.

Homicidal priesthoods typically keep small numbers, and I can't for the life of me find it right now, but one of the Bhaalists mentions Orin having called them all to the city in a gatherint (which proves three things; one, that not everybody is a resident of the temple; two, that Orin holds the rank of High Primistress right now in order to have that authority (and so Durge before her held the rank); and three, that to hold that rank, Orin is also a deathstalker. That would also indicate neither Durge nor Orin are actually part of the temple hierarchy and are subject to being sent further afield to work Bhaal's direct commands personally, they just like being a nuisance and talking over whoever the poor beleaguered Primate/Primistress is.)

'Bhaalists [are] required to deal death once in every tenday during the darkest period at the heart of the night. -Faiths and Avatars

'At least daily, slay something living—and the Lord of Murder is most pleased if the victim is one of your own kind and as formidable as, or more powerful than, you.' -Elminster's Forgotten Realms

This is not including the fact that Bhaalists are also contractors, but that those kills do not count as being sacrifices unto Bhaal, and thus there's an extra (uncounted) pile of dead bodies from the people they killed as assassins and bounty hunters too!

Luckily, by implication that Bhaal is 'most pleased' when the victim is a humanoid, the doctrine only says 'something living,' so getting a job in an abattoir presumably counts. I believe there's a Bhaalist in Descent to Avernus who has a cover working as a butcher.

Orin and Durge are desperate for approval of course, so one assumes they are trying to kill a person a day.

We know Durge has been active as a Bhaalist for 15 years, so we'll count the deaths in that period.

So we definitely have Durge - accounting for overachieving, 5,475 Orin - ditto.

Assuming they have been consistent, between them they have up to a maximum of 10,950 dead bodies between them

Let's assume some degree of 'sense' for everybody else. 1 murder a tenday:

Sarevok - 547.5 murders

The ones in the temple, excluding new recruit Eni, all seem to know Durge, so I'll assume they're the permanent resident priests. Elda Velki Horriss Bloodmopper Glyria: unclear, but I will include her

We can assume that any higher ranking title means they're old guard. Grimlark Hivune The one who doesn't talk Derysia Fustian Snirr Ogga Hiila Eglantine Dhoria Rycke Mitchia Liya uses 'well met,' which is actually a term for making a new acquaintance, but Wyll also uses it to greet people he already knows, so we can assume that's just a slight error.

There are 17 of these guys: 9,307.5 + 10,950 = 20,257.5 kills

Plus Leon has apparently made 1000 people disappear over the last 12 years, plus the 4 Gur kids and anybody else the spawn brought home for dinner.

Also all the people who got generically shanked by non-Bhaalist, non-undead crime - which is high enough that the Outer City has entire streets dedicated to corpse dumping.

Baldur's Gate had a population of 42,103 last century; by the look of the Outer City, that population has at least doubled.

So over 20,257.5/84,206 of the population have been sacrificed to Bhaal, and over 21,261.5/84,206 of the population have been murdered in general over the past 15 years. Edit: That's 24% of the population. They've killed near enough a quarter of the population.

Luckily(?), at least some of those kills should have been outside the city, since at least two are deathstalkers.

But if everybody in the temple was devoted enough to the Lord of Murder to pull their weight and commit a murder every single day we'd have wiped out the whole fucking city! (109,500 kills)

(When coming up with these evil murder to-do lists in fictional settings nobody ever seems to think about the numbers...)

[oppaihun]

No cheeky title, no beta readers.

I just think Omega has to help Chain out in the Ministry’s breeding program. And I think he’s weird about it.

CWS: Quint intox, breeding program, freaky water ghoul anatomy (cunt/clit/folds AND tentacle for Chain’s anatomy) , mild medfet, kind of ovipositon

Omega can’t help but hum as he finishes setting things up. The breeding program has multiple purposes, namely avoiding the intensive rituals require for summoning and also to help with the ghouls natural cycles. Ghouls tend to get rowdy when certain instincts and needs go ignored.

Usually there’s a system in place, matching on various factors like health, desired hybrid matches if required, multi ghouls are always adored.

Chain however, well he requires a different approach. He’s a bit feral when he’s here. In fact he’s been ousted from the normal program. The ghoul will perceive anything as a threat to his partner or to his clutch, he will fight, and it will be messy. So he’s delegated to Omega, which he has no complaints about. But Omega is particular about it.

Chain lays back, dumbed down with a dose of quintosis to dumb him down and have him just complaint enough to be in an exam room with the big quint like this. Does his legs need to be in stirrups? No, but it’s more fun that way, and Omega’s even managed to sneak in a mirror to put on the ceiling, the water ghoul can’t help but lie back and watch everything he does.

“Alright. Now we’re ready.” Omega says, an audible click of a tape recorder in the background, also unneeded but not unwanted. “You’ve waited too long this time, I’m surprised you two haven’t gotten egg-locked yet.”

“Fuck you.” Chain spits out, still got that bite of a nearly feral ghoul. But Omega’s right, the channel where his tentacle resides is distended, uncomfortably so, in fact she can hardly be convinced to comply for Chain because she’s too full. “Not yet Princess.” The quint replies with a snort, putting on gloves and making sure the snap is a little extra.

The water ghoul is wet already from that, he can smell him since he’s on full display. “I’m gonna start trying to coax her out now.” He says, weirdly clinical about it. But gentle fingers prod around the tentacle’s channel, getting a feel for just how full they both are. But then they travel down to the sheath. Chain’s breath hitches when he feels a thick finger slowly spread the folds there. It’s overwhelmingly sensitive there. But with the quintosis, she’s affected too, lazier than normal. Her tip slowly comes forward. She feels Omega’s gloved hand and knows what she’s in for. “Come on honey.” He speaks sweetly to her.

She slowly emerges, using her suckers to cling onto the nitrile covered fingers. "Can't believe you fucking pillow talk her." Chain mumbles, hes dumbed down, sure, but nothing gets rid of that bark. He hisses under his breath a bit as Omega gets a hand wrapped around her, pressure always gets her excited. "She's behaving right now. Don't encourage her to misbehave like you do." The bit ghoul chuckles.

"You, however, always a little thorn in my side, aren't you?" There's no real bite in Omega's voice, its just how the two of them are together, always wanting a reaction. Just to add to it, he swipes a big thumb through the folds of his cunt, managing to get Chain's voice to pitch up juuust a bit. His tentacle responds in kind, firming up under his touch. They're easy, like this.

"Play nice for me, won't you please sweetheart?" Once again, he speaks to the tentacle and not the ghoul it's attached to. "You're too full, I know. Let's make you feel better." He then leans down and takes her in his mouth, one good slide back with no issue, especially after dealing with Alpha and Ifrit for years. Chain lets out a gasp, head falling back to just look at the mirror in the ceiling tiles, watching the whole thing like he's not even there.

But a warm hole, regardless of where or who's was all she needed. Chain's tentacle steadily pushes herself back and forth since Chain's a little too gone to thrust himself. Especially since Omega sloppily works his fingers into his cunt, kind enough to only really work the two right now. The eggs are pressing everywhere, it wouldn't be too good for either of them.

The exam room is heavy with panted breath and slick sounds. And in their current predicament, there isn’t a whole lot of stamina. Only need. Omega’s hand on the tentacle feels her start to bulge, knowing she’s about to start depositing. Chain whines at the loss of his fingers, but also shudders at the feeling of all those eggs finally starting to leave. The quint is quick to pull a specimen tray close, stroking her until she starts to spill into the cold metal.

It’s a shame that all of these eggs are duds, having not been fertilized in time, it would have been quite the clutch. They’re still soft, but solid black. That doesn’t matter anymore. Chain’s finally at ease, no longer uncomfortable and even letting Omega press along his lower abdomen to check for any potential stragglers. “Good job.” He says quietly, happy to have been able to give him this relief. But they’re not really done here, and Chain could nearly cry when he feels the bigger ghoul’s mouth on his cunt. He trembles, feet shaking and making the stirrups rattle a bit.

Omega’s had his sick fun, the pleasure in this whole little charade of a medical procedure. And to work him up so much, just to leave him hanging after the clutch was deposited is too cruel to all of them. But there’s no preamble, no wasting time. He wraps his lips around his fat clit, groaning as it twitches against him. His finger enters his cunt and hooks up to find that spot. His sole focus right now is getting the water ghoul to cum, preferably against his face. Chain would die if anyone could hear him now, whining and weakly rutting his hips down. This is a secret they’ll both take back to the Pit.

And it doesn’t take long, and Omega knows when it’s about to happen. He flicks his fat forked tongue over his clit, pressing upward as he quickly fingers Chain’s cunt. The water ghoul damn near cries as he cums, gushing a mixture of fluids onto Omega’s face, just like he wanted. “Good fuckin boy.” He groans, a soft puff of breath blowing out against Chain’s skin.

[jade-green-butterfly]

🎉🎤🎶💚❤️💙💛💜🎤🎶🎉~HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY TO TROLLS BAND TOGETHER, THE BEST THREEQUEL IN MY HEART AND FOR OUR BELOVED DREAMWORKS TROLLS!!! =^0^=~🎉🎤🎶💚❤️💙💛💜🎤🎶🎉

[daily-mc-block]

Cake

[shimmershy]

No way NO WAAAAY it's almost September. Ehehehehehe *rubbing hands together evilly* I can do Undertale September again.

[littleoddwriter]

Happy 5th anniversary to the ZsaszMask brainrot aka Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn!

[crystalkitty1220]

Man I wonder where the leader of the fear realm could've gone, it's alMOST LIKE NEVIN HAS AN

[hikarry]

When and how was your first kiss?

Oof, it was a long time ago. 2016?

It was… well, let's just say it wasn't exactly the fairy-tale moment I had hoped for. It was shy, awkward, but it wasn't unpleasent. Not at all.

I've always watched my friends complain about how miserable their first kiss was and I've always been, ya know, pretty content with my end of the stick

[gumpistol]

i was thinking about what Luffy is gonna dress up as for Halloween this year, because he was Law last year and so i'm thinking he will be Kid this year but then i stopped and i was like-

WOAH! LAST YEAR?? I MADE THIS BLOG LAST OCTOBER THE BLOG IS A WHOLE YEAR OLD WTF?! GUYS THIS IS INSANE!!

[theflyingfeeling]

how dare stores not sell the exact kind of products I'm looking for

[indynerdgirl]

Happy One Year Anniversary of when I saw Topgun: Maverick for the first time! 😆

[diagonal-queen]

on this exact day, last year, maybe around this time of day, i checked my 'to watch' anime list, and next up was bungou stray dogs. i read the little synopsis of the show, thought it sounded interesting and pressed play on ep1 s1. i will never regret that decision.

all the fun i've had writing on this blog, reblogging everyone else's artworks and fun takes on the show, the great pieces of literature i was eager to learn about because of the show, the friends i've made from the show, and that i love and hold very dear? thanks asagiri. i owe you one

[pix-writes]

Rising Tides | Series Masterpost

Ezra x F!Reader | Ezra & Cee (family) | Prospect (2018) | Hunger Games AU 

Rating: Explicit (minors DNI | this blog is 18+!)

main masterlist

Summary: The Quarter Quell is almost here. There is a tension that cannot be abated, riots seem inveitable in the wake of the 74th Hunger Games victory tour. Two kids have added the much needed fuel to the Rebellion’s flames and now Ezra must cling tighter than ever to the people he loves dearly, or else lose them to the might of the capitol...

Warnings: This series will be canon typical (check out the book series content warnings HERE), but please see individual warnings on each installment | This series will also contain smut | 

Ao3

Prelude

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3 (TBD)

other series posts:

ezra moodboard

reader moodboard

(Credit to @fireflygraphics for the mockingjay dividers!)

[franeridan]

came to the conclusion that the reason why aventio has such a strong hold on me these days is that they're the highest purest greatest dumbest form of "I have feelings for you" (that feeling was friendship, but neither had ever experienced it before) and I find that stupidly compelling atm

[miryeismynumberone]

" i must keep from ruining this, and keep myself from ruin " - tomoe