#The other 10% is usually medical concerns

[specialagentartemis]

Murderbot September Day 3: Augments

“Augments” specifically refer to implanted, integrated, artificial parts with feed access and bio-feedback. An ordinary prosthetic isn’t an augment.

Three hundred years ago, augmentation was relatively rare. It was overwhelmingly done for specific careers, such as spaceship pilots, doctors, lawyers, and high-powered financial professionals—people who needed to process and juggle a lot of information quickly. This was when the ancestors of Preservation took off on the Pressy and were out of contact with the rest of the galaxy for two hundred years.

By the time they awoke from cryo-sleep, augmentation had become a LOT more common. Ordinary businesspeople were getting augmented as kind of a status symbol—saying, my job is so important, so fast-paced, so high-profile, that I need augments to keep up with it. I’m Important. It also became increasingly done by coders, programmers, tech professionals, in order to remain competitive in tech jobs. Brain-feed augmentation for children as young as 11 or 12 became increasingly common—the younger you get brain augments, the more neuroplastic you are at that point, the easier the integration is and the more natural it feels to connect to the feed. This is done both by parents wanting their kids to have an advantage getting high-profile jobs, but can also be sponsored by companies in exchange for promising the kid to be contracted to work for them for a certain number of years when they come of age. Sometimes, this is considered a really good deal.

The people of Preservation were incredibly offput by this.

Even now, nearly a hundred years later, augments are seen as a “corporate thing” on Preservation. Few people are augmented, and they’re still mostly doctors and pilots, and augmentation of children is illegal unless it’s for a legitimate medical cause (certain types of augments were developed for treating things like brain injuries or seizure disorders, for example.) As such, it’s rare but not unheard of to see augmented humans on Preservation. It still… tends to get a knee-jerk emotional reaction of “that’s a vain/barbaric Corporate thing,” though.

Pin-Lee has considered getting augmented before. By this point, you almost never encounter Corporation Rim lawyers who aren’t. When she’s negotiating interplanetary contracts, it’s a valuable tool to get on their level. And lawyers who aren’t augmented are kind of seen as naïve newbies punching about their weight class. But she hasn’t, partially out of 1) legitimate medical concerns that augments could interact poorly with her medication, and 2) pride and spite that she doesn’t have to make herself Like Them to be just as good at her job as them.

[despair-posting]

Rosekiller microfic | 558 words | prompt: stitches | @rosekillermicrofic

Evan sat in front of the door, his leg bouncing incessantly. He'd been sitting here for at least 10 minutes, all sorts of horrible scenarios running through his head while he waited to be let in.

All he knew was that Barty was hurt. He didn't even know what happened - how bad it was - and it was eating him up, the adrenaline running amok in his body.

Barty didn't end up in the hospital wing a lot, but not because he didn't get hurt. In fact, many a times he landed himself in dangerous situations with no regard for his own safety. The guy had no apparent self-preservation instincs and it frequently made Evan's hands sweaty just thinking about it.

No, it wasn't that. He just refused to seek proper medical help for his injuries. Just last week he broke his nose and insisted on resetting it himself, much to Evan's dismay. So him being in the hospital wing was concerning to say the least.

His heart was beating so loudly he heard nothing but his own blood rushing in his ears. Somehow, he still felt ice cold.

Finally, the door opened and Madame Pomfrey waved Evan inside. As he rounded the corner he saw Barty, sitting criss cross on the bed. If he was sitting, it couldn't be that bad, right? When Barty spotted him, his neutral face turned into his usual crooked grin. However, this time the sight of the familiar face didn't calm Evan like it usually did. His stomach dropped as he saw the raw line of stitches running from Barty's brow bone to the outer corner of his eye. As Evan stared, horrified at the fresh and rather large wound, Barty's smile softened into the kind that only Evan got to see.

"What happened, Bee?" Evan's voice was barely above a whisper, as if he was scared his volume could reopen the wound. He sat down next to him.

"Dont worry, pookie. I'm just fine."

"Barty, you have a huge gash on your face. What happened?", Evan asked, louder this time.

"Nothing dramatic. Had a slight disagreement with Mulciber," Barty shrugged.

The other just raised an eyebrow.

"There may have been a broken window involved."

"You fell out of a window?" Evan's voice became shrill with panic but Barty soothed him with a kiss.

"It's fine. I didn't fall out, he just pushed me and my head smashed the window. I don't even have a concussion."

"Figures," Evan sighed, but his expression relaxed visibly. "You and your thick head."

Barty laughed and pulled him in for another kiss.

"Actually," he breathed, still so close to Evan's mouth that their lips brushed as he talked. "I think a scar will make me even hotter. Give me like a sexy bad boy kind of vibe."

Evan laughed into the kiss. He was about to respond when Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat behind him.

"Boys, how about you take this outside. I need to clean up here."

"Right," Evan mumbled, slightly blushing and pulling Barty off the bed and towards the door by his hand.

"And Mister Crouch?"

He turned around, eyebrows raised.

"Take it easy until the stitches dissolve. No exercise or anything agitating. Understood?"

"Of course, Madame P. Absolutely not."

But the smirk he threw Evan as soon as the door closed suggested otherwise.

~ ~ ~

Notes: I am a Barty calling people pookie truther

[stararch4ngelqueen]

Repose

—

Time written- 10:51 p.m.

Jason Todd/fem!reader (Credit to Irenne on Pinterest)

—

The sting in his muscles when Jason so much as lifted a finger was nothing new to him. The healing bruises decorating his knuckles, the constant burning ache in his knees.

You’re getting old, Todd. You’d say to him.

Ouch, straight in the heart. He’d reply before cornering you against the nearest surface, giving you that cheeky smile that always made your cheeks rosy. Tell me I’m getting old again, see what other kinds of things I can get ya to say.

He liked to tease back, to push those tickle spots. adoring to make you laugh whenever he had the chance. Any positive reaction he gained from you was another gold star on his chart, a positive outlook on his conscience so grand, the galaxy would get jealous in a few months at most.

Watching you sleep enveloped his mind in a calm serenity he believed he couldn’t obtain anywhere else. A satisfaction of seeing the person you love committing such a simple action as sleeping was…

He wasn’t sure how to describe it.

All he’d know is he’d watch for hours without interruption, a content little smile remaining permanent on his face.

The comfort of your presence nearly allowed Jason to ignore the ache in his joints, the healing bruises and bandaged cuts you aided him with. His slightly injured, throbbing head slowly soothed from a few rapid release meds, provided by your little stash kept in a cross labeled medical in your dresser.

You made the ‘mistake’ of offering Jason a lollipop, typical pediatric doctor behavior.

He plays into it, asking for a scented sticker instead. Or a kiss.

You didn’t have any stickers, so you’re forced to settle per your dangerous boyfriend’s request. One kiss turned into another, shifting into Jason’s hands cradling your plush, warm hips, sitting you in his lap after a couple of encouraging nudges.

You advised against it at first, due to his injuries, but Jason couldn’t help but insist.

“Jay?” Your eyes squint in the darkness, catching the faint rays of moonlight reflecting off the white streaks in his tussled hair. Your red teddy bear stares down at you, gifting your bare body a warm squeeze against his.

“You okay?” You croak out a whisper, growing a little worried as to why he was awake at this hour. Like your tired brain could fully acknowledge the time, really.

Jason nods once. “Yeah. M’okay, babe.”

“Do you have to go?” Your sweet, tired voice tugs at his sore heartstrings. You never wanted him to leave, dreading laying in bed all alone while watching him get dressed. As much as you admired his physique, it most likely ends with some kind of cut to clean and kiss better.

You wanted him to remain right where he was: in a safe space, a warm meal in his belly, his wounds tended to, his body resting after various limbs grew tangled within each other’s.

Jason was here. He was here, he was safe. His heartbeat usually lulled you to sleep, but tonight you settled for a pillow to keep the pressure off his chest.

“No no,” he replies, trailing a few calloused fingers along your cheek. “No, I’m stayin’ tonight.”

Your tired smile grows when he kissed your concerns away, his nose brushing along yours as his pecks trail from one on your cheek, towards another on the top of your head.

“What’s wrong?” Your exhausted mind remains ever so vigilant on his behalf, feeling both heart warmed and a little guilty. He’s supposed to tend to your needs, but it’s not that he doesn’t appreciate it.

He needs to give you a day. A day full of appreciation for all the hours you’ve spent doting on him, taking care of him like this. He wanted you to experience just how much of an absolute cherub you’ve been, kissing his cheek repeatedly while settling your head along his shoulder.

“Shh shhh. Nothing, babygirl.” Jason rasps, pressing a warm kiss to your temple before reinforcing his hold, rubbing soothing circles along your back, gently cradling your head against his good shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”

[pep-the-artemis]

Is CYN Autistic and is She Good Representation?

Murder Drones ⟨00⟩ is an indie show about robots; created by Glitch Productions ⟨01⟩; directed by Liam Vickers ⟨02⟩: all episodes are free to watch on YouTube and I do recommend watching. The show follows a robot girl named Uzi and her best friend N; CYN (the subject of this post) is N’s adoptive younger sister. Many people in the Murder Drones fandom (including myself) have identified her as being autistic but is this the case and is she a good representation? 

In this post I will try to go over all the evidence we have which suggests she is/isn’t autistic and discuss what it means to be a good representation. I have split this post into three parts,

Is CYN Autistic (Minor Spoiler warning)

Is CYN Autistic (Major Spoiler warning)

What is Good Representation and does CYN qualify?

If you enjoy reading this, consider reblogging and checking out my other post where I go into the science behind "if N is colour blind?⟨3⟩”. I must forewarn, I am not a medical doctor nor am I qualified in any adjacent fields relating to disabilities, I am just an autistic person who enjoys film theory.

All references used are linked too and also supplied at the bottom.

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 sitting behind a bar counter holding a ceramic teacup]

The first point I want to make is to address the possible concerns over CYN being a Worker Drone (the name given to one type of robot in Murder Drones) as, in media, autistic people are often negatively represented through machines. This is not the case here, in the show most characters are robots and behave neurotypically; the behaviours and mannerisms of CYN will expressly be discussed in comparison to the rest of the cast. This will also be discussed more in greater detail later in the post.

Part 1 - Evidence : Minor Spoiler Warning

Posture

The manner in which CYN stands gives us multiple strong indications that she is neurotypical. Contrary to common belief, autism both affects a person mentally and physically with a strong overlap between the two⟨04⟩. 

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 standing looking upwards towards the camera smiling with a crooked posture]

Going from top to bottom, the notable traits are;

CYN is very short, being estimated to be ~100cm or ~3'4''. For comparison, most Worker Drones are around 132cm or 4'4''. This is likely due to her being a child but there have been studies which have found that Autistic people are generally taller than their neurotypical counterparts⟨05⟩.

CYN holds her head at a tilt which is an common autism stim⟨06⟩. We also see that she often uses her hand to adjust her head or to hold it in support, leading to the conclusion that she has hypotonia (weak “muscles”) which is characterised by symptoms like difficulty holding the head up, difficulties with sitting up⟨07⟩, and poor posture; all identified in CYN. The source just provided focuses mainly on infants but I did manage to find a case study of a ten year old written by Mark Hutten⟨08⟩. I also found an interesting study saying head tilting can assist in helping an autistic person with facial recognition⟨09⟩.

CYNs elbows are constantly bent over a 90 degree angle pulling her arms towards her chest. This is known as “T-Rex Arms” in the autistic community and is usually believed to be a form of stimming⟨10⟩. 

When not being used, CYNs hands are constantly limp. This is a commonly seen extension to the “T-Rex Arms”. I was unable to find a scholarly article but I did find a discussion point by the online influencer Autistic Emmalyn⟨11⟩.

CYN leans towards her left leg and her right leg is distinctly more bent, this is common in autistic people caused by what's known as “Leg length discrepancy”⟨12⟩. Note, I've found contradictory evidence for what causes “Leg length discrepancy”; does the posture decrease leg length, does the leg length induce posture, or is differing leg length an illusion. It is also unusual for both legs to be bent so it's hard to say with certainty this is the cause.

CYN points her feet inwards which is known as in-toeing which is a common symptom of autism although only generally present in young children⟨13⟩. In-toeing can be caused by “femoral anteversion”: I found no study directly correlating “Femoral Anteversion” and autism but I did find a study which correlated hypermobility with autism⟨14⟩ and a study which correlated “Femoral Anteversion'' with hypermobility⟨15⟩. Hypermobility has also been shown to be correlated with hypotonia⟨16⟩.

CYN is seen pulling her thighs inwards which is a sign of autism and many autistic people (specifically autistic children) do it to help them find balance⟨13⟩.

Note that there is one scene in which she doesn’t stand in the manner described above, in this scene she is not the focus and she’s very much obscured. I believe at this point this is likely an animation error. I will be discussing this in greater detail later on but cannot currently due to the problem of spoilers.

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5. The shot is of her standing neurotypically from behind while holding a ceramic teacup]

Walking

The problem with discussing the manner in which CYN walks is that we get limited shots of her walking, particularly unsupported. The best evidence we do have comes from the gala preparations in episode 5 but in that scene the lower parts of her legs are obscured and she is taking aid from N. There are other scenes where we somewhat see her walk but they each come with their own problems.

[image transcript; a picture of CYN (left) walking holding onto her older brother N (right)]

By comparing the number of times CYN and N’s head bob while walking together we get an indication of their respective stride lengths, by watching the scene at 0.25 speed CYN takes ~16 steps and N takes ~9 steps. Since they’re walking in tandem, we can conclude that CYNs stride length is 9/16=~0.5625 times that of N’s. Since stride length and height are directly proportional17, we can take into account their height difference by multiplying by the ratio of their heights (132cm/100cm=1.32) which gives us 1.32*0.5625=0.7425 so even when height is taken into account, CYNs stride length is significantly smaller than N’s and a smaller stride length is a symptom of autism⟨17⟩. This is also backed up in other scenes where we see CYN move and her stride appears very short.

While walking with N, her gait (distance between feet) is neurotypical, in other scenes where we see her walk, without aid, this is not the case so this is a direct example of where we cannot be certain of the information we’re getting from the gala preparation scene. A wider gait length is a sign of autism⟨18⟩.

When looking at the movement of her kneecaps compared to N and the other servants, she has a distinct increased hip flexion which is a symptom of autism which is an action taken to mitigate the effects of autism on mobility⟨18⟩.

Although she has an increased hip flexion, her knee’s do not appear to bend significantly which is another sign of autism along with limited ankle movement⟨18⟩. We only see one shot in the show where we see CYN feet while she’s moving and in that she takes only one small step backwards but it does seem that her ankles don’t bend, I am reluctant to push this as evidence due to how limited the data is.

In the cathedral scene, we see that she seemingly pauses between steps as she walks (this behaviour is not present when walking with N). This is referred to as an increase in the stance phrase which is a sign of autism⟨18⟩.

Oral

CYN (voiced by Allanah Fitzgerald⟨19⟩) has a very distinct manner in which she talks, for those unaware her voice sounds very reminiscent of Siri/Alexa which strongly contrasts most other characters in the show who have fully articulated voices. Without going into details (to avoid spoilers), there is an argument that can be made that her voice is the default for Worker Drones.

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 kneeling on a bar counter holding up her head with the back of her hand]

Here is a transcript of a conversation between CYN and N.

N       - *walking in*

CYN - “You seem, upset—big brother—N. Perhaps you'd like to attend the gala with me?—light sip”

N        -  “Ahh, not sure we’re invited, little buddy. Why not just hang with me?”

CYN - “climbing, criss cross applesauce—am I—not wanted, N?”

N        - “aww dude, you know its her parents… ahh, don’t give me those eyes”

CYN - “giggle, I am so naughty.”

certain parts of N’s lines being altered to avoid spoilers (CYNs lines have been left virtually unchanged).

The most obvious part of her language is her rigid voice, it is very monotone. This is not hard to correlate to Autism as ‘robotic’ is a common descriptor used to describe one of the ways people who are autistic talk⟨20⟩. I do want to mention that although her voice is robotic, she isn’t emotionless, through her actions it is clear she can feel a wide range of complex emotions including humour and annoyance; it's just she struggles showing it⟨23⟩.

CYN also uses phrases when performing certain actions such as “criss cross applesauce” when she is sitting down; this is a sign of Echolalia⟨20⟩ which is very common for autistic people⟨20⟩. Her phrase “you’d like to attend the gala with me” also gives the implications of delayed Echolalia⟨21⟩. Note, certain things she vocalises like “giggle” and “annoyed expression” aren’t Echolalia.

CYN does not show any sins of having narrow interests which is usually a common  symptom of Autism⟨20⟩. This may be a result of her limited screen presence as we don’t get significant indications of any of her interests.

Since we don’t see CYN through multiple stages of her life, it is difficult to determine if her language skills have developed unevenly⟨20⟩. She does mix childish and formal language together as she talks which can be interpreted as implying uneven language skills. I think the explanation of Echolalia fits better.

[image transcript; a close up picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 kneeling on a bar counter holding out her hands making an excited expression with her tongue out] (author note, do not question why she has a tongue)

Her face, although much less emotive, isn’t devoid of emotion; she can somewhat show emotions like fear and can be very expressive but only in a rigid and forced manner although her face is usually unexpressive. She also sometimes she visually shows the wrong emotions like with the picture above she is excited but here eyes are showing the scared emotion. All these is very stereotypical of autistic people and defies the common stereotype⟨22⟩.

Now we have come to the end of part 1, which is sad ): . Please consider reblogging, this took a lot of time and research to put together and I'm sure there's still mistakes and inaccuracies. So what conclusions can we draw from this information… not much since a lot of important information has been left out since they cannot be discussed without major spoilers for the show. Thank you for reading.

References

⟨0⟩Liam Vickers | Murder Drones Episodes

⟨1⟩Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul | Glitch Productions

⟨2⟩Liam Vickers | Liam Vickers Productions

⟨3⟩pep-the-artemis | Is N ColourBlind?

⟨4⟩I lost the intended link | so here’s a cat

⟨5⟩Interactive Autism Network | Relationship Between Autism and Height

⟨6⟩Carmen B. Pingree | Signs of Autism

⟨7⟩Medical News Today | Hypotonia

⟨8⟩Mark Hutton | Hypotonia Case Study

⟨9⟩NeuroScience News | Head Tilt Social Engagement

⟨10⟩Cross River Therapy | T-Rex Arms in Autism

⟨11⟩Autistic Emmalyn | Autistic Arms

⟨12⟩YAI | Posture and Gait of Autistic Individuals

⟨13⟩NHS | In-Toeing

⟨14⟩National Library of Medicine | The Relationship Between Generalised Joint Hypermobility and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: A Large, Cross-Sectional, Case Control Comparison

⟨15⟩National Library of Medicine | Is there a correlation between the femoral anteversion angle and the elasticity of the hip muscles in cases of intoeing gait due to increased femoral anteversion angle?

⟨16⟩The Royal Childrens Hospital Melbourne | Low muscle tone

⟨17⟩Scientific America | Stepping Science: Estimating Someone's Height from Their Walk

⟨18⟩National Library of Medicine | Gait deviations in children with autism spectrum disorders: a review

⟨19⟩Allanah Fitzgerald | FitzyVA

⟨20⟩National Institute of Hearing | Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children 

⟨21⟩The Autism Therapy Group | Echolalia in Autism: What It Is and How To Treat It

⟨22⟩app2vox | Understanding autism and emotions

[yanderes-galore]

Fandom: Demon Slayer

Character: Genya Shinazugawa

Pairing: Romantic

Type: Concept

Darling could be a demon slayer or a civilian (cause that'd make him like 10 times more overprotective 💀) but whichever is fine ofc. Also fem! Darling, please 🙏

-🥝 anon

Sure! I kept it gender neutral as no pronouns are used in this, my bad :( It's easier to do general concepts to cover behavior without mentions of the reader's gender. But I hope you enjoy it regardless 🥺.

Yandere! Genya Shinazugawa Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Stalking, Overprotective behavior, Jealousy, Threats, Isolation, Biting, Blood, Kidnapping, Delusional behavior, Possessive behavior, Forced relationship.

Genya is originally a lone wolf character, not usually wanting to work with anyone.

When you first meet him, he's no doubt brash, impatient, and rude.

So I imagine he isn't very nice to his obsession at first if they're a Demon Slayer.

You may originally try to be nice... Only to just resort to ignoring Genya due to his abrasive nature.

Where I can see his obsession truly starting is when he begins to learn teamwork with others.

Which, I believe, is after the Sword Village Arc?

After this he's more open to cooperation and sociable.

This is where I can also mention a civilian obsession.

Genya is said to be less ill-mannered towards those he likes.

He's protective in general and is especially caring towards those he views as family.

Tanjiro definitely made this man a better person.

Under that gruff exterior, Genya is super caring.

Once he admits the feelings he has for you to himself... He's a protective yandere with the one he adores.

Even more if you're a crush.

I feel once you get past the rough exterior he has... Genya can be really sweet.

If you're a Demon Slayer, he wants to train with you.

If you're a civilian, he wants to protect you.

Yet one way or another... He'd do anything to ensure your safety.

I definitely agree with you that either way he'd be protective... but if you can't defend yourself, he's worse.

If you're a Demon Slayer, then he often trains with you and looks out for you.

During missions he no doubt wants to come along, strong demon or not.

Genya also seems like he'd be ruthless when it comes to protecting the one he loves.

After all, he has the ability to consume demon flesh...

So I can also see him being a bit of a feral yandere at times due to that ability.

When I think of a civilian obsession, I feel it means anything that’s not a Demon Slayer.

You could work as a medic at one of the bases... or really just be a civilian Genya helped save.

He'd definitely feel like he needs to protect you more.

You know no breathing techniques... which makes you a sitting duck without wisteria or sunlight.

Which means Genya needs to work extra hard to ensure no demon gets you.

He's extra paranoid about it due to what happened with his family.

He doesn't want to witness another loved one turned into a demon or mauled.

You mean too much to him.

I like to imagine Genya tries to keep up the stoic and gruff persona around you at first.

But your voice and concern for him make him falter... His cheeks warm when you're near.

Even when he's nicer and more social... He acts shy around you at times.

Let's be honest, he probably struggles processing romantic love.

He's closed himself off from so many people he has trouble facing his feelings for you.

Most of the time his obsession with you manifests with a powerful need to protect.

He may have desires to isolate you... He may even distrust others around you.

Such distrust acts like jealousy... but he can barely tell the difference at times.

He tells himself he doesn't like others around you because he doesn't trust them to protect you like he can...

Yet even then, it may just be him trying to rationalize a primal jealous feeling he has.

One thing unique to Genya is his technique.

His demon technique makes me wonder if that would alter his views of his obsession.

Demons can be animalistic creatures driven by desire.

So, imagine if Genya was more possessive than protective when his demon ability is used.

He'd be a bit animalistic at times, maybe even losing control briefly.

Which means, if you're a slayer and working with him, he may get more brutal with the demon you're fighting...

Or perhaps even corner you when the fighting ends?

Similar thing could happen if you weren't a Slayer, where he'll dispatch the demon attacking you with his ability before stalking closer.

He's scary when using his demon ability.

The eyes, teeth, claws....

You're shaking when he stares down at you with a dark hunger in his gaze.

Usually Genya will get himself under control, quickly apologizing when back to normal when he sees your fear.

He doesn't want to scare you... He just wants to protect you!

Although... The idea of what would happen if he lost control...?

He'd probably not intentionally harm you...

Yet he would be animalistic, not letting anyone else near you.

Demon, Slayer, doesn't matter who comes close...

Genya's demon ability reflects his innermost desires.

Even if he's holding off on confessing, in his demonic actions... with how possessive he is...

You can probably get an idea.

He may even nip you instinctively, which terrifies you when you feel blood trickle down your skin.

He's capable of possessive feelings, yet it's usually when his state of mind is corrupted like during his technique.

But he's, ironically, often fighting his inner demons when it comes to you.

He hates the idea of you being in danger... and he hates it when you ignore him.

By this point you'd probably only ignore him out of fear, as he'd stop being rude with you.

You'd avoid him due to fear of his ability and how he acts during said ability.

Which makes Genya feel guilty.

When it comes to yanderes protecting their beloved, they'd do nearly anything.

Such as isolation, violence, kidnapping....

Imagine if Genya, regardless of if you're a Slayer or civilian, ends up isolating you.

At first it's just socially... He wants you to be beside him.

To the point, as he can still be rather gruff, he threatens others around you.

That is until, maybe he snaps....

Imagine Genya kidnapping you just to keep you safe in some house surrounded by wisteria.

He claims your disappearance is a tragedy...

That you died in some demon attack.

Due to this, not many may question Genya's absence.

They knew you two were close, that he's probably mourning.

In reality he's keeping you in a secluded location and making sure no demon or Slayer finds you.

Genya fears losing those he loves, his brother won't even talk to him and the rest of his family is dead.

Genya's deepest desire is to keep you safe... To keep you in general....

At some point he won't care if he kidnapped you or not.

He doesn't care if he has to consume the flesh of countless demons or spill their blood in front of you.

He loves you... and he wants to prove he does by doing what he's doing.

What may make this worse if he probably didn't even confess properly before this.

It would probably come up when he's trying to explain why he did this.

Which, again, makes you cry instead of smile.

Yes, him admitting he loved you before all of this might've been cute.

Especially when he stutters or blushes.

But when he looks desperate and delusional, trying so hard to prevent your tears?

He looks deranged.

Even more so when he leans in to kiss you, only to show irritation when you pull away.

You can squirm all you want... but he's stronger.

Stronger and more determined.

Genya may be a demon slayer who just wants to protect those he loves...

But in reality, he's about as close to a selfish demon as you can get compared to other Slayers...

Is it really protecting and loving you if he cages and hides you like an animal?

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Soon after my arrival at the Transgender Center, I was struck by the lack of formal protocols for treatment. The center’s physician co-directors were essentially the sole authority.

At first, the patient population was tipped toward what used to be the “traditional” instance of a child with gender dysphoria: a boy, often quite young, who wanted to present as—who wanted to be—a girl. 

Until 2015 or so, a very small number of these boys comprised the population of pediatric gender dysphoria cases. Then, across the Western world, there began to be a dramatic increase in a new population: Teenage girls, many with no previous history of gender distress, suddenly declared they were transgender and demanded immediate treatment with testosterone. 

I certainly saw this at the center. One of my jobs was to do intake for new patients and their families. When I started there were probably 10 such calls a month. When I left there were 50, and about 70 percent of the new patients were girls. Sometimes clusters of girls arrived from the same high school. 

This concerned me, but didn’t feel I was in the position to sound some kind of alarm back then. There was a team of about eight of us, and only one other person brought up the kinds of questions I had. Anyone who raised doubts ran the risk of being called a transphobe. 

The girls who came to us had many comorbidities: depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, obesity. Many were diagnosed with autism, or had autism-like symptoms. A report last year on a British pediatric transgender center found that about one-third of the patients referred there were on the autism spectrum.

Frequently, our patients declared they had disorders that no one believed they had. We had patients who said they had Tourette syndrome (but they didn’t); that they had tic disorders (but they didn’t); that they had multiple personalities (but they didn’t). 

The doctors privately recognized these false self-diagnoses as a manifestation of social contagion. They even acknowledged that suicide has an element of social contagion. But when I said the clusters of girls streaming into our service looked as if their gender issues might be a manifestation of social contagion, the doctors said gender identity reflected something innate.

To begin transitioning, the girls needed a letter of support from a therapist—usually one we recommended—who they had to see only once or twice for the green light. To make it more efficient for the therapists, we offered them a template for how to write a letter in support of transition. The next stop was a single visit to the endocrinologist for a testosterone prescription. 

That’s all it took. 

Archive here

Read this whole thing. What I quoted is just the tip of the iceberg. We were right about everything.

[chronicallycouchbound]

Rating names/terms for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome:

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: 10/10 Lawful neutral, it’s the official terminology, lets you know what’s up

EDS (in all caps): 9/10 Sometimes confused with other unrelated conditions and acronyms but usually works

EDs (‘S’ is lowercase): 2/10 Usually refers to erectile dysfunction or eating disorders, which causes a lot of confusion.

Ehlers Danlos: 8/10. Good shorthand while still knowing what’s going on.

Earers Daniel’s Syndrome: 1/10. I have only heard this once, from an ER doctor. He said it to me as he turned away from his screen (which was pulled up to the Web MD page for EDS) and proceeded to mansplain my condition to me inaccurately. At least he tried.

“Eyers Dan—“ *waves hand around*: -5/10 I’ve heard this one a lot from medical professionals. I just know I’m about to be malpracticed and am already planning the quickest way out of the situation.

Zebras: 6/10 I like the imagery, I like mascots, I like the story (when doctors are in med school they’re told “if you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” but them zebras are missed) however, I have two criticisms: a) more rare conditions are out there, and zebras technically refers to any rare diseases, not just EDS b) I feel sad when I think about how it basically calls EDS the “I was medically malpracticed disease”

EDSers: 8/10 a cute lil shorthand for “people with EDS”. Easier to explain than the zebras thing

hEDS/vEDS/cEDS/including subtypes: 7/10 I like the idea of being able to know what your subtype is and find people in your sub community, HOWEVER my only concern is that it can feel (and used for) invalidating people without a genetically confirmed subtype because of inaccessibility. I haven’t had gene testing because I can’t afford it— but I have clinically diagnosed EDS, which has been confirmed at multiple hospitals by multiple specialists. I score a 9/9 on the Brighton, meet all major criteria, and meet almost every other minor criteria for EDS on top of that. But I don’t know my subtype yet. I don’t hate/dislike people who use this term and I don’t discourage it, but I do encourage mindfulness about genetic testing accessibility and privilege of access.

Bendy disease: 10/10 a silly goofy joke I say with friends “I cannot walk up stairs on account of my loosey goosey bendy disease” which is always funny to me. Even with my serious things like “my life threatening cardiac conditions are rapidly progressing” you add “on account of my bendy disease” and bam theres my coping skill.

Ehlers: 3/10 a step in the right direction, but it sounds like “yellers” and dismisses half of the team that described the condition

“Double jointed”: 1/10 I was told my whole life until I was 18 that I was just “double jointed” for starters, it’s medically inaccurate. You’re hyper extending, subluxing, or even dislocating joints whenever you’re “double jointed” in a joint. There is not two joints there (unless you’ve had x rays and for some reason genuinely do have two joints in that spot). I honestly hate this term and it’s incredibly dismissive of the pain that happens with EDS while also making it seem like a super power that we’re encouraged to do

Contortionist: 1/10 [NOTE!!! some contortionists DO NOT have EDS and can just bend like that. Some have benign joint hypermobility. But many contortionists do have EDS.] In the context of people with EDS, I hate this term. It’s often the first thing people jump to when I explain my condition. They see my crippled ass in my wheelchair/powerchair or limping around with my cane/crutches/rollator, usually in multiple braces/supports (and thats just external noticeable-to-everyone things, let alone if you hear any aspects of my daily life) and their first thought is: “wow!! So you can entertain me like it’s a freak show!” And not “holy shit dozens of dislocations per day and countless subluxations per day must be excruciating”. I did contortions when I was younger to get praise and due to peer pressure. Fuck that noise I will not be your ugly law era freak show creepy cripple p0rn. Fuck everything to do with that actually.

[saltymongoose]

With the nose asks I'm surprised no ones brought up nose bleeds. I get them pretty often so I can imagine the first time any grunt sees the Player just randomly throw their head back as they ask for a napkin Probably doesn't matter how severe it is they're gonna freak out. Doc (and or Jeb and Hof depending on where Player is) completely losing it on the inside as it seems to be bleeding from the inside, and then mid way through mentally preparing himself for surgery or something Player's like "yeah it happens when the airs dry" or "Oh I broke my nose one time and now it just happens occasionally."

I love it - yet another distinctly human phenomenon to throw the grunts into absolute pandemonium lmao.

Any injury that the Player gets becomes the top concern of whoever they're with, and random, causeless ones are the most panic-inducing of them. At least if you trip or get hit by a spray of debris, your grunts can properly assess the situation and use their background knowledge to help you. But if you get a nosebleed, it essentially concerns a body part of yours that they know very little about sustaining a wound that has zero obvious cause to exist.

It's not like you got hit there or anything, which then leads your grunts to fear that you've got internal bleeding or perhaps a bad head injury that's only making itself known now. You know, otherwise lethal things.

Even the most intelligent of grunts (i.e. Christoff and Hofnarr, perhaps even 2BDamned) are stumped on what to do, which of course just pushes them further into a panicked spiral. They're rushing to get medical supplies for you, pushing you to tell them all about your wound while subtly nudging you to lie down on whatever flat surface is closest so they can examine you, and even preparing mentally for surgery on the most important person in their life. You're sitting there with a tissue to your nose and a mostly nonchalant expression while they're trying to come to terms with taking your life in their hands to do urgent brain surgery.

The funny thing is that they're so worried it causes you to be more concerned over them than your own nosebleed. You don't want them to get a heart attack, so you gently try to reassure them that you're okay while trying to stop your blood from dirtying your shirt too badly.

Since we're on the topic of them, I also think that these three grunts in particular are probably the easiest to calm down (at least outwardly) with your explanation of what a common nosebleed is. Their panic comes from it being you who's bleeding combined with their lack of knowledge over what's happening to you. And also what they should do to help treat you, which is actually nothing because you have it handled - but you know they're not going to be content with that, so you may as well assign them to be your "nurses" during this whole mishap. If not only for their peace of mind.

As for the other grunts, their distress is far worse by comparison, because 9/10 times they don't even have any background with medical things at all - nor have most of them had in-depth discussions about your anatomy like Doc. And given how much blood can pour out of your nose when it happens, you're going to have to try a bit harder than you'd like to convince them that no, you're not dying, this is just sort of normal for you. (Cue them freaking out again because wtf, bleeding like this is a usual thing for you? Why??)

Even after your nosebleed passes, your grunts are going to be far more cautious and protective around you than they usually are (which is saying something). They wouldn't want to risk you being hurt again after such a recent injury, especially after losing all of that blood.

[helpfandom]

could I request prompts 1+10 for nolanverse scarecrow? You can choose wether or not you wanna do it romantic or platonic

I know that this was requested a long time ago, but I need time to cook for stories like these /hj.

Words: 1.3k

Oh, this? Don't worry, the blood isn't mine."

"Well, there's no point for me to keep up the act anymore is there?"

Continuing your route to Arkham for your daily visit to the hospital, you ignore the violence on the streets, keeping your mind focused on your priority. You were visiting Arkham again for your friend, seeing as they had asked you to visit. You actually liked visiting those with genuine medical conditions rather than those like Victor Zsaz who have none, but use it as a way to escape jail.

Using your visitors pass to easily get into the part of the asylum you actually wanted to visit, you pause in the hallway when you see Crane, as he is usually no where to be found during visiting hours. He pauses as well, when you look up, his face had changed from a smile to a neutral expression.

"Hello, Dr. Crane, you're not hiding like you typically are." He chuckles, not a long chuckle though, simply a few sounds. "No, I'm not, I was visiting a patient." "Well, that's rare." He softly shakes his head, "Rare for you, but I actually do my job unlike a few others."

A slight, polite, chuckle from you, and the eerie silence settles. You look awkwardly at him before giving up mentally and giving a slight wave. "Well, bye." You continue walking off, and when you glimpse behind him, you see a burlap mask in his hand.

You whip your head around again, and focus on getting to the room, deciding to talk about it later to someone who wouldn't spill about it to Crane.

Upon reaching the room, you put the visitor pass up to the lock on the door and open it, there was no window in the door, seeing as they had clawed at the glass and almost broke it, so you had to open the door to see inside.

But inside was your friend strapped to a chair with duct tape taped over their head, the only thing open being the nose hole, with little screams being let out by them.

You gasp, and then turn around, forgetting the door and rush over to where you had seen Crane. You run down the hallway, hand hitting the wall to guide you as you turn and use the force to push you to where Crane was.

"Dr. Crane! Dr!" He turns around at the sound of you calling his name, and his title, with a concerned look on his face. "Yes, what's the matter?" He raises an eyebrow at you running at him, after all, you rarely ever talk to him, but you seem in distress and call on him first?

He grabs your shoulders, and steadies you before you slam into the wall. "What seems to be the matter?" You gasp a little bit, and start talking a bit faster than normal. "My friend is tied down to a chair and has duct tape all over, I think someone hurt them!"

His face turns to a surprise expression and he starts walking briskly to where that room is, having grabbed your arm to steady you and bring you.

You both arrive at the room with the door still open, so he rushes inside while you stand outside, frozen at the sight of your friend like this. Crane begins undoing the duct tape and bindings, and the rush out, attacking what they see.

They hit you, screaming and crying their eyes out while pummeling their fists into your torso, attempting to claw at you. "STOP! IT'S EVERYWHERE! HELP!" They scream, attracting the security guards. The security guards run over and grab them off of you, but it's almost too late, you've sustained substantial injuries.

They take them away to a different room, and Crane walks over to you with a dazed look on his face. "Are you alright dear?" He crouches down and looks at you, inspecting what may or may not be wrong. He grabs the back of your head gently, lifting it while you get reoriented. "I think I'll take you to the infirmary."

He stands up, bending over to help you up, and as you stand, puts his hand on your back to stabilize you. "Don't worry, the infirmary has plenty of stuff, this sort of thing happens all the time. We'll get some ice for your head and go from there, okay?" "SCARECROW!" The screams from your friend echo in the hallways, but they get silenced as they get put into a differing cell, a padded one.

A few tears slip out of your eyes, even though it doesn't make sense to be crying, but their screams invoke a primal sense of pain, of fear. That, mixed with the pain of fingers attacking, attempting to fight in desperation, biting like a rabid dog in a corner, lead to a few tears.

You two walk in silence, or rather, silence between you two. The facility is all aflutter with sounds, after all a regular who visited often was attacked, and attacked by a passive person, someone who was nearing being able to leave.

The walk is long, but he hands you a handkerchief he had in his pocket, and holds you steady as you walk. Slowly, you near the infirmary. As you enter, you notice it's primarily empty, the only other people there being a guard who was sleeping, and the nurse on call.

"Oh, honey, what happened?" She asks, cupping your face and inspecting your eyes. She lets go of your face and walks over to the fridge with ice and medications that need to be frozen, grabbing a bag with ice and handing it to you. "Dr. Crane, d-do you know what happened?" She stutters when she sees it's Crane specifically who brought you here.

He gestures in the direction of you, watching as you sit down on a cot. "Are they okay?" The nurse sighs, "I don't know, I have to check for concussions and the like, do you know what happened?" He nods. "I'll write a report, focus on them for now, and then I'll tell you what happened."

He walks off, leaving you in the room with the snoring security guard, who she then wakes up and he walks off, before walking over and asking questions. "Do you have any cuts? Any bruises, or spots that particularly hurt?" You groan, and whisper no to the questions, just the shock and hitting your head being the issues. "M'kay, honey, I'm going to have you rest here a little bit and then after a while you can tell me more about your head, that sound good?"

You nod, making your brain feel funky and sloshy, and lay down on the cot. "S-sorry ma'am." "No need to apologize honey, it wasn't your fault was it?" "N-no. You're right, I guess." You fight the urge to go onto your phone, instead thinking what happened through.

After a few minutes, the intercom sparks on, calling for her. "Nurse Cherry, we need you at room 23. Nurse Cherry, room 23." She rushes out, apparently that was a room of great importance, seeing the way she ran, and you close your eyes slightly.

Footsteps echo down the hallway as it spurs you to sit up to see who's coming. It wasn't the Nurse's flats, but rather Crane's shoes clacking against the linoleum.

He leans against the door frame, a bit of blood splattered upon his shirt and lab coat. The blood startles you, so you jolt. "C-Crane?! Are you okay?" You rush over to him and drop the ice, checking if he's okay. "Oh, this? Don't worry, the blood isn't mine." He responds, a slight smile upon his face.

"W-what?" He begins moving closer to you. "Well, there's no point for me to keep up the act anymore is there? After all, they weren't supposed to hurt you, so I had to gas them more. I found out the amount of fear gas someone can take before their mind dissolves."

You back away, but he reaches out and grabs your shoulder as he had done when he helped you up. "C-Crane?" He chuckles, "Oh no dear, Crane checked out, Scarecrow's in town."

[charliemwrites]

how do you think the keepers of 141 would be w/ insomniac / dsps pets?

DSPS = fancy medical way of saying nocturnal

broight to you by the fact i havent slept at all since 6-10 pm yestersay pls end my life

like poor guy is just, unable to settle down for the life of him. tried music, meditation, weighted blankets, everything, and he still just can't fall asleep so he gets up and starts wandering around. maybe he starts watching tv or a movie, maybe he makes a snack and reads, maybe he decides that now is the perfect time to do some time consuming task or clean every single inch of the house.

keeper wakes up to the sound of the pet accidentally knocking something to the ground, sees pet is gone, and freaks out. goes to living room and its just them staring at each other while the pet eats shredded cheese over the sink (straight from the bag).

on the other hand, the daytime eepiness.

it's barely twelve and poor thing can't keep his eyes open, falling asleep mid conversation, yawning with every word, seeming really distracted. he falls asleep mid - bath which is dangerous but he was just so warm and comfy! ): he can't help taking like fourteen million 10 minute naps per day. he's wandering around still in his jam jams and looks like he literally is asleep on his feet. eepy boy (:

Spiders. Hey spiders? Spiders, darling, I’m concerned. I have mild insomnia that’s managed with meds but oh my god??? And you ask me about water??? Jail for spiders.

Anyway… a good ask.

This fits feral incredibly well. If it’s not canon that Simon is an insomniac for various reasons, it should be. So those two would be up doing chaotic shit together. Like, yes, feral is eating cheese straight from the bag, but Simon is brewing the strongest coffee in this hemisphere and they’re both chatting like it’s a weekend morning. I can see them getting lots of nap times together throughout the day. Ive said before (or at least agreed) that feral is cat-coded so this daytime napping business fits perfectly for him.

Johnny would be a menace, cooing over Shy Thing and trying to get him back into bed. Shy thing would go, wait until he’s snoring, and then creep out again to continue what he was doing. He’s less midnight cheese coded and more starting a lengthy project coded. Like, his whole bedroom needs rearranging, or the bookshelf needs to be reorganized - at 2am. But oh, Johnny would coo over his eepy boy. Dress him up in Johnny’s clothes and watch him shuffle around in too long sleeves, yawning if he sits down for too long, slumping into his shoulder in a nice patch of sunlight.

Good Boy spends all day napping on or against Price. His lap is his favorite spot, but he’ll settle for tucking up against his back too. Price tuts that he needs to stay awake, but poor baby boy just can’t. Price would also try to ~tire~ him out before bed. And while that may put him down for a three hour snooze, Good Boy will be creeping out of bed to watch old cartoons and sew/knit/crochet. Price usually wakes, scoops him up, and sets him in bed with headphones and a tablet.

[sysmedsaresexist]

So have you talked about Colin Ross abusing and traumatizing his patients, or him believing he can shoot beams of energy out of his eyeballs, or any of that stuff or did i miss those posts or what

I did :) keep looking, I'm sure you're almost there

In all seriousness, no one is saying he's a saint or unproblematic, but him believing he can shoot lasers doesn't exactly affect the results of fmris or the readings of other clinicians in the studies compiling results

I mean, unless he shot the lasers right into the machine

That might skew the results a bit

But if you're going to dismiss Ross, you also have to dismiss van der Hart, Braun (RIP???), Poznanski, and all of the other psychotherapy clinicians involved in 15-20% of yearly medical malpractice lawsuits (statistics in these areas are horrible to wade through).

Malpractice lawsuits are a fact of life in the medical field and that's why every doctor is legally required to have insurance. It's estimated that by the age of 65 years, 75% of physicians in low-risk specialties had faced a malpractice claim (this includes psychiatry), as compared with 99% of physicians in high-risk specialties (surgeons and the like). At least 10% of an average 40 year career is spent with an open lawsuit on file. 96% of medical malpractice cases are settled out of court, without you ever knowing they happened. Your family/general doctor has more than likely been sued before, and you have zero idea. Of the cases that go to court, over 55% are dismissed. Of the remainder, over 70% are awarded to the physician. These numbers are terrifying. Not only are the number of frivolous lawsuits incredibly high, the fact that so few cases are won by the patient is just depressing.

Based on the above, like 1 case out of roughly 3,500 yearly malpractice suits against therapists will succeed in court.

(The above numbers are US based)

To reiterate, over half of those cases never go to court and you don't know they happened, because at that point, insurance companies prefer to just make things go away with money, whether it's valid or not.

How many can't afford to sue?

These cases range from therapists oversharing, bad note taking, confidentiality concerns, sexual relationships, business relationships, misdiagnosis, prescription management, lack of training in techniques, disagreements, and any number of other things. More often than not, malpractice suits aren't for emotional damage, but procedural and ethical issues.

The more well-known you are, the harder the cases you take, the more likely you are to be sued. I don't actually know of a case where Ross was the sole named physician, usually there's 3 or 4 named and Ross has only made it to the settlement stage once, though we can't see what part he played or if he was held responsible over the other physicians. I don't think he was ever named as the primary physician, meaning he came into these cases after another doctor had made the diagnosis.

How would you feel if every doctor decided to reassess you themselves rather than trust another diagnosing physician? This is a real question that matters. It's not rhetorical. I'm not defending Ross, either, but I'd be pretty frustrated by the third round of testing. Multiple diagnosing clinicians just isn't always feasible, and yes, it leads to errors. But that's not just psychiatry.

I don't really know what to say to this ask. No one is denying he's got problems, but can those problems be directly tied to the research and did they skew results? Where do we draw the line to decide who's officially useless as a clinician (people like Hart) and who's just getting sued in a normal daily event?

Can we talk about the laser beam thing for a second, though?

Colin Ross has an eyebeam of energy he'd like you to hear

Ross applied to the James Randi Educational Foundation’s One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

Ross's basic claim is that with the aid of special goggles he’s assembled using a blue Aqua Sphere swim mask, electrical wiring and, naturally, scraps of tin foil, he can harness the energy from his eyes and use the energy to play a tone on a computer. He describes it like an on-off switch. And he plans to use the technology he’ll develop to add receptors to such devices as iPods and light switches, allowing folks to turn them on or off using our eyebeams.

He won an award. A Pigasus. I think this is hilarious.

The Pigasus Award is given each year, “To the scientist or academic who said or did the silliest thing related to the supernatural, paranormal or occult.” Dr. Ross’ 2009 Pigasus Award stems from his ability to focus his own electromagnetic field to send a beam of energy from his eyes and make a tone sound out of a speaker. He has applied to the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge administered by the JREF.

The JREF has ridiculed Dr. Ross since he filed his challenge application. James Randi wrote on his web page: “You think you’ve seen every sort of claim that could be thrown at the JREF…. Most have been preposterous, silly, irrational, and/or astonishing. Now we have one that is all of those…Dr. Colin A. Ross.”

“I am not the first unconventional thinker who has had to endure the snickering of cynics and skeptics, so I happily accept this recognition,” said Dr. Ross. “Every significant scientific advance faces resistance, but it is time that the JREF stop ridiculing me and tests the protocol.”

I don't know where I'm going with all this, it's just food for thought, context. Nothing is ever quite so black and white, even eye lasers, and sometimes you keep the bathwater and toss the evil baby.

It's hard, it's a balance. Do we say you can't trust the ToSD because of Hart? Can bad people still make reliable resources? As much as it sucks, I think some research is still valuable, and we need to teach people how to critically examine methods and conclusions to decide if the research has merit, not just decide based on whose name is first in the authors list.

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Western Hognose Shopping List

Thanks to their big, fun personalities and small size, western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) are becoming a more and more popular choice for a first pet snake. Though they're not as easy as some other good beginner-level snakes, hoggies are absolutely doable first snakes as long as you do lots of research and plan thoroughly! These adorable little snakes average around 2 feet long for females and just over 1 foot long for males, and can live to be up to 20 years old with proper care.

Before buying your hognose snake, it is extremely important to make sure you find a snake who is well-established and eating consistently on frozen/thawed, unscented mice. Don't overlook this - hoggies can be difficult to get eating on your own!

An important note of caution: hognoses are venomous snakes. Their venom is not medically significant to humans and usually results in no more than mild swelling and itching, but this is something to be very aware of! Hognose snakes almost never bite in self-defense, but mistaken feeding bites can happen so it's important to be aware and prepared.

Enclosure setup shopping list:

It's essential to make sure your hognose snake has plenty deep substrate to dig in! You will need to set up a temperature gradient of 88-78 Fahrenheit. Hoggies are not picky about humidity, and as long as you always make sure they have access to fresh, clean water, humidity shouldn't be a concern for you.

Enclosure. Adult hognose snakes can thrive in a 40 gallon enclosure. You can get away with a 20 gallon for males since they are considerably smaller, but bigger is better! For a baby snake, you and your snake will likely have an easier time if you get them set up in a 10 gallon enclosure until they put on some size.

If your enclosure has a screen lid, don't forget the screen clips. Never bring a snake home without screen clips!

A dome heat lamp with ceramic sockets. Any big reptile brand is fine - Fluker's, Zoo Med, and Exo Terra are all trustworthy brands here. Make sure your dome lamp is rated for the wattage of bulb you will be using - 150 is usually a safe bet.

Heat bulbs. I use ceramic heat emitters for most of my hognose snakes, but some respond very well to halogen lighting and UVB. The choice of providing visible heat and UVB is yours; the only snakes I would avoid it with are snakes with melanin-reducing morphs (like albinos and toffees) because it can damage their more sensitive eyes. Arcadia makes high-quality heat sources your pet will love. The wattage you choose will depend on your enclosure size and the temperature in your home.

A thermostat to plug your heat source into. Vivarium Electronics thermostats are excellent but pricey; you can go as expensive as you like but here is a cheap one I swear by. Never use a heat source without a thermostat!

Digital thermometer/hygrometer reader with probes - Zoo Med and Exo Terra make great dual gauges. Avoid stick-on dials!

At least two identical hides, one on either side. A proper hide has three solid walls and a smallish entrance - you want your snake to feel snug and secure. Baby hognoses especially will do best with lots of extra hides.

A container to make a humidity hide. Simply cut a hole in the lid, fill with damp moss, and you're set! Providing your snake with a humid hide will help them have perfect sheds every time!

A large water bowl

(Insider tip: if you go to the grocery store and buy a pack of black plastic food storage containers, you can easily make hides, humidity hides, and a water bowl out of them! Here's my go-to option, you can easily take care of all that for one baby snake for like 5 dollars! Baby hognoses are extra tiny, so if you're buying a young baby, sugar caddies make perfect, cheap hides.)

Sphagnum moss for your humid hide

Substrate - for hognoses, I prefer aspen fiber because it holds hides well and isn't terribly dusty. Playsand/topsoil mixtures also work well. Whatever you choose, be sure to provide your snake with at least a few inches to burrow in!

Lots of clutter. Paper towel tubes are great, fun enrichment, and empty cardboard boxes are hits with lots of hoggies. They aren't big climbers, but giving them a few branches never hurts! It's very important to keep your enclosure cluttered so your snake feels safe. Crumpled balls of paper towel make for great extra clutter for small snakes.

Consider a blanket or other visual barrier to put over the enclosure to help your snake feel safe and hidden. Hognoses can be very sensitive and often benefit from a little extra privacy.

General care:

Feeding tongs.

Food for your snake. Baby hognoses can usually handle whole pinky mice. Your offered food should be about 10-15% of your snake's body weight.

A soldering iron, believe it or not! A cheap soldering iron will serve you well throughout your snake's life - you can use it to easily melt holes in bowls and containers to make hides.

And some common beginner mistakes:

Don't move your snake to a separate enclosure to feed. It's a myth that will make your snake "aggressive" - it can actually cause more mistaken feeding bites as they associate handling with being fed!

Don't worry if your snake spends most of their time hiding, especially while young. A hiding snake is a happy snake! It's very normal for hognose snakes to spend a lot of their time in their burrows.

Don't over-handle your snake, and always give them at least a week to settle in before offering food for the first time.

Never handle your snake for two days after they've eaten - that could cause a regurgitation.

Avoid heat mats as a heat source for hognose snakes. Because they need such thick substrate, the heat mat can cause dangerous hot pockets within the substrate.

And be prepared to be flexible! Hognose snakes are such wonderful, fun pets, but they certainly have a bit of a dramatic streak. Expect some hissing, puffy cheeks, and a few theatrics! These are snakes with opinions about how you should care for them, so listen to what they're telling you.

I don't know what life would be like without my pet hognose snakes! They're fun, engaging pets who will make you laugh every day, and if you do your research to get them set up properly, you're well on your way to many awesome years together.

[crazycurly-77]

Like an old married couple - Chapter 10

You noticed the change immediately as you were leaving Jenny's office. Gibbs left before you and he didn't wait and didn't held the door for you as he usually did. That left you stunned, but you thought he was just upset because of the reprimand. 

When you walked to your desk and passed by his he didn’t look up as always when you were passing by. Normally he smiled a little and sometimes even winked at you, but now? Nothing. He didn't even recognize you. 

That made you feel uneasy. You felt as if something’s clearly wrong and it seemed to be a big issue. “What's up? Have I done something wrong?” you were asking yourself, but can't get any ideas what was the problem. 

So you tried to concentrate on your work and not think too hard of it. What you didn't noticed was the concerned looks of your colleagues and that Gibbs observed you when you didn't looked at him. 

He watched you and tried to understand. He thought you were both on the same page and were both interested in each other for something more than just co-workers and friends. Hell, you weren't even really co-workers so there was no issue with rule no. 12! 

And the kisses you shared…he couldn't stop thinking about them and how your body felt under his hands. 

Nonononono….he had to stop this line of thoughts. You made it clear that you saw him as a friend and only as a friend, so he had to try and keep his distance from you. Unfortunately that will be a very hard thing to do, because when he saw you the only thing he wanted was holding you in his arms, kissing you madly, deeply and thoroughly to never let go of you. 

Of course you didn't know any of that. How should you? You were too consumed by wondering about his sudden strange behavior towards you and added to that your own feelings of an up until then unknown loss. 

This feeling intensified over the next days and it made you worry sick and really sad. Usually you laughed and joked with your colleagues the whole day, but now you were silent and just sat on your desk and worked away. 

Still you had no clue what was wrong, but you thought that you had done something very wrong that destroyed the “relationship” between Gibbs and you - whatever it may have been. These words alone nearly made you cry. 

Sometimes you tried to go to him and speak with him, but it seemed that he couldn't be near you anymore. Every time you were nearing him he seemed to find a reason to leave. That rattled you completely. He didn't smile anymore and was clipped to everyone, even at Ducky. 

Everyone noticed that something's the matter and that it did no good to you both, but nobody dared to approach one of you. 

So the days were going by and this was the new standard. 

After two weeks of this Tim, Tony, Ziva and Gibbs had to do field work for which you were thankful, because you could let go of a few of your silent tears.

It was a hot summer day and the air conditioner in the building didn't work. Additionally you had problems with your asthma because of the heat. 

Suddenly you were called to Jenny and she sounded really worried. You entered her office and immediately she came to you “the team is under heavy attack and shelling. We need to get them out of there as soon as possible. Are you able to fly? Can you get them? You are the only one who is able to get there in time.”

This was hard to hear and made you worry, too. So you sighed “I have really troubles to breathe because of the heat. And I can't guarantee that I am able to do this, but I will not let them down. And if it's the last thing I do.”

“Take Ducky with you for medical help in case of emergencies” she said. You looked to Ducky who had arrived two minutes ago and realized what's going on. He laid his hand on your shoulder, nodded and said “if you are going I'm going, too.”

“Okay, let's go kick some asses and hopefully bring our people safely home.” You smiled reassuringly to each other and headed to the helicopter. 

(To be continued...)

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Here you will find the other chapters of this story and the other stories I've written to date.

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[eubalaena]

I am begging people to reframe how they think of the emergency room. I know there's some bogeyman of not wanting to 'abuse' the ER, but I promise you if you're in any way considering that the ER is not your personal on-call doctor who will see you immediately, you're not one of the people that is 'abusing' the ER. If you go with the understanding that the people who work there know how to do their jobs and triage appropriately, you can rest assured you aren't preventing anyone from getting care! ERs constantly assess patient danger and discomfort levels and have no issue prioritizing! Don't be a dick about it, understand that (at least in the US) you can expect an 8-10 hour process, but it's better to spend those 8-10 hours than to die of something treatable.

I'm an ER frequent flyer due to my medical history, and I do forget that not everyone has ER experience, so here is my guide to the ER (United States edition but I'm guessing the non-financial parts apply elsewhere):

Deciding to go:

- if you think you might need to go, but it doesn't feel critical or you can't trust your own assessment, they usually have a nurse line you can call. they're pretty much always going to tell you to come in because they really want to make sure you don't die, but if you need that external validation that you should go in, call first.

- you can assess yourself a bit as well. generally ER is for new or worsening symptoms. if you've had a cough for a few days and it isn't distressing, then no, you probably don't need to go. if you've had a cough for a few days but today you suddenly have bad chest pain, that's something that would be ER appropriate.

- pain is subjective and we're on the neurodivergent webbed site, so let me introduce you to the DVPRS pain scale, which is what I use because it is not trying to compare to other experiences. I find the usual 1-10 pain scale absolutely useless, so if you do too, here you go! for me, an unexpected 6-7 on this pain scale is usually ER time. it may be different for you! I say 'unexpected' because if you've got a chronic issue you might have your "regular" 6 pain versus an unexpected 6 pain (ex: I have joint pain made worse by certain activities that can very quickly get me to a 6. that is not ER worthy. if I have abdominal pain at a 6, that is ER worthy.)

- there are certain things that are always going to be better to have assessed as soon as possible because of the risk of permanent damage or death. chest pain is the pretty obvious one people are familiar with, but stroke symptoms are another one, even if you're otherwise healthy and low risk. if you experience facial drooping, uneven smile/facial symmetry (only one side of your mouth responds when you smile), trouble speaking or understanding words, blind spots in your vision, numbness in your extremities, those are all extreme emergency symptoms. there are some exceptions (I get several of these as migraine aura) but if these are not something you've experienced before, go to the ER! abdominal pain that worsens with pressure (GENTLY push on it. GENTLY.) is another thing to just go to the ER about.

Finances (US centric part):

- if you think you need to go but money is a concern, emergency rooms must provide stabilizing care. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE INSURANCE OR PAY UP FRONT. they aren't required to provide ongoing care, but they will do testing to make sure you aren't in imminent danger, treat you if you are, and generally treat symptoms while you're there (pain management, nausea medication, etc)

- but what about afterwards? they'll just bill you. medical bills and specifically emergency room bills are the easiest bills ever because for the most part they aren't reported to credit agencies (so no credit hit) and they are not aggressively pursued. in my 41 years I've had easily $30,000 in medical bills that I haven't been able to pay. like, that's the low end estimate. I've only been sued for non payment by one medical provider and it was for a $130 ultrasound my primary care provider sent me to a private clinic for. I have never, ever, ever had emergency room debt pursued in any way more intense than a bill in the mail or a cursory phone call.

- public hospitals receive funding to be able to cover the costs of providing emergency care regardless of ability to pay. you are not bankrupting a hospital by not paying for your $2,000 CT scan.

-- to that end - contact the billing office and tell them if you cannot afford to pay. they will have some sort of process for figuring out if you qualify for a reduction or total waiver of the bill. I used to do medical billing pre-ACA and even then there were tons of options for waiving part or all of the balance. there may be paperwork, you may be required to apply for Medicaid even if you know you don't qualify just to check off a box, but you'll be alive to do the paperwork. ultimately if even that sounds like too much, I promise you, emergency room medical debt is a non issue other than your own guilt over it.

- if you do qualify for Medicaid, Medicaid can apply retroactively to the past three months if you qualified in those months. Medicaid automatically approves back to the first of the month you're approved for unless you have coverage from another insurance provider prior to your application date, and then it gets a little trickier, but in general if you apply for Medicaid after an ER visit and get approved, it'll retroactively cover the ER visit

- also most of the time they're so happy to get any payment that even the most minimal payment will be enough to stop any collections efforts (which as mentioned are not aggressive anyway). when I did billing we would have patients who paid $5 a month, and as long as they paid that $5, they never went to collections at all. I would work accounts where people had been paying $5 a month for years because they wanted to pay it themselves. there weren't any late fees added for not making payment in full, the medical group was just happy to get any money at all.

- be honest with the doctor if you cannot afford expensive medications! because the ER isn't required to fill your prescription, and sometimes doctors think more about what works best and not what is cheapest. better to tell them up front than find out when you go to the pharmacy that the meds aren't affordable. feel free to Google the medication and check sites like GoodRX to see what you can expect to pay, and if it's unaffordable, mention it before you leave. trying to get a new prescription after you leave the ER is a nightmare so check before you complete your discharge. this is the ER, they're used to handling patients who have no ability to pay for anything, they're not going to be confused or act like this is a strange concept

Your Time at the ER:

- if there's the slightest chance whatever is wrong will require surgical intervention, you will not be allowed to eat or drink until they are sure you don't need surgery. this is to make sure you don't die of aspiration if you need emergency surgery. yes it sucks. being dead would probably suck more.

- you will be there for a long time. bring stuff to do/distract you and it won't seem as bad. remember: 8-10 hours. most of that 8-10 hours may not be in an individual room, so please consider that - bring headphones, or quiet stuff to do. I generally take my phone, my Kindle or a book, a charger for each of those (there are usually accessible outlets but not always accessible USB ports, so bring a charge butt as well), headphones/earbuds, and my ID, carried in a machine washable purse so that when I get home I can just empty it and drop it in the washer. I've never had anything stolen but I don't see the point in tempting fate so I generally don't bring any expensive electronics like my Switch unless someone is with me.

- you will be there a long time. dress comfortably! if you have the option, wear clothes with no metal - no zippers, no underwire bra, no metallic threads in your clothes. wear comfortable shoes you can easily get on and off. wear a t-shirt or something with short sleeves, in case you need an IV. bring a hoodie - sometimes hospitals are freezing, sometimes they're way too warm, sometimes it depends on what room you're in, and you won't have easy access to the good blankets out of the warmer until you get in a bed. also if you've got x-ray friendly clothes (the no metal part) and short sleeves, you've got better odds of being able to just wear your street clothes instead of having to put on a gown once you're in a bed.

- I can't make you, but you should mask if at all possible, even if you don't elsewhere. you are going to the place full of sick people who might be contagious! you're going to the place full of people who might be medically fragile! you will look at the staff raw dogging all that contagious air and realize they're breathing right by your face at several points in your stay!

- if you bring someone with you, please try to limit yourself to one person if at all possible. space is limited, in the waiting room and in the actual bed areas (bed areas because you may not get a room, you may just get a bed in a hallway with a chair next to it). it's really frustrating to not have a seat in the waiting room because someone brought four friends with them to the ER. yes, I have seen this before.

- if you bring someone with you, make sure they also understand that this is an 8-10 hour commitment. nothing makes you feel even worse like your moral support starting to complain about how they're bored or uncomfortable. they should also bring stuff to do and wear comfortable clothes.

- if you have, or have ever had, a uterus they will almost certainly require you to take a pregnancy test. yes, even if there's absolutely no chance you could be pregnant. yes, this is ridiculous. you can try to refuse it but that can cause different issues so I generally just take it and get it over with. mostly mentioning this because if you're in the waiting room and have to pee, you can ask at the desk if they think you'll need a urine sample, and you can provide it without even being in a room. it sucks to pee and then find out 15 minutes later that they need a urine sample before they'll do anything for you.

- generally speaking you will talk to the check in desk, then the triage nurse, and triage will assess symptoms and risk and put you on the list in order of urgency and send you back out to the waiting room. if your symptoms drastically change while in the waiting room, like if your pain jumps from a 6 to a 9, tell the desk worker! they may not be able to do anything but it may be enough to need to reassess.

- acting like an entitled asshole in the waiting room will make you no friends. understand that you can talk about your pain in a way that's not rude and minimizing of all the other people in the waiting room who are also in pain. don't be the person who melts down on the check-in desk worker about how you cannot believe it is taking so long when you've got a broken nose and isn't that urgent enough?? why are all these other people going before you?? if you feel like it has been a long time, you can politely ask if they've got an estimated time, and if they do they'll tell you. just... don't be a dick. remember: everyone is here because they feel bad! nobody is here for fun!

- after you're taken to a bed or room you will see, in some order, a nurse, a hospital billing employee, and a doctor

- be blunt and specific about your symptoms. for example now is not the time to say you've got an upset stomach; now is the time to say you've been having painful diarrhea four times an hour for the last five hours. try to be specific about where it hurts, and what type of pain you have - they always want to know if it's stabbing, sharp, aching, sore, they love some adjectives. give details. you are at the ER, you are no longer in the realm of being overly polite so you don't gross anyone out. it isn't helpful to be vague and also I can promise you no matter how awful it is, they've heard and seen worse.

- there is so much waiting involved! there will usually be a guide on the wall about how long they estimate you have to wait for certain things, like blood test results, CT scan results, etc.

- I would be remiss not to mention it, but if you're a woman... it helps to bring a guy with you. if you're not white, see if you can find a white person who will go with you, especially a white guy. do I wish this were not true? yes, but unfortunately it is true. do not bring anyone who cannot stop themselves from being combative or rude. you want this person to be a benefit to you, not cause problems.

- if you have a choice of ER, check reviews. immediately skip any reviews that primarily complain about it being slow, because any ER is slow at some point, and most of the people willing to hit up Google to complain about the wait time are going to be unreasonable about the whole thing. you want to look for positives - the doctor took their time, my pain was well managed, the staff was kind - and avoid certain negatives - the doctor made me feel rushed, they didn't listen to me, I couldn't get a nurse to come back for medication, it was dirty. if you've got a chronically ill friend, ask them for their ER recommendations - they'll probably have a favorite.

This is really long, and I'm struggling to think of anything else that needs to be added, but if you've got questions or think of things to add, feel free! This is just something I'm passionate about, especially as a person who could've died from my own reluctance to go to the ER. If my partner hadn't pushed me to go, I would absolutely be dead now, and I don't want anyone else to go through that. The extremely short version is: if you think you need to go, go; in the United States, emergency rooms do not require up front payment and the bills are very easy to never pay, so do not let finances scare you away from seeking care; most of all, be patient and understand that the process is slow because the staff are constantly handling patients at different levels of urgency and danger.

[nautiscarader]

Announcing my semi-retirement

This is a post I have been putting of writing for quite some time, and I make it with heavy heart... But first, tl;dr!

Most importantly, Don't Panic!

No, I'm not going anywhere.

I am also not deleting anything.

I simply don't want to give you false expectations about my activity here. I will keep writing, just at my (very) own pace.

Right, do we all have towels, and some refreshments of your choice?

Cool, let's dive right in - it will be over soon.

(oh and usual minor content warning regarding health stuff applies)

...what have I just said? I am not going anywhere! ...or at least not by my choice.

Yeah, in the past 10 months I have disappeared without a trace to the point that some of you thought I have snuffed it. 2.5 months, two weeks here or there, month and then another month out of nowhere...

The sad truth is that my illness, multiple sclerosis, is spreading, plus I have some other health issues that do need looking at occasionally. In fact, I might be going to some new clinic in September/October, but that's TBA.

As a result, I have become steadily more and more unreliable when it comes to delivering prompts, or even basic asks - and I cannot let that stay. Not to mention the length and quality of my works got hit by that - some of you have noticed that and pointed out/asked me about it in the most delicate way - and I thank you deeply for that.

me_irl

And I can already hear you...err...type: "We don't care! Take your time!" Guys, I have taken so much time that the Time Lords will soon be on my ass asking for it back with interest.

I... simply don't want to give you guys false hope and expectations.

I believe I heard it in Hank Green's cancer vlog that once such illness hits you, it "becomes your job". So think of it like that. Me having a really taxing job, often requiring my presence at inconvenient times.

Or maybe think of me going on holidays! To... hospitals...

So that is it, from now, I free myself from the shackles and obligations of prompts and writing weeks... though of course I have been falling out of rhythm for a loooong time, so... I think it is fair to say you are already used to it...

I will keep writing and publishing stuff... very occasionally, though. And I may one day just decide I am feeling strong enough for some quick round of prompts. In fact I will be updating some prompt hubs with old tumblr asks, so keep an eye on that.

Aaand of course I am not leaving you alone!

I can wholeheartedly recommend @fereality-indy, @animation-recaps-by-sean, @noblechaton, @billythsquid, @noblesnook, @thatguywiththefaceog and so many more writers here and on Ao3 - feel free to browse my bookmarks there!

Oh, and speaking of Ao3, don't forget it that it has excellent backup function! As for tumblr, there is tumblrThree, a program to back up any blog, if you are afraid of someone disappearing! You can download mine! it only weights...

...seventy-seven gigabytes, that is a lot of lolcats.

Anyway, that is it. Honestly, not much is going to change. I have been barely writing, and I will continue to do so - it's just I now have medical papers as an excuse.

Thanks to all of you for understanding and for your many messages of concern and support!

Oh, one more thing - H-Hotel!

Feel free to invite your own crazy crossover couples there and use this gif, I mean it, just credit and tag me.

...the only thing is, there is this huge boiler in the basement, and someone will need to check if it doesn't overheat. And since it runs on stardust, it would be bad for the multiverse if it exploded.

But I'm sure you will remember.

Anyway, see you later!

[deramin2]

Charts For Assessing Pain And Fatigue

As a person with chronic pain and chronic fatigue, I often find it helpful to use scales to communicate how I'm doing, both for myself to contextualize it and so others have an idea how I'm doing. It's especially helpful for doctors who take you more seriously when you have data.

But I'm really bad at just assessing it in my head, especially consistently. Internalized ableism means I always feel like I'm just being a wimp and I really minimize my pain. So assessment scales that make me look at my behaviors really help break me out of that and be more honest. They also keep me more consistent so the days is more useable.

Both scales in a spreadsheet

Pain Scale

This scale was given to me in a hospital with no indication of where it came from in a really basic badly formatted table. This is my cleaned up version formatted to be saved on a phone or printed.

0 - No Pain - Pain free

2 - Minimal - Pain is barely noticeable; tightness

3 - Mild - Feel a low level of pain entering awareness only when my attention is devoted to it

4 - Uncomfortable - Pain is troubling but can be ignored most of the time; am able to continue activities

5 - Moderate - Moderate pain but no break in activity or concentration; guarded movement patterns

6 - Distracting - Pain is troubling and breaks through concentration but is tolerable; activity level changes.

7 - Distressing - Pain is intense and preoccupies my thinking; can complete tasks but it is difficult and must cease some demanding activities; considering pain medication or other pain reducing agent.

8 - Intense - Severe pain that makes concentration difficult; can do only non-demanding activities; taking pain medication, etc. Can't carry on a conversation well, pacing , etc.

9 - Severe - Cannot concentrate on anything else; sweating, unsteady breathing, can do almost nothing. Can barely talk.

10 - Immobilizing - Excruciating pain, constant; unable to move.

Fatigue Scale

This was floating around Tumblr in the colorful version. I can't print it, I can't read it with the colors when I'm tired, and I wanted the scales to normalized going the same direction so here's my formatting version:

0 - Not tired at all.

1 - Slightly tired, but still able to carry on as normal with little to no difficulty.

2 - Finding everything more effort than usual, but still able to carry on.

3 - Tiredness makes it hard to enjoy activities that are usually fun, but still able to work or study (with some difficulty).

4 - Possibly able to do some work or studying, depending on how much effort it takes. May choose to work or study from home. Avoiding activities that take a lot of energy.

5 - Mostly unable to work or study (except low effort tasks that can be done from home) can go out (for example to buy food) but only if essential.

6 - Too tired to go out, but still able to move around the house and do activities that require little energy and focus. Preparing a meal is difficult. Can't work or study.

7 - Doesn't need to lie down and can walk around the house, but can't stand for more than a few minutes without resting. Finding it hard to eat some foods. Can't focus on anything easily.

8 - Able to sit up for a while and walk around the house if absolutely necessary. Unable to eat most food. Holding a conversation is difficult.

9 - Able to sit up for a short time and can walk short distances (with difficulty), e.g. to get a drink or go to the toilet. Can't eat.

10 - Can barely sit up. Needs assistance getting out of bed.

Sources

I don't know where either of these came from originally or who to credit, but I'd like to. (Normally I wouldn't repost people's work but the public benefit here outweighs those concerns for me.) Please reblog if you do and I'll edit it in. I just want them available to more disabled people.