#and using it to achieve functional multiplicity...

[mendely]

something about how sassy and smug and mean Flywheels/Skytread is in IDW 2019 feels illegal

[wavcheck]

i am enjoying everyone’s commentary on using clonazepam

[akajustmerry]

I really think people have lost all grip on what "underrated" "hidden gem" and "cult classic" mean. the fact that people make tiktoks and tweets listing "underrated" media that unironically includes TV shows like Fleabag, or Lost, or includes mainstream English language films that are major studio releases like Annihilation or Stardust or fucking Hereditary - insane! Terms like "underrated" used to mean that the film or TV show was overlooked or ignored by most critics and audiences. The term cult classic was specifically used to describe media overlooked by mainstream audiences but maintained small strong CULT-like followings. A show like Lost that's iconic and achieved permanent syndication is NOT underrated, nor is the multiple Emmy-award winning series Fleabag. Neither of them are underrated in anyway, yet I've seen them referred to as such SO MANY TIMES. it's crazy how terms like "underrated" "obscure" media etc has functionally come to mean: "media I personally didn't know about until recently."

[a-d-nox]

web of wyrd: annual energies and potential surgeries associated with the year

the outer rim of the wyrd web foretells the themes of our year ahead. today i will be covering some common surgeries that tend to occur. in no way does one number mean a single surgery type. each number can mean different surgeries - multiple surgeries - no surgery... this is just what i associate medically with these energies and i have seen correlate with other charts when surgery occurred. your lack of a number correlation with an experience below does not mean to minimize your experience. this is a general hypothesis not a fact.

tw: sensitive topics like amputation, ivf, addiction, weight, physical trauma, and end of life care are included in post.

1 (the magician): laser surgery

skill, precision, and transformation. this technique uses precision tools to create change in the body.

2 (the high priestess): diagnostic surgery

intuition, secrets, and hidden knowledge. seeks to uncover hidden issues or provide clarity about a medical condition (will be common for 2000 baby around the time doctors start recommending colonoscopies and mammograms).

3 (the empress): fertility surgery

surgeries like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or other fertility-related procedures.

4 (the emperor): orthopedic surgery

structure and stability. anything involves bones, joints, and structural support of the body, resonates with this energy.

5 (the hierophant): cardiovascular or oral surgery

what maintains order/structure in the body a.k.a. anything dealing with the heart and blood flow. oral surgery is because of this card connection to the throat and sharing of beliefs which requires the mouth - it might be time for your wisdom teeth extraction.

6 (the lovers): cosmetic or reconstructive surgery

this is often elective surgery / chosen for personal reasons related to self-image.

7 (the chariot): neurosurgery

deals with the brain and nervous system (the body's control center), which aligns with the chariot's themes of mastery and control.

8 (strength): physical rehabilitation surgery

requires a lot of resilience as muscles and tendons aren't easy to heal...

9 (the hermit): gastrointestinal surgery

involves the digestive system, relates to the internal processes and inner workings (aligning with hermit energy).

10 (the wheel of fortune): emergency surgery

often needed unexpectedly and dictated by fate, aligns with the theme of chance.

11 (justice): corrective surgery

aims to fix or balance out bodily functions or appearance, mirrors the themes of rectifying and balancing.

12 (the hanged man): organ transplant

sacrifice, suspension, and new perspectives. transplant surgery involves the sacrifice of one organ for the life of another, offering a new lease on life.

13 (death): amputation

a literal removal or ending of a part of the body, that can also lead to a transformative process of healing and adapting.

14 (temperance) : bariatric surgery

used to achieve weight balance and improve health.

15 (the devil): addiction, breast reduction, and reproductive surgery

surgeries that address addiction-related issues, such as gastric banding for overeating. but also reproductive surgery like a tubal ligation or vasectomy. any surgery where something big/open becomes small, constricted, snipped, or thinned.

16 (tower): trauma surgery

sudden upheaval, destruction, and revelation. this type of surgery is often performed in response to sudden, life-altering accidents or injuries, echoes the energies themes of sudden change and crisis.

17 (the star): reconstructive/plastic surgery

hope, healing, and renewal are themes of this energy - this surgery which restores form and function after trauma or illness, aligns with the themes of healing and rejuvenation.

18 (the moon): biopsies and tissue collections

biopsy involves extracting tissue to investigate potential issues, often when there’s uncertainty about a diagnosis or the presence of something hidden (like tumors or other abnormalities).

19 (the sun): pediatric surgery

performed on children and ensures their health and vitality, which connects with the energy's themes of life, energy, and well-being.

20 (judgment): organ transplant or some other life changing/saving surgery

life-saving surgeries, such as heart or organ transplants, can offer a second chance at life, reflecting the energy's themes of renewal and awakening.

21 (the world): making a full recovery or end-of-life care

surgeries that lead to a full recovery or decisions around end-of-life care align with the themes of closure and achieving a state of completeness found with this energy.

22 (the fool): exploratory surgery

represents the unknown. aligns with entering a medical situation without knowing what will be found.

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© a-d-nox 2024 all rights reserved

[mindotaur]

defining your system solely by your worst traits and worst days is anti-recovery at best

take it from a system who used to do it and stopped doing it and, thanks to that, achieved functional multiplicity

[sepublic]

I want to discuss Harpy Eda in terms of the curse metaphor because she’s still not as abled as S1 Eda; She can fly on her own and she’s strong, but look at how Eda was blitzing about and casting actual spells in Agony of a Witch! Think of magic like her Hooty constructs, the Sleep spell, or Telekinesis. The curse even affects Eda’s ability to use a staff, which can be seen as a magical prosthetic or aid device, due to its power corrupting magic.

Between this and having to still take elixirs, and I can see Harpy mode as a metaphor for working with your disability and accommodating it; This can include coming to terms with your body changes and even finding a beauty in it, warts and all; Which is fitting for someone who is aging and graying early from said condition, but still takes pride in her appearance. Feathers are usually a visual indicator for panic; The stress of Eda and Lilith as they’re surrounded by feathers is still felt, but here we see Eda find peace in them. Raine always accepted Eda’s curse, and they find her Harpy form beautiful;

Harpy mode is accepting your disability to regain some function, or at least not struggle as much as you used to. It’ll never be the same as before, not even close, but that’s just how it is; Harpy mode is like its own prosthetic I suppose, or taking your medications (Again, the elixirs). Fittingly, Eda gains another disability, which does require a prosthetic in the epilogue!

Eda also has to actually work with the Owl Beast to achieve this form; She has to make deals with it each time, multiple times, let the beast take control and have fun with the body they’re now sharing. That’s why Eclipse Lake’s B-plot is relevant, it’s Eda realizing it’s not a one and done cure, but more akin to constant treatment; Something she’ll have to work for every time, it’s like taking an elixir each time.

And it’s also her realizing Harpy Mode is the direct result of working with another party, and having to make constant concessions via a mutual, maintained agreement. And that adds to the disability, Eda needs someone’s help, usually a specific person’s, to do a fraction of what she used to. So she has to recognize the Owl Beast is like a service animal with its own needs, or a personal aide (and it’s technically disabled itself, having lost its original body and needing to share with Eda).

[manonamora-if]

This is the updated version of this.

The 100% Good ChoiceScript to Sugarcube Guide!

The 100% Good ChoiceScript to Sugarcube Guide is a coding guide meant for ChoiceScript creators looking to use the SugarCube format of Twine. It is meant as a quick start-up and comparison of the different commands and structures between the two formats, including explanations with examples.

The Guide is based on the ChoiceScript Wiki and covers all the necessary commands and informations required to make a ChoiceScript game, and how it translated in SugarCube in terms of formatting, plain code, and macro equivalence. It also includes resources to go further into the formats.

READ & DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE!

The Guide is sectioned into multiple sections:

The Differences between Twine/SugarCube and ChoiceScript

The Command Equivalences (or close substitutes)

The Creation of a New Project, and QoL functionalities (Stats, Saves, Achievements, Settings)

For further details on how the macros/markups/APIs should be used, check out my SugarCube Guide (as it goes into a lot more details). If you are looking for the Tweego Compiler Folder, see this post.

GITHUB REPO | RAISE AN ISSUE | TWINE RESOURCES TWEEGO | TEMPLATES | SUGARCUBE GUIDE

Twine® is an “an open-source tool for telling interactive, non-linear stories” originally created by Chris Klimas maintained in severaldifferentrepositories (Twinery.org). Twine is also a registered trademark of the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation.

SugarCube is a free (gratis and libre) coding format for Twine/Twee created and maintained by TME.

READ & DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE!

[o-craven-canto]

Selected recurrent patterns or "laws" of evolution, of potential use for speculative biology. List compiled by Neocene's Pavel Volkov, who in turn credits its content to Nikolay Rejmers (original presumably in Russian). These are guidelines, and not necessarily scientifically rigorous.

Dollo's Law, or irreversibility of evolution: organisms do not evolve back into their own ancestors. When mammals returned to the sea, they did not develop gills and dermal scales and change back into fish: they became whales or seals or manatees, who retain mammalian traits and show marks of land-dwelling ancestry.

Roulliet's law, or increase of complexity: both organisms and ecosystems tend to become more complex over time, with subparts that are increasingly differentiated and integrated. This one is dodgier: there are many examples of simplification over time when it is selected for, for example in parasites. At least, over very large time scales, the maximum achievable complexity seems to increase.

Law of unlimited change: there is no point at which a species or system is complete and has finished evolving. Stasis only occurs when there is strong selective pressure in favor of it, and organism can always adapt to chaging conditions if they are not beyond the limits of survival.

Law of pre-adaptation or exaptation: new structures do not appear ex novo. When a new organ or behavior is developed, it is a modification or a re-purposing of something that already existed. Bone tissue probably evolved as reserves of energy before it was suitable to build an internal skeleton from, and feathers most likely evolved for thermal isolation and display before they were refined enough for flight.

Law of increasing variety: diversity at all levels tends to increase over time. While some forms originate from hybridization, most importantly the Eukaryotic cells, generally one ancestor species tends to leave many descendants, if it has any at all.

Law of Severtsov or of Eldredge-Gould or of punctuated equilibrium: while evolution is always slow from the human standpoint, there are moments of relatively rapid change and diversification when some especily fertile innovation appears (e.g. eyes and shells in the Cambrian), or new environments become inhabitable (e.g. continental surface in the Devonian), or disaster clears out space (e.g. at the end of the Permian or Cretaceous), followed by relative stability once all low-hanging fruit has been picked.

Law of environmental conformity: changes in the structure and functions of organisms follow the features or their environment, but the specifics of those changes depend on the structural and developmental constraints of the organisms. Squids and dolphins both have spindle-shaped bodies because physics make it necessary to move quickly through water, but water is broken by the anterior end of the skull in dolphins and by the posterior end of the mantle in squids. Superficial similarity is due to shared environment, deep structural similarity to shared ancestry.

Cope's and Marsh's laws: the most highly specialized members of a group (which often includes the physically largest) tend to go extinct first when conditions change. It is the generalist, least specialized members that usually survive and give rise to the next generations of specialists.

Deperet's law of increasing specialization: once a lineage has started to specialize for a particular niche, lifestyle, or resource, it will keep specializing in the same direction, as any deviation would be outcompeted by the rest. In contrast, their generalist ancestors can survive with a marginal presence in multiple niches.

Osborn's law, or adaptive radiation: as the previous takes place, different lines of descent from a common ancestor become increasingly different in form and specializations.

Shmalhausen's law, or increasing integration: over time, complex systems also tend to become increasingly integrated, with components (e.g. organs of an organism, or species in a symbiotic relationship) being increasingly indispensable to the whole, and increasingly tightly controlled.

[willbyersabyss]

Creation Powers, Memories, & Time Travel

Will has creation powers and he's the main component in time travel, the Montauk book (confirmed inspiration for ST) proves it. This is yet another addition to the memory time travel theory.

Important posts to read before this one:

The Upside Down is stuck on multiple days

Will traveled into the Wheeler house memory when he was kidnapped

In "The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time," a man named Duncan Cameron has a set of powers, one of which is the ability to create things out of thin air. He would create objects, even buildings, using his mind. Later on, they discovered that time travel was possible because of the creation powers. Duncan would think of a time period, his creation powers would activate, and a portal to that time period would appear. As long as he concentrated, the time tunnel would stay open and stable.

Ring any bells? This is just like Max's memory travel. She focused on a memory and was able to make her mind look like that memory. When she was distracted by Vecna, her memory travel couldn't be achieved. This is likely how time travel will occur in the show.

Max thought she made El. She's making things. Not thinking, making. Max made the Snow Ball a real, physical location somewhere...

Shadowfell, the DnD dimension that's the inspiration for the Upside Down, is described as a timeless dimension. Like Shadowfell, time doesn't function in the Upside Down and this is why it seems stuck in 1983. It's just a transitional plane between the real world and Dimension X. This plane can be tapped into using the mind. This is why El and Vecna can open gates to the Upside Down using psychic connection.

The Montauk book describes one of the time periods they traveled to as: "Everything was stationary, not unlike a dream state. There were no signs of life." If you told me that this was a canon description of the Upside Down, I wouldn't doubt it for a second. A lifeless place stuck in time.

When Max traveled into her memory, her mind connected with the Upside Down and replicated her memory there, creating the Snow Ball decorations we see in the UD at the end of s2 (read this post).

El said that they're all time travelers. Yeah, they definitely are. Max was able to time travel through her memories despite her lack of powers. Emotions impact time. Why would that be? Because time travel is linked to their brains, their emotions.

Max's memory time travel was possible because of her emotions. She wanted to be somewhere happy, to hide in the light. But when Vecna interrupted her with upsetting images, it no longer worked. Emotions change time!

So how does Will factor into this? As I've theorized before, he tried to travel into a happy memory (the Wheeler house) when he got kidnapped and this changed the appearance of the Upside Down. He then continued to memory hop to hide. How? Creation powers.

The inspiration for Will's look in s1 says all I need to say. His outfit is based on Marty McFly, a time traveler, and Bastian Bux, a kid who created a world using his imagination. Back to the Future and The Neverending Story are huge influences on the show and they're directly referencing them through Will for a reason. Will is time traveling through imagination. And his imagination is becoming real... creation powers.

The longer Bastian stayed in the imagination world, the less he would remember about his real self. Sounds similar to what happened to Will in s2, doesn't it? As Will is caught between the two worlds, he loses himself. He loses his memories.

The first thing that really clues Nancy into the state of the UD is her study cards. Cards that she had to memorize. These cards instantly send her into a memory of her and Steve. Before we even know what's happening, we are being shown memories. Then she looks at the journal, where she emphasizes Will's disappearance before relating it to the gate. Memories -> stuck in time -> Will.

In an interview with Chris Trujillo, the production designer for ST, he says that the UD is stuck in time because El created a snapshot of Hawkins when she opened the first gate. This would be a pretty crazy thing to reveal before it's directly discussed in the show. That's why I think he's lying. People who work on ST have a history of lying to cover up plot points (cough cough "Will isn't gay"), so I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case! Ross Duffer himself said that the reason why the UD is stuck when Will went missing has yet to be answered.

So that pretty much rules out the UD just being stuck because El opened a gate there. They wouldn't just give that away. But we have yet another mention of Will's disappearance being related to the reason for the freeze. Thank you, Ross Duffer.

Anyways, Nancy runs downstairs and she can't get her mind off of Will. They hear Dustin on the other side and Nancy says "Will found a way" to speak through the lights. It's really just Will, Will, Will once they find out that the UD is stuck in time! He is the reason!

Ok back to the Montauk book. The book mentions time tunnels. They would take samples from the environment of these tunnels to experiment on, just like the lab did in s2. It's a reference! The tunnels that extend from the main UD gate have something to do with time travel. They're portals. This is why Hopper loses track of time after investigating the tunnel-related rot at the farm.

The tunnels in the Montauk book were also related to "Seeing Eye" experiments done on Duncan Cameron. The discovery of his creation powers led to experiments where he would try to see through the eyes of other people. In these time tunnels, people would feel an intense energy related to a higher intelligence. They wanted to harness this energy so Duncan could practice mind control.

Who was able to see through the eyes of the Upside Down tunnels because of mind control again? Will.

Will's tunnel connection is a reference to Duncan Cameron. The Mind Flayer was seeing through Will's eyes, but Will was also able to see through the Mind Flayer's eyes.

His power is literally called "now-memories." The UD tunnels not only relate to time travel, but also memories! This is telling us that memories will unlock time travel. Will was using some sort of creation power like Duncan to make his memories become physical locations in the Upside Down in s1. This creation power would be impacted by emotions like the other powers are, linking this back to the "emotions change time" sentiment El mentions.

The time travelers in Montauk would be recorded, much like how the lab was recording and tracking stuff within the UD. Will's Halloween video also recorded UD weirdness. The time on the camera starts at 8:15 even though the original recording said it was 8:03. Will's Mind Flayer vision was him actually traveling into the UD, making this different from Vecna's visions. It was real.

Will's visions in s2 do have something in common with Vecna visions, though. They're related to memories! Vecna would take the memories of his victims and alter them to fit his agenda. Will was both physically traveling into the UD and experiencing a memory because the UD is both. That's why the camera changed times. He was time traveling through a memory.

If it's true that Max's mind connected with Will's during the piggyback (read here), then that may be why Max was able to change the UD with her memory travel. Will has the creation powers to change the UD and when her mind tapped into his, he accidentally made her memory come true in that dimension too.

But how can this time travel be used? The UD is just a snapshot of the memories, not the actual time period.

When El went into Max and Billy's memories, she was just a spectator. She couldn't be seen by anyone there or interact with them because this is basically a recording of the time. This memory travel is different from the one Max experienced and the one that is changing the UD's appearance.

So what if they... combine? This conversation feels like code to me. Robin found the girl of her dreams (El found Max in her memory) while Steve goes on a million dates (Will memory traveled to a bunch of different dates in s1) without achieving what they want. And to really hammer in that this is secretly about Will: the movie they're standing in front of came out on March 22nd... Will's birthday. So Will and El need to combine in order for the time travel to actually take them into a new time.

El can travel into memories that include people. Will can create memories into real locations without people. If they combine their powers, they may be able to create people in these memories too, making the time travel substantial enough to matter. I believe this was foreshadowed when El used happy memories to bring Max back to life.

This also gives the Mind Flayer/Vecna a motive. He said that when he kills people, they aren't really dead, they're still with him in his mind. The more minds he collects, the more memories he has. He just needs Will by his side to make these memories a reality, allowing him to travel to as many time periods and locations as he wants. Memory time travel could very well be the reason why birthdaygate exists. If Will has no powerful memories to travel to, he can't harness time travel. Vecna may be interfering with his memories to keep that power at bay.

I recommend reading @conflictofthemind’s post about Montauk’s time loop as well. Will already has a memory of the USS Eldridge and this could be how he travels there in the future. He uses that memory (or is forced to by Vecna) to both start and end the time loop. Will’s memory of the ship being because of a memory really ties in the time loop implications.

So there you have it. Memories and emotions are heavily linked to time travel throughout the show and this time travel has already been unlocked before. Will Byers is one of many characters inspired by Duncan Cameron, so he is likely the owner of creation powers. The constant mention of memories surrounding Will (birthdaygate) is another hint for memory time travel occurring thanks to Will!

[d-reamsclouds]

SEPARAMOROUS / SEPARAMORY

(Image Description at the bottom!) feel free to use if you have DID/OSDD-1! no endos please! a type of relationship where someone with DID/OSDD-1 is unsure of whether they fit the definition of monogamous or polyamorous. this could be for a variety of reasons, such as: - headmates dating each other - different alters dating different people - having a complicated relationship with whether you identify more as a singular unit or multiple separate people the term comes from separatum, meaning separate in latin flag colors taken from the polyamorous flag and the DID flag. magenta means love/attraction, cyan means openness/honesty, black represents people who don't yet know that they are a part of a system or who still have a lot of trouble communicating with their system, orange represents systems who are living with functional multiplicity, and white represents systems that have achieved full fusion ID: a flag with three diagonal sections, with the middle section being smaller, and a heart in the middle. the left-most diagnonal section is a hot pink magenta. the middle is a dark grey / almost black. the right is a cyan. the heart is a pale orange. there's a smaller white heart inside the orange heart. end ID

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Poop Crystals

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)  

The pace in which human technology progressed over the millennia was rather standard for a class 4 species. Even when accounting the periods of scientific degradation which resulted from natural plagues or religious persecution; it was expected that humans would not achieve advanced space travel until another 2-3 thousand years had passed.

Scientifically speaking human scientists were well more advanced than the society they lived in, but due to the technological limitations of the human race they were held back from implementing their designs. A primary limitation was the lack of a sufficiently powerful power source. They did have many different forms of power generators ranging from solar to nuclear, but to power larger machines often required equally large energy sources. To power their ships alone around a third of their vessels were dedicated to the power cores.   

With these restrictions in place travel between stars for humans often relied on decade long journeys in cryo sleep; which ironically required even more power generators to maintain. Their large size made them easy targets for natural disasters such as space debris or prowling space pirates seeking an easy profit margin at the slave markets. These dangers became a standard for human travel until the Terran civilization encountered the planet Nolla 987 and the species that called it home.

During a long duration colonization trip the human ship “Midas” was struck by the trail debris of a rogue comet and knocked off course. The robotic caretakers tried their best to maintain the course, but with the damage done to the ship their primary programming to maintain the lives of the crew kicked in and diverted the ship to the nearest habitable planet for debarkation. Nolla 987 was the closest planet with a stable atmosphere. Originally charted several years earlier but deemed unsuitable for colonization or industrial expansion, it was not ear marked for either and left alone; until the Midas incident that is.

The landing was not a smooth one. Several engines had been damaged and multiple hull breaches resulted in portions of the ship being shredded away during the entry process. It would be safer to say that the Midas crash landed during the final stretch of the maneuver, but with a 73% survival rate of the crew a rather acceptable crash landing.

One by one the crew and colonists were unfrozen to find the ship a burning wreck and only a handful of robotic assistants still functioning. The industrial printing machines were relatively undamaged but without the ships power core they could not be used to print components or tools needed to make the necessary repairs. The crew was then forced to ration its remaining power supply and divided into two teams. The first team would comb through the wreckage and salvage what they could of the wreck while also building shelter. The second group would scout the surrounding area for anything of use and then report back.

It did not take long for the second team to stumble upon a nest of the dominant species of the planet. An insectoid called the “Sectar” which ranged from the size of a house cat to as large as a two story building. These insects digested their food and excreted the waste into a dense crystalian substance that they then used to build massive hive like complexes.

The occupants of the hive had been driven from the hive by the crash landing of the Midas leaving it almost completely empty save for a few eggs and new hatchlings who were not strong enough to flee on their own. Several of the second team members had been scanning the crystal structures while interacting with the newborn Sectar’s. To quote a journal entry of one of them, “They were like insect golden retrievers. Extremely derpy with at least four times as many sets of eyes. They followed us around on their legs like we were their mothers and clung to our legs when we began to return to our ship for the night.”

At least one of the second team was confirmed to have brought a hatchling back to their camp. There was a debate amongst the survivors on if they should try and eat it, but the notion was quickly squashed as they still had food reserves and no one was brave enough to see how the alien’s bio matter would react inside the human digestive system.

The same human who had brought the hatchling back offered it a portion of food which it eagerly ate. Not long after the hatchling excreted a hardened crystal roughly the size of a thimble. When the human made to pick up the seemingly beautiful gem they recoiled as an electrical discharge shocked their hand. This immediately drew the attention of the rest of the crew who began carefully examining the crystal substance. After some rather rough jury-rigging, the crystal was wired into one of the printer machines and to the surprise of everyone powered the machine. The crew quickly learned that the older Sectar’s would produce larger crystal excrements but were extremely hostile and territorial. Smaller Sectar’s were deemed more desirable for the time being as they were easier to train and harvest crystals from.  

Within a matter of days the crew had not only collected enough crystals to power all of their machines and send out a distress signal, but also used the new found crystal power to create a full settlement on the planet complete with water filtration, crop fields, and a sizeable wall to keep out the native wildlife.

It would not be for another thirty years before a passing human shipped picked up their distress signal and went to investigate the planet. When they arrived on Nolla 987 they were astonished to find a fully functioning colony complete with limited orbital facilities. Nearly every human settler and their descendants had a Sectar in their household that they would take care of and feed and in exchange use their crystal excrement to power nearly everything they needed to live.

From there it was only a matter of time before the entirety of human space was aware of the events of Nolla 987 and the Sectar species. Within the decade the colony on Nolla 987 became the capital for a fully settled world with dozens of cities and communities. The Sectar species were transported throughout human space and began being implemented in all aspects of society.

There was initial resistance to the new power source by existing power blocks which realized Sectar power would be far more efficient than nuclear powered engines, but unlike other power sources they had squashed in development the Sectar power option had thirty years of trial and error to back it up with research as well as a fully functioning model with the planet of Nolla 987.

Sectar’s became a common sight on every human planet and were treated like common pets. It was even studied that when introduced to different food sources the energy output of crystal excrement could be increased resulting in certain food industries booming overnight. The composition of spices, cooking technique, and flavoring became an entirely new and highly prestigious academic field with the most successful of its practitioners being highly sought after by companies.

The technological capabilities of humanity experienced a massive surge in advancement within fifty years to the point humans no longer needed cryo ships to travel between stars. Those who had been studying humanity found themselves now being introduced to them as humans winded up on their doorstep with a Sectar on their shoulder and a perverse obsession with collecting its bodily waste.    

[d3nt4l-d4m4g3]

a story of one fake penis, 39 surgeries and counting.

This story I found through this post. don't click it unless you want to see frankendick. Frankly, the phalloplasty looks okay (only compared to most I've seen and I've seen too many. too... too many doing this work) besides the enormous scars and color mismatch. It's a low bar. But I was interested to see the user's progression.

That post, of surgery results the user admits took three years to achieve (""), is from two years ago. According to the user's more recent post history, it's been downhill from there.

11 months ago, the user's erectile implant began pushing through the skin, requiring surgery. Three months later, after the revision, the complication repeated. In this post from r/Everythingphallo 4 months ago, called "Is there anyone here who has had a phalloplasty reconstruction?"— the user states:

Initially, everything was perfect – it looked aesthetically pleasing, had great functionality, and the sensation was at 100%. However, over the past 3 years, I have had 15-20 surgeries due to complications and issues. The appearance is now completely deteriorated, and my functionality is greatly limited. The scars are contracting more and more, causing a loss of 4 cm in length, which wouldn't be so bad if it still looked good and functioned properly.

in the comments, the user clarifies a major reason for the many revision surgeries was problems with the constructed urethra. Multiple surgical revisions to the urethra caused stiffening, hardening, constricting scar tissue. A bacterial infection was additionally overlooked for "several years" which worsened the damage, and no doubt put the user at severe risk of bladder and kidney infection.

As indicated by the post's title, the user does not want to stop surgery, but instead wants to entirely reconstruct the phallus using the same technique, radial free flap phalloplasty, as performed the first time. This would mean she would have massive scars and limited mobility/strength in both of her arms and hands.

In this post from two months ago, things are somehow worse. (How..?!!)

user states:

 Recently, I lost all sensation (previously 100%), can no longer experience orgasms, and suffered a 50% reduction in length due to a parasite that damaged the tissue. Furthermore, I am scheduled for an emergency surgery because my ED has once again resulted in the skin breaking, marking the 5th or 6th time in a year. In general this is my 39 surgery and I’m so tired.

Parasite?!? Which apparently doctors missed for OVER TWO YEARS?? Jesus Christ, if she was playing medical bingo she'd have won years ago. But of course, she's lost everything.

All that the first phalloplasty got her was 39 surgeries, urethral strictures, loss of all sexual sensation, bacterial infections, parasites, she still wants another one.

Don't you dare say this is life-saving surgery in any capacity. It is life-ending, mentally, physically, figuratively, literally.

[multiplicity-positivity]

hello, I have a weird question maybe? were a traumagenic system and we’ve spent the last couple years growing and healing and all that good stuff, but we keep getting this feeling. We all really value our individuality, but at times we feel like we need to give all that up and live as a singular person, and it’s pretty upsetting. So I’m wondering like… what do we do with that feeling?

hey, we can view this issue from two different angles, so we’ll talk a bit about both of them.

if you feel like you need to fuse or live as one person because that is what’s expected of traumagenic systems in clinical, societal, or plural spaces:

honestly, you do you. functional multiplicity is a valid recovery goal and it’s one that most systems online are actively pursuing. you don’t have to fuse if you don’t want to or feel like it’s not right for your system. it is entirely possible to live happily and safely as a system. your trauma may be what caused your system to form, but that doesn’t mean that once you’ve healed from your trauma, you can’t be plural anymore. lots of systems out there have worked to heal from their trauma while maintaining their multiplicity.

if you feel like you need to fuse or live as one person because that’s a genuine recovery goal that feels necessary for your health and well-being:

we get it. there are some parts in our own system who feel like fusion is necessary for us to fully recover. it can be really hard coming to terms with a massive change like that. plurality is all we know, really. we can’t even begin to conceptualize what singlet life might look like. but just because it’s scary or we have grown comfortable living our lives as multiple doesn’t mean we will never be able to achieve final fusion in the future. if you feel like fusion is what y’all need in order to live your best lives… it’s okay to be upset by it. that doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to achieve it in your futures, though.

in the end, regardless of why y’all feel like you need to live as a single person, remember that you are not obligated to do anything that you don’t want or aren’t ready to do. it’s okay to take your time and relish your plurality, even if you feel that final fusion is necessary for your recovery. and if you feel like you need to fuse because it’s what others expect of you… fuck that. you don’t have to organize your system and orient your recovery around the expectations of others.

live your lives in ways that are empowering and affirming for your system. and if that means eventual fusion, great! if it means pursuing functional multiplicity, that’s great, too! if it means pursuing some recovery goal that’s unique to y’all and doesn’t involve either of those options, that is also great. what’s great is the fact that y’all have done the work, that you’re healing and growing and learning what’s best for your own system.

we’re wishing y’all the very best of luck with whatever your future holds :)

[mpreglover225]

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins—Understanding Conception in Expectant Fathers

Introduction

Embarking on the journey to parenthood is an exciting and transformative experience. For expectant fathers, understanding the intricacies of conception is the first step towards a healthy and fulfilling pregnancy. This chapter delves into the biological processes of male fertility, the various methods of conception—including natural intercourse, artificial insemination, and in vitro fertilization (IVF)—and the significance of the monthly heat cycle when ovulation occurs.

The Male Reproductive System: An Overview

Anatomy and Physiology

Understanding your body is essential for maximizing fertility and achieving conception.

Testes: Produce sperm and the hormone testosterone.

Ovaries (Male Ovaries): Specialized organs that release eggs (ova) during the heat cycle.

Heat Cycle: A monthly period of increased fertility when ovulation occurs.

Uterus (Male Uterus): The organ where a fertilized egg implants and develops into a fetus.

Anal Canal: Serves as the birth canal during delivery.

Hormonal Regulation

Testosterone: Influences sperm production and libido.

Estrogen and Progesterone: Regulate the heat cycle and prepare the uterus for pregnancy.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH): Control the release of eggs during ovulation.

The Heat Cycle: Timing is Everything

Understanding Ovulation

The heat cycle is a critical window for conception.

Duration: Typically lasts 5-7 days each month.

Ovulation: Occurs mid-cycle, releasing a mature egg ready for fertilization.

Signs of Heat:

Increased body temperature.

Heightened libido.

Mild abdominal discomfort.

Clear cervical mucus discharge.

Tracking Your Cycle

Calendar Method: Mark the start and end of each heat cycle to predict ovulation.

Basal Body Temperature: Measure daily temperature to detect the slight rise during ovulation.

Ovulation Predictor Kits: Detect LH surge indicating imminent ovulation.

Monitoring Symptoms: Be attentive to physical and emotional changes.

Natural Conception: The Traditional Path

Sexual Intercourse During Heat

Engaging in sexual activity during your heat cycle increases the likelihood of conception.

Optimal Timing: 1-2 days before and after ovulation.

Frequency: Regular intercourse every other day during the fertile window.

Positions for Conception:

Positions that allow deep penetration may facilitate sperm reaching the egg.

Remain lying down for 15-20 minutes post-intercourse to aid sperm travel.

Factors Affecting Fertility

Lifestyle Choices:

Nutrition: A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals supports reproductive health.

Exercise: Regular physical activity promotes hormonal balance but avoid excessive training.

Substance Use: Limit alcohol and avoid smoking or recreational drugs.

Health Conditions:

Hormonal Imbalances: Can affect ovulation and sperm quality.

Chronic Illnesses: Conditions like diabetes or thyroid disorders may impact fertility.

Medications: Certain prescriptions can interfere with reproductive function.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)

When natural conception is challenging, assisted methods offer alternative pathways to parenthood.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

Overview: Sperm is collected and directly inserted into the reproductive tract during ovulation.

Types:

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): Sperm placed directly into the uterus.

Intracervical Insemination (ICI): Sperm deposited near the cervical opening.

Procedure:

Performed in a clinical setting by a healthcare professional.

Sperm can be from a partner or a donor.

Success Rates: Vary based on age, fertility issues, and sperm quality.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Overview: Eggs and sperm are combined outside the body, and the resulting embryo is implanted into the uterus.

Procedure:

Ovarian Stimulation: Medications stimulate multiple eggs to mature.

Egg Retrieval: Eggs are collected using a minor surgical procedure.

Fertilization: Eggs are combined with sperm in a lab.

Embryo Transfer: One or more embryos are placed into the uterus.

Considerations:

Time Commitment: IVF requires multiple clinic visits and procedures.

Emotional Impact: The process can be emotionally taxing; support is essential.

Cost: IVF can be expensive; explore insurance coverage and financing options.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Overview: A single sperm is injected directly into an egg during IVF.

Indications: Used when there are sperm quality or quantity issues.

Procedure: Similar to IVF with the additional step of sperm injection.

Preparing for Conception

Preconception Health Check

Medical Evaluation:

Visit a healthcare provider for a comprehensive health assessment.

Discuss medical history, medications, and any chronic conditions.

Fertility Testing:

Semen Analysis: Evaluates sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Hormonal Tests: Measures levels of testosterone, FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone.

Ultrasound Examination: Assesses the reproductive organs for any abnormalities.

Lifestyle Modifications

Nutrition:

Increase intake of folic acid, zinc, selenium, and antioxidants.

Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Exercise:

Engage in moderate physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.

Stress Management:

Practice relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or deep-breathing exercises.

Avoid Environmental Toxins:

Limit exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Supplements and Vitamins

Prenatal Vitamins:

Start taking prenatal vitamins at least three months before attempting conception.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

Support hormonal balance and fetal development.

Consult a Healthcare Provider:

Before starting any supplement regimen.

Emotional and Psychological Preparation

Communication with Your Partner

Shared Goals:

Discuss family planning desires and expectations.

Emotional Support:

Be open about feelings, fears, and hopes.

Intimacy:

Maintain a strong emotional and physical connection.

Coping with Challenges

Infertility Concerns:

Acknowledge that conception may take time.

Seek professional counseling if needed.

Managing Expectations:

Understand that each journey to parenthood is unique.

Building a Support Network

Family and Friends:

Share your plans with trusted individuals.

Support Groups:

Join communities of other expectant fathers or couples trying to conceive.

Professional Guidance:

Consult fertility specialists, counselors, and reproductive endocrinologists.

Conclusion

Understanding the process of making a baby empowers expectant fathers to take proactive steps towards achieving pregnancy. Whether through natural conception during the heat cycle or utilizing assisted reproductive technologies, being informed about your options and preparing both physically and emotionally are crucial components of this journey. Remember, patience and persistence are key, and seeking support along the way can make the experience more rewarding and less daunting.

Key Takeaways

Know Your Cycle: Understanding your heat cycle enhances your ability to conceive.

Healthy Lifestyle: Nutrition, exercise, and avoiding harmful substances improve fertility.

Explore Options: Familiarize yourself with both natural and assisted conception methods.

Emotional Preparedness: Open communication and emotional support are vital.

Professional Guidance: Regular consultations with healthcare providers ensure optimal care.

[ohcorny]

hey corny. so i always see people recommending to outline their story before starting it, but could you talk a little bit more about what that means? what is an outline and how do you structure one? how long are the ones you write, depending on the project? do you focus on plot beats or feelings? how specific do you get? can u recommend any readings for learning more?

up front i don't have any resources for this, only experience. and outlines feel like one of those things where it's like... there are a million ways to do it and the way that works for me might not work for you. i have a friend who writes out all his ideas on index cards and that, for me, is insane. but he's also a better writer than me so who can say what is right or wrong.

anyway an outline is essentially a sketch but for a story. you go through the whole thing, start to finish, and figure out what goes where and what happens when. the idea is that this is the stage where you work out all the big picture stuff and make sure it all fits together, now, and not after you've drawn twenty pages and suddenly go "wait shit that doesn't work" and have to do it over. it is much easier to delete and rewrite a paragraph than to redraw several pages.

doing anything more, ie including dialogue or feelings, depends entirely on how useful that information is to you at that point in the process and whether the purpose of the outline is for your own guidance, or so somebody else can tell what you're trying to achieve.

this got really long with multiple examples

here is an excerpt from the original outline i used to pitch Hunger's Bite to publishers. this one had to be polished to a professional standard, because somebody else was going to read it and decide whether they wanted to give me thousands of dollars to tell this story. (also several of the details are no longer accurate. for instance it now takes place 9 years earlier lmao)

this paragraph represents the first eight pages of the book. the final book is 264 pages long, and the outline was 12 pages of paragraphs as dense as this one.

it establishes where we are, who's there, and what they're doing. i describe their conversation, but i don't commit to the dialogue. i will occasionally include snippets of literal dialogue, but usually only if it's Important Dialogue, or i just don't want to forget a good idea i had while outlining. it's not expected at this step.

an outline written as part of a pitch to a publisher should tell the whole story, with all the important details, and leave nothing ambiguous. they need to know the tone, shape, and the arcs. no secrets! all the spoilers. outlines for yourself should do this too, but outlines for others need to be as clear about your vision as possible. again, an outline like this exists for the purpose of getting you paid thousands of dollars. you should write it like that.

in comparison, here's an excerpt from the outline i wrote for revisions to my WIP prose novel, so i could show it to my agent (who already read the draft) to be like "do these changes sound good?" i'm not selling it to anyone yet, just making a guide so i can have a conversation about it. so it doesn't need to be neat, it just needs to be functional and clear. the first chapter was entirely new stuff. the second bit was just writing down what was already in the chapter that existed.

i have historically been very bad at outlining things when i don't think i "need" to, and only wrote this one after having written like 60k words of the book without any overall plan. i gave what i had to my agent for feedback and then sat down and figured out how i could apply it. it's made the whole revisions process significantly less daunting. now i have a checklist for things i need to do! this one was a paragraph or two for each chapter, with the ones that needed a lot of rewriting given a bit more detail.

lastly, here's a bit of the outline for the first roger crenshaw book. i was the only person who had to see this, and since the story was planned to be very short i didn't have to worry about a whole lot. as long as i knew what was supposed to go where, it would work. honestly it's not a whole lot different from the previous example.

this one was like five paragraphs and it did the job, and this story was like 15k words. you only need as much or as little as will actually help you on the page.

basically if you take nothing else from this, it's that there are multiple ways to write an outline, that it does not need to be perfect if you're doing it for yourself, and that it only needs what you think is important (unless it is for other people. then it should have everything). and also it's a good idea to do it earlier in the project than after you've written 60k words or drawn--jesus christ i got up to 12 chapters in never satisfied? it's amazing i didn't quit sooner

[willow-schmillow]

The Is and Isn'ts of Fusion

(copied from my reddit post x3)

Hiya. I'm someone undergoing fusion-focused therapy to treat DID. Every day I open this app to some new and fascinating misconception about fusion, so I wanted to clear things up.

Please note that I am not a student of psychology or mental health practitioner. The advice I share comes from my personal experience of fusion, as well as my therapist's - who has multiple clients with DID - understanding of fusion-centered therapy. I have also done talk therapy, parts work, cognitive processing therapy (a modified form of CBT to treat PTSD), and DBT.

Fusion isn't...

- **A convenient way to get rid of alters.** I can speak for myself, and other fusions within the system have said the same, that we carry on our personhoods and identities and memories, and even relationships within the system. I was V and M, and now I'm both of them.

- **A loss.** As said above, my personhoods carried over when the parts of me that make up me fused. If anything, I view it as a gain - Ariadne has everything V and M had, plus a bit more because I am a calmer, more controlled, and more mentally equipped person.

- **The death of an alter.** In a literal sense, alters cannot die. And, also, as said above, my personhoods carried over.

- **The end of the involved alters' relationships.** This isn't a problem for us with other people, because we operate as a package deal in our relationships with others. But also, within the system, some of our insys relationships carry over. Gabriel was Monika's best friend, and he's still mine. Some of our insys relationships are different, too (Fray and Cal are no longer romantically involved,) but like all changes we can adapt to it.

- **Purposely killing an alter.** Shut up.

- **The same thing as integration.** Integration is any type of processing and work that results in the system "running better" - smoother communication, greater continuity of memory or experience, more willingness to work together, and fusion are all some examples of integration.

- **The only choice to get better.** Some people with DID find that functional multiplicity suits their recovery goals more.

Fusion is

- **Healthy.** I'm happier fused than I was apart, for sure, even though it was a difficult adjustment at first. I've had to overcome knowing a fuller picture of my childhood. It's difficult, but I know this is what I want and I'm doing better.

- **Stable.** Lots of fearmongering happens in DID spaces, with the idea that once you fully fuse you're prone to splitting apart again. While that is possible, fusion does not happen without *significant* healing and trauma processing. By virtue of being able to fuse, work has been done. New, healthier coping skills have been learned.

- **A fluid experience.** Within our own system, we experience fusion in different ways. Fray is one alter who holds many experiences. I'm Ariadne, but Monika and Val are still two distinct parts within me. There's absolute continuity of experience, consciousness, and emotion, so I don't consider us separate the same way our alters are. But, I'm one and two at the same time.

- **Achievable.** With sufficient trauma-processing, many people are capable of fusing.

- **The right choice for some people.** Functional multiplicity works for many. I'm not devastated by the thought of remaining multiple for the rest of my life, but I'd also like to work towards fusion because I know that's what would make me happiest.