#biology is not destiny

[aronarchy]

Changing perspectives on children’s vulnerability

Are children “naturally” vulnerable, or is their vulnerability socially constructed — And most importantly, does it matter?

One of the main objections to the liberation of young people is that freedom is dangerous because children are “vulnerable.” But what are they vulnerable to?

Abuse.

And who is perpetrating this abuse?

The data tells us that it’s parents and guardians.

It appears, then, that parental power and authority don’t protect children; they imperil them. This should be hardly surprising, since total control of another human being is so easy to exploit.

It’s undeniable that children’s position in society is at least partly responsible for children’s vulnerability, which is often claimed is simply natural. But some might argue it couldn’t be otherwise — that the abolition of that authority would make things worse, that child abuse from parents and guardians is the inevitable result of children’s natural dependence (the childish dependency/adult independence binary has begun to be challenged by the concept of interdependence [Cockburn, 1998]), and most importantly that it is rare rather than normalized (when statistics and well, the fact that children are the only people that is legal to hit in the US tell us otherwise). Therefore, the only way to “keep children safe” is to restrict their freedom.

Let us set aside the radical thesis presented by Tal Piterbraut-Merx in a 2020 article that children aren’t vulnerable, but oppressed. Even if it was true that all children were inherently more vulnerable than all adults, does this justify stripping them of their rights?

In these discussions, the adult abuser is made to disappear; they’re all centered on the child. As if child abuse wasn’t an adult problem. As if it is children that have to be punished by loss of freedom because adults mistreat them. The assumption is that to abuse the vulnerable is human nature, and segregation of the vulnerable is the only way to keep them safe. Our adultcentric society is portrayed as the standard and the only way things could and should be.

Jens Qvortrup wrote in 2005 about children and the public space:

Although the reduction in traffic fatalities is of course welcome, is it permissible to suggest that the price for the positive result is by and large paid by children in terms of a decrease in their freedom of independent mobility? The price was certainly not paid by adults in terms of adapting to children’s needs, or in acceding to their legitimate demands to be able to use the city as if it was theirs as well.

He also pointed out how concern over “children’s safety” is used as a mask for misopedia:

The introduction of curfew bills in both the USA and the UK may be interpreted in the same way. Under the pretext of a wish to protect young children from danger, they are not permitted to be outside during specified periods, typically during the hours of darkness. It is however well known that these measures towards children are most welcomed by many adults who see themselves as disturbed by children.

- Studies in Modern Childhood

I would think that if a group of people is unable to exist alongside another group of people that is, as it is argued, naturally more vulnerable physically and mentally, without causing them harm, it is their freedom that should be restricted.

Of course, we cannot reduce this argument simply to adult oppression of children; both Qvortrup’s example and the inability of most parents to relate to children as equals are consequences of capitalism that we can hardly hope to abolish in a capitalist society.

But the fact that not only do adults put no effort to accommodate children’s needs (natural or socially constructed they be) in our current society, they also aggressively deny the oppression of children, remains.

While victim-blaming has become increasingly problematic in relation to adult victims of violence, it’s the norm when it comes to child victims. No one contextualizes child abuse as one of the many expressions of adult supremacy; if anything, it is used to argue why children should be subordinated to adults. Hence why there is this false dilemma between liberation and protection, used to discredit liberationist arguments (or, less often, protectionist ones). Children need both types of rights expanded; perhaps for children of different ages, one or the other should be emphasized more (protection rights for younger children, and liberty rights for older children and teenagers). But just like adult citizens, they need both. You can’t be safe if you’re not free. And of course the reverse is also true; before profound social changes in the ways adults relate to children, equal rights would just give adults new avenues to exploit children.

But there is an important problem with the “rights” approach in general.

As Marx knew, individual rights under a capitalist society lead to inequality. In an adultcentric society, “rights” for children are an empty concept. Not only are they always determined by adults, they are the rights adults think children should be “given” by them. But as pointed out in this blog post, what is needed is not liberty rights, but liberation:

Merely demanding “equal rights” for youth is incomplete. Even if equal rights were achieved, that framing allows those with power to dictate the terms of oppression while justifying the status quo because everyone is now “equal.” That won’t do. It won’t lead to liberation. If youth have “equal rights” but are still stuck within broader oppressive structures, then we have failed.

Our society is structured to privilege the needs of adults over those of children; whether this produces their vulnerability or simply exploits it is not as important as one might think. What is important is that it paints segregating one-third of the population as just because adults cannot be expected not to abuse their (cultural or natural) power.

[kaiserouo]

so today i came across this image

but somehow i didn't remember they have a mouth? after taking out the model we can see:

hive hunter does indeed NOT have a mouth... so...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[universefrogg]

A baby full of soup

A better view and understanding of this creature, they're called Deep Divers and there's different variations of the species depending on where they live. They are an Earth born species.

The species, that i designed, head is in a game I play alot called griffin's destiny on roblox.

The concept sheet for the head ^

[hellsite-proteins]

(protein request if this isnt too long) Enjoying yourselves intruders? It's worth knowing the cataclysmic damage you will be responsible for today. Do not fool yourselves. This facility is not simply the fruitless work of some pathetic scientist. This house was built by the genius Clovis Bray I himself. Within lies humanity's salvation. Le fontaine de jouvence. Made possible by Clarity Control. Magnificent, wasn't it? An entity from beyond our own dimension and the answer to humanity's eternal struggle: mortality. Were it to fall into the wrong hands, humanity, and the universe, would be utterly doomed. I have no reason to believe that you are anything other than "the wrong hands." You now face godlike judgment. May it extend eternally.

this blog is making me realize how many incredibly dramatic quotes are in different video games i hadn't heard of

letter sequence in this ask matching protein-coding amino acids:

EnyingyrselvesintrdersItswrthknwingthecataclysmicdamageywillerespnsilefrtdayDntflyrselvesThisfacilityisntsimplythefritlesswrkfsmepatheticscientistThishsewasiltythegenisClvisrayIhimselfWithinlieshmanityssalvatinLefntainedevenceMadepssileyClarityCntrlMagnificentwasntitAnentityfrmeyndrwndimensinandtheanswerthmanityseternalstrgglemrtalityWereittfallintthewrnghandshmanityandtheniversewldetterlydmedIhavenreasntelievethatyareanythingtherthanthewrnghandsYnwfacegdlikedgmentMayitetendeternally

protein guy analysis:

this was a weird one to see once it came together. the structure itself looks slightly better than average for this blog, but still pathetic in comparison to actual proteins. there is a lot going on in terms of secondary structure, with several alpha helices and two beta sheets (one impressive big one and one cute tiny one). still, there are a lot of loops, and too many gaps in the structure for my personal comfort. the really neat part, however, is the confidence of the prediction. everything is the usual bright red for terrible, except a small section at the C terminal end with scores reaching up to around 80%. (by small i mean pretty much just the small leftmost alpha helix and nothing else). I did a BLAST search for the last 10 letters just to see if that matched anything, and ended up finding a perfect match for the segment! since AlphaFold works by comparing inputted sequences to experimentally determined protein structures, finding something that overlaps with a real protein (and has pretty good similarity to several others) makes things much more trustworthy!

predicted protein structure:

cartoon representation

top protein BLAST search result

[ahamkara-apologist]

Got a concept for Eliksni reproductive biology that's been rattling around in my brain recently, so I had to draw it. Alien fuckers and specbio nerds come get y'all juice

Notes and explaination under cut:

Synopsis: Eliknsi have a bi-phase reproductive system that allows not only for a more even split of resources between sexes, but also for reproduction to go on hiatus between the sperm-depositing stage and the egg-depositing stage, which allows Eliksni to wait out harsh conditions before developing their eggs (though once the eggs are deposited into the broodpouch, development can only be slowed for so long before the critical laying period comes). Sperm can also be stored in the sperm storage tubules for a long duration of time, which allows for reproduction to occur in the absence of favorable mates as well as mixed-sired clutches. Seminal fluid (male) and lubricating fluid (female) also have differential functions and are laced with hormonal cues that jumpstart the process in a partner.

Reproductive process: Physically male Eliksni mate with a receptive female, depositing as much sperm as possible in the vaginal tract, where it then gels into a sticky consistency against the ducts to the sperm storage tubules. Physical stimulation and hormones in the seminal fluid initiate ovulation. The female then mates with as many physically male Eliksni as possible (or the same mate multiple times, as monogamy became socially common during the Golden Age of Riis despite Eliksni being a naturally polygamous species) before accumulating enough ovum in the uterus for fertilization to occur, when the accumulated sperm in the storage tubules is then transferred through a duct into the uterus for fertilization. Once the eggs have been fertilized, they can either be placed in developmental hiatus, or oviposited into a receptive broodpouch, where the nutrient-rich lubricating fluid secreted by the ovipositor both introduces a hormone that tightens the broodpouch sphincter, and assists in further development of the eggs.

Once the eggs have been oviposited, development continues, with the eggs absorbing water and nutrient-rich material through diffusive exchange in blood-rich vessels near the surface of their pourous membrane, gathering nutrients and oxygen from the blood-filled lining of the broodpouch and the sticky binding fluid left by the female parent. Building a suitable yolk sac takes priority over feeding the embryo, but development of the zygote into an embryo continues; this process can be slowed with adequate stress, but cannot be halted. Once the yolk sac is as developed as possible, calcification of the shells begins to occur, and a week or so after that, the eggs are laid. After laying, the embryos develop rapidly, and hatch not long after.

When breeding can be put on hiatus: after deposition of sperm, after fertilization of eggs

When breeding can be slowed: after deposition of eggs

-> This means that it is possible for an Eliksni to go months to years between mating cycles, yet still produce viable offspring. Needless to say, this is a major factor to why their species are so persistent in the face of adversary

a.) Hemipenis: Used for depositing sperm. Residual barbs on each hemipene are used to scrape away the sperm of rival mates, as well as help lock into the vaginal canal for ensured deposition of sperm.

b.) Testicles and Seminal Vessel: Used for producing and accumulating sperm. The long shelf life of Eliksni sperm relative to mammalian sperm allows for seminal fluid to accumulate in the seminal vessel between matings, giving Eliksni that do not mate as frequently (ie, lower-ranking) a reproductive advantage over those who do (ie, higher-ranking) if the opportunity arises, as they are capable of releasing more sperm at once.

c.) Broodpouch + Broodpouch Sphincter: Where fertilized eggs are oviposited, the broodpouch is essentially a muscular sack that is heavily lined with blood vessels to maximize the surface area for cross-current exchange to occur with the eggs. The broodpouch sphincter becomes relaxed during the breeding period, but tightens after eggs are oviposited and remains tight until laying needs to occur. If a dominant female is replaced, the pheromones from the replacement female cycling + stimulation can elicit relaxation again for forced expulsion of eggs (typically done to get rid of a rival's clutch).

.

d.) Ovipositer: Modified hemipene, used for depositing fertilized eggs into broodpouch.

e.) Vestigial Hemipene (clitoral-analagous): Modified hemipene, remains in sheath. Stimulation of the vestigial hemipene through vaginal canal aids in eliciting ovulation.

f.) Ovaries: They're ovaries. They've got oocytes.

g.) Uterus: Where fertilized and unfertilized eggs are stored until they can be oviposited.

h.) Vagina + Sperm Storage Tubules: Where seminal fluid is deposited, and sperm is stored for fertilization. Constriction of muscles from orgasm move sperm through duct to uterus; partners can subliminally influence a female to preferentially utilize their sperm in this manner

*Despite the apparent complexity of the Eliksni reproductive system, hormonal fluxes are capable of morphing sex over time. This is a long, slow process, but was favorable in the past, as only older high-ranking Eliksni were historically allowed to mate. Being flexible in reproductive ability allowed for individuals to increase fitness by maximizing reproductive odds when rising up the ranks.

**Historical (pre-Traveler) Eliksni reproduction involved a higher-ranking, typically much older individual (Kell) being free to mate with whomever they wished, while mate options became increasingly limited as one moved down the hierarchy; low-ranking (overwhelmingly young) Eliksni were pretty much incapable of mating. Many of the adaptations listed here were selected for to match this system, though Eliksni partnerships became increasingly less rank-dependent in their Golden Age. Post-Whirlwind saw a reversion in rank-based mating systems as well as a trend towards short-term monogamous partnerships.

[fiestylittlebeetle]

Hello! I had to remake my blog because I got too aggro on my previous account and am looking for new (or old) blogs to follow!

Looking for people who post the following:

Venture Bros

Scavengers Reign

Pokemon

MLP (discord fans especially)

Remedy Games (Alan Wake, and CONTROL mostly, haven't played quantum break yet)

Horizon Zero Dawn (especially erend fans and ereloy shippers)

Adventure Time

Monster girls (any kind)

Flight Rising

Chainsaw Man

Dungeon Meshi

Land of the Lustrous

Dorohedoro

Alice In Wonderland in general (og, Disney, madness returns, etc)

Cult of the Lamb

Marine Biology

Destiny 2

Leviathan Trilogy

Cyberpunk 2077

Ben 10

DNI: TERFs, Exclusionists, underage shippers, incest shippers, zionists, right-wing, pro-life, and fandom discourse

I'll delete this later when I feel like I've got a good amount of blogs followed

[the-drowsy-captains-art]

Commissions Open!

Hello everyone! I have decided to open commissions. I will be opening 3 slots at first, and if those do fill up, I will open more once the work is complete. Below are the links to everything you need to commission me (if you're not sure if there's a slot open still, feel free to shoot me an email and inquire).

I am open to doing art for fandoms, original pieces, OCs and a great deal more.

I politely request you email me rather than DM me for a commission.

[lesbianlanval]

so sad that you deny your womanhood. there is no shame in being a woman there’s no need to reject it. woman isn’t a feeling it’s a reality and there’s nothing wrong with embracing it. you can’t identify out of womanhood. i’m sorry men made you feel like you had take on a non binary identity in order to be seen as a person.

I’m a butch dyke and I’m sorry that you can’t find humanity in that you egregious fucking cunt

[baede-6]

The Destiny tag is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you're gonna get.

[braindamagedrizz]

Plz explain your raptor man biology I am fascinated even if it's just ‘i fucked around’

OKAY SO 90% of it WAS just me going "hehe we do a bit of trolling" BUT. Okay, and here me out, I am working of a 'logical' way the tailed awoken thing came into place. I'd like to preface this by saying I know nothing about Biology, so if any biology majors see this, no you don't. Okay so alot of the inspiration is a phenomenon in human babies known as Vistigial tails which are kinda pseudo-tails that are removed shortly after birth in babies. BUT, Ruxiz had this as a child, it was removed but when he became awoken on the Yang Liwie the reformation of his body sort of accounted for this 'extra piece' and treated it as a missing limb. It remade his body when he became Awoken with this added appendage, which became a full tail. This does mean his skeletal structure is a little bit different from other awoken to account for a tail but otherwise he's entirely 'human' in other aspects. I imagine out of everyone on the Yang Liwie, at least a one or a few handfuls of others may have had the same condition Ruxiz had making him one of a few awoken who had tails. (The feathers are just me going 'haha raptor man')

This new aspect did pass to one of Ruxiz's children, so I imagine tailed awoken are just a sub-species of awoken that are mostly similar to other awoken say for some physical abnormailites. They hardly differ and take on the same tasks as Techeuns, Crows, and pretty much anything else. When risen the tail is treated as another part of them as can be healed and reformed by the Light when damaged.

There are some differences to account for in my headcanon of tailed awoken, Ruxiz is slightly more prone to bad posture and back pains, he may lean forward more when running just to account for the tail and it's purpose in assisting his balance. He has a very strong pelvis, and in general is just very muscular in the hip area to account for his tail. Tails need to be trained like any other limb! Ruxiz trains his and so it's fairly muscular and he even uses it in close-hand combat, but some awoken may neglect that resulting in more flimsy and sleek tails. He typically uses his tail to keep his body weight on his intended target and ensure they can't kick him off easily, though he does use it as a sort of heavy hitting 'whip' or just slaps combatants with it. Ruxiz's tail is semi-prehensile, he can control and move it around but it has some limitations in how well it grasps objects. He can coil it around a person to attack them but he can't use it to hold smaller objects in day-to-day life. It acts mostly like a rudder when running and mostly keeps his balance upright.

To account for the extra mass and calorie needs to support another limb, Ruxiz does eat alot more than others and burns that intake much quicker, especially if he's out in the field and fighting alot. I headcannon that tailed awoken were more prone to being  Eccaleists when the Distributary was in its growing stages of existence, though the ones that chose to join the city-dwelling awoken saw no real change in how life went on with their tails. Well there would be some changes required for tailed awoken, that being clothes and likely even custom armour for it, Tailed and non-tailed Awoken live life side by side without much difference in their ways of lives. Some have even come to ignore the presence of tails altogether due to how little awoken pocessed the feature and how little they accompany everyday life.

Fashion is definitely a hot-topic among awoken for tails, while the few who pocessed them in the Yang Liwie choose not to fancy up their appendage and instead bare casual armour for it or just leave it as is. I imagine the children who inherited the feature love playing dress up with their tails and will actively choose to invent new fashion trends for them inluding jewellery and clothing pieces. Ruxiz chooses to ignore his on most occassions, though he will wear clothes to fit it on fancy events or adorn it in armour pieces, it's just there for him and typically just acts as a aid in battle. Though he does let children preen the feathers or dress it up if he's not busy. He also has a habit of using it for intimidation or other factors, I.E. He'll flare the feathers when angry or threatening someone, or it'll wag, or tucks between his legs when scared. He's got a pretty good hold on forcing it to stay still, but sometimes it just happens. Hope you enjoy my rant lol

[luna-light-eclipse]

When you decide to pull out a bit of writing from the middle of the document for a friend just with a little bit of editing and now your googling weird anatomical questions about animals because fictional aliens

[peligin-eyed]

I wish there were other ways to access Irem besides Evolution. I don’t hate Evolution, there are parts I like and parts I don’t really care for, but it feels kind of railroady compared to similar content like (ironically) the railway where it feels like you have meaningful choices about how you want to go through the story

I guess technically you get to choose the Naturalist’s fate for him at the end (which… I feel like shouldn’t be a choice you make, it should be his choice informed by how you’ve advised him along the way), but otherwise there is only one route through the story for the most part

I realize I’m maybe in the minority of the player base here by having multiple accounts, but part of what I enjoy about that is being able to explore plotlines from different angles. And Irem is a cool location! The Iremi destinies offer a lot of room for expanded characterization, it’s just frustrating (to me) that you have to play through the exact same storyline again in order to access those options for different characters

[violentviolette]

there has got to be a better way to turn black hair white without 3 bleaching and 2 tonings everytime ur roots come in like us dark haired girlies are out here fighting for our lives!!

[elfindreams]

I am a normal person with a job and various normal hobbies but also if you sliced open my brain you would find a region which has existed for years and is singularly dedicated to storing my needlessly overspecific post-OOT / MM Zelda headcanons covering the span of several in-universe decades and in fact aren’t headcanons because they are all completely correct and accurate and ~thematic~

[ahamkara-apologist]

Not to be insane in your inbox but I simply MUST hear more of your Uluran specbio headcanons. They keep me sane.

Okay yeah I'm just gonna post this now- been fiddling with it for several weeks and keep getting distracted by cool reproductive biology facts (like the complexities of rhino cervixes and why it makes conservation efforts via artificial insemimation so difficult) so here ya go. Most of this is reproductive biology bc I'm studying to be an evolutionary geneticist for conservation purposes, so be aware of that- all that good stuff is under a readmore

*Note: I started using the terms ‘bulls’ for male Uluru and ‘sows’ for female Uluru midway through this bc I got tired of writing ‘male/female’ over and over again, as this doc also contains Eliksni and Hive biology musings. It helps distinguish the Uluran section from the others a bit. I also use Uluru/Uluran interchangeably, with ‘Uluru’ being the notation for individuals and ‘Uluran’ being the notation for a group/the species as a whole.

General:

-The exposed upper gumline we see in almost all Uluru faces isn't how their lips normally rest; baring the teeth and upper gum is an expression of superiority/confidence in their strength. The reason we almost always see their faces in this position is because the Uluran almost universally view humans as weaker, and even those like Caiatl (who has seen otherwise) does it on instinct because they cannot fathom how much smaller we are

-Which, to be fair, doesn't say a lot; an Uluru with a relaxed mouth typically only occurs in private, when around their mate or equals. When an expression can mean both 'I am greater than you' as well as 'I am confident in myself and my abilities', and the whole society they live in is based around being the best of your class, then it's going to be a very common facial expression

-(On a side note: their growth hormones being triggered by a sense of pride isn't actually all that outlandish. House Sparrows exhibit a similar occurrance in real life, where winning dominance battles against other males increases the size of their bib, a black patch on their chest that indicates where they are placed in their social hierarchy. The more fights they win, the bigger their bib)

-Uluran fat distribution is mostly internal, and is focused around the organs to act as shock barriers when fighting; their muscles typically layer over the fat bands. The one exception to this is around the throat/jowl area, where fat layers over the thick muscle pads to help protect the vulnerable area from being gored by tusks during fighting

-Unlike in human society, hitting on a married individual is not socially unacceptable, especially if the individual doing the flirting believes that the pairing is an unfit match for one another and they can do better. It's considered romantic and marriage-affirming for the partner who's being shamed in this situation to chase the other suitor off. This weighed especially heavily on the sows bc of the vulnerable mate-guarding lactation period post-pregnancy

-(However it should be noted that Uluran gender roles are less restrictive in some ways than humans bc they’re based more on the strength of the individual than their ability to perform preset social rules, and that in modern times this is more for show)

-Historically, reverse-harem groups were a common sign of status, with one particularly fit sow mating with three or four bulls and/or having ‘lesser’ males that she did not mate with (or stole from other sows) nursing her calves. In some extremely traditionalist groups/among gladiators, this still occurs, but most mating groups max out at three individuals because the posturing required to keep people interested is just…a lot. Its a lot of mutual impressing to do

Reproductive biology:

-Much like hyenas, sows have a pseudopenis that is a result of increased androgens, and big pseudopenises on sows are seen as a mark of great status/strength. Tusk size/growth rates is also sometimes correlated with pseudopenis size, since the amount of androgens in the blood stream are correlated with both tusk growth rates and penis size

-Unlike hyena pseudopenises, however, the urinary tract does run through the shaft of the clitorus, while the birth canal essentially opens halfway down the shaft, creating a pouchlike vaginal opening. Arousal is required for this pouch to unfold; if not, penetration cannot occur, and in an unaroused state, it collapses in on itself into the base of the shaft, which then folds into the sheath for total protection. This evolved to keep the genital area clean, but has been co-opted to prevent mating until the female is ready, much like hyenas

-Yes, in less civilized times the pseudopenis was also used for dominance displays. During the breeding season, sows would evert their hemipenes in a half-erect state to essentially show off their fitness, which would greatly influence male mate choice. Tusk size = general status, penis size = reproductive status

-Bulls only receive a spike in androgens after the sows actively courting them go into an estrus cycle, which triggers increased sperm production and makes their testicles swell in size to what would be normal on a mammal (inspired by how bird testicles increase in size during mating season) and skyrockets their seminal viability 200% above average, specifically for the purpose of fertilizing a female in estrus. After fertilization occurs, they have to be around a pregnant sow for an extended period of time to a.) drop them back to a normal, non-breeding state and b.) induce lactation for the arriving calves, which is typically when mate guarding begins to occur in earnest. Both hormone cycle mechanisms are pheromonally regulated, but may have a 'ghost cycle' occurrence where the hormone fluxes occur on a very minor level

-As a consequence: very humanly 'masculine' bulls are typically less traditionally attractive compared to bulls with what we might consider more 'feminine' traits. Bulls with too much testosterone will have tusks on par with sows, larger penises, and testes that are noticeably descended from the abdominal cavity. While they are typically more capable of fertilizing sows, they are incapable of producing milk or are subpar at it, which means they cannot gestate the resulting calves effectively, so that increased fertility is essentially useless

-(However, it is important to note again that Uluran gender roles do not correlate to human ones, and high-testosterone bulls will still be considered very valuable fighters, warriors, and champions. They're just not considered suitable mate material, and are laughed or scoffed at if they ever want to have a family of their own. Ghaul was an example of a high-testosterone bull)

-[OOPS I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE THIS TWICE BUT DONT WANNA DELETE IT] Fertilization is internal and requires cooperation of both parties to occur. The female vaginal opening itself is composed of erectile tissue, and directly connected to the base of the pseudopenis; when aroused, it everts from the body cavity in an unfurling motion (as the outer labia are composed of thick skin that tuck inwards for protection) and sticks out a bit for ease of penetration.

-The male penis does much the same, but is long, thin, and semiprehensile, allowing it to easily curve under the curve of the abdomen and slip into the vagina via touch alone. The head flares after ejaculation to scrape out the sperm of opposing males, but isn’t terribly effective at it, as it is composed of soft, spongy tissue to be able to exit the tighter vaginal opening. Because bulls typically pick only one sow to mate with, the effect is not terribly drastic compared to, say, the Eliksni (who are much more promiscuous)

-Vanilla sex is typically done standing, with abdomens pressed together and reciprocal stimulation occurring in a slow rocking motion until orgasm is obtained. Casually reclining is another option, but the evolutionary default was to mate while standing bc it allowed for quicker reaction timing if a threat approached

-Uluran have 5 nipples, placed under the main abdominal fat pad and covered with their pouch, which is a flap of tough hide with very elastic skin around its edges that can be torn away if a certain pattern of muscle contractions occur (much like lizard caudal autonomy). Both bulls and sows have a pouch that can be opened, but it is vastly reduced to a mere fold of skin on sows. The pouch typically only opens when stimulated by the birth of calves (triggered by the scent of newborn calves), or when stimulated from within. The skin that seals it shut has no pain receptors, and calf ejection has to be voluntarily triggered in order to occur- the default pathway is 'closed'.

-Births are a private affair, limited only to one's mate; a midwife and their apprentice may come stay on the property, but typically only come in if something is wrong. Even though Uluran calves are born underdeveloped, much like marsupials, they also suffer from the same evolutionary blows dealt to humans in that an upright stance and larger brains made birth more difficult. Pair that with the fact that they're coming out of a narrow birth canal, and yeah, first-time births are often quite painful; Uluran culture typically see birth as a battle, and first births (where tearing of the vaginal canal almost always occurs in some capacity) as a blood rite.

-If possible, the calves are born onto the bulls's abdomen as he guards/monitors his mate, which is all the help that they are traditionally allowed to get as they crawl into his pouch and latch onto a tear to complete development. Any that fail to reach the pouch are left to die

-Up to five calves can be born at a time, but 2 is typically much more common. Of a five-calf litter, only four will ever be healthy; the fifth will always be a runt, and almost never survive. Six is practically unheard of, and always leads to the litter dying because all of the other calves are too underdeveloped to have been carried to term

-Calves are roughly palm-sized when born, and are a stoutly compact, rectangular pink blob of flesh. They're essentially fetus potatos, with the only developed part of them being their crawling limbs. Their skin is transparent, thin, and heavily vascularized, especially along their bellies, as the interior of a bull's pouch is also highly vascularized, and oxygen exchange occurs through cross-current exchange across the skin. Once they find and latch to a nipple, the babies will essentially fuse belly-first to their father's pouch + teat, and will stick there until they're developed enough to leave the pouch and start breathing on their own (the thick hide on their bellies is the last thing to develop before leaving the pouch). This also means that calf ejection is almost always fatal, as it involves the tearing of that oxygen-exchange patch

-Uluru milk consists almost entirely of protein, with the remaining content being mostly fats. There's very little sugar in it, and just enough water to give it the consistancy of something slightly thinner than heavy cream. It's basically an antibody-packed protein shake, and allows the calves to grow at tremendous speeds once born. They're capable of tripling their weight in the first week alone

-(Coincidentally, how fat a baby is when they leave the pouch is deemed a way to tell how fit the male is to be a father. The fatter the baby is, the sexier the male, as that means he's fit enough to be producing very high-quality milk at very little cost to himself)

-(Yes this means that Calus was peak dilf material in Uluran terms. Deal with it)

[microdroplet]

I feel like he has this way of seeing everything from high above and outside - not so much space but time. He takes me all the way forward and all the way back, and he could see the possibility of our future from the beginning and grasped it for both of us, before I believed I could even have a future with anyone.