#cell culture consumables goods

[ms-demeanor]

Okay THANK YOU for saying “your body craves what it needs” is bs because that felt like bs this whole time.

Like you don’t need more sugar if you crave sweets that is NOT what that means. Sugar is a food that people crave because it tastes good/sugar I think is an addictive food??

Idk it just felt like people making excuses when they’re supposed to be trying to eat a little healthier (healthier, not low cal, not low fat or keto or whatever. Diets are bs but craving sweets does not mean sugar is healthy thing for your body rn)

People crave sugar because it tastes good, which is not a bad thing, and there is an evolutionary reason that sugar and fat taste good to us. Carbs are your body's favorite thing because it is SUPER easy for your body to break them down into useful molecules.

I'm not a fan of the idea that any foods are addictive and I'm skeptical of models that suggest "refined food addiction" is a thing with a measurable, real-world impact; there's a lot of debate in that area of nutrition science and to me it kind of seems like the tools people use to track food addiction aren't really examining the addictiveness of specific foods, but are decent screening tools for people who have compulsive behaviors around food (for instance, one group of people who the Yale Food Addiction Scale has repeatedly been demonstrated to be REALLY good at identifying is people with anorexia).

But your body needs sugar all the time, whether that's in the form of complex carbohydrates that get broken down into simple sugars by your body, or simple sugars that you stir into your tea that then gets sent to your cells as energy. If your diet doesn't have enough sugar in it, your body has a processes to turn non-sugars into sugar so that it can use the sugar (gluconeogenesis!). Sugar is unambiguously good for you in the way that fat is unambiguously good for you. You need sugar to survive and it's not a bad thing if you want to have a cookie or a soda or some candy, and again - your craving probably isn't telling you that you're deficient in a specific micro or macronutrient, but I still think that you should listen to your craving.

Like, I don't know how much you know about psychotherapy but the attitude that a lot of diet-focused discussion takes toward cravings reminds me of cognitive behavioral therapy. "When you crave chocolate, no you don't! Don't think about the chocolate, you actually probably need starch or sugar or something, let's redirect that into having a banana, or some frozen berries, or some spinach. Point away from the unhealthy craving and into the healthy replacement, or, better yet, ignore the craving. Mind over matter. You choose how you act."

(I actually think "X craving means that I want Y food so I shall replace it with Z, which is similar" "craving salt means that I am dehydrated and need electrolytes so instead of potato chips I'll have some soup" is how this goes most of the time. I think this is a diet culture thing, not a food positivity thing.)

And you know what I think that's a garbage way to look at both food and emotions.

When I'm craving ice cream it's not because I've been mostly vegetarian for a week and am low on dietary cholesterol (AN IMPORTANT NUTRIENT. Don't be scared of consuming some cholesterol), I'm craving ice cream because sugar and fat taste good. So instead of trying to pretend that I'm getting "what I need" from a piece of salmon the size of a deck of cards with no salt and some lemon squeezed on top, I'm going to scoop out a moderate portion of ice cream and eat it while focusing on how much I enjoy it. And I'm going to do that instead of sitting down with a pint and a spoon while I'm stressed at work and eating something that tastes good to distract from the fact that work is stressful. (And sometimes it's fine to sit down with a pint and a spoon but I will say that's generally best not to do while you're in the middle of something stressful)

And if you want to relate that back to therapy I see this as more of the DBT approach. I've accepted that I want ice cream so I'm going to eat it in an intentional way and enjoy it instead of eating so much that I don't want dinner, or that it makes me feel sick, or that I eat it without noticing it because I'm using it as a distraction instead of a snack.

I'm not trying to shut down the negative emotion or shun the "bad" food, I'm accepting that I have that emotion and I'm working this neutral food into my day so that I'll feel good tomorrow and won't get heartburn overnight.

So I see that you're trying to be kind of anti diet culture here, but I don't think people need excuses to eat sugar, and I actually think that making excuses to eat it is significantly less healthy than just eating the sugar (which, again, is unambiguously healthy to eat as part of a varied, filling, nutritious diet). It seems like you may have internalized some ideas about sugar that are not great even if you are trying to separate from diet culture.

Nobody is ever going to eat a diet so healthy and nutritionally complete that they don't want candy or cake or cookies sometimes. Food is not only fuel, it is entertainment and culture and comfort and distraction and celebration and a million other things, but it is not bad. I don't think there's a single universally bad food out there, or any food that never belongs as part of someone's diet (unless it's something you're allergic to - I don't care if you're craving peanuts, do not eat peanuts if you have a peanut allergy).

So it's okay to make sugar, you don't need to make excuses. It's okay to eat sugar if you're craving sugar, even if that's not what your body "needs". But also sometimes a craving is your body saying "I'm hungry and this sounds good, please feed me" even if you're not a finely-tuned spectrometer that's craving blueberries pie because you actually need antioxidants from the blueberries (you're not a finely tuned spectrometer, you don't need the antioxidants from the blueberries, it's perfectly fine to just eat a slice of pie).

[hubristicassholefight]

Hubristic Assholes Tourney Round 1 Part 4b

Five Pebbles (Rain World) vs Achilles (The Illiad)

Propaganda below cut (Beware spoilers)

Five Pebbles

Five Pebbles is an iterator, a city sized sentient and partially biological supercomputer. An ancient civilization built the iterators to essentially try to calculate a way for the Ancients to ascend beyond this mortal world and leave behind the cycle of reincarnation. He and the other iterators were left behind after their creators all disappeared/ascended. The iterators are as close to man made gods as anything can be, yet they are trapped - both by their huge physical forms, unable to move from the place they were built in, and by a taboo in their programming, which prevents them from attempting to self-destruct. Five Pebbles grew frustrated with his fate as a "bug in a maze". He was convinced that if he could just break the self-destruction taboo, he would find a way to ascend himself, thus escaping the mortal world. He started a series of massive experiements that consumed so much cooling water, the drought in the area destroyed his sister and fellow iterator Looks To The Moon. In her efforts to stop him, she distracted him. The experiement failed catastrofically. Five Pebbles had not only callously killed his own sister in the pursuit of his impossible goal, but he had also created a sentient, mobile disease growing inside his own body. The Rot would eat through his mountain sized body, no matter what Five Pebbles tried to do to stop it. It takes it thousands of years, but piece by piece the Rot breaks him down, until all that remains of Five Pebbles, once a mortal god, is a trembling, frozen puppet sitting alone inside the completely destroyed ruins of his own superstructure. It's a fate much worse than the death he was seeking; epic fail bug man lol

He is a city sized supercomputer who was built with one goal in mind; to produce a solution to the great problem, that being how to allow all things to escape the cycle of life and death without the use of void fluid. A different character claimed to have a solution, but died before they could say it. Five Pebbles believed that the death itself was the solution, despite the fact that it only effects the machine, and the inability to kill themselves is ingrained in every cell of their body(he's a meat computer btw). The culture that produced these supercomputers good high respect for their ancestors, so defying them is very heretical. In his attempt to break the self destruction taboo he drains all the local water, causing looks to the moon to also run out of water. Looks to the moon, being older than Five Pebbles, eventually used her seniority to force five Pebbles to stop trying to kill himself, after she was too damaged to survive for very long, and in doing so, gave five pebbles giga-cancer that world slowly, and I mean slowly, eat him alive, stopping him from trying again; He was artificially made with every cell of his body having a code that stops him from killing himself. When he tries to overcome it he accidentally kills someone else and gives himself giga-cancer.

Achilles

No propaganda allowed to be used

[dailydemonspotlight]

Dead Lobster - Day 135

Race: Wilder Alignment: Dark-Neutral October 25th, 2024

HAVE A GOOD LOOK AT THE RADDEST DEMON IN THE SERIES!!!!

Ahem. Jokes aside, mythology takes many different forms. While we traditionally associate mythology with ancient cultures and the stories consisting of their religious beliefs, such as Greek or Egyptian mythology, the term 'mythology' as a whole is incredibly broad and can be applied to many different things: Urban legends, cults of personality, and basically any form of story and/or a widely spread idea throughout society. However, given the fact that a myth's many definitions can even just include a generally accepted belief around something, mythology can encompass even something as specific as a popular misconception. Case in point, today's Demon of the Day, one based off of one such misconception: the Dead Lobster, a myth grown around, of all things, the culinary arts.

According to popular legend when it comes to cooking seafood, Lobsters need to be cooked alive or else they'll end up poisoning the rest of the pot with them. This belief actually does come with quite a bit of truth to it, though it's not nearly as absurd as the legends will claim- the popular misconception states that, even in seconds, a dead lobster will end up poisoning not only itself but also everything around it, but this is only the case if stored in high temperatures. A dead lobster, if prepared properly in a short timeframe, is still safe to eat. However, the prizing of freshness in general has led this belief to being somewhat radicalized into every single dead lobster being a potential danger if consumed.

The reason for this lies in the decomposition process of a lobster. While, for the most part, a lobster is incredibly hardy and is incapable of dying traditionally of old age (though they still can, it's a very long story,) when one dies it experiences a total shell death brought on by the releasing of several different enzymes that literally go into it and shut down its internal organs. The enzymes that keep a lobster alive and prevent it from experiencing cell death are released upon the death of the lobster as well, polluting it and making it essentially become poisonous. However, while a lobster will become septic upon death, one can keep this process from occurring even after the lobster's death by keeping it cold and properly cooking it after the fact, as it'll slow the speed of decomposition.

Still, this eventually led to the idea that any dead lobster is a bad lobster, and soon the misconception spread throughout culinary circles, essentially making it a form of myth... in the world of cooking. To an extent, I'm not even surprised that the culinary world has its own mythology. Chefs can be weird. Naturally, as the idea grew, so did the severity of it, and it went from food poisoning from eating a dead lobster to actually dying upon eating a dead lobster. This leads us back to SMT, finally, where we see what the hell a dead lobster is doing among the ranks of biblical demons and gods from many different mythologies.

The design of the Dead Lobster in SMT, which is a demon unfortunately only exclusive to Megami Tensei 2, is an incredibly interesting one for a variety of reasons, but I take particular interest in the bug-like wings. The insectoid pair of wings seem to be based off of many types of insects, primarily seeming to be those of a fly, but what's more important is the association of insects. Many types of insects are poisonous themselves, after all, and the idea of wings on a dead being also vaguely allude, hilariously enough, to stereotypical depictions of cherubs. It's almost like the Dead Lobster in the series is the spirit of a lobster ascending to heaven... ah, how tragic. Also, I don't know where else to put this, but Dead Lobster sounds a lot like Red Lobster, the fucking food chain. I don't know what they were cooking, (but maybe it was lobster?)

lober

[pxgeturner]

Miguel O'Hara is a world-renowned professional boxer, and Hobie's other best friend. One night he finally makes the two worlds collide and sparks immediately fly between the two of you. But will he distract you from meeting your publisher's deadline? And will you distract him from getting World Champ?

before you follow. m.list. Iron Fist gfx library. series m.list. tag list.

Prologue. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. Epilogue.

wc. 1.5k

an. hi. its me! Giselle, or gi, or gigi to few (not to be confused w gg, that is one of my moots. she makes really cool art.) n e ways here is the awaited Prologue for Iron Fist. Oh goodness I'm so nervous. I just want to make a few things clear. the reader is an author (obvs). She's recently graduated uni and is Latina! I write with a woc!r in mind always. I try to be as inclusive as possible, pero porque soy Mexicana, r might lean towards being more Mexican but I'll try to keep her Spanish standard and not be too specific to my family's culture. much love! hope you enjoy <3

please don't forget to reblog! likes do nothing to boost engagement.

Your foot taps against the floor. The damn blank document stares back at you. Mocking you is what it’s really doing. Fuck you, you think, I achieved my goal. I published a book and it is a damn bestseller! Only problem is that the readers want more. It’s been… some time since your first book. And sure, Jess said you can take a break before starting a new project. But you also know that it’s good to ride on existing publicity. At least be able to make an announcement that you’re writing something while all this excitement lasts. Maybe you should write something about vampires. You love vampires and how they fit into romance and how them drinking blood is a euphemism just a bit away from, the whole cannibalism-equals-all-consuming-love trope and how when a vampire attacks it’s often an allegory for rape and— but you have nothing to add to the conversation. You have nothing new to say, no new perspective or hot take, or twist. You have nothing. No ideas.

Not a single word on the page.

You have an idea, leaning forward to peck the keyboard. “F-u-c-k. T-h-i-s!” You highlight the text and italicize it.

Fuck this. At least it’s words on the page.

You reach for your cup and take a sip. “If all else fails I can ride on the rest of the signing bonus and royalties for a bit since the book is doing good, and once that dries up, I can apply to be circulation assistant at a library or something.” You sigh and take another sip. “But nobody has to know for now.” You get up, searching for your phone. You find it resting on the arm of the couch, you grab it, sliding onto the cushions, resting your head where your phone just was. “God, don’t make me a one hit wonder, I wanna be a star. I wanna be the one to push that bitch Colleen Hoover into obsoletion. Please God. Please.”

You open your phone and look for your mother on speed dial.

“Hola, nena!” Your mama’s voice is happy, she must be having a good day. You move into the kitchen. You need a snack.

“Hey, mama, how are you?” You hold the cell with your shoulder as you look through your pantry.

“Good, good,” you find a pack of roasted seaweed snacks and grab it.

“I went on a date anoche.” Your shoulder drops and the pack of seaweed slips out of your grasp.

Mi mami fue a una cita. Con un man! You stand there, trying to process that she is actually back on the dating scene.

“How did it—” you aren’t holding your phone anymore. You use the wall as support to lower yourself to pick up your phone and snack.

“—ay, mami, lo siento, mi cellular se cayo de mi mano.”

“Todo bien, hija! I’m glad you’re ok.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m ok, I’m ok. Anyways— how was the date? What’s he like? Am I going to have a stepfather soon?” you joke.

“My time for marriage is gone, muñeca, I’m just looking for companionship, pero, tu lo sabes.” You hear some subtle clinking in the background of the call, she must be stirring her coffee. You open your snack and park yourself on the couch. “Are you writing?” Ugh. Not you, too.

“I was, just finished for a bit before I called you.”

“You called me to procrastinate.” You choke on your seaweed from the accusation.

You clear your throat, “I called to check in with you. I call you practically every day.”

“But right now you called me to check up on me as an excuse to not write. Nena, I know you.”

“Okay, fine. I might be having some writer’s block,” you admit, sighing.

“And that’s okay, nena, but then you need to get out, get some inspiration. Allow the world to give you a story.” There’s mama, with her easier-said-than-done advice. But, maybe you should get out of the house.

“Alright, I’ll go out soon.”

“Tonight,”

“—I will go out to the Chinese place across the street and nothing more. I’ll talk with Hobie when he gets back to see if he has any ideas.” You hear your mama make a noise in her throat.

“You still live with that boy?” Here it comes. You’ve lived with Hobie Brown for three years and have known him for five. She’s always been apprehensive of him, since he’s radical and looks like he’s been in jail, with all the metal in his face, and why does his hair look like that? But Hobie is the one who’s kept you sane all these years. He’s held you while you cried and pushed out of your comfort zone when you were getting too stuck into your routines, most likely by dragging you to a concert or a protest. You help him thrift and flip clothes and ever since that one time his stylist had an emergency and canceled, you now help him tighten his wicks every so often. On days like that the two of you stay in, watching nostalgic movies and listening to any demos he’s recorded recently. He’s like a brother to you at this point.

“Yes, mama, I still live with Hobie. Nothing’s changed.” You move the phone down to your chest and take a deep breath.

“I didn’t like him when I first met him,” you clench your jaw as she continues— “…and although he’s one of those kids, I can tell he is a good boy. I’m glad he takes care of you.” You relax. “But it wouldn’t hurt to have someone you could kiss.” “It would be nice, but right now it’s not happening.” “Alright, muñeca. I’ll leave you alone for now, but keep your eyes open for a nice man.”

“I will, con cuidado, mami, besitos.” You make a kissing noise into the phone, and she responds with a goodbye of her own, and you wait for her to hang up the call.

You sigh, and look at the coffee table. Hobie left his song book at home, weird. It’s open to the song he was working on the other day. It’s a slower song, you can still hear the melody. You drum your fingers to the tune. He’s on an unfinished verse. You pick up a pen from the little catch-all dish and scribble down a line or two.

…

Hobie weaves through the roar of chattering, anticipating fans and into the tunnel, and walks past employees and into Miguel's prep room to see him tying his shoes. “Hey,” Miguel looks up. “Hey.”

“Are you excited?” He moves to sit by the boxer, shimmying up against his shoulder.

“Haven’t really been excited for one of these in a while.” Miguel breathes.

“Well, one step closer to retirement!” Hobie bounces out of his seat. He turns to face his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’re gonna do great, you big fuckin’ bear of a man.” He ruffle’s Miguel’s hair.

Miguel gives a half-ass hum in response.

“Well then, I’ll be out there, mate, cheerin’ you on.” He puts his hands in his vest pockets and walks out the room.

As he reaches the empty doorframe, Miguel speaks up. “Thank you, Hobie.”

“Anything for you, mate.” Hobie nods and goes to join the audience. Miguel fastens his gloves and puts on his robe. He warms up waiting for his coach.

“Ready, O’Hara?”

Miguel turns around. “Always ready for a fight.” He clenches his jaw. Walking down that hallway, the festive colors lighting up his path and the music blaring, he does his little bit, the movements molded into muscle memory.

This is it. This is his last year fighting. If he gets world champ again, he’s free.

Soon, he gets to fight his last fight. And dammit, the world championship will be his last match. Then, he’s never gonna have to come back.

He weaves under the ropes, entering the ring. Sitting on the stool, he shrugs off the robe and lets Carlos put the mouthguard in.

“You are going to show this guy exactly why people call you el oso!” Miguel beats his gloves together and nods. He might not like his job right now, but he really wants to hit something and goddammit if his opponent doesn’t look so beatable right now.

Coach Carlos steps out of the way, and Miguel stands to walk to the ref as he calls for him to center.

“We went over the rules in the dressing room.” Right before Hobie got here. “I want to remind you to protect yourself at all times, and obey my commands.” Ring the damn bell already. “God bless you both,” I don’t need it but this kid might. “Touch up,” here we go. He touches gloves with his newbie opponent and each goes back to their respective corners.

Miguel takes an orthodox stance.

The bell rings.

Miguel lands the first punch. He also lands the last.

[bestworstcase]

So, I recently read your post regarding the Adam short, the WF and Remnants broad sweep of treating children more like tiny adults ETC and found a lot of it deeply insightful and interesting!

However, I feel its worth noting that even before killing that guy Adam was already building a splinter cell/personality cult in Ghira's White Fang with Sienna no where in sight. One rooted in making Faunus resemble monsters to create terror.

Also the comics definitely make it clear Adam was specifically targeting and grooming Blake from day one I feel. Kali & Blakes interactions on that front were really good as well.

i haven’t read the comics myself so i don’t have an opinion on how they handle the characters or the specific dynamic between adam and blake.

wrt to adam and the grimm masks, though: while adam was definitely the one who started it, it’s shown to be something that was not a secret (except for ghira and sienna, all the WF characters are masked in the next scene) and it’s also strategically a good idea to hide your face while engaging in direct action. & the reasoning blake recounts to sun in V2 (“humans wanted to make monsters of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters”) is an echo of what oobleck says of the WF in v1 (that bigotry and persecution is what pushes people subjected to it to resort to violence).

the point of the grimm masks isn’t to cause terror but rather to demand attention and make a statement without sacrificing the anonymity that keeps the members of the white fang safe: it’s “if fighting back makes us monsters, then monsters we will be.”

(there are also perhaps deeper underlying cultural narratives about grimm and faunus being tapped into—“among beasts and monsters” and all, the dehumanization of faunus is intertwined with the cultural belief that grimm prey upon humans specifically with faunus being at best caught in the crossfires; so i’d argue the grimm masks are motivated in part by reclaiming that narrative and turning it into a weapon for the faunus)

all of which is especially salient to adam because a human literally branded his face. his choice to cover the scar with a grimm-like mask carries a lot of emotional weight; he is taking what humans did to him and turning it into a symbol of the faunus cause that will make it impossible for humans to look the other way—as humans no doubt looked the other way when he was attacked.

that’s why i think narratively it’s important that adam came up with the grimm masks before the turning point that incited his gradual corruption into someone driven by spite and hatred; ghira accepted the adoption of grimm masks by rank-and-file members because because they served the narrative and the strategic ends his white fang was trying to advance. it’s only after ghira leaves and adam increasingly loses that strategic focus and becomes consumed by spiteful vengeance that the red detailing begins to appear on the masks as a visual symbol for the corruption of his original purpose. bc there’s a difference between saying “if you’re going to treat me like a monster for defending myself, i will proudly continue to defend myself because you are wrong” and “anything i do to you is justified by what i suffered.” and adam’s arc is about the slow corruption of the first thing into the second.

[high-voltage-rat]

I often wonder what the actual state of medicine as a field is in dragonfable. We see that Magus Neron has a microscope, petri dishes, and hypodermic syringes. We know that the existence of cells is a known thing. Clearly we're not living in a pre-germ theory equivalent. But we also don't really see doctors around- alchemists like Alina seem to be the pick. Sir Junn is the only example I can really think of, and he also seems to be oriented towards alchemical solutions like the royal honey and corruption-cleansing potions, though we do have mentions of him using IVs in an ICU in his field hospital.

Healing potions would certainly be good for physical injuries, but I wonder at how well they treat illnesses and diseases. Are they a cure-all that's become so heavily relied on that, in the rare cases they don't work, nobody knows what else to do? Riadne's arachnomancy healing, delivering potions directly into the bloodstream, is treated as revolutionary, so I assume that pills or IV drips and infusions have not been popularized enough to be commonly used. Is that because potions as they currently exist are good enough for most applications, or because most people don't know how to use them, or because they're difficult to create or get ahold of? There are incredible technologies out there, as evidenced by the magisterium's drones and the gnomes'... everything. But whether or not these advances have ever been applied to medical applications has also never really been shown.

We've seen many examples of healing magic in lore, but the capabilities and limitations of it, as well as the actual process, are never really explored. Is it an actual active process of changing the body, or is it just empowering the natural healing process? We know that fleshweaving is a thing, but forbidden as an art due to its potential for abuse (and the fact that it apparently requires consuming elemental spirits), and Jaania's soulweaving-based healing of Brittany was a method she apparently invented through experimentation. So we can conclude that soul/fleshweaving are not being employed as a tool for medicine, and any commonly used healing magic probably doesn't modify the body in such a way.

There's lots of potential for medical technology and practice to improve, so one has to wonder what factors are at play to ensure they don't. Is it just reliance on the magic that already exists, leaving the people with rare cases to be untreated? I wonder if, to a degree, there's a perception of standard alchemy being "good enough" that medicine doesn't need to be improved. Perhaps that's compounded with some cultural taboos around "messing with" or manipulating the body, which may extend beyond magical practice into the scientific sphere. It could even be an acceptance of a flawed paradigm surrounding healing magic, just like how most mages accepted the leyline model of mana as absolute, when soulthreads demonstrate that it's flawed?

Or maybe the devs intended it all to remain in the mcguffin realm, where healing magic does everything you want when it's convenient and is limited only when necessary. But that's less fun to think about.

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Make My Wish Come True.

Yandere! Doctor Hannibal Lecter x Bipolar! Female Reader.

One Shot.

Warnings: Mentions of sensitive topics like COVID19. Mental Illnesses. Culture Shock. Misogyny. Sexual Content.

Rated Mature.

Setting Time: Year 2020.

You were sitting down on the plush goose feathered cushioned bench in front of your new and expensive crystal vanity desk which had three matching mirrors to go with it.

Everything was brand new and it was now yours.

There was no way in Hell you could have afforded it yourself. All of it was gifted by your Psychiatrist and new Boyfriend. The locally known Doctor Hannibal Lecter PHD in Psychology.

The man who rescued you.

You owe him your life.

Since the good for nothing Pandemic happened…your already miserable and pathetic life turned into the worst.

How? The quarantine enforcement law which caused your toxic and dysfunctional family to stay more with you inside your gloomy household.

The failing economy made the cost of living too damn high.

Your father and older brother especially were giving you suicidal ideations. 

Doctor Lecter gave you a weird look and knew something was wrong. He was an intelligent man and was a known Psychiatrist for many years.

So you bursted into tears. 

Hiding a knowing smirk. The Doctor made his move on you.

It was about damn time. 

He waited so long for this moment.

Lecter admitted his love for you. He begged you to run away with him. You refused to live with a stranger.

Suddenly, the gentle person you thought you knew threatened you. The Asylum or his home.

To your surprise. He made you sleep in his bedroom while he slept in one of his guest bedrooms. 

You felt flattered. He was serious about you.

Best of all. He didn't touch you. 

Yet.

Out of guilt, you wanted to repay his kindness. 

You decided it's tonight.

Tonight you will consume your relationship with him.

You wondered how long he would wait for you to give yourself. He must have had a strong will to not force himself on you. 

Gulping, you continued to apply makeup. The Doctor spoiled you and it was almost a week since you ran away from your parent's house. 

You were nervous. Your first time.

Not to mention. It was a disgrace for an Afghan woman to date. Especially to a white man.

Thanks to the war, your community  was mostly racist to Caucasians. 

They would call you a traitorous whore because you had a thing for European men. 

You found a home. 

You found family.

You only had a house and lived with blood relatives. That was all. No love and genuine morals. 

So many dreams came true this year after many tragedies in your young adult life. 

Tonight you will make his dream come true….

You greeted him with a smile as he came home from work. He kissed you hard on the lips after holding your face then your forehead. 

He was washing up for dinner. You placed your best Afghani and Turkish dishes on the dining table and waited for him to join you.

He sat down and complimented your culinary skills.

As he always did when you cooked.

You acted normal. But, you were shaking like a leaf. You didn't want to blurt out that you wanted him to make love to you. But, he wouldn't know. You would have to make the first move.

Being the smart psychiatrist he is. He always noticed you.

“Why are you nervous?”

Your face turned red. You gulped and before you could do anything. Hannibal's cell phone went off. 

Your lover excused himself and you began to wash the dishes and put away the leftover food.

Hannibal was in his office typing on his laptop.

Rolling your eyes. You went back to your own room. It was actually his room.

Some romantic date night this was supposed to be. 

You sighed as you sat on the bed. Lecter came back and saw your defeated face. His eyes furrowed. 

He was leaning against the door frame of his bedroom with his arms crossed.

He realized what you wanted…

Finally. 

He knew he couldn't control himself any longer.

About damn time. 

He sat next to you on his bed. He stroked your long hair. He sighed. “Are you upset?”

You looked at him and replied a quick yes. 

Hmm. Hannibal nodded knowingly. “Remembering how life used to be less difficult.”

You lowered your eyes and stared on the fluffy white carpet floor.

Hannibal smiled. “Don't dwell on it too much.”

If only it were that easy you thought to yourself. 

Hannibal frowned at your hopeless look on your lovely face. “We're going to win.”

You shrugged.

Titled your chin up to look at him. “Hey! Look at me.” He stared at your shiny doe eyes. “When you think back to those memories. They're not a one time occurrence.”

You wondered if he was telling the truth or just not wanting to hurt your feelings. 

“Maybe those won't be repeated.” Your lover explained. “But, new memories will follow after.”

He traced your fat bottom red lips with his thumb. 

“I can't let you give up.” He shook his head. “We might be on lockdown. Maybe there is an enemy that's hard for us to fight.”

Hannibal's eyes softened with pity as he watched you slightly tear up.

A wealthy Doctor living in a luxurious mansion in the forest of the suburbs while women are forced to sell themselves, people committing suicide due to financial stress mainly and mental illnesses growing rapidly saying he finds this pandemic hard?

What about you? A struggling college drop out  with bipolar, depression, insomnia and now anxiety who can't afford an apartment. What chance do you have then?

You began to cry. 

Trying to evade the subject. “We'll fight. Darling we'll fight. And you will see your friends again.” He cracked a smile. “Your former colleagues, Officer Jack with his wife. We will win.”

He let go of your face. You smiled back. Finally.

“You don't have to hang your head low.” Hannibal placed his large palm on your small right knee. You were wearing the long silk nightdress he bought you when you moved in.

You were ready for him.

“You don't have to feel hopeless.” He rubbed circles on your silk clothed knee. I’m here with you. Understand me?”

You nodded and smiled broader. 

“I'm going to be with you. Every step. I already have, haven't I?”

“Yes. I am grateful. Thank you very much.” You finally spoke and you meant it with enthusiasm. 

He touched your wet cheek. “And why would that change?”

You shook your head. 

“Exactly. It's not.” 

He pulled you to his chest and held you in his strong muscular arms. He rocked you back and forth like a baby. “Darling. Darling. Darling. This world is merciless. It doesn't care what you look like. It doesn't care where you are from.” He let out a tired sigh. You heard the rumble of his broad chest. “It shows every soul the same type of treatment. Hell.”

You snuggled closer to him. Hannibal smirked and rested his chin on top of your head. 

“But, at the end of that Hell; there is a light. If you keep walking, darling… if you just keep going; you'll find that light. You'll find it again.”

He pulled back from you to see your beautiful face. “You'll find it just like how I found you. How I found you, doll.” He kissed your cute perky nose. 

“I love you.” He kissed your forehead. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” He began to kiss you all over your face. 

“I know…” He kissed your chin. “I know the future is uncertain.” He breathed out. “I know you're scared. I know. I understand.” He shrugged. “There's a lot in the balance of here.”

“But, I still have my beautiful bride to be.”

You giggled slightly.

Continuing, he held your hand. “Through it all. And my new car, Zalmai. Our cat. We'll add more to the family. Maybe it's selfish of me. Considering that maybe there is something in myself I need to work on.”

You shook your head. “You're perfect.”

Hannibal disagreed. “It makes me resent this situation we have to be in. Maybe I need to change my perspective. To see the blessings of you being by my side.” He kissed the tip of your fingers and bit slightly your ring finger. 

“I love you, darling. You know I love you.” Hannibal placed his hand on your delicate and frail shoulders. He gently pushed you down on the mattress. “Honey, lie down.”

He sniffed your neck. “It's been a while since Daddy treated you.” He winked.

It was true. Since moving. He had to secretly change your address and he was too busy to make love to you. 

“I need to make up for it. And I will…”

He kissed you finally and your tongue and his dance in a heated messy kiss. 

Between kisses he said. “Put your hands on my chest.” He grabbed your warm soft palm and placed it on his muscular and broad chest.

“Feel my heartbeat. Now feel it beat harder and harder.” He bit your neck. “And harder.” He moaned. “And faster and faster.” He continued sucking your supple neck while your hand was still on his heart. 

“That's what kissing your body does to me.” He explained. “Kissing your neck.” He bit your shoulder. “You being in full submission to me.”

He couldn't take it anymore.  Fuck it. Fuck you.

And he will. 

“I'm sorry. It goes without being said.whenever I get into this mood with you. I always come out as so fuckin’ horny.”

He ripped open your nightgown.

Your breast bounced from the impact. 

He began to suck your tit. “All I want to do right now is have my cock inside your pussy.” You moaned his name. 

“Feel your nails dig into my back. While we shake the bed. Good thing our neighbors are acres away.”

He circled the hem of your panties. “Baby, can I really fuck you tonight?”

Your eyes widened. This is his idea of being romantic? You knew men from the books and movies were different from real life. But, not like this…

You chuckled. “You don't have say it like that. So blunt.” Letting out a giggle too. 

With an arrogant smirk. He cooed. “Will you let me? Will you let me go deep inside you for the first time? Your first time?”

That bastard wanted you to beg him. He was obviously teasing you. 

“I need you. I am always thinking of you.” You blushed. 

Finally. You admitted it. He spread your legs with his hands and he began to strip himself. 

And bang! He dived himself deep inside you and you hissed in pleasure. 

“Fuck!” He growled. The sound of skin slapping skin echoed in the master bedroom. “Shit, you're killing me, sweetheart.”

AN: I wanted to write this in 2020. A Ransom Drysdale x Cousin Reader 

But, I deleted my old account because people hurt my feelings. 2020 was hell. The cost of my medication sky rocketed. I had no insurance then. I needed pills. And I had free therapy for almost three months. It was not enough. 

Anyway, I got this from this voice actor I am paying 5.00 dollars a month on patreon. King Akira. This was a Levi x listener ASMR. All credit goes to him. He has a sexy and romantic voice. He has a YouTube channel too. He does Eren, Levi, karma akabane and more. He is a talented professional. 

And see the song of final fantasy to feel better. Bye. 

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables, most commonly cabbage and radishes, along with a variety of seasonings and spices. This fermented food offers a range of health benefits due to its probiotic content, as well as the nutrients and antioxidants found in the vegetables and seasonings. Some of the potential benefits of kimchi include:

1. Probiotic support: Kimchi is rich in beneficial probiotic bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, which can help promote a healthy balance of gut microbiota. Consuming kimchi regularly may support digestion, improve gut health, and strengthen the immune system.

2. Digestive health: The probiotics in kimchi can aid in digestion, promote nutrient absorption, and support overall digestive health. Kimchi can help maintain a healthy gut environment, reduce inflammation, and alleviate digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and indigestion.

3. Immune system support: A healthy gut microbiome is linked to a strong immune system. The probiotics in kimchi can help enhance immune function, reduce inflammation, and support overall immune health.

4. Nutrient-rich: Kimchi is a good source of vitamins A, B vitamins, vitamin C, and minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium. These nutrients are essential for overall health, immune function, and energy metabolism.

5. Antioxidant properties: The vegetables and seasonings used in kimchi contain antioxidants that help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. Antioxidants can help reduce inflammation, support heart health, and promote overall well-being.

6. Weight management: Some studies suggest that the probiotics and fiber found in kimchi may help support weight management by promoting a healthy gut microbiome, improving digestion, and enhancing nutrient absorption.

7. Heart health: The fiber, probiotics, and antioxidants in kimchi may help support heart health by lowering cholesterol levels, reducing inflammation, and promoting cardiovascular health.

Incorporating kimchi into your diet as part of a balanced and varied meal plan can provide a range of health benefits. It's important to choose traditionally fermented kimchi to ensure the presence of live probiotic cultures. As with any food, moderation is key, and individual responses to kimchi may vary.

[bangjiazheng]

Today morning (13.10.2024 07.36 ) I logged into 【tumblr】 in the morning(1st)

Today morning (13.10.2024 07.36 ) I logged into 【tumblr】 in the morning(1st) This is today's my 1st log into【tumblr】(Nearly this time(almost at the same time),I also login in facebook too.)

Yesterday,I did some houseworks. Recently,Necessary houseworks are increasing,Affect my learning Czech language.( ………………) Today morning,I am learning Czech language,Very Seriously,Very Happily!!!! Learning Czech Language,Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!

Last night,I am tired,I used up a lot of physical energy(Listening Czech language sleeping),Happy Happy!!!! This morning,I got up,continue learning Czech language,Happy Happy!!!!

Last night ,I learning Czech language Very Serious,Very Happy!!!! I used up a lot of physical energy,Listening Czech language sleeping. When I go to sleep,I am Very Happy!!!!Very Happy Very Happpy!!!!!! I am listening Czech language sleeping,Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!

I slept very well,Very Happy!!!! I recovered a lot of physical energy,My condition of learing Czech language is very well. Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!

After Happily sleeping(listening Czech language sleeping Happily),I recovered my physical energy. Now,I am in very good physical energy condition,Learning Czech language,Happy Happy!!!!

===============================================

Today morning,2 alarm clock ringing at 05.45,But I didn't hear any of them,I slept until 06.48,Slept 1hour more………………

I slept too long time today morning…………I am absolutely not on purpose!!!!(Note:I am not a lazy man,I am a good man!!!!I am learning Czech language,Using up all my physical energy.…………) Today morning, Before I got up,I did many dreams,May be the brain cells are repairing………… May be because(I am learning Czech language very serious),My physical energy consumes a lot,My body's self-protecting…………

I am learning Czech language,Absolutely Serious,Absolutely Happy!!!! I will pay attention to： 【1】recharge 2 alarm clocks. 【2】some rest recovery physical energy.

Although I have good willpower(I can continue learning Czech language and doing houseworks many hours),I will notice the recovery…………

When I wake up at 06.48.I suddenly got up,Start learning Czech language,Happy Happy!!!!!! Learning Czech Language,Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!

Bangjia Zheng special explain…………

13.10.2024 morning

===============================================

Today, where I live, the temperature is 22 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius, the outdoor temperature is 22 degrees Celsius, and the indoor temperature is 23.9 degrees Celsius. Today morning,I got up,Started learning Czech language,Happy Happy!!!!

When I got up,I am learning Czech language,I am learning Czech language Very Seriouly,Very Happily!!!! Learning Czech Language,Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!

This morning,When I got up,I am learning【B1 textbook】【Lesson 12】in depth, Very Serious,Very Happy!!!! The theme of 【Lesson 12】 is 【 Culture And Art】,I am very familiar and interesting in it. Very Meaningful And Very Happy!!!! Learning Czech language is Very Happy!!!!!! Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!

I Love Czech Language!!!! I Love Learning Czech Language!!!!!!Very Happy Vey Happy!!!!!!!!!!Very Very Happy Happy!!!!!!!!!!!…………Happing~,Happing~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…………………… Learning Czech Language, Very Seriously And Very Happily!!!!!!!,Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!………………Happing~ Happing~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!……………………………………

I am learning Czech language Very Seriously,Very Happy!!!! Learning Czech Language,The Happiest The Happiest!!!!!!

Now,I got up started learning Czech language(and doing houseworks),Very Happy,Very Happy!!!! The Happnesses of my learning Czech language couldn't describe in any words,Because Too Happy!!!!!! Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!Happing~,Happing~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!………………………………Happy Meowing~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!………………………………………………………………(Note: As Happy As A Middle-Aged Big Good Meow,Happy Happy!!!!)………………………………………………

Bangjia Zheng I Learning Czech Language,Very Happy Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!

13.10.2024 07.36

[beardedmrbean]

HONG KONG — When the 3,600-year-old coffin of a young woman was excavated in northwestern China two decades ago, archeologists discovered a mysterious substance laid out along her neck like a piece of jewelry.

It was made of cheese, and scientists now say it’s the oldest cheese ever found.

“Regular cheese is soft. This is not. It has now become really dry, dense and hard dust,” said Fu Qiaomei, a paleogeneticist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and the co-author of a study published Tuesday in the journal Cell.

A DNA analysis of the cheese samples, she told NBC News in a phone interview Thursday, tells the story of how the Xiaohe people — from what’s now known as Xinjiang — lived and the mammals they interacted with. It also shows how animal husbandry evolved throughout East Asia.

The Bronze Age coffin was discovered during the excavation of the Xiaohe Cemetery in 2003.

Since the woman’s coffin was covered and buried in the dry climate of the Tarim Basin desert, Fu said, it was well preserved, as were her boots, hat and the cheese that laced her body.

Ancient burial practices often included items of significance to the person buried alongside them. The fact that those items included chunks of kefir cheese alongside the body showed that “cheese was important for their life,” she added.

A fondness for cheese dates back thousands of years.

Its production was depicted on wall murals in ancient Egyptian tombs in 2000 BC, and traces of the practice in Europe date back almost 7,000 years, but scientists say the Tarim Basin samples are the oldest samples of cheese actually found.

Fu and her team took samples from three tombs in the cemetery, and the team then processed the DNA to trace the evolution of the bacteria across thousands of years.

They identified the cheese as kefir cheese, which is made by fermenting milk using kefir grains. Fu said they also found evidence of goat and cow milk being used.

The journey of the cheese took them to tracing the journey of the kefir culture, which is used to make the final cheese.

The study also shows how Xiaohe people, who were known to be genetically lactose intolerant, consumed dairy before the era of pasteurization and refrigeration, as cheese production lowers lactose content.

While previous research has suggested kefir spread from the northern Caucasus in modern Russia to Europe and beyond, the study shows the spread also took another route toward inland Asia: from present-day Xinjiang via Tibet, giving crucial evidence of how the Bronze Age populations interacted.

The DNA analyzed by Fu’s team also suggested that the bacteria strains gained resistance to antibiotics as they became more prevalent throughout the years. “Today they’re actually very resistant to medicine,” Fu said.

But it also showed how the bacteria, which would have earlier triggered immune system responses in humans, also adapted. “They are also good for the immune system and for producing antibodies. We can see at some point it adapted to humans.”

The evolution of human activities spanning thousands of years also affected microbial evolution, the study found, citing the divergence of a bacterial subspecies that was found to have been facilitated by the spread of kefir across different populations.

Asked if the kefir cheese was still edible and if she would try it, Fu was less enthusiastic. “No way,” she said. _______________

Coward, eat the cheese

[foreficfandom]

Why Was Alastor A Serial Killer?

I'm willing to bet that Hazbin Hotel is trying to avoid the true crime route of portraying serial killers with gritty 'realism'. Characters kill for theatrical reasons, not because the creative team is doing a deep dive into criminal minds.

I foresee Alastor's serial killer spree to be plot-spurred. Not because he's gonna be revealed to have antisocial personality disorder, or a psychopath, or something polarizing like that.

Realistically, any of the current Hazbin Hotel cast could have a personality disorder. Real-life serial killers aren't profiled (by USA FBI) to be more likely to have mental illnesses. After all, there are other serial killers than the ones you hear about most often. Serial killers are also the organized criminals, or abusive husbands, or political/religious extremists. They may or may not view their victims as fellow individual humans. They may or may not be influenced by bigotry.

Hazbin Hotel is a musical comedy first and foremost. It follows Loony Toons rules over Hannibal, or The Cell, or Silent Hill. It's possible that Alastor's serial killer past won't ever be a plot point. It's as relevant as any other character's reason for being in hell.

If his serial killer spree is ever addressed, I theorize it might be because:

They were magical sacrifices. Alastor's magical abilities take heavy hits from Hollywood 'voodoo'. One of the smear accusations against New Orleans' budding Vodou culture (especially against Marie Laveau of the Victorian era) were sacrificial rituals performed in areas like on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. If Alastor was dabbling in magic during his living years, he might have killed and cannibalized solely for sacrificial reasons. Possibly involving his supposed 'deal', as well.

They were 'vigilante' targets. The lyrics in the pilot include the lines And we'll chlorinate this cesspool / With some old redemption flair. He values good manners. He doesn't believe in taking advantage of the weaker. One background concern of the Hazbin Hotel (and Helluva Boss) universe is the sheer number of humans who end up in hell, all equal in their sin. Like the angelic exorcists that descend to cull the herd, it'd be appropriate for a character to have a hand in playing a similar role whilst mortal. Or, at least, that's how he saw himself.

It wasn't spur killing, all the victims were connected. We've never had a full plot centered on why a soul ended up in hell. Canonical reasons have been revealed in side material, such as Angel Dust's organized crime and drug use. As the seasons continue, there may come a day where a character's mortal sins become very relevant. Many a protagonist has found themselves racking up a body count all of a sudden, thanks to his hero's journey. Perhaps that resulted in Alastor's notoriety.

Alastor was a living demon, and he consumed humans. His serial killing is one thing, cannibalizing his victims is another. He's obsessed with consumption and partaking in flesh. The pilot ends with his hunger for his mother's recipe. His side comic has him eating eggs at a cafe, then visiting Cannibal Town, then visiting a butcher to buy more food. He canonically dislikes sweets and is a snobby foodie that dislikes processed food. There's only three proper food scenes in season 1, and he's two of them - the deer, and when he eats other sinners in his monstrous form. If he made some sort of devilish deal while alive, perhaps the cost was the need for flesh. Thus gave rise to a human with inhuman bloodlust.

His reasons won't ever be revealed. Or, they'll be unimportant. We don't particularly care what gang Angel Dust ran with as a mafia grunt, and perhaps we're also meant to take Alastor's serial killing at face value. At of this writing, we poke and prod at the guy 'cause he's this huge mystery, but maybe we'll grow to care solely for his contemporary actions, and not for his backstory.

We may get our answer one day, but for now, he remains an enigma.

[outsideyourhousewithaknife]

I suppose I've gained enough followers for an about me, so:

Call me Knife, or else.

I mostly post silly little tumblr-humor bits. I also occasionally post about psychology, knitting, my art/writing/music/theatre stuff, mental health, and gay.

They/them

2801 years old, vampire. Everyone wants what I have.

Goofy little psychology student, actor, writer, knitter, artist, comedian, incredibly untalented cellist, horrible little raccoon, big fan of all art/music/writing/creative stuff, big not fan of capitalism, friend of animals and small children, enemy of jerks, god of cell phone chargers, secretly Neurodivergent Batman

In my heart I am cool. In my head I am currently consuming several men. In reality I am lost in the middle of the woods. Send help

Current obsessions: Good Omens, Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, biting ballpoint pens in half (for art purposes, not to eat), graphic novels, letting myself make shitty art, the Orion Experience, Mother Mother, Marina, screaming, and of course my awesome friends

And, of course, if you support the ideology of transphobes, homophobes, racists, sexists, or anything loosely associated-what's that behind you? (raises a huge fucking axe)

Also!!!! Yes, I am (sort of vaguely culturally) Jewish, and yes, I stand with Palestine.

Now let's see if I can figure out how to make this a pinned post

[whatsasonc]

If you want to know about my funky little AU,

I’ve basically only consumed Sonic media through secondhand accounts, so this sort of how I’ve pieced it together and grown the narrative in my head through what I’ve heard, and I built on top of that, kept things that I realized were untrue but I personally liked better than canon.

All of the events of Sonic take place vaguely in the semi-distant future.

Mobius

Mobius is canon here, and is divided between a large Pangea-like landmass called The Mainland, and several islands scattered across the planet. Green Hills is part of an archipelago near the opposite side of the planet from the Mainland.

Earth is very distant in terms of physical space, but easily accessible. Mobius and Earth have teleportation stations that function similar to airports. Mobius is heavily influenced by Earth, but Earth is not very influenced by Mobius.

Both English and Japanese are spoken widely on Mobius, the same way English is spoken widely on Earth. Most Mobians speak three languages: English, Japanese, and their regional language.

Mobians

Mobians are all the same species that fall into several different races. Two different Mobian races can produce a child easily, and the child will be either one race or the other. "Hybrids" are extremely rare.

A Mobian/human child is physically impossible to produce.

Mobians are very animal-like, but try to emulate humans to the best of their ability due to Earth's influence over their culture. Some races have traits unique to them, but most Mobians share certain features regardless of race (the distinctive eyes, and head-to body ratio).

Mobians reach maturity at the same time humans do, but the process is much smoother and slower. Adolescence is not as messy for Mobians. Sonic and friends are very visibly juveniles, and will be taller and have slightly different proportions as adults. (the Sonic team in Boom is very close to what they would look like as adults, with the exception of Tails)

Sonic

The first of the main cast to meet Sonic was Tails. Sonic was 11 and Tails was 4/5ish. Sonic was non-verbal and a loner, and kind of didn’t want anything to do with Tails. But Tails… tailed him, sure that they would make a good team. Sonic eventually warmed up to him, and eventually started talking. The events of the games continue pretty normally past that.

Most people know Sonic to be very open, but closer observation shows him to be a rather private person. Sonic doesn’t like to talk about his past before Tails, his birth family, or where he came from. If you ask, he’ll find a way to change the subject.

Sonic speaks English and Japanese, but doesn’t speak any Mobian language. He knows a handful of Mobian words, but he doesn’t know what language it is, or what region it’s from.

Tails

Tails won’t talk about his past unprompted, but will tell you if you demonstrate that already know something about it. He was born to nobles in the heart of the Mainland, to The House of Prower. They’re a deeply religious and superstitious group who interpreted Tails’s tails as a sign of great misfortune. His parents gave him to a maid, with orders for her to kill him. She took pity on him and cared for him in a dungeon cell instead. As he grew, his curiosity proved challenging, and he kept escaping to explore his surroundings. When he was almost three, she finally gave up on him and abandoned him on the streets.

He found his way to a library and basically lived there for a year before he was caught and thrown out. After continued harassment on the streets for his deformity, he snuck away onto a trade boat with hopes for a better life far, far away. He ended up on the archipelago where Green Hills was, where he continued to be bullied, now by locals, until he met Sonic.

Sonic doesn’t learn about any of this until they entered the Mainland, around when Sonic is 17 and Tails is 10. Tails would have told him, but Sonic never asked. (Sonic generally doesn’t ask about people’s pasts, because to him, where you came from isn’t nearly as important as who you are now.)

Shadow (and Maria)

Maria was brought onto the ARK when she was three, a year after Gerald had began working on Project Shadow and just after the Bio Lizard failure. Soon afterwards, Black Doom came and assisted in the creation of Shadow, donating Mobian Hedgehog DNA, and his own. Shadow was grown in a tube and "born" as a baby, when Maria was four.

Shadow and Maria had an instant attachment to each other. Maria confidently told everyone that she was his big sister, and he was her baby brother. The scientists attempted to discourage this behavior, but to no avail. The only time they were apart was when they took Shadow in for tests; Shadow always accompanied Maria to her doctor visits.

Maria was a troublemaker and as stubborn as a mule. She had a strong will and a strong personality, and she was always taking Shadow to their next "adventure."

Shadow on the ARK was radically different from post-ARK Shadow, especially as a child. He was meek, sensitive, and hated breaking rules. Maria's antics always made him nervous, but he would never say no to her.

They often played a game where Maria would play with Abraham Tower, and Shadow would try to get as close to them as he could without Abraham discovering his existence. It was Maria's idea.

As they grew, Shadow became increasingly aware of the pressure that was on him, and how the ARK, the scientists, and Maria's future depended on his ability to be a proper weapon for GUN. He forces himself to change, to be more mature and serious. Maria does her best to provide resistance to this change, and they often butt heads over what the proper work/play life balance was. Despite this, they never grew distant, and were always there for each other.

When Maria was 15 and Shadow was 11, her condition took a turn for the worse, and she was left in constant pain and with limited mobility. Their roles effectively reversed, with Shadow trying constantly to get her to smile, and Maria all but accepting that she would probably never see the cure to her illness.

Maria was 19 when she died. Shadow was 15, and GUN soldiers had come onto the ARK to kill most people aboard. Maria ejected Shadow from the ARK, and he spent a brief time running from GUN before he was inevitably caught and frozen for 50 years.

Shadow effectively broke from these events. The Shadow from the ARK had spiritually died, and Shadow did his best to bury him deep. He couldn't have weaknesses. He was a weapon. The safety he knew on the ARK would never come back to him, and he couldn't live under the assumption that he could ever be safe again.

[exitrowiron]

I always appreciate your posts and pieces of advice. I’m curious if you have any good recommendations/best practices for managing work email?

I was recently reminded of the advice, "You teach people how to treat you." I think this advice applies to the workplace and especially email.

First, a bit of history. When the Blackberry first came out it was a novelty and being able to instantly reply to email anywhere/anytime was cool and impressive but it quickly led to the habit of checking email everywhere/all the time. Our kids were little and it isn't possible to be a good Dad or husband and be constantly fixated on email so I made the intentional decision to place my Blackberry (and later my iPhone) in the basket by the door where I also place my wallet and keys whenever I came home. That simple decision quickly became a habit and firmly established my policy that email stops at the end of my workday and doesn't resume until my workday starts.

To help reinforce my habit, I turned off all email notifications (vibrations, sounds, badges, pop-ups etc.) on my phone and computer. I still cringe when I happen to see someone else's phone with a huge number of unread emails as a badge on top of their email icon.

I usually spent the first 1-2 hours in the office clearing email from the previous day and emails sent from global colleagues over night. Then calls and meetings would generally consume my attention until 3pm at which point I'd do email until I left for the day. In between I'd be responding to IMs and texts and clearing easy emails but trying not to multi-task while on calls.

My colleagues pretty quickly figured out the most appropriate way to communicate with me. I generally responded to emails within a few business hours. If the question was simple/quick then they would ask via Instant Message. If the matter was urgent or required my attention outside of work hours; call or text my cell. Importantly, I used the same methods and had the same response expectations of everyone else: superiors, peers and subordinates.

It is best to establish your boundaries and set expectations as early in the employment relationship as possible. If you're interviewing for a job, email expectations and culture should definitely by one of your questions. When you meet your new manager, explain your policies.

As a manager I explicitly communicated my expectations and boundaries and made it clear that I wasn't going to be impressed by emails (even responses to my own emails) sent outside of work hours. As a senior executive I know that employees paid attention to my email behavior and that my actions influenced the company culture.

I had 2-300 personal folders but deleted everything else (including sent mail) after six months. Over holiday breaks I would try to clean out my inbox and get it down to a reasonable level.

Even though I think I had good email 'hygiene' I still found email to be psychologically crushing, a Sisyphean task that was never done. If not for the overwhelming number of daily emails, I might have considered working longer as I enjoyed the other aspects of my job. Now I take great pleasure in maintaining a personal Gmail account with no unread emails and every day I unsubscribe to whatever new spam has found me.

[not-available-for-comment]

Reading your wastewater post makes me, another person who has always been interested of the historical ways humans got rid of their waste, wish more people can tell me more facts. I know it is also sad that most ignore this part of society but if more people knew about it would help alleviate some of the modern water crisis issues. And how people to this day do not have safe ways of disposing human waste. Like my question mostly is that human waste used to be such a good compost but does eating certain things and medicines contaminate it so it’s unusable as such?

As a former entomologist as well I always wondered if dung beetles would be interested in human dung as well…

I watched a video on YouTube about how night soil men existed until the 20th century in Japan. It’s just a fascinating topic to me.

Hey hey! Sorry it took me a while to get to this. I am both 1) very behind on asks 2) often short on spoons. But nightsoil and "humanure" are interests of mine too, and I have some time to kill, so let's see what we can cover!

First of all, composting toilets are totally a thing, and common in RVs and off-grid housing. Here's a decent guide to using commercially purchased models, and here's one that focuses on building and using a homemade composting toilet. Note that both sources say to use the resulting compost on non-edible plants only. I would tend to strongly agree with this. Even municipal wastewater plants, which have the ability to monitor the composting process very intensely and precisely, can struggle to make food-grade compost with their waste. It's not impossible, and I'd be really interested to know if there is something fundamentally different about the nightsoil process that makes it easier, but for your average Joe in a non-nightsoil culture I'd say it's an excellent rule of thumb.

There are some additional considerations when using humanure on food crops. In cultures that have good access to oral medication, we are discovering that some oral medicines can end up in wastewater in high enough concentrations to affect the environment. I don't necessarily consider that a reason not to use humanure at all, but it's an additional reason why I wouldn't necessarily want to put it directly on my lettuce. Speaking of lettuce, there is some evidence that E. coli, particularly the O157 strain, has the ability to actually penetrate the cells of some lettuces, so applying possibly extra-germy compost to leafy greens in particular is a no for me, dawg. (I know this is older research, so if any biologists/botanists/food safety people want to chime in please feel free.)

That said, I don't think that saying humanure shouldn't be used on food crops is the same as saying it's useless. Trees are a potential beneficiary. I would personally feel comfortable using it in soil restoration in an area where I didn't plan to grow food crops for several years. (Though you'd have to be careful not to contaminate drinking water or nearby food crops when you applied it.) I'd use it in a flower garden in a heartbeat. Flowers and ornamentals are important to the human spirit even if you can't eat them (setting aside for now the ones you can...).

As an interesting aside, human urine is actually much more useful and easily treated on its own than it is after it's been mixed with *polite cough* solid waste. Every so often a designer comes out with a toilet intended to separate the two at, er, point of origin so that they can be treated differently. (The difficulty of course being that the rest of the wastewater collection system is not set up to separate them, and is significantly more costly and time-consuming to update than a toilet.)

That said, urine is fascinating in its own right as well. It may be safer to apply aged urine than treated wastewater as a fertilizer, in part because aged urine breaks down into ammonia. One of my favorite uses of aged urine/ammonia is in cycling new aquaponics systems to encourage them to develop the beneficial microbe base they need to run as a self-sustaining system. I also suspect that a lot of gross-out recipes for various older cloth and leather treatment processes, like turkey red, that "even included human urine!" were not the result indiscriminate pissing on your work but a chemically sound application of ammonia or similar compounds. (Any bigger dye nerds than me who want to weigh in PLEASE do!)

Having rambled a bit, I think my most succinct answer to your question is that there is tremendous potential in using human waste as fertilizer, but western culture has largely rejected it for so long that we just don't have the scientific basis (or, possibly, the cultural memory) to consistently produce food-safe compost from it *at this time*. I'm super excited to see how much interest there has been in changing this over the past 10-ish years that I've been vaguely involved with the industry, but I don't think we're at the point where it's usable *in that specific capacity* just yet. That said, even if you're not applying it to food crops, I think it's always worthwhile to learn more about where the industry is going and what the latest research is. I genuinely consider this such an exciting and fast-moving field, and I'm always excited to meet people who are interested in learning more!

Thanks for the ask!

[kylo-wrecked]

Are there any foods that are like aphrodisiacs to your muse?

all month I have been wondering at myself: Food as ambrosia or aphrodisiac? Literally? Like... oysters and pomegranates? (in the case of ambrosia i am seeing in my head an ungodly north American fruit salad made with... ??? idk what that is).

The Rens really don't do food at all. If Kylo Ren can get away on an all rage/Force evolution diet, he will gladly forgo food. I think the Bens either don't have 'good' 'food culture' or food is a source of alternating sustenance and stress.

Music and Modern!Ben like oysters, though! Anything has aphrodisiacal potential with Music!Ben, from escargot to your baconeggncheese. Ex!Ben 1. doesn't eat bacon 2. would rather not a pomegranate (it's made of... seeds) 3. has never seen an oyster on a plate. Would he eat one? Look. To the ex-con, oysters are metaphorical: they're your world or your ballsack. If one makes any effort to feed this man, I don't know; that probably counts as a point toward aphrodisia. There's something sensual about giving and receiving, isn't there? Or like, consuming— THESE ARE NOT INNUENDOS, MY MIND IS THERE TOO, WAIT YOURS ISN'T OKAY ANYWAY— Ex!Ben's mind is absolutely not there. It's never there. One would have to reach inside him and tear the boards down and set up a little food stall inside. I do think that food will probably work more quickly on him than words. If I recall his love language results correctly, he scored a whopping 10% for words of affirmation. 

Also, in this ex!verse, Ben is insanely timid and has no cell phone. Any long-term story with him is likely going to begin with a few instances of "get off my lawn," "what the fuck are you doing here?" or "what the fuck am i doing here?" unless we establish something behind the scenes. Or your muse opens an Italian restaurant in the middle of the desert or something, which is known to happen. 

Really dwelling on Ex!Ben rn because I'm in the middle of several Ex!Ben related things.

...Aphrodisia, le-le's and gentlefriends!