#embryo sac

[whats-in-a-sentence]

However, in T. fournieri and several other species, the embryo sac grows out through the micropyle toward the funiculus (Figure 21.16). (...) However, if the T. fournieri pollen grains are first germinated on a living stigma and allowed to emerge from the cut end of the style, they do grow toward the micropylar end of the embryo sac (see Figure 21.16F).

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[tenth-sentence]

When the pollen tube senses chemical attractants secreted by the synergids, the tube grows through the micropyle, penetrates the embryo sac, and enters one of the synergid cells.

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[dark-moonlust]

Getting Pounded by Nagas PART 3: Contractions

Pairing: Two nagas x human reader

Summary: You wake up feeling pains in your belly, getting ready for the egg birth. The doctor checks on you there is an issue… one that can be resolved only with your mates’ touch and seed.

Warnings: minors don't interact, 18+!!!!, monster smut, inaccurate pregnancy stuff (this is naga egg preg smut, let me have fun), naga smut, double 🍆🍆, double penetr, lots of come. Don’t like, don’t read please.

This is part of a series. Find all the parts here.

It was early in the morning when the contractions jolted you awake. The bedroom was still and dimly lit only the weak rays of the sun filtering through the curtains. You winced and disentangled yourself from between your mates, clutching your swollen belly and taking shallow breaths. The eggs shifted inside you, the pressure too much. Your groaned and the soft sound stirred your mates from their sleep. They woke with gasps of concern.

“What’s wrong, little one?” Ragnor asked, his fingers cradling your belly. You were 12 months along, so close to birth, your stomach round with the two eggs inside you.

“Contractions,” you breathed as another pain rolled through you.

At your words, both of your mates exchanged a look of worry. You were not supposed to have contractions. A Naga pregnancy didn’t have sudden contractions. It was completely different to a human pregnancy. The birth, too. It was the reason you’d arranged everything with the doctor and planned an induction of labor a week from now. But clearly, that plan would change.

“I can feel the eggs moving,” you muttered. “It’s starting to hurt.”

That’s was all you needed to say before your mates sprang into action.

Ragnor prepared everything you would need, packing you bags and a light meal. Meanwhile Thorne helped you take a shower and put on a soft, comfortable dress. In just twenty minutes, you found yourself lying at the padded chair in the Superhuman Maternity and Birthing Center. The room was bright and serene, the smell of disinfectant in the air. Your mates stood on each side of you, their tails wrapping around the chair.

Dr. Elise, a human woman in her fifties entered the private room, dressed in pristine white robes. She was a very kind and experienced doctor who monitored your superhuman pregnancy. Unlike you and your mates, Dr. Elise was calm upon hearing that you had contractions. She reminded you to keep taking deep breaths and trust in her ability to keep you safe.

“Good, very good,” the doctor said once you had calmed down a little. “Let’s take a look at you and the eggs. ”

The doctor used various advanced technological devises to scan your belly, take some blood samples and check the position of the eggs. You waited patiently as she analyzed your samples, winching only slightly when another contraction hit. Thorne and Ragnor stood at your sides, concealing their concern, each of them holding one of your hands tightly.

When Dr. Elise finally completed her calculations, she looked at you and your mates with a reassuring smile. “Everything appears perfect apart from the contractions. Naga pregnancies don’t cause traditional human contractions. That is because the eggs do not implant in the uterine wall like typical mammalian embryos. Instead, they remain free-floating within a specialized sac that develops to accommodate their growth. What you are experiencing now are false contractions.”

“Are my babies okay?” you asked her, tears pricking at your eyes.

Thorne kissed your sweaty forehead while Ragnor your lips. “We’re right here, love,” each of them murmured to you. “We won’t leave your side, relax for us.”

The doctor placed a strange cylindrical LED device over your vagina and ass, “I see that you’re not filled enough with your mates’ seed. It’s why you’re experiencing contractions and pain. We need to make sure you’re completely suffused in seed, and after that, it’s imminent that they be delivered. When was the last time you’ve had intimate relations with your mates?” The doctor asked you.

“Last night,” you answered in one breath.

“We fucked only once because she was sleepy,” Ragnor said, brows furrowing. “Wasn’t that enough?”

Dr. Elise shook her head. “Not in the least. The eggs consume the seed incredibly fast, especially at their current growth,” she explained. “You’ll need to fill your mate again, thoroughly and immediately.”

“Right now?” You asked, your voice pitching without meaning to.

“Yes,” Dr. Elise said. “I want you to be suffused with seed and after that I’ll induce the birth. We can’t risk waiting and risking both your health.”

“We’ll fill her. In both holes, just to be sure,” Ragnor said, his face completely serious.

Dr. Elise nodded. “Yes, and if you can give her seed through the mouth as well, that would be ideal.”

You flushed furiously as your mates and the doctor discussed the details, their faces dead-serious as if talking about filling your holes with seed was the most casual thing in the world.

Dr. Elise noticed your discomfort and smiled gently. “I want you to trust in me and my abilities to bring your babies to the world. Naga birth requires the assistance of the partners even more so in your case because you’re human.”

“Will it hurt as much as a human birth?” you asked, heart palpitating.

The doctor smiled. “No, it will be pleasurable and just mildly uncomfortable.”

You flushed at the word “pleasurable”. You’d discussed the birth plan a long time ago and you remembered the doctor telling you that your mates would need to make you climax during the birth for each egg to be delivered.

“Let me remind you how this will go,” Dr. Elise began, her voice calm. “Once you’re properly suffused with seed, I will give you a medicine that will induce the eggs to come out. Naga eggs have a tendency to like it in the womb and at some cases, they refuse to come out. The eggs will naturally leave your system, do not doubt that. I have specific instructions for that. Trust me, we will go through with it after you’ve been suffused with enough seed.”

“Thank you, doctor,” you said, your cheeks blushing a little.

“It’s my pleasure. Naga birth is completely different from that of a human so I want you to be as comfortable as possible and talk to me and your mates.”

“I understand,” you said. You trusted Dr. Elise and knew she was right. “Where can I and my mates… uhmm… do what we need to do?”

Dr. Elise stood up. “This room is reserved for your birth so you can stay here. I’ll step out to give you privacy and return roughly in two hours. Call me for whatever you need; I will be on standby.” The doctor headed to the door and glanced at your mates, “Remember, you need to fill her completely otherwise her health and the eggs will be at risk. I’ll come back to check, and if it’s not enough, you’ll have to keep going until the eggs have consumed enough seed.”

Once the doctor was out, you slumped back in the chair. “I can’t believe this. My health is dependent on your seed.”

“Lots of it”, Thorne added, looking smug.

“I’m going to be super cocky about that in the future,” Ragnor said, a smug grin on his face.

Two throaty chuckles made you look at your scaled mates. Horny bastards, they had already dragged off their shirts and their cocks had emerged from their protective slits, thick and massive, the cockheads glistening with arousal. You licked your lips and swallowed thickly. This was real. You were about to be fucked right there, in the examination room.

Ragnor wasted no time and slid up your dress, the only piece of clothing you wore. He left you completely naked on the chair, his hungry amber eyes devouring your form. Thorne was gazing at you just as intensely, both your nagas marveling at your swollen breasts, your round stomach and between your legs. You tried to close them, suddenly a little shy, but their tails wrapped around your ankles, keeping them spread wide for them.

“Will you trust us to fill your pretty little holes, little mate?” Thorne asked, his voice a whisper as he claimed your lips.

“Hnnn… fuck, yes,” you said, arching your back, offering yourself to them. The more they touched you, the more the contractions eased, pleasure taking over.

“Damn, what a pretty sight our mate is.”Ragnor lowered his head to your stomach, rubbed the swell, and spoke, "We’ll meet you soon, little ones. Stay safe and warm in there."

“Daddies will take care of mommy,” Thorne drawled, his mouth finding its way to one of your nipples, drawing it into his mouth. It leaked milk and with a groan he lapped it up.

Ragnor lavished attention on your other breast, his fingers teasing and rolling the tip that was beaded with milk. A whimper came tumbling from your lips then a drawn-out moan as they took turns worshipping your leaking breasts.

"Ahh— hnng... need your seed," you rasped, carding your fingers through their silky long hair.

"We need to prepare you mate,” Thorne said while kissing one lush rosy nipple and wetting the other with his tongue.

"I’m ready... ahh... I need your load."

Ragnor hummed. “Our mate is right. We need to fill her tight little holes. Hm?”

Thorne agreed, a smug grin playing on the lips.

Gently, you were lifted and placed onto Ragnor’s embrace. He carried you to the bed nearby and sat with you against his chest, your sensitive breasts leaking. His massive cock throbbed against your belly, slick with precum as you reached out and wrapped your hands around it. With sensual strokes, you pumped him up and down, the intimacy between you and your mates heightening.

You sensed Thorne presence behind you, his sinuous tail reaching for the bottle of lube in one of the drawers. You heard the slurp of lube then felt him take his place behind you, his cock wet against your back. With your free hand, you reached back to stroke his cock while his lubed fingers deftly parted your asscheeks, spread them wide, fingering your tight entrance and rubbing the swollen nub of your clit.

Thorne thrust a finger into your ass while stroking your clit with the other hand. Your thoughts turned into mush and you buckled your hips, the sensations electric. Another finger slid up your tight hole, the hand at your pussy moving with deliberate movements. You gasped and came with the most ridiculous moans, soaking wet and aching for more.

Sensing your need, your mates lifted you, their cocks poised beneath each quivering hole. Ragnor’s double cocks parted the folds of your pussy, his massive veined dicks thrusting upwards. Thorn’s shafts pressed insistently against the tight bud of your asshole. They guided you down until you were doubly impaled by their dicks.

Breath hitching, you squeezed your eyes shut.

You saw stars.

Pleasure and bliss.

They began their rhythmic thrusts and you whimpered, clutching onto their shoulders for dear life as they bounced you up and down on their naga dicks. Your body hummed with pleasure, the contractions barely catching your attention. Your nipples were hard and leaking, your holes clenching and unchecking around the invasions.

Your mates kissed your lips, your neck, your sensitive nipples. Their fingers roamed protectively over your belly, teasing and claiming you as you rode higher and higher. You rocked against them and rode them wildly, your juices leaking down your thighs and all over the cotton sheets.

Two more thrusts and you came crashing around their cocks, relief surging through you. Your naga mates groaned and followed the very next moment, their frames shaking violently as they spurted their seed inside you. The warmth filled you up, bringing immediate relief as the eggs seemed to settle within you.

“That’s it, such a good mate for us,” Ragnor murmured, kissing you softly. “How are you feeling, mama?”

“Better. Much better,” you said, your eyes and voice pleasure-hazed.

“It'll be okay," Thorne whispered into your ear. "Now we’re going to change positions and fill you up again, alright, love?”

You nodded, whining. You’d do anything to keep your eggs safe and you loved and needed your mates just as much.

“Let us take care of everything, love,” Ragnor said, kissing you softly once more.

A wet squelch echoed as the cocks exited your depths. Your mates held you in a way that kept most of their seed inside you, and quickly plugged you up. This time, Ragnor laid down, thrusting his dicks up your ass, while Thorne slid between your splayed legs, draped them over his green-scaled tail and filled your tight pussy. Their tails coiled around your breasts, squeezing them delightfully and making your nipples leak out milk. Thorne lapped it up greedily, while Ragnor reached down to play with your swollen clit.

“Haah, yessss, ahnnn, feels so good,” you moaned as you were worshiped and claimed in every way possible. “Hng-go…go…nna—”

You cried out at the dizzying explosion of yet another climax. Your toes, high in the air, curled tightly, and your hands clung frantically to Thorne, fingers digging into his bare back. Their movements grew frantic, desperate until they buried themselves to the hilt and exploded within you, pumping rope after rope of cum, groaning harshly in masculine satisfaction.

Their strong hands rubbed your belly possessively, feeling the gentle movements of the eggs inside you. They kissed you deeply, tongues intertwining, then rearranged your positions again. This time, you lay on your side between your mates. Thorne spooned you from behind, his tail wrapping around your knees and opening your legs. Growling, he thrusts his fat cocks into your pussy and ass. You were drenched, naga seed all over your mound and thighs.

“I say we fill her pretty mouth, too,” Thorne said, his voice thick with arousal. “I want to see her swallow your seed Ragnor, let it fill her stomach.”

Ragnor groaned and kneeled at your face, his cocks jutting proudly up to his bellybutton. “Open up, love,” he cooed. “We need to make sure you’re completely filled.

Ragnor guided his cockhead to your lips and you opened up, taking one of his dicks as deep as you could in your throat. You suckled his shaft with fervor, your tongue tracing the veiny ridges and swirling over the flared head. Your hands pumped his second cock and you alternated between the two while Thorne pounded into you, causing your tits to bounce.

“Fuck, you have no idea how beautiful you look, mate,” Ragnor muttered, watching your mouth, now filled with both his cocks, while Thorne’s dicks pistoned inside you.

“Mffgh— love—hffuh you,” you gurgled around the shafts in your mouth, wet slurping sounds filling the room.

“We love you, too, precious mate,” Throne said, hips snapping repeatedly, driving his shafts deep in your depths. “You’re doing great. We’re almost there. Just a little more, love.”

They settled into a sensual rhythm, Ragnor’s cock filling your mouth while Thorne thrust inside your pussy and ass, his hands gripping your hips to keep you steady. They whispered sweet nothings, their voices thick with praise and adoration: ”you’re doing so well”, “our brave, beautiful mate”. They caressed your tummy, pinched your breasts while their tails flicked your poor clit.

Little sparks of fire sizzled through your body and burned you up in a blissful climax. You trembled and writhed, and Ragnor withdrew his cock allowing you to cry out with ease. Thorne’s magnificent serpent body bucked and he came with a bellow, nipping at your shoulder while pumping his seed inside you. Once he was done, Ragnor slid back in your mouth, his fingers grasping your hair. He thrust once, twice and came, cocks pulsing with his release. You swallowed every single drop, and felt his hot load fill your belly.

“Damn, mate, you took all we had to give,” Thorne said affectionately, his cocks still nestled within you, plugging up the seed.

“Our mate is the strongest,” Ragnor said, kissing you passionately, his tongue tasting his seed in your mouth. “How are you feeling? The eggs?”

“I’m feeling… perfect,” you said with a soft smile. “The contractions are almost gone. When will the eggs come?”

Just in time, a knock echoed through the room. The doctor had returned and you would soon give birth to your eggs.

Any kind of support will make me smile so big! Feel free to share your thoughts and reblog! Next part will be the birth.

[fearless-seagull]

The whole time watching Scavengers Reign I was seeing that white lily and I was like ‘okay cool, this represents death’ (see them growing on corpses in the first few episodes and all the fields of them at the beginning of episode 10). BUT in episode 11 they’re shown alongside Levi’s rebirth. So I was like, ‘okay cool, they’re representing death AND life’ and then in episode 12 they’re like little amniotic sacs for the robot embryos so it’s life AND death AND they’re just a little fucked up and that’s kind of the point of the whole show and that’s incredible

[holyschnitzel]

If hywari don't have a navel, then how do they feed in the womb?

(if this is a stupid question, then please don't answer...)

I have no idea, lol, and I don't think Blastic has ever thought about it either. It was probably just a design choice 🤷

Who knows, maybe - like some reptiles and birds - the embryo develops with an internal yolk sac that provides all the necessary nutrients for development. This yolk sac could be absorbed over time as the baby grows 🤔

Just an idea :D

[ranticore]

Chapter 1 - Seven Years

[Forward by the author]

The protagonist of our story was born like this:

At an engineering facility on a planet called Ceti, a Human named Dan Loris worked for an entity called Atom GeneWEAVE. He* was tasked with writing the genetic code of a variety of engineered humans and he composed them with the skill of a master musician, for a very particular brief. The first six attempts were not viable and his computer** simulations didn’t predict a favourable outcome for them. The seventh attempt, however, would work. He implanted this genetic code in a Human egg and fertilised it in an incubation chamber, and it began to grow.

Outside his facility, under the unknowable sky of mysterious Ceti, there was a great ship called The Lonely Sailor. This ship was larger than you could ever imagine, large enough to hold thousands of Humans and the requisite cargo to let them live on a new world long enough for them to become self-sustaining there. Measurements on record state that The Lonely Sailor was more than a kilometre long.

The Lonely Sailor was owned by Atom GeneWEAVE and would carry a cargo container full of fertilised Human eggs to the new world. These were known as embryos and were mostly held in a frozen state, but there were twenty of them which were not frozen. They were placed in false amniotic sacs and allowed to continue growing throughout the entire voyage of The Lonely Sailor, even though the adult Humans themselves would be frozen instead.

Dan Loris slotted his first viable attempt at life into the cargo hold last, knowing that it would be the first to wake. He used a computer machine called a Deep Dreamer to monitor the growing life, and encoded within it an operation called ‘Athletic_Boy_Childhood_03.deepdr‘. He wrote on the amniotic sac the name of his creation: Ishmael© property of ATOM GENEWEAVE®.

Dan Loris then settled himself into a sleeping chamber which would freeze him harmlessly for the duration of the voyage.

The journey from Ceti to Siren would take seven years. Ishmael grew from fertilised egg to embryo and then became a baby in the normal period of time that these things take. But he was not born then. He remained asleep, dreaming that he was living a Human childhood.

We can only guess at what he dreamed of, as the memory encoded into him was designed to fade, leaving behind only the lessons that Atom felt were necessary for him to learn, to function normally and not emerge from the seven year journey in a feral state. He learned how to speak, how to read and write, all without ever having taken a single breath. When he was old enough, he moved his body as though he were engaging in games of chase and team sports, and this allowed his muscles to develop.

Atom was as a deity to the Humans sleeping in The Lonely Sailor – Atom decided that they were going to Siren and they were not able to refuse. Throughout every source I could find, I never came across one that described what Atom was at its heart, only that it was unimaginably powerful and had bases on several planets.

Atom was so omnipresent, so all-encompassing, that no one thought to explain it, or question it, or even remark on its presence particularly often. The Humans worked for Atom. Ishmael and his cohort of engineered embryos were born to work for Atom. Working for Atom, it seemed, was the only reason for anybody to live in Precursor society, and they were utterly shackled to its side whether they liked it or not.

Atom chose Siren for three reasons: the atmosphere had the right sort of air and had grown its own plantlife; there used to be very extensive ice caps around North; and a rival entity known as The Authorities could not interfere with Atom on Siren. The writings of Dan Loris state several times that Atom held The Authorities in contempt, but they were the only force powerful enough to punish Atom for poor behaviour. Genetic engineering such that had been planned by Atom was not permitted by The Authorities, and Atom GeneWEAVE, the part of Atom responsible for it, wanted to work with projects which would be profitable in spite of their illegality in the eyes of The Authorities.

Despite the unclear nature of Atom and The Authorities, I believe this is a story which has been repeated time and time again throughout the centuries. Whom among us has never found a secret corner to hide our trespasses? This was a game of chase, and the only thing that motivated Atom, the thing which caused it to sink a considerable amount of resources on The Lonely Sailor, was the pursuit of profit on a scale so grand that the modern Sirenian can hardly comprehend it. And, in the face of this monumental scale of profit, it was hoped that the Authorities would be rendered ultimately powerless.

The Lonely Sailor arrived on Siren on the date ‘20/07/2378’, which I am sure was significant to the Precursors. For the sake of legibility I will refer to this year as Year 1, the first year of Humans on Siren. The Sailor found pleasant weather, low winds and a water level slightly raised from the baseline in West, where the settlement began. While this was noted by the meteorologists aboard The Sailor, they weren’t to know its significance, which any one of us will recognise immediately; West was recovering from a High Tide which must have taken place only months before.

The captain of the ship was a Human called Ivana. She* was the highest authority under Atom itself on the ship, and the first to wake from her frozen sleep. She gazed down at Siren from above and wrote her observations, which I can reproduce here following extensive translation work:

Beautiful morning on Siren. What I wouldn’t give to show Dad this. A career first! We will land in seventy-two hours after finishing our preliminary rotation and once the landing crew have walked off the brain freeze.

I assume ‘Dad’ is a significant other of some kind, perhaps deceased, judging by its absence.

The landing was described in a series of cargo logbooks and completed by a small crew which had been woken up from their sleep. Supplies were conveyed to a low mesa in West and within a matter of days the settlement was born. It was built out over the surface of the sea, anchored to the mesa with powerful brackets that remain today. Throughout the entirety of its existence, the Atom Settlement continued to grow outwards, so the very heart of it was the oldest, the bowers constructed to house the first crew. One of those very first bowers was the gene laboratory, which had been transported in its entirety from Ceti.

Dan Loris offloaded the embryo cargo pod thirty-nine days after landing, still in the first year. Five days later, Ishmael’s amniotic sac was drained, and his deep dream interrupted by his birth.

The last moment of his encoded dream was common to all artificial dreams, designed to ease the transition into true waking life. He was falling asleep in his bed (an archaic sort of bower), his body feeling tired but satisfied after a day of typical, perfectly generic childhood games. He had something called a mother in this dream who pulled the blankets around his shoulders and kissed him as he drifted off, though he did not remember what their face looked like, only that they instilled within him a sense of perfect safety.

His moment of calm was soon eaten by sensation. It was cold, he realised. Colder than anything he had ever felt. The fluid that had supported him at a constant temperature for seven years was draining away and he reached out, to grab at the blanket he half-remembered. His nerves were alight with new sensations and the world was so bright it felt that he was staring into Odr’s eye.

Dan Loris described him as strong and healthy, but Ishmael did not feel that way. Everything was loud and bright and his body was so heavy. He had never truly experienced gravity, but that alone did not account for the disconnect. His dream had been the dream of a Precursor Human, a bipedal creature with a fully upright stance, straighter even than a shortwing’s, with no tail, no flippers, no phocid morphology. To the newborn Ishmael’s mind, he had just undergone a horrifying transformation, and his body was wrong.

Modern selkies and phocids are likely to imagine a child similar to their own young, but this is not the case. Ishmael was unnaturally pale and almost colourless save for a growth of hair which was a light red. His skin was very thin and translucent, with no markings aside from a blue pictogram on one shoulder, a stylised Atom emblem which had been engineered to form from his own skin pigments.

He was large and heavy compared to Human children of the same age, with a long arched neck connected to his head at the back rather than the bottom as was normal for Humans and harpies, which made it difficult for him to stand upright and look forward without inviting neck pain. He had very large and powerful hands with short webbed fingers, and a combination of long torso and short legs which would help him walk on all fours and swim cleanly with his tail fluke. His arms were quite long in comparison to a modern phocid’s and, at this age, he was exclusively bipedal.

He was born with pale eyes which were white around a pink iris, though that changed over the years. The first things he saw—that he consciously remembered seeing—were his own fingers clamped over those eyes to block out the lights at the laboratory. He opened them a crack, so that the light shone through the pink webbing. It confused him—there wasn’t supposed to be webbing there. Humans (and phocids) do not have webbing between their fingers, after all.

He was curled in on himself on a cold hard surface, while somebody spoke in the background. It is a great blessing that the automatic transcriber machine is still intact today, and we can access the exact words spoken in the laboratory for the entirety of its existence. After lengthy translation work, it can be rendered intelligible to us. Later I will share the correspondences between myself and the anonymous linguist who so greatly aided me here.

“He’s a concept, Ivana, we’re not putting him in the water until we know for sure the probes were right about that sea out there. And I kind of want to leave the actual bodywork to the betas, y’know, Ishmael is just a precaution before we wake them up.”

“Could you turn down the lights a little? I’d have a headache too if I was staring up into those things for the first time,” said Ivana. She had come down to the lab out of curiosity, to see the first-born Human on Siren.

“I need to be able to observe every reaction,” Dan Loris said. “Ishmael will get used to it. Delayed births can cause absolute havoc if the modifications aren’t tuned properly.”

His hands, dry and shockingly cold, caught Ishmael’s blocky wrist. Dan Loris pried the webbed hand away from Ishmael’s eyes and shone a pen light in each. Ishmael’s eyes stung and burned and he tried to wriggle away, but Dan Loris took no notice of this.

He passed a heart scanner along Ishmael’s front and watched the live feed appear on a display window in the side of the lab. Ishmael was rapidly forgetting his dream childhood in the face of this confusing start, but he did remember, for a moment, a similar scene. The childhood deep dream that he had been given included a scene of hospitalisation, to acclimatise children to medical checks.

So the footage of his skeleton and pounding heart on the wall was oddly familiar, though the shape was wrong and freakish to him. His head felt light and dizzy and he, only seven years old, had no ability to reconcile what he saw and felt with what he thought to be true. When Dan Loris pushed the wet red hair away from Ishmael’s face, Ishmael tried unsuccessfully to bite him.

“Funny little guy, isn’t he?” Ivana said, leaning into his line of sight. “Why’d you make him so pale? Like a lab rat.”

Dan Loris snorted. His medical scissors snipped by one of Ishmael’s ear holes and sliced off a chunk of hair. “Why d’you think those are white, too? He’s not here to look pretty. The betas will have proper pigment, they won’t fry in the sun.”

It was at this point that it all became too much for Ishmael. He broke into a sobbing fit with remarkable suddenness and didn’t stop until Dan Loris clamped a mask over his nose and mouth which delivered a soothing air into his lungs. Ishmael’s eyelids drooped. He looked around for his mother and didn’t see one. Calmer, he sat on the examination table and watched over the rim of the mask as Dan Loris performed all manner of tests on him, most of which made no sense to him, and seemed pointless. Every joint was checked for smooth abduction and adduction. Skin scrapings were collected from his tail. They took his blood and his saliva, and every inch of his body was captured in image form by a roving, flashing device.

His first meal came next – a pouch of gel designed for people who had been born in similar circumstances, which might prepare a stomach that had been empty its whole life for the rigours of real digestion. He had been fed through a large blood vessel in the artificial amniotic sac, and not through an umbilical cord. As a result, he had no navel, and spent his first few days alternatively vomiting and crying as his digestive tract learned how to work.

Delayed birth, while preventing a young mind from being irrevocably damaged by sleeping through key developmental periods, was still no substitute for a true childhood when it came to mental development. Ishmael could speak and understand others, but he essentially entered life as an unusually well-educated infant in a large and overdeveloped body.

The accounts of his mental growth during his early years are somewhat sparing. There are abundant records of the tests in which he was forced to participate, the exact parameters of his growth, his weaning from gel to solid food, even records of each trip to the latrine. But nobody thought to record his mood or emotional state beyond “Ishmael was cooperative today” or “Ishmael needed sedation today”.

What I can tell you is that by age ten he stood at average adult Human height and just about average adult Human weight. He rarely spoke and gave little indication of understanding anything said around him either. By this time, the second generation of Sirenians, the beta generation, had been given their own delayed births. But Ishmael did not interact with them and it appeared that he knew very little outside the confines of the lab.

At this point in life, he met Dan Loris’s own fosterling, known as a biological child. This biological child was called Callum and he had not had a delayed birth. In fact, he had been in frozen sleep alongside Dan Loris himself. Although he was also ten years old, he had lived in total seventeen years, even if those seven extra years had passed in the blink of an eye and left no lasting impression on his body or mind. By all accounts, this was a far more ethical way to transport someone great distances on The Lonely Sailor.

Callum’s interactions with Ishmael are well recorded, and the earliest examples we have of Ishmael expressing any desires or opinions – the daily records began to include lines like “Ishmael asked about Callum” or “Ishmael was upset at Callum’s absence”. And while there are transcriptions of every word spoken within the lab, the record banks are so huge that it becomes difficult to sift through for any clues as to how Ishmael was developing internally during this time. It seemed, in any case, that he enjoyed the company of another child his age, which is only to be expected, and that he was able to ask to spend more time with his only friend.

There is another side to this. Among other records we located a diary of Callum’s. All of the Precursors were required to write reports of their weekly activities, and the children in particular were encouraged to keep journals, to discuss their emotional reaction to the great upheaval in their lives, and their imaginings of an Atom-controlled future on this new world. Callum’s diary spans his teenage period, not this earlier time, and we will delve into its contents in a later chapter. But it does mention that, at age 10, Callum was wary of Ishmael, and that after a series of incidents which are poorly described but culminated in Ishmael pulling the laboratory door off its hinges, Callum no longer felt safe in his presence.

Indeed, the incidence of “Ishmael was sedated today” in the record logs increased quite dramatically at around this time. A reason is never explicitly stated but I would make an educated guess that Callum, growing more uncomfortable, was not spending as much time with Ishmael, causing distress in the latter. Ishmael was prone to tantrums, often wordlessly lashing out and, on the aforementioned occasion, breaking a door.

Ishmael himself was never consulted to determine the cause of these incidents, with all indications being that the lab workers did not believe him articulate enough to bother reasoning with. As anyone who has spent a season in the nursery knows, underestimating a child’s ability to understand on some level precisely what distresses him is a fool's error.

At the age of eleven, the tantrums had clearly become dangerous, given the damage to the lab infrastructure and Callum’s unwillingness to spend time with Ishmael. Ishmael was growing physically powerful in a way that had not been anticipated by his creator. It may seem surprising, but the art of genetic engineering was never so simple as merely picking and choosing what traits to instil in an embryo. As Dan Loris noted, the science was still relatively new, and their techniques, while powerful, were not precise enough to predict every single possibility. Thus the need for refining a design over concurrent generations, and for producing one-off ‘alpha’ variants like Ishmael himself. Either way, Ishmael was showing a tendency towards gigantism which had not been anticipated.

Management plans had to be drafted, and Dan Loris records the first ever instance of an attempt to understand Ishmael on an emotional level. He brought in a Human called Maris to talk to Ishmael once a day, in the hopes that it would calm him and provide some insights into his psyche. The notes of Maris are an invaluable resource, providing the most detailed written accounts of Ishmael’s childhood, which even Ishmael himself did not adequately record (citing trauma and personal distaste as his reasoning).

She also captured moving ‘video’ images of Ishmael during these sessions which I have been able to access. If not for these, critical moments and historical figures in Siren’s history may have been lost to time forever, leaving nothing but a dry tally of facts recording Ishmael’s physical parameters, as though he were little more than livestock.

*Humans refer to themselves as ‘he’ or ‘she’. I will leave this untranslated as I believe those are different enough to be significant to this society. Based on my studies of Atom society I believe that their usage of 'he' is entirely unrelated to its modern-day counterpart.

**it is my understanding that a computer is a type of machine which can receive information fed to it by a person and produce a mathematical calculation based on that information which the person can interpret, or cause another machine to perform a specific operation – this was used for every facet of Precursor life to automate their machinations, from food production to predicting the outcome of specific events. We may be more familiar with computers in the form of harpy visors though these could be of almost unlimited use.

[mindblowingscience]

A new study using stem cell-based models has shed new light on how the human embryo begins to develop, which could one day benefit the development of fertility treatment. The study led by the University of Exeter Living Systems Institute has revealed how early embryo cells decide between contributing to the fetus or to the supporting yolk sac. The paper is titled "Naive pluripotent stem cell-based models capture FGF-dependent human hypoblast lineage specification" and is published in Cell Stem Cell. Understanding this decision is important because the yolk sac is essential for later development in the womb. Producing the right number of yolk sac forming cells may be critical for infertility treatment using in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos.

Continue Reading.

[dougdimmadodo]

Ribbon Seal (Histriophoca fasciata)

Family: Seal Family (Phocidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Found in arctic regions of the northern Atlantic Ocean, the Ribbon Seal can be immediately distinguished from all other seals thanks to the distinctive banded fur of adults (typically black-and-white in males, while females can be black-and-white or brown-and-white), the purpose of which is something of a mystery (it has been suggested to be a form of camouflage, but how such a striking pattern would be any more effective as camouflage than the countershading seen in many other marine mammals is unclear.) Ribbon Seals spend the majority of their lives in the open ocean where they live solitary lives and feed on squids, octopuses and bony fishes such as cods, pollocks and eelpouts. During the later winter and early spring, however, large numbers of Ribbon Seals haul themselves onto masses of sea ice that are disconnected from the mainland to mate, give birth and undergo seasonal molts. During the mating season males will court females by producing grunts and roars using an inflatable sac in their throat (with each male courting and mating with several females), and after mating females are capable of delayed implantation (meaning that they can delay the development of fertilized ova until the ideal conditions to give birth in are met, in this case when sea ice is at its most abundant, to allow an embryo to develop.) After a gestation period of around 10-11 months a female Ribbon Seal will give birth to a single pup which is born with soft, fluffy white fur that (though suitable for providing camouflage and insulation) is not water tight, forcing them to remain on the ice they were born on until their adult coat develops (at which point their mother will guide them into the ocean and teach them how to hunt.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Animal Advent Calendar - Day 18

Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41698-Histriophoca-fasciata

[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.

[4wkjun]

daddy sim | sjy

Chapter 6: Oh, my God. ➥ Contains: mentions of miscarriages, crying, swearing. ➥ A little warning: First, SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING! Secondly, just reminding everyone that the characters here are not their real age. So, just so everything makes sense here: Chaewon, Sakura, and Yunjin are ‘97 liners (being 25 in this timeline), Kazuha is a ‘98 liner (along with y/n) and Eunchae is a ‘01 liner (being 21 here so she can work with y/n). ➥ Word count: 2.5k ➥ Taglist: @missychief1404, @riksaes, @simhinata

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July 18th, 2022 Monday

“I’m gonna close my cash register”, Eunchae announced as she started finishing her monitor’s system. You were refilling the cups under the counter for tomorrow’s shift and only hummed in response.

You only had around forty minutes before closing the coffee shop, no one but you and Eunchae were around the place. The day was pretty chill, the biggest rush of the shift being a group of teenagers who ordered eight lattes, so you weren’t tired. You didn’t say a word about being nauseous, though.

As time passed by, you started getting used to the whole pregnancy idea. You didn’t tell many people about being pregnant — actually, you only told your mom, Jake, and the girls, since the doctor told you to keep down as much as you could —, but people started to wonder why you were so cranky and nauseous all of the time.

You just turned somewhere around nine weeks pregnant, according to the previous exams you performed at a new clinic, this one being closer to your place. Maybe because you were a little psychosomatic or maybe because your body started to work harder to grow a life, you started experiencing other symptoms, like extreme tiredness, morning sickness (that was just sickness all day long if you didn’t take some sort of medicine), sore breasts, and tiny cramps. These cramps scared the hell out of you since you thought your body was rejecting the baby.

Your phone rang with a notification. It was your app telling you that your baby was now the size of a strawberry. You smiled at it.

“Is it your lover?”, Eunchae asked, seeing your silly face. You scoffed.

“Yeah”, you lied.

Even though everything was so new, you were internally dying to tell everyone about the pregnancy. You knew that the risks of miscarriages were higher during the first trimester and avoided that thought at every cost, so you just kept it to yourself. You wouldn’t be able to handle the pity faces around you if you ended up losing that baby.

“Hey, Eunchae”, you called, closing the cabinet underneath the counter, now full of paper cups. “Could you cover my shift for me tomorrow?”, you asked.

“Yeah, sure. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good, I just have an appointment. Just a regular appointment”, you explained more than you needed. Eunchae chuckled.

“Glad to know you’re healthy.”

You laughed, stretching your back.

“Thanks, Chae”, you smiled. You walked towards her and gave her a back hug. “You’re the best.”

“I know”, she laughed.

July 19th, 2022 Tuesday

“I’m sorry, it’ll be a little uncomfortable”, dr. Park announced before inserting the transducer. It wasn’t as bad as the first time but still was not enjoyable now at your third time.

Jake stood right behind your head, his both hands crossed right under your chin, caressing your skin softly. He was happy, excited to see your little one on that crapy gray screen.

“Alright, everything seems fine. Here is your baby, ms. Choi”, the doctor pointed towards the screen.

Jake jolted in place and took a couple of steps forward, now next to your head. His eyes were shining towards the screen, looking at the tiny spot the doctor showed.

���I know this procedure is pretty unpleasant, but it is great to announce that everything seems fine. As long as I can see, there is a single gestational sac and a single embryo, so... No twins for now”, she chuckled. You and Jake sighed, a little relieved before laughing together.

“So... The baby’s fine?”, you asked, smiling.

“So far, so good.”

“Good”, Jake reassured before holding both of your hands and kissing them. Good.

“What do you think about taking a shower while I cook dinner?”, Jake asked as you walked inside of your apartment.

“Depends”, you responded with a playful smile. “Are you gonna burn it again?”

“Hey!”, he scolded also in a playful tone. “Can’t a man make the same mistake like... Twelve times?”

You laughed, placing your shoes inside of the cabinet. Jake did the same as you sat down on the couch, looking down with a pout.

“What’s wrong?”, he asked, rolling his sleeves up.

“I’m bloated”, you moaned, opening the button of your jeans. You sighed in relief as your tummy felt free.

“Baby, you’re pregnant”, he laughed, entering the kitchen.

“But I don’t look pregnant”, you pointed at him with an eyebrow raised. He chuckled, nodding.

“When do you think I should tell my parents?”, Jake asked in a soft tone, afraid the subject would make you uncomfortable.

“I don’t know, babe”, you answered. You watched his back as he walked around your tiny kitchen grabbing utensils to cook. “Whenever you feel ready?”

“Maybe we should wait until the first trimester is over?”, Jake asked, reaching for the rice pan. “‘Cause... You know...”

“I know”, you nodded, even though he wouldn’t see. “But it’s fine if you feel like telling them right now, love. I told my mom right away.”

“For different reasons, though”, he said, turning away to look at you. His hands were busily washing the rice as he spoke. “You knew she’d be pissed, you were trying to rip the band-aid off as soon as possible. I want to tell my parents ‘cause I think they’ll be happy.”

Jake turned his back to you again, washing the rice for the second time. You seemed surprised.

“You think they’ll be happy?”

“I’m almost 100% sure”, he shrugged.

“Aren’t they like... Super religious?” Jake made a funny sound, almost like a “meh” and you laughed. “Isn’t this a child conceived in sin?”

“I mean”, Jake laughed. “They believe in God, go to church every Sunday and shit... But they got married ‘cause my mom got pregnant.”

“Oh”, you said, genuinely surprised. You laughed a little relieved, shaking your head. “That’s... Good to know, I think.”

Jake laughed in response.

“They’re not judgmental, I promise”, he continued. “I’m pretty sure they’ll ask if they can come and visit once the baby’s here.”

“You think they’ll fly all the way from Australia?”, you asked, shocked.

“Absolutely”, Jake responded.

You nodded again, caressing your belly. At the same time it hurt you that your mom would probably stay in Tokyo no matter what, it felt nice knowing you’d have some sort of support. You grew up by yourself, your father passed away when you were five, you didn’t have any relatives near — your grandparents lived in the countryside, while you grew up in Seoul —, any siblings, anyone to play with during the holidays. Even if that support didn’t come from your part of the family, it made your heart heal a bit.

“I’m a little scared”, you told Jake after a long yawn.

“Of what, baby?”, he asked in a caring tone, chopping vegetables next to the sink.

“The thought of your parents hating me”, you said in a funny tone to disguise your fear. Jake stared at you, his face almost blank.

“That is so not possible”, he said, seriously. “Now, stop thinking about that sort of crap and go take a shower”, he pointed towards the hallway with the knife.

“You’re so toxic”, you mumbled in a fake grumpy tone. Jake laughed.

While you took your shower, Jake finished cooking his bibimbap and set the table for the two of you. This has been his routine lately. He’d pick you up at work, cook you the lightest and healthiest dinner he could — thinking about the baby’s health and cuddle with you for the rest of the night. Honestly, he was pretty happy about it.

Jake never thought his life would have such a turnaround in such a small amount of time. In a matter of months, he went from being your friend-zoned roommate to your boyfriend and then your baby daddy. At the same time his heart was filled with love and a huge amount of happiness towards becoming a father, he felt a little scared of how things would work out with you. What if you woke up in a while and realized you didn’t want to be in a relationship with him anymore, let alone be the mother of his child? With a sigh, Jake shook his head, letting go of these thoughts.

He sat on the couch and turned the TV on, waiting for you to turn the shower off. His fingers were fast while reaching for his phone and typing “baby names”, trying to get his mind a little moment of ease.

He scrolled for about five minutes, taking notes of the names he liked. He was going to ask you to do the same later, so you could start thinking about the funny part of having a baby. Jake couldn’t wait to start thinking about the nursery and baby’s clothes. What if you guys threw a baby shower? That would be so cute!

Jake got off the couch as he heard the bathroom door being opened. He walked towards your bedroom, following you like a puppy.

You were sitting in front of your dressing table wearing nothing but your towel around your body, your hair damp and falling down your back as you tried to detangle it. Jake smiled and took the brush out of your hands, carefully brushing your hair for you. You only smiled, closing your eyes. You felt loved.

“Let me know if it hurts”, Jake mumbled softly. You hummed, your eyes still closed.

“You never hurt me, silly”, you responded with a soft smile. Jake chuckled, shaking his head as his slim hands carefully detangled your locks.

“You know...”, he started. “I was thinking about the fun part of being a parent...”

“The fun part?”, you asked funnily.

“Yeah, thinking about the nursery, picking out names... That sort of stuff”, he shrugged as he placed the brush down on your dressing table. You turned around in your chair, watching as Jake sat down on your bed and held his hands.

“Can you stop being cute?”, you asked with a pout. Jake chuckled, his ears getting red as he got shy. “I’m so excited about the nursery and the layette”, you sighed. “But deep down I’m still afraid I might have a miscarriage any time.”

“Don’t do this”, Jake warned and squeezed your hands. “I know you’re scared and everything is happening ridiculously fast, but we can’t let our fears run our lives, ok?”

You pouted, feeling hot tears filling your eyes. You weren’t crying because of fear or because Jake “scolded” you, but because you never felt like that before.

“Don’t cry, love”, he pouted, caressing your cheek. “You’ll see, everything’s gonna be just fine.”

“I know”, you whined with a nod before throwing your body towards his. Jake hugged you tight for a long time before the two of you actually went to have dinner.

July 20th, 2022 Wednesday

“Hi, mama”, Jake greeted over the phone. You were asleep and Jake took the opportunity to call his mom before going to bed with you. He sneaked out onto the balcony and called her.

“Hi, Jaeyunnie”, she greeted excitedly. “Is everything ok, baby?”

“Yeah, I just needed to tell you something”, he responded, nervous. “You remember I told you y/n are together, right?”

“Of course I do”, she responded right away. “Why? Did you break up?”

“No!”, Jake exasperated, laughing. “Jesus, woman!”

Jake’s mom laughed along, their laughs almost identical.

“We... We are actually pretty good, which is why I called you.”

“You’re getting married?!”

“No, mama, listen”, Jake chuckled after sighing. His mom laughed again. “We... Are kinda expecting a baby.”

His mom didn’t say anything for about 10 seconds. “Kinda?”

“I mean...”, Jake shrugged. His mom chuckled.

“Are you happy, Yunnie?”, she asked with a sigh.

“I am”, he responded genuinely.  “She’s really scared... I’m also scared but I’m trying to keep my cool and...”, he sighed.

“If you’re happy, I’m happy”, she said. “I love you and I’ll love my grandchild just as much, but I need to know if you two are really happy about it.”

“We are, mama.”

“Alright, Yunnie”, she sighed. “I’m gonna talk to your dad tomorrow and we’ll call you back, ok?”

“Ok”, he smiled softly. “Love you, mama.”

“I love you too.”

August 6th, 2022 Saturday

“Hey mate”, Jake greeted Jay as he opened your shared apartment door. “Come on in, you’re late.”

Jay rolled his eyes as he entered your tiny and filled apartment. You and Jake invited your friends over to announce your pregnancy to them. Chaewon, Sakura, and Yunjin were sitting on your couch while Heeseung and Sunghoon were sitting on the floor. You were cooking a lasagna for them, initially telling them it was supposed to celebrate the end of the first semester of the year.

“Hi, y/n”, Jay greeted over your counter before plopping himself down the floor with the boys. You smiled and waved at him while Jake came back to help you with the dish.

Thirty minutes later, the lasagna was in the oven and you were sitting with your friends while you played Jenga, waiting for it to fully cook. Sunghoon lost in less than ten minutes and you enjoyed the chaos to sneak yourself to the bathroom, feeling a little nauseous. You thought you would throw up because Jay and Heeseung wore way too much cologne, but you didn’t. Jake seemed worried when you came back for the next game. All of you took turns to play mime until the food got ready.

You realized how badly you were missing the chaotic atmosphere your friends had as you had lunch with them, laughing all of the time. Jake also seemed happy, almost crying with laughter every time Heeseung said something silly. After everyone was full, you just stayed at the table, having small talk and Jake squeezed your thigh carefully, almost asking for permission. You nodded and cleared your throat.

“I need to tell you something”, you said with a sigh. “The girls already know, so you don’t have to pretend to be surprised”, you chuckled. Chaewon rolled her eyes, pouting. “The reason why Jake and I reunited all of your animals together is to tell you that... I am pregnant.”

Heeseung laughed, thinking it was a joke, Sunghoon had absolutely no response and Jay seemed ridiculously confused, with both his eyebrows frowned. When Heeseung read the room, he stopped laughing and tried to cover it with a cough, making you laugh.

“You’re serious?”, Jay asked.

“Dead serious. Almost 12 weeks”, you responded, holding Jake’s hand beneath the table.

“Oh, my God, come here”, Jay whined, getting up. He walked towards you and gave you a bear hug, feeling happy for you. Jake laughed at his reaction, only to laugh harder after Heeseung and Sunghoon got up to hug you as well, following the leader.

“How did that happen?”, Sunghoon asked after congratulating you.

“Don’t ask stupid questions, I don’t want any details”, Yunjin mumbled and you laughed.

By the end of the evening, you were on the couch surrounded by your friends, Chaewon hugging your torso and caressing your belly as if it were her child. The baby became the main subject, and everyone suddenly got excited about throwing you a baby shower.

You were happy.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

The egg cell (the female gamete that combines with a sperm cell to form the zygote) and the two synergid cells are located at the micropylar end of the embryo sac and are collectively referred to as the egg apparatus (Figure 21.9).

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[tenth-sentence]

At maturity, the Polygonum-type embryo sac consists of seven cells and eight nuclei.

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[jomindraws]

Alright here's the very first batch of alien animals we have, first 7 classes out of 120. Starting off with Superphylum Near Bilateral

(AN1) Clade: Nephrozoa

A clade of animals that possess a distinct oral and anal end during the first stage of development.

(AN1 A) Clade Bilatera

A clade of animals that are symmetrical on either side of the sagittal plane and retain their oral and anal ends throughout most of their lifetime.

Superphylum Near Bilateral

A taxa of animals possessing a solidified nerve structure or adjacent notochord-analogous structure in the initial stage of development; occupying terrestrial or the upper stratification of the aquatic biosphere.

(AN1 A1) Clade Quasichordata

A clade of near bilaterans that possess a dorsal fibrous nerve column functionally similar to a notochord at some point in their life cycle.

PHYLUM ENDOSPINAL CHORDATA

Phylum contains a notochord at some point in the life cycle, with an internal dense skeleton made typically of bone or cartilage. Gametangia positioned posterior to abdominal tagma. Dermal protection by mucus membrane or keratin.

(AN1 A1-a) Clade Amniota

Clade using amniotic fluid to support, protect, and provide nutrients to embryos.

(AN1 A1-ai) Clade Reptilia (Includes Mammalian Reptiles and Non-Mammalian Reptiles)

Clade of amniotes that possess an outer dermal layer of scale plates, a mineralized skeleton of bone, defense structures of keratin, and a coccyx that extends into a posterior tail.

Class Mammalian Reptiles

Class of reptiles that maintain heat through endothermy, give live birth to young, possess mammary glands, and typically dual integumentation.

Class Non-Mammalian Reptiles

Class of reptiles that maintain heat through exothermy, develop young through eggs, possess yolk inside eggs, and typically have single integumentation.

(AN1 A1-aii) Clade Membrana (Includes Membranous Dermates)

Clade of amniotes that possess an outer dermal layer of mucosal membrane, an internal skeleton of cartilage, and an internal circulation structure consisting of a hemocoel.

Class Membranous Dermates

Class of membranes that develop only an outer mucus membrane for protection and do not use shells or rocks to protect themselves.

(AN1 A1-aiii) Clade Pescada (Includes Cartilage Fish and Bone Fish)

Clade of amniotes that possess an outer dermal layer of keratin scales and a passive respiration through gills.

Class Cartilage Fish

Class of pescada that have an internal skeleton of cartilage and do not have fixed jaws.

Class Bone Fish

Class of pescada that have an internal skeleton of bone and have fixed jaws.

(AN1 A1-b) Clade Cephalopoda (Includes Cephalopodal)

Clade using a mucosal sac to house embryos and transfer from a polyp to a medusoid stage.

Class Cephalopodal

Class using a mucus membrane, a ringed oral and anal end, and six dense muscled tentacles for movement.

(AN1 A1-c) Clade Oothecae (Includes Exoskeletal Endoskeletal)

Clade using ootheca ovoviviparity which detaches before maturity.

Class Exoskeletal Endoskeletal

Class utilizing both an internal mineralized skeleton in tandem with a dense plated mineralized exoskeleton.

[quinnred]

Xenomorph : Cantos 13 Strain - Brood Host

An isolated branch of the xenomorph family tree named after the colony world of it's discovery, the Cantos 13 Strain is a strange and insidious organism.

The Brood Host is created when a Palliumite successfully secures a host for impregnation and begins the process of converting their body for mass brood production.

The Palliumite will shed hive mucus upon a chosen area to place the host body, preferring a surface thats difficult for any threats to reach it. The parasite will then remove any extremities the host may use to defend itself (if they were not already docked during the carrying process) via acidic application. With the initial coupling, the host will have been heavily paralyzed to ensure no resistance, but post-limb removal the paralysis is no longer used. Once all is prepared, the Palliumite will re-attach and begin pumping the host body with morphogenic hormones. Over some days the host will have their torso heavily bloated and extended into a thorax-like sac containing many immature xenomorph embryos. The host body lacks an orifice to release these organisms, so the Palliumite surgically cuts them open with it's bladed legs so the newborns may slowly drop from their umbilical cords like a slow-motion macabre rain. The Palliumite well then close the birthing wound and reseal it with cauterizing acid and hive mucus.

The Brood Host will be kept alive as long as possible by the Palliumite and the Whistlers it birthed, lasting for years until it can last no longer. During this whole process the Brood Host is groggily aware of their situation, kept in a drugged up dream state by the Palliumite to keep their vitals stable. The reason for this awareness is for security, as if intruders enter the brooding chamber the Brood Host may hear them and attempt to call for help, alerting the Palliumite to the threat which begins to rub its limbs like a cricket to call Whistlers to it's aid.

[crevicedwelling]

Hi I would send this from my bug blog if I could, but I just saw one of your posts (about generating heinous writhing vermin) and have to ask: why are their eggs cherry tomatoes??? What advantage is there to looking like a delicious berry? And why is it so large compared to the worm??

As a sidenote, I wish I saw more cool worms, I only find earthworms :(

Anisorhynchodemus live in leaf litter and soil, so the eggs would be hidden from visual predators. the color is not as bright as it looks in photos, more of a warm mahogany color. I think the color is due to the leathery material the sacs are made of—other rhychodemines also have brownish sacs, while Bipalium have black sacs (bug fanart mismatched the sac to the worm, but it’s okay!).

the eggs are fairly large because they carry multiple young! it’s not a single embryo with a shell like in bird eggs or insect eggs, it’s a sac with multiple embryos in it. one of my Platydemus sacs had 8 worms inside!