#even if it does harm your immune system

[variouslengthsofwire]

It’s such a waste of their own time. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Otherwise, no one will believe you. A better use of their time would be to find a mouse and try to teach it long division. No one would learn anything, but at least they’d have a mouse.

If you live in the US your household can order more free covid tests. Starting in late september, 2024, you will be able to order more tests at https://covidtests.gov . No shipping handling or any other charges, just feeling your address and have four nasal swab tests sent to your home for free.

There is also a new covid booster coming out after labor day. If you are doing any kind of significant traveling, or you will be spending a lot of time around big groups of people like at college or school, please plan on getting this year's flu shot as well as your covid booster. We had a winter level surge over the summer, I am very worried that we are going to have an even more significant surge this fall and winter.

[ms-demeanor]

I understand that vaccines are proven to work and are a great advancement in our medicine, and also that homeopathic remedies don't work, but don't they work on the same principal? Why does one work and the other doesnt?

They do not work on the same principle.

I can see how vaccines look like a "like treats like" situation, but in homeopathy "like treats like" is a kind of magical thinking.

Let's take an example from Chicken Pox, a virus for which there is an effective vaccine and for which there is a common homeopathic treatment.

Chicken pox infects people once, and it is extremely rare to get a second case because once you have had it, your body forms persistent antibodies against the varicella-zoster virus. When I was a kid, they didn't have a vaccine for this, so kids mostly got chicken pox once and it ran around whole schools and that was it. It's a virus that is fairly minor in children, though it can cause dangerously high fevers. Adults who get chicken pox typically get much sicker than children who get it, and it can lead to permanent harms like infertility in adults who get it. Because it can be so dangerous, we don't want people to risk getting it, so we vaccinate.

The way the vaccine works is that it takes a weakened form of the virus and introduces that into the body of a person with a healthy immune system. The immune system responds and the person who got the vaccine may get some minor symptoms, like a headache or a slight fever, but it will be nowhere near as severe as getting actual chicken pox would be. Because the immune system was exposed to the virus and responded, it now has antibodies against the virus that recognize the virus and respond immediately before it can start replicating in the body. If a person who has either previously had chicken pox or who has been vaccinated against it is exposed to the chicken pox virus, their body uses those antibodies to react to the virus and protect against a systemic infection.

Are you familiar with Star Trek? It's kind of like the Borg. You can't use the same attack pattern against the Borg multiple times because if you do, they'll recognize the pattern and will be able to defend against it. The virus is the attacker, and your immune system is the Borg. It knows what it's looking for and won't let anything get through its defenses.

Homeopathic remedies don't seek to prevent illness or provoke an immune response, they seek to cancel out something that is happening in the body.

For chicken pox, which produces itchy red bumps, homeopaths use Rhus Tox - a dilution of poison ivy, a plant that causes itchy red bumps if you encounter it in nature. The Rhus Tox didn't cause the chicken pox, it's not given to prevent the virus, it's from a plant that is completely unrelated to the virus that happens to produce some of the same symptoms as the virus when you touch it.

They don't even think that the Rhus Tox will provoke an immune response from your body like actually touching poison ivy would, they're attempting to use an unrelated compound (that is so diluted that it isn't even present in the preparation) in place of your immune system to attack the itchy red bumps.

So I'm going to go over this in a few brief points:

Vaccines are preventative ONLY, they are not a treatment for illness or symptoms of an illness

Vaccines work by introducing your immune system to a partial, weakened, or dead virus so that your immune system can form antibodies against that virus and prevent that virus from replicating in your body when it is later exposed to a whole/strong/live virus.

Different vaccines have different levels of effectiveness and produce different lengths of immunity; this is for a number of reasons, but if you get a measles shot as a kid you may only ever need one booster, while you need a flu shot every year and a tetanus shot every decade. All of them work the same way, though: they show your immune system what a virus looks like so that your immune system can kill the virus.

That is why immune compromised people sometimes can't be vaccinated, or why vaccines don't work as well for them or may need higher doses or more boosters. Because they don't have a healthy immune system, weakened viruses like the ones in the chickenpox virus might be too strong for their immune system to fight, and even if it doesn't get them sick, their bodies may not be able to produce enough effective antibodies to protect them from the virus in the future. That's part of why it's important for as many people to be vaccinated as possible; the more people who are vaccinated, the harder it is for viruses to spread, and vulnerable people like immune compromised people or babies too young for vaccination won't be exposed to deadly viruses.

Homeopathy, on the other hand, aims to treat symptoms of an illness that a person is already experiencing.

Homeopathic treatments do not aim to provoke an immune response, they aim to cancel out a symptom with a cure.

Dilution is a very important part of homeopathy, with homeopaths claiming that the more diluted a preparation is the stronger it is. This is simply incorrect; I don't know how to make a more logical explanation of that, it is just wrong that less of a substance causes more of a response.

Homeopathy says "like treats like" and that may seem like using a vaccine with a weak virus to prevent infection from a strong virus, but their version of "like" is different - Rhus Tox (poison ivy) is supposed to be "like" chicken pox because both cause itching. Rhus tox is also supposed to treat PCOS, erectile dysfunction, uterine prolapse, sunken eyes, nausea, and backache. "Like" can have an extremely broad meaning in homeopathy, which should be cause for suspicion.

Here's a paper that compared the immune response of college students given homeopathic "vaccines" against a control group and against a group of students who were given standard medical vaccines. The control group and the homeopathic group both did not have an immune response in titer tests, while the vaccination group did have an immune response, demonstrating that they had protection from the vaccinated viruses. It's a pretty good demonstration both of how effective homeopathy is (not at all) as well as how to set up a fair and ethical study to look at the effectiveness of different kinds of treatments.

[bogleech]

Anyway while we're on the subject of public misconception towards living things (which is completely understandable because have you SEEN living things? There's like dozens of them!) here's a fresh rundown of some common mistakes about bugs!

Arachnids aren't just spiders! They're also scorpions, mites, ticks and some real weirdos out there

Insects with wings are always finished growing! Wings are the last new thing they ever develop! There can never be a "baby bee" that's just a smaller bee flying around.

That said, not all insects have larvae! Many older insect groups do look like little versions of adults....but the wings rule still applies.

Insects do have brains! Lobes and everything!

Only the Hymenoptera (bees, ants and wasps) have stingers like that.

Not all bees and wasps live in colonies with queens

The only non-hymenoptera with queens are termites, which is convergent evolution, because termites are a type of cockroach!

There are still other insects with colonial lifestyles to various degrees which can include special reproductive castes, just not the whole "queen" setup.

Even ants still deviate from that; there are multi-queen ant species, some species where the whole colony is just females who clone themselves and other outliers

There is no "hive mind;" social insects coordinate no differently from schools of fish, flocks of birds, or for that matter crowds of humans! They're just following the same signals together and communicating to each other!

Not all mosquito species carry disease, and not all of them bite people

Mosquitoes ARE ecologically very important and nobody in science ever actually said otherwise

The bite of a black widow is so rarely deadly that the United States doesn't bother stocking antivenin despite hundreds of reported bites per year. It just feels really really bad and they give you painkillers.

Recluse venom does damage skin, but only in the tiny area surrounding the bite. More serious cases are due to this dead skin inviting bacterial infection, and in fact our hospitals don't carry recluse antivenin either; they just prescribe powerful antibiotics, which has been fully effective at treating confirmed bites.

Bed bugs are real actual specific insects

"Cooties" basically are, too; it's old slang for lice

Crane flies aren't "mosquito hawks;" they actually don't eat at all!

Hobo spiders aren't really found to have a dangerous bite, leaving only widows and recluses as North America's "medically significant" spiders

Domestic honeybees actually kill far more people than hornets, including everywhere the giant "murder" hornet naturally occurs.

Wasps are only "less efficient" pollinators in that less pollen sticks to them per wasp. They are still absolutely critical pollinators and many flowers are pollinated by wasps exclusively.

Flies are also as important or more important to pollination than bees.

For "per insect" pollination efficiency it's now believed that moths also beat bees

Honeybees are non-native to most of the world and not great for the local ecosystem, they're just essential to us and our food industry

Getting a botfly is unpleasant and can become painful, but they aren't actually dangerous and they don't eat your flesh; they essentially push the flesh out of the way to create a chamber and they feed on fluids your immune system keeps making in response to the intrusion. They also keep this chamber free of bacterial infection because that would harm them too!

Botflies also exist in most parts of the world, but only one species specializes partially in humans (and primates in general, but can make do with a few other hosts)

"Kissing bugs" are a group of a couple unusual species of assassin bug. Only the kissing bugs evolved to feed on blood; other assassin bugs just eat other insects.

[dead-weight-vents]

We need significantly more harm reduction posts/tips.

No, you shouldn't turn to purging, you shouldn't take laxatives you don't need, detox shit does nothing -that's the point of your liver and kidneys, if you feel like you are going to faint or your heart rate is too high please eat something and go to the ER if you need to, your brain is literally eating itself so try to eat 500cal worth of food or more to help that and anything below that is nearly useless, try to actually prevent a binge by eating what your body needs- not distracting yourself, pay attention to your nutritional needs, fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins is very important and you should be eating it even if your not eating carbs (which you should still be eating but I understand if it's too scary to do so), yes, you are sick and shouldn't promote and worship your ED, it is not your friend.

The biggest part of having an ana buddie is having someone tell you when you SHOULD eat and not push you too far. Stay away from ana coaches.

Starving for a month or starving for years, regardless you have damaged your body in some way. Your bones, organs, immune system, will have permit repercussions even well into recovery. Especially if you relapse over and over too. The sooner you get better the less damage is risked.

There are so many ways of getting thin and not hating your body. If you even think you don't want to do this any more, please, please, please take your chance out.

If not as a community we should still take the time and effort to keep each other as safe as possible.

Please remember to be kind to yourself and others, everyone is already going through something.

[thesiltverses]

Who are the people who win the status quo in the TSV world?

In ours there are capitalists who have, for all intents and purposes, *won* the system — more money than they can ever sanely spend in their lifetimes, being able to afford any material luxury they ever so desire, beyond the reaches of mortal laws and jurisdictions, insulated from common political concerns by heinous wealth.

What does that look like in TSV? Someone untouchable by gods, maybe only hoarding the positive blessings with 0 negative effects, deflecting harms onto people lower down the food chain.

It feels like everyone in TSV is living precariously to me — walk by a coffee shop at the wrong time and you might get caught in a deity of sleep publicly-broadcast ascendancy. Who are the people completely immune from this? Is it only the gods themselves?

Well, I don't agree with the premise, I think; even the gods live precariously, for all their power, because they'll never be rid of their lousy insecurities and their implacable desire for attention and love, and because you cannot buy your way out of time, change, death, or your own fundamental incompleteness.

We don't present anyone within the TSV setting who's 'won' and lives in complete existential safety, because I'd argue that doesn't feel true to life or capitalism: our most powerful characters and entities remain hungering little things, expending a huge amount of energy on the desperate pretence that they aren't hungry and they aren't desperate and they aren't alone and they deserve to have the power that they have.

Anton Chigurh can claim to be some kind of inhuman agent of remorseless fate and then still get sideswiped by a random car. Our billionaires can buy themselves a governing share in the most powerful nation on the planet and yet remain a sad little twerp desperately and vainly hunting for reassurance from internet strangers that he's actually likeable and cool. And tomorrow any one of them may be wiped out by hubris, obstinacy or just bad luck, no matter how many preventative advantages or how much financial invulnerability they hold over the rest of us.

There's a consolation - even if there's not a huge amount of hope - in knowing that even the tallest trees do not grow whole within this walled garden, under this light.

[ddarker-dreams]

Recent chrollo thoughts?

you make his world more vibrant, whereas he desaturates yours.

the realization hits him one morning with the impact of a collapsing star. chrollo's humming to himself — the tune coming from a song you've replayed to death — reflecting on the day's itinerary. a trip to the pier, an aquarium, then a waterfront restaurant. he can already guess the outfit you'll pick from the wardrobe he provided you with. it'll be something comfortable. sneakers and a cardigan, since all the walking will warm you up too much for a coat.

you'll find the coastline's wind irritating, he muses. your preferred hair ties are ready and waiting in his jacket's pocket for the inevitable complaints. maybe you'll gawk over a pigeon, or some equally unimpressive urban wildlife. unlike him, your footsteps aren't silent enough to go undetected. that won't stop you from trying. he can envision the disappointment on your face when whatever catches your interest scurries off.

as you sulk at the loss, you're likely to blame him for the development.

"look what you did. your vibes are so awful it scared the poor fella off," or, potentially: "it couldn't stand to be near you a second longer. can't say i blame it."

at some point, he'll try holding your hand. your nose will scrunch up and you'll look at him with thinly veiled revulsion. he'll smile, as he always does, asking what's wrong like you could respond honestly with others in earshot. you'll deflate and capitulate eventually, digging your nails into his skin for some semblance of vengeance.

at the aquarium, you'll point to the ugliest aquatic animal, proudly declaring its resemblance to him. he'll fight back a laugh. if you're feeling particularly daring, you might ask him to stick his hand in a tank with venomous inhabitants. his immune system is advanced to the point that it wouldn't harm him, but you don't need to know that.

when evening brings its cooler temperatures, you'll act like you aren't cold, despite visibly shivering. he'll offer you his coat and you'll tell him you'd sooner experience hypothermia than accept it. he'll take a longer route to the restaurant to see how true this claim is. once you're inside, you'll walk to your chair swiftly, preventing him from pulling it out for you. he'll already know what you want to order before you glance at the menu. when the waiter comes, you'll send a nervous glance his way, uncertain if speaking to the stranger is a good idea or not. this subconscious acknowledgment of his power over you will give him a thrill.

chrollo lives through a day that hasn't happened yet. you sit at the epicenter, connected by infinite possibilities he can't wait to experience firsthand.

creaking floorboards interrupt his daydreaming.

you're awake, he notes, as incapable of sneaking up on him as ever.

only you could make the mundane extraordinary to a man like him.

[syscest]

hi im assuming the us vs them post is about a specific term, which one would that be?

so the sysmed out-group term being referenced in the joke post was (as the reblogs guessed) "endogenic", and I'll lay our thoughts out straight just once to avoid being potentially taken the wrong way

I've got two angles here, existential theological linguistic bullshit, and harm-reduction. stay with me here because even if you're not on board with the first thing you'll want to see the second.

so "traumagenic vs endogenic" is a false dichotomy, and I don't just mean "there's a secret third thing", I mean both classifications are fundamentally not real.

personally? we haven't the foggiest idea why we're a system. but the thing is, I don't think anybody else does either - I think it's genuinely impossible to know why your own consciousness is behind your own eyes and controlling your own body, why you *experience* existing in first-person at all. Like shit, lots of singlets believe it's because a soul has been created or introduced to their flesh, and a bunch of others think that's a load of crap and the chemicals just *do this* on their own. Singlets get this unalienable right to believe whatever the hell they want about why they're experiencing being themselves all the damn time, and I refuse to believe that systems are uniquely special in a way that singlets are not such that anyone can fucking flawlessly divine the cause of our consciousness all of a sudden. These are existential-tier questions and to deny their impossible complexity and the right to self-belief over them is, in my eyes, to deny systems something many singlets feel is part of what makes them human.

You can believe all sorts of stuff about the nature of your own systemhood just like how you can believe all sorts of stuff about the nature of your own existence - that doesn't make you definitively right, it's just a meaningful mechanism through which you understand your own experiences that other people should respect - it's like any faith, go figure.

Frustratingly, these words - traumagenic, endogenic - they're not talking about belief, they're objective buckets actively being used for exclusion. So every time we use the term "traumagenic systems", in saying "systems that objectively exist because of trauma" we are saying, loudly, "it is possible to know why a system exists". and frankly? no the fuck it isn't.

Anyway that's airy bullshit and reflects very idealised interactions so - practical, realist opinions, and harm reduction:

Saying "I'm pro-endo" is a net good, though I think "I support all systems" is probably marginally better because it doesn't perpetuate categories pushed by sysmeds for exclusionary reasons as being essential to defining systemhood - as we joked about.

Contrastingly, self-declaring "traumagenic" or "endogenic" in a bio is a net bad. Saying "I'm a traumagenic system" also says "Hello sysmeds, I believe in your dichotomy and I'm one of the good ones" (great way to get sysmed followers), and that factor doesn't go away if you go on to say that you support all systems - you've already thrown away your opportunity to shield more vulnerable systems from harassment through making who sysmeds need to target more obscure.

In fact, regardless of whether your bio says to sysmeds "I am a target" or "I'm not a target", by saying it explicitly, you're pressuring other, more vulnerable systems to similarly self-declare. It's like cis people putting pronouns in their bio to shield trans people from harassment through obscurity and embarrassment, but in reverse - if you shut up about it, and *just* call yourself a plural system, even if you do believe in their categorisations, you stop the propogation of the self-labelling and exclusionists are forced to make themselves look like idiots because most of their harassment would have to be done at random. It's basically herd immunity - nobody talks, everybody walks.

anyway yeah there's context for future, though honestly the section in plural respect is a lot more succinct lmao

[byte-your-tongue]

Dungeon Meshi Characters x Sick Reader

(Platonic, Gn Reader)

AN: Was written with platonic intentions but ig any of them could be read as romantic???? I'm so sick i'm dying which is why i wrote this. That and i wanna get back to writing headcanons when i have the time

Laios:

Will try to get you to eat all sorts of monster parts that are said to give good health. He's trying to help, but some of the stuff he feeds you is questionable....

He will try to perform small healing spells on you if you are in pain.

He would probably ask the rest of the party how to help you and you will end up with a ton of stuff done to you as Laios takes all of their varying advice.

If you snap and tell him to just let you rest he will feel slightly bad for bothering you, but you know he didn't mean any harm by it.

If you want him to keep you company he will info dump about monsters for hours. Don't worry about falling asleep while he's talking, he's just glad you are getting some rest.

"Ahhh... i think they fell asleep. I'll just tell them about this monster when they are feeling better!" He smiles and whispers to himself when he hears your breathing change.

Chilchuck:

Will do all the traditional stuff to help you, but probably isn't well versed in actual medicine.

What he does to help is more like the natural remedies/old wive's tales your mom would give to you. Not all of them are backed by science but he swears they will help and he seems so confident so what choice do you have but to trust him?

If you're nauseous or have a fever he will sit by your side with a cold wet rag and run it over your face.

Will brew you tea and swear it will fix everything (my mom did this w yerba buena tea lol)

Will load you up with citrus fruits if you have a cold.

Is the type of person to tell you to gargle warm salt water if you have a sore throat

He will scold you for getting sick, telling you to take better care of yourself. He will say mean stuff but he's also tenderly staying by your side and caring for you... so like.. do with that what you will.

"Ugh it's such a pain taking care of you, you better not get me sick!" He complains, but he's still by your bedside attending to your every need.

Senshi:

Will cook for you. Expect a LOT of soup while you are sick.

He plans out your meals to have lots of vitamins and nutrients to help you recover faster.

He will sit by your bed and stay with you in silence.

If you want him to talk to you he might tell you stories about his time in the dungeon and all the things he's learned and the people he's met.

He is keeping you SO hydrated you will be forced to drink water constantly.

"If ya don't eat well, yer body won't have what it needs to recover. So take care of yerself and make sure ya eat up!" He says while presenting you with your 3rd bowl of soup today.

Izutsumi:

She does NOT know how to care for a sick person. But she's trying..??

Will cuddle up with you and purr. It gives comfort if nothing else.

She might also lick your hair or otherwise groom you.

If you express concern about her getting sick from being around you she will brush it off saying that as a beastman her immune system is probably better than yours.

Doesn't know how to help you but she's worried about you.

She probably tries to tell you some superstition about sickness she learned from Shuro's party that she believes is totally real.

Might drag Chilchuck or Senshi over to you to take care of you.

Don't expect her to fetch you most of what you need, she will probably sleep more than you do while sick. You can try to wake her up and tell her to get something but she will grumble about it.

"huuh..? You want me to get you food? Why don't you just ask Senshi?" She says while yawning and curling back up in your bed.

Marcille:

Tries her best to look through books she's read to find anything that can help.

She panics quickly and worries the worst will happen even if you are only slightly sick.

Might try to get Falin to help take care of you if she's around.

She probably is more worried about your health then even you are.

She gets overwhelmed and tries a lot of things to fix you but it probably takes Senshi or Falin to remind her that you just need to rest and will get better with time.

She gets very anxious and will stay by you the whole time you are sick. She probably ends up getting sick after you do and you get to take care of a whiny Marcille. (It's ok she's sort of cute while sick)

"*sniffle*, You have to take care of me now cuz you're the reason i got sick!" She whines while curled up in her bed with a disheveled appearance.

Falin:

Will perform healing magic on you if you are in any pain, she will do what she can to sooth your discomfort.

Might cast a spell to put you to sleep if you need the rest.

She's very chill about it and will sit with you and keep you company. She will joke and talk with you while you are in bed.

If you fall asleep she will read or quietly slip out of the room.

You might think she's one of the more level headed ones here and that she wouldn't do anything weird to you. You would be wrong. She is 100% doing some weird thing that's from the village where her and Laios grew up. She's convinced this is good for you even if it's super weird.

She will read stories to you if you get bored. Or she might even come up with stories on the spot to keep you entertained.

"C'mon! Eating raw onions is said to help bring your sense of taste back and help your nose stop being congested!" She says smiling sweetly, meanwhile you're pretty sure she is trying to poison you.

[leviathans-watching]

I have an request for you- is it alright if you do an fanfic where the brothers, dateables, and even the new characters get turned into toddlers? And now (mc) had to care of them? But Luke turns into a baby. A really fluffy, motherly thing? Idrk it's my first time requesting from you- it's alright if you don't want to do it though! :D -chickechee 🐥

when they turn into toddlers

includes: barbatos & gn!reader, & everyone else (no pronouns mentioned)

rated g | wc: .5k | m.list

a/n: oml this was so cute i hope you enjoy!! i have more baby!luke here as well. my inbox is open to chat, req, or leave feedback so come say hi <33

reblogs are greatly appreciated

“oh my god!” you look around the room in horror. “what the hell happened?”

barbatos looks like he hasn't slept in a week. it’s only been a few hours since the initial incident. “what always does,” he answers tiredly, shifting toddler–yes, toddler!–diavolo to his other hip. “someone touched some cursed relic they weren’t supposed to and the effect was disastrous.”

“that’s one word for it,” you murmur. everyone, except for you and barbatos, had regressed into children. infants, even. barbatos had made quick use of the castle’s nursery, left over from one of the previous rulers, and turned it into something daycare-esque, thankfully providing a safe space for them all to be that would keep them out of harm's way, as well as trouble.

as you watch, mammon rises onto shaky legs, making his way over to levi, who’s playing with blocks. “oh please tell me he’s not going to do what i think he’s going to do,” you moan.

“he’s going to do exactly what you think he’s going to do,” barbatos replies, and sure enough, in one deliberate movement, mammon knocks over all of levi’s hard work. immediately, levi begins to scream, startling mammon, who falls back onto the padded ground and begins to cry himself.

“oh, shush.” moving more on instinct, you scoop levi up, patting his back gently. “you’ll be alright, honey.”

he quiets, staring at your face. you wonder if he recognizes you. mammon is still crying, so you set levi back down and move on to comforting him.

“that wasn’t very nice, now, was it?” you ask gently. “let’s not knock over other’s towers, okay?”

he sniffles, rubbing at his eyes with tiny fat baby hands, and it’s just the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen. when you go to set him down, he holds tight, and you realize that apparently, he was just as clingy as a toddler as he is now. wonderful.

shifting him to one side, you take stock of everyone else, making sure there are no immediate concerns. simeon, rapheal, and lucifer are sitting together, coloring (and jesus christ you’re going to need to pull out your camera right now), diavolo is still in barbatos’ capable grasp, beel and belphie are napping quietly in a pile of blankets, solomon is telling something to asmo and satan in incomprehensible toddler speech, and mephisto and thirteen are busy playing on their own. you spy a crib in the corner, which must hold luke, who barbatos had said had regressed into an infant rather than a toddler.

“you’re good with children,” barbatos observes, and you sigh.

“i always did like them. i spent my teenage years as a babysitter and camp counselor so i have some experience under my belt,” you explain. “so are you, by the way.” you’ve long stopped being surprised by the fact that barbatos is skilled at literally everything.

“yes, well, it helps that they’re a bit better behaved like this than when they are normally,” he says, and you can’t help but laugh. against your shoulder, mammon echoes your laugh, then sticks his fingers in his mouth. eh, he’s got a demon’s immune system, he’ll be fine.

“how much longer are they going to stay like this?” you ask, and barbatos shrugs.

“probably two or three more hours,” he says.

“just enough time to have to give them lunch while they’re like this,” you say with a slow-dawning horror. “which should be super easy and not difficult or tiring at all.”

leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own

[slay00ryu]

KC cast when you're sick

Because I'm sick :(

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

Ronin:

You weren't online on the server for the whole day, so obviously Ronin got curious. Usually you would at least leave him a message like "Sorry work will keep me away for the whole day" , but this time there was only radio silence from your side.

It didn't take Ronin a long time to reach your home, you gave him a spare key if he needed to hide from the police or wanted to get to your house at random times (mostly night when you're asleep and he just wanted to annoy you) he entered your home and went straight to your bedroom.

There you were, asleep, sweat all over your body, sticking your clothes to you. Used tissues all around your bed and desk, a mug with long cold tea on the bed stand. Ronin approached your bed and moved his hand to your forehead.

"You're burning up darlin', no wonder you're asleep and offline." He murmured to himself and slowly made his way to your bathroom to her a cold wet cloth, once he made you one from a towel he placed it on your forehead. Seeing you so sick made him feel uneasy. Yeah Ronin liked it when you were in ruin, but not when it causes physical harm to you.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at your sleeping form. He's playing with your hair between his fingers. When he saw your whole body shivering because of how cold you felt, he got under the covers next to you and held your body so close to himself, that he could feel your breath on his neck.

Headcanons yay!

Ronin will cuddle with you for the whole time you're asleep, he will change the wet cloth on your forehead from time to time so you will cool down quicker.

He will help you wash up, because you will feel somewhat better after a good shower/bath.

"Christ darlin', just how messy can you be when you're sick?" He asks you, while he's collecting every tissue from the floor and your furniture to throw them out.

Ronin will make you tea whenever you ask him to, or he will buy you some warm soup to help you get better.

He will come by your place daily at least until he's absolutely sure that you're no longer bedridden.

If anyone in the server will complain about your absence or ask about your whereabouts and you don't really want everyone to know that you're sick, he will tell them to fuck off and wait for you to come back online.

Ronin will buy you medicine if he notices that you're out of some or just don't have any.

V:

The two of you were taking a late night stroll. V had to take the dogs he rescued for a walk, and you just happened to tag along.

You were walking through a forest behind V's house, enjoying the wind and the chilly night.

Unfortunately on your way back, it suddenly started to rain and you ended up being soaked. V decided that you will spend the night in his place and go back home in the morning.

Well, after you woke up there was no way that you could even get up from his bed. Your immune system has always been really weak and susceptible to catching illnesses. So you weren't really that surprised when it turned out that you have a high fever and can barely talk with your throat sore.

"Here, please try to eat this, my love. You shouldn't take medicine on an empty stomach." You looked up at V, who helped you sit up and placed a plate with a sandwich on your lap. "If you can't eat by yourself then I suppose that I should feed you." The blush on his face reached his ears and you would chuckle if it wasn't for your sudden cough.

Headcanons >w<

V will spend a lot of time with you, he will read you a book or talk to you until you fall asleep.

He will tuck you into bed so perfectly that you will be covered from head to toe so your body will stay warm..

V will guide you to the bathroom and stay outside close to the door so if you call for him he will be there immediately to assist you.

V has a lot of medicine in his kitchen, so he will give you any medicine you may need.

Because V doesn't really have a job, he will stay with you for the whole day, unless someone needs to be served justice.

V's less dangerous animals will sometimes be let into the bedroom so you can enjoy their company.

Misaki:

After you arrived in Japan to visit Misaki it turned out that you were stuck with food poisoning after eating in one of the restaurants Misaki took you to.

At first they found it really funny, but then panic hit them. You didn't just have any stomach issues, you had a high fever. They basically threw you into their bed and told you to not move a muscle or they will tie you down.

Misaki was a really clumsy nurse they almost spilled hot soup on you, another time they lost the medicine they were given by their mom.

"Jeez, why is taking care of someone so hard?" They groaned and fell to the bed, squeezing themselves next to you.

Headcanons :3

Misaki's mom gave them instructions on how to take care of you, she gave them soups and medicine. They listened to her words and tried their best to follow her instructions.

They put you in their clothes after they almost spilled soup on you "Don't worry babe, next time you will dirty my clothes. There won't be a next time of course." They said confidently.

Misaki spoon fed you the food their mom gave them, even when you said that you are not dying and can feed yourself.

When Misaki had to go to work they assigned their mom as your new caretaker and she was happy to oblige. The woman was extremely kind and helpful, sometimes she spoke up her worries about Misaki's health and how happy she was that they have you now.

After you get better, Misaki will still panic about you getting sick again so they will test every food you are about to digest.

Misaki will brag to the server about what an amazing caretaker she is to you, even though most of the work was done by their mom.

Angel:

One day after you returned from work, you had to take a live interview with a popular singer for their channel, you turned out to be sick. Angel, of course, noticed just how sick you were and immediately rushed you into bed, she helped you change out of your clothes into some more comfortable ones.

She laid you down in bed and clung to you.

"Angel, you will get sick too." You mumbled and tried very hard not to give in to her touch.

"Shhh, you have to sleep, and my body will give you warmth." She chuckled sweetly and kissed you on the cheek.

Headcanons <3

Angel keeps you company at all times, unless she's working that is, although she spends less time on her channel with you being bedridden.

She will cook for you, her cooking is really good. You were pretty surprised when you saw actual food in her fridge and not human remains.

Angel is very clingy, holding your hands and hugging you while you sleep or just lay down in her bed.

Sometimes when Ronin comes by to pay his bestie a visit, she will tell him to keep quiet because you're asleep and he will have to listen unless he wants to be treated with a chainsaw.

When Angel actually gets sick, you will give her the "Didn't I tell you? " Stare and told her to call her model gigs off.

When you can't fall asleep but your body really needs to nap, Angel will sing a lullaby just for you to fall asleep.

Hope you liked it ^^ I'm totally not sick :d

[dailymanners]

IF it can be helped at all, stay home when you are sick to prevent your illness from spreading to others, even if it's not a "serious" illness and is just a common cold, a common cold can still be really detrimental anyone with a weakened or compromised immune system from conditions including, but not limited to, leukemia, HIV, and hepatitis. And you can never know if one of your co-workers or a customer or a random stranger at the store has or lives with someone who has one of these conditions.

Not everyone can help it, some people risk losing their job if they call in sick, and not everyone has someone they can call on to run to the store for essentials while they're sick.

In these cases at least consider wearing a mask while you're in public so as to prevent spreading your sickness to co-workers / customers / random strangers you encounter while out in public. There are several cultures where even pre-COVID times it was considered rude to go out in public without a mask even if you had a simple cold because of it being inconsiderate to spread your sickness to others.

Now, if it can be helped at all, if you have a job where you can call in sick without losing your income, or if you have a job where you can work form home, or if you have anyone at all you can call on to run to the store for you to grab essentials, use that!

"Oh but I don't want to inconvenience my co-workers by having them down a person today, what if they really need my help?" You know what's going to inconvenience them more is when you make everyone at work sick, and some of them might either have a compromised immune system or live with someone who does.

"Oh but I don't want to inconvenience my friend by asking them to grab some essentials from the store for me while I'm sick!" You know what's going to be more inconvenient is when you spread your sickness to that dad you stood in line behind at the store who has a child at home withe leukemia, or a spouse with HIV.

And again, of course not everyone has an option. Some people risk losing their income if they call into work sick, or they don't have anyone who they can call on to get essentials from the store for them. But again, at least consider masking up to mitigate the risk of spreading your illness to vulnerable people who could be seriously harmed by even a common cold or mild flu.

[a-dumb-sarcastic-bisexual]

I dont have a long funny title for these Nimona headcanons

Nimona will steal the boy's stuff all the time 

she’ll eat food off their plates when they’re not looking or will steal their food from the fridge 

She also steals all of Ambrosius’ rubber bands and claw clips 

And when she thinks the boys aren't wearing their clothes enough she’ll take them and either upcycle them or wear them as pajamas 

They’ve asked her a million times why she does this and her answer every single time is “It's fun”

The trio all have stims that the others view as harmful 

When Bal is stressed he’ll grind his teeth or bite his nails 

Nimona will bite his lips or pick at scabs that he let form

Ambrosius will bite the inside of his mouth or pull his hair 

And they all have little signals for each other to make them mindful that they’re doing it 

They don’t try and stop each other they know it’ll just make it worse but it’s a little reminder that they’re doing it 

Just a little “Hey I know you know yourself best and what you can handle but you’re also starting to bleed so please be careful” 

When they have their mouth stims the other will do things like whistle or hum just small things that you can’t do easily when you’re grinding your teeth or biting your mouth/nails

When Nimona is picking at his scabs the boys will tap their feet or drum on their legs 

And when Ambrosius is pulling his hair Nimona and Bal will offer to tie it up or braid it and sometimes they’ll just slide a rubber band over to him

If he doesn’t want the rubber band or doesn’t want them touching him they don’t force him they consider it a success because they still got through to him 

And if he lets them mess with his hair they consider it a bigger success because they love braiding his hair

When Ambrosius doesn’t have to go to work or doesn’t have to be in early Bal and Nimona take turns styling his hair

It doesn’t matter if it takes 5 minutes or 50 he’ll wait patiently for them to finish

And he leaves the house like that too no matter how crazy or stupid it looks

They have a little collection of pictures that they/civilians took and posted of their “masterpieces” 

Ambrosius has an 8-step skincare routine that he does every single day

Doesn’t matter if he’s witnessed every atrocity the world can throw at him he’s still doing it 

He also has a dedicated hair care routine that he spent hours researching 

Bal doesn’t give a singular solitary fuck what he puts on his face

As long as it’s cruelty-free not expensive and works he doesn’t care 

When Bal and Ambrosius first became friends Bal told him that he didn’t really wash his face even after he joined the institute 

Ambrosius almost passed out while whining about how the world is a cruel and unusual place 

He has worn Bal down over the years and made him use two products face wash and moisturizer 

He also found out that Nimona doesn’t take care of their skin at all

And when they saw how shocked Ambrosius was they continued by saying “In fact I take dirt baths like a chinchilla”

All he could choke out was “My lovely little tornado why?” They started laughing and claimed it’s “good for my immune system” 

Which caused Ambrosius to ask almost hysterically “What immune system?!”

[sophieinwonderland]

Hi sophie (again) one really quick note, the reason i read through your ENTIRE blog is because my dissertation is on facetious disorders portrayed and influenced by social media and the likes of such- it is literally a 250 page document about people like you. It's literally a part of my research to read long-winded things like this and write about them. My livelihood revolves around this. I don't expect to see a Dr. before your name, but you can damn well expect to see it before mine.

The only reason I sent that ask and wrote a targeted post was to get a response from you. The only reason. Had some writers block lol, I needed some material 😅😅

Another note to add to the grooming part was not about LGBTQ or transgender people as I am both myself. Please do not take it as a jab to your gender identity, and I apologize if it came off that way. It was in no way meant to insult you in that regard.

First, thanks for clarifying about the use of grooming. I don't mean to suggest you did intend it as a remark about my gender identity.

But I do think it's important to note in a "you are not immune to propaganda" way. Because I think, consciously or unconsciously, anti-endos have adopted transphobic talking points.

I assume and hope that this is unconscious. That rather than looking at how conservatives have used these talking points to harm queer communities and going "yeah, we can use that talking point too with these people we don't like," this absorption and repetition of these talking points is happening on a subconscious level. In which case, I think it's important to understand where they've originated and what the history is behind them.

As well as what misusing these terms normalizes. Because repeating them does contribute to a culture that is okay with using "grooming" this way to associate people they don't like with child abusers.

Now, allow me to first commend you on starting work on your dissertation so early. Working on it at just 20 is quite impressive indeed.

Although I have to question the subject matter.

A factitious disorder is when somebody is faking a disorder or pretending to have a disorder. It seems strange that you would seek to use examples of people who do not actually have a disorder and are not claiming to.

Even if endogenic systems were lying, unless they're presenting themselves as having a disorder they weren't, they wouldn't qualify for criterion B.

If you do want to write about people who have plural experiences without having trauma or a disorder, you might want to actually read my studies and research page. I'm sure that you could find stuff there that could help you on your journey.

And if you plan on writing about tulpamancy, specifically, Dr. Samuel Veissiere's Variety of Tulpa Experiences is probably most useful in understanding the tulpamancy community and viewpoints on the practice.

I would also recommend Learning to Discern the Voices of Gods, Spirits, Tulpas, and the Dead, as it offers a great comparison between tulpamancy and other forms of non-pathological voice hearing.

I imagine that these studies are much more productive uses of your time than scrolling through over 11,000 Tumblr posts, and would look better as sources in your dissertation.

Finally, if you are committed to doing a dissertation on factitious disorder, I would highly advise learning how to spell factitious. Because it's not "facetious" disorders, and spelling it that way might look a bit awkward on your dissertation about factitious disorder.

[acorpsecalledcorva]

Ok time to have the conversation about the "not part of a widely accepted cultural practice" exclusion in the DSM-V diagnostic criteria. The DSM criteria get used so much as a rhetorical device in arguments from both anti and pro endos I swear half of you don't even think about what the diagnostic criteria are actually for. They do not exist to prove your point, they exist as a means of providing access to psychiatric care and attempt to prevent people from being given the wrong care. Think of it like giving anti biotics for a viral infection, you don't want to take someone's appendix out to cure a headache.

While you can absolutely make the argument that endogenic plurality or tulpa systems fall under the purview of that exclusion criteria, that is absolutely not why the criteria were put there in the first place. It's just not what they're referring to, they weren't thinking about endogenic plurality, they probably didn't even know it existed as a phenomena at the time.

So who are they referring to? And why might a diagnosis of DID be inappropriate for these individuals? Well one example are Brazilian Spiritist mediums or Umbanda practitioners. When it comes to the discussions psychs are actually having about cultural practices that exhibit phenomena that could be mistaken for DID, this is what's actually being talked about.

And here's a study that assesses Spiritist mediums for dissociative symptoms to see how the two experiences relate. Spoiler: they don't, it can just look like a DID switch when a possession is taking place.

I would strongly encourage people to learn about Spiritism and Umbanda, they're very very interesting practices we can learn a lot about. I honestly like the fact that Northern hemisphere Western psychs don't really know what to do with them because the practices deeply challenge what we widely accept as normal human experience but they can't find anything actually wrong with it so they end up as a footnote in papers where the authors just kinda shrug and go "and this also exists but they're inconvenient so let's not worry about them for now". That's a very good thing to exist in academia. What I do hate though is when mediums get lumped in with endogenic plurality as a rhetorical device when I would bet almost none of them identify as such if they even know what it is. It's just culturally insensitive and a misrepresentation of what mediumship is.

But why is this important in regards to diagnosis? Well, because no one is immune to poor mental health. Just because a practice is healthy doesn't mean every person practicing it is mentally healthy. If a medium comes into a psychs office for a mental health issue and starts freely talking about being possessed by spirits that take over executive control of their mind and body, well, you could be excused for suspecting a DID diagnosis, yet it may be wholly inappropriate to do so. The kind of parts focused trauma therapy that is used to help with DID may do more harm than good when a person does not have alters and is not a system at all. Not least of all because it takes fucking ages and there are likely much more efficient therapies that could be used.

The inverse of this though in regards to today's trending topic is that parts focused trauma therapy may absolutely be appropriate for an endogenic system. If a system has trauma but was not formed by it, but that trauma is woven throughout the system in a similar way to DID with protectors and trauma holders to help cope with what happened, then a diagnosis of DID may absolutely be an appropriate way to access the specialised care that they need.

That's what a diagnosis is for.

[signedeclipse]

Hello, it's me again! 🫣 I loved your headcanons about the blind reader! Especially the ones with Hantengu. 😊

This time I would like to request headcanons for Hantengu, Gyokko and Douma with a reader who has a chronic disease. I know this is a serious subject but it's very close to my heart because I suffer from one. I wondered how the demons would react to a partner who has chronic pain and often feels sick. They feel frustrated with themselves and get angry when they can't do certain things because of their illness. I can imagine that they envy the demons for their strength and health and have thought about becoming a demon themselves. They sometimes push themselves too much because they want to keep up with their demonic partner. But when their illness isn't flaring up, they always want to be as active as possible and be close to their partner.

Thank you in advance! Hope you have a wonderful day! (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠)

Douma | Gyokko | Hantengu [X Reader]

In which their s/o is struggling with their chronic pain and tries to push it aside.

Douma

He was always glad that the cold climate you had living with him helped, since for many it was more harmful than helpful

He was familiar with the idea that coolness helped inflammation and helped your body regulate, but he also had to make sure you weren't overdoing it and getting yourself sick

Douma can almost feel your guilt whenever he steps in, so he does his best to remind you in ways that seem less like him telling you

'Can you warm my jacket for me?'

'Could you get the fire started and watch over it until I get back?'

While it may feel good, it makes you more prone to staying out too long and medicine can be hard to get his hands on during certain times

The worst part for him is being so high ranked, because he knows you know of his strength

Will hide it and down play it all the time in hopes you stop thinking about it so often

How impressive could it be if it hurts his favourite human?

Douma would like you to join him in being a demon someday, but he hopes its because you want to be with him as opposed to because you want to escape yourself

Gyokko

His poison art was actually inspired by the fact that he produces a lot of antidotes for some of your more physical ailments to help soothe the feeling

Think aloe vera but so much better

Might even say you can only get it if you hug him so he can produce it where you touch him, but he won't force it if it's really bad and you just want to rest

He has fought in front of you before, so you've seen his regenerative capabilities and the ways he bounces back in seconds, its honestly irritating at times

If only you could sprout a new immune system, or some new joints

Gyokko insists that it's painful and more excruciating than it seems, but he's kind of lying just because he doesn;t want you to feel so inclined to demonise

He makes mini pots for the medicines and salves he learns to make with cork lids so you can use them when you need

Your own personal pharmacist but so so so much better

Hentengu

He's always found himself to be extremely weak and unlucky

But you manage to be so much more unfortunate than him, so he worries for and cries for you more than he does himself

You were so kind to love him, and yet the world cursed you terribly? It's so unfair

Worries that you could die anytime from your ailments even if you tell him that isn't how it works, so he prefers to remain in a range of you to which he can hear your breathing or heart rate

The clones are more than happy to keep you in shape, but Sekido especially keeps you from trying to match them in any way shape or form

"It's ridiculous to expect results like this as a human, we have lived for centuries you haven't."

Whenever you feel light headed or need fresh air Urogi will take you for a little flight, usually by a body of water such as the ocean to enjoy the best air possible

Karaku just jokes that he has enough muscle for the both of you so you'd be greedy to get even more muscular, I mean, leave some for the rest of the clones!

Hates the idea of turning you into a demon but any day if its really bad and you are in enough agony he would do it just to see you smile again

Authors Note - Originally I wasn't planning to do this request because I don't suffer from any chronic pain, but a friend of mine who does decided to beta read so here we are! I hope these can help in some way, wishing you the best <3

[fxckn-sxck-fr]

Hi! How are you? I hope everything is well!

You can ignore this ask if you want!

Sorry if this ask is awkward but what would Dick do if you were sick? I know you said he snowballs into his tendencies.

But would he keep the reader sick when he sees how easy it is to manipulate them or infantilize them?

It can go in either platonic or romantic!

ALSO I REALLY LOVE YOUR WRITING I STUMBLED UPON YOUR BLOG YESTERDAY AND BINGED EVERY POST YOU HAVE AND KEPT ON REREADING

HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY❤️❤️

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆…

!!! GN reader, coerced care, drugging, forced sickness, slight manipulation, infantilizing, improper use of epidemiology.

At first, he would be terrified. He’d taken all these precautions to make sure you were safe, and here you were, down with some sickness? How did you even catch it?? Answer: Dick brought it home to you. He’s a careful man when it comes to your health, but there’s no way in hell he’s quarantining himself from you, so these are the consequences of his mandatory cuddles. Of course, now wasn’t the time to fret over the details. He had a new role to assume as your bedtime nurse, gathering all necessary items to help you through this illness.

He expected you to fight him with every step. Despite how hopeful he is, he does recognize the unfortunate reality of your relationship; you just don’t understand what’s good for you. A chiding remark was already hot on his tongue as he walked back into your shared room, ready to lecture you into submitting to his care.

So, imagine his surprise when you were oddly compliant.

You didn’t try to squirm away when he sat you upright. You didn’t turn your head away as he popped medicine in your mouth. You didn’t spit out the water he gave you to wash it down. Hell, you didn’t even try to curl away after he planted a soft kiss on your forehead. This all felt too good to be true, and he had to actually pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

You were listening to him.

You were finally listening to him.

But, of course, Dick should’ve known better than to get his hopes up. As you regained your health over the course of the week, you went right back to resisting his care, causing his heart to ache from false hope. A slightly more reasonable voice in his head reminds him that it’s good you’re getting better, but it’s quickly overshadowed by the grief he feels over the shortly lived compliance you showed.

You allowed him to dote over you, and he’s not going to trade that in for anything.

I can definitely see him going as far as to lace your medicine with something to keep you sick. I’m not entirely sure what he’d use, and as much as I would love to research this to find out, I’m pretty sure I’m already on a watchlist for the paralysis/amputation ask, so… we’ll just have to leave the substance unnamed. You wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary; perhaps a funny after taste, but maybe it’s always been there and you’re finally well enough to notice it. The next morning, you’ll feel like a truck hit you. Just when you felt like you were near the end, the sickness decided to come back with a vengeance… was this just the final wave before you’re in the clear?

Dick would obviously be faux sympathetic. He’d give you the worried eyes, acting absolutely taken aback by your returning worse condition. How could this be? You were looking good as new yesterday… well, don’t worry!! He’s here to take care of you!! You’ll feel better in no time!!

Now, would he feel guilty for purposely making you sick? A little. But he wouldn’t have to resort to this if you just let him take care of you, so it unfortunately had to happen. And besides, he’s not an idiot. He gives you the laced medicine within moderation, so no significant harm is being brought to your immune system (or so he thinks). He even makes sure to balance it out by giving you real medicine, too!! What’s the worse that can happen?

By the time the second week of your prolonged bedridden state rolls around, you’ve probably figured out something’s up. I can see Dick just eventually dropping the worried act entirely, instead seeming to enjoy your misery, so that would probably be a major clue as to what’s really going on. But it’s too late; you feel too weak to even lift a finger, having to depend on Dick for everything as you helplessly feel trapped in your own body.