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sheepwavehdg · 3 months ago

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HDG xenospecies reference doc: the Maelodions

This is a first draft of a little world building reference doc I put together for one of the xeno species I made up. They primarily appear in Good Sensory and Surrogate Bloom.

The Maelodions are 3 foot tall musically inclined fruit xenos with six bifurcated limbs from the galaxy Andromeda. They use their affinity for signals and frequencies for many creative and scientific pursuits, as well as no small amount of utilizing their highly polyphonic songs to hypnotize other xenosophonts for fun.

Home Planet: No agreed upon Terran translation, most common is "Harmony"

Native Gravity: .4g

Year Length: about 8 Terran years

Lifespan: The original lifespan of a Maelodion was only a single season, under the efforts of the compact this has been extended by hundreds of times, going through many repeated regrowth cycles, similar to reblooming, but they do eventually degrade and die. No Maelodion has ever lived a full millennium without becoming digitized.

Domesticated: first encountered the affini roughly 19,000 years before Terran Domestication, took an unusually long time to fully Domesticate.

Names: Maelodion names are snippets of melody, with too high a level of frequency precision to be decipherable to most other xenos. They adopt new names when interfacing with other cultures, almost always based on historically famous musicians, instruments, or musical theory terms. Motzart, Cadence, Beyonce, Dorian, Viola, and Harmony might all be names a Maelodion in Terran space would adopt.

Physiology

The Maelodions are about 3 feet tall, with a slightly gourdlike central body, two sets of photoreceptive eyespots, a cluster of leaf like fibers at their base and top, and six flexible limbs. Their central body varies in texture between individuals, from feeling smooth and waxy like a watermelon to fuzzy like a peach. They can be any color

They are sentient motile fruiting bodies that originate from non-sophont trees, and before the intervention of the Affini, they only lived a single season (about six earth years) but now may live many hundreds of years. Their honeworld had seasons that would bathe entire regions of the planet in snow and scorching heat that required even autotrophic organisms with chlorophyll to be capable of migration.

They have six vine-like limbs that extend from their base, and bifurcate three times to end in 24 small manipulators, each time one third a long the new segments’s length. the final pairs are about the length of human fingers, but can become thinner and stretch out to be about 6 inches long.

The species has no sexes but does use sexual reproduction, being hermaphroditic. Their sexual mechanisms involve their bifurcated feelers, so putting them inside of other sophonts is pleasurable to them. This mechanism is also a form of intimate communication, and Terrans not taking broad spectrum blockers are particularly easily hypnotized by the songs of a Maelodion if it is possible to conduct sound through their skull directly somehow. Major Source: Surrogate Bloom

This is accomplished using the application of what grants the Maelodions their sentience, what is inside the body of every Maelodion, their Song.

The Song is a recursive self modifying harmony that exists inside the hollow resonant body of a Maelodion. It is highly polyphonic and complex, and to the Terran ear would sound like warbling white static.

Each member of the species carries a significant fraction of the Song, but how each interprets it varies between individuals. When in physical contact with each other's limbs, Maelodion can exchange verses of their Song, which allows for incredibly rapid transfer of information and knowledge.

Culture as of Terran Domestication

Maelodions in Terran space will lean towards societal roles that involve interacting with sequences of information in some way. The obvious role is musician, such as Mx. O’Lydian and the Accidentals in Irregular Orbits, but coding, mathematics, physics, writing, chemistry, and many other things fit within this definition. They do not see these pursuits as being fundamentally different from music, or more broadly as an expression of Song.

They tend to be strong language prosessors and usually have a good sense of humor, especially about being mistaken for affini. They are quick to debate, and tend to be very opinionated on seemingly inconsequential subjective matters.

Maelodions can communicate via sound in any language they care to learn, having specialized organs that operate like computer speakers and can produce entirely arbitrary sound waves.

Maelodion languages are polyphonic songs that sound like a mix of chimes, synths and whistles. Terrans can mimic simple phrases by whistling, but would need specialized mods to perceive the level of complexity of unsimplified communication. For reference, while the most fommon Terran musical octave contains 12 tones, the most common Maelodion octave is broken into 2520 distinct frequencies. Major Source: Surrogate Bloom

Some independent Terrans choose to set their hab AIs to the Maelodion language because they can simply memorize the melodic chirping tunes and not have to be condescended to in a language they actually recognize, feeling more computer-like. The affini do not entirely approve of this. Minor Source: Wild and Domestic

Pre-Contact

Before making initial contact with the compact, the Maelodion Chorus was anything but harmonious. Individual lifespans of the species are extremely short, and their seasonal life cycle was such that the entire race would die during winter, leaving only the record of their Song in their nonsentient tree form for the spring. Even after they escaped this limitation, the notion that art and legacy was more important than individual lives was deeply ingrained in their way of thinking.

As the Maelodions spread, various groups within it drifted, creating the first Choirs- a subgroup whose Song has diverged far enough they considered those outside it heretical and dissonant. Massively destructive wars over differences of opinion over classic artistic works broke out during this period. While the Maelodions never developed capitalism or private property, conflicts over subjective disagreement and ‘disharmony’ between Choirs frequently escalated to the level of using weapons of mass destruction on each other.

This was a self perpetuating cycle, and much of their cultural works eventually became about th process of debating the meaning of art between Choirs. This took less destructive forms, as well, with many ritual dances where two Maelodion would dance to a previous classic and debate ideas through motion.

Due to their extremely native understanding of signals, functions, and frequencies, the Maelodions are extremely gifted in the fields of mathematics and physics, and they had already gained an understanding of the fifth fundamental force before leaving their own star system, and devastating hypermetric weapon use was commonplace both against each other and against the affini once the Compact discovered them. Minor Reference: Dog of War.

Domestication

The Maelodion Chorus was a particularly tricky civilization to domesticate. The initial war period was longer than most, taking over 40 years to pacify a region comparable in size to the Terran Accord. The Maelodions were highly technologically advanced, extremely conflict-happy, and generally did not value individual lives due to how short their life cycle is, making them an extremely tricky puzzle to pacify without massive casualties. Major Source: Good Sensory

This was further complicated by incomplete assumptions made during the Maelodion cotyledon program. An individual member of the species was relatively easily tamed, but the song/chorus of their collective was far more resistant.

While mass conflict ended in less than fifty years, the Song that each Maelodion carries within them was a far trickier beast. Since the Song itself was as their sentience, it could not just be replaced from scratch. A single feralist sequence could rapidly transmit through large groups.

This required a Domestication approach that involved heavy information control to prevent old feralist ‘melodies’ from rejoining the population, and outbursts of small feralist Choirs continued for centuries.

Some Affini do not think that the level of cultural rewrite that occured was beneficial for the Maelodions, and mourn the old Song, but they are rare. However, many parts of the Maelodion culture of critique and debate were allowed to remain intact, such as their debate-dances. Major Source: Good Sensory

#hdg #human domestication guide

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mechformers · 2 years ago

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Could i request reader with daddy issues calling tonowari daddy by accident during sexy time?

I have no idea if this is anything close to what you were thinking of when you asked, and if it's not, I'm so sorry. You never specified a human/avatar/na'vi reader, so this just kind of landed on human lol Hope that's alright!

1008 words Tonowari x Human!Reader Content warning: Daddy kink (daddy issues? this gave me daddy issues XD), size difference, Na'vi x human, p in v, belly bulge, steamy nonsense with absolutely no plot whatsoever, fucked dumb (- both of them lol) not spell checked - we die like mansk here...

The lewd sounds coming from your cunt as he buried himself deeper still, would cling to his memories in the quietest of moments for years to come. Your slick, your evident excitement just from being with him, makes the slide irresistibly smooth as he bottoms out once more. Your tight insides quiver around his size, the hot walls all but strangling him as he holds still. Releasing a hot breath over the top of your head, he’s helpless to keep his massive body from pressing deeper into you.

“P-please…” You beg of him, your lips, red and swollen where he’s kissed you to within an inch of your life.

Pulling ever so slowly out of you allows for a ragged breath to be drawn before he sheaths himself within your scorching heat once more. His arms are trembling from keeping the full mass of his weight off of you, his ribcage feeling two sizes too small as he clenches every muscle in his body to hold himself back. Looking down between his elbows, your pink, sweaty face stares up at him, head bent backward on the woven mats. It shouldn’t be pretty the way you’re sweaty and blotched, but the sight sends a current through his body which results in an aborted thrust that still moves the entirety of your body up with the force behind it.

“Ph-pl-se,” Your lips part once more, clumsily begging him for something he has yet to understand.

Tears are falling from your beautiful eyes, the clear drops glittering in the low light of the setting sun. Not even the prettiest of pearls could compare to the sight, as it burns itself to his memories, joining a series of other wonders. Pulling out again, Tonowari watches intently as your small eyebrows knit together in displeasure. At what, he does not know, but until you tell him to stop, he will take what you freely give and he will give what you will willingly accept from him.

“D-daddy, please,” You gasp, your voice raw, as just the tip remains inside of your burning cunt.

Sheathing himself fully inside of you, Tonowari is unable to hold back the powerful thrust that reaches the end of your tight heat, only to push you further up between his elbows. Small arms cling desperately to his chest as your legs spread impossibly wide to accommodate the sudden width of him as he collapses on top of your small form. His head is spinning, his lungs refusing to pull much-needed air into his lungs as he holds as still as he can. From below, your small nails claw at his chest, while you mewl.

“M-more daddy,” You somehow manage to push out and despite himself, he’s once more unable to stop his hips from thrusting into you, as if there’s still a chance he’s missing a tiny crook inside of you to bury himself in.

“Little one,” Tonowari manages, his voice strained as his head swims, making him unfocused.

“N-no,” Your desperation reaches a level that concerns him while he tries to move off of you.

Instead, you cling to him tighter than before. Your weak arms wrap around his neck while your legs desperately cling to his waist, somehow managing to lock behind him. It’s an awkwardly stretched position you’re in, but you get your point across clear as day. Hushing you, Tonowari holds a hand to your bottom as he sits back up, taking you with him to sit in his lap. Looking down at you, you’re nothing but a toy as your arms loosen from around his neck. Gravity makes you sink further down on his cock, the obscene bulge pressing on your stomach as your tired body leans back.

“Mh good, Daddy,” You mumble as your small body reaches for him, falling against his chest all boneless and fucked out.

“Y/n?” Tonowari tries and to his utter surprise, your head actually turns to him as a soft smile crosses your lips. “Still good?”

Inside of your cunt, he can feel his cock twitching at his seemingly new title. There’s definitely something loaded behind it, but as of right now, sheath deep within your welcoming, tight heat, he couldn’t care less. You begged for him with everything that you were... How irresponsible would he be to deny you any longer?

Thrusting up into the tight heat, the squelching sound of your slick making room for his cock, filled your kelku. There was no doubt in his mind, while he repeated the motion as you mewled babbles of ��daddy" and "more”, that the people outside could hear your slick walls while he rearranged them. Tonowari would make sure that there was a permanent shape of his cock inside of you, one that you would never be able to erase.

“Harder, Daddy,” Your small hands reach for his face and right then, right there, with your face looking so beautifully debauched - he lost all composure.

Holding you up by your middle, he moves you along his cock, watching as it bulges your stomach each time he bottoms out. He’s hitting something tight and spongy, bruising past it to reach the end of your passage, and with each passing, your cunt tightens deliciously until suddenly, your soft body grows taught in his hold.

“I-I’m gonna - D-daddy!” And with your eyes wide open, staring into his, your cunt spasms hard around his cock, milking him with such force he’s helpless to resist your siren's call.

With one final press, he buries himself sheath deep within your wet heat as he floods you with his blessings. There’s so much to unpack after this, but for the moment, all he can do is cling to your small body as he breathes heavily. His mind is still swimming deliciously, blank as a clear drop of water where only the reflection of you shines back at him. Kissing your forehead softly, he cups the back of your head as he holds you against his wildly beating heart.

“Daddy… huh?” He hums, feeling your huffed chuckle against his sweaty skin.

Masterpost - (under construction)

#tonowari x reader #tonowari x y/n #tonowari x you #tonowari x human!reader #tonowari #na'vi x human #avatar the way of water #avatar smut #atwow #atwow smut #Mech writes

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my-rewrite-academia · 6 months ago

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Quirk Analysis #1

As promised, this post is for the quirk analysis of the following three students!

Kirishima Eijirou, Ashido Mina, Hagakure Tooru will be discussed in this post and in that order.

Kirishima Eijirou:

Fatty and oily foods make Eijirou's skin harder, and Izuku hypothesises that it's due to the carbon content. While carbon is often associated with gases or coal, it's in food too, with the content being higher in oily or fatty foods. Eijirou manipulates the carbon in his skin by rearranging the carbon molecules to make it denser, to the point that his mohs level of hardness is equivalent to corrundum (level 9, one level below diamond).

Because of this, eating food containing high levels of carbon makes it so that there's more carbon to push between his skin cells.

While ordinary humans cannot properly digest high levels of carbon, Eijirou's body is able to, not just handle it, but properly digest it. As such, he starts eating activated charcoal, (which is safe to eat in small dosages, though Eijirou can have more), which increases his time limit, and can help him harden his entire body for longer periods of time.

It's also theorised that his teeth are sharp so that he can bite into coal.

Ashido Mina:

The most obvious contender for what her acid is made of is stomach acid, however, if she transported her stomach acid to her skin, it would make her either incredibly ill or she wouldn't be able to digest things, as she subconciously produces acid.

As such, it's much more likely that she's using carbon dioxide. It's usually pointed out as a gas, but it can exist in a liquid form. Carbon dioxide naturally exists in all humans, though typically as a gas that our body filters out through breathing. Mina is absorbing carbon dioxide as opposed to breathing it out and changing it to a liquid form.

She can alter the pH levels, though it's naturally low, around pH level 3, which leads to accidentally dissolving her bed and floor and waking up in the flat/apartment below. Don't ask. She can make the pH levels go up to about 7, which is safe to drink, though it's not recommended, and this allows her to use her acid to slip around the ground.

While she could theoretically try breathing less to increase carbon dioxide intake, but that's very dangerous without proper training. Instead, she takes sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate pills, which increase the level of carbon dioxide in the body.

Her appearance is not connected to her quirk.

Hagakure Tooru:

Now, if Tooru were truly invisible, she would not be able to see, as the way we see is by light hitting our retinas, which bounces the light to the photoreceptors behind them which send the electrical signal to our brains. If the light passes through you, the light can't hit the retinas, meaning that no information would be sent to your brain, leaving you blind.

As such, reflecting light also cannot be her quirk, as this would lead to the same results, and would make her continuously shine.

Her quirk is actually absorbing and manipulating radiation across her skin. She doesn't feel hot or cold, as seen by her steaming lunch and how she can run around naked without a single shiver, and this is due to manipulating the thermal energy, which is a form of radiation.

Light is also a form of radiation, which is why she can produce flashes from her skin.

This could also mean that she cannot become irradiated by things such as chemical energy, though it's far too dangerous to test out.

Additionally, because of this, it's possible that she can manipulated energy across things made of her DNA, which is proven true when she gets her costume and appear invisible after she wears it.

...

So that's Izuku's analysis of Eijirou, Mina, and Tooru's quirks!

I'm not a master of science, so if there's something that doesn't seem quite right, chalk it up to psuedo-science, please. I did not take A-Levels for science. My knowledge comes from my own research, mainly due to Momo's quirk.

Thanks for tuning in!

#bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #mha critical #rewrite #horikoshi critical #my rewrite academia #quirk analysis #kirishima eijirou #mina ashido #toru hagakure #plot

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mythicalmyles · 2 years ago

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Scientist!Farmer!Reader x K1-B0

(18+, dubcon, overstim)

(K1-B0 has red eyes at start that turn into blue as consciousness begin hitting him)

Loneliness is something you had long since become accustomed to, all alone cooped up in a lab all day. Your tired eyes flicked down to the clock, 1.25 in the morning. But it had all been worth it.

You anxiously bit your lip, pushing the red button. Yet excitement coursed through your veins, you’re wide eyes barley blinked as you stared. A few moments passed and you felt your hope smash into pieces, nothing happened. The sudden whirling of fans filled your ears, and hope returned to you once again. Wide excited eyes staring into bright red.

Your entire body quaked as you anxiously awaited his first words. "What, has happened?" His voice wasn't bad, you had used the most realistic sounding AI voice you could spend money on and it had all been worth it. "I am (Name), I created you." Your voice was laced with excitement.

"You... Created me?" You felt like you were going to pass out, ten years locked up in your room and it was all finally worth it. "Yes! I created you to help me out in the fields." His head tilted as his eyes glowed. "The fields. Farming." He rambled off about Ph levels for a moment before snapping out of it, his blank stare returned to you. You couldn't help but immediately begin clapping your hands, dancing and squealing.

"You are acting weird." It's monotone voice was deep and robotic but you didn't mind. You had given him the ability to learn, to research any database he could get his hands on. "I'm happy!" His head tilted. "Happy? What is happy?" It almost felt like he was a new-born, except he could talk. You giggled letting out a happy sigh. "It's an emotion, you can't feel them unfortunately but it's a good thing. I promise." You reassured him with a smile.

"I think I'll call you K1-B0. Yeah that sounds good." You muttered to yourself smiling.

A few months had passed since you had successfully gotten K1-B0 up and running. Your life had gotten so much easier since his creation, due to his researching abilities made your farm was bountiful. He had more or less redesigned the entire area but you hadn't minded, much more crops were popping up. Many juicy fruits and vegetables ready to be sold off to the public. "Thank you K1-B0." You looked at him full of gratitude, a smile coating your cheeks.

"It is what i was made for." You chuckled a little and shook your head. "Not really." You replied, looking into the distance. "I do not understand. You said you created me for the farm. Was that what you humans call a lie?" You bit your lip, nose scrunching up. "Honestly? I've been on my own my entire life. It's just really nice to finally have someone i can talk to." K1-B0 stared at you momentarily before accepting your answer.

"Your needs weren't being met?" You laughed, shrugging. "No, I guess not." You didn't think twice about the answer and continued to stare off into the sun set, not noticing K1-B0 running through his databases for answers. He wanted to help his creator feel better.

"Anyway, we don't have anything to do for the next few days so i might check you up and see if everything's okay?" K1-B0 nodded his head, turning to watch the sunset with you. You couldn't deny how peaceful it felt, the gripping feeling of loneliness slowly unclutching your heart the longer you spent with your new friend.

Part of you knew it was sad, you couldn't even get on with your own species. Instead having to create something that couldn't leave you. You couldn't deny it tugged at your heart, the guilt of making something rely on you completely momentarily eating you up from the inside.

"Are you happy?" You knew it was a redundant question. He was a robot, an AI. He couldn't feel, that would never be something you could get him to do. No matter how hard you tried, the technology available to you wasn't even close. "I am happy." You tried not to show the disappointment on your face, you knew it meant nothing.

You couldn't tell how many hours had passed as you stared at your ceiling. Each mark in the plaster wholly captivating your attention. The sudden opening of your door had your attention soaring to the interruption, K1-B0 stood at the entrance of your door. He was shrouded in darkness and his eyes had changed from a red to a bright blue. Confusion filled you, you hadn't done this change.

"K1-B0, your eyes?" You rubbed yours as if it would change his. "I understand now, apologies for not helping you earlier." Uncertainty filled you as he made his way to you. "What do you m-mean?" You stuttered out, unease filling you as he stopped right beside your bed. His cold hands grabbed your arms, pushing you back onto your back. "Wait! wha-what are you doing?" You gasped out.

"I will take care of you. do not worry." Confusion filled you before his hands slid up your shirt, cold fingers rubbing against your hardening nipples. A loud gasp left you, wide eyes staring into bright blue. "N-no, K1-B0 thi-this isn't what i me-meant!." You stuttered out, trying to ignore the arousal that began making its way through your body.

“N-no, K1-B0, th-.” He hushed you, a smile plastering over his face as his hands slid down your chest, pulling your pyjama bottoms down. Before you had a chance to say anything else his cold metallic hand wrapped around your cock, cutting off any thought that tried to enter your mind.

You couldn’t help the whimper that you let out, shaking in K1-B0’s grip. “K-k1-.” He cut you off with another hush. “Do not worry, i have searched the databases. This is what humans need.” You let out a load moan at the sudden intrusion of cold metal fingers sliding into you had your mind blanking hard, the ability to process anything gone out the window.

“I like when you make those noises. I will take care of you.” Never had this possibility crossed your mind, the idea of your creation having its way with you sent a shameful pang of pleasure surging through your stomach, whimpers falling from your lips as he worked your cock and fingered you at an almost painful pace.

You hadn't been touched in so long, who could really blame you for falling into the pleasure you were being given. "G-god K1-B0!" You whined out, eyes scrunching shut and arching back as your voice grew higher in pitch. "So pretty." K1-B0's voice had your eyes opening to look at him, entire body shaking with pleasure as he abused your prostate.

Choked whines flew from you as you felt your end coming close. "A-Ah! Fuc-fuck." You moaned out, entirely overwhelmed and at his mercy. "More?" K1-B0 questioned and without a second thought you rapidly nodded your head, eyes begging him to fill you up. K1-Bo's hands had warmed up due to your body temperature sky rocketing, he gripped your hips and pulled you close, your legs wrapping around him as your arms rested on his neck.

He wasted no time in burying his cock into you, a loud scream leaving your throat as you were finally stuffed. You could feel yourself drooling over his shoulder, your loud moans bouncing off of the walls as he bounced you on his cock. Despite the fact you knew he was a machine, you hadn't expected him to be so willing to use you like a fleshlight.

His name fell from your lips like a mantra, whining and begging him to both give you more and to stop because it was so damn overwhelming having his cock slam deep inside of you, targeting your prostate in a hope to milk you for all you had.

Every time he slammed you down onto his cock your eyes rolled back, body twisting in his grip. "K1-K1, Ple-please. God. G-God. G-." You let out a loud scream, orgasm smashing into your body and completely overwhelming you and leaving you panting in his arms. You flopped down onto him, boneless and twitching.

"Better?" K1-B0 questioned, all you could do was shake in his arms and nod.

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jeseraitoi · 8 days ago

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im. so curious to know what the tests would be? (from this post)

Oh my god I love this question!!

Evan is someone deeply curious about the human body. I always think about him having a sketchbook where he just... Draws limbs and hearts and whatever comes to his mind, people he loves and cares about with their guts opened. He's just curious and worried about anything that can happen.

When Barty showed up hurt by his father for the first time he lost his fucking mind. He's not to nurture but he is to protect and own, and for Barty he learns to be all of it.

So All the nine yards: complete blood count (cbc), basic metabolic panel (bmp), comprehensive metabolic panel (cmp), lipid panel, thyroid function tests (tfts), hemoglobin a1c (hba1c), c-reactive protein (crp), vitamin and mineral levels, urinalysis, microalbumin test, chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, bone density scan (dexa), electrocardiogram (ecg/ekg), echocardiogram, stress test, prostate-specific antigen (psa) test, colonoscopy, fecal occult blood test (fobt), hiv test, hepatitis panel (a, b, c), sexually transmitted infection (sti) tests, lung function tests (spirometry), vision test, hearing test, electrolyte panel, dental x-rays (bitewing, panoramic, or periapical), oral examination (teeth, gums, and soft tissues), periodontal probing (gum health assessment), plaque and tartar check, tooth decay (cavity) detection, occlusion (bite) analysis, oral cancer screening, salivary testing (bacteria or ph levels), tmj (temporomandibular joint) evaluation, fluoride level testing

As I said, ALL the nine yards

At first Barty thinks it's a little over the top, I mean, he wasnt sick, beaten up and with a serious history of child neglect, yes, but he's more than happy to do anything Evie tells him to. He wants him to lay down and stay still? Got it. Run like a lab rat? Consider it done. Get his blood draw? Barty's already rolling his sleeve. But somewhere in the middle of it he just felt so... Looked out for. He's pretty sure no one would care with him as much to lose time doing something like this. And Evie personally is the responsible for all his tests. All of them. He never lets Barty alone and even though it hurts and his bedside manners are the worst, Barty feels his heat warm.

Also, it turn them both on, for different reasons but it does, which might be as well just what they need. And it kind of becomes routine, every few months Evan decides it's time enough and picks some of the tests to re-do.

But I love to imagine Evan laying in bed like a teenage girl writing all the results with drawings and notes, happy like a puppy.

Im not sure if this was what you were looking out for when you asked but I hope I could answer it nicely, loved your profile :))

#cant believe i sai that #also cant believe i knew all that by heart #honestly at this point im just as weird as the twins #marauders fandom #rosekiller #writing #both rosekillers are freak and i stand for it #evan rosier #marauders #care as control

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thesilliestrovingalive · 12 days ago

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Updated February 1, 2025

Dilovar

POTENTIAL TRIGGER: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, torture, slavery, child abuse, pedophilia, incest, necrophilia, SA, and human experimentation.

Real name: Dilovar Renatvych Matviyenko (born as Kosmas-9)

Alias: Beast of the Great Jungle

Nicknames: Divo and Niney

Occupation: 1st Lieutenant of Division 6, double agent for the Ptolemaic Army, Captain of the Phantom Strike, and cadet for the P.F. Squad (formerly)

Retirement plans: He has no plans outside of military service because he doesn't believe he'll survive long enough to make it to his retirement day

Special skills: Proficiency in nanotechnology and espionage work, mastery of the jungle, dream walking, and glamouring, negotiating peace treaties, spear throwing, and systema

Abilities: A network of translucent, vein-like tubes, coated with a thin layer of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and fatty tissue, facilitates the nanobots' movement throughout his body. These tubes connect to his central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and muscular system. Once activated, the nanobots rapidly regenerate torn muscles and amplify his strength during combat, visibly evident by the pronounced bulging of his veins beneath his skin and the intense flexing of his muscles. It enhances his physical strength, enabling him to shatter concrete, crush bone, lift and toss trucks with ease, and effortlessly immobilise and disarm enemies with his immense grip strength. It grants him eagle vision, stabilises his blood pressure, and covers exposed skin with a protective, translucent layer of fleshy slime.

He can vomit acidic orange goo streaked with blood and bits of white adipose tissue by altering the pH levels in the food he's digested. This process involves synthesising pigments to create the orange hue and releasing specific enzymes that break down biomolecules, leading to the production of acidic compounds. The nanobots can manipulate enemy nanotechnology and assimilate incoming nano-attacks by reprogramming them.

He can harness the nanobots to alter his mental state, transforming into a far more menacing, feral, and sadistic persona. In this state, he exhibits erratic behaviour, marked by maniacal laughter, heavy panting, animalistic sounds, uncontrollable drooling, and foaming at the mouth. His physical strength increases, enabling him to tear through skin with his teeth and hands, leap across vast chasms with ease, and snap steel bars with a tightened grip. Despite his ferocious transformation, he retains a semblance of rational thought, enabling him to distinguish friend from foe and revert to a more sane state of mind at will.

Hobbies: River tracing, smoking his hookah, exploring ancient cities and old temples, reading and playing ero guro manga and video games, and doing traditional Ukrainian folk crafts with friends

Likes: Sleeping with his 36-year-old baby blanket, when he got the chance to test-drive the Black Hound, making friendship bracelets, liquidating enemies, and jungle wildlife

Dislikes: Hilde Garn, child molestation, gruesome sacrifices, people dictating his identity and life’s purpose, and being the ultimate killing machine for the Ptolemaic Army and Phantom Strike

Favourite food: Holubtsi with roasted bacon strips, jalapeno cheddar cream cheese, iron eggs, and garlic buttered poppy seed bublik

Favourite drink: Kaoliang liquor mixed with kvass

Sexuality: Sex-favourable, demiromantic pansexual

Gender: Male

Age: 15 (in 2022), 21 (in 2028), 23 (in 2030), 25 (in 2032), 27 (in 2034), 34 (in 2041), 36 (in 2043), 37 (in 2044), and 40 (in 2047)

Blood type: B-

Weight: 198 lbs. (89 kg)

Design: He’s a 6’ 4” (193.04 cm) Tajik-Ukrainian mesomorph of Taiwanese, Russian, and Arabic descent with a lean, powerful build, well-defined muscles, chiseled limbs, an upside-down trapezoidal chest, broad shoulders, a subtly rounded midsection, high cheekbones, and a Roman nose. He has copper-toned skin, pale azure eyes with flecks of mulberry, and three distinctive black moles: one near the right corner of his lip; a second directly below his Adam's apple; and a third above the centre of his right pectoral muscle. He has a slightly disheveled orangish-brown bowl cut with prominent curls and eye-covering bangs that fall just above the bridge of his nose.

He bears various scars, most of which he obtained in battle. These scars include: a severe grill burn covering the lower right quadrant of his face; a deep, downwards-curving gash that extends from the left corner of his lip to beneath his ear, revealing a portion of his teeth; whip lacerations and cut marks on his back and buttocks; a jagged scar running from the center of his right deltoid to his left lumbar region; a bullet graze mark on the center of the right side of his neck; and three bullet wounds located on his left kidney. In addition to these scars, his left thumb is entirely missing, the skin on his thighs has been flayed, he has a severed tendon (gastrocnemius) in his right lower leg, and a silvery stitch runs along his thoracic spinal segment. He has the name "Kosmas-9" branded sideways on his left upper arm from "K" to "9", which he attempts to conceal with worn gauze.

His military gear for the Regular Army consists of a metal dog tag necklace with his name, purple mountain majesty driving gloves, and two drop leg holsters for Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knives with jonquil straps. He sports a mauveine vest with four pockets, its original P.F. Squad logo on the back having been replaced by the Division 6 insignia. He wears a jonquil belt with a silvery white buckle, a sheath for his combat knife, a gun holster for his handgun, and an Islamic green scabbard engraved with the Orion constellation. He wields Zulfiqar, a saif sword with a dark blue hilt and wootz steel blade featuring a double-pointed tip. The weight of Zulfiqar is evenly distributed across the blade and hilt, allowing for optimal performance and enabling him to make swift, precise cuts. The blade is remarkably sharp, capable of cleaving through bone as well as the strongest vehicle and body armour.

He wears a cornflower-hued T-shirt with ripped sleeves and it features a stylised black silhouette of a running, ghostly horse encircling a sunflower with seven male Mikado pheasant tail feathers extending behind it, resembling rays of light. He wears dark green, greyish-brown, and charcoal camouflage army cargo pants, which are tucked into the same boots worn by Walter and Tyra. The pockets of Dilovar’s vest carry around a pearlescent green lighter, a note pad, a blue pen, and a pack of cherry-flavoured gum. The pockets of his army cargo pants carry around his old, tattered, and overused dirty grey baby blanket, a jadeite adder stone, and a flask of arak.

Over his T-shirt, he dons a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a MultiCam pattern, which carries around his walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. He wears three dark brown bandoliers: one over his right shoulder for his handgun bullets, one over his left shoulder for throwing knives, and one above his belt for hand grenades. He has a submachine gun with a jonquil clip-on web sling and a bolt-action sniper rifle slung over his right shoulder. Dilovar carries a purple mountain majesty load-bearing backpack that contains camping equipment, tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, 5 bags of weed (cotton candy, sugar cookie, birthday cake, black cherry, and strawberry), a bottle of kaoliang liquor, a disguise kit, his Ptolemaic Army and Phantom Strike uniform, and a few throwing spears.

It carries a remote-controlled faux Atlas moth that was secretly designed to record conversations of interest. This device is a superior version of the insectothopter, able to overcome light winds due to its heavier size and a gas engine that lasts for 25 minutes. It carries a modified Fire Gun that’s used to release thick, metallic purplish-yellow clouds of nanobots at enemies. He can alter the properties of these nanobots to either take control of enemy actions for 6 minutes through verbal orders and thought processes or cause organ failure by emitting lethal amounts of methamphetamine, ethanol, and cyanide. It also carries a red-violet hookah, featuring a glass gourd-shaped vase adorned with two stylised golden wheat stalks encircling the centre of the body, a silvery bowl and tray, a black hose, and a pearlescent purple mouthpiece.

His military gear for the Ptolemaic Army and Phantom Strike consists of a black headset to communicate with snipers and an Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) in a caput mortuum, dark purple, and Byzantium camouflage pattern. He wears mauveine overalls modeled after those of the SWAT elite police unit with the Phantom Strike logo emblazoned on the back and the pant legs tucked into his boots. He wears dark purple knee pads and a pair of black combat boots featuring spiked jonquil soles and knives concealed in the heels. He wears a thistle-hued Eisenhower jacket, featuring purple mountain majesty cuffs edged with jonquil and golden buttons that are often left unbuttoned. He wears a gold-buckled leather belt with four silvery white pouches—two on the left and two on the right—which hold sticks of dynamite. Even in this uniform, he still has his bandoliers, drop leg holsters, combat knife sheath, gun holster, Zulfiqar, and other portable items on his person. His load-bearing backpack is replaced with a cornflower-hued one, and he dons a pair of dark purple tactical gloves.

He wears two personalised friendship bracelets. One features Walter's name in letter beads, paired with alternating olivine, ultramarine, and red-orange beads. The other bears Tyra's name, accompanied by alternating fuchsia, burgundy, and pinkish-orange beads. He wears red-violet boxer briefs and a medium sea green tank top. On his left wrist, he wears a customised Rolex GMT-Master II wristwatch, featuring purple gold accents instead of the traditional Everose gold or yellow gold.

Character summary: He feels profound shame about adhering to the religious beliefs of Ptolemaios' cult, which he views as perverted and malevolent. Their beliefs promote aggressive militarism, nihilism, and depravity, and he wants to distance himself from them. Owning Zulfiqar further compelled him to turn to Islam, seeking a more positive and morally righteous faith. However, he keeps his Islamic faith hidden from the Ptolemaic Army, fearing they will label him a traitor and ridicule him for abandoning their beliefs. Internally, he struggles with doubts about whether Islam is the right fit for him, torn between conflicting beliefs and values.

He feels profound sympathy and concern for children who were subjected to abuse and exploitation as well as the victims of the Ptolemaic Army's brutality. He’s quick to offer comfort, while also nurturing his strong desire for justice and accountability, ensuring those responsible face consequences. Although he's intellectually brilliant, his curiosity knows no bounds as he's still learning about many things, ranging from appropriate social norms to current political and ecological events. This is the result of extreme helicopter parenting and being indoctrinated into the Ptolemaic Army's depraved and oppressive ideology with the influences of a strict military upbringing and limited access to knowledge. He despises being called "Niney" in a teasing or joking manner because he finds it insensitive and it reminds him of his birth name, which he feels is dehumanising.

He's calculating and sly, using his wit to get himself out of tricky situations, manipulate targets into cooperating with him, and predict his opponents' next moves through careful observation of their behaviour. He's prudently watchful, staying on high alert for danger, keeping a close eye out for traitors, and taking deliberate action at the right moment to ensure tasks are completed effectively. He's a lively, fairly open-minded person who attempts to mask his inherent pessimism with excessive optimism and a radiant, gentle smile. He has a quirky sense of humour, ranging from lighthearted and hilarious to dark and bewildering. However, it can sometimes border on uncomfortable weirdness.

When he's in a goofy and happy mood, he becomes quite flamboyant, cracking jokes, flirting shamelessly, and engaging in playful antics. When intoxicated, he’s prone to temper tantrums, exhibits overly lascivious behaviour towards anyone who catches his attention, and becomes attention-seeking, extremely clingy, jovial, and boisterous. Despite being incredibly intimidating and capricious, he’s a surprisingly respectful, well-mannered, and affectionate peace negotiator. While he can be compassionate and easy-going, he’s also capable of apathy and has a quick temper, particularly when he feels paranoid. Furthermore, he struggles with uncontrollable aggressive outbursts and flashes of intense arrogance and lust.

He's fiercely independent and often prefers to work alone, but will team up with others when he deems it necessary. He’s extremely obedient and reliable, being able to keep secrets and easily follow instructions without rarely questioning them. Furthermore, he's stubbornly determined and hardworking, tirelessly pursuing his goals and fulfilling his duties. There are rare moments where he’ll rebel, especially when it feels as though things are being taken too far or something might actually put his friends’ lives in danger for no reason. As a thrill-seeker, he’s absolutely drawn to danger, which fills him with exhilaration and a sense of being truly alive. He's a sadomasochist driven by intensely heightened killer instincts and an unrelenting thirst for bloodlust. Additionally, he exhibits occasional voyeuristic tendencies and experiences vivid sexual fantasies that evoke strong arousal and deep-seated confusion.

Despite his unimaginable fearlessness, he has a deep-seated fear of punishment, making mistakes (no matter how minor they are), and abandonment by those he cares about. He's not particularly fond of people asking about his personal life and would firmly tell them not to ask such questions. However, he'll make an exception if he realises the person is trustworthy or if he believes sharing the information won't have significant consequences. He craves emotional and physical intimacy, but struggles to express his true feelings due to a fear of rejection. Although he often comes across as superficial, he rarely intends to be shallow. Instead, he struggles to genuinely express his true emotions and grasp complex, overwhelming feelings like heartbreak. His ultimate desire is to break free from his obligations to the Ptolemaic Army, discover his true purpose and identity in life, and find people who will love and accept him for who he is unconditionally.

He lives with PTSD, prosopagnosia, and bipolar disorder, which manifests in major depressive episodes that significantly impact his daily life and manic episodes that cause him to disconnect from reality. As a result of bipolar disorder, he struggles with overwhelming sadness, a profound loss of pleasure, and intense anxiety stemming from the fear of losing control. He’s a lucid dreamer that experiences sleepwalking episodes, which involves aggressive outbursts and bouts of crying during his sleep. Despite considering them trusted comrades, he harbours nihilistic, cynical, and indifferent views towards most people in the Regular Army, Rebel Army, Amadeus Syndicate, and Ptolemaic Army as well as humanity as a whole. Whenever he encounters a pair of glowing red eyes, he believes he's being haunted by a restless spirit sent by the Avatar of Evil to carefully monitor his movements. This deeply unsettles him, and he wishes it would leave him alone forever. However, he realises this wish is futile, so he tries to ignore it by pretending it's just a foolish hallucination.

Due to being able to speak Quechua, it aided him in being on excellent terms with the South Pacific P’isqu Runakuna ("bird people" in Quechua) and Brazilian Nina Runakuna ("fire people" in Quechua). He empathises with their struggles of feeling exploited and misunderstood by others, and goes out of his way to assist them. He regards them as family because they welcome him into their community and reciprocate the respect he shows them. He doesn't care about Ptolemaios' deputies because he views them as "blind and moronic dogs" that only serve to please him and satisfy their own darkest desires. However, he secretly admires Anastasia and 1st Lieutenant Wired, viewing them as the most sane and human deputies compared to the others.

He harbours intense disdain for his father, Colonel Hilde Garn, due to the physical, verbal, and sexual abuse he suffers at his hands in private. However, he's afraid to defy him due to the numerous times he has been severely punished for doing so. He simply wishes that his father could treat him with genuine love and not view him merely as a killing machine and an heir to fulfill his role once he's gone. He feels most appreciated and cherished by his father when he praises him for his mission successes and recognizes his capabilities as a great fighter, which encourages him to be his best and try to please him. Strangely enough, this desire to please his father and gain his undivided attention and love has led to him developing a negative Oedipus complex at a young age, which remains unresolved. This fuels his neurosis, filling him with obsessive thoughts about brutally murdering his father and making love to his mangled corpse.

He’s close friends with Walter and Tyra, who were the first people to make him feel human and treat him with love, respect, and acceptance. Around them, he feels comfortable being himself, but if they express discomfort, he respects their boundaries, giving them space or stopping whatever caused the issue because he doesn't want to jeopardise their friendship. He’s fiercely protective of Walter and Tyra, willing to sacrifice his own needs to ensure their safety, happiness, and comfort. With their help and support, he was able to make a couple of friends and acquaintances with people like Gimlet, Allen Jr., and Nathalie. He cherishes every moment spent with those who bring joy and vitality to his life, such as Ralf and Hyakutaro.

Tyra's past abuse at the hands of the Ptolemaic Army evokes deep sorrow and fuels his intense hatred and desire for righteous vengeance against his employers. He’s deeply infatuated with Tyra, drawn to her gentleness towards him, the respectful manner in which she comforts him, and her remarkable bravery and steadfast independence. He’s the most affectionate with Tyra, often showering her with warm hugs and gentle nuzzles, as he feels profoundly safe and unconditionally loved in her presence. He has romantic feelings for Walter, but he's unsure how to express them and fears his emotions won't be reciprocated. He skillfully conceals his romantic interest in both Tyra and Walter, unsure of how to navigate these emotions or determine if his feelings for them are genuinely rooted in romance.

He maintains a neutral stance on morality, recognizing its inherent subjectivity. Nevertheless, he advocates for personal autonomy in determining right and wrong, allowing individuals to draw inspiration from others as needed. He believes that warfare is a futile and destructive tactic employed by political and militant powers to eliminate opposition and impose their national, moral, and personal ideologies. In his opinion, war instills fear in civilians, demonstrating the brutality of violence, expansionism, and capitalist greed. He believes that life and death are inseparable and interdependent, necessary for the universe's continued existence. To him, worldly life serves as a test of a person's moral character, encouraging individuals to accumulate good deeds and avoid evil, lest they face eternal damnation. Furthermore, he thinks that every person's death is predetermined, and upon passing, they embark on a journey into the afterlife, where their soul is ultimately reabsorbed into the universe.

Backstory: Kosmas-9 was born on June 25, 2007 in Kholodnyi Yar, Ukraine. His mother gave birth to him in the guest room of his father’s mansion, which was located in a remote area far from any major Ukrainian cities. His father, Renat Matviyenko, also known by his codename "Hilde Garn”, is a Ukrainian of Russian and Taiwanese descent. A highly respected and feared Colonel in the Regular Army, he possesses unmatched expertise in guerrilla warfare, honed from his experience as a high-ranking mercenary for the Theophylaktos Union. His mother, Farzona Qurbonova, is a Tajik of Arabic descent and a communications specialist and weapons technician for the Regular Army. She secretly works as a masked soldier, serving as a double agent and an expert in ancient technology for Ptolemaios' cult.

He’s the ninth attempt at a perfected clone for Colonel Hilde Garn because the previous ones were deemed failures. Due to visible deformities, high levels of defiance and impulsivity, and severe psychosis, they were terminated and improved upon in subsequent clones with the goal of creating one that more closely resembled its parent. Although Kosmas-9 was born with a couple of physical differences due to his mother’s DNA slightly mixing with Hilde Garn's dominant genetic code, his father considered him a success. He was glad that his plan to model the perfect heir was now in motion after eight failed attempts. Farzona would aid in Hilde Garn's plans for Kosmas-9, seeing him as a potential asset for Ptolemaios' ambitions.

As a result of inheriting his father's inhuman genes, he proved to be a remarkably intelligent child, despite lacking certain physical characteristics typical of a Tuatha Dé Danann descendant. At just two months old, he uttered his first words: "tato" and "maty". By the age of 1, he could identify all European countries without referencing a map and accurately pronounce their names. When he turned 4-years-old, he would sneak into his father's private office to read books on war history and a rare volume featuring international gun catalogues. Before his 7th birthday, Dilovar demonstrated a profound understanding of the philosophies surrounding morality and war as well as distinctive perspectives on life and death. At 8, he began seeing a pair of glowing red eyes and believed he was being haunted by an evil spirit, but he kept quiet about it, fearing harsh scolding.

Not wanting to continuously call him Kosmas-9, Farzona gave him the name Dilovar Renatvych Matviyenko in honor of his remarkable bravery and his lineage as the direct biological son of a well-seasoned military officer. She treated him with profound tenderness and consistently love bombed him, making him feel extremely special. She rarely scolded him for the mischievous and disturbing things he did, such as drawing on the walls with crayons and breaking the neck of a wounded wood lark she had brought in to care for. This was because she believed he could do no wrong and sought to shape him into the perfect servant for the Avatar of Evil. At midnight, she would sneak into his room and inappropriately touch him, claiming it was okay and that she was only showing him affection.

Hilde Garn was the exact opposite, preferring to address him by Kosmas-9 because he sought to distance himself from his son until he proved worthy of the name his mother had given him. However, on occasion, he would affectionately refer to him as Divo, particularly on days when his son exhibited good behaviour and successfully completed his assigned tasks. He was cold and distant, reserving praise and physical affection for instances where his son performed flawlessly. Despite this, he took his son's military training seriously, teaching him valuable skills such as hand-to-hand combat, safe handling of dangerous weaponry, survival techniques, and basic first aid. To broaden Dilovar’s experience, he often brought him to classified meetings, providing a glimpse into tactical planning and high-level military briefings. At the age of 5, Hilde Garn taught Dilovar all the Slavic languages, Taiwanese, Chinese, and some Arabic, which he quickly grasped without major difficulties.

When Farzona was away at work, his father would often subject him to physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. He would viciously berate him, using derogatory terms to belittle him and unleashing wrathful, long-winded lectures. These tirades would focus on his perceived inadequacies with his father berating him as a disgrace and pathetic for failing to follow instructions, particularly during training sessions on handling weapons or completing everyday tasks like chopping vegetables or doing laundry. When he became extremely angry with Dilovar, he would throw him into his bedroom, lock the door, pin him to the floor, and either smash his head with alcohol bottles or strangle him to the point of difficulty breathing during the sexual assault, while also verbally degrading him.

On one occasion, Hilde Garn caused his son to suffer a grill burn by pushing his face into the flaming hot grill when he became frustrated with Dilovar's struggles to flip an expensive steak. He also carved Dilovar’s designation name into the skin of his upper arm with his mother’s ceremonial dagger as a constant reminder of his perceived identity and purpose. He would manipulate his son into believing that the abuse was a sign of love and care, attempting to normalise the behavior, but Dilovar intuitively knew it was wrong.

Although he didn't fully trust his mother due to her non-consensual touching, he found the most comfort in her. She was the only parent who showed him affection, even though she never intervened to stop Hilde Garn's abuse. Whenever his father was away, Farzona would praise Dilovar after he successfully completed a task, adorn his hair with flowers, and bake delicious desserts with him. She also sparked his interest in arts and crafts, which led him to try traditional Ukrainian crafts that his mother had taught him. His mother had learned these crafts during her time in Ukraine. Notably, he was able to replicate each craft with very few errors. Farzona taught him about ancient cultures and technologies, the esoteric beliefs of the Ptolemaic Army, magical disciplines that fascinated him, and how to efficiently complete his chores.

His parents heavily restricted him from leaving the Matviyenko mansion, fearing that outside influences would undo their hard work and change him into a completely different person. However, he was permitted to venture outdoors and walk around the courtyard and backyard. The only visitors he regularly encountered at the mansion were Hilde Garn's aide-de-camps, Lieutenant Colonel Macba and 1st Lieutenant Wired. He harboured a strong dislike for Macba, who frequently subjected him to aggressive teasing and snarky comments. In contrast, he found Wired tolerable because he treated him with respect and kindness, despite his stoic and weary demeanour.

His mother would mysteriously disappear from his life, filling him with dread as he didn’t want to be stuck with his father. However, Hilde Garn managed to manipulate him into believing that his mother abandoned him because she never truly loved him. He also told Dilovar that his mother was only manipulating him, so she could use him for nefarious purposes, potentially planning to sacrifice him to a malevolent deity or condemn him to the "slave pens" when he reached early adolescence. This revelation deeply shocked him, who was grieving and struggling to accept her disappearance. He became disdainful towards his mother for taking advantage of him. As a result, he grew more accustomed to his father and learned to somewhat love and appreciate him, grateful that he hadn't abandoned him and was actually taking care of him. His father also became somewhat less abusive and more affectionate, although he remained somewhat aloof and would occasionally distance himself from Dilovar.

Shortly after the Ptolemaic Army's detrimental failure against the Regular Army in the Arms Deal Barrage, Hilde Garn introduced Dilovar to Ptolemaios. Although Ptolemaios was initially distrustful, he came to respect Dilovar as the biological son of Hilde Garn, one of his official deputies, and Farzona, one of his trusted and well-liked masked soldiers. As the son of a masked soldier, the cult lavished him with affection and praise. They believed he was worthy of their attention due to his supposed innate "sacred connection" to the Avatar of Evil, which was a result of his birth to a fertile and dedicated masked soldier. The cult would complete the indoctrination process his mother started during his young child years, fully immersing him into their beliefs and values. To achieve this, they isolated him from his father and potential comrades by taking him on a weekend retreat to a secret compound located on the outskirts of the Soursop Jungle. They taught him Quechua and introduced him to the Nina Runakuna, which would lead to a strong mutual bond with the Brazilian tribe.

Seeing great potential in him, Hilde Garn would be granted permission by Ptolemaios to put him through scientific experiments. These experiments included testing the nanotechnology that the Ptolemaic Army received from the Martians. His memories of these experiments are very hazy because he was often drugged with hallucinogens and anesthesia to distract him from what was happening. He can only recall that they injected nanobots into his spinal cord and the muscles of his thighs, and it was incredibly painful. It felt like his blood was flaring up, his skin was being crudely peeled off, and his muscles were painfully spasming. After the experiments were finished, he was put under rigorous training to hone his mastery over nanotechnology.

During his time in the Ptolemaic Army and Phantom Strike, he was utilised to eliminate traitors, conduct investigations into potential strategic locations and threats, breed new cultists and soldiers, and satisfy the sexual desires of the masked soldiers. His exceptional tactical prowess, strong work ethic, and fierce independence earned him a swift promotion to Captain of the Phantom Strike. Many of the female masked soldiers took a particular liking to him, citing his impressive physique and masculine charm. One of them even gifted him Zulfiqar as a sign of genuine respect and a gesture of admiration. Rumors circulated within the Ptolemaic Army that Zulfiqar was either a divine gift from the Avatar of Evil or the result of an abandoned Martian experiment in swordsmithing, fearing its power could thwart their future conquests. Upon discovering Zulfiqar's origins in the Islamic faith, he converted to Islam, but kept his new faith hidden from the Ptolemaic Army.

After receiving intel from an abyssal masked soldier with a contingent of special forces operatives about the P’isqu Runakuna being located on a South Pacific island belonging to the Peregrine Falcons Squad, Ptolemaios and Hilde Garn decided that Dilovar should serve as a double agent. They hoped to leverage his skills to gather important, classified information about the Regular Army, which they could use once the Ptolemaic Army was prepared to launch its conquest. As Dilovar had no existing files, since Hilde Garn wanted to keep him a classified secret, his father forged his Social Insurance Number and birth certificate, and intentionally included false information. Specifically, his birth year was changed from 2007 to 2010, making him the perfect age to join the Peregrine Falcons Squad's cadet program. His school files were also forged to present himself as a worthy candidate for the Peregrine Falcons Squad. He also opened a bank account in Dilovar's name, depositing substantial sums of money into it each time he successfully completed a mission.

At age 22 (though his forged birth certificate listed him as 18), Dilovar was officially accepted into the Peregrine Falcons Squad after acing the written test with a perfect score. He was quickly assigned to the "misfit batch" due to his violent outbursts and manic highs, which often unsettled those around him. His misanthropic view of his fellow cadets, combined with his inhuman abilities, unnatural tactical expertise, and unyielding independence, made him a poor fit for the traditional cadet groups. He befriended Tyra and Walter, going out of his way to teach them important tactical skills like knife fighting and grenade deployment. As he did, he slowly began to trust his fellow cadets, seeing them as worthy and respectable allies. Through them, his eyes were opened to the corruption and moral ambiguity of the Ptolemaic Army, which proved to be far more flawed than he had initially believed.

Each training course was a walk in the park for him, but he decided to spice things up by teaching himself systema, a popular Russian martial art. Meanwhile, he covertly stole classified documents, accessed restricted data on building Slugs, and pilfered weaponry from the Regular Army. His two drill instructors didn't pay much attention to him because he outperformed the rest of the "misfit batch". However, the female instructor took a particular liking to him, showing him both flirtatious attention and maternal warmth in private. He eventually had a brief sexual affair with her, and in return, she shared valuable intelligence on the geography, flora, and fauna of the South Pacific archipelago, a region that would serve as the final training ground for the P.F. Squad cadets.

Upon arriving at the South Pacific archipelago with his fellow cadets, he plunged headfirst into the jungle. Venturing in alone, he utilised his weaponry and rations, which he had discreetly obtained from a Ptolemaic Army special forces operative before boarding the PA33-21 Boat. During this time, he honed his skills in navigating the jungle, developing a deep understanding of its biodiversity and geography. He was overjoyed to have the chance to work and explore in a jungle setting for the first time rather than just attending military meetings with Ptolemaic Army soldiers or taking solitary walks with high-ranking officials.

While trekking through the jungle to practice his stealth skills and locate food and water sources, he stumbled upon a group of P’isqu Runakuna children being surrounded by Rebel Army extremists and bikers, who intended to use them as hostages. The children's plight reminded him of the Nina Runakuna, and he felt compelled to help. He quickly subdued the Rebels, choosing to knock them unconscious and scare them off with warnings rather than causing them harm. Overjoyed and grateful, the children explained that while chasing a Pacific swallow, they had become lost and inadvertently stumbled upon the "scary armed men". He escorted them back to their village safely, earning the community's gratitude for his bravery and humility. Over the next couple of days, he assisted the villagers with hunting and construction projects while learning about their culture, which led to them seeing him as a friend.

During his time with the P’isqu Runakuna, he discovered that they possessed a mysterious monolith bearing cryptic writing that detailed ancient knowledge about the Avatar of Evil and Sol Dae Rokker. He persuaded them to take him to the monolith, and they agreed. Dilovar sailed with a group of P’isqu Runakuna villagers to a remote area of the South Pacific archipelago, seeking to fulfill his request to visit the enigmatic monolith. However, upon arrival, the villagers were brutally massacred by Rebel Infantrymen, who had established a makeshift hideout in the area. The Rebels, residing in their half-finished "dungeon”, captured Dilovar. Recognising him as the man their superior had mentioned, the Rebel soldiers promptly transported him via helicopter to an abandoned building located beneath a staircase in a ruined area, near the jungle entrance. There, Dilovar discovered that his female drill instructor was secretly a Rebel ally named Sagan.

Sagan forcibly confined him to a cramped cage, and Dilovar offered little resistance, finding the situation oddly amusing and exciting. He was interrogated by her, who sought information about his purpose, army allegiance, and any valuable technology, weaponry or expertise his army possessed. Despite her offers of sexual favors and comfortable treatment, Dilovar remained resolute in his silence. When coercion failed, Sagan resorted to stripping him bare, subjecting him to whipping and cutting, and even amputating his thumb. The ordeal culminated in Dilovar being forced to witness the gruesome executions of a small handful of P.F. Squad cadets. Yet, throughout the torture, he refused to share any confidential information, remaining oblivious to Sagan's true intentions. He would often engage in playful teasing with Sagan, attempt to initiate conversations with suggestive undertones, make threats of death and rape during explosive outbursts of aggression or offer respectful compliments on her appearance.

One night, while Sagan was absent, two Rebel bodyguards were tasked to carefully watch over Dilovar. Seizing an opportunity, he cleverly deceived them into opening his cage, pretending he needed to relieve himself. Unbeknownst to the guards, Dilovar had secretly managed to free his wrists from the ropes. As the bodyguards unlocked the cage, Dilovar swiftly activated his feral persona and launched a ferocious attack, mutilating the guards. He then gathered his belongings and navigated his way back to the P’isqu Runakuna. Once he found their village, he began formulating a plan to launch a counterattack against the Rebel forces.

He, alongside Hyakutaro and Issenmantaro, fought the Shoe tank before the entrance of the Rebel Army's latest base of operations after receiving intel from Rumi that Sagan was around. After destroying the tank and forcing the surviving contingent of Rebel soldiers to surrender, they learned that Sagan was devising an escape plan and used the Shoe tank as a decoy. Although he considered taking drastic action against the pilot, Torquil, to satisfy his bloodlust, Hyakutaro advised against it, stating it wasn't worth their time. He spared Torquil's life after the pilot offered encouraging compliments, showing respect for Dilovar and his team's tactical prowess, and revealed the location of the Cabracan.

Once the Survival Island Occupation was over, he bid farewell to the P’isqu Runakuna and promised to visit them again. Following the incident, Dilovar graduated with top honors alongside Walter and Tyra. He then joined Division 6, having accepted Hyakutaro's invitation, and rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. During his visit to the Ptolemaic Army’s compound in Osaka, Japan, he secretly shared the location of the Monoeyes monolith and key information about the P’isqu Runakuna, including their fighting style and beliefs, with Ptolemaios and his deputies. They decided to allow him to continue working as a double agent, seeking to gain insight into the Regular Army and their latest special forces unit, Division 6.

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Why Choose Chanson Water for Your Alkaline Water Machine?

When searching for a water ionizer machine in Delhi, you want a reliable brand that delivers on its promises. Chanson Water stands out for several reasons:

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Visit us today at: 618, 6th Floor, PP Trade Centre, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitam Pura, New Delhi, Delhi 110034 Call us at: 01147042098 Explore more on our website: https://chansonqualitywater.com

FAQs

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#Healthy Drinking Water in Delhi #Water Ionizer in Delhi #water ionizer #chanson water ionizer #water softener #water ionization machine #ph level #under sink water ionizers #best water ionizer #alkaline water machine #ph meter price #human body ph level

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science-lover33 · 1 year ago

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Exploring the Intricacies of the Respiratory System 🫁💨

Welcome to my Tumblr blog, where we embark on an exciting journey through the intricate world of human anatomy and physiology. Today, we're focusing our lens on the respiratory system – a wondrous network of organs and tissues that orchestrates the exchange of gases essential for our survival. So, fasten your seatbelts as we venture into the fascinating realm of respiration!

Anatomy of the Respiratory System: A Symphony of Structures

At its core, the respiratory system consists of a highly organized ensemble of organs and structures working together seamlessly. This symphony of components includes the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and, of course, the lungs. Each of these elements has a crucial role to play in the intricate process of breathing, ensuring our bodies receive a constant supply of life-sustaining oxygen while effectively eliminating carbon dioxide.

The Alveoli: Tiny Powerhouses of Gas Exchange

Now, let's zoom in on the alveoli, the star players in the respiratory system's performance. These microscopic air sacs, nestled deep within the lungs, are where the real magic happens. Through the process of diffusion, oxygen from inhaled air enters the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism, is expelled from the blood into the alveoli to be exhaled. It's here, at this cellular level, that the respiratory system's vital exchange takes place.

Breathing Mechanics: The Art of Inhalation and Exhalation

But how does it all come together? Breathing, a seemingly simple act, is a complex process guided by the contraction and relaxation of specialized muscles, primarily the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. These muscular movements manipulate the volume of the thoracic cavity, creating changes in pressure that facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs. Understanding the mechanics of breathing is fundamental to comprehending various respiratory disorders and their potential treatments.

Regulation of Respiration: A Symphony Conducted by the Brain

The respiratory system doesn't operate in isolation; it's under the watchful eye of our central nervous system. The medulla and pons, two regions of the brainstem, serve as the conductors in this symphony of breath. They continuously monitor factors like blood pH, carbon dioxide levels, and oxygen levels, adjusting our breathing rate and depth to maintain the delicate balance required for optimal body function.

Recommended Resources to Dive Deeper:

Book: "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology" by Gerard J. Tortora and Bryan H. Derrickson - This comprehensive textbook provides an in-depth exploration of the respiratory system, complete with detailed illustrations and accessible explanations for all levels of learners.

Article: "The Physiology of Respiration" by Stephen A. Ernst and John R. Helliwell - Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this scholarly article offers an authoritative look into the physiological mechanisms of respiration, making it a valuable reference for those seeking in-depth knowledge.

Book: "Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials" by John B. West - For a concise yet informative journey through the key concepts of respiratory physiology, this book is an excellent resource, perfect for those looking to grasp the essentials of the subject quickly.

I hope this extended entry has sparked your curiosity about the intricate workings of the respiratory system. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you'd like to explore another captivating topic in the realm of medicine and biology! 🌬📚

Here is my YouTube channel where you will find interesting videos, here is the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system

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#respiratory system #anatomy #human anatomy #physiology #teaching #science #biology #college #education #school #student #medicine #doctors #health #healthcare #nursing #nurselife #nurse #Youtube

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transgenderer · 1 year ago

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The musculature of the short-beaked echidna has a number of unusual aspects. The panniculus carnosus, an enormous muscle just beneath the skin, covers the entire body.[45] By contraction of various parts of the panniculus carnosus, the short-beaked echidna can change shape, the most characteristic shape change being achieved by rolling itself into a ball when threatened, so protecting its belly and presenting a defensive array of sharp spines. It has one of the shortest spinal cords of any mammal, extending only as far as the thorax.[46] Whereas the human spinal cord ends at the first or second lumbar vertebra, for the echidna it occurs at the seventh thoracic vertebra. The shorter spinal cord is thought to allow flexibility to enable wrapping into a ball.[47]

The panniculus carnosus is a part of the subcutaneous tissues in vertebrates. It is a layer of striated muscle deep to the panniculus adiposus.[1] In humans, the platysma muscle of the neck, palmaris brevis in the hand, and the dartos muscle in the scrotum are described as a discrete muscle of the panniculus carnosus. Some of the muscles of facial expression in the head are part of the panniculus carnosus. In other parts of the body, the layer is vestigial, and may be absent or may exist only as microscopic, disconnected fibers.

The musculature of the face, jaw and tongue is specialised for feeding. The tongue is the animal's sole means of catching prey, and can protrude up to 180 mm (7 in) outside the snout.[22] The snout's shape, resembling a double wedge, gives it a significant mechanical advantage in generating a large moment, so makes it efficient for digging to reach prey or to build a shelter.[48] The tongue is sticky because of the presence of glycoprotein-rich mucus, which both lubricates movement in and out of the snout and helps to catch ants and termites, which adhere to it. The tongue is protruded by contracting circular muscles that change the shape of the tongue and force it forwards and contracting two genioglossal muscles attached to the caudal end of the tongue and to the mandible. The protruded tongue is stiffened by a rapid flow of blood, which allows it to penetrate wood and soil. Retraction requires the contraction of two internal longitudinal muscles, known as the sternoglossi. When the tongue is retracted, the prey is caught on backward-facing keratinous "teeth", located along the roof of the buccal cavity, allowing the animal both to capture and grind food.[26][49] The tongue moves with great speed, and has been measured to move in and out of the snout 100 times a minute.[22][50] This is partly achieved through the elasticity of the tongue and the conversion of elastic potential energy into kinetic energy.[49] The tongue is very flexible, particularly at the end, allowing it to bend in U-turns and catch insects attempting to flee in their labyrinthine nests or mounds.[51] The tongue also has an ability to avoid picking up splinters while foraging in logs; the factors behind this ability are unknown.[49] It can eat quickly; a specimen of around 3 kg (6.6 lb) can ingest 200 g (7.1 oz) of termites in 10 minutes.[52]

The echidna's stomach is quite different from other mammals. It is devoid of secretory glands and has a cornified stratified epithelium, which resembles horny skin. Unlike other mammals, which typically have highly acidic stomachs, the echidna has low levels of acidity, almost neutral, with pH in the 6.2–7.4 range. The stomach is elastic, and gastric peristalsis grinds soil particulates and shredded insects together. Digestion occurs in the small intestine, which is around 3.4 m (11 ft) in length. Insect exoskeletons and soil are not digested, being ejected in the waste.[52]

The leathery snout is keratinised and covered in mechano- and thermoreceptors, which provide information about the surrounding environment.[57][60] These nerves protrude through microscopic holes at the end of the snout,[61] which also has mucus glands on the end that act as electroreceptors. Echidnas can detect electric fields of 1.8 mV/cm—1000 times more sensitive than humans—and dig up buried batteries.[62] A series of push rods protrude from the snout. These are columns of flattened, spinous cells, with roughly an average diameter of 50 micrometres (0.0020 in) and a length of 300 micrometres (0.012 in). The number of push rods per square millimetre of skin is estimated to be 30 to 40.[63]Longitudinal waves are believed to be picked up and transmitted through the rods, acting as mechanical sensors, to allow prey detection.[64]

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Numerous physiological adaptations aid the lifestyle of the short-beaked echidna. Because the animal burrows, it must tolerate very high levels of carbon dioxide in inspired air, and will voluntarily remain in situations where carbon dioxide concentrations are high. It can dig up to a metre into the ground to retrieve ants or evade predators, and can survive with low oxygen when the area is engulfed by bushfires. The echidna can also dive underwater, which can help it to survive sudden floods. During these situations, the heart rate drops to around 12 beats per minute, around one-fifth of the rate at rest. This process is believed to save oxygen for the heart and brain, which are the most sensitive organs to such a shortage; laboratory testing has revealed the echidna's cardiovascular system is similar to that of the seal.[38] Following the devastation of a bushfire, echidnas can compensate for the lack of food by reducing their daytime body temperature and activity through use of torpor, for a period of up to three weeks.[53]

A well-developed olfactory system may be used to detect mates and prey. A highly sensitive optic nerve has been shown to have visual discrimination and spatial memory comparable to those of a rat.[65] The brain and central nervous system have been extensively studied for evolutionary comparison with placental mammals, particularly with its fellow monotreme, the platypus.[66][67] The average brain volume is 25 ml (0.88 imp fl oz; 0.85 US fl oz), similar to a cat of approximately the same size;[68] while the platypus has a largely smooth brain, the echidna has a heavily folded and fissured, gyrencephalic brain similar to humans, which is seen as a sign of a highly neurologically advanced animal. The cerebral cortex is thinner, and the brain cells are larger and more densely packed and organised in the echidna than the platypus, suggesting evolutionary divergence must have occurred long ago. Almost half of the sensory area in the brain is devoted to the snout and tongue, and the part devoted to smell is relatively large compared to other animals.[69]

The short-beaked echidna has the largest prefrontal cortex relative to body size of any mammal,[66] taking up 50% of the volume in comparison to 29% for humans.[70] This part of the brain in humans is thought to be used for planning and analytical behaviour, leading to debate as to whether the echidna has reasoning and strategising ability.[70][71] Experiments in a simple maze and with a test on opening a trap door to access food, and the echidna's ability to remember what it has learnt for over a month, has led scientists to conclude its learning ability is similar to that of a cat or a rat.[72]

The solitary short-beaked echidna looks for a mate between May and September;[27] the precise timing of the mating season varies with geographic location.[93] In the months before the mating season, the size of the male's testes increases by a factor of three or more before spermatogenesis occurs.[94] Both males and females give off a strong, musky odour during the mating season, by turning their cloacas inside out and wiping them on the ground, secreting a glossy liquid believed to be an aphrodisiac.[42] During courtship—observed for the first time in 1989—males locate and pursue females. Trains of up to 10 males, often with the youngest and smallest male at the end of the queue,[95] may follow a single female in a courtship ritual that may last for up to four weeks; the duration of the courtship period varies with location.[22][96] During this time, they forage for food together, and the train often changes composition, as some males leave and other join the pursuit.[95] In cooler parts of their range, such as Tasmania, females may mate within a few hours of arousal from hibernation.[97]

Before mating, the male smells the female, paying particular attention to the cloaca. This process can take a few hours, and the female can reject the suitor by rolling herself into a ball.[94] After prodding and sniffing her back,[94] the male is often observed to roll the female onto her side and then assume a similar position himself so the two animals are abdomen to abdomen, having dug a small crater in which to lie. They can lie with heads facing one another, or head to rear.[98] If more than one male is in the vicinity, fighting over the female may occur.[98] Each side of the bilaterally symmetrical, rosette-like, four-headed penis (similar to that of reptiles and 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length) is used alternately, with the other half being shut down between ejaculations. Sperm bundles of around 100 each appear to confer increased sperm motility, which may provide the potential for sperm competition between males.[98][99] This process takes between a half and three hours.[98] Each mating results in the production of a single egg, and females are known to mate only once during the breeding season; each mating is successful.[100]

#Youtube

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wolffyluna · 2 months ago

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Books What I Read This Week (More Than Usual)

Unsafe by Cathy Glass

Another Cathy Glass foster memoir, but a different flavour than usual. The gap between the events and publishing them was a lot smaller, and well. It wasn't "Here's how I helped this kid, while optionally discovering why their family is Like That." It was "and here is why I retired from foster caring." It's a good portrait of why exactly she got disillusioned.

A House By The Sea and The Ones Who Come At Last by PH Lee Two short stories, both responses to Omelas. The first is "what happens when the forsaken children grow up" and the second is "what if refugees came to Omelas." Both very good examples of the genre, and both free.

Still Life With Bones by Alexa Haggerty

This one is about the experiences of an anthropologist exhuming bodies from mass graves from genocides, and thus discussion is going under the cut.

(Also under the cut: a rant about a tarot book I read.)

This book is very heavy, but good. It's about what it's like being a trainee anthropologist working on exhumations: a lot of the organisations in Guatemala and Argentina that work to exhume and identify victims get a fair chunk of their funding by training anthropologists from other countries, because if you want to get experience with a lot of bodies quickly... There are also interviews from living victims and activists and other anthropologists. It's a book about death and violence and grief and science, especially in the ways science is ~ideological?

Part of the thesis it builds to is about how... forensic anthropology and exhumation is scientific, yes, but also intensely ritual. Like, the way they set up dig sites is like that for practical reasons: maintaining chain of custody, making sure no bodies get separated from their context, stopping randos from wandering in. But it is also about imposing order of the chaos of unspeakable violence, of going "you may have killed and hid these people, but we're going to find them, WITH SCIENCE!" And that's ritual.

And on a fundamental level 'it is A Grave Wrong for bodies to be dumped in a well, we are going to go to great effort to careful extract them, and then use DNA to identify them so the bodies can be returned to their families" is ritual behaviour.

My brain is connecting it to that one art piece that's on the side of a hospital, of a man holding off the reaper with the rod of Asclepius.

Taking the tools of science for very human, emotional reasons of "fuck you, death, we're going to stop you as long as we can. And if we can't stop you, we're going to bury our dead properly"

This book also gave me emotions about a teaching skeleton.

A group of anthropologists was exhuming a mass grave on a military base, with the aim to identify the victims and return the bodies to their families. They found the body of a teenage girl, and a dog on top of her. They asked around, and found there was a teenage girl who went everywhere with her dog, and was last seen at that military base. The anthropologists went to her family, and asked for a DNA sample to confirm her identity and then return her body to them and the family went "we don't have a daughter. We never had a daughter. We won't give you DNA. Goodbye."

The anthropologists had to work what to do with her body. And they decided:

She loved her dog, they should stay together

She should be somewhere where she is wanted

So she became a teaching skeleton, along with her dog. She is a valuable member of the staff. And after every time she is used to test the students, her story is told.

WTF Is Tarot by Baraka Wintner

I will preface this by saying that I'm coming at this from a weird angle: 1. I think Tarot works, but for mundane and non-supernatural reasons. 2. I'm refreshing my Tarot knowledge because I like to use it as a randomisation tool to generate ideas for stories.

I'm of two minds about recommending this book. It is a very readable book, and I do like the author's willingness to swear and use anecdote to explain cards instead of dry lists. I think there's also some useful ideas in her specific practice: for example, The Fool card features a picture of someone leaping off a cliff. She uses what card The Fool is leaping towards as a tool for analysis. Is it leaping towards a positive card? Be a holy fool, no thoughts head empty, just go for it! Is it leaping towards a negative card? COMMON SENSE IS COMMON FOR A REASON AND YOU SHOULD USE IT.

But I have two big caveats.

(And this is under a cut just because it is long)

Firstly, there are at least three cards that I noticed that she uses nonstandard meanings for. One is a case of looking at the picture to understand it instead of the usual interpretation (Temperance, and her understanding of it also relies on her, hmm, distinctive spiritual practices), one is a case of afaik trying to avoid the sexist implications in the way she organised the cards (The Moon), and one is taking the reversed meaning as the standard in an exciting and sexist way (The Queen of Swords, and this is coming up later.)

Secondly... look, Tarot is pretty sexist a lot of times, and Wintner is trying, it's just... she's trying in the "well, anyone divine masculine or divine feminine, it doesn't matter what your genitals are!" without really thinking through the fact that feminine here means "passive and emotional" and masculine means "active, organised, rational." There's also this thing where-- I know I'm reading more into the text than she intends to-- she seems kind of offput by the masculine female cards? She really emphasises how masculine and unusual they are, even though technically there's the same number of feminine male cards? She also only ever talks about the flaws of high ~rational intelligence without emotional intelligence to back it up, and never the vice versa.

And this leads to her Queen of Swords rant. I wish I could quote it, but it's one of those things where I'd need to quote the whole thing to get across the sheer passion and vehemence.

The Queen of Swords, in the standard interpretation is about clear headed rational+unemotional judgement, and clear boundaries. It's more likely than other cards to represent a specific person.

The Queen of Swords, according to Wintner: A COLD HEARTED BITCH WHO LASHES OUT BECAUSE SHE HASN'T HEALED. UNLIKE ME, WHO IS YELLING ABOUT AN ENTIRELY HYPOTHETICALLY SMART WOMAN WITH BOUNDARIES

And it's just. She mentions later in the book her difficulties with setting boundaries, it creates this gestalt-- it feels like she's having an argument with, like, an accountant that told her no once? And it's the epitome of a pattern where she's not comfortable with boundaries, she's not comfortable with people who prioritise logic over intuition and emotion, and she's in particular not comfortable with masculine women, and thing which here means 'women who favour rationality over emotion.'

Yeah.

(I am aware I just psychoanalysed an author I never met, but like. You too could psychoanalyse me from what I've written-- feel free to guess which minor arcana suit I see myself most in :P-- and sauce for the goose is sauce for the other goose.

And if Wintner wants to complain, well, I've just done a tarot reading about her energy, and cards are saying she needs more Justice + Emperor + Queen of Swords :P)

#books

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jcsmicasereports · 4 months ago

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Emerging infectious agents: an unusual case of Metapneumovirus pneumonia in an adult patient by Graziana Francesca Greco in Journal of Clinical Case Reports Medical Images and Health Sciences

Abstract

Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV), a relatively new virus, is a common cause of acute respiratory infection, especially common in the pediatric population. Despite hMPV infection in adults is possible, this rarely results in serious clinical manifestation. Here, we describe a hypoxemic respiratory failure related to pneumonia in an adult patient in whom hMPV was detected in respiratory samples.

Keywords

Human Metapneumovirus; SARS-CoV-2; Covid-19.

CASE HISTORY

A 61-yr-old caucasian man presented to the Emergency Department (ASST Mantua Hospital, Mantua, Italy) with fever up to 39°C, poorly responsive to antipyretics, nocturnal dyspnea and productive cough with mucus-purulent sputum for three days. On physical examination he appeared in good general condition, collaborating and oriented. The following parameters were recorded: blood pressure 140/90mmHg, heart rate of 100 beats min-1; respiratory rate of 23 breaths min-1; and body temperature of 38.4°C. His arterial oxygen saturation on room air was 87%. Chest examination revealed abnormal breath sounds with rhonchi and fine crackles in the middle lobe and inferior lobes bilaterally, no wheezes were heard. Laboratory findings revealed lymphocytosis (81000 x 103/µl), low platelet count (113000 x 106/µl) and an increase in alanine transaminase value (59 U/L), total bilirubin value (1.13 mg/dL) and CPR value (112 mg/L). Room air arterial blood gas analysis showed a normocapnic hypoxemia: pH 7.43, carbon dioxide tension 40.5 mmHg, oxygen tension 60.4 mmHg, and HCO3 24 mmol L-1. The SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test on nasopharyngeal swab was negative. A chest radiograph showed multiple, small, patchy opacities in the right upper and middle lobe and no pleural effusion was observed. Based on these findings he was admitted to the Respiratory Department.

His medical history included chronic lymphocytic leukemia in follow-up which did not require any specific treatment. He denied taking any medications or to be a smoker, he drinks a glass of wine once a day and has no known allergies. The patient was a farmer who cultivates wheat and maize but he had no animal exposure and no travel history in the last few years. There is no family history or childhood history of respiratory complaints. He was vaccinated with three dosesagainst the SARS-CoV-2 infection (Pfizer) but not against the influenza virus.

Based on the patient’s presentation and testing results, on suspicion of bacterial pneumonia he was empirically treated with IV Piperacillin/Tazobactam, the patient required oxygen support at 3L min-1 and an inhalation therapy with Beclomethasone/Formoterol was set up ex adiuvantibus. In the following days, several microbiological investigations were carried out to determine the etiology of pneumonia: blood culture, urinoculture, sputum culture, Legionella, Haemofilus and Pneumococcus serologic tests, Legionella pneumophila and Pneumococcal urinary antigen test, all of which were negative.

A nasopharyngeal swab FilmArray Respiratory Panel Assay (NP FARP) was then requested: it was positive for human Metapneumovirus and the result was confirmed by repeating the test. For non responder fever and further increase of CPR (230 mg/l) and PCT (0.27 ng/ml), Levofloxacin and later Meropenem were added in the perspective of a resistant bacterial etiology. On the 6th hospitalization day a chest computed tomography (CT) scan was obtained (Figures 1 and 2) which demonstrated large opacities with gradient borders, distributed in the peribronchial area at the right upper lobe, middle lobe and both the lower lobes; they tended to the confluence configuring parenchymal consolidations with aerial bronchogram at the level of the cost-phrenic angle. Imaging also showed bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy (max diameter 3.4 x 2 cm), splenomegaly and absence of pleural effusion. Blood chemistry tests for HIV, Aspergillus antigen and galactomannan were also investigated but turned out negative. To rule out other infectious agents the patient underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) into the middle lobe. BAL provides material for various microbiological and cytological tests: Gram stain, culture, Koch’s bacillus DNA, Galactomannan, Cytomegalovirus and P. Jirovecii and immunological analysis were negative. From respiratory virus panel on BAL only human Metapneumovirus was isolated, this unique microbiological data was according to the NP FARP’s result, thus supporting and confirming the new hypothesis of a viral pneumonia in an adult patient with probable secondary mild immunosuppression due to his hematological disease. About ten days after entering the ward, there was a gradual decrease of CPR and a progressive improvement in clinical conditions and respiratory function to allow the suspension of oxygen therapy. At the end of hospitalization, pulmonary function tests were performed and showed a restrictive syndrome (FEV1/FVC 76.2, TLC 68% and VC 79% of predicted) and mild reduction of diffusion capacity (DLCO 62% and KCO 99%), probably representing the residual functional impairment due to viral pneumonia. The patient finally suspended all therapies and at discharge was referred for a one-month follow-up visit.

DISCUSSION

Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV), a relatively new virus first discovered in 2001, has been detected in 4-16% of patients with acute respiratory infections [1] [2] [3]. In particular, a recent review of 48 previous articles, including 100,151 patients under the age of five hospitalized for CAP, identified this virus as a cause of pneumonia in 3.9% of patients [4]. A recent study of 1386 hospitalized adult patients identified hMPV pneumonia in only 1.64%, indicating that it was much less common than in the infant population [5]. Metapneumovirus causes disease primarily in infants, but rarely can infect immunosuppressed individuals and elderly as well. Seroprevalence studies have shown that 90-100% of 5-10 years old children have previous infection [6]. Reinfection can occur during adulthood because of defected immunity acquired during the first contact with hMPV and/or because of different viral genotypes. The incubation period varies widely but is typically 3-5 days. The disease severity depends on the patient's condition and it ranges from mild upper airway infection to life-threatening pneumonia or bronchiolitis [7]. Clinically, Metapneumovirus infection is often indistinguishable from RSV infection, particularly in the pediatric population, and common symptoms include hypoxemia, cough, fever, upper and lower airway infections and wheezing [8]. hMPV infant patients are often hospitalized for bronchiolitis and pneumonia [9]. In young adults, a flu-like syndrome with fever may occur in a small number of instances, but infection in geriatric subjects may cause severe clinical manifestations such as pneumonia and, in rare cases, death [10].

As described in this case, it was not surprising that antibiotics and corticosteroids were administered in most patients infected with Metapneumovirus mainly for two reasons: in most cases the specific diagnostic tests for hMPV are not carried out at admission and/or physicians prefer to continue steroid and antibiotic treatment to control potential unidentified bacterial infections in patients in which no etiological agent had been identified associated with hMPV infection. The overuse of these drugs could therefore be reduced through the adoption at admission of specific diagnostic tests for such etiological agent, especially if specific risk factors are present (age, immunodepression, etc.). In addition, the adoption of such tests could reduce the nosocomial spread of this virus, allowing an early isolation of the infected patient [11].

Conflicts of interest: The authors certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript. Funding: The authors report no involvement in the research by the sponsor that could have influenced the outcome of this work.

Authors’ contributions : All authors contributed equally to the manuscript and read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

#Human Metapneumovirus #sars cov 2 #covid 19 #jcrmhs #Journal of Clinical Case Reports Medical Images and Health Sciences quartile

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