#lovelace happy feet

[lord-of-the-weird]

before haircut, after haircut

[amf-studios]

Another faux-kai I made for pride month, this is Dadelie!

Fun fact, most animals have examples of homosexuality! And among them, Penguins are quite notable for it being ridiculously common among them.

In fact, it's even noted that gay penguin couples will adopt stray eggs and take great care of them, and that idea is what inspired this guy!

Dadelie is the embodiment of a wholesome stay at home dad! He typically inspirits fathers and father figures and makes them filled with a massive amount of affection for their kids! And also make a lot of dad jokes.

I mostly took inspiration from Lovelace from Happy feet(particularly his sweater from the second movie), Ned Flanders, and Patton from sandersides. The name is a combination of Adelie, and Dad.

Dadelie is a D rank of the heartful tribe, and is a water attribute. His soultimate is: a Father's love! Which heals his allies.

He also has the inspirit: Parental affection, which passively heals affected allies while affected.

I hope you enjoy my goofy Lil bird dad here!

[phoenixyfriend]

Rexidala but make them Happy Feet

I just had The STUPIDEST AU idea

Okay so. To preface. I was kind of obsessed with the movie Happy Feet as a kid. And one of the songs came up on a suggested playlist on my drive home, Boogie Wonderland.

I am not imagining characters as penguins. I am imagining them with the General Vibes of the penguins.

Specifically: Dorky Rex in a bowtie looking at his love interest with stars in his eyes, kinda unpopular because of A Mutation, and a love interest that's way out of his league. And, very importantly, his gaggle of Adélie hypemen

(I'm thinking Rexidala, because. Padme is out of everyone's league)

This isn't really a fic AU, it's more a "someone draws a couple scenes inspired by the movie" kind of art AU.

The image in my head is Rex standing flushed and grinning after his lil tap dance number...

And absolutely losing their shit with the rapping and hip-hop dancing around him (lower down because of squatting/breakdancing) are Fives, Jesse, Echo, Hardcase, and… I wanna say Kix?

(Where's Anakin? Don't know. Maybe he's the penguin equivalent of a mad scientist in a cave. Maybe he's Lovelace or the leopard seal or one of the zoo penguins or something. At any rate, he's doing his thing and uninvolved in the love story beyond maybe being Padme's Good Friend, to mirror Rex finding himself a hype squad.)

I NEED YOU ALL TO IMAGINE DORKY RUMPLED TAP DANCER REX AND HIS GAGGLE OF SHORTER HYPEMEN.

Rex in a lil bowtie and suspenders and tap shoes.

The hypemen in backwards baseball caps and open hoodies and sneakers and doing those exaggerated 'look at my boy go' gestures.

They are having the time of their lives talking up this nerdy guy they found and decided was their Buddy now.

(The Amigos get their moment at about 2:38 if you want to know what moment in the song got me thinking about Fives and co deciding to hype up a buddy.)

Again, they're still human and all, they are also just in a wild dance AU with heartsongs as a whole thing.

[acaciapines]

hey! for the fic ask game: 3, 5 (for the wolf 359 daemon au), 8, 38 and 42?

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

somebody being a least a little bit nonhuman <3 but more broadly i really like writing about human/animal dynamics, both in the nonhuman sense obviously, but also even in my daemon aus--what do humans say about animals? how much is true and how much is just something humans have put onto the animal, rather than what the animal is?

i also think i write a lot about grief, and the ways grief and trauma both can manifest in ways seen as 'unpalatable.' how youre supposed to survive these sorts of things, and how a lot of times the answer is that maybe things dont get better, but they do get different. ie i have a lot of bittersweet endings and i dont think that'll ever change.

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!

oooh ive always hoped somebody would ask what the hell doug-nix and miranda-alphaeus would get up to after the epilogues, 'cause this never got in there (i dont think at least), but i've always had it in mind that they move out eventually! get a place of their own, which would leave minkowski, hera, jacobi, and sometimes lovelace whenever she stops by living together.

i just feel like. miranda and doug are outsiders to that crew, yeah? neither of them remember the people they once were, so. might as well try making something new and better together.

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

this one is particularly topical 'cause a song is actually the inspiration for the current fic i'm writing! grand canyon by the wind and the wave. literally such a frisk and chara song, ALSO a really good roadtrip song, so ive meshed those together and now im working on a post-pacifist chara&frisk centric roadtrip fic! coming out....idk. may probably.

i also think twelve feet deep by the front bottoms could make a real fun onesided dessriel fic. something about 'i get left out of every plan they make / that is what i have to do / to be the only kid from highschool who is still in love with you' REALLY gets to me.

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful?

i think the one that surprised me the most was garden of earthly delights, which was my madoka magica daemon au. seeing as its been Forever since anything madoka has come out (plus daemon aus are Not popular anymore lol), i didnt know there was still an active fandom there, but there WAS, and all my commenters were amazing and lovely and it was so fun seeing everyone trying to uncover the mystery in real time!!! if i had to guess WHY it got popular, i think i'd guess it was the aspect of mystery...something to keep people coming back and commenting!

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

the comments that always stick with me the most are the people who come to tell me that it was my fics (usually either i know im not well or alterhuman) that either helped them feel SEEN as otherkin/therian, or helped them discover that this was a thing they even could be. i think thats been one of the most rewarding things about sharing those stories. theres not a whole lot out there in the ao3 otherkin tag, yknow? and it makes me so happy to know i've been able to help people.

[thehyperrequiem]

Happy Feet (Thehypercutter style) Cast Remastered

A recast for this from my old account.

“Son of Mr. and Mrs. Gallard, little sweet boy Augustus has a big problem: he can't sing a single note. In a world where everyone needs a heart song to attract a soul mate, Augustus feels he doesn't belong there. Our hero Augustus is the worst singer in the world, but he can tap dance brilliantly.”

“Augustus Aquato (Armin Shimerman) the psychic, now called the Master of Tap, has an unusual problem: Raz, his son, is reluctant to dance. Raz runs away from home and encounters the Luigi (Charles Martinet)--a human that can fly. Poor Augustus can't compete with Raz’s unusual new role model. But, when the world is shaken by powerful forces, Raz gets a chance to see his father's true colors as Augustus gathers all characters great and small to set things right again.”

Augustus Aquato (Psychonauts) as Mumble

Donatella Aquato (Psychonauts) as Gloria

Jose Gallard (Balan Wonderworld) as Memphis

Jose Gallard’s Wife (Balan Wonderworld) as Norma Jean

Elder Custard Cookie (Cookie Run) as Noah the Elder

Creme Republic Elders (Cookie Run) as The Elders

Ford Cruller (Psychonauts) as Ramone

Compton Boole (Psychonauts) as Raul

Otto Mentallis (Psychonauts) as Rinaldo

Bob Zanatto (Psychonauts) as Nestor

Helmut Fullbear (Psychonauts) as Lombardo

Truman Zanatto (Psychonauts) as Lovelace

Hol Horse (Jjba) as Seymour

Fortstopher IV (Balan Wonderworld) as Big Boss Skua

The Hydrac (Balan Wonderworld) as Dino the Skua

The Grim Creeper (Balan Wonderworld) as Frankie the Skua

Barktholomew and Worville Wright (Balan Wonderworld) as Brokebeak and Francesco the Skuas

Blue Diamond (Steven Universe) as Miss Viola

Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe) as Mrs. Astrakhan

Bowser (Mario) as Rojas the Leopard Seal

Rasputin Aquato (Psychonauts) as Erik

Dion, Frazie, Tala, and Queepie Aquatos (Psychonauts) as Themselves/Erik’s Siblings

Cass Milligan (Balan Wonderworld) as Boadicea

Lilli Zanotto (Psychonauts) as Herself/Lovelace’s Daughter

Pancake Cookie (Cookie Run) as Atticus

Strabby and Kweeble (Bugsnax) as Will and Bill the Krill

Luigi (Mario) as The Mighty Sven

Lucrecia Mux (Psychonauts) as Carmen

Cassie O'Pia (Psychonauts) as Herself/Carmen's Friend/Raul's Partner

Dark Cacao Kingdom Cookies (Cookie Run) as The Elephant Seals

Dark Cacao Cookie (Cookie Run) as Bryan the Beachmaster

[poemoftheday]

Poem of the Day 27 October 2023

Richard Lovelace. 1618-1658

Gratiana Dancing

SHE beat the happy pavement— By such a star made firmament,   Which now no more the roof envìes!     But swells up high, with Atlas even,     Bearing the brighter nobler heaven,   And, in her, all the deities.

Each step trod out a Lover's thought, And the ambitious hopes he brought   Chain'd to her brave feet with such arts,     Such sweet command and gentle awe,     As, when she ceased, we sighing saw   The floor lay paved with broken hearts.

[thedeadthree]

hiii :D ❤💘🍰 for lilia & lucinde?

MIA HI DEAR ! i hope ur doing well hun! the infamous dears truly have a vice grip on me rn ty ty so much !!!!!!! 🌸✨💕

-`. DETAILS ABOUT OCS.

❤: what are three of your oc's positive traits?

the darling lila is a maverick (an unorthodox or independent-minded person), rather astute (having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage), and alluring (powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive.) !

💘: what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

lizzie lovelace a pop princess caliber face in music, and a former romantic partner of her fathers along with jazzy, together make the dynamic duo that keep lila centered and the first people who hear anything and everything before anyone else on her life. jazzy was actually the first person she met in middle school following her relocation to new york from new orleans (and before that ! paris! her parents loved to move places on whims sajnxka) and save for the BOTB have been inseparable ever since ! she was then introduced to rowan through jazzy and the trio with lizzie have been her anchor since as well! her partner in crime and the go to to cure her bad days! she can be a lot but they truly have her best interest at heart something she didnt have from her parents and for that they mean the world!

AND OF COURSE TEEHEE GRIFFIN REIGN BEFORE AND CERTAINLY WILL BE SOMEONE WHO AND THIS REALIZATION WILL HIT MISS LILIA LIKE A TRUCK WILL MEAN SOMETHING NONE SHORT OF THE WORLD TO HER TEEHEEHEHE *giggling kicking feet*

🍰: when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs?

her birthday is april 19th, 1997 and she is 26! lilia is an aries sun, a libra moon and a leo rising! i would say the card i most align with her is the death card in reversal at her best and upright at her worst. mars would be her ruling planet and her ruling number would be 1! she veeery identifies closely with a very much amount of the traits belonging to her sun and moon and rising ! especially her moon and rising but also a lot of her sun sign as well!

❤: what are three of your oc's positive traits?

lucinde known by her stage name "lucy less" (formerly lucinde lawless to match sevens but she shortened it following their breakup :') ) is felicific (relating to or promoting increased happiness), captivating (capable of attracting and holding interest; charming.), and wistful (having  or  showing  a  feeling  of  vague  or  regretful  longing) !!!!!

💘: what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

seven. seven always will be and still is in spite of the way things ended. she still carries a torch for him these years following and from a distance wishes him well. (if you hear sobbing its me!) the close second and she tells him he's the first would be her brother! he too has a band of his own and is the drummer for an experimental noise rock outfit. OF COURSE there's rowan the remedy to all her bad days wizard in making her smile the best thing since sliced bread and her best friend. and iris who shes been friends with since they were in pre-k, devyn, orion (she had a "secret" crush on him that he probably knew but didn't tell her to save her from the embarrasment that he knew kjsndak), and of course the fans of her band MALWARES (formerly error 404 i just thought it sounded cute!) !

🍰: when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs?

lucys birthday is november 11th, 1997 and she is 26! shes a scorpio sun, sagittarius moon and aquarius rising! the world is the card in tarot that i think i love the most for her. and her ruling planet would be pluto and her ruling number would be 2! on stage she is the archetypal scorpio and off there is so much of her sign she relates to! along with her moon and rising as well that she closely relates!

[softforloki]

Chapter 10: Family Dinner

Chapter List

Word Count: 3,237

Summery: Loki drags his feet to dinner with his girlfriend, her daughter, and his brother. Information is revealed and revelations are had.

Warnings: Reference to sexual encounters, mentions of past pregnancy, and very brief reference to abortion

. . .

“Is your lady on her way?” Thor asked, lifting his water glass.

“Yes, she’s close.” Loki replied, eyes glued to his phone and its message thread with Selene. He had lived on Midgard long enough to understand that having one’s phone out during a meal was impolite, but he couldn’t quite find it in himself to care. He’d stabbed Thor multiple times- he could handle a little impoliteness.

“I’m excited to meet Raven.” Thor continued, either not noticing or blatantly ignoring Loki’s discomfort. “She sounds lovely.”

“She is,” Loki murmured in agreement, twisting around for the eighth time in his seat to watch the restaurant’s front entrance.

“You and the good doctor have spent much of your energies concealing your relationship,” Thor remarked, eyes sparkling. “I’m also excited to see how you two interact without hiding.”

“Can you do me a favor, Thor?” Loki asked suddenly, turning back around in his seat.

His brother blinked. “Of course.”

“I beg of you, do not interrogate Selene or Raven. They’re not…” Loki trailed off, searching for the words. “Selene is a private person, and Raven takes after her. They may not feel comfortable answering personal questions.”

“Brother, you forget; I know Dr. Lovelace.” Thor chuckled. “I know how she tends to keep to herself- and I know what I’ve been told of Raven.” He looked pointedly at Loki. “I know what lines I ought not cross.”

“I know, I know,” Loki sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just…. I’d rather not have this night end in disaster. You are a lot, at times.”

“You’ve told me that more than once.” Thor teased, patting his arm encouragingly. “I’m just glad you’ve found love. You deserve to be happy, brother.”

Loki fell silent, shooting Thor an alarmed look.

“I may not have your mind, Loki, but I do have eyes.” Thor said. “I can tell that you love her.”

“You’ve not even seen us together,” Loki grumbled.

“No, but before? The lingering touches? The knowing glances? Even then I could tell something was going on with you two.”

Loki ran a hand down his face, slightly frazzled. “I haven’t exactly told her, yet.”

“Whyever not?” Thor’s brows raised.

“...I don’t know yet if she loves me.” Loki admitted quietly.

“Hmm.” Thor hummed, tapping his chin exaggeratedly. “Hmm.”

Before Loki had a chance to say something snippy, he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Hey boys, are we late?”

“Not at all!” Thor grinned widely, pulling out the empty chair beside him. “Please, sit.”

Loki glanced up to Selene, and he made an odd strangled sound at the back of his throat.

Her dress was a deep green velvet with a V-neck that was deep enough, her moon tattoo- and her cleavage- were visible. It was patterned with tiny silver stars and crescent moons, and the hem of the dress skimmed her knees, offering a rare yet tantalizing view of her legs. Her long bell sleeves draped over Loki’s shoulders as Selene leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. 

“Hey Lokes,” She purred against his skin, smirking at his bewildered expression.

“Hello,” He murmured, a hand raising to press against her back. “You look magnificent.”

“Thanks. I haven’t had an excuse to wear this in years.” She joked, plucking a piece of lint off the shoulder of his blazer. “You’re not so bad yourself, handsome.”

Loki laughed quietly, the world around him melting away as he gazed at Selene. Her teasing smirk faded into something softer, more full of adoration as she tucked a stray curl behind his ear. He moved his hand to touch her face, his thumb laying at the corner of her painted lips. 

Thor cleared his throat. “Would one of you be so kind as to introduce me to the little one?”

Loki snapped his head up to his brother, startled and ashamed to realize he’d quite forgotten about Raven.

She stood a step behind her mother, her face scrunched in disgust at the public display of affection. She wore an adorably ruffled dress patterned with flowers and vines, and her hair had been neatly plaited down her back.

“Sorry, Thor.” Selene laughed apologetically as Loki pulled out the chair next to him for her to sit. “This is Raven. Rave, this is Thor. He’s my friend from work and Loki’s brother.”

“Hi,” She waved shyly as Selene gently urged her into the chair Thor had pulled out.

“It’s good to meet you, your mother speaks well of you.” He said brightly, offering her a kind smile. He then leaned over to Loki, muttering quietly into his ear. “If she is not in love with you, I’m the queen of England.”

Loki gently pushed him away, scowling. He drank heavily from his water glass to hide his rapidly heating face.

Thor kept conversation flowing with his constant chatter. Loki realized with some guilt that he’d underestimated his brother’s powers of self control as the only ‘interrogation’ he gave Selene was a single question about the timeline of their relationship. They chatted loosely about Selene’s work and Raven’s school, at which point he and Selene regaled Thor with the only slightly-exaggerated version of what had happened at the open house.

Until he ruined it. As usual.

“Do you speak with Raven’s father?” Thor asked Selene after their food had arrived. “I don’t believe you’ve ever mentioned him.”

Loki looked cautiously to the Lovelaces. Selene pursed her lips, her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline. Raven’s fork froze in midair, strands of spaghetti slipping off and falling back to her plate. 

“He’s not exactly around.” Selene answered slowly.

“Oh? Why not?” Thor asked, seemingly oblivious to the rising tension. “Were you two together?”

“Thor.” Loki hissed, pinching his leg. Hard. “Remember our discussion about personal questions?”

“It’s okay.” Selene twisted her fork in her fingers, her expression conflicted. “His name was Jay, and we were dating. We were dating for a while, actually, but when I became pregnant, he decided that he didn’t want to be a part of it.”

“He’s not my dad.” Raven said quietly but firmly. Her eyes had gone hard, fixed on her plate as she pushed her pasta around. “He didn’t want me. Dads want their kids. They love their kids, and don’t want to leave them.”

Loki felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He watched as Raven glanced up at Thor, shrugged, and went back to her plate. This was not information that she’d been struggling to grapple, or at least it wasn’t anymore. 

“We don’t talk about him a lot.” Selene agreed, stroking her daughter’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” Thor murmured. “We don’t have to talk about this.”

“No, it’s not a problem. We just don’t bring it up often.” Selene shook her head. “Raven was an unexpected surprise. When Jay and I talked about what we were going to do, we disagreed about how we wanted to move forward. I wanted to have my baby, he…. Didn’t. He couldn't convince me to terminate the pregnancy, and I wouldn’t convince him to participate in it, so we went our separate ways.” She shrugged. “He wasn't eager to stick around or give me any trouble, so it wasn't a particularly messy breakup. We just agreed that we wanted different things and moved on.”

“Did he assist you in any way during your pregnancy?” Thor asked hesitantly.

“Thor,” Loki snapped again. He once again thought of all the times throughout his life he’d stabbed his brother, weighing the pros and cons of doing so again.

“It’s alright.” Selene insisted, taking Loki’s hand. She smiled ruefully at Thor. “Funny story about that, actually: no. I never heard from Jay again. I invited him multiple times to appointments and ultrasounds just in case he was interested in checking in. Radio silence. Never once answered my messages or calls, never asked if I needed assistance with anything, he never even called just to say hi.”

“You and Raven have had no contact with her father since you parted ways?” Thor asked incredulously. 

“You heard the kid; he’s not her father. He’s a sperm donor at best.”

Loki watched Raven, but she didn’t react to any of what Selene was saying. She’d clearly heard this all early enough for her to be desensitized to it by now. He reached across the table to tap her plate and get her attention. “When did Mum tell you about him?” He asked gently.

“We were doing a Father’s Day thing at school, and I asked why I didn’t have a dad.”

“That was first grade, right?” Selene asked, to Raven’s silent nod. “So, she would’ve been about six at the time.” She elaborated to Loki and Thor.

Six. Six years old and she’d known her father hadn’t wanted her. He stared in shock at Selene.

“I wasn’t going to lie to her.” She said without him even having to ask, a hint of sharpness in her voice.

“That would be out of character for you.” He replied soothingly, pressing a delicate kiss to her fingers. “For what it’s worth, you’ve done a wonderful job on your own.”

His voice took on a bit of an edge without intending it to. Jay had better hope they never met, because Loki had choice words for him. How foolish could someone be to throw away the most marvelous woman in the universe? Especially over something that he was very responsible for. Anger simmered under his skin.

He felt Selene squeeze his fingers. He caught her eyes. It’s okay, her gaze said. 

Thor quickly shifted gears, asking Raven about her magic lessons with Loki. She immediately perked up to launch into an excited summary of her latest lesson.

Selene leaned into Loki as the two talked. “He’s not worth your anger.” She whispered.

“But you are.” He argued.

Selene inhaled shakily, moving back to look fully at him. Her forehead creased as she gazed at him, her eyes roaming his face- looking for what? Loki couldn’t say. Whatever she found there made her eyes widen a bit, and her lips curled into a small, stunned smile.

She squeezed his hand, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek, whispering a quick “Thank you,” before turning back to jump into Raven and Thor’s conversation. “I practically scribbled all over his magic books with red ink to limit his curriculum.” She joked. “There are some things that a nine-year-old shouldn’t be able to do.”

“But I wanna teleport,” Raven pouted.

“No, I agree with your mum on that one.” Loki interjected. “That’s quite complex magic and can be dangerous if you’re not careful.”

“He nearly teleported himself into the wrong end of a sword once.” Thor said cheerfully. “Do you remember, brother? We were sparring and you thought to teleport yourself behind me to get the upper hand!”

“I remember.” Loki grumbled. “Thank you so much for never letting me live that down.”

“It’s my greatest pleasure.” Thor smirked, patting Loki on the back.

He let the embarrassment roll off his back as he watched Selene and Raven laugh, the tension from the mention of Jay diffusing. He squeezed Selene’s hand again under the table. 

They’d be okay.

. . .

Loki couldn’t fight the fond grin that crossed his face when Raven situated herself between him and Selene on the walk from the subway station to the Lovelace residence, taking both their hands.

Thor had peeled off early when they’d finished dinner, telling Loki he’d meet him back at the Tower. He bid the mother and daughter farewell with a tight hug for Selene and a fond hair ruffle for Raven.

“I like him.” Raven decided, swinging her joined hands with her mother and Loki.

“Yeah?” Selene lilted.

“Yeah.” Raven nodded. “He’s funny.”

“He’s certainly something.” Loki murmured with an eye roll, though he smiled despite himself.

“I’m glad we did this.” Selene said thoughtfully.

“It wasn’t quite as painful as I thought it would be.” Loki admitted. 

An apology sat at the tip of his tongue. He wanted to talk about his brother’s ineptitude and his bringing up of Raven’s father- or Jay, rather. It felt odd even to think his name, but Raven had made it clear. He wasn’t her father.

Despite his desperation to clear up Thor’s behavior, he was quite unwilling to upset Raven again.

“Are you spending the night?” The girl asked him.

“I’m afraid not,” He replied regretfully. “I promised Thor I’d go back to the Tower.”

“Oh.” Raven deflated slightly, before turning to Selene. “Can he stay for a little?”

“Tell you what. If you shower quickly and get into jammies, we can dig out the ice cream.” She replied. “Down for some dessert, Lokes?”

“Always, darling.” He chuckled.

Raven squealed, swinging their arms again. Loki swore his heart had swollen up and burst from the love he felt for that small girl in that moment. Never in his life had he ever thought anyone, much less a child would be so glad for his company. Tears burned at his eyes and threatened to spill over as she squeezed his hand excitedly.

He watched in amusement as she darted up the steps of her home, disappearing down the hallway as Loki and Selene followed a few steps behind.

“I think she likes you more than she likes me.” Selene muttered with a shake of her head as they made themselves comfortable in the living room. “Can’t say I blame her, though. I’m old news.”

Loki chuckled lightly, gently taking her hand. He pursed his lips, organizing his thoughts, brow furrowed.

“What do you need to ask?” Selene asked, squeezing his hand encouragingly. 

“It’s frightening how well you can read me.” Loki remarked with a faint smirk.

“You’ve been inside of me.” She replied blankly. “I think it’s safe to say we know each other by now.”

Loki doubled over, letting out a surprised bark of laughter. 

“Go on, let it out.” Selene patted his back, looking on in amusement as he came undone. “Come on, you’ve got to expect that kind of thing from me by now.”

“I did not expect it in a moment like this,” He admitted, straightening up.

“Maybe I was wrong; you don’t know me as well as you should.” She smirked. “I’m crazy.”

“You’re a dream.” Loki countered, pressing his lips to her hand before his expression sombered. He was quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of Raven moving around in the bathroom, and the shower turning on. “I suppose I was wondering why you’ve never mentioned Jay before- if you truly feel so cavalier about discussing him.”

Selene shrugged. “You never asked.”

“I didn’t think I should. I was under the impression it would be a painful memory.”

“It was, but, you know. A decade will desensitize you to anything.” She smiled tightly, flicking her eyebrows up for emphasis. “Yeah, it was shitty, but I’m in a place now where I don’t really have the energy or the spite to really care anymore.”

Loki nodded slowly, brushing his fingers tenderly over the back of her hand. “I’d also like to apologize on Thor’s behalf. He’s never had a talent for handling things delicately.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind talking about Jay. I just don’t really feel the need to bring him up. He’s not an important part of my life. Or, at least he isn’t anymore.” Loki opened his mouth to say more, but Selene raised a hand to show she wasn’t done. “And, you don’t have to worry about Raven. She doesn’t really care about Jay, but the few times he does get brought up she sets the record straight.”

“She truly doesn’t see him as her father.” Loki mused.

“Why should she? He’s never been around.” Selene’s voice took on an edge as she continued. “He didn’t want a damn thing to do with her.” 

Loki drew her into his arms, hugging her gently against him. They sat in silence for a minute, listening to the sounds of the running shower. “If it makes you feel any better,” Loki murmured. “I think you’ve done a wonderful job raising such a kind, thoughtful, and clever young lady. You’ve had a lot to contend with, and in spite of all of it, you work tirelessly to ensure Raven’s safety and happiness. You have done a more than adequate job with her, and I’m sure she’d say the same.”

Selene hummed in thought, twining her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you,” She said simply. “That means a lot.”

“It’s my pleasure.” 

I love you.

. . .

Loki chose to walk home that evening, rather than teleport. He needed to think.

He loved Selene. He was deeply, intrinsically, madly in love with her. It was the kind of love that made him want to savor the tranquil, quiet moments with her. It made him yearn for the mundanity of a domestic life, if only he could live it with Selene and her daughter. It was also the kind of love that made him want to burn worlds to ash if a hair on her head was harmed.

He had to tell her. Soon.

Before it had been a matter of not knowing how she felt and not wanting to rush anything. But now? Now he knew that she’d had to raise a child on her own- all because the father hadn’t loved or felt strongly enough for Selene to want to stay with her. Jay hadn’t been committed enough to spend his life with her or the child he’d participated in the conception of- Loki would be damned if Selene thought the same of him.

His brows were pinched in thought as he wove between New Yorkers power walking through the streets of the city that never slept. Thor had said she loved him. Granted, Thor had only witnessed exactly one publicly affectionate interaction between them before coming to that conclusion, but even still, it bolstered Loki’s spirit. Dense as he may be, Thor had never done anything to lead him into a painful situation- physically or emotionally.

Loki’s mind flicked through every interaction he’d had with Selene in the past month like a photo album. Images, conversations, and loaded glances flashed before him. He’d always had a talent for parsing information quickly, but he’d never used this skill for matters of his heart. He was a tactician and a negotiator, not an adolescent who worried obsessively over feelings.

And yet here he was. Slipping like smoke in between the humans of this city, all while analyzing the likelihood that his partner was in love with him.

He would’ve laughed at himself had he not felt like he was about to vomit.

Whatever I do, I should do it soon. Loki thought decisively. She deserves to know, even if she’s unsure if she feels the same way.

He conjured up the image of Selene, still in her lovely green velvet dress, sitting pressed against him on her living room sofa, bowl of ice cream in hand, laughing at something he’d said. He thought of her hair, just brushing against his shoulder as he leaned into her. He thought of her fingers tracing swirling patterns on his bicep from where she’d wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

He loved her, and maybe she loved him.

He was going to tell her.

[missbaphomet]

What would your reaction be to a pilot program confining male comedians to safe asylums until they prove they are safe to interact with women and kids? Ideally they would be able to perform under guard and psychiatric supervision, and after a period of years a panel of social workers, doctors and women from the community would assess their compatibility with society at large.

I think you and anyone who thinks something like this is ok are fucking insane <3

Like seriously what the actual fuck. I'm fucking speechless. Not only is this a violation of privacy and several human rights, but this leads to an extremely slippery slope that could be used against people with disabilities as a bludgeon to weed them from the public. If it can be done because of a profession, it can also be done to the disabled, the mentally ill, the LGBT, people who are racial minorities, political dissenters, and literally anyone else.

Further more, what's the part you take issue with? The "male" part, or the "comedian" part? I'm willing to put good money that it's the former. Newsflash, women can be predators too.

Let's not forget the male comedians who have been involved in children's media or own or support charities for children or other issues like homelessness or illness:

Robin Williams - Batty in Fern Gully, Genie in Aladdin, Teddy Roosevelt in Night At The Museum, Peter Pan in Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire, Fender in Robots, Lovelace and Ramon in Happy Feet, Alan Parrish in Jumanji, and don't even get me started on his dramatic roles such as Good Will Hunting, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poet's Society, etc.

The Electric Company - a cast of comedians working to boost children's literacy, including Bill Cosby (who later was revealed as a predator, but not towards children) and a then unknown Morgan Freeman

Comic Relief (BBC) - A charity telethon for children hosting many comedians

Comic Relief USA - A charity to fight homelessness in the US, also hosting comedians for events

Bob Saget - founder of Scleroderma Research Foundation after his sister died from the diesease

Jerry Seinfeld - founded and supports charities

Eddie Murphy - Donkey in Shrek and known participant in Feeding America and the Yeah! Foundation

Seth Rogen - leader of Hilarity for Charity, which supports Alzheimer's Reasearch

Ken Jeong - Recipiant of the Visionary Award and donated $50,000 after the Atlanta spa shooting

Jeff Foxworthy - works to fight homelessness in the Atlanta area and won the 2018 humanitarian award from the rotary club of buckhead. Also supports wildlife and wild space preservation

Ricky Gervais - Leader of Red Nose Day in the UK (read: Comic Relief)

Owen Wilson - coastal preservation, AIDS research, arts education, raised money for Elephant Families and Space for Giants

Tyler Perry - The Perry Foundation

Dwayne Johnson - The Rock Johnson Foundation among several other charities

Will Ferrell - UNICEF, Cancer for College, AIDS charities, charities for childhood diabetes

Jimmy Kimmel - ALS Drives, Feast of San Gennaro

Kevin Bacon - SixDegrees.com and their works

And so many fucking more but I trust my point is made

[adenvs3000w23]

The Pros and Cons of Anthropomophization

In an earlier post I briefly mentioned how anthropomorphizing animals can be used in nature interpretation. But I also realized how this tool has proven to be a double-edged sword in many cases.

For example, am animal with a cartoony or human-like expression. This is one way that one can interpret nature, by giving it human characteristics to make humans relate stronger to an ecosystem interaction. 

Scientists are extremely wary of applying human characteristics to animal subjects, and for good reason. A cat does not experience emotion and life experiences like language in the same way as humans. The brain of a mouse or a parrot or a fish is worlds apart from the brain of a human. they are not human and never can be. To think that a cat can do everything a human can is untrue, and has bad implications for the health of the cat. For example, some people have tried to make their cat vegetarian, completely ignoring the fact that cats are hyper-carnivorous, which means they can only get nutrients from meat. 

Anthropomorphizing usually applies to explaining animal behaviours through the lens of human thoughts and emotions. For example, when humans smile, a wider grin is associated with joy, laughter and otherwise positive emotions. However, the same is not true for apes. When chimp "smile," they are expressing fear, with a wider grin usually expressing aggression (Lietman 2022). In spite of this, many artwork in many media use this nervous grin to illustrate joyful concepts like laughter and tomfoolery. This misrepresents animal behaviour, and, more concerning, is the way that the animals might have been handled for the sake of a photoshoot.

However, anthropomorphization, though never something to be endorsed in scientific practice, can still be useful in art and nature interpretation. 

One successful way in which it has been used is the 1940s Disney classic, Bambi. With its anthropomorphic animal characters and gorgeous backgrounds, the movie inspired early conservation movements. However, the movies impact was a double-edged sword as this led to deer hunting being stigmatized. Contrary to popular opinion, deer hunting plays an impotant roll in conservation efforts due to the hunter's concern for the environment as a source of sport or livelihood. In addition, deer hunting helps control the population growth of deer how deer hunting may curb the spread of the devastating chronic wasting disease, as well as lessen the impact of overpopulation on plant life.

The 2006 Warner Bros' Happy Feet anthropomorphizes the animals to bring attention to environmental issues like plastic pollution. In the film, a macaroni penguin named Lovelace wore a pack ring around his head which became stuck around his neck. Although the penguin first believed the ring gifted him with special abilities, he later starts to suffocate from the plastic shrinking around his neck. The strife of the penguin character stuck in my dads mind for many years to come, and since he seen the movie, he would always cut the plastic pack rings with scissors before disposing of them. Though cutting the rings doesn't do too much to protect sea animals from plastic, it's is a small change that can slightly lessen the harmfulness to the material to seagoing animals.

References:

Lietman, Anna. (2022, April 30). Chimp Faces: Noticing and Reading Facial Expressions. Project Chimps https://projectchimps.org/reading_facial_expressions/

[jennrypan]

The way Happy Feet is so black coded it's funny lmao--

Like if I didn't know shit about the actors I'd assume most of them are black 💀 I love it sm-

Also..IM MAD THAT THERE ISNT A FULL COVER OF LEADER OF THE PACK. God. (The original suuuucks. Ugh- I listened to it and it's all..bleh. it's basic as hell and the brief snippet from the movie sounds 100× better )

Like..Mumble literally did everything for his nation and then in the second one its like..they forgot??? And then Sven came outta no where and Lovelace was all in his asshole like he didn't travel with Mumble and then witness him bring humans to help with the fish?? Like-- what tf-

And I need a cover of Hugh Jackson singing Price covers with Nicole Kidman..their voices are so-- UGH. them calling each other Mama and Daddy is so...I love them-

[kaitouhime]

looks like lovelace from the movie happy feet

[finalgirlfall]

I had been out. On my return, meeting Dorcas on the stairs—Your lady in her chamber, Dorcas? In the dining-room, sir: and if ever you hope for an opportunity to come at a letter, it must be now. For at her feet I saw one lie which, by its opened folds, she has been reading, with a little parcel of others she is now busied with. All pulled out of her pocket, as I believe: so, sir, you'll know where to find them another time. I was ready to leap for joy, and instantly resolved to bring forward an expedient which I had held in petto; and entering into the dining-room with an air of transport, I boldly clasped my arms around her as she sat (she huddling up her papers in her handkerchief all the time, the dropped paper unseen): Oh my dearest life, a lucky expedient have Mr. Mennell and I hit upon just now. In order to hasten Mrs. Fretchville to quit the house, I have agreed, if you approve of it, to entertain her cook, her housemaid and two men-servants (about whom she was very solicitous) till you are provided to your mind. And that no accommodations may be wanted, I have consented to take the household linen at an appraisement. ... Oh my beloved creature, will not this be agreeable to you? I am sure it will—It must—And clasping her closer to me, I gave her a more fervent kiss than ever I had dared to give her before: but still let not my ardour overcome my disgression; for I took care to set my foot upon the letter and scraper it farther from her, as it were behind her chair. She was in a passion at the liberty I took. Bowing low, I begged her pardon, and stooping still lower, in the same motion took [the letter] up and whipped it in my bosom. ... For here, the letter being unfolded, I could not put it into my bosom without alarming her ears, as my sudden motion did her eyes—Up she flew in a moment: Traitor! Judas! her eyes flashing lightning, and a perturbation in her eager countenance, so charming!—What have you taken up?—And then, what for both my hears I durst not to have done to her, she made no scruple to seize the stolen letter, though in my bosom. Beg-pardon apologies were all that now remained for me on so palpable a detection. I clasped her hand, which had hold of the ravished paper, between mine: Oh my beloved creature! can you think I have not some curiosity? Is it possible you can be thus for ever employed; and I loving narrative letter-writing above every other species of writing, and admiring your talent that way, should not (thus upon the dawn of my happiness, as I presume to hope) burn with a desire to be admitted into so sweet a correspondence? Let go my hand!—stamping with her pretty foot. ... Having gone thus far, loath, very loath was I to lose my prize—Once more I got hold of the rumpled-up letter!—Impudent man! were her words; stamping again: for God's sake, then it was!—I let go my prize, lest she should faint away: but had the pleasure first to find my hand within both hers, she trying to open my reluctant fingers. How near was my heart, at that moment, to my hand, throbbing to my fingers' ends, to be thus familiarly, although angrily, treated by the charmer of my soul! (L175, robert lovelace to john belford, emphasis mine)

cut for trauma talk + self-harm mention

thinking about the time M. biked to my house (because i said i was going to hurt myself) and when he noticed a journal in my room he threatened to read it—held it out of my reach, laughed at how he could hold both of my wrists in one of his. when he got home he said he would have kissed me in my room but he knew i didn't want him to. i wonder if he was thinking the same sort of things then as lovelace is apparently thinking in this passage.

[ochoislas]

AL BAILE Y CANTO DE GRACIANA

Mirad con qué constante movimiento, parejo y glorïoso como el sol, su noble complexión rige Graciana, como su seno, terso, y su voz, dulce, que con sinuosa gala ambos gobierna, más raudo que las alas de la Fama.

En las felices losas bate el pie, por cada uno del cielo, otro astro nuevo, y ya no envidia el suelo al claro techo; antes bien como un Atlas se rehínche, pues más noble y luciente cielo carga, y carga en ella todas las deidades.

Cada paso atropella amante idea con la misma esperanza que concibe, al lindo pie por su arte encadenada. Virtió tan dulce imperio y pasmo blando, que al detenerse, entre suspiros vimos sembrando el suelo corazones rotos.

Tal se condujo y elevó su canto como a sus rondas traen las esferas el concurso de su armonioso son; y éste imitó con arte tan extremo que el universo enamorado arguye que bailaron las Gracias, tañó Apolo.

*

GRATIANA DANCING AND SINGING

See! with what constant motion Even and glorious, as the sunne,  Gratiana steeres that noble frame, Soft as her breast, sweet as her voyce, That gave each winding law and poyze,  And swifter then the wings of Fame.

She beat the happy pavement By such a starre-made firmament,  Which now no more the roofe envies; But swells up high with Atlas ev'n, Bearing the brighter, nobler Heav'n,  And in her, all the Dieties.

Each step trod out a lovers thought And the ambitious hopes he brought,  Chain'd to her brave feet with such arts, Such sweet command and gentle awe, As when she ceas'd, we sighing saw  The floore lay pav'd with broken hearts.

So did she move: so did she sing: Like the harmonious spheres that bring  Unto their rounds their musick's ayd; Which she performed such a way, As all th' inamour'd world will say:  The Graces daunced, and Apollo play'd.

Richard Lovelace

di-versión©ochoislas

[divinewill]

Capítulo Diez: Rape Me

I watched the young mother interact with a team of linguists. She had already come to learn many words, but the grammar of the English language would evade her for quite some time still. Contrary to my expectations, she appeared more at ease around the men than she was with the women, whose relatively otherworldly attributes and attire made her tense.

The staff gave her a tablet with a live video feed, directly monitoring the development and healing of her precious babe; the salvaging of whom gave her the trust necessary to co-operate with us in complete faith. She never parted with this tablet, even keeping it next to her when she slept.

The young mother cleaned up extremely well. While she was clearly not used to wearing a shirt, shoes, or even a dress, she quickly understood that this was the custom of the people here. So she deigned to comply.

Under the white light of the hospital, her achromatic skin and hair seemed to glow ghostly pale—an etheric effect that drew attention to her already considerable beauty. To smoothen her integration, the SDMC issued her some comfortable clothes: a shirt, dress and socks made from 100% cotton, and five-toed shoes that allowed her the full mobility and freedom of her feet. She found everyone she met fascinating, paying close attention to the details of their faces, limbs, frames, and dress as to suggest that she had seen no one like the peoples of Earth or Hecate.

She seemed to have never seen wavy or curly hair and showed a fascination with our complexions. Because of their diminutive size and youthful features, she had a great fondness for the Rose Pygmies of the ASSDF and SDMC, although she also seemed quite interested in the Kyanonesian medical personnel for their incredible stature, gentle disposition, and blue pigmentation. The ears of the Grue Goblins proved particularly fascinating to her, and the SDMC quickly found out that she enjoyed watching them wiggle their enormous pointed ears.

Her people would be albinic if their coloration were because of a lack of melanin, but her glow under the white light was a clue that she had pigmentation of a kind not native to humans on Earth or Hecate, reflectin. A pigment that did not exist in her eyes, explaining the bright red of her irises.

There was something about this that made her seem mystical in a manner distinct from siddhis, which was something I had become demystified of in the GSSDO. There was a juxtaposition in my mind between the image of this lovely and studious stranger in a strange land, and of her as a wounded young lady, horrified and terrified that her hitherto unknown assailant could have murdered her baby in her womb. That image of blood seeping from between her legs would not leave my mind.

I wasn’t alone in the observation room. Hyechin, Mālhlin, Breedlove, and Dr. Lovelace were all there with me. We were curious as to the fates of the women rescued from death and enslavement before our eyes. Ms. Breedlove was especially concerned about the wellbeing of the young mother and her child. Her toddler twins accompanied her on this visitation behind a bullet resistant one-way mirror.

Hyechin couldn’t help but comment, “She’s so pretty!”

Ms. Breedlove smiled and agreed. “Yes. She is. Her husband is a very lucky man.”

Ms. Breedlove was someone who experienced a sense of vicarious joy at seeing other people happy and cried with others when they broke down into tears.

Mālhlin was writing in a notebook, but not in the sigillary script of Blue Rose Chinese. Rather, she was writing in High Elvish. Orthographically, it was an abugida of a similar nature to the Brahmic scripts, including Devanāgarī and Tamil, though it shared some commonality with Canadian Aboriginal syllabics, Ditema, and Hangul. This orthography was featural, directly encoding information about the place and manner of articulation of consonants, as well as the position, shape, and height of the vowels, even the length of both, in the characters written.

This notebook, annotated with sticky notes, was one of many which she kept in a binder. Using a four-color pen to visually distinguish between topics in a manner.

Dr. Lovelace was there to inform us of the progress regarding the salvaged women whose rescue we witnessed.

She told us, “We’ve identified how their potēns works.”

We all listened intently as she explained, “Turns out Dr. Makēsvaraṉ’s remark was right. There are no rape victims here, at least not male-on-female. Turns out they come from a single-sex planet: the native population propagates through parthenogenic reproduction. That’s why there’s an uncanny homogeneity between them. Apparently, they have no control over this ability and become pregnant with every ovulation. For this reason, the ASSDF has classified her lineage as the subspecies Homō sapiēns parthenogenoi.”

The ASSDF, because the alien races encountered, do not speak of hominid populations from the same world, such as Neanderthals, Denisovans, Heidelbergensis, and even Erectus, as if they were distinct species or subspecies. Rather, they regard such as lineages of a single species. The ASSDF reserved the designation of human subspecies for human populations discovered on alien worlds, such as the Hecateans.

Our scientists also invented a secondary classification system, used in parallel with the first, to distinguish between different metahuman lineages. They differentiated traditional humans, referred to as Homō sapiēns magkl, from metahumans, with earthly metahumans identified as Homō sapiēns superior, through a similar but distinct binomen. In keeping with this system, we gave the Hecateans the Latin name Homō sapiēns magī, literally meaning “magical wise man”.

Breedlove mused, “But if there are no men in their world, then I think that might have something to do with it… Men and women balance each other… A planet of only women would be forever unbalanced…”

No one objected to the suggestion. Given what we’d seen in the ASO, that assessment seemed completely reasonable and was in line with our personal views. Therefore, it did not merit elaboration.

The thought of anyone intentionally bringing harm to a baby in the womb deeply disturbed Ms. Breedlove, who simply could not understand what could motivate such a vile act.

Our guest seemed to sense she was being watched and turned to look in our direction, but of course, she could neither see nor hear us.

Breedlove noticed an opportunity to ask Mālhlin about her project. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind of writing is that?”

Mālhlin smiled at her, showed her the notebook, and explained, “This is High Elvish. It is written using an abugida, similar to the writing in the Indian languages. This script was conceived by a revered sage, a scholar of languages and grammar, who grew dissatisfied with the needlessly intricate writing system used by the ancients, which hindered the lower castes from learning to read. His goal was to fashion a writing method so straightforward that even a simpleton could grasp it within a day. His revolutionary innovation swiftly gained popularity, enhancing the efficiency of all castes in fulfilling their roles more effectively.”

Hyechin asked, “You mean like Sejong the Great?”

Mālhlin elaborated, “Only in that one aspect.”

She pulled out a note card from the binder then began writing in a radically different language and script as she told us, “The followers of the great sage, referred to as the ‘Featuralists’ by your people, ventured forth into the lands of Boreal dwarves, Kyanonesian giants, and even the Sea peoples. Their influence played a pivotal role in the orthographic reforms of many languages spoken in Hecate. Their impact was so far-reaching that even the adversaries of the Elvish, such as the Red Spider Lily Orcs and Thorn Orcs, adopted this approach in their writing systems. The only ones who refrained from embracing this approach were those whose languages consisted mainly of monosyllabic units and numerous homophones. For such tongues, a logosyllabic or logoconsonantal orthography held greater merit.”

Ms. Breedlove couldn’t keep up with the conversation, but she was too sweet to dare to interrupt the flow of the conversation when she knew she could ask about it later and one-on-one.

She handed Hyechin the card, which she could not read, and explained, “This is an example of Kyanonesian. Due to its simpler syllable structure, the Kyanonesians adopted a syllabary system, akin to the Cherokee script of Ms. Bunchûai’s country.”

An allusion to the fact that I have birthright United States citizenship, unlike Hyechin.

Ms. Breedlove once again observed, this time about these alien writing systems, “They’re both so pretty.”

Mālhlin continued, “Indeed, Ms. Breedlove. Us Featuralists firmly believe that the written forms of a language should not only be easily mastered but also gratifying to both the eye and the hand. We do not seek to present something that is merely functional yet unsightly. Rather, we advocate for genuine beauty in the art of writing. These scripts complement the languages and cultures they were created for. Typically, it was a skilled artisan and a native speaker of the language who devised the scripts now employed by the various nations of Hecate, resulting in a delightful array of styles. The Sea People employ an abjad system, akin to the Arabic and Hebrew scripts of Earth. The Dwarves employ an alphabet arranged into syllabic blocks, much like the Korean Hangul. As for the Red Spider Lily Orcs, they make use of a linear alphabet, similar to the strategies employed by the Greeks, Romans, and Runic scripts. The Thorned Orcs, on the other hand, present an anomalous case, as they employ a semisyllabary system. In their system, certain characters represent complete syllables, while others depict individual consonants or vowels. I must confess, the reasoning behind this decision eludes me, but that is how they choose to convey their written language.”

Hyechin noted, “The Goblins didn’t seem to take to this idea.”

Mālhlin informed us, “From what I understand, Goblish, being a polysynthetic language, incorporates numerous single-syllable morphemes, similar to Chinese. Hence, the abundance of homophonic morphemes did not lend itself to a featural script, unlike other writing systems.”

Hyechin and I were both aware of the failed movement to replace Chinese characters with pinyin, and so we understood how this might mirror the failure of the Featuralists to change the manner in which the Goblish writes.

Hyechin joked, “Well, it’s good to know that we won’t have to worry about any Featuralist attempts to reform English spelling.”

Mālhlin missed the joke entirely. “Certainly not. We already have three standardized versions of English, two of which are easily understood by all, effectively encompassing the innumerable dialects of the language. Any endeavor to reform the system would only result in unnecessary complexity and hinder the learning process. Which would undermine the very point of an orthographic reform.”

Hyechin asked, “Three? Are you including Scots?”

Mālhlin said, “Yes.”

Dr. Lovelace mentioned, “You Featuralists might have your fair share of work to do here. The young mother seems enchanted by the staff writing, as if she had never seen it before. When given a paper and pencil, she produces clearly asemic and formless material. This leads me to believe that this young mother is illiterate or has never seen writing, and it is entirely possible that these people never invented proto-writing.”

Ms. Breedlove asked, “So, you’re a Featuralist? Do you have a specific language you would like to work with?”

Mālhlin admitted, “I do.”

She excitedly flipped over to another notebook within her binder, which appeared entirely written in American Sign Language, and showed us.

She explained, “I recall the moment when I first encountered ASLWrite. It captivated my father and I. In all of Hecate, no one had ever conceived the notion of employing featural principles to encode the parameters of sign language into a written script. It is remarkably ingenious, and I aspire to introduce this form of writing to the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese sign language families.”

She continued, “But I’m not alone in this mission. Although my preference lies in collaborating with the deaf communities of Asia, my father is inclined to assist the Polynesian peoples. He aims to support them in creating a distinctive script that can contribute to the preservation of their languages.

“Many of the Featuralists among us share the same goal, as we seek to focus on endangered, extinct, and minority languages. The existing orthographies for these languages may not truly align with their unique characteristics, and the development of a new script could rejuvenate them. Our aim is to create something that these communities can take pride in. To make something that can assist them in safeguarding their linguistic heritage.”

We all understood the importance of this project for the preservation of history, along with the revitalization and reformation of culture. It was something we all saw as a boon, but it clearly seemed a little abstract for Hyechin, who did not have any cultural connection to a language that went extinct outside the GSSDO. As someone who had to learn Manchu, I immediately understood the importance of language preservation.

Dr. Lovelace, picking up on this, gave her an example, “Consider the invention of N’Ko, Sulemana Kantɛ only invented the orthography because a Frenchman rightly pointed out that the writing strategies used by Mande speakers at the time simply did not fit the language. The creation of N’Ko was a boon to these languages’ health. There is a similar case with Adlam, which displaced the use of Ajami, or transcription into the Arabic abjad, for the Fulani language.”

The doctor continued, “We have Featuralists within the ASSDF who are looking to work with Na-Dené, Pama–Nyungan, Khoe–Kwadi, Caucasic, Macro-Jê, and Jarawa–Onge to help with their preservation. Some are looking to language isolates, like Zuñi, Sandawe, San Martínian, and Ainu, hoping to revitalize their use.”

The young mother suddenly looked in our direction despite being unable to see or hear us. Her vibrant red eyes seemed to pierce through us, then the doctor told us, “Let’s move on to the next patient.”

We all agreed and let the doctor lead us to another observation room. This time we visited the emasculated one. She was being held in the same hospital as the young mother. Mālhlin put away her notes, and Hyechin offered to carry one of Ms. Breedlove’s twins. To no one’s surprise, there was a deep depression that was cast over the next patient because of what their captors stole from them.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “I’ve already explained this to Bunchûai, but the potēns of this patient’s people have the same intersexuality Bunchûai has. They possess a novel sex chromosome that allows them to develop the secondary sexual characteristics of women, but the primary sexual characteristics and powers of both traditional sexes. The only actual difference being that Bunchûai’s powers emulate and defictionalizes a Japanese fictional archetype, whereas these people’s traits are significantly more modest.”

I asked, “Do you know what happened to her?”

Mālhlin, Hyechin, and Breedlove turned to see me, responding with concern to the tone of my voice.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “Specifically, no. Generally, yes. They are victims of genocidal rape. A hitherto unidentified population attempted to destroy their ethnic and cultural identity by ensuring that their bloodline would be irreversibly bound with their conquerors, and by depriving them of the good that is fatherhood, they destroy the chain of cultural transmission, as the father that would raise their children is the very rapists who enslaved them.”

Ms. Breedlove held her sleeping babe close, and stepped adjacent but slightly behind me and said, “Are you okay?”

I was not, but I lied and said, “Yes, I’m fine.”

I don’t think anyone believed me.

Dr. Lovelace told me, “The perpetrator’s plans were foiled, simply because their victims are in our care. Remember that the SDMC can take their cells, revert them to undifferentiated stem cells, and print new specified tissue. We can regenerate the masculinity of the emasculated.”

Mālhlin, ever perceptive, noted, “It is merely coincidental that this would not only foster a profound sense of indebtedness towards the GSSDO in the newly formed population but also enhance recruitment efforts.”

Dr. Lovelace responded, “As WARMASTER Jeż would say, Deus vult.”

Hyechin stepped next to Mālhlin, then Ms. Breedlove’s babe squirmed in her arms and accidentally kicked the binder from her hand. Exposing the papers within as they scattered about. That’s when we saw something we were not expecting. A charcoal drawing of a pubescent boy with an erection curled into the fetal position, sleeping in the embrace of an unconscious teenage girl. This sight deeply disturbed us all, Ms. Breedlove most of all, who transitioned from deeply disturbed to a still horror as she held her son close. Shielding his gaze from the awful sight as her eyes transfixed on the malevolent image. Her breathing quickened and became shallow.

Hyechin gagged at the sight, as Dr. Lovelace simply said, “Oh, no” and I, unthinking, asked, “What the?”

Mālhlin immediately placed a sleeping spell on the young boys, then gathered up the papers. She admitted, covering the offending one up first, “Oh, that. It’s just a recurring nightmare that has been troubling me.”

Dr. Lovelace looked at her as if she were a pitiable thing.

What they saw in those pictures horrified Hyechin and Breedlove, but not Dr. Lovelace.

I looked at her, completely confounded, querying, “What’s the meaning of this, exactly?”

Mālhlin admitted, “I have been informed that in order to overcome traumatic memories, one must confront them directly. So, I started drawing the images that haunt me in my dreams. It grants me a sense of control as I face the source of my nightmares...”

I shook my head in befuddlement and cut her off. “Hold on. Did you just say ‘memories’, as if this is something you’ve seen?”

That athletic beauty looked at me with a stoic but obviously pained expression and admitted, “Yes, these are victims of the gryphon sacrifice. It is a practice that my people, originating from the Bālrālmư̄nic Republic, abandoned centuries ago. However, it continues in the Savage Lands.”

Dr. Lovelace commented, “I’ve heard of that barbaric rite. It’s the ceremony which crowns a new sovereign to rule the Shrādtēgsrids Kingdom. Believe it or not, it used to be more horrifying than it is now…”

I probed, cautious of the answer. “What happened?”

Mālhlin had difficulty maintaining eye contact, but before she continued, she told Ms. Breedlove, “I have cast a slumber spell on your sons. They will be unaffected by any part of our conversation. Once he leaves this room, the spell will be lifted.”

Ms. Breedlove struggled to say, “Thank you. Please tell us what happened.”

Mālhlin revealed, “I accompanied my father on a diplomatic mission representing the Blue Rose Empire to the Savage Lands. The previous warrior-king had passed away, and our purpose was to ensure peace between our nations. We expected to arrive after the completion of the king’s initiation rite, but the shamans delayed it. Therefore, we found ourselves compelled to witness the coronation of the new sovereign.”

She admitted, “The most horrifying thing I have ever seen is the griffon sacrifice rite of the Savage Lands. There, to ordain a new king, they take a wild albino gryphon, which had been broken like a horse, and the boy who would be king invokes the spirits then strikes it in the braincase with a polearm. Killing it instantly. After killing it, he removes his clothes and covers himself with its blood.”

“At that macabre moment, a naked maiden, betwixt the ages of twelve and fourteen years, and a nude boy, at least twelve years of age, but always of equal or lesser age to the maid, were unveiled before his malevolent presence. The ritual called for the maid to be intoxicated with a substance akin to ayahuasca. They forced the boy to consume an aphrodisiac before the rite.

“We could see the horror reflected in their eyes, as the girl descends into the depths of narcotic madness: plagued by hallucinations, haunted by elusive specters that torment her senses. Meanwhile, the boy, possessing his sanity, anticipates the impending violence that awaits them.

“That monster bound the thrashing girl’s hands and feet, so she couldn’t struggle, then did the same to the boy… after which, he forces the boy onto the girl. Pressing the boy into her and keeping them conjoined until he ejaculates, then forcing them apart to rape her himself. After which he strangles her to death with his bare hands. He then sodomized the boy and strangles him to death as well.

“Following that diabolical ritual, they buried the sacrificial victims side-by-side, as if they were lovers, adorned with many offerings. The boy was meticulously manipulated into a fetal position, while the girl was positioned to cradle him, their lips tenderly meeting the boy’s forehead. Their countenances were artfully manipulated to resemble a peaceful slumber. Their lifeless forms were then petrified, ensuring their eternal embrace in the mausoleum.”

She finished her story with, “My father and I were compelled to witness this horrifying spectacle, alongside the other hapless spectators, as a dragonslayer looked into the abyss and became a dragon himself.”

Ms. Breedlove asked, in abject shock, “What would compel anyone to do anything like that?”

Dr. Lovelace said, “You earthlings are not so different. The Indo-European tradition of horse sacrifice involved the amalgamation of animal and human sacrifice, with the violation and slaying of a maiden through strangulation serving as a pivotal component in the king’s ritual of initiation. A Mexica chieftain, upon securing the hand of a princess from Culhuacan in matrimony, he flayed her skin and donned her blood-soaked cloak during a meeting with her father, displaying his unwavering devotion to his iṣṭa-devatā, the god of war Huītzilōpōchtli. The ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians endeavored to preserve the bodies of their human sacrifices; the former through mummification and the latter through embalming with mercury.”

Mālhlin noted, “The Elvish people, in the past, would initiate their kings into power through the sacrificial rape of a young girl and sacrificial sodomy of a young boy. The Kyanonesians, too, had a history of consuming human flesh to such an extent that, even after generations have passed, I have retained immunity to the effects of Kuru. Even in recent times, you Americans allowed the heinous act of infanticide within the womb in certain states, and even permitted parents to castrate their children in service to a Queer, Gnostic God. The GSSDO itself is not exempt from this. After all, who deprives adolescents of the opportunity to fully develop their nature, even if it is the only way to pilot a Neodeus?”

Dr. Lovelace continued, “The Calvinists are right to observe that there is a disorder deeply rooted in every human being, but they are mistaken to extrapolate that fact to mean all men are totally depraved. Every culture has some practice which is objectively horrifying to the eyes of God. We are blind to these horrors in our own cultures because it is our culture which we take as normative. The key is not destroying the culture but reforming it. Bringing what lies in the disorders of vice and delusion into the light of virtue and truth.”

Mālhlin explained, “That very same dragon I saw resides deep within your shadow. Many flee from this dragon, but such avoidance does not make it disappear. In fact, the dragon pursues you relentlessly until it either destroys or possesses you. Remember, the only way to conquer this dragon is to confront it directly and prevail.”

She continued, “There is a deep symbolism in every tradition of the griffin sacrifice. These traditions are the magic which have sustained this repugnant and unequivocally wicked rite through the ages. It is because of this ritual that I embraced the teachings of the Mohists.”

I asked her, “How does that relate to Mohism?”

Mālhlin expressed, “Much like how Ms. Breedlove’s Anglican faith is fortified when she encounters events of this nature, my beliefs as a Mohist are strengthened, as well. On that day, I realized the existence of true evil, and if evil exists, then goodness must also exist, for evil is simply the privation of goodness. No degree of evil can shatter my faith in Heaven, for my monotheism finds reinforcement in the presence of evil.”

Ms. Breedlove cradled her sleeping son in her arms, horrified by the story she had been told. It was apparent that she took this recounting more personally, which caught Mālhlin off guard.

Mālhlin inquired, “Ms. Breedlove, are you well?”

Ms. Breedlove was breathing erratically, so I moved to comfort her.

I Reminded her, “Control your breathing, Breedlove.”

Hyechin gave the child in her arms to me and then signed manually encoded English to Mālhlin, explaining, “Ms. Breedlove was raped three years ago, but she remembers nothing about it. The fathers of her children remain unidentified.”

Mālhlin signed back, “My apologies. I assumed she was a widow.”

Hyechin was momentarily stunned at this assumption, before remembering that young marriages were quite common among Kyanonesians, and explained, “No. Her dream is to get married, and she wants more children, many more in fact, but she conceived her current children through rape.”

Ms. Breedlove was trying her best to control her breathing as she prayed an Anglican rosary, using prayer beads with a Celtic cross as a mnemonic tool to keep track of where in the prayer she was.

Hyechin explained, “A genome sequence showed her sons are half-brothers. We know virtually nothing about the father of the older one, but the younger child’s father is a serial rapist, with over five hundred children across the United States alone.”

Mālhlin signed a question. “Are you telling me he has more victims outside of the United States?”

Hyechin told her, “Yes. Whoever he is, he travels around quite a lot. With victims across Asia and Africa. Even within the United States, his crimes span across Texas, Hawaii, Alaska, and New York.”

Mālhlin looked shocked at this revelation.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “Simply put, none of the victims can recall the event, and thus identification of the perpetrator based on a witness description is impossible.”

Mālhlin signed, “Could you not identify him through genome sequencing?”

Dr. Lovelace had a far more in-depth understanding of the inquiry into her sexual assault than anyone else in the room, and so she explained, “Yes, but it is a bit more complicated than you think. With our superscience, we could reconstruct a semblance of the assailant’s genome, but that would require co-operation across nations to obtain a genetic profile of the children and his victims. Though, that is a luxury we do not have, and might never have. After all, most countries of the world do not perform a full genomic sequence of their citizens for a reason. We do that for our membership to anticipate and remedy genetic predispositions, but that’s not something a country should do. A far simpler solution is to simply wait for a DNA sample from him or a family member to reveal him.”

Mālhlin signed, “So, you must wait for him or one of his family members to commit a different crime that renders evasion impossible?”

Dr. Lovelace shrugged in a manner that admitted her assessment was accurate.

Ms. Breedlove spoke up, “It’s not about me. I love my precious babies, and if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t dare to change what happened to me if it meant losing them, but what he’s doing is evil. It’s not right to deprive a woman of her virginity as she sleeps… It’s not right to deny a woman of the right to give her virginity to her husband… It’s not right to abandon your children… It’s not right to deny the mother of your children a husband… Simply put, it’s not right to use people, and then toss them away like they’re trash.”

She had gained conscious control of her breathing at this point.

Mālhlin made the obvious observation, “It seems implausible that a lone individual could commit such a magnitude of sexual crimes without being apprehended... Is it conceivable that he is a metahuman?”

A thought that Hyechin, Breedlove, Dr. Lovelace, and I all contemplated independently, but hesitated to voice. I remember Warmaster Jeż telling me that a diviner foretold, “All fiction becomes real”. There was a dawning realization that “all fiction” did not just include kaijū, faeries, supersoldiers, supervillains, devil cultivators, pet monsters, and horrors of superscience, but might also include depraved pornographic fictions. After all, my unique condition was essentially something out of a pornographic genre which centers on outwardly feminine characters with varying degrees of intersexuality, otherwise known as futanari.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “That seems to be the only reasonable possibility, but that doesn’t tell us anything about the situation: We don’t know if he is using a perception filter, hypnosis, mind control, inducing unconsciousness, programming the victim’s mind to simply not recall the event, or just wiping memories to go undetected.”

Mālhlin asked, “Have you consulted a diviner?”

Hyechin asked, surprised by the suggestion, “You’ve never worked with a diviner before, have you?”

This question was, of course, rhetorical. Divination, as a power, works differently between the Hecatean and Earthling. Divination was but only one skill among many that a Hecatean could learn, but simply put the shear extent and degree of that power, even for the most skilled Hecateans, could not compare to the Earthlings whose only seminal power was the ability to obtain hidden information remotely. The two were simply not comparable.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “The powers of most diviners are quite limited, but the more powerful ones have the opposite problem. They become trapped in their own ability. It fractures their mind and is the only species of power known to do so. There are exceptions, of course: the Supreme Commander seems to be an extraordinarily powerful diviner, but we simply do not know how his powers work with any specificity.”

Mālhlin asked, “Since it is highly classified… and as the Supreme Commander, he possesses absolute authority over the declassification of information. Which he has not seen fit to disclose.”

Dr. Lovelace confirmed, “Exactly. Most WARMASTERS keep the specifics of their powers close to the chest.”

Mālhlin admitted, “A respectable practice, indeed. We, the Bālrālmư̄nic people, encode spells into every garment we wear using an encrypted ceremonial language. Kyanonesian women tattoo protective spells on the parts of their bodies concealed by their attire. Maintaining secrecy regarding these enchantments is crucial for personal protection.”

A thought crossed Mālhlin’s mind, and she asked, “Ms. Breedlove, if I may inquire, will your realm undergo transformation as you learn more about the GSSDO’s guests?”

It was apparent that she intended to move the conversation away from what troubled poor Ms. Breedlove and used this as an opportunity to do so.

Ms. Breedlove admitted, “Yes. I add a new world to my collection every time I encounter a new school of art. I don’t have to understand the rules of the thing. It just appears, and the moment it does, I know it and its contents.”

When Ms. Breedlove got full control of her breathing, Dr. Lovelace lead the way, “Come on. We’ve spent enough time here, so now let’s meet our new resident goddess.”

She led us to the room with the hyperanthrope, and even after only a few days, her healing was astounding.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “It seems she can regenerate any tissue: brain matter, bone, tendons. How her body accomplishes this is unknown, but it occurs at a rate exceeding the most aggressive cancers, so she’ll be like new before you know it.”

Ms. Breedlove revealed, “The thing she was clutching in her hands. It was a baby.”

Everyone looked at her as she continued, “The ASO only rescued two people from her end. And the only other one was an infant child, who is unharmed.”

I asked, “So, is it her child?”

Dr. Lovelace told us, “Yes. We couldn’t reasonably get a hair, skin, or blood sample because of her being, well, invulnerable, even as the immolated and comatose mess she is currently. So, we took a spit sample, which confirmed that the baby is hers.”

Mālhlin asked, “So, what is the plan regarding her?”

Dr. Lovelace affirmed, “Same as the others. Rehabilitate her. Integrate her into Earth society, and then try to recruit her. Respecting her decision whether she accepts or declines or offer.”

Hyechin asked, “So all the damage was external?”

Dr. Lovelace looked at her and said, “Of course not. Structural neuroimaging shows some degree of rapidly healing brain damage, so it won’t surprise me if she experiences post-traumatic amnesia, but again, I won’t know until after she wakes up.”

Mālhlin asked, “What if she becomes panicked?”

Dr. Lovelace explained, “One of our WARMASTERS is a hyperanthrope, so we have that base covered. Plus, we could always just put her back into suspended animation.”

Mālhlin probed, “Isn’t it interesting that in a galaxy suspected to be teeming with distinct magic systems as numerous as inhabited worlds, Zleŋ’ selectively gathered worlds that are easily manageable with your current resources, rescuing only two hyperanthropes who pose no significant risk to the GSSDO?”

Dr. Lovelace turned to see her and explained, “You think this is by design?”

Mālhlin answered, “It was solely by the will of Heaven that my compatriots and I were delivered into the care of the GSSDO, and it must also be by the will of Heaven that Zleŋ’ reconstructed and adapted the sage summoning rite to extend the Human Salvaging Operations throughout the galaxy. I am merely alluding to the rumors suggesting that Zleŋ’ was born from a fallen star. I wonder if being partially half-starfallen explains why this initial selection, rather than being random, appears to be reasonably calculated."

Dr. Lovelace admitted, “Dr. Cutter was the one who asked Zleŋ‘ if she had some ability to place filters on the rite, to make the initial salvaging more manageable. Not that an entire population of hyperanthropes would have done much harm. We have safely locked the inbound patients in a state of suspended animation until we can reasonably attend to them. That said, even though it is highly probable that the father of Zleŋ‘ was a spacefarer, she doesn’t seem to have a detailed knowledge of the inhabited planets.”

Everyone remembered how that intersex woman clearly recognized something specific in Zleŋ‘, which seemed to be familiar to her and yet distinct from the rest of us. However, what it was, even the ASSDF did not know.

She then directed us, “There is nothing more to show here, so let us move on to the next patient.”

The girl with the squirrel's tail and cat ears. She had a wrapping over her left wrist for an injury I did not recall from when I last saw her.

Dr. Lovelace told us, “These people are kemonomimi. Their powers seem to have twisted their bodies into a new form, which is slightly zoomorphic. This one shows all the behavioral signs of sexual assault: engaged in self-harm, is afraid of being touched, demonstrates emotional withdrawal, frequent crying, bouts of anger, severe nightmares, a lack of trust, withdrawal symptoms from what appear to be a substance dependency, which we are currently addressing, and she seems to have conditioned herself to not resist other people physically moving her about.”

I kept a hand on Ms. Breedlove’s shoulder to keep her calm as she prayed her rosary.

Dr. Lovelace explained, “Our best guess is that she was a sex slave. We can’t know the specifics yet, but we have determined that she is two weeks pregnant with twins.”

Hyechin asked, “Is that tattoo on her related to this?”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ entered the room and explained, “That’s probably an identification code, similar to a serial number.”

Me, Hyechin, and Lovelace stood at attention, but she told us, “At ease warriors.”

Ms. Breedlove simply turned and greeted the doctor. “Good evening, Dr. Makēsvaraṉ.”

She was a buxom, middle-aged Dravidian beauty. 173 cm tall, with wide hips, beautiful brown eyes, and coarse, straight, black that reached to the middle of her back.

She simply asked, “What are you doing, Lovelace?”

Dr. Lovelace admitted, “These lovely ladies were witnesses to the salvaging of these pitiful souls, so I am catching these lovely ladies up on the progress of the women that Ms. Breedlove helped to save.”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ thought aloud, “Oh, I supposed that is understandable. It’s not like I need to remind you to respect the patients.”

A bit of time passed as Drs. Makēsvaraṉ and Lovelace talked with each other and Mālhlin. All the while I was thinking about what this girl might have gone through to have landed her here and in this state, so I asked, “Is there any way I can volunteer to help, even if just for today?”

Hyechin listened intently.

Mālhlin and Breedlove already knew how they could volunteer, as they didn’t have to contend with an immanent deployment to a distant location. Mālhlin was almost certainly going to assist with the application of medicinal magic, whereas Breedlove was likely to volunteer to help babysit the children of these women and simply spend time with these women.

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ reminded her, “You’re scheduled for orbital deployment, along with Hyechin, so there’s not much you can do.”

I was desperate to at least do something for these poor girls in the SDMC’s care.

Dr. Lovelace, reading my face like a book, pointed out, “Remember your role in this operation. Dr. Makēsvaraṉ handles the medical and psychological aid. Your role is to slay monsters. Keeping them safe from the same kinds of monsters that ravaged Japan is how you can help them.”

Deep down, I understood this, but it didn’t feel like enough.

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ remembered, “Actually, there is something you can do…”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ suggested, “Warmaster Jeż is also going to be deployed soon, so he wrote each of them a letter.”

I asked, “A letter?”

She explained, “Yes. He wrote to them about his sympathy, how his God loves them, how we love them, and finally, how they could turn their suffering from something destructive to something salvific.”

Mālhlin commented, “There is wisdom in his words.”

I felt sympathy for him. He had fallen away from his faith before he joined the WARMASTER program, and now that he had rediscovered it, he must live with the fact that so much of his humanity was irrevocably lost, with his full consent and knowledge, to be reforged into a monster.

It wasn’t so different from my own role, willingly giving up my mortality and cooperating with a monstrous nature as a Neodeus pilot. That was simply the warrior’s journey: to obtain the monster’s power and wield it in service of the good, a pursuit that always came with sacrifice.

I simply wanted to let these women know that it was going to be okay, but I knew better than to speak through the intercom. So, at that moment, I decided that when I got home, I would follow the WARMASTER’s example and write a letter to them expressing my sympathy and hopes for them, as well as my intention to protect them the only way I can.

Dr. Lovelace received a clipboard from Dr. Makēsvaraṉ, who told her, “I have an assignment for you that needs immediate attention.”

Dr. Lovelace accepted with “Roger, Dr. Makēsvaraṉ.”

Then she left, and we followed suit, but we did not follow her. Rather, Dr. Makēsvaraṉ led us to the next girl, the burn victim. Surgeons have already provided her with skin grafts, which we printed from cultures of her own cells to help her heal from the severe burns across her body. A controlled supply of analgesics kept the pain of her injuries manageable.

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ told us, “This subject’s people are sequential hermaphrodites: cycling between the sexes. So, this one was at one time a man, and she will become a man again in the future, though before that, she will become like you, Bunchûai: perfectly intersex. In fact, we have examples of male, female, and intersex patients in suspended animation.”

Breedlove made a quick connection and asked, “Like Ranma ½?”

Hyechin added, “Or, The Left Hand of Darkness.”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ softly corrected, “Not quite. The sequential hermaphrodism of the former does not present any in-between form and is triggered by the temperature of the water used to douse the subject. That of the latter involved the people being sexless for most of their lives. Rather, these people never lose their sexual nature, it just cycles in a manner that cannot be sped up or slowed down through external methods. Although, it is for that apparent similarity that the ASSDF has named their race Homō sapiēns gethen.”

The doctor spent some time acquainting us with her, before moving us to meet the woman who could transform into a beast.

Revealing, “She is a victim of an onychectomy, with the distal phalange of each digit of her hands having been mutilated. A blade was used to cut through the bone, seemingly to prevent the transformation of her nails into claws. For some unknown reason, she seems to have not been subject to canine ablation, which many of her people seem to have been subject to as well.”

Finishing with, “We call this race Homō sapiēns bestia.”

The descriptions of happened to her made Ms. Breedlove wince and say, “That’s so awful…”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ explained, “You’ve already seen her powers. She can turn into a bestial form, and that might explain why her people were treated this way.”

Hyechin noted, “Like a cat or snake…”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ confirmed, “The leading theory was that these people were slaves, and that their slavers robbed them of their primary physical weapons so they could not oppose their masters. We can provide a prosthetic for the teeth and even help regenerate their fingers, but that is all I can say about this patient, so let’s meet our last guest.”

Then she took us to see her final patient. The gracile lagomorphic woman patched up with stitching and bandaging. Despite the apparent structure of her face, the muscles of her mouth could make the same movements as ours. Her self-talk showed that, unlike the animal whose image she bore, she had human speech.

The doctor couldn’t reveal much about her, relative to the others, aside from, “Despite her appearance, she is totally human. The magic her people inherited seems to twist their bodies into something zoomorphic, but unlike the previous patient, she cannot transform. Her mother conceived her this way and she will die this way. Until a few days ago, she would not have even known that this state was a superpower. The only world she would have ever known is a world filled with lineages associated with different therianthropic variations. And it is for this reason we have named them Homō sapiēns bestius.”

Mālhlin noted, “That does not sound like proper Latin.”

Hyechin explained, “The ASSDF named these people after a vaguely similar race from a tabletop RPG.”

Mālhlin mused, “An interesting choice…”

Dr. Makēsvaraṉ informed us, “And with that, your tour of the facilities is over. You’ve seen that the women are in my excellent care, and my next appointment is coming up. So, I will head out. You girls have a lovely day. These ladies and all their countrymen will be fine.”

She left, and the rest of us departed shortly after as well. I walked Ms. Breedlove, Hyechin, and finally Mālhlin home.

As we walked to her quarters, Mālhlin told me, “My father is currently working on a constructed language specifically for you.”

I asked, “For me? Why?” She explained, “Because I proposed to you. It is customary for Elven children to learn a ceremonial language corresponding to their sex as they transition into adulthood. Therefore, if we were to marry, it would not be appropriate for our children to learn either the Gentlemen’s Tongue or the Ladies’ Tongue, as they would not become gentlemen or ladies. Instead, a new language must be devised for their novel sex, and it must be crafted by a master of initiation, such as my father.”

I asked, “So he would teach it to our kids?”

She elaborated, “Ideally, he would teach it to you, and you would become a master of initiation yourself.”

I inquired, “So, what can you tell me about it?”

She admitted, “I have no knowledge of his project. As a lady, I am prohibited from learning the Gentlemen’s Tongue, and consequently, I would be forbidden from learning the Intersex tongue as well. However, even if you reject my proposition, which I highly doubt, my father will continue his work on the project. Eventually, one of the Bālrālmư̄nic women will marry one of our intersex guests, necessitating the novel tongue.”

A thought crossed my mind, “So what about the ones that Dr. Lovelace said were sequential hermaphrodites? If an Elvish married one of them, then what tongue would they learn?”

Mālhlin was stumped by this line of questioning, and after a bit of thought, humbly admitted, “I cannot say for certain. That decision lies with the sages, I suppose.”

I asked her, “I thought you were a Mohist? You follow the Elvish sages as well?”

She explained, “No, but the Bālrālmư̄nic linguistic customs exist to safeguard both sexes from abuse.”

We continued to talk until we arrived at her house, where she kissed me on the cheek, and we parted ways. My face was flush, again, but when I went home later that day, my thoughts continued to turn to the patients that Drs. Lovelace and Makēsvaraṉ showed to me.

I sat down at my desk, pulled out a pen and paper, and wrote:

“Dear precious guest,”

“I know it will take time before you can understand the contents of this letter, but I hope it finds you well. I was one witness to your being salvaged by the ASO rite. I cannot suitably find the words to express my sympathy for those horrors I cannot possibly comprehend that you have endured, but know that you are among people who genuinely care about your well-being and know what you have gone through.

“By the time you can read this, you have known people who have either descended directly from salvaged victims of genocide or survived genocide themselves. In fact, in 1937, my then fifteen-year-old great-great-great-great-great-grandmother was salvaged by the GSSDO after being sexually assaulted and left for dead in Nanking. Because of their intervention, she survived and conceived a precious baby, without whom I would not have been here to write this letter today. Know that you are not alone, and know that your child, here, is beloved.

“Because of my deployment, I cannot properly introduce myself for some time, if ever. Though, if I ever meet you in person, I would like to invite you to dinner. To hear about your life, about how you are doing, about your precious baby, and to share with you some sūzǐyè dòubāo, roti sai mai, or maybe a classic American apple pie. If, by that time, you are married, then I would invite your husband as well.

“So please, lovely one, cooperate with the SDMC and ASSDF. It was you who was chosen to help facilitate the integration of your people into Earthling societies, and it is with your help that they will receive the information necessary to save others, just like you. Please refrain from the self-abuse observed while in medical custody. I hope you desire to be well, as you have the best doctors, pharmacists, therapists, and spiritual guides on the planet willing to help you find your life.

“I promise I am going to do all that I can to make sure that you won’t have to worry about eldritch powers. So please, live a long and happy life.”

I ended with the motto of the GSSDO, “For the Greater Good of God,” and signed my name simply as “Love, Bunchûai.”

I wrote a letter to each of the women we witnessed rescued by the ASO. Aiming to be as earnest as I possibly could.

At the end of this, I sighed, looked at my phone, saw the time and thought to myself, “Our time off is over. Tomorrow, we go into orbit…”

I wondered what it would be like to see the world overhead.

I wondered into what country we’d have to drop from orbit to rescue.

[poemoftheday]

Poem of the Day 22 September 2023

Richard Lovelace. 1618-1658

Gratiana Dancing

SHE beat the happy pavement— By such a star made firmament,   Which now no more the roof envìes!     But swells up high, with Atlas even,     Bearing the brighter nobler heaven,   And, in her, all the deities.

Each step trod out a Lover's thought, And the ambitious hopes he brought   Chain'd to her brave feet with such arts,     Such sweet command and gentle awe,     As, when she ceased, we sighing saw   The floor lay paved with broken hearts.