#men can’t breastfeed

[coochiequeens]

Denmark - where the museums are progressive enough to erase woman from their names but the royal couple know who can be exploited for a baby.

A statue of a naked, bearded man attempting to breastfeed an infant is drawing disapproval on social media for what some critics are calling female erasure. The nude figure, constructed in 2021 as a self-portrait by Aske Kreilgaard, is depicted with exposed male genitals and breasts to which he is holding a feeding baby.

Despite having been created to commemorate International Men’s Day, the statue has now been placed outside of The Gender Museum (KØN) in Aarhus, Denmark, which was previously known as the Women’s Museum (Kvindemuseet). 

The facility was originally founded in 1982 to educate the public about women’s history, but in 2021 was renamed to reflect a shift in focus towards topics of gender and sexuality.

The Gender Museum justified the decision to change its name by claiming that gender roles had “changed significantly,” and that the emphasis of the museum would be focused to shift towards “freer expression” of all genders.

“A lot has happened in the relationship between the sexes since the Women’s Museum Association saw the light of day. Men’s gender roles and function in society have also changed significantly,” the museum’s website stated.

“The cultural heritage rests in places on old divisions between genders and roles, while the present expects freer expression of all genders. Just as women’s research at universities today is called gender research, the museum has followed the same development in its ongoing depiction and documentation of cultural history.”

The former Women’s Museum first began to incorporate elements of gender ideology into their education programs in 2016 and currently offers sex education for children in primary school “through a culture-historical and norm-critical view of sexuality and gender.”

“The societal norms that [children] experience on their own bodies are set against cultural history through objects from the history of sexual culture. In this way, we show the students that sex, gender roles and understandings of sexuality are rooted in our cultural history, and that ideas about gender, sexuality and sexual practices have changed over time,” reads the description of the course on the museum’s website.

The sculpture’s creator, Kreilgaard, has said in an interview with Fine Spinde that he titled the work Agape, a Greek word meaning “love.”

Just after the statue was erected, sculptor, photographer and writer Suste Bonnén sharply condemned the museum’s decision to commission and feature the piece in an article published by Kristeligt Dagblad titled, “Statue of breastfeeding man is a pedophile’s dream.”

“Isn’t Agape a pedophile’s dream? A grown naked man who enjoys putting a small child up to his nipple for him to suck is to me the epitome of what pedophiles dream of,” Bonnén writes. She further elaborates on how the area is an erogenous zone for both women and men, but highlights that whereas “the mother satisfies the child’s needs,” a man, being incapable of nursing, “only satisfies his own.”

Bonnén went on to describe the statue as flouting exploitation.

“I don’t see that the gender roles are being played with, as many others do. I see an exploitation of the little child, and a man playing with his own gratification. That is why I find it disturbing that both genders and audiences today welcome the message: The grown man can do whatever he wants with a small child, as long as we call it Agape.”

While the statue was erected outside of the museum in November of 2021, photos of it just began circulating in social media this week and prompting backlash. On Facebook, some Danish feminists noted that they had attempted to protest the name change of the museum in 2021, but found their concerns being ignored as museum officials reportedly felt shifting away from “women” and towards “gender inclusivity” was a better financial decision.

The photo of the statue that first prompted discussion on Twitter was posted by Michelle Uriarau of Mana Wāhine Kōrero, a Māori women’s group. Uriarau also referenced the name change at the museum, calling it “the erasure of women.”

Over one thousand people replied to Uriarau’s post, some of whom were expressing disbelief that the statue was even real. Many Twitter users were outraged at the symbolism, and the fact the statue was now housed outside of a former museum dedicated to women.

“The parading and exhibiting of the male sexual fetishist. Only women give birth and only women breastfeed NOT men,” user Elise Willows wrote beneath the photo.

“A nursing baby as the ultimate fetish accessory. Disgusting,” another tweeted.

Others in the replies referenced recent attempts to “neutralize” the language around motherhood and breastfeeding, something that has been shown to have a negative impact on maternal health outcomes. Some also referenced incidents involving trans-identified males attempting to breastfeed babies.

Last year, Reduxx reported on a Reddit post featuring photos of a trans-identified male user breastfeeding his wife’s newborn baby.

The post, titled “Oh my God I’m breastfeeding my daughter,” detailed how the user worked with a lactation consultant and his gender physician for several months prior to his female partner giving birth. Immediately following the baby’s birth, the user said he had begun breastfeeding the child to supplement formula feedings. The user also included a link to a photo gallery showing snapshots of himself “breastfeeding” the baby.

In 2018, an endocrinologist from Boston Medical Center claimed that breast feeding was an important method of validating a trans-identified male’s gender identity.  

In an interview with The New Scientist, Dr. Joshua Safer said: “Many transgender women are looking to have as many of the experiences of non-transgender women as they can, so I can see this will be extremely popular.”

Reports of trans-identified males seeking support from lactation consultants have increased. On social media, many new and breastfeeding mothers have also stated they’ve noticed an increase in men attending breastfeeding groups.

According to the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, of about 2,500 monuments nationwide, only 28 commemorate women. The nation’s lack of female-focused memorials was the subject of a 2022 sculpture project that highlighted the lack of visibility of women in public art.

Reduxx contacted the Gender Museum for comment, but did not received a response at the time of publication.

By Genevieve Gluck

Genevieve is the Co-Founder of Reduxx, and the outlet's Chief Investigative Journalist with a focused interest in pornography, sexual predators, and fetish subcultures. She is the creator of the podcast Women's Voices, which features news commentary and interviews regarding women's rights.

Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and his wife, Princess Carina, are expecting a baby. However, the princess lacks the usual baby bump. Instead, another woman is carrying her child.

Both the prince, who is a nephew of the Danish queen Margarethe and his wife are 54 years old. They had to wait almost 20 years before they could get married due to an inheritance rule from Gustav's grandfather Prince Gustav Albrecht, who was a Nazi, Daily Mail writes. Now, they are becoming parents in their fifties with the help of a surrogate mother.

Royal fans have already claimed that the baby is a boy and is due to be born in May. Official sources have not confirmed the announcement yet. According to a press release from Berleburg Castle, the residence of the royal couple in Germany, the baby is due in the summer. The prince and princess state their thanks in the same press release "to everyone who has helped to find a legal path to follow."

According to Kristeligt Dagblad, the baby will be the first royal child born via surrogacy. It is unknown whether the couple has paid the surrogate mother for her service (commercial surrogacy) or whether they found someone who offered to carry the baby altruistically, the Danish newspaper reports.

Debate

The royal surrogacy baby may renew the discussion about surrogacy in Denmark. Currently, it is legal to have a child via a surrogate mother, but there are quite a few requirements that have to be fulfilled. It is, for example, illegal to get help with insemination, and third parties may not communicate with the surrogate mother.

Leif Vestergaard Pedersen, chairman of the Danish Ethics Council, finds the rules too restrictive. Last January, the council proposed to make surrogacy a standard fertility treatment, Kristeligt Dagblad reports. At the same time, Vestergaard Pedersen warns against commercial surrogacy "because it can in many ways be equated with trade in children."

Age limit

Another concern about the royal baby is the age of its parents. Being 54 years old is a relatively high age for first-time parents, Kristeligt Dagblad states. However, Vestergaard Pedersen thinks this is not something the Ethical Council is concerned with. "There is an age limit in fertility treatment, probably primarily for the sake of the woman giving birth. Regarding more general considerations, parents' age is a consideration. Still, it is not something we have discussed or have immediate plans for", he says.

Fertility doctor Malene Tanderup Sørensen points out that there is no biological age barrier regarding surrogate parenthood. "However, the fact that they are older is one of the things that can help put the debate on surrogacy at the forefront."

Happiness

In any case, the royal family welcomes the baby with happiness. Lene Balleby, a spokesperson for the family, says that the royals "are very happy on behalf of the couple."

Historian and royal house commentator Lars Hovbakke Sørensenpoints out that the royal house is usually more conservative than the general population. However, he thinks the difficulties the royal couple overcame to get married "can help to create more understanding around their decision about surrogate motherhood."

They could have gotten married earlier but he would have lost his inheritance due to the will his Nazi grandfather left.

[penelopepine]

I’m absolutely in love with your writing 💕

I’ve always had this scenario of Phillip and Reader (who are both first time parents) going out with their baby, and Reader having to breastfeed the baby in public and a man tries to harass her about it (telling her she shouldn’t be doing this in public and whatnot) and Phillip stands up for her

Maybe the man tries to harass her while Phillip was at the counter getting them something to eat and he hears what’s going on or something?

(Moms who are alone in public get bothered like this irl by men so often and it’d be so sweet to see Phillip standing up for his wife 🥺❤️)

Thank You!!! I hope that you like this as well!

It's weird that people get so bothered by breastfeeding. Like just let the mom feed her baby in peace.

Mind Your Own Business

Phillip Graves x Fem Reader

With the baby turning six weeks old just a few days ago you and Phillip both felt comfortable taking the baby out to more public spaces. It was a beautiful day out, and that of course led to you both walking around the farmer’s market with the little one in tow. 

Philip had both hands on the stroller while you had one hand wrapped around the crook of his elbow as you both walked around. It wasn’t until half an hour had passed did he insist on sitting down in one of the bakeries for a bite to eat. “Come on, let me treat my sweetheart to something sweet.” 

“I think it’s you who wants something sweet.” You give him a playful nudge as you walk towards the shop. 

“Who says it can’t be both?” Phillip counted your accurate remark. “I’m a man capable of many things after all.” 

Once in the shop looking at all the available options is when the little one decides to make a fuss. Glancing at the time you know she’s probably just hungry since this is about the time you would normally feed her when at home. 

“Oh, are you hungry baby?” You gesture for Phillip to let you take control of the stroller, “I’m going to take her outside and feed her. I saw a shaded bench right outside.” 

It’s obvious he doesn’t want to leave you both alone, but understands that that’s just his protective nature talking. That little voice has been speaking a lot more ever since the baby was born. “I’ll be there in just a few minutes; I’ll bring you one of those chocolate croissants I saw you eyeing too.” 

"I love you so much." You give him a small kiss, and swiftly make your way outside to the bench just as the baby starts to cry.

It only takes you a few moments to get comfortable, grab the now crying baby out of her stroller, and adjust her so that she can easily breastfeed from you. 

You take this time to admire the tiny wiggling bundle of joy in your arms. She truly is the perfect mix between you and Phillip - it almost feels like she’s not real sometimes with just how perfect she is. 

The baby's crying and wiggling finally starts to settle down as she latches on. Just as things seem to settle down you feel a sudden presence next to you. Thinking it was Phillip you look up with a smile on your face which quickly shifts into a frown as you take in the strange man now standing in front of you.

It was the look of anger and disgust on his face that had you gripping your daughter tight to you; trying to decide if you needed to get up, and walk away. Before you can make a move though the man is already practically spitting venom at you. “Do you really think that’s appropriate to be doing in public? Why don’t you go do that in the bathroom like you're supposed to do?” 

“I’m breastfeeding - I’m just feeding my baby.” Is your immediate response to his unpleasant questions. You knew some people didn’t like it when women breastfeed in public, but you didn’t think anyone would actually try and fight you about it. All you're doing is feeding a baby after all. 

“No, what you are doing is purposely exposing yourself to others around you. I mean my god woman could you not have the decency to atleast have a cover on?” 

“A cover? It’s 80 degrees out right now, and you want me to practically put a blanket over her?” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing right now. Not to mention that you didn’t like using a cover; all it felt like was another thing you had to pack around and worry about. 

Arguing only seemed to be making the man more upset with you. As if you should be thankful that he was gifting you with his “amazing” advice on how and where you should be breastfeeding your baby. 

Red faced with a pointed finger raised, the man takes a large step closer to you. It genuinely seemed like he would have come even closer if he wasn’t so suddenly jerked away from you. 

“Now what do you think you're doing here bothering my wife and child?” There Phillip stood now in between the man and you. Finally, it felt like you could breathe again knowing that your husband was here to help you. 

Phillip was furious - that much was obvious even from where you sat with his back to you. His shoulders were tense, and his clenched fists looked like they were one wrong move from throwing a punch. 

“That’s your wife?” The man waves in your direction, “How about you tell your wife to cover up while in public.” 

The silence that follows after those words are deafening.

“Phillip,” You softly call out to your husband. As much as you would love to let him do whatever he sees fit you’d rather not have to be escorted off by police. 

You watch as Phillip slowly releases a sigh before he continues with his words to the man, “I'm not going to waste any more breath explaining just how stupid you sound right now. What I am going to say though is that if you don't walk away right now I'm going to beat the shit out of you, and I promise you that is a fight you don't want - not with me." 

The man clearly wasn't prepared for the outright threat of violence against him, and it showed on his now shocked face. People like him are all talk; just wanting to pick on someone seemingly weaker than him, and the second someone stronger stands up to him he's playing the victim. 

"Whatever," the man growls out before hastily turning on his heels and walking away further into the market. 

Phillip doesn't move from his position until the man has completely disappeared from view. When he does eventually turn around he puts one hand on your check and the other one cradles the baby's head before he asks you, "are you both alright?" 

"We're- we're alright. He didn't do anything besides give me a lecture." You're so thankful for that too, and luckily your daughter didn't seem to notice the tense situation that just occurred. "How did you know he was even here?" 

"You really didn't think I wouldn't be watching you while I was waiting inside did you?" Phillip looked much calmer now that it was just the three of you again. "Which reminds me I still need to pick our order up. Now let me help you pack up; there's no way I'm leaving you alone to get harassed again." 

Normally you would have insisted that you were alright to stay where you were, but right now all you wanted was to stay by his side. This encounter has really rattled you more than you thought. 

It only takes Phillip a few seconds to get everything back in the baby bag. The baby is still feeding from you as you both walk back to the bakery. In the silence you can’t help, but ask a question that has been bothering you. “Do you think I should … hide away when I need to breastfeed in public?" 

"Sweetheart, don't let one dumb fucker stop you from feeding our baby when she's hungry. You have the right to breastfeed anywhere you damn want to."

"You're right, you're right," He was right, this one experience shouldn't stop you from going out and enjoying things with your baby.

Phillip reached out and gave you a quick peck as he opened the bakery door, "besides I'll always be there to defend my girls." 

[radfemverity]

Liberals will defend absolutely anything. And with the rise of trans and nonbinary identifying men developing more obscure, previously-unheard-of fetishes, we will see truly bizarre cases of abuse that go beyond what our legal framework is designed to tackle.

Nowhere can we see this more than with @nominal.Naomi on Twitter, a TIM who produced milk to feed his partner’s child. He also has posted many photos of said child.

Those of us with commonsense spot the red flags this immediately, but liberals say “Lol how is a parent feeding their child a form of child abuse?” Then we point out he has called his lactation abilities “cow achievement”. And that he has an OnlyFans where he cosplays as a cow. And that he has kinks for cows, milk, and breastfeeding. At the same time, he states that while he is currently feeding the baby through a bottle which he’s already put his milk in, he is hoping to be able to directly breastfeed, nipple to mouth, soon.

Liberals still say “lmao TERFs really believe that a mother breastfeeding her child is abusive.”

Two hypothetical questions for those with that line of thought (‘hypothetical’, because I already know the fucking answers):

1. What are the odds, in your opinion, of Naomi, a biological male with a fetish for cows, milk and breastfeeding, who also calls himself a mother, who already posts photos bottle-feeding and wants to directly breastfeed soon, including this child in his OnlyFans content when he is physically able to do so? Bearing in mind that the aforementioned fetishes he has are already topics of his OF. Would you still say that this is transphobes acting as morality police, trying to prevent a parent from innocuously feeding their child, if videos of said child being breastfed became Naomi’s content? Would you be okay with it so long as the child’s face was blurred and cropped out of the footage? Would you say that it is harmless?

2. Under the scenario that this does happen, is this child pornography? If not, why not? Irrespective of his sex or gender identity, this is what Naomi gets off to. He already makes porn with these themes. If it does constitute CP, how can you safeguard children with the existing legislation? You can’t make photos or videos of breastfeeding illegal. It is a biological function of mothers (actual mothers) – which then leaves the option of criminalising it solely on the grounds of men with fetishes partaking in it. But you thick-as-pigshit liberals have already made men with fetishes a protected characteristic in law. And they can sue you for anti-trans discrimination if you dare suggest that they are involving a child in their sexual fetishes.

I’m sure I will get zero answers of any kind, and liberals will do what they always do which is cycle through the four stages of unrelenting denial, before finally saying “how could we possibly have known that something like this would happen?” “how could this have even been prevented?” and act as if they are hatchlings who cracked out of their eggs into the world yesterday and have no idea how anything works.

Probably shouldn’t mention eggs though, don’t want to give ‘mommy Naomi’ any ideas. God, male sexuality is depraved. They really can make a fetish out of anything. And those of a centre-left political disposition will be right there behind them, cheering them on, ready to shut down any legitimate concerns with the classic line of “how does the way other people live their life have any affect on you? Why do you care?”

[jujutsukgojo]

The Baby Project chapter 2

izuku midoriya x reader

Chapter one, Chapter three

Summary: When Kaibara gets increasingly worse, a hero comes in the nick of time.

tw: dead beats, assault, mention of Mineta's crimes,

You wipe the booths for the next customers. Heading back behind the counter, you ask your tables if anyone needs anything. It’s the same old thing you’ve come to love. Children are coloring in their coloring pages and are waiting for their juice boxes while their parents order grilled cheese. The kids write ‘secret’ messages to you about them getting sweets. An indecisive couple who finally settle on the most basic things then call you back to change it.

  The restaurant has been up for ages and has regulars that have been the nicest people to you. So many debates on whose cooking is better. You, Yona, who’s your boss, or Ken’s, the cook. All for the sake of laughs and gentle teasing. They have the faces that tell a story you want to hear and senses of humor that vary more than snowflakes. 

   Plucking the fresh, hot pot of coffee from the machine, you head over to your playful regulars. A group of older men who have taken a liking to you and have acted like grandpas. They are a highly playful bunch who make you smile every day.  “Here we are boys.” 

  “Ah, (Y/n), looking rather dashing today.” Ren puts his head on his hands. He's a man with laugh lines and salt and pepper hair. Ren has been a regular at the restaurant for years who always orders apple pie with cheddar cheese on the side with whip cream, day or night, breakfast, lunch, or dinner whenever he’s around.

“In the same old uniform that you saw me in yesterday. Seriously?”

  “Can’t I compliment you?”

“Yeah, when it doesn’t come with asking if you can get the meal for free.” 

He sighs. “Dammit.”

  Yona calls you to her. Her dyed red hair is easy to spot. She sucks on her lips and eyes you nervously. You quickly rush to her, not liking the look on her aging face. “Yeah?” 

She extends her hands to you. “Someone left this for you. It was given to Ken when he went out to take out the trash.” 

  You gasp and drop the pot of coffee, its glass and hot liquid spreading on the floor. Some of the liquid touches your shoes and the heat makes contact with your feet. Even then you barely register it. The noise gathers the attention of the patrons and Ken, who comes out of the kitchen. Your eyes start to mist when you see Noa without a blanket or his diaper bag. His feet are cold and he’s shivering.

________________________

You sniffle as you pat him. It’s after hours and the only ones in here are those who work late and are finishing their meals. When you saw Noa, you immediately freaked out. The customers were quick to see if you were alright, but Yona made you go somewhere else to process everything. 

Throughout the entire restaurant, Noa’s cries were heard. You have been in the kitchen with Ken and even in Yona’s office to get the noise away from the customers. Nothing worked until he was warmed up.

“Just breathe, kid. Ken knows of your assignment. He was gentle like it was real.” You kiss Noa’s soft head, his chubby newborn face is now free of stress and his mouth no longer lets out a shrill wail.

With a gruff voice Ken calls out from the kitchen. “I thought it was real. Look at it.” 

  “I can’t believe this. I just wanted him to help. Classes are over. He isn’t doing anything. How could he be this way?” Noa coos and tries to breastfeed and starts to give out whimpers every time he fails. Yona gives you the bottle that was left with Ken. “The packaging threw me off but I figured it out.”

   You go to feed Noa. He’s been terrible at taking it since the project started. Finally after some coaxing, he latches on. “He’s doing it!” He’s only been fed like, 5 or 6 times by you. You just hope Kaibara managed to get something in. 

  “Thank you.” You sniffle. “Other than this, why are you crying? Noa’s fine.” She tickles his feet. He jolts his leg from the sensation, not once removing the nipple from his mouth as he hungrily sucks on the milk.

“U.A. doesn’t allow students to work unless they’re in the hero course. I get a stipend but that’s less than others since I’m on a scholarship. It’s weird but true. So, I took this job to help me out. I had to ask him to help me get things so I wouldn’t borrow from my friends.”

  Yona wipes your nose. She’s always been motherly to you; sometimes overwhelmingly so. “Now he knows. He’s the one who had to pay for some of his things and was mad about it,” You look up at the older woman who is listening intently. “Yona, what if he doesn’t understand my situation?”

  You didn’t come from diamonds and gold. You don’t have the funds to go to this fancy school or have parental help. Plus, U.A. just now started the stipend thing and you have a cut. This project is terribly expensive, and the stipend can’t cover it at all. It barely takes care of you.

You make sure to place him directly on your chest to be as comforting as possible. The position mimics breastfeeding which is a little awkward for you but worth it since he calms down after. 

  “The hero course gets paid from their internships and stuff. He has more than me, so I didn’t think he’d mind. Plus, we’re partners in this.” You remove the bottle from the little baby’s mouth.

 “It wasn’t crazy stuff either. Just diapers from Mei Hatsume-”

“The inventor, right?”

“Yeah, her. It was a pacifier and clothes, stuff like that. The only reason he went to the store with me is because Tetsutetsu embarrassed him or something.”

“Real Steel?” You nod. “Kaibara gave me like, twenty bucks maybe? I’m happy he did something but it didn’t really help. I took most of the bill and I still couldn’t get all the things Noa needs. Toss me a towel, please.”

You place it on your shoulder and hope for the best.  Noa burps and throws up a little. This is the first time Noa has burped perfectly with you. Usually, you have the hardest time doing it. As you try to hold him better, his weight gets heavier. 

Your eyebrows raise.  “Already?” 

“What’s happening, baby?” You quickly cradle him for them to see. “He’s growing! He was a newborn now look!”

  You unbutton his onesie so he can have room to grow. His belly tells his age. “Four months?”

What did you or Kaibara do to get to four months already? Noa’s face no longer looks like an old man but an actual baby where his features begin to be more identifiable.

“Good job, pepper!” Ken comes out of the kitchen and puts out his cigarette, not wanting it to be around Noa and hinder your progress. You breathily laugh, smiling down at Noa. He looks more aware now and he still favors you in the looks department.

   “He needs some more-”

“Say no more. I still have my girl’s baby clothes. A few onesies, shirts and pants, maybe? I’ll check but I know I have some. Maybe my boy’s, too.” Ken rubs your head with his meaty hand. As strange as he is, a grumpy middle aged guy who needs a haircut and to stop hitting the gym so much, he’s sweet. Rough around the edges but the sweetest man you’ve ever had the pleasure knowing. 

Yona kisses Noa’s chubby feet. He wiggles his toes. “And I still have my kid’s bassinet. It’s old school but sturdy.”

You thank them both then pause.

  “What happens at four months?” You look to the adults who have kids of their own. “Hell if I know. I was in jail.”

“Ken, not now.” 

“He should be-” Then Noa screams. You look him over, not finding anything. You then undo his diaper to see if he's wet and see a horrible rash. “What?!” 

On him was a regular pamper. Kaibara put a regular U.A. diaper on him and didn’t even do it right. “No, no! Crap! Did he give you the diaper bag?”

  “Just the baby and a bottle, pepper. And the bottle was empty. I don't know why he was carrying it like that. I was locked up and I know bett-”

"Ken, please. No prison stories."

You take it off of him before it gets worse. You don’t know why he decided to do this. You told him not to, right? It wasn’t like you chose it. Noa just happened to have needed them. Just like Ema’s baby can’t be around anything that’s not cotton or the baby will get a rash. Or Benio’s daughter throwing up the school’s formula and having to go to get a special formula from them that cost more. 

   The babies are extremely diverse, just like real ones.

“Alright, alright.” Yona takes Noa to the kitchen and bounces him as she goes. Ken rubs your back again. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

Maybe.

“No. I have to.” You rub your forehead. “I don’t know what to do though. He hates me for some reason. It all started when I said no to the name Sen.”

  You groan. “And he knows that I work. What if he uses it as black mail? I won’t be able to afford anything!”

“This is based on real life, right?” You nod. “If he does anything, get him for child support. He’s taking your income thus away from the child. Your stipend can’t cover you both and he’s an absent parent. Let the school handle him.”

You take in his words. The stipend can barely help you. No way would it be able to handle a growing baby. 

“That’s too serious. This isn’t that bad, right?” Ken sighs and sits next to you. “Yeah, it’s an assignment. Just a project that’ll end sometime soon. But he isn’t helping. Rather than watch him for a couple of hours, he hands him over in a back alley to a strange man,” He gestures to himself.

“Well not strange-” He corrects.

“Eh…”

“Little one, I swear to God,” You laugh and wipe your eyes. Talking to these two have helped dry up some of your tears. “Listen, if he doesn’t start properly helping you, if he snitches and it affects Noa, then yeah. It's not permanent or anything. Just until the project ends and who knows? Maybe U.A. will let you work because without it, it'll take away from Noa."

“I don’t think it’s a thing here, though.”

“Not in this country, really. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a thing at that fancy school of yours. Force them. It's either that, or they let you work since they're being cheap towards you.”

You catch a ride from Yona as Ken closes up. You have to hurry back before curfew. Before she speeds to your school, she takes a detour to her modest home. With so little time left, you can only grab a few things with Yona promising you more tomorrow. You want to kiss her when you see all of the items she’s giving you. They’re old but completely welcomed. 

Back in the car with Noa in your arms grabbing your finger, Yona breaks the silence.

 “Take Ken’s advice. If the butthead holds this against you when you talk to him, you have to do something. This isn’t just affecting you. His pettiness is going to hurt Noa, too.” 

“You talk like he’s real.” You whisper as you pass the streetlights that just came on. It means curfew is about to start. Luckily, you were quick to change into your U.A. uniform. Hopefully, you walking in like normal will work. 

  “Noa would fool even All Might. All that thing is missing is a legitimate soul, and that’s it. His heart beats, honeycomb.” She watches how you interact with him. Even if you don’t realize it, you are treating him as if he’s real. 

"Yona...that's too serious. Like, that's grown up stuff. I don't think this situation calls for it."

"It's something to consider."

You scratch your cheek. "I don't know that's awfully...dramatic? He's just a grade." Yona scoffs and rolls her eyes. "It's not just about financial provision. It's about co-parenting which he isn't doing and what U.A. is trying to teach him to do," She sighs and looks at you then back at the road. "Look, if you won't do that, then go to your teachers. It's not snitching when it affects your grade like this."

"He'll tell!"

Yona's silent. She hears how desperate and sad you sound. "Even if he does, it's not like you're doing the worst thing in the world. Talk to him. Tell him if he doesn't shape up, then you'll go to the teachers. If they give you flack, give it right back."

  Yona pulls up to the dorms. “Alrighty, we’re here.” Your hands start to tremble. You’re not scared of Kaibara. It is the possibilities that get you. “Breathe honey, he’s just being an ass. Besides, he may not do anything. He could be perfectly reasonable if he asks.”

  “My scholarship could end, Yona.” The school doesn’t allow anyone to work except for the hero courses. The scholarship would end. Would you lose them too?

“Argue it. It’s what you do best. You may not like heroes or can fight like them, but in a war of words and law you’d beat all of them with your mouth taped shut. Defend yourself in your territory.”

  You take a deep breath. “I will.”

She grabs your arm. "He gave a child to some random man in an alley. What if Noa was real?" 

______________________

Yona loads the bags into your arms and places Noa in the wheeled bassinet. It is old, white laced and not the cleanest. The wheels are large and the fabric that drapes the bottom half is surprisingly soft.  Although it is not disinfected right now it’ll have to do until you can get inside and clean everything. You give Yona a kiss on the cheek, thanking her for everything. 

“You act like helping you is a chore. It’s okay, the sweetest honeycomb.” For some reason, that hits you in the gut. 

When Yona leaves, you repeatedly kick the door so someone can open it. A kid from the other General Studies class opens the door. They must be visiting because the other class lives on the other side of the building. 

  You enter your room and head to the bathroom for a bath. After today, it is definitely needed. That and Yona’s gifts need to be scrubbed too. They’ve been boxed away and preserved in an attic.

  You give Noa his sponge bath first. It was easy enough. He only screamed bloody murder the entire time other than that it was cake. You dry him off and set him on pillows so he could be propped up while you bathe. The curtain is open so you can keep your eye on him. 

  “I’m coming, sweetheart! Just one minute, please- shit!” Shampoo got directly into your eye. Noa cries louder, showing all of his gums and his little fists are clenched to his chest. You hurriedly try to rinse your eyes and grab Noa. 

  You suck at this. So, so, much. 

   You begin to get cold but you push that all aside in order to get him to be quiet. His wailing is loud in your ears. Finally, you decide to wash with him even though he’s already bathed. His head lays on your chest, resulting in the tears to be sniffles. 

“You just wanted some lovin’, huh? That’s okay, bub.” It’s not at all. Who is to say he won’t understand you and start all over again?

After the much needed shower, Ema comes in to see you in your robe and drying Noa off. “Do you hav-what’s that?” She lifts his leg, the red and rough rash is visible even on his outer upper thigh.

“Before you blame me, it was Kaibara. He put one on him.” You gently massage his skin and make a mental note to go to Hatsume about it. You shrug your shoulders. “I don’t know why he put the regular ones on him.”

 “Did you tell him?” 

“Yeah, I did. Or I think so? I don’t know. I’m exhausted.” 

She puts her hand on her hip. “If Eijirou was ever that lazy, I’d smack him.”

   “I think it weirds him out. All of it, you know?” She sits on your bed next to Noa. “That’s stupid. He deals with blood and gore everyday yet he can’t handle changing a baby in the right diapers? Ridiculous and lazy.”

Feeling the heat of anger rise up, you tell her, “Plus, he kept the diaper bag. So I’ll have to use a backpack.”

“He kept it? Did he at least give you some of the things in there?”

“Nope.” You’re not going to tell her the full thing lest your secret be found. She scoffs and throws her hands in the air. It’s nice to vent. “Stupid, lazy, and petty.”

  “Amen.” Speaking of prayers. “Did they handle that grape thing yet? How’s Riko anyway? I haven’t seen her.”

   Ema licks her lips. “Not good. The messages that Benio read were just the tip of the iceberg apparently. He sent dick pics, way more than innuendos, borderline if not outright, threats. It’s just a mess. I only saw a few of them but I totally see why she felt threatened.”

 You pause, taking in the information of what your friend went through. “You serious? A future hero?”

She hums and nods. “Yep. Word is that he’ll be expelled since everything has just accumulated to this. It’s like this is the final straw type of thing.”

“Should’ve gotten rid of him sooner.” You nibble on Noa's chubby feet, making him giggle. It's way better than him wailing.

“Definitely. Anyway, Snipe said there weren’t any more people so she could take a test or raise the baby herself. She chose to quit and take a test. Said the project was ruined for her.”

  “If that is the best decision for her health, I say let it be.” How bad was it? Benio was pissed when he read them and that didn’t cover much. So, what exactly did the grape thing do? How bad were these threats? Your heart aches for Riko and what she’s going through. It isn’t fair. 

“It’s a good thing you and Benio pushed it. This needed to be brought out. If he becomes a pro hero, the people he saves will be in jeopardy.” She messes with the edge of her nighttime shorts. 

  “Absolutely. He’s a bona fide predator. Yes, he fought in the wars. Yes, he helped save the world,” You count on your fingers. “That doesn’t give an excuse for assault or harassment.” 

  She fiddles with your quilt blanket. “I feel bad, peaches.”

“Why?” Noa flexes his fingers in awe. You wonder if his four month phase is already ending and he’s growing again. The growing process seems to be random. “Because I should’ve realized sooner. She was being paired with him. It was bound to happen. He’s the biggest pervert in the school. I should’ve gone with you guys and supported her.”

“You were raising your kid at a different table. No one blames you. We just happened to be there. This isn’t on us, it’s on that thing. ”

"I know. But her face when I saw her is gonna stick with me. I want to do something but what?" She licks her lips again and shakes her head. The subject changes as she focuses on his features. “He looks like you. Even his hair, see?” You chuckle and nod in agreement. 

“Yeah. I think that bothers him too.”

“So fucking lame.” Amen, again. “Wait, he’s bigger…he grew! Oh, I’m so proud of you!” She kisses your head. You raise your brow at her affection. “It says he’s four months but I think he’s growing again.” 

You massage his face. “Maybe Mei is speeding up the growth.”

  Her eyes roam around your room and stop at your little basket of his things. 

“Oh Lord. What’d you need?” She hums. “I wanted to see if you had any diapers to spare? Eijrou heard about it and wants to try.”

“Eijrou… he lets you call him by his first name?” She nods. “Yeah, we share a baby so there’s no reason to call each other formally. Besides, we get along really well.” It's not Ema's fault at all. Not the smallest bit. But it stings when it shouldn't. It is the partnership they have and you can't get it despite your efforts. You practically see the gold medal on her neck right now that shows she isn't failing. Could a start of a positive partnership be as simple as using his first name? The next time you see him, you'll give it a try.

  “Ooh, I’m telling Deku.” You finish all the steps of the diaper and put a simple shirt on him, opting out pants. You get up and go through your stash of them and hand some to her.

“I think I’ve moved on, actually.” You gasp loudly, holding your hand to your chest. “The biggest Deku groupie left the club?”

“Oh, shut up. I let go. There are things he’s happier with and I realized I’m happy too. There’s no reason to chase something when going in a different direction.” She has a slight blush on her face yet if you look closer, has a forlorn look. That blushy face is a dead giveaway for something else, though.“Wait…you and-”

“Don’t say it!” 

“Ema and Eijrou sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-” She flings a pillow in your face, making Noa giggle. His dimpled face makes you smile wider. He’s got to be more than four months old now. How? You don’t know what you’re doing right. So, you’re happy about it.

That and knowing she likes Kirishima, the ideal baby daddy. "I'm just fond of him, okay? It's early, so it might, I don't know, be the project?"

You nod, not bothering to hide your smile. Seeing them in the cafeteria was so sweet and domestic. It was something you could see for Ema. Something sweet, gentle, and kind. It's what you hope for her. Maybe Kirishima is the one who can provide that. They get along so well already and work together flawlessly. You become downcast as you think of all of the positives for her and Kirishima. Their teamwork.

You take a deep breath and stretch. After, you look around and slump your shoulders. “Shit, he has the bag. Can I borrow some formula? All I had was in that bag.” You look at Ema’s naturally glittery face. The glitter is used for freckles rather than the actual prints. You've asked her if it had to do with her quirk and surprisingly enough, it's just hereditary and not quirk related.

 “I’ll pay you back I swear.”  You put as much sincerity in your voice as you can. The dorms are locked so you can’t get to Kaibara and Noa’s going to have to feed soon. 

 Ema’s luminescent eyes look you over. She purses her lips then breaks into a playful smile. “I’ll accept it as a trade for the diaper.”

You don’t know how this is working, and you know in real life, there wouldn’t be this much support. Growing up you didn’t see half of this. Yet in such a short amount of time, the people around you made you feel safe and supported. You pray that one day you can pay them back. This whole thing is just an assignment. Nevertheless, this shows you the rare kindness of mankind. What a nice day this is.

_______________

 A few days later, you struggle to catch Kaibara. He’s actively avoiding you. Whenever you see him, he has the diaper bag and side eyes you. It’s nerve wracking and it’s pissing you off. There are things in there that you desperately need. 

You’ve managed to get some of the formula on your own. Noa is still at an awkward stage that his timer is set at four months but his development says different. You have to go to Hatsume to check on him.

In the morning, you put him in the wrap. You pack some of his things in an old, raggedy, backpack as a makeshift diaper bag. The actual baby bag is a lot better with more room, compartments and it’s absolutely sturdier. 

You take your notebook and write down the things he needs and on another page, a schedule that fits you. It’s a rough draft but with his schedule, the two of you should be able to compromise and come up with a plan. You’ve written down your number and where to find your room as well. The page even includes your friends’ numbers if he can’t get a hold of you. You pray that he can do the same and that there is an agreement on the plan.

   “Alright baby boy, let’s roll.” You see Ema and her baby girl, Hana. You poke her pink cheek. “Hey, little one.” 

“Ugh, don’t even.” Ema turns and walks. “What? What’d I do?”

“It’s not you, it’s her. She’s been so fucking ornery. All night she was screaming. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it.”

   You really didn’t. You and Noa slept soundly. “I didn’t hear anything.”

   “Lucky. It’s my night to keep her and this happens.”

“She’s a newborn, right? It’s bound to happen.” Ema shakes her head. “Nope, she’s eight months old.”

  “Eight months…” You suddenly feel insecure of Noa or at least your parenting. He must be in the process of growing since he’s doing more than a four month old should yet he’s still behind. Ema’s a natural at this, though. She’s doing something better. That gold medal is shining in your eyes brighter than before. You shouldn't feel this way. Ema wouldn't rub anything in your face.

  “Yep! Eijrou and I make a great team. I can’t wait to tell him. And show the set of lungs his daughter has.” She looks at you evilly. 

    Exiting the general studies’ commons, Ema looks around for Benio but doesn’t see him. “He could already be inside fuming like usual. The ponytail girl has been ticking him off.”

  “I still don’t understand. She’s a sweet person. What’s going wrong?” Ema asks.

“If you haven’t noticed, it’s the general studies’ students that are getting stuck solely raising the babies.”

  “I’m not!”

You kick a pebble that was in the way on the sidewalk. “No, but you’ve got a good one. The rest of us are struggling.”

  She kisses Hana’s head. “Do you want me to tell Ei? I’m sure he can talk some sense into Kaibara.”

You’d love that. 

“No. If he’s anything like Tetsutetsu, it won’t get through to him. Tetsu’s already tried.”

   “Seriously?” You hold the door open for her. “Yep. I went to Kaibara’s dorm and when Tetsutetsu found out he isn’t helping, he yelled at him.”

   Ema puts her hand on her hips. “I can’t believe this. You should go to a teacher. This is a partnered assignment.”

“I’ll give him some more time but if this continues, I’ll go.” It has been a little over a week already. 

____________________________

  You’re insecure of your plan. Yona and Ken advised it. Even though it makes sense, it feels so drastic and serious to go that far. Plus, going to the teachers feels like snitching. You’re ticked that he’s not helping and scared that he’ll tell on you. It’s like he’s got all of the cards.

You wave Ema goodbye when you spot Kaibara. “Oh, Kaibara!” You wave your hand at him. He taps his foot and has a gleam in his eyes that doesn’t seem friendly. “How’s the formula? You have it in the bag.”

“It’s okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yep.” The two of you talk at the side of the hallway. “I mean, is it running low? Because I also need some for when I take care of him.”

  He chuckles. “How long have you been working?” Your heart stops. “Kaibara…”

“No, because I gave you enough-”

“It was 20.” He glares at you. “Still, I gave you money when you didn’t need it. You stole.”

You can feel people watching as they go by. The tension between the two of you is getting higher. “I didn’t steal. This project involves the both of us. You act like I make a ton when I don’t. I work only for a few hours a week.”

  He slowly gets closer to you. He roughly hands you the diaper bag. “You make enough. Don’t ask fo-what is he wearing?”

  Noa wears a pink shirt with purple designs on it paired with grey leggings. He has thick white socks on his feet. “Clothes?”

  The shirt is from Yona and the grey leggings from Ken. The outfit looks very cute on him. Simple and easy.

 “Get that off of him.” His tone is steel and sharp. It makes you tense up for a second.

   You raise a brow, genuinely confused. “What?”

 “This is embarrassing. With the money you make you can’t put him in some good clothes?” You look down at Noa whose clothes are fine. “What’re you talking about?”

   “You did this on purpose.” He curses at you under his breath. A General Studies student walks past then stops and stares. They make eye contact with you. Their purple eyes wondering, asking, if you need help. The student takes off down the hallway.

You then remember that Ema uses Kirishima's first name to build a better bond. “It’s only clothes, Sen.”

  He curses again and roughly handles Noa, trying to take his shirt off. Noa begins to cry. You tell him to stop and get Noa away from him. Kaibara grabs your wrist painfully, making you yelp. You try to tug it free and protect Noa from having his clothes removed at the same time.

Just then, a scarred hand intervenes and grabs Kaibara’s wrist. Your partner looks shocked and then up at the owner. He’s, uh, a lot bigger than you thought he’d be. And his voice definitely sounds different in person. 

The man himself, Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku. His hands are large and his fingers slightly crooked. The scars and calluses tell stories of war and determination. His eyes are bright, like they're happy but his actions say different.

  Izuku says hello to his old friend while holding Kaibara's wrist tightly. You take this pause to grab Noa properly and readjust his clothing. This is all so fucking stupid. It’s like getting your group to help you do an assignment but they’re all fucking around. Fuck this, you’re putting your name on the paper and explaining to the teachers what happened. 

   “I’m sick of being nice to your dumb ass.” You tell Kaibara, who for the first time doesn’t look smug or annoyed. He looks…scared? In a gentle yet firm voice, Izuku Midoriya says, “Come on, let’s go.” 

His hand is placed on your waist to guide you away from Kaibara. He takes you away from his year hallway and towards the stairs.

“U-uh, I hope that was alright!” He rubs his hands together. “Yeah, it’s alright.”

   You expect him to walk away from you now that you’ve reached the stairs to go down to yours. Instead, he stays with you. “Thanks, by the way. I didn’t think he’d act like that.”

  “It’s not a problem. He was out of line.” He smiles down at you and Noa. “Is that the first time he’s done that?”

  His hero voice is on. “You mean being rough? Yeah. Blowing me and this whole project off? No.” You shrug and try to act unbothered. But your wrist hurts and Noa is squirming. “I accept it now and what I have to do.”

  “What do you mean?” The two of you begin to walk down. “I’m going to the teachers about it. The assignment’s just started and this is happening.” You are down the stairs and into your hallway. Only a few students are left, scrambling to find their class and handle their babies at the same time.

  Izuku’s eyes take everything in. You hope that he’s piecing everything together. That your class are the ones doing anything.

   “I’ll go with you.” You stop. “You don’t have to, Izuku.” He was about to speak until you said his name. He gets all red and covers his face and sputters. “Was it okay to call you by your first name?”

  “Y-yes!” And just like that, this guy resorted to being a red sweaty thing that's lightly tugging on his thick curls. Well, it is a little warm in the building. The bell rings for everyone to be in class. You curse under your breath when Noa begins to fuss. “Hold this.” You shove the bag into Izuku's hands. “What do you need? I can help!” 

   “He feels dry and he ate, give me a bo-bo.” Izuku eagerly looks into the bag. He stops. “A what?” Ah, right. “A pacifier.”

 “Oh, okay. That's cute, by the way." 

"I'll tell Ema about the compliment," He stares into your eyes. You gesture to the bag. "Right! What compartment is it in?”

  “The front flap,” He digs into the yellow one. “No, the blue. That’s where I put it.” He searches for it and frowns. “Are you sure? There’s nothing here or the yellow one.”

  “Try the main one, the big zipper.” Dread is filling deep in your belly. In those flaps were his pacifier, rattle, things to that nature. Now that you look at it, it’s a little flat. 

   “I can’t find it.” Noa cries louder by the second. “Keep looking!” Izuku’s hand is inside the bag. You hear rustling of some things. “It’s not in here-”

“Are you kidding?! Keep looking!” You rock Noa, who is increasingly getting louder. You don’t mean to yell at Izuku. He didn’t do anything wrong. He has been more helpful and less violent than Kaibara has been. 

   He puts his hand on your shoulder. “Breathe, just breathe,” You follow his calm directions. “Here, give him to me.” You trade the baby for the bag. He coos at the assignment and rocks him. The little brat starts to calm down. Izuku talks softly to Noa, asking how his day has been, and that he has to be good for mommy, all of the sweet things you'd expect. 

  “Where is it? Where-” It really isn’t here. You suck in your lips. All that’s in there are some clothes, diapers, and formula in a Ziploc sandwich bag for some reason. And there isn’t even enough for one bottle.

   Snipe slides the door open. “I thought I heard you-Oh, Midoriya! Long time no see.” Izuku goes on about Snipe’s latest take down. According to him, it was excellent. “Well, I’m glad to see you back. I thought you had a while to go?”

  “I finished early. Go beyond, plus ultra?” He nervously chuckles. Snipe stares at him for a second. “Plus ultra, Midoriya.”

   He then turns to you. “What is Midoriya doing with Noa?” What a dramatic tone difference.

“Snipe, I’d like to talk to you and Dracula after class.” Snipe scoffs. “Do you mean Vlad King?”

  “King Vladimir? Isn't that Dracula?”

Snipe rubs his face under his mask. “Whatever.”

_____________________________

After class, you meet up with the two teachers, Snipe and Dracula who is now known as Vlad King. As if they aren’t the same name. You asked Midoriya if he could watch Noa for a minute which he gladly accepted, then reminded you to call if you needed him. Unlike Kaibara, he immediately gave you his number. Red faced and all. He looked like he was having a heart attack while doing it.

“Snipe, Dracula-”

“ Vlad King.” The man in red grumbles. “Whatever. I know this is based on real life but Kaibara did something that bothers me.”

  Snipe sighs and sits on the edge of his desk. “This is up for the two of you to figure out.”

  “He got physical with me and Noa. If you don’t believe me, Midoriya is right outside. He saw everything.” Both of the teachers freeze. Dracula clenches his fists. “What happened?”

  “Has he done this before?” Snipe sits up, no longer slouching. “This is the first time he’s done this. But not the first time he’s neglected the assignment. At every damn turn he’s blowing me off and complaining. He’s not helping me at all.”

  “Start from the top and down to when he was aggressive.” Dracula’s eyes become serious. Not angry at you, though. Thank God.

  You tell them everything, leaving out your job. Ken and Yona are brought up, only called friends, and how they’ve helped you. No one is excluded from their rightful praise. Your friends here, the sales lady, even Midoriya who helped you and is doing so right now by handling Noa. 

   Vlad cracks his knuckle. “I’ll deal with him.”

“Vlad-”

“No. This is unacceptable. I know it’s up to them to figure out but what happened can’t be ignored or tolerated.” His leg is bouncing and fists are clenched impossibly hard. His fangs seem sharper than normal and eyes are blazing. “As a hero, we cannot allow that behavior to continue. A hero from my class? No. Absolutely not!”

  “I know-”

“No! He fails-”

“Kan, please! I’m just as upset as you are but we are forgetting to check the facts.” Snipe gestures towards you to calm you down, already noticing how your nostrils flared. “What I’m saying is that we must investigate the situation. If we go in guns blazing, it can cause more harm than good.”

  You understand that, but it doesn’t seem like enough. 

“I want him to help me and to apologize. I’ve been doing everything while he just jacks around.”

“I understand, (Y/n). This will be handled.” Vlad stands up and Snipe grabs his wrist. “Let’s talk to Midoriya. He’s the only witness?”

“No, some other guy ran to get Midoriya. He’s got purple eyes and since he was taking care of a robo-baby, I can guess that he’s from general studies because I know heroes aren’t doing anything.”

Snipe scolds you. “I’m serious, Snipe. I’ve only seen two heroes with babies and they were Kirishima and Tetsutestu. That’s it.”

Vlad snatches his wrist back and opens the door, startling Izuku who was cooing at Noa and kissing his plump cheek. “After we talk to Kaibara, you will be called, understand?”

Unlike how he was just seconds before, Izuku gets serious and firmly nods. His round green eyes don’t have the cheeriness they had just moments before. 

“Do you want me to bring him here?”

“No, I’ll be the one to do it.” Vlad disappears as he goes down the hallway, no doubt looking for his student. Snipe calls your name, gaining your attention. "You need to be here for this. I want you to tell your side of the story for the record then we'll bring Midoriya in." "Mr. Snipe, what if Kaibara gets mad at me?" He jerks and straightens up. "We'll handle him. You are safe, don't worry."

You put your hands on your hips. "This happened right under your noses. Who knows how long he's been like thi-"

"(Y/n), it will be handled. We need to investigate and write a report but trust me," He leans in. "You are safe and it will be handled."

"What about Noa? Are you gonna make sure he helps with Noa?"

Snipe gives a breathy chuckle and starts to slouch a little. He takes his shawl off and places it on his desk. Finally, he is back to being your teacher and not his hero persona. It's amazing how fast these people can switch depending on the atmosphere. "We'll talk to him. Honestly, (Y/n), I wish you would've told me sooner that he wasn't helping."

You let out a loud, "Ha!"

  "I'm serious." Shaking your head you humorlessly chuckle. "No, no. You are the same guy who kicked me out of class because of a project that you are making us do started crying. No way you would have my back if it weren't for Dracula looking at you."

  He flinches like he's been struck. The door opens again and reveals Dracula, some teachers, and Nezu. Dracula speaks first. "Kaibara will be here shortly. He is cleaning up from his internship."

Nezu pops out of Aizawa's scarf and waves at you. "Please sit down and relax, (L/n). Just tell us what happened." 

  The two hero course homeroom teachers, Snipe, the principal and a few others, all sit down. You look around and then at your surroundings. "Um, shouldn't we be doing this in your office, Mr. Nezu? And not my homeroom?"

 "This is quicker!" 

You sigh and then begin. "Today, Kaibara roughly grabbed me and Noa." 

"The assignment, correct? Noa Kaibara?"

"Yes. Anyway, I went up to him and asked for the diaper bag-" The door opens again, allowing Kaibara to come in. He loses his smile when he sees you. Again, a hero changes his demeanor at a drop of a hat. As quickly as he looked at you in disdain, he erased that in less than a second with a nonchalant smile to his superiors. His beady eyes find yours and make you squirm. You aren't physically afraid of him. It's what he has on you that makes you flinch.

He stands side by side with you at a distance. Kaibara turns to you and asks, "Where's the baby?"

Pfft, like he cares. "Noa's with Izuku."  You side eye him. Nezu clears his throat and says, "Kaibara, (L/n) says you hurt her and almost jeopardized your project. Is this true?"

Kaibara sighs and rubs the back of his neck. He shrugs his shoulders. "Unfortunately, I do know what she's talking about but she is blowing it out of proportion." Aizawa's gruff voice interrupts him before he can continue. "But you did grab her?"

"Yes, yes I did."

You spot Dracula's vein swelling. "And why-"

You raise your hand. "Before you all continue to talk to him, I want to tell it," You shift your weight on your feet. "I put clothes on Noa that Kaibara didn't like so he roughly handled Noa. Noa's wellbeing is our," You shoot Kaibara a glare he couldn't miss. "Grade, so I tried to protect him, but Kaibara turned his aggression on me. He grabbed my wrist-which still hurts by the way-and-" You pause. Should you do this? Is it time?

You then remember how he hurt you and Noa. Noa's cries and him reaching out to you, your fear not just for Noa, but for yourself. Your head is held high now as you let everyone know what Kaibara has done or not done.

"Noa is wearing hand-me-downs that some friends of mine gave me because I can't afford newer clothes. There isn't anything wrong with what he's wearing. A pink shirt and grey leggings. That's it. That's what he had a problem with. That his son is wearing pink."

"Kaibara!" The student begins to get flushed and shrink back at the scolding of the pro heroes in front of him. "Not only that, but he has not helped at all. When this project first started, we went to a baby store next to that old vendor guy, and Kaibara gave me twenty bucks then split because he didn't want to help soothe Noa. He ran because his son started crying."

  Cementoss nods. "Well, nerves are normal for parents."

 You refrain from a snarky remark. "I know this. But that was the first and only time he's held Noa, and he still didn't help." You should tell them that he abandoned Noa with Ken. However, that'd give him the opening he needs. And by the look on his face that's slowly turning red not from embarrassment, but from anger, he'd snitch out of spite.

 You should tell them that he did care for him for a few hours. You can't, though. He's got one over you. 

"This morning, he scared and hurt me and Noa. Your star witness out there has held him longer than Kaibara has. My partner as well as the rest of the hero course’s behavior has sunk to this. And it’s happening right under your nose. Let that sink in."

The room is silent, giving you another chance to talk. “Your favorite students aren’t helping. Make them.”

Nezu twiddles his thumbs and looks at you from Aizawa's scarf or rope thing. "We'll handle this. You're dismissed."

__________________________________

You exit the room, not even looking at Kaibara. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets and he was steaming. When you close the door, the air finally returns to you. 

  Izuku still holds Noa in the hallway. He rocks him and adorably so. He notices you standing there with a smile on your face.

“Are you okay?” His voice is gentle and warm. Filled with worry and compassion. It reminds you of the sweetness of Yona and Ken. 

  “I’m fine. Alright, it’s your turn.” You point your thumb towards the door. Right before you can get Noa from his arms, he still holds him as he rubs your shoulder and enters the room. “You…you took my baby.”

  To yourself, you whisper, “He took my baby.”

You look around the hallway to see if it's clear. When you see that it is, you finally cover your eyes and let a small tear fall. Is it because of Noa and the weight? What Kaibara did and the power he has? Maybe it's because you had to be saved by Deku, a hero. Or is it because you failed at doing something so basic: getting along with someone. Noa's not real, he isn't. But it hurts that he is rejected. Why?! He's a doll. One that breathes, has a heartbeat, and your face. Are these tears from exhaustion?

  Why are you crying silently in the hallway? This is just a grade. That has to be it. You're afraid you'll fail and lose your scholarship, and all of your hard work will go down the drain. You're afraid of being found out, that's all. Not because you can't get help from the person who is supposed to help you. Not because you feel like you are behind and everyone else is passing you. Not that your wrist still hurts. That reminds you, you have to go to Recovery Girl for it. And since she's not too far from Hatsume, you'll swing by and pick up some things.

Kaibara is in there. Would he get it or has this damaged everything? You take a deep breath. When Izuku comes out, you'll grab Noa and go to where you need to be. You hear the door open and a curious voice calls to you. You can hear Noa's senseless babbling behind you, too. What to say? What do you say about why you look like you’ve been crying?

  You will do what you know. You turn around and see Izuku hold a happy Noa. "U-uh, are you crying? What's wrong? Is it your wrist?" Izuku comes towards you. You roll your eyes and say, "No, I have allergies."

  Izuku looks behind you and doesn't see a window open. 

[cordycepsfem]

Have you ever seen/heard of/experienced a TIM claiming menopause like they often claim periods? The whole Mulvaney "girlhood" thing has kept me thinking about how it's the juvenile experiences that are craved, and never the ones associated with women as they age.

(P.s. Love you and your blog!)

I have not, and I think you’ve nailed it directly. It’s girlhood, with this sort of vague “do over” and permission to be immature, that I see most often sought out by Mulvaney and people like him. There’s no “fun” in things like menopause or osteoporosis - but there is “fun” in the consumerist aspect of buying juvenile dresses and toys and makeup. There’s also the potential for belonging through consumption - the idea of being able to “buy” one’s way into girl/womanhood with those things.

We also never see these men suddenly find an affinity for scrubbing kitchens, doing laundry, remembering field trip forms, cooking big meals for potentially ungrateful family members, among other things women actually deal with… it’s only the shiny and, to be honest, able-to-be-sexualized experiences they crave.

Even the ones who fetishize pregnancy never think about hemorrhoids or dislocated joints or passing giant blood clots after birth or feeling inadequate because one is unable to breastfeed. It’s the visible, the buyable, the sexy.

… because if it’s not visible or easily discussed and easy to experience, who cares? That’s not what “womanhood” is! Women can’t possibly be complex or suffer serious issues. 🙄

[lovecanyon]

EPL!HARRY X READER

“What do you fucking mean that wasn’t a goal-“

“It means you didn’t make the goal mate.” Harry chuckles, passing Leo who was fuming.

Almost like a reaction, the player tries to push Harry down but he’s quick to stand his ground. Turning around, the Styles man swiftly shoves Leo down onto the grass and succeeds.

The crowd immediately grows loud when they see both players from opposite teams begin to fight.

Y/N who was in the crowd with Sarah and Amelia stands up to get a better view of her husband. After trying and trying to find Harry in the mix, the Styles woman gets fed up and rushes out of the VIP section and onto the field.

Thank god the boys weren’t here to see this.

“Harry!”

The familiar voice makes Niall stop and turn around to see a furious Y/N pushing all the players out of the way. The once soft spoken woman was now yelling at the men to break up the brawl.

And the surprising part was the men were actually listening to her, even the ones not on her husband’s team.

Slowly the referees began pouring into the flock of people on the football field, attempting to calm the situation down but they failed.

“I fucking dare you to say that again!” Harry grunts, throwing another punch to Leo.

“Mate! Stop it!” Niall yells, trying to pull his friend off of the opposite player. He didn’t know why people tried to test Harry. If you did one thing to make him pissed off then just be prepared for the worst.

The blood seeping into his jersey didn’t stop him, Niall screaming bloody murder didn’t stop him, the crowds yelling didn’t stop him.

What stopped him was the referee threatening his wife.

Very quickly he forgot about Leo on the ground and focused on the referee yelling in Y/N’s face. She didn’t seem scared at all, she looked like she was going to rip his head off.

Once he stalked towards the pair, Y/N immediately jumped at Harry and grabbed his face, analyzing him for any injuries. Not even three seconds into trying to find out if he’s hurt, Harry softly grabs his wife’s hands and slowly puts them down.

After making his way around her, Harry now glares at the referee who still was scowling at Y/N.

Harry didn’t like that.

“Threatening my wife huh?” Harry clenches his jaw, now facing the man.

“She can’t be on the field. I asked her numerous times to leave but she seems to not listen-“

“This is my field, I play here. The only reason why the league is still in business is because of me.” He grits out. “Without me, there would be no Chelsea team. So if my wife wants to fucking come onto the feild she can.”

“With all due respect Harry-“

“Mr. Styles, it’s Mr. Styles to you.” Harry snaps, cutting the referee off.

“Mr. Styles.” The man corrected himself with a smirk. Harry could tell he was trying to act like a hot shot in front of everyone, it wasn’t his first day trying to be humiliated by someone. “Your fines are going to keep adding up and I don’t know if you could pay that much-“

“You think I can’t pay some fines?” Harry scoffs, shaking his head. “Me and my wife could buy you. My newborn daughter could buy you. So don’t tell me I can’t pay some fucking fines!”

Later on after the match when Harry was at home watching Y/N breastfeed their daughter Eden he suddenly got a text from the team’s manager.

The referee from earlier?

The league got your request, he’s let go.

Have a good night Harry! Oh and tell Y/N, Glenne needs nursery recommendations. Goodnight H!

-

tag list: @harrysmatcha @harryspinkpillow @helen-with-an-a @florencepughily @peterparkerbae @toji-dabi-wife @fallonx @drphilssoulmate @cherriesrae @alienorknight @valluvsu @ivegotparticulartaste @ayeshathestyles @hazgoldenstyles @eiffelmezarry @tsukishimawhore @renatavieira @michellekstyles @eleanordaisy @shawnsblue @japanchrry @agustdpeach @hannahnikohl @whoscamila @ch3rryrry @msolbesg @seguin-styles1996 @futuristicpalacegardenpsychic @youusunshineyoutemptress @kaitieskidmore1 @cherryfragrancx @ssuziess @milkiane @golden-hoax @flwrmuse @sunshinemendes8 @your--sweetest--downfall @melllinaa @iluvjj @tenaciousperfectionunknown @cashtons-wife @stellarossii @scenesofobx @manifestrry @lomlolivia @b-reads-things

[nethhiri]

KiKi as babymakers are so cute 🥰 how would they behave if the girl is finally pregnant?

They would be the most doting partners.

🩵 Killer:

Would bend over backwards to make whatever kind of food his partner wants. Anything. Any hour.

King of foot massages. No swollen ankles here.

Asks to listen to their belly at least once a day.

Insists on playing music for the fetus because he heard it makes them smarter.

Very protective and won’t let them lift a finger.

Doesn’t care about gender just as long as the baby gets his eyes and his hair.

Makes everyone take a class on how to handle babies

❤️ Kid:

Has names picked out: Kid Jr for a boy and Victoria for a girl. And he will rip the birth certificate from their hands to write those before they have a chance to name them anything else. They can name the next one.

Tells their belly about all his adventures. Forgets to leave out the R-rated stuff.

Forgets that they can’t do certain things the bigger and rounder they get. He’s still asking them to pick up stuff he dropped on the floor.

Will tell belly all about their mommy and how great they are when he thinks they’re asleep.

Every onesie has his Jolly Roger.

Would google “can men can breastfeed?”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

Extremist and high-profile Donald Trump supporter considered too racist by some of the MAGA movement’s most fervent members, Laura Loomer, launched a deeply homophobic tirade attacking U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, falsely claiming they are abusive for raising children as a same-sex couple.

Loomer, a far-right provocateur with a history of incendiary remarks and peddling of conspiracy theories, targeted the Buttigieg family in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) starting on Wednesday, calling the couple’s parenting “psychological abuse.” Loomer’s attack comes as she continues to align herself with former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.

The controversy erupted after Pete Buttigieg, the nation’s first out gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet member, posted a sarcastic message from his personal X account responding to Trump’s claim that he is the “father of IVF” during an all-women’s town hall hosted by Fox News host Harris Faulkner in Georgia on Tuesday, which aired Wednesday. In September, Trump, during the only presidential debate of the election, declared himself a “leader on fertilization.” Vice President Kamala Harris responded to Trump’s latest claim on X. “Donald Trump called himself ‘the father of IVF.’ What is he talking about? His abortion bans have already jeopardized access to it in states across the country—and his own platform could end IVF altogether,” Harris wrote.

Also mocking Trump’s statement, Buttigieg posted, “I’m the father of IVF… getting banned in Alabama,” highlighting the contradiction between Trump’s claim and the reality of anti-abortion laws in GOP-led states that have also impacted fertility treatments. Loomer responded with a vitriolic attack on the Buttigiegs. She falsely suggested that the couple, who adopted their two children in 2021, used a surrogate and accused them of harming their children. “You incubated a baby in a biological woman’s womb and pretended to breastfeed with plastic nipples in a hospital bed like a psychopath,” Loomer wrote. “Homosexual men cannot give birth. Gay men can’t get pregnant or make breast milk. You aren’t even a real father. Donald Trump is.” Chasten Buttigieg, a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, initially responded on X, calling out Loomer’s hate-filled rhetoric and Trump’s connection to her. “Is this who we want in the White House influencing policy on childcare or education? Sitting in the Oval Office pushing Project 2025?” he wrote, referencing a conservative agenda aimed at reshaping federal policies and rolling back LGBTQ+ rights. “Let them keep doubling down on this type of weird bigotry while we focus on knocking on doors, making calls, and bringing people together. #KamalaHarris is for the people. MAGA is for whatever this is.”

Loomer doubled down in response, claiming the Buttigiegs “psychologically abuse” their children by raising them in a same-sex household. “I know what we don’t need or want in the White House. Men like you who think it’s ok to psychologically abuse children by depriving them of maternal touch when they are babies,” she wrote. She then went on a weird tangent about breastfeeding. “Someone should call CPS on you for mimicking a child sucking on your nipple when you aren’t even a biological woman,” Loomer wrote.

Vile bigot Laura Loomer went on a homophobic tirade on X that baselessly accused Pete and Chasten Buttigieg of “psychologically abuse[ing] children” just because they are loving gay parents.

See Also:

LGBTQ Nation: Crazed Trump ally had a homophobic meltdown after Pete Buttigieg joked about Donald Trump

[fabunicorn]

Pillarmen agere part 3

Finally realised how to use the font size shit lol anyways let’s Get on with it

Warnings

Kidnapping

Forced agere

Agere

Mention of drugs

Yanderism

Diapers

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A few hours later…

At the moment you were laid in the middle of a plush rug with your self proclaimed daddy, papa and brother trying to play with you, waving rattles and teethers in your face cooing at any sound or movement you make.

“Come on little one play with your daddy, we got all of these toys for you” Kars interrupted your thoughts tucking a little teddy bear under your arm, you refused to play with them choosing to use stare blankly at the ceiling ignoring the three mens presence, Kars picked you up settling you onto his lap “I know these toys aren’t very interesting for your current mental age but you must understand that those humans did not raise you right you are only a newborn, your not big enough for any other toys.” Kars mused taking note of your unamused face and blank stare. You huffed in annoyance at the constant presence of the three men they had yet to leave you alone since you woke up “maybe the little cub needs a change and that’s why she’s so grumpy” said Eisidisi rising up from his position on the floor to walk towards you and kars.

“Possibly” Kars hummed in agreeance, sticking his fingers into the leg cuff of you or cloth nappy swiping for any wetness only to unsurprisingly finding you still dry, he then moved to your bladder feeling it seeing that it is indeed bloated. “Whamu, fetch the tonic and a bottle of milk, her bladder is swollen I believe that is the reason for her discomfort” Kars ordered, Whamu obeyed without hesitation making your eyes widen in what was to come ‘no they wouldn’t dare that’s disgusting’ your thoughts raced in your mind a feeling of anxiety settling in your stomach causing you to shift and whine pitifully in Kars arms.

Kars just hushed you bouncing you slightly on his knee in an attempt to comfort you to no avail, the sound of Whaus returning footsteps only made you whine and wriggle more trying to get away from the three men, Kars grip tightened on you grabbing the bottle from Whamu and settling you in his arm cradling your neck and putting the bottle into your mouth. Kars glared at you as you once again refused to drink “little one do not test my patience as I said before if we find you too young for a bottle one of us will have to breastfeed you and I’m sure that’s the last thing you want” Kars threat in mind you began drinking maybe you just shouldn’t resist it anymore, ‘breastfeed me they’re men, men can’t produce milk… can they’ You suckled on the bottle looking Kars in the eye seeing pure love and care in his eyes which you though was impossible for a being like Kars voice you were finished Kars burped you and laid you across his lap so that he had full access to your stomach.

The pillar man started rubbing your stomach slowly trying to ease the lump on your stomach as you become ever so aware of the growing pressure in your bladder, you tried to whine in protest and turn away from Kars only for Eisidisi to hold you in place “poor cub can’t even relieve herself must be all that bad human food and drink in her system, certainly not suitable for a baby.” The pressure began to build and you could not handle it anymore wetting the diaper as you sobbed pathetically, Kars gestured for the other men to leave the room as he carried you to the changing table in order to give you some sort of modesty and to increase your trust in him.

He put your pacifier in your mouth to soothe you as he unpinned the cloth around your hips and got the cleaning supplies he needed and changed you into a new cloth kissing your forehead as he picked you back up off of the changing table. he sat down in a chair in the order of th room and cuddled you rocking back and forth whispering sweet nothings like “daddys so proud of you baby” and “hush now sweet girl daddy’s here”. When you finally stopped crying Kars put you back down onto the plush rug and gave you a small bear which was a light brown colour with a little pink bow wrapped around its neck, you snuggled the bear closer feeling great comfort from the somewhat childish item, Kars held back a light coo at how adorable you were.

Kars started humming a soft lullaby you didn’t recognise the lullaby it must have been one of his people, the combination of having an emotional hangover, a full belly and the light humming and rocking motions of Kars lulled you to sleep. Kars cuddles you for a few minutes longer cooing whenever a soft snore left your small mouth he gently placed the pacifier in your mouth and watched as you began sucking on it making little content sighs between snores. Kars finally stood up carrying you over to your bassinet hushing you when you began to stir placing you in the bassinet he grabbed a chair and placed it next to your bassinet rocking you and watching you sleep with a soft smile on his face, unbeknownst to Kars two heads were packing through the door of your nursery watching the scene between you and Kars.

Whamu watched with a jealous expression Kars was never that gentle with him when he was young, damn he wasn’t even allowed to call him father without being punished and berated for being so weak as to have familial attachment and to see him so smitten with you unleashed a hidden jealousy that Whamu was sure he wasn’t capable of feeling, however he couldn’t bring himself to blame you after all you were only a baby that had been mistreated by humans he felt sorry for you, but just to spite Kars Whamu made a mental plan of being your favourite just so that he could rub it in his masters face.

Surely it will work it has to… right?

End of part 3

Yup so that’s the end of part 3 hope you enjoyed let me know what else you would like to see and if you would like to see more of this, I may move it too Wattpad as well my username is the same on there and have a great day or night ily

[coochiequeens]

Pregnant and breastfeeding women have everything they eat and drink scrutinized yet the Australian Breastfeeding Association is ok with a man feeding a baby “milk” tainted with chemicals. 🤔 What’s the difference, could it be that ….. “On May 12, Standing for Women Queensland posted a Twitter thread on the Australian Breastfeeding Association having received $20,000 from an LGBTQ lobby group to create an educational booklet about “chest feeding.” 

Reduxx has learned that two women in Australian have received notices from Twitter informing them they have broken Australian law after tweeting about a trans-identified male who has been breastfeeding a child.

Jasmine Sussex and Standing For Women Queensland (SFWQ) were both contacted by Twitter on May 16, with the platform informing the two accounts that specific content they had posted would be censored to Australian users in order to comply with Australian law.

Twitter sent two emails to each user, the first explaining that the platform had received “official correspondence” from a “government entity or law enforcement agency” which had claimed that their content had violated Australian law. A second email was sent shortly after to each user advising them that the content was going to be withheld in Australia.

Sussex had one tweet withheld, while SFWQ had five tweets censored in total. All of the content referred to an Australian trans-identified male who sparked backlash last year after publicly declaring he had induced lactation and was breastfeeding his own biological son.

Speaking to Reduxx, Sussex explained that she was horrified when she first received the notice from Twitter. 

“I was appalled that it was claimed to be in violation of Australian law to criticize what I and most Australians consider to be a cruel and medically dangerous experiment on newborn babies,” Sussex said.   

Sussex is a veteran advocate for breastfeeding mothers, and found herself fired as a volunteer breastfeeding counselor in 2021 after pushing back against the adoption of “gender neutral” language in breastfeeding care.

The following year, Sussex was removed from the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) after 18 years of membership.

“I was sacked for. … ‘Engaging in Sectarian Controversy’ in breach of the ABA constitution,” she explains. “In other words, continuing to talk about the dangers of gender identity ideology for mothers and babies, including how men were forcing their way into the breastfeeding relationship by attempting to induce lactation.”

But it was while she was still a member of the ABA that Sussex first came across Jennifer Buckley, a trans-identified male who had begun to participate in motherhood discussions on the ABA’s Facebook page.

Buckley, who began transitioning in 2017, first induced lactation in 2019 in en effort to breastfeed his biological son after his wife gave birth. The 41-year-old paramedic said he had wanted to “experience what it was like to be a mum and breastfeed.”

But Sussex was disturbed by his decision, and had witnessed him participating in motherhood discussions on the ABA Facebook. 

“Buckley [had been] boasting about making ‘colostrum’ for his newborn son as a transgender ‘mother.’ I didn’t respond to him directly … but I did raise with the ABA that ABA Counsellors are entitled to a safe workplace and that what appeared to be a man identifying as a woman was on the page boasting about making colostrum. Only the birth mother makes colostrum,” Sussex explains, noting that she was swiftly penalized for raising her concerns about him.

“I was blocked from the [Facebook] page and sent an email that afternoon saying it was a breach of our code of conduct/ethics for me to even raise this as a workplace health and safety issue with the ABA.”

Sussex says that she received an email from the ABA’s National Training Manager the next day removing her from her service on the National Government Funded Breastfeeding Helpline. 

In May of last year, Sussex attempted to appeal to the ABA’s board on why she shouldn’t be expelled, directly referencing her concerns with Buckley. 

“I raised my concerns as [I felt it was a dangerous medical experiment on humans, and due to safeguarding issues for counsellors and breastfeeding mums and babies. I also said that supporting fathers to breastfeed to affirm their gender identities is antithetical to the work of the ABA in supporting its first and only priority as per the code of ethics and constitution – the breastfeeding mother and baby partnership.”

Sussex’s attempt to convince the board to reinstate her membership has so far been unsuccessful. But since then, Sussex has had multiple interactions with Buckley through social media.

On May 12, Standing for Women Queensland posted a Twitter thread on the Australian Breastfeeding Association having received $20,000 from an LGBTQ lobby group to create an educational booklet about “chest feeding.” 

The organization wrote: “Profit before ethics & safeguards for babies and mothers. Babies are being used as props for male perversion.”

To emphasize their point, Standing For Women Queensland posted a screenshot from a May 2022 Daily Mail article profiling Buckley’s decision to induce lactation and breastfeed his son. The article was fully redacted by the Daily Mail in late 2022 after Buckley complained about his representation in the piece, but archived versions of the report still exist.

In response to the tweet by SFWQ, Sussex responded with a link to another article featuring more information on Buckley, writing: “This is Buckley’s delusional queer theory take on his experience ‘breastfeeding.’ Silver lining of this awful start to life for baby Auden is that he was almost exclusively formula fed thanks to his mum.”

Days later, both SFWQ and Sussex received notices from Twitter informing them that an official entity was claiming that they had violated Australian law for the tweets, and that the content would be restricted in Australia. 

SFWQ also had five additional tweets from May 5 censored, all of which featured screenshots from the now-deleted Daily Mail article on Buckley.

While the notices sent by Twitter did not specify which government or law enforcement agency had demanded the censorship, Sussex says she “strongly suspects” it was the office of the eSafety Commissioner.

The Commissioner is an arm of the Australian government dedicated to combatting “cyber abuse,” but has recently come under widespread criticism for using its power to censor media outlets, websites, and individuals at the behest of trans activists. 

Earlier this month, Reduxx was contacted by the eSafety Commissioner and advised to censor or delete an article naming trans activist Riley Dennis as having been the subject of complaint after allegedly injuring female players during a women’s football game. After the article was released, the eSafety Commissioner contacted Twitter and advised them to withhold the content in compliance with Australian law.

Ovarit, a pro-woman Reddit alternative, as well as an individual gender ideology critical activist, were also contacted by the eSafety Commissioner at that time.

Sussex has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the eSafety Commissioner to concretely determine if they were the “government or law enforcement agency” behind the censorship, but does not anticipate a response for weeks, if not months.

Reduxx also reached out to the eSafety Commissioner with questions on the Twitter action against Sussex and Standing for Women Queensland, but was told the office would not comment on individual cases.

Leah Whiston, a member of Standing for Women Queensland who operates their official Twitter account, admits she was “taken aback” when she received the notice advising her that her posts on Buckley had violated Australian law.

“I see that women are silenced all the time now for speaking out about the wrongs of child abuse. Child abuse seems to have been totally normalized these days,” Whiston says. 

Unlike Sussex, Whiston had only become aware of Buckley months ago after a friend first informed her about his story in the Daily Mail. More recently, Sussex connected with Whiston on the subject and shared more information.

“I’ve been horrified ever since. Mainly worrying about safety of his wife and child,” Whiston explains, noting that she has never personally interacted with Buckley. 

“Being a new mother myself, I understand the importance of the breastfeeding bond between mother and baby in a way I didn’t before I embarked on it myself … I’m still in disbelief about what’s occurred with Buckley and his baby and how this has been allowed to happen,” Whiston says.

“I’m pregnant again, and it has made me lose faith in the institutions that I will likely use again, especially the Australian Breastfeeding Association. It makes me wonder how on earth I can trust the people who are meant to provide ethical care and safeguards to mothers and babies, if they advocate for men to use babies as props for men’s sexual fetishes, and silence the women who speak out about how wrong this all is.”

Sussex shares the sentiment, adding from her expertise as a breastfeeding counselor that men attempting to breastfeed babies is “biologically and psychologically dangerous” for all involved.

“Men who covet female physiology in this way are, in my opinion, either suffering from a serious delusion or sexually motivated by the idea of themselves as lactating women,” Sussex says. “There is no evidence that drug-induced secretions from a male nipple are in any way equivalent to mother’s milk. It is more likely the secretions are akin to galactorea, which occurs when 

See rest of article

[ospreyeamon]

gender in the sith empire

warning: contains stereotypes

Social constructs of gender (as opposed to people’s personal conceptualisation of their individual gender) are built around labour specialisation. While the exact number and understanding of genders vary between cultures, every culture has the two big clusters of “men” and “women”. “Women” can carry pregnancies and breastfeed children, “men” can’t. Because if nobody is producing children society will keel over foaming, “women” as a group specialise in forms of labour compatible with carting a toddler around with you while “men” specialise in the forms of labour that aren’t because “women” called dibs on the spinning. These forces are stronger in pre-industrial societies with high infant mortality; if your population’s replacement rate is 2.1, there’s more white-collar work you can do with a baby strapped to your chest, and agricultural advancements have freed up a workforce to be dedicated to professional childcare the genders lose much of their purpose.

A woefully incomplete chart of social genders. Other smaller gender clusters include celibate religious devotees, women who become men (eg. for inheritance reasons), men who become women (eg. for religious reasons), and eunuchs.

But that’s humans. Red sith have a second axis driving these labour specialisation clusters; some of them can use the Force and some of them can’t. I headcanon than while 99% of red Sith are Force-sensitive only around 45-50% have Force-adept potential. So, instead of two big gender clusters there are four.

Force-adepts can cultivate a very diverse range of skills; healing, precognition, enhancing personal physical capabilities, telekinesis, telepathy, animal taming, etc. Given just how broad this range is, I think it is easier to come at the question backwards. What can’t you use the Force for? Administration, accounting, writing, cooking and food preservation, creating detail-rich patterns in arts and crafts like mosaics, rugs, engravings, etc. Activities like spinning would be more difficult for most people to do using telekinesis than by hand so it falls into a similar class. So, I think that bureaucracy and crafts would be more associated with non-Force-adepts, while what we consider to be more physical work like construction, hunting, and soldiering are associated with Force-adepts, as well as healing and medicine.

So, maybe the red sith’s gender chart looks like this with a literate/miscellaneous crafts gender, a textiles/cooking gender, a foraging/poultry keeping/water carrying/maternal health and other internal healing gender, and a hunting/warring/construction/external injury treating gender.

These categories would vary by place and time. Different technologies are invented in different places, both Force-technique technologies and what we consider physical technologies. Advancements in Force-healing would likely be responsible for an early drop in child mortality and deaths in childbirth before the advent of germ theory. A green revolution leading to the reduction of labour required to produce an agricultural surplus results in fewer people in those occupations; ditto for an industrial revolution and textiles. This breakdown also ignores the tendency of families to work together in the same craft-business.

I think this gender framework could shed light on the cultural importance of hunting that keeps on popping up in people’s writing of the Sith. The Sith Empire is a post-industrial interstellar civilisation, millennia after the point where I would expect hunting to be a skill of great practical value. However, hunting being symbolically important as a gender-performance does makes sense.

We can also take a guess at some other stereotypes. In cultures with Dark-leaning Force-traditions, Force-adepts tend to be viewed as more passionate/emotional/intuitive where non-Force-adepts are more reserved/logical/analytical.

There are also smaller gender-clusters in addition to the big four; trans and intersex people exist and there are other factors that can induce the emergence of a social gender.

This has some implications for the demographics of the Reconstituted Sith Empire. If every citizen with the potential to train as a Sith must train as a Sith, then a solid 45-50% of the red sith population is being automatically drafted into what amounts to military service and obliged to face the deadly Sith Trials. Given this would dramatically increase the odds of dying an early death, the non-Force-adepts must face significant social pressure to become civilians rather than enlist in the military because their population will otherwise collapse.

This could serve as an additional explanation for why we see so few red sith in SWTOR. Most Imperial NPCs are Sith or members of the imperial military in some capacity. If half the red sith are off living quiet domestic lives somewhere players would be unlikely to run into them. The only non-Sith red sith we meet is Athelis Kallis with the diplomatic corps on Voss, where the Empire and Republic are not meant to be shooting at each other.

The red sith make up a much smaller portion of the Reconstituted Empire’s population than they did the Old Empire’s, so while I think the way the red sith model gender strongly influences the wider Empire’s culture of gender most Imperials being members of species with low prevalences of Force-adepts tends to compress the two Force-adept genders together. Especially since all Force-adepts in the Empire are legally required to become Sith.

So, as far as the Empire’s Force-blind human and red zabrak populations are concerned, Bunny’s joke about the three genders is pretty much on point.

[avikats66]

Today I am on hunger strike again with thousands of other Canadians in solidarity with and protest for the Gazan people and the way Israel is intentionally starving them with genocidal intent in direct violation of international law while the world watches. It is little more than a symbolic gesture and yet another reminder of the inhumane suffering being imposed upon the Gazan people still to this day after months of genocidal assault, and decades of illegal occupation and blockading before that.

I will experience some mild hunger and cravings for a day. In Gaza, there are people literally starving. People who have been living off of scraps, meagre rations, literal animal feed, and dirty water for months, who risk and often lose their lives in attempt to find more food for them and their hungry families. Children are experiencing acute malnutrition at record-breaking rates of acceleration, and some have already died directly from this malnutrition and starvation. Mothers are struggling to breastfeed their babies, and the insufficient amounts of formula available often can’t even be safely used due to lack of clean water.

All this in addition to people dying and suffering from sickness and grievous injury - horrific third degree burns, limb loss, infection, chronic illness, gunshot wounds - with a decimated healthcare system struggling to provide the most basic care to as many people as possible with the barest and scarcest of resources. And of course the countless bombs and bullets being indiscriminately and deliberately rained down upon men, women, and children alike, again in flagrant violation of international law and humanity by Israel. The horrors and egregious human rights violations taking place in Gaza and throughout the rest of Palestine to her people - and those which have been occurring for decades now - are so innumerable and vast in scope it’s absolutely numbing.

War crimes are not a new phenomena, nor are Israel the only perpetrators of them even in this moment as you read this. The focus on Israel and Palestine right now is for a number of reasons. The scale and severity of which these crimes are occurring. The support and direct aid Israel is receiving to commit them, especially from western governments - Canada included (thankfully we are starting to take steps against that - after six months of war crimes and annihilation-phase genocide). The impunity with which Israel commits these crimes and then flaunts and celebrates them. The existence of Israel itself as a colonial state forcibly established on Palestinian land through ethnic cleansing and maintained for decades by apartheid and illegal military occupation and settlements.

I encourage you to take action - no matter how small - and stand up for the people of Gaza and human rights. Stand on the side of humanity, of decency, of morality. Free Palestine.

[kiwitheg00n]

I was just banned on a subreddit for saying that biological men can’t effectively breastfeed a child LMAOOO

[hayffiebird]

Taste of Strawberries, chap. 32

Hayffie Post-mockingjay Multi-chapter, Rated M Chapter 32 Your hand slipped into mine ”Haymitch? Haymitch? Haymitch?” Her voice reached through his troubled dreams. Haymitch grunted, breathing in the sweet smell of her soap. A lock of hair tickled his neck when she dropped a kiss to his cheek. “Wake up.” Still in the No man’s land between sleep and waking, his fingers brushed against the mattress of the crib. But the little hand he’d been holding wasn’t there anymore and he scooted up from the couch, alarmed. ”It’s OK,” Effie quickly reassured him. “I have them here.” He looked behind her. At the child safety seats on the bedroom floor. The twins, all dressed, lay inside, sucking contently on their pacifiers. Relieved he collapsed back down, face in the pillow. Arms buried underneath it. “No, no, no,” Effie smiled. “Don’t go back to sleep.” She was all dolled up. A dress he hadn’t seen before. Since the pregnancy she still had a few pounds to spare – pounds that only flattered her, Haymitch could have said – so most of her old dresses didn’t fit no more. Either way, ever since they came home from the hospital she wore mostly sweatpants and some of his less shabby shirts anyway. But this one, olive green with a sweetheart neckline that tied into a bow at her bosom and silver patterns on the skirt, hugged her curves in a fucking spectacular way. He peered at her through tousles of dirty blonde hair. “Someplace you need to be?” “Yes,” said Effie. “We do.” “Appointment?” “Only with the outside world.” Haymitch grunted and turned his face to the back of the couch as if she’d tried to give him a spoonful of medicine. “Hell no. They’re only three weeks old, Eff.” “Yes, and we’ve hardly set a foot outside the door since we brought them home. It’s a gorgeous day! A little sunshine will do us all some good.”

“Nope.” The couch dipped when she sat down. She gave his shoulder a soft squeeze. “Haymitch. No one is going to hurt them. And we can’t stay cooped up in here forever.” “I can.” He could almost hear her smile. “How’re you even gonna breastfeed in that thing?” “Why, it’s a maternity dress of course. I’ll just inch it down on one side. Piece of cake, as you would say.” Haymitch rolled his eyes. “Leave it to the Capitol to make cocktail dresses for nursing.” “Get up now,” she said and clapped his shoulder. “I know a place I think they will like.” xXx It was earlier than he thought. You could tell just by the lack of people up and about. He’d always preferred mornings. Especially here. Especially now. They were breathers for outcasts like them. The cab rolled up to the golden gates of a place that read “The Fountains of Youth” in arched letters above the entrance. A park by the look of it, though very different from Cupid’s Garden. “You alright?” Effie asked when he winced, lifting Ian out of the car. “Yeah,” he said and set down his heavy load. He rubbed the small of his back and arched backwards with a painful grunt. “I can take both of them,” she said but he waved off her concerns. “I’ll manage.” He lifted Ian up and together they followed the white brick road into this peculiar-looking park under a clear, blue sky. There were hardly any trees and unlike the ones in Cupid’s Garden these were leaf-less with trunks and branches the color of fresh milk. Like ghost trees on a cemetery. Of course, in a cemetery the trees weren’t adorned with wind chimes and shards of mirror glass, reflecting the morning light. The tinkles moved with the wind, reminding him of stolen moments on the Training Center roof. Intermingled with the sound of running water it was a quiet place, oddly enough. Something you didn’t get a lot of around here. He’d seen fountains before but none so magnificent. Water trickled and poured and splashed from a dozen different sources. Through dragon mouths and gargoyles and horses with wings. Jets of water shot for the sky or showered stockily-built stone men, curvy women and chubby children with flowers in their hair. The white brick road turned left and right, curled and met up like a labyrinth with no hedges. There were even topiary animals. Bunnies and panthers and elephants. Even giraffes. “Very popular among children,” Effie smiled. They’d walked for less than ten minutes before Haymitch set Ian down again. “OK, time-out.” He heaved a sigh, hands on his knees. “That bloody couch.” “Language.” Haymitch threw her a surly glance. “Since when’s ‘bloody’ a bad word?” Ian had spitted out his pacifier. Haymitch crouched before him and touched his cheek. “How you doin’ kid?” Ian yawned and smacked his lips. He placed his hand against his mouth and out, like blowing a kiss. “He wants you, Eff.” They found a bench in the shade. He helped her with the gold-threaded shawl as she settled Ian to her breast, without anything showing. “There you go, my precious darling,” she said and kissed the baby’s hand, clasped in hers. “My sweet boy. Mama’s jewel.” A smile quirked Haymitch’s lips. Effie never ran out of pet names for their children. He didn’t know anyone who loved as hard as Effie did. To hear her tell it there wasn’t anything like them in the history of the world. Amy whined and arched backwards in the child safety seat, as if jealous by her mother’s words. Haymitch peeked inside just as the pacifier dropped from her mouth. “Go to sleep, sleepy-head.” Amy squeaked in protest. Usually after a feeding she fell into a slumber but now she wriggled like a worm in hot ashes, not happy at all about being belted down. “Alright. Come here, little ‘un.” He clicked her loose and carefully lifted her out. She fussed and flailed about, determined to stay up, but he rested her against the side of his chest, head on his shoulder. “I know you’re tired. You know you’re tired. Stop resisting, sweetheart.” He dropped a butterfly kiss to her head, her temple and then back again; careful so as not to scratch the soft, tender skin. It didn’t take long before she settled in, doing nothing but quietly nibble on Haymitch’s shirt. He rocked her the way she liked it. She weighed like nothing. None of them did. With one last kiss, for now anyway, he helped her back into the child safety seat. Her eyelids fluttered open, suspiciously, but then they fell together and she was out, like a rock. Wouldn’t last very long but he took what he could get. He stretched back, arms out. Arched his head to the sides and spotted the red umbrellas of a street cart, further up the road. He couldn’t quite tell what kind, not from this distance but his money would be on pastries. “You want something, Eff?” She looked to where he nodded and her face brightened. “Yes! A Snoball, if they have any.” He rose. He hated coconut. Not the taste. Consistency. It was yet another thing he and Effie couldn’t agree on. “What can I get you, sir?” said the man behind the cart. He had a large mustache, the color of egg yolk. Before him lay rows of frosted cookies, glazed donuts, chocolate marshmallow tea cakes, something called éclairs though he wasn’t sure and ten other things he didn’t even have a name for. “Do you have Twinkies, by any chance?” It was Effie who first introduced him to the golden sponge cake filled with cream. A peace offering after a particularly nasty argument and it was love at first sight. It became one of both his and Chaff’s favorite Capitol pastries. “Oh, thank you,” said Effie a moment later when he handed her the Snoball. She nibbled on it, relished in the taste. They heard talking and giggles further ahead and Haymitch looked up just in time to see three ladies with sun umbrellas – one white, one pink one blue – heading down their path. It wasn’t until they were almost past them that they looked up and saw Effie there, feeding her child. The lady with the white umbrella gasped, hand over her heart. “Scandal!” And they hurried past, speaking in agitated bursts to one another. Haymitch finished his Twinkie in two bites and peered at Effie. He’d be damned if there wasn’t a smile on her face, satisfied over sending those two-faced hypocrites into a state. His chest swelled with pride, over the way she never apologized for her children. Or herself for that matter. He wiped his hands on his pants and when Ian had had his fill he reached his arms out to his son. “Here, let me take him.” He placed him to his left side just like he had Amy. Effie helped him with the burp cloth. Holding him in place he tapped him gently over the back. The first few days after they came home from the hospital Effie got to do all the things that included holding Amy and Ian in some way. Whether it was changing a diaper or feeding them or just give them a cuddle. Just the idea of carrying them made him break into a sweat. He did other things. He cooked and bought groceries, made the beds, warmed Effie endless cups of chicken broth and even gave the house a throughout cleaning. All the things you could think of that didn’t include a baby. Effie never pressured him. And she did her best to care for them both. But then one night, about three days later, Amy and Ian were completely inconsolable at the same time. It was long past midnight and Effie walked back and forth across the room with Ian in her arms, rocking him at the same time as she spoke soft words to Amy crying her eyes out in the crib. Haymitch sat by their baby girl, helplessly patting her and talking to her but nothing worked. Her face was red and there were tears on her cheeks and finally he couldn’t take it anymore. Those cries made him feel physically ill. Truly. Sounds like she was all alone in the world and didn’t understand why. The nurse had shown both him and Effie how to hold an infant and with sweat rolling down his back he finally lifted his crying baby out of her crib and held her to his chest. He looked to Effie for reassurance and she nodded encouragingly. Amy cried and cried and he sat on the bed, frozen like a statue, just making sure not to clutch her too tight. He didn’t dare move or rock her or anything, not that night. Just wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. “Try talking to her,” said Effie and so he did. Afterwards he couldn’t even remember what, he hardly ever did after being in a state of panic. But whatever it was, it worked. She calmed down and he even dared move his hand a bit, up and down her back, caressing her. He still wasn’t quite used to the whole thing. Not yet. “I was the same way,” said Effie, hours later that night when they finally put Amy and Ian to bed. “With Alex. It will get easier.” Thank God, he had Effie. She was his rock through all of this. “How is he?” asked Effie and swallowed the last of her Snoball. “He’s OK. Sleeping I think.” Effie smiled. “Enjoy it while it lasts.” They helped him back into the child safety seat and had no sooner belted him down before another trio crossed their path. He hadn’t seen them since the birthday party when Gloria showed up. Felt like a hundred years now. Dressed in brand new outfits, following the latest trend, and there was no missing the orange corkscrew curls, gold tattoos and pea green skin. Odd to see them up this early in the day. Maybe they hadn’t gone to sleep yet. Arm-in-arm they headed down the road, chatting and waving their hands in the air. But the smiles drained from their faces when they saw Haymitch and Effie sitting there. Octavia’s gaze dropped to the child safety seats and her face turned a deeper shade of green. All three of them huddled together, like lost cheep. Then they hurried on without a word, eyes downcast. “Them too?” Haymitch said when they were gone. He was surprised by how painful the realization was. He always viewed them and Effie as good friends. “Yes,” said Effie with a tight face and all of her gaiety gone. What the stranger ladies couldn’t accomplish, Katniss’s prep team sure had. “Want me to talk to them?” “No, I can’t handle that right now. Not during Amy and Ian’s first day out.” But as they headed on to the next leg of their leisurely journey she seemed unable to keep away from the subject. “I’ve already tried talking to them. About this issue and how it’s affecting people like Lysistrata Vicker’s grandson and his wife. Many times. I don’t know who’s pouring poison into their ears but when my pregnancy happened they just… They couldn’t handle it. I never tried to hide it so everyone noticed very early on. And one day Octavia wanted us to meet up and she cried her eyes out and said we couldn’t be friends anymore. Venia could hardly even look at me and always changed the subject if I tried to talk about it. Flavius just ghosted me.” She switched hands, carrying Ian on her left side. “We need someone like Cinna.” Her voice brimmed with sorrow. “He always knew how to get through to them.” xXx “Time for bed, sweetling,” Effie said and kissed their daughter’s head. “Amy baby. My little angel.” Carefully she lay her down in the crib next to her brother and with the bear book in hand she reclined in the rocking chair. Haymitch stretched out on the couch. Pain shot up his back as he tried to find a comfortable position on this goddamn rock hard furniture. Finally he sighed and just slipped his hand in between the rails of the crib, searching until one of theirs closed around his thumb. Such a strong grip for someone so small. Holding their hands helped him sleep. Worked even better than the knife. Especially after a nightmare. He saw the irony. In a normal household, kids went to their parents’ room when they had bad dreams. Not the other way around. He closed his eyes, listening to Effie as she read in that soft, warm voice he loved. “’Can’t you sleep, Little Bear’, yawned Big Bear, putting down his bear book with just four pages to go to the interesting part and padding over to the bed. ’I’m scared’, said Little Bear. ‘Why are you scared, Little Bear?’ asked Big Bear. ‘I don’t like the dark’, said Little Bear. ‘What dark?’ asked Big Bear. ‘The dark all around us,’ said Little Bear.” When they came home from the hospital, the twins moved into Effie’s room immediately. Haymitch was to keep to his own room with one of the baby monitors on the nightstand, so he’d know when they needed him. What he didn’t anticipate was how much he needed them. If they were too quiet for too long he couldn’t concentrate, much less sleep. He actually preferred it when they were noisy because then at least he knew they were still alive. The first week he hauled himself out of bed every half hour or so to make sure they were still breathing. Finally he and Effie came up with this couch arrangement because even though he tried to be quiet he managed to wake Effie almost every time. ‘But I brought you a lantern,’ said Big Bear. ‘Only a teeny-weeny one,’ said Little Bear. ‘And there’s lots of dark.’ “Big Bear looked and he saw that Little Bear was quite right. There was still lots of dark. So Big Bear went to the lantern cupboard and took out a bigger lantern. Big Bear lit the lantern and put it beside the other one.” xXx They undressed in the dark, both too used to it by now they didn’t feel embarrassed. These past few weeks he’d seen so much of Effie’s breasts it was getting old. By the time she slipped into bed he was still trying to get out of his pants, face scrunched up in pain. Effie smiled and shook her head. “If your back hurts so then why don’t you come to bed? It’s big enough for the both of us. What?” she smiled when he hesitated. “Afraid I’ll steal your virtue?” She puffed up the pillows and lay down. “I thought tomorrow we could go for a picnic. The river Theseus, perhaps. What do you think?” “Sure. Whatever.” Relenting, he crawled in with her. At the end of the day the queen-sized bed was just too good to resist. It was pure heaven after weeks on the hard couch. Effie smiled, facing him. Hand on the pillow. “Have a nice 10 minutes of sleep, dear.” “Yeah. Here’s hoping.” xXx What a good dream. Eyes still closed, he buried his hand in her fragrant strawberry hair. Warm and sleep-soft, her lips moved over his. Haymitch groaned and opened his mouth to welcome her. Cuddled together they kissed and kissed and it was such bliss. No woman outside his dreams ever kissed him in such a way. Like he was a keeper. Not anymore. He gave in. She wasn’t really there, after all. Hadn’t been since they made love that one time all those months ago. She deepened the kiss, so willing despite his endless drunken crusades. Of course she was, this was his dream after all. Oh, Eff. As they kissed, tendrils of reality tugged at him. He fought it with everything he had, sure to wake up facing nothing but the wall. She didn’t disappear. The more he returned to himself, the realer she got. With an almighty effort he forced his eyes opened. Hers were still closed. Her hand cupped his cheek, trying to pull him nearer. “Effs, what’re you doin’?” She didn’t respond. Didn’t seem to hear at all. She’s dreaming too. She searched his mouth, sighed his name with such want and it took everything he had to pull back. “Effie, no.” He clasped her hands with both of his when she tried to close the gap between them. Knew she wouldn’t be doing this if she was lucid. “Just sleep, Eff. It’s OK.” She abandoned her efforts and for a moment she lay still. He released her hands and pulled the cover back over her shoulder. Smoothed a lock of hair from her face. A shadow passed over it and he saw her eyes flutter behind closed eyelids. “Where are my babies?” she murmured, distraught. “Sleeping like angels,” he said. “At least, for the next five minutes or so.” Comforted by these words Effie gave a tremendous sigh and cuddled close. Before he knew it, her head was on his shoulder, her arm slung across his chest. He tried to put some distance between them but it was futile. Every time he tried to get away, Effie clutched him tighter. “No,” she mumbled into his neck. “Mine.” He snorted a laugh. Realized this was a fight he could not win. He eased his arm loose from under her and wrapped it around her shoulder. “Goodnight, sweetheart.” Author’s note: Think this is the closest I’ll ever get to writing the trope “There’s only one bed” LMAO! I hope you liked the little “Zombieland” Easter egg. Leave a review and tell me your favorite scene and I’ll see you in the next chapter!

[thehmn]

I’m going to spoil the shit of the book now so consider this your warning if you plan on reading it.

As expected the moral of the story is “no sex or gender should be below another” but it’s the first story of its kind I’ve seen where the author use trans people to make their point.

I said earlier that testosterone treatment isn’t an option for the trans men but late in the story it’s strongly implied they have illegal access to both estrogen and testosterone. They provide a trans girl with estrogen and her mother laments that she can no longer tap her for testosterone because the Man Women would pay a pretty penny for it.

If you read the book don’t expect proper terminology to be used for trans people. The author clearly has experience with trans people in our world and is trying to write them into a world where men are seen as not quite animals but definitely not real humans either. That’s why trans men are called Man Women and several characters say “but they’re not REAL men” It’s a mix of characters wanting to acknowledge their humanity because only women are real humans, but also as a way to justify the system. If men are violent creatures that can’t be allowed to walk free in a civilized society but trans men who pump themselves full of testosterone are safe then surely they can’t be REAL men. And yet the trans man Lars who has the biggest silicone penis in the district and the broadest shoulders is the kindest person in the story who provides several characters with both emotional and material goods via his sex work. He never calls himself a Man Woman but simply “someone with a silicone dick” and after losing his ability to breastfeed babies after a few months in prison he decides to not maintain his breasts anymore, commit to a more masculine look.

The system generally doesn’t allow for trans women to exist because if a child is born with a penis they’re immediately sent to one of the centers where they won’t even be taught to talk. But one trans girl slipped through the cracks because her mother managed to hide her by leaving Norway and moving to Denmark where nobody would know she even existed. Her situation isn’t as clear as the trans men because for her it was either a sex change or captivity, but the book never refers to her with anything other than female pronouns and she never laments the loss of her penis. She too is used to make a point. If men and women are really that different then how could nobody tell she was born with a penis? Basically “if the sexes/genders so different then why trans people exist?” (or “We have differences but they aren’t big enough for trans people not to exist”) It really wants to hammer home that it’s insane to divide men and women into boxes because we are all human and all capable of love and harm.

Besides that it has a bunch of interesting little details. In this future depictions of Jesus on the cross is used to scare men at the centers and remind them what happens to them out in the real world. Also apple slices are handed out a Christian ceremonies in memory of Eva. Snakes are considered symbols of femininity and one of the witches has a huge snake that only thrive on eating male snakes, however she eventually realize the snake doesn’t have to eat males, it just need male blood, symbolizing the need for the feminine and masculine to exist together.

It’s also fantasy-light. Magic is subtle but real. The main witch bake love cakes for Lars that actually works though in a way subtle way. His customers don’t fall head over heels in love with him but the cakes make them want to use his services more often. The Christian priest keeps plants around her bed and notice that they grow better when she has good sex. Another character is a stone cold skeptic but has the ability to understand plants (so much in fact that she hates eating plants and has an almost exclusively meat based diet) and has telepathic connections with dogs without realizing it.

Maren Uthaug’s books are always full of colorful characters and bizarre situations so I’m sure it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I’d highly recommend 11% if this sounds interesting to you.

I’m currently listening to Maren Uthaug’s book 11% about a world where most men have died. I should probably wait until I’ve finished the book but I’m so fascinated by the world building.

As of now it’s still unclear why the men died but when the story takes place there’s a mix of older women who fucking hates men and young women who have only met drugged up men at “breeding centers” and imagine “males” as violent boogeymen but otherwise don’t really care and just want to live in the new seemingly perfect society their grandmothers fought for. The only people who still fight for men’s rights are witches who believe masculine energies are as natural and Of Nature as feminine energies, but even they sound more like animal rights activists, standing outside breeding centers with signs every Friday. Their most provocative sign is a picture of a man with Human written on it.

Christianity has been completely transformed and is now run by priests (they don’t call themselves priestess) who can only hold ceremonies when they have their periods and snakes are their most sacred symbol because they gave knowledge to Eva and God is called The Mother.

Trans men exist but are referred to as Man Women and they all seem to be sex workers who have functional silicone penises, though I’m not far enough into the story to know if they have other jobs. They generally also still have breasts because working as a wet nurse is another source of income for them. Testosterone treatments is not an option because it would make them too masculine and dangerous to be allowed into society but they all have male names and everyone use male pronouns for them.

A really fascinating aspect of the world is how people want to get rid of the old “patriarchal architecture” of straight lines and boxes but refuse to tear it down with machines, instead insisting on letting Mother Nature reclaim it. Only Rat Girls are actively trying to destroy the old buildings by releasing hoards of rats into them and planting bamboo to break up the concrete. New buildings have round shapes and are build in ways that make them blend in with cultivated nature and inside they’re painting in beautiful colors with no hard edges. They sound a lot like colorful hobbit homes. Also, locks are considered uncivilized and of a time when violent men roamed the earth and made life unsafe so nothing, from front doors to bathrooms, have locks. For a while after most men died women would go for Night Walks to relish in the fact that they no longer had to be afraid, though they liked to visit the witches at night because it felt a little spooky, which the witches thought was good fun.

The story is naturally about a middle aged witch who is hiding a young boy illegally and gets milk from one of the trans men in the red district while also sleeping with a Christian priest who struggles with her sacred job because her periods are irregular.

I’ll come back with follow up thoughts once I’ve finished it. Unlike what you might think, Maren Uthau isn’t a scary man hater. I’ve listened to most of her other books and this isn’t a recurring trope so clearly she has something to say specifically with this story and it’s rated pretty highly by both male and female readers. I think I’m in for quite the ride.

[omegaji]

I have been asked to make a dear-creator for non-jadecest (for kidfic exchange treating purposes) and I will Gladly do so

I like any LWJ ship he is my blorbo, but I especially love shipping him with JC and/or WWX 

I am mostly here for omega LWJ content so consider all of this omegaji 👀 

Likes:

Alpha WWX

Grumpy lwj

8-9 months pregnant LWJ

LWJ with twins and triplets

Just LWJ with LOTS of babies

LWJ crooning at his kids, scenting them, cuddling them

Breastfeeding

Angst (happy ending or not)

High drama, intrigue, mystery, horror

Unhealthy relationships 

Dislikes (aside from DNW on my request):

Alpha lwj

CQL canon or designs or anything

More in depth likes / prompts / musings (i’m making these all wangxian but if you wanna make it any other ship i will eat it whole):

40-something LWJ and 20-something alpha WWX and lwj has kids already and wwx wants to seduce him and has all these fantasies of knocking lwj up and lwj is eventually like “if you want me to engage with your breeding kink you have to show me that you have what it takes to parent. Go tell my 14 year old that she can’t go to that party this weekend. I’ll be listening.” Like Hercules and the 12 labors 

LWJ hires WWX as a babysitter for him while he’s in heat. WWX can be alpha or omega. Up to you if Things happen 👀 God this would be a fantastic one for voyeurism  

LWJ having fucked up mother-child relationships like he breastfeeds his kids for way too long and babies them even when they’re teens or adults. WWX can be an enabler or tries to gently pry him away lmao

Wwx comes back and LWJ has several kids already (previous ship or like a sperm donation thing like the one ive written about before in that JC/LQR fic) and he can’t keep up his act or care about lwj being his enemy in his past life bc the kids are all so much like LWJ except like maybe One Crazy One and he cannot handle how cute and funny it is. Amazing one to make lwj heavily pregnant in 👀

Omegaverse preferences

Intersex male omegas and female alphas

Gender and dynamic is assigned at birth rather than presented at puberty

No betas (the rare sigma or other variation of O and A is interesting, and also beta as a non-assigned dynamic but similar to nonbinary gender IRL is interesting)

A and O have noticeable physical differences; omegas on average are shorter and curvier and have softer features, alphas on average are taller and more bulky when they gain muscle and sharper features

A and O to have on average personality differences associated with societal upbringing/socialization (this doesn’t necessarily mean i like my omegas submissive and my alphas dominant, but that they on average tend to be if that’s how society demands it and if someone does not adhere to the gender and dynamic rules then there’s either some kind of consequence or at least it’s noticed)

Basically, I like A and O to have similar effects on people as M and F have in IRL society, so there’s 4 assigned genders (AF, AM, OF, OM) rather than 2

Alpha women and omega men are sort of in-between in terms of social hierarchy and can choose to present masculine or feminine (more-so in the modern era) and it’s seen as normal, they can use whatever gendered terms they identify with

Claims/marks are not permanent and need to be renewed periodically

No capital C Commands

People in heat or rut CAN control themselves, but it is just really difficult to go against what their instincts say