#so try to keep your pros and cons more biological if you can

[leos-regression-cove]

Don't know why people are still having kids when caring for an age regressor is literally right there

Bio kids:

❌ Throw up for absolutely no reason

❌ Grow out of the things you buy them

❌ Can't eat honey or drink water for the first like year or something??

❌ Don't stay small forever and actually grow into adults.

❌ If you don't buy the special expensive furniture they can literally die??

Age regressors:

✅ Stay cute literally forever

✅ Won't outgrow for the furniture and toys you buy them (and will take much longer with clothes than bio kids)

✅ One day you can have a baby, another a big kid. Variety is the spice of life!

✅ Buy the big furniture or don't or make it yourself it literally doesn't matter.

[mechazushi]

Meet Mizu Ashiro. Also Known as Kaiju n. 24

(I am aware this is the BLURRIEST f*cking shot of my art, but I don't have access to technology where I can scan my art directly into my laptop that I work out of.)

See kids, this is what happens when a writer tried to branch out from their norm and try something they're not good at. You get shitty proportions, half the art is off the page, and your art style looks like a pre-middle schooler's attempt at a f*ckin' Mary Sue lookin' *ss OC. The worst part about this is I was also planning on drawing out her boyfriend as well, only to re-realize my drawing skills are sh*t and go back to waiting for izfaish to finish the Kn8 Pic crew that I'm assuming is still being worked on (which is FINE. That sh*t takes forever because you have to be meticulous with it due to compound layers and uploading it all. I'm sure it's a headache.)

I was even going to draw out a meme! Only having to sacrifice the space for it for the side profile. Doesn't matter. Back to having my artist skills hibernate until I can't take it anymore.

Anyway, onto the loooooorrrreeee!

So the universe where I picture this happening is the same one where I headcanon Mina being ace-sexual. (I don't apply this to ALL my Kn8 universe headcanons, just the ones that have Mizu in them.) Mina and Kafka reunite, all the Kn9 sh*t goes down, things settle out and something happens that makes Mina consider dating Kafka. She's not really sure it will work due to her sexuality, but Kafka manages to talk it out with her and he's fine with it. They date for a couple months, have one hot and heavy drunken night out, only for Kafka to die about a week later by stray rebar on a mission while saving people.

No, I don't hate the guy, he's actually my favorite. I don't know why I wanted him dead in this AU, it just happened. I am well aware that due to Kafka's Main Character Energy, this is something he should be surviving from, but I like the morbid irony that comes with him living through all those previous moments, only to die by something mundane as Random Debris. And, I mean, I didn't completely disrespect his death, he died doing what he loved which was saving people!

So Mina catches on pretty quickly that she's pregnant and voices the concern with Hoshina (Who I also see as ace-sexual in this world.) They talk it out a lot, both of them listing pros and cons of having this baby, and eventually Mina decides to check out a support group for Widowed Wives and talks it out some more with them. She comes to the conclusion that she's going to raise the thing, but will make a serious attempt NOT to raise it to think that there is pressure to be something great and that it needs to follow in it's father's footsteps due to said father being a hero. In fact, Mina hardly ever talks about Kafka. If she does, she only mentions that they were friends, some stories she remembered that he told her about his time in the monster sweepers, and very rarely, talks about the two of them working in the Defense Force. Never once mentions that he was a Kaiju due to not wanting to cause her daughter to think that she was also a monster and hate herself and also, to be honest, no one had any idea what was going to happen to the kid biologically in a few years.

Mina keeps the pregnancy on the down low for as long as possible until delivery. The entire Third Division shows up for the delivery and congratulates her on the new daughter. There, she reveals who the father is and makes everyone depressed for a moment. They all agree to help her out any way they can, with Hoshina personally stating that he'll act as the Main Father Figure in Mizu's life.

So Mizu gets community raised by the Third Division for a few years and it's great, now calling and considering all of the division to be her Aunts and Uncles. She grows up with an unspecified heart condition that makes her heart beat really weird and causes her to lose her breath a lot and is prone to fainting spells (this is due to her developing her own kaiju core). She goes to school and it kinda goes downhill for a moment due to the other students bullying her because she (unfortunately) developed her father's heavy weight stature. It's not all doom and gloom as she makes a friend in the school's Manga Drawing club.

{Cliche tragic backstory ahead, Final Warning}

Fast forward to late middle school (around 14 to 15) and her class is on a field trip to the local museum to check out the new exhibit that showcases the life and achievements of Kaiju Number Eight, Japan's Hero. Her friend called out sick that day, so now she's left to defend herself from the wolves, i.e her bullies. Cut to the front of the museum and an incident happens. Mizu gets tired of somebody's bullsh*t and yells at him to stop.... only to trigger her first Sonic Screech near point blank at someone's face. (Don't worry, the kid lived. She's not that powerful yet.) This however sets off the Kaiju alert system and her class runs to the nearest bunker. She gets kinda lost in the confusion for a moment, making her behind everyone else. Once she makes it to the bunker's entrance, the teacher of the class, who saw the whole thing, panics and closes the door in front of Mizu, leaving her there out in the open. Mizu is left standing there and cries in front of the Kaiju Number Eight statue as she hears choppers out in the distance. The Third Division shows up along with her mother and everyone is wondering why the hell Mizu isn't in the bunker and where the hell is the Kaiju? Through her tears, Mizu explains what happened and tries to apologize for it, only to be comforted by her mother and the rest of the division. They do however gain suspicions and MacGyver up a test. They slide on an arm of a defense force suit and have it connect up to a screen. When it reads back 0% aptitude, it confirms that Mizu is now a Kaiju like her father.

Having not told her about this because she thought she wouldn't have to, Mina decides to break it to her daughter gently that she's a Kaiju like her father by using the new exhibition. Mina, Mizu, and Hoshina get the whole museum to themselves since Mina commanded that her daughter's class stays in the bunker for a extra three hours. Ya know... for safety. There, the two of them break it to her gently about who her father was and what she might be now. Mizu doesn't take it well at first, but thanks to healthy communicating, she's not that angry about it afterwards.

This, however does bring up a problem with the higher ups. They say that Mizu can't be with regular students anymore due to being an untrained threat to the public. Mina somewhat agrees but wants to let Mizu keep as much of a normal childhood as she can before sh*t totally hits the fan that is her new life in a few years. The Higher Ups are trying to strong arm Mina into having her daughter register as an officer of the Defense Force so that they can keep an eye on her. Mina discusses it with Mizu and they come up with a plan. Mizu home-schools the rest of Middle School at the Division and goes on to Neutralization High School to finish out her degree. Mina gives her the speech about how she doesn't have to fill in her father's boots or think that she has to be someone important to the defense force because she's a Kaiju. Mina says that she can convince them to let Mizu out of service once she can demonstrate that she has control over her abilities.

Something happens (I haven't figured out what exactly) and Mizu decides to stay in the Defense Force. After a while, she's offered a special place on a new team. It's called (for the moment until I can come up with a good acronym for it) The International Division. Basically, Japan has decided to come up with an elite task force made out of other counties's misfits and gather them together for the explicit mission of taking out Kaiju invasions with unusual circumstances or unusual Daikaiju cases around the globe for countries that don't have the man power or are in desperate need of over-powered back-up.

On the team is:

A Swedish tactician/medic(in theory)/and mechanic that's anaphylactically allergic to Kaiju material (and because of this) is also severely hemophobic. (42% aptitude)

A blind, Turkish Bomb expert with a special weapon / visor that helps her see and who's Code name is Pile Driver. (67%)

A German Mech suit driver (Who may or may not be a paraplegic from the waist down, I'm not set on the idea just yet) who's suit looks like a mixture of the Berserk armor and the Day Armor from the Castlevania Anime on Netflix. He also wields a claymore. (87%)

And an Australian man, born from a Texan Mother and a Floridian Father, who mains a trench sweeper shot gun (Look it up, its concept is terrifying) that can transform into an anti-tank rifle. His problem is that he's unruly, bloodthirsty, and possibly borderline insane. (72% as a sniper) AND THIS MAN GETS TO BE MIZU'S BOYFRIEND!

(Don't worry, he chill and has a thing for cats. He's just got ADHD.)

So yeah... that's her story... here's a quick breakdown of her design because I know ya'll can't see that shit.

So I initially had a problem with coming up with her Kaiju design. Her whole thing is that she's the daughter of Kafka so her design should still look a little like Kn8 but with some more female connotations, right? How the f*ck does one do that? And it gets harder because all the kaijus in Kn8 either look completely alien or like a monster version of Unrealistic Peak Male Form. (I feel like there could be a really funny meta commentary about this, but I'm not going to get into that right now.)

Eventually, my brain came up with the thought of-

"What if we came up with some bullsh*t Kaiju science and said that because Bakko is a tiger AND a Kaiju, we say that there was some weird exposure/interference that changed some things for Mizu while in vitro."

So now I'm coming up with a tiger-like design for her (you probably can't tell, but to me the head looks more wolf-like than tiger but that's because my artist skills are sh*t) And for the most part, she just looked like an inverse-colored version of Bakko with a mane. At some point while drawing this out, I started to hate it because, like I said in a previous post, she just looked like a furry with a Kn8 style mask. Which led me to come up with some samurai like inspirations for her armor like what Kafka has on the lower half of his body. So yeah, now she has Shoulder Pauldrons, Upper Arm Bracers (I miscalculated her size so the lower half of her arms are off the page.), Rib/Thigh protection, and an armored snout.

She's mostly black with white stripes, most of the armor is dark gray with black borders, and all of the white areas glow Glacial Blue when she's powering up. And yes, the mane is white and glows as well. (She's my pretty little Magical Girl Kaiju ✨🫶✨)

I don't know if anyone can see this as well, but she also has these black little Horns? Attached to the outside of her ears. They don't really do anything, I just wanted to give the similar appearance of Kn8's horns without copying them directly.

As for Mizu Ashiro herself, I tried to split the difference and modeled her after both of her parents. She's got Mina's long hair and hair clips, but her father's spiky type of hair (Which is why it sticks straight out like that.) She's got her mother's eyes and ears, but her dad's eye shape and nose. It's also clear that she takes after her father in body type. (Gotta carry on the tradition of carrying them Tig Bitties in both Human and Kaiju👍)

She's a fairly bubbly and optimistic person, but definitely gets terrified very easily (especially around heights.) Thankfully, she works with a team that can talk her through it most of the time and is actively working on it.

She also grew up exhibiting a lot of Cat-like traits like making lap biscuits when nervous, murrping at someone when they catch her slightly off guard, and napping in the weirdest positions/places. Not even being in the defense force broke those habits out of her and her team likes to poke fun at them playfully when they happen.

[lilyrizzy]

Prompt: you can try to go home, but it will never feel the same

anon i know you probably wanted some daniel returning to redbull angst with this one, but i am nothing if not diaspointing lol, so have a self absorbed 'in that iron ground' sequal i wrote instead.

cw: parental death, angst, speculation on what it means to be the 'biological' parent or not of a child

“Here you are.”

 Max’s voice comes from behind him, but Daniel doesn’t turn from where he’s watching the gentle rise and fall of their daughter’s chest, the way the colourful lights from the mobile dance across her face in the darkened room.

“I’ve read they decided those types are bad for babies now,” Michelle had told him earlier, in that critical, been there, done that parent way, with just a healthy dose of big sister smugness thrown in, as she’d watched him attach it to the crib. It’s so old. Daniel wonders if it wasn’t the same one he slept in.

 Like father, like daughter.

 “I thought you had got lost on your way from the bathroom.”

 Daniel still doesn’t look up, but he hears the telltale ‘click,’ of Max switching off the baby monitor. Daniel has joked, more than once, about how Max had it surgically attached to his hip 6 months ago, when she first came into their world. Red-faced, and kicking, and the best decision they ever made.

 He comes to stand beside Daniel.

 Everybody else is downstairs. It’s past ten but even the kids are still up. Izzy is ‘waiting for Santa,’ and Isaac is shooting Daniel eye-rolls over her head, as though to prove he’s a grown-up because now he knows the truth. Max has been quizzing Michelle endlessly on the pro’s and con’s of different milk warming systems, and his mum has been sat listening with her new boyfriend—Tim’s—hand on her knee, and Daniel just-

 He just needed a minute.

 “Sorry,” he murmurs, not wanting to disturb Emilia, though anyone would know she was Max’s daughter by her ability to sleep through an earthquake alone, “I just-“

 “Wanted a moment?” Max supplies, because of course he knows when it comes to his family.

Daniel nods. Emilia makes a little noise, a groan, like she’s thinking about protesting their loving stares, but it’s gone as quickly as it came.

“It’s weird,” Daniel eventually gets out. “Coming home, and there’s another man sitting with my mum on the couch.”

But it’s not even about that, not really. Tim is nice, he makes his mum laugh and Michelle tells him regularly over the phone, “she’s really happy, Daniel. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile so much since dad.” He shakes Daniel’s hand and asks him about his new job with the Redbull junior team, and when his mum sent Emilia her first party dress in the post, she had signed his name right next to ‘grandma’ on the card.

Besides, if Daniel ever- He’d want Max to find somebody else too. Even if the idea of it makes Daniel sick to his stomach, makes him want to do something crazy like tattoo his name onto Max’s chest, the thought of him being alone forever is worse.

Max’s hand comes to cup the back of his neck, to rub his thumb over the muscle that he knows aches more these days than it used to.

“When my mum got her first boyfriend, I did not like it also,” he admits, though it doesn’t sound like a feeling he is shying away from. “I know it is not the same, but I think always it is strange to see your mum with somebody else."

It is, but maybe what’s stranger is the way it took Daniel getting to the ranch for him to realise that his dad wouldn’t be here for his daughter’s first Christmas. He’d spent the first evening looking helplessly around the dinner table at everybodys faces, foolishly stunned to learn that the sudden life of her couldn’t raise his father from the ground.

“Sometimes I still have to remember,” he admits, because it suddenly feels too shameful to keep a secret. “That he’s- That my dad is dead.”

He forces the words past his teeth, eyes fixed on the slight purse of Emilia’s lips. It’s something he’s been practicing with his therapist; not shying away from saying the truth. You’d think that after five years it would feel like that, but Daniel still finds there are days when his fingers twitch to call the contact he still can’t bear to delete from his phone book.

From the corner of his eye, Daniel can see Max nod but stay silent, like he’s been given a particularly tricky problem that he’s trying to find a solution for.

“He was here for longer than he has not been here,” he eventually says, like the hole in Daniel’s life is something that can be plugged with logic.

“True,” Daniel agrees anyway, because he knows that Max is trying, and it’s unfair to expect him to have the answers when Daniel doesn’t even know what he is asking for.

The closest thing he can think of is, ‘do you think my dad would still have loved her even without any of my DNA,’ but it’s a cruel thing to ask Max, who so desperately wanted Daniel to be the biological father. Besides, it’s not like Max would know what to say to that anyway.

“Also,” Max continues, a hesitant edge to his voice now, “of course it will be more sad this time. To bring Emilia and know he is not here to see her.”

That’s closer. Daniel can feel it, the way the words pang in his chest.

Yet, to hear it while looking down at his daughter’s sleeping body, it crests an entirely different wave of fear inside him.

There will be a time when this is her, when she’ll be spending Christmas night in the house where she grew up, but that she no longer lives in, and Daniel won’t be there to see her open her presents in the morning. It’s ridiculous really. He’s never spent one holiday with her yet, and he’s already worried about the ones he’ll miss.

“When me and Michelle were kids, on Christmas night my dad would cover the floor in flour,” he begins to recount, the words made of his desire to bridge the gap between what his father was to him then, and who Daniel is now. “He would make footprints in them, all the way from the chimney to the tree and back again, for us to find in the morning. He did it for Isaac too, made Santa’s footprints, we- We should do that for Emilia, when she is old enough.”

When he looks at Max, he’s smiling. Softly, the hue of the mobile turning the tips of his mousy hair golden. He nods, reaching for Daniel’s hand, and sliding his fingers into the four gaps between Max’s feels like coming home more than boarding a plane ever has.

“I hope I am a dad like yours,” Max whispers. The and not like mine hangs so heavy in the air, Daniel doesn’t need for him to say it to hear it.  

Still, he answers him-

“I hope we are better than both of them.”

[gingerbreton]

Professional (Adam x f!detective)

Summary:

As they continue to work on the Murphy case, Adam takes his turn 'babysitting' the detective.

Since she uncovered the truth, Adam has seen a different side to Neve Langford.  And it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain professional boundaries.

Notes:

This is set during the 'babysitting' week after the detective leaves the facility, before Murphy's attack.

Rating:  T    Word Count:  1961

[Read on AO3]

The shrill ring of the bell stops the detective in her tracks, and Adam has to catch himself from crashing into the back of her as a pair of fellow early-risers dart from the bakery door and out into the rain-wrapped Square.  He snaps out a hand to stop the door from slamming back into Neve’s face.

A wave of warm air washes over Adam as the door swings open again, carrying on it scents of baking bread and the cloying sweetness of fresh pastries.  He wrinkles his nose at the powerful odours, missing the clean chill of the breeze blowing in from the forests which surround the town.

“I’ll be right with you,” a bright voice calls out from the back at the sound of the bell.

With a brief shiver as the stark temperature change hits her, Neve hurries into the warmth of the bakery.  The swift click of her heels echoing in the quiet space as she makes a beeline for the display of particularly sickly looking breakfast goods.

Adam hangs back by the door, eyes adjusting to the light after the darkness of the early morning.  He passed the bakery on patrol the other night, it’s window display illuminated in keeping with the Square’s aesthetic, though had not set foot inside before.  Nor had he intended to until the detective insisted on breakfast.

This would have been so much simpler if the Agency had insisted the detective remain at the facility.  But here we are...

A large table dominates the seating area.  Adam eyes the way it limits passage through the space to two routes—less than ideal if they have to exit swiftly past an adversary, but he can work with it.  He’s just pondering the strategic pros and cons of the large curved counter when his attention is drawn to the detective.

Neve removes her scarf to shake loose the fine drizzle which clings to the fabric.  She pushes her hair out of the way as she does so.  It’s this motion which catches Adam’s attention, but not what holds it.

Faint bruises paint the detective’s freckled skin, faded to the point of being almost unnoticeable.  At least to human eyes.  To him it’s blatant evidence of where bloated fingers constricted around the detective’s throat.  An injury, Adam is guilty to admit, he did not notice until after the fact—not until Neve had collapsed in his arms.

The detective’s hair falls back into place, hiding the marks that even she seems to have forgotten behind a waterfall of soft strawberry blonde.  

But a thought lingers in Adam’s mind;  humans are fragile.

This isn’t a startling revelation.  He’s known it for over 900 years.  In the past it was little more than an inconvenience—something to take into consideration when dealing with them.

When did it become a concern?

Adam shakes his head to dispel the thought.

“Good morning, Haley.”  

Neve greets the proprietor, a warm smile settling on her lips.  It’s the kind of warmth that draws people to her—that draws him to her.

Before this gentler warmth grew between them, the detective’s temper used to flare like a wildfire—his too, if he’s honest—threatening to set them both alight.  Now the fire that seems to burn at the heart of Neve has settled into a welcoming glow.  It makes her eyes sparkle, and Adam struggles to look away—wishing he could hide behind his aviators without drawing comment.

Whether she knows it or not, the detective is making his task difficult—crouching to peruse the selection of pastries, the edge of her lip, not fully bitten, just caught by a drag of her teeth as she scans her choices.  Decision made, her lip slips free when a smile wins out and she points to a particularly plump croissant.  

Adam snaps his gaze away.

The task of drowning out their conversation is made easier when it descends into inane small talk.  He diverts his attention back to where it should be—watching for threats.  It is his turn to babysit the detective after all.

The large windows of the shopfront are fogged with thick condensation from the chill of the late winter air hitting the warmth of the bakery’s interior.  He frowns at the lack of visibility out into the Square beyond but resists the urge to wipe away a section of the misted glass.

“Adam-”  Neve’s voice stumbles to a stop, correcting herself when Adam’s gaze flashes to her.  “Commanding Agent, did you want anything?”  She pauses, something tentative—hopeful even—in the look she gives him.  “My treat.”

“That isn’t necessary, detective,” Adam replies stiffly.  

His throat dries at the sudden memory of Neve's name escaping his lips in the lab a few days before.  ‘I prefer you call me that.’  More so at the memory of the way she looked at him in response.

“But thank you.”  He adds with a cough as her gaze flicks away, wondering if he imagined her shoulders sag.

‘I think using your title would serve us better since we are working together.’

Adam has been doing this job, or some version of it, for centuries.  Times change, the Agency adapts, people come and go, and never once has he struggled with professionalism.  With boundaries.  

But now his words are getting away from him, he has to check every action to maintain these boundaries, to remain professional.  Because that’s all this is.  Professional.

As soon as Murphy is caught the team will move on.  He will move on.

‘But I’m glad to know we are on good enough terms for first names—Neve’.

The first had been a slip, but the second, in spite of himself he’d allowed her name to linger on his tongue.  Savouring it one last time before he drew a line.  Rebuilt that boundary.  Adam has always considered himself a strong-willed man, and that should’ve been an end to it.

But then Neve smiled.

He’d seen her smile before—obviously—but not like this.  Not for him.  Impossibly soft and sweet and shy.  A blush colouring her cheeks, heart fluttering as she held his gaze.

The sight etched itself onto his memory.

A wave of panic hits Adam as he sees the detective move to sit at the large table, only then realising how long he’d been lost in thought.

“We should be going,” he blurts.  The thought of sitting alone together—Adam scolds himself for his flustered reaction.  “To meet the other at the station.”

“Oh—of course.”  

A confused frown tugging at her brow, Neve turns to Haley who is already transferring her coffee into a takeaway cup.

It’s not until the detective is sweetening the drink that Adam takes in the sheer size of the thing.  Despite the blanket of frothy milk, there’s an almost overpowering scent of espresso.  Neve pours in one sweetener, and then a second.

Adam wrinkles his nose, a judgemental frown creasing his brow.

“You’ll not taste that with your breakfast.”

Neve meets his eye, a familiar stubbornness catching in her eyes.  She picks up a third sweetener, tears the packet open with her teeth and pours it into her drink, all without breaking his gaze.

Adam rolls his eyes, drags the door open and heads out into the cold, but not before catching the smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth.

----

Dawn light is beginning to daub hues of pinks and orange across the undersides of the thinning rainclouds.  The downpour has slowed to a light drizzle which hangs like mist in the air, droplets quickly clinging to the wool of his coat.  

The clocktower declares it’s a little after seven thirty as Adam strides across the pavement, pausing only when he realises that the detective isn’t at his side.  This isn’t unusual in itself—between those ridiculous heels and fitted skirts, it takes Neve two paces to keep up with one of his—but this time there’s no click of heels following him.  

Though there is the increased patter of her heartbeat.

“Detective?”

He turns in time to see her linger in the doorway, deep-green gaze furtively scanning the Square before she steps out.  Adam can feel the nerves radiate from her as she hurries to his side.  

It wasn’t long ago that he lamented the detective’s habit of rushing off into trouble, but now, as she stands glued to his side on the cobbled streets of a town she’s called home her whole life, he finds himself half-grieving the freedom that came with her naivety.

“You are uncertain.”

The statement catches Neve off guard, her heels skittering on the slick cobblestones as she snaps to look at him.  Adam instinctually reaches out to steady her, but swiftly pulls his fingers back before they brush the small of her back—burying the offending hand deep in his coat pockets.

“The fact that Murphy is a vampire still concerns you?”  Adam hushes his tone, despite the empty street.

A slight frown knots Neve’s brow, her lips moving around a thought.

“It’s not that,” she says after a moment, pointedly avoiding Adam’s gaze.  Pulling her collar up high to guard against the rain, she hurries across the street.  He follows, matching her pace with ease.  “What Murphy is on a biological level is irrelevant.”

Adam raises a brow, though he shouldn’t be surprised; she’d looked at the evidence, considered the blood results, and accepted the true nature of Unit Bravo with little more than a dry comment about how they should get a DNA database entry sorted, unless they wished to be named after the station’s pathologist.

“It’s just...the balance of everything shifted overnight,” Neve continues.  “I went from being a professional trying to catch a murderer, to being his next victim.”

Her voice catches, but she coughs it off before Adam has a chance to say anything.  

“You know, they tried to recruit students to take part in medical trials while I was in college.  For cash.”  She takes a long sip of her coffee before trying to smile, as though there’s a joke in there somewhere but she can’t decide if it’s funny.  “I wasn’t interested then either.  And I doubt Murphy offers better pay than the drug companies.”

The laugh that accompanies her slipping smile is breathy and lost in thought.  Without seeming to notice, she fidgets at the cut across her palm.

“I don’t want to be a victim.”

She seems to startle herself with the admission—a rare confession of vulnerability from a woman who insists she can take care of herself.  Adam’s brows furrow deeply under a weight of concern.

“It will be alright.”

You will be alright.

“I know it will.”

The vulnerability is gone.  Neve sets her lips into a tight line.  Stubborn.  Determined.  If it wasn’t for the nervous fluttering of her heart, he might even believe her.

Adam’s lips move for a moment as he tries to conjure an adequate sentiment to put Neve’s mind at rest, but his words fall short.  Instead he sets about watching their surroundings with redoubled diligence—as though the action may at least allay some of her fears.

“Adam…”  Neve almost reaches out to him, he freezes, watching the motion, but she thinks better of it.  “I know it will.”

Her expression softens as her eyes finally meet his—stubbornness waning to give way to something else.  Adam could be mistaken, but buried deep, warming the dark green of her eyes, there’s trust.

Their gazes break apart under the weight of the heavy silence that follows, and they make for the detective’s car without another word.

Adam will not let anything happen to her.

And he tells himself there’s nothing more to it than that.

[panlight]

I love your answers on Tuck Everlasting! How do you think the Cullen's would be if they were more like the Tucks, immortal but more or less human? Would Edward and Rosalie be happier or would it be worse because they're being teased even more? Also do you know if the Tuck's changed (grew hair, grew nails, could menstruate and get pregnant, etc)? If so I think growing beards and changing hairstyles would definitely help them all look older and maybe do more with their lives, not to mention disguise themselves better for the next move. In this scenario do you think Rose and Esme would have kids, even if they would forever have to bury their child / grandchild / great grandchild unless they wanted to trap them in such an endless existence too?

I think Edward might be a little happier because he wouldn’t hate himself for craving human blood, at least, but he’s generally a pessimistic person so he’s still probably going to dwell on the downsides of immortality a lot. But there wouldn’t be the same flavor of damnation, just the frustration of being stuck. I don’t know that it would make that much difference to Rosalie--her angst has never been specifically about vampirism, it’s about being frozen in time and unable to move on with her life, so a lot of that would still apply. 

I seem to remember that the oldest Tuck son, Miles, had a wife and family--who left him, when the wife realized he wasn’t aging after 20 years of marriage. So that implies that at least the men can have children.  The only immortal woman in the story is the mother, Mae, who doesn’t seem to have any further children once becoming immortal, but I don’t know that we can say that’s because she can’t because of immortality, or if she’s too old to have kids, or that she and Angus specifically decided not to risk it and are Very Careful. 

If they COULD have kids, I tend to think Rosalie would want to try. Esme might be more hesitant. I’m assuming in this scenario she’s still some kind of adoptive mother to the rest of the ‘kids’ so that itch is being scratched a little, and she’s more mentally mature and might weigh the pros and cons of bringing a life into the world not knowing how or if her immortality will be passed down, and worrying about having to maybe someday watch her children grow old and die without her--or offer them water from the spring. Rosalie is frozen with a younger, more short-sighted mentality and might be willing to risk and deal with the fallout later. 

Now I’m wondering about how they would have become immortal. I suppose they could have been a biological family--since this is already an AU there’s no reason not to make Esme and Carlisle older, the actual bio parents of a couple of the kids, they drink from the stream by accident, etc, and then Emmett also drinks from the steam by accident and is adopted in and marries Rose and Alice and Jasper show up having becoming immortal themselves (from the same spring? a different one?).  Or maybe it would be a better parallel to Twilight if Carlisle as a doctor keeps bottles of the spring water to ‘save’ people? In Tuck Everlasting they literally can’t die--there’s apart where one of them is supposed to be hung for murder and they can’t let it go forward not because they would die because they WOULDN’T die and everyone would be able to see they wouldn’t die and it would reveal their immortality. So by the logic drinking the water at the point of near-death would maybe save/heal you? I’m fuzzy on the details. But then we could have a similar story where Carlisle is the ‘creator’ of the other immortals, but eventually learns it’s not his place to doll out immortality like that and stops.

Either way I think there would still be angst about immortality generally even removed from the blood-drinking monster stuff. Living forever sounds great in theory but is likely to be lonely and frustrating and monotonous in practice. Plus Edward wouldn’t be Edward if he weren’t angsting about something. 

[princeescaluswords]

i just realized that i havent seen you around legacy for a while... i hope everything is well, i miss seeing your meta!!!!!

As much as I miss it, and I do miss it, I felt it best to leave Legacy, at least for a while.   The moderators - who are my friends even though we disagree on this - decided that I was being too negative about Peter Hale and that I was, to paraphrase, generally hostile to people enjoying things uncritically.  They did not ban me; they didn’t even issue a formal reprimand.  They wanted me to back off, and I thought that it was best for me instead to leave.  I understand their point and their goal in having a place where fans of Teen Wolf can talk with other fans without tension, but in this case, they’re wrong.  For all their goals, in the end they want to make other people feel welcome and respected at the cost of my feeling welcome and respected.

Peter stans -- and many other stans of white male villains -- go on quite a bit about how they love Peter flaws and all; they love him for his flaws.  They claim they never try to excuse what he did, and then turn around and do exactly that by ‘explaining’ his actions in such a way that it excuses what he did, specifically by attacking other characters who they see in opposition to him, and by attacking the show itself for portraying Peter as a villain, when his role as a villain is crucial to the show’s narrative.

When I’m on a Discord server to talk about a television show, I want to talk about the television show, not some parallel-universe version of the television show. But here’s how these conversation go:

Peter murders people, including innocents and his own family members. We see it on the screen.

Peter violates people, including innocents, teenagers, and his own family members.  We see it on the screen.

Peter manipulates people, including ... well, everyone.  We see it on the screen.

Derek, his own nephew, doesn’t like him and treats him like a manipulative killer.

Stiles, the most popular character on the show, hates him and treats him like a manipulative killer.

Scott, the hero protagonist, is wary of him, even though he has hope for him.

Malia, his biological daughter, thinks he has no morals and had to be bullied into calling him dad.

Deaton and Reformed Deucalion warn people not to trust him.

Melissa and Noah, everyone’s favorite parents, treat him as if he’s the scum of the earth.

Peter in direct contravention of everything we see on the screen: “I had reasons beyond just being a selfish prick!”

Peter-stans: “See, he had reasons beyond just being a selfish prick!”

And then we’re off to the races, because from that attitude that we get the wretched Left Hand Theory, that’s where we get the wretched and racist Born Wolf Purity Theory, that’s where we get the easily-disprovable and extraordinarily racist Black-and-White-Thinking Tyrannical Moron Scott Theory, that’s where we get the supremely racist Sinister Tree Wizard Deaton Theory, and several other theories that have at their base the singular goal of transforming what we see on the screen into something else which doesn’t fit in with a single other thing the show tried to do but does make Peter (or Derek or attractive white male villain) look better.

Let’s take the Laura Abandoned Peter and That’s Why He Killed Her and Not Because He’s a Power-Hungry Monster Like Everyone, Including Himself, Admitted Theory.  Apparently, the fact that Laura was alpha and that Peter was safely cared for in a long-term care facility in Beacon Hills is abandonment.  Because apparently he wasn’t safe -- except he was safe.  Because apparently she could have helped him -- except Derek didn’t know about giving up the alpha spark until Peter told him so how could she have helped him.  Because apparently she never visited him -- except that we don’t know if Laura visited him or not, we only know what happened the last time she visited him.   Because apparently Peter resented being well-cared for -- except he never once made that claim in the half-dozen times he talked about his coma.  

Or shall we take the Talia Was Secretly a Right-Wing Republican Pro-Life Fanatic Who Never Listened to Peter and Thus Drove Him To Evil Theory, where they take Peter’s fever-dream rant against Talia -- which he himself dismissed as the words of a lunatic -- and the Desert Wolf’s provocative taunt to Malia when she was trying to kill her (unless you think Corinne just wanted to share the truth about her pregnancy for ... reasons?).   Oh, and don’t forget that they wonder why Talia let the Tates adopt Malia, even though everyone in the universe knows that the Teen Wolf chronology is screwed up, and we don’t know what Malia’s parents knew, and we don’t know if Talia intended to keep an eye on Malia, but she couldn’t ‘cause she was dead.   Yet somehow, the show said Derek respected her, Deaton respected her, Deucalion respected her, even Gerard respect her as much as he hated her.   But these single lines and suspect speculations prove to the Peter-stans that she was a terrible person.

We don’t excuse his actions, Peter-stans cry, but don’t you think that he was simply reacting to what these Evil Women Did To Him?  

The problem isn’t that I’m hostile to people enjoying the show uncritically, because they aren’t doing it uncritically.  They’re creating a whole counter-narrative, proposing alternate characterizations for established personalities, and reinterpreting scenes in different contexts, and that, my friends, is the work of critical examination.   I know, because I paid off a ridiculous amount in student loans incurred by getting a degree in it!   

What they’re objecting to isn’t my preventing them from enjoying the show - because I never have - it’s that they want their critical and transformational enterprise to go unchallenged.   They want to be able to say that the secret subtext of the show is that Peter isn’t really, as the production literally had Melissa say “Your father is a ruthless con man who always has a devious plan to hurt everyone around him,” but instead that he’s worthy of admiration for these qualities which they have manufactured out of the ether.  

They want to propose these alternative views of canon and not be challenged on them, because if they can’t back them up with evidence or resolve the inconsistencies these alternative views create their feelings might be hurt, which are simply more important than mine.  When I sit there and listen to them talk about how Peter would be such a great boyfriend for Stiles, or that Scott’s behavior gave Peter a reason to try to have Scott killed, or that they think he was out of character in Season 4, and I have to pretend that it doesn’t go against the very things I enjoyed about the show.

If I’m going to be on a Discord server proposing to honor the Legacy of Teen Wolf,  I’ll want to be able to discuss the legacy of the show, not bite my tongue as people tear apart the narrative with the transparent motivation of justifying their murderer kink.  The Peter Hale Fan Discord is another server, one of which I have no interest in. 

But in the end, it’s not my server, it’s theirs.  And I’d rather leave then argue with my friends.

[lakesandquarries]

Baby Shoes - Chapter 4

Bubby has been a doctor at Black Mesa for 20 years, living there for 50. He’s been bouncing around from project to project, working on whatever needs most help. He doesn’t have any opinions on his work or his coworkers or anything like that, preferring to keep to himself.

Then he meets Black Mesa’s newest project.

AKA: Bubby is Benrey’s dad au.

title from “Baby Shoes” by Bad Books.

AO3 Link

The sound of the door opening jolts Bubby back into awareness - and Benrey too. They have another full body flinch, smacking their head against the concrete wall in their scramble.

Dr. Zeki’s heels click on the floor. “Dr. Bubby,” she says, tilting her head to the side. “This is certainly a strange place to find you.”

Benrey’s halfway off his lap already. He moves them gently so he can stand up to his full height, and their hands cling to his pant leg. “I wanted to try something new.”

“You’re attached,” Zeki says. “I should have known better than to let you on this project. It’s not sentient, Bubby. It’s not a fun little pet. Don’t you ever wonder what happened to Dr. Tipton? I’m sure you remember him.”

He, unfortunately, does. Dr. Tipton had been assigned to Bubby long ago, and he’d been an utter nightmare. No sense of boundaries, plus terrible hygiene.

“I recall him, yes.”

“This little subject you’re so fond of nearly killed him. It bit him and injected some kind of venom. We had to develop an entire new antivenom, in less than two hours, just for Dr. Tipton. He’s got permanent nerve damage and lost a few fingers, but he’s alive. I can only hope I’ll be able to say the same for you.”

Bubby glances down at Benrey. They’re clinging even tighter now, claws making small holes in Bubby’s pants.

“I think I’ll be fine.”

“Well, in that case.” Her gaze shifts down to Benrey. “You were so interested in its living situation, weren’t you? I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if we have it stay with you, then.”

“I don’t, actually.” He folds his arms, leveling his gaze right at Zeki, eyes meeting hers. “You know what, I think that’s a fantastic idea.” 

Zeki smirks at him, unbearably smug. “We’ll have to move you to the Biological Research wing, of course. You can’t be in a regular dorm with it. I’m sure your old room is still available, tube and all.”

Bubby bites the inside of his lip. He’s hated a lot of scientists in his years at Black Mesa, but he’s never had the repeated urge to strangle someone until Dr. Zeki. “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure I can find an empty room that can suit my, and the subject’s, needs.”

There’s a buzz from Zeki’s pocket. “Well, you have until I get out of my last meeting. Good luck, Dr. Bubby.” She gives him a final cold glare, turning on her heel and making sure to slam the door behind her.

“Bitch,” Bubby mutters. He hopes Dekkard broke her stuff while he was wrapping it in tinfoil.

There’s a high pitched noise from Benrey, and when Bubby looks down he sees dark bubbles like shadows. He’s careful not to touch them this time, not wanting a repeat of earlier. He crouches back down, eye level with Benrey again.

“Sorry about that,” he says quietly, reaching an arm out and gently placing it on Benrey’s shoulder. “I think I may have fallen asleep as well.”

“I don’t like her,” Benrey mumbles. “She’s scary.”

“I’m not especially fond of her either,” Bubby says. “But, I think this can actually work in our favor.”

“Huh?”

“She tried to scare me with that story, and she thinks she’s punishing me by inviting me to live here with you.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Benrey mumbles, hunching their shoulders. “I just - he kept touching me -”

“I’ve had my fair share of encounters with Dr. Tipton. Whatever you did, I’m sure he had it coming.”

“So you - you actually wanna -” Benrey’s eyes are wide and shiny. 

“If you’re alright with it, yes.”

Benrey nods, frantically, leaning their head against Bubby’s shoulder. They can’t quite reach to hug him, so Bubby moves closer, wrapping his arms around them. “I can’t stay for much longer, though. I need to go find us a good room. But I promise I’ll be back, alright?”

Benrey nods, bright yellow bubbles falling from their mouth. Bubby takes a moment to enjoy the wave of joy that comes with them before he forces himself to get up. “I’ll come back as soon as I can,” he says. 

Benrey’s whole being seems brighter, somehow. Less grey. Their hands tap against the ground. “Bye,” they say, as Bubby shuts the door gently behind him.

He checks Zeki’s office first. Dekkard is nowhere to be seen, but he’s clearly left his mark. Everything - the table, the computer, each individual pencil - has been painstakingly wrapped in tinfoil.

Bubby grins at the sight, taking a moment to knock a few paper weights off the desk.

He checks Dekkard’s desk next. No sign of him there, either, but his slinky is on the desk, so he can’t be too far. 

Sure enough, he’s in the next spot Bubby checks - the break room. He’s standing in front of the vending machine, looking for all the world like a professor stumped by a difficult math question.

“Dekkard!”

He turns and waves. “Oh, hey Bubby. Hey, should I get doritos, or -”

“Nevermind that! I have an important project. I need you to come with me.”

Dekkard raises an eyebrow, turning back to the machine. “Doritos it is.”

Bubby sighs. “Please. Look, this is very time sensitive, I only have until Zeki is done with her last meeting and I’ve already wasted ten minutes looking for you.”

Dekkard reaches into the machine for his bag of chips. “I mean, I’m supposed to be on lunch, but if this is to fuck with her, then I’ll help. Let’s go.”

“I saw your work in her office,” Bubby says as they walk back to Dekkard’s desk. “And I will admit, you did an excellent job.”

Dekkard beams. “Maybe I’m not so underqualified after all.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” 

Dekkard slips into his chair. Bubby’s too anxious to sit, instead pacing back and forth as he waits for the computer to boot up. “So, what am I helping you with?”

“Zeki made a proposal. I’m sure she intended it as a threat, but. I need a free room here in Biological Research. Something livable. No tubes or cages or any of that shit.”

Dekkard’s hands pause on the keyboard. He glances back at Bubby, who’s staring over his shoulder, leaning forward to watch. “Are you…moving in here?”

“Yes. Myself and one of the subjects, so make sure it’s big enough for two people.”

Dekkard spins in his chair. “One of the subjects?”

“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?” He folds his arms, standing up straight.

“I mean - pretty much every single subject here could kill you, so -”

“I used to be a subject here, if you’ll recall.” 

“Yeah, but - you’re not like them. You’re like, a person.” Dekkard sighs. “Is it the alien?”

“Their name is Benrey.”

“You named it?”

“We are wasting time,” Bubby snarls, stepping forward to grab the mouse from Dekkard’s hand. He holds it up, stretching the wire as far as it can go. 

“Hang on! Look, I’m willing to help, I just -”

“I don’t have time to argue with you! Either help me, or I will do this myself.” 

“Look, Bubby -”

“Dr. Bubby.”

“Dr. Bubby.” Dekkard groans, tipping his head back. “You’re the only tolerable person here, I don’t wanna help you get killed by an alien.”

“Well, luckily for you that’s not what you’re doing. Now are you going to help or not?”

“You’re really set on this, huh?”

It’s a lucky thing Bubby’s control over his pyrokinesis has grown, or Dekkard’s hair would be on fire. “Yes, I’m sure. I - they have them chained up. Like some kind of wild animal. They’re a child, Dekkard. Zeki made the mistake of offering this, and I’m not going to give her the chance to back down.”

Dekkard’s shoulders slump as he spins back to the computer. “I’m not gonna pretend like I understand, but fine. I’ll help.” Bubby takes a step away from the computer to give him a bit of space, not wanting to hover as Dekkard logs into the horribly designed official Black Mesa website. It takes him a minute to pull up a map, but once he does, he waves Bubby back over. “Okay, so. There’s a few empty areas, it looks like. I’m gonna toss these ones immediately -” and here he points to the screen at a cluster of small rooms - “because those are next to whatever the hell it is that screams all night. XEN - uh, Benrey?” He glances up at Bubby who nods approvingly. “Right. Benrey’s over here right now, and I think there’s actually an unused room pretty close? Big one, too.” 

“Just find me something and show me it. I don’t need your entire thought process.”

“Hey, I’m the one helping you.” Dekkard’s quiet after that, though, focusing more on the screen as Bubby paces back and forth, glancing at his pager every few minutes. “Okay, come here, I’ve got a list.”

This is the time-consuming part. Dekkard shows Bubby each of the rooms, laying out the size and shape and what they’re near, and then they spend a few moments debating the pros and cons. Bubby knows they’re on a timer, but his attention is elsewhere, and he does forget to check the time. 

His pager beeps.

“Oh, motherfucker,” he mutters. Zeki’s meeting must have ended, because she’s sent him a message.

Meet me in my office.

“We need to decide right now.”

“Shit, that her?”

“No, it was the president. Yes, it was her!”

Dekkard sighs, scooting his chair closer. “Okay, I know it’s a weird shape, but I think this one’s best. There’s a bathroom nearby and a sink in the room, which is good. Better than the dorms, even. And you can hang up a curtain or something over here and make it like a separate room.”

He’s gesturing at a vaguely L-shaped room close to the offices and break room. Bubby has seen it before. It’s been unused for ages, gathering dust, and will probably be a pain to clean. But Dekkard does have a point, and he’s out of time.

“Fine. Sure. Yes. What’s the room number?”

“B-22.”

“B-22,” Bubby repeats. “B like Bubby. Excellent. Alright, I’m off to go ruin Zeki’s day.”

Dekkard shoots him a grin and a finger gun. “Good working with you.”

“Also, don’t get the doritos. They’re stale.”

Dekkard looks at the bag on his desk. “God damnit. Asshole.”

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

Radical Trans Activism

Alright so que the children on tumblr calling me a transphobe and saying there is no such thing as a radical activist. 

Let me be clear in this opening statement. I do not hate or dislike trans people in any capacity. My issue is with and only with trans activists specifically of the radical type. I’ll explain.

Right now there is a subsect of Trans activists that have this idea that everyone can be trans. They use ideas like “If a boy likes girly things, they are a girl.” or “If they are a girl and the like boyish things they are actually a boy”. It doesn’t stop there though. They also will not question a person who believes they are trans at all. All they will do is just “yes yes yes, so brave so bold so great” with zero question at all. Even going so far as to say you don’t need body dysphoria at all to be trans. And their worst offense if that wasn’t the worst, is the fact they coined the term “egg”. As in “You are not actually gay or lesbian. You are actually strait. You are just a trans person waiting to “hatch”. *Also of note, this reinforces that stereotypes for clothing, toys, and products ARE gendered and need to stay separate. Meaning YOU are the ones trying to bring back gender stereotypes and keep them in place. Which is also harmful to people who are gender non conforming or a-sexual*

This type of stuff is all pretty disgusting because you will see activists lie and say this does not happen. But it does. And it happens often. There are even blog sites and discord servers dedicated to “hatching eggs”. How messed up a person do you have to be to tell a person in their late teens early 20′s they they are not gay. What are you saying? A man can love another man unless he’s “actually a woman”. The level of sheer bigotry coming off that is insane. The phrase “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” exists specifically for people like this. Neo Progressives that think progress at all costs, even lives, is the right path. It’s not. And I’ll tell you why. For the past 6 years, LGBT acceptance has been going down. Not because people are becoming bigger bigots. Not even. The reason is that being “hyper gay and angry” became a literal personality. Gay people have always wanted to just be accepted. More over, they just wanted to love who they love and that’s it. It was never “accept that I’m flamboyantly gay and hate everything that’s not gay” never once was that what “Pride” was about. Never once was that what was wanted. 

Now however, we have LGBT acceptance seeing an all time low. Worse than that, pride parades have become fetish parades. You know what that has caused? Even the idea of acceptance in traditionalist countries is now in the tank. Because they one thing LGBT people wanted all up until the early 00′s was not to be considered degenerate just because they love someone from the same sex. “Oh well those cultures are bigoted and they need to get with the times” I hear you say like to morons I know you are. Missing the bigger picture. Obama was anti gay marriage. And the only reason he was for it later on was for the votes for a second term. Meaning you need those countries to accept LGBT people in general as a large group. Instead however you have turned being gay into this “fuck cis people they are all stupid, dirty, unclean, and i’m better in every way because gay people never do anything wrong. Assault? Rape? Battery? Crime in general? Cheating? Nah never.” NEWS FLASH! Gay people are human too. Just like trans people. Just like cis/strait people. But you’ve all turned being gay into a personality type. It’s not. Being flamboyant is a personality trait. And not all gay people are flamboyant. Not all lesbians are butch. 

So how does this all play in to radical trans activism? Glad you *probably didn’t* ask. Just like with the above situation causing LGBT people in other countries to be seen as more and more degenerate as the US is almost always he main stage for that type stuff, you are all tying to erode things that are not fake. I mean people try to say male and female are not even real. Well funny you should say that because if they are not trans is also fake. Why change your body if what you feel is fake anyways. Your body isn’t male. Male isn’t real. See the logic there. Of course you don’t. You are probably either some tween on this hell site trying to act like you know better, or some 20 something that thinks they know everything. Me? I’ve got 8-10 years of psychological studies under my belt. Although, on to the fun bits. You need body dysphoria to be trans; Otherwise you are not trans. The difference is that trans people can’t help how they feel. You with your need to special saying you are trans is insulting as fuck to actual trans people too. Oh and the “yes men” I mentioned earlier? They are responsible for what is now 100′s of detransitions in the UK. Mostly teens-early 20′s. And a lot of them were affirmed left and right. Told that for sure they were trans. THEY WERE FUCKING INDOCTRINATED. And many will never be able to fully detransition either. Meaning their lives are fucked in some way or another. Why? Oh well lets list it off. 

Excess body hair up to and including facial and body hair

Hair loss

The growth of breasts on a biological boy

Weight loss or gain because of the transition hormones

Lower bone density

Less functional immune system

Stunted Height

Possible issues in brain development. 

Possible medical issues based on the hormones received that would not normally affect your biological sex. 

Dysphoria caused by either top or bottom surgery *which is not always reversible* (Which can also lead to depression and suicide feeling you made a rushed decision and made a huge mistake*

And that’s the short list. But the majority of people that were affected by this affirmation transitioning were mostly women. And a number of them were actually lesbians who saw being trans as a way to follow tradition of the male/female dynamic. And a large number were on the autism spectrum. 

So let me put this in a way you will understand. Radical Trans activists, much like the gay “children” today, are going to not only tank acceptance. They are likely going to make it harder to transition in the future. Because when the case number of detransitions reaches the 1000′s and Neo Progressives can’t hide them anymore, legislation will start to pass to protect people from all of this. Even if they are actually trans. And a recent pediatric study showed that over 90% of children with body dysphoria get over it by the time they are teens. The reason you all need to accept this is because you’d willingly ruin the lives of thousands of people just so one trans person can be happy. Which is pretty fucked up. To put that in prospective, that the same as you killing the many in the trolley problem. That’s what happens when you base your life decisions on feelings rather than logic and real life. 

Long story short? You are doing more harm than good. You will be the reason that a generation down the road, actual trans people can’t get transitions. And it will not just be a problem of the middle east or traditionalist countries. This will be western countries like Canada, The US, UK, Australia etc. Both socially and legally there will be more and more road blocks. And you might think it won’t happen but it will. Just like PC language police and woke culture has resulted in racism getting worse over the last few years. 

Take heed to what I’m saying. You can call me a bigot or whatever you like (it doesn’t make you right), but fact is as well intentioned as you might be, you need to understand that what you are doing, and saying, will bring far more harm than good. Also to anyone that sees this that might be trans, take your time, talk to people that don’t just affirm you. Honestly? Seek therapy with a therapist that will talk to you about the pros AND cons of transitioning. Do not listen to people on here, do not just listen to yes men. You need to know for sure before you transition. Just read above as to what can happen to you. You might thing it’s no big deal, but it is. Sure find yourself. But just because you don’t like your body doesn’t mean you have dysphoria. Legit go to and stick with therapy if you think you do have it though. Because fact is transitioning is not a magic fix all. No matter who tells you it is. And be sure to avoid and shut down radical activists. if you don’t, they will be the cause of trans people getting hurt in the future. Be it by legislation or by society or both. Love yourself before you change yourself and beware of people trying to turn you into something that you are not. Especially you younger people. You might think you and your friends know everything but I promise they don’t. And they often won’t be there after you make mistakes. 

[glon-morski]

Trial by Fire - Orignal Character Sheet

Story link: Trial by Fire on AO3

Character: Torikae Meko

Name Meaning: 'Torikae' (取替) means "to swap/exchange". 'Meko' is formed with the kanji ‘me’ (目) meaning "eye/eyeball" or "to look/stare/glance" and ‘ko’ (子) which means "child". Her entire name is a giant reference to her Quirk.

Physical appearance: Meko is an average-sized girl of about 1m68 (5’6’’). She’s slim, but also has some visible muscle definition to her showing that she exercises a lot, with her shoulders and biceps being the most defined and her abdominal and back muscles being the least visibly trained. (She has muscle there, too, it just isn’t as visibly built.) She has a rather narrow waist and hips and is rather flat-chested, sporting a modest A-cup. She has long, coral-colored hair that she ties either in a high pony-tail-braid or, more often, in two low pigtails resembling the haircut of Saya from the anime Blood-C. Her complexion is light brown and she has aquamarine, almond-shaped eyes (when her iris are visible, anyway – see her Quirk for explanation details).

Hero costume: The most notable thing are her goggles, the lenses of which are one-way mirrors reflecting everything in front of her without hindering her being able to see (like the one-way mirror walls in police interrogation rooms in media, where it looks like a mirror on one side but there’s actually a room behind it and people can use it as a window to observe the interrogation). This is meant to hide not only what or who she’s looking at (similar to Eraserhead’s goggles), but also what her eyes look like (refer to the Quirk section for explanation). Beyond that, her hero costume is a form-fitting, reinforced, dark green biker jump-suit (a bit similar to the outfit of Makoto Nijima from the Persona 5 game once she awakens her Persona) to which she attaches various small knickknacks, particularly at the utility belt, around the ankles and wrists, but also at various other places. These knickknacks include but are not limited to tiny glass bottles containing one or two drops of various liquids, singular metal chain links, short wires, small pieces of wood, plant leaves and at least one or two pieces of some sort of fluff.

Quirk: Optic Exchange – If she looks at something and wills it, the object she’s looking at turns into the material her sclera is currently made of, while her sclera take on the material of the thing she’s been looking at. So the first time she’s used her Quirk, whatever she looked at turned into the biological material of her eyes and her eyes became whatever she’s been looking at. This works not only for solid materials like wood and metal, but also for fluids like water and most elements, like earth and fire and even for biological materials like plants or cooked meat. However, she cannot use her Quirk on anything in gaseous form, and depending on the material her eyes turn into she may not be immune to potential damage to her eye-sockets or the skin around her eyes. (So when her eyes turned into fire like in chapter 30 of TbF, she burned herself because her skin is not fireproof.) Her optical nerves and other optical cells seem to be protected to some degree, so risk of loss of eye-sight is significantly lowered, if not negligent in most cases. However, if she overuses her Quirk, her eye-sight worsens permanently and does not recover. Depending on the material her sclera turns into, her iris may be swallowed in the exchange so that only the material her eyes took on and her pupils remain, though this only seems to happen with some of the solid materials and never for fluid ones.

Personality: Meko is generally soft-spoken and a touch shy, but she’s also very determined and stubborn. Once she makes up her mind about someone, there’s no making her realize she might be wrong unless you have solid proof. Once she makes up her mind about doing something, there’s nearly no convincing her to not do it. You can either leave her to whatever she’s decided to do, or follow along to try and keep an eye on her, but forget about stopping her. That said, she also knows when to step back and let someone else take charge and, despite her stubbornness, she’s actually more prone to doing that than to taking matters into her own hands because she doesn’t feel comfortable leading others. However, while she’ll try to follow another’s plan to a T in most cases, if she thinks she has a better way to deal with things that won’t endanger her teammates, she’ll deviate and do her own thing. She’s not quite a ‘Lone Wolf’, but she’s not someone who always works perfectly with others, either. This is especially obvious when it comes to her Quirk, as people often tend to tell her to be careful with how she uses it and to not overdo it due to the potential damage she can do to her eyes, while Meko always tends to quickly consider both pros and cons of a certain course of action and then, when she decides to take it, not hesitating to see things through no matter how much pain she might have to endure or how much damage she risks to do to her own eyes. It’s not to the point of taking pointless risks, but she definitely doesn’t shy away from hurting herself if her using her Quirk can be a deciding factor of how a situation develops.

@ any artist willing to draw her, feel free, I’ll be honored. I only ask that you post your art with a reblog of this post or a link to it and not pretend she’s your OC :3

[esta-metamorfose-ambulante]

Pros and cons of Jane The Virgin over the seasons (in no particular order)

Pros:

An amazingly talented cast.

Overall positive latino representation.

Distinct and interesting characters.

Plot twists that kept the story entertaining.

The Villanuevas bond.

Focusing on the reactions and the human side of the characters whenever something crazy would happen to them.

I’m personally not a fan of Latin novelas because they usually just throw one plot twist after anoter, but JTV used to do a great job showing its characters’ struggles dealing with those events.

Cons:

The love triangle. On season one it was important to Jane’s arc so she could find confidence in being a single mother before marrying Michael, but continuously resurrecting the Michael/Jane/Rafael and Jane/Rafael/Petra was uninteresting, repetitive and tiring to its viewers.

Its representation of black people. Roman Zazo was a killer, who not only killed his own twin brother, but also made Petra have sex with him when he kidnapped her.

Nadine was another neglected character that ended up being killed.

The poor treatment they give to Luisa, who has made terrible mistakes, but is also a metally ill woman that battles addiction. However, she is merely used as comic relief and described as a ‘trainwreck’. If my memories serve me well, the show has used this specific word regarding her, more than once.

Its unreleastic representation of romantic love. In the beginning, Jane was happily engaged to Michael. Then, they broke up and she fell for Rafael. Later, the two also broke up. Eventually, she got over him only to fall in love with both of them in a couple of episodes and almost immediately after she realized it’s always been Michael. Seriously? I don’t think science has a consensus about how someone falls in love, if you can love two people at once or whether you can fall in love with a previous lover after you were over them and in a happy relationship with someone else, but that’s not even the point. The thing is, you cannot trust its own narrative. It’s become repetitive, confusing and incoherent with its previous statements. You can’t even trust on the heart glowing thing, because that happens whenever the characters feel strong emotions with their loved ones. It happened when Jane was holding Mateo after he was born and when the Villanuevas were celebrating Mother’s Day. The only way to have some certainty is based on how the actors’ performances and their declarations, because imo they are even more responsible for developing their characters than the writers. The writers keep moving in circles and the actors need to try to make the best of it and deliver their lines convincingly, but I believe even for them it must be difficult to buy it. Therefore, I take their acting and declarations more seriously, because they at least keep a line of thinking instead of the writers that just go back and forth.

Rose - who used to be an intriguing character - got reduced to a I don’t even know what. She was/is a huge crime lord, but all that potention was thrown way. The show didn’t explore her criminal life at all, only her relationship with Luisa and multiple disguises. Currently, she is back for a mysterious reason, but after four seasons, I believe it’s safe to say she will be neglected as well and whatever she does will be anticlimactic.

The objetification. I don’t get the obsession they have/had with Rafael’s abs and why they would make Petra sleep with every basic/trash white man they introduced. On season three they focused more on Jane managing to have casual sex with Fabian than her book and dream of being a published author. I get that was important for her, but releasing her book was everything she ever worked for her entire life. Ignoring that was disrespectful.

Losing its essence and becoming like every other telenovela: throwing a twist after another, not exploring its effects on the characters and repeating storylines everyone’s sick of.

Not having the characters dealing with their traumas and metal illness or having almost all of it happening off camera. Luisa struggles with alcoholism and an on and off abusive relationship, Rogelio was kidnapped, Mateo was kidnapped, Petra was kidnapped, Petra forced herself to have sex with the man who kidnapped her so she could find a way get out of her captivity, Petra lived with an abusive mother, Petra was freaking paralyzed by her own sister, Petra had postpartum depression, Michael was shot, almost got killed and then he was tortured with eletroshocks until he got amnesia and lost five years of his life and I’m sure there is more that I’ve missed. Still, what do they focus on? Ridiculous love triangles.

Although Rafael is not my favorite character, he and Petra were the ones that had the most interesting potential backgrounds. Petra grew up without a father in Czechoslovakia, Alba always used her as a tool to get by and she left the country running away from a man who attacked her mother. Even in the United States, there is so much they could’ve shown of her before and after meeting Rafael, getting married, pregnant and losing the baby. On the other hand, Rafael could’ve had a journey of self-discovery and found his biological family and finally getting the love he didn’t receive from his adoptive parents. All wasted pontetial as well.

Changing the entire dynamics of the show in order to execute one storyline. To get to a point where Jane chooses Rafael, they had to: ‘kill’ Michael, do time jumps and have the characters almost ready to be together. Rafael basically became a different character, they got rid of Lina so he would be her best friend and even in some scenes that there would’ve made more sense to have an Alba/Jane moment because they both lost their husbands, they made a jafael moment.

Its frustrating depiction of family. I don’t hide the fact I’m a villadero shipper and would’ve loved to see Michael/Jane/Mateo being a blended family. I know I won’t get that, but the twins barely spend time with Rafael. Or they do, but it’s mostly off camera. And that’s not enough. I don’t need fourty minutes of them together or therapy, but it’s important to show that on television. It’s important to show parents giving their kids equal love and attention, just like it’s important to show mentally ill characters getting help. This speaks to the audience and can even change the way somebody acts. Television is powerful. Still, even if Rafael does give the same amount of attention and love to their children, the show doesn’t illustrate that. And that’s one of the reasons why I think Ellie and Anna are basically perfect. So Mateo is the one who is distracted, sad, confused or whatever. And no, I’m not criticizing a kid. But we see Mateo being comforted by Rafael, having Rafael telling him stories and things like that. We get way less scenes from Rafael and the girls and sometimes it is just him saying he will pick them up or something off camera. And I really can’t remember any moment where they were the ones who were vulnerable and Rafael comforted them. Or just them playing and having fun. Not even with him when Rafael was with Jane and Mateo.

Not even between Mateo and the twins. They love to say they are family and I more than anyone know siblings fight, but siblings also love and protect each other. I can only remember one soft scene with the three of them and it was because that was convenient at the moment. But a scene of them playing just for the sake of it, or maybe even comforting or supporting one other would be adorable. Like, have they ever hug? I get that if Rafael and Jane live together with Mateo they will consenquently spend more time together and that’s not a problem. However, the show just executes the stereotype of only biological families being valid and sends the message it’s okay to neglect your other children if you’re not dating or married to their mother.

It also took them FIVE FUCKING SEASONS to show Jane and Petra being friends and having fun. And again, it was only out of convinience. Jane couldn’t decide what to do regarding her situation with Rafael and Michael and no one could give her advice. So she goes to Petra and they drink their asses off and sort of have fun. And that other day when they went to a lesbian bar. They say they’re friends and even family, but certaintly doesn’t feel like it. Do they care about each other? Yeah. Still, it’s like that cousin who lives in other part of the country and you see once a year. Firstly you’re happy, but after they spend a week in your house you realize why you barely see each other or keep in touch when they’re gone. I get they are very different, but everytime they are together they sort of argue. An honest and deep conversation like some that Jane’s had with Lena? I’m afraid it’s never happened or going to.

Total disrespect to their own character, Brett who was generous enough to return while he is part of another show and his fans. Not only they brought him back to play a minor role, but he didn’t even get the respect to have his point of view shown. The man was almost killed, tortured, lost five years of his life, came back to see that everything had changed and felt like a burden, but they don’t actually focus on what he feels? Just as how sad Rafael is? It’s one thing to show both sides, but to only explore Rafael’s feelings as if he’s the one who had it worse is ridiculous and insensitive.

Rafael’s deppression. Again, I don’t want to get technical about it, specially because that’s not my professional area and I could be wrong. The thing is, I don’t think he has depression. I do think he had a lot of shit happening to him and he used to have unhealthy habits whenever he got upset, but there is a difference between getting drunk when you are sad (what almost everyone has or will do once in their lifetime) and having depression. Feeling sad, worthless, suicidal all can be symptons, yes. But there is also not getting any sleep, food or eating/sleeping a lot and more. And I don’t think they show up altogether after one event. Rafael’s had a past drinking when he was feeling low, but that was it. No worthless or suicidal thoughts. No insomnia or sleeping too much or anything else. And that wouldn’t last long. Now I am supposed to believe he has depression? Then actually DEVELOP THAT and SHOW IT TO ME (If A Million Little Things can do a decent job, other shows can too). Don’t get me wrong, I think Rafael might have something, but not actually depression. He sure as hell have reasons to. However, It just seems they threw it so we could empathize with him after the way he treated Jane and root for him. And I bet that will be gone in two seconds once him and Jane reunite. Which leads me to...

The way they insinuated his state was Jane’s fault is disgusting. And I’m sure they will forget this depression storyline once jafael makes up. So yeah, they might have not actually said the words, but the route they took is that it’s Jane’s fault and once they back to their relationship he will be magically healed with their love. Yikes.

Also, the whole Michael x family conflict. That is so LOW. My parents are divorced and their separation was really messy. Despite my personal experience, I’ve seen complicated divorces before and ex-spouses using their children against one another. If Jane ended up with Michael, that wouldn’t make her less of a mother or neglect her family by any means. If anything, Mateo would have a step and godfather who would basically do everything to keep him safe and happy. Mateo would have another person who loves him. Sure, Jane’s priority must be her son, but to give the idea a mother needs to lose her independence because of her child is ridiculous. Mothers are allowed to be divorced, single, marry someone else, have their own time with their friends and even have male and ex-lovers as friends. What makes Jane a good mother is the way she treats her son, the love, attention she gives him. NOT being in a relationship with Rafael. Believe me, I’ve seen some people saying this kind of thing.

Now that Jane and Michael got closure, it looks like he will barely be on the show anymore. Which is wrong on so many levels, because first of all, he was her best friend. Real Jane wouldn’t want him out of her life, but apparently that’s what’s going to happen. And again, it sends a terrible message. She should keep being his friend, talking to him and everything, because being in a relationship doesn’t mean you should lose your (male) friends. And they won’t actually say it, but I don’t see Rafael as the guy that would be okay with Jane being best friends with her ex-husband and therefore we won’t see them interact. Just like we didn’t get Michael to see Jane’s family, that he loved and loved him back. And that’s a terrible message to give to young girls, even if you won’t have it said out loud. Showing it is already enough. The fact some of them are buying it frustrates me. 

Also, like, it baffles me the fact Rafael is getting way with all the ultimatums he gave Jane, the fact he showed no empathy when Jane had the scare of thinking she would lose her mother who is fighting CANCER and he kicked her out of their house the very same night. Or that he turned their son against her or did nothing to get him to talk to Jane again until she called him out. She shouldn’t have to call him out. He is a grown man on his late 30s (or early 40s? idek anymore after the time jumps), he should’ve known better. The breaking point was when he didn’t discipline Mateo for running accross the street, something that could’ve KILLED HIM, just because he was mad at Jane. I get Rafael has gone through a lot of shit, but this doesn’t give him a pass to treat people the way he wants to. Everyone on this show has gone through enough and they don’t behave that way. He might have depression, but he knows when he is wrong. And you can actually see on his eyes when he is talking to Jane that he is defying and provoking her. Just terrible.

The fact Jane is choosing him after all of that pisses me off. If he were still zen Rafael and all, I would be frustrated, but not angry. This gives a really dangerous message for anyone who watches it. Abusive relationships start just like that and even though Rafael never raised a hand to her, that is abusive. Rafael is not a bad person, but he has a lot to work on before he could be with anyone else and for me they don’t belong together. Still, he is manipulative and disrespectul with Jane. And I have enough experience with abusive relationships to say that’s how it begins. Then, they have one conversation and sort of a perfect fairytale phase until the next fight. And media romanticizing this kind of relationship is part of the problem.

Last but not least, the fact Jane will have to FIGHT for this after everything turned something that was already bad into something worse. Not only it’s not worth it, but she is supposed to humiliated herself just because she dared to have feelings and be confused when something totally crazy happened to her? Way to go, writers! That’s how you treat you Latin female protagonist and kill your show. The cast deserved way more, but the writers deserves exact rating numbers they are getting.

So to that troll who said Michael fans were racist for dropping it after he died, there are other reasons why we gave up. Those were things that already bothered me, but I still found the show worth it to keep looking foward to the episodes. And after Michael died, I kept watching it, out of respect for its diverse cast and to give it the benefit of the doubt, but I could only do it until the finale of season 3. I just decided not to waste my time anymore because after 10 episodes it didn’t get any better. For many, Michael was vital for the show. 

Besides Jane, he was the one who interacted with most people. He was close to Jane’s family, Rogelio’s best friend, Mateo’s stepfather/godfather and a detective. After he lost his job/’died’, the criminal aspect of the show was basically ignored.

One season one, he wasn’t with Jane, but he was there and things were still intriguing. Once he was gone, the show changed completely. Characters were written off, time had passed and it didn’t feel organic. And there were a lot of other stuff that kept people from watching it again. The fact you want to bring race for something that has nothing to do with (breaking news! Rafael is white too! Just because your boy has some tan and speaks spanish he is not a person of color) is pathetic. That’s not being woke. Bye.

[avengerscompound]

Positive - Chapter 1

Positive:  A Bruce Banner Fanfic

Series Masterlist

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bruce Banner x F!Reader

Word Count:  1917

Warnings:  Angst to the extreme, unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, smut

Synopsis:  After a bad reaction to antibiotics makes you sicker than you should be, Bruce asks you to take a pregnancy test to set his mind at east.

When it comes back Positive you have to then weight the pros and cons of having a child when the pregnancy is so high risk.  It doesn’t help that while Bruce would rather you terminate, Hulk is adamant you don’t.

Chapter 1

The wound in your shoulder looked bad.  It was a few weeks since you had been shot in the field and you stood in the bathroom in just your underwear looking it over.  The stitches had started dissolving so it was closed but you kept having to pick pieces of thread from it.  It was also red and inflamed looking.  Probably due to an infection under the skin.  You poked at it and hissed at the sting.

Bruce stepped into the room.  “How’s it look?”   He asked coming up behind you.  He touched the exit wound and you flinched.

“I think it’s infected.”  You answered.

He kissed your shoulder just beside scarring.  “My poor, brave, agent.”  He teased.  “You remembering to take your antibiotics?”

You turned to face him.  You liked when he was in a playful mood.  He had a cute smile and you really liked seeing it.  Plus you liked when he was feeling safe enough to get handsy.  “Yeah, I’m taking it.”   You said, hooking your fingers into his belt loops.  That was the truth.  The only problem was that they upset your stomach badly and made you throw up pretty much constantly.  You had started to wonder if they were actually staying in your system long enough to be effective.

He let himself get pulled closer to you.  “You should go see one of the doctors today, get something stronger.”  He said as his hands ran up your sides and encircled your waist.

“Whatever you say, doc,”  You teased.

“Can’t have my agent girlfriend having to take unnecessary time off.”  He said, kissing your throat.

You hummed and started to unbuckle his belt.  “I would have thought you’d like it if I had to stay home for longer.”

“Not if I have to play your nurse.  You are not fun when you’re sick.”  He countered unhooking your bra.  You tossed it aside and he leaned down and pulled one of your nipples into his mouth.

You moaned and pushed his pants down.  When his cock sprang free he ground it against you.  It strained against your panties and you moaned softly, longing for more.  Bruce pushed your panties down and lifted you onto the vanity.  You wrapped your legs around him and carded your fingers through his hair.  He made a little purring noise in response and with a snap of his hips, he sunk his cock deep inside of you.

You moaned and wrapped yourself tightly around him, burying your face in his neck.  “God, I love you so much.”  He sighed as he started to rut into you.

You pulled back and looked into his eyes, warm and brown and all him.  “I love you too.”  You whispered.

He smiled and leaned in, capturing your lips and kissing you hungrily.  The passion of your kiss was matched by the thrust of his hips.  Each coming quickly and penetrating deeply.  You moaned against his lips as your tongues swirled together.  He nipped at your lips and started moving faster and faster against you.

The world became hazy.  Sweat beaded on your skin and you tore his shirt off and pushed it down his back.  Your fingers dug into his skin as you found yourself getting closer and closer to your release.

“Oh, god.  Bruce.”  You panted.

His thumb came to your clit and he rubbed it erratically as he continued to fuck you.  Your hips bucked hard against him and you came, your head falling back and crying out loudly.   He kept rutting into you and as the last shudders of your orgasm passed his released, filling you in waves.

He slipped from within you and you hopped off the counter.  “Good morning to you too.”  You teased.

“It is a good morning,” He agreed.  “Though you just tore all the buttons off my shirt.”

“Well you're always doing it,” You teased.  “Thought it was my turn.” You pushed his ruined shirt off and threw it in the hamper.  “Since we’re both naked how about we take a bath together?”

You had met Bruce Banner a few years ago.  You were a new agent recruited by the Avengers and despite the fact you actually rarely spent any time with him and technically the rare occasions he was in the field with you it wasn't him for most of it, you'd hit it off.  Bruce seemed to have a thing for fighters and you guess you must have a thing for lab geeks because even though you barely understood anything he talked about you could listen to him talk about science all day.

It had been a slow burn.  It took him a while to trust himself with you.  The whole Hulk factor and all.  You had had to put away any idea of ever having children, he'd been adamant that he couldn’t be a father, biologically or otherwise.  He was worth it though.  The lives you had built together was good.  Happy.  You weren't married and maybe that wasn't on the table for both of you, but you lived together.  You both knew you were safe with the Hulk, but more importantly, you were in love.  You wanted to share a life together.

After your bath together you went about your day.  Bruce disappearing into the lab while you went to see the doctor as you promised.  They gave you a shot with a stronger antibiotic and over the next week or so it seemed to work with some side effects.

It was itchy a lot.  You couldn’t stop scratching at it as it healed and any time Bruce caught you doing it he’d slap your hand away.  It seemed to create a general ache in your whole chest, not just the wound.  Your breasts too.  The nausea never went away, even after you’d stop taking the pills.  You’d wake up feeling nauseous, and it persisted into the early afternoon.  Often accompanied by vomiting.  Plus generally, you were more tired lately.  In the afternoon you would often come down and just nap on the couch.

It was two weeks later when you woke from a nap on the couch to Bruce coming home.  “Still?”  He asked coming over to you.

You lifted your head and when he sat down you put your head in his lap.  “Yeah.  This should have passed by now right?  The wound is hardly even noticeable anymore.”

He pulled the neck of your shirt down and looked at the bullet wound.  “Yeah.  I think it looks fine.”

“Then why am I still so sick?”  You asked.

Bruce sat quietly stroking his fingers through your hair.  “I know logically all these are normal antibiotic side effects but you don’t think that you could be pregnant do you?”

You smiled up at him and touched the end of his nose.  “You always worry that it’s that.  It’s never that.”

“Yeah, I know.  I just… you know… passing this on.”  He stammered.

“Yeah, I do.”  You answered.  “I’ve been taking the pill same time every day.  It’s never impossible I guess.”

“Isn’t there a thing, about antibiotics and the pill?”  He asked pulling out his phone out and starting to click around.  He furrowed his brow.  “Okay… it says only certain ones, except that… you’ve been sick right?”

You chuckled.  “Weren’t you just worried that the being sick was because I was pregnant?”

“Maybe one caused the other?”  He suggested.

“Bruce, you’re going to worry about this all night aren’t you?”  You asked.

He nodded his head but looked slightly ashamed with himself.

“Go up to the medbay and see if you can get a pregnancy test.  Pretty sure they have them.  I’ll take it when you get back down.”  You said sitting up.

“I’m sorry, honey.  I wish I could relax about this kind of thing.”  Bruce said.

“I know you do.  It’s okay.”  You assured him, kissing his cheek.

He got up and headed back out of the apartment.  While you waited you flicked absentmindedly through tv stations.  He returned after fifteen minutes and you got up right away and took the test off him.  “Okay, back in a minute.”

You took the test in the bathroom, peeing on the stick and putting the cap back on.  After washing your hands you came back out holding the stick.

“What does it say?”  He asked.

“Haven’t looked yet.  Says it takes five minutes.”  You answered taking a seat next to him.

He took the test out of your hand and stared down at it.  “That’s the tester line right?”   He asked.

The two of you had been through this numerous times.  It was always negative.  The one dark pink line would show up right away and then you’d sit waiting for five minutes and nothing else would happen.  He would then keep it around for another half an hour checking it just to be sure.

You looked over his shoulder to where he was pointing.  “Yeah, that’s the tester line.”

“Is - Is …”  He stuttered and his hand started shaking a little.  “This isn’t… is this a line?”

You took the test off him and held it in front of you.  You’re heart stopped.  Right beside the dark pink line telling you the test had worked was a much fainter line that was very gradually getting darker.  “Bruce…”  You said and dropped the test, turning to him and taking his hands.  This was everything he had been worried about.  His fear of passing on his genes and cursing someone else with their own Hulk.  The fear of the Hulk coming out and hurting a child.  His child.  Or worse that he had not been able to shake off his own abusive childhood and was doomed to relive it as the abuser this time.  You hadn’t meant for this to happen.  You had been taking your birth control but unlike Bruce, part of you did want to be a parent.  The thought of aborting even with the valid concerns Bruce had made your stomach churn.  You didn’t know what to do but you knew the first thing was calming Bruce down because otherwise, it would all be moot.  It wouldn’t be Bruce you were dealing with.  “Bruce, we can deal with this.”

“You’re pregnant,”  Bruce said shaking his head.  “You’re pregnant… I can’t… I can’t…”

He got up and started pacing, you could see green starting to creep up the side of his neck.  You jumped up and stepped in front of him taking his hand and trying to look into his eyes.  They darted around the room and he was breathing heavily.  “Bruce you had better fucking not.  You have to deal with this.”

His hand went to his chest.  “I don’t… I can’t…”

He doubled over and you jumped back as his body started to change, his shirt tearing as his muscles rippled and grew.  You didn’t want to cry, but it was too much.  It was one thing to be pregnant and know even though you might actually want this baby your partner was going to push for an abortion.  It was a whole other knowing you had to do this alone because he’d just left you.  The tears broke and you collapsed on the ground in front of the Hulk.

He looked around the room blinking and then moved quickly, crouching down and putting a large green hand on your back.  “What Banner do?”  He asked, you looked up at him, not even sure where to start.

// NEXT 

[punkscowardschampions]

Joe & Ronnie

Joe: Hi Joe: There's no gentle way of doing this, so I'll just get to it, I'm sorry if you don't want to talk about it but you're free to ignore this if that's the case Joe: but I've been looking for my half-sister, and I think its you Ronnie: if youre basing that on a family resemblance youve shot yourself in the face like Ronnie: reload & keep looking Joe: Yeah, I know Joe: but I ain't Joe: Aside from coming at you with what's on any facebook profile anyway Joe: do you know your biological mum's name or? Ronnie: whos used facebook in a decade thats your 1st fuck up Ronnie: 2nd to reckoning my dna is any of your business Joe: who's putting their date of birth and hometown anywhere else? Joe: you were born in [hospital] right? Ronnie: phone numbers on toilet walls getting played out Ronnie: yeah & Joe: then it is you Joe: everything adds up, you have the right birthday, right place, right last name, and first, still Ronnie: right colour Ronnie: miss me with your schoolboy maths Joe: its your bio dad that's black Ronnie: fuck you i know that Ronnie: read my file well before you stalked me Joe: so do you know her name or nah Ronnie: it was in there Joe: Tess Vickers Joe: she is your mum Ronnie: i came out of her Ronnie: shes not my fucking mum Ronnie: id know you if she was Joe: 'course Joe: that's what I meant Ronnie: pick your words more careful soft lad Joe: she don't have any more Joe: I ain't had to do this before, like Ronnie: made up for her Ronnie: & you Ronnie: only took her how many years to claim her bastards Joe: I don't know why she didn't, only what she's said Joe: but if you wanted to ask her, I could set that up Ronnie: if it took her a bit to recover from goin black i don't need to ask her about that Ronnie: got my own experiences cheers Joe: is there anything you do Ronnie: if i had any questions id have chucked 'em at her when i aged out Joe: fair enough Joe: you wanna ask me anything then Ronnie: you old enough to be cleaning out your mas skeletons & seein if theyll dance for you Joe: not what I'm doing Joe: but I'm 19 Ronnie: course she never kept herself stitched up for long Ronnie: got a taste for it like Joe: by all accounts she met my dad the same year she had to give you up so Ronnie: bet he was proper comforting Ronnie: fucking hell Joe: Must've been Ronnie: if she kept you longer than the hour yeah Joe: I've got 3 brothers and a sister too Ronnie: when did she meet their dads Joe: we've got the same, like Joe: youngest is nearly 5 Ronnie: shes still alive then Ronnie: impressive Joe: is it? Joe: suppose so Ronnie: he got cash your sperm donor Ronnie: less dangerous game that one Joe: they both do alright now but you'd probably aim higher if that was the game you were playing Ronnie: shifting gear aint no game now or back then Ronnie: but she was small time Ronnie: that hand to mouth shit Joe: yeah, for years Joe: her dad's debts not helping none Ronnie: hes gotta be dead Joe: yeah Joe: year I was born Joe: so new mouth to feed and inheriting the neverending debts of John Joe: must've seemed like a great time to have more 'cos my brother is only a year younger than me 👍 Ronnie: least you aint inherited his name Ronnie: like i said insatiable Joe: thank fuck Ronnie: piss poor addiction but fuck it Ronnie: shes keeping 'em fed & clothed this time 👏 Joe: gutted social don't hand out round of applauses no doubt Joe: know she is for a fact 'cos she ended up working for 'em, and fostering two poor kiddies in need Joe: what do you reckon to her addiction now? Ronnie: sounds about right theyd left her Ronnie: state of the cunts running that show Joe: mhmm Ronnie: white kids are easier to love Ronnie: its on the posters like Joe: in theory Joe: but this way she gets to be obsessed with you from afar Ronnie: pay me enough & ill come press my face longingly against her windows Joe: I'll keep it in mind for her birthday or something Ronnie: fuck all else you wanna rock my world with or what Joe: Hmm Joe: hold up whilst I trawl a lifetime of overshare for any more tidbits Ronnie: she aint rotting by the roadside or ashes i can snort means my hearts already broken Ronnie: take your time Joe: sorry to disappoint Joe: suppose by the time you got to your file, it told you she'd run away from Liverpool, yeah? Ronnie: bullshit are you Ronnie: youre loving having another cunt to share it with Ronnie: whats the matter dont your brothers & sister wanna play Joe: I'm the favourite Joe: favourite that's about Joe: they got the gist but no file for them Ronnie: 💔 Joe: you said Joe: so, what you saying, you care if I tell her I found you or what? Ronnie: if it feels good do it baby Ronnie: why would i care Ronnie: shes not gonna show up Joe: what if she did? Ronnie: no fixed address Joe: I've told you she loves a cause Joe: say you don't wanna see her Ronnie: shooting the messenger aint no kill shot Ronnie: youre not invested in me Joe: I'm not not, clearly Joe: I'm the one looking, ain't I Ronnie: let her look under every rock with you Ronnie: i hope one bashes her skull in Joe: alright Joe: I'll pass it on Ronnie: good boy Ronnie: get that sticker on your reward chart Joe: god I hope so Ronnie: 🙏 Joe: Your profile says you're in London, still true? Ronnie: i don't need you at my door either Joe: 🙄 Ronnie: roll your eyes at me again Joe: 🙄🙄 Ronnie: 🖕🖕 Joe: 😏 Ronnie: what the fuck do you want Joe: I've told you Ronnie: nah Ronnie: spit it out Ronnie: youre circling around it stop being a pussy Joe: how am I? Ronnie: what do you want for fucks sake Joe: meet you Ronnie: its not happening Joe: why not Ronnie: i hate that you exist Ronnie: that she got a 2nd chance & i didnt get 1 Joe: that's fair Joe: you can hate me in person Ronnie: i aint goin to prison for killing you Ronnie: you wish Joe: yeah Joe: oh well Ronnie: take your death wish home Ronnie: or on a different part of the internet Joe: awh, cheers for the sisterly advice Ronnie: shut your mouth Ronnie: i ain't your sister Joe: kk Ronnie: dumping all your bullshit on me dont make us related Joe: we are Joe: you not wanting it don't fight biology Ronnie: her not wanting me cancels it all out Joe: not to me Ronnie: i give a shit how you feel Ronnie: youre a stranger with fuck all i want Joe: you ain't checked what I've got Ronnie: until facebook adds income i dont care Joe: 💔 Ronnie: you must look like your da Ronnie: dont be Joe: well you look like her Joe: not that I've seen yours Ronnie: fuck off Ronnie: i dont Joe: yeah you do Joe: [sends pics] Ronnie: shut up Joe: alright Joe: catch you around then Ronnie: get it through your head Ronnie: you wont Joe: what you scared for Ronnie: youre having fun trying to mess me up Ronnie: that aint how i get mine Joe: I'm seriously not Joe: I've got the message though, alright Ronnie: youre seriously throwing all this shit at me like im gonna smile as i eat it Ronnie: what the fuck Joe: I don't expect fuck all Joe: I just wanna know you but if you don't then that's alright Joe: I won't message again Ronnie: bullshit Ronnie: you aint asked about me Ronnie: you wanna bitch about 'em Joe: that's why I wanna meet you Joe: I've thrown enough questions at you for one convo Ronnie: nah you wanna meet me to see if i proper look like her Joe: I've got eyes Ronnie: if thats what you reckon you see they dont fucking work Ronnie: get down the social & claim Joe: you're fine, its not dead ringer levels Ronnie: im fucking fine cause theres none of her in me Joe: I'm glad for you Ronnie: were not family save your lies Ronnie: i dont need any blows softened Joe: its only me bitching Ronnie: yeah Ronnie: & you can save your tears Ronnie: you already cant see fuck all like Joe: what do you want? Ronnie: too late to give a fuck Ronnie: youve shit over me with this Joe: I'm sorry Ronnie: nah Ronnie: sorry for yourself aint the same Joe: Why would I be sorry for me? Joe: I got everything Ronnie: not how youre framing it Joe: why would you believe me Ronnie: not hard to believe mummy dearest loves me best Ronnie: not like she dumped me fast as she could & legged it Joe: she weren't allowed to keep you, she was 14 with a junkie non-dad to look after you both Ronnie: & what she didnt get any older or get her shit together Ronnie: fuck that Joe: did you want her to come 'round and pick you up 4 years later? Ronnie: she had you cunts instead Joe: so she comes and gets you and the social come with and see the fake bailiffs and the bashed in door and we all go back with you Joe: I see the appeal Ronnie: you reckon i had it better Ronnie: thats what this nancy drew bullshit is about Joe: nice one, genius Joe: in what world is that adding up Ronnie: yours Ronnie: in what world would i have not gone with any cunt to get me out of that place then Joe: I'm telling you why she didn't get you, not telling you why you wouldn't wanna be there Ronnie: youre giving me both Ronnie: cant help yourself Joe: they're the same reason Joe: if she tried to get you, they'd say nah 'cos her life was a mess, simple as Ronnie: & yet here you are Ronnie: not a care kid a single day in your fucking life Ronnie: so like i said she got her shit together in the end Joe: she was 18 when I came around and we got taught how to say the right thing to socials and how to shut our mouths the rest Joe: but that's just what she told me Joe: she probably didn't want you, looking back Ronnie: why would she Ronnie: had a new set up with a cunt that stayed Ronnie: cuter kids Joe: 'cos she loved your da the way only a 14 year old girl can Joe: pro and a con in your favour Joe: does she want the reminders or does she not Ronnie: not Ronnie: youre the only pussy walking memory lane Ronnie: aint her looking Joe: yeah, s'me, so why you chatting at me like I'm the one that fucked you off Joe: not productive Ronnie: cause you are Joe: I've gone to leave loads now Joe: you've clearly got shit to say Joe: so just say it at me, I've already offered that n'all Ronnie: fuck you Ronnie: i didnt ask for this Ronnie: she was in the ground for all i knew Joe: she still can be Joe: I ain't telling Ronnie: nah you opened your gob & let all that shite out Ronnie: i couldve been about to slit my throat or pull a shift Joe: you could've easily found out she weren't dead yourself too Ronnie: what should it tell you that i didnt Joe: ignorance ain't such bliss I've tipped you over the edge Ronnie: you dont know shit Ronnie: how does yours feel Joe: how do you think Ronnie: i think you should ask if people have got time & space to spin out before you fuck with their heads Ronnie: i think you should go suck a dick mckenna Joe: why should I? Joe: no one asked me and I owe you shit Ronnie: she owes me Ronnie: youre nothing Ronnie: you dont see me knocking cause im not looking for answers & theres fuck all else to collect by the sounds of it Joe: then fucking collect Ronnie: talk to your ma like that Joe: hit me up when you stop being scared Ronnie: keep it up and ill smash in your face Joe: how Joe: you don't wanna meet Ronnie: dont flatter yourself nancy drew Ronnie: i can still kick your door in Ronnie: be like the baliffs are back Ronnie: you can revisit your childhood Joe: now who wants to go for a jaunt down memory lane Ronnie: you wish Joe: 🙏 Ronnie: i reckon your imaginary friends gotta be sick of your bullshit by now Joe: no doubt, nancy drew Ronnie: we cant both be nancy Joe: alright you be sid then Ronnie: still not gonna kill you baby Ronnie: but youre getting warmer Joe: I know, stalked you, remember Ronnie: get a hobby or habit mckenna Ronnie: your little misery boners aint cute Joe: oh I got plenty of thoses Joe: your concern is, kinda Ronnie: youve thrown me into the big sister deep end Ronnie: sounds like how you want it Joe: very obliging Ronnie: unloved kids get it where they can Ronnie: thats on the back of the poster Joe: trust, I know Ronnie: 💔 Joe: not me Joe: never mind, not my sob story to hit you with Ronnie: you only wanna share yours Joe: maybe when we get cosy I'll divulge all the family secrets, sis Ronnie: maybe if you chat shit like that to me again ill choke on my puke Joe: n'awh Ronnie: kill yourself Joe: sure thing Ronnie: very obliging Joe: it was already in the diary tbh Joe: but I'll pop you in the note if that makes you feel 💘 Ronnie: show me yours & ill show you mine Joe: deal Ronnie: 💘 Ronnie: [skippity skip] Ronnie: pick me up Joe: where from Ronnie: [location that's sketchy as all hell] Joe: alright Joe: that should take me 'bout half an hour this time of day Ronnie: im not goin anywhere mckenna Joe: you alright Ronnie: 🖕 Joe: got it Joe: 🚖 📵 Ronnie: important for you to know your place Joe: must be popular with the cabbies 👑 Ronnie: yeah im on a ban Ronnie: look out for my picture hanging Joe: what did you do Joe: vom and not pay the fine one too many times? Ronnie: we taking another trip down memory lane Ronnie: i aint 12 Joe: go on then, what was it Ronnie: the cunt crashed its fuck all to get excited about Joe: did you get hurt? Ronnie: didnt feel it Joe: what about the driver Ronnie: i reckon he felt it Joe: fucked you're stuck with the tube then Joe: 💔 Ronnie: cheers motherfucker Ronnie: cant you drive Joe: 'course I can Joe: where'd your license go, got a story for that and all or? Ronnie: car theft would be a dead good sibling bonding activity Ronnie: but i dont need your help to break a window Joe: another time Ronnie: nah Ronnie: next time some other cunt will pick me up Joe: good thing I didn't specify Joe: tah for keeping me well in the loop of your schedule though Ronnie: other shit in the diary besides blowing my brains out Ronnie: can move it up if you aint gonna shut up Joe: 🤐 Joe: you can keep all your dates Ronnie: made up i am Joe: no need to say thanks, I feel it Ronnie: you wanted to meet up Ronnie: wish granted Joe: I know Joe: reckon blue would suit Ronnie: what Joe: genie Joe: you owe me 2 more, yeah? Ronnie: rubbing me up the wrong way dont count Joe: damn Ronnie: i can do black & blue Joe: changed your mind then Joe: my 🍀 day Ronnie: you got the accent Ronnie: my head cant do subtitles Joe: not really Joe: not proper Joe: some of my younger ones do but they can barely remember Liverpool Ronnie: nothing to be 💔 about Ronnie: its a shithole Joe: least its a shithole with some history Joe: we moved to a newbuild shithole so Joe: win some lose some Ronnie: your boner for history aint that big Joe: you checked what I'm studying? 😏 Ronnie: you dont post about fuck all else Joe: I'm barely outta freshers let me have it Ronnie: dont give me the flu Joe: thought that was just a euphemism Joe: either way, on my life Ronnie: fuck knows Joe: not as much fun as people chat, shockingly Ronnie: what is Ronnie: the shit that feels good is the shit youre meant to keep your mouth shut about Joe: hear hear Ronnie: 💘 Joe: 💘 Joe: you live there or am I picking you up from a mates Ronnie: neither Joe: alright Ronnie: drop me on the other side Joe: no problem Ronnie: then you can go back to wanking over symphonies Joe: you wanna help me with my homework Joe: so nice Ronnie: what are big sisters for Joe: yeah Ronnie: shits fucked up Joe: right Joe: but you can be more specific Ronnie: nah i cant Joe: don't know where to start? Ronnie: it starts with being born Joe: okay, so the starts the easy bit Joe: the middle Joe: we don't have time Ronnie: we aint gonna trauma bond mckenna youve been beaten to it Joe: ah you got a troubled boyfriend Joe: that's cool Ronnie: fuck off Ronnie: you heard me say i aint 12 Joe: you know what I mean Ronnie: not very nancy drew if you reckon im that bitch Joe: we can't both be sid Ronnie: touche baby Joe: 💘 Ronnie: im gonna carve up this cunt if you dont pull me out Ronnie: & thatll make him feel too special Joe: who? Joe: I'm nearly there Ronnie: my not boyfriend Ronnie: dont waste romance like that on strangers Joe: sensible Joe: just carve anything but 💘 and he shouldn't get too clingy Ronnie: whats the symphony that gets you off fastest Ronnie: ill do that Joe: Khachaturian's Sabre Dance works as a play on words and should get him to crescendo 👌 Ronnie: hot Joe: orchestra nerds get all the bitches Ronnie: yeah Joe: you aren't a catfish, are you Joe: I mean, I'll recognize you Ronnie: look for your mas face Joe: fuck it, therapy overdue anyway Ronnie: fuck you for saying that Ronnie: making it go round my head Joe: I shouldn't have said that Ronnie: i should stab you Ronnie: all these pieces of mirror Ronnie: fuck him Joe: you can, long as you keep it shallow, or don't mind swinging by the hospital Ronnie: i dont get my kicks at a&e Joe: you'll have to play nice then Ronnie: youll get too clingy Joe: avoid the 💘 Ronnie: some other bitch can have the honours Joe: or has Joe: don't I seem 💔 Ronnie: dont need to hear how you lost your virginity mckenna Joe: noted Joe: save that trip down memory lane for private time Joe: me and mozart Ronnie: explains a shit ton if the conductor is molesting you Ronnie: but not gonna be the sister who tells him where to put that stick he waves about Joe: Mozart was pretty fucked up but I don't reckon it went that far Ronnie: i dont know him 💔 Ronnie: there was a Moz here earlier fuck knows if theyre any relation Joe: You're more a Liszt type, called it Ronnie: what the fuck kind of fuck you is that Joe: 😂 Joe: actually he's considered the world's first rock star, I was being nice Ronnie: shut up Joe: what, you ain't seen the ken russell film with daltrey in? Joe: have a word Ronnie: get a life Joe: tomorrow Joe: maybe Ronnie: i cant fucking believe it had to be you Ronnie: thank fuck i already aint showing my face here again Joe: thought you said you weren't 12 Joe: but I don't need to come in if you don't wanna be embarrassed in front of your mates Ronnie: i said my mates aint here Joe: no need to tell me why you're there Ronnie: where the fuck are you Joe: just got out, 5 minutes Ronnie: i need to get out Ronnie: move it like Joe: alright Joe: come find me then, make it go faster Ronnie: fucks sake Joe: what's wrong Ronnie: if my body would do what it was told i wouldnt need you Ronnie: cant even paint you a fucking picture Joe: right Ronnie: theres a shit load of stairs yeah Ronnie: i cant do 'em Joe: if you're fat I swear to god Ronnie: calm your tits nancy drew Ronnie: you know thats bullshit Joe: I'll trust you ain't catfishing then Ronnie: thats my next tat Ronnie: all for you baby Joe: sweet Ronnie: hurry up Joe: I am Joe: [show up boy] Ronnie: [when you're just there like damsel in distress which ain't you so it makes it more awks] Joe: [what a first meeting just having to carry her away from god knows where like] Ronnie: [just like we don't know each other but just carry me to your vehicle thanks] Joe: [just doing it silently like this is normal] Ronnie: [since I cant find a pic she should go get that tattoo now just casually drag him along] Joe: [once you get the use of your limbs back lol] Ronnie: [lbr its blatantly someone sketchy she knows the state of them all] Joe: [god bless] Ronnie: [when I know its gotta go on her face somewhere cos #triggered by looking like Tess and I'm just screaming like NOOO] Joe: [my boo is horrified and Joe too] Ronnie: [soz you're so cute bitch and you wanna look so ugly] Joe: [lowkey dread to think how annoying the heal time is on a face tat] Ronnie: [blasting that orchestra bop he mentioned earlier as loud as poss cos yeah you searched for it and yeah you don't wanna hear your thoughts or have a convo] Joe: [when you don't run like you should 'cos you too are a crazy person] Ronnie: [match made in heaven lol] Joe: [🔥😈] Ronnie: [does he have any tattoos I have forgotten] Joe: [Oh, I don't think so??? but he probably would in a self-destructive manner too, as long as they could be hidden like his self-harm like go ahead] Ronnie: [just thinking get one now if you want boy #bonding] Joe: [yolo] Ronnie: [ooh what should it be] Joe: [the real question, hmm] Ronnie: [perfect excuse to be staring at each other while that's happening though cos you can't be moving all about] Joe: [but of course] Ronnie: [Joe can move around more cos not on his fucking head but] Joe: [probably get a cherry or something for the lols] Ronnie: [love that for you Joseph]

[centralparkpawsblog]

Are Cow Hooves Safe for Dogs?

https://www.centralparkpaws.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/How-are-cow-hoof-dog-treats-made-cleaning-preparation.jpg Cow hooves are used as a dog chew to both entertain and clean our dog’s teeth.

Keratin is the protein that forms cow hooves, making them a great high protein chew.

I have purchased cow hooves in the past for my aggressive chewers, but unfortunately Ginger cracked her tooth while chewing on one.

We brought Ginger to see an oral surgeon specialist who sealed the crack in her tooth to prevent future damage.

Our $1.60 dog chew turned out to cost us a heck of a lot more than we expected!

I know people have mixed feelings on cow hooves. Some people have had similar negative experiences while others have never had an issue with them.

Even though Ginger cracked her tooth on a cow hoof, I don’t think they’re the worst dog chew out there.

Like most things, there are pros and cons to them.

How are Cow Hooves Processed?

Animal processing plants do their best to ensure that nothing from the animal goes to waste.

Mmm, appealing!

One of the byproducts sold, instead of being disposed of, is cow hooves. Some companies buy the hooves and process them to make them into dog chews.

When the dog chew company receives the hooves, they clean them to remove unwanted biological debris.

Safety conscious companies wash the hooves using nontoxic methods, and some companies use harsh, dangerous chemicals like lye.

After the first wash, the hooves are trimmed down to remove a thin layer from the bottom of the hoof; this is the area that would have come in direct contact with the ground and other undesirable matter like manure.

Also, the top of the hoof is cut off to give it a more aesthetically appealing look and less like its original state.

Many pet owners had issues with the physical appearance of the hooves when they were in their original state. An additional bonus to cutting down the top section of the hoof is that it removed the thinner walls at the top of the hoof.

The hoof is put through a series of washing, rinsing, and drying steps; some are even pasteurized.

The exact method for cleaning the hooves varies from company to company but are generally similar.

Finally, the hooves are put into a tumbler to smooth out the rough and sharp edges.

OMG!  What’s that Smell?

If you have ever been in the same room or walked into a room after your dog has been chewing on a cow hoof, you are familiar with the pungent, foul odor associated with cow hooves.

Personally, I think that they smell worse than bully sticks. That’s saying a lot!

As mentioned earlier, cow hooves are made up of keratin. Keratin is the same protein found in hair and nails.

At some point in our lives, we have all smelled burnt hair, which is essentially burnt keratin.

When our dogs chew on the hooves, it has a similar reaction, though different smell. The chewing and moisture break down and manipulates the keratin causing it to release the foul odor.

Are Cow Hooves Safe for Dogs and Puppies?

Cow hooves can be safe for dogs and they can also be a health hazard.

If you were to ask a veterinarian, most would warn you away from cow hooves for the following reasons:

Cracked or broken teeth

Splinters causing punctures in a dog’s stomach or intestines

Choking

Intestinal blockage

Two less common reasons why cow hooves are considered unsafe are:

Salmonella poisoning

Chemicals used to clean and treat the hooves before selling can be toxic

This last reason is most common in hooves processed in China due to lax quality control.

Photo by ultramega (CC BY-ND 2.0)

We all know of dogs who have chewed on cow hooves and never had issues. Other people’s dogs have been injured by cow hooves.

It all comes down to if you want to risk one of the possible health issues that may result from your dog chewing on a cow hoof.

When it comes to puppies, I would be more hesitant to give them a cow hoof than I would be for an adult dog.

If something horrible happened, most adult dogs would have a better chance of surviving an emergency surgery or food poisoning. Puppies are still developing and their overall constitution isn’t as strong as that of the average healthy adult dog.

Give them a safer alternative while they’re teething.

How to Decrease Risks Associated with Cow Hoof Dog Chews

If you have opted to buy cow hooves for your dog, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risks of injury or illness:

Choose a cow hoof manufactured in the USA, not just distributed by a company based here

Be sure that you choose a cow hoof of appropriate size

Know what kind of chewer your dog is. Aggressive chewers would likely splinter or break dangerously large pieces off of the hoof, making these a lousy choice

Always keep an eye on your dog when it’s chewing of a cow hoof (or any other chew toy!)

When is it Time to Take the Cow Hoof Away from your Dog?

It is time to take the cow hoof away from your dog if they are doing any of the following:

Your dog is breaking large pieces off from the cow hoof. The cow hoof is supposed to gradually gnawed down over time, not eaten like a dog treat

Your dog is biting into the hoof and causing splinters

Your dog has gnawed the hoof down to a piece small enough for them to fit the whole thing in their mouth

Be Sure You Can Safely Take Away the Hoof

Before giving your dog a dental chew of any kind, you should always be sure you can safely take it away from them.

Being able to take an item of value from your dog safely is something that needs to be trained, ideally when they’re a puppy.

Even the friendliest dogs who will allow people to take their food away aren’t always so generous when it comes to chews, and especially high value chews like cow hooves.

The longer your dog chews on an item, the more possessive they may become, so it is essential to work with your dog slowly in taking the chew away.

If you have a dog that you didn’t work with as a puppy, you can still work with them on it as an adult.

If you are unsure how to work with your dog on this contact a reliable trainer or your veterinarian.

If you are in a situation that your dog has something and they aren’t willing to give it over, try exchanging a higher value treat such as a hot dog or piece of chicken for the hoof.

Safe Alternative Dog Chews

Many dental dog chew options are available, so if you are not comfortable with giving your dog a cow hoof, we recommend trying one of the following:

Whimzees Natural Grain Free Dental Treats – There’s a variety of shapes and sizes and my dogs love all of them

Natural Balance Dental Chews – Price competitive and comes in different protein flavors

Zuke’s Z-Bone Dental Chew Dog Treats – These are a bit more expensive than Whimzees but my dog’s digest these better; they also come in different sizes and flavors

Greenies – Great for helping keep your dog’s teeth clean (check out our article on how safe Greenies really are)

VeggieDent Tartar Control Chews for Dogs – This is the brand most vet clinics carry

Bonus! The first three on this list are great if you have dogs with allergies.

Cow ears, pig ears, and water buffalo horns are other natural, safer alternatives. You’ll still want to keep an eye on your dog as they chew them, though!

Conclusion

Ultimately, all chews come with a certain amount of risk, but some carry less of a risk than others.

After the incident with Ginger, we no longer buy these.

It was just too expensive and our dogs are overly enthusiastic when it comes to chews, so they aren’t the safe option for our family.

The post Are Cow Hooves Safe for Dogs? appeared first on Central Park Paws.

from https://www.centralparkpaws.net/dog-treats/are-cow-hooves-safe/

[sandycwehmeyer]

What Is Pre-Seed Lubricant?

Did you know that lubricants can affect conception?

We took a deep-dive into Using A Lubricant While Trying To Conceive: Everything You Need To Know -- read the article for an overview on the pros and cons of using a lubricant while TTC (trying to conceive) and which products to stay away from.

If you're specially interested in Pre-Seed Lubricant. Keep reading.

What is Pre-Seed Lubricant?

Essentially Pre-Seed Personal Lubricant is a brand name product by First Response that claims to be "specially formulated for couples trying to conceive" in that it "mimics your body's natural fertile fluids and won't harm sperm like most leading lubes."

It's not an all-natural product, but the company also says, "Pre-Seed mimics fertile cervical mucus in its pH, ion concentration and consistency. It allows your guy's sperm to swim freely, and make their way to your eggs."

Pre-Seed Lubricant is similar to Kleenex in that it has become a common word for a type of product, but is also a brand name. For the purpose of this article, we will refer to the overall idea of "pre-seed lubricant" that's created by several different brands.

Many companies claim their pre-seed lubricants are "sperm-friendly" and can enhance the chances that you'll get pregnant.

But is this true? Can a lubricant really help the chances that you'll get pregnant?

Let's take a look at both sides.

The benefits of using a pre-seed lubricant

Most lubricants are packed with chemicals and ingredients that can actually prevent your guy's swimmers from doing their job. Conception friendly lubricant works WITH your body in a variety of ways (depending on the brand) to create an optimal environment for your body to accept sperm.

Could It Just Be Hype?

In general, one of the easiest culprits of not getting pregnant is added stress. Women who are desperate for a baby tend to look at intimacy with their partners as more of a chore than a special time of bonding and creation. There's so many aspects that go into getting pregnant: ovulation schedule, diet, biological factors, physical or disease limitations (like endometriosis), age, health of the man's sperm, etc.

So it's no wonder that women feel an extraordinary pressure to make a baby. It's like baking a cake -- if just one little ingredient is off, the whole thing can fail.

Lubricants remove the pressure of arousal and intimate comfort.

What does this mean?

It's a simple concept but one that gets jumbled in a mess of pressure to perform.

Women (and men too) need a certain amount of lubrication in order to enjoy sex.

This need is often centered around a natural arousal and has many layers. For example, men can feel intimated or "not good enough" if they can't turn their partner on sufficiently enough to get her aroused and creating her own natural lubricant.

Women can feel pressure to sync mentally into the moment and may feel like a failure if they aren't getting turned on and creating that natural moisture.

For conception purposes, using a lubricant removes the pressure on both parties to create that natural wetness. It's already there. Now both people can focus on the intimacy, pleasure, and creation of a baby.

Let me make it clear...

Arousal and the ability to create natural lubrication are NOT linked at all. You can be super turned on and still have vaginal dryness.

The point is, that while there is some evidence that pre-seed lubricant can truly increase the chances of conception, the positive results may also stem from the placebo effect of thinking (and thus believing) it's going to help and also removing the pressure of arousal by supplying that feel good lubrication that both partners require to perform. 

Not all lubricants are created equal

There is some evidence that certain ingredients, chemicals, and acidic content can prevent sperm from doing their job. It's also been stated that an incredibly thick lubricant, like a gel or dense silicone, can make it difficult for sperm to travel. Ideally you'll want a very pure, natural lubricant with minimal ingredients (not chemicals) or opt for one of the conception-friendly lubricants made especially for couples trying to get pregnant.

What Brands Do We Like?

We of course LOVE Chiavaye for it's smooth, feel-good consistency. It lasts as long as you do, and you won't need to apply more during the heat of passion (something our male customers rave about). Plus the all-natural, vegan, hypoallergenic ingredients won't leave you worrying about chemicals or toxins.

But we understand you may want to explore other options too. Check out Sliquid as well. They have plenty of different lubricant varieties that are organic or natural.

Remember to check the ingredient lists on all products.

Vaginal skin is highly mucosal and absorbent. Which means anything you put on your private parts will be absorbed into your body and blood stream.

Do your research and see which products work for you and your partner. Every human body is different and the way that each body responds to a product will be different. Pre-seed lubricant might work amazing for one couple, but provide no results for another.

We believe knowledge is power! And thank goodness we live in a time where so many options are available to consumers.

Our team at Chiavaye is always available to talk and listen – so reach out to info@chiavaye.com if you have any questions.

If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Live. Laugh. Lube.

source https://chiavaye.com/blogs/news/what-is-pre-seed-lubricant from Chiavaye Coconut Oil Lubricant https://chiavaye.blogspot.com/2019/03/what-is-pre-seed-lubricant.html

[aprildlux]

What Is Pre-Seed Lubricant?

Did you know that lubricants can affect conception?

We took a deep-dive into Using A Lubricant While Trying To Conceive: Everything You Need To Know – read the article for an overview on the pros and cons of using a lubricant while TTC (trying to conceive) and which products to stay away from.

If you’re specially interested in Pre-Seed Lubricant. Keep reading.

What is Pre-Seed Lubricant?

Essentially Pre-Seed Personal Lubricant is a brand name product by First Response that claims to be “specially formulated for couples trying to conceive” in that it “mimics your body’s natural fertile fluids and won’t harm sperm like most leading lubes.”

It’s not an all-natural product, but the company also says, “Pre-Seed mimics fertile cervical mucus in its pH, ion concentration and consistency. It allows your guy’s sperm to swim freely, and make their way to your eggs.”

Pre-Seed Lubricant is similar to Kleenex in that it has become a common word for a type of product, but is also a brand name. For the purpose of this article, we will refer to the overall idea of “pre-seed lubricant” that’s created by several different brands.

Many companies claim their pre-seed lubricants are “sperm-friendly” and can enhance the chances that you’ll get pregnant.

But is this true? Can a lubricant really help the chances that you’ll get pregnant?

Let’s take a look at both sides.

The benefits of using a pre-seed lubricant

Most lubricants are packed with chemicals and ingredients that can actually prevent your guy’s swimmers from doing their job. Conception friendly lubricant works WITH your body in a variety of ways (depending on the brand) to create an optimal environment for your body to accept sperm.

Could It Just Be Hype?

In general, one of the easiest culprits of not getting pregnant is added stress. Women who are desperate for a baby tend to look at intimacy with their partners as more of a chore than a special time of bonding and creation. There’s so many aspects that go into getting pregnant: ovulation schedule, diet, biological factors, physical or disease limitations (like endometriosis), age, health of the man’s sperm, etc.

So it’s no wonder that women feel an extraordinary pressure to make a baby. It’s like baking a cake – if just one little ingredient is off, the whole thing can fail.

Lubricants remove the pressure of arousal and intimate comfort.

What does this mean?

It’s a simple concept but one that gets jumbled in a mess of pressure to perform.

Women (and men too) need a certain amount of lubrication in order to enjoy sex.

This need is often centered around a natural arousal and has many layers. For example, men can feel intimated or “not good enough” if they can’t turn their partner on sufficiently enough to get her aroused and creating her own natural lubricant.

Women can feel pressure to sync mentally into the moment and may feel like a failure if they aren’t getting turned on and creating that natural moisture.

For conception purposes, using a lubricant removes the pressure on both parties to create that natural wetness. It’s already there. Now both people can focus on the intimacy, pleasure, and creation of a baby.

Let me make it clear…

Arousal and the ability to create natural lubrication are NOT linked at all. You can be super turned on and still have vaginal dryness.

The point is, that while there is some evidence that pre-seed lubricant can truly increase the chances of conception, the positive results may also stem from the placebo effect of thinking (and thus believing) it’s going to help and also removing the pressure of arousal by supplying that feel good lubrication that both partners require to perform. 

Not all lubricants are created equal

There is some evidence that certain ingredients, chemicals, and acidic content can prevent sperm from doing their job. It’s also been stated that an incredibly thick lubricant, like a gel or dense silicone, can make it difficult for sperm to travel. Ideally you’ll want a very pure, natural lubricant with minimal ingredients (not chemicals) or opt for one of the conception-friendly lubricants made especially for couples trying to get pregnant.

What Brands Do We Like?

We of course LOVE Chiavaye for it’s smooth, feel-good consistency. It lasts as long as you do, and you won’t need to apply more during the heat of passion (something our male customers rave about). Plus the all-natural, vegan, hypoallergenic ingredients won’t leave you worrying about chemicals or toxins.

But we understand you may want to explore other options too. Check out Sliquid as well. They have plenty of different lubricant varieties that are organic or natural.

Remember to check the ingredient lists on all products.

Vaginal skin is highly mucosal and absorbent. Which means anything you put on your private parts will be absorbed into your body and blood stream.

Do your research and see which products work for you and your partner. Every human body is different and the way that each body responds to a product will be different. Pre-seed lubricant might work amazing for one couple, but provide no results for another.

We believe knowledge is power! And thank goodness we live in a time where so many options are available to consumers.

Our team at Chiavaye is always available to talk and listen – so reach out to info@chiavaye.com if you have any questions.

If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Live. Laugh. Lube.

from Chiavaye - Chiavaye Blog https://chiavaye.com/blogs/news/what-is-pre-seed-lubricant from Chiavaye Coconut Oil Lubricant https://chiavaye.tumblr.com/post/183385712961

[brianmbaily]

What Is Pre-Seed Lubricant?

Did you know that lubricants can affect conception?

We took a deep-dive into Using A Lubricant While Trying To Conceive: Everything You Need To Know -- read the article for an overview on the pros and cons of using a lubricant while TTC (trying to conceive) and which products to stay away from.

If you're specially interested in Pre-Seed Lubricant. Keep reading.

What is Pre-Seed Lubricant?

Essentially Pre-Seed Personal Lubricant is a brand name product by First Response that claims to be "specially formulated for couples trying to conceive" in that it "mimics your body's natural fertile fluids and won't harm sperm like most leading lubes."

It's not an all-natural product, but the company also says, "Pre-Seed mimics fertile cervical mucus in its pH, ion concentration and consistency. It allows your guy's sperm to swim freely, and make their way to your eggs."

Pre-Seed Lubricant is similar to Kleenex in that it has become a common word for a type of product, but is also a brand name. For the purpose of this article, we will refer to the overall idea of "pre-seed lubricant" that's created by several different brands.

Many companies claim their pre-seed lubricants are "sperm-friendly" and can enhance the chances that you'll get pregnant.

But is this true? Can a lubricant really help the chances that you'll get pregnant?

Let's take a look at both sides.

The benefits of using a pre-seed lubricant

Most lubricants are packed with chemicals and ingredients that can actually prevent your guy's swimmers from doing their job. Conception friendly lubricant works WITH your body in a variety of ways (depending on the brand) to create an optimal environment for your body to accept sperm.

Could It Just Be Hype?

In general, one of the easiest culprits of not getting pregnant is added stress. Women who are desperate for a baby tend to look at intimacy with their partners as more of a chore than a special time of bonding and creation. There's so many aspects that go into getting pregnant: ovulation schedule, diet, biological factors, physical or disease limitations (like endometriosis), age, health of the man's sperm, etc.

So it's no wonder that women feel an extraordinary pressure to make a baby. It's like baking a cake -- if just one little ingredient is off, the whole thing can fail.

Lubricants remove the pressure of arousal and intimate comfort.

What does this mean?

It's a simple concept but one that gets jumbled in a mess of pressure to perform.

Women (and men too) need a certain amount of lubrication in order to enjoy sex.

This need is often centered around a natural arousal and has many layers. For example, men can feel intimated or "not good enough" if they can't turn their partner on sufficiently enough to get her aroused and creating her own natural lubricant.

Women can feel pressure to sync mentally into the moment and may feel like a failure if they aren't getting turned on and creating that natural moisture.

For conception purposes, using a lubricant removes the pressure on both parties to create that natural wetness. It's already there. Now both people can focus on the intimacy, pleasure, and creation of a baby.

Let me make it clear...

Arousal and the ability to create natural lubrication are NOT linked at all. You can be super turned on and still have vaginal dryness.

The point is, that while there is some evidence that pre-seed lubricant can truly increase the chances of conception, the positive results may also stem from the placebo effect of thinking (and thus believing) it's going to help and also removing the pressure of arousal by supplying that feel good lubrication that both partners require to perform. 

Not all lubricants are created equal

There is some evidence that certain ingredients, chemicals, and acidic content can prevent sperm from doing their job. It's also been stated that an incredibly thick lubricant, like a gel or dense silicone, can make it difficult for sperm to travel. Ideally you'll want a very pure, natural lubricant with minimal ingredients (not chemicals) or opt for one of the conception-friendly lubricants made especially for couples trying to get pregnant.

What Brands Do We Like?

We of course LOVE Chiavaye for it's smooth, feel-good consistency. It lasts as long as you do, and you won't need to apply more during the heat of passion (something our male customers rave about). Plus the all-natural, vegan, hypoallergenic ingredients won't leave you worrying about chemicals or toxins.

But we understand you may want to explore other options too. Check out Sliquid as well. They have plenty of different lubricant varieties that are organic or natural.

Remember to check the ingredient lists on all products.

Vaginal skin is highly mucosal and absorbent. Which means anything you put on your private parts will be absorbed into your body and blood stream.

Do your research and see which products work for you and your partner. Every human body is different and the way that each body responds to a product will be different. Pre-seed lubricant might work amazing for one couple, but provide no results for another.

We believe knowledge is power! And thank goodness we live in a time where so many options are available to consumers.

Our team at Chiavaye is always available to talk and listen – so reach out to info@chiavaye.com if you have any questions.

If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Live. Laugh. Lube.

from https://chiavaye.com/blogs/news/what-is-pre-seed-lubricant

from Chiavaye Coconut Oil Lubricant - Blog http://chiavaye.weebly.com/blog/what-is-pre-seed-lubricant