#twin tails are neurons

[lightishpurple]

Mikusonas are still a thing, right? Okay cool anyway here's my anatomy Miku he's so weirdgirl

[casualsnickers]

Month of Emmet Quick Write #3

Prompt #3: Battle

It's a bit peculiar that Subway Master Emmet wears white all the time. The commuters just think it's a 'twins' thing- the depot agents know better. In other words, Emmet's tailor hates him.

*Inspired directly by @kobandan. Their comic for day two absolutely activated the few neurons in my noggin.

Read the whole thing below the cut.

Wrappers crunched. Small talk and loud chatter alike filtered in and out of the office as footsteps echoed on the polished linoleum.

“C’mon Ingo! Relax a little!” From within her chair right beside Ingo, Elesa reached across the table into the takeout bag, pulling out a handful of loose fries. “You know, there’s a concert that’s gonna be happening in Virbank this weekend,” she hummed, taking a sip of her drink. “The one with that singer that you liked back when we were teenagers. What’s his name again? Piers, I think? And then you got Emmet into it too!” Elesa then brightened.  “I know! You should come with me! Both of you guys! I have extra tickets and I think it would be nice- to reintroduce you to that kind of stuff.” Elesa playfully nudged Ingo in the ribs with her elbow. “A fun little bonding activity~ Well? Come on. What do you think, Go-Go?

“A…band? Ah, but aren’t musical concerts quite�� loud?” Ingo replied hesitantly. It had been some time since he had returned from Hisui and he had found that the modern world was… well, to put it mildly, ‘loud’ would be an understatement. The Battle Subway was loud enough- Ingo often found himself making a beeline to his and Emmet’s office to recover from the mental strain of working in such a vivacious environment. But he found himself warming up to the idea more and more as his friend enthusiastically elaborated, taking small bites out of the ‘loaded burger’ that Elesa had so quickly jumped to buy for him.

               At that moment, the door to the main office clattered open. Boots clicked on linoleum. Fabric shuffled. Keys jangled.

               In strode Emmet, a massive grin on his face as he closed the office door with one foot, hanging his hat on the stand and ripping off his gloves. Upon seeing both Ingo and Elesa leaning up against one another, the man practically beamed. He opened his mouth to speak. Elesa beat him to the punch.

“Em... Honey... Sweetheart. What in dragons’ name happened to you?” Elesa immediately set down her food but made no attempt to rise, leaning back in her chair with a disgusted expression as she gave the man a slow once-over. “Your clothes!” The woman then stiffened, crossing her arms. “Tell me you didn’t go and service another engine with your battling gear. You have a bad habit of forgetting to change.”

“I. Did not!” Emmet pulled off his subway coat and half-fell into an empty spinning chair, picking his feet up as his chair rocketed into the wall. He then pushed himself over to his desk and eagerly pulled over his stack of maintenance documents. “This isn’t oil. It’s dust. Soot. Ash.”

               Emmet’s entire outfit- his usual sparkling white slacks, jacket, hat, and dress shoes- each were stained and smudged with varying levels of grime, each atrocious and each downright offensive. His hat and slacks were splashed in sickly purples and greens, speckled black patches like soot decorating his shoes and slack edges. His jacket had numerous holes in the tail end as though a dragon-type had gnawed on it and a few buttons had either been torn close to falling off or were gone entirely. A massive chunk of Emmet’s hat- including the Gear Station insignia pin- were just completely gone, exposing the stuffing and the nylon inside.

Even Emmet’s standard black dress shirt and gloves were completely ruined. The starched collar and sleeves of Emmet’s shirts had what looked to be bleach spots on them, one of his shirt tails completely untucked and shredded to bits. His black gloves were almost completely white to the fingertips, the leather around the knuckles- concertedly- missing as if cleanly taken out with a hole punch.

Emmet didn’t look the least concerned that half of the skin along his arms and a section of his leg were completely visible, instead seeming to enjoy the attention as he tapped his foot against the tile. His own hair- messy and half-alive with static, was blown backward as if Emmet had decided to go skydiving for the first portion of his shift.

               Ingo raised an eyebrow. An inkling of his mind raised the question that he wasn’t nearly as concerned for his brother as he should’ve been. As if it was something to be expected and just as easily tolerated.  “You are unusually chipper for a man that’s filthy and practically indecent,” Ingo murmured, locking eyes with Emmet who leaned his head against his hand lazily. “You look as though you’ve crawled through the insides of an unmaintained tender.” Ingo took a long swig from his drink, narrowing his eyes. “Slept in one, too.”

               Emmet smirked. “You’re one to talk. The water ran black when you were reintroduced to modern plumbing,” he drawled, still staring unflinchingly into Ingo’s eyes. “You thought being dirty was normal. And you were covered in actual, literal dirt.”

               Ingo immediately felt his face heat up. “That is not the point here!” he claimed, not quite meeting Emmet’s eyes as he crossed his arms. “Why do you look as though you’ve strapped yourself to the tracks and let numerous trains run over you?”

               Elesa snorted, almost choking on her drink. Her entire face went flush as she began laughing. “That’s one way to put it, Iggs!”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Elesa” Emmet chided, his own face beginning to redden as he scooted his chair purposefully away from the two of them. “That is not what happened.”

“Would you care to explain then, Emmet?”

               Emmet grinned before unclipping his pokémon belt and setting it on the desk for both Elesa and Ingo to see. Almost every single pokéball was in the same state of disrepair: burn marks, scrapes, dents, and dings in each one. “A verrry powerful trainer visited my line today!” Emmet beamed. “They arrived with a looot of super strong pokémon! It was very cool! They brought friends! A lot of strong friends! It was fantastic!” Emmet then hunkered down into himself, bringing his shaking hand to his chin as he snatched up a loose piece of paper, frantically scribbling down barely legible words. “I should remember that. ‘Follow Me’ on a bulky pokémon- preferably attached with a defense-boosting item or maybe leftovers. Skill Link Ability pokémon with a Rocky Helmet maybe? Or perhaps Loaded Dice would be better?”

“Okay, so your battle was crazy,” Elesa interjected, carefully but concertedly scanning the massive amounts of damage in Emmet’s outfit. “But how did your clothes get so bad? What’d you do? Stand in front of your pokémon while they were fighting?”

               Ingo involuntarily snorted, struggling to conceal his laughter after remembering that his good friend Dawn used to perform that exact same scenario when they were still in Hisui- to psych out the few wielders that existed. That or just mess about. Ingo could perfectly imagine Emmet doing the same right in front of his Eelektross.

“Overheat,” Emmet started, pointing to the massive burn streaks staining his shoes. “Acid Spray.” Another gesture to his heavily bleached shirt. “Bug Buzz.” The torn threads in his shirt. “Discharge.” Another pointed finger at the torn fabric on his jacket sleeves. “The battle was verrry serious! So much fun! They used all kinds of new strategies that I haven’t seen before! They brought a bunch of new pokémon! Them and their friends! There were six of them!” Emmet exclaimed, his grin growing wider and wider as he rocked back-and-forth in his chair, causing the frame to squeak. “Each one stronger and smarter than the last!”

“Did you at least win, Em?” Elesa asked tiredly. “You better have. Getting all that fixed is gonna cost a pretty penny.”

               Emmet’s grin almost stretched across his face as he fully leaned back in his chair. “All six of them won against me! Just barely! It was the most fun I’ve had in months! I hope they return to the Super Doubles Line soon so that I can battle them again!”

“Wait. The Super Doubles Line?” Elesa clarified. “As in, the ‘challenging trainer usually gets obliterated by the seventh car’ Doubles Line? The ‘nothing but depot agents’ Doubles Line? The- ”

“You can just say that you haven’t prevailed on those particular tracks,” Ingo teased, stealing the rest of the spare fries at the bottom of the bag. “I would never presumably figure out that a record exists of how many times you have been ejected from the Super Singles, Doubles, and Multi Lines. And I would certainly- never- look at those records.” Ingo then blinked innocently at Elesa as he scooted his chair just the tiniest inch away from the woman who looked as though she were about to strangle him.

“You do not have a record!”

“We do!” Emmet replied snappily. “All trainers have their battle facility records locked onto their IDs. It is not hard to find.”

“Nevermind. You’re being overly ominous again and we’re not going down that road. But the Super Doubles Line? Wow. Must’ve been some kind of monsters to get all the way through- the six of them in one day- just to destroy you… You had fun?”

“Yyyup!”

“What on earth are you guys feeding the Depot Agents on your supers lines anyway?” Elesa groaned, pointedly asking Ingo instead of Emmet who had begun to whizz through his papers. “I tried getting through once- way too strong for me.”

“We feed them coal slag and commuter debris,” Ingo answered with a stoic face, crumbling up the wrapper of his burger and tossing it in the nearby trash can. “Food wrappers. Plastic. Newspapers. Chewing gum. Some rust scraps off of repaired engines prevent any potential iron deficiencies.”

“Ah, but you are forgetting grease, Ingo,” Emmet chimed in. “Grease- Curve rail grease is essential for a depot agent’s balanced diet. That and stripped screws. And maybe a healthy serving of handrail and seat sweat.”

“Eugh. You guys are absolute loons,” Elesa responded without missing a beat, fully leaning against Ingo as the woman took a joking picture of Emmet in his atrocious work attire looking completely unbothered. She then sent the picture to Skyla unprompted. “You know, I’ve never seen someone so happy to have lost six times in a row at their place of work,” Elesa commented snidely under her breath. “Did you at least steal some pointers from them like you usually do, Em?”

               At that, Emmet whipped out a small, battered notepad from his coat pocket, eagerly showing off the multitudes upon multitudes of detailed battling graphs, paragraphs of messy handwriting, and heavily highlighted sections. “I did! And now! I want to recruit more pokémon to the team!” He said it more to himself than to Elesa or Ingo, pulling open his desk drawer in order to pull out a thick, heavily-banded book that looked close to bursting.

“Oh sweet dragons above- you’re pulling out Ol’ Reliable, Em? What’s the occasion? Gonna make some more abridgements? Honestly, you should just have the library make a copy- that’s a whole concrete brick right there.”

“Says the woman with five hand-banded design template books twice the size in her house,” Emmet snarked back, struggling to open the cover of his tome. “Let’s see. Eenie, meenie, miney… huh. That’s odd.”

“What’s the matter?” Ingo asked, taking a massive bite out of his second burger. He was quick to wipe the sauce off of his cheek. “What are you looking for?”

“Foreign pokémon.” Emmet then paused, scowling before stowing the book away back under his desk, crossing his arms. “Foreign pokémon,” he grunted. “Abilities. I don’t know the abilities of the pokémon I battled against today. I don’t even remember what the names of the species are.”

“Emmet. You do realize that the Battle Subway collects and archives trainer data during registration, don’t you?” Ingo piped up. “The free connectivity to the C-Gear? To Entralink? To the recommended vs recorder? You were the one to tell me that all trainers must register their preferred pokémon with an attendant before they even so much as board a subway car. Unless perhaps… you did forget about that particular clause…?”

               Emmet was out of his seat in a moment’s notice, the seams in his shirt beginning to splinter and pop apart as the man shoved his hat back onto his head and grabbed his jacket off of the hook, marching squarely over toward the office door. “Be back soon. Next destination: the attendant’s desk.” The door slammed shut after him.

               A moment passed by before Elesa once again reached across the table and pulled out a carton of onion rings alongside Emmet’s burger that he hadn’t even touched. “I call dibs.”

“Absolutely not. I paid for those.”

[river-in-the-woods]

Some notes on Serpent Power

The serpent's forked tongue is the three-way crossroads, where we commune with spirits and speak things into being; it is also the shape of the witch's stang

The twin serpents is a ubiquitous symbol of creation, life force, inheritance, transmission of knowledge – not least because mating snakes resemble DNA

A serpent's prey becomes their venom – the building of one's own power by consuming other things

Perhaps a 'serpent mudra' can be used to empower talismans by the sympathetic act of injecting power into it

The use of music and sound, such as drumming, to enter trance – sound waves resemble the movement of snakes

Likewise the shapes of rivers tend to wind and curl like serpents

During a working with the Fates, I perceived the individual threads of their tapestry to be serpents, entwining with each other to rewrite my future

Likewise I perceived that the neurons in my brain were all serpents, swallowing each other's tails and rearranging themselves to form the connections that would change me

[melodiousmonsters]

Dandidoo's pages are done, but firstly before I give information on that I need to explain elemental alignment.

 A monster is composed of elements that determine its species, but the exact proportions of the elements varies between monsters. The amounts of the elements will change minute things about their appearance depending on how much of it there is. Each element has certain traits they can give to monsters, most of which help with survival in the environment that element is associated with. For example, the air element will give a monster long, thick eyelashes to keep the sand from its deserts out of the monster's eyes. But there's a lot more that I may mention later.

An element that the monster doesn't even have can influence their appearance still, trace amounts of other elements will be absorbed by eggs in the process of them incubating and absorbing elements from the world around them to grow the monster inside. The most common element for monsters to get from this method is shadow as all it requires is the egg to be in the dark, just some trivia for you. Anyway on to the Dandidoos.

"Dandidoo (Avae tarheacum) average around 6ft tall. They are completely wingless and only have back legs. Their most distinctive feature are its magnificent puffs of sensory stalks on its head and tail. Unlike most avian sonsters, Dandidoo feathers can be very plant-like depending on their elemental alignment. Their stalks are always plant like, and they all have xylem instead of blood, and they have normal muscles and not the hydraulic ones of plant monsters which is why they are in the avian family. Plant aligned Dandidoo’s down feathers are more like veiny roots and their feathers are more like leaves.

Their puffs serve two main purposes, one is to sense traits of its environment, and the other is for temperature regulation. The stalks are full of nerves that can sense humidity, temperature, vibrations in the air, atmospheric pressure, and air contents. They also have xylial networks in the stalks that regularly get filled to cool their xylem if needed. There’s also the third and not really important use of “status” because for some reason Dandidoos are obsessed with their appearance and social groups of solely or near solely Dandidoos will judge each other's social rank by how glamorous their puffs are. Personally I find this very unfair, but I guess Dandidoos do what the Dandi-do.

They molt their feathers and stalks every 6 months and it’s the most vulnerable state as all of their sensory stalks fall off at once and a lot of their senses are dampened and they are more susceptible to predation if their environment has predatory critters around. Also they become very self-conscious as they lose their puffs which as mentioned before are very important to them, but that’s a little less important than surviving in my opinion.

Dandidoos are made to run. They have large lungs that take up a majority of their abdominal cavity that allow for optimal oxygen diffusion to their xylem. They also repurposed the hollow bones which are commonly used for oxygen diffusion during flight to help with their running instead. Their legs are powerful and they have large, quick growing claws and barbed scales on the bottoms of their feet for traction while running.

Twin Dandidoos have two heads and come in a red and blue color scheme. Their puffs also serve to connect neurons between the two heads, one represents the left brain and the other represents the right. During molting they tend to have communication issues both internal and external. They are native to earth island and evolved their colors as a form of camouflage.

Horned Dandidoos have horns and also a massive crown of sensory stalks about twice the size of the standard. They are native to the Purple Ice Plains of Cold Island and seemed to have evolved the stalks as a form of producing heat. The stalks are so densely packed that the friction of them warms their xylem instead of allowing the wind to blow through and cool them off. Their puffs cause a lot of drag while running so they evolved to camouflage with their environment to avoid predation."

Also here's some concepts of the purple ice fields mentioned earlier so you can get an idea of what they look like. They take up a small place that's like, on the eastern part of the island (up for change later) and they're purple because they have a dimensional connection to the purple cliffs of the thumpiverse, thus a lot of thumpies live there. There's also a drawing of an early design for a puffi tree that was also mentioned earlier.

"Dandidoos live everywhere and can thrive in any environment. They are opportunistic omnivores that will eat anything that can fit in their mouth. They mainly eat grasses, seeds, fruits, and small critters, occasionally the remains of any larger critters that they may find. Because of this opportunistic diet they don’t put too much effort into finding food as it’s basically always there.

With a large range comes a lot of predators, despite their xylem they have normal flesh minus the blood, so they make good food for carnivores. They use their optimal running abilities to escape predation.

Dandidoos are stylish and somewhat pompous. They care a lot about their appearance and to an extent the appearance of others. They like themselves and their associates to be up to their aesthetic standards. They care a lot about impressing everyone

Dandidoo eggs require warm temperatures to hatch. They are one of the few monsters who are Precocial, their hatchlings come out of the egg ready to run from any danger around them. Instead of their sensory stalks they have petals which are more sensitive to their surroundings than the stalks. These petals require a lot of energy and Dandidoo chicks need to rest a lot. At about 20 (not sure if i mentioned this before but monsters are considered adults at 30 and puberty tends to occur at 20) they lose their petals in exchange for their sensory stalks."

[grantaireble]

Tortured Poets & "The Bride of Frankenstein"

To a new world of gods and monsters!

Alright this is soo long now and I came about this revelation the weirdest way (while watching world class color guard) but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. All of my ttpd thoughts were rattling around in my brain as we were watching videos and one group put out a Bride of Frankenstein show last year and they used this quote as a V.O:

“What do you expect? Such an audience needs something more than a pretty little love story. So why shouldn’t I write of monsters?"

And, man, something about that got the neurons firing, especially because I had already been thinking a lot about the connections between Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and TTPD. Here are some of those:

Frankenstein visuals in the Fortnight MV

“The 1830s” Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was originally published in 1818, but she made some edits for an 1831 edition

Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron were sort of their own little TPD, writing horror stories together one rainy summer.

TTPD and Frankenstein seem to reference many of the same things

Both Taylor on TTPD and Mary Shelley in Frankenstein reference the Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the albatross

“I am going to unexplored regions, to “the land of mist and snow;” but I shall kill no albatross, therefore do not be alarmed for my safety, or if I should come back to you as worn and woeful as the “Ancient Mariner?” – Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Both Taylor and Mary Shelly reference Greek Myth 

Frankenstein: “The Modern Prometheus” (often compared to the Christian story of Christ)

Cassandra: gifted the power of prophecy but cursed to never be believed

Does the headpiece above not give Medusa?

Both Taylor and Mary Shelley reference the Bible

“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel...” (Frankenstein) / “I got cursed like Eve got bitten,” etc. 

Both Taylor and Mary Shelley reference principles of Alchemy! 

"The modern masters promise very little; they know that metals cannot be transmuted, and that the elixir of life is a chimera." (Chimera = lion's head, goat's body, and a serpent's tail, more Greek mythology)

Some lyrics from TTPD also feel like direct references to Frankenstein quotes or themes

“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein / “I was tamed, I was gentle ‘til the circus life made me mean.” – Taylor Swift, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

“I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein / “Down bad like I lost my twin.” – Taylor Swift, Down Bad

“I am malicious because I am miserable” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein / “Because I’m Miserable!” – Taylor Swift, I Can Do It With A Broken Heart

“One wandering thought pollutes the day” ― Mutability, Percy Blythe Shelley (Quoted in Frankenstein) / “One bad seed kills the garden” – Taylor Swift, The Albatross

“This feels like the time she fell through the ice” – Taylor Swift, The Bolter / In Frankenstein, ice is symbolic of isolation and alienation.

“Wretch” or “Wretched” is a huge word in Frankenstein / “That I’m fearsome and I’m wretched and I’m wrong.” Taylor Swift, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

“In the streets there’s a raging riot” / In the story, the Monster gets chased by angry mob of townspeople 

The First Two Pages of Frankenstein by The National (The Alcott appears on this album and The National toured it with Patti Smith)

Bonus: Dr. Frankenstein is something of an anti-hero. He, along with his monster, are also sometimes referred to as Tragic Heroes. Greek philosopher Aristotle first laid out the attributes of a Tragic Hero.

So all of this to say, I had originally only been thinking about TTPD only in the context of Mary Shelly’s original Frankenstein, even though that Fortnight imagery was definitely inspired by the films. But then that quote just really felt like it had Taylor written all over it.

So I googled Bride of Frankenstein.

It's basically an "everyone lives" AU sequel to Frankenstein lol. It's the 2nd of a trilogy (...hmmm?) although the third film Son of Frankenstein has a different director. The line I heard in the guard show is said by a fictionalized version of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, who "appears" in the Bride of Frankenstein movie, along with poets Lord Byron and Percy Shelly.

In the scene, Mary Shelley explains that she wanted Frankenstein to show its audience the consequences of mortal man trying to play god. She then reveals that there is more to the story than everyon thinks. This, of course, got me thinking about the term "playing god" and the Mastermind of it all, along with all of the religious/worship imagery Taylor uses on the album. Bride of Frankenstein also uses Christian/crucifixion imagery to convey this theme. 

The movie picks up right where the original Frankenstein left off. Both the doctor and the monster somehow make it out of the original story alive. Dr. Frankenstein, despite wanting to step away from his experiments after his horrific first attempt, gets pressured/blackmailed by his mentor to create a mate for the monster. While this is happening, Frankenstein's original monster is sort of bumbling around out in the world trying desperately to make a friend. This never works, as everyone is too afraid of how different he appears on the outside.

This is around where the queer reading of "The Bride of Frankenstein" comes in. I'm getting most of my info from this video, which definitely clicked things into place for me.

The queer reading is based on a few things:

The relationship between Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorius (two men creating life together)

The monster as a figure that does not fit into the norms of society and the effects of that on his search to find someone "like him"

The director, James Whale, having been one of only a few openly gay men in Hollywood at the time

The character, Dr. Pretorius', "campy" queer coding

The Bride of Frankenstein was subjected to censorship from the Hay's board while in production and by censorship boards once released

"In the decades since its release, modern film scholars have noted the possible gay reading of the film. Director James Whale was openly gay, and some of the actors in the cast, including Ernest Thesiger and, according to rumor, Colin Clive, were respectively gay or bisexual." (Wikipedia)

This reading focuses on Dr. Frankenstein's inability to stay away from his "experiments," despite having a new wife and a potential regular life waiting for him at home. He is rejecting "the natural" in favor of "the unnatural.”

This reading also looks at the monster's deep desire and inability to find belonging in a world that fears otherness. The Monster tries multiple times to make a friend, but is always rejected.

He saves a woman from drowning but she screams in fear at his appearance.

He does befriend a blind hermit and they bond and become friends! But soldiers find the Monster there and they are separated. (At this point in the story the Monster wishes he were dead again.)

Finally, the Monster gets to meet the the Bride, who was literally made for the Monster. Unfortunately, the Bride, horrified at having been brought alive for the sole purpose of being a companion, also rejects him.

Here are some connections that relate to the Frankenstein/ Bride of Frankenstein films:

"Such an audience needs something more than a pretty little love stories" / "Are you not entertained?"

Safety Pins, Bride of Frankenstein / Hairpins, Fortnight video

“Strings tied to levers"? –Taylor Swift, Robin / At the end of Bride of Frankenstein, the Monster pulls the “self-destruct” lever, killing himself, the Bride, and Dr. Pretorious (might be a stretch, but this movie is the origin of the "mad scientist self-destruct lever")

In Son of Frankenstein, Dr. Frankenstein's grandson is named Peter (definitely a stretch?)

In Bride of Frankenstein a maid character, Minnie, tries to warn the town that the Monster is still alive, but no one believes her and she says "Nobody'd believe me! All right. I wash me hands of it. They can all be murdered in their beds." (It's giving Cassandra)

In Bride of Frankenstein the Monster saves a young shepherdess from drowning / "She almost drowned in frigid water" -Taylor Swift, The Bolter

Frankenstein freaks out and accidentally burns down the hermit's cottage (the only place he found human connection, hidden away from judgmental eyes) when they are found there by two hunters

Anyway this is so so long and and doesn't even include any real analysis (I might save that for a more cohesive post) but once I got started I just kept noticing things.

Right now I think the question I'm currently trying to answer is: Frankenstein Taylor Swift the Monster or the Doctor? The Bride? The drowned girl? The almost drowned girl? The Author??

[majestyrising]

Metamorphosis, Pt. II

Notes: Bec continues to be experimented on by a strange dragon of a strange breed. Read the first part here. Continued warnings for body horror and gore.

Pings: @vicegrips-fr​ @mask-fr​ @kattafr​ @slighteyewing​ @deadland-disciple​

The switch is subtle enough that in her addled state she doesn’t realise what has just happened. The journal switches hands, quill pinched between fingers as a clawed hand reaches up and tugs the ropes around the two eyed head until his jaw is tied shut. He looks down and begins writing as the three eyed head finally looks up at her, and tugs on the strap of his doctor’s mask to free it.

“You are a strong one, aren’t you?” he says, this head’s voice slightly softer and more humane, “Most die before they reach the table. Sif is not known for her gentle touch.”

He waves a hand. She feels a rush of magic wrap around her body as the bones and muscles of her face rearrange themselves. It’s a spine chilling process that fills the very seat of her soul with nausea. Once it’s done she can at least open her mouth and hiss out loud.

“Indeed,” he says, “Your blood is old, fledgling. Older than the dirt beneath us. Perhaps older than I am.”

He smiles, which is eerie and strange. She’s not the best at reading anyone’s true intentions but it feels genuine, and considering how she’s not much more than a corpse with an attitude right now, that is all the more disturbing.

“Power like yours has a way of, shall we say, diluting as it comes down the stream,” he continues thoughtfully, head tilting to the side as he studies her with wide, intelligent eyes.

“You’re very angry,” he says.

She tries very hard to work her tongue around her teeth and spit out a ‘no fucking shit’, but all she can do is let out a wet croak.

He chuckles, which chills what little of her body she can still feel.

“You want power,” he says, “You feel that you have been shackled down by the mortality of those who claim ownership over you. I can always tell when I find new blood- it is the drive to life in spite of overwhelming odds that allows one to survive such ordeals.”

He clasps his hands together and leans back slightly, resting more weight on his twin tails as his head rocks slowly left to right in thought.

“Do you like art?” he asks, looking back down at her.

She can only blink in response to such an unexpected question. Though as she blinks her vision swims harder, and the more she blinks the worse it gets. At the same time her sight expands, its range growing wider in sections.

It is as if a spider web has been draped over her eyes.

“I do,” he continues, mildly, “Art has no boundaries when it is true. It must be pushed onwards past what the masses consider to be cruelty, and only the strong can do such things.”

He lifts a hand to slice his palm open. Before she can do anything else he shoves his hand deep inside her chest. There’s resistance at first but it buckles and she can feel his fingers around her heart.

It’s as if she swallowed liquid fire. It screams through her heart first and pumps through her body in an instant. It sends her limbs thrashing violently but also sends a surge of energy through her.

She can finally turn her head further and see that her brightly coloured body has changed from the spots of a jaguar to neon slime that is sent spattering against all four walls as the seizure contorts her body in unnatural angles. All of her senses are overstimulated, the pounding of her blood in her eardrums so loud it feels like they’re going to pop.

Though she cannot see, the switch occurs again as the journal changes hands. The ropes are loosened and the doctor’s mask strapped back on.

The two eyed head looks at her with no emotion.

“Blood dosage administered,” he says, “Preliminary result is seizure due to excessive neuron activity.”

The sensation of temperature on her skin is boiling, then freezing, like needles piercing the skin. It feels like an eternity before that finally stops and she is able to turn her head again to see her skin ‘settle’; there’s no scales as there were before, but the surface stops oozing and bleeding everywhere. 

“Secondary result is composition stabilising,” he notes, “A promising sign.”

Her vision doubles even further, but her head feels so heavy she cannot lift it anymore. She’s so tired.

Her captor comes closer once more, leaning over her. This time, both heads are looking at her with interest.

“If you maintain your sanity,” the two eyed head says, “Then we shall induct you into Pulpa Artifex as one of our fleshweavers.”

“We are Bragi,” the three eyed head says, voice muffled by the doctor’s mask, “But you may call me Father.”

[hyperpsychomaniac]

The Other Side of Me - Chapter 1

Darkwing Duck Fanfiction (90s Series)

The Negaverse Launchpad arrives in Saint Canard and announces his intention to take down Darkwing Duck in preparation for Negaduck’s arrival. Darkwing refuses to take the threat seriously, so Launchpad decides to take on his stronger, crazier, and downright dangerous counterpart himself.

***

“I’m not sure about this one, boss. I’ll do whatever you tell me. But that portal looks… dangerous.”

“Aw, don’t tell me the big bad Launchpad is going to be a pussy about a harmless little portal?”

“I’m no pussy!”

“Then get your butt down there!” Negaduck slammed a fist into the big brute’s shoulder.

Launchpad did not so much as flinch. A frown creased his stubbled beak as he stared into the portal that swirled about their feet.

Sometimes it took a few seconds for his orders to sink through that beefy skull. Negaduck was not keen on waiting for his minion’s neurons to fire. But this would be easier if his guinea pig was cooperative. “Listen, LP,” said Negaduck as he stretched an arm around his companion’s broad shoulders, “I need someone over in that other Saint Canard I can trust. A scout to take care of Darkwing Duck and pave the way for my glorious reign.”

A grin slowly spread across that big, dumb face. “Yeah, I can do that boss.”

“Then listen carefully. And I’ll try and keep it simple, stupid. Everything over there is the opposite. There’s an alternate you over there too. If those nerds at the university rigged this thing up properly, this portal will dump you out within a mile of him. If everything goes to plan, I’ll have access to Darkwing’s world again.”

“Hey, wait. Is this one of those things where you want me to replace my double? I’m a heavy, man. You need to use me to smash some skulls!” Launchpad pounded a fist into his open palm.

Negaduck snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding me. You’d need a shave. And to learn some table manners. No, smash in as many skulls as you see fit. Take out some of Darkwing’s allies. Find out where his lair is. I don’t care. I’m giving you your head… if you know what to do with it.”

“Huh?”

Negaduck grabbed Launchpad by the collar and dragged him down so they were beak to beak. “I’m tired of your screw ups and having to explain everything half a dozen times. You get over there, and you prove to me you’re worth keeping around. Got it, big guy?”

Launchpad glared back at him, but Negaduck did not miss the other man’s adam’s apple bob up and down as he gulped. “Got it, boss.” He squared his shoulders and moved back over to the portal.

Negaduck grinned. He didn’t care what Launchpad did once, and if, he arrived in Darkwing’s Saint Canard. He needed this idiot for one thing and one thing only.

“Still looks a little rough down there.” Launchpad grumbled as he craned his neck out over the edge. “But maybe it’s not really so dangerous.”

“Only one way to find out.” Negaduck put a foot square into Launchpad’s backside. The big brute pinwheeled his arms and then toppled into the maelstrom.

Which immediately exploded into a green black geyser that splattered and hissed across the ceiling.

Negaduck dropped to the floor and pulled his hat down over his eyes. The air heated to a barely tolerable level.  A rush of wind whipped and howled past him. Then with a crash and a whoosh the gale turned back on itself and rushed back towards the portal. A chair skittered across the floor beside him, caught in the vacuum.

Then the portal shut down with a very final sounding whoomph.

Negaduck cautiously peeked out from under his hat. The ceiling had been blasted black, as had the floor. The chair sat where the portal had been, blackened, and cleaved clean in two. The smell of burnt wood and feathers lingered in the air.

Negaduck whistled through his teeth as he stood to his feet. “Oh yeah, that duck is D.E.A-dead.” He put his hands on his hips and stared at his failed experiment. Then he shrugged. “Guess it’s back to the drawing board.”

***

Launchpad dusted dying embers from the feathers on his forearms and hauled himself to his feet. The world tilted. “Stop it!” he demanded with a slur. The portal ride had been hectic, like being inside a green and black tumble dryer that was doing its best to catch on fire. But he wasn’t going to moan about it. He’d walk it off.

Sure enough, the world settled around him. The cracked bitumen at his feet was littered with garbage. Dingy, spray-painted walls hemmed him in. For a moment, Launchpad thought the alley he found himself in was back in the Negaverse. But the sky above was a bright, clear blue, and the sound of birdsong reached him. The alleyway opened to a parking lot. Across the road was a park, which was actually green. There were children playing, and giggling. Launchpad repressed a shudder. “Yuck. What a hell hole.”

And then an eerily familiar voice reached his ears. “Okay, so we need to get eggs, milk, de… er, or is that an o? I have got to stop Drake writing on my shopping list.”

Next to a garish blue sedan stood… Launchpad.

Launchpad blinked and rubbed at his eyes. “What the heck is he even wearing.”

His double scratched at the aviator’s cap perched on his head, then shrugged. “Hey, if I make soup, he’s not going to know what’s in it anyway.” Then, belting out a whistling tune that made Launchpad cringe, he strolled into the grocery store.

Launchpad rolled his shoulders. “Alright, then. Well, he is supposed to be Darkwing’s sidekick. Maybe this whole thing is just a cover. And I can’t fail Negaduck again…” Launchpad bit his lip. But no. Negaduck would not follow him in a hurry. He had most certainly pushed him through to check the safety of the portal. That ride had been anything but safe, and Negaduck was too much of a coward to come through right away until he was sure it was.

Which meant he had some time up his sleeve. “Guess I’ve got some work to do, but…” Launchpad rubbed his hands together as his gaze narrowed on the blue sedan. “Doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun whilst I’m at it.”

***

Launchpad searched the aisles of the grocery store for what he’d eventually determined was ‘deodorant.’ He snatched a spray can off a shelf and grinned in triumph. “Got ya. But you are definitely not going in the soup. Heheh.”

Crime had taken a bit of a dip the last half of the week. It meant he could get on top of the groceries. Maybe get some meals into the freezer. When there were two men who spent half the night tearing around Saint Canard chasing baddies, and one growing kid who could consume an entire stack of pancakes and then ask if she was going to get bacon and eggs with that, in the house, it paid to have something stashed that was easy to make and better than toast. Launchpad’s freezer meals always seemed to last forever. Although, sometimes Launchpad thought that was because DW preferred the toast.

He ended up getting a bit more food than he had originally intended. “Are you sure you can carry all of those?” the register attendant asked him.

“No problemo.” Launchpad hefted the two overstuffed grocery bags to his chest. He grinned out through a bunch of celery leaves and winked.

The attendant slowly raised her eyebrow. “Have a good day, sir.”

Launchpad weaved his way across the parking lot. Lifting the haul was the easy part. But the grocery bags were so overstuffed he could barely see where he was going. “Not the first time I’ve been flying blind.” Every time he caught sight of the blue sedan through the celery, he course corrected.

“Ow!” Launchpad grumbled as his shin collected the tail gate. “There she is.” He had to boot the car twice before his foot found the tail gate catch, and then he dumped the groceries in back.

He threw himself into the driver’s seat, tore into reverse, then scraped the undercarriage on the gutter out of the parking lot. Someone honked. “Sorry, I got to get home to make soup!”

Launchpad tapped the steering wheel, hummed to himself, and glanced in the rear-view mirror. “Huh? I thought I shaved this morning. Wait…”

Launchpad spluttered as his scarf tightened about his throat. Warm breath blew down his neck. “Keep driving. And no funny business.”

“Air…” His scarf loosened just a little.

“Take us off the highway.” There was something familiar about that voice. “Pull into a sidestreet.”

Yeah. Right. Launchpad pulled into a slip lane off the highway as he’d been instructed. “So, you wearing a seatbelt?”

“I don’t need no pussy seatbelt…”

As the slip lane dipped down, Launchpad gunned it. The incline was just enough to get a bit of power out of the four-cylinder engine. His assailant yelped, and there was a heavy thud as his he slammed into the roof.

Launchpad gagged as his air cut off completely. He struggled, one hand wresting the steering wheel back and forth to keep them on course, the other grappling with the material now looped tightly about his throat. He slammed on the brakes. He had previously determined the trajectory of any loose items in the sedan on more than one occasion. He ducked. Tins and bottles took flight. Some thudded into the man in the back, eliciting more grunts and curses. The rest bounced harmlessly off the windshield.

Launchpad got out and, teeth gritted, hauled the man in his rear seat out by the collar. “Next time pick on someone your own size!”

The guy slammed balled up fists on Launchpad’s arms and broke his grip. “That was the idea.”

Launchpad took a step back and put up his guard. Both men froze, facing each other in a fighting stance.

Launchpad’s fists loosened. “You… You look just like me…”

“What the hell was that?” His mirror image barked. “You trying to kill us both?”

“Mom and Dad never said anything about me having a twin.”

The man that looked like him straightened his disheveled jacket collar with a quick tug. “Okay. That was actually a half decent move. Maybe you’re not as domesticated as I first thought.”

“Who are you?” Launchpad demanded.

“Is that stupid cap cutting off circulation to your brain? I’m you, genius.”

The gears in Launchpad’s head grated over. “The Negaverse. DW told me… you work for Negaduck.”

“There you go. Heh. Guess I’m not as stupid as everyone keeps telling me.”

“What are you doing in Saint Canard? I mean, our Saint Canard.”

The other Launchpad flicked a celery leaf from his shoulder. “Not the groceries.”

“Okay, okay… I’m talking to another me. Perfectly normal. So, you work for Negaduck. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad guy, right? I mean, you’re me… Heheh.” Launchpad tugged at his scarf.

His double dragged him towards him, so they were pressed beak to beak. “Why are you giggling?”

“I am very uncomfortable right now.”

Launchpad released him with a snort. “Great. That’s his bloody laugh. I’m glad we’re supposed to be opposites. But you listen up, pal. You’re going to be more than uncomfortable when Negaduck gets here.”

“Negaduck’s back?” Talking to himself was weird as. But he had to pull it together and focus. Launchpad jabbed a finger into his double’s chest. “I’m not going to let him hurt DW!”

Launchpad grinned. “There’s the guy who nearly sent me through his windshield. Relax, Negaduck isn’t here. Yet. He sent me, his top man, through ahead of him. So, you’re not going to have to worry about him hurting your ‘DW’. Because by the time he gets here, this Launchpad will have put Darkwing Duck at the bottom of Audubon Bay.”

Launchpad threw a punch.

His double shielded his chin with broad forearms, then clapped Launchpad in the side of the head with a right hook that sent him sprawling across the bonnet of the sedan. “Negaduck will be awhile,” he said, as he backed away. “So, in the meantime we’re going to play a little game. I’m coming for Darkwing Duck. Let’s see if his sidekick who I’ve heard so much about can stop me.”

Launchpad hauled himself upright, hands balled into first. But his head still spun. By the time the world settled enough he could stand without toppling over, the doppelganger had disappeared.

“Launchpad!” It would’ve been amusing, screaming his own name. Had his heart not been hammering in his chest. His double had gone. But he had been no figment of his imagination. “I’ve got to warn DW.”

Tins and bottles clattered across the pavement as Launchpad dove back into the sedan and raced towards home.

***

Authors note: So that’s the first chapter. I’ve been (re)watching Darkwing Duck on Disney Plus. Forgot how good it was. And so, now I’m writing fanfiction. This is set somewhere just after that episode where Darkwing goes to the Negaverse (Life, the Negaverse, and Everything). Basically I just wanted to get the two Launchpad’s together in the same universe and see what happens. 

I’ve already started posting this on fanfiction.net, but wasn’t seeing much action over there. But seeing as I’m booting back up the tumblr, its coming over here now. I’ll post the other chapters soon.

Read chapter 2

[f107group4]

𝐒𝐞𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐞? 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞!

LET’S PLAY!

Get to know more about this invertebrate by reading this blog! It contains the classification, biology, relationship to humans, and interesting facts about this marvelous organism, specifically one of its subgroup  — Aplysia.

CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Animalia  

             Subkingdom: Bilateria          

                Infrakingdom: Protostomia            

                   Superphylum: Lophozoa              

                      Phylum: Mollusca  

                         Class: Gastropoda  

                            Subclass: Opisthobranchia

                               Order: Anaspidea            

                                  Family: Aplysiidae        

                                     Genus: Aplysia

                                        Species: Aplysia californica

(ITIS, n.d.)

Aplysia, commonly known as spotted sea hares, belongs to the group of gastropod molluscs. There are 37 known species in this genus. The word Aplysia came from the word L’Aplysia which means “that which one cannot wash”. They are one of the oldest mentioned animals from historical texts with the first authentic description provided by Pliny in his Historia Naturalis (published on 60 A.D) (Moroz, 2011) .

BIOLOGY

Ocean Globetrotters

These invertebrates are benthic dwellers that occupies the middle and lower intertidal zones, grazing on sea beds or corals. They are distributed in subtropical and tropical tide zones with one species (A. punctata) even reaching the Arctic Circle. Seven species of Aplysia can navigate long distances  for example A. brasiliana  which can travel up to 1 km in one swim episode (Moroz, 2011).

Spotted sea hares move in two ways, either by swimming or crawling on the sea bed. They swim by doing synchronized waves of muscular contraction pass from anterior to posterior to make a funnel that pulls in water, squeezing the anterior parts of the parapodia together forces the water out behind the creature and pushes it forward. While, they can crawl by raising the leading edge of the foot and extending it forward in an arching pattern so the rest of its body follows the arching pattern until it reaches the tail (Dice, 2014).

The Naked Alien

The body of spotted sea hares consists of a head, foot, and visceral mass. It is partially distorted, not coiled, and superficially bilaterally symmetrical (Fox, 2006).

The head has an anterior pair oral tentacles. The median union of the two tentacles forms a transverse oral veil over the mouth.  A pair of rhinophores project dorsally from the surface of the neck. The oral tentacles and rhinophores serve as sensory organ. Specifically, their eyes are located at the base of each rhinophore (Fox, 2006).

(Brooks & Hiller, 2001)

The foot lies along the midline of the ventral surface. Its posterior part serves as a sucker that is used to attach the posterior end of the animal while anterior end is elevated above the substratum. The foot extends posterior to the body as a short tail. Dorsolaterally, it is divided into two wing-like parapodia that is used for locomotion (Fox, 2006).

(Brooks & Hiller, 2001)

Their mantle and mantle cavity are found in the middle. The mantle is the dorsal body wall of the visceral mass. Inside it, the shell can be found. Below the shell is the reduced and small mantle cavity that opens broadly to the right containing the gill, anus, and gonopore. At the posterior right corner of the shell is a folded mantle resulting to a short, tubular, exhalant siphon that encloses the anus (Fox, 2006).

A Salad Lifestyle

Spotted sea hares feed on algae. A. californica (California sea hares) feeds on several kinds of red algae such as Laurencia pacifica, Plocamium pacificum and Ceramium spp. as well as sea lettuce and eelgrass. These organisms utilize their toothed radula to grasp the algae and store it briefly in the esophagus. Then, the food moves into the stomach fixed with pyramidal teeth to further crush the substances The food is blended in with different stomach-related digestive fluids to further breakdown the matter while the wastes are discharged out through the anus (Dice, 2014).

Dating on Another Level

Sea hares gather to mate. With the absence of dating apps, they find each other through tactile and chemical cues. They have photoreceptors that recognize fluctuations in the intensity of white light. Sadly, they find it hard to detect red wavelengths. To compensate, they respond more to chemical changes in seawater using the osphradium which detects dissolved chemicals in the water (Dice, 2014).

Loyalty, whomstve?

From a spiral cleavage to blastula, gastrula, trochophore and finally, the first larval stages — the development of their embryo happens inside the egg capsules. Newly hatch veligers swim upwards using their cilia and may take months drifting in the ocean while feeding on microscopic algae and bacteria until they detect cues that prompts them to settle to the alga which they will feed on. After this, they undergo rapid metamorphosis wherein they lose larval characteristics. They become juveniles that resemble miniature adults in all major features except reproductive organs (Moroz, 2011). California sea hares reach sexual maturity after about 120 days (Dice, 2014). 

Sea hares are hermaphrodites, but they never self-fertilize by nature. Their copulation generally involves dozens. Every creature might be either getting or conveying sperm (or both) in respect of their present sex and position inside the chain (Dice, 2014). 

Short Fruitful Years

Their life expectancy is normally short, most commonly survive for just a year. Many of them loose their life after reproduction. Amazingly, cool temperatures help delay reproduction; hence, cooler waters can fairly protract their life expectancy (Emore, 2002).

Hey, Leave Me Alone!

Distressed spotted sea hares secrete a purple ink which contains chemicals that disrupts the sensory function of opportunistic predators (Moroz, 2011). This chemical defense coupled with the distasteful algal toxins accumulated from their diet significantly creates a habitat where they can roam freely and has few natural predators (Emore, 2002).

RELATIONSHIP TO HUMANS

Sea hares are known to be highly valuable laboratory animals especially in the field of neurobiology, more specifically in studying memory and learning behaviors. The California Sea Hare (Aplysia californica) is an important neurobiological model and is used extensively in studies of behavior and psychology. They have the largest neurons in the animal kingdom making it feasible to identify the specific nerve cells responsible for certain mechanisms.

As for their ecosystem role, this herbivorous organism serves as keystone species in the intertidal ecosystem by affecting the density and abundance of its algal prey.

5 Interesting FYIs about SEA HARES

1. DUAL PURPOSE WINGS

Sea hares have two large wing-like flaps that fold back on the body to protect their gills and internal shell plate. This wing-like extension is also used by some species of sea hares for short bursts of awkward swimming when threatened. 

2. IT’S THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

As they say the more, the merrier. A circle of sea hares dubbed as a “Roman Circle” is formed during mating and copulation where each animal inseminates the one in front- a group sex indeed. As hermaphroditic organisms, sea hares serve as males at their front and females at their back. 

3. GO AND MULTIPLY TO THE POWER OF 10

(Eleas, 2020)

Who cares about a twin, a quadruplet or a quintuplet? A single of this creature can lay up to 500 million eggs during one breeding season- that is more than a country’s population. Sea hares’ eggs are colored pink and often appear threaded.

4. WHAT YOU SEE, IS WHAT WE EAT

(Gfycat, 2019)

The color of sea hares are affected by the color of algae they consume. For example, young sea hares that tend to eat red algae are red in color, mature sea hares are colored green and brown because they consume algae that is also green and brown in color.

5. SEA HARES ARE CERTIFIED BTS STANS 💜 💜 💜

Sea hares have the right to use the infamous purple hearts on social media, and that’s a fact! This sea organism produces purple ink as a defense mechanism. Native Americans used this purple ink to dye clothing. Sea hares can also produce white or red ink depending on the color of the pigments in the seaweed they have consumed.

References

Angello, M. (n.d.). Full Frame Shot Of Sea Water [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/full-frame-shot-of-sea-water-royalty-free-image/730260985

Anonymous. (2017). Sea Hare Eggs [Photograph]. Ocean Safari Scuba. https://oceansafariscuba.com/photos/view_album/trip-11417-tidepool

Anonymous. (n.d.). Dinner Time with Sea Hares [GIF]. Gfycat. https://gfycat.com/unsteadydirectfreshwatereel-sea-hare

Brooks, R. & Hiller, J. (2001). The Role of Chemical Mechanisms in Neural Computation and Learning. [Photograph] .Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2524430_The_Role_of_Chemical_Mechanisms_in_Neural_Computation_and_Learning

Brown, C. (2010). Untitled [Photograph]. Flickr. https://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/06/Sea-Hare-2-889x667.jpg

Dice, S. (2014). Aplysia californica. Animal Diversity  Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aplysia_californica/

Eleas. (2020). Naruto Clone GIF. Tenor. https://tenor.com/view/naruto-naruto-clone-funny-dancing-dance-gif-17857501

Emore, M. (2002). Aplysia dactylomela. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aplysia_dactylomela/

Fox, R. (2006). Sea Hare. Lander University. http://lanwebs.lander.edu/faculty/rsfox/invertebrates/aplysia.html 

ITIS. (n.d.). Aplysia californica  J. G. Cooper, 1863. ITIS.gov. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=78032#null 

Moroz, L. (2011).Aplysia. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4024469/

[cant-blink]

Godzilla: Pokemon Edition, Ch.1

Summary: You guys really seem interested, so here it is! First chapter of the Pokemon/Godzilla: KotM crossover. Ghidorah is turned into a Hydreigon. Ichi has to cope with this as he and the other kaiju try to solve the mystery of what happened to cause this madness!

-

The sound of the waves washing upon the shore was the first thing to grace his senses, the salty air blowing against their scales. The soft sand beneath their body shifts as he begins to stir. And as he crept closer towards Awareness, he couldn’t shake off an odd feeling at the back of his mind. 

Something felt wrong.

Opening his eyes, he flinches with a grunt at the unexpected sunlight, closing his eyes again. Has he slept in and miss the sunrise? No wonder he felt off, he was straying from their schedule! He instinctively lifts a wing to shade his face, finding no resistance in reclaiming the body. Was it San’s turn for the last shift? Could have sworn it was Ni’s, but the right head always gave that distinct spark of reluctance when surrendering the body. Perhaps he was remembering wrong and it was the youngest who was awake right now. 

As he opens his eyes again, he noticed that everything looked very different to what he was used to. It was as if someone took the light of the sun and intensified it. It wasn’t completely blinding, but was rather uncomfortable and the massive white glare that seemed to have overtaken the landscape rendered his once perfect vision to near-sightedness. Has the sun gone supernova or something to release such a powerful light? Why wasn’t he awoken sooner if that was the case? San was the one to have the final shift, sure, but even he knows to wake them at anything alarming.

Squinting, he lifts his head up a bit and as he turns to look at the sun, a strange creature was hovering right next to him, casting its shadow upon his face. It was merely a silhouette against the sun from this angle, but he could tell from the outline that it was a completely unfamiliar creature. Has Brother San fallen asleep on the job and left them vulnerable to this intruder?!

Growling, he quickly bites onto the unknown creature, teeth pushing past its coat and into skin...

And he immediately lets go with a cry of pain that shot through his forelimb.

Why did it hurt to bite this thing?!

Shaking his head, he lifts his neck to give a greater height over the creature as he keeps his jaws open with a snarl, a threat to discourage the creature from retaliating. But it wasn’t retaliating, having only jolted away from the bite. He keeps growling as he blinks hard and it succeeded in sharpening his vision somewhat. Taking the time to actually notice what he’s looking at, the change in angle allowed him to make out a bit more on the detail. It had a blue scaly face, black scales where the eyes ought to be. A collar of red-and-black feathers decorated the back of its head and its neck was coated in more black... fur? Or fine feathers? 

His gaze follows its neck only to realize this thing was attached to him, like his brothers were. Was... Was this San?! Can’t be, this ‘San’ did not look at all like... well, San. Not to mention, he wasn’t acting like San, no frantic words or attempts to appease him to keep from being bitten again. It was just laying there, now limp on the ground. Asleep? Did San fall asleep on him?!

Confusion floods into his mind, and his eyes dart towards Ni. Usually, he would be stirring by now, but he was just lying on the sand. Leaning closer, he sees Ni looked like San, feathers and everything. The black markings over the eyes were narrower, sharper and... Wait, there were no eyes!

Shifting his weight, Ichi pulls himself up in a hurry and immediately lost his balance and fell back to the ground. Wide eyes look down their body and to his horror, San and Ni were not the only change. NOTHING looked like it was supposed to. Their once brilliant golden scales were a dark blue, with twin red lines going down their abdomen. Their chest was also coated in black fur and their legs... Their legs were borderline atrophied, small and looking incapable of holding their weight. They only had ONE tail, like many of the aliens that lived on this world, long and scaly with a tuft of black fur at the end of it.

He had wings, six of them coming from his back. At least, he thinks they were wings. They did not at all resemble the vast membranes that once stretched along their fingers and flight ribs. They were narrow and feathered with a distinct fork on each end. He tries to move these wings so he can push himself back up, with the same muscle memory he was used to, but oddly, none of them moved and-

He caught motion from both of his brothers. While his eyes were oddly light sensitive, it seemed to pick up the slightest movement very easily. A jolt of alarm went through him, urging him to bite towards the movement, but he disregards it as an overwhelming wave of relief crashes over him. His brothers moved, that meant they were waking up and that meant they were okay!

He stares at his siblings, waiting for them to rouse. He wondered how he was going to explain any of what was happening to them, when he had no idea what was going on himself; he doubted they, particularly Ni, would be happy with this transformation. The key was to keep calm, and together, they can figure out a solution as they have always done. But after a moment, where they didn’t seem to be stirring any further, he nudged them both with his snout. It was an odd sensation, feeling fluff when he was used to scales and he almost sneezes when one of the decorative feathers tickles his nostrils.

“Brother San? Brother Ni?” His voice is a bit hoarse from sleep, but remained the same. But that sense of familiarity did nothing to comfort him when he got no response from either of his brothers. Have they drifted back off to sleep? Brother San was notorious for being difficult to wake, but not so much Brother Ni.

He was surprised they hadn’t reacted to the jolts of alarm he had previously felt. It was always the fastest and most reliable way to snap them into immediate Awareness in the event of danger. He tries to send a more deliberate wave of alarm through them.

But it didn’t work. Try as he might, he couldn’t bring his emotions beyond his own mind, like there were no neurons there to transfer them through. It was as if he was a child again, when his brothers’ neurons were still dormant and he was alone. But it was worse here. Back then, he was born into solitude, it was all he knew until Brother Ni was born. He had nothing to miss.

The absence of his brothers’ neurons here frightened him immensely, like it was a confirmation that the only ones he’s ever formed a bond to, the ones he spent every minute of the last hundreds of millions of years... was gone.

No! They couldn’t be gone! They moved, he saw them move and-

.....

The realization was slow to creep up at first but when it hit him, it did so harder than any strike Godzilla could offer.

Slowly, very slowly, he tries to move his ‘wings’ again and his heart sinks when his brothers shift. They weren’t moving of their own volition; it was him all along. He has never been able to control the movements of his sibling’s necks, but now it was as easy as moving his wings, or rather, his arms. Their necks were even jointed as if they were nothing more than arms.

He couldn’t wrap his mind around it, staring at the lifeless.... limbs that were once his brothers. He hoped with every fiber of his being that this was some kind trick, a dream perhaps? An oddly vivid and disturbing dream that allowed for pain somehow? Maybe if he waited long enough, his brothers would wake and his biggest fears can be put at ease. He can handle this new body, he’ll take this odd punishment, dream or not! Just let his brothers be okay!

But as he sits waiting, there was never movement from his brothers and his hope was only getting weaker. Several times over the course of an hour, he would nudge them with his snout. Nip them. Shake them. The frustration eventually gets to him and he bites down hard on Ni’s neck. Pain shot through him, it never used to hurt when he bit his siblings, but he endures it. Just, wake up!!

....

Silently, he slowly pulls his teeth away and stares blankly at the bleeding wounds he left. There was no snarling from his ill-tempered sibling, no glare, no sharp words. There was no denying it, no more wishful thinking. They really were gone...

He struggled to grasp this, to grasp that he was now alone. Completely and utterly alone.

He moves these limbs, his lifeless brothers, to his chest, lowering his snout to rest atop their heads. They were trembling against him. Their, -his-, whole body was trembling.

They didn’t even smell like his brothers anymore. Their shared scent was gone, replaced by this unfamiliar smell that only drove the knife of loss even deeper.

For the first time in his life, a choked whimper comes from his throat and his eyes begin to burn as tears welled up. It’s an unfamiliar sensation, the tickle down his cheeks as the water escapes his eyes. He’s seen tears plenty and it would spur different emotions and actions from him. Tears from his victims brought pleasure and he would revel in their distress. Tears from San was either ignored, or brought a strict reprimand as there was nothing an immortal powerful god such as themselves had to cry about. 

Now those tears came from him, and he realized that yes, there was something even the most powerful of creatures had to cry about. Memories of how he used to chide San so harshly brought the feeling of regret, adding to his sorrowful wails that rise from his throat to echo across the landscape.

These piercing cries almost had him miss the tired voice coming from somewhere behind him.

“Ghidorah?”

[suckerforsmylex]

Twin Flame

He exited through the front of the venue, snow falling onto his face and settling into a fine powder on his shoulders.  It was odd for him. Even when he was just plain Bruce-y boy, he was inherently elusive and seeing him be bolder than usual made me clench my jaw. I wanted to break him.  The sight of him unmasked and vulnerable made me desperate to inflict torture on him even more than when he was just The Batman to me.  

He was dressed well, albeit ironically, in an inky black suit, patterned with large, assorted, muted-colored flowers. A sneer spread across my face at the thought of him dressed like that.  This was how The Bat presented himself in public. “How sweet,” I thought, smirking as I leaned further into my lap to observe him. I understood why he wanted to keep this version of himself a secret.  Bruce was intoxicating and charming, and the city’s most mysterious bachelor.  He was Gotham’s favorite dream boat.  Part of me was disheartened to have found out his identity.  I always enjoyed our mutual anonymity and how despite that, it almost seemed like we were telepathically attuned to each other.  Still, having something to taunt him with, a secret to dangle over his head the way you would with a small kitten, made me giddy.

“I know that he knows that I know,” I sang to myself, recalling his face falling the moment I discovered his true self.  He had been sloppy for a month, the constant grind of it all, coupled with an assortment of distractions, had put a sizable chink in his armor.  Isolation.  Drink.  Women.  I understood.  They plagued me too, sans having to zip on a normal demeanor for the citizens of Gotham during the day.  “After all these years, Batsy is Brucey?” I asked with a roaring cackle, as he scrambled away to hide himself.  They promptly sent the white coats to whisk me away to Arkham, but it was too late.  I got to see the entire transformation, my eyes going wide at the sight of him even as they were scooping me up at the armpits and dragging me away.  His relentless pursuit of perfection and virtuousness fell away, leaving him exposed; a naked soul before me. Nothing pleases me more than the thought of how, amid the very depravity he detested, I completely unnerved him.  It gives me a fucking hard-on. I wish I would have taken a picture of his stupid face.  I would have hung it on the fridge.  I would have framed it.  I would have made it my phone lock screen. 

Precautions were taken on his end to thwart my attempts to confront him after my break out, but I was a man, reborn with purpose.  A little bit of technology and a lot of science enabled me to track him for two weeks, culminating in the annual Wayne Charity Gala.  The anxious tycoon had been looking for me over his shoulder at Wayne Enterprises, so he put himself on a short sabbatical, only emerging from the Bat Cave on the day of the big event.  Text messages I intercepted told the story that he didn’t want to go.  He did anyway, taking the advice of his confidant and man slave, Alfred, arriving more than fashionably late for it.  He mingled only for moments before making short remarks and then shuffling quickly out of the front doors and onto the street.  I enjoyed the entire scenario from the back of my white surveillance van on multiple monitors.  He got into an Aston Martin Vanquish, surely one of his little toys, and then got out around the block and hailed a yellow cab.  I nearly doubled over with laughter as I tailed him with my goons. 

Was this the plan? Avoiding contact with me by ditching his car?

 I rolled my eyes and told the idiot driving to floor it.  I couldn’t risk losing him, now that he was almost in my grasp.  The yellow cab stopped in the middle of an alleyway, letting Bruce out and then sped away jerkily.  I smacked the back of the driver’s seat in the van hard and fast until we slowed to a halt and then I jumped out, stalking towards Bruce. I made no attempt to silence my footsteps.  I let the soles of my expensive shoes clack loudly against the pavement of the alleyway.  He stopped for a short moment and then started walking again.  “Mister Wayyyynnee. What a beautiful night for a blood bath.”  I watched as he turned around slowly, his fists balling and then resting at his sides.  The moment he lay eyes on me he closed them tightly, muttering something under his breath.  I waited until I was so close, we could touch the tips of our noses together, and broke into a full grin, inhaling the crisp, full bodied scent he was wearing. 

“Oooooh, you smell good,” I said, letting my eyes roll back into my head for a moment before swinging for his face and meeting the brick of the alley instead.  My knuckles smashed into the wall and I yanked my hand back quickly, wincing and ducking my head out of the way of his counter punch.  Not fast enough. He connected squarely with my jaw, knocking me onto the ground, into a small mountain of freshly fallen snow. My blood spattered the icy white there as I laughed up at him.  “All this time I thought it was the suit that made you punch like that, and here I am finding out it’s au naturel.”  “JOKER.” He said my name through gritted teeth.  The fury I elicited from him made his face set in a stern scowl.  “How?! How did you find me?  It was an early Christmas present seeing him this way.

Catching him by surprise made me cackle and he responded by kicking me in the chest and planting his foot upon it, pinning me in place.  “I asked you a question.” I let out a guttural sound and smiled up at him, feeling my nervous system reacting, releasing doses of adrenaline and cortisol, and turning me into a sweaty, giggly mess.  A persistent, fluttery sensation in the pit of my stomach, caused by a hundred million neurons sending fight signals to my brain, made me fidgety beneath him.  I put my hands behind my head and got comfy.   

“One of my men disguised himself as a cleaning person and sprayed your office at Wayne Enterprises down with a chemical.  It left a biological signature on your body and allowed me to track your whereabouts.  I monitored you for two weeks.”  He looked down at me with furious eyes and I decided right then and there that I wanted to hurt him severely.  I wanted to make him bleed.  But I didn’t want to kill him as Bruce.  It was too mundane.  It was too run of the mill.  I wanted the full-on drama.  I wanted to kill him as Batman.  I was panting, words struggling to come out of my mouth properly as he increased the pressure on my chest and leaned in closer.  “It’s getting cold out here, Brucey.  Why don’t you take me back to the Bat Cave, so we can do this thing proper?  I’m sure you’ve got about a thousand white, wing-tipped collar shirts and an extra dinner jacket I can borrow.  What do you say?”  

My tone was manic and completely unhinged as Bruce looked down at me with a face full of annoyance, confusion and then something that looked like pity.  He rolled his head on his neck, releasing some of the pressure from the foot on my chest and then removing it all together.  He extended his hand forward and I grabbed it, pulling myself upwards.  As soon as I had leverage, I propped myself up on his shoulders and spit directly into his face.  I hadn’t even finished laughing before he was smashing me against the wall, holding me there with his forearm against my Adam’s apple and a knee sharply pressing into my thigh.  He had a tight hold on me, but I was able to shimmy a small pocket knife from the inside pocket of my blazer. 

“Joker, I’m calling GCPD.  You need help.  I’m not who you think I…”  I forced the blade into his abdomen, trying to miss vital organs so I could keep him alive for the final showdown I was plotting for a later date.  He fell back onto the dirty, snowy slush, the pile bracing his fall as the blood poured out, slowly staining his crisp white dress shirt.  I straddled him at once, grabbing his hands and placing them over the wound.  “You should apply pressure to that wound, Batsy.  We don’t want you losing too much blood.  Wait?  What was that?”  I grabbed one of his bloody hands and smeared my face with it.  “Mmmm…how did you know that I needed one of your hot hands on me to keep me warm?  I’m a bit of a freeze baby.”  I laughed, crouching over him whispering.  “Brucey, Brucey, Brucey.  This is going to be so fun.  Just me and my twin flame, waltzing in and out of each other’s lives in perpetuity until I catch you and fumigate you to death like the Bat you are.”  With that, I threw my card at him, letting it land on his chest as he struggled to dial the police, on his phone.  “Add that one to the collection, Bat Boy.  Give Commissioner Gordon my best.”   

[didanawisgi]

Selected Psi Research Publications by Dean Radin Ph.D

This is a selected list of peer-reviewed journal articles about psi (psychic) phenomena, most published in the 21st century. There are also some papers of historical interest and other resources. A comprehensive list of important articles and books would run into the thousands. Click on the title of an article to download it.

The Parapsychological Association – an international professional organization for scientists and scholars interested in psi phenomena – is an elected affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the largest scientific organization in the world and the publisher of the journal Science, one of the most prominent scientific journals.

I mention this because some individuals who call themselves “parapsychologists” are not scientists. They are better described as paranormal enthusiasts, ghost hunters, exorcists, or other practitioners of occult or esoteric arts. While such activities are interesting to many in the general population, the people engaged in them are not practicing science as defined by the AAAS, and as such their use of the term parapsychologist is inappropriate.

This page is maintained by Dean Radin. Last updated May 3, 2016.

Healing at a Distance

Astin et al (2000). The Efficacy of “Distant Healing”: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials

Leibovici (2001). Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial

Krucoff et al (2001).Integrative noetic therapies as adjuncts to percutaneous intervention during unstable coronary syndromes: Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Training (MANTRA) feasibility pilot

Radin et al (2004). Possible effects of healing intention on cell cultures and truly random events.

Krucoff et al (2005). Music, imagery, touch, and prayer as adjuncts to interventional cardiac care: the Monitoring and Actualisation of Noetic Trainings (MANTRA) II randomised study

Benson et al (2006).  Study of the therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients

Masters & Spielmans (2007). Prayer and health: Review, meta-analysis, and research agenda

Radin et al (2008).  Compassionate intention as a therapeutic intervention by partners of  cancer patients: Effects of distant intention on the patients’ autonomic nervous system.

Schlitz et al (2012). Distant healing of surgical wounds: An exploratory study.

Radin et al (2015). Distant healing intention therapies: An overview of the scientific evidence

Physiological correlations at a distance

Duane & Behrendt (1965). Extrasensory electroencephalographic induction between identical twins.

Grinberg-Zylberbaum et al (1994). The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox in the Brain: The transferred potential

Wiseman & Schlitz (1997). Experimenter effects and the remote detection of staring.

Standish et al (2003). Evidence of correlated functional magnetic resonance imaging signals between distant human brains.

Wackermann et al (2003). Correlations between brain electrical activities of two spatially separated human subjects

Schmidt et al (2004). Distant intentionality and the feeling of being stared at: Two meta-analyses

Radin (2004).  Event related EEG correlations between isolated human subjects.

Standish et al (2004). Electroencephalographic evidence of correlated event-related signals between the brains of spatially and sensory isolated human subjects

Richards et al (2005). Replicable functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence of correlated brain signals between physically and sensory isolated subjects.

Achterberg et al (2005). Evidence for correlations between distant intentionality and brain function in recipients: A functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis

Radin (2005). The sense of being stared at: A preliminary meta-analysis.

Radin & Schlitz (2005). Gut feelings, intuition, and emotions: An exploratory study.

Schlitz et al (2006). Of two minds: Skeptic-proponent collaboration within parapsychology.

Moulton & Kosslyn (2008). Using neuroimaging to resolve the psi debate.

Ambach (2008). Correlations between the EEGs of two spatially separated subjects − a replication study.

Hinterberger (2010). Searching for neuronal markers of psi: A summary of three studies measuring electrophysiology in distant participants.

Schmidt (2012). Can we help just by good intentions? A meta-analysis of experiments on distant intention effects

Jensen & Parker (2012). Entangled in the womb? A pilot study on the possible physiological connectedness between identical twins with different embryonic backgrounds.

Parker & Jensen (2013). Further possible physiological connectedness between identical twins: The London study.

Telepathy & ESP

Targ & Puthoff (1974). Information transmission under conditions of sensory shielding.

Puthoff & Targ (1976). A perceptual channel for information transfer over kilometer distance: Historical perspective and recent research

Eisenberg & Donderi (1979). Telepathic transfer of emotional information in humans.

Bem & Honorton (1994). Does psi exist?

Hyman (1994). Anomaly or artifact? Comments on Bem and Honorton

Bem (1994). Response to Hyman

Milton & Wiseman (1999). Does Psi Exist? Lack of Replication of an Anomalous Process of Information Transfer

Sheldrake & Smart (2000). Testing a return-anticipating dog, Kane.

Sheldrake & Smart (2000). A dog that seems to know when his owner to coming home: Videotaped experiments and observations.

Storm & Ertel (2001). Does Psi Exist? Comments on Milton and Wiseman’s (1999) Meta-Analysis of Ganzfeld Research

Milton & Wiseman (2001). Does Psi Exist? Reply to Storm and Ertel (2001)

Sheldrake & Morgana (2003). Testing a language-using parrot for telepathy.

Sheldrake & Smart (2003). Videotaped experiments on telephone telepathy.

Sherwood & Roe (2003). A Review of Dream ESP Studies Conducted Since the Maimonides Dream ESP Programme

Delgado-Romero& Howard (2005). Finding and Correcting Flawed Research Literatures

Hastings (2007). Comment on Delgado-Romero and Howard

Radin (2007). Finding Or Imagining Flawed Research?

Storm et al (2010).  Meta-Analysis of Free-Response Studies, 1992–2008: Assessing the Noise Reduction Model in Parapsychology

Storm et al (2010). A Meta-Analysis With Nothing to Hide: Reply to Hyman (2010)

Tressoldi (2011). Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence: the case of non-local perception, a classical and Bayesian review of evidences

Tressoldi et al (2011). Mental Connection at Distance: Useful for Solving Difficult Tasks?

Williams (2011). Revisiting the Ganzfeld ESP Debate: A Basic Review and Assessment

Rouder et al (2013). A Bayes Factor Meta-Analysis of Recent Extrasensory Perception Experiments: Comment on Storm, Tressoldi, and Di Risio (2010)

Storm et al (2013).  Testing the Storm et al. (2010) Meta-Analysis Using Bayesian and Frequentist Approaches: Reply to Rouder et al. (2013)

 General Overviews & Critiques

Utts (1996). An assessment of the evidence for psychic functioning

Alcock (2003). Give the null hypothesis a chance

Parker & Brusewitz (2003). A compendium of the evidence for psi

Carter (2010). Heads I lose, tails you win.

McLuhan (no date). Fraud in psi research.

Survival of Consciousness

van Lommel et al (2001). Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands

van Lommel (2006). Near-death experience, consciousness, and the brain

Beischel & Schwartz (2007). Anomalous information reception by research mediums demonstrated using a novel triple-blind protocol

Greyson (2010). Seeing dead people not known to have died: “Peak in Darien” experiences

Kelly (2010). Some directions for mediumship research

Kelly & Arcangel (2011). An investigation of mediums who claim to give information about deceased persons

Nahm et al (2011). Terminal lucidity: A review and a case collection.

Facco & Agrillo (2012).   Near-death experiences between science and prejudice

Matlock (2012). Bibliography of reincarnation resources online (articles and books, all downloadable)

Beischel, J., Boccuzzi, M., Biuso, M., & Rock, A. J. (2015). Anomalous information reception by research mediums under blinded conditions II: Replication and extension. EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing, 11(2), 136-142. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2015.01.001

 Precognition & Presentiment

Honorton & Ferrari (1989). “Future telling”: A meta-analysis of forced-choice precognition experiments, 1935-1987

Spottiswoode & May (2003). Skin Conductance Prestimulus Response: Analyses, Artifacts and a Pilot Study

Radin (2004).  Electrodermal presentiments of future emotions. 

McCraty et al (2004). Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition: Part 1. The Surprising Role of the Heart

McCraty et al (2004). Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition: Part 2. A System-Wide Process?

Radin & Lobach (2007). Toward understanding the placebo effect: Investigating a possible retrocausal factor.

Radin & Borges (2009). Intuition through time: What does the seer see?

Bem (2011). Feeling the future: Experimental evidence for anomalous retroactive influences on cognition and affect

Bem et al (2011). Must psychologists change the way they analyze their data?

Bierman (2011). Anomalous switching of the bi-stable percept of a Necker Cube

Radin et al (2011). Electrocortical activity prior to unpredictable stimuli in meditators and non-meditators.

Radin (2011). Predicting the unpredictable: 75 years of experimental evidence

Tressoldi et al (2011). Let your eyes predict : Prediction accuracy of pupillary responses to random alerting and neutral sounds

Galek et al (2012).  Correcting the past: Failures to replicate psi

Mossbridge et al (2012). Predictive physiological anticipation preceding seemingly unpredictable stimuli: a meta-analysis

Bem et al (2015). Feeling the future: A meta-analysis of 90 experiments on the anomalous anticipation of random future events

Theory

Josephson & Pallikari-Viras (1991). Biological utilisation of quantum nonlocality

May et al (1995). Decision augmentation theory: Towards a model of anomalous mental phenomena

Houtkooper (2002). Arguing for an observational theory of paranormal phenomena

Bierman (2003). Does consciousness collapse the wave-packet?

Dunne & Jahn (2005). Consciousness, information, and living systems

Henry (2005). The mental universe

Hiley & Pylkkanen (2005). Can mind affect matter via active information?

Lucadou et al (2007). Synchronistic phenomena as entanglement correlations in generalized quantum theory

Rietdijk (2007). Four-dimensional physics, nonlocal coherence, and paranormal phenomena

Bierman (2010). Consciousness induced restoration of time symmetry (CIRTS ): A psychophysical theoretical perspective

Tressoldi et al (2010). Extrasensory perception and quantum models of cognition.

Tressoldi (2012). Replication unreliability in psychology: elusive phenomena or “elusive” statistical power?

Mind-Matter Interaction

Crookes (1874). Researches in the phenomena of spiritualism

Crookes (1874). Notes of séances with DDH

Medhurst & Goldney (1964). William Crookes and the physical phenomena of mediumship.

Merrifield (1885/1971). Merrifield’s report (on D. D. Home)

Braude (1985). The enigma of Daniel Home.

Zorab (1971).  Were D. D. Home’s ‘spirit hands” ever fraudulently produced?

Jahn (1982). The persistent paradox of psychic phenomena: An engineering perspective.

Inglis (1983). Review of “The spiritualists. The passion for the occult in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by Ruth Brandon.”

Schmidt (1987). The strange properties of psychokinesis.

Schmidt (1990). Correlation between mental processes and external random events

Radin & Nelson (1989). Evidence for consciousness-related anomalies in random physical systems

Radin & Ferrari (1991). Effects of consciousness on the fall of dice: A meta-analysis

Jahn et al (1997). Correlations of random binary sequences with pre-stated operator intention: A review of a 12-year program.

Nelson et al (2002). Correlations of continuous random data with major world events.

Crawford et al (2003). Alterations in random event measures associated with a healing practice

Freedman et al (2003). Effects of frontal lobe lesions on intentionality and random physical phenomena

Bierman (2004). Does consciousness collapse the wave function?

Jahn & Dunne (2005). The PEAR Proposition.

Bosch et al (2006).  Examining psychokinesis: The interaction of human intention with random number generators

Radin et al (2006). Reexamining psychokinesis.

Radin et al (2006). Assessing the evidence for mind-matter interaction effects.

Radin (2006). Experiments testing models of mind-matter interaction.

Radin. (2008). Testing nonlocal observation as a source of intuitive knowledge.  

Nelson & Bancel (2011). Effects of mass consciousness: Changes in random data during global events.

Radin et al (2012). Consciousness and the double-slit interference pattern: Six experiments

Radin et al (2013). Psychophysical interactions with a double-slit interference pattern

Shiah & Radin (2013). A randomized trial investigating the roles of intention and belief on mood while drinking tea.

Radin et al (2015). Psychophysical interactions with a single-photon double-slit optical system.

Radin et al (2016). Psychophysical modulation of fringe visibility in a distant double-slit optical system.

 Potential Applications

Carpenter (2011). Laboratory psi effects may be put to practical use: Two pilot studies

Schwartz (1980/2000).   Location and reconstruction of a Byzantine structure … [by remote viewing]

Beischel, J., Mosher, C. & Boccuzzi, M. (2014-2015). The possible effects on bereavement of assisted after-death communication during readings with psychic mediums: A continuing bonds perspective. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 70(2), 169-194. doi: 10.2190/OM.70.2.b

Some recommended books (click to see book details at Amazon.com)

Radin (1997, 2009). The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena

Radin (2006). Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality

Irwin & Watt (2007). An Introduction to Parapsychology

Mayer (2008). Extraordinary Knowing: Science, Skepticism, and the Inexplicable Powers of the Human Mind

Kelly et al (2009). Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century

Tart (2009). The End of Materialism: How Evidence of the Paranormal Is Bringing Science and Spirit Together

Carter (2010). Science and the Near-Death Experience: How Consciousness Survives Death

Van Lommel (2011). Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience

Sheldrake (1999; new edition 2011) Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home

Alexander (2012). Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife

Carpenter (2012). First Sight: ESP and Parapsychology in Everyday Life

Carter (2012). Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics

Targ (2012). The Reality of ESP: A Physicist’s Proof of Psychic Abilities

Beischel (2013). Among Mediums: A Scientist’s Quest for Answers

Sheldrake (2003; new edition 2013) The Sense of Being Stared At, And Other Aspects of the Extended Mind

Radin (2013). Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities

Dossey (2014). One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters

Broderick & Goertzel (2014). Evidence for Psi: Thirteen Empirical Research Reports

May et al (2014). ESP WARS: East and West: An Account of the Military Use of Psychic Espionage As Narrated by the Key Russian and American Players

May and Marwaha (2014). Anomalous Cognition: Remote Viewing Research and Theory

Kelly (2014). Beyond Physicalism: Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality

Cardeña (2015). Parapsychology: A Handbook for the 21st Century.

May & Marwaha (2015). Extrasensory Perception: Support, Skepticism, and Science 

Websites with access to more articles

Daryl Bem: Click here  

Brian Josephson: Click here

Edwin May: Click here   

Stephan Schwartz, Click here

Rupert Sheldrake: Click here

James Spottiswoode: Click here

Charles Tart: Click here    

Russell Targ: Click here  

Patrizio Tressoldi: Click here

Jessica Utts: Click here

Richard Wiseman: Click here

Journal of Scientific Exploration: Click here

Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) Laboratory: Click here or here.

Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia: Click  here

Esalen Center for Theory and Research: Click here

Windbridge Institute: Click here.

Koestler Unit of the University of Edinburgh: Click here.

Videos

Greyson (2008). Consciousness without brain activity: Near Death Experiences (United Nations talk)

Radin (2008), Science and the taboo of psi (Google TechTalk)

Sheldrake (2008) The extended mind (Google Tech Talk)

… more to be added …

[aknazer]

Plagg’s Day Out: Kwami Club Meeting

Also on Ao3 

Day 3 << Day 4 >> Day 5

The ride back to school was uneventful, aside from Wayzz giving him the silent treatment. Though, truthfully, Plagg couldn’t tell if Wayzz was actually giving him the silent treatment, or was just...meditating or something.

Fu had left Wayzz with some seriously weird habits.

Once they’d reached the building and everyone was settled in their seats, Plagg still didn’t head back to Adrien. Even though it was still another hour or so until the meeting, Plagg knew that if he gave into temptation and left, he likely wouldn’t make it back.

He awoke to a paw prodding him. Cracking open an eye, he smirked when Trixx’s face swam into view, familiar and mischievous.

“Hey, Red. How’s it going?”

“Oh, I’d say it’s going pretty well.” Trixx’s bushy tail flicked back and forth in amusement. “Thanks for the stop over, by the way. Alya is torn between concern for Chat and smug satisfaction at having gotten the only interview with the mysterious Chat Noire.”

“Glad I could help.” Plagg sat up, stretching. “Can you make sure some of those pictures find their way to Ladybug? I talked her into swinging by so she could recreate the suit later.”

“Recreate it?” Trixx’s cocked an eyebrow inquisitively.

“Not actually, I don’t think.” Pagg squinted, trying to recall some of the rapid-fire impressions that had bombarded him a random intervals throughout the evening. “There were a lot of neurons firing off at once. A Chat Noire doll to go in her collection. Mutterings about mandarin collars and hemlines. Some kind of choker with a bell on it?” Plagg pulled a face. “So much girly crap. I quit listening, really.”

“Confused you, didn’t it?” Tikki smirked as she drifted over to rest next to him.

“I could have lived quite happily never knowing what tulle was.” Plagg grumbled, crossing his arms and turning away from Tikki’s amused gaze. However, his traitorous tail snuck off, winding affectionately around his partner. Plagg frowned harder when Trixx joined Tikki in giggling.

“It’s okay,” Trixx’s tone tried for soothing...and failed miserably. “Half the time I’m not sure what language Alya is actually speaking. She stares at these little...glyphs, on her screen and then asks me if I can see the error. The best I can tell her is ‘Well, it’s not Chinese.’”

Plagg snorted.

“It was the same with Marinette at first.” Tikki replied happily. “I’ve actually learned quite a bit from her, and it’s been wonderful watching her work improve over the years.”

“You both are disgusting.” Plagg sneered.

“You three are ridiculous.” Pollen, who was hovering by Wayzz, rolled her eyes expressively. “I was the one who had to sit there listening to Chloe’s phone practically buzz itself apart during dinner.”

“When Nino got home,” Wayzz commented, finishing up a tiny paper crane and setting it aside, “he saw his phone and started cussing.”

Plagg laughed. “How many from Adrien?”

“Six missed calls and ten text messages.” Wayzz said with a small smile. “Now, can we begin the meeting?”

“Oh my gods-” Plagg started to whine,

“-Yes?” Piped up four other voices simultaneously.

“...I hate you all.” Plagg muttered, disgusted. “Seriously. Do we have to do this shit every time?”

“Probably.” Trixx chirped. “But what ‘shit’ did you mean, specifically? The lame and obvious quips or having a meeting?”

“Yes.” Plagg nodded.

“Then yes, we do.” Trixx plopped down and curled her tail around herself with an air of finality.

Sighing, Plagg looked at Tikki, who only patted him consolingly before sitting down. Grumbling, Plagg curled up next to her.

“Plagg, do you want to start us off? Since you obviously have a story to tell?” Wayzz asked politely.

“What? No.” Plagg snorted. “I’ve already told my story three times, which is two more times than I wanted to. And I’ll have to tell Adrien something, so that’s four times.”

“But Plagg-” Trixx whined, “I wanna know what happened…”

“Then ask Tikki. Or Wayzz.” Plagg rebutted, without ever glancing her way.

“Plagg…”

“Pollen, why did Chloe miss patrol last night?” Wayzz ignored Trixx and Plagg, turning to Pollen.

“Her father was having dinner with the Mayor of Marasielle.” Pollen said. “Mayor Dubois announced that his eldest son - who is close to Chloe’s age - would be attending, since the boy is apparently aspiring to politics. Mayor Bourgeois thought it would be a good idea to introduce Lukas to Chloe, and asked her to attend as well. She was unable to get out of it.”

“Unable or unwilling?” Plagg muttered, well away of the Bee holder’s temperament. Chloe was (or at least had been) a notorious social-climber, who lacked the patience for any kind of manual labor. Or anything she considered beneath her, really.

Not to say that the brat hadn’t smartened up considerably since gaining a Miraculous. Donning a mask had certainly allowed her to lower her guard, much the same as it had for Adrien. And under Pollen’s tutelage, Chloe had learned patience and restraint...somewhat. She was a work in progress.

“Unable.” Pollen shot Plagg a look. “She’d already seen pictures of the new Chat, and was quite eager to get out and take a look herself.”

“Depending on what Plagg says to his chosen, she may yet discover that it was only Ladybug.” Wayzz replied, sliding Plagg a glance out of the corner of his eye.

Plagg rolled his eyes expressively.

“Well, Alya was thrilled that Chat Noire came to her for an interview.” Trixx piped up. “It’s quite the feather in her cap, and has put her on the radar with the local news stations.”

“She was already known to them.” Tikki pointed out.

“True.” Trixx smiled. “But never has a new superhero specifically sought her out for an interview, and eschewed the more mainstream official channels.”

Plagg rolled his eyes again at Trixx’s preening. You would think that Trixx was directly responsible for Alya’s success. “She was doing fine long before you got to her, Red.”

“Yes, my holder is a clever one.” Trixx said smugly, and Plagg gave up, dropping his head with a huff.

“And, you, Plagg?” Wayzz asked. “How is Adrien’s home situation?”

“As stable and precarious as always.” Plgg mumbled, and Tikki’s antenna reached out to twin with his affectionately. Plagg was not happy with the danger his kitten was in, and less happy that he was in it unknowingly. However, even he had to concede that informing Adrien was also a poor choice. Right now there was a balance, no matter how precarious and fragile, and it needed to be kept until they could be assured that the shift would be a positive one.

“Seven months.” Tikki murmured soothingly.

Plagg sighed. “I don’t know if it will hold that long. With Jade and Rena joining the scene, Papillion is becoming nervous. It’s only their newness that has kept him in check, but he may yet decide to bring Duusu into play.”

“It is difficult.” Wayzz said solemnly. “And you’re sure that Gabriel does not know his son’s role in this?”

“Some days I am, others I’m not.” Plagg admitted, shaking his head. “Even Nooroo is uncertain where his holder’s mind is.”

Or if he even had one, Plagg added silently. Gabriel Agreste was a psychopath, which made him all the more dangerous to deal with. What affection, if any, he held for his only son was known only to him. It had taken two years to suss out his motivations, and only time would tell if he would be willing to trade his son’s life to achieve his goals.

“Adrien lives in danger, and does not know it.” Trixx murmured apprehensively. “His den holds no safety for him.”

“That he cannot read the book is small consolation.” Wayzz murmured. “But we need to remove Duusu from his hands.”

“If we do, Adrien’s situation will devolve further.” Tikki argued. “Until he reaches the age of majority, he cannot safely leave, and his circle is not strong enough to support him, nor do they have the resources to do so.”

“Duusu is in danger. Master Fu is quite concerned.” Wayzz said.

“Duusu is in no more danger than he was.” Trixx replied.

“Neither is Adrien.” Wayzz countered.

“You all drone without purpose.” Pollen interjected. “This argument solves nothing - it is the same one we’ve had before.”

“Both Duusu and Nooroo say that Adrien’s safety is the priority.” Plagg spoke up.

“Have you spoken to them? Recently?” Pollen asked curiously.

“A few weeks ago.” Plagg said. “They agree that Adrien is far more likely to be the subject of his father’s ire than they are. And even is they are used, there are still fail-safes in place to limit the damage that Gabriel can do.”

“Then what had you concerned yesterday?” Tikki asked gently. “You seemed upset.”

“I was. I am.” Plagg sighed. “Gabriel has been increasing Adrien’s commitments. Dropping Chinese meant adding Italian. His piano is satisfactory, so now Gabriel is saying he must maintain his proficiency, as well as take up the violin.”

On the surface, it wasn’t so bad: Adrien’s conversational and written Mandarin was as good as it could be without traveling and living in China. His piano had been sufficient for a while. But since he had mastered them, it wasn’t as much effort. Learning a new language or instrument, and at the pace Gabriel expected, could easily be too much.

Adrien still insisted on school. Sure, he was well ahead of his classmates (and was actually taking a few University courses at his father’s insistence), but the social interaction was something Adrien desperately craved. And, truth be told, needed.

“He doesn’t get enough to eat.” Plagg grumbled. “And what he does get is insufficient to sustain him. His health is being effected.”

Silence.

“Maybe Chat Noir should take a break.” Trixx offered. “There are three others now.”

“It wouldn’t help.” Plagg said, shaking his head. “This is the only freedom he has. And there is no way he would agree to abandon Ladybug.”

“Lovesick fool.” Pollen muttered, but Plagg knew she was concerned, too.

“Marinette could…” Tikki said tentatively. “But there would be questions.”

“Something has to give.” Plagg said. “I want a reveal.”

“Plagg…” Tikki murmured.

“No, he’s right.” Pollen spoke up. “A member of the hive is hurt. Others must step up to support him.”

“I will speak to Fu.” Wayzz said. “There have been situations like this before, I am sure of it.”

“There have.” Tikki said hesitantly. “However, our foil here is technology. Even a century ago, it was possible to disappear, create a new life if needed. Now? I am not so sure.”

“Then we will reach out to other circles, if we must.” Wayzz said.

There was danger there, too. If Adrien had to leave Paris to save his life, then the black cat would have to either go with him as a companion, or return to dormancy until he had passed and a new holder born. Plagg slid Tikki a glance, and knew that she was worrying over the same thing. It had been done before, separating the Ladybug and the Black Cat, but it was never a good solution. And it was only brought into play if the alternatives were worse.

“If Chloe were brought into it, she may be able to help.” Pollen offered thoughtfully. “She does live in a hive, in truth. People come, people go. Everything moves. There is always a room available, to hide if one must.”

“Does Chloe know the hotel’s system?” Trixx asked curiously. “If not, Alya may be of help.”

“I...do not know.” Pollen shook her head regretfully. “I think she knows the basics, but may not be able to fully manipulate it. I do not know, even, what is involved.”

“I think,” Tikki said, “that for now, gathering information may be our best route. A reveal would be preferable to a move, always. And, as Plagg said, the situation is stable, but could deteriorate rapidly should anything change. If things must devolve, then we need them to do so in our favor.”

“A contingency plan.” Wayzz nodded. “I will talk to Fu, and to Nino. Feel out your holders, see how you think they would do with knowing identities. There is a history of tension between some of them, so we need to know how this will affect things.”

The Kwami Club meeting (and Plagg sarcastically called it: “What are we, a bunch of babysitters?”) broke up not too long after. Tikki did indeed chew him out for tricking Marinette into vaulting past Adrien the previous night, and no amount of wheedling or excuses would sway her.

“I knew you were up to something! I knew it!”

“But, Tikki, I had to let the boy know I was alright. Right? You wouldn’t want him to worry I was hurt, would you?”

“Now he’s probably more worried that he’s been replaced, Plagg!”

Wayzz, the serene little snot that he was, just sat in the corner, quietly folding more paper animals as Tikki ranted. And smiling. Plagg had definitely seen him smiling.

By the time Plagg had crept back into Adrien’s bag, he was ready for a nap. Or ten. Or maybe a ten hour nap.

He didn’t get his ten hour nap, but he did get in an hour or two before he vaguely heard the school bell ring. Jostling meant movement, and he registered the lifting and faint bump that signaled that Adrien’s book bag had been hung up. More noises, the rustling of clothing shifting as he head Adrien trade out his school wear for the fencing uniform. Familiar voices talking and teasing and laughing, before a metallic clang, and silence.

The next time he woke, was to more of the same. The squeak that signalled a locker door opening, and Adrien’s voice as he chatted with team mates and changed. The lifting sensation and rhythmic bumping as Adrien settled his pack and moved off. Plagg didn’t pay it much mind until Adrien stopped.

Plagg could hear the faint whirring and clicking of tumblers as Adrien opened his school locker, mumbling to himself as he did so. Then the top of his bag was opened. Plagg lifting his head, expecting a familiar pair of green eyes - and got a faceful of books.

“...Chapters three and four of…” Adrien wasn’t even looking as he dumped school books into his bag! Sputtering and indignant, Plagg climbed over the book that had been dropped on top of him.

“Hey!” He raised a fist and shook it at the oblivious boy. “Hey! What’s the big idea?”

Adrien’s eyes swung from the open planner in his hand to Plagg’s irate stare, eyes widening in shock. “Plagg? Plagg! Oh my god!”

The planner snapped closed, and Adrien absently shoved it into the locker as he turned, using both hands to bring his school bag closer to peer down at the kwami. Yanking the bag open wider, he gaped openly.

“What are you doing here?” Adrien gasped. “How did you get here? Where were you? Are you alright? When did-”

“Jeez, enough.” Plagg drawled. “Watch where you’re dropping your books, kid, you nearly gave me a concussion.”

“I nearly-” Adrien blinked, eyes narrowing. “Well, pardon me, you weren’t in there last time I checked.”

“And when was that?” Plagg asked idly, lounging on top of one of his papery attackers.

“After lunch.” Adrien answered automatically. “Wait! What the heck happened to you?”

“Not a whole lot to say.” Plagg yawned widely, tiny fangs glinting in the low light. “A bunch of stuff happened, and here I am.”

“‘A bunch of stuff happened and here I am.’” Adrien repeated incredulously. “That’s the best you can do? You were gone for almost twenty-four hours, Plagg!”

“What, were you counting?” The tiny god asked dubiously. “And I wasn’t gone. I was near by...mostly. Well, for a while, anyway. Within a couple hundred meters or so...”

“Plagg, this is no time for your crap!” Adrien hissed. “What if something had happened? What if there had been an akuma? Who would've helped Ladybug then?”

“Calm down,” Plagg drawled, “It was fine.”

“It was not fine!” Adrien snapped, then glanced around for anybody nearby before lowering his voice. “What the hell happened, Plagg? Seriously.”

“What, you want the long version?” Plagg eyed Adrien skeptically. At his resolute nod, Plagg heaved a sigh. “Fine, fine…”

Adrien’s phone jangled, and both of them winced. Adrien reached back, pulling it from his pocket and grimacing at the screen.

“Gorilla’s here.” He said unnecessarily, before pinning Plagg with a glare. “But you will be telling me what happened when we get home.” 

[dailypetcat]

Awesome Cat Facts

Did you know that cats greet each other by touching noses? Or that they can rotate their ears 180º? And these aren't the only surprising facts about cats you may have missed!

 #1: Cats have been domesticated for about 4,000 years! Before that, they were one of the greatest hunters feared by numerous species.

 #2: A cat needs to interact with humans from about 2 weeks old so it can be sociable toward people. Even after that, you still have time until a cat turns about 16 weeks old. After that, it's almost impossible to domesticate it.

 #3: A group of kittens is often called a kindle; a group of adult cats is called a clowder. A female cat is referred to as a queen, and a male cat is known as a tom.

#4: Your cat's purrs and meows are only a tiny part of their vocal abilities. In fact, cats can make up to 100 different sounds! #5: By the way, cats only meow at humans. With other animals, they hiss, spit, and purr — but never meow. They also tend to greet each other by touching noses.

 #6: When it comes to a cat's development, the first year of its life is equal to the first 15 human years. When a cat turns 2, it turns 25 in human years. And after the third year of its life, it gets to a place we all know about: one cat year for every 7 human years!

 #7: The problem of acne is pretty common among cats. They usually end up developing blackheads on their chins, which is widely known as feline acne.

 #8: Since cats basically evolved as desert animals, they can cope with heat pretty well. Still, if they feel especially hot or frightened, they secrete sweat through their paws. 

#9: Most cats tend to spend about two-thirds of their day sleeping. So the average 9-year-old cat has been fully awake for only 3 years of its life! Cats also spend about one-third of their waking hours cleaning themselves up. #10: A cat’s sense of smell is truly superb — it's approximately 14 times greater than that of the average human! 

#11: One of the reasons why cats clean themselves so often is to lick your scent off! When your cat rubs against you from nose to tail, it wants to mark you as its own. However, your furry friend still picks up your smell, which it usually removes from its fur afterward. 

#12: Cats aren't really big fans of sweets, simply because they can't taste them! Scientists believe this happened because of a mutation in their key taste receptor. 

#13: Cats have rather sensitive stomachs, so you should be very careful about your furry friend's menu. Never give your cat onion, garlic, green tomatoes, chocolate, grapes, or raisins. Milk is also a bad idea as it upsets your kitten's stomach.

 #14: Cats have belly buttons too, but they look nothing like ours. It's pretty hard to find and is usually located about two-thirds of the way down a cat's belly.

 #15: Your cat always understands when you say its name…it just chooses to ignore you! Specialists believe this happens because, historically, cats haven't been domesticated to listen to people's orders — unlike dogs. So, yup, your furry friend couldn't care less! 

#16: While we subconsciously view a black cat as a sign of bad luck, in England, Asia, France, and many other countries, they're considered to bring prosperity and happiness!

#17: A cat's whiskers aren't there to make them extra cute! They’re covered in numerous nerve cells and blood vessels. This helps cats detect any changes around them and figure out whether they can fit into a certain space as their whiskers have a span of the width of their body.

 #18: No matter what kind of music you love, your cat most probably can't stand the sound of it! However, there's something your friend will like: a special album that composer David Teie created with animal scientists called Music for Cats. Just play your cat something from this album and see what happens!

 #19: Cats have a special reflective layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum. This layer easily magnifies incoming light and allows cats to see around 6 times better than we do in the dark and low light. Maybe it should've been called “a cat eye” instead of “an eagle eye”?

 #20: A cat named Stubbs was mayor of the small town of Talkeetna in Alaska for 15 years. During the election, Stubbs was a cute kitten, but residents later confessed that they were perfectly happy with their choice, saying that Stubbs was probably the best mayor they've ever had!

 #21: A cat's heart beats way faster than ours with about 110 to 140 beats every single minute.

 #22: A tabby cat named Dusty is known as the biggest mama of them all. During her breeding life, she gave birth to 420 kittens! Obviously, you can find Dusty in one of the editions of Guinness World Records.

 #23: A cat's cerebral cortex contains 300 million neurons. Just for comparison, dogs have only around 160 million.

 #24: Cats can give birth to identical twin kittens. Imagine how cute they would look! Unfortunately, this happens very rarely.

[athusia]

Versipellis Agile Novus

Modern Versipellis (pl. Versipelles) is the short version of the full Latin name Versipellis Agile Nova, that describes the only humanoid species of Athusia and current rulers of the planet. A Versipellis are characterised by their bipedal locomotion and erect posture in their humanoid form, while also being able to shapeshift into another animal. This shapeshifting includes mammals, avians and reptiles. Supernatural creatures are excluded. The Modern Versipellis is the only living member of the genus Versipellis and belongs to the family of shapeshifters which is a magnorder of Placentalia.

I. BIOLOGY

I.I. Anatomy & Physiology

Many aspects of the Versipellian physiology can be traced back to the any of animals of Athusia. The body of a Versipellis consists out of a torso, a head, a neck, the legs and the arms. They also show off the same body systems. The most commonly defined body systems are the aether, the nervous, the cardiovascular, the endocrine, the immune, the circulatory, the musculoskeletal, the integumentary, the reproductive, the respiratory, the digestive, the lymphatic and the urinary system.

Versipelles lack blood groups, external tails (when out of their animal shape), but appear to have opposable thumbs and a sexual dimorphism. While other Athusian creatures might be faster than them, they can be counted to the living beings with the highest stamina as long as their body was trained for it. Sweat glands and thin to almost no available body hair support this as these features prevent heat exhaustion while running longer distances. A regular Versipellis can run with a speed of around 15km/h (9mph) but will tire out quite quickly if this is kept out for a long time.

Due to being bipedal, female Versipelles have a rather narrow birth canal, which makes childbirth more painful and dangerous than in other species. This species requires help from other Versipelles to minimise the risk of giving birth. Fetuses are born as developed and vulnerable as most newborns of other animals, but with slightly lower cognitive abilities - until age the of 6 months when the rapid growth and development of the brain surpasses it. Female Versipelles go through a menopause after the age of 55, making them unable to bear any more offsprings and infertile until the end of their life. While a male specimen can reproduce as often as needed or liked, a female only has two ovulations in one year and can only reproduce during this time.

Apart from bipedalism, they also differ from most animals through their abilities in language, brain size, smelling, hearing, seeing, their digestive system and their aether system below their skin. They also sport a higher amount of neurones in their fairly well-developed cerebral cortex. Versipelles also are able to create new ideas, to develop them and develop systems, unlike the other creatures of Athusia.

Versipelles can have any natural hair colour, any eye colour and natural skin colour. Their appearance is often influenced by their environment, usually taking the one which fits their surroundings in an evolutionary correct way. Their appearance can't be changed besides morphing between an animal and a humanoid shape. The Athusian-wide average height of a male Versipellis is around 175 cm while the one for females is around 170 cm. Like any features, height and build are both influenced by genetics and environment, just as medical conditions.

Although they appear almost hairless apart from the top of the head and eyebrows, all Versipelles are slightly haired all over their body - this hair is just very fine, short and low on pigmentation which makes it harder to see. Male Versipelles are able to grow beards.

This species is omnivorous and can digest proteins just as fibre. Their teeth are medium-sized and often appear to have small canines which often exceed the length of their incisors by half an inch at max. They have slightly smaller teeth than most other animals and shorter palates outside of their shifting form. When shifted, they don't acquire the tooth forms of their animal form but keep their omnivore set of teeth. This feature also helps to distinguish shifted Versipelles from regular animals. Crowded teeth. Gaps from lost teeth are common among younger Versipelles during the permanent dentition stage when their deciduous teeth are replaced with the final set which is harder, bigger and form a gapless row of teeth again after the jaw grew.

The ability to shapeshift and use magic is gained around the age of 10 years when the aether system is fully developed. In the case of god touched individuals, the age might go down to 5 years.

I. II. The Aether System

Similar to the regular systems a body needs to work properly, a Versipellis has another additional system: The Aether System. While other circulatory systems transport blood or other vital substances to provide nourishment and keep up the body functions, the Aether System carries the Aetherial Energy (short: Aether) of the individual.

The basic energy itself is formed in the bone marrow but enhanced by the energy drawn from the digested food in stomach and colon. If the individual is starving, the potential energy of the Aether flowing through them decreases. Versipelles need to eat a lot of fresh and ideally raw meat, just like uncooked vegetables as both of them have the biggest amount of Aether which can be used in the Aether system. The system itself is comparable to the cardiovascular one as it manifests itself in a complex system of veins which run through the whole body. Also similar to the CV system, the vessels are wrapped around the heart which gives the leading impulse for the energy to circulate. Due to the aether system emitting some warmth, it also helps the species to keep warm in the cold climate of Athusia.

While the energy of this system runs through its own special system of vessels inside the body, it can also influence and be visible to the external world. The most common appearance of this energy is always in the eyes of a Versipellis: even if they don't utilise the energy, their iris is always glowing softly in the colour of the energy. This is barely visible but can be increased in visibility if the individual in question is blessed. Another visible effect is a fine vein pattern in the energy colour on the inner part of the lower arm in very pale Versipelles.

I. III. Genetics

With two sets of 23 chromosomes in each somatic cell (apart from gametes), Versipelles are a - just like all mammals - diploid eukaryotic species. Each set of 23 chromosomes is received from one parent. Just like other mammals, Versipelles have an XY sex-determination system; females have XX, males have XY. Outside of this common outcomes, some appearances of X (Turner Syndrome), XXY (intersex with male and female body features // Klinefelter Syndrome; always male), XXX (causes trisomy X; always female), XXXX (very rare; causes tetrasomy X; always female), XXXXY (extremely rare; usually fatal), XXXXX (extremely rare; causes pentasomy X; always female), XX Gonadal Dysgenesis (no functional ovaries), XX Male Syndrome (rare; born as man while chromosomes are defined female), XXYY (always male) and XYY Syndrome ("Super Male") were documented over the years. All of these are quite rare.

Even in the case of monozygotic twins, no Versipelles are genetically identical. Both environment and inherited genes influence the appearance just as health and mental abilities to an unexplained level.

Due to documentation and research, the origin of the Versipelles can be pinned to Northern Ateria where the first modern colony settled down. Even though the species has only one conjoint origin, it shows a great diversity in its genetics as most Versipelles show off a genetic similarity of around 99.5% which is quite a lot.

I.IV. Life Cycle

Versipellis reproduction takes place through internal fertilisation - naturally by sexual intercourse between a male and a female which is only possible in human form. After male ejaculation, the sperm travels through the cervix into the uterus for the fertilisation of the ovum. As soon as that happened, the zygote starts dividing within the uterus and grows in size to become an embryo which happens after around the 9th week of pregnancy. Shifting into an animal is impossible as soon as the zygote becomes an embryo. Over a period of around 9 months, the embryo continues to grow and becomes a fetus which is then birthed from the body. At this point, the baby is considered as a being entitled to full protection of the law and spirit world for the first time. Through culture, an unborn child is considered to be the property primary of the mother and secondary of the gods. An unborn child can be taken by the gods if the mother agrees or dies before childbirth.

Newborn infants are typically between 3 - 4 kilogrammes in weight and 45 - 55cm in height at the time of birth and are neither able to walk in the next 4 weeks nor able to use the Athusian languages until the age of 1. Versipelles grow for some years; they reach aetherial maturity around age 10 and sexual maturity around age 15. Physical development of both genders ends around age 20. The sexual maturity of females ends with the menopause at age 55 - 60. Both genders have a similar life expectancy which is only influenced by individual genetics and the environment; the average lifespan is 90 years. Centenarians are not rare. I. V. Diet As an omnivorous species, Versipelles are able to digest a big variety of plants as well as animal material. While meat can be eaten raw or cooked, plants should be at least slightly cooked to ensure the body taking in all vitamins. Due to their physical features, it's impossible for an individual to live either carnivorous or herbivorous as both options would lead to serious malnutrition and even death if practised over an extensive amount of time. Versipelles are able to digest lactose and appear to have a liking towards dairy products. The diet can be used to reflect the culture and even specific religious affiliations. Versipelles were hunters and gatherers before the development of agriculture and settlements, with fire as help to cook meat and plants. After agriculture was introduced by the Ezriel, the diet of them changed quite a lot in variety and amount of eaten food. While the species itself is known as a survivalist, starving for longer than 4 weeks is deadly in all cases - no matter the amount of body fat as the aether systems in their body require a lot of energy to run properly. Due to this, obese Versipelles are extremely rare as most energy is used straight away, usually only leaving room for a healthy layer of body fat to keep warm and to store away a small amount of energy for bad times.

II. PSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIOUR

As their brain - the big focused centre of the consciousness and central nervous system - can comprehend stimulation from their environment, Versipelles perceive their environment through senses which can greatly influence their behaviour and personality development. Next to controlling autonomic processes, it has also the ability to perform 'higher' actions such as thought, reasoning and abstraction.

II. I. Sleep

Versipelles are commonly diurnal, even though they are known to be active at night too in many cases. The sleeping pattern varies quite a lot from region to region. A common adult sleeps 5 - 6 hours a day, a child 8 hours and elders around 4 - 5 hours. The lack of sleep can lead to negative effects on mental and physical health.

Due to the aether system in their bodies, Versipelles commonly live through vivid but slightly psychedelic dreams of sight and sound which rarely turn into nightmares. While the body is asleep, the aether running through the system stimulates the brain and produces colourful and rather psychedelic visions often based on memory.

Observing dreaming is normal, but also a few cases of the participating form are known. Dreaming is very healthy and helps to stabilise the aether system. A regular dream starts around 30 minutes after the individual has fallen asleep and will carry on until they wake up. II. II. Consciousness They are connected to the world through senses such as sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, which enables the individual to experience the external world without any problems. The environment also influences many categories of a Versipellis's way of thinking and acting as they are able to form subjective views and opinions. A Versipellis have a sufficient self-awareness and can recognise themselves in a mirror after the age of 10 months. II. III. Emotions & Motivation As every living being, very individual possesses a motivation - usually the avoidance of conflict or positive emotions. While positive and negative emotional states are defined differently by every Versipellis and might be influenced by social norms, the wish for the absence of conflict is an ancient urge which helps to sustain society and emotional bonds. Destructive actions such as SIB are usually learnt by the individual through receiving positive reactions from themselves after doing so. While libido is also one of the primary motivations, the avoidance of conflict is still one of the most common reasons for the way a Versipellis acts.

A mentally healthy Versipellis has a wide arrangement of emotions, including good states as well as bad ones. This diversity helps the individual to express themselves to companions. Emotions have a great influence on Versipellian behaviour and can also affect the aether system in its function, depending on how strong the emotion is. II. III. Sexuality With the libido being one of the primary drives of this species, a Versipellis also experiences strong feelings such as love and compassion. Sexuality in this species doesn't only exist to ensure reproduction, but also to create physical intimacy and social bonds between individuals. Versipelles display a wide spectrum of sexual and romantic orientations; most individuals are bisexual, sometimes with a slight preference for the opposite gender. All sexualities are accepted in the society, even though some royal families are known to strive to be completely heterosexual for the sake of reproduction. II.IV. Language The many languages spoken by Versipelles in Athusia are unique to their species as their languages are open and can have different meanings, unlike set communication between animals. It also offers the opportunity to represent things and events through words even when they are currently not locally or presently occurring. Every language can also be written down in simple signs on paper or other materials to be preserved for the future generations. While about 8000 languages are known and documented in Athusia, the most spread ones are Ancient Greek and Latin. II. V. Social Behavior Versipelles are highly social creatures and strive to live in large groups. The base of this desire is the knowledge to be safe and to communicate with others of their species. Those groups are either founded by the desire to live with offsprings and general kinship (such as in family) or because they share a specific trait such as ancestry or history.

Commonly living in large settlements such as cities and nations, Versipelles have a complex society which builds upon the interaction between individuals. While this led to many conflicts in history, they require having a government to create and enforce laws as this species can't live without a leader. The most used systems are the monarchy and liberal democracy, even though theocracy and military dictatorship are still common in Aspiria.

The society builds up upon the economy - the exchange of goods and services. This leads to the creation of a market which runs over a currency system. Said system can differ from Imperium to Imperium, but all currencies can be traded for each other in case of travelling or taking part in the international economy.

Even though the desire of the avoidance of conflict should prevent wars from happening, there are multiple documented cases of violent battles over years between different nations. The decision to efficiently kill other individuals of the own species to solve conflicts over territory, power and resources of this extent is unique to this species.

II. VI. Body Modifications & Other Alterations Playing an important part in the culture of Athusia, non-medical body modifications such as piercings, jewellery and clothing are interesting phenomena found in this species. This is often used for self-expression, as a sign of passage or for ethical and/or religious reasons.

Clothes vary from Imperium to Imperium due to the wide spectrum of different climates but can be defined be the body being draped with varying textiles such as fabric, leather or fur. The main reasons for this are the protection from the elements, increasing safety (for example during outside activities) and also social aspects as wearing clothes is a norm in Athusia for Versipelles. This norm requires having genitals, breast (both male and female) and buttocks to be covered as the exposure of these body parts is seen as indecent. Clothes are also often used to for self-expression.

Piercings are also a very important part of the Athusian culture and can be found in both genders. Most commonly pierced body part are the ears, with both the lobe and cartilage tissue serving this purpose. Next to this, it's also common to pierce nose, lips and even genital & nipples. While the first two options are usually either used for self-expression or to make a statement, the other two are often related to religious backgrounds - but not always as they have a growing popularity among the people of Semetra and Ateria.

Not only piercings are used to set certain statements, but also a wide variety of haircuts. While practical styles are preferred by commoners, many nobles or rich individuals prefer extraordinary ones. Colouring is also often seen, usually in the colours blue, green and turquoise. II. VII. Art Versipelles have a strong urge to express themselves through their appearance and their own creations, even before the presence of the first god. Whether it be through drawing, creating music, writing poems and stories, dancing or anything else - every healthy individual will have the urge to go after one of these. Art of any kind is highly valued in all Imperii, especially music.

[ourhealthyfoodblog-blog]

New Post has been published on Healthy Food and Remedies

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50 Incredibly Weird Facts About the Human Body

As long as we make efforts to take care of ourselves and live healthy, there is a good chance that our bodies will serve us well for a long time. Our bodies truly are amazing. You might be surprised at what your body is capable of after reading these 50 weird facts about the human body:

The Brain

Complex and poorly understood, the brain is what makes everything work properly. The body may be kept alive, but without the brain, a person can’t truly live. Here are some interesting and weird facts about the brain.

The brain doesn’t feel pain: Even though the brain processes pain signals, the brain itself does not actually feel pain.

Your brain has huge oxygen needs: Your brain requires 20 percent of the oxygen and calories your body needs — even though your brain only makes up two percent of your total body weight.

80% of the brain is water: Instead of being relatively solid, your brain 80% water. This means that it is important that you remain properly hydrated for the sake of your mind.

Your brain comes out to play at night: You’d think that your brain is more active during the day, when the rest of your body is. But it’s not. Your brain is more active when you sleep.

Your brain operates on 10 watts of power: It’s true: The amazing computational power of your brain only requires about 10 watts of power to operate.

A higher I.Q. equals more dreams: The smarter you are, the more you dream. A high I.Q. can also fight mental illness. Some people even believe they are smarter in their dreams than when they are awake.

The brain changes shapes during puberty: Your teenage years do more than just change how you feel; the very structure of your brain changes during the teen years, and it even affects impulsive, risky behavior.

Your brain can store everything: Technically, your brain has the capacity to store everything you experience, see, read or hear. However, the real issue is recall — whether you can access that information.

Information in your brain travels at different speeds: The neurons in your brain are built differently, and information travels along them at different speeds. This is why sometimes you can recall information instantly, and sometimes it takes a little longer.

Your Senses

You might be surprised at the amazing things your various senses can accomplish.

Your smell is unique: Your body odor is unique to you — unless you have an identical twin. Even babies recognize the individual scents of their mothers.

Humans use echolocation: Humans can use sound to sense objects in their area using echolocation. It is thought that those who are blind develop this ability to heightened effectiveness.

Adrenaline gives you super strength: Yes, with the proper response in certain situations, you really can lift a car.

Women smell better than men: Women are better than men at identifying smells.

Your nose remembers 50,000 scents: It is possible for your nose to identify and remember more than 50,000 smells.

Your hearing decreases when you overeat: When you eat too much food, it actually reduces your ability to hear. So consider eating healthy — and only until you are full.

Your sense of time is in your head: How you experience time is all about your perception. Some speculate that stress can help you experience time dilation. Apparently, time manipulation isn’t just for superheroes.

Reproduction

How we as a species reproduce offers all sorts of interesting weird facts. Here are some of the weirder things you might not know.

Your teeth are growing before birth: Even though it takes months after you are born to see teeth, they start growing about six months before you are born.

Babies are stronger than oxen: On a pound for pound basis, that is. For their size, babies are quite powerful and strong.

Babies always have blue eyes when they are born: Melanin and exposure to ultraviolet light are needed to bring out the true color of babies’ eyes. Until then they all have blue eyes.

Women might be intrinsically bi: There are sex studies that indicate that women might bisexual intrinsically, no matter how they class themselves, while men are usually either gay or straight.

Most men have regular erections while asleep: Every hour to hour and a half, sleeping men have erections — though they may not be aware of it.

Sex can be a pain reliever: Even though the “headache” excuse is often used to avoid sex, the truth is that intercourse can provide pain relief. Sex can also help you reduce stress.

Chocolate is better than sex: In some studies, women claim they would rather have chocolate than sex. But does it really cause orgasm? Probably not on its own.

Body Functions

The things our bodies do are often strange and sometimes gross. Here are some weird facts about the way your body functions.

Earwax is necessary: If you want healthy ears, you need some earwax in there.

Your feet can produce a pint of sweat a day: There are 500,000 (250,000 for each) sweat glands in your feet, and that can mean a great deal of stinky sweat.

Throughout your life, the amount of saliva you have could fill two swimming pools: Since saliva is a vital part of digestion, it is little surprise that your mouth makes so much of it.

A full bladder is about the size of a soft ball: When your bladder is full, holding up to 800 cc of fluid, it is large enough to be noticeable.

You probably pass gas 14 times a day: On average, you will expel flatulence several times as part of digestion.

A sneeze can exceed 100 mph: When a sneeze leaves your body, it does so at high speeds — so you should avoid suppressing it and causing damage to your body.

Coughs leave at 60 mph: A cough is much less dangerous, leaving the body at 60 mph. That’s still highway speed, though.

Musculoskeletal System

Find out what you didn’t know about your muscles and bones.

Bones can self-destruct: It is possible for your bones to destruct without enough calcium intake.

You are taller in the morning: Throughout the day, the cartilage between your bones is compressed, making you about 1 cm shorter by day’s end.

1/4 of your bones are in your feet: There are 26 bones in each foot, meaning that the 52 bones in account for 25 percent of your body’s 206 bones.

It takes more muscles to frown than to smile: Scientists can’t agree on the exact number, but more muscles are required to frown than to smile.

When you take a step, you are using up to 200 muscles: Walking uses a great deal of muscle power — especially if you take your 10,000 steps.

Your tongue is the strongest muscle in your body: Compared to its size, the tongue is the strongest muscle. But I doubt you’ll be lifting weights with it.

Bone can be stronger than steel: Once again, this is a pound for pound comparison, since steel is denser and has a higher tensile strength.

Unnecessary Body Parts

We have a number of body parts that are, well, useless. Here are some facts about the body parts we don’t actually need.

Coccyx: This collection of fused vertebrae have no purpose these days, although scientists believe it’s what’s left of the mammal tail humans used to have. It may be useless, but when you break your coccyx, it’s still painful.

Pinkie toe: There is speculation that since we no longer have to run for our dinner, and we wear sneakers, the pinkie toe‘s evolutionary purpose is disappearing — and maybe the pinkie itself will go the way of the dodo.

Wisdom teeth: This third set of molars is largely useless, doing little beyond crowding the mouth and sometimes causing pain.

Vomeronasal organ: There are tiny (and useless) chemoreceptors lining the inside of the nose.

Most body hair: While facial hair serves some purposes, the hair found on the rest of body is practically useless and can be removed with few ill effects.

Female vas deferens: A cluster of dead end tubules near the ovaries are the remains of what could have turned into sperm ducts.

Male Uterus: Yeah, men have one too — sort of. The remains of this undeveloped female reproductive organ hangs on one side of the male prostate gland

Appendix: Yep, your appendix is basically useless. While it does produce some white blood cells, most people are fine with an appendectomy.

Random Weird Body Facts

Here are a few final weird facts about the human body.

Your head creates inner noises: It’s rare, but exploding head syndrome exists.

Memory is affected by body position: Where you are and how you are placed in your environment triggers memory.

You can’t tickle yourself: Go ahead. Try to tickle yourself.

Being right-handed can prolong your life: If you’re right-handed, you could live up to nine years longer than a lefty.

Only humans shed emotional tears: Every other animal that produces tears has a physiological reason for doing so.

[badlytimedhumancombustion]

A tarot reading in the marrow lands

Beneath a moon the shape and hue of a shrunken pygmy head, the Great Train cut through ashen hills littered with the spindly silhouettes of bone trees, their spidery branches groping momentarily towards the inexhaustible locomotive in some semi-sentient sense of longing before forgetting what exactly it was they grasped for and recoiling inwards as the relentless thing of iron and steam hurtled away from them, ever onwards along the Rails. The traveller rested his head against the window and stared into the sickly landscape illuminated beyond. Sleep, he suspected, would once more elude his exhausted frame. Though he felt as if he’d been travelling this unpleasant stretch of the Marrow Lands, with its grey hills, rotten townships and ill looking woodlands, for months, he knew time was an unreliable presence aboard the Great Train—an uncomfortable side effect of the locomotive’s unique dimensional warping Impossibility Engine. Things like time and space were more fluid concepts along the Rails—clocks were as likely to rush forward, meander leisurely or skip backwards as they were to actually run according to traditional notions of timekeeping.

The traveller yawned, stretching out cricks that had developed in his neck and shoulders, and scratched the pretty respectable beard that had, seemingly from nowhere, developed to coat the lower half of his face. His companion in the carriage, a frail older man who wore ostentatious feathered suits woven in the vibrant patterns and colours of a culture the traveller was deeply unfamiliar with, lay asleep on the simple pull down bed. Occasionally he twitched and let out a fluting, high-pitched whine that suggested uncomfortable dreams. 

The traveller had shared this space with many other men and women since setting out along the Rails—paunch herders from the fat plains, cyber suffragettes of the Femetropolis, a pair of identical reptilian twins who communicated through a sort of psychic bubble blowing—but the old man, with his strange avian language, sideways eyelids and off-hand manner of perpetual fidgeting anxiety, was the first he had simply been unable to overcome cultural barriers and establish a least a minor connection with. He’d also had a great deal of trouble sleeping since the birdish man's arrival. A fact of which the traveller was distinctly aware may or may not have been connected in some manner. 

As had become his ritual during these recent periods when his body ached for sleep yet could not find the way to access it, the traveller left his carriage to wander the corridors of the Great Train. Though his quarters where in the upper regions of train’s tail, his meanderings were invariably different each time he set out to explore the locomotive’s myriad interiors. The Great Train operated entirely under its own existential rules and regulations—its topology was not uniform, its carriage connections never fully set—and the traveller allowed himself over to its unique physics and spatial shifts as he moved from corridor to corridor. 

Tonight (or today, again, time was fluid inside the train) the traveller was greeted by the strong smell of cinnamon, a scent which instantly sent him hurtling down the well of memory to the morning buns his mother would often bake for him in his youth, long before she had gone quite mad and burnt their village to the ground, longer still before he set out on his journey. And so, encouraged by warm familial memories, decided to follow his nose to the smell’s source. The scent led up a precariously steep opal coloured staircase that, he was certain, on previous sleep deprived jaunts had not been there and through several doors marked with strange symbols, (something cat like? A flock of guns? An urn split in two?) that pulsed a calming blue in time with the train’s metronomic ratcheting against the tracks below it. Though his own room was situated in a carriage unadorned and humble, the rooms through which he now walked were opulently coated in gold and red. Palatial and expansive, they also stretched far wider than seemed possible within the confines of the train. 

He came to a large and imposing door of oak and bronze. Etched across it’s surface in an intricate looping pattern was a railway track linked in one enormous Mobius strip. The door gently opened of its own accord and he entered into a hall draped in oxblood curtains.

“Well don’t just stand there gawking, do hurry up and sit down”

The voice, impatient and aristocratic, belonged to an ancient woman sat behind an ornate obsidian desk placed directly in the carriage hall’s centre. Above her swung several thuribles from which coiled heavy plumes of cinnamon scented incense. Laid across the table were five large playing cards face down. She wore her arctic grey hair up in some elaborate teetering beehive, and her almost translucent skin sagged in rivulets of age. Despite that, her eyes, which were placed disquietingly far apart on her creased and weathered face, shone a brilliant feline green that screamed of sharp edges and a predatory slyness. The traveller did as was requested, and took a place at the table. 

“Go on then, turn the cards over” she gestured irritably at the tarot. The traveller obliged her.

“Right, let’s have a little look see” she perched forward, squinting theatrically at what, to the traveller’s eyes, looked to be nothing more than a sequence of abstracted ink spots, similar to a Rorschach pattern, but asymmetrical and made up of several explosively vibrant colours. After a brief deliberation of the cards, she lighted a long cigarette taken from a leather satchel clasped with a prosthetic eye and sat back, silently considering the traveller. The cigarette smelt pungently of cloves, which mingled with the cinnamon incense and made the traveller’s head swim.

The lights dimmed momentarily and a sense of stillness, as if before an explosion of movement, suffused the air.

The traveller suddenly felt as though he was thinking through pond water, that his cognition had been embalmed in the briny depths of some stagnant body of dirty liquid. Thoughts, occulted by fuzzy areas of deep blankness, were hazy half things shimmering clumsily just beyond reach, obscured and slowed by the unfamiliar medium through which they now passed.

“Would you like to know your future, traveller?”

He tried very hard to focus on the old woman’s voice, but it was tinny and faint, as if piped in from some distorted speaker down the other end of a long water logged corridor. The patterns on the cards squirmed like little colourful amoebas. They formed new shapes and strange patterns, folding into one another in odd little symbols that, though the traveller had never before seen them, resonated in a way that was intimate and instantly familiar. They unfurled clarity through the embalming fluid that had coated his mind. In the language of the cards he saw glimpses of the places he had been and the places he would go—the Teeth Caverns, OdeoPrime, Unwhere and its Nothing Towns, Shiving Peak and sprawling dry bed of Lake Mephistopheles—he saw the Great Train hurtling forever along the Rails until eventually its Mobius strip construction brought it back to not only the where of its beginning, but the when.

“You know; these cards aren’t really cards, and this place isn’t really a carriage… nor am I a creepy old lady. They, it, I … well, it’s hard to explain the what of it all to a... smaller… mind. This place is a sort of neuron bundle I suppose… for the train. It’s a connection of sorts, to the eccentric forces that propel it. The connection makes this chamber a place of divination. It shapes itself to the expectations of those that find it. Makes it a tad more palatable to share with them what it can see. What gifts of fore and far sight it grants.”

The traveller saw the Great Train’s end in a fiery storm of twisted metal and boiling steam, as the Mobius Rail split and it careened into the darkness that lives between places. He saw the train’s birth at the hands of the ancient factory giants, coal men and women, skyscraper tall and granite strong, rending infinity-girders and shaping non-matter in the Industry Times, before the dawn of man. He saw a cadre of reality smith’s bring the train’s impossibility engine to baffling life through contradictory strains of quantum logic wrought large.

The old woman purred.

“You should feel blessed traveller; the train does not reveal such intimate scenes to most”.

The visions receded, diminishing in potency like sunlight illuminating a room previously lit by a sole, brilliant candle, and the traveller found himself no longer sat before the old soothsayer. Instead the carriage was empty and shrunk to sensible dimensions. Its finery, the curtains and incense and obsidian desk, had all disappeared, replaced instead by the standard wooden benches that lined the train’s conventional travel carriages. Outside a sun the colour of a sickly egg yolk shone down on the dead marshes of the Marrow Lands. The traveller returned to his carriage to find the birdish man awake, sat bolt upright on the bed. In his lap he cradled an old music box that quietly played a solemn melody the traveller felt he could almost remember from somewhere long ago and far away.

The man spoke in flutters of bird song and the traveller now found he could understand the stranger’s language perfectly.

“My mother hen would sing this to me when the crow weathers stopped me slip sleeping. Perhaps it will help you, weary landman…”

The traveller lay down and, wrapped in the shimmering notes of the music box, fell at once into a deep and dreamless sleep.