#we talk about reproductive organs a lot

[cosmica-galaxy]

I've been thinking about this for awhile, human anatomy is weird especially from the perspective of someone who's nonhuman. What would the cookies reactions be to the human doing things like popping their back or showing off that they're double jointed in one of their hands? It's gonna be scary since the cookies probably associate the sound of cracking to other cookies being crumbled, and with the double jointed hand, speaking from personal experience, they'll be able to see the bone moving under the human's skin.

From an outsider perspective (or a Cookie's in this case) a lot of the things that we do with our bodies can be seen as weird and just outright terrifying. I fear the day that human y/n has to talk about what human organ systems and surgeries are to the cookies

Oh definitely and I strongly agree!

Human biology is a complete mystery to cookiekind, and believe me, a lot of scholars have questions to ask a docile member of the witch species. Knowing from the cookie run book, cookies lack organs and bones, despite what a few depictions show in hospital levels and such, and they also bleed strawberry jam. In essence, both parties are not biologically similar and can be coined as "eldritch" in nature. For example, cookies consume things through the power of life powder and their mouths have no depth at all. But humans have a whole cavity, bones, digestive enzymes, and a large muscle that has multiple uses. In fact, humans have more similarities to cake monsters because of the teeth, depth, and the darker blood (cherry jam). However, humans are still the most durable out of the dessert beings. As cookies can't survive long in liquids (possibly only a few minutes), cake monsters don't like swimming and will also break down, but humans can last hours (if not days) in liquids or water before finally needing to get out.

Not only that, but we probably have a certain "ambience" when cookies stand close. We have lungs to cycle our breathing, a heartbeat to move our blood, a stomach to take in nutrients, and a reproductive system to make more humans--and it's all built into one large being. Plus, when a human bleeds, our blood is more liquid-like and has less viscosity than jam. So it tends to get everywhere rather than just pooling in certain areas like on a cookie. The cracking of our bones, the movement of unseen muscles rippling just underneath our fragile skin, the changing of our pupils depending on emotions, the constant growth of our hair and nails, and the ability to use powerful magic is just the cherry on top of this powerful sundae. It's no wonder humans were able to create Earthbread. In their world, we are the top predator. Both in size, durability, and tenacity. However, we are civil and will converse with cookies, and some may even turn away the idea of ever eating a cookie. If a human is befriended, so many cookies will want to know the knowledge that is only reserved for the witches themselves.

[born-of-star-flesh]

So as someone who's taken a college biology class with an entire unit dedicated to sex differentiation it's been bugging me immensely to see so many people (mostly on threads) say that "we're all female at conception" There's some truth to female anatomy being the "default baby" because it takes less developmental energy to create/maintain but "we're all female to start" is a way oversimplification of this to the point it's just not true. I'm not claiming to be an expert by any means but I would like to spread the knowledge I do have bc I think it's honestly cool as hell

To start I've seen this talked about a lot in relation to Trump trying to sign an executive order that categorizes people's sex by "the gametes they have at conception" There's so many issues with this. A zygote is not producing gametes at conception, it's a single cell. A zygote carries the genetic coding for which sex you are but genes are not the final determination and only make up part of your sex. For example, you may have an SRY gene which is the catalyst for male development but it may be damaged and not expressed. A person may present entirely as one sex but not be able to produce gametes, Sex isn't just one characteristic.

Once a fetus begins developing its organs it doesn't just start out with female anatomy which can then "become male anatomy if you have the genes for it" We actually start out with undifferentiated gonads (which are still not producing gametes) and two duct systems, one that can become the female reproductive organs and one that can become the male. They're called the Müllerian and Wolffian ducts. (Science illustration so you know I'm not just pulling this out of my ass)

This is where our genes come into play deciding if our gonads become ova or testes and which ducts develop into our reproductive organs. Shout out to all my intersex folks, a lot of intersex conditions become expressed at this stage of development. For example, a person with androgen insensitivity syndrome would have XY chromosomes but would have missing or non-functioning androgen receptors. This means their gonads become testes and the hormone that degrades the Mullerian ducts is released, but their body cannot use any androgens to continue male development. This means without androgens the wolffian ducts also degrade and the person would have external female genitalia and internal testes. My knowledge on the more micro-biology and chemical reactions part of sex determination is more limited so I can't really talk about it in a comprehensive way but I just wanted to share this really cool human fact.

[stormy-river]

Transcripts from the Humanity Hotline 7

As I finished this, I discovered it's been exactly one year since I posted the last Transcript. A lot has happened in that year; I've graduated college :) . I want to thank everyone for the support I've received, and I hope to get back into some of my creative projects and give you guys an opportunity to laugh, and maybe learn something. This one is inspired by a request from @a-romantic-twst from forever ago; I hope it was worth the wait (sorry about that). (It's about periods if anyone's uncomfortable with that and wants to skip this one.)

------

Operator: "Hi, my name is Mindy. How may I help you today?"

Caller: "Hello, Mindy, I am very concerned about one of the humans on my ship."

O: "What seems to be the problem?"

C: "Well, I'm the chief medical officer and this particular human has been on the ship for just over two Earth months now. On two separate occasions during that time, she has requested strong painkillers citing 'Shark Week' as the reason. I looked into what 'Shark Week' is, and found an Earth television special about certain aquatic predators, and I'm unsure how that could cause a human physical pain lightyears from Earth?"

O: "Interesting, is there anything else you can tell me about this human during these events?"

C: "Yes, I've also received reports from other crewmembers around these events that this human is not as outgoing as usual, and shows signs of discomfort with facial expressions and changes in appetite, but does not respond well to the standard psychological protocols for team building and social connection."

O: "What about the timing? You said this has happened twice, correct? How much time was between them?"

C: "Yes, I've documented both with dates. The human requested the painkillers twice, 28 days apart. The crew reported signs of distress for a few days following each request, and two times in the day before the first request."

O: "Alright, I believe your human is using the phrase, "Shark Week" as a euphemism for the start of the menstrual cycle, which is often referred to as a 'period'. To put it simply, one of the female reproductive organs sheds its inner lining roughly once an Earth month, lasting anywhere from a few days to a full week."

C: "Similar to how the Rythyani shed and replace their stomach linings?"

O: "Yes, though the uterus has blood vessels that extend into that lining, so shedding also causes bleeding."

C: "Bleeding? How much blood is lost? Why has she not requested bandages or a transfusion?"

O: "For most, a period is not life-threatening. The amount of blood loss does not require a transfusion to replace, or bandages to stop, though iron deficiency may be a concern for some that can be easily remedied through their diet. Ultimately, your human will know her body and how to handle her cycle best. We learn to deal with periods from a relatively young age. You should have received a human anatomy and physiology textbook when the first human joined your crew. Do you have it?"

C: "Yes, though I do admit I have not yet had the time to read it."

O: "That's alright. The chapter on human reproductive systems goes into more detail about the biology of the menstrual cycle than I can tell you. For the time being, make sure your human knows that she can ask for support if needed, and inform your crew that not all humans will be happy all the time, and they don't need to be. Over time, you will gain a better understanding your humans' patterns. Until then, trust them to express their needs, and talk to them if you have specific concerns. I can give general advice, but they will know themselves best."

C: "Thank you for clearing up the confusion, Mindy, I will look into this and update the protocols as necessary. I have no more questions for you at this time."

O: "You are very welcome, please don't hesitate to call again if something else comes up."

End Transmission

[hiiragi7]

Recently started Transgender History by Susan Stryker, and was pleasantly surprised to see intersex be given about a page and a half of text in the Contexts, Concepts, and Terms section of the book. There are some parts of it which I think are good, some "good enough", and some which I feel miss the mark a bit. Overall, I think Susan Stryker did a pretty decent job here and I'm happy to see intersex included, though I do think there's room for improvement and criticism.

A note I'd like to make here is that this book was originally published in 2008 and revised in 2017, and I'm unsure how much this section in particular was revised since the original publish date - If anyone can find that out I'd be very interested to hear about it!

I'm going to be copying the text from the book here and giving my thoughts on it.

Intersex: Typically, being an egg-producing body means having two X chromosomes, and being a sperm-producing body means having one X and one Y chromosome. When egg and sperm cells fuse (i.e., when sexual reproduction takes place), their chromosomes can combine in patterns (or "karyotypes") other than the typical male (XY) or female (XX) ones (such as XXY or XO). Other genetic anomalies can also cause the sex of the body to develop in atypical ways. Other differences of sex development might take place during pregnancy or after birth as the result of glandular conditions that contribute further differences in the typical development of biological sex. Some of these anomalies cause a body that is genetically XY (typically male) to look typically female at birth. Some bodies are born with genitals that look like a mixture of typically male and typically female shapes. Some genetically female bodies (typically XX) are born without vaginas, wombs, or ovaries. All of these variations on the most typical organization of human reproductive anatomy -- along with many, many more -- are called intersex conditions.

Starting off with examples of intersex variations rather than giving a definition first followed by examples left it hard for me to follow exactly where Stryker was going with it, but that could be a writing style preference; personally I think I would've been a bit lost if I didn't already know what intersex was. Overall I think this starts off pretty solid, gives a good overview of the massive spectrum of sex we're dealing with when we talk about intersex - it doesn't fall into the same "mix of male and female, ambiguous genitals" trap that many other definitions do which I appreciate. The use of typical/atypical (instead of, say, disordered) is good. I also do appreciate the preference for differences of sex development over disorders of sex development.

Intersex used to be called hermaphroditism, but that term is now usually considered perjorative. Some intersex people now prefer the medical term DSD (for Disorders of Sex Development) to describe their sex status, but others reject this term as unduly pathologizing and depoliticizing. Such people might use DSD to refer instead to "differences of sex development," or they might hold on to the word intersex -- or even hermaphrodite, or the slang word herm -- to signal their sense of belonging to a politicized minority community.

This is also good! Really feel like we're addressing the elephants in the room here. Hermaphrodite is perjorative, some intersex people use Disorders of Sex Development but other intersex people consider it unduly pathologizing and depoliticizing and instead use differences of sex development or just intersex (or reclaim Hermaphrodite), and we belong to a politicized minority community. Very cool! Lots of things were said here that other authors are often too afraid to touch on, if they even mention us at all.

Intersex conditions are far more common than we tend to acknowledge; reliable estimates put the number at about one in two thousand births.

Actually, it's more like 1-2 in 100 births, my guess as to what's being referenced is actually the statistics for those born with ambiguous genitals ("The estimated frequency of genital ambiguity is reported to be in the range of 1:2000–1:4500" [Link]), which is disappointing. I do appreciate Stryker going against the "intersex is rare" myth, though.

Intersex doesn't really have all that much to do with transgender, except for demonstrating that the biology of sex is a lot more variable than most people realize. This becomes significant when you have cultural beliefs about there being only two sexes, and therefore only two genders.

Stryker lost me here. Intersex doesn't have much to do with transgender except as a demonstration of the variability of sex? I'm tired of people saying intersexuality's only relation to transgender is this when there are many more connections to be found between the two. It's exhausting to have your community be constantly stripped down to a singular point or a debate tool for someone else's use. Didn't like this part.

These beliefs can lead to intersex people becoming the target of medical interventions such as genital surgery or hormone therapy, often while they are still infants or young children, to "correct" their supposed "abnormality". It is being subjected to the same cultural beliefs about gender, and acted on by the same medical institutions, through the same body-altering techniques that give intersex people and transgender people the most common ground.

This part is better, and I do like the connection between intersex and trans people here. I do believe that acknowledging that both communities are impacted by much of the same systems and techniques is good and should be further talked about.

Some trans people who think that their need to cross gender boundaries has a biological cause consider themselves to have an intersex condition (current theories favor sex-linked differences in the brain), and some people with intersex bodies also come to think of themselves as being transgender (in that they desire to live in a gender different from the one they were assigned at or after birth).

I think that there is... quite a large difference between the two groups suggested here, in a way that makes the comparison uncomfortable. Additionally, I did also notice the difference in "trans people" vs. "people with intersex bodies"; it leaves me wondering why they were referred to differently, especially when "intersex people" was used further up in the passage. Perhaps it's to contrast with, for lack of better words, trans people who consider themselves to have differently-sexed brains which make them intersex?

Still, it's best to think of transgender and intersex identities, communities, and social change movements as being demographically and politically distinct, albeit with some areas of overlap and some shared membership.

Complicated thoughts here. Yes, there are differences in our movements and communities, and yes, we are distinct groups - this is important, especially when a lot of people still try to conflate intersex and trans as being the same. However, I think "some areas of overlap and some shared membership" is really underestimating things; While I believe it's pretty safe to say that most trans people do not identify as intersex or participate in intersex communities or advocate for intersex issues, the opposite doesn't appear to be true - a report from Trevor Project found that "58% of intersex youth identified as transgender or nonbinary or were questioning their gender identity". [Link] (PDF)

These are all my current thoughts, going back to reading the book now.

[beelanddiavolosimp-blog]

How the brothers would react to a Fem MC on their period

I tried to include most of what happens during periods here. I myself have heavily painful ones that make me throw up and they cause me severe mood swings and break outs on my face (and severe horniness). But I know others can be light and only have certain aspects like breaking out or just mood swings instead so I tried to make it more inclusive.

Lucifer

He didn't know at first what a period was until you explained it to him. Once you did he decided to prepare ahead of time with chocolate, medicine, and heated pads/blankets. When it hit though with your mood swings and severe pain he was not so prepared. He internally panicked and took your attitude to heart but after everything was over he understood. He definitely didn't expect you to attack him or watch him with such lustful eyes. Again he knew you'd become like this but he still was overwhelmed not uncomfortable just surprised.(He is actually very afraid of you when on your period)

Mammon

His dumbass didn't know what a period was either. Explaining it to him is a long drawn out process but he eventually got the concept. He did forget though so when it did hit he panicked completely. Your mood swings made him bratty and he ate your snacks by accident causing more fights. When you are in pain he actually sits and holds you resting his hand on your lower stomach which helps a lot. He does love the amount of attention he receives when you get that horny hormone. He loves loves when you're handsy and won't stop talking about everything sexy he does. But gets just as confused when you yell at him randomly.He still doesn't like your periods.

Levi

He panics immediately he knows about them from looking them up online after an anime talked about them. And he for some reason thought you'd attack him from anger and hormones. You actually are quite content just definitely uncomfortable. He helps to the best of his ability providing you your favorite snacks and warm blankets even his warmth. What he isn't prepared for is your horniess. since your hormones are off the charts you are basically all over him and he cannot take it without blowing up. He does love it tho if we are being honest.

Satan

He read books on human anatomy then went on a whole rabbit hole of human reproduction then the human organs just a huge loop hole. He does know but never dealt with it in person. Once it hit you though he never understood how vast the reactions could happen. One day you'll be completely fine the next you'll look so drawn out and tired barley moving or awake. The next day be completely glammed up and the next sad and covered up completely. He gets thrown through it with you. He does however help with the pain hating seeing you in such a state. The horniness he also wasn't prepared for. He didn't mind being attacked and kissed all over but the aggressive horniness took him very off guard. (The fucker enjoys it)

Asmos

Of course he knew he knows all he could of the human body. He feels awful anyone with a uterus has to go through so much discomfort or pain. He has a period bag ready more so a whole corner in his room for you. He hates seeing your skin break out as well from the incoming headache. He even buys cotton underwear for you to wear. He has to keep his diva down with your mood swings or it'd be a hissy fit. The horniness is completely welcome and he knows the big O can definitely help with period cramps so of course he helps with no complaints.

Beel

He did actually know of this from Lilith since she was an angel she didn't exactly get them but she found out about them and rambled on about it to him. He knew comfort and understanding was what was important during that time frame. So he got the comfiest blankets from belphie a fan for if you become too hot and even medicine and a trash bag and can in case the pain is too bad you get sick. He is perfect for cuddling and getting warmth so he doesn't protest when you drag him down to cuddle. The horniness wasn't something Lilith said would happen tho of course he helped but still a shocker. The mood swings he genuinely didn't know what to do besides sit and wait for you to calm down a bit with puppy eyes (they usually work)

Belphie

Oh god does he know about it. Same with beel he learned from Lilith but he just hoped he would never have to deal with it. He of course was the king of comfort so anything soft and warm was right up his alley. The pain he had medicine for you but he also just suggested letting you sleep through most of it with his powers. The horniness wasn't unwelcome and he wasn't grossed out either just surprised you became that heavily attracted to him all of a sudden. He didn't enjoy the mood swings since you two already bickered It just worsened. He still cuddled you even if it was after a fight because he's too in love with you to stay away.

[giulliadella]

Speculative Biology of Euclydeans (and Bill Cipher) part 3

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

Reproduction and growth

I highly recommend reading the second part before this! This part is the continuation of second part and it talks about Euclydean reproductive system. I separated it because some people find reproductive anatomy NSFW.

As always, this analysis is based on two assumptions:

Before Bill Cipher became a demigod, he was a biological, living organism and so were the rest of his species.

Even after Bill Cipher became a demigod, he still retained some physical characteristics of his biological form.

There will be anatomic diagrams and discussions of pregnancy in this part, so content warning if you're sensitive about those topics.

And without further ado, let's get into it!

Reproductive system

One thing that we know for certain about Euclydeans is that they reproduce sexually. Bill has parents, a mother and a father and that is only possible in species that sexually reproduce. Because we know that we also know that males have testes and females have ovaries. This is because of biological definitions of male and female - a male is an organism that produces a lot of microgametes (small reproductive cells that don't have nutrients to feed the embryo) and a female is an organism that produces far less macrogametes (large reproductive cells that contain nutrients for the embryo). Hermaphrodites produce both types of gametes and some organisms produce neither - those are sexless.

Euclydeans most likely had males and females. Bill understands concept of gender, but also the one of sex. He claims that his species had 14 billion genders, but when talking about sexes, he only uses two: male and female. Now I don't know for sure whether Bill is a biological male, however, most of the insane shit he says points towards it. Whether it is him making inappropriate jokes about knocking up your mother or adopting toxic masculinity traits that humans have and also refusing to possess women all point towards him being a male.

Bill gets extremely uncomfortable when someone wants to touch or measure his sides, especially his "hypotenuse". Bill is an equilateral triangle, so he doesn't have a hypotenuse, but I tend to believe that what he calls hypotenuse is actually his base. Since touching Bill's base makes him incredibly upset and he calls people who do so "creeps", it's fair to conclude that that is where his reproductive organs are located. And it makes sense: in vast majority of animals reproductive system is located on the body side opposite of the brain.

I believe that Euclydeans give live birth. Bill is usually grossed out by humans and when he is, he is very vocal about it. There are only two human body parts that he isn't grossed out by: the brain and the uterus. I believe that's because those parts are similar to their equivalents in Euclydeans. Bill said that he was born, not hatched and he seems uncomfortable around the idea of laying eggs. He is completely comfortable with the idea of a live birth and uteri, so much so that he has actually depicted himself inside a human uterus which is an honor only brain has gotten from him.

This means that Euclydean females probably have a very similar uterus to humans and they give live birth. This also means that the fertilization happens inside the female, so males very likely have some kind of copulatory organ. Copulatory organ is basically a means for a male to deposit his sperm inside the female. In mammals it's called penis, in reptiles a hemipenis and so on. I don't know how would Euclydean copulatory organ look like, but it acts like a hemipenis - it's coiled inside their shell when it's not in use.

Despite having a uterus, Euclydeans are for sure not placental mammals and they definitely don't feed their babies milk. Thanks to Bill asking Ford why he didn't eat Stan while they were in their mom's belly, I have a theory that Euclydeans feed their fetuses via adelphophagy. Also referred to as "intra-uterine cannibalism", adelphophagy basically means that the mother produces a large amount of yolk-rich eggs and deposits them in her uterus. Some of those get fertilized and the others serve as food for her embryo. However, the goal is to nurture just one embryo while the rest will get used as food for it! This is a technique used by some sharks and it fits so well with Euclydeans too, since they, just like sharks and humans give very few births throughout their life - less than 10 and it's almost always to one baby. Adelphophagy is very hard on the mother because she has to produce a huge amount of yolk for her baby to eat, so she will have to have a "recovery period" when she won't be able to get pregnant again.

This also means that Euclydean fetuses have developed teeth and ability to kill and digest their unborn siblings. That is fucked up, but it's normal for them. Hell, human pregnancy could be called "intra-uterine parasitism" because our babies feed on mom's nutrients. And the baby that turns out to be stronger that the other embryos has already passed the natural selection test and is viable to live outside of mom.

Euclydean babies are born with teeth and they are capable of eating the same things that their parents do. They are also born with a very soft shell. Since the mother has to push the baby out of her vagina, just like we do, their babies are super soft and squishy so that they could leave the womb with as little trouble as possible. That super soft exoskeleton is why baby Bill is shown having yellow arms. The shell is as soft as skin and when baby's limbs are retracted into it they can actually use it as skin. Besides, Euclydeans are cold-blooded so babies, who are smaller and thinner than adults and have very little protection might want to keep their limbs inside the shell as a means of keeping warm.

There's one part here about males that I didn't talk about and that's the hat. The hat is a living part of a Euclydean and out of Bill's parents only one is shown having it. Since Bill has it too and he's a male, his father was the one with the hat. But what is the hat? Well, "if it doesn't make sense it's used to attract females" is a saying in biology for a reason. Euclydean girls are seemingly attracted to males who have long and muscular hats. Besides, Bill himself says outright that he has a "seduction hat" and it's just a comically large cylinder.

So Euclydeans are sexually dimorphic species: the males are characterized by having a large growth in a shape of a cylinder hat on top of their head which females lack.

2. Growth and development

Baby Euclydeans are all soft and squishy, but they will harden as they grow. The shell gets more triangular as it hardens. The babies probably have very soft skin on their limbs too and that's why their parents give them shoes to wear to protect their little feet.

Interestingly, Euclydean eyes grow with them which is a rarity among Earth animals.

Also, I am aware that Bill said that he's a preteen, but he's lying. He has adult proportions and a fully developed hat. Hat develops as the male matures, so preteens wouldn't have it. Bill is an adult with emotional maturity of a preteen and he's using that as an excuse for his behavior. He sucks.

Also they aren't born without limbs, I screwed that up, the limbs are inside the shell, that's what I wanted to say, but I'm not English.

One very interesting thing that I noticed is that Bill's juvenile form has two rows of bricks, but his adult form has three. This means that he adds segments as he grows and there's only one way for that to occur - MOLTING!

Like all animals with exoskeleton, Euclydeans molt. Molting is a process of replacing the old, small exoskeleton with a new larger one as the animal grows. Some animals, like millipedes, add extra segments during molting process until they reach adult size. This is the case with Euclydeans.

This is confirmed to me by that little bit about Fiddleford seeing Bill remove his exoskeleton to feed. Removing the exoskeleton to eat would be the worst adaptation ever, not only because removing the exoskeleton takes a lot of time, but also because the animal would be completely unprotected during a very vulnerable time such as feeding. So what I think happened was that Bill was changing his exoskeleton to look all shiny when he comes out of the portal and, since molting is a very energy demanding process, he wanted a snack afterwards. And Fiddleford barged at the worst moment.

The exoskeleton of Euclideans contains their pigments, so they need to wait for it to fully harden until they gain color and the skin becomes invisible under it again. They are soft and vulnerable in this stage. And, considering how Alex Hirsch draws Bill in human form, I headcanon that Bill is a bit chubby, which you can see here XD

But, I know what my freaky fanfic authors need to know: Could Euclydeans and humans have sex?

Well, since Euclydeans are as intelligent or even more intelligent than humans, you can discuss consent. And with that, have fun. There are definitely ways Ford could have fucked that triangle.

@unoriginal-starwalker thank you for your support with this. My degree is burning in hell together with me after being used to write this.

[kitsune-writes]

Cramps

Staw hats x ftm reader platonic

Summary: reader has period cramps and the crew helps him feel better

I sat next to Nami leaning my head against her side, she sat in one of the lawn chairs sunbathing. Robin sat in the one next to her reading.

“Are you alright y/n?”

I looked up seeing Robin had discarded her book on the table next to her and she and Nami had turned their attention towards me.

“…I started bleeding today…” y/n mumbled just loud enough for the two to hear.

“Oh, cramps?” Nami brushed her hand through my hair gently combing it out of my face. I nodded my head in agreement and she hummed.

“Do you want me to get Sanji to make a heating pad for you?”

“…yeah”

Nami got up and dragged me up with her, I followed behind her to the kitchen wishing I could rip out my reproductive organs.

Nami opened the door holding it for me before turning her attention to the cook.

“Oh Sanji” Nami had that sweet tone in her voice that she used only when she wanted something from somebody, not that she needed to use it with Sanji he’d do anything she asked regardless.

Sanji turned away from whatever he was doing (probably this morning’s dishes) with hearts already in his eyes, he wiggled his way over to where we stood saying something I didn’t bother to listen to.

“Can you warm up a heating pad for y/n please-oh and make him that tea you like making me and Robin”

“Of course Nami-swan~”

Nami ignored Sanji and walked me over to the couch. “Do you want me to see if Chopper has any pain meds?”

“Yeah, thank you”

“Of course, I’ll be right back”

Nami left quickly to go find the ship’s doctor, leaving me alone with Sanji. Taking a glance over to him he was busy making some brightly colored drinks probably for the girls. He also had a kettle on the stove With a mug sitting not too far from it.

Nami came back a few minutes later. She grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards and filled it with water. She grabbed the heating pad from Sanji then came back over to me.

“Here” she handed over the cup and the pain meds from Chopper. “These should help”

“Thanks” I grabbed them from her and took the pills, after I finished the glass she took it from me and handed it over to Sanji who took it without a second thought.

“And here’s this” she handed me the pad. “I’ll be out on the deck if you need anything else ok?” I nodded and with that she left again.

Having nothing better to do I curled up on the couch waiting for the meds to kick in, hopefully soon.

The kitchen was nice, it had a lot of natural light and it didn’t blind you like it did outside. The sound of Sanji working on the other side of the kitchen was comforting mixed with the muffled sounds of Bink's brew and Luffy’s ocasional laugh outside.

“-you ok?”

I jumped at the sound of Sanji’s voice bringing me back to the present. “Hmm? Oh yeah, I’m fine.

Sanji handed me the mug he was holding before sitting down next to me.

“Careful it’s still hot.”

“Thanks…”

I cradled the warm mug in my hands, the tea was steaming proving to still be too hot to drink.

“Are you sure you’re alright?

My gaze fell back into Sanji but before I could answer he was talking again. “Sorry I know you already answered…. but you never asked for my help with these things and you told me you didn’t want me to coddle you like I do with the ladies…”

“It’s alright, I don’t normally get cramps so usually I don’t need all of this, it’s nice though so thanks.”

”Yeah-oh I think I have-“ Sanji got off the couch and pulled open one of the cupboards under it and pulled out a blanket. “Um if you want it…”

I set the mug down and grabbed the blanket from Sanji.

One second Sanji was rambling about one of his recipes and the next I was being woken up by the sound of arguing. Through blurry vision I could make out one green blob and one yellow blob clearly Zoro and Sanji.

“-and why not!”

“Because it’s my good stuff and I don’t want to waste it on you!”

When my vision cleared I could see that they were fighting about a bottle of booze (shocker). I toned out the rest of their argument uninterested in who won or lost and zoned out instead.

Weight shifted on the couch, Zoro sat at my feet, a bottle in hand (not the same one they were arguing over) and a smile on his face. Sanji on the other hand looked pissed but he soon got back into the rhythm of cooking and calmed down quickly. The kitchen was quiet after that with only the sounds of Sanji’s cooking and not so long after Zoro’s snores.

“Hey y/n, what do you want for dessert tonight?” Sanji’s voice broke the silence.

“Hmmm maybe brownies?”

“Brownies?! I want brownies!” Luffy barged in through the kitchen doors with a big smile on his face as he looked at Sanji like he was expecting to get something to eat right that second.

“NOT FOR YOU!”

“aww but Sanjiiii” Luffy whined and his stomach growled. I couldn't help but to laugh at the scene.

“Here” Sanji threw a piece of meat to Luffy and he immediately started eating.

“Dinner will be done soon have that and get out of my kitchen until then”

“Here you go darlings~” Sanji handed a plate of the fanciest looking brownies to Nami and Robin both thanked him before he ran back to protect the rest of the brownies from being eaten by Luffy.

He quickly distributed the rest of the brownies to the crew who had for the most part decided to take them to go.

“Here, sorry for the wait.” Sanji handed me a brownie plate. It was nowhere as fancy as the girls plates but it did have a chocolate and caramel syrup drizzle on it that the other boys didn’t seem to have.

“Oi cook, why is his different?”

In Sanji’s other hand he held a different kind of dessert, a not so sugary one for Zoro. He shoved the plate towards Zoro.

“That’s none of your business marimo!”

Robin, who had stayed sitting at the other end of the table, giggled at the two men before interrupting their conversation that would soon inevitably end in an argument.

“Nami said that there’s going to be shooting stars tonight. Would anyone like to join me in watching them?”

Franky sitting next to Robin puts his arm on the back of robins chair. “Oh, sign me up.”

“Oh that sounds lovely Robin-chwan~” Sanji immediately forgot about whatever he and Zoro were about to argue about in favor of swooning over Robin.

Everyone soon moved outside and sat down somewhere on the deck. Robin sat with Franky by the mast, Zoro sat by the railing, Sanji on the stairs with Brook not too far away playing again Bink’s brew. Luffy and Chopper were running around playing some game and Nami was up by the bow of the ship with Usopp.

[theangryblackfem]

You're trying to pass off your transphobia as activism, but you aren't even doing it right???

The tag #radqueer doesn't refer to being a radical feminist and queer, it refers to being radically queer. Of course trans people are going to be there. You're also misspelling the transphobic dogwhistle of "wombyn". There's a B in there because it insinuates women have to have wombs. (Which isn't even true by the way. Plenty of cis women are born without wombs or have them removed even if you exclude trans women.)

So I see your posts whenever I scroll through the radqueer tag, to criticize them for things completely unrelated to being transgender, and every time I'm like wow. This radfem isn't remotely competent in her bigotry. She isn't just hurting other women but also her entire movement by posting like this.

Yellow!

I'm gonna use this ask to explain my current beliefs on gender, I'm not a know it all I'm still studying radfem theory, and queer history. I'll start top to bottom of this ask.

I've never once talked about trans people on this page, so I'm unsure of what transphobia you're talking about. This is probably one of the only times I'm going to talk about trans people, if I ever do again it'll be to talk gender as a whole, not being trans as a topic.

I assumed radqueer meant being radically queer, which I'd like to call myself that as I'm very forward with liberation for queer people as I'm a tremendously proud lesbian. #iloveyouladies💋 my target audience includes people who are also radically queer.

Unless I'm mistaken, which someone please tell me if I am, because I'm not trying to conform with any group that works against queer people's liberation, radical queerness advocates for dismantling heteronormative structures. That means deconstructing societal norms around gender, sexuality, and identity.

I'm well aware that includes trans people. Im a radical feminist and gender abolishonist, but I still hold space for trans peoples rights and their history. I critique the role of gender, I do not attack trans people as a demographic. A handful of radfems will disagree with me, but I believe it's better to put our energy on why people are transitioning, and what can we do to ensure that people do not change themselves for the sake of following gender stereotypes enforced by the patriarchy.

At the end of the day trans people are human beings, being trans does not automatically make you evil. Whilst there are trans people who do extremely evil deeds and use their identity as a cover up, that does not represent every single trans person to walk this earth.

As trans people deserve helathcare, to have rights, and exist in peace. I also believe they should have their own spaces, which would sort out the violence and discomfort against womyn in our spaces, and against the violence done to trans people.

I simply look at how gender imprisons us and how I can help abolish that cage rather than decorate it. I'm not going to take time out of my day and yell at trans people for being trans. It's weird and pointless, and I have better things to tackle.

No, I'm not misspelling women. I'm not highlighting female reproductive organs in the word womyn. That's pointless because that doesn't define a womyn. I'm spelling it this way to decentre men. Oddly enough, I've never seen it spelt that way before, I don't normally spend my time in HEAVY terf territory, they scare me...gives me the heebiejeebies. Anyways, not every female has working reproductive organs, or any at all, some of my sisters out there have had them removed (I salute you sis 🫡) so it would be silly of me to spell it like that.

Overall, I understand that a lot of radqueers would not identify me as being radically queer, since I'm a gender abolishonist not a gender expansionist, which is a small shame but oh well oh well. Regardless I will always advocate for my lesbian sisters, the homosexuals, and the bisexuals big kisses and hugs.

Anywho, if anyone would like to inform me on radical queerness beyond what I already know about it, please feel free, because I'm sensing a misunderstanding here, just a hunch tho.

If someone tells me they fucked up the meaning of radqueer, I'm gonna lose my marbles </3

[whereserpentswalk]

Children are no longer legally allowed to exist.

Human reproduction was the last of the major functions of the human body to be technologically replaced. Sleep has been cut down to less then an hour a day, the digestive system has been altered so a modern person can eat as much or as little as they want, and gain and lose as much weight as they want, without producing waste. Even aging is no longer something done by those who don’t want it. It only made sense that the luxury of the modern world would eventually outmode the cruel and diminutive state of childhood.

A modern person will be conceived artificially, possibly with thousands of individuals contributing to their genetic code, and grown in a large tube from the age of minus nine months to the age of eighteen. For nearly nineteen years they will lack any sentient thought, being put in a state on anesthesia until they come of age. It is considered unethical and inhumane under international law to allow a human being to exist in a larval state.

Before being awoken, people have knowledge of basic education that in previous generations would be covered by years of schooling. They are also given basic knowledge to exist as an adult. Most people are awoken as students within universities, their first experience being their initiation into school and their freshmen year, their first home being their dorms. In some places companies are allowed to awaken humans as workers, which is not legally slavery because people are allowed to leave the jobs they’re awoken into, even if they’re not told they are able to. In times of war people will sometimes be given a pre awakening conscription, meaning they’re actively awoken as new recruits in basic training. Eugenics isn’t legal, but there’s not much oversight for if a company or military organization tends to awaken more people with physical traits they prefer.

Without children the world looks a lot different then it did in when they were around. Those who remember when the transition was made can talk about a world with empty playgrounds, and toy stores without customers. But now the world is completely without anything catering to children. Those who argue for the return of children to the world are met with just how little exists for them in this world. There are no safety standards with children in mind, no ratings on movies, nothing made in child’s size save for a few accommodations for dwarfs. Every piece of media is made with an audience of exclusively adults in mind, even things like plushes or action figures are designed for adult collectors, not children who would play with them. There are some superstitious people who think doll eyes have always looked a bit sadder since they last children grew up.

Since children are no longer legally allowed to exist, the means to physically produce them has been removed from human bodies. Long before any human in awakened the organs that would be used to reproduce are removed through painless surgery, and the ability to desire sex is whipped from their minds. It makes things easier. And likewise it’s safer, just as the removal of children meant the removal of the abuse of children, the removal of sex means the removal of sexual predation.

People in a way have a type of freedom without sexual attraction that they wouldn’t back when it existed. People can touch or cuddle each other in any way they want without it being weird, people can dress how they want, women don’t fear men the way they used to. It’s possible these things could still happen within a species with sexual attraction but we never got there, and the education implanted into people’s minds before they awakening certainly teaches one as leading to the other. There are still a few people who do still have some amount of those feelings, but they’re considered a statistical anomaly and are encouraged not to talk about or act on such things.

There is a feeling of emptiness in some people who remember the world when children existed, like something is missing. Even some people born long after children were outlawed sometimes feel an emptiness. Some people get pets if they have a instinct to take care of something, though humans are the only mammal to survive the great plague, there are lizards and birds and snakes and small robots that can keep people company. Some people take on apprentices that they can grow extremely close to them, often having relationships that reflect a parent’s relationship to an older child. There are even some subcultures where people will form relationships where one person will pay for another’s expenses for nothing in return, and allow that person to live with them without any employment, which some theorize in a mirror of parenthood. There are even some people who practice types of sensual acts that seem to mirror the mating process humans once had, even if they’d never seen such acts. It’s like these things are part of us, even when we don’t have the things these emotions were meant to interface with, like an animal still having a cry to alert for a long extinct predator.

Children are one of those things a lot of people think they might be happier if they got to live in a world with, but legalizing them just never seemed practical or ethical. There isn’t really any major political ideology that wants to bring them back, it’s not something people think about. People talk about children like they do swords, something that once was, but is not thought of in the context of fantasy. And perhaps that is how it will be. People will have their normal adult lives, and life will go on, and people will still have happy memories, and still write books, and still look at sunsets, and still sing songs, even without them.

There are some people who believe you can hear the ghosts of children in certain places, their laughter ringing in people’s ears in lonely spots near ancient parks. Psychologists haven’t yet figured out why every culture possesses such a superstition.

[silverstar-8]

Lucifer's Headcanons!

I decided to write some headcanons for Luci. There will be sfw as well as nsfw ones! I'll might create more, but for now there will be only one part.

Also, I think you could say Lucifer x Reader, because I'm talking about "you" while describing some of his interactions. But most of the time, I think about my self-insert. Just letting you know!

SFW (Some random, but also romantic ones. They are NOT in the order):

Of course, he loves making his little ducks in his workshop, but he can create other things too! I have a feeling that he would make toys for Charlie and also jewellery. He is really creative with them.

He moved in to the hotel and the apple tower is his. I know it's more like prediction for a future season, but it isn't 100% confirmed, so still counts as a headcanon.

He is autistic. Yes, I know he has depression, but for me he is depressed autistic.

If he is around someone he loves (romantically) his tail shows up. It might even wag! Really fast!

And also, his tail would totally hug his lover's leg. And he wouldn't even notice.

He is a little bit more social than he was before. He's still struggling, but visiting more Charlie and helping her with a lot of stuff is still a big step!

When he's sad and alone, he is hugging himself with his wings. He's in wings' town. It's his way to comfort himself.

About wings, he can also do this if his loved one feel sad. He will literally hug with arms and wings. Really comfy.

Also, his feathers are really, REALLY soft. Great for petting. (He loves when someone is petting them)

If you feel sad, he would probably hum a melody or even literally sing for you. As well as playing an instrument, because why not. He can do all of this.

When he was alone, he talked with his clones. They are connected to his thought, so the conversations were interesting. He still sometimes talks with them, but most of the time he's using them for helping him with stuff, like makeup.

He likes to jump in the pile of rubber ducks. It is comforting for him.

He's pansexual. I don't have an explanation for this, I just feel he's so fruity XD

He has dark gray arms AND legs.

He has also hooves.

He is that short, because he actually like this height. He was like that since he was created and it would be really weird for him to change height.

But also! He loves to be carried!

And carry others!

NSFW below! (Time to be more wild, hehe)

First, I want to share my personal favourite nsfw headcanon I created. I've seen that most people assume that he has a dick. And of course, it's valid! Everyone can have their own headcanons, but I decided to think more about his design and what he is. So, he is an angel. Fallen, but still an angel. And he looks like a doll. What I mean to say is that he isn't human. He might look like one, but he doesn't even have ears or nose. So after this analysis, I've thought to give him... nothing! Yes! He is like a doll! He has nothing down here. No dick, no anus, none. BUT, remember everyone that he is a shapeshifter! He can adjust! So even if he doesn't have anything down here, he can create anything he or his partner wants. Dick? Sure! Pussy? Of course! Both? Why not?! Maybe something more crazy, like tentacles? We can go wild as fuck! I love inhuman characters like Lucifer, because you can actually create something really crazy like that! And it makes sense! I mean, think about it! Why angels would need anything down here? It just makes sense that they don't have anything here!

So, as I said, he can create anything he wants, but what is happening with him when he doesn't have anything? I've thought about this too! So, when he doesn't have reproductive organs, few spots on his body are becoming more sensitive when he's horny. They are: Hands, hooves, tail, around his horns, few spots on his wings. If you massage those places, he can have orgasm. It is a little different experience than what we, human can achieve, but it's as intense, if not even more sometimes, as our orgasm.

About horns... if you pull them during sex, he can come just from this. But you have to do this strong! Don't worry, you won't hurt him.

He fucked with his clones for sure. He is the fucking sin of Pride, of course he had to have fun time with himself. But it is kinda like advanced masturbation, because he controls them.

But it also means, that with a partner, he could use his clones, so you could have a literal gangbang with just Lucifer.

He prefers folks with pussies. It is just his personal favourite, but he wouldn't mind if his loved one had different thing! He would eat you anyway.

He is a total switch. He is the literal definition of this. He feels comfortable in being sub, dom, top and bottom.

As a power bottom, he is a little shit, because he is challenging your dominance. He loves it.

I can imagine that in dominant role, he would be really caring or more aggressive, depending what you wanted.

He talks a lot during sex. He would say a lot of dirty things with his deep voice.

He can growl when he is close to the climax.

He has totally a kink that is connected to him being a king.

And also daddy kink. I can totally imagine that he would have this.

His demonic side might appear during sex. He thinks that it's too scary, but if he sees that you like it, he will show it more.

For now it's all! Those are my headcanons, so I hope you had fun reading them!

See ya! ~ Silver

[nerdygaymormon]

Hey, I'm a member of the church and enby. It's been rough ever since I came out. I'm still a teen, but all the talk about being sealed in the temple and God only creating men and women has really been hard. Do you have any advice?

First I'm going to address the idea that God only created men & women and then I'll follow that with some advice.

————————————————————

The Bible states that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he them; male and female created he them.” (Gen 1:27)

God creates a person and calls it adam, which is Hebrew for “human” or “mankind.” Adam isn’t even necessarily male. 

That the first person created in this story is a ‘human’ or ‘mankind’ is a big clue that this story is allegorical and meant to represent all of us. Adam and Eve are there to teach us lessons about the purposes of life.

One way to think of “male and female” is that these are the two options, God made the male and God made the female and that’s it. However, another way to look at this is one end of a spectrum and the other end of a spectrum, and everything in between, like when we use the first & last letter of the alphabet to mean everything, A to Z, or Alpha & Omega.

Biologists say that the idea of 2 sexes is overly simplistic, that actually it is a spectrum. Whether you’re looking at X & Y chromosomes, at genes, at hormones, at internal or external reproductive organs, or secondary sex characteristics, the reality is not as simple as either M or F.  

Even the other parts of the creation which are presented as a binary are actually bimodal, meaning most incidences are concentrated around two ends of the spectrum but they aren’t the only option. For example, God made day & night, but there’s also sunrises and sunsets. God separated the sky from the water, but the sky has clouds which hold water. Separating the water from the dry land still includes marshes, bogs, & swamps where the water & land are mixed. 

The binaries presented in the creation story are not binaries but spectrums, and are pleasing unto God. Why would we not expand that lesson to include other parts of creation, including people, especially since that fits what we find is the reality? Gender is a spectrum, sexual orientation is a spectrum.

These thoughts are from a post I made, click here to read the rest of the post.

————————————————————

You are not alone, you are not the only one who faces this situation. Thank heavens we have the internet and ability to connect with others. It’s good to find friends who are nonbinary and Mormon because they’ll get you in a way that most others won’t. I’ve found interacting with other queer people really helps me feel better and normal about my own concerns and feelings.

You have claim to two great histories and legacies–LDS & LGBT+. Both the queer community and LDS church, in different ways, teach me about being kind and accepting others.

This church teaches that we’re each entitled to pray and seek revelation and confirmation. You can pray to ask if God loves you, all of you. You can seek confirmation for decisions on your path. Your Heavenly Parents love you as you are and for who you are. You are precious to them. Jesus loves you and offers the blessings of the gospel to you. His ministry elevates those who are on the margins.

We are that we might have joy! That is a beautiful teaching. Find joy. Take steps towards it.

Go slowly, or rather, I mean, at your own pace. You don’t have to run faster than you want as you’re figuring things out. In fact, I hope you can think of this as an opportunity for deeper happiness and more joy and meaning in your life. People who fit the binary have handed to them in what ways they should seek meaning & happiness, but you get to explore and learn much of this on your own.

Mormons have a lot of expectations regarding dress and appearance, but it’s okay to do things your own way. Want a short haircut, fine. Want to dye your hair blue, terrific. Want to wear pants, okay. Want to wear colorful shirts, do it. Want to wear bow ties & suspenders, perfect. Clothes are an example that much of gender is a social construct, clothes are not inherently gendered. If you don't fit the gender norms don't feel obligated to stick to the gender constructs.

I suspect 2nd hour is most troubling as it’s when Mormons segregate by gender. It’s okay to skip and spend time on the couch or take a walk around the building. If Sunday School is about a topic that is causing you stress, I don’t think forcing yourself to sit there uncomfortable is going to yield a lot of benefit. Don’t let the good you could be getting be swamped by the negative, find ways to remove or minimize those things that cause you trouble. Recognize it’s going to be complicated and frustrating.

Even things in the gospel that seem simple to others can be difficult for queer people. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore that feeling. In those situations I ask myself these 3 questions — “Does that sound like me, do I resemble that remark?” — “Does this sound like the God that I know?” — “Does this fit with the great commandment to love one another?”

Being a nonbinary Latter-day Saint often means hungering, aching to the depths of your soul, just to be acknowledged, to have any of our theology reference you at all. One small thing you can do at church is simply saying 'a child of God' instead of 'a son or daughter of God.' Instead of praying, “Dear Heavenly Father,” try saying “Dear God” as a gender-neutral title.

When someone figures out they're nonbinary, things shift in ways they may not have anticipated. Be curious about yourself. For example, maybe you hated shopping for clothes, but actually maybe you just hated shopping only in the men's or the women's section because that's very limiting. Now the whole store is open, perhaps clothes shopping can be enjoyable as you get to express your gender in what you wear.

None of us comes forth from the womb fully-formed—we all grow, transform, and become. Those who are nonbinary get to do it in unique ways and I hope you, and those around you, appreciate the wonderful journey it is. Being nonbinary is not a mistake, it is not good or bad, it just is. You choose whether it’ll be a blessing or a curse in your life.

I wish you much joy in your journey of self discovery!

[self-winding]

In another post I talked about the drawbacks of using "afab" and "amab" as euphemisms for biological categories, because "amab" does not necessarily correspond with having a penis or testicles or XY chromosomes. So, "enlarged prostate is a common issue affecting older amab individuals" is kind of a nonsensical statement. "amab" means there is an M on your birth certificate. There are people who have a prostate but don't have an M on their birth certificate.

And a common response was that, yes, people should strive to use anatomy/biological process-specific language instead. i.e. "enlarged prostate is a common issue affecting older people with prostates." Which, while feeling a bit redundant, is pretty straightforward. Because yes, you need a prostate in order to suffer from an enlarged prostate. Can't argue with that.

Or if you are specifically discussing menstruation and want to be inclusive to intersex and trans people, then referring to "people who menstruate" is not weird.

But outside these contexts, there are drawbacks to the broad use of anatomy-specific language such as "people with penises," "people with prostates," "people who menstruate," "people with estrogen-based puberties" etc. as opposed to the more general terms male, female, or intersex.

One of the issues with this anatomy-specific language is that if you attempt to do this with any degree of rigor or consistency outside of those specific contexts, it very quickly becomes cumbersome and awkward to an almost comical degree.

Perhaps more significantly, a lot of people don't like being casually referred to and categorized by their genitalia or reproductive organs or hormones and this strikes me as a pretty understandable thing.

"But why?" you say. "Body parts aren't dirty or shameful, we should get comfortable with saying their names and talking about them!" Okay, so if a stranger came up to you in the street and asked, "Hey, do you have a penis or a vulva? Or both?!" or, "Do you menstruate? Do you ejaculate?" you'd be okay with that, right? I mean, they're just body parts and natural processes! Are you ashamed of your body, bro?

Of course, this is rhetorical because most people would not be okay with this. Not necessarily because they think of their genitalia as shameful, but because they think of their genitalia as private and find it presumptuous and uncomfortable to have a stranger casually asking about or referencing those parts, regardless of that stranger's motive. This is where a lot of the discomfort with casual use of anatomy-specific language comes from. Of course, there is a difference between discussing "people with testicles" in a general sense and looking someone in the eye and referring to them to their face as a "person with testicles," but you get my point.

And this can be extra distressing if someone has dysphoria. If you feel bad about your penis or your uterus, maybe being referred to as a "person with a penis" or "person with a uterus" is not the type of language you'd prefer. Maybe it actually feels worse than just being referred to by a more general categorical term. Which is not something I often see brought up.

[talon-dragonbeast]

hi! can you talk more about the significance of the biological concept of species? I'm a nonhuman who currently believes that species can't exactly be interpreted the way gender is, but I lack the vocabulary and knowledge in ecology to properly communicate that lol, so I thought I would ask you as an alterhuman in science! no worries if you don't feel like answering this ask :3

ooh i can definitely talk about that, yeah!! i was meaning to make a post like this since forever, so thanks for giving me the excuse!

so, i want to begin by emphasizing that species identity is a very real concept that should be always respected. of course, im an otherkin myself, so i dont think anyone ever doubted it in the first place, but i wanted to make myself clear anyways. species-diverse folks are the species they say they are, regardless of ones own beliefs. if a dog therian says theyre a dog physically, i believe them. if someone who looks like a human to me insists theyre not human at all, i believe them. if someone tells me, an atheist, that theyre a god or an angel, i believe them. and if someone says they can transform into a unicorn-dragon-zombie with robot wings through fucking magic, i believe them. so, now that that is clear, lets begin.

traditionally, species were classified based on their morphological characteristics, that is, their physical appearance. while this method was effective at first, it quickly became too unreliable (as evidenced by the many bird species that look almost the same, and dog breeds that, despite their physical differences, belong to the same species), so scientists began categorizing species based on their reproductive compatibility, specifically whether they could interbreed and whether their offspring were fertile. so, for example, iguanas and monitor lizards are incapable of interbreeding (different species), whereas donkeys and horses can produce mules, which are sterile (different species, same genus). finally, dogs and wolves can interbreed and they produce fertile offspring (same species, Canis lupus). nowadays, we classify species via phylogenetic analysis, which looks for similarities in DNA chains, though this method also presents its own problems as described by @nisaetus-nerd in this post.

now, why is species identity different from gender identity? well, for starters, species is more akin to biological sex than to gender. aside from the fact that the majority of the population takes species identity to be some kind of hilarious joke, species, just like sex, has some physical characteristics that (for now at least) cannot be changed. the category that we know as sex is actually a combination of chromosomes, reproductive organs (internal and external), external characteristics, hormones, (not relevant to humans but) pheromones, and reproductive cycles; similarily, species is a combination of many things, including DNA, physiology, morphology, diet, ecology, and behavior, among others.

its also important to point out that within the different sexes that exist in the human species there arent that many variations from one another; humans dont actually have a ton of sexual dimorphism (at least compared to freaks of nature (affectionate) like birds of paradise) and many of the differences between sexes that society highlights don't actually exist (think "female brain vs. male brain"). sex, at least in my opinion, isnt that important outside of reproductive health, so not many problems arise from simply throwing it out the window.

meanwhile, we do use species for a lot of things! as a vet in training, this is especially important when treating different animals; you wouldnt use the same drugs for a dog as you would for a horse, nor would you give the same food to a cow as you would to a pig. species are too different from each other, especially the further down the phylogenetic tree you go. you can actually use similar drugs for a dog and a human being, because we evolved together and have a similar physiology, but the same cant be said about chickens. most mammals heal their bones in a similar way (only difference i can think of, aside from the drugs, is the fact that you have to protect the bandages so they dont rip them off), but when it comes to, say, a bird of prey, thats an entirely different story. not to mention bees! they dont even have bones!!

(species have other uses outside of health of course, thats only what i specialize in. someone who studies ecology, or zoology, or genetic engineering, or any other field of biology would give you a different answer than mine. this is only my point of view, which i admit is kind of limited)

so! to wrap up this extremely long post, i want to stress once more that we need a term to express the experience of species identity, similar to how gender is discussed in transgender communities. species identity is not the same as biological species, and its crucial to be able to freely describe this experience with our own vocabulary. the way things are, biological species is too important of a concept to dismiss its meaning entirely, which is why we often face ridicule and skepticism when discussing it outside of alterhuman circles. the way we define "species" in our community (in which species = identity) is quite different from how most people usually understand the term (in which species = biology), and i think this misunderstanding is in part what leads to doubt when we talk about our experiences with others. so by changing the way we talk about species identity, we could get more people to understand what we really mean, instead on assuming based on the words we use.

[sunsetsands]

Completed the reference photo for how an akada's internal organs are laid out. Each organ system and their most noteworthy traits will be indicated and explained under the keep reading barrier.

Gray: The nervous system. Rather than being located in the head, an akada's brain is stored in the center of its body, protected on all sides by its shell. This is accompanied by a long central nervous cord that extends up into the eyestalks. All the other nerves in an akada's body branch off of this cord, including the ones situated behind its brain, which loop back around somewhere in the middle. In addition to its different structure, the brain of an akada also functions slightly differently from a human's. Their lives involve a lot less quick, on-the-move decision making than ours do, instead prioritizing a lot more meticulous long-term planning. This means that akada, generally, think about as slowly as they move. An akada's thought output is more about quality over quantity.

Beige: The shell. You probably know what this does. While tucked in, the shell tilts down and the front organs get folded up to make room for the squished-down head. Although akada can pull their heads into their shells, this doesn't do a lot to protect their arms, tail, or skirt. This ability is more or less vestigial, only being used while startled or sleeping.

Light Blue: The respiratory system. This is comprised of one lung that is also technically ten lungs, each one being surrounded by a mesh of muscle tissue that squeezes and unsqueezes them to pump air. This air enters the body through a series of small slits along the top of their faces. Not a lot to say here. Pretty standard set of breathey parts.

Dark Blue: The circulatory system, though every part of it except the heart has been excluded here for simplicity. As you can probably deduce from the color choice, akada have blue blood, using hemocyanin where we use hemoglobin. Again, not much of note.

Red: The digestive system. Akada chew using two distinct sets of teeth: One three-part beak in the front used for crushing, and one two-part radula in the back used for grinding. Though these parts look and act completely differently, they are adapted from the same parts, that being many rows of identical, keratinous spikes that an ancient ancestor species had in their mouths. Also noteworthy here is the camera shutter-esque organ inside of their throat. These are their vocal chords, which use air pumped out of the stomach to produce speech, assisted on the way out by the radula and lips. The organ is fully retracted while eating to make way for food.

Pink: The reproductive system. Typically, akada have two penises and two vaginas, one of each located in pouches in their cheeks. These are also accompanied by twin uteri, attached in the middle by a series of glands I haven't put much thought into the function of. These uteri store fertilized eggs, which are incubated until they are ready to be vomjaculated into the nearest body of water to hatch. It should be noted that, since an akada's reproductive organs are situated behind their teeth, it is very possible, and in fact quite common, for one to accidentally bite their own penis off. Don't worry, it usually grows back.

Green: A slime production gland. Like Earth's gastropods, akada produce slime to make it easier to slide along the ground. This is technically also their urinary system. Out of context, the idea of a species that talks by burping and moves by peeing sounds a bit childish, but you probably wouldn't have realized that had I not pointed it out.

Teal: A spongy water storage/filtration organ with no direct terran equivalent. Aside from the main organ pictured in the drawing, there also exists a layer of similar spongy tissue spread all throughout an akada's skin, acting both as an emergency moisture reserve and a hydrostatic skeleton.

[comfortcomes]

i said i would make an actual post about this and my irls are sick of me talking about it on ig i’m sure but i do think it’s really really important that people know how much abortion funds are struggling rn on both the local and national levels. after the dobbs decision in 2022 there was a huge surge in donations to ab funds and a lot of them were able to expand their budgets as a result which was amazing. but that money is gone now, it is not being replenished on anywhere near the same level, and abortion access is MUCH more expensive than it was two years ago. these funds don’t just pay for abortion procedures (the cost of which has also gone up btw), they also provide direct support for flights, gas, hotels, because for people living in half the states in the US these are now crucial factors in their ability to access reproductive healthcare. the two biggest national funds (NAF and planned parenthood) have both capped their assistance for individual callers because of the demand, which in turn puts even more strain on local funds to close that gap. so basically if you’re trying to get an abortion as a US citizen today there’s no guarantee you’ll legally be able to in your state, the procedure will be more expensive and it’ll be harder to get an appointment than it was two years ago, and despite you paying what could easily be thousands of dollars to access essential healthcare, where you could have been fully funded by NAF in 2022, these orgs are now only able to pledge 30% of your total cost. funds in my state that have monthly budgets in the tens of thousands are having to close their helplines after two hours every week because of the insane amount of need. granted i live in a state that experiences unique demand as the first access point for many people living in southern states with abortion bans, but we’re not at all unique in the inability to keep up with the amount of people seeking help.

if you gave money to your local abortion fund when dobbs dropped, i guarantee no matter where it is that fund is now overwhelmed with far more demand and much less money than they had in 2022. and abortion funds are some of the only organizations you can donate to and be absolutely certain your money is going directly to people who need it—we’re a very small org but at the last budget meeting for my local fund we literally had less than $30 allocated for anything other than abortion support the entire fiscal year. two years ago people were giving “rage donations” in anger about the future injustices that would happen when abortion bans became widespread, but those things actually ARE happening NOW and there’s a really simple way you can make a small dent in a massive national crisis and it’s by becoming a recurring donor or volunteering for the abortion fund near you. as a country we’ve decided to just accept that women don’t have the right to full bodily autonomy in half of the US but you don’t actually have to accept it, you can stop numbing yourself to the grief you experienced about the end of roe v wade and contribute materially to slowly building that right back up again. and these are the places that are doing that: https://abortionfunds.org/find-a-fund/ and they really need your money

[elbiotipo]

Watched Strange Aeon's video essay on A/B/O dynamics and it touched on some really interesting tidbits on world building. Idk how much you know about it or if you have any thoughts on Omegaverse?

If not, basically how life/society would be with essentially extra sexes: cis men who could give birth, cis women who can knock up other uterus havers, how the world would cater for this stuff. V interesting 🤔

I know little about omegaverse, but I don't really find it that creative or engaging. Then again, I'm not the target audience.

However, without getting into specifics, I do appreciate when a erotic scenario gets into the worldbuilding and implications that such an scenario would mean, or when certain elements of worldbuilding have erotic undertones.

It's all in personal taste though, what one finds subtle eroticism others will call shoehorned fetishes and so forth. But what I really appreciate, even in a neutral sense, is when you design cultures, especially non-human cultures, and they have different approaches to everything. Making your non-human characters just be humans with tails is boring. They should have different ways of eating, of clothing, of living their life, of organizing society of perceiving the world, and yes, of doing it too.

In biology, we of course had to learn a lot about this. The very basics of sexual reproduction and sex (in the act and the definition) aren't that variable after all in animals if you look at the big picture. Creatures as diverse as arthropods, mollusks and chordates all present concepts such as mating, courtship, sexual selection, parental care and more. It's not unreasonable to expect many different cultures or beings to share some things in common (That's how you make some kind of romances work) There are lots of differences in the specific though, this is where the good bits of speculative evolution/biology lie, and I sometimes think that using human terms (for example, monogamy/polygamy or sexual/gender identities) is often a poor attempt to understand them (an attempt is made at least). It's interesting to study this kind of stuff and try to remove our anthropocentrism, but also, we find parallels and things we share.

In fact, when talking about humans, we have created so many ways to organize our sexual and romantic relationships, and our sexual and gender identities. I can imagine other beings capable of abstract thought and social organization would do the same, and what to me is more ironic, some ways will result familiar to us! I believe that when we're talking about sexes, the act of sex, and families at its broadest strokes, we would find things in common to talk about. The ability to concieve about such things lead to kinds of sexual and gender expression and family organization, at least in our own case that we know about.

But that's talking about animals in our own Earth. Then we get to the stranger things. The haplo-diplont life cycle in plants, with two entire different kind of beings involved in reproduction. Asexual reproduction is common in animals but it often takes the channels of sexual reproduction, the idea of reproduction by budding or separation and the concept of "genets" is something stranger. I don't even know what goes on with fungi.

There have been lots of science fiction and fantasy authors that explore this (I can't remember anyone specific right now) but I believe many take it as singular strange cases, when in a fantasy or science fiction world with many kinds of non-human cultures, we should expect this to be the norm. When you study biology, you learn everything is different and there are always exceptions, except we also share everything and there are always similarities.