#Rapid Concept Development

[wild-at-mind]

I honestly thought I didn't really have much chest dysphoria (small chested) but it's been several days since I put binding tape on as I had been careless removing it and scabbed the skin, and it feels terrible. I have a day's break every week or so which is just about doable but not this. Good thing my skin is better

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. ‘We are just getting started’: the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world

In 2016, Japanese scientists Oda and Hiraga published their discovery of Ideonella sakaiensis, a bacterium capable of breaking down PET plastic into basic nutrients. This finding marked a shift in microbiology's perception, recognizing the potential of microbes to solve pressing environmental issues.

France's Carbios has successfully applied bacterial enzyme technology to recycle PET plastic waste into new plastic products, aligning with the French government's goal of fully recycling plastic packaging by 2025.

2. HIV cases in Amsterdam drop to almost zero after PrEP scheme

According to Dutch AIDS Fund, there were only nine new cases of the virus in Amsterdam in 2022, down from 66 people diagnosed in 2021. The organisation claimed that 128 people were diagnosed with HIV in Amsterdam in 2019, and since 2010, the number of new infections in the Dutch capital has fallen by 95 per cent.

3. Cheap and drinkable water from desalination is finally a reality

In a groundbreaking endeavor, engineers from MIT and China have designed a passive solar desalination system aimed at converting seawater into drinkable water.

The concept, articulated in a study published in the journal Joule, harnesses the dual powers of the sun and the inherent properties of seawater, emulating the ocean’s “thermohaline” circulation on a smaller scale, to evaporate water and leave salt behind.

4. World’s 1st drug to regrow teeth enters clinical trials

The ability to regrow your own teeth could be just around the corner. A team of scientists, led by a Japanese pharmaceutical startup, are getting set to start human trials on a new drug that has successfully grown new teeth in animal test subjects.

Toregem Biopharma is slated to begin clinical trials in July of next year after it succeeded growing new teeth in mice five years ago, the Japan Times reports.

5. After Decades of Pressure, US Drugmaker J&J Gives Up Patent on Life-Saving TB Drug

In what can be termed a huge development for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients across large parts of the world, bedaquiline maker Johnson and Johnson said on September 30 (Saturday) that it would drop its patent over the drug in 134 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

6. Stranded dolphins rescued from shallow river in Massachusetts

7. ‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief

The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5C limit on global heating have brightened owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment in the past two years, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog has said.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, and the world’s foremost energy economist, said much more needed to be done but that the rapid uptake of solar power and electric vehicles were encouraging.

---

That's it for this week :)

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[constablegoo]

         𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓  𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄  𝐀𝐑𝐄  𝐘𝐎𝐔?

                'love at first sight'

let's be real, only children believe in "love at first sight." but you're a hopeless romantic probably sitting around in coffee shops waiting to meet "the one." and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. infatuation at first sight is more accurate. you are the moment when two people lock eyes, and the whole world stills. nothing is there but you and them. and there is suddenly a strong sense of longing. you love love, don't deny it. flowers, chocolates, the whole nine yards. because of this you are loved by many. hopefully you know it too: you are loved.

tagged  by : the wonderful @dimensionalspades !! ty!! tagging :  snag it!

[shinyspooks]

one thing i've noticed with a lot of dpxdc prompts involving Impulse is that you guys seem to exclusively use the "apocalyptic future" storyline from the Young Justice cartoon.

personally. i think it's FAR funnier to use the original comic's version;

when he was born, Bart Allen's body was developing too fast. The speedforce was affecting him in a way previously unseen- he looked 12 even though he was only 3 years old mentally.

so, the scientists of the future could only come up with one solution; they put his body in stasis and put his mind in virtual reality.

Bart "Impulse" Allen, grew up in a video game.

After he gets sent to the past and shocked out of his rapid aging, he treats the world the one you'd expect someone who grew up in a video game would. He has no concept of consequences, mortality, and thinks in the most absurd outside the box ways.

He of course gets past this, character development and all.

But still, he's quite shocked when one of his video game mentors, Phantom, suddenly appears in a very much physical form, in the past no less.

And... why doesn't Phantom recognize him?

Or; in the future, scientists need a computer program that will allow a speedster's mind to grow properly. They decide to use the notes of the renowned (and long gone) "Tech Wizard", Tucker Foley. Within Foley's notes is a program simply called "Phantom".

Meanwhile, in the past, Danny is incredibly confused when this random speedster kid calls him by name before he's even introduced himself. Does this mean he's going to end up on another time adventure again?

Bonus: Bart canonically has an evil clone named Inertia, who took his place and pretended to be him for like. Literal months if I remember right, and nobody noticed. Anyways, give me a redeemed!Inertia hanging out with Dani or give me death-

[jedidruid]

Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age: Lightsabers and Blasters and the Jedi

If there's one concept I love to rotate around in my head, its the Jedi's use of lightsabers and how they rarely use blasters outside of very extreme or fringe situation.

Like, we know its a purposeful choice on their part. It's far far simpler to get good at shooting a gun than it would be to become a master sword fighter. Add the Force into the mix, and the Jedi would become even more deadly warriors in a galaxy where they're already among the best, if not the best.

Obi-wan's time undercover as Rako Hardeen shows that he's able to match the skill of someone know as the "Marksman of Concord Dawn" with little issue. Kanan and later Ezra show just how much of an edge the Force can give in a shoot-out. In the first episode of Rebels, we literally see Kanan drop three or four stormtroopers in rapid succession while driving a speeder bike. All when he's still actively disguising/holding back his connection to the Force. We even see examples of mixing blasters and lightsabers in the Jedi games, with Cere Junda using both at the end of Fallen Order and Cal developing his own style of it partway through Survivor.

Every time we've seen a Jedi pick up a blaster, they can easily match trained soldiers and experienced fighters.

It's easy, and that's arguably why we don't see more Jedi using them.

To be a Jedi, a blaster is a clumsy weapon not because it somehow inaccurate or unwieldy, but because it gives them too few options.

For a Jedi with just a blaster, the only way to defend themselves against other people with blasters is to shoot back. Sure they could try and shoot the weapons out of their opponents' hands, but even then they would have no way to defend themselves or others from numerous shooters, nor would it stop a disarmed enemy from grabbing another weapon and undoing the Jedi's progress.

For a Jedi with just a blaster, the best way, the safest way, to end the fight is always going to be to shoot to kill.

When a Jedi has a lightsaber, however, it gives them so much more flexibility. They can provide cover for their allies or those they are protecting, they can turn blaster bolts back on their aggressors to discourage them from attacking, they can more easily advance to nullify the main advantage of blasters or more easily retreat and escape from any pursers. That's not even mentioning all the practical uses a lightsaber has as a tool outside of combat.

And sure, it's not that blasters in and of themselves don't suit the Jedi way. Stun blasters or emp/electrial blasters could be useful if they suited the situation.

But again, it's not about whats optimal or easiest, its about what those options take away from the table.

If you see someone running towards you with a blaster, you might risk pulling out your own and shooting your way out, depending on how desperate you are. After all, if you are thinking your life could end at any moment on another's whim, it's becomes more enticing to take the initiate and put yourself on even ground.

But if you see someone with a lightsaber? Where the danger at range comes not from being shot, but from your own attacks being turned against you? It might make you hesitant to attack, more willing another way out of the situation, whether through surrender, fleeing, or talking things out.

Does it always work out this? No, of course not. Fear makes people act impulsively, recklessly. But at the very worst, it can make it easier for a Jedi to deescalated and take control of a fight, where a blaster might only escalate the situation beyond anyone's control.

All of this is not to mention how the use of blasters can affect a Jedi's mentality. Cere Junda and Cal Kestis both rely on blasters in their darkest moments, when Cere returns to the Fortress Inquisitorius and when Cal is pursuing someone who betrayed him and killed those he cared about. Ezra's switching to use a proper blaster instead of rebuilding his stunning blaster/saber combo marks a dangerous shift in his thinking.

After all, it's all so easy to shot and kill someone, you barely have to move or think. Aren't some enemies not worth the effort of using your lightsaber? Maybe they're so inconsequential they're not even worthy to die by the weapon of a Jedi... they're less than worthless, less than a real person, they need to get out of the way or be forced out of it, how dare they oppose you!?!?

... ... ...

A lightsaber is a Jedi's weapon because it reflects what a Jedi is.

A lightsaber can be as dangerous to its user as it can be to their opponents. It requires training, self discipline, a sense of purposefulness that a blaster simply doesn't. The Jedi know what happens when they seek a quick and easy path....

A self-imposed limitation. A defensive weapon. A purposeful weapon.

An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.

[concorp]

skizz isn’t a bad builder by any means, btw.

the reason his guess the build builds are so utterly insane is because he hasn’t developed his observational skills, which are equally important.

its often the biggest hurdle with learning to draw and id say its the same with building in minecraft- when it comes organics specifically.

often people understand the traits of things, but just, don’t pay attention to how they connect, because they don’t understand how important they are.

they know a cat has four legs, but they don’t take time to observe where and how exactly the legs connect, because it’s a far more complex concept that cats having four legs.

i feel skizz is kinda like this to another level. the way he builds sharks is a great example!

the reason they look weird is because he always builds the head above the body- because that’s how he understands heads to connect. not realizing that sharks heads are at the same level of their body. it’s just not a detail he pays attention to, because why would he? it’s not something that would be obviously important. he then struggles to understand what he did wrong, because he never paid specific attention to a shark’s neck.

he’s been improving rapidly with his building of non organics because by being on the hermitcraft server and always talking to people about their builds in depth, he’s studying them! he’s been paying attention to the little details more, and implementing them into his own work.

meanwhile guess the build is so rapid fire and with things he’s not had the chance to ever give that attention to. it’s a skill you have to work on to naturally notice things and not have to deliberately study them as much, but it takes a long time to build up.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The idea of transgender “social contagion” was first proposed in a 2018 paper by Dr. Lisa Littman, a researcher who has pushed the theory heavily. The article, entitled “Rapid-onset gender dysphoria in adolescents and young adults: A study of parental reports,” proposed that social contagion was leading to an increase in trans identification. To support her claim, Littman solicited interviews from anti-trans websites such as Transgender Trend and 4thWaveNow. She used data from those interviews to claim that transgender youth “suddenly” develop gender dysphoria through a process known as “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria.” Her paper was immediately withdrawn with an apology by the journal for correction after the data collection methods were revealed, with the republication stating that the research “does not validate the phenomenon” of transgender social contagion. "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" is derived from interviews with parents who report their children "abruptly came out as trans" without any forewarning. For numerous parents on these websites opposed to transgender rights, they claimed their children’s coming out was too sudden to be genuine. Coupled with conservative media exposure asserting that being transgender results from factors ranging from TikTok to alleged "grooming" in schools, parents frequently sought alternative explanations for their children's trans identification, instead of acknowledging the possibility that their children were authentically transgender. A pivotal study published in The Journal of Pediatrics in 2021 entirely debunked this concept. Professionals who work closely with transgender populations frequently observe that individuals harbor dysphoria for an extended period before revealing their feelings to loved ones. Upon coming out, these individuals often swiftly embrace their transgender identity, motivated by the liberation that comes with acknowledging one's true self. To determine whether transgender identification is genuinely "rapid," researchers sought to pose a direct question to transgender teenagers: How long have you known you were transgender? The results were stunning. Transgender teens knew they were trans for an average of 4 years before coming out as trans and getting their first clinical visit. The study did not stop there, however. It also analyzed the few transgender teens who indicated their gender dysphoria realization was more recent. It found no linkages among those groups with depression, online support, having transgender friends, or any other proposed mechanisms for “rapid-onset gender dysphoria.” To put it simply: transgender people often know they are trans for a long time before coming out, and having transgender friends does not influence you to “become transgender.”

[candypalace]

Translation: Heterodoxy Pamphlet. Music Writers Reflect on 20 Years of the GazettE, Part 1/6 (2002-2004)

Hello friends! As promised long long ago, I'm starting the Heterodoxy series where music writers reflect on their work with the band in the last 20 years. This might take some time since not all the texts are ready just yet, but I will do my best to finish them as quickly as I can. This is Part 1/6, hope you enjoy it!

scan credit: @rad-is-more

Text by Hiroko Yamamoto [1]

the GazettE was born in March 2002. The band was formed by Uruha and Reita, who were dear friends from elementary school, Ruki, who they crossed in the previous band (back when he was a drummer) and who later changed to vocals, and their first drummer, Yune, who also invited his buddy from a previous band, Aoi. Two months later, they played their first show at Meguro Rokumeikan, a live venue that can be described as a gateway to success for visual kei bands. Their first maxi single "Wakaremichi" has a melancholic, catchy melody and an impressive fast-paced sound. During the encore of their 20th anniversary live at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in March this year, Ruki looked back on the beginning of the band: "We are the GazettE, and 20 years ago we got together thinking this would be the last band of our lifetimes”. It was during those young days when the band was standing on the stage with recklessness and foolhardiness when such strong headbanging songs as “Kantou Dogeza Kumiai” and “Waifu” were created, yet they continue to stay popular to this day. The band's forward momentum is best represented by the time when they had to play “Kantou Dogeza Kumiai” over and over again because they didn’t have many original songs yet. While they were firing the audience up with their so-called "violent songs", they also had an amazing ability to write emotionally rich compositions with Showa-inspired melodies, such as "Juunanasai" (later included in the pamphlet with CD for their first Nippon Budokan concert). Everything in the GazettE of those early days, up to their make-up and costumes, was elusive and funny in a good way, as conveyed by "Sentimental na Onigokko", a song about bullying, which presents the listeners with a droll world view of a locked room.

The band’s first turning point came the following year. In 2003, when their first drummer left the band, Kai, with whom they had played together in session shows, quickly took his place. This made the current five members, and the band moved to a new office. It was Ruki who made a last-minute call to Kai, and the drummer had to join in right from the next day's show. From this point on the band’s rapid progress officially began. the GazettE of those times actively participated in organized taiban [2] events. They were even nicknamed “taiban killers”, as their heat-packed shows helped them steal away fans who had come to see other bands. In the next three months they released three consecutive four-track mini-albums, "COCKAYNE SOUP", "Akuyuukai" and "Spermargarita", which increased the number of their fans in geometrical progression. Incidentally, at the time they called themselves "Dai Nippon Itan Geisha Gazetto" [3]. The name derived from the thought of what the word “Visual Kei” would sound like if it was a Japanese word [4]. On their 15th anniversary in 2017, the band held a concept show at the Yoyogi National Stadium. On that stage today's the GazettE performed songs from the Dainippon Itan Geisha era, so hopefully fans who didn’t know their early days got to know them. The sense of unity between band and fans that rose steam from the live house, the "Jump to us!" screams, and the band's stage presence all developed during that exact period. Back in September of 2003, the band sold out a two-day one-man show at Takadanobaba AREA, and only four months later, in January 2004, their one-man show "JUDGMENT DAY" at SHIBUYA-AX was sold out. On the day of the show, the venue was overflowing with fans, and the venue’s doors were barely closing. The band was not informed that the tickets had been sold out until the day of the show, and how they were surprised by the scenery in front of them and the crowd’s enthusiasm almost seems funny today.

Particular about every aspect of their performances, videos, sets, playing their music live, even coming up with their own ideas for photoshoots and never stopping the work until they are satisfied – this is the GazettE. When I was covering them in a magazine for the first time, I felt that a band of an entirely new generation that took over from the royalty of Visual Kei (although there was no such term back in the day) had entered the scene. I remembered their down-to-earth attitude, in which the live show and the fans who attend it are the most important thing. I also remembered that young the GazettE had a simple goal of keeping the band going, rather than becoming a band that was listened to by a certain number of people. Come to think of it, that hasn’t changed a bit. Truly an ironclad band.

[1] Hiroko Yamamoto / Born in Tokyo. Impacted by glam and punk rock as well as blues in her college days, she started a band and spent her life immersed in music. After working for an entertainment editorial production, she became a freelance writer. She covered the GazettE for the free papers and visual-kei specific magazines like Neo Genesis. She was particularly impressed by the band’s stance with its emphasis on live performances and believing in their music and their fans without being influenced by trends or critical opinions. Currently writes columns on music, as well as films and doramas. (From the pamphlet’s credits)

[2] 対バン (taiban) - A live with several bands performing. Usually those are beginner bands that split the venue and equipment rent as well as other costs.

[3] 大日本異端芸者 (Dai Nippon Itan Geisha) can be translated as “Heretic people of art (professional performers) of the Great Japan”. We know Ruki never chooses names for anything without putting a lot of meaning into it, and I’d say there are many layers to this title as well. 

大日本 (Dai Nippon) initially referrs to the Japanese Empire (大日本帝國 Dai Nippon Teikoku, 1868–1947), which embraced the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa eras in Japanese history, though nowadays it is considered a nationalistic way of referring to Japan. Dai Nippon expressed the overall aesthetics that the GazettE (then - Gazetto) was working with at the time: Japanese flags on the Wakaremichi cover, the silhouettes of children wearing Imperial Japan school uniforms on the COCKAYNE SOUP cover, lyrics (Oni no men) and the use of traditional melodies (Back Drop Junkie [Nancy]), their iconic indie photoshoots with lots of elements clearly inspired by Japanese culture and so on.

異端 (itan) means heresy. This word is also clearly important for the GazettE’s vision and positioning since we see it literally everywhere: in the fanclub name, 20th anniversary live name, merch etc. If we look up the meaning of the word “heresy”, we’ll see the following: “an opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted”. Not only “being profoundly different” is a key principle of Visual Kei, it is also one of the grounds the GazettE exists and continues to work on.

Finally, 芸者 (geisha, “a person of art”) is a pretty well-known word internationally. While most people associate geisha with professional female performers, the Japanese word itself doesn’t have any gender markers, and the first geisha, which appeared around the first half of the 18th century, were actually male. At the same time, it might refer to the androgynous nature of Visual Kei.

[4] “Visual Kei”‎ is partially a gairaigo — a word that came from a foreign language. The question they asked themselves was “if the concept of v-kei had to be translated through the prism of Japanese culture and values, what would a Japanese word describing it sound like?” And the answer is, apparently, “heretic people of art”.

[judasrpc]

TIPS FOR WRITING COMBAT, TACTICS, AND / OR FIELD MEDICINE SCENARIOS PT. 2

Hello again! Coming out of the woodwork with my niche interests and hoping to pass along some information about writing things such as combat, tactical operations, and / or field medicine!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, nor am I someone who has served in the military or law enforcement in any capacity. Any information in this post is gained from personal research in mostly internet circles. Some topics may be unsettling/disturbing, so please take care in reading.

You can view part one of this post [HERE].

Note: This part will be written more in-depth, as the sources I've pulled from are either no longer accessible, or from narrators I would not feel comfortable platforming due to their motives for sharing this information (e.g., anti-human rights individuals with qualified backgrounds). Knowledge is power, but we don't have to platform fascists in order to share it (* ^ ω ^)

To start this post off, I'll share some archives I've found since part one! This way, if you're just looking for resources and don't want to read something super lengthy, this post is still (hopefully) useful to my fellow writers.

Safety Data Sheets [Archive] - A collection of safety data sheets for what looks like various types of compounds, mostly based around industrial work (e.g., concrete mixes, roof coatings, etc.). While arguably not relevant to this sort of topic focus, I think it could be in the right scenarios, especially as sheets provide first-aid instructions, hazard classification, and details about specific compounds.

War Medicine [Archive] - Definitely a more historical reference (dated 1918), but published by the American Red Cross Society in France covering… war medicine. Includes various diagrams and topics.

Field Manuals and Technical Manuals [Archive] - A collection of field and technical manuals from various military services spanning across various decades. I believe most of these are U.S.-based.

Now, for the in-depth written information, placed behind the "keep reading" button.

CLOSE-QUARTERS BATTLE (CQB) / MILITARY OPERATIONS IN URBAN TERRAIN (MOUT)

CQB is typically defined as a short duration, high intensity conflict characterized by sudden violence at close range. MOUT is an example of a scenario where CQB may be applicable.

When in these environments, it's important for your character(s) to know how to navigate them. The presence of closer-knit buildings, various entryways, and populated environments means there's a lot of risk for both them and those around them.

As such, one of the founding concepts is entry and clearance.

There are many different ways to enter and clear rooms within a building, but the three primary types are as follows:

Conventional (aka: Strong Walling) - The leading individual "commits" to the room by stepping in with their full body, pressing their back to the wall opposite to the door's attachment, and using their upper torso to sweep the room with their light/weapon.

Lateral - The leading individual enters the room at either a 90-degree angle to the door (straight toward back wall of room) or a 45-degree angle (toward the corner opposite to the door).

Framing - Rather than step into the room, the leading individual peeks around the door frame and conducts their sweep from within it (think of them as using the door frame as a "mount" for their weapon, if they have one).

These can be conducted solo, or with a wingman.

A wingman is usually one other individual who stacks beside the leading individual, and uses an over-the-shoulder vantage to provide a secondary set of eyes for cover, while also being able to cover tasks such as opening doors.

Then, there's navigating environments as teams. With teams, there comes a need to develop tactics. With CQB in particular, there are two primary types of strategies:

Dynamic - Rapid movement and clearance; Your character(s) are likely in a high-intensity/time-sensitive scenario where speed is more important than safety. In these scenarios, your character(s) is/are more likely to clear rooms by committing with their entry and flooding in if in a team.

Deliberate - Slower movement and clearance; Your character(s) are likely still in dire circumstance, but they're able to take the time and prioritize safety over speed. In these scenarios, your character(s) is/are more likely to clear rooms by framing and entering one at a time to ensure all angles are covered.

But not every room is a perfect rectangle with wider-open spaces. Regardless of the structure, dead space is an important factor to consider for characters both outside and within these environments.

Dead space simply refers to the space that has not been cleared by the individual(s) entering the space. There are a few different types, including:

Anchored - The object creating the dead space is anchored to a wall, and thus prevents flanking. This could be a dividing wall, and certain types of cabinetry or other furniture.

Unanchored - The object creating the dead space is not anchored to a wall, and thus allows for flanking. This can be… any piece of furniture, crates/boxes/shelves, even certain installation pieces such as a 360-fireplace or showcase tank/terrarium.

Low - The object creating the dead space cannot fully conceal an individual/individuals who are standing, but could if they were crouched or laying prone. This could be things such as couches, tables with cloth over them, etc.

High - The object creating the dead space is elevated above the entry point. This usually, and pretty much only, includes things like stairwells, but it could include higher cabinetry if your character(s) is/are creative enough or able to navigate that.

Moving away from specific scenarios, there is something I've seen written a lot in fanfic and in rp spaces that I think would be important to clarify:

Do. not. attempt. to. catch. a. falling. gun.

I'm serious! In active combat, this isn't as applicable because your character's goal is (ultimately) to neutralize whatever threat is in front of them. Beyond that, though, your character(s) should never attempt to catch.

"But why? Wouldn't you want to stop it from discharging?"

That is why.

Yes, the firearm may discharge when hitting the ground… but in catching it, your character(s) may also discharge it. Unless they know for a fact they will not grab the area around or within the trigger guard, it's highly likely that a finger/fingers will slip into the guard and, due to the force of the catch, end up pulling.

The best practice, especially for a character/characters who are skilled with firearms and versed in safety practices, is to put the hands up and let it fall. Step back, find cover if possible, and retrieve the firearm after it has landed.

And again, I am not responsible for what y'all do with this info. Read responsibly, and stay frosty!

[byhees]

first crushes.

엔하이픈 ・ female reader + word count 1900 genre fluff love-struck varying au warnings not proof-read mention of food — more

a/n. blank

high-school love | heeseung

as the star student of this year’s batch, heeseung gained massive amounts of popularity for his charms, ranging from academic excellence, to breathtaking visuals.

you had never considered yourself to be heavily involved in all these trivial matters— to fawn over a boy, who you clearly didn’t stand a chance to.

however, all seems to take a twist after news of your terribly falling grades, and your report card, marked with solely capitalised ‘F’s, all neatly arranged down the row.

approaching heeseung was the best option, if you didn’t wish to drop-out before the finals.

there was only a handful of thoughts running through your mind— just blurt out as many questions as possible; after all, this was done voluntarily on heeseung’s behalf, and you didn’t want to occupy another portion of his schedule for a second session.

30-minutes, just you two, situated at a random round table in the library, textbooks splayed out on the surface.

you had came in with a straightforward objective, but maybe your gaze had lingered on the boy in front of you… for much longer than intended.

and maybe, the capitalised ‘F’ stood for the ‘fluttering’ of your heart, especially whenever heeseung leaned towards your direction ever so slightly to explain the workings of a question, voice being softened due to the environment.

and maybe, you grimaced having to end the session, your fingertips yearning to tap on his shoulder, to blabber a random question, just for him to re-explain the entire concept.

as he bid his goodbyes, figure gradually disappearing from view, the rapid thudding of your heart filled your ears.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, lee heeseung.

music-store love | jongseong

developing an interest in the learnings of an electric guitar had lead you to the corner-store nearby.

pocket on the verge of eruption, your wallet looked as though it were about to burst— you probably should’ve done more research before making the bold decision to carry out your entire year’s worth of savings.

entering the store, you were met with the back-view of a boy, arranging the displayed instruments in place.

approaching him was simpler than you’d imagined— at the sight of a new customer, his smile grew tenfold, the words falling from his lips painted with warmth

eyes shifting to his uniform, a name tag adorning the empty, upper-left corner of his shirt— park jay.

clarifying your queries and doubts were a few of the things he did— he even picked a few guitars for further explanation; it wasn’t hard to see his passion for music.

as jay tuned the electric guitar for you, you couldn’t help but to stare— stunning even whilst furrowing his eyebrows, fingers swiftly at work.

giving you a few tips, while unknowingly bending forward to help with your finger placements, your heartbeat accelerated dangerously.

perhaps your heart would be the one responsible for a noise complaint.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, park jongseong.

camping love | jaeyun

not only had you absolutely despised the wilderness, but you had zero survival skills, painfully sticking out like a sore thumb, in the midst of a camping group.

it was your parents idea— to bond over new experiences, and possibly make more friends.

shoulders sullen, eyes devoid of their usual twinkle, your backpack felt unusually heavy with every step.

making new friends was not your forte.

for the most part, you trailed behind your parents, watching as they greeted the fellow campers.

just as you set your backpack down at your allocates spot, a light tap was felt on the edge of your shoulder, prompting you to turn round.

expecting to see your mother, you were taken by surprise, a pleasant one at that, when a boy stood in front of you, a wide grin plastered on his face.

jake, he introduced himself.

jake, the boy you’d unconsciously gaze at whilst hammering down the nails of your tent, only to be told off by your father for the hazard.

jake, the boy you’d try to find whilst wandering round the campsite, hoping that you’d get another word with him.

jake, the boy your eyes would fixate on whilst pouring yourself a portion of soup, the spoon accidentally missing by a centimetre, pouring its contents on your shoes.

seeing him giggle at the little sights spotted in the forested landscapes sent you smiling as well— his laugh, music to your ears, much better than the pop-songs you’d hear while walking down streetside shops.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, sim jaeyun.

cafe love | sunghoon

after finishing your finals, life was practically black-and-white, monotonous and boring. you hadn’t arranged for any plans with your friends, assuming that they were all ‘fully booked’ for the long holidays.

opting to spend the time meaningfully, you signed up for a part-time job at a nearby cafe— truly lucked out with the distance, pay, and everything.

the first day proceeded smoothly, with adaptations being made swiftly— you even dared to think that you’d make it to the ‘employee of the year’ board.

however, with the sight of this new customer, you momentarily froze in place— was he even real?

sharp eyes locking with yours, gaze captivating.

that ambition would have to be halted temporarily.

sensing the odd and abrupt silence, he offered a small grin to ease the atmosphere.

instantly, it felt like fireworks had been set off in the pit of your stomach, the crackling representing the pounding of your heart.

as time grew, you found yourself perched at the counter more regularly than imagined, elbows propped on the wooden table, eyes darting to the door with every occasional jingle of the bell.

and every time you caught sight of the boy’s familiar head of hair, you’d begin preparing his regular order, already predicting the words that’d slip out of his mouth.

a few times, you’d chosen to be bolder, adding on a scribbled message near the bottom of the cup, in a dilemma of wanting him to read it, or to have him completely miss the note.

an unpredictable pattern of returned smiles and brief conversations, enough to leave you giggling under your blanket, kicking your feet in an inexplicable amount of euphoria.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, park sunghoon.

library love | seonwoo

you had predicted for your dating life to be monotonous, excitement completely thrown out of the window, perhaps even comparable to a blank sheet of paper.

hence, books were the next best things to coming close to a nibble of relationship experience.

you’d been working as a librarian for just over a year, and things were going rather smoothly— it was much more pleasant than working at a restaurant, just had to bear with the occasional shriek from the children’s area.

as you were arranging the push-cart’s stray books into their respective shelves, a soft string of footsteps played behind you, gradually shifting to emit from your left.

turning your head, you almost choked on your own saliva.

raven-black hair, tinted heart-shaped lips, upturned brown eyes, were the primary characteristics you’d managed to catch.

his voice, seeming as though it were coated in a layer of honey, words leaving his lips in a whisper.

the way to the ‘young adult’ corner?

on usual days, you’d easily recite the directions, as though they’d been imprinted on your mind; however, you couldn’t seem to utter a single sentence, phrase, or a word.

every time you’d seen a glimpse of his face, you’d experience a similar reaction— remaining complete silence.

at times, after walking past him, you’d stumble on your feet, the carpeted floors, or absolutely nothing.

at times, after making brief eye contact with him, you’d clumsily knock down a stack of books, eliciting a softened yell, creating a ruckus— no matter, it didn’t stand a chance to the ruckus within your chest, the thumping of your heart against your ribs.

fumbling over your own limbs, hands scrambling to pick up the fallen books with a distressed scrunch of the nose, all because of a mental dilemma as to whether you should approach him, or to continuously hide in your cove of books.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, kim sunoo.

flower-shop love | jungwon

it was customary for you to purchase a bouquet of flowers every mothers’ day— just a little tradition that followed since you were of the age to begin saving up whatever scraps of money you had.

whilst already being out-and-about to run a few errands, you’d figured that it’d be best to pick up the flowers on your way back.

shoes tapping against the concrete pavement, you scanned the row of shops to look for one that seemed to match what you’d been scouring for.

entering a shop, with a semi-large board attached to the empty space above the door, the letters reading ‘SIMPLY FLOWERS’, a wisp of fresh air caressed your face.

a room filled with a mirage of colours and shapes, like it’d just been snatched from a book about fairy tales.

there had only been one employee there, and going off on his welcoming, yet short, introduction, his name was jungwon.

jungwon had intently listened to your request — a flower representing sweet, everlasting love. one that was preferably pink, your mother’s favourite colour.

he had recommended a few that fit your criteria, showing you a variety— unbeknownst to him, you had been making a mental comparison between the creamy pink shade of the petals, and the light blush adorning his cheeks.

unintentionally starting up a friendly flower-fact battle with jungwon, to which you’d maximise your limited knowledge, blabbering whatever you could recall.

leaving the shop with a bouquet of yarrows, and an odd incentive to begin surfing the internet for more flower symbolisms and characteristics, ready to dash back to the store with newfound information.

steps feeling even lighter than before, heart fluttering comfortably, the corners of your lips curved upwards, you clutched the bouquet, as though you’d been the receiver of said flowers.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, yang jungwon.

skate-park love | riki

you’d made the choice to accompany your younger sibling to the nearby skate park— it wasn’t the most appealing decision, but at least you’d have a chance to take a breather, well if that was possible with all the shrieking from your exhilarated sibling.

intently watching from an appropriate distance, you’d found your eyes unconsciously darting to the group of boys beside your preoccupied sibling.

and in particular, to the boy with jet-black hair, bangs long enough to fall gracefully just above his eye, lips curved in a gleeful grin of his own, probably smiling at something his friend had said.

clearly there wasn’t any coordination between your head, and your eyes— with your mind set on watching over your sibling for potential injuries, and your eyes set on lingering a second longer on the unnamed boy.

his swift movements mesmerised you, and that wasn’t a figurative speech— if your sibling spared a glance towards your direction, you’d probably be teased for how ridiculous you looked.

the feeling of butterflies soaring through your chest, emerging whenever you’d notice particularly endearing details— the way the corner of his eyes would crinkle after laughing a smidgin too hard, the way his melodiously contagious giggles would linger in the air, the way he’d send knowing looks to his friends, sharing a common ‘morse code’ of silly faces.

spirits lifted at the recollection of the boy’s cheery grin, you left the skate park with a thumping heart— you should really start visiting this place more often.

a feeling unexplainable— your first crush, nishimura riki.

taglist open! @wondipity @yjjungwon @shysakuno @niktwazny303 @syrxiee2 @g4m3girl @minhosify networks! @kflixnet

[cerulean-crow]

I was a creepypasta and mlp grimdark kid- I absolutely loved them and they definitely shaped my interests in horror and gore that I have now! I am not immune to the nostalgia of these infection au’s, and honestly I am thriving. I love reading everyone’s ideas and seeing everyone’s art, and I got inspired to try my own hand at one!

I’ve been calling it the Crystal Heart Contagion. I am not sure how far I’ll take this but it’s fun to draw and think about. I considered going a bit crazy with actual gore, but this was just supposed to be a concept page and I wanted to keep it simple and just flesh out some ideas I had bouncing around in my head. Besides, I actually really like body horror that doesn’t involve a ton of gore- and like that note says, has an air of beauty alongside the disturbing elements.

Again, not sure how far I’ll take this- so I’m just gonna jot down some thoughts and notes! I’ll put ‘em under the cut because I am very wordy <3

Also I try to tag my stuff as best as possible because I know not everyone loves horror and these Mlp horror au’s as much as I do! I don’t want people to interact with my posts if it makes them uncomfortable, so if I miss a tag please let me know.

The Crystal Heart Contagion is transmitted when infected crystals come into contact with one’s bloodstream. The afflicted will experience body pains and stiffness at first, hemophilia, and symptoms like lethargy and migraines. The crystals will begin to form in clusters on the skeletal system, eventually breaking through the skin and, after a long enough period of time, will completely petrify the afflicted in solid crystal.

I imagine that one’s teeth, hooves, and horns are where crystals will begin to break through first. I like the idea of stylizing manes as they crystalize- but that’s exploration for another day!

I am currently thinking of the infection more like a parasite of some kind. Parasitic crystals that feed on magic and rely on living creatures to carry them farther in order to spread themselves.

The infection originally didn’t do much to change one’s personality, they would just get weaker and weaker as they were overtaken by the crystals. It was only when the infection started again, when Equestria was home to many more different species and overflowing with way more magic, that the crystals would begin to mutate at a rapid rate. Those afflicted would begin to show signs of aggression that would have them attacking others, thus leading to further spreading.

Some physical details I like is the eyes hollowing out and resembling geodes! Crystals emerging from the spines, horns becoming crystallized, and crystals forming over teeth and jaw to create fangs are all stuff I would love to flesh out in further detail.

I also love the idea of the chest ripping open to reveal a crystal heart held in a crystallized ribcage! I think I will forever be influenced by the Angel Trap in Saw 3

The idea of this infection is still developing and I’m still doing a lot of research and thinking on the words to describe it. My original thoughts took inspiration from a parasitic infection and rabies. My brain also likes thinking of it like a mold in how it spreads or thinking of the crystals like a coral reef (mostly as a visual inspiration)

The background and timeline is all still a work in progress. I haven’t rewatched the full series in so long and I’m implementing plenty of my own headcanons- so it’s all very vague right now.

The original idea is that the infection started during King Sombra’s reign. He created these parasitic crystals and unleashed them upon Celelstia and Luna’s army with the hopes of dwindling their numbers and expanding the reach of the Crystal Empire further through the Frozen North. When he was sealed away, Celestia and Luna would bring several of the infected back to Equestria for study. They would hide them away deep underground beneath a mountain, where the lack of nutrients in the rock would eventually cause the crystals to stop forming and enter some kind of hibernation.

Celestia would later build Canterlot after the banishment of Nightmare Moon, and she would use the very kingdom itself to block off the caverns and keep them hidden for everyone’s safety.

The Crystal Caverns would become known again during the Canterlot Wedding when Cadance and Twilight escaped from them. However, nothing would ever happen after the fact, and Celestia and Luna would continue to hope that with Sombra sealed away and the crystals dormant for so long, that this infection was truly no more.

When I first got this all in my head, the idea was that Flurry Heart’s Crystalling was what caused the parasitic-crystals to get a kickstart of energy and begin spreading again.

That is the part where the timeline starts getting really wonky. Cause I think I’d want Twilight to be running her school and have the young six around, but that’s in season 8 and the crystalling was in season 6. But I can honestly fudge the timeline however I want, it’s an alternate universe after all.

I think that Celestia sacrifices herself in order to save Luna and help as many people flee Canterlot as possible. This was when I still very early into thinking this au through and a potential story that could be told with it- and with the worldbuilding I’ve been doing over the last few days I don’t entirely know if it still fits. I love the scene in my head that comes from it though- so I decided to keep the sketch of crystallized Celestia in the end.

I love the idea of crystals on her head mimicking sun rays! And her forelegs and wings becoming one so she staggers around like a wyvern. That’s definitely a design I would love to flesh out if I get the time.

I am having fun!

[benk625-blog]

The New Gods

“I vote against Contact.” Nordrix said with a heavy sigh.

“This is unprecedented.” Andrynn sputtered. “In all my years of surveying unaligned civilizations. I’ve never heard a concern from Cultural Studies. Economics and Warfare tend to quash admittance to the Interstellar Union.”

“I am aware.” Nordrix replied. “I did not come to this conclusion easily or lightly. My full and thorough report will be available soon.”

“Can you summarize for the committee?” Asked Gr’chykk of Warfare. “These deathworlders would formidable foes to the IU. If First Contact is handled properly, they could instead become our allies.”

“First Contact is inevitable.” Hypool of Science added. “They are on the verge of developing FTL transport and communication.”

“In my full report I strongly argue for Interdiction.” Nordrix answered. He wished they would just read the report. Confrontation made him uncomfortable.

“Unacceptable!” Screeched Smathley of Economics “I have never seen such a potential for mutually beneficial trade. I demand a preliminary summary this instant.”

It was unavoidable now. Nordrix was prepared for this demand. He stood up and prepared his files and notes to be displayed to the Contact committee. It would have to be a convincing argument and be made succinctly.

“My area of expertise is comparative religion. Specifically, I analyze cultures through the lens of what abstract concepts they deify. Certain motifs are repeated in each and every member culture in the IU. Gods of warfare, natural cycles and bountiful harvest are universal. This is apparent to most people without the academic knowledge I hold. May I assume that as given?” His colleagues agreed.

“Humans have an archetype previously unknown in the IU. They call this god-type ‘The Trickster.’ It occurs through out the cultures of this planet. The Trickster is hall marked by cleverness, deception and transgression of the taboo. So far, I have not discovered a major religion that centralizes this figure. Despite that, I have found that Trickster behavior is endemic to human society.

“If humans were to enter the Interstellar Union, they would unleash chaos and anarchy on our society. The number of words and phrases they have dedicated to untruths are staggering. It is routinely accepted that contracts will be voided, treaties broken and objective facts can be ignored.

“Culturally normative behavior is a paradox to them. It is expected that during their maturity that youths will violate customs, taboos and laws. As human adults attain maturity, they will begin to enforce the social values they ignored only a few years previous. When they become elders, they will mourn a false past that exists only in their imagination.

“Worst of all, they constantly improve on these techniques. If a human practices deception with innovation and novelty, they will usually do not face consequences. Legal systems seem designed to malfunction in this exact way. Social approval is similarly fickle. There is absolutely no standard for when a behavior is praised, normalized, politely ignored, forbidden or condemned.

“Here are some specific exam-“ Nordrix stopped talking as the audio-visual broadcast system seemed to go haywire. A rapid series of painted images flickered, creating the illusion of movement. He knew these were called cartoons. Loud, instrumental, march music assailed the sound wave receptors of the committee. A man in a green out fit wearing a horned crown laughed. A robed woman threw a golden apple. A monkey rampaged across a banquet table eating everything in sight. Spiders, crows, raccoons and coyotes in a parade.

The last image was a grey rabbit, standing on its hind legs holding carrot in a gloved hand.

“Nyaaaaaaa, What’s up doc?”

Humans had made First Contact.

[adis-is-hades]

PJO x DC concept: Lantern Corps Demigod(s)

Disclaimer: I haven’t actually read any GL comics so everything I know comes from fanfics and various other sources (Google)

We know that the human GLs tend to have some sort of engineering background, which is why they got the hang of the ring’s constructs pretty quickly. So think about a child of Hephaestus or Athena with a Lantern ring. They’d go feral to have the ability to create stuff with a single thought.

I also just think it’s kind of funny (especially with other kids). Humans can come across as feral to most aliens, and demigods (mostly Greek) are even more so. I can see the GLs (or JL/TT/YJ if the demigod is on a team) being sent in a diplomatic mission that somehow fails and they get dropped into a death tournament. The demigod is absolutely willing to fight tooth and nail, even without weapons. They are taking off fingers (ooh carrot mentality) and tearing skin from muscle and bone. With their prior training (and maybe war experience) they’re wrenching joints from sockets and placing their opponent(s) into submission locks, barely even breaking a sweat.

I think if every demigod got a ring, most of them would have green. All of them qualify for green. The will power it takes to fight and survive as long as they have. That’s a lot. Will to live is such a defining part of many of our canon characters.

Getting more specific:

Percy could possibly have blue (and not just because it’s his favorite color). Blue symbolizes hope. His refusal to release Elpis—hope—to signal surrender is a huge moment in his development in “The Last Olympian”. He could potentially qualify for indigo which symbolizes compassion. He doesn’t kill Iapetus after the Titan’s swim in the Lethe in “Sword of Hades”, instead renaming him Bob and getting him a (relatively) honest job in Hades’ palace. He befriends Damasen in Tartarus. And the pain he feels when he has to leave them behind is tangible.

Annabeth could be orange—greed. Her desire to build a new world is a prideful, almost greedy aspiration. She tries not to let it control her, so perhaps it’s not the best match, but it’s an option. I think she is more apt for green. The will to not let her pride control her (especially after meeting Percy), he will to pursue her dream and become an architect to build a new world is very admirable.

Will I think could qualify for both black—death—and white—life. He canonically has affinity for Apollo’s domains of both healing and plague, so it’s not that far fetched. He could also be indigo. I imagine healing accident prone demigods over and over again takes a lot of compassion.

Nico has the obvious of black, but I think it would be ironic if he had a white ring. The black ring comes from being the son of the god of the dead, but I think that just puts life into perspective for him better than most. He knows the ins and outs of death to the point that he knows that life is sacred and something everyone should get to experience. And think he’d have the opposite of Will’s ring if they had them at the same time, like a yin yang. Nico could also be red, rage, for the fact that his fatal flaw is holding grudges. He holds his anger for months between “The Titan’s Curse” and “The Battle of the Labyrinth” until he finally gets to speak to Bianca and get “permission” to let go. Indigo is yet another option due to his actions of bringing Hazel back to the living world. (If I recall correctly, he was originally looking for Bianca, to offer another chance at life to her, but stumbled on Hazel when he couldn’t find Bianca).

Clarisse is most likely red. Rage is a big part of the Ares kids, and Clarisse is often always angry. She could also be violet—love—or indigo for her acts regarding Chris and Selena.

Rapid fire! With no context and in no particular order:

Piper: red, green, blue

Leo: yellow (fear), indigo, blue

Jason: yellow, blue

Frank: indigo, green

Reyna: green, indigo

Thalia: white, blue

Chiron: green, indigo, blue, violet

Sally: violet, indigo, blue

Feel free to add on!

[lets-talk-gundam]

The ORX-005 Gaplant

With more incursions on Earth itself by Zeon remnant factions and other militant groups, the Federation sought a solution to the issue of MS mobility under gravity. While any mobile suit could make use of a sub-flight unit - such as the Dodai or Base Jabber - they were generally unreliable in combat situations, with rapid maneuvering potentially causing riders to lose balance.

Federation engineers began doing what they do best, and eventually produced the RX-78E Gundam GT-FOUR to serve as a proof of concept.

The machine - while plagued with issues - proved the viability of variable mobile suits, and was considered a success. With this success, the team was given the green light to continue development of variable machines.

The ORX-003 Domingo was one such machine, and would serve as the basis for development going forward. The Domingo stood at an impressive 25 meters in order to accommodate its transformation mechanism. It boasted an impressive mobile suit to mobile armor transformation time of under five seconds, but needed almost a full ten seconds to transform back.

The ORX-005 Gaplant saw its first deployment in UC 0085 as a joint project between the Augusta and Oakland research labs, incorporating lessons learned from the Domingo.

While the issue of unassisted flight was unimportant in space, the Gaplant was developed with space use in mind. Its MA mode was able to make use of the Active Mass Balance Auto-Control (AMBAC) system almost as efficiently as the MS mode, affording it extreme maneuverability.

However, this maneuverability came at a steep cost, and most pilots were unable to handle the intense g-force exerted on them in combat maneuvers. The Gaplant could only be handled by so-called Cyber-Newtypes, thanks to their enhanced bodies.

The Gaplant saw use during the Gryps conflict, where it was fielded by the Titans. At least two standard units are known to have existed at the time - piloted by Rosamia Badam and Yazan Gable respectively, with an unknown number of modified and/ or experimental units.

The Gaplant was also extensively experimented with by the Titans Test Team, resulting in a number of unconventional units, with some eventually falling into the hands of Zeon remnant groups. Recovered Gaplant prototypes were even modified and fielded by groups such as Karaba and the AEUG.

In UC 105, a group of hijackers used a Gaplant to approach and board Haunzen flight 356.

Known sightings of the Gaplant later on are rare. Notably, in U.C. 203, the wreckage of a Gaplant inspires Afranche Char to fight the Federation when it washes up on the shore of his home island.

The ORX-005 Gaplant was originally designed by Kazumi Fujita for the 1985 anime Moblie Suit Zeta Gundam.

This post was a request! Requests are always welcome!

[randomfoggytiger]

Scully's Abduction, Emily Sim, and the Lost Scully Baby

SOLVING SCULLY'S ABDUCTION DATES

The answer to the question of when Scully was returned differs here and there. Sometime after 11/2/94 and on or before 11/11/94 seems to be the consensus: themareks posits November 2nd, xfilestimeline.net guesses in-between the 2nd and 11th, and epguides stands by the 11th as both One Breath's airdate and Scully's reappearance.

But how long was Scully gone?

Mulder states in Emily: "She [Scully] was missing for four weeks. That's documented in the file."

And to further back up that abduction timeline, Mulder later finds a medical paperwork in the nursing home containing Scully's full name next to a possible abduction date: 13/10/94. At the very least, October 13 was when the government tagged her in their system, meaning Scully was likely abducted on the 12th or 13th and returned not on the 2nd but on the 11th.

WAS SCULLY IMPREGNATED DURING HER ABDUCTION?

Mulder's filed report contains another tidbit he never shared with his partner: it states (as read aloud by the official overseeing Emily's custody case) that Scully was "subjected to a series of experiments where... they extracted her ova."

The episode divulges the 'how's a few scenes later: abductees or unwitting volunteers were put into "beauty sleep" by the Syndicate doctors before being injected with a series of enhanced drugs to stimulate ovulation for extraction. Essentially, the women were put through a process similar to the early stages of IVF treatments, for far more nefarious purposes.

After the extracted ova were combined with suitable sperm or cloned with alien DNA, they were not returned to the womb but were instead grown separately in metal and glass containers filled with a green-not-gray alien liquid.

NURSING HOME MOTHERS

As is the end result of man playing God, the Syndicate pushed the bounds of their "science" by dabbling with the unconscionable: they darkened the doors of nursing homes, developing an extra preceding step that involved "awakening" and growing the ova of older women to maturation before subjecting them to the "beauty sleep." These women were the perfect targets, either too confused or too forgetful to intelligently articulate what was happening to them; and Dr. Calderon and his cohorts banked on repeating their experimental process for unlimited ova until death claimed their patients in natural or unnatural ways. (Unfortunately for Dr. Calderon, his aspirations were cut short when Mulder threatened exposure.)

So, to recap: the women were violated, not impregnated.

THE ROANOKE SCULLY

What's even worse?

While investigating the nursing home, Mulder not only finds the aforementioned paperwork listing Scully's full name and possible abduction date but also a corresponding fetus, alive and kicking, in its own little container of green fluid.

This, too, was Scully's child; and it, too, was likely killed or discarded as medical waste during the Consortium's coverup.

"NATURAL", CLONE, OR HYBRID?

Though not entirely explained in Emily (or after), the fetuses grew at unimaginably rapid rates from conception to "birth" in a month's time; but the cost of accelerated growth sacrificed their health, causing the babies born to be dependent on consistent injections of their mysterious gestation fluid in order to survive.

What were those babies, then? Clones? Hybrids? Fully human?

My personal theory? Emily was a hybrid. Not only would this fit the injections and extractions and underhanded IVF machinations in Season 8 (quality of its writing aside), but it would also correlate the mirroring aims of Emily's Dr. Calderon and Per Manum's Dr. Parenti. Parenti stuffed his batch of alien-human hybrid babies into identical containers of fluid, too (albeit for darker purposes.)

The episodes she appears in provides evidence of its own. Even though clones created from alien DNA bleed green and Emily bled red, her blood still released toxic fumes for self-defense, which means Emily's DNA couldn't have been fully human even if both ova and sperm were tampered with before insemination (a feat the Syndicate couldn't accomplish despite their many, many horrific attempts.)

CONCLUSIONS

Not only was Scully never pregnant but she was also never abducted more than once, making her an anomaly even amongst the other MUFON women. This leads me to believe the first round of experimentation inflicted on her was so severe that the Syndicate deemed Scully too great a risk for future harvesting... which was also likely why she was left to die (even if CSM "returned her to you" for a merciful death surrounded by the ones she loved.) Serving no further purpose to the Project, she had been considered waste and was, therefore, disposable.

Emily, too, was ultimately doomed to die after the Consortium or Dr. Calderon tired of his experiments; and if it hadn't been for Melissa Scully's ghostly interference, Emily Sim would have been torn from her parents the minute they stopped towing the line and raised elsewhere as a lab rat-- unloved and, again, tossed aside when deemed no longer necessary.

Finally, there's still one Scully child unaccounted for.

Existence begun and ended in obscurity, it was likely squirreled away or destroyed along with any remaining evidence of Dr. Calderon's work-- a loose end from a man no longer needed by his overlords.

However, the thought that Mulder was the only person other than its merciless creators to behold this tiny fetus is one best pondered on a dark, lonely night when one is in the mood for either melancholy or heart failure.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[anamericangirl]

What about the anon I sent in about no brain activity

The cessation of brain waves are how we currently measure the end of life, not the beginning. The end of life and the beginning of life are two different things and they can’t be measured the same way.

We say the loss of brain activity is death because that’s when we know a person has ceased to function as a living organism but an unborn baby is a living organism before brain waves are detectable. No scientist will say otherwise.

Brain death means there is no more growing or developing that will occur. The person has ceased to be. But an unborn baby is growing and developing at a rapid pace even before brain waves. There is no significant measurable difference between a fetus with brain waves and fetus without brain waves. And we know from observation that they are alive from the moment of conception and their life doesn’t begin when brain activity is detectable.

Are you suggesting there is no difference between a rapidly growing and developing unborn baby and a human corpse?

I’ve never seen anyone justify hunting by saying animals lack intelligence. But it doesn’t matter what justification people give for hunting. Animals and people are different and finding a reason it’s ok to kill an animal doesn’t mean that’s an ok reason to kill a person.

I mean there’s a lot of people out there right now that I would say lack intelligence. Is it ok for me to kill them?